It was December and it was snowing the weekend of our Hogsmeade trip. I woke up on that Saturday morning shivering, my heating charm had worn off during the night and my three layers of blankets did nothing against the cold temperatures. I opened my eyes expecting to see icicles hanging from the ceiling but instead what I saw was Jane up and ready packing her bag.
"What are you doing?" I murmured into my blankets over my head and sinking back into my pillow.
"Hogsmeade!" Jane said looking at me.
"Merlin! That's today?" I said snapping out of my dreamy haze. Without hesitation, I threw back my covers and jumped out of my bed. I was bursting with excitement. Even the chills that ran through my bare feet from the cold floor couldn't discourage me.
"When is breakfast?" I asked grabbing my night robe draped across the end of my bed. I wrapped the snug purple material around my fluffy pyjamas. Pumpkin was snoozing at the end of my bed, the outline of his large shape could be seen under the covers. He hissed at the sudden disturbance to the bed.
"SSSSSS... yourself!" I hissed back patting the lump in the blanket that was him.
"About an hour from now," Jane replied weighing a book in each hand trying to decide which one to take.
"I'm having a shower then," I said gathering my toiletries from my open trunk. "I can't wait! Make sure you pack the super long list we made. I'm buzzing for Honeydukes."
Jane grinned at the mention of Honeydukes.
I grabbed a fresh pair of robes I had folded in my trunk. I also grabbed a cosy pair of pants and a cat jumper to go underneath it.
Abby was still asleep, her loud snores filled the room. Violet and Angela were still asleep as well, the curtains around their beds were shut, so I had the bathroom to myself. I gave Abby a poke in the foot when I passed her bed. This triggered her sleep talking.
"No, Da Vinci, don't do that. I'll look like a piece of moss." She moaned into her pillow.
I was disappointed that the Hogsmeade trip fell on a Saturday which meant no library time with Malfoy which was (strangely enough) turning out to be the highlight of my weekend. But who knows maybe I'll see him at Hogsmeade since the annoying quidditch practise he has to attend is being postponed because of the trip.
Why was I thinking about him now? He'll be with his friends and I'll be with mine. I was going to have a ton of fun with Abby and Jane at Hogsmeade. An exciting girls trip. Books, butterbeer, sweets, and joke shops.
I cringed when I stepped out of the shower. Why was I thinking about Malfoy in the shower? That just takes my Malfoy thoughts to a whole new level of weird. I dried myself and shoved on my clothes. My hair was damp and still a tangled mess. No way was I going near it with a hair brush so an untangling and a drying charm did the trick. I didn't look uncannily like a night troll anymore just remotely like one.
I brushed my teeth and all that before stepping back into the dorm. Abby sat up in her bed when she saw me come out of the bathroom. With her blankets hugged around her, she moaned and groaned about the cold and shuffled into the bathroom.
I went back to my area in the dorm to try and find my scarf, but it had disappeared from its usual place hanging on the handle of my wardrobe. I had an idea of where it was. I lifted the blankets on my bed pulling them back exposing Pumpkin who hissed at the breeze and curled into an even tighter ball on the top of a pile of clothing. I sighed when I saw the new addition to his pile my Ravenclaw coloured scarf.
"Goodbye scarf." I muttered plonking myself on the part of the bed that wasn't taken up by Pumpkin. I didn't want to fight with my cat for about an hour over a scarf, like when he took my shirt and added it to his nest. I used the summoning charm on it. He came with it and the rest is a twenty-page-long war. I don't know how there is space in my small bed for his nest. I suppose it's because I've learned over time to sleep in a curled ball otherwise Pumpkin will accidently chew on my toes in his sleep (trust me not as cute as it sounds).
"Okay," Jane said. "When Abby comes out of the bathroom and is ready to go we'll go down eat breakfast and get our permission forms checked before anyone else's. So we'll waste no time and go straight to Hogsmeade."
We didn't get there first we arrived with everyone else from third year up who seemed to have the same idea. We were standing in the middle of the line in the snow. Hogwarts had turned into an even bigger fairy tale over the last few days. On Thursday when we headed for our lessons we walked out the Entrance Hall to see everything covered in a thick layer of snow and ice. We were late to class because we decided to have a massive snowball fight thinking it would take about five minutes but lasted for at least fifteen before Jane checked her watch. We were very, very late to History of magic.
We ran across the castle falling too many times to count up and down the stairs. Professor Binns paid us no attention when we waltzed in (love him!). Abby exclaimed for the whole class to hear doubled over through her pants, "I think I grew a six pack."
When we finally reached the top of the line, Jane, Abby and I let out a sigh of relief. Mr Filch whipped our permission forms out of our hands and blew his breath in our faces. His breath was more disgusting than usual. It smelled like fish, rotting corn and for some reason sweat (it wouldn't surprise me if he drank it). I swear to Merlin he makes his breath putrid on purpose to make students like us suffer.
"Don't you even think about buying Dungbombs or fireworks or any other nasty things that I'll end up having to clean up!" Filch snapped. His narrowed eyes darted back and forth.
Abby, Jane and I took a step back. Flinching at Filch's invasion of our personal space.
"Yes, Mr Filch," Jane said trying to be a polite and good student.
Abby blew out her cheeks and did a very obvious, long eye roll at Mr Filch.
Mr Filch snorted at her before we walked past him and towards the village.
"Why won't he just do us all a favour and retire or die with that cat," Abby said not bothering to lower her voice.
"Abby," Jane said half-heartedly. "Don't say that."
"Ever since I put Dungbombs in Goyle's bag in second year he's been on my case. It's not my fault she emptied her bag on the floor of his office."
"Don't start talking about Filch," I said. "I don't want my first Hogsmeade memory to be discussing that git."
"Okay, okay," Abby said casually. "I suppose you would like to bitch about Malfoy instead."
I bit the inside of my cheek, "Stop bringing up Malfoy."
"Jesus, Rose," Abby shook her head. "Just teasing. You always get way too upset over him."
"What shop are we going to visit first?" I asked putting on a brighter voice.
"Weasley's Wizard Wheezes!" Abby and Jane cheered at the same time.
Weasley's Wizard Wheezes has a joke shop in Hogsmeade where Zonko's Joke Shop used to be. Uncle George told me it's smaller than their premise in Diagon Alley but lacks none of the magic. I was really excited about visiting. Uncle George said he'll definitely be there and dad will probably make an appearance.
The store was at the end of the high street. All the surrounding snow covered buildings paled in comparison to the bright orange shop that had bright quick objects moving about in its display windows. Music, bangs, and whizzes could be heard from the outside as we approached.
"Yes!" Abby smirked cracking her knuckles. "Let's get down to business."
Jane made a face at the sound of Abby's bones popping and I grinned. We hurried inside the store, it was already jam packed with Hogwarts students. Fred and James were there towards the back of the store speaking business like to Uncle George. Abby grabbed a shopping basket at the door.
"Jane, do you have that shopping list I gave you?" Abby asked. Jane was in possession of all the lists since she was the most trustworthy and organised of the three of us. The least likely to lose anything unlike me who had almost walked out of her dorm without her permission slip.
"For the thousandth time, you do not need a 15 inch shopping list," Jane said getting a rolled piece of parchment with a ribbon tied around it from her bag.
"Got to stock up," Abby replied.
"For what?" I said not really paying attention. I was admiring the pink love potions that a few sixth year girls were crowding around.
Jane was suddenly next to me.
"What could you possibly need a love potion for?" Jane asked. Abby was nowhere in sight and the list in Jane's hand was gone.
"I don't need one of then it's just... the potion is pretty," I started laughing at the thought of actually using a love potion on someone.
The crowd of girls had decided to grab a couple of love potions and move to some other display. Jane took their place, reached for one of the heart shaped vials and held it up to the light examining its contents. I slid next to her watching the potion turn from pink to purple against the bright overhead lights.
"They are pretty," Jane said. "Have you ever smelled a love potion before?"
"No," I chuckled. "My mom or dad has ruined every opportunity I had to do it."
Jane smiled fondly at the bottle, "Same here, but I really want to."
Jane uncorked the bottle, brought it to her nose and took a deep sniff. A beaming smile flooded her features.
"Jane, this isn't like you," I said crossing my arms. "Sniffing love potions in the middle of a shop sounds like something Abby would do."
"No, it doesn't, Abby would be sniffing poisonous fireworks before a love potion." Jane shrugged. "I wanted to see if it would smell like Eric."
I made a gagging noise. "You know what he smells like?"
"Kind of," Jane said thinking. "He wears this spicy cologne."
I gagged again the words Eric and spicy cologne used in the same sentence are enough to make me lose my appetite.
"Does it smell like that?"
"No," Jane sighed. "It smells like freshly cut grass, ink and that smell that fills your mouth when you get a strawberry Bertie Bott's."
Jane passed me the bottle. I checked to see if anybody was watching me before I put it under my nose. It was the best selection of smells to have ever graced my nose. First, I smelled the sweet smell of fresh parchment, then came the smell of the old books in the Library, I could picture their yellowing pages crinkling in my mind, then came the smell of the perfume my mom used to wear when I was younger and then something I didn't recognise. I shut my eyes trying to remember where it had come from. I had smelt it before but the scent didn't trigger any memory, all I got was a floaty feeling in my stomach and the speeding up of my pulse.
I took another sniff of the potion trying to get more of the smell. It was sweet, like expensive soap, and by far the best smell the potion had to offer. I shut my eyes and tilted my head back, but still nothing! I knew it, I had smelled it before but where? I suddenly felt paranoid.
And the next thing I knew, the vial was plucked out of my hands. My eyes flew open in confusion.
"Hello, Mr Weasley," Jane said being her polite self but she was focused on me, giving me this weird look. I probably did look pretty weird.
I probably did look pretty weird.
How long had I'd been standing in the middle of a busy store sniffing a love potion?
"Uncle George," I said turning red in the face. Suddenly the store had become too hot. "Hi!"
Uncle George gave me a grin before corking the vial and putting it back where it belonged, "Hope you girls weren't considering buying one of these."
"No," I said feeling a bit hazy after all that love potion sniffing.
"Always good to hear! But seriously, what unlucky fella are you considering using it on?"
"No one," Jane said folding her arms, she could not stand being accused of troublemaking.
I nodded. That peculiar scent was still lingering in my mind, it was making me stupid. I had to start stringing words together before this conversation became really awkward.
"So no fancy man?"
Why did he have to speak like that?
I laughed nervously. "Never."
"I wouldn't be standing by the love potions and examining them in such detail then. Ron may throw out his hip if he hears. People could get the wrong idea." And then he winked.
"Rose, Jane!" Abby bustled over from across the store. "Which should I get, the Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder that smells like dung or Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder that smells like tropical fruit?"
She held a glistening black rock in each hand and shoved them into our faces.
"The tropical fruit seems more polite for a lady of your taste, Abby." Uncle George suggested. "I think I might have some spring rain Instant Darkness in the back."
'Can we please stop talking about smells!?' I wanted to complain.
"Oh, I had spring rain before but tropical fruit and dung is better. The spring rain is like a breeze but the tropical fruit and dung are like BAM in your face!" Abby said half shouting almost giving Jane a black eye. "Do I still get the discount? Cause you said last time that I can have a discount."
Trust Abby to whip the conversation around.
"Of course, now if you ladies excuse me. I have so shoplifters to stop." Uncle George said swaggering over to some fifth years who looking particularly fondly at some top of the market puking pastels.
"Merlin, it's hot in here," I said wiping away the sweat that had formed on my forehead.
"Let's go get some sugar quills."
Despite our organisation, we went over schedule and spent more than an hour in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes looking at trinkets, bits, and bobs. And it was more than just sugar quills we left with. But thankfully I had my enlarged bag with me so I was able to store some stuff out of the way in there.
"Butterbeer?" I suggested when we stepped out into the cold air again.
"Butterbeer." They agreed.
The Three Broomsticks was packed with students, not as much as there were at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes but still a lot. We were lucky to get a table to ourselves. Jane went to the bar to order our butterbeers, while Abby and I guarded the table.
Jane returned with three warm, foaming butterbeers. The second she put them down on the table Abby grabbed hers and downed it in a single gulp.
"Was that necessary?" Jane asked taking a seat next to me.
"Yes," Abby said wobbling on her stool. "GOD! That went straight to my head. Now I have a warm brain freeze. I don't know if I like it or not."
Jane and I drank our butterbeers at a human pace savouring the sweet warm taste. Abby ordered another one in shot glass form explaining to Madam Rosmerta the shot glass would slow her down.
Abby and her muggle ways had me yelling,
"Shot, shot, shot!" every time she lifted one up to take a drink.
After another pint of butterbeer, I really had to pee so I headed to the bathroom. Girls usually go to the bathroom in groups but that was not how Abby, Jane and I rolled. I walked off telling them I'd be back in a second. There was a long line for the toilet, so I wasn't back in a second it was more like ten minutes. When I went to wash my hands I got into an interesting conversation with a witch who claims to breed phoenixes. I sensed a possible girlfriend for Hagrid so I slipped him into the conversation several times giving her a nudge towards the muscular, alluring, mysterious gamekeeper who lives alone in a hut.
When I finally made it back into the smoky over packed bar Abby and Jane were nowhere in sight. I looked all over the place but they were gone, I had been ditched. I knew that they would never ditch me on purpose but that didn't stop me sighing up and down the pub about it.
I was about to give up hope and drink another butterbeer and hope they would return when I stumbled over a witch's ridiculously long cloak. This made her spill her Firewhisky all over her. She was drenched in it and the oversized pint glass she was holding that was now empty fell to the floor and shattered.
She turned very stiff and white in the face (like a potion about to explode). Clearly, 'I'm sorry' or 'I know a couple of cleaning charms' or even 'I'm the daughter of Ron and Hermione Weasley who helped save the wizarding world' wasn't going to help. So I legged it out of the three broomsticks after apologising at a distance.
I felt kind of lost without my group of friends. I had no clue where to go. I decided to walk around the edge of the village and clear my head. I felt stuffy and overheated from being in the Three Broomsticks for a really long time. I tried to be optimistic, 'they are probably close by duelling someone who had insulted my honour' I thought to myself.
I hummed loudly to myself as I walked being careful not to trip over anything hidden in the snow. Not a sound could be heard on the outskirts of the village except the sound of my feet crunching in the snow every time I took a step and my out of tune humming. There was no one in sight, it seemed everyone was in the cozy heated stores and pubs. I was starting to rethink my idea of a walk, no way could Abby and Jane be wandering out in the cold they were probably surrounded by comforting sweets in Honeydukes, or books in Tomes and Scrolls, or gulping down another tasty butterbeer in one of the pubs. The thought of butterbeer made me lick my lips.
I was about to turn back and head to the Three Broomsticks (hopefully that horrible witch had gone) when the old Shrieking Shack came into view. It was on Jane's list of places we may not have time for. I wanted to see it and there it was, covered in a thin sheet of snow. Odds and ends of the ruined building were poking out from the sheet of snow.
I thought why not get a closer look especially with all the history that is tied to it. I walked towards it to get a closer look. A couple of steps later and around a bend a figure hunched over a chain linked fence staring down at the Shrieking Shack materialised. I couldn't see him before due to several trees and their branches stretched out hiding him from view until I got close enough.
I picked up my pace before considering it. I was like a dog running towards him, my tongue was probably flapping in the wind and all that was going through my mind was 'Malfoy, Malfoy, Malfoy… NOTICE ME!'
My face was flushed pink by the time I was standing next to him and I was panting. The only reason he noticed me was my heavy ragged breathing. It filled my ears along with the loud beat of my heart like a drum. I shut my mouth and forced myself to breathe (quietly) through my nose when he turned to me.
It looked like he had been in deep thought. His features were pulled into a serious expression that lightened up when I showed up. He straightened himself up and gave me a smile (Merlin, Malfoy is smiling at me a lot these days).
"Hello, Malfoy."
"Hey, Weasley."
"What have you done to your scarf?" I asked frowning.
I lifted the end of his green and white striped scarf inspecting the singed material. It was black at the end and curling where it was supposed to be green. Burnt, I knew, I had seen it happen to enough people's ties in potions to know.
"You ran all the way to me. To ask about my scarf?"
My face turned pinker, he did notice me. Why was I running to him again?
"No," I answered without hesitation giving his scarf a pull and in the process almost whacking my forehead against his chin. "I was lost."
Where did this terrible lie come from? After saying it I could think of a zillion different things that were more believable and didn't make me look desperate. Malfoy (like always) gave me a look that said he knew I was lying.
"What happened to Sliverton and Temple?"
I balled the end of his scarf into my fist. "Malfoy,-" I started all riled up and ready to tell him off for calling my friends that for the up tenth time. By now he definitely knew their names. But I stopped when I met his eyes and could see clearly that he was teasing me, not in a mean way, I could just tell from the sudden sparkle in his eye that he was joking and was trying to make me angry for the laugh. I lowered my voice deciding it was not worth giving him the satisfaction. "Abby Sliver and Jane Templeton are their names. And I have been abandoned."
"Oh no!" Malfoy said pulling a face of mock horror.
"Actually, that sounded really bad. Not abandoned... I've been momentarily left alone." I said reconsidering. I suddenly realised his scarf was still in my hand. I dropped it from my grip surprised that neither of us had said a thing about it. Which was strange because if this was first year or even a couple of months ago he would've hexed me by now.
"I went to the bathroom in the Three Broomsticks and when I came out they weren't there. Then I spilt firewhiskey all over this witch and had to leave." I continued. "What about you? I expected you to be off somewhere tormenting people with the Slytherins."
"Tormenting you, aren't I?"
A couple of giggles rose in my throat and my stomach jumped. I shook my head to cleared my thinking, that felt foggy.
"No," I replied and then realising what it could be taken as I quickly added on. "I meant other people that aren't me with the Slytherins."
My brain felt slow and tongue-tied. Everything was coming out wrong. I didn't sound like myself. I was talking like the words were struggling to come out. Maybe I over did it on the butterbeer (that would make sense) or I sniffed too much of that love potion (which is true).
"People you could actually win against in a duel." I finished taking a breath and finally feeling some of my usual attitude coming back.
"Weasley, I will duel you and win again," Malfoy said but made no move to reach for his wand.
"It was a tie!" I said recalling my treasured memory of Malfoy getting a slug-vomiting hex to the face. "I'm ten times better at duelling than I was back then, I could beat you in a second."
"How? By releasing your cat slash beast on me?"
I was about to retort when I remember the scarf, "Hey, you never told me what happened to your scarf."
Malfoy blinked at the sudden change in conversation.
"Albus didn't set you on fire, did he?"
"Weasley, do you think I am that pathetic?"
"Then what happened?"
"Want to guess?" Malfoy asked.
"You sneaky Sl-"
"Slytherin?"
"Slug," I answered and I once again picked up the end of his scarf. Took my wand out of my pocket and tapped it, "Reparo."
Within seconds the threads of the scarf intertwined and grew. The colour faded back to green.
"I could've done that," Malfoy stated.
"But you didn't," I replied shoving my wand back in my robe pocket.
Malfoy let out an irritated huff, "I forgot. You have to know everything, don't you? Why is my scarf like this? Nott decided to try and hex me but I Protegoed it and he got hit-"
"Which one?"
"Bogey Bat."
I crinkled my nose, "Lovely."
"Anyway, he gets up and is a wreck. There are snot bats flying out of his nose and what does he do? He tries to Incendio me, that explains the scarf. He's not very good at that spell."
"That's horrible why would someone try to set another person on fire?" I said getting a chill in my chest at the thought of it. "They could get expelled for that."
"They thought it would be funny, it's not like he used the Fiendfyre curse."
"You're not burnt? Are you?" I scanning his gloved hands.
"No-"
"Cause I know the charm for healing burns." I inputted rather awkwardly.
"He said it wrong. That part was actually funny because he said 'Incredieoy'." Malfoy said. "There wasn't even a proper flame."
"But what did you do to upset the pricks this time?" I asked crossing my arms. I was starting to feel my heating charm wearing off.
"I told Albus..." Malfoy's eyes darted to the snow covered ground. "He said you were-"
"Me?!"
"Yeah," Malfoy said. "I suppose you want to hear it. But please don't get upset and mad cause you're not. He said you're a…" Malfoy lowered his voice so I had to lean in to listen. "Stupid witch who is living off her parent's fame-"
"Whaaaaat?!" I shrilled unable to control myself.
"And a couple of other things. He said that you were... I don't want to say it."
"Tell me!" I whined. "If you don't I'll force it out of you and you know I will."
Malfoy sighed, "Okay, but you're not… he said that your ugly and other stuff along the lines of that."0
I took a deep breath and counted to ten in my head slowly like mom used to tell me to do. Malfoy stared at me worriedly. Albus had crossed the line with me. The tiny part of me that believe the Albus before Hogwarts would come back one day flicked off like a light. I've heard all these things before and yes they hurt, but coming from Albus made it feel like a bee had gotten into my chest and stung my heart.
Suddenly something else burst into my conscious thoughts.
Malfoy stood up for me.
Malfoy thinks I'm smart.
Malfoy thinks I'm pretty.
The thought of Malfoy thinking this made Albus' comments feel like knuts and Malfoy's feel like galleons.
Someone was defending my honour and it wasn't Abby and Jane. My heart was beating so hard I thought it would hop out of my chest. Malfoy thinks… My arms had fallen to my sides. There were tears in my eyes, I quickly blinked them away feeling better about the whole situation.
I looked up at him through squinted eyes hoping squinting would hide whatever tears that were leftover in my eyes. He looked unsure of what to do. He unwrapped his scarf from around his neck and before I could even process what was happening he wrapped his scarf around my neck. I froze on the spot wondering 'Why did he do that?'. But then I suddenly realised that my teeth were chattering loudly and I was shaking from the cold. My heating charm had worn off completely. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts and counting that I didn't even notice it.
My teeth stopped chattering. A warmth spread from my neck to everywhere else. I was sure it had nothing to do with a heating charm (?). 'It was on his neck and now it's on mine! It's like our necks are touching or sharing a secret!' my brain gushed.
Malfoy held the ends of the scarf and pulled them so the scarf snuggled into my neck. My pink face turned red.
"Weasley-" Malfoy started.
"No," I said the words coming out of my mouth immediately without passing through my thoughts. "Call me Rose. Weasley doesn't sound right anymore."
Malfoy paused and stared at me with a look of thought. He was considering what I had just said like it was long and complex.
"Okay, Rose, but you have to call me Scorpius. Malfoy has been sounding weird for ages." Malfoy replied.
"Scorpius." I tested an involuntary smile spread across my face. I liked the sound of it, it was strange that I hadn't addressed him like that since first year.
Scorpius shoved his hands in his pockets and asked, "Do you want to get a butterbeer?"
"The answer to that will always be yes!" I said and started walking with him in the direction of the village.
I took an intake of breath and with it inhaled the scent on the scarf. I almost choked in alarm.
It smelled exactly the same as the curious smell in the love potion I had been trying to identify. It was all coming back to me now whenever Scorpius leans in close enough to me I can smell his scent. I couldn't believe I didn't recognise it in the shop, I smell it almost every week and every time I smell it I always feel happier.
But right that second I wasn't feeling happier I was starting to panic. I cursed over and over again in my mind.
'I like the smell that's all it is.' I tried to convince myself. 'The same way I like the smell of fresh parchment-'
Only this is a way better smell. And it was the strongest smell in the love potion.
The little voice in the back of my head nudged me.
SHUT UP! I screamed inside my head.
'It could be just a coincidence.' I thought and immediately I felt my muscles relax. 'Maybe something else that I like smells like that. I could've just got my scents mixed up. BUT I AM NEVER EVER TELLING ANYONE ABOUT THIS!
"How about Hog's Head?" Scorpius asked interrupting my internal breakdown. "I think the Three Broomsticks will be too crowded for us to be seen together."
"Yes," I said trying to look normal, trying not to make it obvious that I was sniffing his scarf again. "Why did you give me your scarf?"
I couldn't help it, it just came out.
Scorpius' eyes slid from me to a nearby tree and back again.
"Because you were cold." He said quickly.
'Heating charm.' I was about to blurt out but then I realised that if I said that I would number 1. have to give the scarf back (which for some strange reason I didn't want to do right now) and 2. I would sound like a complete bitch. Instead, I said something I don't say to Ma- Scorpius very often.
"Thank you, that was really nice of you." The tone of my voice was far too sweet for my liking.
Scorpius didn't respond all cutie, cutie (which I am very grateful for I think I might have died if he did).
"Yeah," Scorpius said waving the whole thing off. "What shops have you been to?"
