Author's Note: This chapter told from both Rose and Scorpius' perspectives.


Author's Note: Scorpius' perspective.


I gripped the handle of my broom concentrating all my brain power on the quaffle. And not the five or six quaffles that went through the hoops thanks to Smith's bewitched throwing arm. The chasers were speeding towards me- Yaxley aimed a kick at Smith's head missing by an inch. My insides squirmed.

'Don't think too deeply,' I thought over and over again. Rose's voice entered my mind, 'There's no such thing as overthinking.' She was so wrong.

I bared my teeth. Everything seemed to slow down. The entire school was watching me. My muscles felt stiff and tense, they were covered with a layer of cold sweat. I squinted, the sun was starting to get in my eyes.

Smith swung his arm back and released. The quaffle sailed towards the hoops. I moved quickly, my arm bending ready to block it. The sound of the crowd below was making my eardrums pound. I twisted my body and my broom together and flew forward to meet the quaffle. It hit my arm protection with a bang that rattled through my bones but gave me a rush of excitement. I had done it.

"Enough time to warm up," I muttered to myself, flying back into position in front of the centre ring.

The Gryffindors let out a chorus of boos. My eyes avoided them. I didn't want to see anyone I knew, even if it was Rosie, I needed to focus on who and what was in the air and at what speed they were coming towards me. All the quidditch books I had read over the years were flooding back to me. I opened and reclasped my hands on the neck of my broom trying to relax and become one with the air.


Author's Note: Rose's perspective.


"Rose, I can climb down myself." Mr Malfoy said, coolly. I dropped my hand, his snakehead cane came down on the last wooden step with a thud. But there was a glint of excitement in his eyes and maybe even a hint of a smile on his thin lips.

"Scorpius won." I grinned, trying to get a bigger expression on Mr Malfoy's face.

"Gryffindor won." He corrected. The shouts from the Gryffindors had been going on for a solid five minutes by now.

"But if we forget about the seekers." I beamed. "See I know that much. Based on the number of quaffles he stopped he won. You're proud of him, Mr Malfoy, admit it. I know it would make Scorpius' month."

"He knows that."

"He doesn't," I protested. "Scorpius isn't going to look at the tiny details of your actions. It's all or nothing for him."

Mr Malfoy grunted in response. I tugged self-consciously at my scarf.

"Oh look," Mr Malfoy said, loudly. "It's the boy who lived and his ginger sidekick."

I almost jumped out of my skin. I scanned the crowd forming outside the stadium hoping it was just a nervous tick from Draco Malfoy or a terrible joke. But no, there was Dad and Uncle Harry. Their backs were to us and they were talking to Fred and Lily.

"Right," I said, sickeningly polite. "My dad and my uncle. I suppose I'll have to abandon you, the wannabe spoilt death eater."

His eyes flashed dangerously at me. I held my glare... for Scorpius' sake at least.

Then, to my complete and utter surprise, his face snapped back into neutral. "Fair enough, Weasley." He said and started limping in the opposite direction towards Slytherin territory.

I watched him for a second, the wind ruffling his cloak. Was he angry at me? Or just shocked? I didn't care I couldn't laugh along with him and pretend. I felt a sliver of sympathy for him. Mr Malfoy could be a good person if he let himself be.

I walked towards Dad and uncle Harry, thinking maybe the war affected Mr Malfoy like it still does to this day affect my mum and dad. Mum buried herself so deep in work she can't feel anything, Dad's moods could change lightning fast from wanting to do everything and beaming to being angry and doing nothing. They both had nightmares. And they both needed another to keep afloat.

Then I thought of the letter(s) I had been waiting for- maybe I should've stayed with Mr Malfoy but it was too late Dad's arms were already around me, squeezing the life out of me.

"Rosie!" he finally released me, straightening up to his actual height.

"You haven't written to me," I stated.

"Hello to you too." He put a hand on my shoulder. That hand went to the back of his neck when I didn't reply. "Don't look at me like that, Rosie, like you're five again."

I huffed. "I've been waiting for a letter from you and Mum. I've been writing to you like crazy even ask Scor- Abby." I coughed, pressing my lips to the sleeve of my cloak. "And Kenny. Sorry, Dad, the air is… dusty out here."

Dad raised an eyebrow at me. Uncle Harry smiled at me while Fred and Lily laughed at something he said.

"Hiya, uncle Harry." I grinned back. "How's Mum?" I asked Dad.

Dad shrugged. "Busy. Too busy if you ask me, but you know your mother, getting grey hairs as we speak. I'm busy as well, I kept putting off writing until... here we are. I thought a visit in person would be better."

"After an Auror raid, of course, anything to report?" I asked, surprised that Dad hadn't said anything about it yet. He could always find something funny or to complain about when he tagged along with Uncle Harry on missions.

Dad's eyebrows flew to his hairline in a red fuzz.

"How did you know that?"

I took a step back, cursing in my mind. Draco Malfoy was the answer to that. I was so slow today, I should've stayed with the grumpy man with the cane.

Albus- no, a couple of years too late on that one. Lily? She's right there. Scorpius' seering powers- not helpful, brain. Throw my brother under the night bus?

I laughed. "I heard it earlier from one of the cousins. I forget who."

Dad was suspicious I could feel it in the air around him but Potter, the unlikely hero saved the day-

"Malfoy! Oi, Malfoy!" we both turned in sync to see Albus Potter foaming at the mouth and charging towards Scorpius. Scorpius was discreetly watching me a couple of feet away hidden in a crowd of jostling Slytherins.

Scorpius didn't flinch. He pretended he didn't hear Potter.

"Finally something interesting." Dad rubbed his hands together, completely forgetting about the last five seconds.

I automatically looked at Uncle Harry. He had gone pale and was already moving towards Potter.

"You blocked me in the hoops!" Potter snarled, now face to face with Malfoy or trying to be. Potter came up to Malfoy's shoulder on his tiptoes. "You're the reason we lost the game!" Potter thundered loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Do your job properly, Potter, then. Don't go waltzing around the pitch like your training for the ballet and you'll have nothing to complain about." Malfoy hissed.

"The mudblood's got you wrapped around her finger!" Potter jabbed a finger into Scorpius' chest. "Take your infectious disease somewhere else-"

"You were the one who made me keeper-"

"LAST RESORT!"

"I am warning you, Potter," Scorpius said, deadly calm, it made the hairs rise on the back of my neck. "Go back to your death eaters and leave me alone. I want nothing to do with you."

Most of the crowd had fallen silent watching the 'fight' that was taking place. I started chewing on my bottom lip waiting for Potter's reply. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Abby dragging Kenny towards the front of the crowd, both of them in glittery Gryffindor tops.

"Malfoy, can you please for the sake of everyone in this castle, throw yourself down the stairs-"

The next thing happened so quickly Dad gasped beside me so high for a second I thought Mum had joined us. Mr Malfoy, moving like a black blur, grabbed Potter by the ear. Potter yelped. Scorpius stepped backwards with a bewildered expression on his face.

Mr Malfoy snarled. "Don't you dare speak to my son like that, Potter."

Before anyone could separate the two, Mr Malfoy let go of Potter's ear and turned away from him. Potter's mouth was wide open in shock. He stumbled over his own two feet and into the mud, quickly scrambling up and running away. Mr Malfoy grabbed Scorpius' arm and led him away shouting over his shoulder.

"The show is over!"

"That's out of line!" Dad roared.

I kept my eyes on the two blonde heads. "Dad, Potter just told Malfoy to throw himself down the stairs-"

"Albus! You're cousin Albus, Rose!" Dad grabbed my shoulders and shook his head. "I don't who the bloody hell you're hanging out with or what the hell you're doing- you're up to something I can feel it!"

"I'm not." I lied. It didn't feel like a lie, everything felt so ordinary now. Lily was watching me over Dad's shoulder her mouth open and her arms crossed. She was going to let some sassy comment lose.

Uncle Harry returned, his cheeks flushed with colour now. "Do you think we should tell a teacher?"

Dad let go of me. "I know that if Malfoy grabbed my Rosie by the ear-"

"Albus really did provoke him though…" Uncle Harry trailed off.

Dad winced. "Little Malfoy did call him a death eater. What would you say if someone called you a death eater?"

No, he didn't he said, 'go back to your death eaters.' But I bit my tongue. I really wanted to say something, but talking honestly now would only result in another look from Dad.

"I'm going over to Abby and Kenny," I said instead. Even though I had lost track of where they were. I scanned the crowd there was no hint of blonde, Kenny's dark hair, Abby's mousy brown or glitter.

"No, you will not," Dad said firmly. "We need to talk." Dad planted a hand on my shoulder and I was stuck.

Several minutes of heated debate between dad and Uncle Harry later and I was back up in the stands sitting down at the back where I had a sat with Mr Malfoy. I put my head in my hands. I was desperate to get to Scorpius, he was probably gone by now nearly everyone had left the pitch.

"Is there anything you want to tell me?"

"No," I replied automatically.

Dad seemed surprised. Then we sat in silence. His one probably 'foolproof' plan didn't work. Mum was better at interrogation than him. He was excellent at Wizard's Chess but words and feelings didn't matter when it came to chess pieces.

"Well, you can talk to me." He patted me on the back, awkwardly. "You just seem… different. Very closed off, like your hiding something even Grandad noticed. Grandad." He repeated.

"The exams are my life right now, Dad." I settled for. "Summer will be different." I shrugged. At the rate Scorpius was going next month might be surreal.

"I don't think it's that." Dad frowned. "I've been around your mum and all her intense study schedules all through Hogwarts, it's different."

"There was a long drawn out silence. I sat up and wrapped my cloak tighter around me, annoyed.

"You need to stop being so sympathetic to people like Malfoy."

I blinked. "I'm not."

"Yes, you are. You need to stop trying to understand them. They don't have reasons behind what they do, nothing to justify it. Some people are just born rotten."

"Okay." I nodded, doing my best to tune him out. "I'm tired."

"Early night then, Rosie." He said. "Come on, I'll walk with you back up to the castle."