As if Rose needed more reasons to not get pregnant, her cousin Molly's raging hormones were causing everyone around her to go into hiding. If she had any say in the matter, she would have faded into the background of the snack table with her father but her mother insisted she go early to help set up. ("She's your cousin," Hermione said admonishingly. Rose didn't bother pointing out that she, and Molly by default, had about 10 other cousins that could help. Somehow Hugo managed to hide long enough that Hermione didn't send him along as well.)
"It was supposed to be a blush pink, not coral!" Molly yelled before bursting into tears over the balloon arch. Her husband Garrett wearily patted her back, having spent 6 months with his normally exceptionally practical wife turned into a demanding monster—though Rose would never dare say it out loud. At least she wasn't Roxanne, the event planner and the one whose Molly's attention was focused on.
Roxanne's eye twitched, but, being under strict orders from the rest of the family not to bother Molly given her condition, simply pasted a smile on her face.
"It's the same one we picked out together, remember?" she said, her voice only betraying a hint of irritation. "And it goes so well with the shade of blue we picked out."
Molly simply sniffled in response. Roxanne turned around to find a source of help from her family but everyone had made themselves scarce in a sudden bout of self-preservation. Except for Rose who wasn't quite quick enough to avoid Roxanne's laser-focused eyes.
"Rose!" Damn it. Roxanne took quick steps towards where Rose was sitting. Rose attempted to get up and run back inside to the Burrow, but the creaks in her bones as she unfolded her legs told her that she shouldn't attempt any sudden movements.
Roxanne wrinkled her nose as she got closer. "Why do you look like…this?" She gestured to Rose from head to toe. Rose couldn't even bring herself to be offended.
"Alyssa came back after her work trip and wanted to go out last night. And then Lily heard and wanted to join."
Roxanne winced sympathetically. Any Weasley cousin knew that a night out with Lily Potter was bound to turn into a late night, a wicked hangover the next morning, and more likely than not a misdemeanor committed.
"Ok, take it slow and don't throw up anywhere. But I really need your help setting up the table." Roxanne's eyes turned pleading. Rose simply sighed and swallowed a large gulp of Malfoy's Hangover Cure that Roxanne held out to her—because despite her critique of Malfoy Incorporated's potions to Scorpius, it really was the best out there.
"Fine, but if I have to throw up, I'm going to do it Molly's purse."
"Everything you need should be in the kitchen or in the storage closet. I owe you."
"Roxy!" Molly's voice made them both wince. Rose took that moment to slip away inside the house as quickly as her aching body would allow her.
Upon entering the storage room, she was greeted with a cloud of smoke.
"Hey, Rose." Dominique blew out another puff of smoke as she lounged on the floor of the tiny closet, looking unconcerned about the chaos that lay outside.
Rose raised an eyebrow. "You're hiding from Roxy and Molly?"
"Rox asked me to pick up some flowers 20 minutes ago. And I did, but Molly was not thrilled so I told her what she could do with the flowers and where she could put them. Then Nana suggested I stop pissing Molly off and to fuck off to where I couldn't do any more damage."
"Nana said that?" Rose snorted.
"I read between the lines." Dominique grinned at her. "You can join me, but any more people and we'll be noticeable."
She'd be lying if she said she didn't seriously consider it.
"I can't," she sighed. "I promised Roxanne I'd set up the table."
Dom shrugged as Rose grabbed a stack of plates.
"Suit yourself." What sounded like a small explosion came from outside and the voice of their cousin Lucy could be heard angrily yelling at James and Fred. Dominique smirked. "I'll be here if you change your mind."
Rose set the table with limited distractions and even went out of her way to add a few flowers and decorations. Molly better be appreciative. Fortunately, the guests began arriving before Roxanne could ask her to run any more errands.
Molly immediately wiped away any lingering tears and stepped forward to greet her friends. Rose found herself somehow standing next to her Aunt Audrey, Molly's mother.
"Thank you for all your help, Rose." Aunt Audrey gave her a warm smile. "The table decorations look wonderful."
"Thanks." She sent back a weary smile, though her headache was mostly gone after the hangover cure. "Are you looking forward to being a grandmother?"
"It'll be so nice to have some little ones around soon. Hopefully soon we can expect some of your own." Aunt Audrey winked in what Rose assumed was supposed to be a friendly manner but really just caused a wave of nausea to run over her. Another pregnancy symptom she hoped to avoid. She narrowly avoided snorting at her aunt's well-intentioned statement.
"I don't think that's going to happen for a long time."
"Don't say that." Aunt Audrey's eyes took on a concerned pinch. "You know you only have so many years to have children. Why wouldn't you have them now?"
Rose sucked in a breath, ready to remind her that she was only 26, not some post-menopausal spinster, thank you very much, but someone cut in before she could rage.
"I think that usually involves a secondary person in the process. Which Rose herself has told me is currently nonexistent."
She turned around to see Scorpius leisurely sipping on the signature cocktail Molly insisted they have, regardless of the fact that she couldn't have one herself.
"Scorpius!" Aunt Audrey beamed.
"What're you doing here?" Rose was horrified.
"Are you going to ask me that every time you see me?" Scorpius said, neatly sidestepping her to sit down, arms splayed on the back of the couch.
"This is a family event." She glanced at the group of Molly's friends that arrived. "Mostly."
"Garrett and I used to play quidditch together. And I supply his training facility with healing potions."
"Scorpius was supposed to be a groomsman for Garrett at his and Molly's wedding; you knew that, Rose," Aunt Audrey supplied. She did not in fact know that. "It's great that you're able to make it here for the baby shower."
"Wouldn't miss it." He grinned back, looking a little too at home on her grandmother's couch than Rose was comfortable with.
"Mum! Where are you?" Molly's shriek echoed through the house.
Aunt Audrey's eyes tightened but her smile remained. "I think I should go help Roxanne and Lucy with the desserts in the kitchen. You two enjoy yourselves."
"I think Molly was actually calling—"
"Goodbye, Rose!"
Scorpius watched her leave with amusement.
"Wasn't Molly supposed to be the rational one of you lot? Not prone to bouts of hysteria and drama like the rest of you?"
"We're not prone to—oof." She stumbled slightly as Lily rushed by her and knocked into her shoulder. "We're not dramatic either." She crossed her arms.
It was nice physically having the upper hand on him, she realized as she stood above his seat. The problem was that she kept getting jostled as more people piled into the house.
"You once set a flock of peacocks after me because I beat you in a Defense exam."
"That was like 7 years—ow—ago." She snapped, losing her footing when another guest ran into her.
Scorpius rolled his eyes.
"Just sit down, Rose." Without waiting for her response, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her down. She plopped down with an undignified sound, shooting him a dirty look as she righted herself.
"And that wasn't because you beat me. It was because you were so insufferable about getting just two points higher and you had just made fun of me for dating Jeremy Shaffer."
"Someone needed to tell you you were making a mistake," he said dismissively. "Don't argue, your cousin's about to speak."
Rose sent him a glare before turning to Molly, who had gotten everyone's attention.
"Thank you for coming, everyone. Garrett and I are so thrilled we're able to share this special occasion with you. Even though we know we have a lot of long nights ahead of us, I know I'll get through all the diaper changes and cleaning up the throw up with Garrett doing it all with me too." Molly turned adoring eyes to her husband.
"He's more likely to throw up with the baby," Scorpius muttered. Garrett indeed was looking a bit nauseated. For all his good qualities, Rose knew from past experience that he had a rather weak stomach, having nearly fainted merely at her Uncle Charlie's stories about dragon births.
She inadvertently let out a loud snort before clapping a hand over her mouth. Without faltering in her speech, Molly gave her a death glare. Scorpius smirked. Rose poked him in the side and he hissed, almost spilling his drink. More people turned to look. Al maneuvered his way through the crowd and crouched behind them.
"Would you two tone it down before Molly explodes?" he whispered.
"Sorry, Al. No Joanna Finnegan around this time?"
Al shot Scorpius an unamused look. "No Lana Hensling around either."
"Actually…" Scorpius tilted his head. Rose and Al looked out the window to where the German model was nodding along to whatever James was explaining to her using wide hand gestures. Her tight minidress was stunning on her, Rose begrudgingly noticed, if not a bit out of place at a baby shower at midday.
"She speaks English?"
"No. At least she never has with me."
The three of them watched Lana blankly take in James's wild stories, Al and Rose with interest while Scorpius simply sipped his drink.
"You sure she's ok with James?" Al asked. Scorpius shrugged.
"She'll get used to his…dramatics." He gave Rose a side eye and she poked him again with a scowl.
"Both of you, stop it!" Albus commanded in a whisper. "I'm gonna go help Roxy, but don't move and please don't argue until I get back."
Rose cast a longing glance back to the kitchen. Maybe it wasn't too late to join Dominique.
"Twins." Scorpius's voice interrupted her escape plans. She turned to see him shaking his head. "That'll be a lot for them to handle once they're born."
"I know." Rose sighed. Perpetually organized Molly would probably be able to take it on with ease, unlike herself who would immediately flounder.
Scorpius interpreted the look on her face correctly.
"Not a fan?"
"No. Yes. I don't know." She sighed. "They're a lot of work."
"They are." He sat, waiting for her to continue.
"But they're also supposed to be cute and give you purpose in life and make it all worth it. Or something like that."
"It's not like you have to decide right now."
"I know. But I see it a lot when I'm on rotation in the maternity wards too and we're having this whole gala where most of the funds are going to the NICU and… it just feels like everyone around me is getting into a relationship or having kids or whatever, you know?"
Rose stopped abruptly before she could say any more. What on earth had possessed her to start treating her school nemesis like her therapist? She hadn't even confided in Lily or Roxy or even her best friend Alyssa about her feelings of being stuck or behind her friends, but Scorpius Malfoy was unwillingly treated to the Rose Freak Show that was her brain. She peeked up at him, not ready to face his biting comments head on.
Scorpius was nodding patiently, eyes not wavering from hers.
Which made it so much worse than if he'd just made fun of her.
"My parents have been getting on me to settle down," he admitted with a grimace.
Group therapy it was then.
Rose glanced at Lana, stomach churning. She and Scorpius would probably have the beautiful blonde pure-blooded grandchildren the Malfoys dreamed of.
"Being the only Malfoy heir tends to put the pressure on," he continued. "You're lucky you have so many cousins and a sibling. It won't be all concentrated on you."
"They're waiting on the next generation of blonde purebloods then?" Rose asked skeptically. "Are you also only limited to one child? Because frankly that's the best rule your family has had so far so there's not too many of you running around."
"Oh yes, as opposed to your family's policy on moderation when it comes to children." Scorpius cast a sarcastic gaze over the room populated with Weasleys. "Was your grandparents' inspiration bunnies or possums?"
Rose scowled, but before she could argue back, he continued.
"My family just wants me to find the right person and be happy with whoever that may be."
"Right. Anyone at all who makes you happy. Lucius Malfoy, champion of Muggle rights and pureblood-muggle marriages." She didn't manage to keep the snark out of her tone but luckily despite the admonishing side-glare she got, Scorpius snickered.
"No offense," she added, not bothering to fake sincerity.
"None taken. My parents want me to be with anyone who makes me happy," he amended. "My grandparents are…more difficult. But they ultimately want the best for me too. And I'm sure it's the same with your family, whether or not you decide you want kids or not." He glanced around the room. "Though I'm sure there will be plenty of kids from other sources if your parents decide they want any."
The way he reassured her was actually kind of sweet. It was too bad Rose would rather die than be in a position for Scorpius Malfoy to be consoling her.
Before she could say anything else offensive about him or his family, his model girlfriend walked (strutted?) up to them.
"Scorpius," she said and that was the last thing Rose understood as she continued on in German. Scorpius answered back in perfect German with a perfect accent (as far as she could tell), then looked back at her.
"I have to get going," he said. Rose was unsure why he sounded apologetic.
"Ok."
"I'm sure I'll see you at the next one of these events." He looked around at the crowd. "Try to make sure Garrett has something in his stomach so he doesn't pass out, yeah?"
She looked to see Garrett being trapped by her cousin Victorie who was enthusiastically describing her own experience giving birth to little Remus Lupin. Garrett was clutching onto a chair, knuckles pale. When she turned back, Scorpius was already gone.
"Wow," a voice said behind her. Rose tipped her head around and saw Lily staring at Scorpius and Lana leaving. "She's so hot."
"She really is," Rose said admiringly. "Out of his league?"
"I don't think anyone is out of his league. But she's close. Ever since he came back, he's been looking good though. All that time abroad must have done him good."
"Abroad?" She gave Lily a confused look. "Where was he?"
"You didn't know?" Lily as usual was excited to be the first one to share an important piece of gossip. "Scorpius left like a year after you all graduated Hogwarts. I think the official reason was that he was leading the expansion of his family's company abroad which is why he was gone for so long, but they also announced it like a week after he broke up with Alessandra Zabini. Coincidence? I think not!" Lily waggled her eyebrows.
"Alessandra Zabini." Rose didn't know the blonde willowy girl personally but had some recollections of her always with Scorpius at Hogwarts. "Slytherin?"
"Yep. Pretty sure their families were really close too. He only just came back to England this year so he's been gone for a while. Kind of like when you went traveling, except you didn't have the romantic trauma following you around the world." Lily fake-swooned, falling across Rose's lap. Rose snorted and shoved her off.
"That must've been a really bad breakup if he had to literally leave the country."
"He doesn't seem too broken up about it now. Though I wouldn't either if I were dating Lana Hensling."
"No, he doesn't." Rose repeated faintly.
