Chapter 14 – Gotta be you
Scorpius stood at the stove stirring occasionally making a sizzling noise. Rose stood watching as she couldn't bring herself to interrupt, he had a soft content smile which made you want to know his thoughts. Of course, until you get distracted by his great ass. Scorpius turned in her direction feeling eyes on him, he smiled, "You comin'?" he gestured with his head to the onions and a chopping board waiting.
She could tell her face was red from getting catch staring, "Of course, you give me the hardest job, hm." Hiding a smile behind a pout she started the chopping without further complaint. He chuckled and continued cooking, the silence was more peaceful than before. Rose sniffled a bit as the onions stung her eyes, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. Determined not to give up she continued even though her vision blurred. Scorpius held her hand to stop her chopping and with his other hand he placed it on her cheek. She turned to him with a tear-streaked face, and he smiled as he wiped away the tears. Rose giggled groggily and looked first into his eyes, but her gaze travelled down to his lips. There was a pull, a feeling of desperate need for this person who she had once given everything.
"Mummy why crying?" Lyra said from the doorway. The two quickly turned to the child who stared concerned at her parents and her uncle standing behind her with a raised eyebrow.
Lyra looked on the verge of tears herself with concern for her mother. Rose swooped down and crouched at Lyra's eye level, "Aw sweetie, it's ok the onion making mummy cry, I'm not hurt, you don't need to worry."
Scorpius finished chopping the onions and let them simmer. Rose picked up Lyra and brought her to the lounge room, "Hu could you take my place and help Scorpius finish dinner?"
"Sure, Ro," He answered indifferently and pushed of the wall he had been leaning on. "Now, I'm not about to romantically gaze into your eyes either mate."
Scorpius laughed suddenly at the absurdity of the idea, "Merlin no, that would be too weird."
In a quiet and serious tone Hugo continued, "You need to tell her soon."
"I know," Scorpius sighed.
Rose closed the door to Lyra's bedroom after they just put her to sleep. "What do you need to do?" She asked turning to Scorpius, who seemed initially surprised by the question.
"Let's talk in the lounge room," His face contorts in pain.
Hugo sits across from the two as they sit on facing couches.
Scorpius takes a deep breathe, "I need to go and assist the team on the road catching the criminals who abducted Lyra. My family's knowledge of Death Eaters is useful in this case."
She was silent for a moment then asked, "Why you specifically, there are plenty of people who have this knowledge?" She stared at his face intensely hoping her intuition is not correct. That the worst is surely not what happened.
Scorpius sighed, "Because it was my grandfather's followers who abducted Lyra."
Rose physically shivered at the idea that a man from behind the prison bars of Azkaban could have orchestrated this. Further, why her daughter? aren't the Weasley's blood-traitors to them? The puzzle pieces didn't add up. "Why our daughter? What are they after?" Rose ran her fingers through her hair.
"We don't know, that's why Scorpius is going, we are hoping to learn their motive," Hugo broke his silence from across the way.
Rose nodded and looked back at Scorpius, "How long will you be gone?"
His face scrunched up again, "I'm not sure, but I will do anything and everything to keep you two safe now."
"That's what scares me, you might do something stupid because you are desperate to protect us." She stood and moved closer to the fireplace, "What we need is for you to come back to us, you get it? No dying thinking you are protecting us at all costs."
Scorpius stood and placed a hand on her shoulder, Rose turned around, "I mean, really you don't think the brilliant Rose Weasley is going to let anything happen to us?" She smirked.
Hugo made a noise that sounded like 'pfft', "Only you would say that while talking about yourself in third person."
Rose leaned to the side. "Hey! You ingrate I heard that."
Scorpius laughed and pulled Rose into a hug. Surprised at first but she soon relaxed into the hug, he smelt like mint, she had forgotten how addictive it was to be this close to him.
"I'll be back as soon as I can, I promised you'd have a normal family Christmas after all, didn't I?" Scorpius pulled back and reached for a bag. When he walked through that door, it had finally hit her, she still loved him.
It's a moonless night, as three cloaked figures walk into the forest. The figures approach two other cloaked figures.
"Have you found them yet?" A raspy old voice asked.
"We're close, the ministry Aurors are making it difficult," The largest figure bowed.
The man beside the largest figure folded his arms, "this is far too much trouble why don't we just go for the boy he's still young?"
His gruff tone indicated he was verge of killing someone, "Because you imbecile, we need to raise her with our values and if that boy is anything link my son, he'll be cowardly stay beside the blood-traitors."
"We have the updated photos of the girl?" The woman of the trio offered an envelope to the old man.
"Excellent," he took the envelope, "Go continue the search." The trio left while the old man and his assistant apparated. They walked into a quiet neighbourhood of London, "Go find us a house mouse."
As the assistant went to slaughter an unassuming owner of a house, the old man pulled out a picture from the envelope. The picture had been taken in one of the Malfoy villa's as she sat on the wooden chair with a straight face and unruly blonde ringlets looking at the camera. "Yes we have our salvation."