LPOV
"I can't believe they haven't returned yet." Shot Maximilian Macmillan.
"I didn't know you were friendly with Albus and the snake." Shot Rose.
"Albus and I would always discuss quidditch during our double charms break. He plays like nobodies business and Scorpius and I used to attend the same ministry events. I don't know why the MM can't just provide security here at school." The sandy haired blond replied, throwing darts at posters of Herpo the Foul, Tom Riddle, and Morganna Le Fae.
"I miss the snakes too. The slytherin team has suffered and our dueling club has gone to shit." Rory pouted. "No offense Max." She missed her snuggle partners. Although she had taken to sleeping with me in the lion's den as a substitute.
"They'll be back. They promised to double duel us. Albus never breaks a promise. Nor Scor." The Scamander twins echoed. "We have a sense about these things. Just you wait and see. They'll be back. Then things will get really interesting."
"You both miss them too huh..."
"Of course. Al and Scor are the only ones who can tell us apart. Not even mum and dad can do that. Albus makes me chocolate. While Scor leaves me riddles." The twins were almost telepathic. It was eerie how they could finish each others sentences, or speak in complete unison. My two cousins could do that too. I couldn't fathom how they were faring without each other now.
"Nobody needs to tell you guys apart. Just stand next to each other for the rest of time and everybody will just melt too quickly for them to care which one is which." Rori said deviously. Both twins huffed and turned scarlet.
"You saw Albus last. How was he Lou?" threw Rosy looking my way.
"Well... In all honesty... Al was... quite unwell. He has bluescale and it isn't getting better. He's definitely... different."
"Unfortunately Scorpius has it as well. Mr. Malfoy took him to their properties in Kyoto to recuperate. I visited them one weekend when the Muramasa princess was over. Scor never came out of his room. He's... a bit different too."
"Different how Aurora?" asked Max.
"Well he's really sad... and he never gets sad. Or at least he doesn't show it. He always maintains that composure of his no matter what. But this time, he just moped around the place like an inferi. I managed to cheer him up slightly when we took a trip into town for some dango and green tea. He did look so cute in his yukata, even if he was a little mopey. He said he had had a dream about doing the same things with Al. It was spring and the sakura festival was in full swing."
"I see..."
"Have you ever been to Japan Max? Or you Lou?"
"Nope."
"Me neither."
"Well you both are invited to my home there sometime, in fact so are the twins and Rosy of course. It's... not nearly as big as Scor's house, but the properties are close enough. I only have the one place in Kyoto though. Scor's dad has houses all over the country, but then again the Malfoys have property everywhere."
"Thanks Rory! Maybe we'll surprise Scorpius and cheer him up!" cried the twins looking up from their blueprints to smile at each other.
"Something tells me there's only one thing that'll cheer Scorpius up." I whispered to Rory, who gave me a knowing smile as reply.
"I can't believe we got permission to use the Hero's tower for our little club." shot both of the twins excitedly.
"I can't believe they built something like this after the war at all."
"Can't Rosy?"
"Well I get that its a memorial for those who died, but there was no need to make the thing so enormous. Or taller than the astronomy tower. Its a misappropriation of funds." Only Rosy would think that. She was too pragmatic.
"I'm surprised the Headmistress believed we are actually a club at all." shot Max.
"I think the additions are pretty cool. The Forest Observatory, the Hero's Beacon, The Lake's Silver Spire which is my favorite by the way." I threw at my cousin.
"Who thought of that? Why did they build a spire in the middle of the lake?" asked Rose indignantly. "It wrecks the view."
"Rose, its amazing the way the thing is but silver and glass. I love the underwater floors. They're beautiful."
"The Beacon is my favorite. I mean look up." Max pointed to the glass ceiling. Above us sat a giant metal bowl at the top of the tower. At all hours of the day its colored flames roared in honor of all those who had lost their lives in the final battle of the Second Wizarding War. At night the glass room we currently occupied was bathed in a swirling tapestry of colored lights. Rori told me that Scor's fireplace was similarly enchanted.
"It's like an actual Aurora." My Slytherin best friend exclaimed giddily.
"Can you believe they put in a magical lift? I mean, never having to climb those bloody stairs."
"Ugh... don't remind me... I have classes on the seventh floor." Whined Rory. "I wish they'd put a lift in the main towers too."
"How did you manage to rope me into this club anyway? The Hogwarts Planning committee, really? I mean what are we even supposed to be doing? Lou and Rory want to set up parties, Lorcan and Lysander want to incorporate new architectural fixtures to the castle and you want to rewrite the administrative protocols for the entire school. I'm content with just goofing off while the rest of you do work." Max shot at Rose with a sigh. "I just wish the boys would be allowed back here already."
"We all do."
"They would certainly know what to do with this club." Max finished solemnly, throwing some more darts at his targets.
"They'd even us out a bit too. We've got a Gryffindor, three Ravenclaws, I'm a Slytherin plus... the Hufflepuff. We are like the model group for interhouse cooperation. Although God knows why we need a blasted Hufflepuff. They're all bloody useless." Rory shot deviously.
"Hey!"cried Max a little outraged.
"I just realized... if Al and Scor were here we'd be the most attractive and intelligent grouping of students in the school." Rory continued a little shallowly. She might have been right, but her comment sounded so outrageously vain that Rose couldn't help but roll her eyes at it. I merely chuckled. "Well except for Rose."
"Hey!" cried Rose this time, more than a little outraged.
"Well we might need another Lion to make it even? Why not Melody Abbot?"
"My cousin?" Queried Max.
"Well she's as attractive as you and she's nearly as smart, plus we get along well." I didn't like that she had called Max attractive... even though thats how she always talks to everybody. Well I guess max was kind of...
"I doubt she'd be willing to take on whatever it is we're going to be doing here but I guess I can ask."
"If Scor were here, I bet he'd know how to get us special privileges to hold nighttime sessions here, or at least have food sent up for dinner. This'd make a great place for a party."
"Albus is pretty sneaky, plus he has a way with aunt Minerva, I think he'd do better by us in this instance." I returned to Rory.
"Damn it class is about to start and we're late." Shot Max towards Rosy and the Twins as he rushed to get his belongings in order.
"Rory and I will be up here for a while longer, we don't have charms until later this afternoon. We'll see you at dinner?"
"In honor of our beloved missing snakes I thought we could just sneak dinner up here?" She shot back at me.
"If we lose points we'll all lose points, so i'm game." Max said, throwing his bag over his shoulder. "I'll make sure the Ravens don't chicken out."
"We'd love to see what this room looks like at night. It might give us new ideas for amending the castle."
I watched as Rose flew down the stairs to the lift not waiting for Max who'd managed to catch up. The twins merely looked at each other. "They forget we're pretty good at soft landings." they said walking out onto the balcony and jumping off. If any of the teachers caught them doing that they'd lose a mountain of points.
"BYE EVERYONE!" I called after them.
"Lou? I'm going to take a nap. Your Uncle's room... how might I..."
"Albus, Severus, Lily, James..." I whispered to the Potter Family portrait, watching it swing ajar. As a Weasley I think it would have opened no matter what I had said... but knowing uncle Harry... that was likely the password.
"Thanks Lou." Rory said kissing my cheek before leaping through the portrait.
"EHHHHHHH? This is amazing! Why does your uncle have a room this enormous at Hogwarts?"
"Well he only saved the school half a dozen times. He only saved the entire wizarding world. I think this tower was a small consolation for him."
"Yeah but he has his own house. I mean with the money he's made from his investments with your other Uncle and through his work at the ministry, he could buy fifteen houses. Why did they feel the need to build this?"
"The governors felt that members of the Potter family should always feel welcome here in the castle. Harry Potters actions in a sense make him the fifth founder, since his legislation was responsible for its thorough reconstruction." I called from the other side of the portrait.
"Come on, we have hours before class, lets snuggle!"
"Rory I have to study." I said watching her examine the apartments. "You can rest but I-"
"The bathroom is HUGE. Why not have ourselves a little dip?" She said pulling me through the wall. I could feel my cheeks getting red.
"Rorrrrrry! You know we have a test later. I want to be ready." I whined as she pulled me through the enormous circular room towards the bath in the adjoining tower. We tripped but I somehow managed to shield Rory from the fall so that she had landed on top of me with a small squeak.
"Well isn't this cosy?" she said with a huge smile.
"Are you ok?" I asked, ignoring her comment. My back was really sore.
"I am now." She said leaning towards me. She was totally insane sometimes.
"Oh leave off you." I said pushing her off me. I could never tell if she meant it with me. She was so flirtatious with everybody you couldn't tell if she was ever being serious. She hadn't dated anyone yet, which was an indication that she was actually much more reserved than she came off.
"Well you can study all you want. I'm perfectly ready for the exam. I'm going to take a nap then a bath. You are free to join me for either or both." She said brushing my cheek with her fingers.
"Do you think we'll see them again soon?" I asked plopping down on the bed next to her.
She produced a large charms textbook from beneath the blanket and proceeded to whack me with it, hard across my arm. She had the most psychotic grin on her face I'd ever seen.
"Owe that hurt! What was that for?"
"YOU said you needed to study. Maybe if I hit you enough with your textbook you'll get to it." She squeaked, raising the book to strike again. I grabbed her hands to stop them whacking me again.
"I WAS going to study! I thought I could merely do it next to you."
"In answer to your earlier question. I really do hope they come back soon. They have to. I mean you're much too boring for me. I need Albus and Scorpius to make things a little more interesting."
"You're sounding just like the twins."
"If i were Lorcan I would simply never stop kissing Lysander. I would just make out all day." Girls are so bloody weird.
"You are insane... You know that right?"
"I really can't believe how long its been though. Almost the end of second year and the eight of us are all already thirteen." She had nestled herself against my side... the side she had whacked so unceremoniously. Its true... Max, Rose, Lorcan and Lysander, Rory, Myself, Al and Scor. Working our way towards fourteen.
"I just hope they're ok. They didn't seem it when we visited them last. Not in the least."
