"What about this one?" Rose said, holding up a black sweater.
Jo groaned."Rose, I don't understand why you own ten sweaters that look exactly the same. Just pick one, I'm sure your date will find it hard to resist you either way." She said, smirking. Rose groaned and threw her sweater at her.
"This is serious! I need to make a good first impression." She said, picking out another sweater that looked identical to the one she just had on.
"I think you gave up leaving a good first impression on Malfoy's mother when you turned his eyebrows into caterpillars first year. Though, maybe she'll find it impressive-your dad did, after all."
Rose grinned at the memory then immediately groaned."I cannot believe the first connection I've made on my own is Malfoy's mother. I don't even know why she's showing me around. Do you think this is a prank? She's trying to sabotage me?"
Jo laughed, rolling her eyes."Yes, Rose, Scorpius hired his mom to ask you out on a date to show you up. To get him back, you're going to have to set up dinner for him and your dad."
Rose laughed at the thought, shaking her head."Can you guys stop calling it a date? It's creepy."
"You're the one whose been talking about the woman like she walks on water!"
"Have not!"
Jo gave Rose a pointed look and she blushed, looking down.
Okay, maybe she had gone a tiny bit overboard researching Scorpius's mother and was possibly a little bit amazed at what an accomplished doctor she was and how bloody brilliant she is.
Seriously, if she had known this about Scorpius, she would've been a little bit nicer to him in the past.
Well.
Maybe.
Probably not.
She hadn't mentioned anything else regarding his mother, and they probably both preferred this way. She was trying to keep the two things separate. She would've expected Albus to have something to say about it, but they still weren't talking, so she hadn't really even been around Scorpius anyways.
Biting her lip, she decided on a dark green sweater and quickly threw it over her head.
"Hair up or down?"
Jo rolled her eyes."Up."
"Good call." Rose grinned and finished getting ready."Okay, I'm ready. Do I look ready?"
"If I say yes, can we go get breakfast?"
"Jo! I'm being serious!"
She laughed as she got up and looked at her seriously."You look great. Scorpius's mom is a very lucky woman."
XX
Rose really, really valued punctuality. When someone gave her a time, she would be there fifteen minutes early.
She was also horribly impatient.
So, when she was standing outside of St. Mungo's at 8:02 AM, with no Astoria Malfoy in sight, she started to get incredibly annoyed, and also nervous that this actually was a huge joke.
In which case, he had a slew of hexes coming his way, and she was excited to have someone to practice a new hair balding charm she had read about on.
Just as she thought about leaving, she heard the sound of high heels, and suddenly, Astoria was standing in front of her.
She really was pretty.
"Rose!" She smiled and hugged her to Rose's surprise. She hugged back, smiling nervously.
"Mrs. Malfoy, hi, how are you?"
She waved her hand, smiling."Please, it's Astoria. I'm good, Rose, we've got a whole day ahead of us! I trust you're all rest up?"
Rose nodded, smiling."Yes of course. Lead the way."
And so they went. First, Astoria had a pediatric heart patient, and Astoria showed Rose how to convert potions from an adult dose to a child's dose.
They saw an older patient and Astoria showed her how to check blood pressure using a spell.
They visited a pregnant patient and Rose got to listen to both her and the baby's hearts after Astoria.
Rose decided that Jo's teasing about going on a 'date' with Scorpiu's mom was ridiculous because this was already ten times better than any Hogsmeade lunch date she had ever been on.
They sat down for lunch, and Rose could hardly contain her excitement.
"You do this every day?" She asked in excitement, unwrapping the sandwich Astoria had treated herself to.
She laughed, smiling at her."More or less, the days I'm here. I work more when Scorpius is at school. Speaking of him, how does he feel about you being here?"
She shrugged," Honestly, I don't know. He didn't say much, but we don't, you know...talk much." She suddenly felt like she was doing something wrong and tried to change the topic."Where did you study?" She asked, even though she knew the answer.
Astoria smiled knowingly."London, but I only transferred there after Draco and I got together. I started my studies in New York, there's a healing institute in the heart of the city."
"That's my dream school!" Rose gushed."I've only seen photos of it, but it's beautiful...and the work they do." She sighed longingly.
Astoria looked at her with furrowed brows," Scorpius is second in his class."
It wasn't a question."Yes."
"Because you've gotten him beat in almost everything."
Another statement. Rose blushed."Yes." Was she about to get in trouble?
"So you've got the academic standing."
"I-i suppose, but-"
"Rose, if you want something, you have to get it. The only one standing in your way is you." She said sternly. Rose opened her mouth to explain that she couldn't be that far from her family, that she was pretty sure they'd kill her if she tried to leave them, and if they didn't do that, they'd absolutely be dead without her.
But, before she had the chance to speak, Astoria cut her off."I don't want to hear it. Let me know when you send your stuff over, I'll put in a good word."
And, either out of fear of saying no her, or because she went momentarily insane, but she just nodded and smiled."Okay."
"Very good! Now let's go, I want to show you something."
XX
As Astoria led her up yet another flight of stairs, Rose wondered if she was about to be met with something unfortunate, like maybe up here is where they kept the hundreds of pixies that the Malfoys had been personally training to attack Rose.
Just as she was about to pull out her wand, ready to cast a full body bind on Astoria before her and her highly trained pixies could get to her, Astoria opened the door and grinned at her.
"Ta-da!"
Rose followed her slowly, then gasped.
"Oh, wow." She said, looking around the room, grinning slightly."We're allowed to be up here?"
Astoria laughed."Of course, dear." She looked around at all the infants in the nursery and smiled. She pointed to a particularly small one with a small scar above his heart."See that one? He's one of my patients."
Rose smiled wistfully, walking over to him, careful to keep her hands to herself."Wow." She said, completely amazed. She grinned at a baby who grinned back at her and she had to resist the totally ridiculous urge to coo at the child.
Damn maternal Weasley genes.
"I miss when Scorpius was this little." Rose locked eyes with Astoria as she spoke, smiling sadly."He was the cutest baby. It was actually sort of ridiculous. I mean, people stopped us on the streets. Notice how I didn't just say women."
Rose laughed, the idea of Scorpius Malfoy being called adorable seeming unfathomable to her.
"What was he like? As a kid?" She found herself asking. Something about the idea of Scorpius being young and innocent was mind-boggling to her, possibly because she had always been perfectly content with considering him a smarmy git up until she was making eye contact with his mother in a room full of tiny babies.
Sue her, maybe she was feeling a little soft.
"Oh, he was so funny. He'd make up all these ridiculous words, and he and Draco would spend hours making up fake potions and they'd have competitions over them-he's always been so competitive, but you knew that." She finished with a twinkle in her eye and Rose looked down, slightly embarrassed.
"Oh, don't look at me like that. It's good he has you, you keep him on your toes. Even if it's by stepping on them sometimes. I wouldn't have invited you here if I thought lowly of you."
Rose laughed, following her out of the door and back onto the hospital corridor."So, he talks about me at home?" She asked tentatively. It had been bothering her since Astoria had been able to recognize her. Sure, her parents knew who Scorpius was, but that was more to do with him being Al's best friend, and someone she complained about. Quite often.
"I'd be a little upset if my only child failed to mention the girl who put a jelly legs hex on him in third year."
Rose blushed again."In my defense-"
"Thought," She interrupted her," It's impressive to be able to do that at that age. I also made him tell me why a girl of that capability would feel the need to use it on him, and he admitted to hiding your wand before that, so I understand Rose, really. You intimidate him."
She almost choked."Excuse me?"
She shrugged."You not only keep up with him but half the time, you beat him, you yell back at him, you're the only person closer to Albus than him. Plus, you're obviously quite pretty and he knows that. Now, let's get you back. I'm going to give you my card, you owl me anytime you have a question about any of this?"
Thankful, Rose nodded and she walked away with her, continuing to chat about Scorpius and his childhood.
Rose didn't really mind.
Xx
"Al, I'm begging you, just go apologize to her," Scorpius said, annoyed as he watched his friend continue to look longingly at his cousin sitting a few tables over in the common room.
Al blushed, looking back at Scorpius quickly."I can't! I dont know what to say. I've never gone this long without talking to her before."
Scorpius rolled her eyes."Just go put your tail between your legs and tell her you're so sorry." Scorpius hadn't been able to bother Rose since they'd been fighting, and he was sad to admit that he missed it.
After all, this was the longest he'd gone without insulting her, and he was worried about what would happen to her if he wasn't around to bully her.
She might go looking for it in dangerous places, pleading for someone to make fun of her hair, and the thought of that just broke Scorpius's heart.
"I'm scared if I go over there she's going to hex me."
Scorpius shook his head, laughing."Nah, if she wanted to hex you, she'd have done it already."
"You would know."
"Exactly! So go."
Glaring at him, Al slowly got up and walked over to where Hugo, Rose, and Lily were sitting. The three of them fell silent as Al awkwardly shuffled and looked at Rose.
"Can we talk?"
She frowned at him."I don't know, are you going to yell at me again? Hey, I was just about to help Hugh with his homework, is that a problem now too?"
He cringed and shook his head."Rosie…" He pleaded, looking at her. She tried to hold out but quickly threw her hands up and nodded. Hugo and Lily glared at him before stalking off slowly.
"I'm sorry." He started.
"For what?" She said innocently."Screaming at me in public or for accusing me of using Nana's health to my advantage to maintain my status as the golden child?"
He sighed."All of it?"
She shrugged and nodded."Good start." She mocked. Honestly? She wasn't really mad at this point, she knew he hadn't meant a lot of what he said, but she figured she'd make this as painful as possible considering it took him three fucking days to even apologize.
"Look, Rose, you know I didn't mean it, at least the golden child part, but even the other parts I didn't mean to yell at you about, it's just that I hate that you went alone, and I hate that you didn't tell me, you're supposed to be my best friend, I mean Scorpius would never-"
"Somehow, you're making it worse."
He sighed and looked down, scratching the back of his neck."I'm sorry, okay, Rosie? I'm sorry for what I said and I'm sorry you didn't feel like you could tell me."
She threw her head back."You know it's not your fault. I'm sorry, I know I should have told you, it's just that I hate seeing you guys upset and I'd rather know what was going on before I told you guys."
He sighed and hugged her."I know, I know. It doesn't make you less of an idiot. We good?"
She grinned up at him."Yeah, well, you're a jack ass. Of course, we're good."
Scorpius, watching the encounter sauntered over, smirking."Aw, glad to see we've kissed and made up."
Rose rolled her eyes, glaring at him."After spending the entire day with your mother, I really wonder how someone as eloquent and intelligent raised someone like you."
Al looked at her, brows furrowed."You spent the day with his mom?"
"Long story." They both said, glaring at each other. Suddenly, Rose grinned.
"You know, Malfoy, I think you should pursue your childhood dream of becoming a unicorn trainer. You'd be marvelous at it."
A/N Kind of a filler chapter but I'm slowly but surely getting this story going so let me know what you guys think :)