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Scorpius POV

"Move!" Dominique Weasley shouts.

They tried, I'd give them that much. The problem was that there was nowhere to move. Lucy (or was it Roxanne?) Weasley pushed people out of the way as she tried to move out of Dominique's path. Fred Weasley, the second that is, bumps roughly into me, spilling my drink on the floor.

"Sorry man," he says, motioning to my empty glass, "What's got her wand in a knot?"

"Could be anything," I shrug, muttering a spell to clean the spilt butterbeer before someone slipped. I wasn't even kidding. This was a Potter-Weasley family gathering and anything, I mean anything, could go wrong.

"PMS probably," Louis Weasley chimes in from nearby.

"I heard that," Molly Weasley II scolds, appearing beside us, "You never blame a girl's behavior on PMS because 99.9% of the time, you're wrong."

"But 0.1% of the time, you're right," Roxanne Weasley adds, "James stole her Chocolate Frog. Props to him though, it was her seventh one."

"Pathetic, that fool," Fred says, shaking his head, "Where is he?"

Molly laughs, her eyes gesturing in James's direction, "Looking for trouble again are you Freddy?"

"There are Chocolate Frogs involved this time," Fred says, saluting us, "Later losers."

Molly shakes her head, "I suppose there are Chocolate Frogs involved every time aren't there?"

Something, or rather someone, pokes me in the chest.

"Hey Scorpius," Lily Potter II says, "Albus is looking for ya." I look down at Al's sister and grin.

"Of course he is," I say, putting my empty glass on the nearest table.

"Boyfriend duty calls again," Molly snorts.

Ignoring her, I walk towards Al. He was sitting on the couch, one arm draped around Candace. Beside him was James, who had a bucket of slugs between his legs as he continues to throw up. I scanned the room for Dominique. She was sitting beside Roxanne and Molly, both of whom were trying to soothe her sobs.

"I'm never angering Dominique again," James says as he wipes his mouth with the back of his wrist.

"We all know that's a lie," Elaine Finnigan says, "You should be grateful that it didn't last longer."

"Malfoy," Al says, diverting my attention away from them, "Go get Rose. We're playing a quick game of Quidditch."

"You get her," I say coolly, "Surely you remember we don't talk, don't you Potter?"

"Of course I do," he says, "I don't know where she is."

"What makes you think I do?" I say.

"You know where everyone is, Malfoy," he says, rolling his eyes.

In actual fact, I do. I know without looking that Hugo Weasley has just left the house with his Quidditch equipment, that Louis is in the washroom on the third floor, Molly, Roxanne, and now Victoire Weasley were sitting with Dominque in the kitchen (well that was a given), and that Lysander Scamander was taking a nap in Al's room. I'm observant and Al knows it. Rose Weasley, particularly, was sitting on a tall stool next to the bar, where she was talking to Lorcan Scamander.

"She's near the drinks," I say to Al, "Next to Scamander."

"Which one?" Al says.

"Lorcan. Lysander's passed out in your room," I tell him.

"And you would know," he winks, kissing Candace softly on the cheek before getting up and stretching.

"I know where everyone is," I say, smirking.

"Fair enough. Come on then, dessert is almost ready, and we haven't even started the game," he says, walking towards Rose.

"I'll be outside," I say, pointing at the door.

"No you won't," he says, dragging me back towards the bar.

"Let go of my arm Potter, before your family actually thinks you're in love with me," I say.

"They're right," he says teasingly, letting go of my arm and pushing me roughly, "Candace is just the cover."

It's the little things they do when they think no one is watching that completely dismisses that idea in everyone's thoughts. I remember just a few months before he started dating Candace, half the school and even McGonagall thought we were dating. Potter's parents had a good laugh and my mother almost went into cardiac arrest. After all, every male in the Malfoy bloodline had a wife. Present day, everyone still teases us about it. When Al first asked Candace out the whole school sent me their concerns of my nonexistent heartbreak. We got kicked out of the library a week later for being too loud when we read their heartfelt condolence letters.

They were perfect for each other. His parents, for Salazar's sake, had already approved of her. During their first few months of dating, Al was the gentleman we all knew, and then some. He was perfectly rule-abiding, got great marks, played brilliant Quidditch, and was caring and protective. Gradually, he got more fun and playful again as Candace warmed up to him. Candace wasn't surprised when Al wanted to sneak out after hours to see her at Hogwarts or visit her house over the summer, claiming to be full of questions to ask Neville Longbottom on Herbology, just to kiss her goodnight. Al took a couple detentions for her too, once when she disrupted the class by helping a classmate who didn't understand the lesson and another when she fought with a student who insulted her father for being useless during the Battle of Hogwarts. There was another time in which both of them were in detention because a couple students told Candace that she wasn't worthy of the great Albus Severus Potter and Al flattened them.

But even then, it wasn't those things that showed how they felt about each other. It was the way Al looked at her, with need like ice cream on a hot day or a bed on a long and tiring one. Anyone could tell Candace looked up to Al, and not just because of her height or the Potter Legacy he grew up surrounded by. She was his best friend and supporter, who warmed his hands when they were cold, who massaged him after a rough Quidditch practice, who was loyal, and devoted, and loved him like he deserved to be.

"How can you be my seeker if you're so damn slow, Malfoy?" Al yells over the many people that have come between us, breaking my thoughts.

"Shut up Potter," I retort, sliding my way through the crowd, "Complain again and I'll play for the other team."

Merlin knows I'm not ready to face Rose Weasley after a heart stopping moment just hours earlier. The first time I saw Rose Weasley, I was not impressed. This is not your typical "love at first sight" story. She was short, skinny, and her hair was, to politely say it, a mess. She was snotty and bossy at first; the Golden Trio legacy definitely played a part in that. Then, Penny Ross came into Rose's life like a hurricane. Penny was patient, taking time to be one of Rose's first friends. By the time first year ended, Rose was a completely different person. Shy almost, modest and sweet, and she had finally started to discover who she was outside of her family.

When we finally reach Rose, she doesn't meet my gaze, which was a relief, but greets Al. Briefly, I look at Lorcan, who smiles at both of us and leaves.

"But I'm so looking forward to dessert right away," she says to Al, a puff of air escaping her beautiful lips.

"Come on, live a little Rose," Al says, frowning at her. Rose looks at Albus sternly, but her expression becomes amused.

"Make sure James isn't on my team because he'll be too busy looking at Elaine to do anything," she grins.

Al's mouth parts, "What do you mean? James has never had a problem playing Quidditch before."

"They fancy each other," Rose says, almost annoyingly, "Anyone can see that."

"I can't!" Al says, "Since when? How do you know for sure? How come I'm always the last one to know?"

"You boys are so clueless," Rose says, poking Al on the nose.

"Did you know, Malfoy?" Al says, clearly flustered, "Now I'm questioning my life and everyone in it."

"You're overreacting," I say, ignoring his question.

Rose glances at me but quickly turns back to Al, "So are we going or not?"

Al nods slowly and turns to me, his eyes darting between Rose and I suggestively as we walk towards the door. James was seeker, which put me on Rose's team and handily enough, Al rarely plays cooperatively with his brother (a downside of the Gryffindor Quidditch team). Shooting him a death glare, I whisper "Looks like I won't be on your team after all, Potter."

"Stop it James!" huffed Al.

Ten minutes into the game, Al's team was winning by 20 points, but no one was paying attention anymore. It seemed that Elaine wasn't the only thing distracting James. James was clearly not drinking butterbeer before this, and Harry and Ginny Potter were shocked to say the least. James flew around, laughing hysterically, and occasionally throwing up from the air above. Nobody dared to move because no one could predict where he would fly next. George Weasley shot cleaning charms periodically, unable to keep his laughter from escaping him. Al scowled, accusing Rose of planning the stunt. Elaine had disappeared to the restroom, and James, well, he threw up again.

"Is that a slug?" Dominique said from the side, laughing all over again.

"He's never this bad," Lucy says, shaking her head, "Rest in Peace James Sirius Potter, Sucky Seeker after Uncountable Glasses of Firewhiskey."

"He surely didn't get that Firewhiskey from me," says George, smiling innocently.

"Five galleons he's kicked off the team after the captain sees the aftermath of celebration parties," Roxanne says, her laughs slowing.

"Didn't you hear?" Lily says, laughing harder now, "His captain badge came in the mail yesterday."

This earned a chuckle from everyone.

"Oh Merlin," Molly says, laughing softly, "He's going to fall off his broom."

There weren't a lot of us left in earshot, but we were all thinking the same thing. Molly and Lily were running towards George, trying to get his attention. James was sliding slowly to the backside of his broom. His eyes were closed, probably passed out. My eyes dart for Mr. and Mrs. Potter, only to find them gone from their seats. Al was busy talking to Fred on the other side of the field, and the rest of the team was already on the ground, oblivious to the situation and chatting as they walked towards the Burrow.

Rose catches my glance and yells his name, but there was no response. Acting on instinct, I start towards him from the other side of the field but something stops me. Someone. Elaine, stricken with panic, pulls her wand out and shouts his name.

"James!"

It was full of fear and feeling, filling our ears and probably deafening George Weasley completely. I look at Rose, wanting to do something to help but her eyes tell me to stop. If everyone started to do magic at once, it would only end in chaos, and lengthy explanations to the adults. There were shouts on the ground but everything fades as James awakens abruptly and proceeds to fall. Al and Fred turn their heads toward James sharply but it was too late.

"Wingardium Leviosa!

Slowly, George Weasley levitates James to the ground, while Elaine runs towards him. A small crowd forms around James, but no one says a word. After what felt like forever, yells were coming from inside the Burrow. The circle widens, leaving Elaine and James in the middle. Tears pool in Elaine's eyes and James stirs, before his eyes close again.

"You fucking idiot!" she screams at him. James, now somewhat conscious, weakly attempts to grab her wrists, but she slaps him hard. The raw sound of skin contacting skin echoes louder than her voice.

She looks at the rest of us with uncertainty, shock, and guilt. Unsure of what to do, she bolts into the tallgrass fields.