A/N:

Hey guys!

Long time no speak, super tired at the moment so sorry this wasn't any quicker. Also sorry I'm not one of those writers who can give you a quick and regular update schedule, it's just not possible, wish I could though.
Thanks for still reading and sticking with me, love you for it!

Special thanks again to:
Plucie~ Glad you liked it, and sorry if i tortured you! :P (Though, what exactly was torturous? I'll try to avoid it again if I can) Hope you enjoy this one too!
To sandraj45692~ Hey there! Thanks for the review and the follows & favourites too. All those notifications really made me smile :D Hope you like this chap too!
And to SpringBabe for the follow & fave.

It seems so short compared to the last, but enjoy all the same!
Love Cookie xx

{I know nothing about psychology}

Chapter 16- Parents, A Piercing And A Persistent Dom

"Today's the day then?" Liv asked as Roxanne sifted through her jeans.
"Yup. I get my new piercing this afternoon" Roxanne responded with a grin. "I'm so excited about it!"
"That and the fact you get to spend the entire day alone with Scorpius Malfoy." Arianna joined in with a wink at Rox, who was currently holding up clothing to herself trying to decide what to wear.
"For the last time Ari, it's not a date. And besides, I won't even be with him for the whole day. I'm meeting my parents first and then going with him and someone else. We need someone to apparate us out. So we won't be alone" Rox sighed, exasperated at her friend's continued insistence that she and Scor were basically going on a date. They weren't. ~

Arianna simply smirked back at Rox's defensiveness. She'd been learning about psychology in Muggle Studies and it fascinated her. Rox's tone of voice suggested she was being a little more defensive than necessary. To Ari, this just confirmed her theory that Rox harboured a deep affection for Scor that she was still oblivious to. Rox couldn't explain the 'non-dateness' of the day without her voice becoming higher pitched. She didn't want her friends to think it was a date because she sub-consciously wished it was. It was all so obvious.~

To the insistence of Liv and Ari who were both still in the dorm and already dressed; Roxanne pulled on sheer black tights and a borrowed black skirt that clung to her body.
"But it's so... tight"
"And your point is?" Ari responded, she wanted Rox looking good for her big day out with Scor, though if Rox knew that was the reason, she'd definitely crawl back into her jeans and hoodie.
"Ari, I can't pull this off" Rox shook her head, fiddling with the material.
"Yes you can." Ari insisted, stepping closer and slapping her hand away from the skirt.
"I don't. I look stupid" she argued.
Ari groaned, but she was used to having this argument with Rox when it came to anything she wasn't used to wearing. Ari was determined Rox would learn to love it.
"You don't. Ari's right Rox, you look amazing" Liv reassured her, with an honest smile.
"I don't feel amazing… Can I just put my jeans back on?" Rox pleaded for the fifth time that morning. Ari was about to silence her friend, but Liv spoke before she could.
"No."
"But Liiiivvvv, it's cold out" Roxanne appealed to the other girl, hoping to be saved. Liv ignored her pleas with a grin.
"Heating Charm" Ari provided, smirking and waving her wand, silently placing a heating charm on Rox's legs.
"My dad will flip."
"Wear your cloak"
"Ugh" Rox sighed.
Ari and Liv grinned, Rox wasn't winning this argument with them any time soon.~

Rox sighed, giving up her control over her wardrobe for the day. At the further instruction of her friends, over the top of a black cami, Rox pulled on a burgundy jumper that Grandma Molly had knitted. Thankfully, it didn't have a large letter printed across it. Grams had given up doing them that way because there were too many of the same initials in the family now and she had decided the jumpers just weren't as unique as they used to be. Instead, the jumper had a small black letter R on the bottom left corner, with a small black fox (Rox's favourite animal) silhouetted underneath it. She laced up her matching burgundy Muggle converses with her wand and stood up to spin in front of her friends. Looking down at herself she sighed, at least her legs were warm. Though she hadn't been lying about her dad, the skirt ended too far above knee level for him to be happy with. She'd need her cloak for sure.

They both nodded before high-fiving. With their approval apparent, Rox pulled on a black cloak, covering the sinful skirt, and stuffed her Muggle jacket in her bag for later. ~

Rox sat in the Hog's Head in the booth by the window. She'd chosen to sit in the less populated part, just in case her parents were particularly embarrassing today. Though, not many students came in here so early, she figured she'd be okay. The table was just a precaution. Not that she was ashamed of her parents, she was quite proud of them actually, they just had a habit of being embarrassing. Often on purpose. Mostly on purpose.
Rox hadn't been paying attention, her head rested on the window and she was staring at the condensation on the glass and had chosen a particular water droplet to watch make its way to the sill, so nearly jumped out of her skin when her father clapped a hand on her shoulder.
"Merlin, Dad! Why'd you have to be so horrible?" she moved along the seat towards him, careful to keep her cloak around her.
He smirked at her, "You should pay more attention, oh and it's great to see you too kid"
Rox mumbled something about not being a kid but stepped into her father's outstretched arms before he could kick up a fuss about her not hugging him.
She hugged her mother too, before sitting opposite them both. Her mum placed a small box on the table before enlarging it to its former size. It was rectangular and stretched the length of the table, hanging over the edge.
Rox had a vague idea of what it might be from Dom's letter but couldn't be sure, she buzzed with hopeful excitement.
"It's not... Is it?"
Her dad grinned back proudly. It was.
"Well, seeing as you've got to work extra hard now. We thought you should play harder too. Don't worry, we got a discount" he winked as his wife elbowed him playfully.
She carefully lifted the lid off of the box and pushed the tissue paper aside. Her pupils widened involuntarily as they greedily devoured the gift before her.
She ran her hands along the length of the broom, she could practically feel it humming beneath her fingertips, desperate to take to the air. The broom was special. It was as drawn to her as she was to it. ~

A new kind of thinking had gone into the broom, a couple years ago a young Quidditch-obsessed wizard, training in Wandlore had wondered if the cores and woods used for wands would affect a wizard's performance in the air if their broom was to be made of the same materials and magical substances. He wondered if the materials that had been drawn to the witch or wizard as a child would enhance their ability in the air on a broom.
Of course, he realised, no two unicorn hairs, phoenix tails or dragon heartstrings are the same so the brooms could never match a wizard's wand exactly. Additionally, woods such as oak that can make wands would be too heavy to fly. And woods like ivy not plentiful enough to make brooms. Yet still, his idea of altering a brooms make-up to match people individually worked.
His brooms became known quickly due to the originality of the concept he had envisioned and partly due to his family name. He worked with the broom manufactures that made the Firebolt 6.0 so that the brooms would retain their functionality and high standard of performance.
Production was rapid and the young wizard's brooms were being custom ordered by international Quidditch teams the moment testing was complete, each wanting to gain the advantage first. The media grabbed hold of the story and soon, if they had not before, everyone knew the name Louis Weasley. ~

Roxanne ran her hands over the standard ash broom handle and up towards the top. It was then that her hand reached the features that made this Firebolt special. Twined around the ash from about a foot from the top was Rowan embedded in which, Roxanne knew was phoenix tail feather and unicorn hair, the dual core her wand had. When her hands reached the top she felt a pull, a spark of power between her skin and the broom. She felt as though the broom, like her wand, had a mind of its own. It willed her to take to the sky.

Her parents looked on at the utter joy on her face and smiled. It was moments like this that made them happy, seeing their children happy made everything, every obstacle in their lives worth going through.
George was particularly proud, he saw so much of his brother in his children, people would say it was just himself, but in moments of joy and celebration, he could see Fred so clearly. He felt himself well up at the thought of his twin, though his tears now were happy. He had stopped crying tears of sadness for his brother long ago. He had been a broken man but he had learned to move forward. Of course he still thought of his twin, his other half, every day, but when he did, it was always in happy thoughts, moments he and Fred had shared that made him smile. He had become whole again and it had been his wife that had done that. He looked over at her and kissed her on the cheek, so grateful she had been there to fix him all those years ago.

Angelina looked at her husband's watery smile and held his hand under the table. She knew what he was thinking and feeling almost as well as she knew her own emotions. He wouldn't want Roxanne to see him cry, even if it was with a happy memory. She'd only overreact and get upset too. She was sensitive in that way, especially when it came to her father.
Angelina gave George's hand a quick squeeze and reached forward across the table.
Roxanne's attention on the broom was cut short as her mother moved to place the cover over the box. She shrunk the package and pushed it over to her daughter.
"It's great to see you, but we best be going." She looked in shock at her mum. It wasn't like her to cut a visit short, especially one she insisted on having every year.
Rox began to protest but her mum just waved her arguments away.
"We'll see you at Christmas hun, and anyway, you probably have better plans for this afternoon than to sit with your parents"~

Her mum raised an eyebrow, lightly smirking as if she knew what her plans were. If she did know, she must have kept it to herself. Rox knew her dad didn't particularly like her piercings so, he'd probably object if he knew she planned to get another he definitely wouldn't let her go early.
Her parents were strange like that, they were generally cool about most things but then one would hate something that the other would be fine with. It had taken Rox a while to sort out what things which parent would and wouldn't object to but now she could get away with most things by selecting which adult to go to. Of course if she went to Teddy, Ginny or Charlie she could probably do whatever she liked.~

She left the pub with her shrunken broom in her bag once her parents had said their goodbyes and taken the floo home. She blinked at the bright day compared to the darkness of the Hog's Head. Now she was early for meeting Scor and didn't know what to do with her time. She passed the bookshop and saw Scorpius through the window, by the Potion's section. Deciding not to interrupt his browsing, she made her way over to Honeyduke's and smiled as she spotted Lorcan and Liv over by the chocolate section. With a quick scan of the room, she noticed Ari, and Scarlett by the marshmallows and Lysander in the queue. She grabbed a handful of chocolate frogs and sugar quills and walked to Ly. She nudged his hip in greeting and handed him her sweets and the money for them. He nudged her back and returned the money, putting her sweets in his basket.

"Thanks, Ly"
"No problem"
"Have you noticed the-" Ly followed her line of vision as she spoke.
"My brother and Liv? Yes. They've been like that all bloody morning. I can't quite take it."
"Aw, but they're cute" she defended as she watched the pair browse chocolate together, pointing things out to the other.
"Exactly. But I can't deal with how thick he's being. He has this wonderful girl who's liked him for Merlin knows how long and he's not paying any attention to her"
Rox agreed, she looked at them as they continued to argue and watched as Lorcan teased Liv for her inability to reach a high shelf and then dangled the box out of her reach for a while.
"Well... she's getting some attention now"
"Yeah, well, you know what I mean. He still refuses to believe she likes him." Ly moved forwards to the counter and paid for everything, he handed Rox her bag and they moved further into the shop, out of the way of the line.
"Don't worry Ly, he'll get there"
"I know but by the time he does it might be too late. I don't want him to lose her because he took too long" Rox sighed in agreement. He made a great point. Liv did like Lorc, but like Ly she worried that she would just give up with trying to get him to see her, especially as she probably would doubt he even liked her unless she heard it from him directly. Rox wanted them together as much as Ly did and just hoped they'd realise their feelings for each other were mutual.

The two stood in silence for a few seconds as they watched the pair who continued to argue and laugh together, so completely absorbed in each other. Both Ly and Rox sighed at their complete ignorance to the other's obvious feelings.

"Spying on our utterly hopeless friends are we?" Ly laughed at the voice next to him and nodded in reply to Scor's question. Scor had slung his arms over both Ly's and Rox's shoulders as he'd spoken but once Ly stepped forwards to move out of the way of a student, Rox was left standing watching her friends hopelessly, obliviously flirt, with Scor's arm still slung carelessly over her shoulder.
She didn't even notice until her gaze drifted and Ari caught her eye from the marshmallow section before winking at her. She suddenly realised how she and Scor looked and ducked out of his arms quickly, blushing ferociously, not needing earrings to show her embarrassment.
Scorpius noticed her blush and Ari's consecutive giggle from across the shop. He smirked at Rox's reaction and proceeded to tease her by grabbing her by the hand and pulling her out of the shop, winking at Ari as he waved goodbye to her and Ly. It was time for them to go now anyway.~

Before Rox had time to react, she had been pulled down the main street and away from the crowds. She followed hopelessly, as she was led to a less familiar part of the village. Scor stopped and sat on the bench he'd just led them to, pulling Rox down with him.
"Now what?" Rox enquired, slightly out of breath, resting her head against his shoulder for a few seconds.
"Now, we wait" Scor answered cryptically, smirking down at her.~

They'd been sitting on the bench together for just over 20 minutes. Scorpius had pulled out a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and was tossing every other bean into Rox's mouth, from the opposite side of the small bench. Half way through the box, Scor started to wonder whether or not their 'transport' would show. ~

Dominique Weasley had on her darkest cloak and had its hood drawn up, she approached the two on the bench from behind Scorpius facing Roxanne. She watched as he tossed Beans into her mouth and they both laughed when one hit her nose. She rubbed it in mock hurt and he quickly leaned forwards, tapping it with his finger affectionately. If those two didn't end up together she had seriously bad eyesight because every time she saw them with one another, especially when they were alone, they were just so cute! Dominique grinned from beneath her hood as Roxanne caught sight of her figure. She wouldn't be able to see her face but any minute now Roxy would recognise her walk or something strange like that and know it was her. Just as Dom thought about changing her walk to confuse Rox, she was knocked back by the force of the younger girl launching herself into her arms.~

"Dom!"
"Hey Stranger" Dominique chocked out from beneath her cousins embrace. "You've gotten stronger. Or is it fatter?"
"Maybe it's just that you're weaker" Rox pulled back and countered. Grinning at her idol and cousin.
"Not a chance. Not with Uncle Harry coaching us. Look, punch my stomach" she gestured to her visibly toned abs, on display in a tied-front crop top.
"I'm not punching you Dom" Rox laughed as her cousin stood in front of her, wanting to be hit.
"Fine, poke it then" Dom rolled her eyes and brought Rox's finger towards her stomach, poking herself with it so Rox could feel the solidness of her muscles.
"Wow, he has been working you hard. Hey Scor, she's got better abs than you have!" Rox turned calling the brunette over who had watched unsurprised as Rox had shot up towards Dom.
Dom looked at Rox with a raised eyebrow and a look that asked Rox just how familiar she was with his abs.
She laughed at the look and shook her head in answer, "Just a joke Dom, don't get any ideas"
Scorpius walked over to join the two, he looked down at Rox, "I don't think you have the experience necessary to make that judgement, Weasley" he smirked, pleased with his answer.
"Maybe you should give it to her then, Malfoy" Dom provided with a smirk of her own and a suggestive wink at her cousin.
"Oh." He looked up seriously "Is that your blessing, Weasley?" Scorpius continued keeping a solemn face, but enjoying the banter.
"Of course, but Rox has known what I think for years"
Roxanne burst out laughing, hitting them both,"Merlin, you two are terrible. Stop!"
Both Scorpius and Dom laughed dropping the serious looks they had held, hugging each other hello. A second later Dom addressed them.
"C'mon then lovebirds, let's get this show on the road" she spoke quickly, pushing Rox into Scor's arms, who caught her.
"Were not lov-" Rox was in the middle of arguing back when she felt Dom grab clasp her hands on her shoulders, followed by the familiar tugging sensation at her navel. Dom really didn't wait around.
She landed roughly on her feet down a Muggle alleyway, stumbling backwards into Dom like she usually did. She was terrible at disapparition.
"Cloaks off guys. We're in Muggle London now"
The trio pulled off their cloaks and stuffed them into their bags, swapping them for jackets. Dom paused, with her short leather jacket halfway on one arm, to look at her cousin's outfit, a proud smile spread across her face.
"Ari and Liv have good fashion sense"
"What?" Rox asked, turning to Dom and noticing her looking at her skirt.
"Oh. Yeah, I guess so." Roxanne self-consciously started pulling at the skirt, willing it to be longer.
Dom slapped her hand as she tried to tug the skirt back down,
"Leave it alone. It's fine Rox. Don't you think so, Malfoy?"
The question sounded genuine as if Dom simply wanted to quell Rox's worries, but Rox knew it was more than that. Dom was obviously still insistent about her and Scorp. ~

"Yeah, it looks fine, Rox" Scorpius assured. He wasn't being entirely truthful though. The skirt looked more than fine. She looked amazing in it. Though he could tell from her body language that she didn't believe it. She clearly felt uncomfortable in the skirt. Again, Scor was reminded about just how insecure Rox was. To be truthful though, something about her wearing it through Hogsmead and Muggle London unsettled him. He didn't want people to look at her any more than necessary, especially not in the way that the skirt suggested. He wanted nothing more than to throw his own cloak around her and cover up. But of course he wasn't her father, brother or her boyfriend, so really, he had no right to. Unfortunately that thought didn't stop him wanting to. Ugh, he needed to stop this. It was just a piece of material… a short, clingy piece of material, but material nonetheless, he shouldn't be bothered by it. He turned to Dom instead who smirked lightly at him as if she could hear his thoughts. He cleared his facial expressions, making them neutral. Dom only looked amused in response.
"Can we go now? It stinks down here."
"Sure, if you're done looking around" Dom responded, gesturing to Rox with her eyes, who had been stuffing her cloak in her bag and was now back to fiddling with her skirt. Rox had entirely missed the fact that Dom had basically just questioned Scor on if he was done checking her cousin out.
Scorpius cleared his throat and ignored the pink tingle he could feel at his cheek bones. He pulled on his Muggle jacket and walked towards the end of the alleyway. He stopped abruptly when he reached it as he stared out at the Muggle Street, bustling with Saturday crowds. He realised he didn't actually know where to go, Dom had told him that she knew a place so he hadn't bothered to find out. He wished he had now, he hated not knowing what he was doing. Dom grinned beside him, nudging him with her elbow as she pulled Rox up next to her.
"Feeling a little lost are we?"
"No, just waiting for you two" he lied unnecessarily, they all knew he was lost.
"Sure" Dom smiled and waved at him to follow her, Rox kept hold of her cousin's hand and grabbed Scorpius' sleeve behind her so they could move through the street without being separated.~

Roxanne landed with a crack back in Hogsmead, again, she fell into Dom's arms, still not able to master Apparition. Dom pulled Rox into a hug from there.
"I can't stay, Roxy. Gotta get back to training, but I'll write to you soon." Dom then pulled her in tighter and whispered in her ear, "Oh and he likes you".
Roxanne shook her head at Dom, not even needing to say anything. Dom knew she wouldn't believe it. Merlin, even Scor himself didn't. So Rox definitely wouldn't, not now anyway. Maybe in time they'd figure it out themselves. She hoped so, they'd be brilliant together.
With a kiss on the cheek for her favourite cousin, and a hug for Scorpius, Dominique disapparated and left the two Ravenclaws alone in the less populated part of the village.~

As they walked back to school together, Scorpius thought over the departing whisper Dom had given him.
Take care of her for me
As he walked he wondered why she had bothered to order it, Dom knew he would take care of Rox. That's what you did for friends, nevertheless he had nodded to the blonde in response. Of course, he would take care of her.~

A/N:

Hope you liked it, as always, tell me what you think!
Love you,

Cookie x