Chapter Thirteen: The Quidditch World Cup
As Scorpius headed off to join the English national team in the south of France, Rose returned to her normal daily life. For the first few matches she paid little attention. She was only home for one and her parents and brother were all in France themselves to show their support, so she had no one to watch with. England struggled against Belgium but, in the end, they won the semifinals, placing them in the championship against Russia. It was the first time in a long time that England had made it and the whole country was ecstatic. Rose was at work when the match occurred, but she stopped in at the Leaky Cauldron to catch the post-game highlights. It was there that she watched Edward Doyle, England's star seeker, take a bludger to the face and he clutched the snitch, sending him spiraling to the ground. The status that evening was unclear. But by the next morning it was announced that Doyle was too injured to return to playing in the championship match. That left only one option. Scorpius Malfoy would be playing in what may as well be the most important match of his career at just 18 years old. Rose packed a bag that very morning without much thought. She knew she had to be there for him. She floo'd to her Uncle Bill's home where the rest of her family was staying, surprising most of them besides Albus, who met her with disdain, having not yet recovered from what he witnessed at the Burrow.
"Rose, just in time! An owl just arrived for you. Always amazes me how brilliant these birds are," her mum greeted her and handed her the letter.
Miss Granger-Weasley,
My husband and I would like to formally extend an invitation for you to join us in our box for tonight's championship match.
Our son has spoken so highly of you and we very much look forward to making your acquaintance. This invitation is extended
to your family as well. We hope to see you soon.
Kindly,
Mrs. Astoria Malfoy
"Who's it from?" her father asked her.
"Mrs. Malfoy," Rose said in shock. "They want us to join them for the match tonight."
"Us?" Ron questioned almost laughing. "Watching a quidditch match with Draco Malfoy? That is-"
"A wonderful idea. Of course, we will go," Hermione cut her husband off. Rose and her dad looked at her mom as if she had gone mad.
"Well, Harry, you'll come with us, right?" Ron looked at his best friend for support.
"Sorry, mate. I have to go with Ginny to the Prophet watch party." Ron groaned. Rose also wasn't too fond of the idea. She had no clue what Scorpius had told his mother and why she would want to meet Rose. The idea of her father sitting in a room with Draco Malfoy almost made Rose want to go back home. Her mother had been able to forgive the Malfoy's in the years since the War, but her father certainly hadn't, and she could only imagine the things he would say.
While Rose spent the day mentally preparing for the evening with the Malfoy's, Scorpius spent the afternoon preparing for the most consequential match of his career. There was no doubt he was less prepared than his teammates, many of whom had been playing Quidditch for ages and who had been in multiple World Cups. In the hour before he had to go to the field his parents came to his hotel room to wish him luck. After his father gave him his best advice and reassured him that he would do well, his mother chimed in with a warning to watch out for the Russian beaters, who were notoriously brutal. Before headed out, in what could be considered a risky move, his mother added,
"The Prime Minister and her family are joining us tonight." It took Scorpius a moment to process who she was referring to.
"Rose's family?"
"Well, not the entire family of course, but some of them."
"How did this happen?"
"I sent an owl to Rose this morning."
"Mum, when are you going to stop meddling in my private life," he groaned.
"I haven't a clue what you could be referring to."
"I know you spoke to Natalie and convinced her to pull that stunt in Kenmare."
"I won't deny that I welcomed her to tea one afternoon on her request. But I did not encourage her to behave in any sort of way. I just worry about you. I know you have come to care for the Weasley girl, but I hate to think what people will say, how people will think of you."
"It's Natalie who loves the press, Rose is different. And besides, we're just friends."
"I just don't know this girl that's all. Which is why I invited them to join us."
"And you're alright with this dad?" Scorpius pleaded with his dad to cancel the plans.
"I have had business with the Prime Minister on several occasions and always found her pleasant." Scorpius knew his father would say nothing further and that neither of the Malfoy men had a shot at changing Astoria's mind. His parents said final goodbyes and well wishes before leaving Scorpius along to head down for warm-ups. Up until this conversation he wasn't sure that Rose would be in the audience. Somehow the knowledge that she would be there, even if she would be stuck with both of their parents, reassured him enough to feel confident heading into the match.
Rose took extra time on her appearance, almost making them late to meet the Malfoy's. She wore the English jersey like everyone else in her family and, after hours of deliberating with Lily, Roxanne, and Dominique, settled on a pair of flattering jeans and white muggle sneakers. She did her best to tame her frizzy curls and used makeup charm to hide any blemishes. Her brother questioned why she looked so nice to watch Quidditch, but she gave him such a threatening glare that he didn't push further. When they arrived, Rose felt like her heart was close to beating out of her chest, which was only made worse when she saw the look of absolute misery on her father's face. Astoria greeted them at the door almost immediately after Hermione knocked.
"Thank you so much for joining us," she beamed, stepping aside to let them all in.
"Thank you for having us. It's lovely to see you Astoria, Draco," Hermione replied.
"Prime Minister," Draco replied with a courteous nod. "Weasley," he said less enthusiastically.
"Malfoy," Ron replied bitterly.
"And you must be Rose," Astoria said, extending her hand to distract from the awkwardness of the two men greeting each other. "I'm so glad to finally meet you."
"It's a pleasure Mrs. Malfoy, Scorpius speaks so highly of you both," Rose shook Astoria's hand and then Draco's. Hermione proceeded to introduce them to Hugo and Astoria showed them where they had an abundance of food and beverages. Rose took a seat in between her mother and Astoria, with Hugo to Hermione's right and Ron and Draco on the ends, as far from each other as possible.
"How is Scorpius? Have you seen him?" Hermione inquired.
"We saw him a few hours ago. He was nervous, of course, but we're confident he will do well," Astoria said proudly.
"I'm sure he will too. He's an excellent player. It's always entertaining to watch him when he's at the Potter's," Hermione agreed.
"How are the Potters? Are they here? They were more than welcome to join," Astoria inquired.
"They are well. They've joined Ginny at the box for the Prophet. This is the most exciting time for her naturally," Hermione explained. They were interrupted by the sound of the French Prime Minister's voice booming through the stadium, announcing the start of the match. Rose drowned out the commentary of those in her company and focused on watching Scorpius. The Russian seeker was clearly more experienced than him, but Rose knew Scorpius was talented beyond the average player and would put up a good fight.
"And Rose, Scorpius tells us you work in Diagon Alley?" Astoria inquired.
"Oh, yes. I help run a bookshop. The one next to Sugar Plum's. It used to be just second-hand books, but it's been extended to magic fiction and I've been spearheading an attempt to include popular muggle literature as well." Rose shifted uncomfortably in her sheet and spoke slightly faster than she normally would.
"How charming," Astoria smiled.
"And this is what you plan to do now that you're done with school," Mr. Malfoy cut in.
"Bit better than your plans after school I reckon," Ron muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Ronald," Hermione chastised.
"For now, I'll continue. I really enjoy the work," Rose jumped back in anxious to avoid any fallout. Mr. Malfoy nodded, not wanting to participate further.
"And how did you and Scorpius become friends? I don't remember him mentioning you from Hogwarts." Astoria changed the subject quickly.
"We weren't close during school. He actually came into the shop earlier this summer, very late, looking for the new Griffin Gabe Williams book."
"That's strange. I've always loved reading, but I could never pass the passion to Scorpius." Rose furrowed her eyebrow, unsure of what to do with this information. Before she could pry further, however, the whistle blew signaling the start of the match. The room quieted as the players began to whip through the night sky, but it did not stay quiet for long. Ron and Draco were shouting with equal enthusiasm from the very beginning. Something their wives and Rose found quite amusing. They watched intensely cheering along with the rest of the English supporters in the crowds. From the beginning Russia played an aggressive game, receiving multiple penalties. Nearly every English player was spending more time dodging the bludgers than actually playing. Scorpius in particular was targeted which kept Rose on the edge of her seat. The score was so close it was clear that the game would be decided by whichever seeker caught the snitch first. The pressure was higher than ever so Scorpius did his best to remain calm and search diligently for the flicker of gold in the skyline while dodging bludgers left and right and occasionally screaming at the referees who were hesitant to give penalties. Right after Russia scored 10 points on England Scorpius caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye, hovering even higher than the stands. He tried to cover his tracks while gaining altitude, but the Russian seeker soon caught on and it became a race for the snitch. With a few tricks Scorpius gained on his opponent. His hand was so close to catching it he could feel it buzzing, when all of a sudden everything went black.
Rose watched it happen in slow motion, tormented by her helplessness in the situation. Scorpius was so focused on catching the snitch that he didn't notice both beaters send a bludger hurtling towards him. They both crashed into his head and he immediately went spiraling towards the ground.
"Scorpius!" she screamed jumping up to peer over the edge, but she was too far up to make out what was happening below. The color drained from the Malfoy's faces and they rushed out, Astoria briefly uttering her apologies. The rest of the Weasley-Granger family stood in silence and disbelief. Tears began to well up in Rose's eyes and she felt utterly useless and unsure what to do. After a few minutes the crowd on the field dispersed. The announcer announced that Scorpius had grabbed the snitch before he crashed, meaning England had won. She watched in shock as the English team began to celebrate and the English side of the stadium erupted into cheers, not excluding Ron and Hugo. Rose was still in shock.
"Rose dear, are you okay?" Hermione said softly while placing her hand gently on Rose's shoulder.
"I have to go," Rose proclaimed before quickly walking out of the box and down the stairs. She looked desperately for her aunt amongst the huge crowd, who was her best bet at getting any information. When she finally found the Potters and the majority of the rest of her family they were also celebrating. Rose interrupted them with a short tone and Ginny was able to tell her that he had been evacuated to the local hospital, condition unknown. Rose made eye contact with Albus, who gave her an approving nod, understanding what she was thinking. Rose took off towards the exit, waving her way through the packed crowd, yelling apologies to everyone she was shoving aside as she went. In that moment, all the feelings she had from the past few months were painstakingly clear and Rose knew where she had to be. There was not a minute to waste.
A/N: Hello! Happy November! I am so so sorry this took so long to publish. With school and everything else going on in the world I have been very busy. I only have a month left of school before winter break and I plan on writing a bunch during that time. Expect 1 or 2 more chapters before then, but no guarantees as I enter my exam period. I also just wanted to make a disclaimer that I've been a fan of Harry Potter for over 10 years so I'm not really sure what's cannon and what's not anymore but in my mind Astoria is much more accepting about blood status that Draco's family and was a huge part in his healing & growth. She's protective of Scorpius not because of her views but because she knew he had a huge legacy to undo and doesn't want him to be hurt by his grandparent's mistakes. And obviously this is not in line with Cursed Child because she is alive. I hope all that was clear but just in case I wanted to clarify. As always please follow the story in order to keep up with updates & please leave a review! I have a lot planned for these two so stay tuned! Xx