All I'm going to say is… I love this chapter. And I hope you do too. Ah!
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Everything was so bright…
Not just the flashing lights; splashing brilliant explosions of white over the carpeted entrance, but everything…
Everything had a gilded quality…the shine of Albus's hair, the swishing of Angèle's dress. Even Mart's unassuming smile held a luminous quality. The small rhinestones, placed in swirling patterns up the length of her arm, seemed to sway to a music all their own.
And those eyes…
Had they always been so radiant? They cast glittering fractals of light over everything surrounding.
She could feel her heart bumping beneath the fabric of her dress. Not hammering in the anxious sense it had taken over as of late, but steadily beating; marching to a soft rhythm that felt foreign, yet strangely familiar.
How long had they been standing there? With eyes burning into one another… What was he thinking? What was she thinking?
She felt herself being moved along; pushed forward to the ultimate destination. They made it past the press, who were crying their names with wild abandon. The shouting became more and more muffled as they entered the doors of the large estate.
Suddenly, the party was escorted into a dark entranceway; the doors to the outside world slid shut. In the momentary carpet of silence, Rose found herself aware of the soft buzzing still pulsing though her fingertips.
A soft rustling of leaves could be heard from above. Sinewy vines began to crawl in front of them; twisting in delicate patterns. Soon, the entire room they were stood in was covered in a growing, intertwining foliage. Angèle reached out; softly tracing the leafy ornamentation. At her light touch, the expansive plant system began to glow.
A bumping rhythm could be heard; the glow emanating from the vines moving along expertly with the drums. The sound grew louder and louder. The glow from the vines shone brighter and brighter. The party instinctively moved further from the luminescent walls; pressing themselves closer to one another.
Rose felt something skim the small of her back, then retract it quickly, as if burnt by the touch.
"I think I might be losing my mind…", she heard Albus whisper to her.
She widened her eyes, "If you're losing it, so am I…"
The glow reached a frenetic pace. A silky melody could be heard coming in over the pounding of the bass. The sound crowded around them; emanating, it seemed, from just outside the room they were in.
There was a drop. The vines gave way, crawling back to their unknown home, and the six of them were suddenly in the middle of a swarming throng of party-goers. Lights danced around them; bumping with that same frenetic energy. The sinewy vines hung from the sky above; moving and dancing to the beat of the music. Everything was bathed in glittering hues of emerald and navy. Parades of fur and feather-clad dancers pushed past them.
Rose found herself unable to move; taking in the large expanse of the dance-hall. The entirety of the interior had been transformed to resemble an overgrown wilderness. Large, leafy fronds grew up from the ground; wrapping themselves around stone pillars. Tropical flowers grew in explosive bunches of color. Even the ground they stood on was awash in a mossy material Rose had to fight the urge to run her fingers through.
This estate - nay castle- was filled with magic. She could taste it in the air. She could feel it running along the base of her skull. She couldn't take in the sounds and colors and smells and sensations quick enough.
She felt a tug at her elbow. It was Albus.
"Rosie! Earth to Rosie!", he shouted over the music, "I've been calling your name for a minute now…"
Her eyes snapped to him, "Sorry. This is…just wild."
He laughed, gesturing to their party-companions who had begun to make their way to the crowd of swaying people. "Come on, time to dance!"
He pulled her into the crowd; the grip of the music overwhelmed her in a delightful way. She was slowly becoming familiar with the floating, buzzing, glowing feeling from the crystal candy. She felt her body move on its own accord; tied to the rhythm of the atmosphere. As her movements became freer and less restrained, she found herself drifting from Albus. She was being moved to an unknown destination. That same small voice that coaxed her on the carpet outside the party came back. Just a little further, it said. Keep looking, it said.
She kept moving; being guided by the instinct inside of her…
She felt his presence before she saw him. Her stomach bottomed out, yet again, when she came to the realization. She willed herself to move away; to go back to dancing with Albus, to leave the dance floor all together. But, she couldn't. She was being pushed by a presence unknown.
Whatever magic was in that tiny, pink crystal was refusing to keep her away from him. And, if, she was being perfectly honest, she didn't entirely mind it.
Their eyes found one another through the crowd; their persons being separated by a mere trio of brightly-colored, frolicking birds. He gave a sigh; his eyes still holding that same treacherous fear. He looked awful. And beautiful.
It was almost as if they were floating; pushed together by the pulsing of the crowd, and helplessly drawn together like magnets. She felt her heart-rate rise with that steady, errant beating; felt the flush of her cheeks burn all the way down to her toes. She felt frightened and exhilarated all at once.
He spoke first. The first words she had heard him speak since the evening began.
"You okay?", Their bodies were mere millimeters apart. Not touching. Not daring to.
"Never better…", she found herself saying back. Their voices sounded like liquid gold; drowning the noise of the party. As they stood in each other's presences, Rose felt the world around them fill with that same sun-bathed molten; submerging the two in a space that was only for them. No one else around.
Was he feeling what she was feeling? Did he feel as scared as she did? Was this a dream?
"I-", He started. His arm reached out; moving with quick unrestraint. He stopped himself; clenching his fist and moving it back down beside him. Rose felt the motion deep within her. She wanted to reach up; trace the tiny emerald scales that had been placed along the edges of his cheek bones.
She felt her own fists clench as well.
"I-", He started again, "I don't…"
She shook her head. She did not know why.
"I'm…I feel like I'm-", he continued.
Suddenly, a black claw appeared from the recesses of her peripherals. Clamping it's hand possessively around the forearm of her companion and yanking him backwards.
"Everything alright over here?", the voice was a screeching comparison to the golden lake she and Scorpius had submitted themselves to.
Scorpius widened his eyes; blinking hard and snapping out of whatever state he was in with her momentarily.
"Never better!", the two shouted in unplanned unison. It made her stomach bottom-out, yet again.
"You both look as if you've seen a ghost..", Mina laughed, in a way that felt somewhat forced, "I need to take Scorpius for a moment. Angèle is making the rounds, and I'd love for them to be seem together…"
"Oh, of course! Please…go…", Rose managed to choke out.
She wasn't prepared for the visceral reaction her body would have as he left; Mina's claws still gripping him tightly.
As she watched him leave, she felt a sharp pain suddenly in the palm of her hand. She looked down; noticing the small slices of skin her nails had broken; she was clenching her fists so tightly.
With his absence; the world came in again suddenly. All the sounds, all the people. Yet, this time, she didn't feel the easy, warm buzzing. She felt as if her insides were slowly closing in on themselves, and all she was left with was a heavy, riotous heart-beat.
She felt the palms of her hands begin to sweat, and the bejeweled crown of her head begin to pound. She felt like she was going to be sick.
Her feet began to move backwards; pulling her away from the mossy, menagerie of movement. She needed to be away from the joyous dancing; the shouts of merriment. She could see from across the hall, Scorpius's tall figure moving through the party; tulle-d companion in tow. To see him smile down at her, to see her hands clasped so tightly in his sent shock-waves through her.
She had seen them together in this capacity; many times in the months since their arrangement was contacted. But it had never felt like this. Never felt like a knife plunging straight through her stomach. Never felt like a thousand nails scratching across a thousand chalkboards. Never hurt so delicately and so succinctly.
This can't be real. This has to be a dream. Wake up, Rose.
"What the actual fuck are you doing here?", cried a hauntingly familiar voice. Rose felt her eyes snap shut. Yes, this needs to be a dream.
She turned, registering the domineering presence of someone she had been deliberately avoiding.
"Lily…", she sighed; almost in defeat.
Lily's eyes were like fire. In fact, Lily's everything was like fire. She was dressed head-to-toe in bright red fabric.
"How dare you not call me back!", she snapped; stomping her foot and glaring at Rose. Rose found herself taking in Lily's person rather unaffectedly. She was often swayed by Lily's tantrums; indulging in her madness in an attempt to calm her. But now, Rose felt unmoved. The world seemed grey and muted.
Rose squinted, everything seemed hazy. "What exactly is your costume..?"
Lily's eyes bulged out of her head, "Are you on something? What is the matter with you?"
Rose felt her head instinctively pull back to it's steady gaze on Scorpius, mingling across the room. She couldn't help it.
Lily's hand grabbed her arm, suddenly. It was vice-like.
"Okay, look at me.", Her voice had taken on a different tone. "What the fuck is going on with you…"
Rose managed to turn her head back towards her cousin, the motion made her vision wobble. Concern was painted across Lily's countenance. If Rose had been in her right mind, she would have felt how intense Lily's feelings were. Rose had never seen her look even remotely inconvenienced before; much less concerned.
"…Not just now…", Lily's voice was soft. "But lately. You don't look like yourself… Merlin, you're so thin…"
Rose shook her head, "Angèle gave us something in the car… I'm a little out of it…"
"Rose, what did you take?"
Rose shook her head again; everything was dancing around her. "Where's Al..? He took some too…"
Lily groaned, "This is ridiculous. Rose, why are you ignoring me? What's even happening?"
Rose felt her head move again, drawn back to the presence of the boy across the room. She willed everything in her to not look again, to keep her eyes from masochistically yielding in the manufactured couple clutched together, looking like the perfect pair. She couldn't.
Lily followed her gaze, her eyes taking in what Rose was incapable of looking away from.
"Oh Rose…", she said, softly. Rose felt sick at Lily's insinuation.
She turned back to Lily, "No- No…That's not- It's-"
Lily's eyes were filled with pity. Rose hated her.
"I have to go. I've got a job to do…", she began to back away from Lily, "I need to find Al."
Rose felt the rising panic begin in her chest again. What did Lily even know? Lily was a spoiled brat who only cared for herself. Rose was drugged. God only knows what that was doing to her judgement. Her mind was playing tricks on her, her emotions were being manipulated. She didn't care about Scorpius. She didn't care about Angèle. She didn't care about anyone or anything. All of this, all these feelings, were figments of her imagination. Nothing more, nothing less.
She just wanted to lose herself.
She took one last look at Lily, and threw herself back into the madness of the party. She began to dance with a frenzied energy. She felt her motions become fluid; allowing her body to sway and pulse with the rhythm of the crowd. She allowed her eyes to close; the flashing lights of the party bouncing off her lids
She felt good, right? This was fun, wasn't it?
She felt strangers moving their bodies against hers. She allowed the energy of the party to lift her veil of morality. She just wanted to feel good. She just wanted to have fun.
Only, she wasn't. She felt her insides begin to churn; her own rebellion against the magical desires was causing contention within her. She couldn't stop scanning the crowd; couldn't stop searching for his tall frame among the mass of bodies. She hated herself.
She began to feel sick. Her insides felt as if they were being ripped apart. She scanned the room; trying to at least find Albus -or even Marty.
She recoiled; stifling a scream. Instead of a sea of costumed guests; she found herself looking into blurry, smearing faces. She could recognize no one; their countenances barely registering any features.
She looked past the dancing mob, towards the crowds of personal milling about on the fringe. Their faces were smeared as well. Bumping fear began to rise in her. The twisting in her stomach intensified. Where was she? Who was she?
She felt as if everywhere she turned was something more terrifying and lonely. She just wanted to feel good. Why couldn't she just feel good?
As she fearfully and anxiously ran her eyes through the crowd, continuing to search for anyone who looked real, her eyes fell on familiarity.
She couldn't stand it. Of course, in a sea of ugly, contorted, blurry faces, the one visage who shone through was that of Scorpius Malfoy.
Then her vision closed completely into darkness.
When she came to, she was kneeling ungraciously over a toilet; fully emptying the contents of her stomach. The motion was unstoppable. She heaved and wretched till there was nothing left in her.
She felt her head fall; resting atop the edge of the porcelain, as her insides settled.
She couldn't recall how she had made her way to the restroom itself. How she managed to even find it, in the midst of the dizzying wanderings of her mind, was a mystery.
The bathroom was abuzz with girls floating in and out; washing hands, comparing costumes. She dreaded leaving the stall she was sequestered into. The only thing worse than losing your dinner at a party was having to face the critical gaze of fellow restroom attendants.
She sighed, moving upwards. She winced at the stiffness of her limbs. How long had she been couched there? Even the time since theyentered the party seemed to blur. Had they been there for minutes? It felt like hours…She moved her wrists; snapping out the kinks. She was surprised to gave regained a certain amount of clarity in the evacuating of her stomach.
She could feel the ground beneath her feet. Her eyes were no longer harshly beleaguered by brilliant, flashing lights. The music was a far away echo; no longer the booming cadence ripping through her body. Her breathing was slow. Her hands were her own.
She was no longer pulled; constantly drifting towards that treacherous, unknown destination. The small voice within her had been silenced. She was herself again.
As she left the bathroom; she began to feel the fatigue of the evening. She felt hazy; almost sleepy. She had managed to find a bathroom down one of the many curving corridors; far enough away from the madness of the main hall. Her fingers traced the ragged stone of the hallway. It actually reminded her a little bit of being at school. The cool roughness of the wall brought back memories in a flood. She retracted her hand quickly.
She entertained the thought of going back to the party… finding Albus… Apologizing to Lily… The thought made her head spin. She, instead, found her feet taking her further down the corridor; away from the madness of the dance floor. She began to walk; turning around hallways, not completely sure what she was looking for…
As she moved further through the castle; she found herself running into less fringe party guests. She moved through a maze-like stretch of walkways; taking in countless paintings and portraits. An severe granny; holding the butchered head of a grindylow, A small child; wearing the skin of a Chimera as robe. A portly man, sitting on a throne of bow truckles. There seemed to be a theme…Rose got an uneasy sense from it.
She walked past a doorway reaching into a large, glass atrium. She realized she hadn't seen a single person in ages. She could barely hear the sound of the music. Her blood was no longer rushing to her ears. Her head was no longer hammering in her chest. She was just…tired.
She kept walking.
The atrium was heavily overgrown with greenery. As she walked down her unmarked path; her lungs were filled with the weighty luminance of growing things. She found her gaze moving towards a soft, blue glow shining from the hall across the stretch of the glass structure.
She could hear a familiar whooshing sound; like mottled waves crashing from above. The blue glow became brighter as she turned a corner; the whole of her vision taking in a large corridor, plated fully in glass. The feeling was one of being submerged. The glass of the corridor curved at the apex of the ceiling; creating a tunnel. Outside the casing; all one could see was blue, murky waters; illuminated by artificial light from below.
The large aquarium was empty. Or, at least, the water was so opaque she could not see a single living thing through the thick glass. The sound of the rushing, tenebrous waters caused her to fall even deeper into the hazy fatigue she was currently experiencing. She placed a hand out on the glass; steadying herself.
There was another sudden rush against the pane, and Rose found herself palm to palm with a scaly, webbed extremity.
Rose screamed; pushing herself away quickly. Through the cloud of the water, she could see the shadow of a creature. It's hair; wild and buoyant. It's body; taught and sinewy. It's large tail propelled it past what Rose could see within the scope of the aquarium.
"You know…", a softly ragged voice said, just behind her. "Mermaids mate for life."
She found herself wholly unsurprised to turn and see him standing there. It was almost as if she had been waiting for him. Perhaps, just in the moment. Perhaps, forever. Her mind felt depleted of it's laborious ability of overanalyze. She did not feel the anxious tremor of unanswered questions, or the slight twisting of unspoken expectation.
She found herself simply happy to see him.
He moved closer to the water; brushing past her.
"I've always been fascinated by that…", he reached out as well; pressing his palm to the glass.
The rushing shadow of the creature came into view again; pressing it's frog-like palm flush against Scorpius's.
He did not flinch. The body of the mer-person slowly came into view; it's hesitant movements unlike any Rose had experience with the particular type of magical beast. Rose began to make out the shape of a woman.
She did not resemble the mer-folk Rose had been versed in; back in days of school past. Her waxen skin looked stretched and bruised over bones that jutted out from her frame. Her hair was like limp seaweed; floating lifelessly around her skull.
Her eyes, however, were the most unfamiliar. They had lost all primal spark. They were large, black, hollowed eyes; endlessly searching. Rose found herself recoiling at the sight; her heart aching for the damaged creature.
The hollowed eyes fell on Scorpius, then on Rose. There was a small, defeated shake of a head, and the mermaid floated back into the cloudy expanse of the water.
"The owner of this castle is a collector, of sorts…", Scorpius had not moved his hand from the glass. The interaction, it seemed, had taken something from him; depleted him of some energy. "Have you noticed?"
Rose thought back to the portraits she had seen scattered along the hallway; each of them containing a certain air of vulgarity. She nodded.
He turned back to her; their eyes falling on one another for, what seemed like, the thousandth time that evening. There was no longer that heightened rush of intensity; no longer the brain-logging pull just to be near him, just to touch him.
Instead, there was just warmth. A soft, haunting warmth that flushed through her, from the very top of her head, all the way down to her heel-clad toes. She found this feeling inexplicably more terrifying than anything she had felt the evening prior.
She nodded, "A fascination with magical creatures…of sorts."
Scorpius turned back to the place the mer-lady ad appeared earlier. "She's looking for her mate… They were brought here together; quite against their will…"
Rose's brow furrowed, "Isn't that illegal?"
"Money can buy a lot of things…" His voice was heavy.
He moved; turning towards the opposite wall. "This tank is expansive. It stretches the whole of the estate… But there's a barrier -a magical one- dividing…"
Rose had never heard his voice so laced with grief.
"So they're separated. Purposefully put on opposite sides…Simply to exist as an exhibit…A show for house guests."
Rose felt a hard lump form in her stomach at the thought. Her mind recalled the hollow-eyes and mottled skin of the mer-woman they had just witnessed. It made her feel sick all over again. She wondered when he had managed garner this information.
"This archway is the only space the two of them can even see one another…", he continued; the heaviness in his voice becoming more apparent. "It's a rare sighting -I've been told… Anyone who bares witness can attest to a 'deeply moving experience'… I think it's inhumane."
Her mouth twisted in sympathy.
"They don't have a choice, you know…", He sighed, "Merpeople, I mean. In who they love. It- It's not even love, in the sense we can understand. It's primal… It's the core of who they are. And- I just think- Being so close… Being able to see one another…only to be separated."
He shook his head, "It sounds like…torture to me.."
Rose felt the inexplicable rising and falling of her chest. She was twisted in a way she couldn't describe.
"How do you know all this?", Rose was surprised at the emotion carried in her tone. Something in the way he was speaking was tugging at her.
Scorpius laughed emptily, "I was introduced to our host… This castle is a labyrinth of archaic treasures. He rattled through an endless number of 'trophies' he has hidden behind these walls…"
He gestured to the glass around him; looking ruefully exhausted, "This was the one thing I was able to remember through…the influence"
Rose shook her head; recalling that only earlier that evening, she was so blitzed on whatever potion was contained in that terrifying little candy, she couldn't keep her eyes off him.
"Merlin…what was that?", she asked; an embarrassed grin twisting onto her face before she could hide it. She was trying not to pay attention to the rising flush that had begun to creep up her neck.
He shook his head as well; mirroring her bashful nature. "That was…one of the most… overwhelming experiences I've had in my life…"
"You looked terrified…" she said; noticing a slight twitch in his features. His stoic nature gave way to a glimpse of an unfamiliar emotion. Was it nervousness? Rose couldn't tell.
He sighed, "Did I?"
She nodded, feeling like she should say something. "I felt like I couldn't control anything about myself…"
His brow furrowed; looking at her with a suddenly perplexity.
"Like…", she continued; turning her gaze away from his confused look and fixating on the empty waters to the side of her. "I was always moving towards something I didn't have a choice in. And, it felt so, so lovely if I was going in the right direction… And so, so awful if I wasn't…"
"Did you find what you were looking for?", he asked, quietly.
Rose was thankful she was turned away from him. Her embarrassment was too great. She could feel her cheeks begin to burn.
She shook her head, "I didn't… I went further from it. And everyone I knew turned into a stranger…"
"When I was dancing…", she continued "Everyone's face began to blur… And then I puked."
She didn't mention the fact that it was his shining, brilliant face that shone through a sea of contorting persons. He was never once a stranger to her. She didn't want to remind herself of that particular element of the story.
"You got sick?", His brow furrowed deeper.
She turned back to him; an amused grimace on her face, "It seems I can't exactly celebrate in the same way that we used to… I'm much more of a light-weight, I guess."
"I felt like time was happening all at once…", he said after a moment. "I had this expansively detailed attachment to all these memories…And I, yet, couldn't remember my own mother's name…"
It was Rose's turn to look perplexed.
"I could see so many figments of my memory playing out in front of me; like watching a film.", His voice was gaining in intensity, "When we were in the car… Suddenly, I looked at you and I couldn't remember a moment without you being there. Like, time had suddenly collapsed on itself, and you were eternally present…"
The intensity grew. Rose could feel the same rising bumping in her chest.
"I began to obsess. Trying to remember when I first saw you… Or rather- when I first saw you… I kept thinking- There had to be a moment. There had to be a time…where I went from not knowing you…"
Rose just stared at him.
His voice softened, "And then, you looked at me- and suddenly your face was…different. It was still you. Very much you. But changed, somehow…"
He smiled, "I realized- I was watching a memory… Sort of. What clued me in was the ends of your hair, funnily enough."
"My hair?", Rose crinkled her nose.
"The ends were this awful, faded grey -almost green…", he sighed; a hint of a tease in his tone.
"The ends were green..?", Rose laughed. "Merlin- Yes. When I was fifteen… I used to dye it the ugliest black color… It must have been 4th.. or 5th year when I decided to let it grow back out. It looked awful…"
"It did look awful.", he smiled, "But it jogged my memory. Or -at least- helped reorient it. I remembered when I first saw you. It was Al's first show…"
Rose nodded, her mind flooding again with memories.
"I remembered seeing you sat in a corner, while he played on stage, and thinking 'Who let this little Gryffindor with ugly hair into the Slytherin common room?'"
Rose cackled, "You did not!"
His face flushed, "I did…"
"Oh- I didn't realize you were so beastly.", she grinned, "Truly -however- my hair looked atrocious, so I'll give you a little credit."
"I don't deserve it-", He said, smiling softly, "But thanks for the vote of confidence."
They were silent for a moment.
"I remembered you looking at me that night.", he said, quietly. "It was so brief. But, I remember being…I don't know- You looked at me almost like you were ready to fight me"
"I probably was ready to fight you. Not just you- anyone, really…", she grimaced.
He smiled, "Still- 4th or 5th year Scorpius was quite shaken by the interaction…"
Rose took on a mocking tone, "How dare a Weasley even think to throw hands at a Malfoy- Just wait till my father hears of this…"
Scorpius laughed, "Something of that sort…",
He shuffled his feet, the rubber of his shoe squeaking against the marble floors.
"Looking back on it now…", he sighed, "The reaction feels… Well- It makes sense."
"How so?", Rose caught herself off-guard with the boldness of her question.
Scorpius looked taken aback; his eyes narrowing softly.
"That maybe…", he said after a moment, "The little Gryffindor with ugly-hair and I would have a much more… tangled story than merely mad-dogging each other across the room of an open-mic night…"
Rose felt her eyes narrow as well. She tried to ignore the way his pensive eyes were causing a familiar stirring below her ribcage "What did you see when you looked at Al, after taking the candy? Did he turn into a melodramatic 11-year-old in front of your eyes?"
"I didn't see anyone else…", he said, quietly. The tone of his voice altered immediately.
"Excuse me?", she raised.
He didn't back down, "I didn't see anyone else. You were…everywhere. Just you…"
She felt like she should step back. Maybe more than one step. They were getting into dangerous territory. She didn't know exactly what they were talking about- or if they were talking about anything. She felt herself overtaken by that same sleepy haziness.
"We should get back to the party…", she said; her voice reading as if she had just suggested they jump off a cliff instead.
She saw his jaw clench; the blue light from the aquarium reflecting off the sharp angles of his cheek bones. In the light and the closeness, she noticed one of the emerald scales adorning his countenance -an added effect for the sake of his reptilian costume- had come loose.
She reached out; taking the tiny scale and placing it back in place, just beneath the hollow of his imbruing eyes.
"We should get back to the party…", she rattled out again. Her voice was barely above a whisper. She could feel the staining warmth in her fingertips; where they had managed to graze the skin below his ear.
He just stared at her- practically challenging her. You leave first, the look read.
She took a deep breath in; willing the strength within her to move away from his searching stare and find her rightful place in the safety of a crowd.
"We should-"
She felt him grip gently around her forearm. She sensed the warmth return below her rib-cage. His head was cocked to the side; his face slight strained, as if searching for something.
"Do you hear that?", he asked. His head was poised towards the opposite stretch of the tunnel; further away from the atrium they had both arrived through.
Rose paused; straining her ears for the sound he was referring to. She, truthfully, could hear little else but the pounding of her own heart. His hand had not left her arm.
They were motionless for a moment. Rose was slightly overwhelmed by the stillness.
"I don't-", she started; unable to hear anything but the submerged rushing of water from the aquarium beside them. Suddenly- she felt it. She couldn't explain it if she tried, but she felt the music before she heard it. The sound was winding and crackling; like an aging instrument being brought back to life.
The melody was a strange, yet inexplicably beautiful, noise. It sounded haunting…but soft. She had heard it before- she knew that. She felt the familiarity like a tingling along the base of her skull.
The moment the sound rested on her ears, she knew she needed to find it. Without speaking, her and Scorpius began to walk towards the end of the tunnel; moving from the blue opalescence of the water, towards a large marble corridor. The dark walls were lined with ornately detailed doors.
The sound of their feet against the hard stone began to fall in line with the melody pulling them closer. The soft clacks became unified as the refrain ebbed and flowed. The sound, it seemed, was coming from a larger door; situated at the very end of the large walkway. Rose felt herself slightly hypnotized. She noticed, through her haze, that his hand had still not left hers.
The door itself was decorated with elaborate delicacy. As they pushed against the heavy wood, Rose found herself mesmerized by the swirling intricacies. She could have sworn they too were moving in time with the enchanted melody…
The room itself was dark. If they had allowed the door to shut completely; they would be submerged in complete blackness. Something about that thought brought a rushing of blood to her face. She was suddenly thankful for the shadowed setting.
"There doesn't seem to be anything in here…" The sound of her own voice was jarring. She almost didn't recognize it.
As if her speaking had been a trigger, there was a burst of light. The darkened room gave way to reveal a solitary item. A piano. She and Scorpius both let out a sudden gasp.
The instrument was large and impressive- beautiful even. She couldn't remember being in the presence of such an ornate piece of musical engineering. It looked unlike any piano she had seen before.
Scorpius let go of her; moving immediately towards the piece. She suddenly felt cold; her arm raising with goosebumps.
"This is incredible…", He said, tracing the panes of the wood with his hands. His face was alight; his eyes flashing with a brief shine she had not seen for some time now. The corners of his mouth twitched with a hidden smile.
Rose found it difficult to look away from him.
"Is that where the music's coming from?", she rattled off, lamely. She realized, in that moment, the music had stopped. She found she couldn't recall when the melody had ceased it's intoxicating pull.
He didn't hear her. He was in his own world; his eyes transfixed on the keys in front of him. He sat down. His hands skimmed above the ivory, as if he was almost scared to touch them.
"I-", he said softly, "I haven't played something this grand in a long time…"
His hands pressed down delicately; the first note ringing gauzily off the walls of the great room. He paused; his face caught in momentary concentration. He took a deep breath and moved into the dreamy, swelling melody…
Rose felt her breath catch in her throat. She had forgotten he was capable of playing like that. His hands danced over the board; delicately rounding chords and cascading harmonics. She was, yet again, hypnotized. So much so, she barely registered the slight smatterings of color that had began to pop around her.
It wasn't until the pace of the song grew in cadence, and a broad stroke of color materialized between the two of them, that she noticed anything was happening.
"Merlin!", she cried. She couldn't help herself; the sight was so striking.
He stopped, her cry startling him. As soon as his fingers left the keys the bright floating colors began to dissolve. Their presence seemingly powered by the movement of the music.
"Keep playing.", she urged. Her eyes were large and imploring.
He picked up where he left off; his eyes now taking in the sight Rose had seen earlier. As his fingers began to find the routine of the refrain, the colors returned. He played further; the swatches taking shape further from the abstract.
He continued to play; his eyes widening in recognition.
"Bloody hell…", he said with awe, after a moment. "I- I don't believe it…"
"What?", she breathed.
"This- this is my mother's favorite song…", he sighed, "I used to sit and play for her in our drawing room… There was this painting- I used to stare at it as I played. I used to think it was something of a good luck charm- Doesn't matter… But- That's the painting…"
Rose turned, looking fully at the materialized imagery in front of them.
"I was thinking of her while I was playing…", His brow furrowed. He had halted the piece he had been playing. The colors began to slowly dissolve again; melting together and drifting into the walls surrounding.
His picked up his hands; moving to a piece with a deliberately different tone. This was a melody she recognized; rag-time-y and uptempo.
After a moment a new shape began to form. A energetic ball of orange began to bounce about the space around them. The song played further and the little blob began to shift; sprouting arms, legs and a long curling tail.
Rose looked at him perplexedly, "The Entertainer?"
He simply nodded towards the shape. Dark stripes had begun to appear on it's body; lush fur cropped up in place of it's formerly translucent conjuring. All at once, a small, jovial tiger was dancing around in time to the jaunty rhythm.
"This song always made me think of Marty…", said Scorpius, with a smile. Rose looked from him, to the dancing tiger, then back to him. Suddenly it clicked.
"Oh, do Albus!", she requested, excitedly.
His hands left the keys. The tiny tiger vanished in a moment; an orange glimmer the only thing remaining in it's wake.
He thought for a moment; his eyes hold a mischievous glint. He nodded to himself; moving to the lower end of the keys.
"Typically-", He said flicking his eyes up at her, "This is played with a full symphony orchestra… But we'll have to make due…"
She felt a sudden thrill run through her.
He moved to play once more; his hands banging on the keys with sudden force. As if on cue; the walls surrounding began to glow a vengeful red; moody bursting of black and burgundy began to shower around them with every note.
Rose almost laughed at the haunting shift in tone. The moody uproar of color was exactly Albus.
"Is this Beethoven?", she cried over the turbulent pounding of piano keys and aggressive shiftings in pigment.
He met her with a smirk.
She leaned against the cover of the large instrument. "It's a very apt choice…It resonates."
"I'm impressed with your classical knowledge, Weasley.", he said. His eyes were shining. She hadn't seen them shine like that since…well. Since before she could remember.
She looked down; suddenly bashful. "There's no one who understands an unbearably moody youth like Beethoven…"
"Makes sense…", he said, with a small smile; his fingers leaving the keyboard once more. The room shifted. The color drained from the walls, leaving only the piano and it's surroundings visible.
"Do Angèle…", she said, suddenly. She could have kicked herself. She didn't know why she said it. They were having such a lovely time; she had to go and ruin it…
His brow furrowed lightly, but he turned back to the keys; his fingers fluttering lightly over the ivory. He thought for a moment; his lips pursed in concentration.
As he began to play, Rose anticipated a large pulse of color or something shiny and vibrant. Instead, the small, slightly bittersweet melody conjured a slow rising of pink bubbles. They seemed to materialize from the ground below; floating around the two of them in a soapy, looping dance.
As soon as one bubble would rise, it would pop; a slight shower of pink dust dissolving in it's place. The delicate nature of the song manifested in the fragility of the imagery. The song was beautiful, but drifting -almost ditzy.
"It's Rachmoninoff…", he said after a moment; continuing to play. "I've always liked this song. There's a childish quality to it; but not entirely soft. It's got a bit of an edge- a fragile edge."
"It's a beautiful piece…", sighed Rose, quietly. There was a slight satisfaction in watching the bubbles disappear completely; the room submerged, again, in shadows.
"It's not my favorite…", he murmured, looking back at the instrument. Rose felt a small shiver sun down her spine at his words. She wasn't sure was they were really talking about at this point. She was too terrified to ask.
Their eyes met; a quiet intensity brewing in the silence of the moment.
"Do me…"
It was out of her mouth before she could stop herself. She knew, in that expanse of time, she had broken some spell, crossed some imaginary line. They were already walking on glass; they both knew it. In two words, she had just asked them to sprint through the silvery shards.
He did not flinch. He simply looked at her. No internal recalibrating, no leg bounce, no hint of some unreadable emotion; he just looked.
She backed down first; her face burning. In an instant, she felt smaller than she thought was possible. Her instinct was to leave the room immediately; run as far away from him as she conceivably could.
Then he began to play.
From the moment his fingers stroked the first wistful note; shapes and colors began to bloom all around her. The softly rolling rhythm made Rose feel as if she were dreamily walking through some world her imagination could not do credit to conceive.
The faint dun-dun, dun-dun of the melody instinctively mirrored the heartbeat she often felt herself submitting to whist in his presence. She found the ground beneath her feet beginning to glow; the colors moving in time to the lofty music.
She moved one foot. The glow followed. She moved another foot. The floor beneath sparkled with color. She moved another, and another. Her body seemed to intrinsically know the movements of the music -although she knew she had never heard anything like it before.
Soon, she was dancing; her motions creating an illuminated display on the floor beneath her. As the song grew in intensity, she began to make out visions of flowers blooming around her. Gorgeous, colorful blooms sprouting everywhere she could see. The colors were so vibrant; mixing in beautiful patterns around her feet.
She closed her eyes; allowing herself to sit in the magic for just a moment. When she opened her eyes, she gasped.
They were no longer in a dark room. The sky above had been transformed into a startling blue sky. Grass and flowers grew beneath her feet. She could feel the wind against her face. She could smell the heavy floral scent of beautiful, growing things.
She looked at him; an intensity building inside of her unlike anything she had ever felt before. She couldn't fathom any of it; not the beauty of the song, not the intensity of his vision. She barely knew what to feel.
It seemed he could feel her gaze on him. Their eyes met. Rose, strangely, felt her throat begin to constrict; the corners of her eyes felt hot, as if stung by the winds whipping through the floral field they had been transported to. He was telling her so much, giving her so much- it became almost unbearable.
She found herself moving towards him; despite the unbearable nature of this interaction. She couldn't help it. The song was too beautiful. His face was too beautiful.
The piece ended. She awaited the slow dissolving of the rustic imagery, as his fingers left the keys for the final time. The world did not dissolve. Instead, the silence was filled with the sounds of rushing, easy winds and the slight chirps of birds.
They stayed motionless for a moment; each of them slightly reeling from the shared experience. Rose sat gently on the bench next to him.
"I'm not familiar with that piece…", she said, shakily. She still felt that strange, clenched feeling at the back of her throat.
He looked at the keys, a slight redness could be seen on the tips of his ears, "That would be because I wrote it…"
His voice had the same shaky quality that Rose's did.
Rose let the weight of his words settle around her. She willed her heart to cease it's incessant pounding; now amplified by the proximity between them.
"When did you write this?", she whispered. She wasn't exactly sure what she was asking.
She looked at her; his eyes were almost grief-stricken.
"A while ago…", he sighed, his mouth twisting with mirth. She wasn't exactly sure what he was saying.
"How did you find me?", She asked suddenly, She felt breathless. "In the tunnel- with the mermaid… I had been wandering for ages…How did you know where I was..?"
Her voice trailed off. She was overwhelmed by the intensity in his eyes.
His voice was soft, but firm. "I was moving towards something I didn't have a choice in…"
She felt the sudden intake of breath; her mind registering his appropriation of her earlier sentiments. He had felt exactly what she had. He was telling her -using her own words against her.
"And, it felt so, so lovely if I was going in the right direction…", he continued; his voice cracking slightly, "And so, so awful if I wasn't…"
She wanted to wrap her arms around him in that moment. The heaviness of his tone was excruciating. She suddenly felt the immense weight of their entire evening together. She was slowly piecing together a truth she couldn't fully wrap her head around.
Every look sent her way, every word spoken to her, every song sang was a deep declaration of the most treacherous reality she could imagine. She felt her whole body rioting with that golden buzzing that had taken over hours earlier.
She was so overcome with emotion; she scarcely knew what was happening. in the second she registered how close they were to one another; it was already too late.
Her hand reached up; impulsively brushing a stray lock of hair back into place.
He flushed. She flushed.
"Sorry-", she whispered, twisting her fingers together in her lap.
"No-", he sighed, shaking his head.
She smiled. He smiled. They were so close, it was electrifying.
He reached out; his hand covering the anxious twitching of her own. Rose felt submerged again; the liquid gold surrounding them returned. Their mouths were so close; she could feel his breath against her neck.
"Rose, I-"
"What the hell is going on here?!"
They had not registered the blistering slam of a door in their quiet, intimate moment. The floral world fell away in an instant; bringing them back to the darkness of the room. A room that now felt shabby and grey by comparison.
They jumped from one another; knowing that cold, calculated voice anywhere. It struck fear right to the very core of Rose.
The light from the hallway cast a terrifying, flickering shadow; the figure standing hauntingly in the door way.
"I ask again-", said Mina, marching towards them, "What the hell is going on here?"
—
dun dun dun DUN
What did you guys think? Have the two of them revealed too much? Will they have to admit their feelings for one another?
Okay honestly, writing this literally exhausted me, lol! This chapter had been swimming in my head for so long. I die over Scorpius not even realizing he's revealing how much he loves Rose. Through song.
Speaking of song. I have soundtracked literally every second of this chapter, so if you are inclined, I would give these songs a listen.
Gengis - Polo & Pan (If you press play from the start of the chapter, this song will give you exactly the vibe of what everyone is feeling as they enter the party)
Stranger - Skrillex (Rose talks to Lily and attempts to "Have fun". Chaos ensues.)
I Make Sparks - Novo Amor (Rose walking through the corridors and finding the mermaids)
Nocturnes, Op. 9 No. 3 in B Major - Chopin (Scorpius's song for his mom)
The Entertainer (Marty's song)
Symphony No. 5 - Beethoven (Al's song)
Margaritki (Daisies) Op. 38, No. 3 - Rachmaninoff (Angele's song)
Lyric Pieces, Book V, Op. 54: No. 4 - Grieg (Rose's song) **If you listen to any of these songs, I would highly recommend listening to this one. It's my favorite piece of classical music and it's bananas beautiful***
Would love any thoughts you guys have! I love, love love reading your reviews. They fill me with joy and I love hearing how you feel the story is going to go/what you liked/didn't like/how you feel about the music/ anything!
Love always!
xoxo