A/N: Alright, Chapter 2. Please let me know if you guys are liking this fic, I know there isn't much Scorose yet, but we can't rush things. It will come eventually ;).

Also, this fic is rated T right now, but that might change when the scenes get more mature. I'm not sure how graphic I want to be though, so I'm haven't settled on a finite rating.

Chapter 2:

I woke late- I could tell straight away. There was no bird song or watery morning light. There was no steady breathing from sleeping bodies that can usually be heard early in the morning.

I opened my eyes, confused by the lack of warmth beside me and saw that Al was gone. I sat up, confused and looked around, groggily and slightly dazed. There was a boy sleeping on one of the beds, but apart from that the only other person in the room was Malfoy.

I groaned internally, knowing this meant I would have to actually interact with him. He was sitting facing away from me on his bed, bent over and reading what looked like a letter. He was still in his nightwear. Which just so happened to be a pair of boxers... and nothing else.

This wasn't the first time I had noticed Malfoy's aversion to wearing shirts. In fact, the whole of Al's dorm seemed to have some sort of allergy or affliction that prevented them from wearing anything to cover their torsos. They had almost always been topless when I had visited Al before.

You're probably wondering why I'm complaining so much. Especially since Scorpius Malfoy is not exactly described as ugly very often- let's just put it like that. Once, I had heard a girl describing him to her friends as a 'creation chiselled by the Greek Gods and sent to bless us all'.

I had snorted, and she had looked at me and turned bright red.

She wasn't wrong that he could have been sculpted by Gods- I wasn't so blinded by my hatred for him that I couldn't at least see that. But a blessing? He was anything but.

That's why I complain about his apparent phobia of clothes that cover his upper body. It feels wrong to see someone you hate so much, half naked and kind of like it.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts before speaking. "Where's Al?" I asked, as harshly as I could, whilst still sounding relatively civil.

"Not here," he replied helpfully, without even bothering to look around or acknowledge me properly.

"Well, yes Malfoy. I can see that." I returned dryly, sighing in frustration and throwing back the covers. "Did he say where he was going?" I asked, standing up and speaking slowly and simply so I knew he would understand.

He shrugged, his focus not leaving the letter in his grasp. I rolled my eyes and started towards the door, before deciding against it. I had been wearing the same thing since Friday night, a shower couldn't wait until I was back in my own dorm.

I turned on heel and marched into the bathroom on the other side of the dorm. Shutting, and carefully locking, the door behind me.

I shrugged my pyjamas off, glad to be rid of them, and got in the shower, my toes curling slightly against the cooled, ceramic tiles. I turned it on and it warmed almost instantaneously- one of the luxuries of living in a magical world.

I let myself enjoy the hot stream of water before I got around to actually washing myself. I spent almost five minutes letting the sounds and the heat drown out my thoughts and just focusing on the feeling of the water on my back.

When I finally came to wash my hair and body, I realised the disadvantages of showering here instead of in my own dorm. It was all male-based shampoos and shower gel 'for men'. Honestly, I didn't know what the difference was, but I didn't really want to end up smelling like boy.

It wasn't like I could change my mind now and traipse through the castle soaking wet and naked, so I got on with it. Taking my sweet time again about lathering up the shampoo and soap, massaging it into my skull and skin.

Then I rinsed myself, slowly and thoroughly. I told myself it was because I wanted to enjoy this shower, but in reality, I was hoping that Malfoy would have left the dorm once I was done in the shower.

Or at least Al might have returned.

I got out, noticing my lack of a towel and reaching for my wand in my pyjama pocket. I could cast a quick drying spell instead- it was easy.

But my wand wasn't in either of my pockets, which meant it had probably fallen out in Al's bed. Oh Merlin, I hoped the dorm was empty- perhaps then I could dart out and grab it. It was slightly risky, but if I heard anyone coming I could always dive under the covers.

I put on my pyjamas bottoms as insurance and put my bra back on, before opening the door a crack and poking my head- and only my head- around it. Malfoy was still there, in fact, he had hardly moved from where he had been sitting earlier,

Al was still nowhere to be seen, Merlin's beard my cousin sure always knows when it's most inconvenient to be absent.

"Malfoy," I said in an unnecessarily hushed voice, as if I was trying to avoid attracting attention from the one other person in the room, who happened to be fast asleep. "Pass me my wand."

He turned then, and I could actually see the amusement grow in his silver eyes. "What's the magic word?" He asked languidly, sauntering over to Al's bed and dexterously picking up my wand.

I rolled my eyes, "abracadabra." My voice dripped sarcasm like venom. It didn't seem to faze him.

"No," he replied, as he walked closer. He was twirling my wand fluidly in his fingers. Merlin, I wanted to slap that smug smirk off of his face.

"Please," I answered through gritted teeth. He held it out in front of him, it was so close I could probably- I reached out and grabbed for it, but he moved back just as I did and in my eagerness to retrieve it I stepped out into the room before I could even think.

I stopped suddenly, looking down at myself. Thank Merlin I had decided to put my trousers on before I opened the door. As for the top half of me... I had my bra on, at least. But I was still way more exposed than I would want to be in front of almost anyone, especially Malfoy.

I looked up to see that smirk still on his face.

"Dick," I spat at him, before snatching my wand from his grasp and returning to the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. I heard him chuckle after I was inside, and it made my blood boil with fury.

I dried myself and dressed quickly, back into my pyjamas as I had no other clothes with me. I left the room and marched through the dorm quickly and purposefully, not even sparing him a glance as I went. Then down the stairs and into the common room.

I got strange looks as I went through the common room. A girl, dressed in the same clothes as the night before, leaves the boys dorm in the morning. I understood why they were looking, but I wished they would stop all the same.

Someone wolf-whistled sarcastically as I left through the door, I ignored them.

I tried to keep to the less-frequented routes back to the Gryffindor tower. It sort of worked- I only ran into a few people, thank Merlin.

"Dilligrout," I spoke firmly as soon as I was standing in front of the Fat Lady.

"Oh, and where have you been young lady?" She asked, in that high pitched voice I couldn't stand. "I don't remember you leaving this morn-"

"Dilligrout," I ground out, frustration growing in the pit of my stomach.

"Oh, alright," She conceded, swinging aside and letting me climb through the portrait hole.

My family was sitting in a circle in the common room, fully dressed with their trunks packed by their sides. They turned to look at me as I walked to in, sighing dramatically when they saw it was me and climbing to their feet.

"Finally," Dom said, exasperated, "where have you been?"

"I was just-" I began to explain.

"Scratch that, it doesn't matter," she told me, "I've already packed your trunk," she pushed a bundle of clothes into my arms and then shoved me in the direction of the dorms. "Get changed and then we can go."

"Where's Al?" I asked, looking around and unable to see him.

"He went to get you, he should be back soon so hurry up."

I turned and jogged up the stairs to my dorm. Changing quickly and leaving my pyjamas on the bed- there were others I could wear over the next week at the Burrow.

Al was climbing through the portrait hole just as I reached the bottom of the stairs. Lucy and Lily had already flooed away, and Louis was crouching to get in the fireplace as I walked over to the group and picked up my trunk.

"The Burrow," he spoke firmly, before throwing a handful of the green powder into the fire below. The flames engulfed him, and when they returned to normal, he was gone and Hugo was already climbing in after him.

Al picked up his trunk and came and stood next to me. "Where were you?" He asked. I looked at him, incredulous.

"Where was I?" I asked, exasperated. "Where were you? I woke up and you were gone and I was alone in a room with Malfoy"

He rolled his eyes, "stop being so dramatic. You're saying that like I left you alone with Voldemort himself."

"You might as well have," I muttered under my breath. He shot me a disapproving look, but a grin was tugging at his lips.

Then it was my turn, I grabbed a handful of floo powder and made my way into the fireplace. "The Burrow," I half-shouted, as clearly as possible. Then I threw down the powder and felt the flames come up and around me.

Then I was off, travelling the world via chimneys and catching glimpses of rooms beyond as the world went upside down and all around, causing a nauseous feeling in my stomach. I was just starting to regret everything I ate with Al the night before when my feet hit firm ground and I stumbled forward, into the kitchen of The Burrow.

"Rosie!" I heard my dad exclaim as he came forward to hug me. I was glad for the support, as I was still regaining my balance.

I smiled at him as my head stopped spinning and I moved to hug my mum. She kissed me on the forehead- an action which usually resulted in me swatting her away and complaining that she couldn't do that; I was an adult now.

This time I didn't pull away, instead, I revelled in the comforted feeling it gave me. I was the same height as my mum now, but she still felt so steady and constant and grown up to me.

I hugged nana and Grandpa and all my uncles and aunts in turn as my cousins continued tumbling out of the fireplace behind me. Andromeda was there too, even Uncle Charlie had turned up.

nana Molly had already cooked us breakfast- of course. She ushered us towards the table and starting piling everything she could on our plates. Eggs, beans, bacon, hashbrowns. I wasn't even all that hungry, but I ate as if I hadn't in weeks. Hardly bothering to make sure the food fit in my mouth before shoving it in anyway.

Our older cousins arrived later than us. Molly came first- punctual, as always. We heard the tell-tale crack of someone apparating into the garden and ran out to meet her as she walked up the path towards us. Lucy swung her arms around her sister and didn't let go even as we all walked together back up to the house.

It was only maybe five minutes until the next arrival. James, Fred and Roxy lived together, so arrived at the same time. Well, almost. Fred was the first to appear in the fireplace. He hadn't even had a second to regain his footing properly, let alone step out into the kitchen, when James flooed in. Landing on top of his cousin and sending them both sprawling into the kitchen in a mass of waving limbs.

I clutched the back of a chair to keep myself upright as I laughed. No one bothered to help them up.

Roxy flooed in seconds later. She didn't even look surprised at the scene her brother and cousin had already caused. Instead, she just rolled her eyes and stepped easily over their tangled bodies to hug her parents.

Ginny eventually got her hysterical laughter under control and rushed forward to help her son and nephew to their feet. They were covered in ash and soot, but both laughing.

We sat down again, now having to levitate in chairs from around the house to sit everyone in the cramped kitchen. James and Fred wasted no time in loudly and animatedly telling us about everything that had happened in their lives since we had last seen them at Christmas.

Roxy interrupted them then, just as they were going to start the fifth retelling of one of their adventures. "Everyone," she all but yelled for the attention of the whole room, "Estee Erickson is retiring from quidditch, so I'll be trying out for permanent beater next week." There was an excited chorus around the table, and George pulled his daughter into an embrace, the proudest beam on his face.

A loud crack sounded outside again and seconds letter the door to the kitchen opened, Victoire and Teddy stepped in, hand-in-hand. The room went silent, ready to start with the sympathy. To hug them and comfort them because we all knew how in love they were- and now it was ruined.

But they didn't look sad. In fact, they were both beaming from ear-to-ear, practically glowing with happiness. Teddy's hair was a vibrant turquoise- the colour it went when he was happy.

We had all been expecting to have to comfort them, no one knew what to do.

"What's going on you two?" Nana Molly asked, suspicion creeping into her voice. Victoire looked to Teddy, then back to the rest of the room, she looked as though she was about to burst with excitement.

"We eloped!" She exclaimed abruptly, holding her hand out in front of her to show us the simple gold band that adorned her ring finger.

Nana Molly practically screeched with happiness, before engulfing them both in her hug as we cheered for the happy couple. Aunt Fleur was next, throwing her arms tightly around her daughter as Unce Harry clapped Teddy on the back and Andromeda rushed forward to hug him. We all took it in turns to congratulate them, the news had truly lifted all our spirits.

I was indescribably glad Teddy and Victoire would be spending their lives together. They had been so in love for a long time.

"When did you do this?" Ginny asked, once the noise had died down and Teddy and Vic were allowed to breathe.

"Friday," Teddy answered, "before they even announced the law." His hand was back holding Vic's tightly.

"How did you know?" Angelina asked the question we were all wondering.

"Well," Victoire looked to my second oldest cousin, "It was all down to Molly actually." She explained beaming. "She told us, even though she could have lost her job and more. We are eternally thankful."

We turned to look at Molly, who now stood slightly flushed in the corner. "Well, anyone would have done the same." She explained modestly, "I would have told the rest of you, but you don't understand how hush hush Kingsley was keeping it. I was breaking the law even just telling two people." She spoke quickly, as if she had to justify herself.

"Oh come 'ere my darling," Fleur exclaimed, pulling Molly into a hug and kissing her hair firmly. "Zank you so much!"

"It was nothing really," Molly mumbled from Fleur's tight grasp. But it wasn't nothing, and we all knew it. Leaking confidential information from the Ministry was a big deal. It could even end in jail time- not to mention you would be jobless.

Grandpa Arthur drew up two more chairs with his wand for Vic and Teddy and we all sat around the kitchen table. It was cramped and loud and impossibly busy. But for a while, the shouting and congratulations and funny stories down from Fred and James' end drowned out any thought of the marriage law.

My good mood and the loud chatter were both ended simultaneously by a rap at the window. I felt my stomach drop- everyone looked towards the Ministry issued owl on the window sill. No one made any movement to go to the window, though, so it stayed there for what felt like minutes- but was probably a few seconds. The tapping on the window getting gradually louder and more violent.

Eventually, Uncle Percy stood and strode purposefully over and opened the window. The bird swooped in easily, dropped seven thick letters on the table, and flew out without a single pause.

Molly reached for her letter first and placed it on the table in front of her. The wax ministry seal lay face up.

Dom went for hers next and did the same as Molly. Fred and James got theirs at the same time, and then Al. None of them made any move to open theirs.

Roxy took hers next, and then only one was left on the table. 'Rose Weasley' was written on the front in cursive lettering. I wanted to blast it into smithereens, right there and then. Perhaps then I wouldn't have to do what it said.

Instead, I reached forward and dragged it over the table to rest in front of me.

"Together," Molly said, "3, 2, 1." We reached forward in unison and began the break the seal on the envelope. I tipped mine upside down, letting the contents spill onto the table. There was a glossy booklet that came out first, followed by a single piece of paper.

I picked up the letter and unfolded it, just to stare blindly at the top of it for a few moments, refusing to let my eyes wander down and find the name. Instead, I let my cousins do it first. Let them exclaim in frustration or indifference, felt my family crowd around them in interest before I started scanning the paper.

Lorcan Scamander, Lorcan Scamander, Lorcan Scamander, Lorcan Scamander

I said his name over and over again in my head as if that would somehow help it be written on this piece of paper. No, I didn't want to marry Lorcan yet- but he was my best bet. I'd much rather be forced into a marriage with him than anyone else.

Imagine if I got paired with a stranger? I would hate that, it would be the worst thing ever. Oh please, Merlin, let it not be a stranger.

Eventually, I found the name.

I take it back, I take it back I take it back I take it back. I'll marry a stranger, I'll marry a stranger who lives half way across the world who's language I don't speak a word of.

'Scorpius Malfoy'

No this was a joke- a sick joke. I shook the paper as if it would magically reveal the real name underneath this ludicrous prank. But the words didn't change. Still, they sat there.

'Scorpius Malfoy'

They'd mixed me up with another Rose Weasley, I was sure of it.

'Scorpius Malfoy'

I was going to be married to Scorpius Malfoy.

I sat, frozen, for Merlin knows how long. When I finally tore my eyes away from the name on the letter, my family were staring at me. Hugo, mum and dad all had their concerned hawk-like gazes fixed on me.

I wanted to break down and sob for days, I wanted to cry at the kitchen table until I was out of tears and then maybe this whole problem would go away.

I wanted to explode in anger, I wanted to tear this whole situation apart and scream about this injustice at the top of my lungs until my throat was raw and dry.

Instead, I sat there, motionless and emotionless. There was a clear question in the eyes that were turning my way, one by one.

After what felt like the longest time, I regained the ability to think for myself and got to my feet, slowly and deliberately. Then, I left the room.

"Rosie?" My mum called after me, my family had the decency to leave my letter alone on the table until I was gone. As soon as I was out of sight I knew they would be scrambling over each other to get a look at it.

I climbed the stairs, controlled and steadily at first, but I began to run as soon as I knew they could no longer hear my footsteps. I found my way into the room at the top of the house, the one that had been my dad's when he was younger.

The walls were still plastered in sickly orange Chudley Cannons posters from the 80s. Nana and Grandpa had just kept it as it was, they hadn't any other use for it.

I lay down heavily on the bed in the corner, watching as a small puff of dust went up around me from the cover.

I felt immature, reacting this way. There were so many people across the country experiencing the same thing I was, I was in not place to complain. Even if I had been paired with Malfoy.

And all my Uncles and Aunts, when they were my age they were fighting Voldemort. And here I was, cowering in my dad's old bedroom because I just had to marry someone I didn't like.

Someone I really didn't like, mind you. Someone who had tormented me since I was eleven. I would be marrying into a family who had aided Voldemort in his attempt to rise to power. I had long since learnt that I couldn't blame Scorpius for that, but I sure could blame the people who had actually taken part in it.

Honestly, I wouldn't mind if the marriage law only required that we got married. We could say the words, sign the paper and then be done with it and live our separate lives.

But McGonagall had mentioned children, and that was the part that really made my stomach turn. I could hardly bare to think about it.

"Rose?" A soft voice came from the doorway. It was my mum.

"Yeah," I said, sitting up as she came in the room.

"Are you okay?" She asked, concern causing crinkles to form on her forehead.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I lied, scooting over and letting her lay next to me on the tiny bed.

"I saw the letter." She admitted as I lay back down. I didn't reply, so she continued. "I know you've never liked him, honey, but Al is very close with him. So he can't be too horrible, can he?" I didn't reply to that either.

"You should have seen your father's face when he read it," she said, letting a note of amusement melt into her voice. "He went so purple Rosie, I thought he might faint." She laughed softly. I smiled along, she was right. I would have liked to see that.

"Al is doing his best to convince everyone that Scorpius really isn't that bad," she continued. "There aren't many people listening."

"Who did everyone else get?" I asked, eager to change the subject from myself or Malfoy.

"Well, Molly got some man who works at the Ministry. She says she's never met him but recognises his name. Fred got- well you see I can't quite remember who Fred got. But James got a Hufflepuff girl that Roxy knows from her year at school." She paused to think.

"Roxy got- oh now this is a good one. Roxy got some big shot quidditch player or other. I didn't know the name, but she seemed very excited- just to meet him, I think. I don't reckon her mind is even on marriage anymore. Your father got really excited too when he saw the name, and Fred and James are both trying to trade with her." My mum chuckled softly. "Everyone's very excited about it. Dominique got some Ravenclaw boy from your year. She didn't seem particularly disappointed, but not excited either. Oh! And you'll never guess who Al got."

I looked over at her excited face, "Who?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Alice! Alice Longbottom." She said, and I grinned. "Ginny is secretly thrilled, I think she always rather liked the idea of those two together."

I was glad too, Alice had had a crush on Al since second year, though she'd never admit it.

"You can stay up here if you want to Rosie, but I promise no one is going to bombard you with questions about anything if you come back down. They're all too wrapped up in this famous quidditch player guy." She smiled reassuringly and got back up. "But I get that you might need a moment to process, so I'll leave you alone." She walked out of the room and I listened as her footsteps got quieter and quieter.

I didn't really want to go back downstairs after walking out like a child in a tantrum. But I decided I would get it over with, I would feel better being around my family anyway. They would take my mind off of everything.

My mum was right, everyone was crowded around Roxy when I came into the kitchen. No one even noticed when I slid into my seat. I was glad for it. I picked up the piece of paper and the booklet on the table in front of me and stuffed them into my pocket, hardly letting myself look at them.

"Let me see," I said to Roxy, holding my hand out for the letter. She passed it to me and I scanned down the page to find the name.

'Brannon Corwin' I must admit, the name made me slightly giddy too. I had inherited a lot of things from my mum, but her disinclination of quidditch was not one of those things.

He was the keeper for the Irish national team, he'd played in the last world cup final. Granted, they'd lost, but Brannon had still become something of a legend across the U.K and Ireland.

I passed the letter back to her, now brimming with excitement along with the rest of my family.

I didn't mention Malfoy, and no one brought him up or pushed me to talk. Something I was extremely grateful for. My family could be insensitive at times, it's true, but never when it really counted.

My mind stayed with the letter in my back pocket the whole day. My family did their best to distract everyone from the law, we played quidditch in the nearby woods for hours, but it was a pathetic attempt at the actual game.

I let the quaffle into the goal nearly every time it was aimed my way; and it was dropped every five minutes or so, even Roxy was having a hard time hitting the bludger properly. My mind would not tear itself away from the booklet and letter in my back pocket, as if they were burning a whole in my jeans.

I was hovering in the air, in front of the home-made hoops we called 'goals', staring out at nothing in particular and thinking about what my future would be like.

I would probably have to move into Malfoy Manor after Hogwarts, unless they let us live separately. Most people would probably be thrilled by the idea of living somewhere almost as big as Buckingham Palace.

I was not thrilled. Despite the wealth I knew my parents owned, I was used to a simplistic life. I was used to a small-ish home that comfortably fit the four of us. Apart from holidays, when I was used to the Burrow. It had been cramped when my dad had lived here with only nine people- we must have tripled that number, at least.

A house that could hold near 100, but was home to only four. Well, it just sounded lonely. At least I wouldn't have to go anywhere near any of the Malfoy's most of the time. They could have their part of the house and I could have mine.

I would only need a room.

"Rosie!" someone shouted my name, I focused back on the game just in time to swing upside down on my broom as the quaffle whizzed over me.

I think everyone took that as an indicator that we should stop. No one was playing very well, and I was sure continuing would just end up in injury. Nana had sent us out because she was cooking, and she was still bustling away in the kitchen when we all piled in through the front door.

"Get out! Get out," She squawked at us, brandishing her tea-towel and chasing us back out into the garden as we trekked mud over the kitchen floor. James and Fred darted behind her, running for the sausages and laughing as she chased them around the room with the wooden spoon she had now picked up.

They ran past us out of the door with their hard-won sausages in hand, and she followed them down the path with her spoon held over her head.

I grabbed a roast potato on my way through the kitchen and ate it as I wandered upstairs. I walked all the way up the rickety house once more to my dad's old room. Once I had closed the door carefully, I finally brought the letter and booklet out of my pocket.

I sat back down on the dusty bed, and began to read.

A/N: Thanks for reading everyone, leave a review if you liked it or if you have any constructive criticism- it would mean alot.