In the Previous Chapter…
"I'll figure something out, Hermione" Scorpius promised, "but I really should go and find Rose. She's been dying to go out in the snow since we got here, so she won't be overly pleased if I'm not out there letting her pummel me with snow" he smirked before standing and leaving Hermione alone in the kitchen.
I can see why Rosie's head over heels for him now she smiled to herself. He really is a truly outstanding boy.
Scorpius walked back outside with his head down and his hands pushed inside his jacket pockets. It's no wonder that Rose has nightmares he thought, any child would be terrified if someone tried to curse them at a young age. He immediately began forming a plan to find the evil person that had cursed Rose, but his train of thoughts were cut short when for the third time that day he was pushed to the floor.
As he landed face first into the thick snow, he heard a muffled giggle, giving away the identity of the person sitting on his back. "Rosie, gerrof me" came his muffled plea from under a few inches of snow. Rose giggled again, not moving. She squealed when Scorpius rolled over so that he was lying on his back. Rose had wriggled so that she was again sat on top of his chest.
"Got you!" she squealed, leaning down and hugging him. "You took a long time, Scorp'us" she said, curiously lifting one of her tiny eyebrows.
Scorpius sat up and answered quickly, wiping the snow off of his face, "I was just helping your nana and your mum clear up. But now I'm here to join in the snow fight!" he said, scooping up a ball of snow and gently throwing it at Rose, who leapt back, falling on her back onto Scorpius' legs. She scampered to her feet and scooped up a snowball of her own, throwing it at Scorpius. It hit his chest, but he didn't even flinch.
"Is that all you got, Rosie?" he smirked, bouncing a snowball in his palm. Rose giggled, looking behind Scorpius. Dreading what he would see, Scorpius slowly turned around, only to be pelted by about 30 snowballs, which covered him from head to toe in snow. He paused, shocked, and gasped, looking up and down his body to see himself covered in snow.
"Is that all you got, Malfoy?" Ron yelled, swinging his arm back to throw another snow ball. As he did so, the rest of the Weasleys and Potters who had also thrown snowballs at him quickly ran into a circle, trapping Scorpius and Rose in the middle. Rose quickly ran to stand beside Al and Hugo, grabbing a snowball for herself and preparing to throw it. Scorpius fell to the floor, huddling his arms around his head as another round of snow was pelted at him from all directions.
"STOP! I SURRENDER!" he cried after about the third round of snowballs hit him. He shakily stood, weighed down form the amount of snow stuck to him. Rose ran over to him and stared up at him.
"You look like a snowman" she giggled, hugging Scorpius' knees. "Let's make a snow man, Scorp'us!" she cried immediately after, the idea lighting up her face. So Scorpius and Rose began to make a snowman. They were immediately joined by the rest of Weasleys and soon, Operation Snowman was underway.
When they finished, everyone stood back to admire their work. Yet it didn't seem complete. Rose then found a stick and propped it into the snowman's snow arm, like a wand. This finished off the snowman, so Scorpius quickly coughed, covering his mouth. As he did so, he grabbed his wand inside his pocket, whispered a quick spell, and watched at Rose jumped back surprised as the snow wizard started to spin in circles, singing Jingle Bells really loudly and out of tune.
"Never get it right" Scorpius frowned, glaring at the snowman that was making itself dizzy.
"That was a nifty bit of magic" Harry said, walking up behind Scorpius and putting his hand on his shoulder. "Where'd you learn that?"
"My dad taught me when I was younger. But I can never get it right. It's supposed to dance on the spot and actually sing in tune, but it never works" Scorpius grinned as the snow wizard toppled to the floor from dizziness, exploding snow everywhere. Everyone laughed at the snow wizard's antics, but the laughter soon died down so it was just Rose's tinkling laugh echoing around the field.
"He he he the snowman fell over" she laughed, pointing at the pile of snow that was the snowman. Her laughing was cut short when she suddenly did a massive sneeze, tripping over her feet in the process.
As Scorpius picked Rose up out of the snow he said "Come on, missus, we better get you inside before you get the flu." Rose moaned, but nevertheless allowed Scorpius to carry her indoors and out of the cold air.
"I know you don't like Draco still" Harry muttered to Ron as they watched the blonde boy carry the little red head through the snow to the warm house, "But you have to admit that his son isn't that bad"
"I know. I couldn't believe it when you invited him for Christmas, but to be honest he's done a great job with Rosie. It's gonna be a shame when she turns back to her normal age" Ron nodded in agreement.
"Well, think what it's going to be like for him. Him and Rosie are now practically inseparable, and yet in less than two months they are gonna go back to just sharing a common room" Harry frowned before rounding up the kids. "All you lot get inside too before Molly yells at us all for getting too cold!" he yelled, walking back towards the house, where there was a woman stood in the doorway, arms crossed across her chest.
"Too late, mate" Ron muttered with a grin as they neared the house.
Scorpius sat down with Rose in an armchair by the fire. Scorpius quickly dried their clothes with a few spells and they removed their coats, hats, gloves and scarves. "You feeling a bit warmer yet?" he asked Rose, who was huddled up in Scorpius' shrunken jumper.
"Not yet, Scorp'us" she said, he teeth slightly chattering.
Scorpius wrapped his arms around the gradually tiring girl and whispered in her ear "that any better?" Rose nodded, closing her eyes sleepily. She relaxed into his arms and was softly snoring when the rest of the Weasley family trooped back in from outside. Hermione took one look at Rose's tiny sleeping form and said "Scorpius, why don't you take Rose upstairs? Put her up in your room, as she's gonna be sleeping up there with you for the rest of your stay" she said. Ron's face twisted in confusion as Scorpius gently lifted Rose and carried her carefully up the rickety stairs.
"He's the cure to her nightmares, Ron" Hermione said before her husband even had the chance to say a word. "He's extremely bright, Ronald, he is just as bright as Rosie. He thinks that he's figured out the answer to her night terrors" she said, happiness evident on her face.
"What does he think?" Ron asked slightly excitedly.
"He thinks that Rose craves physical protection, but I think it's a bit more than that" Hermione smiled.
"What do you mean more than that?"
"Scorpius' explanation to his theory was that Rose craves physical protection so she knows he can't get her again just as insecure girls want their Prince Charming to come hold her safe in her arms. I think he was closer with his comparison" Hermione said. Upon seeing her husband's confused face, she said slightly exasperatedly "Ron, I think Rosie is craving some Prince Charming of her own who will sweep her off of her feet and fight off the bad guys for her" she almost whispered, "and I think that Scorpius Malfoy may be her Prince Charming."
A/N: Sorry that i haven't updated in a few days - i had to return to school today (urgh) so have had to do loads of homework before i could write this chapter. Same plea as always - Keep reviewing - almost at 50 now! -Rxx