Here is part two. This one is third-person omniscient. Enjoy!
"You're at it again, aren't you? Making up ludicrous stories for attention," Rose scoffed, mouth full of cold biscuit. "Don't give me that look; you know exactly what I'm referring to, Al. You see, I haven't quite forgotten the time that you told Darla Wistrich that you can talk to snakes, just like your father."
Looking very much like he wanted to defend himself, Al wisely shut his mouth as Rose swung her jam knife near his face. A glob of preserve fell to his lap unceremoniously as his cousin continued to berate him for what he would rather deny.
"How was poor little Second-Year Darla supposed to know any better? And we all know it was James who spike the pumpkin juice with Drowsiness Potion during finals week, not you." She added quickly.
"You are off your trolley, Albus Severus, if you think that there is any foolery going on with my dating Tyler McKinney. Much less if you think that your snake of a friend has anything to do with it. Malfoy, that is."
"I think Tyler McKinney is a problem, no matter what Scorpius has to do with it," Al rolled his eyes overdramatically, already regretting mentioning his Slytherin friend in the context of Rose's love life. The Great Hall was beginning to fill with students as the sun finally peaked through the windows, but no matter the bustle, Al wished he were back in bed where he could have some peace from his frantic cousin.
Rose's bloodshot eyes and sunken cheeks were obvious signs of her lack of sleep, and the manic personality she'd adapted during the past few weeks was- as her roommate Olivia had described- quite distressing, even for Rose. Not quite knowing she was out of her depth, Rose had resigned herself to believing that she was perfectly fine, even though her muscles and aching head often told her otherwise.
"Tyler is a decent fellow so I really don't know what you could possibly have against him, Al."
Al snorted unattractively, actively recalling a rather long list of transgressions he had with the McKinney bloke. "Do you love him, then?"
Caught midflight like a one-winged owl, Rose stammered, "Well, I- how should I know? I like him well enough. Does that make me a bad person? I think not. I am seeing Tyler because I choose to. He is a nice, handsome Quiddich player that respects me and is a decent snog. No other reason. Especially not one having to do with Malfoy." She said soundly as she plucked a sausage from her plate.
Having just summoned the energy to mention that no one had mentioned Scorpius for the greater part of ten minutes, Al was again interrupted by his wild-eyed cousin.
"Speaking of which, this idea that you've formulated about me trying to make Malfoy jealous is mental. If I were trying to make him jealous, that would mean that I have some sort of sentiments for him. Let me get two things straight. First, Malfoys don't get jealous; they're too pretentious for it. Second, and most important, I do not have feelings for that chauvinistic pig. He disgusts me like no other. The way he is a shameless flirt with a holier-than-thou attitude sickens me. In case you have missed the last six years, you should know that I abhor him," she spat with far too much gumption for eight in the morning.
"I'm not participating in this conversation, Rose," Al muttered crossly into his porridge. His two best friends always managed somehow to complain about one another. After six years, the young Potter was well-and-fed-up with it and sincerely wished they'd act their age.
"Have you forgotten that he once charmed my hair blue and told me that it looked better? It didn't come out for weeks!" Rose fumed, having ignored her cousin's protests on the subject matter. "What about earlier yesterday when he made my potion explode? I got detention, Al! First time since third year. If I recall correctly, that detention was also his fault. Pompous prat. I don't think that I can think of one thing that I like about him. Actually, he has rather nice arms, but I digress.
"If Azkaban wasn't so frightening, I swear that some days I would love to Avada him and feed his corpse to Aragog's kin. That would give me the kind of sick pleasure that I don't think you could ever experience."
"I'm not a homicidal maniac, so that'd make sense."
"Are you beginning to understand? I'm not making him jealous because I hate him and we fight relentlessly. You don't hate and battle someone who you're trying to make jealous.
"Now that I think about it, I haven't had a good row with him in a while; it's been couple of days, really. Maybe that'd explain why I've been so pent-up and frustrated lately. Sadly enough, it seems I depend on the tosser for emotional stability."
For the first time all morning, Al beamed across the wooden table. It was the first time in a long time that he felt he was making even the slightest bit of progress with his cousin where Scorpius was concerned.
"Stop smiling Al, you look ridiculous.
"Is that weird though? I enjoy arguing with my greatest adversary. That should be normal, I suppose. Malfoy is somewhat of a punching bag, after all. Sadly enough, he is the only person I know can match me in wit. And he's not bad at DADA either, come to think of it. Really, he's my only rival in academics."
The clinks of spoons in bowls and clash of tin cups against the tables were drowned out as Rose stared blankly down at her chewed fingernails.
As though she was slapped, Rose intensely perked-up as if remembering that there was a Dungbomb placed in her mother's purse. "Merlin. Al, you really need to stop me when I start talking about Malfoy like he's a real human."
Smiling to herself in such a way that made Al sincerely wonder if she really was mental, Rose's dead eyes scanned the hall for the first time all morning. "Godric's steely sword. What is he doing to Arianna Gombers?" She rose to her feet, redness already creeping up her neck. "Who the hell does he think he is that he can give my boyfriend detention for snogging me, but then go and shag girls left and right? In the middle of the Great Hall, no less!"
"Right. Because he actually does that," Al took the largest swig of coffee he'd ever had, all the while wishing it were something stronger.
"Excuse me Al; I am feeling the need to give out some detention."
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