Hello my Pretties.
Sorry about by disgustingly long absence, but here is the next chappy, all that's to SomethingWithMittens. Enjoy
Albus woke a start as the door slammed shut. He rubbed at his eyes and glared with as much force he could muster at his best friend.
"Who in Merlin's left nut-sack do you think you are, banging doors like a maniac? Some people are trying to sleep, knuckle-head!" he yelled at him, messing up his hair in the typical Potter way. Various groans and shouts of agreement sounded from around the dormitory after he had finished yelling.
Scorpius simply rolled his eyes and sat at the end of Albus's bed with an angry huff, casting a silencing charm around the curtains so that the two could talk without being over heard.
"She's such a freaking b?tch!" Scorpius suddenly exclaimed, throwing his hands up in frustration. Albus was shocked at first, thinking that he was talking about his current girlfriend, Hadley, before remembering the other five times he had burst into the dormitory in a huff, complaining loudly about how Rose had eaten the last piece of toast that morning, or had beaten him again in a test. It was as if, Albus thought with some amusement, he was trying to think of small reasons to hate Rose, in order to maintain the same level of frustration and anger towards her. It was ridiculous, seeing as it was painfully obvious that Rose and Scorpius had fallen far too deeply into the horrible pit of doom called Love to pull back, but that was Scorpius; Ridiculous.
"What did she do this time?"
And he was off, complaining loudly to a half asleep Albus about how Rose had apparently bumped into him in the hallways and had decidedly been a teacher pet by apologizing and helping him with his books. Albus sighed, and finally asked the question he had been longing to ask since this whole ordeal started: "Why do you hate her so much?"
Silence greeted his question, and Albus looked up from his comforter to find Scorpius's face constricted with emotions.
"I . . ." Scorp paused before glancing at Albus warily and finally deciding to tell him everything that happened the night before. But, of course, Albus already knew it all.
Funny thing, it was, how Hogwarts worked so hard to make things difficult for its students (Moving stair cases, passwords, walking and talking suits of armor, crazy men walking around with his psychotic, mind-linked cat . . . need I say more?), and yet the matter of eavesdropping was the simple task of pressing an ear to the inside of the Fat Lady's portrait, as Albus and Hadley experienced the week before.
They had heard the whole conversation between the two, and had guessed the parts in-between. Hadley, after being kissed and asked out by Scorpius, had automatically decided that she was going to help the two star-crossed lovers recognise their feelings towards each other. Saying yes to the obviously angry and revenge seeking Scorpius, Hadley had reigned in the help of Albus before devising a plan to get them together. So far it was not working.
It had been a week since the two had fought, and the only thing Hadley and Albus had convinced them to admit was their undying hatred of each other, which wasn't really helping anyone.
Albus had noticed extreme differences about the way the two had handled their fight. Scorpius had adapted to insulting and abusing Rose in any way possible, while Rose had simply taken to ignoring him and everyone else around her, focusing on her studies more than ever.
Albus had to get them over this minor bump. He just had to in order to get his kind hearted friend and over energetic cousin back, before they were too far gone.
"Are you sorry for fighting with her?"
Scorpius shook his head. "No. The b?tch deserved it. She tried to kiss me and then goes and says that it's because she wants to find out if she liked another guy. And then, all of a sudden, this Julian prick doesn't like her anymore. She deserves it," he muttered, though Albus could find slight traces of regret laced through his tone. He raised an eyebrow.
"I was under the impression that you kissed her." Scorpius waved his hand.
"Details. The point is, I hate her, and I will never forgive her for attempting to use me."
Albus rolled his eyes and sighed, falling back onto his sheets as Scorpius moved to his own bed. It was going to be tricky. But he and Hadley could do it, he was sure.
"Are you sure you weren't just jealous?" he whispered to the blonde, who snorted and choked.
"No, why would I be, when I have Hadley?" he asked firmly, as if trying to convince himself, before rolling over and falling asleep.
Albus sighed for what seemed to be the eightieth time that day.
oOo
Ahem, someone coughed loudly, and Rose whipped her head up from her lap, trying to inconspicuously wipe her eyes dry. Standing before her, in all his blonde haired, Slytherin glory, was none other than Draco Malfoy, who was staring down at her with a pleasant face.
"Miss Weasley, can I ask what you are doing all the way down here in the dungeons when your common room is over the other side of the school?"
Rose stood, brushing her backside of with a few swipes of her hand.
"I was just heading back now, Mr Malfoy," she replied in a strained polite voice. It was too much, really, being in the presence of someone who looked exactly like the man she had ultimately decided she hated. It was Scorpius's fault that she was sitting in the one place he would be sure not to venture, as it was also his fault that she was crying profoundly. She tried wiping her eyes again.
Smiling what probably looked like a foul grimace, Rose turned to leave, but was stopped by a hand on her arm.
"What did he do to you?" Draco whispered, almost to himself, before repeating the question at a much louder level. Rose frowned.
"Who?"
Draco gave her a patronising glance before replying. "You know who I'm talking about. But since you are deciding to be as stubborn as your mother, I will elaborate for you. What the bloody hell did Scorpius Malfoy say to you?"
And she broke down. Amidst gallons of tears and sobs, Rose finally told someone about the dreadful week she had been having. By the end of it, Draco had his arm awkwardly around her, patting her carefully on the back. Rose frowned at him.
"I am sorry for wasting your time, Mr Malfoy, but I really should be heading back to my common room now. Thank you."
Draco was too deep in thought to respond properly, so he simply smiled at her slightly and sent her on her way.
Now all he had to figure out was if he was willing to risk the wrath of Hermione to help the poor Weasley's situation. He smirked. He was Draco Malfoy; of course he wasn't scared of a fellow class mate, let alone a muggle-born. He would take this case as his own. Still, just to be safe, Draco thought as he remembered Hermione's controlling face with a shiver, I'll make sure she has no idea what's happening.
oOo
"Students! Now that we have given our guests a week to adjust to the Hogwarts castle, I should think it is time to reveal the legendary Goblet of Fire to you," McGonagall told the silent hall, smiling slightly as she noticed all of the students looking on with their undivided attention. If only they were like this in class, she thought wishfully, before returning to her speech. "The Goblet of Fire will choose exactly who is worthy enough to represent their school in the Triwizard Tournament."
Grabbing the end of the fabric that covered the legendary cup, McGonagall rejoiced in the cries of awe that were heard around the hall. The simple cup was shining brightly from all the candles that surrounded it, and the dancing, green flame licked up its sides, casting a faint glow over those closest to it.
"For the chance to participate, you are to write your name and school on a slip of parchment and feed it to the goblet. You have twenty-four hours, as tomorrow night we will announce the participants. Now, off to bed, the lot of you," she dismissed them with a careless wave of her hand, and the hall filled with the scrapes of chairs on the stone floor. Lorcan turned to Rose with a fabulous smile.
"I'm going for it." Rose stopped her hurry out of the hall to glimpse her friend scrawling on a piece of parchment, before she rushed out, not wanting to crowd those who wanted to enter. She herself would enter her name much later this night, where no one was there to witness.
Once she reached the common room, Rose relaxed against one of the couches near the fire, pulling her homework from her bag. It wasn't too long before the couch beside her sank with the weight of another. She glanced up.
Hadley grinned at her. "I just put my name in the Goblet. Wouldn't it be amazing, all the glory of just participating, little-own winning! Oh, I do hope I get in," she sighed before turning to someone who Rose hadn't noticed sat beside her. "Wouldn't it be amazing, Scorp?"
Rose almost stiffened, but forced herself to relax into a casual position. If she didn't let Scorpius know that his presence annoyed her, then he would spend the least amount of time he could around her.
"It would be great, Love," Rose heard Scorpius reply sweetly and she felt a pang on anger shoot through her. How dare he try and kiss her and then latch on to her best friend. It was disgusting how quickly he moved on, and Rose was sickened at the thought that she had actually enjoyed the thought of kissing to toad. Bleurgh.
"-ROSE!" a loud voice suddenly boomed in her ear and Rose jumped slightly, her eyes widening as she took in her best friends flushed face.
"What?"
Hadley rolled her eyes at her ignorant friend. It was obvious that Scorpius's presence jumped a few of her nerves and that she was jealous of Hadley's relationship, but she was too god damn stubborn to admit it. Hadley sighed; she and Albus certainly had their work cut out for them.
"You were blanking out again. Anyway, I was asking if you were going to put your name in. It would be amazing if at least one of us"- she was cut off by a loud snort, which came from the boy beside her. Both heads snapped to look incredulously at the smirking boy in front of the two girls, his eyes fixed cruelly on Rose.
"Are we talking about the same Rose? Because I know for certain that the Rose Weasley I know wouldn't have a chance of becoming champion; as if the Goblet of Fire would pick such a lowly, poor family to represent the students of Hogwarts. And if it did, it would be because of your famous parents, not your useless ass," he smirked, before rising from his seat and strutting towards his dorm.
The girls were in shock. Who knew Scorpius could stoop so low as to refer to her obviously not poor family as 'lowly'. But what made the water-works start was by Scorpius addressing one of Rose's biggest fears- being known only because of her family. Hadley made to speak as she saw the first tear drop from Roses sparkling eyes, but Rose just held her hand out to silence her, before rising from her seat and storming out of the common room.
A sob wracked through her figure as she sprinted through the dark and empty corridors. She stopped when she finally reached the totally deserted Great Hall, where the Goblet stood famously in the middle of the room.
Stepping forward carefully and slowly, so as not to alert any Professors of her presence, Rose finally made it so that she stood directly in front of the Goblet, its flames flicking wildly towards her and away from her in a calming motion, casting a faint glow over her pale, tear stained face. Reaching up carefully, she quickly read over an already prepared slip of parchment – complete with her full name and school – before dropping in into the flames depths. She let out a relieved sigh, a small smile slipping through her lips. She hoped she was chosen; she needed a chance to show the rest that she was more than her family's history, she was the future role model, as her uncle and parents were now. A clutter of footsteps frightened her suddenly and she swung around to come face to face with Scorpius Malfoy.
He sneered at her.
"Who do you think you're playing, Weasley, putting your name in the Cup. What's the point if you know you're not going to be chosen?"
A bubble of anger rose inside her, and she poked her finger into Scorpius's chest forcefully, he took a step back in surprise.
"How dare you. How dare you say such disgusting things to me, when you have done such terrible things yourself? You have no right, no right what-so-ever, to abuse me after you nearly kissed me and then wouldn't even let me explain what the hell was happening. And then what do you do? You go and ask out my best friend, not caring that maybe that might just hurt my feelings a little bit. You sicken me!" she shouted at him, pronouncing each sentence with a hard jab. He grabbed her wrist painfully and pulled her closer to him, a furious expression printed clearly across his aristocratic features.
"How dare I? Are you kidding me? You let me almost kiss you, only to go and tell some other guy that it was all for his benefit? What the hell was that, Rose? You think I deserve to be used by you?"
"He was under a love potion, you bloody twat!" she screamed at him, flinging her hand away from him with a jolt. "I told you that Lily was testing love potions on Slytherins and that she had targeted me, but you couldn't get that tiny sized brain of yours to connect the dots, could you? I told the Slytherin I did it for his benefit because if I hadn't, he would of started bawling and punching at the same time!"
Rose growled one more time in frustration, before storming out of the hall, leaving a stunned and – for once – speechless Scorpius behind, left to suffer the guilt that was pulsing through him.