A/N: Hopefully this makes up for the last chapter! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything dealing with 'Harry Potter'; I'm just a fan.

"Salad?" Hugo asked, disbelievingly, "The starter is salad?" Hermione glanced at her son.

"Yes, Hugo, well observed. It is salad and yes we're having it. Eat up." Hermione and Hugo then seemed to have a staring contest. Ron, in the middle of the two, chuckled, and tried not to make any sudden movements so they wouldn't think he cheated. After two minutes, Hugo sneezed into his shirt, causing him to blink. Hermione smiled.

"It's okay Hugo, salad is nutritious and healthy for you," she said.

"Oh, great. Two words I didn't want to hear," he said, but he grinned back at his mum before he turned and cautiously began eating and picking at the nutritious and healthy food upon him on the table. The adults began, to some extent, converse on some safe topics. Rose was in a fit of hysterical and silent laughter. Hugo glared at her and was going to say something to her when Albus spoke up.

"Hugo, did you hear Paula being whipped for that guy – what's his face? – Adam that one time? It was so bad her roommates had to put a bunch of – not enough in my opinion – cream on her while she was sleeping." Scorpius and Rose were looking at Albus as though he was crazy. Those sentences made no sense whatsoever. Hugo looked as though he was about to agree with the looks on Scorpius and Rose's faces, but something sparked in his eyes and he nodded knowingly.

"No, I didn't hear about that. But I bet you're right and there wasn't enough cream either as her roommates probably didn't have enough time to get more or put a lot on. Crazy, huh?" Albus looked let down, but nodded before putting some salad in his mouth.

"Well, I hear she's getting away with it yet again but it'll be another waste of cream if the roommates don't at least try, you know?" Albus said after swallowing the food in his mouth. Hugo's mouth opened, but Rose interrupted.

"What exactly are you two talking about? None of that makes any sense, so is it some joke or something?" Hugo grinned.

"I thought you were supposed to be smart, sister dearest. If you paid any attention to the words, I'm pretty sure you'll catch on." To Albus though, he said, "She won't catch on."

"I'm sitting right in between you guys so I can hear everything you say to him, you dolt." She retorted, but she smiled.

"Don't worry, Rose, it's nothing really. I was just filling Hugo in about some stuff that was happening at Hogwarts." Albus popped some more salad into his mouth.

"But Hugo goes to Hogwarts, wouldn't he know about it?" Rose asked after taking a sip of her water. Albus grinned.

"Do you go to Hogwarts?" he asked.

Rose rolled her eyes. "No; I go to Durmstrang," she said sarcastically.

"Really? I hear it's hard to get admitted to. And is it truly underwater?" Hugo couldn't help but say this. If the three had looked over at Scorpius, they would've noticed a small smile gracing his features.

Albus laughed before turning back to Rose. "So you do?" Rose tried to answer patiently.

"Yes, I go to Hogwarts." She was momentarily freaked out wondering what the youngest Malfoy could possibly be thinking of her and her family and this weird conversation. But that was cleared by what Albus said next.

"And you heard about this?" Rose shook her head. Albus smirked teasingly.

"Then how come you don't know?" Rose raised her eyebrows at him, but it was a good setup, so she the laughter that was being held back into the open.

"He got you there Rose!" Hugo said, wiping fake tears away from his eyes and clutching his belly. "Isn't that right, Scorpius?" Rose's eyes widened; what had he just said? Even Albus looked curious as to why Hugo had just said that. "Don't think you're fooling me – I saw you laughing over there too." Scorpius grinned and Rose had to blink a couple of times. He was smiling. She had never actually seen him smile at school, so this came to a shock at her, but he should do it more, she decided. It looked good on him.

"I admit, that was pretty funny how you just lured her into that," he finally said. "But it is cool how you know how to take a joke," he said to Rose as Hugo and Albus burst into fresh laughter. Rose smiled at him before looking back down at her salad. She would've loved to let her eyes linger for a moment, but she knew if she had she would've started blushing. The Weasley blush, to be more exact.

After that little chat, the teenagers just continued to eat. Hugo had finished his salad, as had Albus and Scorpius, but it was good manners to wait until everyone finished before they could go get the next course. Hugo was immensely bored and began picking at his teeth. Rose took notice and scolded him after she took a sip of her water.

"Hugo, that is not proper during dinner," she said, trying to sound like their mum.

"Rose, I have braces. And besides, no one's looking; they're busy talking about escalators." Undeniably, it was true. Hermione was trying to get Harry to help her explain what an escalator was and how it worked, but he was too busy laughing. Ron had mistakenly called 'escalators' 'escapades' and a curious, but fuming Hermione had asked him precisely what kind of 'escapades' he had gotten himself into.

Rose rolled her eyes and finished up her salad in the next five minutes. She was going to try and talk to Scorpius, but was interrupted by Hugo poking her.

"Dad says we can – more like have – to pick up the plates now. Everyone's finished so we have to bring out what's next." Rose sighed and nodded. She and Hugo stood and they each grabbed six plates. Back in the kitchen, Rose went over to the table that had the main dish spread out on it. She grabbed two plates and was about to go back to the dining room, but she saw Hugo crouching down by the door. She then heard a clunk type noise and Hugo stood back up and turned toward her.

"Oh, Rose, hey. I'll just get two plates, then." He moved past her and came back. "After you, I believe." Rose glanced at him curiously.

"What was that all about?" Hugo looked at her innocently.

"What was what all about?" Before she could answer, though, he went on. "Come on; don't want to keep the hungry people waiting, huh?" He was about go through the door when Rose smiled; she had a hunch of what was going on.

"You're going to do something to get our pocket money taken away, aren't you?" His back stiffened.

"No, what are you talking about?" he tried to sound calm, but was faltering through.

"Nothing," she said triumphantly before pushing through the door separating the kitchen from the dining room. They did have hungry people to serve after all.

A/N: Oh, dear! What are Albus and Hugo planning? And does Rose really know what's going on? Maybe you'll find out in the next chapter . . . Can you figure out what they're doing? Just do what Hugo said and pay attention to the words, not the sentences. :) I'm sure someone'll figure it out.

--~~ Sparkly S ~~--