Strike up the band, let's start a fire

Put up your hands, show your desire

If you want this, don't hold back

Asked you to stand, like one of the choir

Lift up your voice, build it up higher

In this moment, don't look back

-Anywhere Else; Olly Murs

CHAPTER 11

ROSE WEASLEY

Dominique ignoring me was a lot more bearable with Albus speaking to me. We spoke so easily around each other it was almost like the last few months hadn't happened. He didn't even badmouth Scorpius around me. At least, not in a really bad way. He did it in a joke way, but I think he was really starting to see that Scorpius wasn't really a bad guy like he'd thought.

"You really like him don't you?" He said after a short period of silence. I could tell he'd been thinking about this for a while. I pictured Scorpius in my mind – his beautiful grey eyes that I got lost in so easily, his soft blonde hair that he always ruffled, his strong arms that held me tight, and his warm lips that brushed mine. It was then that I realised how much I loved him.

"Yes." I said, studying his face carefully. I'd missed talking to Albus, and I didn't want to do anything that would upset him again, but he wanted me to be honest with him. So I was.

"Okay." He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Er, what?"

"Okay. I'll try to get along with him, then."

"Wh–? Really?" I felt my jaw drop and my eyes had widened.

"Yeah. If he means that much to you – and I know you mean a lot to him – then I'll try and get along with him." He said it simply, as if announcing something small. But this was big. I couldn't actually believe my ears. Albus had hated Scorpius since the train journey on the first day of Hogwarts.

Albus and I laughed as we made our way down the corridor of the train, trying to find an empty compartment. We were talking about the castle, and how our parents had been telling us about it for as long as we could remember. James had told us about it too, but Albus thought that was mostly lies; James liked to wind him up. One thing our parents had told us about in great detail was the Headmaster when they were at school. Albus was named after him and he couldn't wait to finally go to the place where his namesake had made such an impression on his father. There was also another Headmaster, who Albus was also named after, that Uncle Harry talked about lots when he spoke about Hogwarts. He got a bit teary-eyed sometimes as well. He always said that Severus Snape was the bravest man he ever knew, even if hardly anyone saw it. He sometimes went off on tales about how he, Mom, and Dad used to think that Snape was plotting to kill Uncle Harry. It almost made him laugh.

Then suddenly Albus stopped, his smile fading into a tight-lipped scowl. Standing in front of him was the tall, white blonde boy that my dad had pointed out to us. He also had a stony look on his face.

"Potter."

"Malfoy."

They snarled at each other in unison. I was never sure why – it just seemed to be hatred at first sight instead of 'love'.

"You want to watch who you hang around with, Potter. I don't know who would want to be with a Weasley." Scorpius said, his lip curling when he spoke my name.

"I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks." Albus said coolly. When we recounted the story to Uncle Harry, he and dad had both exchanged grins and they were both in really good moods all day after that. Weird.

"You sure about that one?" He threw a pointed look at me and then turned away, into the compartment we were just about to go into. Albus was scowling for the rest of the journey.

"Er, okay then… thanks?" I phrased it almost as a question; I wasn't really sure where this had come from.

"I know you mean a lot to him"

As I thought about it, the pieces started to fit together. I knew Scorpius had spoken to Albus about me, but maybe it wasn't just Albus not speaking to me that they talked about. I mean a lot to him. What did that mean? That he loved me? That he liked me? Or just that he cared about me? It meant something, I just wasn't sure what.

But if he loved me, then why had he not asked me to be his girlfriend. He kissed me like I was, he held me like I was, he looked at me like I was, but I wasn't. I didn't even know if I wanted to be. I still didn't trust him completely. I wanted to, but I just couldn't. I don't know why. He'd proved himself to me utterly and completely; I knew he cared about me and I knew he liked me, and he stopped me when I was willing to take it further because he didn't want to pressure me. Or did he just not want to be with me? Did he just not want to do that with me?

"Hey guys." James sat down next to me and Albus, snapping me out of my thoughts. Fred sat down afterwards, following suit. Fred and I looked a lot like each other, with our red hair and freckles. Standard Weasley look. Except Dominique; she and Victoire were spitting images of Aunt Fleur. Dominique was a bit more of a slut than her sister, but the looks were still there.

"Is it true you and Scorpius Malfoy are eloping?" Fred blurted out before he could stop himself. Albus burst out laughing and James shook his head.

"Er, no? Who told you that?" I laughed uncertainly, positive I knew the answer.

"Dominique." He proved me right. Fred said her name like it was sacred; he'd always looked up to Dominique. His expression changed when he saw all of our faces. Albus was looking at me apologetically, James frowned but didn't look shocked, and I was… laughing. Laughing? Why was I laughing? Then I realised something; I didn't care anymore. She'd punched me, whispered about me, apparently spread things about me, completely ignored me, and I was done. She could do anything to me now and I wouldn't care. I was done with trying to please her. I loved Scorpius, and if Albus – Albus – could accept that, then she could. But she hadn't, so that just proved how pathetic she was. Not me. So I laughed. I laughed until I couldn't breathe. It felt like I was letting go of everything that had happened between us over the past few months, and it felt good. Albus and James started to laugh with me after a few minutes, although I think they were laughing at me instead. I didn't care about that either. I was able to have a laugh with my family and my friends, and I didn't need her. Not anymore.

XXXXX

"So come on, James, how's the Quidditch going?" Uncle Harry spoke to his son across the dinner table. Everyone tuned in to listen. James had started playing for Puddlemere United as Seeker. Uncle Harry had apparently called in a favour with the captain, Oliver Wood, to get him on the team. According to Harry, he'd said, "Of course, who wouldn't want James Potter, he's the best Seeker since you!" which had made Harry really happy. Everyone knew how much he loved Quidditch and how good a Seeker he was, and sometimes I wondered why he'd never wanted to be in the Quidditch career.

"It's really good! Oliver's got us practising like crazy though, and I've got blisters!" He added, showing his sore hands.

"That sounds like Oliver," Uncle Harry laughed, Dad joining in. "But at least you'll be good for the first match."

James nodded and then Harry, Dad, James, Fred, Albus and I started speaking about Quidditch and the rest of us lost interest. Albus and I were both Chasers for Gryffindor, and James had been on the team with us until recently. According to McGonagall, the only person who'd ever beat James in catching the snitch was Harry himself.

I saw Dominique glaring at me out of the corner of my eye and I couldn't stop myself letting out a giggle. I saw her turn away and cross her arms, her face forced into a fierce scowl. Or at least, she thought it was a fierce scowl. It actually made me want to laugh more, but she didn't need to know that.

After dinner I went up to the room I was sharing with Albus. We always shared when we were at the Burrow, which was pretty much every Christmas. It was usually us and Dominique would come in here because although she was meant to sleep in the same room as Victoire, Victoire was a really light sleeper and always woke up when Dominique, er, breathed. So she usually came in with us, which worked because there was enough room for all three of us. But she didn't come in this holiday.

I flopped down on the bed, my head sinking into the pillow so comfortably that I was tempted just to go to sleep. Then a hoot beside my ear made me jump out of the bed.

"What the f–!" I screamed. Perching on my bedside table was an elegant tawny owl, a small note attached to its leg. When it sensed I'd calmed down, it stuck out its foot for me. I untied the note and read it, feeling myself smile as I recognised the handwriting.

My Beautiful Red Rose

Every day here is agony, but it's worth it because every day I'm here brings me a day closer to seeing you again.

Ooh, don't I sound sappy?

Haha, I might write you an impromptu poem:

Roses are red

Violets are blue

Violets suck

It's all about you

Hmmm, I'll work on it…

Anyway, I thought I'd write to you because I'm so bored stuck in this shitty place, and I missed your charming smile.

I've got a present for you for when we get back, just so you know. And it's definitely for you.

-Scorpius

I laughed as I read through it, noting his poetry… skills. I scribbled a note back to him, a silly grin spreading across my face as I thought of him. When I'd finished, I tied the note to the owl's leg and it flew through the skies gracefully, leaving me with thoughts of the Slytherin.

Albus walked in shortly afterwards, snapping me out of my Scorpius induced daze.

"You know what?" He said, flopping down on his own bed, completely unaware that he'd interrupted my daydream. "I'm really surprised the Olds haven't realised that Dominique isn't speaking to you." 'The Olds' was what we called our parents.

"Actually, I've noticed that too. I feel ignored." I joked, making Albus laugh.

"She was making all this crap up about you when I was with her too." He spoke about him being with her casually, but I could see the awkwardness in his eyes that he tried to hide. "She drives me fucking crazy, you know. She actually is crazy, I swear!"

"Hmpft." A voice sounded from the doorway, but when Albus and I swung our heads around to face the door, the owner of the voice was gone. A flash of blonde was all we saw.

"Fuck." Albus and I said in unison, our eyes for meeting for a moment. Then we burst out laughing. And once we started laughing… well it was difficult to stop. It wasn't even that funny, but we laughed for what seemed like hours but must have only been minutes.

"Well, at least we don't have to break the news to her." Albus smirked after we'd stopped sniggering.

"It's good that she knows." I nodded in agreement, not being able to hide the grin that was creeping upon my face. We sat laughing for a while, then decided it was time to go to bed. Well, I decided. But Albus' frequent yawns had told me he agreed.

XXXXX

"ROSE WEASLEY!" I woke to the sound of my father's voice shouting, his footsteps thundering on the stairs. I got up out of my bed, not sure whether to be frightened or confused. Dad burst into my room, his face purple. Mom was behind him, pleading for him to calm down. "ROSE!" He still shouted, even though I was about 3 feet away from him. Albus stirred, but didn't wake. That boy could sleep through anything.

"Er, y-yes?" I stammered, my head finally choosing fear as my predominant emotion over confusion.

"You know what!" He screamed, spraying spit around him. "Is it true?"

"I–What? What do you mean?" I said, as I racked my thoughts trying to figure out if I'd done anything wrong. Unless it was… oh shit. He noticed the look of dawning comprehension on my face.

"Rose, I've told you not to get involved with that boy!" He roared, my mother still begging him to compose himself.

"Ron, shut the hell up you're waking the whole bloody house!" I was spared the answer by Uncle Harry walking into the room, bleary eyed. His eyes clocked me cowering under the gaze of my father and Dad's face purple with rage. "You need to calm down, mate. I don't know what happened but you shouldn't be this angry." His voice was soothing, but I heard him mumble "not at this time anyway" and I resisted the urge to smile. I realised how early it must be, and I noticed that mother was wearing her nightgown instead of her usual clothes.

"Harry, don't tell me what to do, you don't even know what she's done!" Dad said, not taking his eyes off me and sneering when he referenced me. Uncle Harry looked to Mom pleadingly, and she leaned closer to tell him 'what I'd done'. I could've sworn I saw her roll her eyes.

"That's it?" Harry said blinkingly. Dad swivelled his head round and stared at his best friend in disbelief.

"That's it? What do you mean that's it?"

"I hate to tell you mate, but we did a lot worse than that when we were in school. I seem to recall a dragon, a three-headed dog, a forbidden trap door that we went down anyway, and a giant game of wizards' chess in which you got knocked unconscious, and that was just in our first year." Harry smirked in reminiscence, smiling at Mom who was also holding back a laugh.

"That was different!"

"Yeah I know; ours was worse. That was kind of my point."

"It's not the same situation, Harry! She's… She's… She's with a Malfoy! My daughter with Malfoy's son!"

"It's not that big of a deal. Scorpius is probably better than Draco was when he was in school." Uncle Harry spoke reasonably, but Dad still sneered when the Malfoys' forenames were mentioned. "In any case, you need to stop shouting. It's…" He checked his battered watch, and his eyes popped slightly. "Seven thirty. In the morning. I bet even Luna isn't up yet." I smiled as he referenced one of his close friends. I liked her too, but unfortunately she'd stopped liking me as much when I'd broken up with her son…

"Fine." Dad said after a long period of silence. "But we'll continue this later." He added to me, throwing a disgusted look my way. He stamped out of the room, Mom close behind him. Uncle Harry gave a lingering look at his son, snoring like there was no tomorrow, shook his head and followed his best friends out of the room.

I stood still for a moment, paralysed with shock. My father had just yelled at me about Scorpius, that I could understand, but I didn't get how he knew. As soon as I asked myself the question the answer clicked in my mind; Dominique. I could imagine her sleeping with a smug look on her face. Bitch. I don't know what that did for her, because it's not like Dad can stop me being with Scorpius. He can try, but he can't make me.

I shook my head and climbed back into my bed, snuggling down under the covers, hoping for at least another four hours sleep.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been trying to finish this chapter! Well, I have been since the 18th January, I'd been revising up until then. Chemistry, yay-.- It's all good though, I think I did okay and now I get to restart my fanfiction!

I know this chapter's a bit of a filler (which is why it took me so long), but I think it sort of needed to be in there because Ron has finally found out about Rose and Scorpius, and they're not even going out yet.

Three guesses what Scorpius' present to Rose is? I wasn't too subtle at that part, but Rose wouldn't know so I didn't think I needed to be. Just to clear some things up, this drama with them is meant to be immature, because it's Dominique who's causing it. I'm not just being all sucky... hopefully anyway:) but Dominique is meant to be childish and her way of bringing them drama does work, but it's still stupid. That's the point. Just so you know and you don't think that's what I think is like, real drama.

Anyway, so I hope you like this one, because I've been writing it for a while now...

thanks guys!

beccasophX