Recap:
5 years post-Hogwarts graduation. Rose is currently working in the Ministry as an Auror. Talk has been circulating that she will be promoted to Head of Department of Magical Law Enforcement within the year. The youngest to ever be considered for the position (her Uncle Harry had decided to move onto International Magical Cooperation). Rose just broke up with her fiance Elliot Wood on their anniversary. She doesn't have anywhere to stay for the night. After she thinks she's being followed she finds herself in a bar and runs into none other than Scorpius.
*New Chapter yay! A lot of important background info. This explains why Albus and Rose no longer really get along. Let me know what you think. As always, JK owns everything.
Malfoy gently places her scarf on the table in front of her and slowly slides into the booth. They say nothing for what seemed like an eternity but could only have been minutes. Rose stared wide-eyed and for once in her life... entirely speechless. She's silently pleading with herself to remain calm, to not do anything rash or let her emotions get the best of her. Finally, he breaks the deafening silence.
"You cut your hair," he says softly. That did it. Rose stood up and with one quick hand she slaps him across the face. She knew it stung, she had meant to hurt him, the way he had hurt them. Her hand ached at the collision with his rigid cheekbone and she gripped her throbbing wrist. So much for being rational. His hand reached up to stroke the red mark she had left behind.
A sheepish grin creeps across his face, "Okay... that I probably deserve." Even behind the grin, she could see he was shocked at her reaction and a slight tinge of guilt washed over her. Suddenly Rose wanted to be anywhere but here, anywhere but sitting at a random bar in the dead of night with Scorpius Malfoy.
She sat back down with a loud thud and crossed her arms. At this point even the waitress was staring, contemplating whether or not this little altercation would escalate to the point she'd have to intervene. "So tell me, how was Romania?" She hisses, making no attempt to hide the bitterness in her tone. She tried to look anywhere but his eyes. She had replayed an eventual encounter with him in her head thousands of times, every single version ended with no words, just a slap and her walking right out of his life forever, the way he had done to her. Somehow, it didn't nearly feel as satisfying as she had hoped. Rose knew she should leave now, and silently cursed her curiosity for begging her to stay.
He bit his lip. "Look Rose- I'm sorry, but you can't take this all out on me. I'm not the only one at fault here, okay? I tried to reach out to you, I know Albus hand delivered every damn letter when you ignored all my owls."
The nerve of him. She looked him straight in the eye. She had refused to even look at any of them. "Hm, and when WERE those letters sent exactly? At what point did you think it was time to let me know that you left, that you weren't coming back anytime soon? I recall 16 months of straight silence, not a word to me or Al. He may have forgiven you but don't expect that from me. We're barely even talking because he thinks I'm being "unfair" to you. As if I was the one who ran away like that .." She was heated, "You are just like your father. Just like every other no good Slyth-" Even she knew that was harsh but before she could stop herself it was too late. That struck a nerve. He gritted his teeth.
"So that's what we're back too? Funny how someone from a family of such "big morals" resorts to this level of ignorance the second they don't have their way. So fine, maybe I am pureblood trash- or death eater spawn or whatever you and every other damn Gryffindor used to call me back then..." Rose bit her lip with embarrassment. She had never called him those exact words herself but hadn't hesitated to laugh or stop others from doing it before they had become friends.
He leaned close to her, she could feel the pent up rage. "...but let's get one thing straight, I DIDN'T 'run away' I was offered a job, and I took it."
Now it was her to retaliate. "You know damn well this isn't about relocating for some work thing." She tried to blink back angry tears. "It's about taking a job and leaving without a single word. Leaving your best friends, me and Al, worried sick. Leaving me after ...what you told me.. for 4 years. Complete silence. You know how we found out you were gone?" Scorp looked away, shaking his head.
"...When Rita Skeeter printed a picture of you, weeks after, with 2 random girls around you, vacationing in like Monaco or something. She said, and I quote, "HEIR TO MALFOY MANOR WOULD MUCH RATHER RENDEZVOUS WITH VEELAS THAN ATTEND TO DEPARTMENT OF SECURITY DUTIES". She was slightly embarrassed to admit she knew every word. Malfoy looked back at her with a slow grin that began erupting into laughter. She raised her eyebrows, what was so funny?
"Excuse me, I do believe we are in the middle of a long overdue argument at the moment?" He kept on laughing, gripping his stomach. She had enough, rolling her eyes she stood to leave when he reached out and grabbed her wrist.
"Let go," she said coldly. "No I'm -(laughing between every word) I'm sorry it's just that headline... It's ridiculous. And so... detailed. I'm sorry I haven't had a good laugh in a while." His jaw ached from laughing so hard. As angry as she was she could feel her cheeks twitching, trying to laugh along. She put her free hand up to her mouth to cover the smile that was slowly forming. "Okay- okay... It's is a little funny." She bit her lip trying to hold back a giggle. She sat back down and when he finally regained his composure he cleared his throat and let go of her wrist.
"You know of the Gringotts security leak from way back- of course, you do."
She eyed him curiously, answering, "That was like a year after graduation. Where duplicate keys of highly classified vaults were sold on the black market of Knockturn Alley, right?"
"Yeah, the case was tied to the husband of the new headmistress of Beauxbatons, that French school. We were stationed in Romania but sent to investigate. Look- I know the picture looked ...bad, but trust me, those weren't "random girls". They're not even part veela. I don't know why every Brit assumes any French or Bulgarian with blonde hair is one. Anyways, they were with the foreign ministry. And that school's version of Hogsmeade is basically the beach... hence what you interpreted as a vacation." This all sounded way too convenient, but she had in fact heard of that very case when her Uncle Harry was transferring to the international department. She just didn't know it was Scorp who was in charge of it. So that did explain the picture.
"I never took you as one to believe anything the Prophet prints. As for why I didn't explain myself… well, that's a much longer story." He states with an exasperated sigh. Her hand clamps up into a fist. So he had seen last month's article, the entire exposé had called her out for "downright carelessness" (among other things) over that damn Auror Mission.
She shakes her head. "Okay but that's not the point I was trying to make. What you said to- nevermind." She didn't want to bring that conversation up... not right now at least. They sat in silence trying to take in everything that had just been said. Something passed between them. The atmosphere had evolved from it's earlier tension. Both sat quietly with so many questions but neither attempted to ask.
After what seemed like forever the waitress from the front walked over to them. "I don't mean to interrupt, you've both been rather entertaining tonight, but we're locking up". Rose's face blushed with embarrassment, looking around the majority of the lights were off and even the busboy was off snoring in a conjured up bed in the opposite corner. They had been very loud.
As she sat up to gather her belongings Scorp had made his way to the front and paid for her earlier shenanigans. She scowled at him on the way out, "I'm sober enough now to take care of myself you know." He rolled his eyes, "A thank you will suffice Weasley". With a sigh, she pulls her scarf around her and he shoves his hands into the pocket of his coat and together they head back out into the cold.
