Disclaimer: This chapter introduces more characters that I do not own. So, obviously, I mustn't be the owner of the overall franchise, eh?
A/N: Thanks to: Anti-Banana19, a-panther-and-her-prince, RAWR1229, and xXxtellmewhyxXx for reviewing!
Now, a Memory Refresher!
Previously on Acquaintances:
Scorpius Malfoy, Slytherin, after reclaiming (a majority) of his items from Filch, Hogwarts's caretaker, returns to the Slytherin dorms. We meet some of Scorpius's dorm mates. After being woken up, he gets ready for class, still a little distracted from the previous day's events. Before leaving the dorm, he checks to make sure he had Rose Weasley's, Ravenclaw, wand so he can return it. He tries to do so once he has had lunch, but isn't allowed in by Madam Pomfrey, Hogwarts's matron, for the Weasley is sleeping. We meet the last dorm mate of the Sixth Year (Slytherin) boys.
Chapter 5 (Awkward)
Retreating to the library, Scorpius decided to do the load of assignments he had. He picked a spot behind a fairly tall bookshelf where he was hidden from others, but could still see the people coming in or leaving which would distract him for the times when he become bored. Turns out he got bored more times than he would have thought, but he still got a majority of his work done. The other bit he was sure he could do at night before bed or in the morning at breakfast, and had left, walking slowly toward the hospital tower.
Arriving, he pushed the left door in to enter, coming into Madam Pomfrey's office. Looking around, he saw the woman was no where in sight, so he went into the Hospital Wing. Scorpius hadn't expected to see the privacy curtain pulled around Rose's bed with the faint outline of someone sitting next to her. Thinking he was intruding on some private moment though he couldn't hear anything, he slowly backed away to the doors. On his way, he bumped into someone he was sure was Madam Pomfrey. He turned around, apologies spilling from his mouth.
"I'm sorry, but you weren't around, so really this is your fault–" he cut off suddenly, for there, the person he was apologizing to, wasn't Madam Pomfrey. Instead, there stood a woman a little taller than him, her brown hair more tame than it had been in pictures he had seen in her early Hogwarts days. Her skin looked pale and her brown eyes were red from crying. She had a hanky raised to wipe some tears away, but had paused when the Malfoy bumped into her.
"Sorry about that," Hermione Granger–no–Weasley said. She wiped her eyes before moving the hanky to a different area to blow her nose. Blinking a few times, Hermione managed to get a good look at him. "Oh, hello, were you here to visit Rose?"
So that's why the privacy screen's pulled around, Scorpius thought.
"Er, no, I was here visiting one of my friends," Scorpius lied, not really knowing why he had and pointing vaguely in an area of the room. The two looked over there, but the wing was empty save for Rose. The woman raised an eyebrow. "Well, I reckon he left, so I'll just go . . . look for him," he finished lamely.
"I hope you find him and that he's feeling better. But, having been in Madam Pomfrey's care, I'm sure he will." Hermione gave Scorpius a weak smile.
"Yeah, yeah, she is the best, huh?" She nodded. "Er, Weasl- Rose will be okay," Scorpius said awkwardly when there was a beat of silence.
"Oh! Yeah, I know. I just get a bit emotional over things like this." Something about that made Scorpius think she was leaving something out, but he wasn't about to ask her to press on for it really wasn't any of his business.
"Okay, good evening, then," Scorpius said as he walked out of the room. Just before the door had completely closed, he could hear a more masculine voice.
"Who was that?"
Scorpius didn't hear the response, but he was sure the owner of the voice was Rose's father, Ron. Maybe the blond would visit his classmate a little later. . . As it was nearing dinner, he made up the decision to go back to the Slytherin dorms to put his school items in place for the next morning.
"Self-preservation," he said to get into the Slytherin common room. "Hey, mates," he said when he went to the boys' dormitories and saw Antonio and Robert. He then saw another person when he went over to his bed. "Franklin," he acknowledged. Joseph disregarded the greeting.
"Malfoy, you hear?" Antonio asked as he sat up on his bed. Robert didn't bother moving from his lazy position, but he was listening carefully.
"Yeah, I hear all the time. Anything specific I should've?"
"Rose Weasley is in the Hospital Wing." Scorpius hadn't heard, yet he had known she was there.
"Where'd you hear that?"
"You know how Hogwarts is; no one can keep a secret," Robert drawled, his voice muffled. Joseph, having now heard what the other three were talking about, left.
"I know she's in there. Actually, I'm the reason she's in there," Scorpius said freely when the door had shut firmly. Robert sat up on his bed excitedly.
"You dueled with a girl? Ah, shit! How'd it go? Well, obviously you won since she's being taken care of in the infirmary, but still, tell me how it went!"
"What? No, I didn't duel her, I just came across her hung up in the air by the Levicorpus jinx and took her to Madam Pomfrey. I lost Slytherin fifteen points," he added absentmindedly, picking up the blue towel he had dropped from earlier that morning.
"How the hell did you lose points?"
"Oy, I won them back. Well, ten of them anyway." He observed Antonio sitting quietly on his neatly made bed. "What's bothering you, Hall?"
"Nothing," he answered. "Just trying to figure out who would leave her like that. My first suspicion was, of course, a Slytherin student, but, hey, who knows? Don't want to get into that old school stereotype, right?"
Rob snorted. "Duh it was a Slytherin. Who wouldn't want to target the daughter of two-thirds of the Golden Trio? Now they'll get bragging rights, but I'll doubt they'll say anything for fear of getting caught." The tall blond took up his lethargic position once more. "Unless they're really stupid," he said as an afterthought.
"That reminds me, Ron and Hermione Weasley are up there right now, visiting her."
Robert lifted his head enough so he could rub his chin. "Interesting."
"What?" The light blond boy shoved Rose's wand in his robes pocket for when he would visit her after dinner.
"You think they'll sign my biography book on them?" He looked hopeful. "Or mabye my Defence book. Do you think that's a little insensitive? It might bring back bad memories . . . but maybe some good ones, too . . ."
"I'm sure that'll come across well. The two of them there worrying and taking time out to check up on their daughter that could've most likely been attacked by a Slytherin while a boy–a Slytherin boy–comes up asking for an autograph. I doubt they'll give you one. What about you, Antonio?"
"Nope, not a chance."
"I would've gone without the robes," Rob said a bit moodily. "Plus, in the biography book, it says they're really nice about fans and such. And I'm not a boy; I'm a man."
"Come on." Antonio stood up, disregarding Rob's last comment. "Let's go to dinner."
As the trio went to go step inside the Great Hall, there was a scream up the Entrance Hall, making some probing students turn to see the commotion.
"Oh, Merlin, I saw them!"
"She's telling the truth! I saw them too!"
"They were going to Headmistress Vector's office!"
"Hermione signed my Divination book!"
"Are they still here?"
"Do you think we can catch them before they leave?"
From what the surprised students were saying, Scorpius gathered they had discovered Ron and Hermione. Next to Scorpius, glaring at the yelling people, Robert came to the same conclusion.
"Dammit. Headmistress Vector's office? They could be flooing away! Do you think they're still here?"
"Doubt it."
"Not a chance."
"Dammit."
"Look!" someone bellowed out suddenly.
"Lily! Lily! What're your aunt and uncle doing here?" The crowd began to hoard around a girl who had just come down the staircase to get dinner. The short, youngest child of Harry and Ginny Potter scowled, pushing past them.
"Which ones?" she asked sarcastically, trying to pull out of the tight grip someone had put on her arm. "What're you doing bothering me? Go send them some appreciation mail or something!"
"Can you believe the saviors of the Wizarding World are still this popular?" Antonio asked, taking his wand out. His blond friend copied the action.
"Get the hell away from me!" Lily cried. Scorpius watched as she tried to reach for her wand whilst raising his own when there was a loud bang from beside him. Smoke began obscuring the hall.
"What the fuck?" Scorpius yelled, stepping to the side.
"What was that?"
"I don't know, but I'm getting out of here!"
"Wait, what if that's a signal meaning Ron and Hermione are back?"
Scared, the people began stepping back, running away, or going into the Great Hall, where, as far as Scorpius could see, some professors where standing to come check on the blockage outside.
"Okay, people, step away from the short redhead and none of you will get hexed," Robert said as the smoke started clearing up, his voice closed for question.
"Oy! I am not short!" Lily said from the ground where she had fallen, though she looked thankful.
"Yes, you are," the Slytherin countered.
"And who are you? Her boyfriend?" An average height, slightly pimply brunette Fifth Year–Ravenclaw by the looks of his robes–with his arms crossed, was looking at Robert, a sneer on his face.
Glaring back, the blond replied, "Actually, as a matter of fact, I am." And then he shot a Dancing Feet Jinx at the boy.
"Cosgrove," Antonio snapped as he went over to make sure Lily was okay.
"Fine," Rob said, taking the hex off. "I'm not her boyfriend, but I doubt you have a chance." But the boy he had hexed was running off, his face pink from humiliation and, just for the fun of it, Rob shot a harmless version of a Stinging hex at his back. "Now clear out people! That's right, get a move on!"
"What is the meaning of this?"
"Oh, evening, Professor Witz, nice celebrities we're having, right?" Robert grinned feebly. Understanding sparked in the professor's eyes.
"Twenty points from each of the houses!" She said, planting her hands on her hips. "Now, either get some dinner, or return to your common rooms!" The rest of the students did as they were told, mumbling about the loss of points. "Hey, would you rather I make it thirty, Mister Martin? Exactly what I thought! Get going!" She started back into the Great Hall, but paused, revolving to face the three Slytherins and Gryffindor. The professor just stood there as usual, staring at her students.
Unexpectedly, Robert sneezed.
"Ten points," Professor Witz said.
"Ah, professor, ten points for sneezing? If that's the case, I know a few Hufflepuffs who aren't feeling well; I'm sure they're sneezing and sniffling right now so you can go take points off of them. Shall we say thirty? Nah, I don't believe you're in a generous mood after that disgraceful show, so let's make it forty!"
"Robert," Antonio said, sounding mortified. Scorpius was looking away, trying to stop the laughter that wanted to erupt, and even the Potter looked amused.
Professor Witz rolled her eyes. "No, Mister Cosgrove, ten points to Slytherin for trying to calm the crowd. Are you feeling fine, Miss Potter?" With a nod from the girl, the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor left.
"Good thing she doesn't know about that boy you hexed twice, huh?" Lily commented lightly.
"Yeah, I suppose it is, diminutive girl," Robert said.
"Oy," she said warningly. Rubbing her arm where the person had grabbed her, she continued, "Do any of you know which aunt and uncle of mine it was? I do think I know, however."
"If you're thinking two-thirds of the Golden Trio, then you are correct," Antonio retorted.
"Great, just great," she muttered darkly. "I have an owl that needs some exercise anyway, but I think I'll have a spot of dinner first. I'll probably bruise from the grasp that guy had on me, too." Scorpius saw that she was right; an area of her left arm was slowly turning a dark shade of pink.
"Sorry about not coming in quick enough."
"'S'okay," Lily said, "later, boys."
"Later," Scorpius and Antonio called as she walked away.
"Bye, wee lass!" Lily plainly overlooked Robert. "Okay, who's hungry? I am!"
"Yeah," Antonio agreed. "You are such an embarrassment, though, did you know that?" he said, referring to the events prior to as they entered the Great hall.
Scorpius grinned.
A/N: Please leave a review, even if it's only to say "More!" or "Update as soon as possible!" or "This suxs stop writing!" or "Not very good . . ." or to tell me what your favorite parts/quotes were (I would love that, actually!). I'd love for you to point out any mistakes, also, if you find some.
Props to anyone who can guess what character told the school Rose was in the infirmary! (Hint, hint: ending of previous chapter, though major props if you can get it without looking back!)
I'm loving the character Robert. What about you? =D