Chapter 12
Tutoring sessions with Scorpius were growing shorter and less frequent. This was all due to his Quidditch practices, which were now more important than ever as the first Quidditch match of the year was approaching. I often spent time at the pitch with Scorpius, quizzing him while he practiced with enchanted equipment. Now, his grade in potions wasn't the only thing flying steadily higher each day.
On Saturday morning, I woke bright and early to the sound of pecking on the window. Groggily sitting up in bed, I caught a glimpse of our family owl Widget waiting patiently outside. My mum had picked the name, and though Dad didn't quite understand what it meant, the name stuck. Widget had been in the family ever since I was a first year and we needed a bigger owl than Pigwidgeon, who was too small and old to carry packages across the country.
I pulled on my robe and hurried over to the window, eager to let Widget in and out of the cold. As she soared into the dorm, sending feathers everywhere, I noted the gray sky and frosted grounds. At least it hadn't snowed, but I knew as well as James and Albus put together that these were not ideal Quidditch conditions.
Widget perched on the foot of my bed, a letter tied to her leg. She hooted affectionately as I carefully untied the string binding the letter and nipped my hand lightly before taking off out the window, no doubt seeking shelter from the wind in the Owlery before the journey home.
Unfolding the parchment I recognized Al's messy scrawl and immediately became confused. We lived together practically year round, why did he have to send me a letter to communicate? And why use Widget, when she normally only made deliveries between Hugo, myself and our parents? I sat down on my four poster, scanning the letter quickly.
Rosie,
We need to talk. Something's up and I think I know what it is, but I'm not sure. As far as I'm concerned you're the only one who can really tell me. Meet me in the kitchens after the match today.
~Al
p.s. I sent the letter because James and Hugo would want in on this too, and I'm trying to keep things private. Widget was already here for Hugo, so I decided to use her before she left. And don't let Dom see this either. She'll want to know as much as I do I'm sure.
Merlin's pants. How was I supposed to keep a secret from Al without him realizing something was wrong? I should have known he was suspicious from the start. The worst part was he deserved an explanation. Everyone did, the whole school did. But I couldn't give it to them.
I stuffed the letter in my trunk and told myself I would think about it after I'd eaten. Dressing quietly, I grabbed my wand and left the dorm without waking Dom. I didn't need her cheerful babble to keep me distracted while I was trying to think. Plus, her presence would only make me feel guilty that I had already told her and not Albus.
The common room was deserted, apart from Evelyn Brown and Lorcan Scamander who were best friends. Lysander, Lorcan's twin brother was nowhere to be found. The Scamanders were as close as the Potters to us Weasleys, considering our "Aunt Luna" (who wasn't really our aunt) was married to Rolf Scamander. They often joined us for tea and supper during the summer while the adults laughed and reminisced on good memories and the twins were forced into awkward conversation with Hugo and Lily who were the same age as them.
I exited the portrait hole, making my way to the Great Hall for breakfast. Albus's letter was ever present in my mind as I tried to make sense of the situation. I knew I was going to have to tell someone else eventually and Albus was one of the most trustworthy people I knew. He was also one of the people I expected to punish Scorpius's actions the most, coming in at a close second under James. However, I knew I needed to tell him.
Upon entering the great hall, which I had expected to be practically empty save a few early risers, I was faced with of course— the Gryffindor and Slytherin Quidditch teams. I mentally kicked myself. How could I forget they always ate early on game days?
"Rose!" James shouted rather un-necessarily; the great hall was almost completely silent. "Come sit with the winning team!"
The Slytherin team sent James nasty looks which he promptly ignored. I awkwardly sat between James and Albus, who was picking quietly at his toast. He never ate on game days, saying it "upset his sense of direction". James on the other hand was scarfing down what looked like his third helping of sausage and biscuits.
"You're coming down to the match today, right Rose?" He asked between bites. James reminded me an awful lot of my dad who never stopped eating, yet never gained any weight.
"Yeah, of course." I said, pouring myself some tea. I suddenly wasn't hungry anymore. Scorpius was looking at me from across the hall. I tried not to stare back, in case James or Albus got suspicious. Hayden was sitting next to Scorpius, babbling on about something Scorp didn't look very interested in. Hayden was a Chaser on the team, but everyone knew they only kept him on the team because his very rich grandmother paid good money to keep them up to date on the latest equipment and brooms. James and Albus had enough money to keep the Gryffindor team well supplied, but we didn't need money to make a winning team. Everyone on the Gryffindor team had pure talent. Uncle Harry told me something similar had happened his second year of Hogwarts as well, but I had never delved far into the subject.
"I have a good feeling about this match. We've been training really hard, and I think it's going to pay off. Right team?" James boomed across the table. He had a hard time keeping his voice down when he was excited or nervous, or a mixture of both.
The team mumbled their agreement and James looked satisfied. Albus turned towards me.
"Did you get my letter?" He asked quietly. I nodded, pretending to look down at my eggs.
"Then I'll see you after the match." He sent a small smile my way and I smiled back. I shouldn't have been so nervous to tell Albus the truth; he was very understanding and one of my best friends.
"Well team, we'd best be going. The match starts in an hour." James stated. The Gryffindor team quickly finished their breakfast and slowly filed out of the great hall, but not before James could mess up my hair on purpose. I sat at the table alone now, although the castle was slowly filled with the sounds of people waking up. Early risers scattered the house tables as talk became more evident. Everyone was excited about the first match of the season, and tensions were high between the Slytherin and Gryffindor houses. I was absentmindedly picking at a slice of toast, my mind full to the bursting, when someone tapped my shoulder and almost gave me a heart attack.
"Gosh, Rose. I didn't mean to scare you." Scorpius said, looking amused at my reaction. I tried not to choke on my bacon, which would put me in an embarrassing situation.
"I was thinking, sorry." Scorpius sat down next to me at a causal distance that said "just friends". We had kept up this act in front of other students all throughout the relationship in order to keep our secret. But sometimes, it drove me mad. All I wanted to do was take his hand and memorize the feeling of his skin before the game. Before I would have to cheer on my family while also quietly supporting the Slytherin team, if only for Scorpius's sake.
"Your cousin seems to think they have a pretty big chance of winning." He remarked.
"Well, that's James for you." I said, smiling. I'd be thoroughly concerned if James wasn't at least a bit cocky before a game. Albus always said that James concealed his nerves by practically convincing himself they would win before the game even started.
"He's got a challenge waiting for him then." Scorpius said with a smirk. I didn't know much about Quidditch, but I knew it would be a brutal game. The Gryffindor and Slytherin rivalry was lesser than it had been in the past, but there was still a rift between the two houses and they loved to best each other.
"Do you want to meet me after the game?" He asked, snapping me out of my thoughts again.
"I'd like to, but I can't. I told Albus I would—" I stopped midsentence. I couldn't tell Scorpius I was planning on telling Albus, could I? To be fair, Scorpius was a major part of the story. However, there was something in my subconscious that told me it was a bad idea to bring the two together right now. Especially after the game, when one of them will have won bragging rights.
Scorpius looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to finish my sentence. I pretended to cough as an excuse.
"I told Albus I would help him with some homework he's been stuck on. And he needs to do it right after the match."
"Oh, okay." Scorpius looked a bit disappointed, but brightened immediately. "I'll just see you after that then, right?"
"Right." I affirmed. I would wait until I had Albus calmed down and rationally thinking before I left him alone to go meet Scorpius. Then I would pray to Merlin that Al wouldn't tell James. Or worse, send a letter to my parents.
"I've gotta go, Rose. The team's leaving." Scorpius snapped me out of my thoughts. He had risen from his seat and I noticed the green clad team members making their way out of the great hall to whoops and cheers from the Slytherin table.
"All right. You'll do great!" I said happily. As much as I loved seeing Gryffindor win, I also couldn't wait to see Scorpius properly flying and playing the game.
"I don't get a kiss for good luck?" He asked cockily.
"If you don't want your arse kicked, I don't think you'll be getting one." I shot back with a smirk.
"That would make flying on a broom more difficult." He chuckled. "I'll see you later." And with that, he left to catch up with the team.
I turned to my breakfast, staying at the table long enough for the rest of my family to troop into the great hall. Dom sat next to me, happily chattering away about Colin and the next Hogsmeade trip (which was next weekend). She had no clue that another individual would be joining in on our secret in a few hours.
Not long after, everyone began to file out of the great hall and filter down to the Quidditch pitch. Frozen grass crunched under my boots and I picked at my gloves, which were wearing too thin too soon as the wind bit at my face. The cold weather had gotten colder, but thankfully the game was spared from snow. Quidditch was rarely ever called off for the weather, but a snowy game never went well and often lasted late into the night.
Dom and I met the rest of our family in our usual spot on the Gryffindor side of the Quidditch pitch. Multiple people had wrapped their Gryffindor scarves around their necks for warmth and support for their team; a few select seventh year boys had painted their faces in red and gold. Lily and Hugo had made a sign for James and Albus and were holding it up proudly for the whole crowd to see. I became promptly squished between my family and the rest of the house. Hagrid had even come out to support the team, his wildly tangled beard now tinged with grey hairs.
It didn't take long for Madame Hooch to walk out to the middle of the field to meet the two teams coming from opposite ends of the pitch. The Gryffindor team marched proudly with fist pumps galore and lots of shouting. James and Albus took the lead, looking very much alike with their messy dark hair. The Slytherin team met the crowd's cheers and hisses with arms waving. Scorpius and Hayden didn't flail around like the rest of the team, but did smirk more profoundly than usual.
James and the Slytherin captain shared a tense handshake, Madame Hooch listed off the rules and released the snitch which flew around Albus's head once and took off. The players mounted their brooms, the Quaffle was released, and the match began.
I can't say that I know much about Quidditch, despite being surrounded by it due to my family. While James guarded the hoops on the Gryffindor side and Albus raced against time and the Slytherin seeker to find the snitch, the rest of the players became lost in the game. I kept a close eye on Scorp, who was playing his role as beater and zoomed around the pitch to send the Bludgers towards the opposing team members. I winced every time he aimed one at Albus, but I knew it wasn't anything personal. It was all part of the game.
Within an hour, the game was coming to an end. Al had already almost caught the snitch once, and tensions were very high. The score was 90-60 with Gryffindor leading. My fingers were numb and my throat raw from the cold air and screaming with the rest of my family whenever Gryffindor scored a goal. I would silently cheer every time Slytherin scored as well, but was careful not to make it obvious I wasn't being completely faithful to Gryffindor.
Soon enough, Al caught the snitch with a triumphant dive to the ground, the little golden ball still in his hand. The Gryffindor team engulfed each other in hugs, the stands filled with lots of screaming. The Slytherin team looked dejected, apart from Scorpius who looked less than pleased but somewhat respectful. My family and I ran out onto the pitch to congratulate James and Albus on their spectacular win. Everything was normal until Al pulled me aside from the celebrating and walked me out of the pitch. No one noticed we were gone as we made our silent escape to the deserted grounds just outside the pitch.
"Good job, Al." I said to break the silence. We continued walking until we were in the privacy of the trees as the other students fought their way through the weather back to the castle. The idea of warm clothes and a warmer fire was inviting, but Albus was serious as we leaned against the trees.
"Thanks." He mumbled, a small smile forming on his face. Al had always been modest about his accomplishments, unlike James. But Al was also very proud of himself. He once told me he was going to live up to his dad and his granddad, and so far he was doing great.
"So what's going on, Rosie?" He asked. "Don't try to deny it. You've been pretty secretive lately."
My panic must have shown visibly on my face, because Albus smiled. "Don't worry, the rest of the family haven't noticed. At least I don't think so. James has been too focused on Quidditch and Hugo has… well he's just been Hugo." I let out a dry laugh. Hugo wasn't one to notice things if they were out of the ordinary.
"Nothing bad is happening. Well, it shouldn't be bad anyway." I mumbled.
"Then why can't you just tell us? Why can't you tell me? I thought we were best friends." Albus seemed hurt as he dug a hole into the dirt with the toe of his shoe. I focused on his foot moving in the ground to keep myself from bursting. Al would have to find out things slowly, not all at once.
"We are best friends." I confirmed. "I trust you with everything. This is just something that I'm not so sure you would like to hear…"
"I can handle it, Rose. I'm not soft."
"I know you're not." I said firmly. "But that's why I'm scared to tell you. I think you might become… irrational about it."
"Rose, now is not the time for big words." Al said. I laughed again, turning my focus to the forest in front of us, the trees black against a grey background of frosty plants and a bland sky.
"I promise I will let you explain whatever it is you have to say before I say anything." He spoke up next to me. I fingered the end of my Gryffindor scarf nervously.
"I've been seeing someone, but I'm not sure you'd like who it is." I let the information sink into Al's head, wanting to see if he could guess who it was.
"It's not that troll-head Robin again is it? He doesn't deserve you Rosie." Al said angrily.
"No, it's not Robin. It's someone that I really don't think the family would approve of…" I trailed off. This was going to be a lot harder than I thought it would be.
"Then why are you seeing them?" Al asked.
"He's different than he seems." I said forcefully.
"Why wouldn't we approve of him? I mean what's he done that's—"
"It's Scorpius Malfoy." I blurted out. I was getting tired of waiting. If Albus was going to explode, I would let him do it now.
It took a while for Al to explode. First there was silence. I looked over at him to see his reaction, which turned out to be a blank stare. He turned red slowly, and then came the yelling.
"Rose, what are you thinking?" He shouted. I looked over my shoulder to see if any students passing by had heard the commotion, but it seemed that everyone had returned to the castle by this point.
"Al, you said you would let me expl—"
"No, Rose. This is bad news. The Malfoys are bad news! Haven't you learned anything from your Mum and Dad? From my Mum and Dad?" Albus was pacing back and forth now.
"You need to listen to me!" I retaliated.
"Rose, you can't be seeing him! You haven't been… you've been… you can't have—"
"Albus Severus Potter!" I yelled, sounding dangerously like my Aunt Ginny. Al stopped pacing and faced me. I couldn't properly read his expression because it kept changing from anger, to disbelief, back to anger and then to confusion.
"We've been raised to hate them. But have you ever actually talked to one of them? To Mr. Malfoy when we visit the ministry? To Scorpius in the hallway?"
Al looked down. "Well, no but—"
"No, Al. You haven't. You've never given Scorpius the chance to be anyone but who you think he is. I didn't want to either, but I'm really glad I got to know him. And I'd be really glad if you got to know him too."
Albus looked around, his eyes never meeting mine. He seemed to be contemplating his next move. I crossed my arms, not letting down my upper hand that I had.
"I don't know, Rose." He said stiffly, still not meeting my eyes. I said nothing. I would stay in this forest all night until Al would agree to meet Scorpius officially or so help me Merlin I would drag him there myself.
"Do you love him?" He asked. I was taken aback at the question. I had expected more protestations from him, or more false accusations of the Malfoy family.
"I think I could." I answered honestly. Scorp and I had only been dating for a short time, and love was something I didn't want to jump into so quickly. But it wasn't hard to think about loving Scorpius. It wasn't hard to picture loving him at all, because I knew I was already going down that road and wouldn't be turning back any time soon.
Al looked down again. It started to snow, white flakes contrasting with his dark hair.
"Will you at least meet him?" I asked quietly. "You don't have to like him right away. But I think you should meet him."
He nodded shortly to the ground.
"You know he reminds me of you sometimes." I said. Al looked up, surprised by my words. "And James. He's just as arrogant as James can be. He's also just as caring as you can be. And just as understanding. And you would find that out if you got to know him."
There was another long pause.
"I don't want to like him Rose." Albus said.
"You don't have to. But you will. I promise you, you won't be disappointed. He's important to me. Please, just give him a chance."
I waited for a long time while Al dug another hole into the ground. He fiddled with his wand in his pocket. He looked around some more, and finally he met my eyes.
"I'll talk to him. But I'm not going to like him." He seemed to be saying it more to himself than me, but the reaction was good enough for my standards.
"Good. Let's go then, I told him I'd see him not long after the game." I turned to the castle and started walking.
"Right now?" Albus asked sharply, running to catch up to me.
"Now or never. And James can't know about this. Or anyone else; this is a secret for you to keep, Al." I said.
Now that Albus knew the secret, it would be up to him to keep it a secret. I led him to the common room knowing fully well that Scorpius and Albus would be officially meeting tonight. What would happen then? I could only hope for the best.
A/N: Wow. Don't come after me guys! Haha I realize it's been a while since I updated :/ and I promised quicker updates too! So actually, you guys can come after me if you want… In all seriousness I'm glad this chapter finally got finished! I think it's a pretty pivotal moment in the story and I hope it does the wait justice! I know I leave you guys on a lot of cliff hangers but if I didn't, my chapters would be reeeeeaaally long and I wouldn't want to write them! Let me know what you guys think of this chapter and what you think will happen next :) Your reviews make me update faster! This is a proven fact by science ;)
-Yours in eternity, Amy