Chapter 15
Rose's POV:
"…And then I punched him right in the nose!"
"Al, you did not." Dominique whined from the seat next to me.
"I came pretty close. He wasn't backing down." Al piped up across from us, sprawled out on the seats of the compartment, legs flopping around near Hugo who looked less than pleased about the arrangement.
Christmas break had finally descended upon the castle, bringing a frenzy of students packing bags for home and a flurry of snow making the view outside the train impossible to discern.
Al, Dominique, Hugo and I had chosen a compartment in the train to squeeze into for the two hour trip it would take to return to London. After that, it would be a drive to our grandparents' house for Christmas.
Christmas at the Burrow was something I looked forward to every year. Somehow, despite the sheer size of our large family, we managed to fit most everyone into one tiny, tall cramped house for the holidays and it was chaos every year. That was what was so brilliant about it.
Albus's harsh voice snapped me back to reality. He had been going on and on about his confrontation with Finley Thomas earlier that day, which had gone more difficult than planned.
"I was just trying to get Finley to back down from Rose, y'know? Tell him she hadn't had a good time on their date and she was too polite to say so. He wouldn't take a word I said in. Said I was just being overprotective as her cousin and all." He puffed himself up importantly at the mention of his status.
"I had to really drill it into him that you were not interested, Rosie. Finley may never speak to me again." I rolled my eyes; Albus was being dramatic.
"I can't believe he actually had the nerve to talk back to you." I said in slight surprise. Finley had always seemed like such a nice person. The fact that he hadn't taken my rejection lightly felt weird.
"I'm just glad it's over with." Scorpius spoke up from next to me.
"It's done. So you'd better keep her happy." Albus said, addressing him in his most serious voice. "But not too happy."
My cheeks burned. Ever since Albus had begrudgingly accepted mine and Scorpius's relationship, he had taken it upon himself to be the one making inappropriate remarks about it.
"Rose?" Albus's voice in the present drawled next to me. "You still with us?"
"Hmm? Yeah." I said, turning my attention to my cousins and brother seated around me.
"Al, I'm tired of hearing about Finley and the fight that didn't really happen. Can't we talk about something else?" Dom asked impatiently. She tucked a stray blonde strand of hair under her beanie.
"Of course, my darling dear Dominique." She threw her gloves at Albus and he dodged them expertly.
"Who's outside the door?" Hugo spoke up from under Albus's feet. He shoved his legs back to the floor of the compartment and ruffled his untidy hair around to make it even messier.
There was indeed a shadow on the other side of the fogged up compartment door and then a light knock from the outside. Immediately, I somehow knew who it was.
"I'll be right back." I announced casually.
Slipping outside the compartment door, I was met by the sight of Scorpius leaning against the wall of the train, a black coat draped around his shoulders. I pulled my own jacket tighter around myself. The train couldn't escape the frozen chill from outside completely, and many of us had kept our outer layers on.
"I wanted to talk to you somewhere alone." He said with a shy smile, which was rare. Scorpius was always so sure of his every action. It seemed that around me sometimes, he tended to let that guard down. I liked that he did, it showed that he trusted me.
I followed him down the hall at a safe distance, so as not to look suspicious to the other students. Finally, he turned into an empty compartment at the end of the train, and slipped inside quietly. I ducked inside and giggled as Scorpius twisted the lock.
Immediately, I was in his arms. We hadn't seen much of each other lately due to packing and break approaching. Now a merciful moment alone was exactly what we both needed.
"You realize this is the last time I get to see you before we get off this train for weeks, Rose. Weeks." He emphasized the last word with great stress.
"Then you'd better make it worth it." I teased, biting my lip. Flirting hadn't always been my strongest suit, but around Scorpius I know he didn't really care.
We kissed, but the kiss felt different than usual. Maybe it was because things were finally starting to become easier in our relationship. There were still moments of uncertainty where we knew there would be too many people against it. Overall, the approval from the two people I trusted the most was enough to keep me happy. However, I knew Scorpius had a family that wouldn't take lightly to the news. We tried to keep away from that subject.
Mostly, I think the kiss felt different because we both knew it would be the last one for a few weeks, and that was hard to think about.
I ran my fingers up his arms and into his hair, my favorite thing to do when we were doing this. I tugged lightly on the strands of hair curled around my fingers, causing him to moan softly. His arms tightened around me and pulled me closer, if that was possible.
We pulled apart slowly for air, and I giggled. I couldn't help but turn slightly giddy in Scorpius's presence sometimes.
"Merlin, woman. You're going to be the death of me." He mumbled with a smirk on his face. I couldn't stop the blush creeping on my cheeks, and he brought a hand up to my warmed skin.
"Will you be able to write?" I asked.
"'Course I will." He answered, moving his hand to a piece of red hair escaping my messy braid. "I'll have to check up on you to make sure no muggle blokes in the village are bothering you."
I huffed at that but smiled. Scorpius's concern about the muggle inhabitants of the village nearby the Burrow was flattering, but un-needed.
"The only people bothering me will be James or Albus; and probably Dominique." I added as an afterthought. He smirked again.
There was a rapping on the door, causing me to jump. Scorpius sighed as he untwisted the lock and the door slid open. Albus stood on the other side, looking smug.
"Sorry to interrupt whatever you two were getting up to, but Hugo is wondering where you are Rosie. I'm running out of things to tell him."
"Tell him I'll be right back." I said impatiently. Hugo's cluelessness was something I had to be careful about lately.
"Come back quickly, then. He doesn't like being out of the know."
I groaned in frustration and leaned my head against Scorpius's shoulder. He automatically wrapped his arms around my waist.
"Your brother might have to know what's going on eventually." He spoke up from above me. I lifted my head and met his gaze.
"Hugo can't keep a secret for his life." I protested. "If he knew, my whole entire family might as well know too."
"I don't want to be the reason you have to keep so many secrets from your family, Rose." He said. My heart fluttered at his concern.
"If my family knew, this wouldn't be allowed. I don't want to leave you for something so stupid." I said in a tone that hopefully got across my point.
His eyebrows lifted at my seriousness and he squeezed my waist gently. I allowed myself to bury my face into his neck and feel him before I left.
"I don't want to leave you either. I just don't want you to feel like you're trapped."
I didn't answer, just tightened my grip on his arms. He chuckled and pressed a kiss to my hair.
"I should get back to Hugo." I mumbled into his skin. Neither of us moved right away, wanting to drink in the moment. Finally, I pulled back and cupped his face with my hands.
He pressed his lips to mine in a final kiss for a little while. I turned to the compartment door and was halfway out when his voice sounded again behind me.
"Happy Christmas, Rose."
I smiled. Turning around to face him I said "Happy Christmas, Scorp."
"Fred Weasley! Is there any way you and James might be able to explain the rubber chickens in my kitchen cupboard?" My grandmother roared from the kitchen. Fred and James raced to her, doubled over in laughter.
It felt good to be home. Curled up on the scratchy couch in the sitting room with a romance novel and my favorite blanket, I sat back and observed the chaos that was the Potter-Weasley family. We had already gotten past the I-missed-you-it's-so-good-to-see-you greetings and were now all settling into the familiar pattern of shouting and relaxing. Albus had retreated to his respectful bedroom with Hugo trotting after him, unsure of what to do when James was in trouble.
I felt the cushions sink in next to me and turned my head. Dominique had occupied the space near me, a letter in her hand.
"Who's that from?" I asked politely.
"Colin. He's so sweet, he says he loves me and he's going to miss me over the break. We may try to meet in the muggle village." A broad smile crossed her face at the sound of her boyfriend's name. I glanced at the letter, perusing the inked little hearts all along the page. It was slightly sickening, but sweet all the same.
"Have you and Scorpius said it yet?" Dom asked quietly. My face screwed into a confused expression.
"You haven't? I would have thought you'd have done by now! Forbidden love is so romantic." She gushed.
"What are you talking about?"
"You haven't said the 'L' word. The sentence every witch wants to hear." She explained to me. I felt very much like a four year old being instructed not to touch the hot stove while Grandma Weasley was cooking.
"Dom, we haven't been together all that long." I said, my face reddening. I turned my attention to my book, but the blonde witch snatched it out of my hands.
"Rosie, these things are important to talk about! Sisters have to communicate." She demanded.
"Dom, we're not really sisters." I said, a smile gracing my face.
"We might as well be." She huffed. "Do you love him?"
Her question surprised me. It brought me back to the time in the forest with Al when I had first told him Scorpius and I were seeing each other. He had asked the same question.
"Do you love him?" He asked.
"I think I could." It wasn't hard to think of loving Scorpius.
"Yes." I whispered. Dominique contained her squeals before grabbing my wrists lightly.
"You've got to tell him!" She giggled. I rolled my eyes with a smile. "It's not that simple Dom."
"Why shouldn't it be?" She asked, a crinkle forming between her eyebrows. "You love him. He loves you. Nothing in your way!"
I looked down, peering up at my best friend through my lashes. "You think he loves me too?"
"Rose, have you seen the way he looks at you? He looks at you like you're everything he's ever wanted. There's no way he couldn't love you."
I couldn't control myself as I flung my arms around Dominique's shoulders, pulling her into an embrace I felt was long overdue.
"Thanks. I'm going to tell him as soon as we go back." She squealed again into my ear.
Albus's POV:
The knock at my door was soft, hesitant. I almost thought I hadn't really heard it until someone rapped against it again. Stuffing my wand into the back pocket of my jeans and pushing a flop of black hair off my forehead, I crossed the room. I knew my dad would give me grief if he saw where my wand was. He always said if I wasn't careful I would end up charming off my own buttocks.
Opening the door, I was surprised to see Hugo standing on the other side. His floppy, rusty colored hair was sticking up in odd directions. He had obviously tried to style it like James's hair again. However on James the style looked cool, effortless, while on Hugo it looked like he had just rolled out of bed.
"What brings the little Weasley to my bedroom?" I asked, leaning against the door frame. He peered around my arm anxiously, as if checking to see that no one was in there.
"Can I come in?" His voice cracked. Oh, the joys of puberty. I turned and fell onto my bed, waving my hand to allow him entry.
He shuffled in, taking his time to shut the door and take a seat at the desk on the left wall.
"What's on your mind?" I asked. I could tell something was bothering him. Maybe it was because James was busy and he had no one to look up to. Maybe he was just bored. At school, Hugo managed to get by fairly popularly what with his bloodline and constantly hanging around his older cousin. At home, he probably felt kind of trapped. I know I did. The Potter-Weasley female to men ratio was far too feminine for my liking.
"I have a question about my sister." He said finally, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"What about Rose?"
"She's weird." He sniffed, his nose twitching. Was he coming down with something?
"'Course she's weird, everyone knows that." I replied easily, balancing my wand on the top of my knee and watching it wobble to the sides.
"No, I mean weirder than usual lately. She doesn't talk to me as much. Did I do something?" Oh man, that made my heart soften a little. The poor little guy had no clue what was going on with Rose and Malfoy.
"You didn't do anything, trust me. She's been… busy."
"She's always busy. But she always makes time for us too. Haven't you noticed how often she's been away? She was gone from the train for fifteen minutes."
"Hugo, this isn't really my secret to tell." I said, wincing. I wondered how far I was allowed to let this go before I had to properly lie to him.
"So there's a secret? Why can't I know? I'm good at keeping secrets." He supplied. His freckles stood out harshly against his milky skin, making him seem much younger and naïve than he really was.
"She's okay. She's actually really okay." I assured him.
"What's going on?" I huffed. He really wasn't going to let this go. I leaned forward very seriously.
"What I tell you next does not leave this room, got it? If you let anything slip, I swear to Merlin's grave I will sneak into your room and charm your hair purple." His eyes widened but he nodded.
"Alright Hugo, the truth is…"
Rose POV:
I was always astonished at how many people we could actually fit into a small dining room around the holidays. The magically modified table seemed to disappear down the hallway and I had to crane my neck to see my youngest relatives at the end of the room. Hugo was squished between Louis and Lucy. He kept shooting glances at me, which I returned with a smirk.
"Rose, are you going to eat that chicken leg?" James asked through a mouthful of mashed potatoes. He thrust a finger at the remaining food on my plate.
"No, I wasn't planning on it." I was halfway through my sentence when the food was swiped from my plate.
Dominique hummed happily next to me as we ate. She had seemed rather elated by my confession earlier and wouldn't stop smiling. I had elbowed her more than once during the dinner already.
"Dom, what's got you so smiley?" Albus asked. I stiffened in my seat. Al already knew about my relationship but James was oblivious.
"Nothing. Rose just loves somebody. A lot." She giggled into her lap. I silently cursed her.
"It's me of course. Everyone loves me." Albus supplied quickly at James's cocked eyebrow. He rolled his eyes and shoved a handful of peas into Albus's face.
"Boys, no fighting at the table!" Aunt Ginny's voice rang from the other end of the room. I was surprised she never seemed to lose her voice at the amount of yelling she had directed towards her sons over the years.
"I'd like to say something." Uncle Harry managed to shout over Aunt Ginny and she settled back into her chair. He stood up at the end of the table, next to Grandma Weasley and across from Granddad Weasley. He looked so much like James, it scared me sometimes.
"This year has been a really great one. And I just want to thank the entire family for making everyone's lives so enjoyable. We went through some dark times and we've managed to pull through with the help from each other and wonderful, wonderful children." He beamed.
"Here, here!" My dad barked from across the table. Mum swatted him with a smile.
"All of you make us so proud with your success at Hogwarts and the way you are kind to everyone you meet." Uncle Harry gestured his glass of firewhiskey to our end of the table, and we ducked our eyes with embarrassed smiles.
"To the Potter-Weasley-Lupin family!" Granddad Weasley said, thrusting his glass in the air. We all echoed the same around the table and glasses clinked. I sipped my butterbeer slowly, allowing the sweet taste to fill me up with holiday cheer.
"Oi, James!" My dad's voice sounded from across the table. "Met any young women yet?" James glowed red while Albus roared with laughter.
"Nah. There are too many pretty girls at Hogwarts to choose from." James waved off the question. Truthfully, he had never actually pursued any one girl at Hogwarts in his life. He was too much of a flirt.
"What about you Albus? Hugo?" My dad continued. It seemed he had consumed more than one firewhiskey for the evening which meant no one knew what would come out of his mouth for the continuation of the night.
"I'm saving myself for that one special gal, Uncle Ron!" Albus announced, leaning back in his chair and messing his hair up expertly. I rolled my eyes as Dominique threw a biscuit at him.
Hugo turned red and shot me another pointed look. I was used to Hugo being an imp at the dinner table, but he was particularly annoying tonight. All his staring was making me uncomfortable.
"Hugo, have I got something on my face?" I asked sharply. He jumped in his seat.
"No." He mumbled into his lap. He began fiddling with his napkin.
"Why've you been staring at me all night? Is there something in my teeth?" I asked again.
"No, I need to ask you something." He whined.
"Well, ask me."
"No, I've got to do it in private." He wouldn't meet my eyes now. I huffed and turned away from him. I'd had enough of my little brother for the night.
"Dominique's got a boyfriend, hasn't she?" My dad persisted. Dominique pretended to look embarrassed, fanning her face delicately.
"His name's Collin." She beamed. "He's wonderful."
"Have you met him yet?" My mum asked Aunt Fleur and Uncle Bill. They were in conversation with Victoire and Teddy, but turned to my parents.
"E's a handsome boy." Aunt Fleur said in her thick accent. "And 'e has very good manners. Zat is important to our family."
Dominique giggled as her parents complimented Collin. I smiled along with her, but felt something in me; a sort of sadness that my parents would never say anything like that about Scorpius. If they ever met him.
"What about you, Rose?" Teddy asked, craning his neck to see over the people separating us. His hair was a shocking electric blue as usual.
"Oh, um… I haven't been seeing anyone since Robin." I said offhand. I hoped I sounded casual enough. My parents didn't seem to detect the flicker of uneasiness in my voice.
"But I thought…" Hugo's voice came from the other end of the table. I snapped my head toward him, his scrunched up expression making my stomach turn. What did Hugo think?
"What's that, sweetheart?" My mum asked. Suddenly, Albus glared at Hugo with a look that would have given me nightmares. But my brother didn't seem to notice.
"Nothing, I just thought…" He trailed off again. "I thought Rose was seeing somebody." His face matched the color of his hair as he mumbled into his napkin. He knew he had done something wrong, but I was too shocked to feel any anger towards him. My stomach was doing backflips in my body.
"Hugo, I haven't even been on any dates since Robin." I said firmly.
"No, you went on a date with Finely Thomas two weeks ago didn't you?" James asked. I felt like slamming my head into the table.
"Well, yes. But that wasn't really a date. We're not seeing each other or anything."
"Is that Dean Thomas's son?" Uncle Harry asked.
"Rosie, you didn't tell me you were on a date with Dean's son." My dad said. I groaned.
"Because it wasn't anything serious!"
"Dean's a good bloke." My dad supplied again. "What's wrong with Finley?"
"Nothing!" I insisted. "I'm just not interested in him."
"But you've already got a boyfriend. That's why." Hugo finally said. Though his voice was small and didn't carry very far, my family all seemed to have heard him. All eyes were on me. Albus scooted away from the table and grabbed Hugo by the collar of his sweater, dragging him out of the room.
"Come on Hugo, we've got to talk." Albus said through gritted teeth as Hugo protested.
"Rose?" My mum's voice was soft. "Are you actually seeing someone?" She wasn't mad. That was the great thing about my mum; she was very understanding.
"Sort of." I lied. I couldn't meet anyone's eyes. Under the table, Dominique took my hand and squeezed it.
"Who?" My dad inquired loudly.
"It's just someone from school." I mumbled.
"How long have you been seeing him?" Teddy asked.
"Not long. It's nothing serious." I lied again. I felt guilty talking about Scorpius like this. It reminded me of the greenhouse at Hogwarts, Albus loudly embarrassing me in front of the school and hurting Scorpius. I had gained Al's trust and approval. Couldn't I gain the rest of my family's trust too?
"If you all must know," I said harshly. "It's Scorpius Malfoy. Talk about it as much as you please behind my back." I yanked my hand out of Dominique's grasp and abruptly left the room, leaving my family in stunned silence.