Chapter 18
Rose's POV:
"James Potter, if you crash your trolley into platform 10 again just to 'see what happens' you'll be grounded for all of summer vacation!" Aunt Ginny's voice strained to be heard over the babble surrounding us in Kings Cross Station as wizards and muggles alike hurried with trolleys and luggage to their respective trains.
I watched, amused, as James scrambled on top of Fred's trolley to sit with their suitcases and two owl cages whose inhabitants hooted indignantly. Fred waited until the muggles nearby were paying no more attention to the unusual birds we carried and broke into a run towards the brick partition separating platforms 9 and 10. He and James disappeared and Al rolled his trolley next to mine as the next wave of Potter Weasleys prepared to enter Platform 9¾.
"Remember the first year we had to do this?" He asked with a grin on his face. I remembered all too well being terrified to run headlong into a brick wall at only ten years old when we were seeing James off for his first year at Hogwarts. My dad had finally gone with me and once exiting, we had bumped into a family of wizards and had caused quite the ruckus.
"Rose, Dom, Al, why don't you three go together?" Grandma Weasley shouted over the heads of our parents, aunts and uncles and Dominique appeared next to us, her suitcases perfectly stacked on the trolley she pushed. Al adjusted his ferret's cage before we casually rolled our trolleys to the platform and pretended to be talking amongst ourselves as we slowly disappeared from the station and onto the Hogwarts platform.
The platform was completely packed with many classmates I recognized reaching for their friends and family while owls hooted and cats hissed in cages all over. We found James talking to Teddy in what looked like a private conversation while Fred lugged the suitcases from their trolley onto the train.
"What's up Teddy?" Al asked. Teddy turned to us, his face blushing slightly.
"I've got news. I'm waiting until the family is all here. Have you seen your sister?" He turned to Dominique.
"Vic said she was going to help Louis make sure everything was packed." She answered breathlessly. She wasn't paying much attention to us as she scanned the platform for Colin, whom she hadn't been able to stop talking about all morning.
I felt bad for not immediately searching for Scorpius, but we had seen each other over break and had continued to write since he left on Christmas Eve. I figured he was mostly likely with his parents now, and I couldn't imagine walking up to Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy and introducing myself as his girlfriend.
"There they are now!" Al announced as the rest of our family made their way to us. The crowds parted around them as if there was a magical shield surrounding the Potter-Weasleys while several people whispered excitedly and pointed discreetly, mostly at my Uncle Harry.
"The train's about to board, why haven't you loaded your suitcases yet?" Uncle Harry asked. He looked at Teddy who was now bouncing on his heels. Victoire came trailing after Louis, and was immediately brought to Teddy's side. She, too, was glowing.
"We have news. I realize it's last minute and not the best place to break it, but I didn't want to have to tell anyone by letter." Teddy seemed to be having great difficulty in keeping the words from spilling out any faster.
"We're pregnant!" Victoire shouted happily from Teddy's side. In seconds, the family had huddled around Teddy and Victoire while congratulatory handshakes and hugs were exchanged. Even Dominique paused her search for Colin and fought her way to her sister to give her a hug.
The scarlet steam engine blew smoke into the air and a whistle sounded. The happy gathering broke apart with promises to write and more shouts of congratulations while we exchanged hurried goodbyes and boarded the train minutes before it chugged along the train tracks, leaving the platform behind.
"I'm off to find Colin! I have to tell him the good news; I'll meet up with you later." Dom squealed. She promptly gave Albus her two suitcases and he buckled under the weight as she disappeared down the length of the train.
"Great girl, Dom. But she needs to start understanding I am not her personal butler." Al grumbled. I laughed as I dragged my suitcase along next to him and we searched for an empty compartment.
Boarding the train so late made it difficult to find seats that were not already filled by various Hogwarts students. Al was struggling to keep the luggage aloft without dropping anything as we passed a group of seventh years blocking the hall. They grumbled as Al passed and one shouted out in pain when a suitcase dragged across his toe. Only a few minutes later, Al was still shouting back at him in annoyance.
"Go cry to Madam Pomfrey if it hurts so much and bother someone else!"
"Al!" I reprimanded him.
"Sounds like you could use some help." A male voice spoke up from the doorway of the compartment next to us. Scorpius was lounging in the doorframe with a smirk on his face. He seemed amused at Albus's struggle but all the same ducked down to pick up one of the suitcases Al had dropped in his rage and adjusted it in his arms.
"Merlin, this is heavy." Scorpius huffed as he led our procession down the hall. Al grunted his agreement as we finally came across a mercifully empty compartment and stowed the suitcases in the luggage racks at the top. Al collapsed into the seat nearest the window dramatically.
"Thank you for helping us." I said happily, wrapping my arms around Scorpius's neck. He kissed me lightly and I couldn't help smiling as Albus made retching noises in the background.
"I appreciate the help too, Malfoy. But I hope you're not expecting a kiss from me out of that." Al spoke up from his seat.
"Good thing I got over that crush on you years ago then, Potter." Scorpius shot back with a smirk. I was overwhelmed by how alike they were. How had they been enemies for years?
We settled into the seats, joined by James and Fred. The latter had brought his Exploding Snap card pack and Al was dangerously close to unsettling the board and causing the cards to explode everywhere when Hugo poked his head in through the door.
"Rosie!" He exclaimed. Startled, Al dropped the card he had been about to place on the board and the entire game went off like a firecracker. Hugo looked like he was trying to contain laughter while James blatantly rolled on the floor of the compartment howling as Al scrambled to collect the cards.
"Sorry, it's just Finley Thomas is looking for you. He came to my compartment asking if I'd seen you and I thought it wasn't a good idea to tell him where you were…" He trailed off. Next to me, Scorpius scoffed in disbelief.
"He's still trying after you've turned him down what— three times?" He asked. Al stuffed the cards forcefully back into their pack while he glanced at Scorpius with an expression of mingled amusement.
"He almost dueled me when I told him you weren't interested Rose. I guess he didn't believe me." I groaned.
"Hugo, please make sure he doesn't come down here." I said. I was tired of making excuses with Finley. Now, I wouldn't have to seeing as my relationship with Scorpius was becoming public. Still, trying to explain that to Finley was something I didn't want to face in a cramped compartment with my overly-protective family backing me up.
Hugo nodded quickly before shutting the door, which James locked, and then running down the train.
"How are you two going to make your grand debut anyway?" Al asked as he settled himself back into his seat.
"I say you march right up to the front of the entire entrance hall and snog right there." Fred joked. I winced at the idea of the entire school finding out in such a dramatic fashion and James chucked a chocolate frog at Fred.
"No one is snogging anybody." He said pointedly, glaring at Scorpius. Scorp met his gaze, and it seemed they had come to a she's-my-cousin-and-you're-not-hurting-her agreement. "Just let people find out on their own."
The door of the compartment slid open once again to reveal Dominique with Colin trailing after her. "Let people find what out?" She asked.
"That door was locked, how did you get in?" James asked as he scooted over to accommodate seating for Dom and Colin, who looked confused at the sight of Scorpius leaning against my legs on the floor.
"You actually think a locked door could keep me out?" Dom huffed. She whipped her blonde hair over her shoulder importantly.
Colin was still eyeing Scorpius as he scanned the rest of the compartment. However, he didn't say anything or gasp in surprise as I had assumed he would in my head. I met Dominique's eye and silently asked her a question.
"Oh, Colin knows. I told him just now." She replied matter-of-factly. Colin stopped staring at the sound of his name and looked to his lap. Dom tangled her fingers with his and smiled brightly as if the atmosphere didn't have an air of awkwardness in it.
The conversation continued easily while the train traveled closer and closer to Hogwarts. The familiar countryside passing by the windows let us know when we had only an hour left before we arrived. And somehow, after a debate of professional Quidditch teams between the boys, the conversation had returned to mine and Scorpius's relationship.
Fred elaborately described the idea of me and Scorpius zooming through the Great Hall on broomsticks while setting off fireworks, and once again, snogging for the entire school to see. This had left Scorpius and Colin in fits of laughter while I rolled my eyes and Dominique swatted at Fred. James, however, only looked annoyed.
"Rose, the best thing you can do is just let things run their course. If people have anything to say about it and they want to bother you, they can come to me." He sat up straighter as if daring someone to come barreling up to him and demand a duel.
"Who made you the love expert?" Fred complained. Dom giggled at that.
"Come on James, you haven't ever actually romanced one girl have you?" Albus challenged with a wide grin on his face.
"I'll have you know, I've been writing to someone all break and we're meant to go on a date the first Hogsmeade weekend back." James retorted. That caught my attention. James on a date?
James had never had trouble with girls. Ever since his third year at Hogwarts, when he had properly hit his growth spurt and had started to fill out more from Quidditch, he had been able to sweep just about any girl off her unsuspecting feet. He had successfully flirted with girls from each House, but as long as I could remember, he had never actually been interested enough to pursue one girl.
"Who is she?" I asked.
"Lacey Jordan." He answered easily.
"As in the Lacey Jordan we've known since first year?" Colin asked.
Lacey was the daughter of a family friend. The idea that her and James could possibly be dating was almost absurd, but then again, I suppose the fact that Scorpius was currently seated next to me with an arm draped over my shoulder made Lacey and James seem logical.
"The very same. She's a sweet girl, and she likes Quidditch. Plus, she's got amazing curves." James added. I rolled my eyes again as the sky outside darkened signaling that Hogwarts was only minutes away.
I straightened my red and gold tie nervously, tugging at my collar and pressing down my skirt. Dom stood next to me, fiddling with her own robes which had somehow gotten tangled with her long, blond braid. James, Albus and Fred had left only minutes before, stating they were going to find Hugo and Lily and make sure they were situated in the carriages. Scorpius had left with a hurried goodbye kiss to walk off the train with Hayden, who had been looking for him the duration of the train ride.
I was faced with a feeling in my stomach that told me even though it had been hard to bring Scorpius into my family's acceptance, it would be even harder to change the minds of the several hundred students that attended Hogwarts. After all, the Potter-Weasley versus Malfoy rift had built up a solid reputation amongst the other students. Anyone who was anyone knew that our family's relationships were anything but friendly. Until now, that is.
"Rose, you look like you've just walked straight through the Bloody Baron." Dom tutted from next to me. "Relax."
"I am relaxed." I pressed, my voice wobbling slightly. I sighed. This was going to be hard.
We left the compartment, leaving our luggage on the racks above for the Hogwarts staff to take care of and traipsed down the length of the train, milling in with other students near the exits. I spotted Scorpius with Hayden, not far ahead of us on the Hogsmeade train station. Scorpius looked annoyed, as usual, as Hayden gestured wildly with his hands. He was obviously telling a story riveting to only his own ears and swept a hand grandly to his right, only to come in contact with a girl's chest. She screeched like an owl while he shot a shit-eating grin. I rolled my eyes in disgust right as Scorpius shoved Hayden's hands out of the air.
Almost as if he knew I was watching him, Scorpius turned while Hayden had stopped to chat up another red-headed Slytherin girl who looked less than impressed by him. Scorp gave me a knowing smile and jabbed a thumb at Hayden while rolling his eyes. I giggled at him while Dom pulled me sideways— she had found Colin again in the swarm of Hogwarts students— and I was left with the image of Scorpius's smile burned in my mind.
It seemed everyone in Hogwarts had had quite the struggle in adjusting to early morning classes after the long, winter break. It had taken five minutes to get Dominique out of her bed and Albus had mistakenly spread peanut butter over his own hand rather than a slice of toast at breakfast.
The castle itself felt sleepy, with a winter chill still clinging to the stone walls while fires burned in classrooms, attempting to battle the frosty atmosphere. I reluctantly left my almost-finished hot chocolate with my plate at the Gryffindor table as Dom and I left for Potions. My bag felt heavier on my shoulder as I had acquired two new books for the new classes I would be taking this semester.
"Did you see Finley was staring at you?" Dom asked breathlessly. Once recovered from her morning stupor, she had become oddly chipper and had been babbling at the table all morning.
"Was he?" I asked. I had been trying to avoid Finley ever since we had gotten off the train, skirting around him in the common room and sitting far down the table from him. It appeared my efforts were fruitless.
"I've asked Colin to tell Finely to back off, politely of course, but he says Finley is kind of hard to talk to lately, and— oh!"
I looked up from the schedule in my hand at Dom's intake of breath. She was smiling far too brightly and I saw Scorpius was standing only a few feet away. He came striding over, a nervous smile on his face.
"I don't know if I'm mentally prepared to work with Hayden in Potions just yet." He began when he arrived. Students bustled around us, heading every which way to their respective classes, and in the middle of it all, Scorpius entwined his fingers with mine and pressed a kiss to my hair. I blushed furiously.
We continued walking normally to Potions while Dominique picked up talking where she had left off. Scorpius listened politely and I tried to nod in the right spots as I scanned my classmate's faces for their reactions.
Mostly everyone looked overcome with varying degrees of shock. A blond girl tugged on her friend's sleeve and pointed blatantly at mine and Scorpius's joined hands. A Hufflepuff nearly tripped over his own feet doing a double take. Other students were less obvious, whispering to their groups of friends and some smirking, as if they had predicted this would happen. Which was ridiculous, of course. Scorpius and I dating would soon be the talk of the entire school, and I didn't know how I felt about it.
However, I knew how I felt about him. And while we waited patiently out the door of the Potions class room and he brushed his thumb along the back of my hand, I knew I would take all the whispering and pointing any day as long as I got to stand next to him.
A quiet moment alone with Scorpius was much needed after we had survived a day full of gawking students.
Scorp had taken it upon himself to be by my side throughout the morning and had even sat with my family at lunchtime. Reactions had been varied throughout the day, from whispers following my back in the corridors to my personal favorite, a Gryffindor first year who dropped his books and stared with an open mouth as Scorpius and I kissed before separating for class.
"What are you thinking about?" He called from above. Scorpius was perched on his broomstick, hovering a few feet above me. We had come out to the Quidditch pitch in order for him to practice for an important game to come— Gryffindor versus Slytherin. The team that won this game would advance to the final match against Ravenclaw for the Quidditch cup. Therefore, Scorpius took his practicing very seriously while we exchanged comfortable banter and I scanned notes on new material from the first day back.
"I'm thinking about us." I said as I felt Scorpius hover closer.
"What about us?" He asked, and I heard him laugh. Looking up, I almost jumped back in surprise. Scorpius was only inches away from me, a grin on his face.
"I'm thinking that it's too hard to study when you're floating around asking me questions." I teased. He bravely took a hand off the broom and grabbed one of my papers, perusing it. I sat back and watched him, admiring the way the setting sun was casting shadows on his face and golden beams against his hair.
"Ah, I think I see the root of your studying problem." He said nonchalantly. I imagined him cradling a pipe between his lips with a monocle perched in his eye as he attempted to sound intelligent.
"And what is that?"
"It seems you've been doodling hearts in the margins of your papers." He said, his eyebrows arching comically. I snatched my paper away from him.
"I have not!"
"Could be in invisible ink." He added, both hands now back on the broom.
"Or it could be that I haven't doodled anything. I'm not like you."
"Perhaps, but even if you're not like myself, you do like like me."
"Like like you? What are we, first years?" I asked incredulously while suppressing giggles. Scorpius landed gracefully on the grass, discarding his broom to the side.
"Just poking fun, Rosie." He grinned again.
"What's got you so cheerful?" I asked. Scorpius most always had a positive attitude and found no trouble in making me smile, but tonight he was oddly giddy. He snuck an arm around my waist.
"It felt good to be with you in front of everyone." He said, the silliness previously in his voice fading. He had a serious look on his face, but his eyes were sparkling.
"I know." I agreed, leaning into him. "I hope everything works out from here on."
"I don't know about that. We seem to attract trouble." He piped up. I huffed while he laughed.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Malfoy."
"I never know what I'm talking about, Weasley." He nudged me lightly, starting to get up from the ground.
"Want to help me practice?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows. I glanced nervously at his broom and beater's bat lying a few feet away. Sighing, I got to my feet. I had never been good at refusing Scorpius anyway and it felt too good to be with him to say no.
In the days to come, Scorpius and I would grow more used to showing affection in front of our classmates. They would also grow accustomed to us as a couple, which surprised me. However, I dared not complain. I was too happy to be with Scorpius, my family supporting me. It seemed nothing could go wrong. But as Scorpius said, trouble seemed to find our relationship. I could only hope things would be smooth sailing for us.
"Don't worry about it." Scorpius said when I had voiced my worries to him one afternoon at lunch. He had taken to a permanent residence at the Gryffindor table for lunch and breakfast.
"It just seems like things are too easy." I mumbled.
"You and I are never easy. That's why we work out so well." He replied. He placed a hand over mine.
"I love you." He said. We had also grown used to those three words; three words I cherished every time I heard them.
"Love you, too." I said, smiling.
"Please!" Albus groaned from across us. "People are trying to eat here!"
Smack.
"Ouch! Don't hit me, woman!" Al yelped, rubbing his head as Dominique turned back to her salad and Charms book, a satisfied smile on her face.
"Merlin… if you two don't attract trouble, then I'm Hagrid!" He scowled.
A/N: Helloo! I would love to say I have a better reason for a month long wait other than writer's block and school, but I don't :( I realize this chapter is a little short and not much happened in it, but it is an important part of the story since everyone knows about Rose and Scorpius now :) After this chapter, there are only 5 chapters left before Unexpected is completely done! Or at least, that's how I'm planning it. So now I can reveal to you all that the sequel will be titled "Unbreakable" :D That's all I'm going to tell you apart from yes, the sequel is a for sure thing. Let me know what you think will happen or what you thought about this chapter or the story so far! Love you all and thank you so much to anyone who has ever reviewed, favorited or followed my story :')
Yours in eternity, Amy xx