II
Blushes
Wednesday 24th April
"But George," I hear my dad sigh from the other side of the door. "You know as well as I do that Fred would be perfectly capable of running the shop – he has tonnes of great ideas and I know he is just itching to lift the shop back to its former glory…" I hesitate, a hand hovering inches from the door, posed to knock. My dad's voice is pleading as he talk to who I can only assume is Uncle George.
George makes a muffled and unintelligible noise.
"Please George," dad continues, "it would be for the best. You and Angelina could go and live in a nice cottage somewhere in the country – the one you bought just before the war maybe, where the kids were born – where it's peaceful. You know she would like that."
"I- I can't do it, Ron," George's voice is so faint I find myself pressing an ear against the door just to hear him. If only I had an Extendable Ear on me… "I just can't."
"Is this because of Fred?" dad asks, his voice unusually void of emotion. It takes me a moment to realise that he is not talking about my cousin but about my uncle… the uncle I never met. There is no response from George so I lower my eye to the key hole – my curiosity too far aroused for me to back out now. George's study blurs into view and I locate him sitting behind his desk with dad across from him. He is nodding reluctantly. "George… you have to let go," dad sighs. The words seem forced from his lips and I notice George flinch.
Fred Septimus Weasley was George's twin; he had died in the Battle of Hogwarts. George and his wife named their first born son Fred in his memory. Incidentally, Fred Jonathan Weasley, my cousin, was born nine months after his namesake's funeral. I do not know much about him, only what my parents have told me. Apparently George and Fred were trouble makers while at Hogwarts which I sometimes find hard to believe when looking at my uncle. The issue to Fred Septimus has been a tender subject recently as it came to light about a month ago that George and Angelina had never actually told their kids about him. Everyone else in the family knew accept for Fred Jonathan and Roxanne.
"I can't… I've tried but I can't…" George chokes out quietly.
I remember when Roxanne found out – she was devastated. She had been in detention (for beating up my Scorpius), organising previous detention slips when she had come across all their old detention slips, at first she had been confused but when Neville came in and found her crying, he got Madame Bell, the Flying Instructor, to come and explain to her. She told me some of the things George and his twin did. Looking at him through the key hole, I cannot imagine him doing those things – he has always been the quietest of my uncles, even quieter than Percy and that is saying something.
A shadow blocks my view of my uncle and I jump away from the door as dad pulls it open. He raises an eyebrow at me – a move mum says he perfected whilst she was pregnant with me.
"Oh, hey dad," I mutter, faking innocence. He seems to buy it as he nods and walks off. "George?" I ask, stepping into his study. In our family we never bother calling people 'Uncle' or 'Aunt'. "Do you know where Roxanne is?"
"Oh, hello Rose," he smiles faintly as he looks up from his desk, he seems tired. "No, I'm afraid I don't, have you checked the store cupboards? She was sorting through an old batch of Patented Daydream Charm…" he trails off and I nod, turning to leave when his voice sounds through the stuffy room again. "Do you think the shop is still okay Rose? Please, tell me the truth…"
I turn back to look at my favourite uncle. As a child, I often spent more time here than at home and George and Angelina became like second parents to me. The look on his face is one I have not seen before; it is as if he is pleading with me to tell him everything is fine and that everything was going to be okay. He looks so vulnerable.
"Of course," I respond automatically, desperate to make him smile again. "Maybe it could do with a few new products but it's still fine… the kids at school are always sneaking your stuff in, despite it being banned," I add on and his face lights up a bit.
"Thanks Rosie," he smiles slightly and I haven't the heart to tell him not to call me Rosie.
"Rose! Is that you?" a familiar voice yells up the stairs. I say goodbye to George, having found the object of my search, before running downstairs to greet Roxanne. "Hey," she grins, "how're you? Enjoying the holidays?"
"Yeah, you?" I ask. We continue to chatter away about the holidays so far as we make our way into the kitchen where Angelina is making several cups of tea. She offers me one but I decline – it is way too hot to be drinking tea.
"So are you girls looking forward to the ball?" Angelina asks with a smile and a knowing look in her dark brown eyes. Roxanne flashes a grin at me which I am swift to return. Every year, the Ministry of Magic hosts a ball in honour of Harry Potter's defeat of the Dark Lord. Poor Harry has to give a speech and I know that Al and Lily hate it because all the attention is on them – James loves it of course.
Roxanne and I love the ball too but not because we are in the limelight. We go for the dancing and beautifully dressed people… and I might also love it because a certain someone with amazing platinum blonde hair will be there. It also gives us a chance to see some of our class mates dressed in dress-robes which can sometimes be highly amusing.
"Well girls you are in luck," Angelina grins, looking to my mum who is leaning on the opposite counter. She nods. "Hermione and I have decided that you could both do with a new dress for the occasion-" Roxanne and I simultaneously let out a loud gasp, causing our mothers to laugh before handing us some money and telling us Madam Malkin's has got some new stock in that we should have a look at.
I end up almost dragging Roxanne through Diagon Alley in my desire to get to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions as fast as possible. It is surprisingly quiet when we finally get inside; we browse through the new arrivals, chatting about everything and nothing. I have not seen her since she left our compartment on the Hogwarts Express; mum had taken Hugo and I shopping the following day and we dropped into Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes but Roxanne was staying at her brother's and I had not bumped into her at the Burrow either – I figured she probably needed some space. However, despite her acting off towards the end of term, she seems fine now and I know that if she wants to talk about it, she will eventually so there is no need to push her on it.
"Oh Rose," she breathes in awe. "This would look amazing on you." She holds up an incredible dress in midnight blue, I can feel my eyes widen as I take it from her.
"It's beautiful," I sigh. "But I'll never be able to pull it off," a frown creases my forehead as I thread the material through my fingers. Roxanne snorts and grabs another dress in a deep, wine red.
"Sure you will," she laughs. "Let's go and have them fitted." We make our way to the fitting rooms and are greeted by two smiling dress fitters. They take us into an adjacent room and allow us to change into the dress robes. As always, Roxanne looks absolutely beautiful but in that effortless way that us mere mortals have no hope of pulling off; I on the other hand, have to make sure I do not trip over the hem of my dress as I go to stand on the raised platform so that my fitter can adjust my it.
"Do you mind if we leave to door open?" one of the fitters asks, indicating to the door that leads into the main area of the shop. "Otherwise it gets awfully hot in here," she explains and I nod. I love having my dress fitted, the feel of the fabric falling gracefully to the floor around my legs, the way it pinches in my waist and makes me feel like a woman.
Roxanne has grown quite again but I hardly notice as I chat to the fitter about the dress. My attention is, however, caught by the rush of warm air that comes in with two figures through the front door of the shop. The first is a tall woman with sleek black hair twisted elegantly at the base of her skull; the second is an even taller boy with dazzlingly platinum blonde hair.
My heart picks up its pace as it jumps into my throat: Scorpius.
Turning swiftly to Roxanne, I ignore the protests of my fitter at my sudden movement. Roxanne however, does not seem to have noticed that her arched nemesis has just walked in. I glance back at the open door of the fitting room but Scorpius has vanished from sight. My desire to see him, knowing his proximity, overcomes me.
"Do you mind if I use the lavatory?" I ask the dress fitter politely, she huffs and nods in irritation. Gathering the material in my right hand, I step down from platform and hurry in the direction of the toilets. The shop is still relatively empty as I make my way between rows of dress robes and material. The toilets are located at the back of the shop and I head towards them so as not to raise suspicion from the fitter should she be watching.
However, just before I reach them, I take a left turn and come face to face with the black haired woman who had walked in with my Scorpius – Astoria Malfoy: his mother.
"Oh, I am terribly sorry," I mutter, feeling a flush crawl across my face. Mrs Malfoy just looks me up and down, no doubt taking in my half pinned, dark blue dress and flaming red hair that is tangled down my back. What a perfect first impression to give the mother of the boy I am in love with… Please note the sarcasm.
"Do not worry about it… Miss Weasley," smiles Mrs Malfoy. Of course she would know my name – I am the daughter of two thirds of the Golden Trio, it would be weird if she did not – but it still makes me feel slightly unnerved. She continues to study me, her dark blue eyes gazing into my lighter ones. Unsure what else to do, I stare straight back at her, taking in her pale, ivory skin, completely void of any blemishes, her red stained lips and her long black robes that hang gracefully from her tall frame. After what seems an age, she nods once before moving on and leaving me somewhat dumbfound.
It does not take long however, for my mind to wonder back to its original purpose – to locate Scorpius.
My mind refuses to think straight, knowing Scorpius is somewhere nearby but I cannot see him. I tip-toe around the shop, in search of my beloved platinum blonde hair, for the best part of five minutes. At last, I decide I should return to the dress fitters before they become suspicious. And that it when I see him. He is leaning against the door frame of the fitting room, looking in. I stop in my tracks, I can only see his back but it is enough to send tingles of delight through my body. Attempting to compose myself, I hesitantly approach him, wondering how best to get his attention. I focus on my breathing. In. Out. In. Out…
"Excuse me?" I send a silent thank you to Merlin that my voice is normal. Scorpius, however, does not seem to have heard me as he does not react so I have to repeat myself a little louder. Eventually, he spins around, an almost guilty look on his face as he apologies and hurries off. Odd. I have never seen Scorpius so flustered before.
As I sigh and walk into the fitting rooms, I notice Roxanne is staring at the doorway; she looks like she has seen a ghost (in the muggle sense that is, we see ghost all the time and they really aren't that frightening).
"Roxanne… are you alright?" I ask hesitantly, she blinks and recovered herself before smiling at me as if nothing was wrong – which her previous expression disagreed with.
""Yes, I'm fine, that colour is lovely on you."
"Thanks," I smile back as the dress fitters come back in and I return to my platform-thing. Neither of us speaks as we finish getting our dress robes fitted, both too lost in thought… my mind drifts back to Scorpius and how I would look in his arms.
Friday 26th April
"Rose!" mum yells up the stairs. "Hurry up! We're leaving!"
"Coming!" I shout, shoving my make-up bag into my bag and running downstairs, two steps at a time. Hugo and mum are standing by the fireplace waiting for me. Quickly throwing a handful of floo powder into the empty fireplace, mum shoves me into the now green flames. "Number Seven, Orchard Road," I say as the flames lick harmlessly up my legs. Sitting rooms spin past me, kitchens, bedrooms, studies… Finally, I tumble out onto a faded carpet and am greeted with a screech as Lucy throws herself at me. "Oh, hello Luc," I laugh, scrambling out of the fireplace so mum and Hugo can floo in behind me.
"I'm so glad you're here, this means you can do my hair! I've been worried about that for ages – Molly just can't do it like you do Rose!" she grinned, messing up my own hair.
"Hermione, come in, I've made tea," comes Audrey's voice from the doorway. Tonight is the night of the Ministry Ball and mum has to go early with Audrey to check security details so mum thought it would be easier if Hugo and I went with Molly and Lucy rather than get ready at home alone.
My mum follows Audrey into the kitchen and Hugo follows sulkily behind her – Balls are not really his thing. Lucy grabs my hand and drags me up to her room, eager to start getting ready by the look of the place. Her carpet, desk and bed are all littered with an assortment of make-up, nail polishes, hair potions and other things that I could not even put a name to. This would be Roxanne's hell.
"Oh, by the way, Charlie's here," Lucy says, nodding over to the corner of her room where Charlie Goldstein, her boyfriend of two and a half years, was sitting reading what looked suspiciously like a Charms textbook on one of her beanbags. Ravenclaws. I will never understand them.
"Hey Charlie," I smile. He glances up and smiles back at me before glancing at Lucy. The way Lucy looks back at him makes me long for Scorpius. He is a nice guy but quite shy, I have never really had a conversation with him before and he tends to just sit quietly whenever there are people around. "What are you reading?" I ask politely as Lucy goes to fetch something from the bathroom. He told up the book so I can see the cover – it is indeed a Charms book – before continuing to read. Oh well, at least I tried.
"Right, what shall we start with?" Lucy asks, coming back in with an armful of bottles I would not be able to name to save my life. I stare at her in bewilderment.
"Lucy… we have like five hours," I protest.
"So…? We have to do our hair, our nails, our makeup, our dress robes…" she ticks the things off on her hand, a determined look on her face that she definitely got from her mother but had a faint resemblance to Ginny.
"Fine, I'll do your nails first," I sigh in defeat, knowing there is no point in arguing. Lucy settles herself against Charlie and splays out her fingers on the carpet, handing me a bottle of dark red polish that matched her dress robes.
"Hello Rose," a shadow looms across the carpet to where Lucy is now blowing on her nails. I look up to see Molly Weasley standing in the doorway with her boyfriend, Luke Moon, standing behind her. Having finished school last year, Molly is now working at the Ministry as a personal assistant to someone or other which is probably the only reason she is going tonight. She is the quietest of all my cousins, with long dark brown hair and although she is not ugly, she is quite plain, the sort of person whose face you can never really remember after they are gone from sight.
"Hey Molly," I smile. "You coming tonight then?"
"Yes, important Ministry officials will be there…" There you go, I told you that would be the only reason why someone like Molly would go to a Ball. I have often wondered how someone as unsociable as Molly managed to get a boyfriend in the first place but her and Luke have been together since there second year. "Well, bye," and with that she vanishes again, causing Lucy to roll her eyes. Despite their many differences, Lucy and Molly are actually very close, much closer than me and Hugo, but even Lucy gets fed up when Molly talks about Ministry officials.
Several hours later, Lucy, Charlie, Hugo, Molly, Luke, Percy and I are gathered in their sitting room, getting ready to floo to the Ministry. Hugo is chatting to Luke about dragons and Luke, who is now studying to be a Healer at St Mungo's, is telling him about a guy that came in the other day with huge dragon burns on him. Molly and Lucy are chatting quietly and Charlie is standing awkwardly, looking around at the gathered people. I take pity on him.
"You alright Charlie?" I ask, resulting in him blushing slightly.
"Yeah, not particularly looking forward to this though," he mutters, shrugging.
"Awh, how come?" I prompt, not really understanding how he could not be looking forward to this. The Ministry Ball was the event of the year. Everyone was there. Everyone. It was an excuse for parents to get tipsy and for children to take advantage of that and get a little tipsy themselves. Last year, Max Jordan managed to get completely smashed without his parents even noticing. Albus and I had to drag him outside and sober him up. He just kept asking us why Roxanne wouldn't go out with him. Life seemed somehow simpler then.
"I can't dance," Charlie replies so quietly I can barely hear him.
"Oh I'm sure Lucy will teach you, she's the best dancer in the family, and if she doesn't, I will," I wink at him and he goes bright red. I make a mental note not to tease him again.
"Right, are we all ready?" Percy asks, checking everyone is here. "Rose, Charlie, you're closets to the fireplace, you go first," he instructs. I gently push Charlie into the fireplace as I grab a handful of floo powder and throw it in. It's a bit cramped for two in this fireplace and I can feel him pressed up against me – poor kid must be crimson by now. I manage not to trip coming out the fireplace in the Ministry but Charlie is not so lucky, he stumbles and grabs onto me and we both fall in a heap on the floor.
"Ow," I whine, supressing giggles at the look of mortification on Charlie's face. When he turns to look at me, I cannot hold them in anymore and burst out laughing. He smiles shyly seconds before Molly and Lucy come tumbling out of the fireplace and trip over our bodies, falling on top of us.
Laughing, we untangle ourselves and just as I finally come free of these bodies, another body comes slamming into me. I blink in surprise to find Madison squeezing me tightly. When she finally lets go, she drags me into the crowded main hall where me find Lara, Nina and Roxanne grabbing some butterbeers.
Now, as this is a Ministry ball, most people assume it will be quite dull; however, they are clearly people who have never been before. Uncle Harry always has to give a speech (which he hates) but other than that, everyone just mulls around chatting and drinking and dancing. Luke comes to claim Madison for a dance and Madison agrees, much to Lara's dismay. Roxanne, meanwhile, is trying desperately to avoid Max's persistent demands for a dance and Nina has vanished off somewhere with a foreign looking guy.
"Do you think I'm crazy for being annoyed with Madison?" Lara murmurs.
"No I don't think it's crazy. Madison is just Madison though, she does what she wants and sometimes doesn't realise that it might hurt people," I shrug, sounding oddly like Roxanne. "Maybe you should just talk to her about it," I suggest. "But for now, I think you should agree to dance with that hot guy coming towards us right now," I grin, hiding my last few words behind my glass and nodding my head in the direction of a dark haired boy I faintly recognise from school. Lara giggles.
"Excuse me," the boy mutters, finally reaching us. "I was wondering if you would like to dance?" He holds out his had to Lara, who takes it with a blush and a nod. I wink at her and she grins back. Well now I am left all alone. Isn't that just perfect.
"Hey," Lucy shouts, dragging Charlie behind her as she comes over to me. "I'm exhausted! I never knew Charlie was such a good dancer!" she breathed, grinning at him. "I'm going to get a drink, Rose you don't look tired at all, Charlie dance with her," she orders, not noticing the eyebrow I have raised at her boyfriend, who incidentally was look anywhere but at me. To my surprise, once Lucy has planted a quick peck on his lips and run off for a drink, Charlie finally glances up at me, an apologetic smile on his face.
"Hmm, so Mr I Can't Dance…" I tease and he blushes, shrugging and downing the drink I had just put down on the table.
"You wanna dance?" he asks, slamming the glass back down on the table and looking me in the eye. I begin to wonder exactly how much he has had to drink already. He gets up without waiting for a reply and holds out his hand to me. Having nothing better to do, I take it and he drags me onto the dance floor. It soon becomes apparent that Lucy was not exaggerating when she said Charlie could dance.
The world becomes a blur as he spins me around, making me feel like I am floating across the dance floor. As we dance, he losses that shy edge I am so used to seeing on him and smiles openly at me, not breaking our gaze as we dance. Only once do I stumble. Into another couple. Grabbing onto Charlie's robes to steady myself, I accidently trip over the hem of my own robes and begin to fall hopelessly towards the ground. For the second time that night, I find myself in a heap, on the floor, with Charlie Goldstein. Merlin must hate me.
Unlike last time, it is Charlie's turn to begin laughing hysterically. I frown at him, trying to appear offended but his laughter is infectious and I soon find myself laughing along with him. Until a hand reaches down in front of my face and I look up into the slightly amused eyes of Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy. Did I kill Merlin's child or something?
"Are you alright?" Scorpius asks when I do not take his hand. His voice snaps me out of my embarrassment and, blinking, I reach out to take the offered hand. He pulls me up. In the crowded space of the dance floor, our bodies are almost touching and I can feel a familiar tingle coursing up my arm from the hand he is still holding.
"Sorry, I just, uh, tripped," I reply lamely. At last he lets go of my burning hand and I have to refrain myself from sighing in sorrow. "Thanks," I mutter again.
"Don't worry about it," he smiles. "Is your friend okay too?" he asks, looking behind me at Charlie, whose existence I had momentarily forgotten. By now he has also managed to scramble off the floor and is currently dusting off his robes and looking a little embarrassed.
"I am fine, thank you," Charlie says curtly. "I'll see you later Rose," he nods to me, using my first name for the first time that I can remember before vanishing into the crowds. I almost follow him. Almost. Before I remember who I am standing next to.
As I turn back to Scorpius, I realise with a start that he is no longer there and has left me stranded in the middle of a dance floor, partnerless. Well, that was the most humiliating thing I have ever experienced.
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