The next morning, Uncle Harry stopped by during breakfast.
"I'm heading out," he told Ron and Hermione. "Ginny's all set with the children. If anything happens-"
"Nothing is going to happen, mate," said Ron reassuringly.
"But if it does," continued Uncle Harry, "you both know how to reach me."
Hermione gave him a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Have fun…er… well, be safe," she amended, seeing Harry's expression. "We'll see you in a week."
Ever since Rose could remember, her Uncle Harry disappeared for the last week of July. He never said where he was going, just stopped by to pay her parents a farewell visit.
Rose recalled asking once where her uncle disappeared to.
"Everyone needs a bit to themselves," he mother had replied. "I'm glad that he's able to get away for a bit. You know how he gets."
Now Rose waved as Harry exited. By her side, Hugo was inhaling his oatmeal at a dangerous speed.
"You're going to choke," reprimanded Rose. "Slow down."
Hugo made a face at his sister but could not speak through the oatmeal.
"Rose is right," said Hermione, "slow down. What's the rush? Your food isn't going anywhere."
Hugo swallowed. "Lily and I are going flying," he explained. "Wanna come, Rose?"
"No thanks," said Rose, wondering why her brother always asked. Didn't he remember that she never flew?
"I think I'm going to see what Albus and James are up to," she continued. "May I be excused?"
"You may," said Hermione. "Tell your Aunt Ginny we say hello."
Rose found James and Albus crossing the Grange. As she approached, she realised that they were having an argument.
"You won't believe what this dolt has gone and done," huffed Albus. "Tell her."
"Good morning to you, too," said Rose, taken aback., "James, what did you do now?"
"Why is it always, 'James, what did you do now'?" asked James with a scowl. " 'James, what did you blow up this time?' ; 'James-' "
"James," repeated Rose, "did you do something or not?"
Grinning, James reached into his pocket. "So Dad left this morning," he said. "While Mum was busy saying goodbye to him-"
"They were snogging in front of the house," explained Albus matter-of-factly.
"-I went into his study and got this."
James pulled out a folded square of parchment. Rose stared at it blankly, then something in her mind clicked.
"Is that the Marauders' Map?" she gasped, taking it from James. There was only one way to check. She pulled out her wand, put the tip to the parchment-
And froze.
"That was my question," said Albus. "James was all for trying to open it, but wouldn't that count as magic?"
"I… I don't think so," said Rose uncertainly. "I mean, it would only be activating a charm on the parchment, right? Sort of like the map in the kitchen. It's an enchantment."
Albus nodded, and James shrugged.
"But on the other hand," said Rose, weighing the risks, "it involves your wand…."
"I bet Aunt Hermione would know," said James eagerly. "C'mon, let's go ask her!"
Albus just stared at his brother for a moment. "Do you think before you speak," he wanted to know, "or does it all just kind of… come out?"
"We can't ask my mum," said Rose when it was clear that James was not understanding. "She'll know you nicked it from your dad."
"Oh."
Rose put her wand away reluctantly. "We'll have to ask Uncle George," she said with a sigh. "James, I still can't believe you took it!"
He shrugged casually. "Ah, it was nothing. Besides, just think of everything we can do now!"
It was an interesting idea, but Rose had to push it out of her mind. "I don't know," she said, but then the temptation returned. With the map, she could sneak into the library at any hour, read any book she chose….
James chuckled. "Oh, you know you want to use it," he teased. "You can't scold me."
"I can try," sighed Rose. "I can only try."
Harry returned seven days later, looking rather fatigued. Rose was having breakfast with Albus at his house when he arrived. Passing the breakfast table with a weary wave, Harry headed upstairs without speaking.
"He looks exhausted," remarked Rose.
"He'll be fine," Ginny reassured her, but a moment later, she excused herself from the table and went upstairs.
Lily poured herself some orange juice. "Don't worry," she told Rose, "he looks like that every year. He'll rest for a bit, then he's fine."
A tapping at the window made them all turn. Two owls sat on the window ledge, each holding two or three letters in their beaks.
"Hogwarts letters!" cried Rose, leaping to her feet. She let the owls in and took their letters. "Here you go, Albus, James."
She ripped her envelope open and skimmed through the letter. There was nothing unusual on the list, save for one book. The Monster Book of Monsters, Third Edition.
"Why do we need the Monster Book of Monsters?" Albus asked before Rose had the chance. "Isn't that for Care of Magical Creatures class?"
"I've got one too," said James, "but I'm taking that class. You two are too young."
"We know that, James," said Rose exasperatedly. "We go to Hogwarts too."
James made a face as Albus laughed. Lily giggled, then grabbed James' letter.
"I want one," she sighed, running her fingers over the embossed Hogwarts logo. "Now, not next year."
"You just have to wait," said Albus patiently. "Until then, practice with Mum."
Later that day, Rose walked in on Albus writing a letter.
"I talked to Mum," he told her. "We're going over to Diagon Alley the day after tomorrow. I'm writing to Scorpius so we can meet up. Where d'you think would be good?"
"You need new robes," Rose reminded him. Albus had shot up like a bean sprout since April. "I bet Scorpius does too. Why not Madame Malkin's?"
"Madame… Malkin's," said Albus, writing it down. "Sounds good to me."
Albus sent the letter out with his owl and received a positive reply the next morning. One day later, the children gathered in front of Rose's large fireplace.
"Now, you all know the plan," said Hermione. "Say it clearly, now. Diagon Alley."
"Diagon Alley," the children repeated. Rose did it with an internal sigh. They did the repeat-after-me exercise each year before travelling via Floo Powder to Diagon Alley for shopping. At this point, it was entirely unnecessary, but her mother insisted there was a chance they could get lost in the Floo Network. Rose reckoned someone would have to be pretty dense for that to happen.
Rose was the first to go through after her mother. She emerged from one of the travel ports located on the side of Gringotts Wizarding Bank, brushing her violet robe off. It had only gathered a few specks of green ash, thankfully.
Hugo came out next, followed by Lily, Albus, James, and Aunt Ginny.
Rose glanced up at the large clock. It was already nearly noon, the time Albus and Scorpius had agreed upon for meeting at the robe shop.
"C'mon, Al," she muttered, tugging on his sleeve. "Mum, Aunt Ginny, Albus and I are going to head off for a bit," she said, already backing away.
Hermione looked like she was going to object, but Hugo and Lily chose that moment to dart across the street to a candy shop. Rose and Albus were able to slip off before their mothers could process their disappearance.
Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions was near the end of Diagon Alley. Rose and Albus slipped through the doors right as the clock struck twelve. A disheveled bird popped out of the clock face, gave a weak cry, then retreated back inside the clock.
Across the room stood a tall, frail woman by the rows of fabric samples. After a moment, Rose recognized her as Scorpius' mother. She had only seen the woman once before, on the night of the final Triwizard Task two months earlier. She had looked much the same then, like a gust of wind might topple her over.
"Good morning, Mrs. Malfoy," greeted Rose, a bit hesitant.
The woman turned, looking for who had spoken. Her blue eyes widened upon seeing Rose, thin brows shooting up near her hairline.
"Rosaline Weasley," she said slowly. Her voice was lower than would be expected from such a small woman. "What a surprise."
Rose regretted saying anything at all. She should have just crept into the next room with Albus, avoiding any attention. She just hadn't expected to see Scorpius' mother still here when the plan had been to escape their parents.
"I need robes," said Rose, sounding rather lame even to herself. "For Hogwarts."
"For Hogwarts," repeated Mrs. Malfoy. "But of course."
There was a long moment of silence where Mrs. Malfoy continued to look at Rose, and Rose refused to look away even though she desperately wished to be under the floorboards at that moment.
"I won't keep you, then," said Mrs. Malfoy pointedly.
Without a thing more to say, Rose scampered into the next room, Albus on her tail. This was the store proper, with walls stacked high with bolts of multi-colored fabric. Around the room were scattered low platforms in front of mirrors, designed for trying on some of the pre-made styles that did not require altering. Scorpius was already standing on one of them, fiddling with a few fabric samples.
"So," said Rose, causing Scorpius to spin around, "just saw your mum again. I don't think she's too fond of me."
Scorpius groaned. Albus hopped onto the platform next to him, and the boys greeted each other with a high five.
"It's not you," he said, "she's just like that sometimes. She doesn't like surprises, and I was hoping she would go before you got here."
To be fair, all of their parents had made an attempt at getting along. After the Triwizard Tournament, they all went out to a local pub together, but one show of friendship between their children had not been enough to erase the animosity that had carried over from their school years. Rose remembered her mum being disappointed in how the night had turned out, and her father saying that it was for the best, and some people would never change.
"It's fine," said Rose, sitting in one of the plush armchairs lining the room. "So, fill me in on your summer. Has it been as dull as ours?"
Madame Malkin swept into the room at that moment, her arms laden with bolts of fabric. "Now, then, Mister Malfoy—" she began before looking up. She froze, and the topmost bolt of fabric began to slide off the pile in her arms.
Rose had to stifle laughter as the woman leapt back into motion. Madame Malkin's glasses were sliding down her small nose.
"Mister Potter!" she cried, juggling the bolts of fabric over to a table. "I did not hear you come in. Welcome."
Rose coughed into her handkerchief, using it to mask her laughter. Madame Malkin was not the first to notice the boys' uncanny resemblance to their fathers. Professor Flitwick often had the same reaction to Albus, even after a year of having him in class.
Scorpius got measured for plain black robes for school. "Should I get new dress robes?" he asked, looking at some hanging samples. "I don't reckon we'll need them this year, right?"
"I'm not going to bother," said Albus. Madame Malkin's enchanted measuring tape whipped down the base of his neck. "I mean, what would we use them for?"
Rose roamed around the shop as the boys talked. There were robes of all colours and styles hanging in the air—school robes, Ministry robes, dress robes, and more. Under a sign reading "Special Orders" hung a robe that looked to be trimmed with phoenix feathers.
That reminded her—"Scorpius," she said, "where did you get that phoenix feather? It's beautiful, I love it."
He shrugged. "Just some mail order thing that Mum gets every month. I hear you can do all sorts of magic with it."
"I'll have to do some reading," said Rose. The truth was, she had already raided her mother's library. There was a stack of books on phoenix lore and magic sitting in her room, waiting for her to return and delve into them—a task she greatly anticipated.
Madame Malkin returned and grabbed her tape measure, which had been taking the length of Albus' fingers.
"Come back in an hour or so," she said, forcing the overeager tape measure into a drawstring bag, an act that it fought vigorously. "Your school robes will be ready by then."
Rose, Albus, and Scorpius returned to the waiting area of the shop. Astoria had settled into a straight-backed chair and was reading a small book. She closed it as her son entered.
"Finished?" she asked, rising.
"I have to pick them up in an hour," said Scorpius. "Is it alright if I go around with Al and Rose for a bit? We'll be back in time to pick them up."
Mrs. Malfoy glanced around the room, as if to make sure no one was nearby who could hear.
"An hour," she said firmly, "and then we have to go home. Make sure you purchase your other things."
Rose avoided Mrs. Malfoy's gaze and stepped out into the sunlight. The street was bustling with witches and wizards in an assortment of colorful attire, toting bags and boxes that smoked and sparked and whistled. It was hard to decide where to visit first.
"Which way?" asked Scorpius as he left Madam Malkin's with Albus. "I don't really know what's around here."
That struck Rose as odd; she had been on the shopping lane since she was able to walk.
"Really?" she said.
"Really," confirmed Scorpius. "Mum used to do all of the shopping. My first time here was last summer. Dad didn't want me going out before then."
"Well," said Rose, "this is basically the end of the main area. Then it starts going down into Knockturn Alley, which we will not be visiting."
"Let's start at Risputa's!" said Albus eagerly. "Scorp, I can't believe you've never been. It's...amazing."
Rose rolled her eyes but knew that Albus had a point. Risputa's was the best Quidditch supply shop in the area. For someone like Scorpius, who loved to fly, it wasn't to be missed.
There was the typical crowd of eager students assembled outside the window display when they reached Risputa's Quidditch Emporium. From what Rose could see around the thick bundle of bobbing heads, the focal point of the display was a color-changing Bludger designed for camouflage. Did someone actually think that was a good idea?
They wove through the crowd and stepped inside, where a beautiful magical breeze cooled them instantly. They only made it a few steps, however, before they were stopped. A tall, lean boy Rose vaguely recognized from the Gryffindor common room stepped in front of Albus, locking on with his pale eyes.
"You're James' brother, aren't you?" he said. "Albus, right?"
Albus nodded mutely. He had a bad history with statements that began with you're James' brother, right?.
"Cameron Thornton," said the boy, holding out his hand. Albus shook it tentatively. "I'm captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team this year."
There was a visible change in Albus. He stood up straighter, squaring his shoulders and raising his chin. Even Scorpius changed his posture; he stopped leaning on the wall and stood alert.
"James told me about you last year," said Cameron. "Are you trying out for the team this year?"
Rose knew Albus would like nothing better than to be a Gryffindor Chaser. He wasn't as loud about it as James, but Rose had overheard a few conversations between Albus and his parents about if they thought he was good enough. Both had the utmost faith in both of their sons.
"Yes!" Albus blurted out. "I mean—yeah, I'm going to tryouts."
Cameron nodded.
"Good. I look forward to seeing you there." His eyes moved to Rose. "And you're… you're Lily, aren't you?"
"Rose," she corrected, "Rose Weasley."
Cameron gave her a once-over that made Rose shift uncomfortably.
"Flier?" he asked.
"Referee, actually," she said. "I'll be cheering in the stands."
"Got it," said Cameron dismissively. "Albus, it was great to meet you. And you… wait, you're the one that James was trying to hex last year, right?" His eyes had finally landed on Scorpius.
"That would be me," confirmed Scorpius, meeting Cameron's flinty gaze.
Cameron stared back, then smiled. "You're a flier," he said. It was not a question. "Lisatt will probably get you on her team. She's going young this year. Shame…."
Another boy Rose recognized from Gryffindor called Cameron away. He nodded to Albus before turning and walking across the room.
The excitement buzzing off of Albus was palpable. He grinned wildly and bounced on the balls of his feet as he looked at the nearby displays, apparently too happy to speak. Rose offered Scorpius a shrug and went to examine another display for the camouflage Bludger.
When Albus and Scorpius had made their purchases in the Quidditch shop, they started for the Apothecary.
"He knew who I was," Albus finally burst out, still bouncing as they walked past the shops. "He wanted to know if I'd be coming to tryouts."
"I'll come cheer you and James on," said Rose with a smile. Despite James' position as a former reserve player, he did have to try out again for this year. It was something he tended to ignore when they discussed the upcoming season. "Scorpius, are you going for your house team?"
"Maybe," said Scorpius, significantly less excited than Albus.
The first time Rose actually spoke to Scorpius, it was when she had stumbled upon him flying when he thought no one was watching. He had it in his head that he should do his best to go unnoticed at Hogwarts, which included showing off his flying skills. She knew it largely had to do with his parents and their fears, but sometimes it was frustrating to see him purposefully isolated.
"I need to refill my Potions kit," Rose told the boys as they entered the Apothecary. "There's only so much that the student cabinet can do for you."
Scorpius groaned, and Rose thought that he was going to mock her for needing extra ingredients. Then she saw his eyes locked on one corner of the store where two burly boys were standing.
"Don't look, don't—ah, they looked."
Both were now staring at Scorpius. As Rose watched, the taller boy nodded, then turned back to his friend.
"They're in my house," explained Scorpius, looking around aimlessly. "Tobias Krimp and Taye Baena. Taye was supposed to finish last year, but he stopped showing up to his classes and Professor McGonagall said he would have to come back for another year."
"Do you not get on well?" asked Rose.
Scorpius shook his head. "They're alright, I guess. Not like we're buddies or anything."
"Then why don't you…." Rose began. Then something clicked in her head. "Scorpius, do you not want to be seen with us?"
But Scorpius laughed.
"Don't be silly, Rose," he said. "Nah, I just don't care for some of the older boys. Some of them can be a bit… old-fashioned, is all. Nothing major."
They managed to avoid Tobias and Taye until they stepped on line to make their purchases. Rose realized when she, Albus, and Scorpius were waiting to pay that the two boys were right behind them.
"...decided to go to Russia for the summer," one of them was saying. "Bad move, I think."
"Yeah, I'd like to see you tell him that," chuckled the other. "You know how Al is."
Rose sensed Albus shift next to her, hearing his name.
"Good point," said the other. Rose was hoping for more, but the conversation ended there. Still woefully curious, she paid for her extra-large mushroom caps and left with Albus and Scorpius. Albus looked like he wanted to say something, but Rose shook her head, glancing at Scorpius. Perhaps now was not the time.
"Let's stop by Flourish and Blotts," said Rose.
"Mum will get our books," said Albus. "How about a snack?"
Rose knew she was going to be overruled. She let Albus lead the way to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, pointing out other shops to Scorpius as they passed.
"And it's not owned by the Fortescue family anymore," said Rose as they reached the shop. "Hasn't been for years now. Mum said it was redone after the war and the new owners decided to keep the name since it's so popular."
"As long as it's good, I don't care," said Scorpius, eyeballing the extensive list of flavors posted next to the front door.
After they got their ice cream, Rose realized that they had completely lost track of time. It had been over an hour since they left Madam Malkin's. They took their orders to go and tried not to drench themselves in melting flecks as they raced back down Diagon Alley.
Astoria Malfoy was still in one of the waiting chairs, flipping the page of her book. She looked up as Rose, Albus, and Scorpius entered.
"Your grandfather thinks you've been abducted," she said flatly. "He just left to look for you."
Scorpius suddenly seemed very uncomfortable. "Which one?" he asked.
"My father, of course," said Mrs. Malfoy with a reproachful look. "He said something about wanting to buy you your first legitimate racing broom, but that was before you were so late. Now he's just out for blood. I have your order, let's go."
"We'll see you on the train, then," said Rose quietly. Scorpius didn't meet her eyes. "Good luck with everything."
Scorpius gave a jerky nod before following his mother out of the shop. Madame Malkin bustled into the room, carrying a flat box, which she handed over to Albus. While he paid, Rose tried to see where Scorpius and his mother had gone through the window, but they had already disappeared from view.
The rest of their trip was subdued. They met up with Hermione and Ginny in Flourish and Blotts, where they found that their schoolbooks had already been purchased. Both women held thick, wriggling bags with instructions printed on the side detailing proper handling of the Monster Book of Monsters, Volume Three.
Rose had ruined her appetite with the ice cream, but sat with her family as they ate together. It was one of the rare occasions where Hugo and Lily were not attached, and it gave her a chance to talk to Hugo about the coming year.
"I'll come back for Christmas this year," she promised, "and I'll tell you all about how school is, alright?"
"You have to go to the Quidditch tryouts," insisted Hugo. "James doesn't write good letters and I need to know what they do."
"I will, said Rose."
An owl's hoot caught her attention. There was an unfamiliar tawny owl sitting in the open window, bearing a letter on it's leg. Hermione fetched it, and the owl flew off, clearly not expecting a response.
"It's for you," she said, handing the letter to Rose.
Rose had been hoping to hear from Scorpius after the way their afternoon had ended. But when she opened the letter, it wasn't Scorpius' handwriting that greeted her. The letters were curled and uneven, all done in electric blue inl.
Dear Rose, it began.
Sorry for the lack of word this summer! It's been a bit hectic for us, but we're (almost) back in the country. We would love to update you now, but there's too much to write down. We'll be in touch soon with instructions on how to get us into the castle.
Much love,
Gemma and Genna
PS: Tell the boys we'll see them soon!
"Rose?" said Hermione.
"We saw Scorpius when we were shopping," said Rose, folding the letter and sticking it in her pocket. "His mum wasn't happy and made him leave."
Ron snorted and stabbed his chicken with a bit too much force.
"Figures," he said.
"Ron," said Hermione warningly. To Rose, she said, "I'm sorry to hear that. You'll see him again when you're back at school."
Ron looked like he was going to offer more protests, but Hermione silenced him with a glare. Hugo was regarding Rose oddly, and she hoped that he wasn't going to do that annoying thing where he ratted her out to their parents when she was lying. But he just stared, then went back to his green beans. For now, her secret was safe.