Scorpius was drunk.
Very very drunk.
She noticed the way he swayed on his feet and pulled him through her open door, closing it swiftly behind her. Rose didn't really want the neighbours asking why her friend had turned up on her doorstep blind stinking drunk at 6 pm. She had been in the bath, trying to wash away the aches from a hard day's work when she had heard the pounding at her door followed by a sing song voice calling out her name. Or rather the version of her name she had adamantly refused since she was ten years old, elongated into a shrill note.
Roooooosieeeee.
That had been the first clue.
The second had been the fact that he had said hey at least six times and once in a rather dubious American accent.
Then he had looked her up and down, clocked the dressing gown she had hastily thrown on to answer the door and the way her hair was haphazardly contained in a bun and tutted at her. Actually tutted.
"You can't wear that to party in Rosie. Chop chop - go get changed. Quickly, quickly!" He had chimed, wagging his finger in her face and swigging from the nearly empty bottle in his hand. That is when she had dragged him side and looked concernedly at his form rifling through her cupboards.
"I fancied a night in Scorp – why don't you join me? I'll put the kettle on, we can watch a film…"
His shoulders had slumped , his hands still on the cupboard doors. She crossed the room, resting a hand on his back and whispering his name. She felt him draw a shaky breath.
"She left me Rose…she's gone."
Small kills were not enough anymore, she knew that. The Aurors were handling them far too efficiently for her liking. She had hoped she could reduce them to a state of fear with the seemingly random killings. There was rarely a specific motive for the bodies that appeared in rivers and in alleys and once, slumped next to the guest entrance to the Ministry itself. She wanted them to feel like nobody was safe but Potter was good. She had underestimated his steady procedure and calming leadership. Obviously he was always going to be a challenge but she hadn't counted for the faith his team held in his judgement. Surely there must have been someone to spread that seed of doubt that would paralyse the wizarding community.
Her nails clicked against the lacquered wood as she thought. Tap. Tap. Tap. She had to think.
She would just have to go bigger…more public…
A grim smile crossed her face. She knew what she had to do.