New and A Bit Alarming
Chaser 2
Chudley Cannons
Round 7, Season 10
Prompts: Chaser 2: A Fairytale Story
[era] next-gen
[color] bright yellow
[word] refresh
For my prompt of fairytale story, I have taken inspiration from Beauty and the Beast
Rose squealed and quickly wrapped her arms around her husband's neck as she felt his strong arms slip under her and the ground disappear.
"What are you doing?!"
"I believe it is a Muggle custom to carry the bride over the threshold, is it not?" grinned Scorpius, looking down at his squirming wife.
"We've been married three months now, Scorpius, I'm hardly a bride anymore," said Rose, rolling her eyes.
"We've been travelling for three months on an extended honeymoon, and this is the first time entering our new home together," stated Scorpius. "That makes you a bride in my eyes. Besides, you know I love Muggle traditions."
He certainly did. None of Rose's male cousins had been half as interested in their wedding planning as Scorpius was in theirs. In the end, it had turned out more Muggle than Wizarding with a bouquet toss, a father-daughter dance and most excitedly for Scorpius, a stag party. Having grown up with Muggle grandparents she'd always had a foot in both worlds and so hadn't minded, in fact, she loved his enthusiasm.
His enthusiasm for their new home and project was what persuaded her to go along with it in the first place. They were going to give Malfoy Manor, in what were Scorpius's words, a refresh. As it had been in his family for generations, it meant they didn't have to pay anything, which she could understand his enthusiasm for as the housing market in both the Wizarding and Muggle world for first time buyers was pretty dire. His parents had no longer wished to reside there and had moved to a smaller home nearby, meaning they would have complete privacy.
Rose and Scorpius were moving in on the understanding that they were going to go through the place inch by inch and ensure there was nothing left in the Manor that could be a danger to anyone if they chose in the future to sell. Also, it had been a long time since the property was decorated and so required general renovations as well.
"What's in that head of yours?" asked Scorpius, looking down at her. "Are you regretting coming here?"
Rose cupped his cheek gently. "Of course not, Scorp. This is all part of the adventure. Our adventure."
"Are you sure? I sometimes feel like I've kidnapped you from your family, and I'm going to be keeping you hostage, locked up in a scary castle," admitted Scorpius, with a blush very uncharacteristic for a Malfoy. "I don't want you to feel like you'll never see your family."
"Scorpius, I am a witch! If I want to see my family I can Apparate or Floo, whenever I want," said Ross, with a gentle laugh.
"Okay, I just want to make sure you feel comfortable and at home here," said Scorpius, resting his forehead against hers. "The Manor is your home now, so you can go anywhere you like, except the West Wing.
"What's in the West Wing?" asked Rose, intrigued.
"It's forbidden!"
"What?"
"Only joking," grinned Scorpius. "But it's where a lot of the dark magical items are so it's probably for the best if neither of us goes there alone."
Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months and very little had changed at Malfoy Manor. Although they had both been certified Healers for over a year, they had forgotten whilst travelling how tiring long shifts at the hospital were and so the last thing they had wanted to do when they came home was put in a hard graft cleaning, decorating or curse breaking.
The result was that Rose definitely didn't feel as at home as she wanted to. She put on a brave face for her husband because she knew it would upset him. The Manor was his responsibility now and he wanted to make it a more joyful and safe space, and she wanted to support him with that.
Other than her clothes, she'd barely unpacked her belongings. Her bright, cheerful looking items and furniture felt out of place and had a rather jarring effect in contrast rather than increasing the homeliness. She'd brought her blanket from home, a bright sunshine yellow, and amongst the dark woods and greens of Scorpius's (and now hers) bedroom, it felt decidedly out of place.
When Scorpius wasn't at home, the one comfort to her was Potts, the elderly House-Elf who lived with them. Potts had arrived at Malfoy Manor many years ago when Astoria, Scorpius's mother, married his father. The little wizened House-Elf had always been treated with kindness and respect, and was a much beloved member of the family. She'd had her own clothes, always wearing a little purple bonnet with a variety of frilly dresses, and had always been paid a fair wage. Astoria hadn't wanted to leave her behind when the older Malfoys had moved, but Potts was very old and they had all worried how she would cope leaving her home. She was actually retired but she loved to bake, so Rose tried to make time to have tea and cake with her on the days she wasn't working or Scorpius was busy.
Rose always enjoyed these moments, as she learnt a lot about Master Scorpius in his younger years. She could picture a less wrinkly Potts trying to keep a mischievous silver haired toddler in line. It was nice having more than just Scorpius as her connection to the place, and having someone she could talk to that understood how she felt about this house.
"I have a surprise for you!"
Rose almost stumbled out of the kitchen fireplace she had just flooed into.
"Merlin, Scorp, you scared me half to death," breathed Rose, holding her hand against her chest.
"Sorry, just excited," grinned Scorpius, holding out his hand to help her step out and then hurriedly swatting her lime green robes to brush the ash off.
"Have you managed to get rid of the Boggart from the armoire in your grandparent's old room?"
"Why would that be a surprise?"
"It would be a surprise that you've ticked something off of the list," drawled Rose.
"Well, no, that can be a surprise for a different day," replied Scorpius, batting his hand dismissively. "This one is better, come with me."
He waved his wand faster than she could question it, and all of a sudden her eyes were covered with a soft dark material.
"Scorpius!"
"It's not a proper surprise without a blindfold! Trust me."
And she did, so she let him guide her blindly throughout the house with only a few stumbles and bashes into doorframes. Even with all of her senses she sometimes felt lost in this house, so with her eyes covered it took no time at all before she was completely disoriented. After a few minutes Scorpius brought her to a stop, and with his hands on her upper arms, repositioned her.
"Okay, I'm going to take the blindfold off now."
She felt a rustle behind her head as he untied it and all of a sudden darkness fell away to blinding light.
She was in awe as she looked around the wide circular room she barely recognized. The Malfoy Manor library had been completely transformed.
"Do you like it?" asked Scorpius, sheepishly.
"I love it," replied Rose, dazed. She stared all around her, gazing up at the full floor to ceiling bookshelves, the bright yellow walls in between and the huge glass windows overlooking the gardens. "I didn't even know this room had windows when we first looked in."
It had been dark and dreary, filled with musty boxes and Doxy filled drapes. Now it was sunshine and joy. There were squishy armchairs, and shiny brass lamps, vases filled with fresh flowers and soft rugs underfoot.
"I thought we were going to focus on the other side of the house first," said Rose, confused.
"I know, but everything is taking longer than planned and I don't want you feeling uncomfortable in your own home anymore."
"How did you-"
"You're not the only one who enjoys Potts' homemade Victoria sponge cake," said Scorpius, arching his eyebrow. "You should have told me."
Rose blushed. "I didn't want it to seem like I didn't support your goals."
"You're an idiot," smiled Scorpius, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close. "My goal is for our life to be an adventure together and for us both to be happy."
"I am happy with you," sighed Rose, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"And now when you're not with me, you have your own space to be happy in," stated Scorpius, giving her a squeeze. "Bright sunshine yellow for my bright sunshine girl. Merlin knows what half of these books contain, but I've also unpacked your boxes of books and I went to your parents and asked for any you might have left there as well."
"This is amazing! You are amazing!"
"It's just a little clean, a little paint. I just refreshed it a bit really."
"This is more than a refresh, Scorp, this was some serious effort and I love you for it."
"Well, I love you."
"I really think we can make this house something special, you know," mused Rose, still staring at around the large room.
"Together?"
"Together."