A/N Hey! I got back from my holiday yesterday from soaring temperatures to the dreary rain and cold of England. Yes, it is quite depressing but nevertheless, I have the next chapter! Hope you like it and please review! If you don't tell me what you think, I'll think it's rubbish and no one wants to carry on reading it! So, please, review!
Also, I got a comment that made me want to remind you all that both Scorpius and Rose are in Ravenclaw!
Chapter Four
"Zabini isn't the father."
I looked at Scorpius nervously, waiting for an answer. Any ounce of blood he had had in his face had been completely drained. I bit my lip nervously. I couldn't believe I had just told him. He was breathing heavily, his eyes glazed over and I noticed that the prat wasn't wearing a shirt even now. He was still gaping at me. In shock? In horror?
"Scorpius?" I couldn't take the thick tension any longer.
"You mean...I...?"
I nodded.
"Our child is in my womb right now," I tried to say lightly.
He just stared at me in the same way. What was he going to say? Why had I thought that everything was going to be better once I had told Scorpius? What if he didn't want anything to do with me anymore? Could I take losing the one I lo-...my best friend? The enormity of what was happening fell on me again but this time with the thought of having to face it alone. I felt my eyes tear up again and I cursed my over-excited hormones. I tried to blink quickly but my tears seemed to have jolted Scorpius out of his reverie.
"Rose...are you...are you completely sure?"
"Yes, I've taken muggle and magical pregnancy tests."
"But..." he whispered. "What about Za...Zabini?"
"Oh for God's sake, Scorpius!" I said heating up. "That night with you was my first and only time! I was a virgin before."
"Oh my God, Rose. I am so sorry!" He winced guiltily and looked at me apologetically.
"No, Scorpius, it was me as well."
He shook his head as he leaned in closer to me and tilted my face so I was looking at him.
"Rose-"
Bang! The door flung open. There was Mr and Mrs Malfoy. And Albus? And my father?
-
I noticed the position Scorpius and I were in: he was in boxers only whilst I was in his clothes, sitting on his bed, our faces only a few inches away from each other. Scorpius seemed to get the same mental image and we sprang apart as fast as dad's owl flies after he's delivered a letter.
"Scorpius?" Draco Malfoy whispered, clearly shocked.
"Rose!" My dad half yelled, half whimpered.
"I told you she'd be here," smiled Albus, trying – but failing – to lighten the situation whilst simultaneously smirking at Scorpius and me.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE PLAYING AT? Leaving in the middle of the night?! No note – no warning!" My dad bellowed, turning bright red.
Mrs Malfoy immediately intervened, "perhaps we should get a cup of tea to calm ourselves down first, yes?" She asked, skilfully complacent. "We don't want to wake Lucius and Narcissa."
She deftly ushered my still fuming father and Scorpius' equally angry parent out of the room.
"You should probably inform the rest of them that we've found her," she added to Albus on the way out.
The door clicked shut and just Albus, Scorpius and I were left inside.
"The rest of them?" Scorpius asked wearily.
"The whole clan is out looking for Rose," Albus replied.
I groaned and rubbed my eyes tiredly.
"So," Albus began after a brief silence. "Do I want to know?"
Scorpius rubbed his face in his hands and shook his head.
"Probably not, mate."
But this answer seemed to concern Albus.
"That was an invitation for you to start spilling. What happened?" He asked quickly, finally taking in our clothing – or lack thereof in Scorpius' case.
"Not what you're thinking," He answered but then reconsidered. "Well...it depends on what you're thinking."
"Mind not speaking in riddles?" Albus said coldly.
Ouch. I felt the ice from Albus' words: he was pissed off. Way pissed off. Even with his cousin and his best friend. Unsurprisingly really: he hadn't had his beauty sleep and without it, he was the dictionary definition of 'nightmare'.
"Is anyone going to answer me?" He asked without emotion but when no one did he continued more heatedly. "Alright, I've been awake since half one this morning" – didn't I mention the sleep thing? – "looking for my cousin who ran away fromThe Burrow on fucking Christmas Day-"
"It's Boxing Day now, actually," the Ravenclaw in Scorpius automatically corrected.
"I don't give a shit, Malfoy! What the hell happened between you two? You're half naked and you're in his boxers and shirt sitting in his bed! Are you going to tell me or am I going to have to hex it out of you?"
Whoa.
Albus was not in a good mood.
He had even called Scorpius, Malfoy. A thing he had refused to do ever since our First Year when some older students had tried to bully the young blonde because of his father's past. Albus must have been pretty angry to break this tradition and that wasn't fair: it wasn't Scorpius' fault – I had come to him.
"I just needed to talk to Scorpius," I murmured, looking at the floor.
"Care to elaborate?" Albus commented with the same ice as before.
"Alright, Al. If you think you can handle it," I said, irritated at his coldness. "I came here to tell Scorpius that I'm pregnant with his child."
-
There was a moment of silence where Albus looked between us, pure shock etched into every corner of his face. Then he lunged.
"Why you son-of-a-!" He bellowed, throwing himself at Scorpius.
"Albus!" I shrieked trying to pull him off Scorpius but he just shoved me away.
"How could you do this to my cousin? You've ruined her life, you fucker!"
I screamed even louder at him to get off but I didn't think he could even hear me. And what scared me most was that Scorpius wasn't even attempting to fight back. He just took the punches – why was he letting himself get hurt?! I glimpsed my wand on the floor and grabbed it, uttering a quick incantation. Instantly, Albus was pulled off Scorpius and thrown across the room in one swift motion, hitting the wall with a sickening thud. The only sound was heavy breathing – mainly from me. Then...
"Albus! What the hell do you think you're playing at?" I yelled. "It was me as well! I don't know if you're aware of quite how a baby is conceived but let me enlighten you: it takes two!"
There was more silence punctuated only by heavy breathing. But finally Albus stood up and looked at Scorpius.
"You're right, Rose," he said quietly without glancing at me. "I'm sorry, mate."
He offered a hand to help Scorpius up.
"No, Albus. You're right," he said softly. Then he looked at me, "I'm sorry, Rose. I brought you into this mess-"
I gaped at him, "what are you talking about? We were drunk!"
Albus looked between us and weakly smiled, "drunk and pregnant. My, aren't you the perfect role model?"
"Shut up, Al. Don't make her feel bad: she's been crying all night," Scorpius said.
I drew myself up with indignation.
"All night? More like two minutes!"
I sat down on the bed in a huff.
"Listen, alright?" I started. "Scorpius, you need to make a decision. I've made mine: the baby is not going to be gotten rid off. I am not putting any pressure on you to be a father. You're young, smart and handsome and have your whole life ahead of you: I... I don't expect anything. If you want to...n-not be a dad...that's f-fine," my voice cracked as I realised how difficult this would be without Scorpius, but I persevered. "I h-have a story planned already-"
"Rose, don't be an idiot! Of course I'm going to take responsibility! Who do you think I am?" Scorpius said standing up and grabbing my shoulders. "You don't have to do this alone! It's my child as well. I can't even comprehend not being here for you!"
My eyes filled in gratitude and the lump in my throat became a boulder and I found myself sobbing on his shoulder again.
"Thank you so much," I gasped. "I...I..."
"You don't need to thank me," Scorpius said rubbing my back. "What kind of man would I be if I let you have my child without me there?"
"And if you'd refused I would have actually killed you," joined in Albus whom I'd forgotten was even in the room. "And I'm not, for one second, lying."
"I don't, for one second, doubt it," Scorpius replied, pulling away from me.
"When did you guys..." Albus vaguely indicated the two of us.
"After we won the Quidditch cup," I said. They spiked the drinks and didn't tell anyone."
Albus nodded in understanding.
"I think we better face both your parents now," he said. "Uncle Ron will have told the rest of our family that you're here."
Face the parents?
Oh God.
-
I followed Scorpius down to the living room of the Malfoys with Albus by my side. He squeezed my shoulder and smiled, giving me a look a reassurance.
"If Dad tries to...I don't know...attack Scorpius," I whispered. "Stop him."
I thought Albus wasn't going to answer but after a few seconds he nodded his head. Scorpius pushed open the heavy wooden doors and walked in with my cousin and I following close behind. The sight that met my eyes was quite shocking, although I didn't know what I'd expected in the first place; my father and mother were there drinking tea with Scorpius' father and mother! And they all turned as we walked in and glared at the three of us – well, probably just two of us: Albus wasn't the one in trouble.
"Rose, what on earth were you thinking?" My mother immediately reprimanded.
I sighed. That was my mum: always straight to the point and far too logical for her own good. Not that I could chastise her for it though: I was a Ravenclaw after all.
"Well...I...I..." I stammered stupidly.
"Scorpius and Rose have something to tell you," Albus cut in, sitting on the sofa next to my mother.
I glared at him in disgust.
Thanks for sticking up for your blonde best friend and your impregnated flesh and blood here, Al!
The group of elder witches and wizards faces blanched and I could immediately tell what was running through their minds.
"You weren't...like...doing...you know...when we walked in were you?" Whispered Mrs Malfoy as though she did not want the walls around her to hear the conversation.
"What? No, Mum!" Scorpius denied hastily. "We were just talking when you inter...um...walked in."
"Phew," sighed my father. "Because if you two had...you know –" (I rolled my eyes) "– that would have been a...a..."
"A monstrosity and the breaking of nature's law," Mr Malfoy added 'helpfully'.
"Yeah," my father agreed – had they just agreed? "That would just be twisted and strange."
Scorpius caught my eye and I looked at the floor hurriedly. We both knew this was going to be the hardest thing we had ever done.
"Um...no..." Scorpius started. "Not quite like that."
"Why is she wearing your clothes then?" Said a perceptive Mrs Malfoy.
"I travelled here via Floo and got really sooty," I explained. "Scorpius lent me his clothes and I had a shower."
The faces gaped at me.
"A shower on my own!" I hurriedly added.
My, they sure had sick thinking minds for forty year olds. I rolled my eyes in annoyance and glared at the first thing I saw, which happened to be Albus.
"What were you going to tell us?" Asked my mother, catching the direction of my vision.
"I think you'd better sit down," I told them.
"They're already sat down," Scorpius snorted.
"How perceptive of you, Malfoy!" I badly retorted.
"I don't think you can comment on perception, Weasley," he scoffed but I ignored him – I had had that comment coming. After all, who asks a seated person to sit?
"Okay, you two! Stop with the bickering and tell us what you wanted to," cut in my father.
"Okay, okay," I said. "Scorpius, do the honours."
He glared at me and shook his head but I glowered at him more fiercely and he sighed in submission and faced the adults.
"Mum, Dad," he coughed. "Mr and Mrs Weasley. Well, there's no easy way to say this. You might be shocked but I beseech of you not to get too angry."
Oh for God's sake! He'd just said 'beseech'! Could he not just get on with it?
"I guess fate was tempted due to our family histories and-"
Oh. My. God. I'm going to have to tell them.
"Basically," I interjected heavily. "I'm pregnant."
Jaws dropped.
"Oh yeah, and Scorpius is the father."
A/N That's it for now! The next chapter shouldn't be far away. I beseech you to review :D. Hope you enjoyed it!
