ROSE
Christmas should be a happy holiday, but my family is as tense as it's ever been. Scorpius and I haven't spoken for obvious reasons. But, that's taken a backseat to all the news that went on with Isobelle. I still can't believe Simon is dead. We never really got along nor did we speak, considering he was a greedy racist, but he was still Isobelle's husband. I honestly didn't think she would care. They didn't seem to get along too well. The only thing Isobelle really wanted from him was his money and status. She cried and cried for two days, and Dad's basically had to fight the reporters off the front lawn. The media are a greedy and bloodsucking lot of people.
To distract from all the chaos, Mum still insisted on celebrating Christmas as normal. She invited over all the Potters, and she's spent almost all day cooking dinner. She tried to encourage Isobelle to help, but she preferred lying in her bed with Delphine. She said she didn't want to speak to anyone other than Teddy, who apparently is the only person who actually understands her and cares for her. It's a load of dragonshit, and I'm honestly over her. She's my sister, but I don't feel bad for her at all.
My family's sitting in the living room. We've already opened our presents from one another. Hugo and Nina are playing a game. Scorpius is writing a long letter, probably to one of his friends, and Dad is reading his newspaper. I'm trying to read a book, but I can't really focus.
A noise on the stairs catches my attention. Delphine rushes down the stairs. "Presents!" she cheers. "Presents! Presents!" Her curls are tied in a large green and gold ribbon, and her silk robes are covered in frills and bows. I know immediately that Isobelle dressed her. Delphine isn't anything to her other than a pawn and a doll.
Isobelle's voice comes after her. "Walk, Delphine." Isobelle wears long robes. They're a deep wine color with gold trimming. She always insists on dressing so ostentatiously. It's a rather nice color for someone whose husband just died. She hasn't worn a stitch of black. She takes Delphine's hand in hers.
"Would you like to open your presents, Darling?" Isobelle doesn't seem upset in the slightest. She's actually smiling widely. Her wedding ring is gone. It's strange, considering Isobelle spent the majority of the past couple days crying. Perhaps she's only putting on a brave face for Delphine, but I don't think she's that great of a mother.
"Yes, Mummy!" Delphine says rushing over to the Christmas tree. Isobelle spent a ridiculous amount of money on Delphine's presents. She yelled at the house-elves all last night, telling them the gifts had to be arranged perfectly and wrapped with large bows just how Delphine liked. If they weren't bound to serve her, they'd probably kill her instead.
Mum gives Isobelle a forced smile. "Happy Christmas, Isobelle. How are you feeling?"
Isobelle smiles as if she hasn't recently been widowed. "I'm doing wonderfully, Mum. How couldn't I be happy? It's Christmas, and the Potters are visiting and Teddy… today is going to be absolutely wonderful."
Mum looks like she doesn't know what to say back. Before she has the opportunity, Isobelle rushes to Delphine to watch her open her gifts. She's going to spoil Delphine just like Dad spoiled her. If Delphine turns out anything like Isobelle I don't know what I'll do.
"Everything looks great, Hermione," Uncle Harry says, giving Mum a warm smile. The Potters have been over for about an hour, and I've felt more at home than I have in a couple weeks. Scorpius and Al are whispering about something that sounds inappropriate, and Dad keeps giving them a suspicious stare. Hugo, Lily, and Nina, are talking about Quidditch. James has been staring at Isobelle the entire time he's been here. He's fancied her for forever, and he thinks he has a chance since they aren't technically cousins. Only Isobelle's way older than him and she wouldn't like James for anything other than the attention he gives her. I don't know what he sees in her.
"Those are nice robes, Belle," James comments.
Isobelle sets down her fork and gives him a gracious smile. Teddy looks as annoyed as I feel. "Do you honestly like them, James?" Isobelle questions.
James nods. "Of course, I do."
"I was hesitant about them," Isobelle admits. "I wasn't sure if this shade of red was really my color…"
"Of course, it is," James reassures her. "You look radiant. Very festive."
"Well, thank you. I'm flattered," Isobelle says happily. "Today's been such a great day, hasn't it?"
James smiles back and takes a drink. "Totally."
"You're always so very kind to me, James," Isobelle says in a flirty tone. Al makes a vomiting gesture. Scorpius doesn't find it funny. He looks rather angry with Isobelle. "You're exactly what I need right now."
I'm sure that's all the okay James needs. "Well, I'm glad I could help."
Isobelle smiles again, her eyes shining. She sizes James up like she's decided if she'd want some time alone with him. "As am I."
"Did you receive a lot of gifts, Delphine?" Aunt Ginny asks, trying to shut her son up.
"I got lots of presents!" Delphine chimes in. "And so did Mummy, and Auntie Rose, and Uncle Hugo… and Uncle Scorpius and Auntie Nina…"
Everyone smiles at Delphine's cuteness. Albus laughs behind his hand when Scorpius makes an obscene gesture, obviously not part of the conversation. Dad shoots them another look but doesn't say anything.
James stops drooling over Isobelle long enough to pay me attention. "Oy, Rose, Al's told me you have a boyfriend. Is it true?"
I don't know what to say. I broke up with Lorcan, but I was such an idiot to do so. I did it because of my family, but how much longer can I ignore my happiness because of my insane family? It definitely isn't making me any happier.
Dad turns to look at me and I know he disapproves. That's why I only told Mum and not him. He didn't like it when Isobelle dated Holden either. But I'm much older than she was when she started seeing him. And Lorcan and I are the same age.
"No," I shake my head. "I don't have a boyfriend."
Al and Scorpius frown. "What about Scamander?" Scorpius asks. "I saw the two of you holding hands everywhere."
I could stab Scorpius. If anyone at the table notices how tense it is, they don't say anything.
"We're not together," I say firmly.
Scorpius looks like he wants to argue but surprisingly, he doesn't. He raises his white eyebrows, and then goes back to speaking with Al.
Dad clears his throat. "I'm sure they gave you loads of stress during the semester," he says to Teddy.
Teddy shakes his head slightly. "It comes with the territory."
Scorpius scoffs. He's rather disrespectful to Teddy a lot of the time. He hasn't exactly been off his high horse either since yesterday. His engagement party was yesterday, which involved all of us celebrating his farce of a marriage to Daisy. She hung off his arm all night, well until they disappeared and Dad caught them in one of the guest rooms. It didn't exactly make a good impression. Scorpius hates Daisy, but for some reason he can't stop shagging her. I don't understand how he does it so easily, or why I care. It's just odd to me how than can do things like that without having any feelings for one another.
Lily frowns and looks at me. "But Rose, I thought…" she gets the idea when Hugo subtly elbows her. "I er… thought it would be fun to play Exploding Snap tonight."
"I don't like that game," Delphine adds. "Mummy doesn't let me play that because it hurted me once."
"It's a very dangerous game," Isobelle agrees. "Perhaps when you're older." I notice Isobelle keeps glancing at Teddy, like she's trying to think of something to say to him.
The table falls into a bout of silence. "The party yesterday was fantastic, Draco," Uncle Harry says in an effort to start up conversation. I'd be highly surprised if he actually supported Scorpius' marriage, but I know he isn't going to say otherwise.
"Thank you," Dad says, "but it was all up to Scorpius and Daisy. We left it up to them."
"Then we're excited for the wedding," Aunt Ginny says kindly.
"As am I," Scorpius says, although he and Al look like they're about to explode with laughter. Dad narrows his eyes at them both.
"It'll be fun," Nina agrees, oblivious to Scorpius' overbearing sarcasm.
"Weddings are always fun," Isobelle agrees absentmindedly. She must forget that Daisy hates her almost as much as she hates me. It's probably the only thing Isobelle and I have in common other than our mother. "Aren't they, Teddy?" Isobelle gives Teddy an expectant smile, waiting for an answer.
"Oh, Yeah… loads of fun," Teddy answers quickly.
"I remember my wedding," Isobelle starts and everyone at the table suddenly becomes uncomfortable. I'm surprised she does, considering she got roaring drunk toward the end of it. Delphine goes on eating. "It was so horrible… I hated every minute of it."
Scorpius' expression tightens. "It was a beautiful wedding," he says in a forced tone, holding his fork tightly.
"Of course it was," Isobelle agrees. "But I felt so trapped, you know. I felt like I was supposed to enjoy everything Simon afforded me, but I didn't. I loved him of course, but our wedding was the worst one I've ever been to. Hopefully yours is much better, Scorpius."
"I liked it," James offers. What a git.
"Er, perhaps we should move to a happier topic?" Mum suggests, giving Isobelle an uncomfortable look.
"Oh, I hope you're not doing it for my sake," Isobelle argues. "I'm not ashamed at all. I'm perfectly fine saying that although Simon was a good man for his job, he was a completely horrible-"
"Belle," Teddy says calmly. "It's Christmas. Let's talk about something happier. Aunt Hermione's right."
Isobelle purses her lips. "Like what, Teddy? And like I've said before, I'm in a perfectly happy mood. I don't understand why all of you refuse to think I can be happy at a time like this."
Dad checks his watch, waiting until it's an appropriate time to ask Isobelle to take Delphine to bed. He just wants her out of the room. "No one's arguing your happiness, Isobelle," he says tightly.
"It quite sounds like it," Isobelle frowns. "And I don't appreciate it. I'm happy! I'm with all of you, and I love you all dearly, and I couldn't imagine anything that could make me any happier. Honestly, I could kiss all of you!" Isobelle erupts into a bout of laughter. She laughs so hard she clutches her stomach. She's probably drunk.
Teddy stands up. "Belle, let's take a walk."
"It's snowing," Isobelle retorts. "And I'm having such a good time…"
"I'm sure you have a cloak. Belle, please."
Isobelle stands too. Dad gives Teddy a grateful look. Mum seems a bit more hesitant. "Be a good girl," Isobelle says to Delphine before disappearing with Teddy.
Once it's clear Delphine isn't paying any attention, Uncle Harry looks to Mum and Dad. "Is she all right?"
Neither Mum nor Dad answer. It's too hard to tell anymore.
Isobelle and Teddy never came back for dinner, and it went rather well after that. I've been playing games with my cousins and siblings for the better part of a few hours. It's all good fun, and Hugo even talked the house-elves into cooking us up some more snacks, despite Mum's strict orders not to.
"Rose, you're damn near unbeatable at chess," James says, staring at the board with his chin in his hand. He hasn't moved for the past couple minutes.
"Yeah well, just make sure you move by the time I get back from the bathroom. And don't try to cheat, or the pieces will attack you."
"Duly noted," James says.
I get up and leave the game room, wishing the walk to any of the bathrooms wasn't so damn far. Whoever built this Manor had a serious misconception on how many times people actually need to use the bathroom.
Although I love being with my family, this Christmas wasn't what I expected. Things are uncomfortable between Scorpius and I, and Isobelle's finally about to go off the deep end. Mum and Dad seem a little tense too. It's sort of like our family's been broken into a bunch of small units rather than the cohesive group we're actually supposed to be. Sometimes, I don't know what Mum and Dad were thinking, getting married and believing somehow this was all going to work. They were wrong for the most part.
I hear voices down the hall in the alcove by the window. It's Isobelle and Teddy. They're talking. I can't hear anything specific just yet. I'm confused by how easily Teddy can put up with Isobelle. They've been best friends for years. I can't handle her for more than an hour.
When I get closer, I notice their conversation is pretty serious. They sound like they're arguing, which is confusing and a bit surprising.
"You're being silly," Teddy says in a resigned tone. I can hear them perfectly from my space behind the wall. "Talking about Simon- thinking about him, it's not a good idea. You need some time."
"Oh, I'm so silly," Isobelle repeats coldly. "I'm silly for mentioning my husband. Forgive me terribly, but I think I've quite earned that right!"
"You're being dramatic," Teddy sighs. How has he just now clued in on that?
"I'm not," Isobelle protests. "Teddy, I need you, and you're being so distant from me."
"Belle, I'm being cautious. You aren't." I don't know what Teddy's talking about but Isobelle doesn't seem to like it.
"I'm sorry I'm so eager to be loved. I've forgotten what it feels like!" Isobelle says histrionically.
Teddy sighs. "You're going a bit too far." At least someone understands.
"Teddy, I was so excited for you to come over, and now you're treating me like everyone else," Isobelle whines. "You should know better than anyone I'm quite ready to move on with my life, since Simon was such a horrible wrinkle in it." I knew Isobelle never loved him. There was something about them, how they always seemed so distant from each other or like they were one word away from a huge argument. She probably only married him to get a taste of the pureblooded life she so desperately wants.
"I thought you wanted that," Teddy counters, "to be treated like everyone else."
"You know I don't," Isobelle says in a calm voice. "Think about it, what if I treated you like everyone else?" There's a bit of playfulness in Isobelle's voice. I don't understand it.
"Belle," Teddy says hesitantly. "That's not what I meant."
Isobelle ignores him. "If I treated you like everyone else, you would be horribly sad," she drawls, and I can hear her take couple footsteps that bring her and Teddy closer. "But I don't. Because I care for you, Teddy."
"I care about you too, Belle, which is why I'm telling you to be careful with this," Teddy warns her. What the hell is he talking about?
"I am," Isobelle replies. "But you're a professor, don't you know a thing about special treatment? Favoritism?"
"Belle-"
I don't hear any more talking, but I do hear something much different and much worse. I peer around the corner a bit, and I'm absolutely horrified. Isobelle is kissing Teddy. It's no friendly peck, either. She's actually snogging him, for lack of a more mature word. She's reached an all new low.
Teddy pulls away. He doesn't look confused in the slightest, which leads me to believe Isobelle didn't kiss him for no reason. I'm disgusted, but I can't seem to move. It's like watching a horrible car accident. I grip my wand tightly.
"Not here," Teddy whispers. "There're too many people."
"No one's going to come by. It's well past midnight. Everyone's in bed," Isobelle says, playing with Teddy's hair and giving him a small smile. "You can't be afraid of sneaking around anymore." Isobelle presses her lips to Teddy's once again and this time, he doesn't seem to be afraid. He lets Isobelle proceed to shove her tongue down his throat without any objections. Isobelle takes Teddy's hand gently and rests it on her stomach. "What's good for me is good for them," she says in a tarty voice.
I want to vomit. Is Isobelle pregnant? Sure enough, the outside of Isobelle's robes end up coming off and I can see quite clearly that she is pregnant. I don't know how she's kept it hidden so long, but with her robes, it's impossible to tell. I want to vomit. Simon just died, Isobelle's pregnant, and she's still whoring around with her cousin. Isobelle is a rare being.
"I know," Teddy mutters, craning his neck to pepper Isobelle's neck with kisses.
She closes her eyes. "I can't wait until we're a proper family," she whispers. "You, me, Delphine, our girls… it's going to be so wonderful."
Isobelle is truly unbelievable. She's been cheating on Simon long enough to be pregnant and she had the nerve to pretend to be sad about his death. If she wasn't such an idiot, I'd think she had something to do with it.
Teddy gazes into Isobelle's eyes and gives her a small smile. She smiles back and laughs quietly. "I love you," she says, running her fingers through Teddy's hair. "More than anyone else." Probably loads more than Delphine.
"I know," Teddy mutters. "I love you too."
"Then come to bed with me," Isobelle says, pouting at Teddy. I have to give it to her, she's actually pretty, and I think I've yet to meet a man who thought otherwise. But little do people know, Isobelle's just as manipulative as she is attractive.
"Belle, I wouldn't feel right," Teddy protests.
"Oh, I guarantee you would," Isobelle smiles, kissing Teddy again. "You know how well I make you feel." She's disgusting.
"That's not what I meant," Teddy says quietly.
"Fine," Isobelle says shortly. She gives Teddy a devilish smile and then sinks to her knees below him. She begins to unbuckle his belt teasingly slow.
"Belle, what are you doing?" Teddy asks. I hope to Merlin it's a rhetorical question.
"Giving you your Christmas present, of course," Isobelle answers sweetly.
I can't watch any more. I turn to walk away but my wand snags on my shirt. It comes out of my hand and rolls across the floor. Belle stands up quickly.
"Did you hear that?" She whispers frantically. "You have to go. Go!" Isobelle stoops down and picks up my wand. "This is Rose's."
I want to turn and run, or disapparate, but I'm too noisy at it. Isobelle comes around the corner before I can even decide what to do.
"What the hell are you doing?" Isobelle demands coldly, crossing her arms and glaring at me. It irritates me how much we look alike, only with a couple minor differences. Her skin is icy pale like Scorpius', which makes her deep brown hair more striking. Her hair has much better curls than mine. They fall in long, chocolate ringlets like Delphine's. She has a button nose and doe eyes, which make her look young. Her lips are pouty and red. In general, Isobelle's just a more refined, medieval-looking version of me, which apparently somehow makes her more desirable. Daisy never ceases to remind me of that.
"I think I could ask you the same thing." Isobelle really has a lot of nerve. "You're disgusting, d'you know that?"
Isobelle frowns. "I don't believe I am," she says coldly.
"That's even worse."
"What are you doing awake?" Isobelle asks, like she's my mother.
"What are doing snogging Teddy?" I retort. "What are you doing pregnant by him even though your husband hasn't been dead for a week?"
Isobelle takes a threatening step closer to me and narrows her eyes. "If you breathe one word of this to anyone, I'll tell everyone what you've been doing with Scorpius," she warns.
Isobelle is beyond believable. How could she? I feel my eyes burning with tears of anger. "You wouldn't."
"Why wouldn't I?" Isobelle shrugs. "I doubt I'll have anything to lose. If I cheated on Simon, there's nothing anyone can do about it now. Teddy wasn't raised as my sibling, and this is a perfectly normal sort of thing. But you and Scorpius? He was raised as your brother, and that's disgusting. And I know you, Rose. I'm sure you were more invested in it than Scorpius ever was."
Before I can control myself, I shove Isobelle. Hard. She falls to the ground and makes a sound of utter horror. She's incredibly loud.
"How dare you?" Isobelle shouts. "I'm pregnant!"
"I couldn't care less! You're a selfish, hateful bitch! You're such a bad mother, you don't need any more kids! You don't even deserve the one you have!"
"Don't say that to me!" Isobelle screams, her eyes welling up and her lip quivering. "You don't know how difficult being a mother is!"
I want to laugh. "Neither do you! You'd rather drink and have sex and spend money than raise your daughter!"
"At least someone loves me!" Isobelle wails. "You've always been jealous of me because no matter what, you can't get anyone to love you! Do you wonder why, Rose? It's because you're so horribly rude and disgusting, and you think you know everything! That's why no man ever wants your attention!"
I hate Isobelle. I hate her for saying what she says, and I hate her even more for thinking she may be right.
Mum and Dad hurry around the corner, probably hearing the shouting. Mum gasps, probably utterly confused and horrified. Dad wrinkles his eyebrows.
Isobelle bursts into sobs, ready to play the victim. Funny, Teddy's nowhere to be found. "Dad," Isobelle cries. "Rose pushed me! She could have hurt me!"
Dad turns on me, giving me a dirty look. "Did you, Rose?"
I'm so annoyed and caught off-guard I can hardly answer. "Because she… she…"
Dad raises his hand to cut me off. He doesn't even care what Isobelle did. He just kicked her out of the home and they haven't spoken for days, yet he's still willing to baby her. It's ridiculous.
Dad reaches down to help Isobelle up. "I want to see a doctor," she says dramatically.
"It's the middle of the night," Mum reminds Isobelle. "In the morning."
"I don't care what time it is!" Isobelle snaps, waving her arms like a child. "Rose pushed me down!"
"How dare you lay a finger on your sister? Especially while she's pregnant!" Dad nearly shouts.
"I didn't know," I say defensively. "You k now, she loses babies so often it's honestly a surprise to me!"
Isobelle buries her face into Dad's chest and cries harder.
"Rose, don't ever say something like that to your sister," Mum says quietly.
"That is enough!" Dad shouts at me.
My stomach feels like it's tying in knots. I'm so angry and so finished with being second to Isobelle for no reason at all. It doesn't even seem to matter what Isobelle did. Mom and Dad don't care. She's such a mess of a human being, and they still treat her like she's better than me.
"You don't care about me," I say to Dad. "You never have, and you never will. And I've tried not to say anything about it, but it hurts. I don't understand why you love everyone except for me! I'm the one you always choose last, even when I'm not wrong!"
Dad doesn't even look at me. "That's not true," he says simply. It is, and he knows it. We were never close, and the past couple years he just stopped trying. Why should he have? It was clear Mum wasn't going anywhere. He didn't have any incentive.
"Rose," Mum says quietly.
"And you let him!" I shout, glaring at Mum. "When he ignores me, you don't say anything! You're so proud of his relationship with Hugo, but you don't care that he never talks to me unless he's mad at me! He doesn't care! He'll pick Isobelle over me any day because I'm not his!"
Dad looks at me finally, and it's the same look he gives Isobelle whenever she does something stupid. He's given up on me. I know that if I'm done trying, so is he. "You're just as much mine as Isobelle," he says in a resigned voice.
"That's a lie! You care more about her than you do me! I don't get Head Girl, and you're so disappointed you can't look at me, but Isobelle cheats on her husband and gets pregnant and you want to console her!" I shout.
"It's Simon's child," Mum says in a weak voice. She won't meet any of our eyes. I hope she feels guilty for what she's done. I've heard so much about how Mum was the brilliant, courageous, selfless war hero. Where did all of that go? She certainly isn't the woman I know. Being Isobelle's mother has drained her completely, and I think it's making her unable to be mine.
"It's not! I'm not stupid! Isobelle and Teddy were just about to shag in the hallway and I caught them! I heard everything! And Dad, you know it's true."
Mum hangs her head and I can tell in a second that she already knew about Teddy. How could she not have put an end to that?
Dad turns to Isobelle so quickly I'm surprised his neck doesn't snap. "Teddy is the father?" he demands. Isobelle doesn't answer. She looks away. "Answer me!" Isobelle still can't say anything. Dad shakes her shoulders hard. I guess he knew Isobelle was cheating on Simon, just not with whom. It's just surprising Mum and Dad knew she was cheating, but they didn't care. I wonder if they'll be the same way with Scorpius.
"Draco, stop!" Mum says loudly. Once again, she intervenes for Isobelle and not me.
"Is he the father or not?" Dad repeats, looking ready to kill Isobelle. She won't answer him.
"Isobelle, it's time you tell him," Mum prompts.
Dad turns around to face Mum. "You knew about this?" He demands in a deathly voice.
Mum nods. "It wasn't any of my business to tell. It's been going on for years."
Dad turns back to Isobelle, full of rage. "He's your cousin, Isobelle! I don't give a damn what any of the other purebloods think, I told you that wasn't acceptable! He's a family member! I've invited him into my home for years and you've said nothing!" He shouts. I'm sure Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny can hear him, since their room is closest. They're smart enough to stay in their rooms, though.
"Wh-what was I supposed to s-say?" Isobelle cries. "I love him!"
Dad scoffs. "I don't want to hear it. How many men have you told me you've loved?"
"D-dad, I-"
"I don't want to hear it!" Dad snaps. Even Mum jumps at the sound of his voice. She gives Dad a dirty look.
"Stop shouting at her, Draco! It's the middle of the night and your temper isn't making anything better! You're upsetting her, and you're upsetting Rose and quite honestly, you're upsetting me as well!"
Dad rolls his eyes. He's such an asshole. Honestly, he doesn't deserve for anyone to love him either, especially Mum. He isn't a nice man, he doesn't deserve for anyone to be nice to him. "Hermione, how my tone is affecting you really isn't a priority to me at the moment," Dad informs her coolly.
"Well, maybe it should be, Draco," Mum says accusingly. "I don't think I've been a priority to you at all for quite some time."
Dad sighs. "You know that isn't true."
"I don't know that, actually."
"Well, currently, I'm dealing with your daughter, who apparently believed her marriage was so horrible her own cousin was the only favorable option."
"Simon hit me!" Isobelle blurts out. "All the time! He was horrible, and cruel and he cheated on me, and he wanted me to give him a son so badly, and he hated me because I couldn't! He spoke down to me and blamed me for everything that ever went wrong! He controlled me!"
Mum and Dad stare at Isobelle in shock. I don't know if they believe her, but I sure don't. This is probably some stint just to get them to forgive her. Isobelle isn't above doing that.
"You shouldn't lie about the dead," Dad says, although his face slackens a little.
"I'm not!" Isobelle cries. "You can ask Scorpius, or Teddy or Jane! They all know! When you asked me at my wedding, he hit me then! But I didn't want to say anything! I didn't want to make you angry, and I wanted you to be proud of me!" Isobelle throws herself into Dad's chest, sobbing horribly. I still don't know if I can believe her.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Mum asks quietly, putting her hand on Isobelle's shoulder. "Isobelle, we would have understood."
Isobelle shakes her head. "H-he said he w-would take Delphine," she sobs in a muffled voice. I'm surprised Isobelle cared at all about that. I think she'd be relieved if anyone ever offered to take Delphine from her.
"Oh, Isobelle," Mum says quietly. "Well, you don't have to worry about any of that now. It's over."
Dad looks enraged. He holds Isobelle close to him like she's a child. As much as he wants to hate her, he never really can. "I made it clear to you with Holden that you weren't to let any man put his hands on you," he says sternly. "You should have been honest with me the moment it happened."
"Did Delphine see any of it?" Mum asks. Isobelle shakes her head. "Well, that's something to be thankful for."
Isobelle nods slowly and wipes her eyes. "I wanted someone to love me," she explains. "I never thought I'd get out of my marriage to Simon, and Teddy was willing to love me anyway. I love him too."
Dad looks like he wants to shout at Isobelle again. "If you think I'll ever approve of this relationship-"
"It's not like I'm trying to sleep with my own brother," Isobelle says quietly.
I could strangle her. She stares at me, narrowing her eyes. I told about Teddy, and now she's going to get back at me. Of course.
"I dearly hope that wouldn't ever cross your mind, but apparently you have no problem-"
"Neither does Rose," Isobelle counters.
Dad opens his mouth, and then frowns. Mum looks equally confused. He turns to me. "What is she-?"
"I Flooed Scorpius one day, and he was on top of her, and their clothes were off, and they were kissing," Isobelle says, like the memory's all too terrible to bear.
Mum gasps in horror. "Rose, no…" is all she can manage to say. "Is this true?"
I don't want to cry, but I hate Isobelle so much. She's so cruel and no one seems the understand that. Whatever Simon did to her, she deserves it and more. I don't know what to say.
"It was his idea…" I say dumbly. How can I say everything Scorpius has said to me lately? I wouldn't feel comfortable repeating any of that.
"Is that your excuse?" Dad demands. "I dearly hope you have an explanation for such disgusting behavior."
Mum covers her mouth with her hand as if she's going to be sick. She's staring at the ground.
"He… he told me he was sick of Daisy…"
"That's a lie," Dad says quickly, dismissing me. I'm not sure whether or not he's in denial or if he's truly that oblivious. His jaw is clenched tight, and he looks like an older, more stressed-out version of Scorpius.
"No, it's not. They argue all the time and they cheat on each other! And Daisy's an idiot! Why would Scorpius want anything to do with her?" I ask. I don't mean to defend Scorpius, but Dad won't call me a liar.
"So that gives you the excuse to try and sleep with him?" Dad argues. "Scorpius is your brother!"
"No, he's not!" I scream. "We aren't related, unlike Isobelle and Teddy. And Scorpius came onto me! I tried to tell him no, but he wouldn't listen!"
"Oh, so he took advantage of you?" Dad questions, narrowing his eyes at me. I wish I could say it was the truth, but it isn't.
"No…" I say dumbly. I'm waiting for Mum to defend me, but she looks too nauseous to say anything. Isobelle gives me a triumphant look. I've never wanted to slap anyone so hard.
Dad looks like he hates me. "Go to your bedroom. I can't bear to look at you another moment."
"But, Dad-"
"Go!"
Scorpius
I don't know much longer I can stand being at home. I've had this feeling over me, like a terrible cloud of doom that something bad is about to happen. I don't know what, considering I've shut myself in my room mainly the entire time. Mum and Dad haven't spoken to each other since Christmas, and I'm not sure why. The only people who have been acting normally are Nina and Hugo. I can't say it's hard to not look at her differently, considering I now know she and I don't share the same father. It hurts me, but it isn't such a big deal as I'm making it out to be.
The door to my room bursts open and Delphine enters wildly.
"Uncle Scorpius!" She shouts.
"You're supposed to knock."
"Sorry," Delphine apologizes, climbing on my bed to bother me. She rests her head on my shoulder and I can tell something's bothering her immensely.
"What's the matter?"
"Mummy told me to come in here," she says plainly. "She's fighting with Teddy."
Mum, Dad, Aunt Ginny, and Uncle Harry have all gone to work, but James, Al, and Lily are still over. I guess Teddy stayed the night, too.
"Where is she?" I ask. Isobelle's been truly unstable these past few days.
"The room," Delphine says vaguely. "Her little room."
I have no desire to see what Isobelle and Teddy are arguing about, but I'm also not in the mood to make a trip to Azkaban. "Stay here," I tell Delphine. "Don't touch anything."
"Kay." I'm barely out of my room before Delphine picks up one of my quills. Hopefully she won't poke her eyes out.
When I near Isobelle's room, I can already hear her shrill screaming. Teddy's shouting back at her, trying to calm her down, it seems, but it isn't working. I press my ear to the door.
"Why do you care that he knows?" Isobelle shouts. "He would have found out soon enough!"
"It's not that," Teddy says quickly, sounding like he's pleading with Belle. "This… this isn't good for us right now. It's too soon, maybe we need a break- Isobelle, put that down!"
I hear a loud crash and Isobelle screams in anguish. "I knew you didn't love me!"
"Isobelle, I love you, you know that-" CRASH!
I open the door, and Isobelle's holding a vase. There's already water on the floor and two other broken vases. The window closest to her bed is broken. She's still in her nightgown and Teddy's not wearing a shirt. It's clear they either spent the night together, or they were just shagging.
Teddy sees me, and he looks rather relieved. "Try talking to her!" he says frantically. "She's not listening to anything I say!"
I step forward calmly, putting out my hands. "Isobelle, put down the vase." Isobelle looks absolutely livid, angrier than I've seen her in months. "You're pregnant, you don't need to stress yourself."
"Teddy doesn't care I'm pregnant, why should I care?" Isobelle demands, her eyes wild. "He'd rather leave me than be a father! He doesn't love me or our daughters!"
Teddy's hair turns a horrendous shade of yellow. "That's not true!"
"LIAR!" Isobelle screams savagely, hurling the vase at Teddy. He ducks just in time for it to sail out of the window.
"Stop it!" Teddy shouts. "What's wrong with you?"
"You want to take a break from me?" Isobelle shouts. "You want to leave me, after everything I've done just to be with you? I put you above my husband for five years, and you want to call this off? Fuck you, Teddy!" She throws a hairbrush at him. And he waves it out of the way. Isobelle looks highly irritated at Teddy's use of wand less magic.
I dearly hope Isobelle is being the delusional little girl she's so used to being, because I'll honestly kill Teddy. What sort of man tells a woman how much he loves her, helps her to kill her husband and leaves once she's pregnant? I'd chuck a vase at him myself.
"Isobelle, calm down," I say to my sister, trying to stay calm myself. "Why are you so upset?"
Isobelle looks as if she'd rather murder Teddy than explain. "He said we need to take a break, that it was too soon to be together!" She says in a shrill voice. "After everything we've been through, you knew what our plan was! We were supposed to raise a family!"
"We're still going to do that, just not now!" Teddy says, trying to placate Isobelle. "Your dad's going to kill me, and I'd rather lay low a while. Like I said, after everything blows over-"
"How long will that be?" Isobelle demands. "Long enough for me to be stuck with three children and you can go off gallivanting with some other woman? I knew it! Who is it, Teddy? Who are you seeing?"
Teddy looks like he's beside himself. Honestly, there's no placating Isobelle. Some people may question her being a Malfoy, but she certainly has a Malfoy temper.
"God, Belle, I'm not cheating on you!"
"Lie to me like you always have! At least Simon was open about being unfaithful to me!"
"Don't compare me to him!" Teddy shouts, seeming like he's getting angry himself. That should be fun to see.
"Then don't act like him! You're cheating on me, and I shouldn't have been so stupid to think otherwise! Why do you want nothing more than to hurt me?" Isobelle asks.
"Don't even start! You cheated on Holden and you cheated on Simon! Maybe I should be questioning you, maybe I should be asking if they're really even my kids!" Teddy shouts. I can tell seconds later he knows he's made a grave mistake.
"I wish they weren't!" Isobelle screams. "You don't deserve to be a father! You don't know how to make sacrifices or what loving someone really means! You only care about what other people will think!"
"You're any different?" Teddy questions. Honestly she is. Isobelle couldn't possibly make all the horrible decisions she does if she was worried how people would view her.
"I don't care, Teddy! Isn't it obvious? I don't care that I'm lowering myself to be with you, because I love you! I don't care about any of this!" Isobelle screams, waving her arms wildly about the room. She breaks free of my grasp and marches to her mirror. "Material things aren't important to me, Teddy, because I love you!" She lifts one of her heavy jewelry boxes and dumps the contents out of the broken window. Earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings sail to the ground. She barges into her expansive closet and soon enough her robes go out of the window, following her jewelry.
"Stop! Belle, quit it!" Teddy shouts. "Scorpius, do something!" What does he expect me to do? Isobelle's quite crazy, and I don't exactly fancy going out of the window too.
"What did you say to her?" I demand.
"I told her we might need to be apart for a little while so she can have a chance to settle down. Simon's funeral is coming up, and your parents know about us now-"
"They know?" I ask. "Since when?"
"Since last night. Rose told. And apparently in retaliation, Isobelle told your parents about you and Rose."
I cast a hateful glance in Isobelle's direction. "You didn't."
"Rose told about Teddy and I," Isobelle says defensively. "Which apparently was pointless, since Teddy decided he no longer loves me! Apparently, I'm only fun to shag, but horribly difficult to actually love!" If it's true what I've heard, Isobelle is quite the conquest, but she's also my sister, which makes her saying something like that in front of me uncomfortable.
I pull Teddy aside. "If you end your relationship with Isobelle, I'll see to it personally that you-"
"I don't have plans to- I swear I don't. I love your sister more than anyone, I promise I do. But we need to separate." I believe Teddy. He looks like he's in an awful lot of pain having to remove himself from Isobelle's side, where he's been for years. But it may be necessary for the time being.
"Isobelle," I say in a resigned tone. "Teddy may be right."
"No, he isn't!" Isobelle screams. 'What am I going to do on my own- I can't raise Delphine by myself!"
"You aren't going to, this is only temporary," I say calmly. Teddy nods his head in agreement, but Isobelle is inconsolable. Before she collapses Teddy holds her, supporting her in his arms. She wails like she's dying, burying her face into Teddy's chest and clinging to him for dear life.
"Don't leave me…" Isobelle begs. "I can't be without you any longer. I love you! I'd rather die than be without you!" Anyone can say what they want about Isobelle, but she's truly a passionate human being. I couldn't imagine someone ever loving me the way Isobelle feels about Teddy, and I know I'm not capable of feeling the same about anyone else.
Daisy lies in my bed beside me, raking her fingers through my hair. It's been two days since the fiasco with Isobelle, and she hasn't gotten out of bed. Mum has been taking care of Delphine, which gives her good excuse not to talk to Dad. They've been horribly angry at one another because of everything that happened Christmas night. However, neither of them has approached me yet, and I haven't found a problem with that. I haven't seen Rose, either. She's shut herself up in the library.
"Scorpius…" Daisy purrs, her lips grazing my ear. I raise my eyebrows slightly, trying not to sound distracted. "You're so awfully tense."
"I've a lot on my mind," I say numbly.
"Isobelle?" Daisy questions. "Not at a time like this, love. Please, you should be thinking about me."
I only invited Daisy over to get my mind off things and, needless to say, she leapt at the opportunity. Seeing her since the engagement party makes everything feel more real. She played the part all too well: smiling in everyone's face, acting so excited to marry me. Of course, she is. She wants my last name and sex, and nothing more than that.
"It's not her," I say.
"Then what is it?" Daisy questions, kissing my chest. "Never mind, I don't care…" She smells heavenly, like a bouquet of flowers. I can't enjoy my time with her though, because I'm more preoccupied with one flower in particular.
"I'm sure you don't."
Daisy sets me with her sultry golden eyes. She's animalistic in every way possible, disguised as a beautiful girl. "You never seem excited for my company anymore…"
"The excitement wears off eventually. I've been sleeping with you since I was thirteen-"
"Lucky man," Daisy grins, sticking her hand inside my pants. I can't help but inhale sharply.
"You made me."
"My father made us," Daisy reminds me, placing kisses on my neck. "So we're comfortable with each other."
"So no one else beat me to it," I say under my breath.
Daisy acts like she doesn't hear me. She leans over me, her curly dark hair tickling my chest. "Well, things will be proper a lot sooner since the wedding's been moved," she says, brushing her lips against mine.
"What?"
Daisy frowns. "You didn't know? I thought the point of this little meeting was to celebrate…"
I can't believe my ears. Since when has the wedding been moved, and why? "Why would I celebrate that?"
"Take no care to spare my feelings…" Daisy mutters, kissing her way down my chest and stopping annoyingly soon. I'd be a liar if I didn't say she didn't make me feel amazing. "Your father wrote my father last night to move the wedding to Easter Vacation… said it was better to get things done sooner."
I know Dad's only doing this to punish me for whatever he thinks I'm doing with Rose, and to get one of us out of the house. If not Isobelle, then me.
I sit up abruptly. "Get dressed."
Daisy frowns. "Scorpius, I-"
I push her away from me and begin to get dressed. "Why does it matter when we get married?" Daisy asks. "It's not going to make you love me any more and you're still going to be an asshole."
I hate Daisy, what she's saying is true, but it's not the point. "It's something else in my life I can't control, and I'm sick of it."
Daisy scoffs. "Try being a woman." At this point, I might as well.
Daisy has no choice but to follow me downstairs into Dad's study. I knock on the door impatiently.
"Come in," he calls. He frowns when he sees Daisy and I.
"Why didn't you tell me?" I demand.
Immediately, Dad knows what I'm talking about. "Scorpius, I'm not discussing this right now. I'm working."
"I don't care! You told Daisy and me we could decide when we got married, and you go behind my back anyway!"
Dad sets down his quill. He glares at me like he wants to accuse me of something, but he won't in front of Daisy. "Scorpius, the sooner you're married, the sooner you can start your family," he says, forcing himself to be calm.
"I'll still be in school!" I remind him. "Does that matter to you?"
Dad frowns. His eyes are tired, and he hasn't shaved. I can't imagine looking like him, being so defeated and knowing that I'm failing my family. I can't end up like him. "Scorpius, we aren't having this conversation right now, especially in front of your fiancée."
"Why not?" I demand. "If we don't have this conversation now, we never will!"
Dad turns away from me. Daisy has a slight frown on her face as if she's confused. I wouldn't put it past her to be. She twists her engagement ring absentmindedly on her finger. "Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, you are my son and you don't question me."
"I'm not your son! I'm a pawn to you. I'm some commodity you can used to try and stich up everything you've ruined since you had Isobelle and married Mum! These aren't my problems to fix, and I honestly don't understand how you think this marriage is going to solve anything! I don't love Daisy! She doesn't love me either, and you and Uncle Blaise know that! But you don't care!"
"Scorpius!" Dad says, his jaw clenched.
"We should leave him, love," Daisy says forcefully. "Now."
"You don't tell me what to do," I snap.
"You'd best listen to her," Dad says shortly.
I hate him. "I'd best listen to everyone else, hadn't I? I'd best do what everyone else tells me, since that's apparently all I'm good for!"
Dad turns around once again, and he stands up. I suppose he finds himself threatening, but I don't, considering we're the same height. "I don't care for your argument. All I know is, Saturday before Easter, you will be in the garden, and you will be married to Daisy. That's the end of it."
"See if I'm there."
"If you aren't planning on it, then you leave my home now!" Dad shouts. I wish I could, but I'm trapped.
Daisy loops her fingers through mine. "Scorpius," she says, tugging me. She only doesn't want me to be cut off. She's more worried about the money than me.
"Get off me. You don't care."
"Of course, I do," Daisy says softly. It's amazing how food she is at acting now that Dad is around. "I care about you." Dad looks like her actually pities her. Little does he know, she's a horrid bitch.
"Dragonshit, you do! You sleep with other men more than you sleep with me! You're the biggest shit-talker I've ever met, and honestly you're such a fucking fool I'd rather kill myself than spend the rest of my life with a whore like yourself!"
Daisy frowns. "That isn't any way to speak to me, Scorpius" she says calmly, wrinkling her nose. I know she isn't going to yell back at me in front of Dad, which is irritating. If he weren't around, she'd be perfectly willing to go head-to-head with me.
"There's no correct way to speak to you. You're too stupid to understand anything."
Dad slams his fist on his desk, and his inkwell clatters to the floor. "How dare you speak to her that way? Apologize!"
I shake my head. "I won't apologize for the truth."
"We'll speak about this later," Dad says, narrowing his eyes. "You should be ashamed of yourself."
"For what reason?" I ask. I don't wait for a response. I storm out of the library. Dad and Daisy can go fuck themselves.
When I open the library door, Rose is sitting in a chair by the window, curled up with a stack of books. She's sniffling, and I'm rather annoyed she's been crying for two days. What could she possibly be that upset about? Rose glances up and she narrows her eyes when she sees me. "Get out."
"This is my home too."
"You need to stay away from me," Rose says firmly, gripping her wand.
Still, I come closer to her. I'm honestly no longer afraid of the repercussions of our relationship. Dad can do what he wants. If it results in me not having to marry Daisy, I won't complain. "Oh, suddenly, you want nothing to do with me?"
Rose shakes her head. Her body language is guarded. "I never did," she says fiercely.
"We both know that's a lie. You're a smart girl, you can make your own decisions. You wouldn't fall under my influence without choosing to do so."
I can tell Rose is unable to argue with this. "I don't know if you're aware, but Isobelle told on us. It's not worth having Dad angry at me. You may not know how that feels, but it sucks," Rose says coldly. "And besides, you don't care about me. You have a fiancée. I'm just some conquest to you."
"You're not," I shake my head. "I can sleep with any woman I choose, if I wanted a mindless shag, I wouldn't have wasted my time coming to you."
"Good to know," Rose says pointedly, turning away. "You can leave now. I'm sure Mum or Dad is looking for you, probably wanting you to do something perfect."
I want to laugh at Rose, at how oblivious she is. She thinks we're such opposites, but I really don't think we are. "I doubt that. I told my father how I truly felt about Daisy, and I don't think he took too kindly to it. And Mum's too repulsed and confused by everything to want anything to do with me."
I can tell Rose is surprised I stood up to Dad. She isn't going to comment on it, though. She doesn't want to look interested. "Well, I'm in the same boat. Go away."
"I'd rather not."
"I don't care what you'd rather do. Get the hell out."
"I'd like to apologize," I say, hoping Rose will take me up on my offer. I'm so annoyed by Daisy and Dad that I'm desperate for any opposite sort of attention. Rose provides me of that.
Rose turns so her back in facing me. "I don't want to hear it."
"You deserve an apology," I press on. Rose's posture is stiff. I know she can't shut me out completely. She'll listen no matter what I say. She's a Ravenclaw. "I'm sorry if I pressed you to do anything you didn't want to. I'm sorry that I hurt Lorcan, well I'm sorry that I upset you, anyway. I'm sorry I'm stuck in a dead-end engagement. I'm sorry Dad blamed you for this. I'm sorry you feel forgotten about. And most of all, I'm sorry you don't understand how beautiful and brilliant you are, and how attracted I am to you, and that you don't realize that every day this family is becoming more and more irrelevant to me as I realize how alone I am. I think you feel the same way."
"You don't know how I feel."
"Then tell me. I want to understand," I implore. "I know I'm not as romantic as Scamander- I'm not romantic at all- but that isn't my fault. I didn't make myself this way." I come closer to Rose, and once my hand is on her shoulder, she draws away.
"Don't touch me."
"Why aren't you listening to me?"
Finally, Rose turns around. She looks like Isobelle, but at the same time, she doesn't. Her skin is tanned, even in the winter, and she's covered in so many freckles, and I'd like to kiss every single one. "There isn't any point to. You're just lying to me because you're upset and you want to be on good terms with someone."
"Since when is it my goal to be on good terms with someone if I truly don't want to be? Have I ever been so false?"
Rose falters, because she knows I'm telling the truth. She stands up to leave, trying to push past me. I grab her arm. Not tightly, but I don't want her to get away from me. Rose tries to pull her arm away from me, but she does it so weakly, I don't know if she really means it. I can tell she's confused, and the fact that she doesn't seem so resolute in hating me gives me a bit of hope.
"This isn't ever going to work," Rose says mindfully. I'm not stupid. I know there's no way Rose and I could ever have a functioning relationship, but I can't be bothered with that at the moment. "Let go of me."
I can't. I know I'm selfish, and terrible, and a disgusting human being for putting Rose in the position that I am. But it doesn't bother me the way it should.
"No."
"Scorpius! I'm serious!" Rose says. "I don't want this. Listen to me, I don't-"
I crush my lips against Rose's. She struggles against me for a second, and then gives up. She kisses me back. I didn't expect her to, but she begins to respond the way I want her to, and it feels anything but real. Rose understands me, how much I hate Dad and how horrible he is at comprehending anything that doesn't have anything to do with him. It feels absolutely incorrect and wrong, but it also feels human, like I'm not kissing Rose because it's something I feel obligated to do. And what a liberating feeling it is, having her under me on the library floor, kissing me, pulling my shirt over my head, and not in a disgusting way.
Rose has always been very private and proper. Although she's my sister, I've never accidentally walked in on her in the bathroom or seen her changing, so her body is completely foreign to me. Her chest is beautiful, and her stomach is flat, and although her body isn't overly voluptuous in the way Daisy's is, her hips are still very prominent and beautiful. Rose smells like a curious mixture of tea leaves and old books, and it's in intoxicating smell. Her face is red, as if she's ashamed of her body, and I want to tell her she shouldn't be, but I couldn't trust myself to speak right now.
I feel a bit guilty at the look of discomfort on Rose's face, but it was bound to happen sooner or later. "Is it uncomfortable?" I ask, fully aware it's a stupid question. I don't really know what else to say. Rose winces and nods. I kiss her, just to make her a bit more comfortable. I can't imagine Lorcan being so considerate. Rose puts her arm around my shoulder, bringing me close to her.
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Rose says softly, putting her hand on my cheek. I can't imagine Daisy being so kind with me or looking at me as if she cares about me. I think from this simple action that I may love Rose.
Minutes later, Rose is lying in my arms in front of the fireplace, bare and a bit sweaty. The hair around her face is wet with perspiration. Her face is flushed, and her lips are red. I'm too tired to bring myself to move, and I don't think Rose wants to either.
"What now?" she asks quietly, her voice gravelly. I can't ignore how perfectly her head fits into my shoulder. Oh, Merlin, I'm turning soft.
"I don't know," I say honestly. "We can't say anything."
"I know," Rose nods. She's silent for a while, and then I realize she's crying softly.
"Did I hurt you?"
Rose shakes her head. "I… I told Lorcan that I would-"
"Don't talk about him in front of me." How can Rose be so insensitive? We've just slept together, and she has the nerve to bring up her ex-boyfriend?
Rose looks down. She fidgets with her hands. "I'm not any better than Isobelle," she mutters.
"Why not?"
"I was mad at her for sleeping around, and look at me."
"You're not sleeping around," I promise her. "You know me, and you care about me… I'm assuming."
Rose doesn't answer. I don't understand why I'm so eager for her affirmation, but I am. "Yeah," she mutters.
I want to hold Rose close to me for an eternity, but I know come dinnertime, someone is going to come looking for us. It wouldn't exactly do anything to help our cases if we were found lying together naked with our clothes scattered on the floor. I don't want to care, but it would be imprudent of me, on my behalf and Rose's. She's more than a conquest to me and it honestly hurts me, because she's the farthest from attainable any woman can ever be.