Chapter 4

All hell broke loose. The girls screeched like banshees as soon as the explosion damaged their perfect hair, Dad's head whipped around, searching in vain for the source of the explosion, and James and Fred doubled over in laughter. Realization hit me and I put the pieces together rather quickly. Apparently, so had Aunt Ginny, Uncle Harry, Uncle George and Aunt Angelina, because the two women immediately started in on their 18 year old sons while the men tried not to laugh. Dom pushed back from the table, running inside to get a look at herself in a mirror. I caught Mum looking stern yet staring at the good-as-new cake left in place of the one James and Fred made explode with a slight sense of admiration. I knew that later on she would say it was really remarkable magic. Only she would find a prank to be remarkable and punishable at the same time.

As the dust settled, it dawned on me that Dom going inside meant I was alone with Al and Scorpius. I pushed back from the table, mumbling excuses about going to check on her and hurried inside.

I found her in the upstairs bathroom with Lucy. She began loudly abusing James and Fred as I walked in. I joined her, trying to match her annoyed expression. To be perfectly honest, I was used to our cousins acting like completely immature prats by now, and it seemed graduation hadn't changed anything. I saw no point in getting worked up over it.

Once I got a good look at myself in the mirror, I was glad I'd come inside after all. The half of my face closest to the cake was spotted with icing, and there were a few cake chunks in my hair. Sighing, I set to work pulling them out. I finished far before them, and tried not to roll my eyes as Dom started the very time-consuming task of reapplying her make-up before trying to fix her hair. Why she was going to such lengths when it was just family was beyond me. Suffice it to say I tired of her primping quickly, and made the decision that sitting awkwardly across from Scorpius Malfoy wouldn't be completely horrible. Bracing myself, I exited the bathroom and started down the stairs. I was just turning the last corner when I ran into something very solid.

"Oof! Sorry, I-" I stopped short when I realized I was looking straight into the grey eyes of Scorpius Malfoy.

He grinned, "You should be more careful, Weasley. Others might not be as forgiving as me."

I scoffed, "You? Forgiving?"

I made to step around him but he reached out to grab my wrist before I could do more than get to the next step. "Wait," he said, and something in his voice made me want to obey. It was almost… tender. And then I remembered that this was Scorpius Malfoy. He didn't know the meaning of the word tender. "You, uh, have some…" He trailed off, instead reaching up to pull a piece of cake that I'd missed out of my hair. I was infuriated to feel the tiniest shiver run down my spine as his fingers brushed my scalp.

"Uh, thanks," I said, sure my voice reflected my uncertainty of what I was supposed to do in this situation.

"Yeah, no problem," He replied, just as uncertain.

For a moment, it was just silence, both of us trying to decide what was supposed to happen now. Fortunately for us, we didn't have to figure it out, because Albus chose that exact moment to come into the house.

"Merlin, I haven't seen Mum this angry in-" His glee was cut short when he saw us on the staircase, or more accurately, saw us together on the staircase. His expression immediately turned wary as he approached.

I turned out of instinct as Albus surveyed the situation, wondering what he was looking at. That's when I noticed Scorpius and I were far too close for comfort. Finally gathering my composure, I cleared my throat, stepping away from him as he released his hold on my wrist. I hurried down the rest of the stairs, heading for the kitchen as though that was my intention the entire time. Once inside, I concentrated on breathing steadily while listening to murmured voices out in the living room, followed by footsteps heading up the stairs. What was wrong with me? Why did I react like that? I always figured that if Scorpius Malfoy ever touched me in any way connected with tenderness I would vomit, but instead- I didn't even know what to call my reaction. There must have been a draft. That was it. Nodding to myself as though it would erase all doubt from my mind, I turned and headed back out to the table.

Aunt Ginny and Aunt Angelina looked reasonably calm after having unloaded their anger on James and Fred, who were once again sentenced to de-gnoming the garden, a thought which put the rest of us in higher spirits, although it was disconcerting to realize the punishment carried forth into adulthood. No matter how many times they tried to explain that the incident was just an experiment for a new product they were working on, neither mother bought any of it.

"James Sirius Potter! I don't want to hear another word about it!" Aunt Ginny exclaimed shrilly as he opened his mouth once more. Her usual good humour was lost in situations like these.

"What's happened now?" Emily's voice sounded behind us.

James turned in his seat, standing smoothly and grinning broadly at the sight of his girlfriend. "Em! Thought you couldn't make it!"

"I ducked out early," She supplied as James approached to guide her to the table, kissing her cheek as he did so. "What have you done this time?"

James grimaced. She was not one to be deterred, a quality which drew him to her. No other girl had ever called him on anything before. After all, he was James Potter. Any girl he asked out before her was too head over heels to do much of anything but swoon.

"He thought it would be funny to blow up the cake," Dom answered, when it became clear James wasn't going to. Emily scowled as James ran a hand through his hair, looking properly embarrassed. Aunt Ginny looked pleased as she rose to greet Emily with Grandma Weasley. Aunt Ginny was forever grateful for the somewhat controlling influence Em had on James. He was far more reined in when she was around. As strange as it was, they were good for each other.

After the real cake had been consumed, I disappeared to the kitchen to fetch a glass of water, escaping from the madness that was all the kids heading for the makeshift Quidditch pitch behind the Burrow. I stared out the kitchen window at everyone, watching them divide into teams. It was always a huge debacle trying to get it sorted out so that it was fair, and it was truthfully why I avoided it at all costs. I loved flying and playing Quidditch, I just had no patience for all the formalities of it.

I found myself dwelling on the comment Lily made earlier in the evening. I prided myself on not being one of those girls who moped around all summer after a break-up, but perhaps I wasn't as fully myself as I'd thought. Abandoning the confidence I'd unlocked through something as simple as dressing well was not helping matters. Just because my relationship failed didn't mean that I had to. It only meant that embracing that confidence helped me to succeed in taking a chance on the relationship in the first place. It seemed silly to me now that I would revert back to the mousey girl cloaked in baggy t-shirts, but I guess after a break-up a girl needs a little comfort time to get back on her feet again.

A week later, I woke up to Dad bellowing up the stairs. It took me a moment to realize what he was yelling.

"They're here! They're here, Rosie!"

Struggling to shake off the sleep clouding my brain, I finally registered the full meaning. The Hogwarts letters were here. Meaning I might get my Head Girl badge. Before I could hyperventilate, I took a couple of deep, calming breaths. Just because I was top in everything didn't mean I would automatically make Head Girl. Nothing was ever for sure.

I cautiously made my way downstairs to where Hugo sat, examining his OWL results. Hugo wasn't one for excessive studying, a habit he picked up from our father, so his OWLS weren't great, and I'm sure our parents expected better, but they weren't terrible. I knew it had to be hard for Hugo, watching me open my letter while Dad waited with baited breath. My letter, not Hugo's OWL results, was the real thing he was waiting for. It was always my letter.

With trembling fingers, I slit open the envelope, gasping as the golden badge fell into my open palm. As much as I'd been hoping for it, I had given myself a healthy dose of doubt to go with my expectations, just in case. Being the daughter of two-thirds of the Golden Trio came with its share of pressure, and I didn't want to disappoint. I was constantly expected to live up to my parents' reputations, which included being top in everything, never getting into trouble, and never doing anything unexpected. Despite my parents' constant reminders that I was my own person and didn't need to pay any attention to what people expected of me, I cared what people thought about the Weasley reputation. I knew my parents did, too, on some level, at least in that they didn't want their children to be drop outs. Especially Dad, since he never actually did finish his schooling. It was like he was reliving his Hogwarts days through me, and I didn't want to disappoint him by failing to achieve the utmost success. The difference between my brother and I was that he took my parents' talks seriously, and couldn't care less. He said I cared too much, but I couldn't help it. I couldn't bear to disappoint my parents by living up to anything less than my full potential.

"Excellent! Just brilliant Rosie! Well done!" Dad immediately snatched the badge out of my hands, beaming proudly. Mum was more discreet in her congratulations, which I appreciated. Dad tended to go a bit overboard at times.

As Dad retreated to the kitchen, probably to owl the entire family like he did when I made Prefect, I read through the letter accompanying the badge.

Dear Miss Weasley,

It is with great pleasure that I inform you that you have been chosen to represent Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as our 1136th Head Girl. I believe that you will set a fine example for your fellow students, given your conduct thus far in your education. I expect you to continue to conduct yourself in such a manner, as this is not an appointment to be taken lightly. I have included a schedule of events for the school Heads along with this letter. Please be advised that it would be beneficial for you to meet with the newly appointed Head Boy, Scorpius Malfoy, before the start of term to reach an agreement on how you plan to approach the necessary responsibilities. I have every confidence that you and Mr. Malfoy will represent Hogwarts with the grace and dignity it deserves.

Sincerely,

Headmistress Cecily Vanhousen

The last sentence and a half of the letter was a blur. As soon as I read Scorpius's name, my brain shut down. How in Merlin's name was he made Head Boy? And, more importantly, how was I going to be able to live with him for an entire year? This year was the most important of my schooling career, and I had to do it while trying to cooperate with the one person I could not get along with for five years before Al asked us to call our truce. Even after that, the only way we got along was ignoring each other with the occasional pleasantries for Al's sake, and even then we occasionally slipped back into our old routine of biting remarks and angry departures (mostly on my part). How were we supposed to cooperate with each other when we were barely able to be friendly?

I could hear Dad's booming voice from the kitchen, and my stomach clenched as another thought occurred to me. What would my parents say? How would they feel when they found out I was to share a dormitory with Scorpius Malfoy, of all people? Probably around the same way I did. Great.

I managed to avoid the awkward moment until dinner. Dad had invited Grandma, Grandpa, and the Potter portion of the family for a celebratory supper, which I found highly embarrassing. I sat across from Al and beside Lily, who received a Prefect's badge along with her letter, pushing my food around my plate and smiling at the appropriate intervals.

"So, Rose," Uncle Harry asked during a lull in the conversation, "Do you know who the Head Boy is?"

Everyone swiveled to look at me with interest and I gulped down my potatoes nervously. I could tell Al already knew, because he looked slightly amused to see everyone's reactions.

"Er, the letter said Scorpius Malfoy was," I said, injecting confidence into my voice. I wouldn't betray my fear of their reactions.

Everyone seemed fine with this response. Everyone, that is, except Dad. He dropped his fork with a clatter. "What?"

"It's not a big deal, Dad."

"How does a Malfoy make Head Boy?" He asked, completely flabbergasted.

Albus bristled at this. "How doesn't he? He was a Prefect going into the selections, very nearly top of the class, he takes a full course load, and he's Slytherin's Quidditch captain. Vanhousen would have to be pretty thick to pass him up."

"Albus," Aunt Ginny said warningly.

"What, Mum? I'm sick of everyone judging Scor based on his last name. It's not fair. If it was anyone else sharing a dormitory with Rose, it wouldn't be a big deal."

Dad's face went even paler, if that was possible. I could tell his mind hadn't arrived at the whole 'sharing a dorm' thing yet. Lovely. Thanks, Al.

"Sh-Sharing a dormitory?" He asked quietly.

At this point I was getting exasperated. "Yes, Dad, it's not a secret the Heads share a dorm."

His mouth opened and closed a few times before Mum shot him a look that clearly told him to quit while he was behind.

"We can talk about this later," He muttered, busying himself with cutting some of his roast.

"What is there to talk about?" I asked innocently.

"Rose." This time it was my Mum's turn to warn me.

"What? Didn't Dad say this dinner was supposed to be a celebration? It has nothing to do with Scorpius at all, so why is it such a big deal?"

"You're right. This has nothing to do with Scorpius. I'm sure your father was just a little surprised is all, weren't you dear?" Mum replied with a pointed look at Dad.

"Yeah, surprised, sure," He muttered around a mouthful of potatoes.

"Right! Who wants cake?" Grandma asked cheerfully into the silence.

Considering how badly the reveal of Scorpius as Head Boy went over, I decided not to tell my parents the Headmistress had recommended the two of us meet before the year started. Instead, I spent the first hour after I awoke the next morning locked in my bedroom to compose an owl asking when he wanted to meet. I figured I should get it over with before I lost my nerve. It took me awhile, but finally I deemed it fit to send.

Scorpius,

In accordance with Headmistress Vanhousen's recommendation, I am writing to ask when it would be convenient for you to meet so we can go over the required material for the coming year. Congratulations on making Head Boy and I look forward to working with you.

-Rose

After glancing it over once more, I decided against the last sentence and erased it with a flick of my wand. Grinning momentarily (I loved being seventeen), I surveyed the single sentence, wondering if it was too uptight, After all, we would be living and working together. Maybe I should be a tad friendlier? No, this was Malfoy. We barely got along; there was no need to pretend it wasn't true. The letter was cordial, which fell within the boundaries of my promise to Al the previous year. With that, I sealed the envelope and attached it to the leg of the tawny owl, Cyprian, my parents had bought me for making Prefect. I'd named him after a Quidditch referee who was killed during a match in 1357, a reference no one understood unless they'd practically memorized Quidditch Through the Ages as I had.

As soon as the letter was sent off, I allowed myself a moment to give in to my nerves. This would be the first time Scorpius and I would meet outside Hogwarts without Al present, and we were expected to work together this year. I didn't know how it was going to work; I just knew that it had to.

Scorpius's reply was much quicker than I anticipated, arriving mid-afternoon.

Rose,

I agree that we should meet. Does the Leaky Cauldron tomorrow at one o'clock work for you?

-Scorpius

I scrawled an affirmative reply and started to plan what I was going to say in order to take my mind off the fact that I was meeting Scorpius Malfoy.

At quarter to one the next day, I told my parents I was meeting Emily, to reduce the chances of my father having a heart attack, and apparated outside the Leaky Cauldron. Taking a deep breath, and a moment to prepare myself, I pushed the door open. I spotted Scorpius's blond head straight away, and was relieved that at least he was early. Maybe he was going to take this seriously.

I smiled tightly as I slid into the chair across from him with my standard greeting, "Malfoy."

"Why good afternoon, Weasley. Beautiful day, isn't it?" He returned. He was far too chipper. "I see you dressed up for the occasion."

I clenched my jaw at the comment to refrain from snapping at him. I had chosen to forgo the baggy t-shirt today, but he was starting to make me regret it.

"Ok, not in the mood for small talk," he continued after a few seconds of silence on my part. "Shall we get down to it then?"

"Yes. I've compiled lists of the things that I thought previous Heads did well, some of the things I thought could use improvement, as well as how they fit into how I think we should manage everything. I've also drawn up a preliminary patrol schedule," I said, laying the pieces of parchment on the table between us.

Scorpius raised an eyebrow. How was it everyone could do that except me? "Weasley, have you been planning for this your entire life? Wait, of course you have. You're you."

I frowned as a faint blush crept up my cheeks. "I have not. I just like to be prepared is all. I figured one of us should have some sort of a plan."

"Do you think I'm incapable of planning?" He asked, taking his turn to frown at me. "Did you think I was just going to wing it?"

"Well, your track record kind of speaks for itself."

His face contorted into disbelief and I started to realize that I may have been too honest about my opinion of him. "So you think I ended up here out of pure coincidence then? It wasn't because I planned the use of my time between Quidditch and schoolwork so I could keep my grades up? I wouldn't be here if I wasn't just as capable as you, Weasley."

My face burned even hotter. "That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?"

"I just… I only meant that I wanted to have everything in my head written down and organized. I didn't think you were the sort to write down your thoughts all neatly on paper."

I could see him trying to decide whether or not to let my lack of a real apology go. My inability to say the words "I'm sorry" was not unique to Scorpius. I wasn't sure exactly why, but it was just something I never really said to anyone. It makes me sound like an awful person, but it wasn't like I wasn't actually sorry. Maybe I just didn't like acknowledging responsibility for offending someone. So what? No one's perfect.

"Well, not all of us are such keeners that we feel the need to compulsively prepare lists for everything," he finally said. Ouch. That stung, but considering what I'd just said to him I decided to let it slide. We weren't going to get anywhere if we spent the entire time insulting each other.

"Ok then. Tell me some of those ideas you refuse to write down."

He surprised me. I definitely wasn't expecting him to actually have such well thought out ideas. I was even more surprised when the majority of our thoughts were basically the same. We both agreed on a balanced patrol schedule, where each Prefect worked with every other Prefect regardless of House and year. One thing we didn't agree on was the level of input the other Prefects should have in the development of the schedule.

"No way. That would just get way too complicated. And besides, the whole point of the Head Boy and Girl is to lead the Prefects. How is letting them develop their own patrol schedule leading them?" I asked.

Scorpius shrugged. "It lets them have some input in the process. They can choose to patrol on nights they think will be less hectic for them, so they're probably going to be more likely to show up. Saves us from having to redo the entire schedule if it conflicts with everyone."

"I think it makes us look too laid back. They won't take us seriously," I argued, "And it makes it too easy for them to pick and choose who they patrol with. It won't be as balanced if they can choose a day based on who else signed up for it."

"It makes us look more approachable and understanding if anything. I'm not one to lord my authority over everyone else's head."

"Oh and I am?" I replied hotly.

"I didn't say that. I just meant that letting them have some say in when they patrol would probably make us seem less intimidating and more cooperative."

I hated to admit it, but I was starting to see his point. Being handed a schedule for patrols the past two years had been nice organization-wise, and it had certainly set the Heads a level above us authority-wise, but it had also resulted in a lot of confusion once club meetings and Quidditch practices started up. The amount of time James and Aline Walker (his fellow Head) spent re-doing the patrol schedule every month was insane, especially since they had to balance it with their other responsibilities. And maybe he was right about the intimidation factor, too. A lot of the fifth year Prefects last year were convinced that the schedule was set in stone and were too afraid to approach James or Aline to report any conflicts.

Sensing his opening, Scorpius pushed forward with his argument. "We can probably figure out a way to enchant the parchment or ink so it won't reveal when everyone signs up, so that eliminates the bias factor."

I considered everything for another minute before finally deciding. "Ok, what if we do the whole enchanted parchment or ink thing to eliminate the bias, and get them to sign up for a fixed number of days per month, but then we choose who patrols from the lists we get? Best of both worlds."

"Wow, are we actually reaching a compromise here, Weasley?"

"Don't sound so surprised, Malfoy," I replied lightly. Despite how the meeting began, it had taken an almost friendly turn.

"I didn't know you were capable of such a feat," he teased.

"There's a lot you don't know about me."

Suddenly, the two of us managing to cooperate this year didn't seem so impossible.

A/N: OK, so that's it for this one! Also, I'm not too sure where I picked up the whole Head Boy and Girl sharing a dormitory thing. I don't remember it actually being mentioned in the books, and I can't find it on the Internet anywhere, so I'm assuming it's just what I've picked up from years of reading fanfiction! I know it seems very unrealistic for a school to let this happen, however, the fact that they share a dormitory plays a pretty big part in my story with getting them to actually interact more, so please excuse any inconsistency with what is actually true in the books.