Chapter Twenty-Two
A/N: Thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter and the one before that! I really appreciated it! I was SO overwhelmed with the number of reviews! Sure, some weren't for LAST chapter, but still! Now, please don't kill me if I go overboard with the fluff. I'll try to make the scene as perfect as possible.
Rose's POV
I woke up on my back, staring at a white ceiling.
I got up and found myself in a pure white room, complete with two chairs, a projector, and a screen. The only things that weren't white were me and a man dressed in black robes, with greasy black hair. He was occupying one of the chairs, his back to me.
"Hello?" I said tentatively, making my way slowly to the man. "Where am I?"
He turned around. He had pale skin and dark eyes. "You're dreaming you're in limbo, I guess you could say. But you're not dead. Sit down."
I sat down cautiously. "Is this real?"
He ignored my question. "I have come here to teach you a lesson. One you obviously and desperately need. This may seem like a figment of your imagination, but this is as real as anything." He picked up a remote – even it was snowy white – and clicked a button.
The projector came to life and a video played, starting with a grassy field, where two girls were swinging. One had light brown hair and blue eyes, while the other one had bright red hair and emerald eyes. The one with red hair was swinging higher than the other, going higher and higher.
The other girl said, "Lily, don't do it!"
Lily swung off, swinging into a perfect arc and flew into the air, as if she was flying, and landed on her two feet gracefully.
"Mummy told you not to!" The other girl stopped swinging and leapt up onto her feet, her hands on her hips sternly.
"But I'm fine," Lily said, still giggling, "Petunia, Tuney, look at this. Watch what I can do!"
Petunia glanced around, making sure no one was watching. She stepped closer to her sister, apprehensively but curiously. Lily picked up a fallen flower from a bush and then held it in her open palm. It suddenly opened and closed its petals, like some bizarre, many-lipped oyster.
"Stop it!" Shrieked her sister, stepping back.
"It's not hurting you," Lily said, throwing it back into the bush.
"It's not right," Said Petunia, and when she next spoke, her voice was full of wistfulness and longing, "How do you do it?"
"It's obvious, isn't it?" A small boy had leapt out of the bush where Lily had thrown the flower. I jumped; I had just realized he was there the whole time. He had stringy black hair, and black eyes, wearing mismatched Muggle clothes. As soon as he had jumped out, his pallid face flushed with embarrassment.
"What's obvious?" Lily asked, her gaze apprehensive but cool. Her sister had run back to the swings, shrieking.
The boy seemed to contain an air of excitement. With a glance at Petunia, he lowered his voice. "I know what you are,"
"What do you mean?"
"You're...you're a witch," He whispered.
She looked seriously affronted. I didn't blame her. "That's not a very nice thing to say to somebody!" She turned up her nose and marched back to her sister.
"No!" The boy said desperately. He ran over to them, his mismatched clothing, which was too-short jeans, a shabby overlong coat, and an odd smock-like shirt, flapping ludicrously in the wind, making him look like a giant bat.
The sisters considered him, looking disapproving. "You are," He said to Lily, "You are a witch. I've been watching you for a while. But there's nothing wrong with that. My mum's one and I'm a wizard."
Petunia's laugh was cold. "Wizard!" she shrieked. "I know who you are. You're that Snape boy! They live down at Spinner's End by the river," she told Lily. "Why have you been spying on us?"
"I haven't been spying," said Snape, "Wouldn't spy on you anyway, you're a Muggle." He said it spitefully.
Petunia evidently didn't know what 'Muggle' meant, but she could hardly mistake the tone. "Come on, we're leaving!" She said shrilly. Lily obeyed her, and Snape looked on at them, disappointment obvious in his pale features.
The clip ended and it started onto a flurry of others. One where Lily and Snape became best friends, talking to each other under a small thicket of trees, next to a river. They were talking about Hogwarts, and what being a witch meant for Lily. I smiled at the scene; it reminded me so much of when me and Scorpius were discussing OWLs under the beech tree at Hogwarts, at the end of our Fourth Year, the breeze from the Black Lake in our faces.
The next scene showed them on the Hogwarts Express, talking to each other. It also reminded me of when we first met on the Express, sharing candy and just talking. I definitely loved that day.
The next clips blurred together, showing them studying, reading under the beech tree, playing Exploding Snap, walking around the school grounds; every one of them reminded me of what Scorpius used to do.
But they weren't just of good times. There was a memory of when James Potter and Sirius Black were hanging Snape up-side down, and when he called Lily 'Mudblood' when she defended him. After that, their relationship went downhill, and soon they were friends no more.
The clips fast-forwarded in time. They contained Snape telling Voldemort of the prophecy, and finally of him clutching Lily, who was dead upon the floor. The scene made me cry, and as I watched Snape holding Lily, shedding tears, I finally understood that he had loved her the whole time. Through everything, he loved her. And he didn't even get to tell her.
This mustn't happen to me and Scorpius, I thought. Then the flurry of clips ended. The man beside me looked at me enquiringly. "What I'm trying to teach you here is that you must never let your loved one out of your grasp. If something pulls you two apart, bring yourselves together again. And tell him that you love him, before it's too late."
I nodded, standing up. "Is this all in my head?"
"Of course it is, but why on earth shouldn't it be real?" And with that, everything started fading away, my vision blurring, and I felt myself getting pulled back into consciousness. The last thing I saw of the room was the man, who undoubtedly was Severus Snape, the man who loved Lily Evans.
. . .
I awoke with a start. I was no longer in the white room, but in a ward inside of St. Mungo's Hospital. I looked around blearily, and saw my three friends; Albus and Thalia were leaning against each other, fast asleep in two chairs. On the other side of me, I saw Scorpius, beautiful and also asleep, his hand intertwined in mine. I smiled at his sleeping face.
I tried to move, but my limbs ached in protest. I suddenly remembered the Death Eaters, my three friends coming to the rescue, the purple jet of light...
I made a decision. I knew I had to tell him, no matter what. Even though my reason was because I promised Severus Snape, I still had to do it. But not right now. As soon as possible, just not right at this moment.
"Scorpius?" I asked, shaking him gently awake. "Scorpius?"
He opened his eyes, and blinked several times. When he was fully awake, his grey eyes widened measurably.
"Scorpius? It's me, Rose. How long have I been out cold?"
He suddenly pulled me towards him and hugged me tightly. It was so amazing to be back in his arms, even if he was giving me a bone-crushing hug.
"Can't...breathe..." I choked.
He released me, and I found that he was grinning from ear to ear. "Rosie, you're okay?"
I nodded. "How long have I been unconscious?"
"About 5 hours. It's so good to have you back." His eyes were full of joy that I couldn't help grin back.
"Me too. Can you explain what the heck happened while I was out cold?" I asked.
He smiled. "Sure, Rose, do you want me to wake Thalia and Albus up?"
"Sure," I agreed.
He walked over to them and shook them awake. "Oi, whazzgoingon?" Albus asked.
"I think there's someone you'd like to meet here." Scorpius said, smiling.
When Thalia and Albus' eyes landed on me, their mouths dropped open comically. There was a moment of silence and they rushed at me, tackling me in a crushing hug.
"OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH, YOU'RE AWAKE!" Squealed Thalia, enveloping me in another hug.
Albus pinched himself. "Ow, this really isn't a dream!"
I rolled my eyes. "Come on, guys, stop hugging me or else all of my internal organs will be squashed out of me! Now, tell me what the heck happened."
They all looked at each other before diving into the explanation. After twenty minutes, I was gaping at them.
"Prophecy? Twins? Duel to the death? Thalia's dad?"
They nodded gravely. "I know, I can't believe it either." Said Thalia, shaking her head.
"Wow," I breathed. "This is all unbelievable."
"Yeah, but it's alright now." Said Scorpius.
"Are – are we going to be expelled from Hogwarts?" I asked.
Albus shook his head. "My dad talked to McGonagall a few minutes ago, and she said that we aren't, but she said something about how much we're like our parents. I wonder what that means."
Thalia, Scorpius, and I laughed. "Are you glad you found out who your father is?" I asked Thalia.
"Yeah," She said thoughtfully. "I am. I finally feel like my family's complete. But of course, it's not like I didn't have one before," She looked around at us, smiling.
"Aw, Thalia," Said Scorpius, ruffling his cousin's hair.
She pushed him away, fixing her hair, scowling. "Wow, now that I know that you actually are family, you're a million times more annoying!"
I laughed along with Albus, giggling at Scorpius's expression.
Albus sighed happily. "Now, we have something to tell you." He wrapped his arm around Thalia.
"Albus and I are dating!" Thalia said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"Wow, congratulations!" I said, looking back and forth at them.
"Yeah," Albus said, grinning, "Everything's perfect now."
Not quite, I thought, looking at Scorpius. But it will be, I promise.
. . .
"Hey, you." Scorpius said, appearing beside me.
We were back at Hogwarts, in the Gryffindor Common Room, and I was reading a book. Christmas had been spectacular, but things were still quite hectic, what with my cousins asking questions here and there about what had happened with the Death Eaters. Still, it was quite enjoyable because I finally got to meet Thalia's dad because he and his wife had come over for Christmas dinner. Judging by the looks on their faces, they had made up and he had even mentioned moving into England and living with Thalia and Sally.
Even Scorpius's family had come over. I could tell that they were uncomfortable at first, but after getting to know everybody, they were getting along quite well.
"Hey," I said. "What's up?"
He shrugged. "Nothing much. I just wanted to ask you something." He suddenly sounded nervous, even shy.
"Yeah, sure, what is it?" I asked, turning around so that I was facing him.
"I was thinking that, since Thalia and Albus are going on a date on Saturday, we could go together. You know, to Hogsmeade." He flushed at the end of the sentence, reminding me of a small, stringy haired boy, trying to talk to a certain redhead.
"Sure, I'd love to!" I said, my heart beating fast. This is my opportunity, I thought excitedly.
"Cool," He said, smiling and looking relieved, "Well, I have to turn in for the night. I'll see you in the morning?"
I nodded. "Night, Scorpius."
"Night, Rose."
As he disappeared up to the boys' dormitories, I ran to the girls'. "Thalia, Thalia, Thalia!" I said, spotting my friend on her four-poster, her eyes narrowed in concentration, tapping her wand on a rat, saying an incantation under her breath. Suddenly, it turned into a perfect teacup.
"Yes! Yes! I did it!" Thalia said, squealing.
"Awesome, but I have even bigger news!" I said, sitting down.
"Really? Spill!"
I took a deep breath. "Scorpius asked me out to Hogsmeade!"
There was a silence. Then, "EEEEEEEEEE!" The sound erupted from Thalia, who dragged me off the bed and jumped up and down, making me join in a happy dance.
"Finally!" She said. "Can I help you out with picking an outfit for this?"
"Sure!" I said, happiness erupting in my stomach.
I could not wait for Saturday.
. . .
My heart was pumping as I made my way down to the Common Room, where Scorpius was waiting.
Thalia and I had prepared a perfect outfit; a black pair of skinny jeans, gray knee-high boots, a navy-blue top, and a white-grey jacket.
I had always waited for this moment, and now that it was happening, I had no idea what to do. What if I mess up? What if I embarrass myself? What if I freeze on the spot? I was sweating by the time I reached the last step.
Scorpius was standing there, looking smart in a black cloak, a dark blue jacket, jeans, boots, and a grey sweater. He smiled at me. "Are you ready?"
I nodded. And as I took his arm, I thought, total déjà vu, thinking of the Yule Ball. I shook it off. This date was not going to end up like that.
The snow outside was glittering with new snowfall, and I was thankful that it was reasonably sunny outside, with a few solitary flakes drifting down occasionally. When we entered the frigid January air, I shivered involuntarily.
"Are you cold?" Scorpius asked.
I nodded, and I positively melted when he placed his cloak around my body. Since I wasn't nearly as tall as him, it dragged a bit on the ground. I hastily pulled the cloak tighter around myself before he noticed. "Thanks, Scorpius," I said, managing a smile. He smiled back, and my knees suddenly turned into jelly.
Why on earth am I suddenly so nervous around Scorpius, my best friend? Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. I'm bloody in love with him, I thought.
As we entered the snowy village of Hogsmeade, Scorpius asked, "Where would you like to go?"
"Well," I said thoughtfully, "I think that maybe we should stay outside a bit. Maybe near the Shrieking Shack?"
Scorpius nodded his assent. While we were walking, an awkward silence stretched between us.
Bloody hell, Rose, say something! You've talked to him loads of times! Kneazle got your tongue?
"So, um, when's your next Quidditch match?" I asked.
"Sometime in February," said Scorpius, "It's us against Ravenclaw. Ah, I think this is a good spot." He motioned to a rock. A few yards away, the Shrieking Shack stood silently.
"You know," I said, sitting down next to Scorpius, "The Shrieking Shack isn't actually haunted."
He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yeah, it's just because this werewolf, Remus Lupin, went there for his monthly transformations, accompanied by his faithful friends, James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew. They changed into Animagi - "
Scorpius cut me off. "Rose, as interesting as that sounds, there's something I want to tell you."
I was suddenly reminded of what I also needed to do. "Yeah, me, too."
"Rose, I - "
"Scorpius, I - "
"I'm in love with you." We said at the same time. There was a silence and we burst into laughter. After a minute or so of dissolving into giggles, I recovered first.
"W-wait, you have feelings for me?" I asked.
He nodded. "You do, too?"
"Yes," I said breathlessly. I stared into his beautiful grey eyes. Before I knew it, we were inches apart. His breath tickled my face, and we were leaning, leaning...
"Prove it," He whispered. We were centimetres apart now.
And I did. When I brought my lips to his, it was if angels were singing in the background. We were kissing. His lips moved against mine, perfectly, gracefully. It was sheer heaven. I wrapped my arms around his neck and deepened the kiss further. My heart was beating so loudly that I almost mistook it for a drum.
When we broke apart, I smiled gleefully. So this was what Cloud nine felt like. Scorpius's beautiful grey eyes twinkled, and his mouth was pulled into a smile that made my heart shout for joy.
He took my hand, never tearing his eyes away from me. "I love you, Rose Weasley."
I took his other one and we stood there, united, intertwined. "I love you, too, Scorpius Malfoy."
Now everything is perfect, I thought, before leaning in for another kiss.
A/N: What, what? Haha, I hope you lurve this chapter! I certainly did. This fic is coming to a close, I'm afraid. There's only this chapter, the next, and then the epilogue! Pleases Review!
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