December 13: 2019
12 days until Christmas…
"Rosie," Ron greeted cheerfully, taking his daughter's bag for her as she stepped off the train.
"Hey, Dad," she said, hugging him. "You said it was okay for me to bring a friend to the Burrow for Christmas, right?"
"Of course," Hermione answered for him. "Who is it?"
Albus nudged Rose in the ribs. "I can already tell this is a bad idea. Why don't you let him come with me?"
"Your car has five seats."
"So?"
"Your family has five people!"
"Ohhhh," Albus said as if discovering the cure to cancer.
"And that is why you're not in Ravenclaw."
Ron interrupted them. "Who did you invite, anyway?"
"Well, it's kind of a long story, but-"
A blond boy walked up to the group. "Hey, you guys, I was looking for you."
"I told you to wait out of sight!" Rose groaned.
He smiled impishly. "I got bored."
"Uh- Mom, Dad, this is Scorpius Malfoy."
"Are we going now or what?" Scorpius called over his shoulder, already at the exit of the platform.
The pieces clicked together in Hermione's head an instant before Ron. "Protego!"
His body slammed into the sudden invisible barrier. "You made friends with a Malfoy? And invited him home for Christmas? Have I taught you nothing?"
"Ron," Hermione warned. "Don't make me use some very nasty jinxes on you. He's Rose's guest and you'll treat him like one."
"Ooh," Albus said. "Tension."
Rose glared at him. He backed away. "You know what? I think I'll be going now."
With a lot of threatening, coaxing, blackmail, and bribery, Hermione managed to get Ron to calm down enough to drive them to the Burrow, though his hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white.
As they clambered out of the car to let Nana Molly exclaim how thin they were getting, Ron placed a hand on Scorpius' arm to stop him. "Can I talk to you?"
Rose glanced back. "Want me to wait for you?"
Scorpius waved her on. "Go ahead. I'll be fine."
The look on her face clearly said she didn't think he would be fine, but she stepped into the house and shut the rusting screen door behind her.
"Don't get too friendly with Rose. I'm keeping my eye on you."
"Yessir," Scorpius replied. "I'd never hurt her intentionally."
Ron eyed the scrawny third year. "And how do I know you're telling the truth?"
"Because she's my best friend," Scorpius said boldly. "And I love her more than that."
"Alright," Ron said finally. What else could he say to that? As Scorpius walked towards the house, he added. "But remember I love her, too."
Cheesiness. :P Not my best chapter, but review!