When Rose left the Department of Mysteries on Boxing Day as a fully-fledged Unspeakable, she apparated immediately to a small flat in Hammersmith. Rolling her eyes at the lack of security, she pulled out her wand, muttered alohomora, and walked in. She dropped her bag onto the table, wincing as she heard her books tumble about, and started a pot of tea.
She had just added a thin slice of lemon to her cup when the door clicked open and James Potter entered, sweaty, pink cheeked, and still wearing his Quidditch robes.
"'Lo, James," she said pleasantly, grinning as he gave a very undignified yelp, dropping his Mach IV Firebolt and scowling at the sight of her.
"You disappear for over a year and think you can just pop round my flat and help yourself to tea and my last lemon?"
"Yes," she answered, taking a delicate sip and walking to sit on the sofa. "It's delicious, by the way."
"Well you can take it to go." He crossed his arms across the wasp on his chest and he looked so much like her Aunt Ginny that she snorted. "Yeah, like I said, bugger off."
A silent moment passed and Rose carefully set her mug down and leaned back into the cushions. "I'm an Unspeakable," she said finally, watching for his reaction.
"Bollocks," James said at once with a gratifyingly stunned look.
She smiled serenely at him as he staggered to the sofa and sank down next to her. "You stink."
"Can't be arsed to care at the moment," he said, still bewildered.
Just as she was about to speak, the door opened and Fred stomped in, dusting snow off of his magenta robes and shaking the moisture off of his dreadlocks.
"An impervious charm is a miraculous thing," Rose called from the sofa, and Fred, like James, scowled at her.
"What do you want," Fred demanded accusingly.
"Oi. She's a ruddy Unspeakable, Fred. An Unspeakable!"
Rose gave him a dirty look, but James just smirked.
"An unspeakable git, you mean," Fred huffed.
"An actual, for real Unspeakable," James corrected.
Fred paused and then rolled his eyes. "Puh-lease. Not an excuse."
"I'm sorry," Rose laughed as Fred came to sit on her other side. "I really am. But Unspeakable business is unspeakable. I had no idea you lot would be there. I was just told to show up, say nothing, and observe."
"Merlin, Rose," James said, still a bit awed.
"I know," she agreed calmly.
"She's going to be even more insufferable now," Fred said with a persecuted sigh.
"You wound me," Rose replied, hands to her heart and a mockingly contrite expression on her face. "And after I came here to grovel before seeing anyone else."
"Even Al?" James asked, eyes alight.
"Even Al."
"Brilliant!"
"Don't be a prat," Rose admonished. "I've felt horrible about this for months. I came here because I couldn't stand not being able to tell you that I'm sorry for one second longer. Because I am. Really sorry."
"You're forgiven," Fred said easily.
"I don't know, Fred," James said slowly. "When's the next time we're going to have Rose on the hook?"
"Too true," Fred agreed. "And here we are, two blokes who don't know a household spell between us."
"I'm terrible at household spells!" Rose, like her mum, had never been particularly fussed about learning practical magic. She always assumed that one day, should she ever need it, she'd pop over to Gran Molly's and get a few pointers. That day, thankfully, had yet to arrive.
"You're brilliant at everything," James countered, unconcerned.
"And you're rubbish at accepting an apology. I'm not cleaning your flat." Rose stood and fixed them both with a stern look, but her blue eyes were twinkling. "Don't ruin this touching moment by being gits."
"A very touching moment," Fred chortled.
"And anyway," Rose continued. "I'm off to see Ted and Victoire."
"Don't bother. They're off in France somewhere. Just bung 'em an owl. Ted and Vicky are reasonable."
"Unlike you two?"
"Exactly. You going to see Al?"
"I'm popping home first."
"You can floo if you like."
"Brilliant," Rose said, leaning to give them each a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you later, James? And I want match tickets. Proper ones, in a fancy box."
"Will do," James called as she stepped into bright green flames and vanished.
When she arrived home, she couldn't help but grin. There were holly and evergreen branches strung with fairy lights as far as she could see. The Christmas tree was as big as ever, a small collection of wrapped parcels resting underneath, waiting for the traditional Boxing day celebration that her family and Al's always shared. It was disappointing to have missed the traditional Weasley celebration, but she didn't think she could handle her entire family's questions all at once anyway.
Calling out for Hugo, she got no answer. She dropped her messenger bag with a thunk and slipped around the corner into her dad's study.
"Hermione?" her dad called over his shoulder.
"Nope," she said, surprised by the tears that rushed into her eyes.
Her dad whirled around, a spectacular grin breaking out over his face as he leapt to his feet and bounded across the room to swing her in a circle. "Rosie! You didn't tell us you'd be home."
Laughing and feeling all of six years old again, she buried her face in his jumper. "I didn't know until yesterday. But here I am."
"And…you're….you made it, then?"
"I made it," she breathed, and her dad pulled her tighter to him.
"I'm so proud of you," he whispered fiercely. "I dunno how I managed to have such a brilliant kid, but your old dad loves you a lot."
"I love you, too," she said, stepping back and wiping her eyes. "Where are mum and Hugo?"
"Hugo's off with Lily somewhere. I didn't ask because I don't think I'd want to know," he confided. "Mum's with Aunt Ginny doing Merlin knows what. Harry's clan will be over for dinner tonight, of course. And don't worry. Gin's doing the cooking."
"Perfect," Rose said, with a happy sigh. "It's so good to be home."
"Harry just owled that Al's not heading back to school until Monday, so he'll be here for dinner."
"Saves me a trip to Scotland." Rose was relieved. Now that she was home and away from the last eighteen months she found herself feeling satisfyingly exhausted.
"Scorpius will be here, too," her dad said innocently.
"Dad," she accused. "What – "
"I invited him. Well, your Uncle Harry made me invite him," he admitted, the tips of his ears turning red. "He's had a rough go of it, Rose."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean his training hasn't been easy. People don't trust the Malfoys, even now that Lucius is dead. Can't say I blame them too much. Draco always was a little - "
"Focus, dad."
"Right, sorry. People were hard on him. He got the toughest assignments, the worst partners, you name it. Blimey, I thought Dennis Creevey was going to fail him out of spite at one point, and you know Dennis is a decent bloke. Harry stepped in where he could, but I think he needed to know the boy was serious."
"And was he?" she asked, looking out the window at the snowy back garden and trying to ignore the resurfacing guilt over how she'd behaved the previous day.
"I thought he was a bit mental at first, if I'm honest. Haven't met someone so single-minded since your mother. Good luck with that, by the way."
Rose blushed and her dad heaved a sigh.
"Not even going to deny it this time?"
"No," she said softy, not able to look at him.
"Don't tell your mum I said this or I'll never hear the end of it, but I like him, Rose. He's smart and determined and ambitious - how he ever ended up in Gryffindor I'll never know - and he didn't so much as glance at a single witch the entire time you were gone."
Rose smiled. "You forgot devilishly handsome."
Her dad snorted. "Sure, if pale and pointy is your thing. I'm not overly thrilled you're going to be a ruddy Malfoy, mind, but I expect I'll get over it."
"Who says I'm going to be a Malfoy?"
Her dad just rolled his eyes. "Please, Rose. I may not have your mum's or your brain, but I'm not exactly a troll."
"I missed you, dad."
"I missed you, too," he said. "Your mum and Hugo gang up on me, you know."
"I know," she said with a watery laugh.
"And as soon as I get you back you'll be slipping off again."
"Dad."
"You're going to need a flat."
"Albus and I talked about going in together at the end of Hogwarts. His program's done and he'll probably be working out of London."
"Mum's already made a packet of listings for you," he said.
"Of course she has," Rose groaned.
They were interrupted by a crash in the kitchen and a loud, "Oi!"
"Al!" Rose called, jumping to her feet and running down the hall. Al met her halfway, grinning widely as he grabbed hold of her.
"I don't know why I'm so pleased to see you when you went to see my wanker of a brother before me, your very favorite cousin."
"You know why I had to go there first," she said, soaking him in. His robes were deep navy instead of black, but in every respect he was the same Al she remembered; his hair was as messy as ever and his eyes just as bright. "Oh, Al," she said, grabbing him into a hug.
"Come on. Tell me everything that won't get me killed to know," he said, leading her up to her room.
"Everyone will be here in a few hours," her dad called down the hall. "So talk fast."
She and Al laughed, stomping up the stairs and leaping onto her bed as they had when they were children. "It was amazing. And so hard. I missed you every day. I wanted to tell you so much, but they wouldn't even let me owl. In fact, and don't tell James this, I'm really glad it wasn't you at the pub that night. I'd never have been able to do that to you."
Al puffed up his chest and Rose guffawed, grabbing a pillow and hitting him upside the head with it.
"It was bloody awful without you," he said, more seriously. "My program is amazing and time flew so fast, but Scorpius was a miserable little berk. We had a massive row about seven months after you'd left. Dad had to break it up."
Rose grimaced. "Al - "
He waved his hands. "It's fine. We didn't speak for two weeks and then he went and sent me a singing candy-gram. Came right in the middle of a lecture."
"Of course he did," she said dryly. "And I'm sure you mailed him a hex and all was right with the world."
"Basically," Al admitted with a sly grin. "He got so busy that I barely saw him anyway. Until last night, I hadn't seen him in almost a month."
"You saw him last night?" Her words came out in a tumble and Al gave her a knowing look.
"Yes I did. And no, I'm not telling you what we talked about. All I'll say is that he was a bit of a wreck. Merlin, I can't wait to see the look on his face when he turns up and you're here."
"I can't believe my parents invited him."
"Believe it. I think my dad's a little in love with him; I'm almost jealous. And mum has been beside herself worried about him. She's always going on about what a sad, tortured little soul he has."
Rose choked on a laugh. "Aunt Ginny?"
"I couldn't believe it either. She gets worried about him being in his flat alone. I keep trying to tell her she needs to be more worried about the rest of us when he ventures out, but she just whacks me on the head with the Prophet and sends me to my room."
"Speaking of rooms," she said, "Are you still interested in sharing a flat."
Al's whole face instantly turned pink. "Erm, no, actually. I was…that is to say - "
"Albus Severus Potter," she breathed. "Have you finally convinced some poor unsuspecting witch to go out with you?"
"Not exactly," he hedged.
"Don't tell me Scorpius was right and it's a wizard. He'll never let me hear the end of it."
"No," Al said, not quite looking at her. "That is to say, it's not a bloke. But she's not a witch."
"Not a witch?" Rose blanched. "You mean - "
"She's a muggle."
Rose just stared at him, head tilting to the side as what he'd said sank in. "You're having me on."
"I'm really not," he said, uncharacteristically serious.
"Does she know? About you, I mean."
"I told her last week. Happy Christmas to her, eh?"
"Blimey, Al, I don't know what to say. Are you happy?"
"Yes," he said simply. "I really am, Rose. Her name's Margaret. She's met Scorpius and mum and Lily, but not the rest of the family. I wanted to wait until after the holidays and kind of ease her into things."
"How'd you meet?"
"She works at the pub near my flatshare in Scotland. She's at muggle university studying photography. "
"I'm…glad, Al. No, really," she assured as he raised an eyebrow. She was surprised to find that she'd even had to consider how she felt about this at all. "And if you need anything, I'm here."
"Thanks. It's been a strange time, and Scorpius has been flat out useless. I told him he was being a bitter, resentful little bleeder and he jumped me. That was the row, by the way. I'm not proud of it, but it was a stressful time and you weren't here to even us out."
"I'm not going anywhere again. At least, not for that long."
"Was it amazing?" Al asked, rolling onto his side to face her.
"It was everything I wanted it to be," she said. "And then so much more than that."
"Was the veil real?" Al asked, shooting a glance at the door as though someone might be listening.
"Yes," she replied. "Real and incredible. All of it was. Looking back, eighteen months is such a small price to pay for the things I get to learn and explore."
"Don't mention that bit to Scorpius," Al said, elbowing her in the side.
"I wont," Rose assured him. "I can't believe I'm home. I can't believe I made it."
"I can," Al said, and she wanted to hug him again.
"Now that I've told you everything I can without having to obliviate you, I want to hear all about Margaret."
They talked for hours. Al told her about Margaret and how he'd spilled a pitcher of beer all over the bar and she'd reamed him. How, without quite thinking it through, he'd kissed her and been slugged in the jaw for it. How he'd spent two solid weeks trying to apologize before she'd leaned across the bar and kissed him.
She told him about her little room and about Moon. He told her about the potion he hoped would work as a curse deflector. She talked about missing Hugo and he told her about Lily lighting James's favorite robes on fire. Al was right in the middle of a story about his mum jinxing his dad when the commotion spiked downstairs and they realized the rest of the Potters and Rose's mum and Hugo must have arrived.
"Come on," Al said. "I can't wait to see the look on everyone's face when you tell them where you've been."
Rose laughed, traipsing down the stairs after him, still caught up in a fit of giggles. When she reached the bottom step, she froze. It was like all the air had been sucked out of the room. Her heart jumped into her throat and she all of a sudden forgot how to speak. All around her stood Weasleys and Potters staring openly, but all she could see was him. Standing next to the tree, a collection of wrapped parcels in his arms, stood Scorpius.