It took her a while to realize that someone just knocked on her door.
Rose was at home during the Christmas break, fully attached to her favorite book that time in the year. She loved to read Mary Poppins shortly before Christmas, because she used to watch it every 22nd of December when her Dad came home from work. Just him and her, a bit of Daddy-Rosie-time.
"May I come in, Rosie?", she finally heard Albus outside her door.
"Sure you can, Ally."
Her cousin entered and dropped himself on Rose' bed, next to her.
"See, Rosie, you got a letter. Written in emerald green", he smirked, "by Malfoy?"
"Don't call him that!", Rose hissed, snapped the letter out of his hand, "his name is Scorpius. And he is really nice. How do you even know?"
"Well… I realized that you have talked to him lately and I know his handwriting. I have the same subjects with him you have, you know? And I noticed your reaction at the beginning of this year. When we talked about the War."
"I felt sorry for him… he's in the same position we are, Ally. Always down to his last name, but it's so different and so much more complicated for him."
"Because he is a Malfoy?"
"Yes. Not the best surname to have. Anyway, I hope you don't tell anybody. I tried to talk to James about it, but he continued talking about Scorpius' hair and what Harry has told him about Draco Malfoy and stuff… I was bored and threw paper balls at him in the end."
Albus chuckled and hugged her cousin. "You know, Rosie, if you like him and if he is nice, I might try to talk to him. He is quite good in Potions, I am not. Maybe next time we have to do group work you and I pair up with him, what do you think?"
"Oh, that would be so nice!" She hugged Albus and kissed his cheek. "You're the best cousin ever-ever!"
"Ever-ever?", he smiled.
"Ever-ever-ever-ever!"

A few days after the beginning of school, Rose decided to take a look at Scorpius.
She knew that he was trying to get on the Quidditch team, so she wanted to support her new won friend. Over the break, she had received a letter each day. Every time with a little secret inside it. Rose had to laugh so hard when she got a letter saying his second name was Hyperion, that her dad came up to her room, asking if everything was alright. And then she told him. She told him all the great stories about Scorpius, how he made her laugh without even trying to. She told her dad about the honesty in their friendship which was still growing, about the trouble he had in school.
When she had finished, Rose realized that she had just told her dad she was friends with his archenemy's son.
"So… you like him as a friend? He is nice to you and all?", Ron had asked carefully.
"Yes, Daddy, I really like him. He is so much bloody fun to be with!"
"Well… I guess, it's fine then. If you want to invite him over during Easter, you are welcome to do so."
And that was it. That was all Ronald Weasley said about his daughter being friends with Scorpius Malfoy. No hate, no How could you do this to me?, nothing but … Rose wasn't sure. But she was proud of her daddy. It only showed her how much he must love his little baby-girl. Though she wasn't a baby anymore, of course not!
But now, now she was sitting on the tribune, watching a very nervous Scorpius Malfoy trying out for his house's Quidditch team.
"Hope you don't mind I followed you."
"Not at all, Ally, not at all." She smiled at him und leaned against his shoulder. "We just quietly cheer for him."
Rose smiled at his cousin.
"I am so bloody glad you're here to support your friend-to-be."
"We'll see about that", he nodded, smiling.

"I am going to kill them! I am so going to kill those fuckers! I bet you, I am going to kill them!"
"Calm down, Scorp! It's not worth it; please calm down, for Merlin's sake!"
Rose sighed and gently pushed Scorpius back onto his bed in the Hospital Wing.
"I am going to kill them, I swear!"
"Bloody hell, Scorpius! You can't do anything about it! Albus is still with Professor McGonagall, telling her about it. I know, it was really unfair of them to attack you with the Bludgers…"
"Really unfair?", he nearly screamed, "really unfair? Rosie, it was a fucking trap! They knew I was going to try out, they planned it all along! And even if they did not know, it was mean and unfair and it was… it was… argh!"
Rose giggled and lightly stroked his cheek.
"It's gonna be fine, Scorp. Madame Pomfrey will fix your arm in less than two days."
"Less than two?" He went paler than he already was. "But I am going to miss the class about Hippogriffs then! I wanted to take part so badly, because Dad always talks about his experience with a Hippogriff in his third year and I am so curious about them… Rosie, I do not want to miss the class…"
"It's gonna be fine, Scorp", Rose told him again, "it's gonna be fine. The bones in your arm need to grow again. It will hurt, it will be painful, but you will be fine. I wrote your dad a letter, I hope you don't mind. But I thought someone might need to tell him, his son's in the Hospital Wing."
"You wrote my dad?", Scorpius whispered, "but he does not know about you…"
"Well, duh! Of course he knows about me. He knows I exist and from what you told me, he isn't going to be mad at you for being friends with me. Everything's gonna be fine, Scorp. Trust me."
He sighted and nodded. "Alright then. I will trust you, Rosie. But it is really going to be so boring. And… and I am scared, you know? I am scared that they will come to the Hospital Wing and torment me even more."
"Look, I'll ask Dominique. She is awesome at spells and she'll cast one to protect you. I promise. I'll stay here until Albus comes back and then I'll tell him to go get our cousin. And I'll read to you."
"You will read to me?" He raised his eyebrow.
"Yes. My favorite book."
"Which is?"
"Mary Poppins."
"I do not know that book…"
"That's alright. It's a muggle book about a nanny who comes to a family with two kids. They aren't very well behaved, their dad doesn't really care about him and Mary can do magic! But… magical magic! I love her sort of magic! I wish it would be real that laughing could make you fly… that would be so awesome!"
"But that is what brooms are for…"
"It's different. I'll read it to you." Rose nudged his side and smiled at him, started to search for the book in her bag.
"There it is! So.. you lie down, relax and close your eyes. And don't be scared! I read like my mum reads: with different voices for every character."
Scorpius let out a small giggle and did as she told him.
As Rose started reading, he relaxed even more. It reminded him of his own mother. She used to read stories to him the same way. Maybe it was a mother's thing, reading stories in different voices.
It was nice.
Rose had a nice voice, unlike other girls. Hers wasn't shrill or squeaky at all. It was soft, calming and a pleasure to listen to.
Slowly Scorpius began to drift away into a land where every girl had the voice of Rose and where they could jump through street-painters'-pictures into a bright and colourful funfair.