August 8, 2026
And this was why Rose hated Floo powder with a passion. Blindly groping the walls, she walked carefully forward. Soot was in her eyes and she was pretty sure all over her. Coughing, she called her cousin Albus's name with no response. She couldn't bloody see at all, her eyes were burning!
"No good, rotten cousin who has my bloody wand," Rose growled under her breath as she advanced a few steps forward.
She yelled out loud, "THIS is the part where you acknowledge my presence Albus Potter! Hellllooo, cousin in need of help – ouch goddammit, why is there a table right here?" Rose scowled and leaned down to rub her shin. With hands outstretched she walked a few more steps forward, carefully sliding her feet to avoid any more structures on the ground as she made her way to the stairs. Her stomach was rumbling uncomfortably from the combination of eating right before magically transporting through the chimney.
The one bathroom in Albus's apartment was on the second floor, along with the two bedrooms. Al's previous roommate was one of his best friends from school, Ty Lockwood, but he had found a girl a year ago and moved out, leaving the room empty. Or so Rose thought.
She was halfway to crawling up the stairs when she realized the shower was running. She grumbled out loud narrating her thoughts to herself again, "oh, so that's the reason idiot cousin can't help blind Rose, 'cause he is taking a bloody shower. Brilliant. Prepare to be surprised Al Butthead."
She reached the top of the stairs and trailed her hand along the wall on the left side until she felt the doorway of the bathroom. She tried the doorknob and understandably it was locked, but Rose knew a trick way to open the door.
A voice interrupted her first though, the voice of the 'conscience,' Marta: Rose, is this the smartest idea? Perhaps you should patiently wait downstairs first while Albus finishes. Or use the kitchen sink to wash your eyes.
"Of course it's smart," Rose muttered, "I'm already up here. I'm not going back down without being able to see." She pushed the doorknob in and then lifted it up as she turned, using her shoulder to open the door.
Predictably she tripped as soon as she entered the shower for the clothes that were strewn on the ground that she couldn't see.
She called out, "yup, thanks Al. You could have picked up your clothes you know." She picked herself up and then turned towards the counter, using her hands to feel the sink area. She turned on the water, ignoring whatever Al was saying in the background.
Instant relief. The coolness of the water soothed her sore eyes and she scrubbed them, trying to get all the soot out of them. She really hated Floo with a passion. She heard the shower being turned off and then the curtain being pulled back.
"So Al, I know I said to never give it back to me, but I really need my wand!" Rose stated, blinking and looking in the fog filled mirror and grimacing at what she could see of her appearance. Those old ladies in the park would have probably just called the police first and not given her a cane whacking if she had entered the park like this.
Then the voice that Rose thought she would never again hear in her life drifted across the air. The voice of a person she tried to escape from right after Hogwarts had finished. "What in Merlin's name are you doing in this bathroom Rose Weasley?"
Just upon hearing that voice her heartbeat quickened. Instantly Rose turned towards the voice and she screamed at the sight that met her eyes. "Malf – what the hell?" she cried out, trying to control her breathing. "Where – but – why – Albus?" she finished weakly and then realizing she was staring very blatantly she shut her eyes, putting her hands out in front of her to try to shield his body.
Scorpius Malfoy was standing in front of her in only a towel and soaking wet. His wet blonde hair was ruffled all over on top of his head and he was staring at her with his very brown eyes. She needed to get out of the bathroom so she wouldn't stare at him. Rose started walking backwards with eyes closed and promptly tripped over the clothes again. She landed on her arse and instinctively opened her eyes, screaming again at the sight of him.
He frowned at her momentarily as if assessing something. He shook his head in response to his own thoughts and raised his eyebrows at her. "I don't understand why you're the one screaming. I was the one who was interrupted in the shower by this lunatic looking woman. Been rolling in the mud and in the chimneys Rose? It certainly looks like it."
Brief hyperventilation time over, Rose flared her nostrils and looked up at his face trying not to let her gaze wander down and angrily breathed, "okay, what the bloody hell are you doing here Malfoy?"
Scorpius casually leaned against the wall and inspected his fingernails. "I think the question is what the hell are you doing here Rose? I live here and you are actually trespassing into mine and Al's home."
"How the hell do you live here? Al lives alone!" she exclaimed almost hysterically. This was practically her worst nightmare. She started crawling like a crab backwards, keeping her gaze away from Malfoy. She could still feel his sharp gaze on her and she felt a shiver run up her back despite the fact that it was really warm.
"Au contraire, mademoiselle. When is the last time you even visited your dear cousin anyways, Rose? I have been here for about nine months and this is the first I have seen you."
Rose reached the doorway and as soon as she touched the carpet she lifted herself up and ran down the stairs.
"I'm not finished with you yet," called out Scorpius. After she got down the first few steps she vaguely heard a crack from the second floor but didn't think anything of it.
She turned the corner to get back to the fireplace and ran smack into something solid. Two hands reached out to grab her before she fell and she stared up into the eyes of Scorpius in frustration and loathing.
She tried to wrench herself out of his grasp but he held her steady, his wand in one of his hands. His hands were very warm on her and she fidgeted uncomfortably.
"I told you I wasn't finished with you yet, Rose."
Rose hissed back, "I have nothing to say to you Malfoy."
"Such callousness, the least you could do would be to call me by my given name."
Rose looked away from his face.
"You deserve no such thing," Rose said quietly with venom, staring at the floor before she tried to twist herself away again. He wasn't loosening his grip at all and she had to improvise to get away.
Quickly, she reached out her hand and tugged his towel. It loosened noticeably and Scorpius looked at her in surprise. He promptly let go of her before his towel fell and she grabbed the wand from his hand and threw it into the kitchen to clatter noisily on the floor. Scorpius looked at her in vexation as she ran behind the couch, keeping it between her and him.
Honey, the least you could do would be to give this man a chance to talk, whispered Marta in her head. It has been four years since you last saw him.
Never, Rose thought back, I wish I could erase him from my memory.
Give him a good thumping love, Greg stated.
Rose was wrenched out of her head by Scorpius talking as he redid his towel around his waist.
"Without wands I guess then. I always knew you had a thing for me, Rose, but why don't we take this a little slower. How about I pick you up next Saturday at seven?"
Rose gawped at him. "You. . . you're kidding right?"
He stared at her, his face betraying nothing, and raised his eyebrows. "Do you think I am kidding?"
She stared hard at him and carefully replied, "regardless if you are kidding or not, I wouldn't ever go out with you, never ever."
He shook his head and said slyly, "I seem to recall that your answer would have been very different a few years ago. However, my answer has always been the same: only in your dreams would I ever go out with you."
Rose glared at him and felt her throat tighten. "You're despicable Malfoy. You don't think of anyone but yourself."
"And you are still the same girl you were at Hogwarts, Weasley. I'm happy to know that some things stay the same over time."
Rose lashed out. "You have NO right to say that. You don't know me anymore, not that you ever did."
Scorpius crossed his arms on his chest. "I would think I know you better than you know yourself actually. People like me just don't associate ourselves with people like you. We have standards and you are nowhere close to them."
"Oh, think you're better than me Malfoy? What a surprise, good to know that apparently you haven't changed since Hogwarts either."
Memories began to creep back into her head, stuff that she thought she had blocked out as soon as she graduated from Hogwarts. It was only taking one meeting with him to bring things trickling back.
Rose stared around her quickly, needing to get out of the godforsaken flat. She picked up a pillow and threw it at him.
"Where the bloody hell is Al?" she demanded.
Scorpius easily dodged the pillow and smiled at her condescendingly. "Awwh, is the brainless Ravenclaw scared of the big bad Gryffindor? Are you going to hide behind Al like you always do?"
She threw another pillow that he easily dodged, letting it hit against the fireplace. "I don't hide behind anybody Malfoy."
"Oh really? You've been hiding since you finished school. Too scared to show your face to the wizarding world are you?"
Rose frowned at him. "Listening to rumours again and believing them? Shame, you had so much potential but you are so. . . easily corrupted."
Scorpius finally lost his cool face and pink appeared on his cheeks. He picked one of the pillows off the ground and whipped it back at her, keeping one hand on his towel for safety's sake. Rose ducked and the pillow hit the picture behind her, knocking it off the wall with a loud bang.
"I see your aim hasn't improved since seventh year, how unfortunate," Rose said as she peeked back up over the couch to look at Scorpius, whose face was becoming more and more irate. She felt pleased that she had had two small victories over him; he was usually very hard to dismantle.
He growled back, not letting her remain momentarily content. "At least I was on the Quidditch team. I didn't get cut."
Her mood instantly dropped. With no more pillows to through, Rose looked around for something else. The first thing she saw was a book on the table beside the couch. After debating it internally for a moment she gently picked it up and turned to Scorpius, keeping the book below his eye level behind the couch.
She paused for a moment, looking him straight in the eyes. She said softly, "at least I didn't fail my team in the last game of the year and get accused of deliberately tanking the game."
That was a low blow and she knew it. She hoped he would just give up and go back to the bathroom or his room and let her leave in peace. His eyes seemed dead as she stared at them still and she almost wished she could take back her words.
But then he replied to her, still staring directly into her eyes. He quietly said back, "at least I didn't fail at everything I had ever done and humiliate myself in front of the whole school."
The two stared at each other; Rose felt a lump appear in her throat and tried to swallow it away. Neither one was moving nor making any discernible noise. The silence was so sharp and full of tension that it could have cut through diamonds. His statement cut her deep. She felt her heart curl up inside of her, hiding somewhere beyond reach from him again.
That book that was in her hand wasn't any longer. She didn't even realize how hard she threw it until it rebounded off Scorpius's forehead, leaving a red mark and an indent in it. She struggled to hold her emotions steady but she half felt like crying and half felt like punching his head off.
"Asshole," she exclaimed frantically, struggling to maintain the anger and not let the tears come.
Scorpius ignored her comment for the moment, and picked the book up. He felt his head with the other hand, assessing if there was blood or not. He then turned to her, "I would start to watch what you say Weasley."
"I'm not afraid of you, never was," she spat.
He gave a disbelieving laugh, his eyebrows raised high. "Oh, no? Well maybe you should be."
He ran around the coffee table and was almost at where she was standing before she gave a small scream and started running too. As she reached the fireplace she tried to grab the Floo powder on the side but had to instantly move away or get caught. The Floo powder went crashing to the floor. Around and around they went, both running and both chasing.
Rose flung anything she could get her hands on in his path, trying to slow him down, but he just jumped over everything. She wasn't sure what would happen if he caught her, but she knew it wouldn't be good.
That was how they remained when Albus got home a few minutes later. Instantly and incredulously he gauged the situation before yelling out, "STOP!"
Scorpius didn't stop running and neither did Rose.
Albus stood staring for a moment before holding up his wand and calling out, "Immobulus." Instantly their legs were frozen, and they weren't able to run anymore.
"What is going on here?" exclaimed Albus. "The couch and tables are upturned, there are pictures missing off the walls and you guys are running all over! Someone explain."
Rose and Scorpius both glared at each other but neither said anything.
Albus shook his head. "Okay well I want to start with Scorpius. Mate, why are you just in a towel?"
He rolled his eyes and pointed an accusing finger at Rose. "Someone interrupted my shower."
Albus looked at Rose for confirmation. "What is he talking about? And you, why are you so dirty? And is that a bruise on your face or just well-defined dirt? I can't even tell."
Scorpius looked sharply at her and said quickly, "a bruise? Where did that come from?"
"Not from you, idiot. And I thought it was you in the bathroom, Al. Does he seriously live here?"
Al waved his wand and up-righted the couch. "Yeah he does actually. When Ty moved out I had an extra room and coincidentally Scorpius needed a place to stay. So he moved in."
"Where is the bruise from?" Scorpius asked Rose again.
"Why are you still on that? It doesn't matter where it came from," Rose fired back to him. She looked back at her cousin. "Al, can you let us go now?"
He raised an eyebrow at her and looked at Scorpius. "Do you promise to behave?"
"Yes!" they both said at the same time.
Albus sighed and picked up the picture that was on the ground, intentionally taking his time as he set it back on the wall. He finally turned to Rose and flicked his wand at her.
"Rose. Go sit in that chair." He pointed to the chair closest to her and Rose walked there and dropped herself into it, splaying her arms over the arm rests. Her legs hung loosely to the floor, as if they weren't attached to her body.
He then flicked his wand at Scorpius. "Scorpius, go get changed and if you come back down, go sit in that chair," he said, pointing to the chair on the other side of the room from Rose. With one lingering indiscernible look at Rose, Scorpius moodily headed up the stairs.
Albus continued his rounds around the room, cleaning up bits of dried mud and soot footprints, hanging pictures back up, and picking up different objects that were on the floor.
"How on Earth are you so dirty?" he asked her.
"Well. . . Ha, long story short, it's been the longest day of my life. It's from this morning when I was working outside and then I flooed here from Dom, Molly, and Lucy's flat about ten minutes ago. So soot and mud combined."
"Wow, you flooed? That is an accomplishment," Albus said jokingly.
Rose sighed, "well I really had no choice. I didn't know my three C's of apparition."
They heard footsteps come down the stairs and then Scorpius came into view wearing a grey pullover and jeans. He went to the kitchen and picked up his wand from the floor saying, "three C's? There are no C's of apparition. They are D's."
With Al nodding in agreement, Rose widened her eyes and her mouth dropped. "What an evil cousin Lucy is! And Dom and Molly!"
"How dumb are you to believe them?" Scorpius said scathingly to her.
"Who would be thick enough to remember each and everything from Hogwarts," she shot back.
Albus cleared his throat loudly. "Okay, new rule. No comments if they are rude. Rose, Scorpius lives here and has been my friend since forever, and Scorpius, Rose is family and is always welcome. Got it you two? Make peace between yourselves, you're not sixteen again."
"Since when are you so diplomatic," muttered Rose.
"Since I started my restaurant. You guys are nothing compared to some of the buffoons who work for me; you are an easy case. So figure out some sort of truce between you two."
"Wow Al, I didn't realize you got the restaurant started. Congrats!" she smiled at him.
He smiled. "Thanks, but don't change the subject. Do you both promise to behave?"
Rose and Scorpius both gave a disbelieving look to Albus and he put up his hands and added, "for the moment, at least!"
Their gazes swung to each other and Scorpius made a face of disgust. Rose then stuck out her tongue at him.
Albus sighed. "Well we'll just move on for the moment. So why'd you pop by Rose? Not that you're not welcome to of course, it's just you usually send warning."
Rose pursed her lips and scrunched her nose. She slowly turned her head towards Albus and gave him puppy dog eyes.
"Can I get my wand back, please."
Albus burst out laughing and Rose frowned at him for it.
"Why in Merlin's name would Al have your wand?" Scorpius questioned somewhat curiously.
Rose didn't turn her gaze away from Al even though he laughingly responded to Scorpius's question. "I have had her wand ever since we graduated from Hogwarts."
"Oh?" Scorpius sounded more confused than curious now.
Albus chuckled again. "Sorry Rose, I'm not laughing at you, just that dumb contract we made with Louis. Do you remember? I still have it somewhere. . ."
Rose groaned and put her hands to her head. "Bloody hell. Don't you dare get it. That was so long ago and it was just a joke!"
Albus shook his head and stood up. "Actually I know where it is. I'm getting it - the contract I mean and not your wand, yet. It was no joke; you were dead serious when we wrote it. You two," he said pointing to Scorpius and Rose, "you two just both sit and don't move."
Albus bounded up the stairs twos and left Rose and Scorpius sitting in silence. Rose reluctantly turned her gaze to Scorpius.
He stared accusingly, eyes burning with questions. "Why does Al have your wand?"
"Why do you care? Why are you even down here?" she shot back.
He blankly stared at her and then replied, "I live here. I have every right to be here, same as you."
She was saved from having to reply by the fireplace getting brighter and brighter. Very suddenly Dominique appeared in the fireplace.
"Wotcher," she said cheerfully and then realized that Scorpius and Rose were seated calmly in chairs she exclaimed, "woah. Did not expect this, I thought one of you would be dead by now!" She held up her hands in defence. "And please don't kill me Rose!"
She peeked at Rose and when Rose just stared expressionlessly at her. Dominique brushed herself off of soot and sat down on the couch, crossing her legs.
"Yeah, thanks for the memo about Al's new roomate. Appreciate it. . . really. Why'd you floo over?" Rose inquired.
"Hmmmm, well, we were kinda worried when you didn't show up after half an hour had passed. So we put all our names in a hat and my name was pulled, 'cause not going to lie we were all chicken to venture over here. SO voila, here I am! What's happening? And tell Blondie to stop scowling at me."
Scorpius's scowl turned deeper. "There are too many Weasleys in here. I'm going to get a drink." And with that he got off his chair and went to the kitchen.
Dominique turned to Rose. "So why are you still hanging around? Don't tell me you don't have your wand yet?"
Rose sighed, "I don't actually."
There was a loud thump from above them and then Albus called from the second floor, "I FOUND IT! WOHAHA!"
Dominique looked at Rose. "What is that kid talking about?"
Rose threw her arm over her eyes and groaned. "You really don't want to know."
Dominique looked puzzled and watched as Albus ran down the stairs holding a piece of paper in his hand.
"Okay, okay are you ready for this? Hey Dom! Where'd you come from?" he half-shouted out to the two girls and then stopped himself short. "Wait, where's Scorp?"
"He died," Dominique said back quite seriously.
"He - what? No, seriously, where'd he go?"
"He was just in the kitchen getting some tea. He didn't die at all," Scorpius said and sat back down on his chair putting one foot on his knee and cradling a steaming hot mug.
"Okay anyways Rose I found the contract and listen to this," he cleared his throat. "'I, Rose Nymphadora Weasley hereby declare my 12 ¾ inch ivy wand with unicorn hair to be hereto forth in the possession of one Albus Severus Potter. I-"
"AL," Rose interrupted, "can we just burn that note and forget I ever wrote anything!"
Dominique flapped her hand at Rose. "No! I want to know what it says. I didn't know you guys made a contract and this sounds promising. Continue," she ordered.
Albus cleared his throat again. "Okay, where was I? Oh right, 'I, Rose Nymphadora Weasley, with the dashingly intelligent witness, Louis Gideon Weasley hereby declare that Albus Severus Potter will keep the afore mentioned wand and protect it from harm. The wand shall in no way be relinquished to one Rose Nymphadora Weasley unless in the case of-'"
Albus paused and squinted, putting the paper closer to his face. "Okay so I can't really read what it says right here because Louis kept scribbling what you wrote out, Rose. But I think it says... Pellinor and Edil-Amarand - well can't even pronounce that! and is that the word Panem? Well, I can't remember what you were trying to get at. But we'll just skip that line. . . and oh I can read the rest now: 'another Voldemort trying to take over Britain, Grindelwald in terror of multiple European countries, or Sauron creating rings of power to take over Middle Earth. This declaration, signed on August 9 2046 at 15:43, is a binding agreement insomuch that Rose Nymphadora Weasley will not ask for her wand back or she shall forever refer to the dashingly intelligent Louis Gideon Weasley and Albus Severus Potter as the greatest people on Earth and clean their homes for four months," Albus finished and looked at Rose with his eyebrows raised and a giddy smile. "Still want your wand back?"
Rose had her hands over eyes in embarrassment while Dominique was holding her stomach and trying to stop herself from laughing.
Scorpius just sat silently, betraying no emotion except for raised eyebrows. He was staring intensely at Rose.
Dominique finally burst out, "BAHAHA! Are you kidding? You actually wrote that and with my brother as well? Merlin, I can't believe you! You sure know how to get yourself into situations!"
"Mhmmmm," hummed Rose.
"So you want your wand back then?" Albus waggled his eyebrows.
Rose sank lower in her chair and grumbled through her teeth, "yes. I need it know. Plans have changed."
"Oh - wait a minute. What about the boyfriend? He doesn't know you are a witch?"
Rose's face turned slightly red and then she went pale. She blinked a few times before trying to focus her eyes on Albus. "We aren't together anymore as of today. Can I just have my wand and we can discuss all this later."
Albus's mouth dropped and he silently reached into the cushion behind him and after feeling around for a moment he pulled out her wand. He shrugged his shoulders at Rose. "I couldn't think of any place to hide it. Here you go." He tossed it to Rose and it landed on her lap. "BUT, don't think you get out of our contract so easily. I expect you to hold up our end of the deal."
She just nodded and picked up her wand. Smiling she ran her hand softly over it. She quietly said, "I forgot how it feels. . . can't believe I gave it all up after school."
She sighed and everything was quiet for an instant before Dominique spoke. "Bruise balm is ready back at our place if you're ready to go. And we should get going, it looks like you're going to drop dead any second. You're awful white."
Scorpius sat as still as a stone on his chair gazing at Rose. He hadn't moved one inch since he sat down and only after Dominique helped a wobbly Rose up from her chair did he open his mouth.
"Just wait. Let me get this straight." He put down his leg and then leaned forward resting his elbows on his knee, his blonde hair gently falling onto his face. "You write this contract right after we finish Hogwarts and give up your wand; to deny being a witch. You then get some tosser of a boyfriend and keep practically your whole life a secret from him. You then show up here with bruises - yes I did notice the ones on your wrist as well - and ask for a wand back after you say you have broken up with tosser boyfriend. Do you know what that sounds like?"
"Don't presume to know my life just from what you've picked up tonight," Rose said feebly. She really wasn't feeling well now; she was a bit dizzy.
"Well am I right?" demanded Scorpius.
"No," scoffed Rose. Dominique gave a feeble cough beside her that sounded vaguely like "liar."
"I hope that isn't what happened. . ." Albus trailed off, looking worriedly at Rose, who was swaying a little bit.
She ran a hand through her hair. She was utterly exhausted now. She had been trying to fix the water pipe in the morning, had a brief fight and break-up with Danny, ran a few kilometres worth, walked way more kilometres worth to her cousins house, took the Floo network to get to another cousins house, got into an intense, emotional fight with Scorpius, ran around the couch multiple times, and had been drilled with questions throughout the day.
"I just. . . It's not. . . I think I'm going to. . ." Her eyes rolled up in her head and she fell down in a faint.
Scorpius jumped up, spilling his tea over the rug and rushed over to her.
"Hold your horses!" exclaimed Dominique with a hand in front of her to stop him. "Let the Healer check."
"Bloody hell!" said Albus who was half off the couch but then just sat down again after Dominique said that. "Of course you'd say that. . . You have such an ego!"
"Damn rights I do Allyboy," Dominique said with a shake of her head. "I have every right to it. Five years of education so far, it's serious stuff."
"Get to it then," snapped Scorpius who was looking at Rose and fidgeting uncomfortably. He muttered to himself, "what a way to get out of questions. Honestly, only she would faint."
"I'm sure she is fine," said Dominique with an eye roll but nonetheless leaned down and checked Rose.
She hummed under her breath for a few moments and then tapped her chin. Standing up she held her finger in the air and proclaimed very haughtily, "it is as I suspected! It is all Lucy's fault."
Albus nodded slowly. "How so. . .?"
"Actually just kidding, it's really not. It's why people are supposed to always rest after a healing. Rose's 'high' ran off. She just had some big healing done back at our place before she came here. Symptoms are usually lots of energy before a large crash. But we can just blame it on Lucy, just to annoy her. Rose has had a long day and I'm surprised she lasted this long anyways."
"What healing did she have done?" Scorpius questioned. He was getting to be very frustrated by everyone's lack of a response for his numerous questions. He liked answers and he liked knowing all the little details.
Dominique grinned at him with a raised eyebrow. "Wouldn't you like to know. . . " She pointed over to the spilt tea of his. "Didn't realize you actually cared that much."
"I don't," he said defensively.
"Sure seems like it. . ." she replied.
Albus interrupted. "Should Rose just stay here for the night then? Or are you going to take her back to your place?"
"Well Lucy and Molly were putting a mattress in the office for her, so I'll take her back. Can I apparate in your apartment to ours?"
Albus shook her head and Dominique leaned down over Rose, tapping her chin again. "Do you have a sheet or something I can borrow to wrap her in? I don't want to get everything dirty back home."
"She's not a dead body!" exclaimed Albus.
Dominique scoffed, "I know. She's just so dirty right now. Whatever though." She snapped her fingers at Scorpius. "Yo, Blondie, pick her up and follow me."
"You have blonde hair too dummy. And why Scorpius and not me? She's my cousin."
"Lucy's nickname for him, not mine. And Al, your muscles are practically non-existent in comparison, puh-leeze."
Albus looked helplessly at Scorpius and shrugged his shoulders. So Scorpius slowly walked to Rose and picked her up, slinging her over his shoulder in a fireman's hold. Her arms were flopping loosely down his back, and her hair was splayed everywhere.
Dominique snorted. "I would have thought of a better way to hold her. She isn't a piece of meat."
Albus rolled his eyes. "Like she isn't a dead body? Well, great, now that we've decided Rose is a real human being hurry up and get going!"
Dominique grabbed Rose's leg and pulled, leading them both out the room. They walked outside to the alley where Scorpius gently lowered Rose to the ground.
"Alright, we're off," stated Dominique as she grabbed Rose's hand, about to apparate away.
"Wait! What is going on here with Rose? Why did she give up her wand?" Scorpius asked helplessly.
Dominique looked at him with some pity in her eyes. She hesisated before saying, "it's not exactly my place to say. Perhaps one day Rose will tell you for herself. From what I know, and it isn't that much, is that there were actually many different reasons for her giving up her wand."
She looked down at Rose and smiled, brushing some of the curly hair away from her dirty face. She then looked back up at Scorpius seriously. "One of them was you."
She then apparated them both away, leaving a surprised Scorpius in the alley. He didn't return up to his apartment right away. He sat down, leaning against the wall and tried to remember everything he could about Rose Weasley.
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