Chapter 4- Rose

The next day I woke up feeling confused to not be surrounded by Lauren, Jane, and Lucy, however, it was then that I realized I was in the heads dorm and a smile spread across my lips. I quickly jumped out of bed, tried a few hair spells to tame the fiery mess, and got dressed in my robes. I was downstairs in seconds. Most girls take hours to get ready, but I take minutes. It is rather miraculous that I got any boyfriends last year.

I sat down at the Gryffindor table besides Lauren and immediately talk turned to quidditch. Specifically speaking the Gryffindor prospects of winning the house cup. We continued talking until a tall white haired boy plopped himself down beside me. "Hey Rose, hi Lauren,"

"Hi Scorpius," We greeted. I was immensely confused as to why he was sitting with me, but I wasn't about to ask him in front of Lauren.

Moments later Professor Longbottom walked up and handed me my schedule, "Very impressive Miss Weasley,"

"Thank you, Professor,"

"I'll see you on Wednesday and Thursday," He smiled at me. I was one of his best students due to Herbology being a big requirement for healers.

I waved to him as he walked away, "We have Potions first today," I said looking up at Scorpius.

"Brilliant, now I won't need to convince you to let me walk to class," He smiled goofily. I rolled my eyes at him. Lauren was watching us intently. I don't want people to study us, "So, Lauren, what do you plan on doing with your free period?" I asked. She never made it to the NEWT level of potions.

"I was thinking of checking out the quidditch pitch, you know going for a good fly to start the day,"

"Sounds like a great idea. There is nothing better than that to start the day," I nodded my approval.

"I can think of a few," Scorpius joined the conversation.

"You don't like to fly?" Lauren questioned.

"Don't like, more like hate," I inserted before he could go on a rant about flying and how dangerous it is, "He seems to think that it's a tad too dangerous."

"Well it is, but that's part of the thrill, part of the freedom. It's like nothing can stop you up there, like nothing can hurt you and then it's like a reality check. It's beautiful," Lauren's awed voice spoke of her love for the sport.

"But just look at how high you are, and if you fell you could die!" Scorpius sputtered.

"You're afraid of heights Scorpius, no need to be ashamed," I had figured this out fifth year, when I had tried to get him to go up to the astronomy tour with me, but he had refused. This had led a long lengthy conversation and a final admission.

"I am not!" He pouted.

I rolled my eyes, "It's really nothing to hide,"

"My mums scared of heights and she's married to one of the largest quidditch junkies in the world, imagine how she feels," Lauren tried to be supportive.

"I just don't like them as much as I like level ground, that's all," He insisted.

I smiled kissing his cheek as a "reward" for admitting to not liking them. "Anyways, we better start heading to potions, bye Lauren,"

"Bye Rose, Bye Scorpius," She called after us.

"I rather like her," He commented in the hallway.

"You sound surprised."

"No I didn't mean it like that, I just never really thought about your friends as being my friends too," He quickly defended.

I nodded, "So why did you sit with me?"

"We are dating," He laughed taking my hand. We reached the dungeon and took two seats together, "You know I might actually not do too bad this year since we'll be next to each other all year,"

I was laughing while Al scooted into the chair on my right, "Hey Rosie, did you hear the news?"

I cocked my head to the side, "What news?"

"Victorie and Teddy are getting married this winter break! They wanted it to be while all of us were at home, so they are doing on New Year's Eve," Albus exclaimed.

"That's great!" I began bouncing in my seat with excitement.

"Teddy owled me and asked if I would be a groomsmen," Al tried to sound casual about it, but I know that he was extremely proud of himself. I wasn't surprised though Teddy was like a brother to Albus, James and Lily.

"Congratulations," I smiled. I moved to keep talking, but the professor called the class to attention.

The week flew by. Scorpius walked me to the classes we had together and even the ones we didn't. We held hands in the hallway, he ate lunch with me, and even once I was brave enough to eat with him, we shared kisses in the hallway, everything was going smoothly. However, things that go smoothly always tend to get messy.

"Hey Red, how's your mudblood mother? Is she ill from all the mud she intakes?" I cringed at the words being thrown at me. Gregory Goyle was talking to me about my mother, I had somehow avoided this confrontation so far this year.

"She's actually doing quite well thank you. How's your father though, is he still unemployed due to his criminal record?"

"At least I have pureblood running through my veins nothing tainting it," He hissed.

"If pureblood makes you a criminal then I'll keep mine," I retorted.

"How come you're dating one than, hoping to taint him?" Goyle countered stepping closer and closer, his goonies laughing. It was just then that I realized I was surrounded.

I said the first that I could think of, "I already have."

Gregory didn't speak for a moment. I slowly looked to the side hoping to find a way out of this situation, "No, he wouldn't let you, he's just using you for your name like all those other boys you've dated. He just wants your father and Uncle to give him a good job as an auror,"

My eyes began to tear up at that thought because it was true. Every other boy besides Lysander had just dated me to either say they had dated two thirds of the golden trio or to make connections. I shook my head he was trying to get to me, "You know Goyle I'm going to be late to herbology," I tried to brush past him.

The oily haired boy seized my arm, "Not so fast Red," His grip tightened like a vice forcing a small gasp of pain to escape my mouth, "You break up with Scorpius tonight or we'll come after you, understand?" Gregory shoved me into the wall, causing my head to whack into the stone with a resounding smack. I slid down holding my now my pounding and bruised head.

I never realized what backlash this relationship would get. I stood up after a moment of deep breathing. I still felt dizzy, but I was fine to walk down to the greenhouse. Luckily my family's motto of being five minutes early payed off because now I was barely on time. I took a seat next to Albus instead of Scorpius due to the prying eyes of Goyle. Part way through class a paper bird landed in front of me. It took Al to get me to notice due to my thumping forehead.

I opened the note that was clearly from Scorpius, What happened? You look awful, no offense. Do you need to go the infirmary? –S

I looked at my watch before shaking my head. There were only fifteen minutes left in class. The moment the bell rang Scorpius was next to me. "Rose, what happened? You weren't here early,"

"I just need to go get a headache potion," I grumbled moving away from Scorpius, well more from Goyle who I knew was watching us. Scorpius would find me later.

I got the potion and the relief was fantastic. I went to the heads dorm and collapsed on the couch. I must have fallen asleep because Scorpius woke me up when it was dark outside with some food, "You are an amazing person, you know that right?" I mumbled through a mouth full of chicken.

He laughed before noticing something, "When did you get that bruise?" He spoke slowly as if he was afraid he would scare me off.

I sighed, putting down my food, and then I curled into a ball, "Goyle and his group attacked me in the hallway they said if I didn't break up with you tonight they would come after me."

The blonde haired boy moved onto the couch next me. He put his arm around me allowing me to bury my face in his chest. "Maybe we should call this off."

I jumped off the couch, "What? No! Just because of one measly threat? I am not a defenseless little girl and I'll be sure not to be in the hallway alone anymore. This is bigger than you and me, we can't call it off because I got a bruise on my arm," I was pacing in front of the fire.

"They didn't just give you that bruise though. Did they? They gave you a concussion, which you are too proud to go tell Madame Patil, that's why you needed the headache potion," Scorpius countered.

I collapsed into one of the silver chairs, "I'll be more careful, I promise. We can't just quit because of a threat."

"Rose, there's something else bothering you. Was it something that he said?" I looked at his grey eyes, wondering how he could know me so well and I could know him so little. I nodded. "What was it? Was it about your mother?"

"He did talk about her, and yes that was bothersome, but that wasn't it,"

"On the topic of that, before I keep guessing, I just want you to know despite what people will tell you I don't believe in the old prejudices. Everyone is equal." I smiled at him and moved over to the couch. He was silent for a moment, his face scrunched up in concentration, "Ok I'll never guess, can you just tell me?"

I paused before answering, "He talked about how all the other guys I dated only dated me for my name and connections and how you were just like them. I know, of course, that's not why we're dating, but it is true about the other boys," I sighed before continuing, "For a moment, when he said it, I just had a little panic attack that you would leave me like the rest of them; once you had met all of my cousins and could claim that you had dated two-thirds of the golden trio," I looked down at the swirling fire in the grate.

"I never knew that's why you guys broke up," Scorpius' voice was soft.

"That was until Lysander," I continued as if he hadn't spoken, "He didn't need the connections, he didn't need 'the claim to fame'. I knew I was safe dating him," My eyes stayed glued to the fire, "We were happy. It wasn't a physical relationship per say, well at all- we only talked. I preferred it that way, especially after you and I kissed under the mistletoe, because I was scared that he wouldn't live up to us," My voice grew soft.

"Rose, was I your first kiss?" He sounded urgent like he needed to know.

"Yes," I looked at him now.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Scorpius seemed to wonder aloud.

"Would you have done anything different?"

"I might have made it more special," He began to rant about the things he could have done to perfect my first kiss.

I kissed him gently, "It was the best first kiss I could have hoped for."

We were silent for a moment, both of us sitting stunned. Scorpius finally spoke, "Why did you and Lysander break up?"

I faced the flames again. "He thought that I only wanted a boyfriend for the title. We got in a big argument about it ending with him admitting that he was curious as to why I always said no when he asked if he could kiss me. I started yelling that he was a pervert and only wanted me for my looks. It was so close to the end of the year that we never made up." I explained.

"But you never kissed him because of me?" Scorpius clarified. I stared deep into the embers before nodding. He leaned over and kissed my forehead, "You should owl your uncle about Goyle. Goodnight Rosie," he traveled up the silver staircase once again leaving me staring after the blonde boy.

I did as Scorpius asked. The next day I owled Uncle Harry and told him about what Goyle had done to me. It wasn't exactly a pleasant letter.

Dear Uncle Harry,

I promised you before I left that if something was to go wrong that I would write to you before my father this promise goes both ways- don't tell my father. He would ask me to stop and well we both know I can't do that especially now that I have seen the extremeness of the prejudices. I suppose I should explain what I am referring to first.

The other day on my way to Herbology Gregory Goyle confronted me about my relationship with Scorpius. He gave me several bruises and a concussion. He also stated that if I refused to break up with Scorpius then he would come after me. This is the exact stuff we were afraid of. The exact stuff we need to fight. Scorpius thought that I should break up with him but I don't agree we need to stay strong otherwise it just shows that they won.

Otherwise they will always win. Anyways, give me your opinion and I thought I should keep you updated.

Love your niece,

Rose

My owl, Athena, flew off towards my uncle's house at Godrics Hollows. I walked out of the owlery with Scorpius. He was being very insistent that I always have somebody with me in case Goyle or one of his goonies tries to approach me again.

I got a reply the very next day from my uncle.

Dear Rose,

Thank you for informing me of this. I, of course, am not pleased to hear that you are suffering repercussions for agreeing to date Scorpius. However, I am in agreement with you. It would make them feel as if that had beaten us if the two of you broke up. The task I assigned you was not to be life threatening though so if at any point you feel your life is at risk- break up with Scorpius Malfoy. Your life is not worth it. Do you understand that? Of course, knowing you, you probably have looked at that sentence laughed at it and are now on your way to throwing this letter away. But Rose, it'll only make things worse if you fuel their anger. Stay passive, stay alive, and stay respective.

I promise not to tell Ron about the contents of your last letter because you're right he would freak out you're his Rosie Posey. But, don't get hurt too badly because then he'll kill me too.

Love your uncle,

Harry Potter

I wasn't entirely satisfied with Harry's response what was that stay passive, stay alive, stay respective? What did that even mean. I groaned to myself before heading up to my common room and doing exactly as Uncle Harry thought I might. I threw the letter away.

Hello sorry for the long wait hope the long chapter makes up for that. Let me know what you think review, follow, favorite!