A/N- Is it summer break yet?
Also, I'm quite mortified with the choices I made when I first wrote this. For example, why did I have Al flirting with Hermione again? She's his aunt?!
Chapter Seven
Rose groaned as sunlight hit her face. Instinctively, she rolled away from the warmth. Burying her face in a soft pillow was a much better option than facing the bright morning sun. A high-pitched squeal could be heard but it sounded muffled, distant, as most sounds did while one was half-asleep.
"Mmmm, not yet Mum, five more minutes…"
Rolling onto her side, Rose yanked the sheet up over her head.
"Well she sounds English." A voice that sounded quite a bit like Rose's mother's snapped.
"Yes, but she looks a bit Irish, doesn't she?" A high-pitched, giggly voice responded.
"Hush, Lavender, she's trying to sleep…" Why does that name ring a bell?
Eyes flying open, Rose was confronted with the sight of two brunette women going at one another.
"Who cares who she is, Lav?" An Indian girl, who Rose hadn't noticed earlier, said. She was eyeing the brunettes with annoyance, as though she dealt with these types of interactions often.
"Whatever." One of the girls, Lavender, flicked a long strand of hair behind her shoulder before grabbing the darker-skinned girl's arm and leading her out of the room. Hermione ran a hand through her wild hair, flopping onto her bed, a defeated expression on her face.
Propping herself up with a hand, Rose pushed the covers sloppily off her legs with the other. You can do this Rosie. Just don't say anything stupid…
Hermione's sharp gaze snapped up to the red-haired girl. "Oh, hullo there," Rose's mum stood, straightening her plaid skirt beneath her robes, "Sorry you had to see that first thing in the morning. I'm Hermione Granger. Who're you?"
Rose's head felt like someone had suddenly dropped something very large on it. She could hardly think through the heart-wrenching panic. What if I say the wrong thing? Oh dear Gods, what if I tell her that I'm her future daughter who was brought back in time by my cousin? She'll think I'm nuts! Or what if Scorp and Al already told all the boys my fake name, and I tell my mum a different one? What if...
Hermione cleared her throat, expectant.
"Oh, sorry," Sticking out her hand, Rose smiled, "I'm Eliz—"
"'Mione, you up?" Was the only warning she received before Rose was looking into the younger face of her Aunt Ginny. Ginny smoothed her hair back into its place, breathing heavily, "I'm serious, Hermione, we should be getting on to breakfast," Ginny's gaze shifted to Rose, and the younger woman smiled.
"Oh hello! Didn't see you there!" Ginny was radiant; with her red hair, warm smile, and intense energy that only teenagers seem to possess. Rose couldn't help but smile back—the effect Ginny had was infectious.
"Hi, I'm, ah, new." Rose managed to say.
To which Ginny replied, "I guessed that much."
"What time is it?" Rose asked Hermione, feeling her conversation with Ginny going nowhere in particular. She was beginning to feel rather awkward, having not introduced herself to the duo. Hermione did not question her further, however, but flipped her wrist up, to check the small watch with a purple band on her arm. She gazed at it intently.
"It's late!" Hermione did not answer Rose's question, exactly, but Rose knew she was distracted, "We need to get to breakfast or else there won't be any left." Hermione looked back at Rose, a worried expression crossing her face, "Actually, Ginny, save me a muffin. I'll wait here. She'll need a guide to show her to the Great Hall."
Ginny nodded, and she stuck her head out of the door for half a second, as if she was looking for someone. "Alright, Hermione, I'll see you then," And with that, Al's mum was gone.
Rose dragged herself out of her bed, and approached the large trunk by the bed posts. Carved into it were the loopy initials 'R.W.' Rose smiled at the trunk; it must've been Headmaster Dumbledore who had done this for her. She wondered for a second if her cousin and best friend had each gotten one before her curiosity overwhelmed her and she threw the lid open.
Inside there were stacks of books, robes, and Hogwarts uniforms, a set of nice scales, a cauldron, a satchel for her to carry her things in, a small bag that Rose assumed were toiletries, quills, ink, and parchment. There was a note lying on top of a set of rather nice muggle sneakers. Picking it up, Rose's eyes scanned over the loopy words written;
Dear Rose,
I hope that you have enjoyed your first night back at Hogwarts. I hope that the robes are the right size, and that the toiletries fit your purposes. If not then please alert Madam Promfrey. She was the one who put them together.
Enjoy your weekend,
A.D.
P.S. Please note that Filch now watches over the broom cupboards.
Rose stuffed the note deep into the recesses of her new trunk. She didn't need anyone to find that. Taking a pair of robes, along with her new uniform, shoes and toiletries, Rose headed into the toilets. She was pleased to find that everything fit her nicely, and when she opened the little blue toiletries bag she was pleased to find a toothbrush, toothpaste, a small hair brush and a sealed stick of lip balm. She applied it, smacking her lips. Rose pulled a face at the mirror, and then laughed at the way her expression looked. Rose's Uncle Charlie always said that it was good to not take oneself too seriously.
Rose gathered her things, including the yellow dress which she had slept in the night before, and walked back to her Dorm. After retrieving her books (all of her books—she wanted to review them over breakfast) and shoved them into the satchel, she walked down to the common room.
Sighing in relief, Rose saw a red-haired Scorpius taunting a smirking Al. Her mum was hovering in the background, looking at a loss for what to do. Sighing, Rose walked up behind Scorpius, a sour expression on her face.
"Boys, you're giving me a migraine and it isn't nine yet." It was true, listening to her cousin and best friend (boyfriend? Lover? Their relationship was unclear after that kiss) bicker was giving Rose a headache.
"Hullo," Scorpius scratched the back of his neck, which Rose recognized as a nervous gesture of his. His eyes flickered down to her lips and stayed there. Rose could feel heat in her cheeks, and she knew if she didn't say something soon, she'd begin to resemble a tomato.
"Can't you guys play nice, or do I need to put you in the corner for time out?" Rose crossed her arms, opting to look at Albus instead of Scorpius. She could feel his gaze, however, which was both embarrassing and... sexy?
Good god, there was something seriously wrong with her.
"Listen, Ro—" Al started to say something, but Scorpius cut him off.
"No, it's not important, Benito, because we are about to miss breakfast if we don't get our sorry Gryffindor butts down there."
Benito? Rose stifled a laugh. Those boys were hopeless.
Rose turned to face her mother (it was weird to think of her as that), and said, "Listen, do you want to walk down with us? I could use a helping hand, after all, I've never been here before…"
She could see, out of the corner of her eye, Scorpius and Albus trying not to laugh. Rose drew a deep breath in, hoping that her quick-witted mother said nothing about their odd behavior.
"Sure!" Hermione agreed. As an afterthought, she added, "What's your name?"
"Elizabeth. Please, call me Lizzy if you want," Rose had planned on using that name earlier, but the "Lizzy" part was unexpected. She wasn't quite sure why she said it exactly, it'd just slipped out. Feeling mildly embarrassed, Rose felt the need to say, "Oh, and I'm related to these two bimbos," She jerked her thumbs back, gesturing to Albus and Scorpius of them.
"Yep, we're twinsies, aren't we Lizabeth," Scorpius punched her casually in the shoulder, which Rose did not return. She was put out with him, and his child-like language, but she wasn't mad per se. Seeing no point in voicing her annoyance, Rose let the manner drop.
Just then, Al's stomach growled rather loudly.
"We should probably go down to the Great Hall now…" Hermione mentioned casually. The room was almost empty, save a few younger students who were huddled around a book. They were whispering excitedly to each other, their small faces alight with glee. Rose turned away from their child-like innocence. Those students would be in their thirties in her time.
It was an odd thought, one which struck her in such a way that Rose was left grasping for a distraction.
"Right," Rose agreed, slinging her bag over her shoulder, "Let's go,"
"You won't need that," Hermione told Rose, motioning to the satchel, "There's a Quidditch game today,"
"Really?" Al asked immediately, jumping up and down with child-like exuberance, "Against who?"
"Slytherin, who else!" One of the first years called. The four students exited through the portrait hole. Wanting to spend time with her mother, Rose rushed to catch up with her.
They had much to discuss, after all.
The Great Hall was madness.
Every single Slytherin was dressed in green and silver, 'booing' the Gryffindors. Rose, Scorpius and Al flanked Hermione as she made her way into the mass of red and gold. Rose's eyes flickered to Draco Malfoy, who was yelling foul things about her father. He caught her looking at him and paled (was that even possible?—he already vaguely resembled a vampire.) before resuming his cursing without a hitch. Scorpius grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently before letting go, causing Rose to forget Draco Malfoy entirely.
Hermione had approached Ron and Harry, a timid look in her eye, "How are you both feeling?"
"Fine," Harry responded before handing Rose's Dad a cup of pumpkin juice, "There you go Ron. Drink up,"
Oh, Rose realized, It's this Quidditch game. The one where Dad thought that Uncle Harry put the Felix Felicis in his drink so he played amazingly… I remember them talking about this.
As if taking her cues from Rose's thoughts, Hermione began to speak.
"Don't drink that Ron!" Her voice was shrill and high.
Harry and Ron both looked up expectantly, completely ignoring Rose, Scorpius and Al. They stood behind Rose's mum awkwardly, unsure of what to do.
"Why not?" Leave it to Dad to be totally oblivious, Rose snickered. She moved a hand to cover her mouth, so as not to reveal her amusement.
Hermione's eyes shifted to Harry, who was batting his eyelashes innocently, 'You just put something in that drink,"
"Excuse me?" Harry's voice was a little too high, even for one who was bad at lying. Harry wanted Ron to suspect something.
"You heard me. I saw you. You just tipped something into Ron's drink. You've got the bottle in your hand right now!"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Rose saw a flash of Harry's hand, probably tucking the said bottle into his robes pocket.
"Ron, I warn you, don't drink it!" Rose's mum was truly scared now, her tone reaching a new pitch. If she wasn't careful, she'd be attracting dogs soon.
Ron reached for the glass and, tipping it back, drowned the thing in a single drink.
"Stop bossing me around, Hermione," Rose had never in her life wanted to whack someone as hard as she did her father. Even though she knew the outcome of this interaction, he was being truly idiotic. If something really had been in that drink, Ron Weasley would be a goner.
Hermione glowered at her future husband, before leaning down and whispering something low in Harry's ear. Harry muttered something back, to which Hermione's mouth fell open with a small pop. Closing it hastily, she stormed away from her two best friends, leaving Al, Scorpius, and Rose blinking at what they had just seen.
"Hullo, mind if we sit with you?" Al's voice cut through the sound of Ron's lip-smacking. Harry glanced up, recognizing them from the night before. Smiling warmly, he nodded.
"Sure, but breakfast is nearly over," They all sat hastily, yanking food from the surrounding dishes onto their plates.
"Hullo, I'm Beni—" Almost gagging on a piece of bacon, Al chewed for a moment before repeating, "I'm Benito,"
Scorpius paused his fork-to-mouth gesture to mutter, "Victor,"
"Elizabeth," Rose stuck out a hand to Ron, who took it sweetly, "Elizabeth Weasley,"
Surprisingly, Ron didn't look as shocked as he should have.
"Oh, you all related then? Yeah, you're brother's explained how we're distant relatives of some kind, I think it was,"
Rose felt her eyebrows go up, and she turned to face Al. He sure had convinced Ron quickly that there was no reason to be suspicious of them. She sometimes wondered if Al should've been in Slytherin instead of Gryffindor.
Now, getting Hermione to believe the story would be an entirely different challenge. Rose knew her mom was distracted at the moment, with the drama between Harry and Ron and the game, but it would not last forever. And then Rose, Al, and Scorpius would have to put their heads together to think of something.
"Nearly time," Rose's uncle Harry stated, smiling at Ron. They both stood and, without so much as a glance back, walked out of the Great Hall.
Scorpius blinked rapidly, his eyes scanning the room, "Well, that was…"
"No different than how we usually act," Al filled in before taking a sip of orange juice, "I mean, honestly. Rose is bossy—"
"I am not!"
"Scorpius is daft,"
"Oi, that's a lie,"
"And I am exactly like my dad; cunning and wise,"
Rose snorted loudly and Scorpius looked appalled. Had anyone been listening in on their conversation they would've been really confused, but not much could be heard over the din of the crowd. Jeers between the opposing tables reached a crescendo as various objects, mostly food, was tossed between the aisles.
"You're an idiot, Benito, but Vicky and I here still love you,"
Rose watched as her cousin's face slowly turned the color of his hair. Scorpius was no longer paying attention to their little dispute, however; instead his eyes were trained on a point across the hall. Rose followed his gaze, only to find a rather loud Draco screaming at the Gryffindor's, a silver and green scarf around his neck.
Oh.
"Scorp," She whispered, putting a hand on his arm. He turned to look at her before letting out a low breath and smirking. It was false, but Rose knew he needed a distraction of some kind.
"You called m'lady?" His tone was low, and it tantalized her.
"Don't want to be caught flirting with your own sister, now do you?" Rose retorted softly before taking her hand away. She quickly averted her eyes, trying not to blush.
Al caught her attention by saying, "Lizzie, we should get going,"
Indeed, students were beginning to get up and leave in groups of threes and fours. Several Hufflepuffs that passed by Al giggled, and he winked at them. Rose fought the urge to throw her heavy goblet at him as they stood. He was such a prat sometimes.
Though still worried about Scorpius, Rose said nothing as she stood from her place at the table and left the Great Hall, her two best friends by her side.
"Rose, look, it really is Slytherin versus Gryffindor," Scorpius told her when they had taken their seats at the Quidditch pitch. Somewhere along the line they had caught up with Hermione, who was sitting next to Scorpius and venting angrily about the potion that Harry had 'put' in Ron's drink.
"Could they be any more irresponsible? Honestly, you would think that they were children!" Rose's mum asked Scorpius sharply. He looked at a loss for words, and opted to nod his head in agreement instead.
Al was talking to an enthusiastic Gryffindor fourth year on his left about various Quidditch plays.
Rose watched as the teams paraded onto the pitch before shaking hands and kicking off. Her uncle Harry flew high into the sky, his eyes flickering around for the snitch. A rather snobbish voice came over the magically-magnified megaphone.
"Well, there they go, and I think we're all surprised to see the team that Potter's put together this year. Many thought, given Ronald Weasley's patchy performance as keeper last year, that he might be off the team, but of course, a close personal friendship with the Captain does help…"
Rose clenched her jaw. Her dad was fantastic at Quidditch. He always was on the winning team when they played pick-up games at the Burrow.
The match continued, with several (great) saves from her father and a few tense moments in which it looked like Harry wasn't going to catch the snitch. However, the Slytherin seeker let the golden ball slip through his fingers and…
"YES!" Her uncle cried, his hand held up in triumph. She grinned and clapped her hands, looking around at the happy spectators around her…
Al was yelling excitably to her left, high-fiving each and every person in the immediate vicinity. Rose heard a faint crash but didn't look towards the source as her eyes had drifted right… and they landed on Scorpius. Kissing someone. A very bushy-haired someone.
Rose felt her mouth fall open in shock. Panic and anger choked her until she couldn't breathe—she might just have died of asphyxiation. Scorpius, her best friend and the boy she had recently discovered feelings for, was kissing her MOTHER. Granted, her mother was sixteen at the moment, but that was no excuse!
As though they realized what they were doing, Scorpius and Hermione jumped apart. The reaction was too late for Rose's taste. Though Rose's 'taste' was that her mother and friend never kiss at all. Hermione was bright red, mumbling something about being 'caught in the moment'. Scorpius wouldn't look at either woman, instead his eyes were fixed at the ground.
Before Scorpius could see her hurt expression, Rose turned and ran through the crowd of students, out of the pitch, and towards Hogwarts.