A week later, the wedding day of Roxanne Weasley and Lysander Scamander dawned. The excited Bride-To-Be dragged Rose out of her wonderfully warm bed at an hour that Rose thought was utterly unacceptable. The preparations were planned down to the last minute; breakfast at The Burrow with Roxie, Lily, Angelina, and Grandma Molly was set to commence before the sun had peeked over the horizon.
Lily stared with bleary eyes at the cup of coffee that sat in front of her. Angelina was practically asleep in her plate of scrambled eggs. Only Roxanne and Molly seemed to be functioning at full capacity, Rose noted. Grandmother and granddaughter were excitedly chatting about the day to come.
"Dear, I wish you had let me lend you Auntie Muriel's goblin made tiara. Every Weasley bride has worn it for over one hundred years. It's a symbol of good luck for a prosperous and fertile marriage," Molly said.
Rose choked on the small piece of croissant she had just popped into her mouth at her grandmother's casual mention of fertility.
"Luna asked to make my headwear," Roxanne admitted with a note of fear, "she promised to not go overboard."
"HA," Lily snorted, "good luck with that Roxie. You're going to wind up sporting a whackspurt net or something just as ridiculous."
Roxanne shrugged, "it doesn't matter. It'll make my future mother-in-law happy. Plus, she's a lot tamer than she used to be. Lysander's seen what she made and he says I'll like it. I trust him."
Rose zoned out as Roxanne gushed about her groom. She was excited for her cousin, but very nervous about today. After her revelation at the hen night the previous weekend, Rose had been in hiding. It wasn't like before when she avoided going into public to escape the incessant reporters. She was actively avoiding seeing Scorpius.
He'd sent her an owl earlier this week asking to meet up for dinner. Rose declined with a transparent excuse about being too exhausted from work and wedding preparations to go out. When he suggested that he come over to hang out at her flat, she refused and told him that she'd just see him at the wedding.
Rose knew that she was being a coward, but she needed time to figure out how to be around him again. She wasn't willing to lose her best friend because she was lusting after him. Rose didn't trust herself enough not to strip naked and spread herself out in some sensual position to receive him if he came over to her flat. She'd be beyond humiliated when he would inevitably reject her. The wedding would be a nice safe venue to see him again. Rose knew she wouldn't be tempted to jump his bones in front of her entire family.
"Rose, are you alright dear?" Grandma Molly said snapping Rose out of her reverie. Rose blushed.
"I'm fine, just a bit tired still," Rose replied. She took her plate to the sink and quickly washed up.
"Thinking about him again?" Lily asked quietly. "You had this unsettled look on your face."
Rose sighed, "I just don't know what I'm going to do around him now. I wish things could just go back to the way they were. It was simple then."
"It's not supposed to be simple, Rose," Lily said gently. "He's still your best friend, so try to act like you normally would. He's coming by about an hour before the ceremony to help the boys set up the tent. Just pop out quickly and say 'hi'. Don't make it into an awkward situation. Today's about Roxanne."
"I know," Rose stated, "I can handle it." Rose figured if she said that out loud enough times, that it would have to be true.
Lily gave Rose's shoulder a squeeze, "Now hurry up! We've got some beautification and mimosas awaiting us upstairs." Rose laughed and followed her younger cousin.
Hours later, the three witches were groomed, plucked, waxed, and shined to perfection. Roxanne had insisted the trio get full bikini waxes. When Rose argued that no one would know the difference under their gowns, Roxanne cheekily replied that it was for Lysander later and that she needed her bridesmaids to undergo the same treatment for moral support. Rose thanked Merlin for numbing charms otherwise her skin would be on fire.
The girls were lounging in chairs, wearing matching satin robes, and waiting for their toe nail polish to dry when a knock sounded at the door.
"Oy, you three! Are you decent in there?"
"What do you want, Fred?" Roxanne replied.
"Lysander needs to see Lily and Rose real quick," Fred stated. "He's in Uncle Ron's old room.
"We'll be out in a few," Lily said. She and Rose began to fan their feet to speed the drying process.
Lysander had sent for Lily and Rose to hand off Roxanne's headpiece. With a sigh of relief, Rose noted that it was in fact quite beautiful. Luna Scamander had somehow woven occamy egg shells into an intricate headband and attached a short blusher veil. The girls hastened back to join Roxanne but Rose's path was halted by a call from down the hall.
"Rose?" Scorpius said. "Can I talk to you?"
Lily hissed, "Go. You can't avoid talking with him all day," and shoved Rose towards the tall blond man.
"Hi, Scorp," Rose said shyly. 'Oh Merlin', she thought, 'why am I so awkward.' Scorpius wore black dress robes that were trimmed with fine silver detailing. The top button of his white shirt was undone leaving a few inches of his ivory chest visible. His hair was casually tossed giving him the appearance of having just rolled out of bed. Rose felt her mouth go dry.
"Is everything OK, love? It seems like you've been avoiding me. I haven't seen you since I stayed over at your place a few weeks back. Was it that damn Prophet article? I told them that we are just friends, but you know they can be attack dogs when they catch the scent of a juicy story."
'Just friends,' Rose thought. Of course they were just friends. That would make this easier. She smiled, "I've just been really busy, Scorp. Don't worry about it. I'm glad you're here." Rose wrapped her arms around his torso and pressed her cheek to his chest. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and was met by the intoxicating scent of sandalwood. Why did he have to smell so delectable?
He held her close for a few moments before releasing her. He stared at her face for a few seconds as though considering something, but then his eyes wandered down to take in her appearance. Rose saw his Adam 's apple bob has he swallowed hard, "Uh, Rose?" he gestured to her chest.
Rose flushed when she realized that the belt of her robe had come loose and the garment was open nearly to her navel. Thankfully the material still clung to her breasts so she wasn't entirely exposed. She shrieked and yanked the fabric back together.
Scorpius reached out to retie the belt. He then pulled her hands away from the lapels of her robe and threaded their fingers together, "It's alright, love. No need to be embarrassed," he said with a wink.
Rose remained as red as a tomato. "I've got to get back to Lily and Roxanne. I'll see you after the ceremony, yeah?" She didn't wait for a response and instead fled back to the room where the other girls waited. Once safely in the room, Rose pressed herself back against the door and took a series of calming breaths.
"What happened?" Lily asked. Rose merely groaned and dropped her head back against the door.
"With these rings, I now pronounce you eternally bonded as husband and wife. Lysander, you may kiss the bride," Minister Granger- Weasley proclaimed. Lysander dipped Roxanne backwards and consumed her in a kiss. The wedding attendees laughed and wolf whistled at the spectacle.
"Oy, save it for the honeymoon!" Fred Weasley exclaimed, "I don't want to see my sister getting busy!" He and Lorcan escorted Lily and Rose back up the aisle and towards the reception tent. The wedding party posed for what seemed like thousands of pictures before they joined the rest of the guests.
Rose looked on as Lysander and Roxanne swept across the dance floor in their first dance as a married couple. Rose observed that the couple had not been able to stop smiling since their eyes met at the altar. It was like everyone and everything else had faded away and they only had eyes for one another. Love was a strange and wonderful thing.
After the first dance had concluded, the rest of the wedding party was invited onto the floor. Rose awkwardly placed her left hand on Lorcan's shoulder while he rested his right on her upper back. He raised their other hands and began to lead her in a disjointed waltz.
"You know, Rose, that this house is infested by nargles. They usually hide out in mistletoe, but …" Lysander droned before Rose tuned him out. It was astounding how different Lorcan and Lysander were for identical twins. As the great-grandsons of the most famous british magizoologist, both men loved magical creatures. However, Lysander was a realist and Lorcan was prone to flights of fancy. Rose had been told that their mother believed in the same creatures that Lorcan described. Rose supposed there wasn't any harm in their beliefs, but she just didn't find it interesting at all. She smiled and nodded along at the appropriate times as he prattled on.
"May I cut in?" Scorpius tapped Lorcan's shoulder. The twin looked relived to escape the dance floor and Rose soon found herself swept into Scorpius's arms.
Unlike with Lorcan, there was nothing awkward about the position in which Scorpius held Rose. As a pure-blood wizard, Scorpius had been given dance lessons from a young age and was adept in the ballroom. She gently laid her hand upon his shoulder while he placed a firm hand on her lower back and pulled her close. They clasp their other hands together and he began to lead her in a smooth waltz.
"Thanks for the save, Scorp," Rose said gratefully.
"Just doing my duty as your date, love," he said with a smirk. He twirled her out with an elegant flair. She giggled and rolled her eyes at him. This was the Scorpius she adored; playful and humorous.
"You look beautiful today, love," Scorpius whispered into her ear. Rose shivered at both the compliment and the way the way his breath caressed her ear when he spoke.
"This dress is something else. I'm so happy that Roxie picked it. It's a shame that today will be the only chance I get to wear it," Rose said. The corseted bodice gave Rose an hourglass figure. Her waist looked thinner and her hips looked fuller. The sweetheart neckline was classy and revealed just a hint of her cleavage.
Roxanne had chosen to have Lily and Rose forgo wearing necklaces so her creamy skin was uninterrupted from neck to bust. The only jewelry Rose wore was a pair of small diamond studs in her ears. Her hair was swept back in a chic French twist. Rose's eyes were adorned with thick black lines and her lashes were lengthened making her blue eyes pop and sparkle. Her lips were tinted with a slightly pink hue.
"It's not the dress, Rose," Scorpius stated, "It's you. You're gorgeous, you know that, right?"
Rose flushed and pressed her cheek into his chest to break their eye contact. She felt like his silver eyes were hypnotizing her so that she would blurt out something she did not wish to say. "Thanks, Scorp," she deflected.
He sighed and pressed his lips to her forehead. The song changed and he continued to lead her around the dancefloor in silence.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, it's time for cake!" Aunt Angelina announced. 'Wait,' Rose thought, 'they weren't supposed to do that for another hour'. Rose glanced at the watch on Scorpius's wrist and realized that an hour had passed by. She had completely lost track of time in his arms.
Rose and Scorpius walked towards their assigned table but spotted Victoire and Teddy on the way. They were cooing over Phillippe who was babbling happily while waving his arms about.
"He's getting so big," Rose said. "Here, Scorpius look!" She yanked his head down to stare at the infant. Phillippe focused on the strange man and screwed up his eyes. Suddenly, the baby was sporting light blonde hair and a icy eyes.
"Would you look at that!" Teddy exclaimed, "Guess we know what a mini-Scorpius will look like now!"
"Yeah," Scorpius said sadly as he reached down to trace a finger along the baby's cheek. He turned walked away from the group. Rose met Victoire and Teddy's strange looks and shrugged. She hurried to catch up with Scorpius. She nudged him with her shoulder and looped her arm through his.
When the pair arrived at their table they greeted the other occupants. Ron Weasley was digging into a piece of cake with exuberance. Hermione caught her daughter's eyes and made a small gesture towards Scorpius. Rose shook her head slightly and mouthed 'later' at her mother.
"Hello Scorpius, it's been a while since we've seen you," Hermione stated.
"Yeah, Rose and I have both been really busy so we haven't had much a chance to meet up recently. I hope you're well?" Scorpius politely asked.
"Ron and I are great. I hope Rose passed on our apologies for the incident a few weeks ago," she sent a glare towards her husband who grunted into a second piece of cake.
Scorpius laughed, "she did. I understand what it looked like to find your daughter with a Malfoy".
"Malfoy?" the old wizard across the table asked.
"Yes, sir. I'm Scorpius Malfoy," he extended his hand towards the man.
"I wondered if I'd ever meet you, young Scorpius. I knew your great-grandmother. We were friends at Hogwarts," the man stated.
"Really? I'm sorry but I don't know who you are. I assume you are a guest of Lysander's?" Scorpius asked.
"I couldn't very well miss the wedding of my great-grandson. Newt Scamander at your service!" he said with a smile.
"Oh Mr. Scamander! I'm a big fan," Scorpius gushed, "I read your book when I was a young child. Your work was groundbreaking".
"You flatter an old man. So much like Leta," Newt said with a wistful look.
"I don't know all that much about my great-grandmother. She was gone before my father was born. And I never asked my grandfather about her," Scorpius said. "What was she like?"
"She was my only friend at Hogwarts. You wouldn't think a Hufflepuff and a Slytherin would be so close, but we were both odd balls in our own way. We were both interested in magizoology and bonded over that. She was only main confidant until I had to leave Hogwarts," Newt said.
"I remember reading something about that. Weren't you expelled because of her? Something about her experimenting with a jarvey?" Hermione asked.
Newt laughed, "That was a clever ruse that Albus Dumbledore helped create to protect us. There was no jarvey".
"How can that be?" Hermione asked, "It's well documented that she was she was experimenting with a jarvey and that it attacked another student".
"It was Leta that attacked that student. She got caught mid transformation and reacted poorly."
"Mid transformation?" Rose leaned forward with her attention peaked.
"Yes, Leta Lestrange was an animagus. She had been working with Dumbledore for years and was planning on registering with the ministry after graduation. She could transform into a ferret."
Ron Weasley sprayed a mouthful of cake across the table, "You're telling me that Draco Malfoy, the amazing, bouncing ferret, is descended from an actual ferret?!" he guffawed. Hermione smacked him across the back of the head. "Ouch Hermione, what did you do that for?"
"Forgive him," Hermione growled and dragged Ron away from the table, "he's an idiot".
"Please continue Mr. Scamander," Rose pleaded. This could be the clue so she had been searching for.
"It was your great-grandfather that she attacked. Abraxas and Leta were forced into an arranged marriage by their families. Arrangements like that are such nonsense and almost always led to unhappy marriages. He demanded that she give up her own ambitions to become the perfect, little wife. She lost control and transformed in front of him; gave him a big old bite on the ear and clawed at his face. He threatened to turn her into the authorities unless she agreed to go through with the marriage. Abraxas was a nasty piece of work, no offense to you, Scorpius. Leta complied with his demands and I took the fall for her," Newt stated.
"From the stories my father has shared, I agree that my great-grandfather was a right bastard. He ruled the family with an iron fist and made my grandfather look like a push over if you can believe it. They both favored arranged marriages for their heirs. Luckily my own father is allowing me the chance to make my own choice," Scorpius admitted. "Why did you agree to take the blame for her?"
"At the time I fancied myself in love with her. She was my only friend and I would have done anything for her. You know, for years my patronus was a ferret too? It only changed after I met my late wife Tina," Newt fell quiet with the memory.
"Scorpius, do you think that maybe Leta wrote about her animagus abilities? This could be the key I need to solve everything!" Rose was getting excited.
"I'll floo call Dad and ask him to search through the library. I'm pretty sure we've got some of her journals on the shelves. If you'd excuse me?" Scorpius left Newt and Rose alone at the table.
"I recognize the way you look at him, Miss Weasley," Newt said.
"Rose, please," she insisted, "I suspect it's much the same as with you and Leta. He's my best friend and I have feelings for him".
"The difference is, Rose," Newt said, "He can choose what he wants for himself. It's obvious, even to this old fool, that you are want he wants. I spend a lot of time observing people now and I would recognize the look in his eyes anywhere. Don't waste a single day not going after what you both want. I took me years to finally accept what I had with Tina. We spent all that time dancing around each other and denying our own feelings. Don't make the same mistake that I did. Tell him that you love him".
Rose thought back to the looks that she had seen pass between Roxie and Lysander today. They were lost in one another and the rest of the world had faded away. Rose realized with a start that she had experienced the same thing when Scorpius had her in his arms on the dance floor. The concept of time had disappeared and the moment had extended on infinitely.
'Oh My Merlin,' Rose thought, 'I'm in love with Scorpius'. It was more than just lust. She could have handled lust. It would have dissipated over time. Love was so much more complicated. She felt her heartrate and breath accelerate. Yes, falling in love was certainly a traumatic experience.
"Is this the first time you've realized it?" Newt pulled her from her musings.
"Yes," Rose whisper was barely audible.
"Don't be afraid, my dear. It happens to the best of us," Newt comforted. "But you might want to pull yourself together. Scorpius is returning."
Rose whipped her head around in panic. Thankfully Scorpius was too far away to have heard the conversation. She noticed a happy smile gracing his face and her heart skipped a beat. 'Don't you start now!' Rose internally scolded her organ.
"I just spoke to dad. He pulled Leta's journals and they'll be waiting for you in the library tomorrow morning. He's expecting you around 9am." Scorpius informed her.
"I'll leave you two," Newt said, "I'm an old man now and I'm worn out". He bid them ado stood and walked slowly to say goodbye to the bride and groom.
Scorpius and Rose were left alone. "Would you care to dance again, love?" Scorpius asked.
"I'm actually ready to leave, Scorp," Rose said. Her mind was swirling with the conversation she'd just had with Newt. "Mind if we say some quick goodbyes and floo over to my flat? I've got something I need to tell you".
Scorpius looked at Rose strangely for a moment. She blushed under his scrutiny. "Alright," he said as he pulled her from her chair. He placed his hand on her lower back and guided her across the room. For the first time, Rose allowed herself to enjoy the heat that radiated from his contact.
Minutes later, Scorpius and Rose emerged from the fireplace into her flat.
"So what's up, Rose?" Scorpius asked. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Scorp. Great actually. Really great. It's just that… Umm, well you see the thing is… Recently I… Scorpius, I.." Rose tried to form her jumbled into coherent words.
"Slow down, love," Scorpius said. "What are you trying to say?"
Rose stared at him for a moment. His head was slightly cocked to one side in observation. His silver orbs pierced into her eyes. She felt as though he could see all the way into her soul. She searched his eyes for what Newt had insisted would be there.
"Oh bugger it all," Rose declared and summoned every ounce of her Gryffindor courage. She reached up, grabbed the lapels of his dress robes, and brought his lips down to meet hers.