Howdy partners! How y'all doin'? (I don't even know why...)
A certain couple of fans *cough* Gabriela *cough* Ella *cough* persuaded me to update ASAP, so here is chapter 25, and you have them to thank. Hope you like it!
The snow fell thick and fast as the train sped back through the open countryside. Unlike the journey to Hogwarts in September, the Weasley clan were spread throughout the train, several giving Rose a dirty look as she dragged her case miserably behind Molly to find an empty compartment. She passed James and Al who were laughing and joking with a combination of 4th and 5th year Gryffindors, and a couple of Hufflepuffs. The boys glanced over as Molly and Rose passed, one of them giving Molly a wink, clearly not noticing the death stare James was shooting him. The others mostly ignored the girls, other than James who made a point of not looking at Molly, and instead slightly shook his head in disgust at Rose. Al openly scowled at her. She guessed he was still sore from their argument on the day of the 2nd task, where she had defended Scorpius. Rose bit her lip to prevent herself doing anything brash or getting upset, and instead mumbled to Molly to hurry up.
The next compartment was full of 7th years; the one after that bursting with some of the youngest students, and so they continued, until they saw a compartment habited by Fred and Roxy and their friends. Molly went to open the door but Rose grabbed her arm.
"Don't." She instructed quietly but firmly. "Roxy still isn't speaking to me, and I don't want a scene now."
"You mean because you told her how you feel about Malfoy?" Molly asked far too loudly for Rose's liking.
"Shhh! And yes, that's what I mean. Now hurry up!"
"But that's ridiculous!" Molly declared, getting some strange looks for some students inside the compartment. "You can't choose who you fall for, as you told me!"
"Molly, be quiet, she'll here you!"
"Who will hear what?" A smooth voice asked. Roxanne had exited her compartment and was now stood looking at the two girls with a neutral expression.
Molly looked at Rose, but ignored her anguished face. "Rose tells me that you're angry with her."
"I don't think angry is the right word. I'm more scared for her. And for our family. It's a problem"
"I wouldn't call it a probl-"
"Really? I would. A Gryffindor deciding she's in love with a Slytherin? And not just any Slytherin- a Malfoy. And not just any Gryffindor- a Weasley. That's quite an issue."
Rose had so many things she wanted to say, so many counter-arguments and explanations, but Roxy was not a good person to have as you're enemy. Molly had pushed it far enough, so Rose knew she needed to stop her retorting, as she knew she was about to.
"Seriously? Did you honestly just say that?" asked Molly, dropping her case and turning on the sass.
"Molly, no, please-" Rose interceded, but her best friend ignored her.
"You have no right to talk about Rose like that! And what is the purpose of the Inter-House Challenge if not to disestablish all these ridiculous stereotypes and prejudices?"
Rose had said all these things before, but now she saw how naive and petty they sounded.
"Oh, look! Four four syllable words! In one sentence! My, what a miracle from the air-head of Gryffindor House."
Molly went to pull out her wand, but Fred appeared at the doorway to the compartment at that moment, having watched the event escalate.
"Is everything alright out here?" He asked, curious. "Rox, are you going to come back inside any time soon, or do you intent to spend the journey in the corridor? Because we could pass you notes of what's going on if you like? Or send you an owl. I'm sure Pudge wouldn't object to a short flight every now and then. But you'd have to clean up the mess."
"It's ok." Roxanne replied, not taking her eyes off Molly as she removed her hand from her wand. "They were just going."
"Really?" Fred asked, sounding disappointed. "Because one of my friends is pretty keen to meet you, Rosie." Rose peered into the compartment curiously, to see a 6th year Gryffindor smirking at her. He looked her up and down then gave her a wink of approval. She shuddered.
"Sorry, Fred, but we've got to dash and meet Tracey. I'll see you in London."
She gave Molly a push, and the dark-haired girl picked her case back up, still keeping eye contact with Roxanne, and walked off, until the angle meant that she physically couldn't look at her any more.
"What did you go and do that for?" Rose exclaimed in exasperation once they were out of Roxanne's earshot. "Roxy is a dangerous girl to have as an enemy!"
"I know, but I couldn't help it! How am I supposed to stand there and let her insult you?"
"She wasn't insulting me; she was just airing her opinion. Merlin, I'm not looking forward to this Christmas."
The two girls had just found an empty compartment when something short and ginger assaulted her waist. "You ok, Rosie?" The girl asked as she hugged her tightly.
"Lily? Yeah, I'm ok. Why do you ask?"
"Because Albus told me everything." Lily replied almost sadly as she stepped away.
"What's everything?"
Lily may not yet be 13, but she could appear very mature, despite her mischievous streak. She looked at Rose knowingly; then nodded towards the empty compartment. "Can I come in?"
Rose stifled a laugh. "Yeah, sure."
The three girls entered and sat down inside; Rose facing her youngest cousin and next to Molly. Lily began.
"I take it you've told Molly everything that's happened since the start of the Tournament?"
"Yes, everything of any importance."
"So you don't mind her hearing me?"
"No."
"Good. Al told me about your argument with him after the second task. He told me that you jumped to defend Scorpius Malfoy, and admitted to being friends with him." Lily reported; her hazel eyes serious.
"Lily, I've just had all this from Roxy, so if you're here to criticise me for it too, then-"
"I'm not, don't worry. It's the opposite. So it's true then? It's not just Al making up rubbish to stir up trouble?"
"Yeah, it's true. When we finished the task Scorpius hugged me but Al made it out to be a big deal and started arguing with him, and then me. So I defended Scorpius because he's a friend of mine, and Albus was being completely unfair and ignorant."
"Well, Al was heavily implying that you and Mal- Scorpius were more than just friends..." Rose felt herself blushing so she turned her head away, pretending to be annoyed and disgusted. Molly looked on; a grin threatening to spread across her face, whilst Lily smiled knowingly. "I understand, Rose. You don't want to admit to a crush normally-"
"It's not like that!"
"-but when it's someone like Scorpius, who you're supposed to hate, it's 10 times worse."
"Lily, please..."
"I'm just saying, I think it would be amazing for you and Scorpius to be a couple, it would be proof that the Inter-House Challenge is having a positive affect! So I just wanted to say that I know this must be really difficult for you, Rosie, with all the prejudices and ideas about the place of a Gryffindor with a Slytherin and I'm here for you, yeah?"
Rose was unsure whether she was angry that her cousin had been so forward and brutally honest, and had the nerve to say she understood, when really she had no idea, or relieved that at least one member of her family would support her.
So she compromised and made a noise of disgust, which turned into a sob, and before she knew it, tears were streaming freely down both cheeks. Molly was hugging her tightly, whilst Lily patted her left shoulder.
"I'm so sorry!" Rose stuttered between sobs, "I don't know what's-" sniff "-got into me! It's just-" sob "-everything's got too much, you know?"
"I know, I know." Molly muttered soothingly. "But you've always got us, remember that. And Tracey. That girl would do anything for you, as would I."
"I just feel as though the whole world is against me, sometimes!" Rose exclaimed in annoyance wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Is it such a crime to fall for a Malfoy? I didn't choose it! I wouldn't be in this situation if I got a say in it! But I don't! So why does everyone blame me for it?"
"I think 'everyone' is a bit of an exaggeration-"
"Well, everyone who knows, minus you two and Tracey, has argued with me over it!"
"Rose, that's only Roxanne. She's the only person, other than the people previously mentioned, who knows." Molly reminded her.
"Roxy knows?" Lily asked in shock.
"Yeah." Molly almost spat.
"And she didn't take it well?"
"She reduced poor Rose to tears in the process! I found her crying in the dorm!"
Rose started sobbing again, remembering the two encounters she had had with Roxanne recently, and how both had ended in an argument over Scorpius Malfoy. "I said I'd... That I'd tell my family we were friends... over Christmas." Sob. "How can I do that now?" Sniffle. "Al hates me. James hates me. Lucy dislikes me already- I can't even imagine her reaction when she finds out! Roxy hates me. Fred will, too, when Roxanne tells him!"
"She's not told Fred?" Lily asked, surprised.
"Not that we know of." Molly replied. "Why?"
"Well, if she's not told Fred, then she's still trying to protect you, Rose. She is still looking out for you! Don't be too downhearted!"
"Or she's just too ashamed to tell even her brother."
Silence.
"I don't want to have to tell anyone now. But I promised Scorpius I would. I made him promise it too! What was I thinking?" A fresh wave of sobs took over Rose as the train rattled on.
"Rose, if I know one thing about you, it's that you never break a promise. You can't start now, especially not one to someone important to you." Molly told her best friend firmly.
"But he didn't even want me to! I made him let me! Does it still count?" Rose could hear the childish-ness in her own voice and it made her cringe.
"A promise is a promise. Besides, as you keep telling us, it shouldn't be a big deal!"
"But it is! Can't I tell them some other time?"
"Time..." muttered Lily thoughtfully. "It's like a bag of Bertie Bott's: we all think we have plenty left but there's always less than we expect."
Rose stopped sobbing and glanced at Lily, who was staring out of the window as though she hadn't just added a very deep statement to the conversation, then to Molly, who looked as confused and surprised as she felt.
"Erm... very true, Lily." Rose told her cousin, wiping her face for the final time.
"And very meaningful." Molly added helpfully.
Lily grinned at them cheekily, her serious self gone, and the carefree 12-year old back. "Why, thank you! If you're all ok now, then I'm going to go back to my friends. They might be wondering where I've gone. I'll see you in London, Rosie!"
"Ok, bye, Lil."
With a final grin, Lily departed, leaving Molly and Rose to discuss the maturity and wisdom there 12 year old friend had brought to the conversation. Aside from the Bertie Bott's comment, which had kind of ruined the effect.
"I'm not saying 2nd years aren't clever- a lot of them are smarter than I am, as Roxanne took great pleasure in pointing out earlier- but I had never pictured Lily to be the sort who would want to sit down for a serious conversation, let alone would be so sensible and sympathetic! It was kind of eerie..."
"Hmm, I know. She isn't often like that, but it's not unheard of... Merlin, I embarrassed myself, bursting into tears like that! Wow! I don't even know why, I think everything that's happened over the past few weeks just caught up with me, and Lily's sympathy was so adorable that it may have made me tear up at any other time... Still I feel better for getting it out of my system now. And I have a "Screw you!" attitude to Al, Roxanne and anyone else who tells me that how I feel is wrong, which will probably be useful when I tell my family I have a Slytherin friend. Merlin, it's embarrassing that it's such a big deal! I feel like I'm coming out to them!"
Molly laughed. "I'm not surprised! You're expecting it to change things, for it to mean people will think differently of you, that they may not like it- all the things Tracey thought we would think when she came out to us. But we were fine with that, so they should be fine with this."
Rose smiled at Molly. "Has anyone ever told you you're an amazing best friend?"
Awh, aren't they adorable? ;)
Next chapter will be with Rose and Scorpius with their families for Christmas, and the dramas it may entail, so remember to favourite/follow me/the fic if you haven't already. Also, the more reviews nagging for an update that I receive, the sooner Chapter 26 will be gracing your screens. I love reviews, by the way, in case you haven't guessed...
Anyway, ta-ta for now!
Lucy x