Chapter two- Hufflepuff Hooligans and Gryffindor Gentlemen
Roses first day of class started much as it had the seven persuading year. Being a seventh year had its perk though. In pervious years she had had to battle her way through clusters of students but now her pace was unimpeded because most students had the sense to move out of her way.
As she exited a staircase two first years and a third year rather indiscreetly pointed at Rose and whispered loudly, "That Hermione and Ron Weasley's daughter."
"They are brilliant," one of the first years said in awe, "didn't they kill about a thousand death eaters each?"
"- And they both destroyed part of the dark lords soul."
"Wow," the other said his mouth agape in wonder.
While Rose still wasn't fond of how people pointed at her as if she was an interesting historical artifact she had at least learned how to ignore it. A more intimate knowledge of the secret passageways and the ability to no longer go red in the face, whenever her name was mention, certainly helped the situation. Rose did her best to look intimidating by straightening her posture and sending a look at the staring group that clearly meant bugger off.
"Her brother Hugo told me she eats babies," the third year informed the two younger students as Rose rounded the corner and entered potions.
She was one of the first students to arrive and she intended to be more than punctual. This year she was set on doing better than last year.
Rose could still remember the look of disappointment her mother tried to hide when she saw that Rose had dropped from forth to fifth on the class ranking. Rose knew her mother was hoping that Rose would get head girl this year. So when the Hogwarts letter arrived without the badge Rose did her best to keep her mouth shut when Hermione sighed and said, "Well this way you'll have more time for your studies."
Rose had wanted to scream at her mother, "Ron, your husband, never even made it to 7th year and he turned out just fine."
However, not wanting to cause a row, she had instead ask her mother if she might go to Diagon Ally alone this year now that she was of age.
It infuriated Rose that her parents expected her to be top of her year. They didn't care half so much about Hugo marks and her cousin Albus was even more abysmal, but everyone was impressed when he managed to get four O.W.L.s. Somehow they just expected it to come naturally for her. Everyone was always telling Rose she had her mother's brains. Rose did enjoy her studies a fair amount but her mother was probably the smartest witch in the world and how was Rose support to measure up to that.
Rose sighed. It really didn't matter so long as she got out of school with some halfway decent N.E.W.T.s. She was sure she could muster up at least four or five Outstandings and that would impress most people.
Scorpius dropped into the seat next to her. Neither Albus nor any of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team took the class. As a result, last year Rose and Scorpius became potions partners and Scorpius planed on continuing this tradition.
"I hear Professor Belby may have us brewing Polyjuice Potion this year," Scorpius told Rose eager to catch her interest.
"You many be right," Rose agreed without really paying much attention, "I saw it in our textbook."
"What page was it on? I'd like to get a better handle on its unique properties incase we have to brew it."
Rose opened her book to the mentioned passage and Scorpius started to copy down the page number. Professor Belby, a tired looking but well-groomed man, entered the room and the class became silent. They did not end up brewing Polyjuice Potion; instead they stated a powerful and very difficult antivenin potion.
"There a page and a half of ingredients," Rose observed anxiously.
"I'll get the first half of the ingredients and you can get the second," Scorpius decided keen to work with Rose, "This way we'll get done twice as fast."
Scopus and Rose fell into their old rhythm, each making their own potion but every so often stopping to help the other. Rose stirred her potion counter clockwise twice and looked over at Scopus who has trying to crack his sopophorous bean with very little success.
"Scorpius, here use this," Rose said taker her own sopophorous bean and crushing it with the broad side of her knife in example before handing the blade to Scorpius.
"Thank you, Weasley," Scopus replied with a smile removing his mangled beans from the mortar and crushing it with the knife. As he added the juice to the caldron he asked, "What's your class schedule like this year."
"It's fairly similar to last years," Rose said, pulling it out of her bag so that he might examine it.
Comparing hers with his schedule, he smiled, "We have Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology together."
"Brilliant," Rose exclaimed, "Hey, when you were at the Potters this summer did you manage to try out Harry's invisibility cloak?"
"Yes it's excellent. Albus and I spent a good week trying to figure out how we could nick it. We though it would be loads of fun at school but Mr. Potter has far to many protective jinks on it," Scorpius explained and then began to tell the very long story of their attempted pilfering of the cloak. that ended with Albus and Scorpius's rears covered in unsightly boils.
"- We couldn't sit down for about a week because they were so painful and we didn't want to let on that we had tired to nick the cloak so when dinner came around Albus told his parents that we were protesting sitting on chairs until the carpenters got paid better wages!"
Rose nearly stuffed her fist in her mouth so that the professor would not hear her laughter. The rest of the class passed quickly as the two caught up on eachother's summer. After two hours of stirring and measuring Professor Belby dismissed the class with an assignment to write a half-meter on the differences and similarities between antivenins and curing potions.
Rose and Scorpius where at the tail end of the procession from the classroom because Rose, who was taking a heavy course load, had to gather up her books. Scorpius noted the way Rose precariously balanced her books as she swung her book satchel around her shoulder.
"Here allow me," He said hastily trying to alleviate the books from her arm.
"Oh, no worries," Rose said moving the stack to a more comfortable position, "They are not heavy just a bit awkward."
"Are you sure? It would be no trouble," Scorpius said rather liking the idea of getting to carry her books but when she showed no interest he changed the subject, "I was thinking of getting an early start on the potions assignment. Would you be interested in joining me for some preliminary research?"
"Certainly," Rose agreed as they arrived at the entrance hall, "I have Quidditch tryouts but then-" Rose didn't get to finish her sentence because at that moment Vlad came racing from a side passageway.
"Will just came to the common room with treacle tart. Merlin I love Hogwarts! We've got to see if there's any left!" Vlad exclaimed to the surprised Rose, before throwing her over his shoulder and taking her books under his arm.
"Cheerio Mr. Malfoy," He shouted, to the gobstruck Scorpius, before bounding into the great hall.
"I'll meet you in the Library," Rose hollered to the retreating figure of Scorpius.
Barely an hour had past between the pupils arriving at Hogwarts and Quincy J Ollivander, now the Hufflepuff team captain, placing a large poster on the common room notice board for Quidditch tryouts. So unsurprisingly by mid week Rose and the rest of the motley Hufflepuff team found their selves on the pitch with a cluster of thirty odd pupils.
Quincy stood before the throng of students surveying them like a drill sergeant before proclaiming, "For those of you who don't know me I am Quincy J Ollivander the Captain of Hufflepuff team."
The few stray voices were instantaneously silenced as all eyes watched Quincy reverently.
"Quidditch is not just a game, it's life. Quidditch is not about winning, glory, or fame. It's about dedication, pushing yourself to the end of your physical abilities, and supporting your teammates. The team is family. Winning and losing is a group effort," Quincy began and Rose felt just as she had her first practice watching Benjamin Branstone giving his beginning of the year speech. She looked across the pitch at faces she had now known for year and a few she never met. She felt herself relax. She had come home.
"The best Quidditch players aren't about bruit strength, skill, or natural talent. They have heart, loyalty, and ability to keep going when shite gets tough. Now other teams like to hold tryouts and pick only whoever performs the best but in Hufflepuff we don't cut player, no it's harder. We believe in potential. On Hufflepuff Team you'll learn how to play every position, you'll know that your teammate is thinking before he does, you'll eat, sleep, and breathe Quidditch. We practice every day rain or shine. If you can commit to this then you'll stay on the team and evenly become first string, but if you are planning on doing it half-arsed then save yourself the time and leave the pitch. So congratulations you're on the team now welcome to hell!"
There was a defining silence as the newcomers looked around in terror. Most had expected a fairly straightforward test of skill. The notion that they would have to be so hardcore seemed to shake many people's resolve.
No one moved until Will rather Roguishly exclaimed, "Well damn Quincy, you got me all hot and bothered!" He made an air of acting flustered at the compelling speech of the captain, "I never knew you thought of me as family. I'm touched!"
This effectively broke the tension and some of the older members of the team even laughed.
"Had to go say we were like family didn't you," Lancelot piped up, catching on with the jest, "and here I was planning on seducing you with my impressive handling of quaffles! Now it will just be considered incest."
"He does handle the balls ever so well," Will agreed.
"He scores nearly every time," Vlad added.
"Now don't pigeonhole him mate," Rose put in, "He should learn every position."
"Oi, Gilbert, Weasley, Cadillac, and Karbuncle, if your done with your verbal orgy, go get the spare quaffles from the shed," Quincy said using their surnames to effectively silence the four but Rose was pretty sure that he was holding back a double entendres of his own by the way he was unable to completely keep a smirk from his face. "Everyone else take a warm up lap!"
The first practice was grueling even for Rose who had softened up during three months of summer break. Quincy was quick to get everyone moving. After a half hour of conditioning, they run drill back to back, before starting up a scrimmage to assess the new players skills. It was a madhouse with so many Hufflepuffs up in the air and by the time practice ended more than half the students sported some sort of bruise from accidental collisions, rogue bludgers, or quaffle mishaps.
The team was released, to nurse their wounds, with the reminder that practice would commence the following day. Rose looking at the throng of black and yellow and knew that soon their numbers would dwindle. In two months the mass would drop to 10 or 11 individuals, as coursework, other clubs, and a general interest in no longer be black and blue set in. She ideally wondered who would stay.
As she taped up her palms, fresh with blisters, Vlad dropped in next to her and grabbed the tape.
"I don't know why you insist on using this tape," He said throwing a container of cream at her, "Use some of this. It works like a charm."
"Ahh that stuff's crap," Rose informed him, renewing an age-old debate over the best way to treat blisters.
"S'not," Vlad retorted rubbing some of the cream onto his blisters, which quickly began to shrink, "See they are gone already."
"Sure for now but tomorrow when we have practice they'll be back. See with tape you build up calluses."
"Or tomorrow I'll just put on the cream again and never need calluses, where as you will be in pain for the next two weeks."
Quincy joined the beaters, swatting Rose in the head with a towel, before grabbing the blister cream and applying it to his hands.
"Grab your gear and hit the showers. I'll meet you in the locker rooms in fifteen minutes. I want you two to help me with drills for tomorrows practice," Quincy informed the two.
"Yes sir," Vlad replied before beginning to collect his gear.
"And here I was hoping to snag the password to the prefect toilet from Lancelot and take a dip," Rose said, but was already trotting alongside Quincy, "I was a bit worried after Nikki graduated that we wouldn't have a prefect on the team that I could coheres. It's nice to kick back and take a soak after a bit of Quidditch. There are only showers down in the girls dormitory after all and I have gotten rather accustom to that tap with the honey scented oil."
"Ugh. You're such a girl," Vlad, who was also a frequent illegal bather, complained, "That tap should be banned."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you were the one who like the bubbles," Rose retorted, "That not emasculating at all."
"Well you can't have a bath without bubbles. That is just silly," Vlad enlightened Rose.
They arrived at the locker rooms and the group split. Rose entered the silent girls side. She was unsurprised to find it empty, as she and Vlad were the last people on the pitch. She made quick work of taking of her kit and showering before redressing in a fresh set of school robes. Vlad knocked on the door to announce himself, waited a second to make sure everyone was decent, and then stepped into the girl's locker room.
"Quincy says you and Flow should hurry up," he explained spotting Rose as she packed up her bag.
"Flow's not here."
Vlad noticed Rose pick up a fancy looking bottle of shampoo. His eyes flickered to Roses hair and he groaned.
"Do you have to keep using that shite," He complained indicating the bottle of shampoo.
"I don't know what your problem is," Rose said stowing it, "It makes my hair soft."
"That's not all it does," Vlad remarked. Roses hair still wet from the shower was already looking rather sexy and Vlad knew that when it dried it would only get more alluring.
Rose had received a bottle of it as a birthday present in her fifth year from her aunt Ginny. The shampoo came from one of those posh stores at the far end of Diagon Ally that Rose was rarely keen on entering. Rose had liked the way the shampoo tamed her fiery locks with little effort on her part, so she kept on using it. She, however, had never noticed the effect it had on her male companions. Being a late bloomer, her new hairstyle had coincided with her filling out and suddenly blokes began to notice that she was no longer a shy and scrawny girl. After bruising his hand on one too many faces Vlad had decided the culprit of this change in men's attitudes was the result of Rose's new shampoo and since then had taken a fervent disliking to it.
"I swear that stuffs got to have veela piss in it or something. It can't be good for you. At least tie your hair up or something."
"Alright fine," Rose appeased, pleating her hair as she left the locker room with Vlad.
When they arrived in the boy's locker room Lancelot, Quincy, and two second-string players from last year, Gregory Cresswell and Angus Malt, were the only occupants. For as long as Rose could remember post practice strategy meetings were held in the boys locker rooms as majority of the team were males. By now everyone was so use to Rose and Flows presence that the blokes of he Hufflepuff Quidditch team seemed to forget that there were even girls around.
"I'm spent," Angus groaned, stretching his arms in and effort to alleviate the aching sensation.
"Sounds like you need a bit more conditioning to work out those kinks, eh chap," Quincy added jovially as he pulled off his soiled socks.
"If I have much more conditioning I might vomit up a lunge," Angus groaned in reply.
There was a commotion at the door and then Will and Flow entered the room.
"Sorry we're late. We nicked a bit of snack from the kitchen," Will explained and indeed their arms were filled with two jugs of pumpkin juice and a rather large picnic basket.
"Brilliant," Gregory exclaimed helping himself to the basket, however, after pulling out a platter of carrots and a far too health looking tin of crackers his face fell.
"What's this rabbit food?"
"Flow thought we should eat healthier," Will informed the Hufflepuff team.
"You lot are getting fat," Flow amended.
Indignation clear on his face Lancelot proclaimed, "I'll have you know I am in my prime." And with that he made a show of flexing his muscles, which while well defined, lacked the girth that would make them impressive.
"Perhaps we aught to double up on our practices," Flow decided.
"This could be arranged," Quincy said, eager at finding a fellow enthusiast. With this Quincy began a rather long and bland tactical meeting in which Quincy arms flailed considerable and a lot of very confusing diagrams were drawn.
Rose raced into the library earning an impressive scowl from Madam Millhouse the librarian. Dropping her books on the table across from Scorpius she franticly whispered, "Sorry I am late. Quincy ran a tactical meeting after practice. He was drawing all these diagrams and then-" her arms moved about as she explained, in what would have been a very humorous impression of Quincy, if she were not serious.
"You're here now. That's what's important," Scorpius said, knowing that if he let her continue they would lose half an hour as she regaled him with pointless Quidditch tactics.
"I really am sincerely sorry," Rose finished, "I started to pull source books during my break this afternoon. I think these will be a good base for the paper."
Rose fished out the aforementioned books from her pile and handed them over to Scorpius.
"I found a few as well," Scorpius replied indicating a short stack at his left. Rose took a seat and pulled the books towards her to inspect them. She finally managed to catching her breathe from her jog through the castle.
After looking the stack over she picked up a large volume and declared, "Well, between what I had and you found I suspect we have enough to write a paper. I think I'll start on this book."
It was then that Rose stopped moving long enough for Scorpius to got his first good look at her of the evening. His heart seemed interested in flying out of his chest. She was quite disheveled, her shirt creased from her race to the library and her hair had fallen out of place during her nap on Vlad's shoulder, while Quincy had bombarded them with diagrams. Scorpius could imagine other way that she could become this tousled, things involving him and Rose, things that probably shouldn't be thought about in the library.
She was his best mate's cousin after all. He knew she was completely off limits. Albus would never approve. Albus, as the son of Harry Potter, had a hard enough time finding good mates, who weren't interested in his reputation, fame, or fortune. Albus had never strictly forbid it but Scorpius knew that courting Rose would make Albus feel used. Scorpius wasn't about to break the trust Albus put in him.
Still, Scorpius kept finding himself seeking Rose out as a study partner and in the common room he always ended up sitting in the window seat that faced the Quidditch pitch when she practiced. It wasn't even that she was terribly attractive, when you got down to it. Take away the difference in hair color, their height, and Albus glasses and the two cousins were nearly identical. Still, Scorpius supposed from a clearly academic point of view Albus was, perhaps, a bit of a fit bloke.
However, the way Rose ran with no extra swing in her hips and the fact that her hands were nearly as large as his own, but more stiff and leathery from years of strenuous exerciser, weren't suppose to be desirable. These things weren't suppose to find their way into his mind on late nights alone in the four-poster bed, but they did. He couldn't help it though. Some time at the end of 4th year she started to carry herself with a roughish self-assured poise and suddenly these traits became just as enticing as other girls thick eyelashes and long legs.
He didn't mind that Rose never let him hold the door for her, because more the often she would be regaling him with some witty jest or else they would by pleasantly debating about the best way to extract puss from a bubotuber. Rose made him feel like he could relax, like he didn't have to be the perfect gentlemen, and could just enjoy her company. He'd do just about anything to get her to smile, because she unguardedly grinned with her whole being, and it made him feel like he was the only person in the room. It seemed stupid to shun the pleasure he got from just being her mate. That's why he tortured himself by hanging around her, even if he could never let anything happen.
Rose looked up from the passage she was reading and caught Scorpius watching her. Rose lifted an eyebrow curiously before leaning over to check out the passage he must have been interested in her reading.
Scorpius was a strange sort of a fellow, Rose mussed. Certainly nothing like any of her Quidditch blokes and sometimes something about him set her on edge. He had a quiet grace that made him look older that he was. All of his speeches and mannerisms were so polished and exact that he seemed straight out of one of those ridiculous muggle British period pieces her brother Hugo had squirreled away under his mattress. The idea of him managing to get his mouth around any of the more colourful language that frequented her speech seemed preposterous. Being around him made her feel rather maladroit, so she did her best to act ladylike in his presence.
Idly Rose wondered where her elastic had gone. She suspected that it must have fallen out sometime between practice and now. She reached in her bag for another but instead found a packet of sugar quills. Taking one she offered the rest to Scorpius.
"I better not," Scorpius informed her, "Madam Millhouse does not encourage eating in the library."
"It's just a sugar quill," Rose declared, "She'll never notice the difference."
"Well if you insist. I suppose I could indulge just this once," and with that he plucked a quill form the offered bag.