"Who's Jack Frost?" Rose asked.
"Minor villain. He only appeared in a couple of comics," Scorpius said.
Albus snorted. "Minor? He almost caused a new Ice Age!"
"A drastic way to ensure Global Warming didn't melt his Ice Hotels," Harry said.
Ginny patted Scorpius's bundled foot. "I hope your Occlumency experiment taught you a lesson. Visualise having Jack Frost's powers, but don't become Jack Frost. He'll freeze the life out of you."
"He isn't all bad," Scorpius muttered.
"Few people are," Harry said.
Scorpius avoided looking at anyone.
The mattress shifted as Ginny rose. She stifled another yawn. "As much as I enjoy listening to boys of all ages discuss comics, everyone needs to get some sleep. Breakfast is at ten sharp."
Albus said, "Aw, Mum. Can't we push it back an hour?"
"No, because it would confuse Kreacher. Elevenses is tea and light refreshments to him, and I want an English breakfast, not egg and cress sandwiches and ginger newts."
"Me too." Albus stood. "Goodnight and good morning everyone. See you at breakfast, Rosie. Scorpius."
Harry carried his chair back to the other side of the room. He said, "Get some rest" and followed the others out, shutting the door.
Rose said, "Your expression closed down as soon as they mentioned Jack Frost. Was he based on a real person?"
Scorpius exhaled heavily. "His alter ego had long white hair and used a cane as a weapon."
Rose pressed her lips together, but her eyes gleamed with amusement.
"If Grandfather knew, I'm sure he'd be flattered," Scorpius said.
"Let me guess. Creevey gave him an icy wit."
Scorpius shrugged—an ineffective gesture due to the mummy wrap. He said, "If I knew these blankets had no sentimental value, I'd use a Vanishing Charm to be rid of them."
Rose reached for her wand. "Uncle Harry taught me a spell." She waved her wand in a fast, tight circle and then gave it a flick. "Explicatio!"
He uncoiled from the blankets as if a giant hand had yanked on the edges to unwind the fabric. Scorpius spun and then bounced and slid off the bed. Rose lunged and grabbed. His weight sent them both thumping to the floor.
"I shouldn't have added that last flick," Rose said. "Did I cause you more bodily harm?"
"No." The room was spacious enough to allow a generous amount of space on either side of the bed. The floral rug they were lying on was soft and plush. He appreciated the Potters' decision to pay the extra Galleons for Permanent Comfort Charms on guest room rugs. Scorpius held onto Rose's hips when she tried to lift her weight off him.
The ends of her hair brushed his cheek as she said, "My grandparents walk on this rug."
Scorpius smiled. "As long as they don't do anything else on it." He cast a wandless Cleaning Charm that left the rug smelling of citrus.
Rose breathed in and said with a tinge of regret, "I used to hide under the bed in here when we played Aurors and Dark Wizards. I can still imagine myself staring out, ready to roll to the other side if someone came in."
"Visualise your younger self running out of the room. Now we're alone."
She looked tempted.
Scorpius pretended to shiver. "I think I need a different kind of active external rewarming."
Rose kissed him in a way that raised his body temperature. "I do want you to fully recover."
.
Scorpius felt in the best of health when he awoke later. He was trying to silently open a wardrobe door when he heard, "If you're looking for your clothes, they're gone." Rose had a defiantly guilty look on her face, a combination of I won't apologise for trying to save your life by getting rid of your wet clothes and I should've thought of something other than a Vanishing Charm.
He put on the dressing gown she'd worn over his pyjamas. "I'll borrow something from Albus."
She sprang out of bed to pull on her fuzzy top and trousers. "Your hair looks worse than Al's did when he came home. I'll borrow the clothes while you take a shower. Bathroom's just down the corridor to your right."
Her hair was tousled as much as his, something he didn't mind others seeing. He nodded and opened the door.
When he returned to the room, Rose went to take a shower. Scorpius made the bed with a swish of his wand and looked at the garments stacked on a chair. He left the Aztec print briefs—a never worn gag gift he was sure—and tried on the khaki cargo shorts. His grandmother would faint if she could see his uncovered calves, but the fit was decent. The t-shirt was green, with the Holyhead Harpies logo on it.
Since he had no socks, and his Italian shoes didn't match the Potter-casual attire, Scorpius transformed his shoes into hiking sandals.
He'd expected Rose to borrow an outfit from Lily. When she walked in, the difference in height between the cousins turned a short teal halter dress into something that almost made him reconsider wearing the Aztec briefs. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you. The matching high heels were the only ones with a Sizing Charm. You look . . . comfortable." She was eyeing his legs the way he'd eyed hers. Perhaps he should buy some shorts to wear around the flat on weekends.
Scorpius raised his eyebrows slightly and picked up the briefs with the tip of his thumb and forefinger.
"They were the only pair he'd never worn before." She giggled when he said, "Mitto Albus" to return the briefs. "I think he was hoping to get rid of them."
"He should slip them into James's luggage."
Rose said, "I'll tell him your idea."
.
Downstairs in the kitchen, the rest of the family had already gathered at the table. Tendrils of steam wafted up from their teacups. They hadn't waited long. Scorpius pulled out the chair next to Albus for Rose. He glanced toward the cooker. Kreacher was nowhere in sight although silver cloche stasis covered plates lined the worktop.
Ginny poured tea for them. "Nice t-shirt," she said.
Next to his mother, James scoffed. "A Puddlemere United shirt would look better."
GONG! GONG!
James yelped, "What the f-?"
Ginny put her hand over James's mouth. "Language!"
"I think Kreacher dragged out the Black family dinner gong," Harry said.
As if to confirm his words, another brassy gong reverberated through the kitchen. The house-elf's voice rang out. "Breakfast is served!"
Platters filled with fried eggs, slices of black pudding, rashers of bacon, sausages, fried mushrooms and tomatoes, lakes of baked beans and triangles of buttered toast appeared in front of each family member.
Scorpius's plate had poached eggs, grilled bacon, mushrooms, and tomatoes, and a croissant.
"Coach Wood never lets us eat like this," James said happily. He speared a sausage with his fork and was about to take a bite when he noticed Scorpius's breakfast. He asked, "What's up, Malfoy, you on a reducing diet?"
Before James finished speaking, Kreacher was beside Scorpius, placing a crystal jam pot on the table near the croissant. "Blacks never eats fatty breakfasts."
Scorpius doubted the croissant was low fat, but he wasn't going say so and risk having it taken away.
"You don't know what you're missing," Rose said. She spooned some beans onto toast. "These aren't tinned."
"We eat healthy most of the time," Ginny said.
"Just not on Sundays." Albus's tone gave away his intent to cause mischief even before Scorpius observed tiny wheels of black pudding rolling from Albus's plate to James's.
"Oh, no you don't," James said. He picked up a slice of black pudding and flung it at his brother.
Albus picked up his knife and swung it like a Beater's Bat.
The slice landed on Scorpius's plate.
"Ha! You scored a goal for my team," James crowed.
Kreacher pointed at the offending pudding slice. It vanished. He said, "Blacks is always mannerly when they has guests."
"We are, too, normally," Ginny said with a pointed look at James.
He clutched his chest. "My own mother calls me abnormal."
"Her and who else?" Albus asked. "Your latest Siren's Secret model girlfriend?"
"I wish," James replied. "Coach has us training so hard I barely had time to date Karlie once, much less—"
"Eat your breakfast, boys," Harry said.
Albus and James grinned at each other, reminding Scorpius of all the times he and Edgar had bantered in a similar fashion.
If you were my brother, you could use those Cleaning Charms picked up from the servants to keep my room tidy.
If you were my brother, you'd be better looking.
Cool fingers touched his arm. "Blacks is often sad when thinking of the past," Kreacher whispered.
Scorpius nodded. "Breakfast is delicious. My compliments."
Kreacher gave a rusty-sounding chuckle and Disapparated.
James said, "Better hope Lily doesn't find out that she'd got competition for the title of Kreacher's Pet."
"Yes," Scorpius said. "Better hope she doesn't."
Kreacher returned with newspapers.
"Sports section!" James and Ginny said.
Kreacher divvied up the papers. Scorpius watched bemusedly as the family managed to simultaneously eat, read the newspaper, and discuss articles of interest with one another. "No, thank you," he said when James offered him the sports section. Rose had finished eating. "We need to get home and take care of our pets." He thanked Ginny and Harry for their hospitality. Rose hugged everyone.
Albus walked them out. He said, "Merry and I had a great time at the party."
Scorpius made a quick decision. "We're throwing another one at the Sleazy Kneazle on Saturday if you're interested."
Rose told Albus, "There's a Slytherin-themed party room. Mostly Slytherins from our year will be there."
"Plus guests," Scorpius said. There had been 123 Slytherins in his class. Not quite as many as in the old days, but a respectable number. Only recently had the students Sorted into Slytherin House each year numbered above eighty. Of the classmates attending, a few of them were bound to have non-Slytherin dates.
"Merry would love it," Albus said. "Yeah, thanks, we'll come. Remind me again on Friday so I can make sure I have something clean to wear. Mum makes me do my own laundry."
Once the door shut behind them, Scorpius said, "Friday?"
"Our next Occlumency lesson."
"Here?"
"Our flat. I, erm, volunteered to you to make pizzas, too, while you were unconscious." When he nodded, she asked, "Did you invite Al and Merry for me?"
"I did it for us. If Al's your best mate, he should be my friend as well."
They walked in silence for a minute, and then she said, "I'd be Edgar's friend if he let me."
"I know," Scorpius replied. The street was deserted, so he Disapparated.
.
Felix jumped all over him the moment he entered the flat. The automatic kibble dispenser in the kitchen was filled, so the Niffler was starving for attention, not food. Scorpius scratched him in all the spots he liked and then rubbed his belly. Felix rolled over and scurried to Rose when she walked in. She petted him and said, "Let's go see Antares."
The owl popped out of his burrow as if demanding to know where they'd been. Scorpius tossed him a petrified grasshopper and countered the charm. Antares pounced when the grasshopper started to jump.
An emphatic hoot drew Scorpius's gaze to the other end of the terrace. A Great Horned Owl perched on the barbeque. The owl clacked its beak, conveying demand and annoyance.
Rose approached the owl and removed a scroll from the message case attached to its leg.
Scorpius dropped another grasshopper into Antares's habitat and then offered one to the Great Horned Owl, who took it and flew away.
"That was a Hogwarts owl," Rose said. "The crest was on the message case."
"Another scold from Lily?"
Rose unrolled the scroll. "Hugo."
She read it and bit her lip.
"What does he say?"
"We have to go apologise to Teryn. He wrote and asked if she was going to the party and she knew nothing about it, and now she probably thinks he's the only one in the family who's a true friend." Rose handed him the note. "I feel awful."
"It was a family party. Hugo shouldn't have assumed she'd be invited." He scanned the note. Hugo deserved a Stinging Hex.
"That's not it," Rose said. "When Edgar broke things off with Teryn, we helped her get a job working for Dad and Uncle George, helped her find a place to live, and then we just . . . left her on her own."
"She was working full time at the shop, and we were on holiday." Scorpius refused to let Rose take the blame for her brother's mistake. "Hugo boasted that they ate lunch together all the time. He'd still be trying to charm his way out of the friend zone if he didn't have to go back to school."
"I know that," Rose said.
"But you want to go apologise anyway." Not a bad idea, if they gave Teryn warning. "All right. We can send Antares with a note asking to visit around two o'clock."
"I'm afraid she'll say she's busy." The look she gave him added, Can't we go see her unannounced?
"We can drop by at two." That should be a safe time. "There's a park in the area. We'll take Felix for a walk."
"No one could shut the door in his face." Rose knelt down. Felix, brilliant at reading visual cues, scampered over to get a tummy rub. She said, "Maybe if he had a cute pet Hugo would have more luck getting Teryn to go out with him."
"Doubtful."
Rose mock glared. "Hugo isn't an ogre."
"That might help. She's in love with Edgar, after all."
She sighed. "Love triangles are only amusing in Muggle television dramas."
When they involved people she didn't care about. He agreed and said, "Let's sit on the lounger and watch Antares play with his food."
Rose picked Felix up. "I could use a cuddle."
.
Their cuddle on the lounger turned into a nap. After changing clothes and walking Felix, who looked like a black Dachshund with his Appearance Charm collar, they strolled over to Teryn's block of flats at half past two.
Teryn answered the door in a dressing gown. Her uncombed blonde hair and apprehensive dark gaze added up to exactly what Scorpius had feared.
"We were in the neighbourhood and thought we'd stop by," he said. "I forgot that last Sunday was the full moon. If you're still recovering—"
"No, that only takes a few days."
For someone who had lived with her Gran in a Goyle-owned slum house for years, Teryn had never picked up any street smarts. Scorpius said, "We don't want to intrude."
"Would you like to go have a drink?" Rose asked. "There's an outdoor café that allows pets."
Felix, who equated the word café with treats, perked up his ears and wagged his tail.
"He's sooo cute," Teryn said.
Rose slanted Scorpius a "told you she'd go for a guy with a cute pet" look. "He's actually a Niffler."
"I've always wanted to see one! Come in!"
There was so much innocent delight on the girl's face, she looked younger than seventeen. Scorpius reluctantly entered the flat. He owned the building, so he'd made sure the furnished flat was well-appointed and maintained. While Rose unfastened Felix's collar and Teryn sat next to her on the sofa and asked about all the things she'd read about Nifflers, was this and that true, he covertly surveyed the lounge. No mugs on the tables. No plates or takeaway boxes.
He asked, "May I use your lavatory?"
"Of course," Teryn said. She never took her eyes off Felix, who had wriggled his way onto her lap.
The remodelled floorplan included a water closet for guests. He walked past it to the end of the short corridor and opened the bedroom door. Half the room was a walled off safe room built for werewolves. A bed and a built in wardrobe took up the rest of the space. Edgar, thankfully dressed in a black shirt and trousers, lounged on the bed reading Quidditch Illustrated. He lowered the magazine and held up a pair of Extendable Ears.
"If you heard us at the door, why are you still here?" Scorpius asked.
"Marianne's worried that we'll become social outcasts if we don't attend your alumni party. I want to be able to tell her that I spoke with you and you understand that I'll be away on business, and she feels she should stay home with Mother." If Teryn looked young for her age, Edgar looked older, lines creasing his brow, his hulking frame thinner.
"Will you be away on business?" Scorpius asked.
Edgar said, "It's Teryn's eighteenth birthday."
"And nothing shows you care like lying to your wife to be with your mistress on her birthday."
"Unless it's inviting your lover's family of blood-traitors over for dinner." Edgar smiled thinly. "Teryn didn't tell me. I read the letter from her Weasley boy pen-friend. She always leaves things out and I tidy up after her."
"You love Teryn." Scorpius could see it in the way Edgar's face softened when he talked about tidying up, could hear it in his voice. "Why not divorce Marianne?"
Edgar's smile became pitying. "I don't know who I feel sorrier for, you or your dad." He tilted his head slightly as if considering the matter and then said, "I feel sorrier for you, because your dad owns up to being weak, and you're still pretending—" Edgar cursed, clutching his hand.
Scorpius cast another Stinging Hex. And another. He locked the door. "I think you forgot who always won our old game Bee Sting. Let me remind you."
Between gritting out profanities, Edgar started laughing, a rolling deep laugh that brought a smile to Scorpius's face even as he continued to hex.
Scorpius asked, "What were you saying about being weak?"
The door handle rattled. "What's going on? Are you all right?" It was Rose.
Edgar shouted, "He is now." He smiled boyishly. "I knew my best mate was still there. Women don't change who we really are."
Scorpius left the room. "I discovered Teryn has company. We'll go out another time."
"Tomorrow?" Teryn asked. She held Felix and seemed disinclined to let him go without the promise of seeing him again.
"Lovely," said Rose. She asked Teryn about her work hours and they arranged to meet at the café for dinner. He said goodbye and walked block after block, carrying Felix like an automaton until they reached their building. "We're taking the lift," Rose said when he would have climbed the stairs. "You've had enough mindless activity."
He tried to smile, but even his face felt numb. When they reached the penthouse, he said, "I knew Edgar wouldn't stay away from Teryn." Scorpius set Felix down and removed his enchanted collar and leash. "I arranged for her to have the first floor corner flat so he could enter through the garden undetected."
Rose said, "All those weekends Hugo thought she was spending alone—"
"She was with Edgar. I thought being with her . . . ." Scorpius couldn't say it.
"You thought it would make a difference."
Women don't change who we really are.
Scorpius said, "Loving you changed me."
.
.
A/N: The title came from Hugo being friend-zoned by Teryn, but it ended up being about making friends and dealing with the reality of who friends are. Everyone who's read the previous chapter fics and has wanted an update on Edgar and Teryn . . . this probably isn't what you hoped for. Sorry about that. The number of Slytherins in Slytherin House came from a JKR quote that there were 1,000 students at Hogwarts altogether, and I started thinking that the avg of 143 per House per year would fluctuate, and in Slytherin's case drop like a stone for years after the Battle of Hogwarts. I actually looked up the projected full moon in the year 2025. It's fun to look sh-stuff up (I had to change my wording because I imagined Captain America saying, "Language!"). :D
The readers who made me glad to get back in the Friday posting habit again were alix33, A newbie, Arcoiris, DistrictHufflepuff, fynnsmom, glassycry, HopeWithinDarkness, NeedleInAHaystack, nobodysperfect2133, Nocturna Mae, nsavant, seelieprincess, and VandyFNP.
If anyone's interested in reading a one shot with dark humour and a Gaga, ooh-la-la, want your bad romance, I'd love you to read my new one shot Tom Riddle Walks into a Pub.