.
(Let's start all over again)
Rose's body was pressed between the wooden stairs and her cousins. They were at the second-floor landing of the main staircase in the Burrow, trying to hear what the adults had kicked them out of the kitchen to say. She was bearing the weight of Albus, who was somehow also leaning against his brother. James always had a secret stash of extendable ears and had run off to snag one as soon as they had been shooed upstairs. The rest of the Weasley cousins had yet to arrive for Harry's birthday celebration and they hadn't wanted to drag their younger siblings into a spying mission. So after making sure Lily and Hugo were thoroughly distracted the three eldest had snuck off. Which is how they had ended up crammed together, trying not to make a sound.
Their parent's voices sounded underwater and warped, as if the radio station was just one decimal away from the right one.
"J, are these from the defect bin at the store? Because they're fucking awful"
James dramatically shushed his brother, flailing his arms and flashing threatening glares. Albus sighed softly and rolled his eyes. The boys settled, pushing ever closer to the ear on their end, trying to hear. They could understand the tone better than words at this point, Rose's mom was clearly upset, nearing shrill. Uncle Harry's voice had taken on the deep fire it does when he talks about the politics of the last war. But nothing was clear.
Finally, they heard the front door, Uncle George's voice echoed a greeting throughout the house, and one of their parents must have opened the door to the den because they finally caught something.
"..you so sure the Sons of Salazar will gain that much power?" Ron's voice was not doubtful, just curious. Her mother's voice responded, calm but heartbreaking.
"Because men like that always do, they-"
The door closed again, blocking them from the details of the conversation once again. The three stared at each other with wide eyes, trying to figure out what they'd just heard.
The moment was interrupted by the sound of footsteps on the stairs. James frantically reeled in the ear and shoved it behind the mirror against the wall behind them. Aunt Angelica turned onto the landing a second later, she raised an eyebrow at the sight of her niece and nephews in a pile on the floor of the stairs.
"Do I want to know what you three are up to? Or will I be finding out soon enough?" She placed a fist on her hip as she asked the second question. They scrambled to their feet but before any could answer, Fred and Roxanne slipped around her and rushed to greet their cousins.
"Lovely to see you Auntie Ange" James ever the charmer bent over to give her a kiss on the cheek. Angela smiled, gave a soft eye roll, and greeted her niece and nephews.
"We'll call you down once we need a hand with everything, I think we're still waiting on a few Weasleys. So everyone's just catching up at the moment." She waved her hand in a go-off-and-play manner as she made her way back down the stairs. The cousins instead made their way up them, Rose and Albus exchanged looks as James began to tell the other two about how Hugo put salt in the morning pancakes instead of sugar.
Once they heard the door downstairs close again, presumably to admit their aunt, James dragged the rest of them into his and Albus's room.
"Have you heard of the Sons of Salazar?" James mostly directed the question at Fred but let his eyes dance around them all, seeing if he could glean anything from their expressions. There was a murmur of 'no's as they either shrugged or shook their heads.
James sighed deeply. Turning, he began pacing the room. His hair didn't have quite a mind of its own the way his father's and brother's did, but it also didn't lay flat. Especially as he ran his hands through it, seemingly not knowing what to do with them. Rose studied her cousin, not quite sure if he knew something they didn't or was simply frustrated in the not knowing. Finally, he turned back to them, his glasses askew- tilted to one side and his dark auburn hair sticking up in every direction.
James debriefed Fred and Xan about what the other three had just overheard but then began to share more. "I may have overheard Neville talking about them last semester." He kind of grimaced, shoving his hands into his pockets to continue.
"I was early for detention and let myself into his office, I'd remembered the password. He was talking to Snape, McGonagall, and Dumbledore's portraits. They were talking about how 'it' reminded them of the early days of the first wizarding war."
At this point, his cousins were all sharing glances, some nervous, others harder to read. He had tried to stop fidgeting but gave in and reached up to adjust his glasses before continuing.
"Snape was talking and I felt frozen because I've so rarely heard his voice. And it struck me because he said something along the lines of 'never underestimate a band of outcasts, they've overthrown our world more than once' and he said that he included Neville and Dad in that category. Then I think Longbottom remembered I was coming and he changed the conversation."
He ended with a shrug, indicating he knew nothing else on the matter, and that even this bit of information was mostly a guess.
Rose felt like it was more than a hunch, she'd had a sinking feeling in her stomach since the moment she'd heard her dad say the name.
She shared her certainty "That's got to be them. I've heard some whispers too. Nothing concrete but, talk here and there of some Dark Arts practicing pranksters who've formed a bit of a gang." She looked at Al as she continued "Remember Lyssa was telling us about those wankers causing mischief in her parent's town over Christmas Hols?" Albus was nodding before she'd even finished, then interjecting what he remembered of it.
"Pureblood propaganda graffiti and the likes, nasty business."
Fred hadn't said a word, his honey-colored eyes focused on something out the window. James paced into his line of sight, breaking the trance. The light-skinned boy shook his head, his ponytail of dreads shifting with the movement.
"These fuckers better not be trying to start a war" He cut his eyes across to look at his sister who was watching Rose play with the gold pendant around her neck. Roxanne was a bit darker than her brother, her features sharper, but with the midafternoon sun filtering through the window, their hair looked identical in shade. The light caught each of her curls, illuminating all the highlights of caramel and gold in her halo of hair. She finally blinked and turned to look at her brother.
"If they do we'll be ready for them"
Fred flashed a mischievous smile, that somehow looked proud.
"Minerva knows, I raised you right"
Roxanne elbowed him and the siblings devolved into a debate seemingly about who raised who, but truly about nothing.
The Burrow was a flurry of activity.
"Not the frying pan Freddie! Baking pan! We're making cookies for Merlin's sake"
All the cousins had arrived and they had each been called to pitch in with the preparations. Rose was paired with Lily, on appetizer duty. A tall, beautiful, strawberry blonde was at the counter opposite them, pulling random boxes from the cabinets above. She had broad shoulders and an athletic build, but in a way where she could still probably be a high fashion model if she wanted. Fred stood beside her, holding up a grill rack.
"That literally has holes in it Fred how do you think that would work?"
The two other girls stood side by side at the counter passing back and forth carrots, cucumbers, and every other vegetable you could possibly eat raw. The sun hung low enough in the sky for it to have begun filtering through the kitchen windows. It washed the room in golden bliss, bringing out the copper tones in Rose's long red hair. Her hair wasn't quite as dark as James, but it was more auburn than ginger. The summer sun always pulled out stands of gold and copper that weren't as visible the rest of the year.
"The blue sheet of metal! Merlin's left tit you're dense"
Rose smiled, and Lily snorted beside her, neither of their eyes left the cutting board they were both bent over. Slicing vegetables they listened as Dom continued to chastise her younger cousin. Lily softly shook her head, her brunette ponytail brushing Rose's shoulder as she did.
The other two Weasleys across the room seemed to have settled, finally gathering the correct tool for cookie duty.
"- never seen a fucking Grindilow, let alone danced with one you tosser"
The voice of Dom's brother broke through the silence as the kitchen doors burst open. A blonde boy with a captivating glint in his blue eyes strode into the room. Louis was not quite as tall as the Potter boys but still hovered just above average height. James followed behind a rueful grin on his face.
"This is what you missed out on going to that posh French school all those years."
The boys made their way over to Rose's station and scooped some of her meticulously julienned peppers. She turned to protest but James just reached around a grabbed a handful of olives, pecking her on the cheek.
"Thanks a mil Rosie"
Rose was above average height, despite that, she felt incredibly short in moments like this where her cousins towered above her.
Making their way out the back door the boys carried on.
"But see because I lived there I speak French fluently, and you know much girls love…"
Thankfully the door felt shut before they could hear the end of why Louis is so grateful he speaks French.
Rose could never understand how all of the Potter children ended up so bloody tall. They all towered over Ginny, much like Ginny's brothers towered over their mother. James stood just a centimeter or two taller than his father, and Albus was another few taller than James. Lily was the shortest with the top of her head reaching just a few centimeters shy of her father's, quite above average height for a girl. It would always be the family joke that there was no way the Potter children had all come out of Ginny's body. They liked to raise her on their shoulders at family gatherings and to insist she give them piggyback rides.
There's something especially hilarious about Quidditch's most infamous chaser carrying a son half a meter taller than her on her back.
Lily tossed a carrot slice in her mouth as Dom's voice rang out across the room.
"Why in Minerva's name would you choose to put the cookies on that side? I will feed you to the giant squid, that is the bottom, Freddie."
Lily tried not to choke as they turned to see globs of cookie dough piled on the underside of the baking sheet as if it were a thin, long table
The sun had finally disappeared behind the trees, and the family had retired to the den, a room that practically, should be too small for all of them, but somehow wasn't.
Rose sat in the corner with Dom and Fred, playing exploding snap. Except this wasn't your grandma's exploding snap, or maybe it was, because every time you trigger a card you take a shot. The three cousins were having a lovely time nearly burning off their eyebrows and sneaking shots in the most obvious ways.
Rose's body froze as she heard her father's voice across the room.
"-that Scorpius boy never stood a chance!"
Ron was a tall man, the top of his head reaching just above Harry's. Time had turned his bright ginger hair softer, with hints of blonde and white creeping in. He'd always had a haphazard energy about him, and though it had calmed with age it still showed through. Which is why in this moment his whole body seemed to teeter on an edge, as he waved his arms wildly, gesticulating his point.
"My Rosie…she wins every year. Though Malfoy won' admit it"
"Come now Ron you can't be encouraging them to brawl like they did all those years ago" Hermione placed her hand on her husband's shoulder. Ron smiled at the sight of her, leaning into her touch, and wrapping his free arm around her waist.
"'Member when you socked Malfoy in the jaw 'mionie? One of my proudest moments"
Hermione huffed, the hair around her face fluttering.
James had to cover his mouth at the guffaw that escaped. Hugo's eyes were wide.
"You punched Draco, Ma?"
Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes up to the sky, seemingly asking how she ended up in this.
"It was not my finest moment" She took a breath clearly planning to continue but Ron had another thought.
"Oh 'mionie! It was the finest of moments!" Fred and James were tucked on the couch silently slapping each other's legs, attempting to not break out into laughter.
"I think it might've even been the moment I fell in love with you! He was being such a prat, bragging 'ow he got Buckbeck killed and you just-" Ron paused to gesticulate a punch, but in his state, it was just a flail, neither hand quite connecting to make a satisfying sound "- wham! hit 'im"
Rose's eyes had been trained on Albus from the moment her father said Scorpius' name.
Hermione at this point was making no attempt to hide her annoyance. "Ronald! Don't talk like that in front of the kids. I know we felt justified in the moment, but it didn't solve anything."
"No." Ron slowly shook his head, face suddenly solemn.
"But it did make you feel better" he broke out in another giddy smile "Just like I'm sure Rosie felt after breaking Ferret Junior's nose."
Rose watched as Albus threw his glass into the fire. He stepped away in time, and the burst of flames distracted the whole family as he stormed into the kitchen.
Except Rose, who seemed to be the only one staring at the swinging door instead of the fireplace.
She reached across the table and downed the last shot Dom had summoned, taking a deep breath she stood to make her way after Albus. Hoping no one noticed their departure, she closed the kitchen door gently behind her.
"I don't need to talk about it, Ro"
His voice was cold, she almost couldn't bring herself to turn around and face him. But she did and was met with an expression that nearly broke her heart.
She could hear the music resume in the other room, and the loud hum of her family talking and laughing. Yet she felt worlds away.
"We don't have to talk"
He turned away from her and walked out the back.
The screen door fell closed, bouncing once as it settled, and Rose felt like she couldn't breathe. She couldn't tell if she stood there for seconds or minutes, but finally, her lungs expanded and she ran out after him.
Albus's back was to her, illuminated in the soft glow coming from the windows of the Burrow. The summer night was warm and the air was thick, it felt like she had to fight to move. But then the door fell shut and Albus turned. She met his eyes, they almost looked grey in the dark, sparkling with the lights behind her. A breeze cooled her neck and Rose felt everything she hadn't known how to say.
"He took you away from me Al!" Her voice was neither angry nor sad, but floating somewhere between bitterness and regret.
"That's why I've always hated him. Because when he entered my life, you left it. And I fucking hated him for it."
She found herself a couple feet from him, and she finally could see his eyes again, green and warm.
"Ro."
"I know, I know… Now I think about it and I know they're the feelings of an 11-year-old girl who thought the world revolved around her. But it was real to me." She paused to breathe deeply, closing her eyes as she did so. Al's eye remained trained on her face, knowing that she was asking him to listen and interrupting would only impede what she was finally ready to say.
"It had always been you and me, you would stand between me and anybody who wanted to hurt me, without a second thought, and then we started school and he was the one you were standing in front of." Her voice caught and she trained her breathing so she didn't begin to cry. She could see the pain in Albus's eyes, as his mouth hesitated searching for the right words, but she wasn't finished.
"And yet I loved you for it. How could I not? You protected him the way I'd seen you protect that stray cat we brought home when we were 6 that Da wanted to put back on the street. The way you'd protected me for years." She was crying now but it wasn't the kind that rips words from your throat, it was just a soft trickle of salt down her cheeks. "And how could I hold that against you?"
She shrugged, lifting her hands and looking up to the sky as if asking the stars themselves.
"How could I be mad at you for being yourself? For being the Albus I had loved my whole life. So, as only 12-year-old logic can allow I decided to be mad at him. I decided it was his fault, that he had conned you into believing he needed you the way I did. I'm not proud of it Al." She had to make an effort to take her next breath calmly, as she saw how close Albus was to tears. "Because I know now, as I should've known then- because it was so fucking obvious wasn't it?"
Albus offered her the saddest of smiles.
"…that he needed you more than I did." Rose's voice cracked "But I refused to see it, I refused to see what was right in front of me. That he needed you to be his, and he fucking loves you. And you love him, you idiots are perfect for each other. But I was younger and I was selfish, and I held on to that feeling for far too long. I let it twist me into someone I wasn't proud of when I was around him."
She met his gaze again, and they stood like that for both a moment and an eternity. Finally Albus smiled, and softly rolled his eyes, reaching his arms out for her. She dove into them without thinking, sighing as she relaxed into his embrace. He was taller now, maybe even than the last time she'd seen him and yet it was still the most familiar feeling in the world.
They stood together in the glow of the Burrow until their family's laughter began to spill out into the yard, and they made their way back to join in.
(August)
Mist floated just above the grass all around her, creating a haze of sleepiness across the field. She was brought back to the other night.
"Well then I'm coming with you"
Albus' voice was a little too loud considering there were only ten of them around the dinner table.
Hermione had just announced that she'd gotten a research grant for some ruins in the South of France and that she would be taking Rose and Hugo to spend all of August there with her.
That had been last week, and just like that, Al was up at the crack of dawn with them walking to the portkey just over the ridge behind the Burrow. Rose wished she could be more like him in some ways because in some ways he was more Gryffindor than she. Confident and bold, she was bold, but more as protection than authenticity.
Hugo hummed as they trekked their way up the incline and Rose couldn't help the expression she cast in his direction, she caught Albus sniggering at her face and she quickly turned to look ahead. Knowing her mother would scold her if she was caught.
…before, and I didn't like the ending, I'm not your problem anymore
When she finally caught what he was singing Rose didn't even pretend to hide the way her lips curled up and her brows furrowed. She shook her head in disbelief at Albus.
Albus met her with a similar squint, mouthing his words. Taylor Swift?
Rose rolled her eyes as dramatically as she dared with her mother just two steps ahead.
As always she mouthed in reply. Albus smirked in reply leaning close enough to lightly bump their shoulders together. The broom strapped to his back tapped her head and the bag she was carrying bumped his legs as he breathed out a soft.
"You poor thing"
Rose glared daggers at the back of her brother's head, and her cousin's face as he laughed silently at her, then glaring at her mother as well for good measure. They reached the top of the ridge, boots and shins damp with the morning. Rose's mother was surveying the area.
"Now Barry said it ought to be a rusty horseshoe"
"Well that'll be easy to spot in tall grass"
Hermione's glare rivaled her daughter's "It will be if you lot help"
Rose knew not to push it so instead the three set to work looking for a rusty horseshoe. Finally, Hugo found it resting on a rock about 10 yards away. The family made their way over with all their bags and brooms.
"Perfect timing Hu, alright, hands-on. Kids you know the drill"
There were a few moments of them all looking expectantly at each other, holding everything uncomfortably tight.
Then Rose felt a familiar tug and the comfortingly disconcerting sensation of being magically transported.
Dom lounged on the kitchen bench as her relatives moved around the room in a flurry of activity.
Her Aunt was busily unpacking a small bag that shouldn't have fit a single thing she was pulling out of it, let alone all of them. Rose was opening every set of curtains in the cottage and asking if there was wifi even though the cottage was un-plottable. Albus was simply opening and slamming every cabinet in search of snacks, even though if he did find anything it'd likely be staler than a Cauldron Cake made by Helga Hufflepuff. Hugo was attempting to help each person with their quest and as a result not really helping any of them, settling on asking Dom 101 questions about the nearby town.
"Thanks again Dominique for bringing us the keys, your grandparents are so sweet for letting us stay-"
"…do you all just not eat when you're here?"
"-Albus we will go to the market, you ate less than an hour ago."
"It would explain Louis's spritely figure" Rose re-entered the room.
"So like, is it more of a muggle town? Are there any other wizards? Do you-"
"Hu honestly, stop asking questions you don't even care enough about to wait for an answer"
"Rosie don't bully your brother"
Rose threw her hands in the air as she walked over to help Albus.
"Do you guys spend every summer out here?"
"Not even crackers? No stale Bertie Botts? What nightmare scape have we apperated to?"
"Albus there is no need to be such a drama queen, you will be fed promptly"
"Is there a cinema in town? A market? Whats-"
Hermione placed the latest book she'd pulled out firmly on the table, silencing the chatter.
"Ok, you've all made yourselves quite clear. Dominique, would you mind walking into town with your unappeasable cousins and getting some groceries?"
Dom gave a wry smile and nodded smoothly "Of course Aunt 'mione"
"Euros or galleons?" Hermione held out two hands of coins, her niece gestured at the first.
Passing along the money Hermione began to rattle off a list as she shooed the teenagers from the little stone house.
The town was about a 20-minute walk, they happened upon increasingly more and more little cottages until suddenly they were in a cobblestone square, encircling a three-tiered fountain. Dominque walked them all around, showing them her favorite cafe and the liquor store that's never questioned her age. They found a stand where Albus was able to get some ice cream to sate his complaints.
After a couple of hours, the cousins had walked nearly the whole town, twice, and were laden with bags of produce and pantry items. Hoping they remembered most of the things Hermione had asked for, they began the walk home. Once they passed the edge of town, Dom cast a sneaky levitation spell on the bags. They still all held the handles, but if you looked closely you would see there was no tension from the weight of the bags.
The cottage had been transformed in their time away. Hermione had unpacked every fathomable potion and decoction onto the open shelves in the kitchen, and one of the bedrooms had been transformed into a study. Full of tomes and scrolls and any number of unidentifiable magical instruments.
They all helped unload the groceries falling back into the overlapping chatter.
"Why in Merlin's name did you buy so much garlic?" Hermione held up a fabric bag as she asked it.
"Pasta sauce Ma" Hugo smiled as he answered, not yet sensing the trap.
"Yes" Hermione paused as she upended the bag onto the table "but 14 heads?" A single eyebrow was raised as she watched her son.
"Vampires"
Rose cackled at her brother's smart-ass answer.
"Ronnie, where's my crisps? I'm withering away over here"
"You'd think we starve you"
"He's trying to get big for quidditch, he's the skinniest beater in Hogwarts history"
A crisp flew across the room, bouncing off Rose's forehead.
"You know, I've actually been considering switching to chaser."
"With that aim, I think you should Al"
"Thanks, Hu! I really think-"
At which point Rose's body ran into her cousin's, pulling the words from his mouth as she wrapped her arms around his torso, and brought them both down to sprawl on the tile floor.
"Auntie, I was wondering if I could stay for supper? I was hoping we could get in a little game actually." Dom and Hermione were carrying on as if the other two were not in a tangle of limbs on the floor.
"Of course love, I was just going to whip up a simple pasta and get started on some of the readings the site archeologist dropped off earlier."
Rose's head popped up on the other side of her mother, chin in line with the table's surface.
"Two on two, Niq?" the blonder girl nodded her assent. "Team-mates?" she nodded again. And Albus groaned from beneath the redhead.
"No fair, you play chaser and she plays keeper."
"Com'on Al, aren't you a soon-to-be-chaser" Rose stood and extended a hand to the boy on the floor. He took it, pulling more than necessary to help himself up.
"Hu, we better beat their arses."
Rose's Summer continued much like that first day. She rose to soft sun filtering through her window, the sound of the sea in the distance. Some mornings she helped her mother with her notes, others Hermione was nowhere to be found, ankle-deep in some dusty ancient convent. Rose spent her days playing quidditch, exploring with Albus, and tucked on the window seat reading a charms book or sketching. Hugo had taken to picking flowers from the garden to arrange on the kitchen table, it brought Rose more joy than she'd ever admit to him.
The kitchen had become her favorite room in their little cottage, it was the most full of life and was home to her beloved widow perch. It reminded her of the kitchen at the Burrow even though they looked nothing alike. But both rooms knew how to hold half a dozen Weasleys, each attempting a different task, it's the metric Rose used to judge most rooms. Victore, Dom, or Louis came over most days, occasionally all at once but often at least one of them. It kept the cottage a buzz with activity even on the quieter days.
Albus had gotten a letter from Scorpius on their fourth day, apparently, his family had a home nearby in Marseille, and they were spending the rest of the summer there. This meant some days she spent without Albus, and since Hugo had found a home playing chess with passersby in the village square, those days were often spent entirely on her own.
She walked as far in every direction as she dared, making her way along the coast, into the sparse forest behind the cottage, and across the fields around the village to a few of the towns beyond. Her French wasn't very good, but as Ron Wesley's daughter she never really had any fear about making a fool of herself in that way. Her sketchbook was full of the people she'd met, the flowers along the road and the cows two towns over. She had even figured out how to press some of the petals in the pages alongside her sketches of them.
This is all to say, she had completely forgotten about the outside world, living in her little bubble in the French countryside.
It had been about two weeks in the little stone house, Albus had spent the night at Scorpius's the day before but was due home soon. The sun was setting over the water as Rose made her way up the path home, sketchbook in hand. She'd spent the day by the sea, drawing every shell that caught her eye.
She softly pushed open the door, toeing off her shoes and placing her stuff on the bench in the entryway, she began to move farther into the cottage. Her hair was piled on top of her head, as it had been hot on her neck all day. But now it was heavy, so she pulled it down and shook it out as she moved toward the kitchen.
She froze when she heard her mother's voice, it was hushed as if she was trying to not be overheard, but assumed no one was home, so she wasn't quite whispering. Rose let her hands fall to her side and softly made her way to the archway that led to her favorite room. She sent a silent word of thanks to Merlin that the floors were stone and she needn't worry about giving herself away.
"…it's not that simple though is it Harry."
Her mother must've been on her cell phone for Rose couldn't hear her uncle's reply as she would have if he were in the fireplace.
Her mother sighed, and Rose could picture the way the hair around her face was likely fluttering.
"I know you know. I'm just nervous, I don't want us to handle this poorly and find ourselves in a world like the one 20 years ago."
Rose waited, patiently counting her breaths until her mother replied again.
"Harry, I'm worried we haven't done enough these past decades, politically. I'm worried that the law once again won't be on our side. I know you're all aurors. But Moody wasn't enough, Dumbledore wasn't enough. What if we aren't either?"
The front door flew open and it took all of Rose's self-control not to shout. Her eyes were wide as she watched her cousin blow into the room like a storm, dropping his bag, shoes, and broom in every direction.
"Honey I'm home!" He sang the last word, mocking an American movie they had watched years ago.
He met Rose's eyes and opened his mouth as if to greet her but she rose her finger to her lips just in time to shush him. She rushed over to his side and shouted out as well.
"Found this one on my way home, Mom"
Hermione poked her head through the archway just as Rose wrapped her arm around her cousin's neck, pulling his head down to her level. She smiled at them and lightly waved the phone pressed against her ear to signify her reason for not yelling back. She walked over to them as she said to the person on the other end-
"Your son just walked in"
She laughed at his reply
"Yes, well I'm sure folks in Italy heard as well"
Albus gasped in fake offense but grabbed the phone immediately when his aunt held it out to him.
"Hullo dad" He wandered away chatting to Harry about his day with Malfoy.
Rose's mind raced as she placed plates around the old wooden table. The stack in her hand was likely older than she, and as she set each one down a new floral pattern was revealed. Her mother stood at the counter, tossing the last few veggies and garnishes into an oversized salad bowl. Hugo had wandered in and was pulling handfuls of utensils from the drawer. The soft clatters of the kitchen and the hum of Albus' voice in the other room lulled her into a hypnotic state. Unable to think of anything but the conversation she'd just overheard. The idea of her mother being afraid of anything terrified Rose more than she cared to admit. She knew the stories, she'd read the history books, her parents had lived through hell. And had built a better world in the process, making her life possible. But that had always seemed a bit like mythology, something too far away to touch, despite her steadfast belief in it.
And yet there her mother stood just a few steps away, believing that old reality was proximate once again. Rose released the last plate a little too soon and it rattled against the table as it settled. Hugo gave her a look across the vase of sunflowers as he set the forks.
"Rose, be more careful with the Delacour's things"
Rose nodded, not really sure how to speak as Albus made his way back into the room.
"Dad wanted to say goodbye before I hung up"
The three finished setting the table as Hermione chatted with Harry, speaking vaguely about finishing their conversation later. Rose's fingers gripped the edge of the table as she sat. Albus heaped salad on all their plates, chattering away with Hugo about Scor's absolutely incredible villa, you've gotta see the pool.
Her mother joined them and began asking in turn about all of their days and sharing about her most recent find at the dig. Albus was shooting Rose strange looks throughout, clearly still suspicious from before and only more so by her silence now. Hermione finished describing the shard of a ceremonial vase then turned to Rose, asking about her day and teasing about her being so quiet.
Albus tilted his head raising his eyebrows, clearly as interested in the answer. With the movement, Rose caught a flash of something silver in his ear. It was her turn to raise her brow as she darted her eyes between his ears. Albus quickly clapped his hand over them, in the least Slytherin manner Rose had ever seen.
"Whatever has gotten into the two of you"
"Rose has been bullying me for having big ears"
She let out an offended gasp. "Have not!"
"Have too" he stuck out his tongue to mock her, not really helping himself in the process.
"Children. Really."
Rose slumped in her chair "Sorry ma, just had a long day. Grumpy at Al for abandoning me is all"
Hermione reached her hand out to pat her daughter's resting on the table. Albus mouthed at her across the table.
LIAR
"Fair. But you know we try our best to express our feelings around here, not take them out on others."
"The ears are just a fact, not me being mad at Al"
Her mother shook her head but allowed a soft smile.
"Albus you have lovely ears"
His hands still covered them as he smiled graciously "Thanks Auntie"
They found a way to excuse themselves as quickly as possible after that, clearing their plates and tidying the table as the other two still ate. They made their way to Rose's room, softly closing the door behind them. Rose whipped around as soon as she heard the latch click.
"What the bloody hell is in your head?"
"They're ears Rosie, you'd think you'd know basic anatomy by now"
"Al" the stare she leveled him with was beyond a warning.
"And what the bloody hell were you eavesdropping on when I came home?" Al crossed his arms as he asked it, meeting her eyes
The cousins silently argued as they stared at one another until Albus finally held up his pinky. Rose sighed, relaxing her aggressive stance a bit, and took it in her own.
"I think Ma was talking about the sons of Salazar"
"Shit"
Their hands fell apart
"How're gonna hide those from my mom" Rose nodded her chin at Albus' ears.
"I was hoping you'd help me with a charm to make my hair a little longer"
"Coward"
"And proud. Please, Ronnie?"
Rose rolled her eyes but nodded and pulled out her wand, pushing him to sit down. She fussed with his hair, walking around the armchair as she relayed what she had overheard. Not quite naming how anxious it had made her.
"Well, that's fucking horrifying. Aunt 'Mione, afraid?"
Rose nodded as she fluffed the hair around his ears, satisfied with her work she took a step back.
"I'll WhatsApp James that we've heard about them again. See if there's more news back in London"
Al agreed, steadily watching his younger cousin.
"You're not actually mad I was at Mafoy's"
Rose shook her head making a face of light disbelief. "Not at all. The silence is honestly refreshing." She paused, pulling her eyes away from his "Now I'm not saying I want you go over more- but it's nice once a week to have a day all by myself." Then she rolled her eyes.
"Though I can't say I'm pleased with him for sticking me with the job of covering for your reckless group decisions."
Albus stood and poked her cheek.
"Good. Now let's see if we can beat Hu at chess."
That week they were able to wrangle all of their French cousins to the cottage on the same day. Which of course led to a game of quidditch. Dom, Hugo, and Louis made up one team, while Rose, V, and Albus made up the other.
Hermione had cast a disillusionment charm on the field behind the cottage so that the kids could play without fear of being spotted by wandering muggles. The cousins all chatted and joked as they set up for the game, getting out the balls and strapping on their pads.
Rose had been a chaser on the school team for a couple of years now, but she had been racing up and down a quidditch pitch for a decade before that. Her father had always wanted both of his children to be quidditch prodigies, like his sister. When Hugo showed little to no interest in competitive quidditch, Ron settled for his daughter's hobby level of interest. Not to say that Rose wasn't incredibly dedicated to the team, or that she didn't love the sport, just that charms were her first love. Flying a close second. She had no fantasies of professional teams or quidditch world cups.
She looked forward to the House Tournaments every year, as well as the Student's World Cup, but more so because of her competitive streak than a die-hard love for the sport. So Ron settled for cheering at just one child's matches for the past few years, he was secretly relieved he didn't have to cheer for Ravenclaw, so maybe everything does happen for a reason. And Rose simply played for the joy of it, for the rush, for the bragging rights.
So when the quaffle flew into the air between her body and Louis', Rose's muscle memory took over. She feinted left and then dove, snatching the quaffle out of the air as her cousin's fingers grazed the ball. By the time he had turned his broom, she was already halfway down the court, zig-zagging her way to the goal. Dom, whose speed rivaled any member of the national teams', was suddenly beside her, jostling into Rose hoping to make her hand slip.
When they played like this in the summer, the rules were different, and calling it quidditch was generous. Each team had a keeper and two or three chasers. Anyone could catch the snitch, and chasers could double as beaters, but only with their bodies and brooms. No bludgers in play.
Dom finally caught Rose at the perfect angle and was able to wrestle the quaffle away. In a breath, she was spun around racing towards her sister who was hovering in front of Rose's team's goals.
The game continued on like this as the sun sat high in the sky until it sank lower and lower and it was kissing the horizon.
Drenched and joyous the cousins landed, gathered the game balls, and headed back to the cottage.
Hermione was in the kitchen when they entered the cool stone interior. Bowls and utensils floated around her as she muttered to herself, stirring a pot over the stove. Rose stepped up to her asking her if she needed any help. Hermione shooed away the teenagers, telling them to get cleaned up. Before she retreated Rose leaned over to drop a kiss on her mother's cheek.
The cousins dispersed to shower and change, Louis and Dom racing for the nicer bathroom. Rose ducked into her room, stripping off her gear until she just wore her t-shirt and a pair of bike shorts. She scooped up a change of clothes and a towel, then made her way back outside. Rose's favorite part of the cottage was around the back, a little shower head bolted to the side of the house, obscured by some shrubs. Making her way up to the spigot Rose stripped down entirely, throwing her clothes and towel over the bushes, and relaxing into the warmth of the water. The bush between her and the Sea was just low enough for her to still have a view of it while still keeping her hidden from the world.
After the water melted her muscles, and the quiet sounds of the countryside soothed her, Rose made her way back inside, clothed in a loose-fitting linen set.
Her family was already gathering in the kitchen, she joined in setting the table and plating the food as they waited for the last couple of stragglers. Once Albus and Victorie joined them, they sat to eat, the room dissolving into a symphony of chatter and laughter. Rose felt warm like her body was full of light. She smiled as she looked around the table, taking a moment to memorize each of the faces around her.
Louis was animatedly telling his aunt about the ancient French churches dedicated to Mary Magdeline. Dom and Hugo were discussing the new "Charli" album, something Rose was sure had to be code, because she barely understood a word they were saying. As she turned she caught Albus' eye and he flashed her a wink before complaining to Victorie that now he and Rose were going to be the oldest Weasly cousins at Hogwarts. Which Victorie was less than sympathetic to, for she had been in charge of wrangling all the younger cousins since she was a third year. She was also quick to remind him Molly was still the year above them.
"But we'll be expected to help V! Can you picture it? Me and Ro, we used to be the ones needing wrangling, still are if I'm honest".
Rose smiled to herself and shook her head at her best friend, throwing her hands up in surrender when Victorie shot her a glare. But the smile stayed on her face, long into the night. The warmth from that kitchen filled every dark corner of their little stone house, and Rose with that golden glow as well.
A week later Rose sat on the edge of the bathtub, as Dom stood behind her buzzer in hand. She'd spent the last 10 minutes meticulously dividing Rose's hair so that a perfect part lay horizontally on the back of her head, 2 inches above her hairline. Separating the length of hair that fell out of her scrunchies from the section that didn't.
They had spent the day in the field beside the cottage, flying and playing their loose interpretation of quidditch. And Rose finally got fed up with all the strands sticking to her neck and how heavy her hair was tied up. Her arms tired if she braided it all down, and her neck did if she just piled it all on top. She often just got Roxanne or Magda to braid it for her. But since neither of them was here with her, and Dominique was quite the barber, she had it cut instead.
Dom had started by trimming all of it so that it curled to just above her shoulders. When she'd tied it up right after to see how it looked she decided she hated that some of her hair was too short to tie up with the rest. So they ended up shaving off the inches of hair below her ears because it was the chunk that fell out of her scrunchie. It was Dom's idea, a style muggles called an 'undercut', Rose quite liked it.
Rose stripped down to her underwear, giving Dom the hair-covered clothing to shake out in the back garden. She threw her leg over the tub and quickly rinsed her whole body, hoping to remove every last itchy centimeter of hair sticking to her skin.
By the time she dried off, it seemed Dom had found another task. She sat trimming stray twigs off her broom, perched on the entryway bench. Rose passed her, dropping a hand to pat her shoulder as she did. Another quick thanks for helping her feel lighter. She pushed her way into the crisp night, letting the fresh air coat her damp skin.
She felt like wandering, so she stepped around and into the back garden. She spent some time smelling and admiring the blooms. She'd never been very good at herbology, but she could still appreciate beautiful things. She heard shouts in the distance and made her way back to the field they'd played on earlier.
Albus was still running Quidditch drills. They'd gotten their Hogwarts letters last week, Al was now the Slytherin team captain. Everyone was incredibly proud, but Rose was also a bit worried. Albus had always been a perfectionist, and so was she. But he often found himself stuck, paralyzed in the preparation, not quite sure if he was good enough, yet.
So she wasn't surprised to find him running drills, shouting at Louis who was clearly ready to quit. She stole herself for a moment, attempting to fill her lungs with enough air.
"Party's over, Dom needs Lou inside."
Louis seemed to shrug at Al as he dove for the ground, dismounting just a few steps in front of Rose. Albus still floating in the air above.
"Does Dom actually need me?" He quirked an infuriatingly perfect eyebrow as he asked.
"Nope"
Rose let herself look a little guilty for the lie but Lou burst into a smile, leaning to drop a kiss on her forehead.
"Thanks a 'mil Ronnie"
He sauntered away from her, up to the house, broom casually thrown over his shoulder. After a few more minutes Albus finally landed as well, seemingly resigned to the end of practice.
Rose had sat in the grass while she waited for him to come back down to earth, he joined her there. Dropping his broom first and then his body, lying out beside her. She picked at the grass in front of her, lightly tugging at the ends, her hand resting in front of her folded legs.
"Season looks good."
Al gave a soft grunt.
"Without Fred and James, Gryffindor will have a lot of training to do, and Louis was a major force on Ravenclaw. Mimi and Jenna also graduated so that leaves some unknowns with Hufflepuff. Never seen them play with any other beaters..."
She continued on, chattering about the teams and throwing out whatever prediction popped into her mind.
"...and you guys are in a really good place with Scorpius and Rafa, and that younger chaser you have is super strong." She finally paused. Leaving space if he wanted to use it.
"You know, it's funny-" There was clearly more to the thought, but Albus let it hang between them for a few moments. "You're so much like him."
Rose hadn't the faintest clue what her cousin was talking about.
"Or maybe he's like you." Albus chuckled to himself, still looking out at the pitch before them. "He did the same thing the other day, trying to distract me, knowing I was already too deep in my own head." He smiled and turned to look at Rose.
"Or maybe it's just that you both know me too well."
It finally clicked for Rose. "Malfoy?" her cousin nodded, looking away again, hoping to avoid any look of disgust that might've crossed her face. If he had given her the benefit of the doubt he would've been surprised to find a thoughtful look, curious not derisive.
"Well, you are kind of an open book. Which is why it's always so impressive when your Slytherin comes out and you're actually able to keep a secret."
He leaned to bump his shoulder to hers, jostling her off balance a bit.
"I appreciate you, both of you, but I'm ok. For now at least. I know the stress will hit, but right now it's just like." he paused searching for the words "anticipatory energy ya know? Like I just want it to start already, it's the not knowing that's making it hard to stand still."
Rose nodded, leaning her head to rest against his for a moment, further expressing her understanding.
They sat under the hoops for another couple hours, teasing and chatting. They made plans for the year, gossiped about their classmates, and talked about nothing at all, while covering everything. They lay in the grass as dusk came, and then the stars. Eventually, they made their way back to the cottage.
Albus hadn't even noticed that the thumping in his head had silenced about an hour in.
A THREAT THE WIZARD WORLD HASN'T HEARD IN A DECADE
"So they're getting straight out with it now" Albus commented, reading the headline of the latest copy of The Daily Prophet. "No more dancing around their intentions."
Rose looked over his shoulder at the paper the tawny owl had just dropped on their kitchen table. She reached around him to flip to the page where the article continued.
"Well, bully for them."
She slammed the paper shut.
Unfortunately paper doesn't give quite the same effect when closed quickly. Rose seemed not to notice her underwhelming display.
She turned walking purposefully out of the room, leaving Albus to stay. He stared at the page for a long time.
"Just in time for Hogwarts" Albus's voice was soft, as if it was a thought not quite fully formed.
His fingers worried the silver chain that hung around his neck until he remembered to breathe. He was pulled out of his meditation by his aunt entering the kitchen, she was sunny and kindly greeted her nephew. He couldn't bring himself to look up at her smile.
"Paper came"
He dropped his hand and ducked out of the room, needing a walk in the country's fresh air. Hermione gave him a look as he exited and walked up to where he'd stood right in front of the paper.
Not again.
A/N: Hello hello, thanks for reading!
Promise we'll meet Scorpious next chapter. I'm making these kids firmly Gen-Z and Rose definitely has one foot each in the wizard and muggle worlds because of her family. So not quite AU but for sure will be more tech than there usually is in HP. Let me know what you think! I wanna know.
Love,
Zo
