"But tonight I could fall too soon,
under this beautiful moonlight. "-Demi Lovato
DISCLAIMER-I do not own Harry Potter nor any characters created/written by J.K. Rowling.
-This Scorose fic does not strictly follow Cursed Child aside from small elements taken by the story such as the houses the characters are in.
-In this story the pairings are as follows.
-Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy
-Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley
-Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger
-Albus Potter and OC (original character)
-Sirius Black and Marlene McKinnon
-Hugo Weasley and OC
-Addy Black and Neville Longbottom
-Teddy Lupin and Victoire Weasley
*For the sake of this story, Marlene McKinnon and James, and Lily Potter survived the first Wizarding War. *
(Rated M for later chapters)
It was now the first evening of winter break and Rose was in her fifth year. Laying down on her bed, staring at the computer screen in front of her, Rose did a search on public civilian attacks in London. Hermione had always wanted Rose and Hugo to grow up familiar with muggle devices and habits as if they were part of that world as well. And they were. In the past year, descendants of Voldemort's original followers had made more appearances in muggle towns, resulting in various casualties. And Rose wanted to stay well informed. According to her parents, the ministry was placing all its efforts in containing the situation and not allowing the magical world to be exposed.
Harry was having a really bad day. The new group of followers now, not so creatively, had begun referring to themselves as "The Descendants". And they were growing bolder by the day. At the start of the year they had the audacity to attack a league game- Puddlemore vs. Bats. Luckily, due to the presence of high profile ministry officials from Bulgaria that attack was spoiled with minimal casualties, but now they had proceeded to attack the non magical world as well. It was all over the muggle news: Unknown assailants strike cultural landmarks. The non magical world, and several countries around the world, believed it was the act of a group of anarchists. While they were correct, in a manner of speaking, they truly had no idea how dangerous the threat was. Harry and Ron could easily identify the attack pattern from witness accounts. Black robes, masks, coming in quickly, setting fire to buildings, and leaving. It was straight out of Voldemort's playbook on how to cause panic and engage manpower while putting the magical authorities to work.
Harry was looking forward to spending time with his family at Christmas, he hoped he would get a leave. From what he had heard from James Jr.. things were becoming tense at school as well. The pressure of OWLS, and with Rose dating Lorcan, was putting a lot of stress on Scorpius. And Harry considered Scorpius as another son. And with him losing his mother, he felt for him. As Harry understood and from what Albus had told him, Scorpius spent most of the term secluded in the library or taking his broom for a quick flight, while saying little to not much during lessons or meals. And Albus. There was Albus. He had no direction and wasn't sure what he wanted to do after leaving Hogwarts. Sometimes Harry felt fighting Voldemort was easier than being a parent.
Harry sighed, standing up and walked over to the fireplace. He stepped inside, concentrating on Ron and Hermione's home. In a matter of seconds, he was in the Weasleys' living room. He stepped out of the fireplace and dusted himself off. "Mione?" He called out to his best friend.
Hermione turned around once she heard Harry's voice. She was in the kitchen preparing dinner. She preferred doing so in the muggle manner, as she felt food never quite tasted the same if it was done with magic. Putting down the wooden spoon, she smiled and walked over to Harry giving him a hug. "Hello Harry, what brings you by?" After a short pause, her smile wavered "Don't tell me you've come to say there's been more attacks..."
"No, no!" He said nervously, "I'm sure you would have already heard about it on the telly. I came to invite you all over to Christmas dinner tomorrow."
"Oh" Hermione sighed in relief "That would be lovely Harry, thank you.."
Harry looked at her inquiringly and said, " Ok, tell me what's the matter." He sat down at the kitchen counter and raised a cup gesturing cheekily for tea.
Hermione shook her head amused as she grabbed the kettle and poured Harry a cup, taking a seat across from him and holding her own cup between her hands. "It's Rose...she seems...happy with Lorcan but I don't know...something tells me it might just be a facade."
"Oh?" Harry replied, frowning. He suddenly thought about Scorpius. Was it possible Rose also had feelings for him. "Why do you say so?"
"I know my daughter Harry..." Hermione sighed "Rose may seem happy on the outside but she hasn't really been herself lately...she's become more quiet, I haven't seen her spend much time with Scorpius either and they're meant to be best friends..."
Bingo.
"That explains why Scorpius has been a little isolated lately. Even Albus can't seem to get him to open up.. Draco reckons it's the OWLS but I know it isn't..." Harry took another sip of the tea and continued, "Not that it is my business... But if that is the case, perhaps Rose and Scorpius should talk about Mione. They care for each other very much…"
Hermione rubbed her forehead, sighing "I don't know Harry...Rose thinks that Scorpius has been avoiding her ever since she began a relationship with Lorcan...They both just need to be honest with each other..."
Little did Hermione know that Rose had gone downstairs and overheard the last bit of her mum and Uncle Harry's conversation. She had been standing outside the door to the kitchen, but her hand froze on the door when she heard them mention Scorpius. Taking a deep breath and forcing a smile on her face, she entered "Uncle Harry!" She said walking over to where Harry was sitting and giving him a hug. He'd always been her favorite Uncle and often found it easier to talk to him than her own parents.
Harry hugged Rose back while also giving Hermione a look saying they would continue the conversation later.
"How have you been firecracker?" He asked affectionately. Rose had inherited the Weasley fire as much as she had inherited the red hair. "Been practicing the patronus charm?"
"I've been ok..."she told him, hoping she sounded more convincing than she felt. At her Uncle's second question, she felt her spirits lifted. "I actually have..." she said with a small grin "Mum didn't tell you? I managed a full corporeal patronus a few months ago..."
"Full grown?" Harry asked, "Your mum didn't tell me... What shape is it?" While he did ask that, he was hoping to find some more clues about her through her body language, and she surely was tense.
"A lynx." Rose replied. Hearing them talk about Scorpius had made her begin to tug at a small strand of hair. Not that she was aware.
"Observational... Just like you" Harry said with a smile. "Well I've better head out or your aunt will skin me.. thanks for the tea Mione" with that Harry left through the floo
Rose sighed as she watched her uncle disappear through the fireplace. She then turned to her mum "How come Uncle Harry stopped by?" She asked curiously.
"He came to invite us to Christmas dinner tomorrow" Hermione said while finishing what she had been cooking. Hermione usually didn't have much time, so she savored whenever she did get an opportunity to cook. "Where is your father?"
"I think I heard him outside with Hugo..." Rose said, leaning against the counter and grabbing an apple. Although she seldom took a bite.
"Call them will you? Dinner is almost ready" Hermione said. She saw her daughter leave towards the gardens and held back a sigh. She knew how she had felt when Ronald had started dating Lavender Brown and it had hurt her a lot.
Rose pushed open the door to the yard and couldn't help but smile at the scene before her. Her father and brother were both mounted on brooms, granted not too high off the ground. Rose imagined it was more for her mother's sake than anything else. Ron had a make-shift quaffle in his hand while Hugo held a bat in his. They both stopped what they were doing once they noticed Rose standing in the doorway. "Mum says dinner's ready." She told them.
"Coming!" Hugo called out and descended from the sky. He wasn't the best flier but he loved to fly. Ron on the other hand still held his dream of playing for the Chudley Cannons very close to his heart but he had come to terms with the fact that he may play very well, but he wasn't very consistent.
Ron followed behind Hugo and gave him the brooms and the quaffle, instructing him to store them back in the shed. He walked over to Rose, "How was your counseling? I hope you won't enter politics like your mother had once planned.." He said jokingly. Ron had just now realized how much his little Rosie had grown and she was turning into a beautiful young woman he was proud of.
Rose chuckled "No dad...McGonagall reckons I 'have the aptitude to be a magizoologist' " she said doing her best impression of the headmistress' voice. "Like Aunt Luna."
"Perhaps we can talk to Luna to try and get you an apprenticeship with her..." Ron suggested "Lorcan would be there as well " he said teasingly. It had been a couple of months and Hermione had helped Ron come to terms with Rose dating. Somewhat..
"Dad..." Rose said, rolling her eyes but amusement evident on her face as they walked back inside the house. "So, do you think we have a future quidditch star?" She grinned gesturing towards the shed where her brother was.
"Well... Let's just say he after your mother..." Ron replied "He can maybe join the school team... Gryffindor doesn't have proper beaters. Although I think he has a future in Quidditch, just not as a player. He is plenty smart, takes after me with tactics and strategies while he has your mother's authority."
Rose smiled at her dad, as they entered the kitchen and he walked over to Hermione, giving her a kiss on the cheek before sitting down. Rose sat down as well, not missing her mum's wide smile at Ron's act of affection. Soon, Hugo entered and the family sat down for dinner. It was the first time Rose felt genuinely happy in the last few weeks. After she'd finished, she said goodnight, and went upstairs to her bedroom. Rose sat on her bed and her mind wandered to Scorpius. She'd overheard her Uncle mentioning something about Scorpius feeling isolated. And she didn't like that.
…
Scorpius was sitting at home, in his room when he heard a knock on the door. He was about to answer when it opened, "Hey dad."
"Son." Draco said as he walked over to sit on the edge of Scorpius' bed "Have you been feeling all right?" He asked tentatively.
Scorpius looked at his father skeptically. He wasn't the only one who changed after his mother's death. "I'm fine dad."
Draco raised an eyebrow and sighed. He knew that his son was going through something, that he was struggling. After Astoria passed, Draco had always tried to be a good father in the literal sense. But he knew he wasn't the type to show affection often. "Scorpius...I know that I can be distant sometimes but...if there's anything you'd like to talk about...just know I'm here."
Scorpius gave Draco a wry smile and said, "I know dad... It's just that there are some things I can't understand myself... I'd like to do so before I talk to you..."
Draco nodded "I understand son...Merlin, your mother was so much better at these sorts of things." He said with a small chuckle.
Scorpius actually chuckled, "She was... How you got her to fall in love with you is still a mystery to me."
"Watch your tone...I am not above grounding you until you graduate..."Draco scolded teasingly, then he suddenly remembered why he was there" Also, I wanted to tell you that Harry has invited us to Christmas dinner tomorrow..."
"He came?" Scorpius asked, "Who else would be there?"
"No, he sent an owl earlier...And well, the Potters, and Weasleys of course..." Draco replied, admittedly surprised at Scorpius' question.
"Oh..." Scorpius replied. His mind immediately wandered to Rose. "Great... What time should we be there?"
Draco looked at his son, with a raised eyebrow. He overlooked Scorpius' question, as he was more concerned at the way he had responded. "Scorpius...what is it?"
"it's nothing dad... Just some... Stuff... You know the OWLs... Just teenage stuff"
"If you say so, son..." Draco said, not wanting to push the matter further and knowing Scorpius might be reluctant to share. He planned on speaking with Scorpius after Christmas. Instead he nodded as he made his way over to the door. "Tomorrow at 8 o'clock, in the evening, be ready." He said before returning to his own bedroom. As he sat on his bed, Draco grabbed his wand from the nightstand and murmured a quick 'Expecto Patronum...'
'Scorpius is definitely hurting as well...' the message said as the eagle disappeared through the window, making its way to Hermione Granger.
Scorpius saw his father retreat but he knew he would contact either Harry or perhaps even . Just then he saw a bright future fly into the sky and that confirmed it for him. He sighed knowing it didn't matter much because he would have to face everyone the next day. . He got up from his bed and saw the forms headmistress McGonagall had given him. Career options- healer, spell creator, auror, curse breaker, unspeakable at the ministry, politics, quidditch... Well if not he could apprentice in any field... He should have spoken to his father properly but he knew for and curse breaker was out of question for him.
MACUSA had a great student exchange program at Salem, Scorpius thought, as he read through another page. If he applied and was accepted, he could potentially move to America, and start anew.
…
The following evening, the Potters had arrived early to the Burrow, to assist in preparations for Christmas dinner. Scorpius was there as well, as Draco was forced to journey to Malfoy manor to see his father, who had remained in a prolonged state of self-seclusion since the war. Lucius had insisted to Draco that Scorpius come along as well, but Draco wanted to limit the interactions between his father and son. In his old age, Lucius had become even more exceedingly prejudiced and attached to the old ways. Draco was suspicious of his father's intentions to have him visit, so instead he had asked Harry if Scorpius could arrive early at the burrow with them.
Rose, however, had arrived at dawn through the floo network. It was something she'd done every year. She would head to the Burrow early, on her own, for Christmas before anyone else arrived. Careful not to wake up her grandparents, Rose would quietly place her gifts for the family under the three then go upstairs to her bedroom and catch up on sleep before her grandmother would call her down for breakfast. It wasn't the most creative tradition, Rose knew, but she enjoyed not being in the midst of the hustle and bustle of a Weasley Christmas dinner. She'd lost count of how many cousins she had now. Rose also treasured those quiet moments and Christmas breakfast with just her and her grandparents. This year was no different. She was particularly excited for Scorpius to see his gift from her. She'd managed to get him a magical creature locator crystal, an artifact created by very ancient magic. Her boyfriend Lorcan was out of the country on holiday with his family. But they had been able to exchange gifts and Christmas wishes before he left.
Rose stirred in her bed, waking up as she sat and rubbed sleep away from her eyes. She sighed, staring at the small box, wrapped in green paper that sat on her night table. She hoped Scorpius would like his gift. She walked outside to the balcony connected to her bedroom and smiled when she saw Lila, her loyal owl perched on the railing. Rose gently petted Lila's head, so she did not hear the fireplace come to life downstairs as the Potters arrived.
Scorpius walked awkwardly into the Burrow along with the Potters. Albus was talking to him animatedly because Christmas was very much his favorite holiday. In fact, all the Potter clan shared the same had already given the presents to the Potters and was carrying a small package wrapped in red for Rose. He was nervous about talking to her. Scorpius had been keeping his distance both as respect to Rose and her new relationship but also because it hurt too much to be around her.
Mrs. Potter walked in last behind them and called out as loud as he had ever heard her in excitement, "Mum, dad! We are home!'
The sounds of pots and pans could be heard in the kitchen as Molly Weasley rushed to the living room, smiling widely at her family and adjusting her apron. She walked over to Ginny, giving her a motherly hug then she moved on to crush Harry in an embrace. Albus couldn't help but chuckle at that. He knew his grandmother had a special fondness for her son-in-law. After Mrs. Weasley had finally let Harry go, she greeted her three grandchildren and Scorpius who was by all means one as well. "Merry Christmas," she told them smiling before turning to Scorpius and Albus "Oh and Rose arrived this morning, she's upstairs..." she told them.
Albus chuckled, hugging his grandmother. He could have easily gone upstairs or called out for Rose but Christmas in particular made him mischievous. He wanted to throw stones at her window. Scorpius looked at his best friend and rubbed the package in his pocket carefully.
Albus noticed Scorpius' hand going in his pocket and knew perfectly well that's where he was keeping Rose's gift from him. "Thanks Nana, we'll be back in a bit." Albus began nudging Scorpius towards the garden. "Later dad. We have something to do first." He said with a grin.
Scorpius felt a pull and saw the culprit was Albus, "Where on earth are you taking me, you neanderthal?" He asked light-heartedly.
Albus rolled his eyes "Sush, we're here." He said as they stood underneath Rose's window, Lila watching them curiously from the balcony. Albus grinned, bending down and picking up two small rocks from the ground, offering one to Scorpius "Let's wake up little Rosie shall we?" He smirked.
Scorpius was about to warn Albus to be careful but he had already done the deed by then. The small pebble was tossed with very little power, because Albus didn't want Nana Molly chasing him if he broke a window. Again. He launched the pebble, which pushed through the glass breaking it. Before Scorpius could turn and look at Albus, he was already half way inside the house trying to hide in one of the many rooms in case his cousin comes to kill him.
Rose had just just stepped out of the shower and gotten dressed when she heard the window shatter and felt a throbbing pressure on her forehead. Eyes wide, she glanced down and noticed a pebble on the ground. She picked up and rushed out to the balcony, glancing down at the garden below her. She saw no one but had a sneaky suspicion Albus had arrived. It wouldn't have been the first time he'd thrown rocks at her window to annoy her. He'd done so when they were kids as well. Frowning, Rose ran downstairs to the kitchen where her grandmother and the Potters, minus Albus were. "All right, where is he?" She asked James and Lily then turned to her aunt and uncle "Uncle Harry, Aunt Ginny lovely to see you." She said pleasantly smiling at them then shifted to glare at her cousins "Where's Al?"
Ginny looked at Rose who had a small lump on her forehead and laughed "Come, dear" she said. Being the coach and an international quidditch player, she knew a couple of first aid spells to help herself or her fellow players in case of an injury on the field before the healers could arrive. She quickly cast a spell which relieved Rose of the pain.
James snickered and got up from his seat and walked out of the back door and announced that he was going to set up the buckets and brooms for the games quite loudly. This caused Albus to pop his head out of the pantry where he was hiding... Which was a big mistake.
Scorpius too got up to follow James "Wait James... I'll help too" he said walking alongside him.
"Thank you..." Rose said gratefully to her aunt then she noticed Scorpius had gone outside with James without so much a "Hello" or glance in her direction. She brushed it off, trying to hide the disappointment in her face. Then she heard the pantry door creak open and saw a very guilty and terrified Albus. Good, something to distract her from thinking about Scorpius. "Albus..." she said, glaring at him and walking to the pantry.
"Peace peace" Albus called out with his hands raised. "I'm willing to offer you the opportunity to play chaser if you let me go."
Rose looked at her cousin with her arms crossed and eyebrow raised, which reminded Albus of his Aunt Hermione. Terrifyingly so. She considered his proposition before finding her resolve. "Fine..."
Let's go" Albus said enthusiastically, happy to have avoided a grave and dangerous situation. Lily followed them as did Ginny and Harry. The teams were split into boys with Harry acting as referee. Albus was happy that he didn't have to play keeper until James complained that he could not have Lily and Ginny both on the same team. So Lily and Albus switched much to his chagrin and Rose's amusement.
Right after the teams had been set up, Rose met Scorpius' gaze but quickly looked away.' She cursed her luck when her eyes fell on the tree where she and Scorpius had hid from Ron a couple years ago. Rose then turned to Albus who was on his broom beside her, as he and Lily had switched teams. "I told nana that you broke my window..." she told him with a smirk right before Harry blew the whistle.
Albus looked at her incredulously and missed the quick shot Scorpius had sent for a goal thinking..Scorpius on the other hand gave a smirk to Rose. Only he had the sheer audacity to shoot from the halfway line four seconds into the game.
Rose rolled her eyes at Scorpius' cheeky expression before accelerating on her broom and swerving past James and throwing the quaffle into one of the make-shift goals. Ginny shot her a large grin and taking advantage of the fact that James seemed to be momentarily distracted by Rose scoring, that he neglected to see his mother moving in closer, scoring another goal for the girls' team, Albus included. Scorpius gave James a dirty look. James wasn't the greatest flier unlike his namesake who could have played for the national team but he still held the enthusiasm and competitive nature that came with the name Potter.
The game resumed with Lily practically taking over the game for a long period. Scorpius' team held a healthy lead, when the unthinkable happened. The other Weasleys arrived. That meant Ron and Hugo joined in the game. James went off for Mr Weasley, going to his preferred position, but the game changer was Hugo. He came in and streamlined the attack for the girls team. Albus became a rotating keeper, all three went on attack and shredded them defensively. Somehow Hugo knew Lily would struggle if pressured. She did not have the physique to jostle anyone, being the smallest one on the pitch. The game ended in a draw when the whole family started turning the match into a glorified game of tag team flying.
Rose was adjusting her broom when she saw Nana Molly, walking out to the garden, hands on her hips as she stared up at Albus angrily. Rose nearly felt a chill. Her nana was loving and made the best food you could ever taste, but when she was provoked, she could be entirely terrifying. Everyone, including Rose began to descend back down to the ground. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Rose glanced up noticing Albus was the only one still up in the air. He was looking down at his grandmother with a nervous expression. Scorpius seemed to notice this as well because Rose and him exchanged wide grins, resisting the urge to laugh out loud at Albus' predicament.
"Young man!" Molly said sternly as she walked up to Albus when he had finally descended and grabbed him by the ear, dragging him inside "You will come and help me with the food".
Rose giggled softly as she watched her nana pull Albus into the house. Looking around, she noticed the others were doing the same. And that included, to her amusement, her Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny who were doing nothing to aid Albus. Rose went to go put her broom away in the shed and hadn't realized Scorpius had the same idea as he walked up behind her
Scorpius walked behind Rose keeping a comfortable distance but still near. When they reached the shed he leaned against the door frame.
Rose nearly gasped once she turned and found Scorpius standing in the entrance to the shed. "You bloody scared me..."
Scorpius gave her a weak smile, "Must have a lot on your mind to not notice little old me? Thinking about your boyfriend?" He smirked
"Apparently not as much as you have, since you're the one who brought him up..." Rose grinned, crossing her arms.
Scorpius gave her a dirty look as he ran a finger across the package in his pocket once more seeking comfort. Rose noticed his hand had gone to his pocket, his eyebrows furrowed. "What are you hiding?" She asked teasingly, gesturing to his jacket.
"Nothing" Scorpius replied quickly "I'm cold, no gloves"
Rose raised a skeptical eyebrow but sighed. "Come on, I'm sure Nana Molly has hot cocoa ready inside." she smiled
Scorpius perked up at that as he and Rose made their way back to the Burrow. He didn't realize how much he'd missed her.
….
That evening after all the food had been brought out, and more relatives started arriving, Rose rushed upstairs to change her clothes for dinner. After deciding on a sleeveless red dress and a small cardigan, she sat on her bed and sighed, glancing at Scorpius' gift that was still on her nightstand. She was pulled out of her thoughts when there was a knock on the door. Still somewhat distracted, she called out "Who is it?"
Lily entered the room "Dinner is served." She announced dramatically.
Rose chuckled, nodding, standing up and following Lily downstairs. To both the girls' amusement, when they arrived at the dining room, Albus seemed to be pouting profusely. They looked at each other, stifling giggles before taking their seats.
Scorpius looked up when Rose entered the cozy room and gasped softly. She looked stunning, To him she always stunning. And he loved her. He always had but she was attached now... It broke him. But he would endure for her sake. He sighed, taking a bottle of butter beer and having a not so small swig trying not to look at her.
Everyone seemed to be having fun, taking in the revelry. Scorpius was feeling out of place. He missed his mom, the family dinners they had... He took another swig until the bottle was empty. He silently summoned another bottle while banishing his empty one.
Scorpius listened to everyone talk for hours,ate some food, and by the time nearly everyone was done with dinner he excused himself to get some fresh air. . His head was fuzzy, he shouldn't have had that many drinks. He went back inside and entered the guest room on the first floor. He sighed, laying back on bed when he heard a knock and turned towards the door with wide eyes.
Rose opened the door slowly, a sigh of relief when she saw him "Oh there you are..." she said walking inside. She looked at Scorpius for a moment and immediately realized something was wrong. He seemed out of sorts. Even so, she was happy that he still had agreed to attend dinner, despite things feeling a bit distant lately. She'd missed him, she always missed him.
Frowning, she turned to shut the door before shifting to look to meet his gaze again. "Scorp...are you ok?" She asked gently.
"Go away" he mumbled into his hand. The alcohol wasn't helping him.
Rose scoffed, crossing her arms. She was as stubborn as her father. But she also knew that Scorpius was in a bad state, and she couldn't just leave him like that-she wouldn't be a good friend if she did. She could also catch the faint smell of alcohol and knew he'd been drinking. It broke her heart to see him that way. "Please...just talk to me." She said softly, walking over to the nightstand.
"Why do you care?" Scorpius replied "Shouldn't you be writing to Lorcan?"
Scorpius had clearly let the alcohol get the better of him, but he did feel a burden lift away from him. He had tried so hard to convince himself that he was okay as long as Rose was happy, but he was wrong. Saying that aloud helped him accept the fact that he had been lying to himself all year. He hated that he had snapped at Rose, he hated himself because he had essentially fractured their friendship, he hated himself because he had surely hurt Rose.
"Scorp…" Rose tried sitting down beside him on the bed.
Scorpius refused to look at Rose but he mumbled nevertheless, "I can't continue like this anymore... I can't stay best friends with you... I can't stay 'just' friends..."
Rose watched him taken aback, eyes wide, feeling a pang in her chest and an overwhelming sense of shock at his words. "Wh-what?" She said, not recognizing her own voice "What are you talking about?" She said tugging at her hair, nervous to hear out loud what she was suspecting.
Scorpius actually laughed a wistful laugh when he heard that. He got up unsteadily from the bed and started walking out of the door. He held the doorknob for support and turned around, " I love you Ros... I have been in love with you...since we first became friends. I loved you when you shouted at me to study, I loved you when we would run across the lawns of the castle... I loved you when you helped me when mum was gone.. And I loved you when you loved someone else..." He said with a sad smile, "If it wasn't obvious before, then I only have myself to blame."
With that he walked out of the room, bid farewell to his friends and their family, and took the floo home Before he left he had handed Albus the red package and asked him to pass it on to Rose. Scorpius had worked extra shifts at the Potions lab to buy a ruby locket especially made for Rose. And he wanted her to have it. Even if he was convinced she'd probably never speak to him again. He had screwed everything up.
Rose stood there agape, staring at the door after Scorpius had left. She soon began to feel the cold tears running down her cheeks, collapsing onto the bed of the guest bedroom, face in her hands as she sobbed quietly. It wasn't the fact that her best friend in the world had just admitted he loved her, it was that she loved him too. And she knew that she always had. Rose didn't know what she was going to do. What she did know was that she needed to break things off with Lorcan. Their relationship had been short, but it had been nice. He always treated her kindly and she felt comfortable around him. But he wasn't Scorpius. She'd wait until after the new year. Lorcan was on vacation and it wouldn't be fair to him for her to end things during the holidays. It also wouldn't be fair to continue in a relationship with him if her heart wasn't in it. If it belonged to someone else.
Rose stood up, walking over to the bathroom and splashing some water on her face before going to her bedroom and grabbing Scorpius' gift, putting the small box in her pocket. She went downstairs, putting on a fake smile, then walking over to Hermione, telling her that she was tired before flooing home. Once she arrived, Rose burst into tears again and went up to her bedroom, changing before falling asleep with Scorpius' gift in her hand.