Curiosity Is Not a Sin

A Visit to the Village

Rose loved Tuesdays. She had to suffer through a period of History of Magic right after breakfast, but a double period of Arithmancy and a period of Transfiguration tended to perk her up again, and now that she was legitimately enjoying Scorpius's company, even History of Magic was a little more tolerable - and, of course, spending the entire morning with Noah, who she was starting to regard as a genuine friend, wasn't half bad either.

As soon as Transfiguration as over, however, she stuffed her books into her bag and rushed off, making time only for a quick goodbye and a kiss on Scorpius's cheek. Possibly because they were still right outside the classroom at the time and their classmates hadn't started to scatter yet, he'd gone bright red at that, but she didn't have time to stick around for any potential fallout - James had had a very interesting proposal the night before that she really wanted to take him up on.

When she got to the Common Room, he was already there, shifting around impatiently in front of the notice board. "Are we still on?" he asked when she rushed in.

"Yeah, let me just toss this stuff upstairs." She took the stairs two at a time - they didn't have any time to waste. When she got back downstairs, they immediately headed for the portrait hole... and for a very particular statue of a witch with a hump.

When the bell over Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes tinkled half an hour later, Fred looked up from the table in the back and let out a laugh. "Hey, guys. I was beginning to think you'd forgotten all about me and started caring about the rules."

As they headed toward him, Rose noticed a new display on the left wall. The sign above it said "All-New Shield Charms!" in large capital letters and underneath, in slightly smaller size, "Never get jinxed again." The display was empty so far, but judging from the size of it, there was going to be an extensive selection. She and James settled themselves in the two remaining chairs at the table, and Fred waved his wand to banish the plants he'd clearly been experimenting with to the back room.

"Sorry," James said. "We've both been a little busy. You know how it goes." He winked at Fred, who let out a loud guffaw.

"I see. Who's been lucky enough to get graced with your attentions?"

James grinned at Rose, who just barely managed to hold back a groan. She had a pretty good idea of what was coming. "Well, I'm trying to start something up with Marion Thomas, but Rose - you haven't heard from your sister?" Their cousin shook his head. "Well, Rose hasn't been able to keep her hands - or mouth, for that matter - off Scorpius long enough for them to find a place where the rest of her family isn't going to stumble over them. We've all been a little scarred."

Fred stared at them for a moment. "Scorpius - Albus's best friend Scorpius?" Rose nodded. He looked stunned. "Haven't you been complaining about him for years?"

She sighed. "I mean, sort of. But - I guess not as much recently. Oh, shut up, James - he and Roxanne found us in a corridor, though he knew before that and I'm pretty sure he was looking for us," she said, giving him a pointed look. He didn't look remotely abashed. "And Albus - er - saw us by the lake."

"I hope you'd told him by that point."

"We had."

James cut in. "But I don't think he was quite prepared to find them with Scorpius's hand up Rose's shirt while she had her tongue down his throat."

Rose kicked him. "He's exaggerating. My tongue was not down his throat." James raised his eyebrows at her, and she sighed. If she didn't say it, she knew he would, so she might as well own up to it. "It was just - er - in his mouth. We didn't really notice Albus."