The Slytherin Thorn

Chapter 47 - Turmoil

"Have you got everything dear?" Astoria asked, wrapping Rose in a tight hug. She nodded. "Broomstick? Books? Partchment? Wand?"

"Yes." Rose stated letting go and stpping back. "I have everything."

"Cloak?" Scorpius hissed in her ear. "Zonko's products?" She smirked at him. 

"That's good dear. Now don't forget to write." Astoria said patting her on the shoulder, Rose bit back tears as she had a flash of a memory of her Gran doing the same just before she started at Hogwarts, her Gran who didn't speak to her anymore, her Gran who left her out of the Weasley Jumpers this year. "Remember you're invited over in the summer. We look forward to seeing you again. Goodbye dear." 

She gave her arm a tight squeeze with a reassuring smile and Rose turned to Draco. They stared at eachother for a moment before he pulled her into one armed, short brief hug, the type her father used to give her. He ruffled her hair before letting her go. "Look after yourself Rose. I look forward to having another game of muggle chess with you."

It was a reference to the present she'd got him for christmas. Rose grinned through the tears forming. She didn't know why she was getting so emotional, she barely knew the couple and she was only going away for a term, yet the Christmas Holiday's had felt like a dream, she couldn't remember the last time there hadn't been a nagging fear of her cousins at the back of her mind. 

"I look forward to beating you." Rose said with a slytherin smirk, brushing aside everything. 

He clapped her on the shoulder. "Best get going then." Draco turned to his son, his hand still on her shoulder. "Scorpius." The boy looked up from where he was saying goodbye to his mother, hsi grey eyes landing on a matching pair. "Look after her." He gave a short nod of recognition and a glance in Rose's direction before turning back to his mother.

Rose's gaze driffted down the station until it landed on a certain group of redheads. She spied her father's tall figure amoungst them, he was chatting happily to Harry, blistfully unaware of his daughter watching him besides him Hermione stood chatting to Ginny, also blisfully anaware of her. Rose watch, counsious of Draco's eyes on her, as Hermione unknowingly put a hand on Hugo's shoulder. He was stood at her side talking merrily with Lily. Roxanne appeared then and he greeted her brightly, Rose felt a pang of betrayal at the sight.

She dragged her eyes away from him and towards James. Anger bubbled inside of her at the sight of him joking with Fred. How could he life peacefully after all he'd done to her? How could any of them? The only one that looked slightly detached was Albus. He stood besides his brother but no longer hanging onto his everyword, almost as though he was missing someone. Could that be her? No, she was just being silly. Rose told her self. He hated her. But even as she watched she realised conflict they had, how little they actually spoke, how few words they exchange, whether angry or not, even Lily and Roxanne managed to spit firey words at her more than him. She wondered whether it was because he didn't want to fight her, whether like Hugo he was in turmoil as to which side to choose but unlike Hugo he didn't have anyone to guide him, he didn't have her. Maybe that was the problem, he didn't have her, they'd always been best friends, bonding through their mutal hatred of reporters, being looked down on by the older cousins and socrning the younger cousins. Now she was gone he was the only one with out someone roughly his age, without a best firend.

"Ready Rosie?" Scorpius appeared at her side dragging her out of her day dream. She brushed her thoughts aside, they were to confusing, she didn't need to be thinking about it, it was pointless anyway, it just hurt her brain.

"Don't call me Rosie." Rose said with a smirk and stepped onto the train leaving behind her woes. He followed her own, just as the whistle blew. The door slammed shut and they stood at the window, waving and laughing through the smog at Astoria and Draco, as the train rolled out of station, until they were distant figures, until the train was rolling through green fields.