Name Game (completed)

Chapter Twelve

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I wasn't going to publish this till I got 900 reads, but 899 is good enough. yeah, and it's dedicated to BloodRedAxe because she asked me very nicely to write another chapter, unlike some people *looks pointedly at SnowingMoon*. And J, before you start complaining, you've already edited this. Okay, so read/ vote/ comment/ fan, whatever.

"YOUR DATING A MALFOY!" Ron exploded. 

Rose nodded nervously.

"Yeah. Scorpius Malfoy."

"Filthy little death-eater, I'll show him what happens to stupid boys like him who have the cheek to ask out my little girl." Ron fumed.

Rose felt her anger flaring.

"Scorpius isn't a death-eater, dad. He's been my best friend for six years."

"I won't let you. A Malfoy... my daughter."

"Ronald." Hermione's calm voice broke through his terse mutterings. "Don't you think it's time you put this childish nonsense behind you. Scorpius is a perfectly nice boy, he spent Christmas with us. Everyone else really likes him. You can't judge him by his father, it's not right. Astoria wasn't even a death-eater."

"I'm not having my Rosie dating a Malfoy, and that's the end of it." Ron sounded firm.

"YOU DON'T CONTROL ME DAD!" Rose screamed at him, "I was seventeen in November and I'm legally an adult. I can date who I like."

"Rosie," Ron tried to reason with her. "I know you can date who you like, I was... was just, as your loving father, trying to protect you from the monstrosities this little death-eater will put you through..."

"FOR THE LAST TIME, SCORPIUS IS NOT A F***ING DEATH-EATER! I HATE YOU! WHY DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO LET YOUR PAST RESTRICT ME?" Rose burst into tears and raced up the stairs.

Meanwhile Scorpius was having even less luck.

"The daughter of a... a Weasley and... muggle-born." Astoria shook her head. "I don't think so, love.'

Scorpius tried again.

"Rose's family are perfectly respectable. Her father's an Auror and her mother is the chairwoman of S.P.E.W."

"A house elf rights activist. How ridiculous. Never heard of such a thing." Lucius muttered under his breath.

"The Society for the Protection of Elfish Welfare is very popular now. Mrs Weasley-Granger single-handedly gained house-elves access to the wizarding rights protecting most humanoid magical creatures." Scorpius informed them. He could see that it wasn't working.

"Weasleys - blood-traitors the lot of them." Lucius hissed.

"Son, I don't think it's such a good idea. Weasleys and Malfoys... well, we don't generally mix." Draco smiled apologetically.

Astoria nodded, if regretfully.

"I'm afraid not, darling. But we're holding a dinner party tonight, as you should already know. They'll be a couple of girls around your age of more... suitable calibre. Perhaps you'd like to... dtae one of them instead?"

Scorpius sighed. Astoria placed her hands either side of her precarious blond beehive.

"Goodness me, my hair appears to be coming down. I need to get some hair-stiffening potion. Scorpius, dear, go change."

"Rose, honey." Rose looked up from the pillow she'd buried her face in. Hermione set a tray down on her white bedside table. "You missed supper."

Rose sat up and pulled the tray towards her. There was a mug of coffee and a Just Add Magic vegetable lasagne. 

"Your dad over-reacted, sweetheart. He finds it hard to let go of long-ago feuds."

Rose shrugged and dug her fork unenthusiastically into the lasagne. 

"You know that family get-together we're having next week-end."

Rose nodded, confused.

"Why don't we invite Scorpius, as well? Hugo's invited a bunch of friends, and your dad can't kick him out, not with the whole family there. It's only him and Ak that have anything against poor Scorpius."

Rose swallowed a large gulp of coffee. The hot liquid scorched her throat. She grinned at her mum.

"Good idea. I'll write to him as soon as I've finished my lasagne. Can I borrow Mariae to send it? I know she's your special S.P.E.W owl but Pigwidgeon such a pain and he's so old I'm scared he'll drop dead in the middle of a delivery. And i'm not sure dad will lend him to me right now, especially if he knows I'm sending an Invite to Scorpius!"

Scorpius tasted the watery soup, with a grimace on his face. It wasn't the flavour (or rather lack of it), nor the uncomfortable combination of the stiff collar of his dress robes and the rigid high-backked chair that was making him frown. It was the incessant chatter of the two "suitable" girls his mother had seated either side of him. Scorpius was used to irritating girls following him everywhere, but not to this extreme. the one on his right was called Irene Ozmo; she had perfectly straight fair hair that fell past her waist, so pale it appeared to be white, and a dull, grey complexion. she was wearing a floor length lilac gown that was oversewn with so many diamonds it seemed impossible for her to walk. In addition to this she was wearing an excessive diamond choker and matching earrings so heavy, Scorpius was surprised they didn't yank her head down. She was nattering on about herself and regularly emitting high-pitched giggles.

The other was Laurel something (Scorpius hadn't paid much attention to her when she introduced herself. She was minuscule in stature, but with a surprisingly full figure. Her jet black hair, which Scorpius presumed was naturally straight, had been arranged in careful ringlets and gathered around her face in a style that did not suit her pointed features. Her skin was olive, and flawlessly smooth, she wore a feathered pink dress with a pair of extremely high matching heels, that did little to improve her tiny stature. Her voice was light, fluttering and very affected, she sounded constantly worried.

"Scorpius, are you all right?" she asked for the millionth time in her quivering voice.

"Yes, I'm fine." he replied through gritted teeth. He couldn't help but compare them to Rose. When she's kissed him...