Amortentia (a Scorose Fanfiction)

Chapter Eleven

         Lily Potter pounced on Rose as soon as she stepped into the common room.  "Where in the name of Merlin have you been?!"

         "I was at the library."

         Lily looked appalled.  "For six and a half hours?! You missed dinner!"

         Rose nodded at her red-headed cousin.  "I had a lot of homework to do after detention."

         Lily followed her over to where their family was crowded around on the couch and armchairs by the fireplace.  "You couldn't take a moment to tell us where you were? We were worried sick!"

         "I told them where you would be," Albus chimed in, nose in his Advanced Potions Making book. 

         "That's not the point, Albus!" Lily snapped, shooting her brother a wicked sneer.  "Rose should have told us where she was!"

         "Well... did you even check the library to look for me?"  Rose's heart temporarily stopped beating as she remembered that, for a small portion of the night she had been sat with Scorpius — and then they had disappeared.

         Lily pursed her lips.  James snorted, and Hugo snickered.  Albus hid a smug smile behind his textbook.

         Rose didn't need to hear the answer from Lily to know what it was.  She let a smile curve her mouth and shook her head.  "You're unbelievable, Lily Potter.  Next time, just look for me?"

         "Whatever, Rose!" Lily whined, plonking herself down on the empty armchair that James was leaning his back against.

         Albus and Hugo were occupying the couch, which left the other armchair free for Rose.  She sank into it, her stiff spine relaxing against the plush leather cushion.  It was a blessing compared to the hard wooden-backed chairs in the library, and the rock-solid wooden benches in the kitchens.

         Rose still couldn't wrap her head around the events of earlier that night.  He had taken her to the kitchens, introduced her to his house-elf friend, got her a meal because she missed dinner... and for what?  To earn her trust, he had said.

         She had to admit he had changed her view of him.  The way he had been with Pipsey was admirable — her family often spoke of the Malfoy's treatment of their house-elf friend Dobby.  It was nice to see that change in the new generation of Malfoys.  That was just another thing that set Scorpius aside from his family in Rose's mind. 

         She blinked out of her trance.  She had to stop thinking things like that if she wanted to remain solely "study partners" with him — if that was even the case anymore, considering his strange behaviour.  She could feel her resolve cracking whenever she thought of the — albeit, limited — times they had spent together.  The new side he was showing her was a complete contrast to the one she had encountered previously. 

         When Rose tuned back into her family's conversation, Hugo and James were arguing over their favourite Chocolate Frog trading card.

         Rose looked at Albus, who rolled his eyes.  Lily was dozing off on the opposite armchair, clearly disinterested in the conversation. 

         "So, have any of you talked with your dad?"  Rose asked, cutting off James' rant about why his father's trading card wasn't the best (Rose had caught something along the lines of "he's not heroic — he's a git!" and had decided enough was enough).

         "About what?" Albus asked.  He folded down the corner of the page he was reading and closed the textbook. 

         "About the end of term."