Forever and Always

Chapter 11: Rose

We walked silently out of the castle, munching on bagels. I had a free period first, but I didn't know if he did.
I hoped he wasn't cutting class for me. I wasn't worth that.

He lead me to the Courtyard of Honor, which was built to commemorate the students who had died defending Hogwarts during the Battle. Each student was honored with a bench, a plaque, and flowers that Professor Longbottom changed on Sundays with the Hufflepuff prefects.

"Any particular bench...?" He asked, stretching out his left arm. His hand was fully outstretched, and I saw a thin white scar running from the bottom of his forefinger to his wrist, forming a diagonal line across his palm.

"No....no. Anywhere is fine." I pulled my eyes from his hand and sat down on the bench closest to us.

He sat down beside me, keeping some space between us. I could respect that.

"Michelle Addams. Ravenclaw. Just fifteen years old." His face tightened as he read the plaque, and I saw him glance ever so slightly at the Malfoy ring in his right forefinger. He squeezed the bagel to mush and then dropped it on the ground. "And they killed her. They killed her. Like she was just a flower, whose only purpose was to be cut down."

"It's not your fault, y'know." I whispered to him, "Your past doesn't define you, and neither does your family's."

"It does, though. That's all people see when they look at me. Traitor. Murderer. Liar. Theif," He buried his face in his hands, and whispered, "Malfoy."

I put my hand on his shoulder and leaned in so that my face was next to his ear. "That's not what I see."

"Oh, yeah? I bet you see a little boy who can't control his emotions," he snarled sarcastically, crossing his arms and leaning back.

"No, that's not what I see," I turned so my whole body was facing him. "I see a model student. A boy who is kind to all. Someone who isn't afraid to be emotional and knows that having feelings is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of great strength. A man who will fight for what he believes in." I smiled at his incredulous face, "I see Scorpius."

Wow. Where had that come from?

Clearly, he didn't know either.

"Rose, I... I don't know what to-" he stammered, still staring at me like I was both a most wonderful yet confusing spell he knew he'd never master.

"Then don't." I took his hand in both of mine and held it tight for a few moments. "I have to go now. Goodbye, Scorpius."

I strode quickly out of the Courtyard. When I glanced back at him before entering the castle, I thought that I had never seen anyone so small.

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Sorry that took so long, and thank you for being patient.

Happy Holidays!