A/N Hello! This chapter is the book really getting into the action now... I hope you enjoy!
The next morning Rose and Albus were up early. Much earlier than anyone else. They sat huddled up on one of the two-seater black sofas in front of the fire in the Malfoy's second living room. Rose hugged her knees to her chest, and Albus sat cross-legged on the sofa beside her. Neither said a word
"Where should I start?" Rose said eventually, after the two had been sitting in silence for more than 5 minutes.
"From the beginning" Albus said "When you first met, when you first talked I don't know, when we were young I guess, first year?" Rose nodded and begun to tell the story. The story of her hatred towards the Malfoy boy pushed by their fathers. Their secret meetings in third year (which was met to "what? How could you not tell me Rose! That sounds so much fun! Sneaking out at night! Wow" to which Rose responded with a very harsh "Shh") and their growing friendship.
"About six months into third year, Scorpius and I were meeting each other practically every other night. Nobody had the faintest idea!" Rose laughed silently at the concept, but her mood was sharply changed at the realisation of what she had to say next. She looked to the floor. How could she say it? What way could she word it? "On the tenth of February 2018, Scorpius Malfoy asked me out. And I said yes" She didn't look at Albus. She didn't need to. She could practically hear his expression.
"Rose! What on earth?" Albus said "How can you... What are you...? WHAT?" Rose looked over to her cousin.
"Shh... you'll wake someone up!" She whispered. Neither of them said anything. Rose waited for Albus to think it through, to let it sink in. Albus nodded and Rose continued.
"It was the best four months I had ever had. We met up every other night. We got on so well! Albus... I loved him" Rose sighed.
"What? Rose you were thirteen!" Albus almost laughed
"I know, I know. And I didn't know I loved him then, only now... looking back..." Rose gulped and closed her eyes. Pushed back tears, knowing what she had to say next.
"Wait, what you said at the party... Do you... you still..." Albus didn't want to say it, but Rose knew exactly what he meant. She nodded, her eyes closed, but said nothing else on the matter. The two heard the stairs creak as someone was on their way down. Albus assured Rose it was probably Narcissa, she always got up early. Usually always the earliest up- but sometimes Albus liked the peace before even she got up.
"We were together for four months. It was one of the best times of my life- even seven years later I still believe it- but then... On the 16th of June, I went to visit him again. As usual. We had planned it, as usual. I snuck the invisibility cloak from its hiding place in the common room. I snuck out. Everything was fine. I arrived at the room of requirement. The doors opened for me, slower than usual- like the room knew there was something in there I didn't want to see. And it was right. I hung the cloak up on the rack, as usual. Then I turned around. Scorpius was sitting on the blue sofa he usually did. But instead of the book he normally had with him whilst he waited for me- he was almost always early- there was something, someone, else. Another girl. She was literally on top of him, it was awful. And he was kissing her. I gasped and the two broke apart. They turned to face me. He was kissing-"
There was a knock at the door. It broke Rose and Albus from their conversation the front door was right next to the room they were in, and so they did not continue their conversation. Narcissa walked through, nodded and smiled at the two and carried on to the front door. Albus and Rose sat in silence as they waited for whoever it was at the door to leave. The door slammed shut, and Narcissa pointed someone in the opposite direction- towards the kitchen. Narcissa walked into the room calmly, though Albus and Rose could see something was wrong.
"Go get Lysander, Lorcan, Alice and Frank please" Narcissa said to the two "And bring them to the kitchen" Albus and Rose looked to each other- something was wrong. They nodded and ran up the stairs to their friends. They shook them awake and dragged them to the kitchen.
Narcissa was standing there was Dominique Weasley- the person that always brought a scowl to Rose's face; despite the circumstance today was no exception.
"Don't look at me like that Red this is serious" Dominique sneered
"You can't call me that Nique" Rose scowled.
"Stop it, the pair of you" Narcissa scolded "Dominique has some news that you all need to hear" Dominique took a deep breathe before talking.
"Aunt Minerva is in hospital" Dominique confessed. Everyone gasped. "She was hit by an oncoming spell from a death eater. I do not know what the spell was but it hurt her, bad. She is in St. Mungo's at this very minute being treated"
"I thought people her age were not allowed to fight?" Alice asked, her hands at her mouth in shock
"They're not supposed to, but she was adamant, you know how she gets" Dominique shrugged, like it was no big deal.
"Don't act like that, Nique!" Rose growled, Dominique shot her a glare before turning it into a confused one "you act like it's not a problem. 'Oh yeah, Minerva McGonagall fighting? No big deal, not like she's in her nineties or anything!'"
"Rose, calm down- we'll go see her, she'll recover, she's strong" Albus said, supportingly squeezing his cousin's shoulder.
"No can do, I'm afraid Al" Dominique shook her head "You're still not allowed out of this house. And because Aunt Minerva isn't actually a relative, you won't be allowed to visit her until the war is over"
"And Merlin knows how long that will be" Frank muttered under his breath. Rose slumped. This was one of the worst things that could happen.
Flashback- Rose age 3
Rose Weasley clutched onto her mother's hand as she toddled down the pathway to the old cottage belonging to Minerva McGonagall. The new-born Hugo slept peacefully in his father's arms as he knocked three times on the door. A frail witch opened the door and Rose's eyes immediately lit up
"Auntie Minnie!" she cooed. Holding her arms out and walking forward to the witch. In one swift motion the old witch picked the little girl up and hugged her.
"How's my favourite little red flower been doing this week?" She asked. Rose giggled and began to talk about everything she had done that week. The group walked in to the loud and crowded house. The cottage was filled to the brim of Weasleys, Potters, Scammanders and Longbottoms of various ages, all running around and having a good time. McGonagall put the girl down after she finished speaking and she immediately ran- or attempted to at least- over to Albus who was sitting with the 11 year-old Teddy, 7 year-old Lucy and 5 year-old Fred II as Teddy told stories of his first term at Hogwarts- his sorting into Hufflepuff, his meetings with the ghosts, even his homework! Little Rose squealed with delight, imagining one day going to Hogwarts herself, though that felt decades away at the time.
Suddenly, the house filled with silence as Aunt Minerva brought the cake in to the 16 children who occupied the house at the time (all adults had been strictly told to go and enjoy themselves, and no one disobeys Professor McGonagall) swarmed to the old witch. Throughout the day the woman spent at least fifteen minutes with each child from nine o'clock until they left at 3 o'clock that afternoon.
Rose Weasley's eleventh birthday
"When's Auntie Minerva going to get here?" The red-haired girl asked, jumping up and down.
"Soon" Hermione laughed, a book in front of her face as always. Suddenly a 'pop' was heard from the kitchen and Rose ran into it, chanting "Auntie Minnie!" as she did so. McGonagall laughed as she gave the girl a hug. She ushered her into the living room and called "Ronald Weasley!" down from upstairs, where he was calming a very upset Hugo because he wasn't going to get his letter for "another three years!" Rose couldn't keep still as she kept her eye on the brown envelope in the old witch's hand and waited for her father to come downstairs- couldn't he be quicker?
As Ron and Hugo reached the bottom of the stairs Rose grabbed their hands and pulled them with all her might to a seat, before bouncing back over to Auntie Minerva. Laughing, McGonagall handed the excited young witch her Hogwarts letter, and Rose practically screamed with excitement. She ripped the letter open and read through is as quick as possible.
"Are you ready to go to Diagon Alley?" McGonagall asked, holding her hand out for Rose to take before apparating to the shops. Grinning, McGonagall followed the girl into Magical Menagerie, which they had arrived just outside of.
"Look at the cats!" Rose cooed, as the cats purred and walked between her feet. Hermione, Ron and Hugo walked in behind the two, and looked at the range of animals around them "Please, Mum, can I get one? Pleeaase?"
"What about an owl, Rosie?" Ron asked "Or even a toad?" Hermione laughed at her husband before turning to her daughter.
"Of course you can sweetie, which one do you want?" Hermione asked. Rose looked at each cat individually, taking everything and five minutes later pointed to a small tabby cat with what looked like glasses markings around her eyes.
"It looks like you, Professor" Ron laughed, showing how nobody had been able to shake what they had called the woman for so many years. A smile reached McGonagall's lips as she walked over to the girl, who was now playing with the kitten.
"And what shall you name her, Rose?" McGonagall asked. Rose picked up the kitten and held it up, as if comparing the animal with the woman standing in front of her.
"Minnie" she grinned "After you" McGonagall laughed, and took the kitten from the girl's little hands.
"Very well" she smiled, and walked up to the counter, paid for the cat before handing her back to Rose.
"Wow, cheers Professor" Ron laughed "One less thing for us to buy"
"It's nothing, Mr. Weasley" McGonagall smiled, nodding her head. "Well, I best be off now, I promised Neville I would visit young Alice today"
"Bye bye Auntie!" Rose said, running up and hugging the old professor "I'll see you on Sunday! Thank you for Minnie!"
"You're very welcome my dear" she replied, hugging the girl back for apparating out of the shop.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter, if you did please vote and comment who you think it was that Scorpius kissed. See you next week!
-Elise x