Over breakfast I realized I had the strangest timetable. Once again, only a day after the last time, I had Defence Against the Dark Arts first thing - not a double lesson this time though. Usually we got at least two days break between the subjects. But the absence of time between the lessons meant that I was hurriedly scribbling some notes down from pages 5-10 of Gaddis' Guide to Grappling with Gorgons (and other dark creatures) and shooting glances at the staff table where Professor Howard was seated.
That's not Rose, the Gryffindor Prefect, I see doing homework over breakfast, is it?" Fred joked.
"And as if you've never done that," Roxanne muttered darkly with a roll of her eyes, before returning to staring adoringly at one of the boys in her year that she fancied.
Roxie and Fred were so different it was a wonder they were even related. They looked odd sat beside each other. Because of their mother's dark skin, they both had a more tanned appearance than the rest of us; but while Fred's hair was the same vibrant ginger as mine, Roxanne had darker, auburn coloured hair - a mixture of the colors of her parents. Their personalities couldn't have been more contrasting either. Where Roxanne was flirtatious but quiet, Fred was loud and obnoxious, forever pulling pranks and plotting with James. Long ago they had stolen Uncle Harry's Marauders' Map.
I smiled gently and returned to my notes, jumping out of my seat with fright when James grabbed my shoulder.
"Ready for training tonight, Rose? We picked Louis - can you imagine, little Louis - for our Keeper. He's a bit small, so we have to make sure he's not targeted by beaters or chasers. See you later, yeah?"
"Look, James, I'm really sorry, but I can't come to practice tonight-"
"What? No, I made sure to pick tonight because you didn't have rounds!" James raged, continuing to complain.
"Enough! James!" I shouted, interrupting him. "I got detention!"
The whole hall went silent. James gaped; shocked at both my outburst and the reason I was losing my free time. I'd never had detention before.
My entire family gasped. I hadn't even told them I'd gotten detention. Only Dom and Al had known because they were there when Professor Binns gave me my detention.
"What the bloody for?" James demanded, still angry.
"It was my fault, James," Lily murmured quietly, surprising all of us. I hadn't even seen her come to stand behind me.
"No, it was my fault," Scorpius said from my other side, making me jump again. My heart was well and truly hammering, and not just from fear.
"Stay out of this, Malfoy," James ordered.
Scorpius glared at him. "Not until you stop having a go at Rose."
"This is family business. Leave," Fred said, ganging up on Scorpius with James.
"No," Scorpius refused.
"Look, why do you even care? You're a Malfoy; we're Weasleys," Roxanne said, suddenly joining the argument, though she seemed more focused on how close to me Scorpius was standing.
"Names don't matter," I told her, knowing how she would comprehend my words.
Sure enough, Roxanne's eyebrows raised and she glanced between Scorpius and me. I was definitely going to have to talk to her, make sure she stayed silent about her suspicions. I'd probably even end up telling her about last year's Christmas Party. My family usually could weasel anything out of me if they chose the right questions.
James was still ranting at me in full force, shouting down Scorpius, when students began hurrying out to the entrance hall.
"Look, James, I'm sorry," I muttered, grabbing my bag and hanging it over my shoulder. "There's nothing I can do. Can't Lily just play my position tonight?"
"I'd be more than happy to," Lily offered.
"Look. Whatever. But don't think you can just waltz back onto the team when you feel like it. You're out, Rose."
James picked up his bag and I sank back into my seat in shock. Lily squeezed my shoulder in sympathy.
"He'll come around," she murmured.
"Lily Potter, Rose Weasley and Mr Malfoy! What are you all still doing here?" Professor McGonagall asked in horror.
I turned in shock. I thought Scorpius had gone when everyone else had left.
"James just kicked Rose off the Quidditch team," Lily answered quietly.
McGonagall seemed to pause in surprise before continuing, although her voice losing its severity, "Well that's still no reason to be late for your lessons. Off you go. Take this note to Professor Howard please, Rose."
I nodded glumly and stood up again; taking the scroll of parchment Professor McGonagall had produced out of thin air. The three of us hurried out of the Great Hall and Scorpius and I headed up the stairs while Lily charged through the Entrance Hall doors and out into the school grounds, hopelessly late for Herbology.
"Thanks for sticking up for me," I breathlessly muttered to Scorpius as we ran.
"Anytime. I'm just sorry you're no longer one of Gryffindor's chasers - you're the only one who makes the tournament feel like an actual competition."
I grinned, remembering the last time Scorpius and I had met on the Quidditch Pitch. We'd both been flying headfirst towards each other, the quaffle falling in-between us. It had ended with both of us in the Hospital Wing, suffering from concussion. We were cured in seconds; but it still hurt.
"I'm sure Lily can give you a run for your money."
"I'm not so sure," he replied. "She seems a lot quieter than the rest of you Weasleys. I don't think she has the same level of ferocity you have."
"But she comes from a family of good quidditch players. On either side too - Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny, our great Uncle James..."
"Just have to wait and see then, won't we?" Scorpius asked, turning the doorknob and walking into Defence Against the Darks, doing a double take when he saw that the room was set up for Duelling Club.
"Thank you for joining us, Miss Weasley, Mr Malfoy. Would you mind telling me why you are late to the lesson?"
"Sorry, Professor. Rose had some bad news this morning," Scorpius answered for me.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Rose. But that does not mean you can just turn up to lessons whenever you feel like it. If I'd even had a note-"
"We have a note," Scorpius interrupted. "From Professor McGonagall."
Professor Howard held her hand out for the scroll of parchment and I handed it across. She read it with a critical eye before nodding and telling us to join the rest of the students at the sides of the duelling platform.
"As I was saying, Class, I've invited the other 5th years along today to experience some proper duelling. They should be here momentarily."
Her speech was disrupted once more by the arrival of the rest of our year; the Slytherin's trooping in first. I groaned as Veronica, followed by the rest of Scorpius' old friends, entered at the front of the room. Scorpius shot me a sympathetic glance before turning back to look at Professor Howard, ignoring the looks Veronica, Jack and Warren gave him.
"Great now you're all here, would you please pair up."
I glanced around the room, and saw Al and Dom buddy up. When I turned to look at Scorpius, he'd been commandeered by one of the girls in his house, leaving me rotating on the spot searching for a partner.
"Rose, you can pair up with Veronica."
I turned to find Veronica stood beside Professor Howard, giving me a fake smile. I shot her a glare and took my stance in front of her, drawing my wand and holding it ready in front of me.
"Defensive magic only, Class. This exercise is just to show you the amount of time you will have to defend yourselves. Take it in turns to attack and defend. I expect all attacks to be of little seriousness. On the count of three: one. Two. Three!"
Veronica yelled something and I felt the air being forced out of my chest as I was flung back through the air and landed some ten feet away, bashing my head on the side of the duelling platform running down the center of the classroom.
"Rose! Are you okay?" Scorpius asked desperately, suddenly at my side.
"-I... 'm fine," I muttered, pushing myself to my feet, swaying and falling down again when the room tilted. I found myself gasping and struggling to breathe, clutching a bunch of my robes in agony as I got more and more light headed.
"Rose," Dom called, sounding like she was very far away.
My eyelids fluttered a couple of times while the pain in my chest grew, blinding me, turning everything white for a few precious seconds before it began to dim and I was left in darkness.
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