Through the Dark

Chapter 2

Scorpius sat at the Gryffindor table across from Al and Rose at breakfast the next Saturday morning. They often switched between sitting with Rose's friends at her table and Scorpius and Al's friends at the Slytherin table.

He looked at Rose an extra second longer today. Her auburn hair looked like it was a glowing fire from the  artificial sunlight pouring in from the ceiling. Her soft curls cascaded down her back and perfectly framed her cheekbones, making her bright blue eyes pop–

"Ow!" Scorpius exclaimed as Al elbowed him in the ribs. "What was that for?"

"Are you even listening to me?" responded Albus as he pointed up towards all the owls who were now flying out of the hall. "We didn't get letters today."

Scorpius frowned. "Oh." He looked around to see that everyone else had gotten letters or packages from their parents. That's strange, he thought. Dad always sends letters on Saturdays.

Albus looked just as confused because his parents usually send letters to him and his siblings on Saturdays too. He looked down the table to see that James, Lily, Rose, and Hugo didn't get anything either.

Scorpius shrugged. "I guess they're just busy with work. Not that unusual," he said, but Albus couldn't help feeling like it very much so was a bit too unusual. Rose also appeared to be a bit worried. She knew that whenever her parents didn't send her a letter, it's because they're too busy fighting someone. All three of their fathers were Aurors, which was a very dangerous job since they had to hunt down all the witches and wizards who use magic for evil purposes.

Rose's brow furrowed, but after a minute she began practicing memory charms on her frog again. Scorpius looked like he was trying not to laugh.

"You know, Weasley, I don't think that's doing anything," he said. "How can you even tell if it's working?"

She glared at him. "I can just tell," she said, although her cheeks reddened as she realized he was absolutely right. There's no way to know if it was really working, since it's only a frog and it can't exactly speak.

"Well I know for a fact it's not working," he said with a glint in his gray eyes.

"And why's that?" She asked, getting annoyed.

"Because you're saying the spell wrong." He smiled as her ears began to redden. "It's okay, Weasley, you can admit you've always been poor at pronouncing spells."

"I have not!" She stood up angrily to leave which made Scorpius laugh even more.

Al shook his head and buried his face in his hands. "Why do you always have to pick fights with Rose?" He asked, entertained yet annoyed.

"Because she likes it," Scorpius responded as he watched her walk away.

Al rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure. That's why you tease her all the time."

Scorpius responded by throwing a piece of ham at Al's face. Al threw a grape back. Within seconds of watching the interaction, James and Fred gave each other a certain knowing look, and at the same time yelled, "FOOD FIGHT!"

The whole hall started laughing at them as Professor McGonagall got up from the staff table and pulled each of them to her office by the ear, putting an end to their show before it even began. Rose shook her head laughing.

She was so close to the doors when she heard a certain couple Slytherin girls laughing and whispering about her, like usual.

"Trying to run before you get expelled, Weasel?" Daisy called, and Polly laughed hideously.