Snowflakes in a Storm - [Scorose]

SNEAK PEEK: A Winter's Ball

"So, you're honestly telling us you wouldn't grab that boy in a heartbeat and make out with him in that broom cupboard?" Molly Weasley II asked. She pointed to a nearby broom cupboard as she, her cousin Rose Weasley and their best friend Penelope Longbottom walked down the breezy walkway to the side of the courtyard in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Their Gryffindor cloaks trailed behind them loosely as Rose wrapped her house scarf tighter around her neck. adjusting her gloves and rolling her eyes at her cousin.

"That's exactly what I'm telling you." Penelope responded with a shrug as they came out from the shelter of the walkway and out into the heavy snow. "I'm not saying he's not cute, I'm just saying he's not really my type."

Molly snorted. "Funny, tall and athletic. How is that not your type? That's everyone's type!" She exclaimed, "not to mention he's a freaking Triwizard Champion." she added. "Penny, that boy literally has no faults and he's asked you to the Yule Ball, yet you said no."

Rose smiled, listening to her best friends. "To be fair to Pen, she didn't say no." Rose stated.

"Exactly. I said I'd think about it." Penelope snapped back, folding her arms abruptly in front of her chest. "He's just... a bit too much, is all. Going to The Yule Bell with one of the Triwizard Champions is a lot to deal with. Everyone watches you dance, not to mention I barely know him. Plus, I thought we all agreed to try and get dates with some of the Ilvermorny boys."

Rose laughed a little as Molly playfully slapped Penelope on the arm. "That was before Shaun McDonald asked you to the Yule Ball." Rose replied.

"Exactly." Molly piped up again. "Rose and I can go with a couple of exotic strangers and you can go with Shaun. Nothing will come from a date with a couple of American boys, but you might be able to get a boyfriend out of all this, and Shaun of all people." Molly explained while she exaggeratedly fanned her hand in front of her face, swooning and speaking a little too fast to be able keep up. It was a bad habit of hers.

"American isn't really exotic." Rose said with a small laugh, "the Castlebruxo boys are though. Did you know that Castlebruxo is located in the middle of the Brazilian rainforest? Imagine going to school in an actual rainforest!" She commented enthusiastically as Penelope and Molly stared at her almost judgmentally. It was a look she was used to. Rose got excitable about facts like that and learning new things. The other two girls didn't have quite the same enthusiasm.

Rose stared down at her feet awkwardly as they continued to walk through the snow and down toward the greenhouses for their sixth year Herbology lesson alongside the Slytherins with Penelope's father and head of Gryffindor house, Professor Neville Longbottom.

"Did you seriously research the other schools, Rose?" Molly asked, rolling her eyes.

"I was curious." Rose replied, twiddling her thumbs.

"Only you would give yourself voluntary homework." Penelope smiled, patting her friend on the back reassuringly. Rose knew they were only joking around, but after six years of being with them practically every day, their words still stung a little.

The three of them shuffled their way through the snow down to the greenhouses as it continued to fall heavily. Rose reached back and tied her long, messy, ginger hair into a ponytail to keep it out of her eyes. It felt tangled and damp from the snowfall. As they reached their class, they walked in to see a group of Slytherin girls sat at the long table that stretched through the entire greenhouse. Professor Longbottom stood at the end of the table, piling textbooks and organising a tray of gardening gloves.

"Hi, Neville." Rose greeted with a smile as she and Molly placed their homework on the desk beside him. Penelope stood beside her dad and started chatting to him, helping him organise the textbooks.