Raindrops on Roses

Chapter 18: Sixth Year Part 5: Seventeen

2023-2024

~*-S-*~

~*-S-*~

By the time they got back to the Leaky Cauldron, Rose's dad had left. "He said he was sorry, sweetie," Hannah said. "But they're all in a shambles at the Ministry at the moment, from what it sounds like. He had to go back to help sort everything out."

"It's okay," Rose said, though he could tell she was disappointed. Personally Scorpius was glad. It had been a difficult few days and he honestly didn't think he was up to facing the man again. "At least I got to see him on Christmas."

Hannah nodded and patted her shoulder. She didn't say anything about how close they were standing, or even when Rose slid her chilly hand into his, though there was just the faintest hint of a knowing smile. But then, it wasn't Hannah's reaction he was worried about.

Al, Lizzie, Lily and Hugo were waiting for them in the living room. Scorp tried not to look straight at Albus while still watching him for signs of outburst. Al's eyes went from Rose's red face to Scorpius' pale one, to the interlocking hands. Then he sighed. "Bout bloody time," was all he said. Lizzie nudged him, and he rolled his eyes and nodded at them.

Scorpius wondered if he ought to attempt to apologise, for Rose's sake at least. "Al, I - " he began, but his friend waved it off.

"Never mind," he said flatly. "Just don't do it again."

Scorpius thought this was a bit unfair, but knew better than to say anything.

"Oh Scorpius, I almost forgot," Hannah said quickly as Neville was about to hand out the Floo powder. "An owl came for you."

"For me?" Scorpius frowned. Who on earth could be owling him via the Leaky Cauldron? Aside from the Longbottoms, everyone else he knew was at Hogwarts, or knew to reach him there. For a second he wondered if it might be the missing Christmas letter from his father, until the sensible part of his brain dismissed that as sheer folly.

"It came a few days ago," Hannah continued apologetically, moving aside a stack of letters on the mantelpiece until she found the unopened envelope. "I meant to send it on to the school but I kept forgetting, and since you were going to be here anyway..."

"It's fine," Scorpius said absently as he took the envelope from her hand.

"Come on you lot, before Professor McGonagall comes after me for kidnapping you," Neville said, waving the Floo pot vigorously in their direction. Albus was immediately distracted from his friends by Lizzie's goodbye kiss. Lily made an 'eeeew' noise and took the powder eagerly, but Hugo seemed distracted by the hand that was currently being held by his sister's. The younger boy frowned at Scorpius, but Scorp couldn't think of anything to do but shrug apologetically. If Hugo had a problem with it, Rose was the one who would have to deal.

"Bye," Lizzie said breathlessly as she and Albus broke apart. "See you when school starts again."

"Yeah," Al said quickly, avoiding Neville's eyes as he took his own pinch of Floo powder.

"Oh stop glaring, Hugo," Rose hissed as Al went through the fire. "Go on, shoo."

"Dad is going to spit fire," her brother muttered, but he went obediently enough, leaving Scorpius and Rose alone with the Longbottoms. Hannah gave Rose a hug before she went through, and finally turned to Scorpius with a sad smile.

"I'm sorry we didn't get to hear you play this year," she said.

"You didn't promise anyone, did you?" Scorpius said guiltily. He had been worried about that, but he just hadn't been able to bring himself to pick up the guitar case when the time came to go down to Neville's office. For the first time over the last few weeks, he hadn't felt the least bit like singing. Now though... now he could have sung all night long.