I'm Dead

The War Is Now

Everybody was overjoyed about the baby. Victoire and Teddy announced their news when they went back to the kitchen, hand in hand. After a celebratory round of Firewhiskey – Butterbeer for Victoire and everyone under seventeen, despite their protests - Victoire retired for the night, the day's events having exhausted her, and the others weren't far behind. The last stragglers (Sirius and Remus, the latter of whom had practically been forced into having more than a few drinks by the former, 'in honour' of his future grandchild) found themselves unable to climb the stairs to their rooms, and just fell asleep right at the kitchen table.

+.+.+

Scorpius was the first person up the next morning. Unable to get back to sleep, he crept out of his and Al's shared room, careful not to wake his snoring friend up, and went downstairs into the kitchen. He got himself a glass of water and sat down at the kitchen table, yawning tiredly.

"Hey," a voice mumbled from behind him. Scorpius turned round to see Rose standing the doorway, bleary-eyed and wrapped in a large cardigan as substitute for a dressing gown.

"Morning," he replied softly, smiling at her. He pulled out a chair beside him, and the girl stumbled over, still slightly uncoordinated this early. She sat down, rubbing her eyes. Her hair very closely resembled a bush, which made Scorpius chuckle lightly.

"What?" Rose asked, too tired to sound accusing.

Scorpius reached out and toyed with a strand of thick red hair, tucking it behind her ear. "Nothing. I like your hair."

She gave him an odd look, then shook her head. He was a strange boy. "What are you doing up so early?"

"Woke up early," Scorpius shrugged. "You?"

"I barely slept," Rose admitted. Scorpius frowned at her, and she continued by saying, "I was worrying about stuff."

"Stuff?"

"Everything. Victoire and the baby, when we'll be going back home, how Lily's already starting to crack, what we'll have to do to get back home, us, this –" She held up her arm, which had been freshly bandaged yesterday.

"Do you feel OK now?" Scorpius asked, gesturing to her arm. She nodded.

"I'm fine. It was a little scary, though."

"What did you mean, you're worried about us?"

Seeing his slightly worried expression, Rose laughed lightly and shook her head. "No, nothing like that. I'm not breaking up with you, don't worry."

"Oh, damn." Scorpius pretended to be disappointed, and Rose smacked him.

"Shush you. I only meant I was worried about how everyone's going to react to us," she said in a small voice.

Scorpius sighed. "Rose, we've been over this. Nobody's going to kill you – well, your dad might, but your mum won't let him. He won't be any worse than he was when he found out in our time."

Rose snorted. "Yeah, which was very bad and I'd prefer never to see him like that again! I might actually die this time round." Scorpius rolled his eyes.

"You are a drama queen."

"Not as much as you."

"I think you will find I am a drama prince."

"That sounds even more gay. Is there something I should know? What really goes on with you and Al, all alone in your own room at night?"

"Oh, shut up."

+.+.+

"Right, so the boys can take that half of the library, and we'll take this half, and cover it like that," Hermione said, directing Harry, Ron, Fred, George, Teddy, James, Al, Scorpius and Hugo to their side of the library. "Remember, if you find anything relevant, note it down and look into it –"