Winter hold started with not much excitement. I went home and we had a small Christmas. Mum and Dad asked me about Rose a lot. Since Dad and I were close, he had been the first one I'd told last year when I'd figured out my feelings for her. The conversation had gone something like this:
Me: Dad I'm going to be honest with you.
Dad: well I really hope you've always been honest with me.
Me: you have to promise you won't be upset.
Dad: cross my heart... now spit it out.
Me: you're not helpful
Dad: *gives me a pointed look over the top of the book he's reading
Me: I think I fancy Rose.
Dad: Really? That was unexpected
Me: really?
Dad: *snorts* no
Me: I know she's the daughter of your sworn enemy, but we've been friends for a while and...
Dad: Scorpius I'm not upset. Slightly surprised. Okay, not really surprised at all. She's a nice girl. I approve. And just because her dad and I aren't friends, doesn't mean we're sworn enemies. It was an immature schoolboy phase.
Me: okay... um well thanks for the advice?
Dad: you're welcome. I'm just great at advice.
Our current conversation was going something like this:
Me: well Rose and I actually aren't speaking right now.
Mum: why not?
Me: we got into a bit of a row?
Dad: *peers over his book yet again* what kind of row?
Me: The I forgot about studying her and made plans with another girl kind?
Mum: Scorpius!
Me: Mum really it wasn't that bad, but then I was trying to apologize and she got mad at me and I said she should hang out with people so she'd have more friends...
Mum: Scorpius Malfoy!
Me: *regretting telling her this* and then she said "oh so we're not friends now?" And I told her I didn't say that but she kept going on and on and I said something stupid about her being in Ravenclaw and studying to much and then she called me a conceited Slytherin and left and she hasn't talked to me since.
Mum: Scorpius Hyperion Malloy! Rose is such a nice girl and you were so rude to her and you should never stereotype houses like that!
Dad: well that's quite an unfortunate predicament you've gotten yourself into no isn't it?
I decided not to tell them about Genevieve... or Caroline or Jenna... I think that was it. Anyways, I was planning on apologizing tonight at the New Years Eve party. Start the new year of right and all that.
I walked into the Potter's house at half four. I had promised to help set up, but didn't want to clean so I had showed up and hour and a half early. I could hear Ginny inside yelling at the boys about where to put stuff from through the door. I knocked. Lily answered looking exasperated.
"Hey Scorp, you've conveniently come late just to set up and not clean I see. Well, I won't tell Mum, she's already stressed enough as it is."
"How did you-" I started.
"Lily I heard that!" Ginny yelled from the back, where she and the rest of the family were setting up.
"Sorry Mum!" Lily yelled back, then whispered, "course she did. She has ears like a bat, my mum, probably why she's so good at those bat bogey hexes . " I chuckled as I followed Lily out towards the back to set up.
The guests began showing up at six sharp, so as not to risk the wrath of Ginny Potter. The backyard was filled with the parents' old war friends and Hogwarts students alike, mostly kids from each of the Weasley years with a few exceptions. I could see Genevieve, Caroline, and Jenna mingling. I'd have to avoid them. But I only had eyes for Rose. Or rather, I would when she got here. Rose and her friends showed up at half six, surprisingly late considering it was a family function. It didn't really matter though because as soon as she walked in I had that cliche moment where I couldn't help but stare. She was wearing a knee length, emerald green dress and had curled her hair. By the time I was done staring her and her friends were almost already past me.
"Rose" I called out, I walked behind her and put a hand on her shoulder, "can we talk?"
"Well I'm with my friends right now Scorpius." Out of the corner of my eye I could see Alyssa giving her a pointed look. "Fine" she said, "lead the way." Alyssa and the three other girls made their way over to the guys in their group so Rose and I could be alone.
I attempted to grab her hand to lead her, but she pulled it away and just kept following me. I stopped in the Potter's kitchen.
"Listen Rose, I'm sorry" I said.
"For what?"
"For forgetting about our plans to study together. I didn't forget about you , I could never forget about you I was just so busy and there was the girl I was meeting up with... and I'm sorry for saying you study too much. I love that about you, really and I'm sorry for implying that it's not good to be a Ravenclaw. Ravenclaws are great if anything it's not good to be a Slytherin because we say stupid and ignorant things like that. Can you ever forgive me?"
"Yes" she said quietly, "and for the record, I'm sorry for calling you a stuck-up Slytherin. You know I didn't mean it."
"Yeah I know" I said, pulling her into a hug. "By the way" I whispered in her ear before I changed my mind, "you look beautiful." I pulled away, "I'll see you later Rosie."
Sorry if the format of this bothers you *insert grimacing emoji* anyways, here's how I pictured Rose (without the red lipstick)
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
