Starstruck

22. Purebloods

Rose stared at the Malfoy family opened mouthed, an odd mixture of disgust and curiousity paved onto her face like one of her father's many potions experiments gone wrong. Her insides seemed to mirror her facial expressions, or was it the other way round? She couldn't be sure. All she knew was that she felt an uncomfortable squirm inside her as she stared her family's long standing enemies.

The father had an oiled mess of straw-coloured hair and eyes the colour of faded rain-clouds.  His face was slim and pinched under the thin layer of stubble. As Rose gazed from father to son, she found it near impossible to believe that  Scorpius was not an exact clone of his younger father; indeed he'd inherited almost everything exept he had slightly fuller face, flush and piercing green eyes nearly too green to be allowed.

Rose felt a shiver creep down her spine. She knew enough about these wizards  to realise that she should not be mixing with these arrogant purebloods... that these were a perfect example of the darker side to the wizarding world. Deception, lies and cunning flowed through the Malfoy blood.

 She understood that her parents and Albus's had gone to Hogwarts with this man, and been spiteful enemies, and concluded without a moment's doubt that this boy was not to be befriended. Yet she couldn't stop her eyes drifting over and remainning glued to the Malfoy's, as though by an invisible magnet.

 “See that boy Rose? Scorpius, he's called. (Weird choice of name if you ask me) I met him… in Diagon Alley” whispered Albus softly under his breath. Rose tried for some humour, yet her tone remained peculiarly blank and drifting. "You can talk about odd names Albus Severus Potter!" Albus laughed, unaware of her tone as Ron cut him short. 

“So that’s little Scorpius” he muttered spitefully, spitting every word as if hoping to shower them with saliva from the other side of the platform. “Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank G-d you inherited your mother’s brains.” Rose felt the corners of my mouth turning up into a smile; she'd had never even met Scorpius yet, and quite frankly did not care if Scorpius could charm a goblet and she couldn't.

“Ron, for heaven’s sake” sighed Hermione, half-stern, half-amused. “Don’t try to turn them against each other before they’ve even started school.” Rose scrunched up her face in angst as Hermione began to start on Ron about his 'ridiculous' sense of muggle dress sense particularly when it came down to shoes. Great. They were bickering again, Rose couldn’t blame her mother sometimes- her Dad did have it coming to him - although she would not have it any other way. Her parents were a perfect fit for each other, two sides of a galleon yet so similar too.

“Your right, sorry” said Ron, but unable to help himself he quickly added “don’t get too friendly with him, though Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pure-blood.” Rose was just ready to slap herself, or possibly him. She hadn't even spoken to the boy and his father had gone beyond test results to predict their engagement any day soon! It wasn't as if he was about to drop to the floor with a ring in hand and perferm a heartfelt speech to a Weasley girl he'd never met...

Albus sniggered and she thumped him playfully on the shoulder without glancing back. Her intentions were to stay as far away from the boy as possible. "Ha ha Dad" she moaned sarcastically as he created a heart shape with two hands to tease her. Okay... calm, she sighed. Just. Ignore.

Like Scorpius would look twice at a Weasley like her, and like she would ever fall for a stuck up pureblood... green eyed... good looking... Slytherin. No WAY.                                                   

“Hey!” called a voice from behind them cheerfully. It was James, bouncing on the balls of his feet as if he'd just won the muggle lottery and couldn't wait to break the news. In fact by the look of it, he was bursting with some information that was just too tempting to hold back. Panting for a moment to regain his breath, he blurted out. “Teddy’s back there. Just seen him. And guess what he was doing?" Rose clenched her fists. She had a pretty good idea but didn't need it spileed out to the whole family! Some things were private, but too late. "He was snogging Victoire” finished James gleefully.