The Hunt

Chapter 1 - The calm before the storm

Monday morning – The Great Hall – The calm before the storm

"Oh god, Lily if you could swoon anymore I'm sure you'd fall off your seat," Rose said looking at her cousin in amusement.

Lily sighed dramatically and drew her eyes away from across the hall to look at Rose. "It's not my fault he's so bloody gorgeous." She mumbled. Rose could only roll her eyes at her cousin's antics. "Oh, don't act like you don't agree!" Lily said with a sneaky smile. "Besides it's not like there's much to look at here." She continued motioning to the Gryffindor table. Looking up and down the table she frowned. All the boys in her house were either taken or too intimidated that she was Albus Potter's sister. Yep, nothing to see here, she thought, and so her eyes went back to a particular sleepy looking blond.

"She's right you know," came a soft voice beside her. Lucy flittered down on the bench, "Even you can't deny his gorgeous... they all are." Lucy giggled when Rose shot her a scowl.

Rose groaned and followed Lily's eyes to the Slytherin table to see Demetrius Malfoy sipping leisurely on his coffee as he listened to Charlie Zabini rattle of beside him. He looked up for the briefest of seconds catching their gaze and gave them a sweet smile. Lily blushed and smiled back nervously. He looked to Rose and she saw the briefest of that famous smirk on his face before a tall figure clapped him on the shoulder before sitting down beside him.

Rose inwardly groaned as she watched the second familiar blond sit beside Demitri. They spoke brief words before she found grey eyes looking back at her with interest. His gaze was confident, unlike Rose who suddenly felt a bit flustered having both Malfoy boys looking at her. She couldn't deny Lucy was right, both Malfoys were gorgeous and it didn't hurt that both had an exceptionally charming personality. It was only when she saw the tiny hint of a smirk on Scorpius' face that she scowled and looked away.

Lucy looked at her triumphantly, knowing she was right. "Don't'," Rose warned her stopping whatever ill-conceived thought crossed her mind, "Just don't."

Lily wasn't about to let up that easily though, "Oh come on Rosie! Admit it."

Sighing in defeat and seeing no other way for her cousins to change the topic, "Fine! They're bloody gorgeous! Happy now?" she grumbled.

Who's gorgeous?" Dominique Weasley asked joining the girls at the Gryffindor table.

"The Malfoys" Lily said with a small smirk.

"Oh, so you've finally admitted to that have you Rosie?" Dominique asked with an equally discomforting smile.

"Stop calling me Rosie and I only said it because they wouldn't shut up about it. Now can we stop talking about this already?" She said ignoring Dominique's comment.

"Fine, let's talk about the Hunt this year," Lucy said with great eagerness.

"No Luce!" Lily quickly objected. "Rose is Head Girl now. She can't know all our secrets." Lily teased.

Lucy looked aghast at the idea of Rose turning against them, "You wouldn't... would you?" she asked sceptically.

"Well, technically the Head Girl and Boy have been given permission to stop this ridiculous Hunt you lot are so insistent on," Rose explained. Lucy looked rather upset, "But if I don't know anything then I can't stop it now, can I?" Rose added with a small smile. They all laughed before Rose gathered her things and left the Great Hall. She rounded the corner rather quickly and collided with a solid figure before her ass hit the floor.

"Ow!" she cried from where she sprawled out on the floor.

"Crap! Rose, sorry I didn't see you!" Albus said reaching down and helping her off the floor. "Are you okay?"