Trio

1

Rose

The house was crowded once more, but this was normal for Rose Granger-Weasley, who belonged to a big family. This did not usually bother Rose, but she was finally thinking of taking her studies seriously this year. She had failed miserably for the last two, (although her perks said she was highest) and she couldn't bear another letdown.

It was a quarter past seven, and she finally decided to lay down her O.W.L practice papers and leave her parchment-filled bedroom. Once she reached the dining room, she saw that it was now filled with people. Besides her mother Hermione, her dad Ron, and her younger brother Hugo. Fred, Roxanne, Her uncle George and her Aunt Angelina was seated in their enlarged table.

Roxanne, who was her 15 year old cousin, was waving at her and ushering Rose to a seat right next to her. Rose obliged and sat with her. "You look a mess, you do." Roxanne whispered to her ear as she took her place. Rose gave her a guilty grin. "You've been studying again, Rose! Goodness. Isn't two months enough?" She said. "Are you kidding? Two months without touching my notes?!" Rose shrieked. Roxanne scoffed. Rose knew Roxanne was obsessed with Quidditch and played Beater alongside her brother Fred on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. Rose was part of the team herself, playing Chaser alongside Olivia Wood and Karl Jenkins.

"Right, now that we are all together, let's eat!" Hermione said excitedly. Their was bustling around as the family began filling their plates. Rose then noticed there were extra chairs. "Who're we expecting mum?" She asked suddenly. Hermione smiled, "The Potter's are coming." She said. And as she did, there was a loud crack from outside their front door. "I'll go get it!" Her dad, Ron said and left the kitchen, returning a few moments later accompanied by their Uncle Harry, Aunt Ginny, and their cousins, James, Albus, and Lily.

Albus took a seat next to Rose, Lily took a seat next to Hugo, and James, who spotted Fred, sat next to him. James was the Gryffindor Seeker, and he was undoubtedly discussing tactics with Fred, their new captain. Harry took a seat beside Ron while Ginny sat beside Hermione. "Are we expecting Percy's lot?" Harry asked, scanning the table. "No, good riddance." Ron said, as Hermione scowled. "I think Molly's a great person to talk to." Rose retorted. Ron scoffed. "Yeah, be head girl and boy like the lot of them." He said. Rose frowned. "You say that like it's a bad thing, dad!" She said. Ron then caught Hermione's eye and something passed between them.

Rose then turned to Fred. "Fred, you had your O.W.L examination, how was it? Were the questions hard? Were the practicals hard?" She bombarded Fred, who looked dumbstruck. "Oh, I couldn't care less. Yes there were practicals but for people like you, I doubt it'd be hard." He said casually. His dad George choked on his food, "For me and Fred, O.W.L's were nothing, compared to what we do now." He said. And a dark, grim look played upon his face as Ginny, Ron and George looked at each other. Even the vibe around the table has changed, apparently it was still to painful to talk about Fred Weasley Senior, who died in battle in the Battle of Hogwarts 1998.

"But O.W.L's obviously you've got to consider are what changes you're whole career after Hogwarts." Said Roxanne, breaking the tension. Then the two discussed the upcoming exams for Roxanne, who was starting her fifth year at Hogwarts tomorrow. After eating, Albus pulled a mirror from his bag and showed it to her. He then began explaining the two-way mirror that Teddy Lupin gave him. "Incredible. Protean Charm you say? That's N.E.W.T level for us!" Rose said indignantly, examining the mirror. " Albus merely shrugged. "How's–?" Rose began.

Albus gave her a pointed look, and sighed. "Scorpius's fine. So's Serena." Albus said. Rose was asking about the Malfoy's. Because last year, Serena had been disowned by the family by being sorted into Hufflepuff House. "I've been meaning to send an owl to Sco-Serena." Rose said and felt her cheeks grow a tad bit odd. "Why didn't you, then?" Albus asked. She didn't reply.

She meant to owl Scorpius, and Serena. To ask how they were. But she feared that her dad, who despises the Malfoy's to the extreme, would get the reply first before she would, and scold her for talking with them. She had long since knew there was a feud between their family and Draco Malfoy, and although Rose knew deeply that Scorpius was nothing like his dad, she still tried desperately to be cold towards him, and avenge what her parent's could never say in front of a Malfoy.

But she knew better now... All through last year she kept a secret friendship with Scorpius and Albus, and it was hard, because a lot of the Weasley's study at Hogwarts. And she feared that they too would find out.

***

She finally retreated to her bedroom, and gave her school trunk one last check. She had been rechecking her checklist ever since she came home from Diagon Alley, so that she could pack as soon as possible. There was a soft purr coming from under her bed. Walking towards it, she pulled out Crookshanks, her mum's pet cat, playing with a thread ball.

She lifted him and lay on the bed with her. Crookshanks was a smart cat, as her mother liked to say, and he looked at her with it's rather grumpy looking squashed ginger face. Rose changed into pajamas and closed the lights. Crookshanks now leapt from the bed and sat by the windowsill, where a mini bed Rose had requested from her father, lay. She had asked for one because it was an ideal place for reading. Rose then drifted off into a dreamless sleep, as she awaited the Hogwarts Express for tomorrow.