Trio

13

Scorpius

It was not easy without Rose. He knew that for sure. She was their bestfriend. And not only that, they grew to love her like family. Sure there are other girls in this school but Rose was different. Different in a good way. In their first year, she was extremely rude to him and avoided him like virus. She would go all out to not breath the same air as his and had a knack of pointing out his family's infamous reputation. He secretly loathed her too that same year, but his anger dissipated in their second year, when she caught him crying in a secluded corner of the library, unable to stand all the name callings and accusations, plus the lack of his dead mother's support.

Rose approached him that day, not wearing her signature scowl reserved for him, but instead a soft, confused expression as she sat down opposite him, calmly asking questions. Scorpius didn't hold back tears as he spilled the beans. He was so vulnerable that day. So honest, so... open to her that Rose finally saw beneath that Malfoy features of his and declared him her friend. They became closer as the year progressed and when Rose (and Albus) stood up to a group of rowdy students did they finally seal their pact and the three of them were bestfriends.

He owed so much to her. Not just for standing up for him, but for just being the bestfriend he could never have imagined he'd have. He didn't forget all the little things too. How he and Albus fell asleep leaning at her side as she read a book on the Hogwarts Express. How she ruffled his hair everytime they get to close. Their little tickle matches. The time she nursed him back to consciousness when he was wounded by Buckbeak. The time he saved her from a great fall... And to think of Rose unconscious right now, with him unable to do anything except wait, is torture. He knew the damage it might have on Albus, and that caused the two bestfriends to less talk and more walk, because Rose was like a force that kept their happy vibe alive. And without her, they didn't seem to see the reason to be happy anymore.

***

The Great Hall was buzzing with news of Rose's poison. The Gryffindors were the loudest as they shot the Slytherin's daggers, buzzing like angry bees ready to sting. The Slytherin's held their ground and gave affronted looks of false accusations. One of the Slytherin's didn't look affronted though. Paisley and her cronies looked too happy for their own good, sitting just a few feet away from Scorpius and Albus, who shot them looks of deepest dislike. To their surprise, she noticed them gaping at her and made to approach them. She scurried the first year sitting next to Scorpius away as she scooted next to him. Scorpius glared at her, but she batted her lashes at him (Albus snorted). "Look, Scorpy, I didn't poison precious Weasley. You can put all the blame you want on me, and besides. Who cares if she's asleep? Not like she'll be any use awake anyway. Now, Weasel aside, how about we talk it over in the common room–"
Scorpius made to leave and stood up. "Over my dead body!" He cried as he walked away, fists balled. Albus stood up too. "Fine, Scorpy. Have it your way. If I can't have you by separating you from Rosie Posie then I guess I'll just have to find some other means..." She said in a sly voice as she darted Albus a very narrow look and smirked. "Gonna poison me too, Chapman? Nice try. Won't be drinking anything from you anyway." Albus said proudly. But she maintained the smirk. "Now you will. Unless terms change of course. And change it must." She said and gave a high pitched cackle.

Those words she said to Albus seemed to tense him up a bit. Albus tried to calm him down, pointing out that he would never try and fall for Chapman's bait as Rose did. All through lunch they were forming up considerable theories to help the investigations on Rose's spiked drink as they ate. "Maybe she served her juice, saying it was pumpkin juice and nothing harmless." Scorpius said, taking a few sips of his own, undamaged and untouched pumpkin juice. Albus frowned. "Or she could have poured it in Rose's actual juice so she wouldn't suspect anything, and she was simply drinking while listening to Paisley's cover up speech about Organization Presidency." Albus said hopefully. Scorpius thought about it and nodded. "Makes much more sense." He agreed and Albus smiled.