“What the hell is going on here?” James asked as he approached Rose with Scorpius.
“They... they got Anna... and- they’re plotting against the Ministry-”
“You know perfectly well that I don’t support everything the Ministry is doing, don’t you Rose?” James said in a perfectly clear I mean business tone.
“Yes, but you’re not a death eater- they are.”
“I still don’t support the Ministry,” James said, frowning. “Do you think they are doing anything illegal?” Rose raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, Captain Obvious. They kidnapped Anna,” Rose retorted, scowling, “NOW ARE YOU GOING TO HELP US, OR WHAT?”
“Get McGonagall, I can’t help you-”
“I would’ve never thought it- the son of Harry Potter? A death-”
“That’s a serious accusation, Rose, and I’m no death eater, I just think... things should be different that’s all. And I can’t help you because I don’t know how to.”
“LEARN HOW TO, JAMES, BECAUSE IF YOU DON’T, ANNA IS STUCK IN THERE WITH THOSE LUNATICS-”
“ROSE!” James cried, covering her mouth, “Calm down! I- I.... I mean I’ll try... but I’m not too good with spells-”
“YOU IDIOT, YOU’RE ONE OF THE TOP IN THE YEAR-”
“OKAY! Chill! I’ll- I’ll try to fix Anna...”
“Good,” Rose said, then she turned and walked to the closed door where Warren Tymore and the rest of the death eaters were lurking.
~
Rose, Scorpius, and James rescued Anna after brainstorming spells to break her trance for two hours and fifteen minutes.
They decided not to tell McGonagall or any other students.
They removed the memory from Anna.
James was suspicious of the way Scorpius grabbed Rose’s hand whenever Aaron Tymore was mentioned and the way he had affectionately kissed her cheek before heading to the kitchens to get dinner.
And when they had played chess together, he had overheard their conversation.
He knew.
They were certainly no longer ‘just friends’, even James could recognize that.
The trio had decided to speak to the Minister of Magic himself.
Rose would speak to her dad, and schedule an appointment with the Minister, claiming that she needed to interview him for a school project.
Instead, she would reveal top-secret death eater plans and information.
James and Scorpius would accompany her for the intimidation factor.
A witch who was intelligent, witty, and quick on her feet accompanied by two muscle-bound Quidditch players would not be someone who you would want to mess with.
James and Scorpius both knew (technically speaking) that with or without their aid, Rose would be just fine.
~
Later, in the Common Room playing chess
“Studying”
aka playing chess and eating dinner
WHEN HE REALIZED
“Checkmate!” Rose announced, her lips parting into a broad smile. Scorpius grimaced, taking another bite of a bagel.
“Ugh, how can you...”
“How can I beat you? I’m just that good.” Scorpius frowned.
“It’s an off day for me.”
“Oh, off day my arse. You lost. Knock over your king.” She made an effort to knock it over for him, but he reached out a hand and caught her’s. In a split second Rose’s eyes froze on his, and shivers ran across the skin he was touching. Butterflies exploded in her stomach. She snatched her hand away and rubbed it.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. Her best mate wasn’t supposed to give her butterflies. They weren’t supposed to be so reserved, and he certainly wasn’t supposed to make her feel this way. She wanted everything to stay the same about their relationship. She wanted her best friend.
He wanted... well, she didn’t know what he wanted.
“Checkmate,” he mumbled, smirking. She blushed as he took another bite of bagel. “Honestly, Rose, get yourself together.” Rose scowled.
“I... I just feel like- things are too different-”
“Hey,” he said softly, his smile dropping, “We don’t have to do this.”
“You want to though.”
“That makes one of us.” She sighed.
“I don’t know- I just miss my best friend.”
“I’m just getting used to this.... Rose- I-, we’ll figure it out-”
“But- is this real? Is this going to work out or are we just...” She looked down at the chessboard fingering a pawn. He frowned a bit.
“It feels real to me.”
“You better recognize what is real, or our relationship is going down in flames.”
“Better flames than missing out on something that is real.”
“I- I... I doubt your ability to recognize reality.”
“Oh come on. I explained to you earlier...”
“Don’t you ‘come on’ me.”
“Fine,” he said, smirking, “Checkmate? Checkmate.”
Scorpius reached a hand out to her’s. His ice cold finger brushed her porcelain skin. His ocean grey eyes washed over her. Her rosy pink cheeks, her delicate rosebud lips, her rose colored hair- she was the human representation of a rose. Her icy eyes glinted in the firelight.
“Checkmate,” Rose said in an affirmative tone.
Disarmed by that last move, the king fell for her.
~
