The Babysitter (Dramione Fanfiction)

The End II: The Sorting

Nineteen-year-old Auror Rose Weasley-Malfoy made a face as she signed another document about a report on an attack in Manchester. Her name was impossibly long; truly, she thought it would take ages and ages before she finally completed a document with her name. Although her mother blessedly gave her a really short first name, Weasley-Malfoy was a bloody mouthful.

Grinning slightly to herself, she remembered how her professors were a little confused on how to address her at first. She was a Weasley through and through, of course; her fiery red hair was stubborn enough to let the whole world know that she was part of the lovely family. But she was a Malfoy, too, and her new father had been wonderful. Hence, she decided to be addressed as Weasley-Malfoy ever since.

There were times when she regretted that decision. She once joked to Frank that when they finally got married, she'd now be called Weasley-Malfoy-Longbottom. Frank, on the other hand, wasn't entirely amused.

"Knock, knock."

Rose rolled her eyes as the door opened and in came Auror Frank Longbottom himself, the uncanny spitting image of celebrated Neville Longbottom. Trust Frank to still continue doing that stupid habit of his – saying 'knock, knock' before entering a room – but Rose couldn't really deny that she found it a little too endearing.

"Hey," Rose said, stacking the piles of documents away and clearing her desk.

"Are you ready to go?" Frank asked, inviting himself over to sit on the chair opposite the redhead. "Dad's been pestering me to bring you over ever since we got engaged. I think he might have accidentally made a buffet for the whole student body of Hogwarts tonight."

The witch chuckled and fondly shook her head. Just a week ago, her lovely, handsome, wonderful boyfriend asked for her hand in marriage and how could she deny him? They'd been friends since they were toddlers playing around the Ministry daycare. They'd been best friends through their first four years in Hogwarts, until cute, chubby-cheeked Frank Longbottom finally returned on their fifth year to ask her out on a date on their first Hogsmeade weekend for the year. Her dad almost had a heart attack when she sent them a letter about it, but her mother had been wholly supportive.

Looking at Frank now, with less baby fats and more chiseled cheekbones and chin, she couldn't believe that they'd been through a lot together. Rose couldn't wait to spend the rest of her life with him.

"Rosie?" he asked, furrowing his brows in confusion.

She chuckled, shook her head silly for staring too much at her fiancé, then tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "Sorry, you're very distracting," she confessed. She grinned when his cheeks reddened in embarrassment, but his smile was bright and unmistakable.

"So dinner?" he reiterated, reaching forward to grasp her hand.

"Right, dinner," she said, nodding her head vigorously. But then, her eyes suddenly widened as she shook her head. "Shite, no, oh no, I can't come to dinner tonight."

Frank frowned. "Why not?"

Rose glanced briefly at the calendar on her table. A red circle was encircled on September 1st, with a scribbled note saying 'Go home'.

She looked back at Frank and sighed. "It's September 1st," she simply stated.

He quirked an eyebrow. "I can see that, Rose," he replied, a small smile now on his face.

"No, what I mean is that it's September 1st and Scorpius finally leaves home to start going to Hogwarts today," she expounded. Frank still looked a little confused with her answer, prompting Rose to sigh. "Mama's away for some mission in Belgravia and she wouldn't be back until late in the evening. Peia is of course starting her second year today and that leaves Dad, alone, in our house. He never really voiced it out loud, but I think he's a little scared with Scorp's Sorting tonight."