Under The Veil (Next Generation Harry Potter FF #1)

8 {Extendable Ear}

SCORPIUS FELT ON top of the world. He was a Prefect, getting good scores in his classes, a proud member of the Slytherin Quidditch team, and had gotten kiss on the cheek from the one and only Rose Granger-Weasley. He couldn't stop smiling. Currently, he was laying on his bed waiting on his friend Albus to come back from a one-on-one with Professor Slughorn on his latest assignment. They were going to go to the Three Broomsticks to meet up with Rosemerta to talk more about their gig, and although Scorpius was excited about that, well the fact remained that he couldn't stop smiling about Rose. In fact, he could lay there all night smiling, imaging Rose's lips on his cheek once again. Wondering what her lips would feel like on his lips...

His peace was interrupted by a medium-sized white Kneazle jumping up onto his chest.

Ghost's appearance was shocking. If there was Ghost then Rose was sure to be around somewhere, but there was no way Rose was here. Albus couldn't let her in and Eloise was at choir practice. Ghost was here on his own validation. 

Ghost didn't seem to have any more important business than to just walk in circles on his chest until he felt comfortable enough to curl up and purr. 

So, Scorpius laid there petting the white cat on his chest and started to think about the girl that gave him a kiss on his cheek.  

He had his eyes on her the first time they met. It was their first year at Hogwarts, Albus had invited Scorpius to the field right next to the Black Lake to have a picnic with the rest of his family that was currently attending Hogwarts. He was nervous. Scorpius knew his family name wasn't well-liked within the wizarding community and had no idea how the rest of Albus's family would react to his presence. Scorpius wasn't stupid, he knew all about the rivalry between the Malfoys with the Weasleys, the Potters, and the Grangers. His family had a lot of enemies and no matter how hard his parents tried to hide it from him, it was obvious. The Slytherin boy was thankful to have a friend like Albus. 

Little first year Scorpius sat down on the grass with the rest of Albus's cousins who were all so loud. He felt so out of place and was tempted to just sneak away until a short dark red-haired girl scooted over to him and handed him a roast beef sandwich. She gave him a smile and invited him into a conversation with her and Albus about, well, now Scorpius couldn't recall what they were talking about. He remembered the feeling though. How this freckled face girl made him feel so welcomed and calm in such a big and loud place. Her simple smile. That damned smile killed him. 

Second-year, unfortunately, they grew apart. It was after the summer Scorpius spent some weekends at the Potter's place where an uncomfortable conversation spread across Albus's family. It was when Scorpius's father and mother finally sat him down and told Scorpius about all the mishaps he had with his old schoolmates back in the day. All the specific things he did to them. How his father was a bully and hurt a lot of people... and a lot of those people were Albus's family. Although Draco had tried to make amends, it was easier to get forgiveness than to have them forget. Rose would wave to him at school, but their conversations were brief and her smile faltered. 

Third-year was perfect. It was the year that truly cemented their friendship. Rose had started visiting the Slytherin common room to meet with her friend Eloise. There, they came across each other more frequently and a simple wave and "hello" was no longer sufficient. Scorpius was now on the Quidditch team and the two of them had more to talk about. Her nightly visits to see Eloise soon became visits to see both Albus and Scorpius, even if Eloise wasn't there. Her smile was big again. Her smile was back. He felt high as a kite again. 

Fourth-year was the same. The four were good pals; Scorpius, Albus, Rose, and Eloise. It was a simple year where all they had to do was go to class and have fun. Scorpius and Rose both had Quidditch, but that was it. There were no Prefect duties and no upper-level classes and no O.W.Ls to be worrying about. It seemed like it was going to be the best year for the four of them because the next year was full of responsibilities.