#rose weasley and scorpius malfoy

[15001700tt]

Prologue- The Feud Train

chapter index

Prologue 

September first, 2017

It was finally Rose's first year at Hogwarts. To say she was excited would be an understatement. She was ecstatic to start her courses and learn everything she could. Her family, the Weasley’s, were able to give her a little taste of what was in store for the next seven years. Hermione Granger-Weasley would not allow her daughter to not have the magic and non-magic experience, naturally. 

Rose was enrolled into a muggle school until she turned 11. She had basic understanding in all subjects, excelling in English and Math. Her parents had no doubts she would thrive at Hogwarts. 

They reached the train station, where she would meet with Albus and James Potter. Together they would cross the platform. Rose Weasley grew up with all her cousins, but she was quite close to Albus Potter specifically, her no-nonsense personality going well with his easy-going-but-sensible one. Though they were quite young, in Rose’s opinion, people rarely change after a certain age, and she doubted both Albus and her would change much. Maybe in knowledge and wits. (Oh how wrong and sure she was at eleven years old) 

“Are you ready for a life-changing journey that we may or may not come to hate in a few weeks?” Albus posed the question as they stood next to each other, waiting for their parents to finish greeting one another. Rose rolled her eyes, grinning widely. 

“I doubt it! Hogwarts is magical and will probably be the greatest thing we ever experience,” she dismissed enthusiastically. 

“So much confidence for a pesky first year,” James teased as he was going back for his second year. He bore so many expectations set from his father’s time, not by his father, but by Hogwarts. You see, by Harry Potter’s second year, he had defeated Voldemort twice and shown up to school in a bloody flying car. But knowing James Potter, he would never let the crippling expectations get the best of him. He was setting his own records with his best friend and cousin Fred II of becoming the new generation of pranksters. With the way things were going, they might beat the Weasley twins' score by the end of their seventh year. Fred Weasley’s dad would not be disappointed, as he is part of that legacy. 

“Nothing you say will change the fact that Hogwarts will be the best years of my life,” Rose retorted. “Oh man, I can't wait to go!” Lily whined as she lightly stomped on the floor next to James. Hugo stuck out his tongue at her as she whined. He only had one more year to go, too. 

“You will in two years’ time,” James quipped, ruffling her hair with affection. Despite being a twelve-year-old boy, he wasn't cruel to his sister. Mostly because he was deadly afraid of being hexed by his mother (Ginny bat bogey hex Weasley) and didn't see a point to it. Yes, he was a prankster, but that meant he wanted to bring 

smiles to peoples’ faces, not frowns. He shook his head at Hugo, grabbed his neck, and ruffled the red hair there with his knuckles. Hugo grumbled as he broke free from the older boy. 

“Alright, it's time to cross over! Everyone got their luggage? Their pets?” Ginny checked her two sons as she took Lily's hand in her own. Then looked at Rose with a smile as she checked with her, too. Albus had chosen a small Golden retriever from Curious Creatures, while Rose chose a Siamese kitten, barely bigger than the size of her palm. Rose checked on the cat in her cage, curled up in the corner against some toys Rose bought for her. Albus and Rose spent a whole day picking and naming their pets. That memory might be one of Rose’s favorites and most prized possessions. Albus named his puppy Duke, while Rose named her kitten Nala. 

They reached the platform in between 9 and 10, and Harry nudged James to take the lead. Rolling his luggage trolley straight towards the wall, James disappeared as soon as the cart made contact. Now, it’s their turn. Albus put his cart in position, threw a grin at Rose, and ran in after his brother. Rose took a deep breath and followed. Crossing to the other side, the difference was immediate. Still incredibly loud, whistles going off every 20 minutes, but somehow the noise seems to be enchanted. Like it was charmed to sound more soothing and less obnoxious. 

Her aunts, uncles, and parents, with Lily in tow, came up right behind her. Fred was waiting for James by his parents, grinning as he spotted the emerging group. 

As they reached the point, everyone began saying their goodbyes. 

“You’re going to do great, Rosie,” Ron reassured, seeing his daughter’s nervous smile and squeezing her closely in her arms. 

“No matter what, we are very proud of you,” 

Hermione followed, giving her daughter a tight hug and a lopsided smile. Rose caught Mr. Potter lowering to his son’s height, (which in hindsight he wasn't that small, definitely taller now) leveling with him and whispering something. Probably something about Hogwarts Houses. Rose mentally shook her head. Albus worries for no reason, he will do great in any house. It would be disheartening if they weren't in the same house, but she is sure they can make their friendship work, whatever happens. 

“Look who it is.” Ron pointed out a family of four, a dark brown haired woman with a thinning face, a small girl that had bright brown eyes, and a thin man crowned by blond hair coupled with a receding hairline. (apparently, but for the record Draco Malfoy was a very handsome man, don't let Ron Weasley’s opinion taint that) 

“So that's little Scorpius,” Ron mused, looking at the fourth installment of their family. A moderately sized boy who had identical hair to his father and eyes just as cold. 

“Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie.  Thank Merlin, you inherited your mother's brains!” With brows lifted high, Ron made a point to give Rose an intense look followed by a quick wink. The ends of Rose’s lips quirked up at her father’s confidence and humor. He was only half-joking, but Hermione slapped her husbands’ arm, scolding him. Rose’s lips curved to a small smile. 

“Don't turn them against each other before they even start school!” Ron only nodded, not paying attention to his wife’s warning. 

“Well, don't get too friendly with him, though. Grandad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a Malfoy.” (because honestly, Arthur would be more appalled by a Malfoy than a pureblood. And by the way, they totally finesse Grandad Weasley because Albus is the one that introduces Scorpius into the family and then Rose marries him so)

 “Ron!” Rose fondly rolled her eyes at her parents’ tactics, landing on the boy in question. He didn't seem interesting to her at all, just a normal boy. If normal boys gelled their hair to pull so far back like an old man’s hairstyle sort of way. She mentally shook her thoughts away, focusing on other things like petting Nala. Though she wouldn’t heed her father’s warning seriously, she wasn't going to actively seek out the old-man-hair boy to be her friend. 

Soon everyone was done with their goodbyes and the enrolled were boarding the train. Rose, Albus, and James met up with family friends before finding an empty compartment to settle their pets and themselves. Percy Wood greeted them, taking the open seat next to Rose. 

“I won't stay for long, I want to play exploding snaps with Fred.” James paused, looking at the two first years in front of him. 

“Try to make friends, yeah? It's not as scary as it seems,'' James beamed a genuine smile, which, suffice to say, is a very rare occurrence. (then Albus proceeds to make friends with Scorpius bloody Malfoy) Albus nodded, smiling at his brother through the churning nervousness bubbling in his stomach right now. James excused himself soon enough, leaving to find his own friends. 

A minute later, Alice was scrambling in, out of breath. Rose lit up at the sight of her childhood friend.

“We almost missed the train! Mum and dad took forever getting their luggage in the car,” plopping next to Albus with a huff. Grinning, Albus bumped her shoulder, but the playfulness soon ran short. A shrewd shriek sounded out. The train was going to take off soon. Silence came over the room, everyone’s thoughts on the uncertainty of what was to come or not to come, apprehension filling the space that the lack of banter left void. 

Soon, a soft knock resounded, disturbing the quiet in the small compartment. Rose and Albus suddenly came back to reality, the sound snapping them out from their aggressive daydreaming. The boy knocking is Scorpius Malfoy. Although eleven years old, the air surrounding Scorpius exuded someone who knows exactly who they are and what they wanted. 

“Can I sit here? Everywhere else was full,” his high-pitched, youthful voice asked, starkly contrasting his mature aura. Albus gave a shy nod and an even shier smile. The blond boy came in and settled his identical cage that Albus had next to him on the floor, in it was the smallest white puppy. The cute puppy started the conversation when Albus asked for his name, and Scorpius Malfoy responded with Apollo. 

Rose opted to stay quiet, hoping to go unnoticed by the blond boy and be able to sit in peace the entire ride to Hogwarts. Putting her plan into motion just as the train did the same, Rose pulled out a book as the train pulled out the station. It was a muggle fiction book. They were not uncommon as the magical world started adopting more muggle technology and culture into their lives. Currently, she is reading a very popular series about demigods. 

Throughout the whole ride to the castle, Percy, Albus, Alice, and Scorpius made small talk, but she wasn't paying too much attention as all her focus was on reading. Albus tried to include her in the conversation. A futile effort. He gave up pretty easily, knowing that it was impossible to get Rose to pay attention to anything else than a book if it was within a 6 feet radius of her. (she realizes later that the reason Scorpius started to annoy the shit out of her is because she gave him no attention whatsoever in their first meeting, neither negative nor positive. And that irked him enough to start a whole ass rivalry.

chapter index



[cringefailkralie]

ridiculously long list of things i’ve noticed about thomas grant and adam wadsworth’s portrayals of albus and scorpius

sorry in advance if this is messy, i wrote this at like 4am

albus flinches away when james steps too close to him!!!

when scorpius asks albus whether he prefers albus or al, he doesn’t have to think about his answer. instead he just looks shocked that someone was actually asking that, like nobody’s ever considered his feelings before. makes me feel like he’d been waiting his entire life for someone to actually ask him that.

tom’s albus doesn’t cry during the fight with harry like i’ve seen a lot of the other actors do. he just stares blankly ahead of him and completely shuts down. i’m head over heels in love with this choice because it really hammers home how hard it is for albus to express his feelings or communicate with anyone.

albus’s reaction to the love potion really really makes me believe that ron intended it to be a mean gay joke. even if ron didn’t intend for it to come across that way, that’s definitely what albus takes it as.

scorpius is just staring vacantly at a wall before he spots albus on the train in their 4th year. not sure if this is a specific acting choice or if i’m just reading into it too much?

they hold hands for a second and stand with their faces an inch away from each other as soon as they duck into their train compartment. their body language in private is so different from their body language in public.

albus squeezes his eyes closed when they hug. he really needed that physical affection but he hates anyone but scorpius being near him.

scorpius puts his hand on albus’s chest when the train starts moving. nothing to say about that its just really gay.

my favorite delivery of “oooo a quiz… WIZZO!!!” i fucking love how he does jazz hands when he says it, especially because it’s the second time he does jazz hands in that scene. he’s so me.

albus does so many little hand gestures in this scene, he’s way more comfortable being expressive around scorpius. he almost mirrors scorpius’s stupid little mannerisms.

bonus- not scorbus related but craig is first seen wearing his beanie on the train during the this sequence (where albus and scorpius decide to run away)!! idk if they don’t do this in other productions or if i just hadn’t ever picked up on it before, but it’s a really cute detail. does anyone know if he canonically got it when he became head boy?

when amos first tells them to leave, scorpius grabs onto albus’s sleeve

not even technically them but the ron and harry actors grab onto each other sooooo much (as albus and scorpius)

in love with how long scorpius hold out his “WIIIIIIIZZZOOOO” and how albus tries to match his energy with the “DOUBLE WIZZO”

delphi steals scorp’s little phrases and his awkward way of speaking and his mannerisms to try and appeal to albus because she knows that he reeeeally likes him- and i hate hate HATEEEE how she makes him feel like a freak for being himself when all the while she’s stealing his personality. scorpius plays with the fabric of his sweater and then fidgets with his hands after she tries to make him feel left out in the forbidden forest and i can FEEL what he’s feeling through the screen.

scorpius is JEALOUS jealous of delphi and when he talks to her his voice is quiet and monotone, which is the most un-scorpius thing ever. i love it. you can feel how much he hates her. i hate her too, this delphi is despicable. (very talented actress!!)

when scorpius tears his eyes away from the beautiful sight in front of them to look at albus and say “you’re my best friend” (which is crazy enough on its own) he talks in a really sweet, low voice before returning really quickly to his normal scorp-voice, as if he was afraid to let albus think about what had just happened

albus jumps up and down with excitement when they announce the triwizard tournament. he starts and then has to stop himself from cheering for hogwarts. funny that a guy who was just saying how much he hates hogwarts would do a thing like that.

everyone around scorpius gets startled when he starts cheering for krum because his screaming is so weird lmao

at the end of the scene where albus tells scorpius they’ll be better off without each other, scorpius just slumps over on the steps and stays there for the ENTIRETY of the next scene until he eventually gets wheeled off with the stairs. it looks like he’s fiddling with something? maybe his wand? maybe just his hands?

obviously the staircase ballet is the staircase ballet, but the way they look at each other is just AAAAUUUUGHHHHHHH

at the end of the ballet scorpius steps towards albus first, but albus is the one who reaches his hand out and slinks down onto the steps

obsessed with that gay little purse scorpius carries the time turner in

delphi gets scorpius to let his guard down during their conversation and scorpius starts talking like himself in front of her again!!!

albus does the little puke-gag-joke-thing in the library to try and make scorpius feel better </3

they’re both fidgeting with their hands throughout their whole conversation :(

ALBUS’S LITTLE GIGGLE WHEN SCORPIUS AGREES TO COME WITH HIM TO FIX TIME

this isn’t specific to this production but scorpius’s shoes are one of my favorite details. in the normal world, he wears big clunky shoes to showcase his awkwardness, whereas in the dark dimension he wears running shoes!! evil scorp is athletic!!!

the second “im fighting for albus” that comes out of scorpius’s mouth is said almost entirely to himself

their little hug in the water :,)

i LOVE LOVE LOVE that scorpius tries to hug draco and he pushes him away and throws his jacket at him in such a cold manner. it makes their hug near the end feel so much more important to their relationship. as soon as we meet scorpius he immediately refers to himself as having daddy issues and we don’t see nearly enough of that in this play.

bonus p2- one of my favorite parts of this show is the in trouble again number!!! i love the background gang and all of their little scenes like this. craig being a little gossip monger is funny as shit!!!! it gives him so much personality and makes his death that much sadder :(

the delivery of “scorpius….. he matters to me…. you know that don’t you?” is INSANE. tom grant delivers all of the coming out adjacent lines so perfectly.

i love how scorpius moves his body. he waves his arms around in the air so often.

scorpius tickled albus lmao they’re so weird

when scorpius talks about hating the other world, albus throws in “apart from polly chapman fancying you” quite bitterly and scorpius almost completely cuts him off. he doesn’t acknowledge what he said in any way shape or form and albus seems to notice that he’s not interested in polly.

scorpius rubs his socks on the floor while he talks :3

the choice to have scorpius move from his bed to albus’s bed and pull albus’s blanket into his lap when he tells him that he changed himself back for him is so AAAUGHHH

AND SCORPIUS DOES THE SAME THING THAT HE DID EARLIER AGAIN!!! he gets all quiet and sweet when he’s sort of admitting his feelings to albus and then all of a sudden he stands up and goes back to his normal loud voice

“MALFOY THE UNANXIOUS IS A PRRRRRETTY GOOD LIIIIAAAR”

delphi mocking scorpius and him immediately tensing up oh he hates her ass so much

scorpius reaches out to try and intercept albus handing delphi the time turner and albus giggles at scorpius because he’s happy she’s not extremely pissed at them

scorpius holds onto the railing right up until he gets his hands bound together because he’s afraid of heights. thought it was cute that adam chose to do this even though his fear of heights isn’t mentioned anywhere in this version.

i LOVE the torture scene in this version. albus is stone faced when delphi is threatening to torture him and then he IMMEDIATELY falls to his knees begging and pleading when she turns toward scorpius.

delphi is quite literally outing albus in this scene. the silence after she says that love is his weakness and points to scorpius is SO long and SO loud omg. it’s quite literally ten whole seconds (i counted) of albus and scorpius just looking at each other. it genuinely feels like she just spilled out what he’s been keeping inside of himself for so long, it’s gutwrenching. i guess they did just watch craig die so they do in fact have bigger problems, but you can see albus’s heart stop beating and its so terrible.

i love how albus turns to scorpius when the stationmaster starts unintelligibly talking to them like “hey, you’re doing the talking rn just so you know”

i’m obsessed with how excited scorpius is to tell albus all about the history of the place they’re in. in love with his little gasps at everything he sees and his jump when he says “SQUEAK!”

albus motioning for scorpius to stop when he’s demonstrating how to scream for help lmaoooo

albus pointing with both hands at scorpius while they try to come up with a plan is so cute. albus believes in him so much.

i love how scorpius keeps hugging draco even as he’s talking

their foreheads are literally brushing against each other my god these bitches gay

albus asks “and thats who you want in your palace?” in an almost panicked way like he’s afraid scorpius doesn’t feel the same way about him.

albus holds onto scorpius’s shoulders while rose tries to reassure them that they didn’t just get walked in on lmao

3rd and final instance of scorpius trying to change the subject- asking immediately about quidditch so albus doesn’t get the chance to say anything related to what just happened

scorpius says “come on” like he’s trying to get albus to come cut a rug with him at a middle school dance

obsessed with their little gagging and puking bit and how they made it a callback to what albus does in the library

maybe my favorite hug moment from any scorbus duo. i love how albus initially reacts with shock but then melts into it and closes his eyes, only pulling away to make sure he’s not reading the situation entirely wrong (he’s not)

my favorite ending scene by far. the coming out hits SO hard. the way albus fiddles with his zipper and scrunches up his sleeve in his hand, you can tell how absolutely terrified he is of saying this to his dad. the line delivery is genuinely fantastic. the more he pauses the longer you have to take it all in- and he pauses a LOT.

okie thanks for reading!!!!!

[hogwartsthenextgeneration]

James Sirius Potter Facts

• He loved quidditch. Like really loved it. Knew he was expected to be a seeker like his dad but being a chaser like his mum is way more fun.

• He thought he was only popular because of his family but people actually really liked him for who he was.

• Has a lot of muggle born friends because at least when he started school they had no idea who he was.

• ADHD.

• Struggles to open up to people, even the ones he’s closest to. Only started opening up more when he was diagnosed with cyclothemia.

• Even though Fred is his best friend he is probably closest to Teddy or Dom.

• He was kidnapped for 5 days when he was 9 by some remaining death eaters. He tells everyone he doesn’t remember anything but he does.

• Didn’t actually care that Albus was in Slytherin and was first to stand up and applaud after his sorting.

• He wasn’t actually that good at school. He struggles a lot with the theory side of things but he was one of the best duellers at Hogwarts so people didn’t really notice.

[hereforagoodtimenotalongone]

i need to write a fic where albus and scorpius start dating but albus hasn’t told his family yet and they end up spending some of summer together and james proposes a scheme to do together because he feels guilty about not being a better brother to albus.

and james, being slightly oblivious, thinks albus sees scorpius as a brother and out of guilt and his desire to prove that he really does care about his little brother he keeps pushing to spend more time with him but it just comes across like he doesn’t like scorpius.

and albus, thinking that james hates scorpius, is super nervous to tell his family about them dating because he thinks james will be mad.

rose and lily know exactly what’s going on on both sides but neither with intervene because; rose doesn’t think it’s right to meddle in their relationships and thinks they should sort it out and; lily sees this as an opportunity to cause chaos.

hugo’s vaguely aware of what’s going on but is mostly interested in helping lily cause problems.

teddy is the only one who knows about albus and scorpius dating and james’ fears from the people themselves and is the person they defer to for advice. unfortunately for them, teddy has decided to play the role of “older sibling that encourages your worse impulses”

harry: the children are getting along really well actually :)

teddy, staring out the window at the children recreating lord of the flies in real time: yeah they’re getting along so well :)

[rewritingcanon]

tell me two facts about yourself and i’ll give you a hp next gen character

[gayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy]

Bro can we talk about how Scorpius and Albus are MENACES

I'm tired of them being the shy bullied boys.

Show me the destroying there bullies with psychological WARFARE

With Albus's sneakiness and potions ability and Scorpius's knowledge and planning ... They could come up with purely DIABOLICAL plans

These are the boys who escaped the Hogwarts Express ( when THE MARAUDERS AND FRED AND GEORGE couldn't even get OFF the train) and where HALF WAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY before they even REALIZED they where gone.

These are the boys who BROKE into not only the Ministry of magic but the MISTER OF MAGICS OFFICE and STOLE a TIME TUNER

Not to mention their RICH like RICH RICH. Cost of materials is no issue PLUS Albus's uncle runs a JOKE SHOP

Throw in the Cloak and the Map and they DESTROY anyone who bothers them. They'd be THE BEST people to have on your side in a prank war.

[wizarding-world-povs]

POV:

You ignore 90% of The Cursed Child because what the bloody hell was that about.

[diznam]

Help its autumn soon so its scorose drawing hours

[lemonagrios]

James Sirius? Isn't that guy some kind of nepobaby?

[wizard-runes]

@valleyian’s Cursedtober Day 5: Hogsmede 🍻

[ellie-r2]

So here's what I noticed also was sitting in the 4th row of orchestra section so I was really close to the stage.

Act 1

Rose and James hug when the Granger Weasleys arrive.

After Albus leaves for the train Ginny reaches out for Harry's hand and he grabs it. (not that serious but I just adore them)

During the wand dance (didn't notice this the other times I went) Polly whispers "you're an embarrassment" "squib" and "get away" to Albus and when he tries to go to Rose for help quickly she makes a face at him and turns away.

Ginny laughs with James when she sees his hair a mouths "invisibility cloak" with him.

Ginny raises an eyebrow at when he goes with the love potion and blanket then Harry nods at Ginny as he goes to give Albus the blanket and that's when she turns to leave.

Albus sniffing Rose when Scorpius says she smells of bread then shakes his head no.

Scorpius does a little bow after Albus calls him an enormous geek.

When they see the trolley witch Albus grabs Scorpius' hood and tries to pull him back but he also just keeps a constant hold of him until the jumping off part.

When Amos threatens them and Scorpius pulls Albus towards him, Albus holds Scorpius' hand on his shoulder then motions for them to leave.

After Delphi kisses his forehead Amos looked dazed for a bit before he continues.

Draco tears up a bit and covers his mouth after saying Scorpius is his sole heir and only family.

When they're looking at Hogwarts from the edge of the forbidden forest and Scorpius says "...just like Harry Potter. And I got his son." Albus looks down and turns his head from Scorpius

Then when he says the "I'm nothing like my dad" line Scorpius tilts his head to the left and right and then tells him that he's better.

Hermione leans in towards Ron when he keeps repeating love/lovely then catches herself and shakes her head.

Scorpius was reaching a hand out to Albus after the hospital wing scene but quickly pulled back and flinched when Harry said he's all cured.

Scorpius constantly reaching out for Albus during the staircase ballet and Albus looking and waiting for Scorpius first before quickly turning away.

Craig turning around, shaking his head, and shrugging after hearing Albus and Scorpius are in the girls bathroom together. I love a king who minds his business (he definitely wanted to gossip about it with though)

That's all I can remember will post Act 2 later gonna watch hadestown rn

[15001700tt]

1. The Old...

The second year at Hogwarts was both recognizable yet just as exciting as the first. Hugo Potter was sorted into Gryffindor, receiving congratulations from peers and celebratory gifts from his parents. 

During the first few weeks of school, Albus discovered something strange. Scorpius and Rose were talking. Which was new and...they weren’t getting along. Scorpius was just discovering Rose had a short fuse. A very short fuse, one that left her red in the face. This was the temper that had become famous among her intimate circle of persons, and which Scorpius was just now familiarizing himself with. Albus had worried about his new and becoming close friend bullying his cousin, but that quickly dissipated when Rose pushed back with just as much animosity. Knowing them both, equally stubborn and bullheaded, nothing would change their opinion on the other anytime soon. So Albus stopped trying. He didn't enjoy having his friend and family at odds. At first. Now, the youngest Potter son was discovering something else, though this was more of a self-discovery. 

As his eyes flickered between Scorpius and Rose as they sat across from each other on the ride to London, obviously cheesed off, Albus had to restrain his giggle. He had intentionally kept it a secret from Rose that Scorpius would be spending Christmas with them at the Burrow. And boy, was he finding out how fun it was to make trouble. 

Alice, Cole, Hugo, and Percy also sat with them. Though they were too engrossed in playing wizard’s chess and exploding snaps to notice the weird staring contest that Scorpius and Rose were stuck in. 

With a loud, upset sigh, Rose relented from the staring match and took out the book she was trying to read. Key word, trying. 

“Do you do anything for fun?” The blonde asked not a minute later. 

“Reading is fun.” 

“For nerds.” 

Scorpius’s annoying voice resounded before he plucked the book from her hands. He turned it around and inspected the cover. He grinned. 

“Clockwork Angel? Is this a muggle book?” 

“Give that back Malfoy,” Rose said with a groan. “In a minute, Weasley.” 

“It’s Granger-Weasley to you,” she corrected him, a sharpness in her eye and tone. 

“Wow, obnoxious today are we?” He asked, his haughty voice grating to her ears. Like nails on a chalkboard. “Me? I am not the one being a jerk! Now give it back, jerk!” She huffed out, reaching for her book again. “I know you are but what am I,” Scorpius teased, in a high-pitched mocking tone, raising the sought after book high above his head. Unfortunately for him though, his growth spurt was still a couple years away, allowing Rose to easily best his five feet with her five-two height and snatch her literature piece back. 

“You interrupt my reading one more time and this book will become lethal!” Their bickering continued, and Albus became increasingly more interested in the newly started game of wizard chess. The other two’s arguing slowly became monotonous, fading into the background like static on the telly. Annoying but ignorable. 

“Your turn Albus!” 

“Alright! Ready to lose?” Albus responded, taking his eyes away from the now-less-than-entertaining sight of Scorpius and Rose interacting. They bored him. 

Once they reached King’s Cross station, the group grabbed their luggage and departed off the train. They hit the platform and started looking around for their family. Rose skipped ahead as soon as she spotted her parents. She smiled instantly and ran toward them. 

“Hi mummy! Daddy!” 

She hugged her parents first, before being passed down the hugging line of relatives, from grandparents to aunts and uncles (there were a lot). All of which complimented Rose's cuteness, many expressing how much they missed her. 

The other kids dispersed, greeting their folks, leaving Scorpius Malfoy standing alone. 

Mrs. Potter noticed this and went up to the little boy. “Scorpius right? It's so nice to meet you sweetie! Where are your parents?” The missus asked. Rose furrowed her eyebrows, not understanding why he hadn't left. He’d usually leave to meet his parents on the other side of the station. 

“Greetings, Mrs. Potter! It is a pleasure to meet you! My parents had to leave on their business trip earlier than expected. I understand it was urgent. I would like to extend their apologies to you, ma’am. It seems that I may have to intrude on you and your family a bit earlier than planned. Sorry to trouble you. Please accept this on their behalf,” Scorpius explained articulately and respectfully, pulling out a generous and luxurious gift basket from a fine silk bag with an obvious Extension Charm on it. He handed the peace offering over very gently. 

“Oh, they really didn’t have to! And of course you can, hun! It’s no trouble at all!” Mrs. Potter graciously took the offering from the cute and courteous child. 

“Nonetheless, pardon my intrusion. It is especially rude to impose on one's first meeting. You have my utmost gratitude for your kindness,” the polite lad finished with a formal bow. 

Too polite, Mrs. Potter thought. She looked at the young child, who stood so properly and behaved so cordially despite being left in the care of practical strangers whom he now had to spend the beginning of an intimate holiday break with. A mental decision was made to treat this too well-behaved boy like family. 

After all, kids should also learn to be spoiled. 

“Intrude all you like! For I have never seen such excellent manners!” Mrs. Potter said with relish, lowering herself to the young lad’s level, balancing the basket on her lap. 

“But of course! My mother took great care to raise a gentleman!” Rolling her eyes, Rose glared at the hypocrite from behind her family’s torsos. 

“The cutest gentlemen I’ve ever seen!” Mrs. Potter took the liberty to pinch his cheeks. With both hands. Scorpius was taken aback, surprised. And more surprisingly, he found he didn’t mind this form of affection. It was something he could get used to. Quite easily too. 

Satisfied at the pink in the pale boy’s face, Mrs. Potter released him. Then moved to stand by his side, shoulder to shorter-shoulder. 

“Would this fine gentleman care to escort me to the car?” She put out her hand, a warm smile on her face. Looking up with a glow the Potter matron found healthy, the flushed boy gladly and enthusiastically took her hand. 

“But of course! It’d be my honor to escort a lady!” Rose scoffed at the weird and gross display of a kiss-up Scorpius. She grabbed her own parents' hands and began pulling them to the car with great effort. The two laughed, giving into her demands to walk briskly while keeping in line with their other children to hear about their recounts of school. Rose felt they clearly weren’t hasty enough. Scorpius and her aunt were able to keep pace, chatting happily while still holding hands. Her uncle walked calmly alongside his youngest daughter, both amused and chuckling at James and Albus running literal circles around them. The two brothers were in the middle of dramatically acting out school anecdotes, their gestures wildly exaggerated and movements energetically wild. Rose couldn’t get in the car fast enough. 

For the entirety of the first week of break, Rose sulked at having the bane of her existence home for the holidays. She had planned and wanted to ignore him. But it was hard to. He took every chance to make a jab at her. And what was worse, he got along with everyone. 

Her parents were a bit wary of him at first, though sadly they too warmed up to him. His charisma was so annoying. Especially since he was charming to everyone. Except Rose. 

During their last dinner together, before Christmas Day and before he left to rejoin his own family, Scorpius was the most annoying he had been that entire week! He sat between her and Albus as he had these past seven days. As usual, he was mean and teased her relentlessly. But today, he took it up a notch. He kept tugging at the ends of her hair and kicking at her feet under the table! Of course, she had to get even! She kicked him back, harder, and took to pinching him wherever she could! They kept at it even till the end of the meal. 

After dinner, the rest of their family friends arrived at the party. It was Christmas Eve after all! The Finnegans, Thomases, Longbottoms and the Scamanders all arrived and in that order. Each family came in with huge, bulky sacks and a plate of food, from appetizers to desserts. Scorpius became distracted by the incoming families, swept away by Mrs. Potter who wanted to properly introduce him to everyone. Rose snorted and her focus also changed as she caught sight of the Longbottoms coming in. 

“Alice! Hi!” Rose called out, running toward the door. “Rose!” The other girl shouted, also bolting in. The two then crashed into a hug. 

“Look! Look!” Alice squealed, grabbing Rose’s hand to drag her toward her mother. More specifically, what her mother was holding. “Mum and I made mince pies together! Try it!” 

“I can’t! Not right now! I’m still stuffed,” Rose groaned, rubbing her too-full belly. 

“What? You already ate! It's so early! We just got here!” 

“I know! But mum doesn’t trust Hugo to eat without his bib and he doesn’t want to eat alone!” 

Alice giggled. “I thought he was already off it?” “Yeah, but he had an accident yesterday. Mummy’s taking no chances today!” 

The girls were joined by their cousins and friends, and soon all the preteen girls seemed to have formed their little group. They laughed and chatted, even as the last family, the Scamanders, came in. 

Somehow, Scorpius beat Rose in greeting the newcomers. She glared at him, observing how intimately he greeted the family, everyone hugging him and him hugging the whole bunch. It was sickeningly sweet how much the family seemed to gush and fawn over the interloper the most. Even the twins, who were known for their disinterest and always in their own little worlds, met Malfoy with unexpected warmth and affection.

“They know each other?” Rose’s voice cut softly to Hugo, who just shrugged and kept snacking on the Christmas treats in hand, most of them chocolate. Rose rolled her eyes at her unhelpful brother before continuing her scowling at the three boys. Their similarity was unsettling. A lot of blonde hair and pale skin. Ugh. 

Shoving Scorpius out of the way, Rose was finally able to give her own greetings to the family with her best and biggest smiles. With bigger and better hugs if she does say so herself. 

At least anything better than what Malfoy could give. Finishing her last hug and seeing Scorpius talk to the other twin, Rose asked her earlier question. 

“He spent a lot of time at our house,” Lorcan responded, shrugging nonchalantly, his attention more invested somewhere on the wall to their right. There was nothing there. 

“Why?” 

“None of your bee’s wax, Weasley!” Scorpius interrupted, joining in the circle with Lysander following behind. 

“Shut it! No one’s talking to you!” 

“Then stop talking about me!" 

“Whatever! It’s not like I care anyway!” With a harrumph, Rose turned away, Alice in hand. Just a couple feet after walking away, something caught Rose’s foot, causing her to trip and fall. She turned pink in embarrassment until she heard snickers from behind.

Looking back, Malfoy was closest to her, stifling his laughter as the other boys just started laughing out right. Only Alice was concerned. 

A tripping jinx! How dare he!! 

Rose became red. Hot with anger and vengeance. She got up, brushed herself off, turned around, and took off running. Alice right behind her. They were out for bloody blondes! 

The boys ran from the stormy redheads, both parties yelling back and forth. 

“You’re dead Malfoy!” 

“Only if you catch me Weasley!” 

“You’re unbelievable!” 

“Says the only one in uniform!” 

“It’s comfortable! You’re such a jerk!” 

“Only for you!” 

“Were you dropped on your head?!” 

Their antics continued on well into the night. The kids eventually were forced to settle down when the adults corralled them into the living room. It was time for presents! 

A long standing Weasley tradition, on Christmas Day after dinner, presents would be passed around and opened all together. Families brought prepared presents beforehand, wrapped and ready, in huge sacks. They could’ve used bags with an Extension Charm but it was fun for the kids to help fill those sacks and all the goodies waiting for them, just sitting by the tree. Each parent called all their offspring to come and be the little owls to hand deliver those gifts. Just as everyone was getting ready to start, there was a knock on the door. 

“That’s them!” Scorpius exclaimed, darting to the door. Mr. and Mrs. Potter trailed after him, worried as they didn’t know who was at the door. And the little boy was already opening it. 

“Father! Mother! You really came!” 

“Oh, Scorpius! My beautiful boy!” Astoria Malfoy instantly bent down at the sight, wrapping the little boy in eager arms and planting kisses all over his cheeks. “Oh, I missed you so much, my sweet boy!” 

“I missed you too, mama,” Scorpius said softly, letting himself be swooped and picked up into his mother’s arms. He never showed it, but he had missed them dearly. Being alone for the holidays was harder than the boy thought, which was why he was grateful for Albus and his family welcoming and including him in their family. Which is also why he took that frustration and anger out on the one person who vocally voiced how unwanted and unwelcome he was here. Rose Weasley. 

But none of that mattered now. Feeling his mother’s warmth surrounding him and his father’s hand on his head, it seemed like all the heaviness of his heart just disappeared. 

“Thank you, Harry, Ginny, for looking after our boy,” Draco Malfoy expressed sincerely, giving a formal half-bow to show he really meant it. 

“It’s no trouble, no trouble at all!” Ginny answered with gusto. Then smiled, seeing the usually serious boy’s happy expression while in his mother’s hold. “We were very happy to have Scorpius over. He was such a delight and I know Albus enjoyed having his best mate sleepover for the week.” 

As if he heard his name, Albus came running in. Rose, ever the nosy girl, right behind him. 

“What?! You’re leaving Scor?!? You can’t! We haven’t done presents yet!” Albus cried out with distraught. 

“Actually,” Draco began, eyes moving between Harry and Ginny. “Scorpius sent us a letter two days ago, telling us your families do a gift exchange? He sent a list of names and we came prepared. We were hoping to join you?” 

“Please,” Astoria added with emotion. 

Harry and Ginny looked at each but before they could give any answer, Hermione and Ron rounded the corner. “Good evening, Granger, Weasley.” 

Draco and Astoria both gave a formal half-bow. “Malfoy,” Hermione said through clenched teeth. Ron just gave a slight nod. 

Rose felt something was weird. She didn’t know what but her parents looked…upset? 

“We don’t want to impose,” Draco said, face 

expressionless but his voice soft like approaching a hurt animal. And in a sense, he was. “But Scorpius asked if we could come early to join in on the gift exchange. We brought presents. For everyone. And our apologies. I know we never talked about what happened. I understand you all would like to forget. Especially you, Hermione. And I am deeply sorry. So, so, so very sorry. That day has kept me up nights and I know for you more so. I know this wasn’t part of what we agreed on, but we would be so grateful if we could join in on just this portion of the festivities, please.” 

The word hung there for a while. No one spoke or moved, the Malfoys didn’t dare to. Albus and Rose just looked at the parents confused but we’re given the eye to stay silent. So they did. 

If looks could kill, Hermione’s eyes would send more Death Curses than the Dark Lord himself. And Draco stared straight into those eyes, taking in the full weight of that hate. He wasn’t the only Malfoy to do so. Scorpius, curious about what was going on, turned around to look at the adults interacting. 

Then he met Mrs. Granger-Weasley’s angry eyes and he was scared. Quickly, he buried his face into his mother’s shoulder. 

Seeing the stricken look on the boy’s face took the hot air out of Hermione. She hadn’t meant to glare at a child, just felt a stare and thought it was Astoria. But the woman was looking down and she mad dogged an innocent kid. Hermione let out a sigh, feeling the anger leave her just as suddenly as it appeared. She wasn’t really angry at them, not anymore. Therapy had done wonders. Over the years, she realized the root of her trauma was Bellatrix and she found closure in the woman’s death through her mother-in-law. 

One of the many reasons she loved Molly Weasley. Maybe, at one point, she had hated Malfoy. For the trouble he brought to Hogwarts, for the terrible memories borne from his house. Yet, through her sessions, she also came to realize that Malfoy at the time was a child too, just as she was. His home had become run by terrorists, his life at risk every day, and he had still tried to help them in his own way. So no, she didn’t hate them. Not anymore. It had taken her some time to get over her anger, angry at what happened to her and just the whole situation. But, she found that hard-to-kill anger easily overcome with the birth of their first child.

 It had seemed so pointless when there was more important happiness and joy to focus on, wrapped in one tiny bundle. That all-engulfing anger had turned to ashes, leaving the perfect soil for a beautiful Rose to blossom in her heart. 

And it seemed she wasn’t the only one to change for their children. Draco Malfoy, the most arrogant arse she ever had the displeasure of knowing, seemed to have turned over a new leaf himself. Humbling himself not once but many times to reach out to the Weasleys and Potters to convince them if they could host Scorpius over Hogwarts’ winter break. Seems like he was Albus’s best friend and the latter had already extended an invitation when hearing that the Malfoy children usually stayed with distant relatives or different caretakers while the parents were on their holiday business trips. So that both boys wouldn’t end up disappointed, the man took upon himself to contact the families over and over again until they finally heard him out. Then even more so until they agreed. The Potters readily agreed to be responsible for the boy and Weasleys, though apprehensive, agreed to let the boy sleepover at least. 

Now here was the man, apologizing and pleading at their in-laws’ entrance, for the sake of his children. Well, not that it was weird that it was towards her and Ron. They were the most adamant against having the Malfoys over. They had agreed to let Scorpius and Scorpius only cross the threshold. A decision that Hermione realized was made rashly and biasedly.

No, she wasn’t angry. Not anymore. Still, it was her go-to defense mechanism. 

But now she was calm, collected, and…ready to make amends. 

Hermione walked to and stood in front of Draco. They held eye contact. Then, she put a comforting hand on his shoulder. This time, even he couldn’t mask his shock. 

“I forgive you, Draco. I forgave you a long time ago. But seeing you, after all these years, just brought out a lot of negative emotions for me. Emotions that are not your fault. And definitely, not your son’s.” She put her other hand on the small child’s back. 

“I’m sorry Scorpius,” Hermione said softly, rubbing the boy’s back soothingly. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. Would you still like to open presents with us?” 

At that, the little blonde head whipped around. Unmarred hope that only a child could have reflected in those silver eyes. “Yes…Can I?” 

“Yes, you can.” Hermione looked back to Draco, meeting his wide eyes with a warm smile. “You and your family are always welcome here.” 

Astoria gasped. Ginny and Harry looked at each other, smiling wide. Scorpius practically beaming like the little sun ray he was, ran and crashed into Albus, who was laughing in glee. The two boys, like a pair of sparrows, took off into the living room to spread the good news. 

Draco, who was so in shock, finally came back to reality. And rushed forward, wrapping Hermione in a fierce hug. 

“Thank you! Thank you so much! I’m so sorry. So very sorry!” Draco pulled the woman in tight, continuing to express more whispers of gratitude and even more apologies. 

Hermione let out a laugh, reciprocating the hug. Ron stepped forward next to his wife, sharing a smile with her. Draco saw the man approach and put a firm hand on the redhead’s shoulders, giving a squeeze as he extended his ‘thank you’s and ‘sorry’s. 

Rose didn’t know what to do. She felt awkward staying but more so just leaving, she had been too confused to join Scorpius and Albus when they left. So… she just stood there. 

Draco finally released the other adults, turning to his own wife for another hug. She smiled up at him with elation and relief, chuckling softly as she wiped the stray tears off her husband’s face with shiny ones in her own eyes. Though hers never fell. Her husband may act indifferent but only she knew how sensitive he actually was. 

After they finished having their moment, the Malfoy couple recovered and collected themself. Astoria was the first to speak. 

“Oh, allow me to introduce our youngest, our 

daughter, Daphne Malfoy. She’ll be starting Hogwarts next year.” 

The two adults parted, revealing a child who was hidden there till now. Rose gasped. 

The most beautiful girl stepped forward. Hair more golden than the sun, eyes that shone like a lush field of grass. Dressed in the pristine white of a miniature ball gown with a fluffy skirt and the added child element of puffy sleeves. Delicate white gloves covering even more delicate hands pinched the sides of the dress lightly, lifting the fine fabric, and the figure followed into the most elegant curtsy Rose ever saw. 

“Pleasure to meet you,” said the most loveliest voice. Now, Rose was sure the girl was a fairy. A fairy of bright sunshine and miles of vibrant green. 

Rose couldn’t help rushing to meet the girl face to face. 

“Oh this is our daughter-” 

“Hi! I’m Rose!” Rose said excitedly, cutting her mum off. “You are so pretty! Like a fairy!” 

The young girl was surprised then bashful at the sudden compliment, but curtseyed a second time as it was proper on first meetings. Then, in Rose’s opinion, said in the cutest voice, “Hello, Rose. How do you do?” 

Rose felt violent. Like when she saw the most adorable oversized teddy bear and had just wanted to squeeze it to death. 

“Great! Now that you’re here! You are just so beautiful! I can’t wait to introduce you to everyone! Merlin, you’re pretty!” Rose offered an open hand. 

The poor girl was blushing in embarrassment at the interesting mix of friendliness and fawning. She looked to her parents in a silent plea to go along with the strange ginger. They nodded. Daphne shyly took hold of the hand in front of her. And was being gently yet firmly pulled along at the older girl’s pace. 

Rose giggled happily. “Hehe, I can’t wait for everyone to meet you! What’s your favorite color? Can I braid your hair? Do you like sweets? My friend Alice made the tastiest mince pies ever! Though her mum helped out a bit…” 

Hermione just chuckled and shook her head in fond exasperation. She hoped her daughter didn’t overwhelm the other girl too much. Suddenly, a long arm wrapped around her waist, a familiar sensation she recognized as her husband, and leaned into him. 

“Are you sure?” Ron whispered, worriedly. She smiled up at him. He had stuck to her side and supported her even when she spoke out. 

“Yes, I’m sure,” she whispered back, sharing a kiss with her knightley husband, always ready to defend or avenge her honor. She looked back at the Malfoys. “Come on in. Please.” 

They followed after the Weasleys, bringing along their sack of gifts that had laid patiently against the doorframe, waiting to be taken up again. As they all rounded the corner into the main living, imagine their surprise when they saw their old friends. 

“Astoria!” 

“Luna!” 

“Draco!” 

“Rolf!” 

The couples greeted one another with hugs and kisses to the cheek, taking a couple minutes to exchange pleasantries and catch up. They may run in the same circles thanks to their pureblood lineage however they’re different occupations meant they rarely saw each other on a daily basis. This was a very pleasant surprise. 

The two couples sat together on the same couch, the Granger-Weasleys and Potters sat across them, while in between them sat the rest of the Weasley family and friends that took up the much larger, longer sofa facing the fireplace. Every family had their sacks open and their children standing around. The rug was clear and the children eager to get started. 

The Malfoys had just settled in and were looking for their children. Scorpius was already digging into the bag, eager to get the first gift to be delivered. 

“Where’s your sister, Scorpius?” 

“With some boy,” Scorpius said, not worried, he was preoccupied in his search. “I can’t find my gift for Albus!”

“Sweetie, I’ll make sure to give it to you when we come to it okay? But where’s Daphne?” 

“Ugh, over there with the Potters.” 

Astoria looked across to find her daughter sitting in the lap of the oldest Potter boy with the Weasley daughter feeding her snacks. The poor dear looked so out of her element, redder than her mother had ever seen her. 

“Daphne! Daphne dear! Come join us here!” Astoria called. 

Not a second to spare, Daphne hurried to put her feet on the floor and quickly made her way to her mother. Who was surprised when her daughter came crashing into her. “Woah, there! Is everything okay, dear?” 

Daphne nodded into her mother’s shoulder, but didn’t look up. Astoria chuckled, hugging her baby to comfort her. 

“Aww, are you shy?” 

She nodded again. 

“Too shy to deliver presents?” 

This time she shook her head. Daphne slowly moved away to stand with her brother. 

“Okay then! You’re going to deliver the Christmas cards to the adults, Daphne. These two are for the adults right across from us. The Potters and the Granger-Weasleys…” 

After making sure everyone was ready and the kids ready to go, the gift exchange began! The rug became a foot traffic frenzy, with children darting everywhere with Christmas cards or presents in hand, giving them to the adults and/or other children. Then hurrying back to HQ, which was their parents, to get ready for the next gift. 

Rose took it upon herself to deliver Daphne’s gift. Since she hadn’t even known that Malfoy had a younger sister, and an adorable one at that, Rose quickly whipped something together. Grabbing all her favorite snacks and picking out a few she thought Daphne might like, Rose speedily prepared a giant gift goody bag. Her mum may have helped a little (with finding the packaging, the wrapping, and making it look really nice) but it was all Rose’s idea. She was over the moon when Daphne grabbed a sweet and ate it with gusto. She felt so moved for some reason, and happily stayed to watch the little lady go through the bag, one treat at a time. 

Sometime throughout the evening, as the hyperactive activity and still roaring fire brought a sweaty heat into the house, Draco had taken off his coat and rolled up his sleeves. Rose’s eyes got caught on the large winged angel that covered the top of his left forearm. It had the saddest expression and a little broken heart in the center. The words, “Time Heals All Wounds”, lay underneath and just under that was a single eye with tears in it. Rose had never seen such a large tattoo that covered from the inside of the elbow all the way to the wrist. Draco noticed her staring, and gave her a soft smile. 

“Neat, right?” He glanced down at his own arm. “Luna did it for me a long time ago.” 

“Sorry, didn't mean to stare,” Rose apologized. “But it’s really…sad looking.” 

“Haha, I suppose you're right, especially to you who likes pretty things so much, huh?” Draco chuckled at the blunt honesty of children, putting a hand on her head to ruffle her hair gently. “You’re alright, kiddo.” 

Unbeknownst to Rose, two sets of parents were now paying attention to the exchange, more specifically on the body art that started it. Hermione had a very off look, while Ron couldn’t stop staring at the tattoo. Harry and Ginny looked with new eyes, in awe, at the changed man before them. Luna and Rolf just smiled knowingly. 

The tension was broken with Daphne coming up to Rose with a perfectly wrapped squared gift box. “Me-Merry Christmas, Rose!” Daphne said and offered the box enthusiastically. 

Rose felt her heart squeeze. She was so cute! 

“Thank you Daphne! Merry Christmas!” Rose took the gift, which was pretty light, and took to the floor. Unceremoniously tearing away the neat wrapping. Twas part of the fun after all. 

She opened the box to find a charming pair of glasses. Gold metal frame and rounded lens. She looked up curiously at the Malfoys for an explanation. 

“They’re reading glasses enchanted to read at an extremely fast rate. From what we understand, you and Scorpius are the best students in your year. Since he has an eidetic memory, we thought you should have an edge of your own. Also, we thought it perfect for an avid reader like yourself.” 

Rose gasped in glee. “Thanks Mr. Malfoy!” She threw herself at the man for a spontaneous hug. “Thank you Mrs. Malfoy!” Then at the woman. 

She turned to Daphne, and was so happy that she lifted the girl during her hug and spun her around. The smaller girl gasped at the suddenness that soon turned into tinkling laughter. 

The ginger went to show off to her parents, but particularly one blonde who was also across the room to give his best mate a gift he personally picked out. 

“Oh darling, here’s the last gift,” Astoria declared, holding up a wrapped rectangular box. “This is to James Potter! Isn’t it great you already met him, Daphne?” 

Shyly, the young girl nodded, rubbing a toe into the carpet. 

“Here now! You’ve been doing a great job wishing everyone a ‘Merry Christmas’! Just once more! Big, strong voice, okay?” 

Daphne nodded and took the present. She made her way across the rug, and stood off to the side as the older Potter boy talked animatedly with family. Immediately taking notice of the fair child, he turned his attention to her. 

“Hey pretty bird! You flew off so suddenly just like one! Aw, did you miss me already?” James asked, obviously teasing the timid girl. He had thought she was a doll when Rose first brought her. Until he saw her cute expressions. Now he couldn’t aim for a reaction. 

So, he was surprised when a gift was suddenly thrusted to him. 

“Me-Me-Merry Christmas, Ja-James Potter!” Daphne announced with all her chest, presenting her gift with both arms outstretched and shaking. James felt his heart squeeze at the image of the trembling and blushing girl. Seriously, her face was completely pink! 

Stepping forward and putting a knee on the floor, James got down to Daphne’s level. 

“Thanks Daphne!” James said cheerfully in an even voice, trying to limit his usually booming voice to a softer tone. He had inkling she wasn’t quite used to the company of rowdy folks like the Weasleys. Gently, he took the gift given so precisely because it was from an even more precious individual. James opened it and smiled. 

“Wow a muffler!” It was like a scarf but thicker and longer for those brutally cold winters. This one was plaid of dark amber and rich maroon. Immediately, the lad took out the long length, wrapping it the whole thing around his neck. “How does it look?” 

Daphne stared at the new addition with a weird expression. James thought she looked…grumpy? “M-may I?” A quiet whisper came out. 

James was so surprised, again, that he just nodded. The small girl stepped closer, tiny hands going to work. Daphne seemed to have a different vibe when she was concentrating. James couldn’t stop staring at her serious face, the shy girl he had come to know had a quiet confidence and assurance in her actions. At that moment, she tugged and unintentionally pulled the boy closer. James saw that beautiful, determined face up close and felt his face get hot. He looked away embarrassed and confused.

“Th-there. It looks great on you,” Daphne said softly, a flush in her face from pride and how well the muffler did look on the older boy. James agreed. The muffler was wrapped snugly around his neck, the two ends hanging over his chest at identical lengths. 

“Wow! You did a really great job!” James patted her head. 

Those small hands wrapped around his much bigger one. Despite being a third year, James was in the middle of a growth spurt. He was already almost as tall as his dad and looked down on all his cousins. Even more so with Daphne, who was really tiny for a ten year old. 

James had become lost in thought seeing their obvious differences, and was brought back to reality by a squeeze on his hand. 

“I’m really happy you like it,” Daphne said, her arms raised over her head to hold onto the warm hand that rested there. Then, she smiled most happily. 

James felt his heart thump hard in his chest. Eyes scrunched closed with cheeks full and rosy as a smile so big and wide took up half the girl’s face. A wide-toothed smile of pure and unadulterated joy. His face got even hotter and his throat closed up as he beheld the most lovely face he’d ever seen. 

Suddenly, James wrapped his arms around her and stood, lifting her up. She squealed at the new height, a bit scared as she had never been this high before. 

“Don’t worry! I have you!” James assured while laughing loudly to cover up his embarrassment. Her fear turned into excitement and exhilaration as the tall boy carried her throughout the house. He talked and joked with his family, purposely trying to make the meek girl have fun and laugh. Yet with each sound of her giddy giggling, his ears grew hot. 

James decided it was just the muffler tied a bit too tightly that night.

[s0ull3ss-p3rs0n]

Not me explaining Scorpius' "crush" on Rose by telling myself that Scorpius got a crush on Albus the second they first met, and noticed the feelings, but due to not knowing about queer people and it being okay to like the same gender because he had never seen a queer couple or a queer person, atleast one who would be out of the closet, he just thought that he obviously has a crush on Rose because he started feeling that feeling on the train and Rose was there and she is a girl and boys are supposed to like girls.

Or something.

That was the best explanation I could make of it.

[hogwartsthenextgeneration]

[writetimewrongmuse]

“You don’t like me, and I certainly don’t have fond memories of you either, but our children seem to care for each other. For them, I am willing to put aside my differences, if you are, Malfoy.”

“I wouldn’t say I don’t like you. I hardly know you, Granger. But you’re right. For Scorpius and Rose, I am willing to not not like you”

“For Scorpius and Rose,” Hermione nodded.

The Stowaway Malfoy by @writetimewrongmuse, available on AO3

Cover Art by @aplthree

[hanaranjada]

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