Part 3 is here.
10: Seposita Stilus
It was that January that Scorpius suggested the Seposita Stilus charm. Rose hadn't known what it was, until he'd explained.
The charm would be cast on two pieces of paper, allowing each to see what the other said. He could write a message on one, and it would show up on the other. She could turn it over, write back, and that reply would show up on his copy. They'd be able to wipe the previous messages off before writing new ones.
Once he'd described it, Rose realised that she had heard of the charm before. It was something her older cousins had mentioned using to pass notes in class, and something her uncle George had experimented with, to sell in the shop. The way he'd talked of using it made her think of text messages, something she'd only recently learned about when her muggle grandmother had let Rose play with her mobile phone.
They'd tried it at once, writing messages to one another all through potions. It was almost pointless, since they were sitting right next to one another, and they nearly got detention when the professor realised how little attention they were paying, but it was fun, and quite addictive.
11: Summer
They used the Seposita Stilus a lot during that summer between their second and third years. They were both thirteen now, and their parents had decided that they were old enough to go out alone, so long as they knew where they were heading. Rose's parents never asked her whom she was intending to meet, and she assumed that Scorpius' didn't, either. They took it as a free invitation to see one another.
It was a golden summer. That was the year where every day was sunny, and lasted forever. The year she started calling him 'Skip'. The year they confided in each other that they'd never been kissed.
Rose thought it was probably herself who'd first suggested that they try kissing each other. Just once, for practice. They'd been out near the woods this time, and the sun was halfway to setting. The light had bronzed his hair and burnished hers.
She could still remember how it had felt, when she'd placed her hand on his cheek, and slowly drew him to her. They'd kissed, clumsily. His lips were soft, and her pulse thudded in her throat, until she wasn't sure if she was breathing any more.
They'd drawn away from one another, smiling shyly, then laughing.
"We're too young," Scorpius had said, and she'd agreed.
They were too young.
It was the last golden summer.
12: Aphelocoma
Rose's third year was the year that her younger brother, Hugo, started at Hogwarts. It was also the year that she met Aphelocoma Malfoy, Scorpius' sister.
The girl wasn't starting at Hogwarts that year; she'd just come to see her brother off. She watched Rose from beneath her father's arms, with heavy-lidded, ice-blue eyes. Her expression held a disdain that Rose had never seen on Scorpius' face.
Seeing this, Rose's father had asked, quietly, "are you still friends with that Malfoy boy?"
"I am," Rose had replied.
Her father looked between Rose and Aphelocoma, then nodded at Draco. Lowering his voice, he asked "does he treat you right? Is he nice to you?"
"Yes dad!"
With one last glance at the Malfoys, Rose's father had led her away to stand with her brother and cousins until the train was ready to leave.
"Be careful, Rose," he'd said to her. "This boy isn't his father, I know. But I never knew a Malfoy who didn't have ulterior motives, who didn't have other plans hidden inside their plans."
Seeing her face, he'd added, "I'm sure he's a lovely boy, Rose. I just don't want you to get hurt."
"I won't," she'd lied, though she hadn't known that at the time.
Rose and Scorpius were unable to find an empty carriage this year. However, the one they did find was occupied by only two other people, fifth years who spent the entire time focused on one another, so Rose and Scorpius were able to talk privately.
"Your sister seemed nice," Rose offered.
Scorpius grinned widely, a new expression for him. "That's new. She never seems nice to strangers."
Rose smiled back. She was three or four inches taller than Scorpius now, and beginning to look more like a young woman than a little girl. He still looked like a boy.
"What was your father whispering?" Scorpius asked.
"Oh," Rose began. "He asked if we were still friends. He wanted to know if you were nice to me."
"What did you tell him?"
"That you were."
"Why did he feel the need to ask?" Scorpius asked, frowning.
Rose decided to be honest. "I think it's because of the problems he had with your father at school," she said. "He thinks your father may not approve."
Scorpius didn't reply. Instead, he remained gazing at her, and, for some reason, his expression reminded her of the one she'd seen on his sister's face. She squirmed uncomfortably, and tried to go back to her book.
"Does your father not approve?" Scorpius asked, interrupting. His face was closed now, not open and vulnerable as it would have been if he'd asked the question a year, or even a few months, before.
Rose's ears went red, as she tried to think of how best to phrase it.
"I think he mostly tries not to think about it," she eventually said. Scorpius nodded, then picked up his book, and started reading. The conversation was over.
Rose noted that he hadn't denied her father's accusation.
Part 5 is here.
10: Seposita Stilus
It was that January that Scorpius suggested the Seposita Stilus charm. Rose hadn't known what it was, until he'd explained.
The charm would be cast on two pieces of paper, allowing each to see what the other said. He could write a message on one, and it would show up on the other. She could turn it over, write back, and that reply would show up on his copy. They'd be able to wipe the previous messages off before writing new ones.
Once he'd described it, Rose realised that she had heard of the charm before. It was something her older cousins had mentioned using to pass notes in class, and something her uncle George had experimented with, to sell in the shop. The way he'd talked of using it made her think of text messages, something she'd only recently learned about when her muggle grandmother had let Rose play with her mobile phone.
They'd tried it at once, writing messages to one another all through potions. It was almost pointless, since they were sitting right next to one another, and they nearly got detention when the professor realised how little attention they were paying, but it was fun, and quite addictive.
11: Summer
They used the Seposita Stilus a lot during that summer between their second and third years. They were both thirteen now, and their parents had decided that they were old enough to go out alone, so long as they knew where they were heading. Rose's parents never asked her whom she was intending to meet, and she assumed that Scorpius' didn't, either. They took it as a free invitation to see one another.
It was a golden summer. That was the year where every day was sunny, and lasted forever. The year she started calling him 'Skip'. The year they confided in each other that they'd never been kissed.
Rose thought it was probably herself who'd first suggested that they try kissing each other. Just once, for practice. They'd been out near the woods this time, and the sun was halfway to setting. The light had bronzed his hair and burnished hers.
She could still remember how it had felt, when she'd placed her hand on his cheek, and slowly drew him to her. They'd kissed, clumsily. His lips were soft, and her pulse thudded in her throat, until she wasn't sure if she was breathing any more.
They'd drawn away from one another, smiling shyly, then laughing.
"We're too young," Scorpius had said, and she'd agreed.
They were too young.
It was the last golden summer.
12: Aphelocoma
Rose's third year was the year that her younger brother, Hugo, started at Hogwarts. It was also the year that she met Aphelocoma Malfoy, Scorpius' sister.
The girl wasn't starting at Hogwarts that year; she'd just come to see her brother off. She watched Rose from beneath her father's arms, with heavy-lidded, ice-blue eyes. Her expression held a disdain that Rose had never seen on Scorpius' face.
Seeing this, Rose's father had asked, quietly, "are you still friends with that Malfoy boy?"
"I am," Rose had replied.
Her father looked between Rose and Aphelocoma, then nodded at Draco. Lowering his voice, he asked "does he treat you right? Is he nice to you?"
"Yes dad!"
With one last glance at the Malfoys, Rose's father had led her away to stand with her brother and cousins until the train was ready to leave.
"Be careful, Rose," he'd said to her. "This boy isn't his father, I know. But I never knew a Malfoy who didn't have ulterior motives, who didn't have other plans hidden inside their plans."
Seeing her face, he'd added, "I'm sure he's a lovely boy, Rose. I just don't want you to get hurt."
"I won't," she'd lied, though she hadn't known that at the time.
Rose and Scorpius were unable to find an empty carriage this year. However, the one they did find was occupied by only two other people, fifth years who spent the entire time focused on one another, so Rose and Scorpius were able to talk privately.
"Your sister seemed nice," Rose offered.
Scorpius grinned widely, a new expression for him. "That's new. She never seems nice to strangers."
Rose smiled back. She was three or four inches taller than Scorpius now, and beginning to look more like a young woman than a little girl. He still looked like a boy.
"What was your father whispering?" Scorpius asked.
"Oh," Rose began. "He asked if we were still friends. He wanted to know if you were nice to me."
"What did you tell him?"
"That you were."
"Why did he feel the need to ask?" Scorpius asked, frowning.
Rose decided to be honest. "I think it's because of the problems he had with your father at school," she said. "He thinks your father may not approve."
Scorpius didn't reply. Instead, he remained gazing at her, and, for some reason, his expression reminded her of the one she'd seen on his sister's face. She squirmed uncomfortably, and tried to go back to her book.
"Does your father not approve?" Scorpius asked, interrupting. His face was closed now, not open and vulnerable as it would have been if he'd asked the question a year, or even a few months, before.
Rose's ears went red, as she tried to think of how best to phrase it.
"I think he mostly tries not to think about it," she eventually said. Scorpius nodded, then picked up his book, and started reading. The conversation was over.
Rose noted that he hadn't denied her father's accusation.
Part 5 is here.
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