Chapter 2
Truth be told, Scorpius had been curious about and admired Rose from afar for many years, but had never really talked to her. With her fiery red hair and freckles, propensity for reading gigantic books like him, grey-green eyes, mysterious air, and the fact that she was Albus’s cousin, who he adored like a brother, she was a bit of a subject of fascination to him. On their way out the door of the Slytherin common room, they had been waylaid by Albus, who promised to invite Rose to the next group Hogsmeade outing, causing Scorpius to heave a great internal sigh of relief and return to his cozy book and fireplace, and for Araminta to pout and look dejected, only to be seen flitting about the common room ten minutes later, chatting up a storm with her friend Freya. Scorpius was secretly delighted that not only did he not have to leave the firelight and warmth of the common room on a dark and stormy night, but also that he may finally get to know Rose better after all these years.
Albus had come back to the common room on the night of the Hogsmeade group invitation to report that nineteen people would be coming - Hugo, Fred, Lily, Lorcan, Lysander, Grace, Araminta, Freya, Dominique, Roxanne, Rose, Albus, Scorpius, Alice, Lucy, Tristan, Louis, James, and Frank. This was, to put it lightly, quite a stretch for Scorpius, who had spent the better part of the past two years holed up in the library, alone, with his sister, or with their support bubble, but he resolved to muddle through for his sister and in hopes of better getting to know the inscrutable Rose. After all, if she was anything like her cousin, he was sure they would warm to each other. He also had to admit that he desperately craved human company after the turmoil of the last two years. Araminta was only a second year, fresh off an overwhelming first year, when COVID hit and the world, including the wizarding one, was turned upside down. He himself had been only thirteen, a shy bookworm who was just beginning to tentatively reach his branches out into the world and warm to his fellow students, despite the fact of his and Araminta’s cold receptions their first few years due to their family’s background. COVID had shut that blossoming of hope for friendship down mighty fast, and he craved the warmth and closeness of true friends, though he may not admit it aloud.
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When the group met just outside of Hogwarts, they consisted of only Hugo, Lorcan, Lysander, Lily, Araminta, Freya, Alice, Rose, Albus, and himself. Louis, James, and Frank were hatching some secret plan with the Gremlins, Lucy and Tristan were no doubt off canoodling, and Fred, Grace, Dominique, and Roxanne were already practicing for Quidditch tryouts, though they were at least a month away.
They began trooping down the grassy path. The weather was unseasonably warm for late September at 70 degrees, and everyone was in fine spirits. Lily and Lysander were talking animatedly amongst themselves about how many puking pastilles, fever fudge, and decoy detonators from Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes they could shove in their pockets without using an expanding charm, Lily’s red hair flying in the breeze and Lysander sporting a bashful grin, hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans. Hugo and Lorcan hung back to talk through the finer plot points of Quidditch Through the Ages, Araminta and Freya were gossiping about some drama with the Gobstones Club, and Alice and Albus had their heads together and were discussing which flavor of ice cream was the best, Moon Mist or Stracciatella.
Everyone, that is, except for Rose. For some reason, her expression held thunder. They walked along next to each other in silence for a bit, and as the grassy path began to give way to cobblestones, heralding their almost-arrival in Hogsmeade, Scorpius endeavored to break it. “How are you liking your fifth year so far, Rose?”
She looked at him, unsmiling, and said, “It could be worse.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “It was rough going to Hogwarts during COVID these past two years, especially since we had barely started school when it began.”
“Undoubtedly,” she said, and tugged at one of her auburn curls, frowning.
“Hey, you should join our book club! Hugo, Lorcan, and I are reading The Lord of the Rings. Who knew diminutive muggles could get into so much trouble? It’s not Araminta’s thing, but us book lovers gotta stick together. Do you like to join clubs at Hogwarts?”
“Not if I can help it,” she intoned, turning her face away and speeding up her pace to join Alice and Albus’s discussion by slinging her arms around both of their backs.
Fortunately, they had arrived at Hogsmeade, but that didn’t take the sting away from Scorpius’s heart and, also, his eyes, he was embarrassed to discover, from Rose’s adamant rebuttal.