Summer
J- Al just got into a fight, it turned into a duel. Your brother got hurt, but seems to be ok, and then they had an argument.
A- Rosie told me just a little bit ago. I'm glad you guys found him and he is ok.
J- Good morning. Last weekend before my exams!
A- I'm happy for you.
A- This doodle is making my head hurt to look at. What is it?
J- The lake squid. I thought it was pretty good. Sorry.
A- It's probably just too early in the morning for it.
J- Its almost lunch Ani
A- Oh
J- Is everything alright? I know you are mad at your brother, but you haven't been writing as much. Busy with your own at home exams?
A- Yeah busy.
J- I get that. I hope you do well :)
J- Two down! My wrist hurts from all the writing! I need to ask Claire for some pointers, she never seems to be bothered by it. Or maybe she just doesn't write as much as me.
J- I hope your exams are going well.
J- Have a good night. Get some sleep.
J- Good morning. I only have one exams today. Wish me luck.
J- Exams must be taking a lot out of you. I hope you are sleeping ok.
J- I don't think I did very well in my History of Magic exam, I'll be lucky for an Acceptable.
J- You don't have to write like you used to if you are exhausted, but just one word would be nice
J- Ok that was probably too clingy, but I just want to know that you are ok. I know you are still mad at your brother, but I don't want to have to ask him if you are ok.
J- Goodnight Snowdrop
J- Good morning, big exam day for me.
J- I miss talking to you.
J- Goodnight Snowdrop
J- Good morning.
J- *incoherent doodles*
J- Ned says he hasn't heard from you, but you're still alive and nothing seems crazy wrong so...
J- Goodnight Snowdrop
J- Good morning. Last day exams.
J- Did I do something? Is it because I stunned Higson? I know Scorpius was upset with the fight, but I thought maybe you wouldn't be mad that I was helping protect your own brother... I guess I could have handled it a bit better but
J- I'm sorry.
J- Goodnight Snowdrop
J- Rosie is worried about you. So am I. If I did something wrong or you are mad at me please tell me.
J- If you hate me now, just say so, but I miss talking to you, so I will keep writing until you tell me to piss off.
J- *doodle* It's a cat standing on its head. I know how my doodle make you laugh.
J- *doodle* now a dog is juggling quaffles. Should I just draw you a whole funny circus of animals
J- *doodles* Ok now its horrible, but I have named the circus "Potter's Pets" This is a frog on a tightrope, the bunny is doing the trapeze, the birds are the clowns, the turtle is jumping through a ring of fire, and I am the ring master with my cool top hat and bow tie. I think I look quite handsome *his eyes are very lopsided*
J- Rosie wants to send my dad over to check on you, but I think you probably just need some time to rest. I'm sorry if writing to me all year has taken a lot out of you. I should have limited myself more. Everything is probably just fine.
J- Goodnight Snowdrop.
J- Good morning Snowdrop
J- Sorry I haven't written as much, I'm think I'm getting a bit sick.
J- Goodnight Snowdrop
J- Morning.
J- Goodnight Snowdrop
J- Goodnight
J- Good morning. I know you have missed me and my circus doodles. I'm going to annoy you with more.
J- The snake is a fortune teller. I gave it big glasses like Professor Trelawny. You probably don't know what she looks like but that's why it has glasses
At lunch Aniara got up the courage to finally read everything James had written her. She vaguely remembered writing her responses, though she was glad she had kept them short. Now she was upset that she should have at least had Pip write telling him she was sick. She had made her friends worry about her unnecessarily, and now she was kicking herself for it. He didn't appear to be angry with her, but that could just be because of the writing. His doodles were awful, as usual, but he was right. She loved them. The animals didn't look much like what he said they were, but she smiled at them anyway.
She grabbed her quill and steadied herself for him to be upset with her.
A- Sorry Jay. I should have had someone tell you and Rosie. I haven't been feeling great the last few weeks. I've slept a lot and taken some draughts to help. But I'm feeling better now. Healer says I was just overworked because of my studying and from being cooped up in the manor for a long time. He suggests that once I get feeling better for my parents to have me walk the grounds more and maybe take me somewhere off the grounds once a week. They aren't too keen on it but healer's orders. I'm very excited!
J- Thank Merlin! I'm glad you are feeling better and I don't have to send my dad to use his old auror skills to check on you.
A- You still can, as long as everyone else comes too. I've missed you lot.
J- I've miss you too. I gotta figure out how to sneak you out of the manor more often. Healers orders right ;)
A- Please do, my parents are probably going to bring me to just the nearby muggle village, somewhere quiet where no one knows us. Ugh.
J- Kidnap Aniara Malfoy. On the to do list.
A- Oh thanks!
J- Anytime. How do you like the circus.
A- I thought it was an aquarium when I first saw it. You sure that is a turtle? Looks like a weird dolphin.
J- Don't insult Ricardo the Great like that!
A- Apologies, I didn't realize he had a name.
J- They all do. Can't have a circus without cool poster names.
A- I haven't been to the circus since I was 5. My father took us.
J- My aunt took us to a muggle circus once. My uncle was confused the entire time, worried that the performers were just wizards breaking the law.
A- I would love to see the muggle circus.
Rosie was very relieved to hear that Aniara was feeling better. She told all her new friends the same story. Her getting sick was just a result of stress and extra studying that didn't mix well with her already weakened state. Only partially true, but she was used to having to lie to others about her condition.
Her and Scorpius spent the next fortnight spending time together and enjoying the summer sun on the manor grounds. With the healer's instructions, her rules were lessened some. She could spend more time outside and even go alone for a while, but she still, mostly, had to be with someone "in case something happens." She was also right in that once a week her parents and her brother went to the nearby muggle town for a walk. Aniara got to go to a small bookshop and purchase books for herself for the first time. It wasn't much, not like going into a more prominent wizard community, but it was still better than nothing.
Al invited Scorpius over, which, unsurprisingly, their parents declined. James kept mentioning his "kidnapping to-do list" which Aniara wasn't sure wasn't fully a joke. With her healer's orders, Aniara got to go outside more, but that also meant that a house elf, or one of her parents, were close by so she and Scorpius were not able to sneak off into the woods like they used to.
The twins luck turned around however when Scorpius was invited to Al's birthday party and their parents allowed him to go. Getting to see their friends for the first time in almost a month was a breath of fresh air after spending weeks with someone looking over their shoulder to make sure Aniara wasn't going to get sick again.
*************
A Potter birthday celebration was very different than the Malfoys. Scorpius had anticipated this, of course, after his own birthday party back at Hogwarts, but that had been with just their group of friends. Here, in a home where he knew some of his ancestors had portraits up somewhere, Scorpius was surrounded by a family much different than his own. The first difference being their size. He knew Al had lots of uncles, aunts, and cousins, but actually seeing them all made Scorpius even more uncomfortable. Secondly, there was no rhyme or reason to what everyone was doing. He didn't see any planned seating, no house elf handing out an itinerary for the days events, and no line of hosts greeting the guests at the front door (not that Scorpius had come through the front door anyhow).
"Breathe Scor, it's not like you don't know anyone here."
"Says the girl in her closet not physically bothered by being surrounded by so many people," Scorpius shot back almost forgetting to not speak outload.
Before Aniara had time to respond, or Scorpius to take more than 5 steps out of the floo, something loud and high pitched was flying around his head. Scorpius began swatting at it until someone behind him snatched up the buzzing object for him. He turned to face a plump redheaded woman with a scolding look on her face.
"Hugo, what did I say about toys from your uncle's shop during the party?"
She wasn't looking at Scorpius but just behind him. Scorpius turned slightly to see who she was scolding but didn't need to turn far as Hugo came into view. The boy was almost as tall as Scorpius but his face gave away his age, or really his mischievous smile did. That and Scorpius had heard about Rosie's little brother to know he was 10 years old. Hugo smiled up at his grandmother, unbothered by her scolding, but a twinkle in his eye Scorpius recognized from Al gave away the reason for his unbothered-ness. He has a sly secret.
In a voice meant to be an imitation of the Weasley matriarch, Hugo replied, "Under no uncertain terms are you two allowed to bring anything from the shop or anything your Uncle's have made to Al's birthday party, even as a gift."
Scorpius took an awkward step back and tried to ignore his sister's laughter. Molly Weasley on the other hand was not satisfied with his answer, or Hugo's impression of her.
"So you understand the consequences-" She was cut off by a young female voice from behind her.
"Gran, it seems you are the first to witness the first working product of Lils and H Co. The buzzerbee."
"I thought we were calling us The HugoLily Initiative?"
"Details," the girl waved Hugo off, "We'll discuss it later. But as you can see Gran, it's not from the store so no rules were broken!"
Molly Weasley's face went nearly as red as her partially grey hair, "Sweet Merlin you two aren't even in school yet! Fine! No toy or products, or pranks or fireworks made by your uncle or you two. Now put this thing away and report to your mother's."
The two skipped away, their moods not dampened at all by the new party rule.
"We are cursed I tell you," Molly muttered to herself before she turned her attention to Scorpius. Her eyes went soft as she gave him a small smile. "Welcome dear. Don't let the troublemakers send you back through the floo. Follow me and I'll show you where to place your present for Albus."
Scorpius followed her to a room filled with just as many people as the last room had. The place was packed full of wizards and witches of all ages, most having red hair. As they walked Molly stopped every little bit to introduce Scorpius to people they encountered on the way to where ever he was to place his gift to Al. Scorpius had always been good with names and faces, having to be introduced to countless people at his parents fancy parties made that a necessity. But here, with the loud chatting and the constant body movements made Scorpius feel like he was being introduced to the same people multiple times. Or maybe he had been and they were all to polite to say anything. As they finally entered the kitchen, Scorpius breathed a sigh of relief as he spotted a small table almost overflowing with presents, along with a few faces he recognized!
"You made it!" Rosie shouted and rushed towards him. Scorpius narrowly opened his arms in time for his gift to not be crushed by her hug.
"Almost didn't. Got accosted by your brother's flying thing right out of the floo gate." Scorpius chuckled as he embraced her.
"They got it to work! Godrick they have been working on that thing for almost a year now! Sure mum will be pleased to learn that!"
"I'm sure your Uncle will be even more pleased. Will probably try to convince them to skip going to school to start training them himself."
Rosie shook her head and walked him towards the present table arm in arm so as not to be separated.
"If we are lucky. I'm not looking forward to their attendance at Hogwarts. Living with him is hard enough. Put a wand in his hand and, well, McGonagall might actually retire. So my dad says anyways."
The two laughed and found seating at the table to continue their conversation, and the introductions. Rosie pointed to the end of the long table to a large burly man talking to Professor Potter. The man wore clearly muggle clothing and a hard expression on his face that Scorpius couldn't decide if it was disgust mixed with shame, or curiosity mixed with pride. To the man's left sat a woman with a kind and opened expression also wearing muggle clothes. Her hair was a soft brown tied back into a long braid. She was talking to Rosie's mum happily.
"That's my uncle's muggle cousin and his wife. We only see them at specially occasions so Daisy can get to know the wizard world. Mum's idea."
"They are muggles?"
Scorpius was shocked. He knew Professor Potter had muggle relatives, specifically a cousin with a daughter who was a witch, but he never expected to be in the same house as them let alone sitting across the table from them.
"Yup! Daisy is gonna be a first year come fall, so I guess the visits have been happening more and more while we've been at school. Uncle Harry seems a little more comfortable around him than he was last summer."
Scorpius watched the two muggles a little longer, watching their reactions to the conversations they were having. Professor Potter had on the same expression he used when teaching, most likely answering his cousin's questions, while the woman laughed with Rosie's mum.
"Dad would burst a vein if he knew there were muggles here."
"No he wouldn't." Scorpius almost answered audibly. They had visited the nearby muggle village enough the first bit of summer that their father was more respectful and cordial than he use to be towards them.
Just as Scorpius is about to ask where Al was, the birthday boy skipped into the kitchen with a brunette toddler on his shoulders. The kid didn't look very steady on his shoulders but both didn't seem to notice, or rather care. Even with so many people in the room, Al somehow made it seem like the toddler was flying around as Al opened his mouth in what seemed to be like he was pretending to breath fire.
"Albus Gideon Potter! Don't you dare drop Kathrine!" Rosie's mum scolded as she caught sight of them.
Al stopped and gave his aunt a mock offended look, "I would never drop my favorite cousin! To incinerate such a thing is ridiculous."
"Insinuate dear,"
"I though I was your favorite cousin?" Rosie shot at him. Al craned his neck awkwardly to look up at Kathrine.
"Don't listen to her Kate! She is just jealous."
"Jellies, Jellies!" Kathrine laughed and clapped her hands, which caused her to loose her balance a bit. She quickly wrapped her arms around Al's face and pulled at him causing him to make a weird squished face. Al just laughed and looked over to Rosie to wink at her. Mid wink however he caught sight of Scorpius and his smile widened, or as best it could being squished by a four year old.
"Happy Birthday Gideon." Scorpius said loudly to be heard across the table. He gave Al a small awkward wave.
Al made his way around the table, his face still squished by Kathrine, to be able to talk to Scorpius and Rosie. Kathrine however wasn't too happy their game had been interrupted.
"Al you said Dragon time. Proms you proms."
"I know Kat, hold your dragons, I gotta talk to someone." Al chuckled as his words sounded funny with his face still squished, but he didn't make any moves to correct it. Then he introduced his young cousin to Scorpius.
"That's a silly name. You have white hair."
"Yes he does," Al said to her finally shifting one off her hands a little farther from his mouth so he could talk a little better, "Like Tori and Louis huh?"
"Yup. Dragon now?" Kate stated tapping Al on the head.
"How about Dad plays dragon kiddo, and we let Al hang out with his friends?" A older voice said behind them. Scorpius turned to see a tall man with short, bright orange hair and some scattered burn scars on his face, neck and hands. He reached out to grab Kathrine off Al's shoulders and placed her on his own. Scorpius remembered being introduced to the Charlie by Molly just a little bit ago in the hallway. He smiled at Scorpius and walked away pretending to roar and breath fire.
Al pulled out the only empty chair at the table next to Scorpius, "How's your summer treated you Cor? You're dad hex any muggles yet?"
"I wish. Would make the trips a little more exciting," Ani said to Scorpius.
"Nah, Mom's got him acting civil."
The three of them chatted more about what they had been doing that summer. Al and Rosie were mostly spending time with family seeing as they had so many family members. They were also trying to stay out of their younger siblings' way so as to not be victim to their pranks or experimental (highly untrained) magic. Rosie almost had to have a major hair cut from some spinning device if it wasn't for her mother being adept at hair detangling spells. After a a few minutes Scorpius noticed Ani leaving to wander the house, no doubt to engage in her second favorite hobby, eves dropping on conversations. Especially the ones she really shouldn't be overhearing.
"So is this a normal birthday party for your family?"
"Oh yup," Al responded, "With five uncle's on your mom's side, and a dad who grew up as an orphan, you go all out for birthdays with every family member you can invite. Nothing like a Weasley-Potter Birthday party."
"Weasley-Granger-Potter,"
Al waved off Rosie's correction. Scorpius tuned his friend's bickering out for a moment when he felt his sister's rage spike. The usual, someone talking bad about their family sort of anger, but it quickly dissipated. Honestly Scorpius wasn't shocked someone here probably wasn't too keen on a Malfoy being here too. Although that was a little ironic given the house they were in.
"So is there like a structure to these parties, an itinerary of when things happen?"
Both cousins gave Scorpius a look to remind him of his posh upbringing.
"There is never really a plan, just a sort of 'hey here is an idea, anyone else up for it?' then the party goes on. Though usually a game of backyard quidditch happens at some point. When you have this many family members and a mom who went pro, its almost a requirement."
Rosie cocked her head in pride and added, "Gotta see which kid has the superior broom riding skills, like moi for example."
Al and Scorpius gave each other a look and tried to stifle their laughter... unsuccessfully of course. Once his laughing was done he felt something odd from
Aniara. She felt almost muffled, yet her heart rate was jumping erratically like she was nervous. He mentally checked on her with no answer. He was about to get up from the table to physically look for her when he remembered himself. Looking for his invisible sister only he could see would be a bad look. Rosie continued on bragging about her broom skills, as she was prone to do when it was brought up. Al subtly tapped his arm grabbing is attention. He gave Scorpius a look that only he understood.
'You good mate?'
Scorpius subtly nodded back, 'Good, don't worry about it.'
Al smiled at him that lopsided half smile of his and Scorpius forgot what he had been thinking about. After a few more seconds Scorpius felt his sister respond to him. Eves dropping, as usual. After a few more minutes of talking, more people began to gather into the kitchen joining conversations or passing by Al to wish him Happy Birthday for the hundredth time.
"Let's head upstairs, its getting to ginger in here."
Rosie nodded her agreement but Scorpius was hesitant.
"Won't you be needed down here for cake and presents and stuff?"
"No itinerary mate, remember. Plus my mum somehow always knows where each of us kids are so when I'm needed for those formalities she will send someone up to get us."
Rosie leaned over to whisper, "86% sure she uses literal tracking spells. 100% sure my mum does on my and Hugo."
Scorpius smiled and followed after Al to the stairs.
**********************
Aniara walked in search of fun conversations she could eves drop on. She debated on Professor Potter's with his cousin but neither seemed like they were talking about anything she didn't already know having grown up in the wizard world. So she just wandered until a conversation caught her ears. The one that caught her attention the most was the one that mentioned her family name.
"... with a Malfoy. Kid's got to break all the family rules doesn't he."
"We don't have rules Percy," another redheaded man with scars on his face chided.
"I know Malfoy helped Harry at the end of the war, and is an honored Auror but that doesn't mean it's not weird having his kid in the house."
The other Weasley raised his eyebrows at his younger brother and gestured to the walls around them.
"You mean the house that has their faces on the tapestry and their ancestors indestructible portraits in the basement? The house they would have a claim to if, Merlin forbid, Harry, Gin, James, Al, Lily, and Ruby all passed? This house?"
Percy huffed and turned his head, "Not the point Bill. I got nothing against the kid personally, I just wonder if Al only befriended him because that kid likes to ruffle Harry's feathers and push the family's buttons."
"He doesn't push my buttons, Perce."
Ani couldn't believe her ears. Hearing someone talk about her family today was something she expected, but hearing one of Al's family members talk about him in such a way was shocking and off-putting. Yeah Al wasn't afraid of trouble at school, but he was never the one to start it. He finished the trouble if anything. What his uncle was claiming seemed ridiculous. She couldn't listen to her brother's best friend be talk about like that anymore so she moved on to another conversation. Hopefully one with some family gossip that didn't concern her brother.
"If you don't tell me, I will just get Tori to!"
"As if Tori paid attention to me all year."
Ani caught James' voice and followed it intrigued. She found him off sitting in the middle of a flight of stairs just barely within her projection limit, next to an older boy who looked to be around 20 with bright red Weasley hair, freckle covered skin with tattoos covering his arms, and two different eye colors, one hazel, one bright pink... PINK?
"You'd be surprised Jay."
"I would be if Tori knew who I liked." James said puffing out his chest toward the older wizard. Then he paused, he eyes going wide with the realization of his words. The older boy laughed and playfully shoved James's shoulder.
"Can't keep secrets from me Jay. I know all, I see all."
"You meddle in all Teddy." James laughed with him, shoving him back.
"It's my job as you're older brother. The news papers cover all your quidditch shit so I gotta find other things to talk to you about."
"And you want to talk about my crush?"
"Would you rather talk about mine?"
"No! Godrick no Teddy. I caught you snogging last fall, I don't need to hear the gory details."
"Then let me hear yours. You snog yet?"
James's eye went wide. Aniara's too. Her heart started to race and she knew she this was one conversation she didn't want to listen in on. But she couldn't move. She didn't want to hear James talk about his crush on another girl. She didn't want to hear about him snogging some Ravenclaw girl with pretty black hair behind a tapestry. She didn't want to hear him talk about his feelings for an older Hufflepuff boy. She really didn't want to hear if he fancied one of his friends. Maybe he liked Charlie? Or Faris? No, it was most likely Claire. She saw the way he looked at her. Maybe they kissed at the end of the year while she was sick? Maybe they-
"No," James said looking away from Teddy. His answer had momentarily stopped her spiraling thoughts.
"Too chicken?" Teddy teased.
Aniara really wanted to leave. She willed herself to move back down the stairs towards the kitchen. But she didn't move an inch. She stayed on the stairs looking right at James and Teddy talk about whoever James had a crush on. James looked down the stairs, looking right past her and scanning to see if anyone was in earshot.
"Bee, you ok? You seem nervous?" Scorpius was reaching out to her. He must have felt her quickened heartrate and emotions. She wanted to reach back out and tell him she lost the ability to move herself, and she was eves dropping on a conversation she didn't want to hear. But nothing. She was frozen to the spot and suffering. James looked back at Teddy and sighed, lightly bumping into Teddy shoulder with his own.
"She doesn't know I like her. I only just barely realized I liked her."
Teddy chuckled and bumped him back, "Realizing crushes way too late is kind of a staple in this family Jay. Your dad with your mum, Uncle Ron, my parents, and hell even me. Took until Tori went back to school after I graduated. I had spent years around her and spending time with her that the moment she left for Hogwarts I cursed myself for letting her go without kissing her."
"Yeah but you dated like hundreds of people during school. No wonder you didn't notice. Too busy snogging everyone else there."
"Excuse you," Teddy sounded playfully offended, "It was not hundreds. Just about 17. Unless you want to count Xavire but that was barely a kiss let alone a snog."
"That not was Tori says." This caught Teddy off guard and he nearly got up from the stairs when James started to laugh.
"Oh piss off!"
"With pleasure." James stated actually getting to his feet. Teddy stopped his decent down the stairs however and forced him to sit back down. James was now just inches from Aniara, not that he would have known this.
Teddy sighed out a chuckle and put his hand on James's shoulder sitting him back down. James gave Teddy a disgruntled look and rolled his eyes, "You always have to have your nose in all the tea don't you?"
Teddy rubbed the tip of his nose playfully and winked at James, "Then spill it mate so its not all over my nose."
"Fine," James relented rubbing his hands together nervously, " I haven't even known her that long, just since Christmas."
Aniara let out a breath, movement finally coming back to her ethereal limbs. He had to have meant someone else right? Then she remembered her worried brother and responded back to him, "Just eaves dropping on a conversation I definitely shouldn't be listening to!"
"What's new?" Scorpius retorted, Aniara could almost hear the dismissive snort he would have given along with that statement.
"So?" Teddy nudged him.
"Soooo... I'm not even sure if she would even be interested in me. Yeah we write to each other almost every day, and she laughs at my terrible doodles, at least I think she does, and she lets me call her nick names. But she is way out of my league. She is smarter than me, funnier than me, way better looking, incredibly nice and generous and selfless. There is no way she could possibly..."
James took a breath and looked away from Teddy. The older boy put his hand on James's forehead as if he was feeling for a temperature. He hummed to himself for a minute thinking. "Yup, sorry Jay, you got it bad."
James shoved Teddy's hand away, playfully shoving him away again.
"So does this incredibly smart girl have a name?"
James's cheeks reddened and he covered his mouth.
"Nope," James said after a pause, "I've already given too much away."
Teddy got this mischievous twinkle in his eye that Aniara could tell had come from spending loads of time with James's family, "Well in that case," Teddy's hair began to change. Aniara had heard in passing that James and Al were related to a metamorphagus but it was different seeing one in person (almost). His hair went from the Weasley bright orange, to a soft brown's like James's aunt Hermione. James looked confused for a moment, raising his eyebrow at him. Teddy shook his head and his hair went from the light brown to a dark black like the Potter boys. It took James just one more hair color change to realize what Teddy was doing.
"No, no, no, you are not fingering out her hair color nope!" Teddy chuckled but kept changing his hair from a short dirty blonde to a long straight blonde. The same type Aniara had seen someone else at the party, one of James's aunts she thought, had. Teddy smirked when he saw the reaction he wanted in James's face.
"So she is blonde! But not with straight hair like Tori and her mum so she must have," he scrunched his face as his hair shrunk forming a curl pattern very similar to hers. James swallowed and stood up.
"I'm done playing this game Edward!"
"Oh come on spoil sport, we were just getting to the good part where I guess her eyes color! I gotta know everything about this girl or how else am I going to tease you?"
"With my testing scores like a normal person!" James shot back over his shoulder as he descended the steps.
"Jay, mate! I thought I was your brother? Don't leave me hanging!"
James shook his head and continued down the steps.
Teddy continued after him, "So curly blonde hair, super smart and funny, selfless, what else?"
At that moment three other's rounded the corner to make their way up the stairs when they heard Teddy's remarks. Scorpius stopped dead in his tracks and looked back and forth between Aniara and Teddy, noticing the striking resemblance of their hair. Rosie however chuckled when he noticed Teddy's hair and took a few steps up the stairs.
"Blonde, smart and funny? Wouldn't be talking about my bestie Aniara would you?"
Rosie continued up a few more steps, not noticing how every other boy there had not moved an inch. Scorpius shut his eyes, Al glanced at Scorpius confused, James slowly turned to glare at Rosie, and Teddy pulled his hair in front of his face to get a better look.
"I've never thought I could pull off the blonde look. Think its because of my dad's chin."
Rosie chuckled and continued past Teddy, "You know you can change that right?"
"What?!" Teddy responded sarcastically as if he hadn't realized he could change any of his features at will.
"Why are you talking about Ani?" Rosie inquired again now that she was at the top of the stairs and no one had followed her up.
"No reason"
"That's who Jay fancies"
They both responded at the same time. Aniara saw James blush, as her brother's eyes got wide. Al whispered something to him and Scorpius gave him a look in response.
"Tell me something I don't know," Rosie chuckled and put her hands on her hips. All the boys, and Aniara, turned their attention to Rosie. She looked at them all (sans Ani) and shrugged, "It's called paying attention."
James groaned and sat back down on the stairs with his head in his hands. Teddy did a little happy dance (it was more of a wiggle really) while Al and Scorpius finally started to ascend the stairs after Rosie. Before the three of them rounded the corner to the next set of stairs Teddy called after, "Wait Rosie, does Ani like him back?"
James' posture straightened a little, though he tried to pretend he wasn't paying attention. Aniara could tell he was, however. But both Teddy and James were disappointed at Rosie's response. She peaked her head over the railing side to look at her two cousins and responded in neutral tone giving nothing away, "You're tactics don't work on my, Edward Lupin."