Dragon Heartstrings

‘TEN…..NINE……EIGHT….’

‘Why’s he counting down?’

‘Is he pretending it’s New Year's Eve?’

‘It looks like it,’

‘......FIVE…’

‘Surely not,’

‘You wouldn’t know with Fred,’

‘.....THREE’

‘Why has everyone joined in?’

‘Oh shit Rose, look up!’

‘......ONE!!!’

A stream of fireworks exploded in the sky, bursts of red, green, and pink, followed by white and gold, transforming into purple and orange sparks. The crowd gathered in the garden erupted into cheers. Rose and Sandy turned to Fred and grinned.

‘Nice one! George’s idea?’ Rose asked, shouting over the chatter of the group.

‘Your Dad’s actually,’ Fred shouted back.

Rose looked up, one of the fireworks had now taken the shape of something else, a creature with wings, breathing out another spark of orange. 

‘That one was my idea’ Fred said in her ear, winking.

Rose smiled warmly, another person she could always count on for support was Fred, who was forever fond of dangerous and exhilarating pursuits.

It was after midnight and the party was in full swing. Albus hadn’t been exaggerating about their whole year attending. Rose had quickly realised that nearly all of her family had taken it upon themselves to also invite their own friends, meaning the attendants' ages ranged between her little cousins, and her grandparents. She didn’t mind however. She knew that this party was just as much her ‘welcome back’ party as well as an ‘end of summer’ party for the Weasley-Granger-Potter clan. Her uncles had set up a large marquee outside, with huge plush cushions underneath it, and her mother had enchanted candles and lanterns to float around the garden. Somewhere inside, Hugo had put on a record, and James had charmed a speaker making the music loud enough that you could hear it from the garden. 

‘Who’s he playing?’ Sandy asked Rose.

‘Muggle band, The Police,’ Rose replied distractedly, looking around.

‘They’re playing my song guys,’ Roxanne said, appearing behind the girls, sounding giddy.  She slipped her arm around Sandy’s waist. Sandy rested her head on her shoulder. 

‘Oh no no, come on you’re dancing with me,’ Roxanne said, shrugging her off and grabbing her hand.

‘No chance,’

‘You have to, it’s my song,’

‘Roxie I-,’ Sandy yawned.

Roxanne took this opportunity to pull her towards the middle of the garden, and the girls began to half waltz half jive to the music. 

Rose watched her two friends dancing and smiled. She looked around to find Frankie talking to Albus, who had his arm slung around her shoulder. Scorpius stood next to them, looking bored, holding an unopened bottle of firewhisky. He was wearing capris pants, and a white linen shirt, sleeves rolled up showing off his tanned forearms. He had gelled his hair back, keeping it off his face. Rose turned away before he could catch her looking. She had avoided him most of the day, kept busy by her grandmother’s never ending list of chores. They were acting differently to each other recently, she knew it, and he had to know it too. She didn’t want to deal with it yet, not until she figured out herself what it meant, or if it meant anything at all. Maybe she could talk to her mum, Rose thought to herself. Yes, her mother must have some advice for this, she thought, as she made her way up the garden. She had almost reached the back door when she nearly walked right into Redmond Wood.

‘Rosie-posie Weasley,’ Red exclaimed loudly, pulling her in roughly for a hug.

‘Red,’ Rose replied politely, standing back. He stunk of firewhisky, and she hated when he called her that.

Rose watched him look her up and down, she nearly rolled her eyes. 

‘You look different Rosie…good different…well you weren’t bad before , actually you were always s-,’

Rose held her hand up, she didn’t want him to finish that sentence, not with all of her immediate and extended family within earshot.

‘Cheers Red, you look the same as ever,’ she said, trying to keep her voice even.

‘Bloody gorgeous so I suppose,’ Red winked at her. 

‘Mmm of course, would love to chat more but I do need to go find my mother,’ she said, trying to push past him.

‘Sure,’ Red bowed and moved aside.

As she walked past he leant down and whispered, ‘aren’t you going to ask me?’

‘Ask what?’ 

‘About my shiny badge,’ he smirked.

Rose stiffened, she forced herself to smile at him.

‘You got captain then?’

‘I did, much to your disappointment I imagine,’ Red said, folding his arms.

‘Well it was hardly unexpected, you did get it last year,’ Rose raised her eyebrows, he was trying to bait her, and she was not going to let him.

‘But you hoped you’d get it didn’t you, you’ve always dreamed of being captain,’

‘Since when are you so concerned about my hopes and dreams Redmond,’

‘Haven’t I always Rosie?’

She turned to head inside again.

‘Just don’t try to undermine me Rose,’ Redmond said coldly, all kindness gone from his voice.

She stopped, staring at him. ‘What exactly are you saying to me?’ she said, narrowing her eyes.

He walked up to her slowly, and bent down so that they were eye level, only inches apart.

‘I know Hooch considered you, and I know you made it clear you were interested, but I’m the captain, I’m better, I know it and you know it, so if you even think to try and take over, you’ll regret it’ he said in a low voice.

Rose felt like hitting him, or maybe cursing him, in fact she wanted to, and for a split second she considered it. 

‘You as-’

‘Alright guys?’ came a voice behind them, they turned towards the garden and saw Scorpius. 

‘Wonderful, how’s it going bud,’ Red said, plastering on a smile as soon as he saw him, holding out his hand to Scorpius.

Scorpius ignored him, ‘Rose, Al wants me to feed Husky, where will I find the food?’

‘I’ll show you,’ Rose said, grateful for an excuse to leave, grabbed Scorpius’s arm and led him into the house, leaving Redmond standing outside. 

‘Husky?’ Rose asked Scorpius, once they were passed the kitchen and in the hall.

‘You looked like you needed an escape,’

‘Yeah but Husky?’

‘Why not?’

‘Al’s cat?’

‘Seems obvious,’

‘Al’s dead cat?’

‘It worked didn’t it?’

‘Yeah but next time maybe pick a pet that's alive,’

‘Yes Rosalyn, I’ll write down some of the names for the next time you need saving,’

‘Is the full name really necessary?’

‘It’s been a while since I called you it,’

‘Mmm I was after thinking you had enough of it,’

‘Course not, just said I’d leave u off after travelling,’

Rose sighed loudly. Scorpius had taken to calling her Rosalyn ever since reading her school issued timetable in first year. Hardly anyone used her full name, except a few older teachers, distant relatives and of course, Scorpius Malfoy. He hadn’t used it since she came back however, and she had begun to think he was over that phase. Evidentially not. 

‘You’re just jealous you have to go by your full name,’

‘Well you can’t easily shorten Scorpius,’

‘How unfortunate to have no nicknames,’

She paused.

‘Scorp?’

‘Not unless your my dad,’

‘Scor?’

‘Unless your my mum,’

‘Skippy?’

‘Don’t even go there,’

‘I think that’s my favourite,’

‘Rosamund?,’ 

‘That’s reserved for relatives who aren’t exactly sure which Weasley cousin they’ve got,’ 

‘How could they forget Rosamund Weasley?’

‘I’m sure Skippy Malfoy would remind them ,’

‘Careful you don’t say that too loud, it’ll catch on,’ 

‘I hope it does,’

‘You would,’

‘And I didn’t need saving,’

Scorpius pulled on the arm she was still holding. She let go and turned to face him. They had walked to the front of the house, leaving the lights and chatter of the party behind them. 

‘I think you would have cursed him if I didn’t intervene,’ Scorpius said, running a hand through his hair. ‘Not that he didn’t deserve it, he’s an asshole’ he added.

‘I considered it, either that or a slap,’ Rose replied, sitting down on the bottom step of the staircase. 

Scorpius sat down next to her, close enough that their knees were touching. They sat there for a moment, not saying anything. 

‘He’s wrong you know,’ he said quietly. 

Rose said nothing, she knew her voice would be shaky at best and she really did not feel like crying in front of Scorpius, not today.

‘You would have been the better captain, he knows it, you know it, and everyone knows it,’ he said, turning to face her.

Rose kept staring forward, blinking back tears, she could feel his gaze on her. 

‘Easy for you to say when you’ve been captain yourself for the past three years,’ Rose said, staring at her boots. 

‘Surely you’re not making this a competition?’ he asked incredulously.

Rose tried to hide a smile.

‘We aren’t even in the same house, it’s a different team Rose!’ he said, shaking his head, but she could see he was smiling. 

‘Some things don’t change,’ she said, no longer hiding her smile.

‘You have though,’ he said, looking down at the carpet.

‘Care to elaborate?’

‘Oh you know, you’re just different, over the summer’

‘Wow, a tan and curlier hair and all of a sudden, people don’t know where to look,’ Rose rolled her eyes, she had heard comments about her appearance enough times today.

‘No it’s not that,’

Rose paused, waiting for him to continue.

‘You’ve got a different sense about you’ he said after a while.

‘Sense?’

‘Aura maybe?’

‘Didn’t know you knew that word,’

‘Stop,’

‘Vibe?’

‘A feeling?’

‘Huh?’

Scorius was silent for a moment.

‘Energy,’

‘Energy?’

‘Yup,’

‘Do you ever explain?’

‘You just have a different energy,’

‘Thanks,’

‘No hassle,’

‘Scorpius,’

‘It’s hard to explain,’ he shrugged.

‘Well try,’

He ran a hand through his hair.

‘You seem calmer, freer. I don’t know, it’s like you’ve changed into a version of you that’s actually more you than you’ve ever been,’ he said, staring at his hands.

Rose paused.

‘Right,’

‘Was that a bad explanation?’ he asked.

‘Very,’

‘That actually was a good explanation, maybe it’s a you problem,’ he said, smirking.

‘Mmm don’t think it’s a me issue here,’

‘Okay, it’s like before you were wearing clothes that were one size too big, so they never really fit, and now you’re clothes fit perfectly, and were made exactly for you,’

He turned to her after a minute.

‘Not that they don’t actually fit,’ he added, ‘your clothes fit really well actually, always have, the clothes are a bad example, look, just pretend I’m not talking about you’.

Rose leaned back on her hands, watching him.

‘Did you just tell me I put on weight?’

Scorpius groaned and put his head in his hands. 

Rose laughed, ‘I’m messing, I understand now, I actually understood at the beginning but I thought I’d let you sweat, I think I prefer your clothes analogy’.

‘You’re really great at taking compliments’ he said, sitting up and rolling his eyes.

‘Was that a compliment?’ Rose asked, innocently.

Scorpius gaped at her, ‘unbelievable’.

Rose grinned, ‘relax, I heard it’.

‘So, you think my clothes have always fit really well,’ she added, smirking.

‘Don’t worry, that was a compliment to whoever made them, not you,’

‘Charming,’

Scorpius smirked again, openly watching her. She faced him, not breaking eye contact. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, when a voice behind them broke them from their trance.

‘Rosie where have you be-,’ James said in a voice, bounding down the hall but stopping short when he saw the pair sitting on the steps.

‘Oh, shit. Sorry to interrupt. I’ll go,’ he said quickly, grinning at them.

He turned to leave when Scorpius stood up.

‘I was just leaving mate, must find Al, see you Rosalyn,’ he said walking towards the kitchen quickly, without looking back.

James watched him leave and turned to look at Rose, ‘sorry Rosie’ he said sheepishly.

‘Don’t be,’ she said, feeling a blush creep up her neck, she was confused, what did James interrupt, what had Scorpius been about to say?

‘Friendly chat?’ James said teasingly.

‘Did you need me?’ she replied, changing the subject.

‘Oh yeah, your mum was looking for you, she’s upstairs in her office I think, this was like an hour ago though,’

‘An hour ago?’

‘Yeah sorry, I was talking to Alice’

‘Friendly chat?’

‘Your mums waiting,’

‘Cheers James’.

                                                                                                                     *

She headed upstairs and towards the back of the house, where her mum’s office was. She knocked quietly and waited, she heard the rustle of papers and her mum called her in. 

The room was cosy, the walls painted a soft red were almost completely covered with moving pictures and portraits of her family. On the left side of the room, a large board had been put up on the wall, with overlapping newspaper cut outs, all showing articles of her parents or her family’s achievements. Opposite this, in front of a large bay window, stood a mahogany desk where her mother was seated, head bent over books and papers.

‘What’re you doing, hiding in here?,’ Rose asked, sitting down in the armchair across from the desk. 

‘Well unfortunately your ‘welcome back’ party didn’t make this year's list of national holidays so the ministry still requires a bit of my time,’ her mother replied, giving Rose a quick smile and then going back to the files she was reading through.

‘I’ll write to the Minister, ask him if he’ll give mumsy the day off,’ 

‘Mmm not sure if Harrison would approve of that one, be afraid I’m plotting my election,’

‘Which you are,’

‘Not yet, going to work on the campaign a bit first I think,’ said her mum, putting down her papers, she continued ‘and I want some more regulation done for elves before I go for it too, don’t want that getting swept under the carpet’. 

‘Your campaign will work on its own and you know it, it’s been writing itself for years Mum, it’s in the paper nearly every week,’ Rose said earnestly. 

Hermione had been working at the Ministry since she finished school. She had worked her way up to the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement , originally starting in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures , praised for her work on improving conditions for house-elves. Being Minister for Magic had always been in her sights, but she had been waiting for the right time to start her campaign. However, Rose was right, the papers had been advocating for her election since she became head of Law Enforcement . 

‘Still, I don’t want to go over Harrison’s head, it has to be a fair election, there will be enough speculation as it is,’ her mother said wearily. 

Rose reached over the desk to grab the tea pot, filling two cups and handing her mother one. 

‘James said you were looking for me?’

‘Oh yes, that was a while ago though,’

‘Yeah he got distracted, I was actually coming to talk to you myself though, I need some advice, you go first though what did you need?’ Rose ran her finger around the rim of her cup, she didn’t really know where to begin. 

‘Well it’s to do with the election actually, partly,’ her mum said, not meeting her eyes. 

‘How can I help?’

‘It’s about Romania,’ her mother said, finally looking directly at her. 

Rose’s heart fell. She knew this would happen, they hadn’t talked about it yet, and they were due another fight about it. 

‘Well?’ she replied, trying to keep her face relaxed. 

‘Look Rosie, I let you go to Romania, I-’

‘Let me? I’m of age!’

‘Rose,’ her mother warned. 

Rose said nothing, silently agreeing to let her mother have her rant. 

‘Rose, the name I made for myself in the Ministry is still with the Magical Creatures Department , throughout the campaign this will be looked at in detail, I can’t have you off dragon hunting every summer an-’ 

‘Hunting?’ Rose interrupted, no longer caring about staying quiet. 

‘That is what people are going to think! ’

‘Just because you don’t understand? It’s a learning reserve, and a sanctuary!,’

‘And training centre!’ her mother responded, nostrils flaring. 

‘To train them to protect themselves’ Rose said, through gritted teeth.

‘Some would call that mistreatment Rose,’

‘Absolutely not,’ 

‘I’ve seen what happens to dragons who are kept out of habitat, chained to the floor, given no freedom, it’s not safe, for you, for anyone,’ Hermione said, running her hand over her forehead. 

‘And if we don’t protect them that’s exactly where they’ll end up, they’ll be used as slaves, be hunted for their skin, their talons, their hearts! ’ Rose replied indignantly. 

‘As if that’s not what ye do! Where do you think they are getting the heartstrings they use for wands hmm? Or the dragon hide clothing?’ 

‘Not. From. Us,’ Rose said, through gritted teeth. ‘We don’t hunt them. Ever. The only time their hide is taken or their talons or anything , is when they're dying . When there is absolutely no way to save them, when we’ve done all we can and they live out the rest of their days in a secluded sanctuary, receiving the best kind of care. I learned loads over there! I thought you’d be delighted with that,’ Rose took a deep breath, she was in real danger of bursting into tears. 

‘You can learn about them to your heart's content, Rose. But do it here, in England, as a hobby,’

‘A hobby?’ she demanded,standing up. 

‘Rose I’ve seen how dangerous they are, me, your father, Harry. It’s jus-, it’s too much. Too dangerous,’

 ‘No. No it’s not that is it? It’s because you’re afraid of how people will react,’ 

‘Well how do you think they’ll react to the daughter of the former head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, going off chasing dragons every summer?’ Hermione said exasperatedly. 

‘People will assume the worst Rose,’ she continued, ‘and I can’t have people assuming the worst of you and making it the focus of the entire campaign’.

Rose stared at her mother.

‘Why did you let me go?’ she asked quietly. 

‘What?’

‘Why did you let me go this summer? Just to get my hopes up?’ 

‘No! Rose, of course not,’

‘Then why? Hmm? To get it out of my system?’

‘Rose,’ said her mother, sternly. 

‘Does dad know about this?’ she demanded, her voice raised well above an acceptable indoor volume now.

Her mother said nothing, then gave a slow nod.

‘I can’t believe ye,’ Rose seethed.

‘Rose you’re not understanding what really matters,’

‘Then tell me what really matters, because my happiness obviously doesn’t,’

‘Rosie stop. I know you’re upset and I know it’s not just about this,’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘I assume you’ve spoken to Redmond,’ 

‘I don’t want to hear that asshole menti-,’

‘Watch your language,’

‘You can blame your husband for that,’

‘I know you’re just upset about quidditch Rose, you didn’t go for head girl interviews because you hoped they’d give you captain an-,’

‘I don’t want to talk about it, not with you anyway,’

Her mother opened her mouth and then closed it again, looking hurt. Rose felt a twinge of guilt, but she ignored it.

‘Well, are you done? Is that the reason you wanted to see me? To tell me I can’t go back to Romania?’

Hermione pursed her lips, letting silence settle for a moment, then she opened a drawer in her desk and pulled out a stack of folders. She held it out for Rose.

‘What are these?’ Rose asked, opening one of the folders.

‘Brochures for internships, you can decide which one you will be taking for next summer,’

“Department of Magical Maintenance: Join us in June for a chance to work with the witches and wizards in charge of the upkeep of the Ministry!”

Rose flicked through another folder.

“Department of Magical Education: Join the Wizarding Examinations Authority in correcting the O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. examination papers!”

She picked up the pile and counted, reading the first page of every folder. 

‘These are all Ministry internships mum,’ she said slowly, watching her mother.

‘Well respected internships,’ her mum replied, impassively.

‘Campaign friendly too I bet,’ she said icily.

‘There’s twelve internships there Rose, from seven different departments, I’m sure you’ll find something to your interest,’ she replied, expression unreadable.

Rose stalked over to her mother, and let the stack of folders fall on the desk with a loud bang.

‘This is a great insight into the future mum. Glad you’ve got your priorities sorted out. Can’t wait to see where motherhood ranks amongst Minister duties,’ she said, scathingly.

Her mother looked like she had been slapped. Then she closed her eyes, and when she opened them her expression was once again inscrutable and closed off.

‘You’ll choose an internship by the end of may,’ her mum said, reorganising the folders Rose had thrown on the desk.

Rose scoffed, and walked towards the door, reaching for the handle.

‘You’ll thank me Rose, some day, a few years down the line,’ her mum added, calling after her.

Rose turned to look at her mother, ‘If I still speak to you, that is,’ and she slammed the door, ignoring the look on her mum’s face.

As soon as she was out of her mum’s office, all of Rose’s anger melted away, leaving a strong urge to burst into tears. She could hear a muffled Paint it, Black record playing downstairs. A clock on the wall, next to a picture of her parents and Harry as teenagers, told her it was nearly two in the morning. She didn’t want to return to the party. She wanted to be alone. Heading up another flight of stairs, she went into her room. She closed the door behind her, blocking out the sound of music and laughter coming from downstairs. Reaching down, she pulled her wand out of her boots and whispered ‘ Colloportus ,’ hearing the lock click. She leant back on the door, letting her head fall back. She slid down, and sat with her knees up to her chest. Resting her head in her hands, she let her tears fall.