Dragon Heartstrings

It was the morning of the first day back at school. 

Frankie, Sandy and Roxanne had slept over at Rose’s after their dinner, so there was a full house. Her family had decided to all travel to the station with her, to see them off for their final year. She was silently thanking Frankie for making her pack the night before, as it meant she got to go for one final sea swim before Hogwarts. She wasn’t able to convince the girls to get out of bed, so she joined her grandmothers down at the beach. Imelda had gotten Molly into swimming, even made her join a club. 

‘And how will the girls get their luggage?’ Imelda had asked her, finally joining Rose in the sea after spending quarter of an hour convincing Molly to get in.

‘Frankie’s got hers with her, and Sandy and Roxanne’s parents are meeting them at the station, they wanted to say a final goodbye,’

‘What about poor Frances’ parents?’ Molly said swimming in circles, trying to keep warm. 

‘Oh don’t worry, they’ve already said goodbye, but they get nervous at King’s Cross, they’re always afraid they aren’t gonna be able to get back through the wall,’

‘I don’t blame them, I would be the same if I didn’t have your mother with me,’ Imelda replied, floating on her back, closing her eyes.

Rose followed suit, but kept her eyes open. The sky was a clear blue, promising a warm, sunny day in Cornwall. 

By the time they had returned to the house, showered and gotten ready, the rest of the girls were up and dressed, sitting at the table eating breakfast cooked by her father. She gave her dad a kiss on the cheek and sat down opposite Sandy, who was talking intently to her mother. Rose shared a look with Roxanne. She appreciated Sandy, Rose knew she was keeping up conversation with Hermione to avoid Rose having to speak to her. Rose had of course not completely ignored her mother the last two days, but she had made sure she wasn’t caught in a situation that would require them to talk for longer than three minutes. She couldn’t lie though, she missed her. She just wished that conversation in her office had never happened. 

‘Oh no he keeps on about it,’ Sandy was saying, reaching over to grab the jam.

‘You’d think Oliver would drop it, on your last year. Especially when Red’s already on the team?’ Hermione replied, her back to the table as she turned more bacon.

‘Nope, he wants us both on the team, thinks I’d be a good beater,’ 

‘He’s not wrong,’ Frankie put in, mouth full of toast.

Sandy waved her hand, ‘I’ve never enjoyed playing quidditch, prefer watching, commenting on the shit tactics I see’.

‘You should go for commentator!’ Rose exclaimed, causing Frankie to jump, spilling coffee on her plate.

‘Roseee,’ Frankie complained, using a pancake to mop up the coffee.

Sandy stared at her, disgusted. ‘I cannot believe I had to witness that, warn me next time please,’ she turned to Rose, ‘and doesn’t that guy Lynch do it?’

‘Larry Lynch? Yeah but he graduated last year sure,’

‘You actually should consider it,’ Roxanne said.

‘Hmmm, I’ll consider, could be fun,’ Sandy replied smiling.

Hermione was adding the cooked bacon to a plate, and was reaching for the eggs. The table they were eating at was already full, plenty left over after the girls had eaten. Rose decided to just go for it, clear the air. It was getting too awkward and she didn’t think the best place to break the ice was the train station.

‘Mum?’ 

Hermione paused, then turned. She looked unsure, as if she didn’t know whether Rose was going to start a row, or whether she was about to make peace, or attempt to. 

‘Yes Rosie,’ she said tentatively. 

‘Are we expecting more people?’ Rose smiled..

‘Oh yes actually, Harry and Ginny are coming over, Lily and the lads too, they’re just waiting on the boys to finish packing,’ she replied, her face relaxing. 

‘Shock,’ Frankie murmured.

‘I fully didn’t even see Lily the other night,’ Rose said to the table in a low voice, so only they would hear.

‘Too busy chatting up Malfoy I’d say,’ Sandy replied, smirking.

‘Behave yourself,’

‘No actually it was Lily who was busy,’ Frankie whispered, ‘she was chatting to one of the Scamander twins the whole night,’

‘Which one?’ Rose asked, eyes wide.

‘I wish I knew,’

‘It doesn’t matter, they are basically the same person,’ Sandy said, pouring herself orange juice.

‘That’s mean Sandra,’ Rose replied, shaking her head.

‘Ooops, I always get them mixed up,’ 

‘And she hates them for calling her Sandalwood,’ Roxanne added, grinning at Sandy when she saw her scowl.

‘That was one time,’ Frankie giggled, ‘I think they were trying to be funny, or flirting?’

‘They’re chasing a rainbow there,’ Sandy said, winking at Roxanne.

The kitchen door opened revealing Harry and Ginny, hand in hand as always. Lily was right behind them, she ran straight over to Rose.

‘I’m so sorry I didn’t get to speak to you Saturday night,’ she whispered in Rose’s ear as she hugged her.

‘Don’t worry girl I was gonna say the same thing. But you must tell me what you were up to,’ Rose gave her a coy smile.

Lily laughed, flicking her hair over her shoulder. It was really long now like Rose’s was, but it was dead straight, and had more of a brown undertone. 

‘Could say the same thing for you,’ Lily said, glancing over her shoulder as Albus and Scorpius walked in.

Rose watched Scorpius as they came towards the table. He reached down and took two slices of toast, passing one to Albus.

‘Girls make some room please,’ Hermione said, passing Ginny a teapot. 

They had a large kitchen, with a long wooden table in the middle. Since they often had guests for dinner, they had two benches going along both sides. They only had two chairs, at the top of the table and the end, for her parents. It was a bit like the great hall at school, Rose thought. 

Lily sat down next to Roxanne, leaving room for her parents on her other side. Hugo had come downstairs, his hair freshly spiked, and sat down in the space next to Sandy. Rose moved over to the right, leaving a space between her and Frankie, expecting Albus to sit there. Instead, Albus sat on Frankie’s left, next to where Hermione’s chair was. Rose looked up at Scorpius, who smirked as he sat down next to her.

‘Morning Rosalyn,’ he said, accepting a plate from Albus who was passing them around.

Rose rolled her eyes, moving over more so their legs were no longer touching.

‘Packed?’ she said, pouring tea into her cup.

‘Yep, all loaded into Harry’s car. He’s bringing Ronnie to the station,’

Rose hid a smile. Ronnie was Scorpius’s owl, Al had told her he had named him after Ronnie Wood in The Rolling Stones. Albus’s owl was called Keith, named after another Rolling Stones member. Both of them were mad about the band. 

‘Why don’t you have an owl?’ he asked suddenly, passing her the milk.

‘What?’

‘Well all your friends do, so why don’t you?’

‘That’s my exact reason for not having one. We have a family owl, and the girls and Al always let me send letters with theirs. And if not, the school has owls,’

‘Hmmm,’ Scorpius frowned.

‘Besides, owls are boring pets. If I had one it would have to be cool,’

‘Like a dragon?’ he said, smiling slyly.

‘Harry? Is it alright if I extend the boot? Rose’s other trunk won’t fit in,’ her dad called from the front door.

‘That’s probably her shoe case,’ Sandy remarked. Harry got up and headed outside to help.

From St. Ives to London, it would take them over five hours to drive to Kings Cross. Thankfully Harry and her father had magically modified his car, enabling it to not only fly, but to also go over three times faster. Her grandfather had let slip before that the model was based on one he had worked on back when her parents were young. It was decided they would pack all the luggage into the car, and let Harry and Ron drive it to London. Usually this was completely prohibited, especially in daylight, but Hermione had pulled a few strings with the Ministry and managed to get them a permit. The rest of them would group up and take portkeys to alleys near the station. Albus had tried unsuccessfully to convince Ginny to let them apparate. 

‘Okay the Portkeys are set for 10:15 sharp,’ Hermione said, over an hour later once everyone had finished their breakfast. ‘So you’ve all got twenty minutes to get yourselves organised’. 

Her dad and Harry had left well over an hour ago, so they would be there to meet them outside the station. Rose followed the girls up to her room for last minute checks. Objects were being flung around the room by Frankie, Roxanne was searching the bathroom and Sandy looking through the record collection. 

‘Did I pack my toothbrush?’

‘Ughhh I just know my uniform is at the bottom of the trunk,’

‘You packed the record player Rose didn’t you?’

‘Yes Sandy, but not all the records,’

‘There is no way you’re leaving this one behind?’

‘Which one is it?’

‘Is that my tie?’

‘Oh that wasn’t me who left that one out,’

‘Solar Power is a summer record, we don’t need it in Hogwarts,’

‘We always need Lorde, Frankie, I’m bringing,’

‘There is no space! I brought Melodrama instead,’

‘I’ll pack it in my train bag,’

‘Did you bring her first one?’

‘You better have,’

‘Obviously,’

‘Great, we’re bringing the whole Lorde discography to Hogwarts,’

‘She’s my favourite muggle artist Frankie,’

‘Is she a muggle though?’

‘Yeah I’m unconvinced,’

‘Did I pack my bat?’

‘You did Roxie, don’t worry, I double checked,’

‘Rose surely not another pair of boots,’

‘I’m wearing these going!’

‘They’ll make you take them off when we arrive,’

Nah I’ll get away with it, they’re Gryfindor colours!’

‘Just about, they’re mostly black,’

‘Can’t you see the red streaks?’

‘Rose your perfume!’

‘Shit nearly forgot,’

‘Your prized possession,’

‘After her shoes,’

‘Enough Sandra,’

‘It’s right up there with the trademark boots though, what else would you smell like if its not sugar and pistachios,’

‘It’s carmel actually,’

‘Sugaaa sounds better,’

‘Behave,’

By the time they made it downstairs it was twelve minutes past ten, and her mother was fretting. Scorpius, Albus and Lily were standing outside, looking at the assortment of items being used for portkeys. Her grandparents were staying behind, so they each said their goodbyes, gave her a kiss and a hug and ushered her towards the garden. Between them there were ten left to travel. Her mother had organised three portkeys. A chipped plate, a large sunhat and an old watering can. Ginny was grouping them up, instructing Lily, Sandy and Roxanne to take hold of the plate. Hermione stood with a finger on the watering can, gesturing to Frankie and Albus to do the same. 

‘Rose and Scorpius grab the hat, oka-, where did Hugo go?’

‘He was just here,’

‘It’s fourteen minutes past!’

Rose quickly looked back to the kitchen and saw Hugo, still talking to her grandfather. 

‘Hugo!’ she exclaimed, she dropped the hat and started running towards the door. Hugo turned, saw the look on her face and glanced at his watch. The realisation hit and he ran towards her. They hurried back to the group, Hugo’s height advantage causing him to overtake her. 

‘Rose quick!’

‘Here,’ Scorpius grabbed the hand that she reached out, pulled her in and held her around her waist. Half a second later she felt the tug of the portkey, she closed her eyes. 

They landed on their feet, although a little wobbly. Scorpius still had his arm around her, and he hastily withdrew it once she was steady.

‘Come on, we’re meeting them just outside,’ Rose said, running her fingers through the ends of her hair and ruffling out her fringe.

‘It’s so humid, my hair is gonna melt,’ Hugo said, respiking parts of his hair.

They met with the others, her dad and uncle pushing huge trollies of their luggage. They ignored the looks from people. She imagined it might look strange to see twelve people walking around, some carrying owls and others wearing a mismatch of outfits. Kings cross was busy, which actually made getting through the barrier easier, not having to watch out for any dawdling eagle-eyed muggles.

Platform 9 and ¾’s was even busier than the rest of the station. It was full of families saying their goodbyes, friends reuniting, and nervous looking eleven year olds, some already in their uniform. Scorpius, Roxanne and Sandy thanked her family and headed off to find their own. She caught Scorpius’ eye before he disappeared into the crowd. She scolded herself. There would be enough time to overthink Scorpius on the train, right now she had many, many goodbyes to say.

With ten minutes until the train departed, the only people Rose hadn’t said goodbye to were her parents.

‘I’m gonna head on, find us a carriage. Meet you there?’ Frankie said, giving her an encouraging smile. Rose made a face, she wasn’t sure where this confrontation would go, and she didn’t fancy spending the long ride to Scotland in tears. She turned to her parents.

‘We’ll miss you Rosie,’ her dad spoke first, breaking the awkward silence stretching between her and her mother.

‘You too dad, I’m expecting weekly letters,’ she replied, hugging him.

‘Be good. Be smart like your mother, funny like your dad, play quidditch like your aunt and uncle and beat Scorpius Malfoy,’ her father said. She grinned. Ron Weasley had given her this speech since second year, and it had become a tradition by now. She hugged him again. He pulled away after a moment and handed her a heavy pouch. It clinked when she took it. 

‘For the train, buy something from the trolley,’ he said, smiling. He kissed her forehead and went to say goodbye to Hugo, leaving her and her mum alone. 

She waited a few minutes. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. She tried again. She sighed and looked at her mother.

‘I’m sorr-,’ they said in unison.

Her mother smiled and pulled her close. Rose buried her face in her mothers hair, breathing in the comforting scent of her mothers’ perfume. Hermione drew back and held Rose’s shoulders.

‘I only want the best for you. I promise. I know we both have different ideas of what actually is the best. But we’ll figure it out,’

‘Mum I kno-,’

‘Just tell me you’ll consider the internships, or even just staying in England. Just take this year to think. If it’s really what you want then, well,’

‘I’ll think about it mum, really. But if I don’t stick to your plan, can I count on you to back mine?’ Rose watched her mother carefully. She was looking down, a tell-tale sign her mother was trying to work out a problem. The train whistle blew. ‘Rosie, you better get going,’ she heard her father say. Rose felt her heart sink. She wanted her mothers’ support. Right now more than ever. She pulled away, hearing the second whistle.

‘Rose wait,’ her mother called, as she stood before the door. 

‘I promise,’ her mother nodded solemnly. 

Rose breathed a sigh of relief. She ran back and threw her arms around her mothers’ neck. She pulled away as she heard the third whistle blow. She made it onto the train just as the doors began to shut and the train began to pull out of the station. She saw her mother mouth ‘I love you’. Rose blew a kiss and mouthed it back, waving until she lost sight of Kings Cross Station.

                                                                     *

‘Finally. Why aren’t ye in your usual cabin?’ Rose said, pulling closed the door behind her. She had spent the last twenty minutes, poking her head in nearly every cabin, looking for her friends.

‘A group of first years were in it. Poor things, I felt bad kicking them out,’ Frankie replied, shoving the owls cages over and helping Rose fit her train bag on the shelf above them. She had put the rest of her stuff in the luggage cabin. It went directly to the school once they arrived in Hogsmeade station, and each year somehow ended up in the correct dorms.

‘I’m surprised Sandy didn’t insist,’ Rose remarked.

‘Oh I wanted to, but Roxie bribed me,’ her friend replied, rolling her eyes at her.

Roxanne, sitting across from her, held up a bag of chocolate frogs as an answer.

‘Smart girlfriend you’ve got there Sandy,’ Rose said, sitting down next to her.

‘Don’t I know it,’ she replied drily, but giving Roxanne a smile. 

The girls weren’t long into catching up on all the gossip they’d acquired from just a short time at the station, when they were interrupted by a knock on the door. 

‘Room for four more?’ Albus said, sliding open the door.

‘Seven actually, if you count your owls,’ Roxanne said, eyeing the owl perched on Albus’s shoulder. 

‘Absolutely not,’ Sandy replied, doing a shooing motion with her hand.

‘Ignore her, she’s cranky about losing her favourite cabin,’ Frankie said, both she and Roxanne moved up to make room.

‘Ahh Rosalie!’ Louis said in a strong french accent, smiling as he sat down next to Albus. He leant across to give her a kiss on either cheek.

‘Do you ever get tired of pretending to be French Louis?’ Sandy said, folding her arms.

‘Maybe because I am French? And it’s pronounced Loo-wee,’ he replied, his normal English accent returning.

‘Your mother is French. And I prefer Loo-iss,’ she replied smugly.

‘Your name is literally Sandy Wood so let's not go there,’ he replied, , smiling sweetly at her. 

Rose could sense Sandy getting ready to throw back the worst insults she could think of. She needed to act fast. 

‘Shove over,’ she said to her, distracting her enough to make room for the other two lads. 

Noah Nott sat down next to her, leaving Scorpius on his other side, closest to the door.

‘Hey Noah,’ Rose said kindly. Noah was quieter than the rest of the lads and sometimes a little grumpy. But once you got to know him, he had a wicked sense of humour. And Rose found him to always give good advice. 

Noah smiled back at Rose, and asked her politely about her summer. Then he yawned, hugged his knees to his chest and pulled his hat down over his eyes. He leant his head back and started snoring. 

The group spent the journey eating their weight in food from the trolley, and catching up on each other's lives. They recounted their tales of summer, and swapped stories about people in their year. 

Noah slept through most of it, so Louis filled them in. 

‘His dad sent him off to his auntie in Wales, he got a job in some muggle shop and tried to learn Welsh. That’s basically it,’ Louis told them, mouth full of cake.

‘Poor Noah! Living in some strange house in a different country, no friends around,’ Frankie said, glancing over at Noah, still slouched in his seat.

‘Oh no it wasn’t like that,’ Scorpius reassured her, ‘His aunt literally lives in a castle. She married some eccentric, rich descendant of a lord or something,’

‘Yeah and he worked in a bookshop, you know how he is,’ Albus said, reaching over to root through the box of sandwiches his grandmother had given them.

‘That’s hardly exciting,’ Sandy remarked.

‘Maybe if you knew how to read you’d think so,’ Louis said. ‘And it’s not as if he didn’t have friends,’ he continued quickly, before Sandy could retaliate. ‘Don't worry. He made plenty of friends’.

Albus snorted into his sandwich, nearly choking. Scorpius leant forward to clap his friend on the back, when the train rounded a bend. He stumbled to the side, knocking over the tin biscuits Louis had just opened. Scorpius half fell half sat on Noah’s lap. Noah jumped up, startled, yanking his hat off his head. He nearly fell but grabbed Keith’s cage, causing a loud squawk to be heard throughout the carriage. He rolled his eyes as everyone covered their ears and tried to stop laughing. 

‘I was having a lovely dream,’ he said sleepily, shoving Scorpius over and moving into the space next to the door.

‘About your many friends in Wales?’ Sandy asked innocently, pulling out her wand and clearing away the mess.

Noah narrowed his eyes and rounded on Louis. He covered his face and dodged Noah’s hat being flung his way.

‘There wasn’t many,’ Noah said, shaking his head, ‘is that yer Gran’s scones? Pass one over there Rose’. 

Noah had to call her twice before she heard him. She blushed, passing over the container. She hadn’t been listening. She was too distracted by the fact that she was now sitting way too close for comfort next to Scorpius Malfoy. Eight students in a carriage wasn’t unreasonable when they were only twelve. But now, at seventeen, with four boys, three of them over six foot, and four girls of which only two could be considered short, there wasn’t a lot of room in the carriage. Not to mention the six animals. She had tried shifting her weight, but no matter how she sat, she was stuck, the left side of her body pressed against Scorpius. 

‘Stop wriggling,’ Sandy hissed in her ear. Rose glared at her, glancing back at the group to see if anyone had heard. Thankfully, there was a rather loud debate happening about who was going to be their new potions teacher. 

‘Help,’ Rose murmured back. 

‘Out guys. Time to change,’ Sandy said to the group, ‘we’ll be at Hogwarts soon’.

‘We’ve another hour at least,’ Albus replied, mid-sorting his playing cards.

‘Don’t you have a prefect meeting to go to?’ Sandy replied exasperatedly.

‘They should give seventh years the option of not attending,’ he groaned.

‘You can walk me,’ Frankie said, nudging him with her shoulder.

Rose watched them then shared a smile with Scorpius, then caught herself and looked away. 

‘Out,’ Rose stood up and began ushering the boys out of the carriage. She handed Noah a bag of toffees and shut the door, closing the curtain in their faces.

‘What was the rush Rosie?’ Roxanne asked, pulling down her bag to find her uniform.

‘Hmm? Just needed to change, wanted to get out of these pants,’ she replied distractedly, pulling her jumper over her head.

‘That’s it. Wanted to get out of her pants,’ Sandy said grinning, turning to the girls, ‘and wanted to get into Scorpius’ ones’.

Roxanne and Frankie shrieked. 

‘You naughty girl,’ Roxanne said, throwing a shirt at Rose. 

‘I am not,’ insisted Rose. She ducked, knocking against Ronnie’s cage. The other birds started flapping and squawking again. 

Rose swore and tried to calm the owls. The other girls were in fits of laughter, Frankie was holding her sides. 

‘Ye alright?’ came a voice from the other side of the door. 

‘Great thanks just your stupid fucking bird,’ Rose replied, yanking her bag down and pulling out her clothes. 

‘The tension is there though, the carriage was heating up,’ Frankie said in a hushed voice, knotting her tie. 

‘Enough,’ Rose warned. 

‘Rose have you gotten a new skirt since first year?’ Roxanne asked. 

‘Nope, there’s a growing charm on it so it got longer as I got taller,’ she replied. 

‘Mmm maybe redo the charm when u get a chance,’ 

‘Mmm,’ Rose said, irritated. She had had enough of them bringing up Scorpius, and she was getting tired of hearing comments on her clothes. She knew she was just in a bad mood and it wasn’t entirely their fault. But she had to get out of there before she started an argument she’d regret. 

She glanced around to make sure everyone was dressed and then pulled open the carriage door. The boys were waiting outside, toffees in their hands. She rolled her eyes and walked quickly past them, ignoring her name being called. 

                                                                        *