This is my Round 2 Entry for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition 2013-2014. It's a Scorpius/Rose fic, which should make some of my readers happy as they've been requesting that I write one for awhile now :)

The QLFC picks the prompts and the rules for us each round - and each story has to be 1000-3000 words. Feel free to check out my first round entry, "One Sided Heart String Tug" and give it a little love. Apparently this tournament goes through March 2014...so it's going be a long ride and I certainly won't be able to do it without all of you!

PS: I'm hoping to have a SMWILF update later this week!

Team: Ballycastle Bats
Position: Beater #2
Words: 2917 words beforethe Author's Note
Pairing: Scorpius/Rose; Ron/Hermione - Hurt/Comfort; Romance; Family
Prompts: [dialogue - "Please tell me you aren't serious. Please."] [object - tiger]
Lyric Inspiration Requirement:
Forgetting all the hurt inside
You've learned to hide so well
Pretending someone else can come
And save me from myself
I can't be who you are
~Linkin Park; Leave Out All the Rest

"Dad says he's not even going to come to the wedding-"

"Scorpius-"

"Grandfather says that by marrying into this 'blood traitor family' that I'm causing thousands of Malfoys-"

"Scorpius -"

"Thousands of Malfoys to roll over in their graves, Rose, and that I'm going to bring shame to my family and -"

"Scorpius -"

"If he thinks he's going to dictate the rest of my bloody life he has another goddamn-"

"Scorpius stop!"

Scorpius looked over at his fiancée, her eyes wide and face slightly horrified at the outburst he didn't even realize he was having in front of her parents and his brother. He'd interrupted the traditional Friday night Weasley family dinner that Hermione instituted once Hugo graduated from Hogwarts - after his own disastrous family dinner and immediately launched into a full on meltdown, something he'd never done before in such a public fashion. Malfoys, after all, weren't raised to show feelings. Scorpius tried to apologize for his outburst, as his rage quickly transformed into embarrassment, but the words were stuck in his throat. He turned on a heel before Rose could reach out to him and ran out of the house through the kitchen door.

Rose went to go after him, but her father stopped her. "Dad I have to -"

"No," Ron said with a sigh. "Let me."

"Please tell me you're not serious. Please," Hermione reiterated with a look.

"What!" her husband exclaimed, rather indignantly.

"What?" Hermione repeated with a sarcastic laugh. "You've been about as supportive of this relationship as a wet paper bag, Ron. You're not to go out there if you're going to make it worse."

Rolling his eyes, Ron wadded up a napkin and tossed it over at his son, who was doing his best not to laugh at his mother's incredibly valid point. "To be fair, I wasn't going to like anyone who had intentions on marrying my Rosie. I don't hate the kid." He looked over at Rose, who didn't seem all that convinced. "What?"

"Just...like Mum said, don't make it worse," was all Rose could come up with, speaking with a heavy sigh. Their engagement had been a disaster from the moment the news somehow leaked into The Daily Prophet and she wasn't sure either of them could handle any more disappointment. To say his parents were unenthusiastic about the news was the understatement of the year. "I'm going up to my room."

Hugo finished off the lasagna on his plate by shoveling the last of it into his mouth, wiping his face with a napkin. "I'm going to go sit with her," he said with a mouthful.

Hermione rolled her eyes at her son. "Would it kill you to chew, swallow, and then speak?"

"Possibly," Hugo replied with a smirk. He walked around the table and pecked his mother on the cheek, and laughed as she returned his gesture with a swat towards his arm, but missed. "So close!" he called out to her as he disappeared up the stairs.

Hermione shook her head and looked over at her husband, who was staring out through the window over the kitchen sink. She turned to see what had Ron's attention, and her heart broke at the sight of the blond headed boy sitting down at the base of the old oak tree in the back yard, his shoulders shaking as he hugged his arms close to his chest. "What are you going to say to him?"

"I don't know yet," Ron replied.

"Maybe I should go instead."

"No, I'm going," Ron insisted. "I'm going."

He walked past his wife and gave her a quick kiss and shuffled himself outside. He didn't rush towards the old oak tree, but instead shoved his hands into his pockets and slowly made his way towards his future son-in-law. He might have hated his entire family, but even Ron could admit that being the son of Draco Malfoy couldn't have been much of a picnic. He was quiet as he reached the tree, electing to take a seat on the swing he and George fastened up when the kids were still small.

Scorpius sniffled, wiping his nose on the sleeve of his arm but didn't bother looking up. "I didn't mean to ruin dinner."

"You didn't ruin dinner."

"I interrupted, it was terribly rude, and -"

"Scorpius," Ron said, kind but firm. "You didn't ruin dinner. Really."

Scorpius sighed, looking up but straight ahead towards the fence. "I still shouldn't have come over unannounced."

Ron chuckled as he swayed back and forth slightly on the swing, his heels digging into the ground as he pushed back before slowly moving forward. "You don't need to be announced, Scorpius. You've been dating Rosie for a decade."

Scorpius nodded, his hands picking at the blades of grass next to him. "I hate my father," he bluntly stated after a few minutes of silence. "I expected the 'blood traitor' trash from my grandfather, but I thought my father would come around. Rose has been to the manor. He's been polite to her. Curt, but polite, and Mum said he'd come around but he didn't, and she didn't...she didn't even stick up for me."

Ron sighed, feeling sorry for the man sitting in front of him, very much resembling a lost boy despite his age of twenty-five years, watching the tears leaping from his eyes, sliding down his pale cheeks. He wondered how much Scorpius had kept inside all these years, how much hurt he'd endured from his family, and how he'd manage to hide it for so long.

"Look, Ron said, sitting still on the swing. "I reckon you love my Rosie, and she must mean a lot to you if you're willing to go through nine sorts of hell with your family over her."

Scorpius sniffled and finally looked Ron in the eye. "I love her more than anything, Sir."

"I believe you," Ron honestly replied. "And I know I've given you a lot of grief over the years, but that really had more to do with my daughter being in love with a boy than it did with you being a Malfoy."

Sniffling again, Scorpius was able to manage a weak smile. "That's what Rose said."

"She's smart," Ron said. "Just like her mother. She's too smart, really."

Scorpius looked back down at the ground and began to pick at the grass again. "Is she upset at me? I'm sure I embarrassed her with my outburst earlier. I don't know what I was thinking, apparating over here and yelling like I did."

Ron shrugged. "I think she's just upset that you're upset. This whole engagement hasn't been easy for either of you this week."

"No," Scorpius agreed. "It hasn't. And I just feel so awful because it wasn't supposed to be this way!" His fingers viciously plucked blades of grass from the ground in rapid succession for a few seconds. "I can't be my father. I don't want to be my father or my grandfather. I don't want to be either of them."

Standing up from the swing, Ron took the two steps necessary and turned to face Scorpius, squatting down to his level. He braced his hands on his shoulders and gave them both a firm squeeze until the young man looked up in response. "You are nothing like your father. Nothing. And they're never going to change. They're never going to change and you're going to have to accept that. Marrying Rose may very well cause them to disown you, to disinherit you, and no one can save you from that and you're too smart to pretend that someone will. That decision, if that's how your father decides to handle this situation, makes it his loss."

Scorpius nodded. "I know, Sir."

"And," Ron continued, standing upright and offering a hand to Scorpius, helping pull the young man up to his feet so that they were both at eye level. "My wife is incredibly fond of you, despite my many attempts to sway her when you and Rosie became friends. You helped look after Hugo when he went to Hogwarts and he idolized you because of it, and I know it means a lot to Rosie that you two are friends, because they are so close." Shoving his hands into his pockets, he looked over at Scorpius and gave him a wry smile. "And I reckon because of that - but not just because of that - I don't mind much that you're marrying my only daughter. I know you'll take care of her."

"I will," Scorpius replied. He pulled the handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his eyes. "Mr. Weasley?"

"You can really call me Ron, Scorp," he said with a laugh. "You're about to be my son-in-law."

Scorpius shoved the handkerchief back in his pocket. "I'm not worried, you know, about being disowned and disinherited. I mean, I already had all of my gold in Gringotts moved out of my vault weeks ago and into Rose's, so my father couldn't do anything stupid." He scratched the back of his head and sighed. "But you're wrong about one thing."

"Really?" Ron asked, a bit curious.

"Rose saved me," Scorpius admitted. "No one wanted to be my friend. Not even the kids whose dads were friends with my dad, but Rose sat down next to me on the Hogwarts train. By the time we got to the castle, I finally knew what hope felt like. I didn't know it then, but I know it now, and that's the day I fell in love with her."

Ron nodded, remembering how scared he felt when he told Richard Granger a similar, yet very personal story about the moment he fell in love with Hermione. When he confessed to Hermione what he told her father later, she gave him a look of pure adoration that he could picture perfectly to this day. "You should tell her that someday," Ron said. "That's a good story to get you out of the doghouse should you ever find yourself in one."

Scorpius laughed. "You speak as if you have experience."

"You've been around long enough to see Hermione and I row," Ron retorted. "Now - for a bit of a more serious talk - Hermione and I don't want the two of you going back to your flat with your father and grandfather up in arms over this."

"I was kind of thinking the same thing earlier," Scorpius admitted.

"Harry and I will go over later this week and throw up some extra wards for good measure," Ron stated. "But if it's all the same, I'd rather the two of you stay here until that happens."

"Thank you," Scorpius replied. "I'll probably go back in a bit to get some things to put in the guest room."

"Scorpius?"

"Yes, Sir?"

Ron sighed. "One - stop calling me 'Sir.' Two - you can sleep in Rose's room. I'm not an idiot."

Scorpius felt his cheeks blush. "Alright sir-I mean, Ron."

"Now go inside and show Rose you're better now so she stops worrying, all right?"

Scorpius nodded again. "I will. And Ron?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks," Scorpius quietly said. "Your entire family...well...they mean a lot to me too."

The two men, at a silent understanding, walked back into the house in tandem, finding Hermione in the kitchen cleaning up dinner while she had bowls and ingredients charmed to churn and mix up some cookie dough. She wiped her hands on her apron and walked over to Scorpius, clapping her small hands gently against his face. "You all sorted?" she asked with a knowing look.

"Yes," he said. "I'm sorry for my outburst earlier."

"Nonsense," Hermione said. "You were bound to explode sometime. Be glad it was here, where people love you, and not somewhere else. Are snicker doodle cookies still your favorite?"

He laughed a little bit. "Yes, snicker doodles are still my favorite."

"Well there will be some fresh ones ready in a bit," she said. "Why don't you go on upstairs and check on Rose. I've already had your elf bring over clothes for the two of you."

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley."

"Scorpius," Hermione said with a stern look. "It's either Hermione or Mum. Mrs. Weasley is my mother-in-law."

Scorpius lightly sighed, then kissed Hermione on the cheek. "Alright, Mum," he whispered in her ear, then headed towards the stairs. As he leapt up the stairs two at a time, he remembered a time where he felt almost embarrassed at the fact that Rose's mother cared about him and his well being more than his entire family combined, but now he just accepted this as what normal parents do. He walked down the hall to Rose's bedroom door and gave it a knock before opening the door. Inside, he found Rose sitting on her bed, her legs crossed as she fiddled with the engagement ring on her left finger. "Where's Hugh?"

"Lorcan sent him an owl, a bunch of them are going out tonight," Rose quietly replied. "He was going to stay but I told him to go. I figured you'd be up here eventually." She looked up at him and nodded towards the door. "Shut it," she bossed. "I don't want to be bothered."

He nodded, and did as she asked. Taking a seat next to her on the bed, he watched as her thumb continuously spun the ring on her finger, eventually stopping as the stone was facing her palm, her thumb rocking it back and forth in a nervous sort of fashion. "We don't have to get married if you don't want to," he said, speaking slowly, forcing the words to move past his lips.

She stopped her fidgeting and looked up at him. "Oh no - we're getting married," Rose demanded.

Scorpius exhaled loudly. "Thank Merlin," he said. "I was afraid you'd changed your mind."

"Absolutely not!" Rose insisted. "But I don't like what this is doing to you and your family."

"You're my family," Scorpius said. "Your family is my family. Anyone who doesn't understand that can just bugger off." He moved past her and lay down on her bed, his head landing on something other than just her pillow. Scorpius reached behind him and pulled the offending object out from under his head and held it towards Rose. "What is this?"

"Tiger."

"Tiger?"

Rose nodded. "That's his name."

"It's a lion, Rose."

"Obviously. But when I was little, I thought he was a tiger, so that's what I named him," Rose explained.

Scorpius laughed a real, genuine laugh for the first time since they were outed in the Prophet earlier that week. "But it's clearly a lion!"

"I was two!" Rose defensively exclaimed while yanking the well-loved stuffed lion from his grasp, hugging it tight. Suddenly, she let out a shriek as she felt Scorpius grab ahold of her waist, pulling her down to the bed with him. She didn't resist his urge to hug her tight, but instead, hugged one of his arms to her chest as she felt him relax behind her. "I love you," she told him. "And we'll figure this out."

Scorpius shook his head. "There's nothing to figure out. I won't be my father, and they won't be around our family. I won't allow it. I'm done."

Rose sighed. "Maybe they'll come around."

"You'll die holding your breath on that one," Scorpius muttered.

"Probably," Rose agreed. She got Scorpius to loosen his grip on her enough so that she could roll over by giving his arm a light double tap with her hand. Facing him, she kissed the tip of his nose, and then pecked his lips while she ran a hand through his hair before resting it back on his cheek. She could see him getting emotional again, and doing his best to keep it at bay. "You don't have to pretend it doesn't bother you," Rose gently spoke.

Another brush of her hand against his cheek was all it took for Scorpius to cry for the first time in front of her. His face buried into the crook of her neck, Rose did nothing to stop him, and held him until it was all out of his system. It was too easy for Rose to forget sometimes that parts of Scorpius still belonged to the sad little boy she met on the train all those years ago. When he finally calmed down, she let him pull away to wipe his eyes.

"Feel better?"

He snorted. "It's bad enough that I cried in front of your father, and now you."

"Hey," she gently scolded, tipping his chin up so she could see his face. "Guess what?"

"What?"

"You don't have to hide your feelings. Not from me. We're getting married. We're going to live in a beautiful house, and have gorgeous children, and most importantly, we're going to be happy. Despite your family, we're going to be happy and nothing can change that," Rose informed him. "You aren't your father. I wouldn't be here if you were."

"Rose! Scorpius! The cookies are done!"

Scorpius laughed and Rose giggled, brushing the remaining tears from his cheeks away as they heard her mother shout up to them as if they were five. Scorpius caught Rose's hand and placed a sweet kiss on the inside of her hand, right against her ring. "I love you."

"Good," Rose replied with a smile. "Because you're stuck with me, Malfoy."

"Promise?"

"Promise."