Welcome Back
Rose sat down at the Gryffindor table, happy to be back at Hogwarts and thrilled to be sitting next to her two favorite cousins.
She watched nostalgically as the sorting hat named houses for the first-years, until finally Hugo's turn came around. He sat on the stool bravely, as if he had no question that he would be put in the Gryffindor house along with the rest of his family. But Rose was not as sure. She knew that the sorting hat had almost put her into Ravenclaw, and she thought it might try to do the same with her little brother, who was just as intelligent as she was definitely.
After less than thirty seconds, however, the sorting hat screamed out, "GRYFFINDOR!" with all of the bravery that Hugo had shown as he approached it. Rose's little brother smiled triumphantly and she clapped with the rest of her house as he came to sit with her and his cousins.
Since their last name was still Weasley, Hugo had been the last person in line for the hat. After he sat down at the table, a wondrous feast appeared for the enjoyment of the school. Hugo, showing his resemblance to his father, filled his plate to overflowing.
Rose chatted happily with Hugo, James, and Albus as she politely spooned potatoes, roast beef, mixed vegetables, and a bit of gravy onto her plate.
"I still can't believe your mum married Malfoy's dad," James said as he forked a few green beans into his mouth.
"Yeah," Albus agreed. "How did you live the summer in the same house as that prat?"
Hugo frowned, but his mouth was too full to speak. He had inherited his father's appetite, but his mother's manners. Rose saw his expression, however, and replied more meekly than she would have otherwise.
"I survived," she said optimistically. As she said it, however, images of dinners with him sitting across from her and making sneering faces filled her mind and she grimaced.
James caught sight of the reaction, and he commented sarcastically , "Yeah, I'm sure you had a great time."
Rose just laughed and shook her head. She didn't feel like talking about Malfoy at the moment.
He was basically all she ever thought about, and she needed a break already.
And by basically all she thought about, of course that is to say, he was on her mind a lot because he was so bothersome. She was worrying constantly whether he would try to hex her while their parents weren't looking.
And when he tried to play with Delilah, oh God help her, she couldn't take her eyes off of him. Because she was afraid that he would drop her, of course. She had to keep an eye out for her sister, didn't she?
He was always rather gentle with her, though. Rose noticed him making her giggle countless times before she ever succeeded in it. She was even jealous about it at times, in fact.
But all of that was in the back of her mind now. Now, she was with her little brother, the newest Gryffindor house member, and her two incredible cousins. Why on earth should she be fretting over her idiotic step-brother?
After a good amount of time, all of the students began to put their silverware down and rub their bellies. The feast was always fantastic, but it definitely filled up those adolescent stomachs quickly. Luckily, a distraction came to divert their attention from their bowels.
"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" boomed the voice of Professor Clearwater, the school's current headmaster, from the front of the Great Hall. "To all first-years, welcome! And to all returning students, welcome back!"
All of the students clapped. Professor Clearwater was a popular headmaster, most likely because of his young age and his vivacious enthusiasm. After a while, the clapping died down and he resumed the rest of the speech. Rose leaned in and listening intently as he greeted them from their vacations and outlined the expectations for the upcoming year. Somehow, nothing the man said was boring. Of course, there was the occasional student who just did not want to listen to anything the authority figured had to say, but overall the hall was silent as the headmaster delivered his oration.
"I'm stuffed," Albus commented as the four walked out of the hall, following behind the new Gryffindor prefects.
One of them was their cousin, Alison, who was the fifth-year daughter of their Uncle George and Aunt Angelina. Rose always thought that she was very pretty, and was jealous of her dark skin that she had inherited from her mum. The male prefect was someone that Rose didn't know very well, but obviously Alison knew him because they spent the time walking up to the Gryffindor tower catching up from the summer vacations.
"I can't wait to go to sleep," Hugo said as he let out a yawn.
"You kidding me mate?" James said excitedly. "The night's not half over!"
Rose laughed. "Hugo's bedtime is usually eight o'clock. He's been half-asleep for the past hour now."
James clapped Hugo on the back, causing the rather small boy to stumble forward. James helped him up and apologized profusely, and the four continued on the path to their dorms, laughing and chatting as they went.
Scorpius rolled his eyes as the dumbest boy in school followed him to the Slytherin dungeons.
"Goyle, please shut up now," he said, definitely loud enough for the other boy to hear.
But unfortunately, he must not have, because he kept on about how the pastries had tasted, and licking his lips and drooling like a dog.
"Goyle!" Scorpius shouted as he turned around to face him. "I was there! I tasted them! I remember, it was only ten minutes ago! Please, shut your mouth!"
Goyle frowned, but obeyed this time.
For the rest of the walk, Scorpius tried to make the pounding in his head subside.
"Hey," said a voice from his left as he rubbed his temples.
He turned to see a tall, blonde girl smiling at him. He knew who she was, but he certainly didn't know why she would be speaking to him,
"Um, hello," Scorpius said rather awkwardly.
"You're Scorpius Malfoy, right?" she asked, giggling a little. He nodded, raising his eyebrows skeptically. He didn't like girls and their giggling idiocy. She handed him a note, then ducked between two boys out of sight.
Scorpius frowned. The note was small and written rather messily.
"I think your cute."
That was all it said. Scorpius laughed out loud. Who in the world would send this to him? He knew it wasn't the girl who gave it to him, because surely someone that… well, developed… would be able to know the difference between "you're" and "your" and when each one was grammatically correct.
"Must be a first-year," he said aloud.
"Who must be?" Goyle grunted.
Scorpius groaned. He definitely had not meant to start a conversation with that dolt.
"No one, go away," he said quickly, and sped up his walking so that the huge oaf could not keep up.
Later, after he'd settled into his dorm (in a bed right across from Goyle, to his dismay), he laid and contemplated the admirer's identity.
"Come on, Rose, don't you want to play Wizard's Chess with me? You can't be tired already," James whined.
Rose only gave a huge yawn in reply.
"Fine, off to sleep," James complained. "I guess you are a second-year, after all. I forgot."
Rose frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?" she asked, hurt by her cousin's words.
"Nothing," James huffed.
"Is there something wrong?" she asked knowingly. "You're not just angry about Wizard's Chess, I know that for sure."
James sighed. "Yeah, there's something," he said, plopping into one of the sofas and folding his arms.
Rose walked around the couch and joined him. "So?"
"Rose, have you ever liked someone?" he asked. Rose frowned again and opened her mouth. "I mean really liked someone," James clarified emphatically.
Rose shook her head. "Not really, I mean, I did have a crush on Barty Krinksdale last term, but only for a little while before I saw him trying to levitate a smaller boy over the Black Lake. And then I wasn't interested any longer."
James nodded. "Yeah, I figured as much."
"Who is it?" Rose asked after a moment of silence.
"Ophelia Larson," James said immediately.
"What?" Rose gasped. "But James, she's a sixth-year!"
"I know," he replied woefully.
"And she's a Slytherin," Rose added with a slight hint of revulsion.
"I know," James said, letting his head fall into his hands.
Rose clicked her tongue. She wasn't sure exactly what to say.
"Do you think I could ever get her to fancy me?" he asked after a couple of pained minutes of silence.
"Hmmm," Rose tapped her lip. "I think so."
"Really?!" James practically flew into the air. He stood over Rose expectantly.
"I've seen you play Quidditch," she said persuasively. "You could make Gryffindor chaser this term, definitely."
James grinned widely. "Really? You think so?"
Rose nodded. "And everyone knows, Ophelia Larson loves Quidditch players. She's dated at least ten of them in the last year."
James chuckled, most likely from his excitement and not from Rose's comment.
"Will you do it?" she asked.
"Rose," James became serious suddenly. "Do it with me? Try out for the team? You could be seeker, you're almost as good as my dad."
Rose shook her head. "I don't think so…"
"But why?!" James demanded. "You'd make it! I know you would! Please, Rose, please!"
"Why do you want – "
"I just need the moral support," James pleaded. "Rose, please."
She sighed. "Yes, alright, alright, I'll do it."
James jumped and punched the air triumphantly. "This is going to be the best year ever!"
Rose laughed. "I hope so."
"You can go to bed now. I promise I won't call you a little second-year anymore," James said sheepishly.
"Thanks," Rose replied sarcastically as she made her way up to her familiar dormitories.