chapter image by GryffindorGirl153
Chapter One - Prologue: Wrong Mind
I’ve never really been
wanted by a guy before.
No, it’s true. People usually say that being the cousin of the infamous Potter siblings should get me at least some sort of credibility throughout the school, that because of my kin I should have a little popularity nestled in my DNA somewhere, even if it’s just a little bit. I would like to think I do, too, but sadly I have not been blessed with the Weasley-Potter fame like the majority of my cousins.
Not even in first year when I was responsible for snagging the remaining fifty points so that Gryffindor could win the house cup, or in third year when I won the school a shiny gold trophy for beating a Beauxbatons sixth year in the Charming Beetle competition (the French school still blames us but it was clear I got the Hippogriff to levitate first), or even now, this year, when I became a Prefect.
I’ve always been the nerd girl, the brainy red-head that always seems to know everything. Although I don’t tend to show it as much as my mother before me, people still seem to know how much of a geek-to-the-core I am. I think that if it weren’t for my status in the school (I.E. the cousin of James Sirius Potter and Albus Severus Potter) I would be particularly hated by the entire student body. Well, almost the entire student body – my family and family friends take up at least half of the student body, if not more.
But still, those are the people that
have to like me. If I were to count the people who
don’t have to like me – all of whom, in fact, hate me – I’m pretty certain I’d run out of fingers, toes, ears – anything at all I could possibly count on – within seconds.
It’s not that I’m a bad person; my cousins assure me all the time that I’m lovely, and they’re not just saying that. I like to think I’m sweet, kind, funny and generous. I guess people just don’t seem to give me a lot of chances. They judge me by the books I carry around, or the sarcastic exterior I tend to host the majority of the time. They say I’m the stooge Weasley because they don’t take the time to find out for themselves what I’m really like; they prefer to base my personality on the rumours others like to spread.
I don’t care, really. I’m not entirely into the people at Hogwarts – apart from my cousins, of course. People these days are shallow, and the majority of the students only care about themselves. I don’t know how many girls I’ve seen obsessing over their hair, piling on loads of makeup, hooking up with numerous guys just to gain the title ‘slut’ for a little attention. And don’t even get me started on the guys – who are just as bad – who walk around like they own the place and sleep with every girl they possibly can so they can say they’ve ‘done’ so and so.
I’m proud to say that I’m a very non-shallow person. I might not always be able to find the best in people, but I don’t go around advertising their faults like others feel the need to do. I’m also very logical and mature, and hate anything to do with petty ‘high school’ procedure. I guess that’s why people don’t like me – because I’m abnormal – but it’s never been a problem for me because I’ve never wanted any of those shallow idiots to like me.
Until now.
Well, I wouldn’t even say that Scorpius Malfoy is shallow. I hardly know the guy. Which is why it came as a shock to me when he was the first and only guy to ever kiss me. It’s not just because he solely tracked me down and kissed me after the Christmas feast celebrations that I’m completely shocked and confused, but also because he hadn’t drunk a drop of the spiked pumpkin juice and had been keeping to himself all night, sitting in a corner alone while everyone else danced.
I’d decided I’d had enough of the party when I escaped to the beautifully decorated garden before the great castle. Lily had dragged me along to it, and I’m pretty sure everyone could tell I wasn’t enjoying myself because of the sour look I hosted for the entire night. So why Scorpius felt compelled to follow the grouch outside is still unbeknown to me. But he was there, and I was there, and we were staring at each other. He asked me how I was, and I said I was fine, too shocked that he was actually talking to me to tell him the truth, that I was feeling like shit because we’d all be going home the next day for Christmas break and I’d had just about enough of my cousins to last a lifetime.
I think he realised I was confused, because he told me he was just looking for someone to talk to. I was amazed that he considered me ‘someone to talk to’ when there are so many other girls out there who are fawning over him and would jump at the chance to talk to him. So we stood there in silence for a while, appreciating the moon, and I smiled awkwardly at him when the clock began chiming midnight.
I know it’s a New Years tradition for two people to kiss at midnight, but I think Scorpius felt it was the perfect time to kiss me. The only reason I let him do it was because I knew I would be back home in Surrey the next day. Okay, maybe it had more to do with the fact that he’s completely intoxicating and he has the most beautiful liquid teal eyes and every time I look at them I feel like I’m going to melt. At the time I wasn’t thinking at all that this wasn’t my normal behaviour.
But Scorpius Malfoy kissed me anyway.
I know, right? Who in their right mind would want to kiss
me? So the only conclusion I had come to after thinking about it over and over again that night as I lay in my bed is that Scorpius Malfoy
wasn’t in his right mind when he kissed me. Maybe he was having some family issues and wanted to drown away his sorrows by kissing the first girl he found?
But then I told myself no, if he wanted to drown away his sorrows he would’ve chosen fire whiskey over me, Rose Weasley, geek extraordinaire. So that, of course, led me to think that he maybe pitied me because I had no one to dance with that night, and he probably thought that kissing me couldn’t cause any more damage than was already done.
After a sleepless night filled with Scorpius and those amazingly rich lips of his, I boarded the Hogwarts Express with my cousins and brother and left for England. The entire train ride I didn’t see him at all. Well, that’s because I was a wuss and stayed in my compartment with Lily, Dominique, Albus, Molly, Lucy, Hugo and Louis for the entire trip, except when I had to go to the bathroom, during which times I would make a dash for it and then dash back. There was no way I could face him after what happened.
So I’ve spent Christmas and New Years thinking about nothing but him, trying to create alternate universes in which it would be possible for Scorpius Malfoy to even remotely like me. I’ve told no one about our kiss because I don’t think anyone should know. I mean, it’ll never happen again, so why put it out there at all? I think everyone noticed I was feeling a little dejected over the holidays, though, which is why no one bothered me, except for Dominique, Lily and Teddy who all seemed to think they could fix whatever was going on in my head.
The impossibility of it happening again, however, did not stop me from fantasising about it for the entire two weeks. Two weeks is a lot of time to think about something and become decided about it. And what have I decided? I’ve decided that Scorpius didn’t want to kiss me, that he feels it’s a mistake and that he’ll never want to talk to me again, and I’m fine with that. I did okay before that night and I’ll do okay for the rest of my two years at Hogwarts. I don’t need Scorpius Malfoy, no matter how good a kisser he is …
So it’s with this attitude that I’m standing before the Hogwarts Express once again. It’s the third of January, and the entire Weasley clan plus the Potters and Teddy are gathered around one of the entrances of the train, one by one saying goodbye to each and every child going back off to Hogwarts. It’s usually a gruelling progress, and there are lots of tears, but it’s something I dread every time I have to return. Being home is a relief, but it’s horrible watching Mum cry as she and Dad wave us off onto the train.
Dom’s tugging on my arm. She’s already said goodbye to her parents, Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur, and her sister Victoire (who right now is attached to Teddy’s arm). I peck Mum and Dad quickly on their cheeks and wave goodbye. Mum waves her handkerchief in return and Dad squeezes her waist reassuringly. Hugo’s already on the train. He hates goodbyes.
Dom and I meet up with Lily, Fred, James, Lucy, Roxanne and Molly as soon as the train starts moving. I don’t bother going to the window to wave goodbye to my family again because I’ll only see them all crying again. I stay as close to the compartment door as possible as my cousins lean out the windows and call out ‘goodbye’ and ‘I’ll miss you’ as the train gets faster and faster.
Pretty soon we’re out of King’s Cross and moving through the streets of London. I can’t wait until we get out into the country because that’s when the landscapes are pretty. I’m sick of London during winter because everything always looks depressing. I stare dejectedly out the window at the snow-capped industrial buildings, trying not to think about a certain blonde who I know is most definitely on this train right now.
Lily, ever perceptive, notices my less-than-enthusiastic expression and nudges my arm. “Rosie? You okay?”
I nod once, forcing a smile onto my face. “Yeah, sure, I’m fine.” I assure her without much effort. She notices I’m lying but for once doesn’t pester me about it. I thank Merlin she knows when it’s best to leave things unsaid.
But it won’t be long before others start noticing my ‘depression’, so I grab my robes out of my trunk and announce I’m going to get changed. It’s a relief to be out in the near-empty corridor, where I don’t have my cousins staring at me the entire time. I take my time wandering down toward the bathroom, too caught up in my own thoughts to notice anything around me.
And that’s when Scorpius steps out of nowhere. He’s standing in front of me, his arms folded across his chest, staring down at me through depthless teal eyes.
“Rose.”
I press my lips together as my heart accelerates. And I was so hoping to avoid this confrontation. You can’t always have what you want, apparently.
A/N: This plot bunny has been in my head for God knows how long. So read, review and enjoy! =)
Danielle x
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