The Flower and the Snake

Rose couldn’t help herself. She threw a pillow at Hugo and groaned when Scorpius moved, missing his close proximity already. Her brother had been too shocked to speak, getting a face full of pillow and then fleeing. Though she was terribly frustrated now, Rose had to admit that Hugo had excellent timing. From what Scorpius had told her last night, well, they wouldn’t be going much farther than that.

Which wasn’t exactly against what Rose wanted either. Ginny hadn’t been kidding when she said Rose had to stop being so shy. The truth was that she’d never really had anyone before Scorpius. Sure she’d snogged someone already but beyond that there wasn’t much.

“Yes. I guess so.” Rose said, flustered more than she wanted him to know. She grabbed his eye patch and threw it towards him, smiling as he caught it.

“I don’t think you want to explain just yet why you have a brand new piece of gauze covering half your face.”

She leaned down and grabbed her clothes that had fallen when Scorpius had called her back, unwittingly giving him quite the view of her back end.

“I’ll go change in the bathroom then. See you downstairs.”

Scorpious nodded, watching her go with a blush. He was glad she left, quickly changing the gauze before placing his eyepatch on, changing his clothes.

He sighed and looked into the mirror frowning. He was pale. Too pale. And he looked as stressed as he felt.

Pulling out his wand, he cast a simple 'beauty' charm, creating a glamor over his frazzled appearance. he didn't do it often, though he had a reputation he for one reason or another felt he had to keep; calm cool and collected.

Rose took a quick shower in the bathroom, a rather cold one, to cool her heated skin and try and make some sense to her thoughts. She still had to process everything she had just found out, and damn it all to hell if she was going to let him get hurt when she could do something about it. She just had to figure out what she could do.

Quickly she jumped out and dried herself off, her skin sufficiently back to its usually pale color. She pulled on a pair of her favorite jeans, the denim hugging her hips and legs tightly. Then she pulled on a black, long sleeved shirt, the neck dipping a bit low then what she usually wore at school. She didn’t think anything of it of course, being used to her muggle clothes and forgetting that Scorpius wouldn’t be.

She left the bathroom and headed downstairs to see Hugo red as an apple and eating his lunch silently for once. He obviously didn’t know what to say after seeing his sister straddling some guy.

“Hey mom.”

“There you are sleepy head. There’s sandwiches on the counter.” Hermione said, once again washing dishes.

“Rose.” She said softly, and when her daughter looked at her an understanding passed between them and Hermione nodded. She could see the troubled gaze in Rose’s brown eyes and knew that Scorpius had been honest with her. Right then, Hermione was rather proud of the blonde boy.

Rose had already gotten her food by the time Scorpious came downstairs, one finger under his eye-patch rubbing the gauze annoyedly. It felt odd having nothing there.... Even when he first lost his eye, he had been heavily drugged and didn't really recall it.

"Morning." he greeted the people in the kitchen still sleepy sounding, though he looked awake enough.

“Morning.” Hermione said, handing him a sandwich before he had to look around for one. She was watching him intently, glad to see that he had at least gotten a bit of sleep. She had the distinct feeling he had cast a glamour on himself though, being the Malfoy that he was. Chuckling to herself she decided not to argue it. Besides, they weren’t going to have this conversation until after Christmas, the holiday only being two days away.

“She’s outside on the steps.” she said, grabbing another sandwich for herself.

Scorpious blinked at the food, then Hermione. "Thank you." he said. "Uh, I was wondering... Is there any chance I might be able to go to Diagon ally?" he asked. "I was hoping to get some Christmas shipping done before the holiday."

Hugo shot him an odd look. "Why do you ave to ask to leave?"

Scorpious ignored him, wondering if it was such a good idea... If anything, he actually hoped she woudl demand he not go alone.

“Actually that would be wonderful. Ron and Harry are going to head off later today and I’m sure they’d be fine with you joining them.” Hermione said it like he had a choice, but they both knew what she was really pointing out. Go with them, or don’t go at all.

Hermione wasn’t going to let anything happen to him if she could help it and the best protection she could give the boy would be by putting him with Ron and Harry. Ron because he loved his daughter enough that he would be watching Scorpius like a hawk, waiting for him to mess up. Harry, because, well he was Harry Potter, head of the Auror department. No one would attack them outright with Harry around, and Scorpius wouldn’t be able to be covertly cursed because Ron would be haunting his every step.

Hugo looked thoroughly confused at this point and anger was starting to bloom where embarrassment used to be.

“Yeah mum. Send him with dad. At least I wont have to watch him snogging my sister anymore.” Hugo said grumpily, putting his plate in the sink before leaving the room.

Ginny of course happened to walk in at the right moment.

“Snogging? Did someone say snogging and Rose in the same sentence? I must be dreaming.”

When Scorpius colored Ginny couldn't help but laugh.

"Get used to it kid. There's no secrets in this family and no sense of propriety." She said, grabbing food as well.

"i've noticed." he said, laughing a bit awkwardly. Though the words might have been taken the wrong way, the way he said them implied he meant no harm, but rather found it amusing.

"Do you know what time they'll be headed out?" he asked curiously, taking a bite out of his lunch.

Hermione looked over at the clock, her lips pursed.

“Probably in another hour or so. Do you have money on you?” The look on her face was immediately caught on by Ginny, who unlike her brother, decided to keep her mouth shut. However she did watch carefully.

“That way you wont have to hold them up going to Gringotts.” She explained hoping the double meaning got across to him. He couldn’t exactly go his vault right now. Too risky.

Scorpious nodded. "I have a few galleons on me." he said. "There's no need to hold anyone up at the bank." he promised. "just a few thing's I wanted to pick up is all."

He had no desire to go into the Bank. Or anywhere near certain shops for that matter.

Hermione nodded, pleased with his answer.

“Alright. Well be ready in an hour and I’ll let the boys know you’re joining them. Maybe you can help them get actual decent presents this year.” She grumbled good naturedly before walking out to find her husband.

Ginny laughed as well.

“Haven’t gotten anything for Rose yet have you?” She asked, a gleam in her eye.

"Actually, I planned on making Rose's gift." he said honestly. "I don't want her to think I just buy her things- I'd much rather it be sentimental."

And useful. Not that he would make that known yet. He already had bought her the dress, given her a priceless bird, AND his invisibility cloak. It was high time he actually made her something, rather than showed off his wealth.

“Well won’t that be nice.” Ginny said thoughtfully, her expression taking on that more serious tone that said she was studying him again. She hadn’t missed the secret exchange between him and Hermione though she wasn’t going to ask him about it outright. It could be something as simple as Hermione knew what he was trying to pull together for her daughter.

“You’re not bad kid.” Ginny said lightly, her clear eyes accepting. Before she could say anything else Harry walked in and kissed his wife softly on the head before turning to Scorpius.

“So I hear you’re coming with us to Diagon alley? Excellent. Do you know how to apparate yet? Otherwise you can just side-along with me. We should be leaving in about twenty minutes or so actually. Be out front then.” He said swiftly, though his entire tone and demeanor were very friendly.

It was almost odd in a way that the Weasley’s and Potter’s were accepting a Malfoy so easily in their home and essentially into their lives. Perhaps it was because they were so relieved that Rose had finally found someone that they didn’t care who it was. More likely, it was the simple fact that Harry Potter and his friends had learned one important lesson during the war and it was not to judge anyone based on their blood or family. That included the Malfoy’s.

“What’s this about Diagon alley?” Rose asked, slipping into the kitchen with her now empty plate. Ginny looked over at Scorpius and winked before intervening.

“Yup, just a quick trip for the boys. I need your help though today with cleaning some of the upper rooms. Since Uncle George and his wife are coming later on today as well as Teddy.

“Right.” Rose said, looking suspiciously between her boyfriend and her aunt and uncle before shrugging her shoulders and deciding this was probably something she didn’t want to know. As Ginny made her way to the door Rose walked over to Scorpius and whispered on her way past so that the two adults wouldn’t hear, “Be careful.” before she followed her eccentric aunt out the door.

"Last time I apparated I splinched..." he admitted sheepishly. "I still haven't gotten my license for it."

He wasn't the only one not to have gotten his license in his sixth year. Being somewhat daft when it came to transfiguration often hindered the transportation process. Something to do with the imagination not being strong enough. Someone better in books was often better with transfiguration, while someone better with math was better with potions and so forth.

Harry nodded, side along it would be then. He ignored in only Harry fashion the exchange between Ginny and Rose, and also the quick whisper Rose passed to Scorpius. Not that he didn’t see it of course. It was part of his training to see everything, but at the very least he gave the illusion of privacy. Once the two women left the room, he looked down to check his muggle watch and nodded to himself.

“Well, might as well go now. Ron is probably already waiting.” He said, holding the door open for the blonde haired teen and walking to the front yard where Ron was already waiting. He didn’t seem impatient though. Just contemplative. Less guarded than he had been at dinner the night before. Of course the guard came right back when he saw Scorpius, though he still managed to smile at them both.

“Hey Harry, Scorpius,” he added, though he looked like he had to force himself to greet him in the same cheery tone. “Lets get going and get this over with. I hate shopping.”

“You know it wouldn’t be this hard if you’d get it done earlier.” Harry said laughing, clapping Ron on the back.

“And give you the chance to not make fun of me?” Ron replied, a grin on his face. “Besides you always forget too.”

“True true.” Harry said before turning to Scorpius.

“Lets go shall we?” He asked before putting his hand on the boy’s shoulder. Without much more warning they felt the familiar squeeze and pull of apparation and arrived at the entrance of Diagon alley.

“Well lets get this over with” Ron grumbled, tapping the necessary bricks to enter the crowded streets.

((You are welcome to time skip at this point and bring them back to the Burrow. Otherwise we can rp out their shopping trip. Lol your choice.))

After a rather strained visit to the Ally, the three wizards returned. Ron and Harry both had questions for the blond, he was sure, in reguards to the sheer number of people who stopped him to ask him when he would be home... Or why he was with Harry Potter in the first place. It must have all looked highly speciousness.

scorpious had three bags, filled with gifts or materials to make gifts. reguardless, he kept a dark cloth over the top of each to prevent peekers.

Meanwhile Rose had cleaned out a good three or four rooms by the time they came back. She felt like she could just fall over because of how tired she was. Aunt Ginny was just like her mother in how much of a neat freak she was, and she only used magic for the bare essentials of things. In her mind it was old fashioned muggle cleaning that was the best for getting things just the way you wanted them.

So when the three boys walked in the door it was to find Ginny on the couch chatting with Hermione over a cup of tea, the boys outside playing a mock Quidditch game, and Lily hidden in her room doing something top secret for Christmas or so she said.

“Got all the shopping done?” Hermione asked, an eyebrow raised.

“Yes, finally.” Ron said taking his purchases upstairs to their room so no one would see. Harry kissed Ginny before doing the same and disappearing to his room as well. They would both wrap their presents quickly and then bring them downstairs to put under the tree. They knew better than to leave wrapping until later, not with a whole bunch of sneaky impatient kids in the house.

Scorpious looked dead on his feet, having spent more time avoiding people he knew than actual shopping. "Mrs. Hermione, is there a place I could wrap my presents without being in the way?" he asked.

He carried 3 large bags. One full of what looked like simple craft supplies, the other clipped shut and bouncing around as though something living were inside and the other full of, if they were seeing it right form the small rip in the side, metal.

Hermione thought for a moment before telling him to just take it to the upstairs room.

“Rose took off through the garden an hour ago so I’m sure she’d not up there right now.” She said kindly, before going back to her tea with Ginny. They tried to be covert about it as they looked at his shopping bags, wondering what he had brought. When he made it up the stairs the two women started chatting.

“So as I was saying Ginny, of course I was surprised when Rose told me who exactly she wanted to bring home for Christmas, but you know how I am.”

Ginny nodded, taking a sip from her tea before answering.

“You should’ve heard Harry that night when I told him. Actually I think it was more telling how silent he was. He seemed almost resigned, like he had a feeling this might happen someday. Later he actually admitted he thought it might be our Lily who went after Scorpius. You know how Lily is.”

“Oh yes I know. She does go after the best she can doesn’t she.” Hermione replied.

“Yes well, I think Harry was more surprised it was Rose more than anything else. Lily he’d have been worried and concerned about but known she could handle herself. Rosie though…”

“Rose will be just fine.” Hermione said firmly. “I understand your concerns Ginny, but Rose is a strong and tempered girl. No matter what happens she’ll be just fine.”

“Hermione you have to have seen the look in her eyes! She loves the boy, and they’re so young its bound to end badly.”

“I have seen it, and I’ve also seen the look he gives her. And remember Ginny, when you and Harry got together you were younger then they are now, and still survived.”

Ginny nodded solemnly, though her worry remained. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she had a bad feeling about all of this.

“Well at least Ron seems to be accepting it now.” she said, trying to change the subject back to easier waters for Hermione.

“Yes, he is more accepting. Still on guard of course, though he tells me that its because that’s his only daughter and he’d be like that no matter which boy it was.”

They chatted for a little longer before their husbands came back and placed their neatly wrapped gifts under the tree, the girls immediately changing the topic of conversation.

((Gonna time skip now so we can go to Christmas time!!))

The last two days passed in a blur, with so much to do preparing for Christmas and the massive feast they held each night. George and Teddy had arrived with their wives and children, and had surprisingly taken to Scorpius rather well. George had a great time occasionally making fun of Scorpius and his father, though it was all good natured. Lucky for all of them nothing more happened regarding Lucius Malfoy or what he was planning, for which Hermione, Rose, and Scorpius were all grateful.

Christmas morning dawned bright and early, and as always Rose’s internal time clock woke her at the crack of dawn. She had that habit since she was a little girl and while her brothers had all snapped out of it and slept till noon, she couldn’t.

Rolling over she was immediately met with Scorpius warm sleeping body, and her face colored for a moment before her blush died down. She still hadn’t quite gotten used to sleeping next to him, though she definitely liked it. Deciding it wasn’t fair that she was awake and he was still sleeping she rolled him onto his back and perched on his chest.

“Scorpius.” She cooed, kissing his nose, his cheeks, and his jaw line, punctuating each kiss with his name.

“Time to get up…Its Christmas morning sleepy head.” She giggled when he groaned and kissed him again on the mouth, slow and sensual.

He opened his gray eye and blinked sleepily up at her before realizing she was even kissing him. naturally he returned it and chuckled when she pulled back. "Do we have to get up?" he asked.

He had been up late the night before, helping with last minute Christmas preparations on his gifts to the family, and even helped cook some. The boy wasn't used to chores, though had done any and all tasks given to him without a complaint. Still, he was tired.

He placed his hands on Rose's hips, craning his neck to kiss her back before sitting up. "Happy christmas." he greeted, comming out of his foggy sleepy state.

“Happy Christmas.” She replied softly, sitting up and leaning her head against his shoulder. She took his hand in hers and traced the back of his hand, humming softly to herself.

“Sorry for waking you, but I always wake up really early on Christmas and I didn’t want to sit alone.”

She had stayed up late the night before as well, her aunt demanding her assistance in the kitchen most of the night. For someone who was horribly bad at Potions, Rose could cook pretty well.

Funny how the reverse could be said for Scorpious... he had tried to whix the honey and sugar into marshmallow like Hermione said and ended up scorching it! That had been the point at which he was dismissed from the kitchen...

"Don't apologize." he said. "You should get dressed though... or did you plan on spending the day in your night gown?" he inquired curiously. He wasn't sure about her family, but Christmas was the one day a year Scorpious normally had the humorous pleasure of seeing his father stumble out of his room in his robe and messy hair.

Rose laughed lightly before getting up. “If I got dressed that’d mean you’d be able to and then my whole family would miss the sight of you looking less than perfect.” She said, joking with him. He always made such a point of looking well put together and ready to tackle anything from a press conference to another dark wizard every time he left the room. It was always a treat for her seeing him ruffled and just woken up, his hair messy and his clothes rumpled from sleep.

“But I suppose I’ll just have to save that for another day.” She said, going over to her bag and kneeling down to dig through her clothes, trying to find something good to wear downstairs. She doubted her father would be too pleased to see what she wore to sleep with Scorpius next to her. She already had her dress for dinner later laid out for when she had to change for the only formal dinner the Weasley-Potter family ever had.

She pulled out a simple pair of jeans and a nice black blouse, styled in the renaissance style with a tight fit and flowing sleeves. Turning to him with her clothes in her hands she winked before walking out the door saying she’d meet him downstairs when she was done changing.

Scorpious couldn't help but grin a little to himself. Disheveled was he?

He chuckled and grabbed his wand, casting a simple freshen up spell.

He decided to leave his pajama top on and simply put pants on simply change his pants.

Once he was ready he headed out of the room, rubbing his good eye to get the sleep out of it, making sure his eye patch was securely in place.

And that was how, like always, Scorpious seemed so preened. his long hair was tied back, the top two and a half [yes you can have a button half unbuttoned] undone from moving in his sleep as he headed downstairs. He had dinner cloths already set aside, rose having told him what to wear.

Rose was already waiting at the table, sitting at the kitchen table. In front of her was a plate of eggs and sausage that she had quickly made while he was still “freshening up.” Across from her was an identical plate waiting for him.

She looked very pretty with her head turned to look out the window as the sun came over the hills and shined through the window to softly light up her face.