Dance Lessons - Scorose

Meet the Dursleys

"What? They're all having dinner?"

"Yeah, seems so," Rose replied.

"The cousin that used to lock him in the cupboard under the stairs? They're having dinner with him?"

"Scorp, yes. I'm just shocked as you are, believe me!" Rose replied. It was two weeks after Dudley's appearance at Harry's birthday, midway through August. "And it's not really dinner. Al said it was a buffet barbecue type thing."

"Where, the Potters?"

"Yeah, Godric's Hollow."

Scorpius paused for a moment. "Are we invited?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Yes, we are. But it's only the Potters, Mum, Dad and us. Technically, you're my plus one, so you better thank me."

"I'm your plus one?" he asked.

"Yep, kind of. The Potter kids and their other halves essentially. We're just tagging along really. My parents wouldn't miss this opportunity and if they're going then I definitely am."

"Ah, well, thank you, Rose. I'd be honoured to be your plus one," he replied with a wink.

*          *          *

The next day, Rose and Scorpius arrived at the Potters early and, to their surprise, the house was already full. The only people who weren't there were the Dursleys. 

They joined everyone out in the garden, where they were all standing around with drinks in their hands. 

"Now, if you need me to hex him, just say the word." Ron said to Harry as they both appeared from the back door.

"Ron, we won't be hexing anyone, okay?" he replied with a small laugh. 

"What time are they getting here?" Hermione asked.

"In the next ten minutes or so, I think."

"Don't be nervous, Harry. Everything will be okay." Ginny reassured him.

"I'm not nervous! Everyone else seems to be, though!"

Suddenly, the doorbell rang and everyone turned their heads towards the noise.

"Well, it's now or never, isn't it?" Harry remarked as he walked inside. Moments later, he reappeared followed by seven people. "Everyone, this is, er, Dudley and his - his family."

They muttered hellos and made their way towards the others.

Dudley had three daughters and two sons, all of which were quite lanky with dirty blonde hair. Liza and Ivy, the eldest, soon gravitated towards Rose and her husband.

"Hi, I'm Ivy," Ivy said, clearly the more outspoken of the two, "and this is my sister Liza. Really, she's Elizabeth but she prefers Liza,"

"Anything else you want to start off with, Ivy? Middle names, perhaps? Or shall we just cut to the chase and start with the nicknames?" Liza quipped. Rose gave a small laugh.

"I'm Rose, Harry's niece, and this is my husband, Scorpius," Rose replied.

"Scorpius! Interesting name." Liza remarked.

"Magical names can be - well - out of the ordinary," Scorpius stated.

After talking to them for a little while, Rose discovered that Liza was the eldest at twenty one and was soon to be setting off on her gap year to South America, having just completed a degree in environmental science from Bath. Rose wasn't quite sure what environmental science actually consisted of, since she had never done science but she thought it best not to ask. From just looking at her, it was clear that Liza was a modern day hippie and environmental activist and Rose didn't want to offend her.

Ivy, she found out, was very different to her older sister. At twenty, Ivy was going into her third year at York, studying politics. She was a very outgoing person, perfect for political debates, who had squarish glasses and a long fringe.

After chatting for a little while longer, Rose and Scorpius started to wander inside to get some more drinks.

"What do you think?" he asked her.

"They're really nice. Clearly nothing like their father when he was younger," Rose replied. 

They poured some lemonade out of a big jug in the kitchen when they were joined by Lily.

"Charlie's in his element. Honestly, he's talking to one of them - Joe - about all of this muggle stuff. I don't understand any of it! I can't a bloody word in edgeways!" Lily moaned. 

Charlie was indeed engrossed in a conversation with Dudley's eldest son, Joe. 

"So uni isn't for you, then?" Charlie asked him, having already had conversations about sport and music.

"I don't know, really. Music is my passion, you know? Dad's all 'you've got to have a backup' and I get that. I do. But I'm not academic like Liza and Ivy. I'm failing history and psychology and no university is going to take me with just music and drama, are they? The way things are looking, I'm either going to have my big break and become the next Paolo Nutini or  I'm going to have to take a third year of A-Levels."

"To be honest, mate, in five years' time, people won't give a stuff about all that. Believe me, I know better than anyone that your world can turn upside down in a matter of minutes. All of a sudden, you're being called 'muggle' and your girlfriend's a witch." Charlie chuckled.

*          *         *

Dudley's two youngest children, Alex and Harry, didn't stray too far from their parents. It was only when Alex started talking to Joe that Rose got a proper look at her. She was a shy girl, fifteen, who had her long hair in a ponytail that trailed down her back. She was very slim but also muscular. She reminded Rose strongly of Victoire. 

"So what is it, then?" Rose called out to her.

"Sorry?" Alex replied, walking over to the table that Rose was sat at.

"What's your sport? You look sporty. There's no way you don't play something." 

"Oh," Alex gave a small laugh, "hockey, mostly. I'm team captain. But anything, really. Netball, tennis, badminton, rounders when the weather's good."

"Ah, you know, I've dabbled in a little bit of rounders. I daresay we could find a ball and a couple of bats," 

"I'd wipe the floor with you," Alex warned, only half joking.

"Fighting talk! We'll see, shall we?" 

They climbed over the small fence and into the field that extended out behind the garden. They used shoes as posts and roughly made a diamond.

"Shall we do wizards versus muggles, then? Six to a team?" Rose called out. "I'll have to be bowler."

"Yeah, but no cheating, alright? If I see that ball fly in any direction it shouldn't do, I am not going to be impressed. No magic." Charlie stated. Everyone agreed, Albus somewhat reluctantly, and Charlie joined the Dursley children making a muggle team of six.

On the wizard team, there was Albus, Lily, James, Michael, Alice and Scorpius as they were the only ones who knew how to play rounders and even then James needed reminding that a net wasn't necessary.

The muggles were distinctly better at the game, having played it since primary school. However, they managed to give them a run for their money because Liza and Ivy hadn't played in a long time. They soon eased back into it and, once they had reminded themselves of the game, the muggles did indeed wipe the floor with them. They were like a well-oiled machine by the end, scoring rounders with nearly every batter and stumping the other team out with nearly every hit.

They only stopped playing when Ron called that the food was ready. They slowly traipsed back over to the garden, the muggles victorious having more than doubled the wizards' score. 

The rounders game is what seemed to solidify the friendship of the wizard kids and the Dursleys. In fact, they would see each other again very soon. In Diagon Alley.