2nd chances (Scorose)

Chapter 17

The rest of the holidays passed in a blur of celebrations, large meals, playing Twister, gossiping, snowball fights and the whole thing was documented by Lily who took picture after picture on the camera her parents had given her.

She wouldn't get a chance to develop them until we were back at Hogwarts, but it would be nice to see how they all turned out.

After spending Boxing Day with the whole family, we split up and went our separate ways, each travelling back to our own houses. While my cousins spent the last eight days of their holiday catching up on all their homework, Hugo and I went to stay with my other grandparents for a few days. As always, my grandfather insisted on checking up on my teeth and gave me five different tubes of toothpaste and mouthwash.

Life was different - refined instead of being filled with jokes and pranks. Whenever we ate dinner, the conversation was peaceful and civilised, usually focusing on how Hugo and I were doing at school or what my parents were getting up to at work.

We spent just the two days with them and then had New Year celebrations at home. Uncle Harry and Auntie Ginny came round to have drinks with my parents but Lily, James and Albus had gone to a friend's party.

It was only two days later that I was sat in the prefect's compartment on the train beside Scorpius, enjoying a pumpkin juice and a licorice wand.

"You're wearing the necklace," he said with a smile, looking pleased.

I nodded.

"I don't know what I'm going to get you in return though-"

"-Rose, I don't wa-"

Cutting in, with a finger on his lips, I replied, "Don't say you don't want anything. I'm getting you a Christmas present, okay?"

Smirking, he nodded.

"So how was your Christmas?"

"Grandfather was- the same," he muttered with obvious displeasure.

Taking his hand and squeezing it, I asked, "What happened?"

"He and I had the same old argument. He told me to stop associating with, and I quote, blood traitors and worthless mudbloods'. He's the one that's worthless," Scorpius answered.

I leaned my head against his shoulder. "It's just the way he was brought up-"

"Then why am I different?" Not giving me a chance to answer, he continued to speak in anger. "He's just an ignorant, arrogant, brutish prat!"

It didn't stop there, but I started to zone out during the repeated swearing.

"Okay," Dan interrupted. "I've put you two back on rounds together. It's your turn to patrol the train now too."

I nodded and pulled Scorpius up.

He was still angry as we walked down the train, pausing to open compartment doors where loud noises were. But, there was no one actually making any trouble, except for my family of course. They'd managed to get a whole compartment to themselves again and were somehow all squeezed in though Louis was sitting on the floor.

Not only were they the loudest compartment, but they were also the only ones actually breaking the school rules. Levitating in the air, flaming balls of newspaper and the floor was littered in candy wrappers. James and Fred both had bruised eyes, suggesting they'd had a fight and while Albus slept, James and Lily drew on his face in invisible ink. It wouldn't show up till the sunset, but I was sure that whatever was on his face would land him in detention the moment the artificial lighting of the castle fell on it.