2nd chances (Scorose)

Chapter 26

As soon as Hugo and I came in sight of Mum and Dad, we were bustled out of the station and to the car. Our overly-large family went to their separate cars, though when after a few hours on the roads it became obvious we were all heading in the same direction. Uncle Harry's car was behind us the entire journey.

"How's the studying going?" Mum asked, turning slightly in her seat.

"Exams aren't for another month, we're not studying yet, Mum," Hugo scoffed.

Dad snorted quietly, but only I noticed. Mum was too busy looking distastefully at Hugo reading his comic book to see him.

"What about you, Rosie? OWLs are important-"

"Yeah we've started studying-" I answered before being interrupted by Dad.

"-We? Oh, you must mean this mystery boyfriend of yours."

"Actually, I was talking about Al, Dom and Lucy. But yes I suppose you could include my boyfriend in the group since he's usually with me in the library," I told him.

"Sounds like you're joined at the hip," he muttered to himself.

"That's pretty much how it is, Dad," Hugo commented jokingly. His next sentence however wasn't quite so funny. "They're always in the Common Room together and everything. We have to watch them kissing and cuddling and Merlin knows what else."

Dad's eyes left the road. "What else?" he demanded.

"Ron! Eyes on the road!" Mum cried.

"Relax, I've got the supersensory charm on. Now what else do you and this boy do, Rose?"

"Nothing," I replied, turning to look sharply at Hugo. "We're hardly even together anymore."

"Yeah, Professor McGonagall won't let them within an inch of each other," Hugo added, trying to no doubt be helpful but putting his foot in it again. "Not since she caught them...er..."

"Yes, Hugo?" Dad asked.

"Nothing," he gulped.

"Perhaps you'd like to tell me just what you've been getting up to with this boyfriend of yours then, Rose?"

"Not really," I said.

"Rose Weasley, tell me this instant."

Mum and Hugo were looking between Dad and I wondering which one of us would blow up first. I guess I really had inherited his quick temper. Not wanting to argue on my first day back at home, I sighed and answered, "Nothing happened, I swear. We were just kissing and Professor McGonagall caught us. She's just been putting some precautions in place to make sure we don't take advantage of our positions."

"Precautions?" Mum asked. "That's not quite the word she used in the letter, if I recall..."

"You knew about this?" Dad spluttered, turning away from me to look at Mum.

Relieved to be out from his piercing glare, I sank a few inches in my seat.

"Minerva just put in her last letter that she'd had to 'separate' Rose and S- another prefect," Mum answered as she tried to calm him but only just catching herself from saying Scorpius.

"Nobody tells me anything," Dad complained in a low voice, returning to concentrating on driving.

His anger had mellowed much by the time we got home. Mum had told me before after I'd had a particularly bad argument with Dad that he used to have a much worse, shorter temper when he was younger, but I found it hard to imagine how anyone could overreact so much. I found it hard to believe that had they been dating at Hogwarts, Mum and Dad wouldn't have kissed, so what was wrong with me doing it?

Mum and Dad still hadn't said why everyone was coming to our house, but I chose not to focus on that and rather on seeking out Uncle Harry.

After searching every room, including the garden, I found him watching Al and James playing quidditch through the dining room window.

"Hi, Uncle Harry," I said, coming to stand beside him.

"Rose," he nodded. "I miss quidditch, you know."

I looked up at him and thought about saying how I felt the same. Instead, I cut to the chase. "About Hugo-"

Uncle Harry held up his hand and my chest tightened somewhat.

"I won't say anything. I'm not sure I'd have even said anything about you and Scorpius."

"But you said you would!"

"You're going to tell Ron anyway, remember?" he reminded me.

"Well, yes, but I didn't want to be forced into it. It might even be better if you tell him." After a few moments, I continued, "Actually, I've changed my mind; you're welcome to tell Dad."

"Rose, haven't you heard the saying 'Don't shoot the messenger'? I may be getting older but I don't want to die just yet. I'd like to live to finally see England win the Quidditch World cup first."

"You'll be waiting a long time," I muttered.

"I've got faith. The team just needs some fresh talent."

And just like that Uncle Harry appeared to have completely forgotten about our original conversation and was discussing quidditch tactics with me.

"James tells me you're not playing anymore, Rose."

"Yeah, I had to give it up. With Scorpius, prefect duties, Gobstones, Chess club and everything, I had too much in my schedule. It's even worse now, I guess.

He looked at me, frowning in confusion.

"You could say that Scorpius likes to be the center of attention. Whenever I'm with him, I never get anything done. I don't even go to Gobstones or Chess anymore - Tracy's had to take over as president - because I always have work to do."

"How are you going to tell him?" Uncle Harry asked after a momentary lapse in conversation, watching Dad viciously attack a gnome trying to sneak back into the garden.

"You don't think 'You know you wanted to know who my boyfriend is? It's Scorpius, Dad' will work?" I joked.

"You certainly didn't inherit your father's humor."

I shrugged. "If you've got any suggestions, I'd welcome them."

"I don't think you need my help with that, Rose. I'd be willing to wager that you're more intelligent than me. Besides, you're his daughter. He loves you so he'll accept it at some point," he said, probably trying to be positive, putting an arm around my shoulders.

"I guess so."

We watched as Dad tried to start a barbecue and Mum began putting up decorations.

"What are we celebrating?" I asked, clearly out of the loop when it came to family events.

"Your parents have noticed something's up with Hugh and are throwing a surprise birthday party with him because he won't get to celebrate it with the exams being earlier this year," Uncle Harry explained. "Plus, you didn't hear it from me, but Victoire and Teddy have 'some news.'"

"News?"

"News," he replied with a wink.

Struggling not to laugh, I said, "Well I won't say anything."

"Good. I'm already in trouble - Teddy wasn't supposed to tell me."

I could completely understand how Teddy might have let it slip to Uncle Harry. He always got so excited about everything, no doubt Uncle Harry was just the first person to see him. And as his father figure, Teddy would probably have wanted to tell Uncle Harry anyway.

"I'd better go. I need to think of a way to tell Dad..."

Uncle Harry nodded and moved away from the window himself. "I guess I'd better go talk to Hugo. I don't want him thinking I'm going to tell people."

Walking out into the garden, I couldn't help feeling that Uncle Harry really was a good person even if he was adding to the job description of a Secret Keeper.
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