Never Be The Same {SCOROSE}

Chapter 21 - Scorpius

I could still feel the soft tingle of Rose's lips on my cheek. Although some days had passed, our final conversation in the astronomy tower seemed to have taken place only minutes ago. The memory remained fresh - and so did the pain.

The deep ache of being separated from the girl I loved was worse at some times than others, but it was always present. I found myself not doing much, because everything I did hurt. Everywhere I went, something reminded me of her.

I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the floor. Malfoy Manor was, above all else, cold, and the unrelenting stone it had been built with added to that impression. I hadn't wanted to come here, but Father put his foot down and said he wasn't going to leave me at home by myself all weekend.

Truthfully, I think he was afraid of what I might have done - not that he had any real reason to be. I wasn't suicidal, I was just... sad. There was probably a better word for it, but I didn't care enough to find out what it was. I was sad. I missed her. That was all.

I heard a tap on my door. "Scorpius?"

I ran a hand over my face, sighing quietly. The last thing I wanted to do was have tea with my grandmother, but I probably wouldn't have much of a choice. "Come in," I said quietly.

Grandmother walked through the door wearing a rather melancholy smile. "I’m sorry to bother you, but I wondered if you… well, if you wanted to talk about… about what happened.”

I looked away. “Did Dad tell you?”

“No. I read about it.”

I groaned. I had hardly thought about how many reporters were there that night. I’m sure they thought it quite interesting. I wondered how much they’d exaggerated things. “Can I see it? What you read.”

“Only if you come to my rooms for tea.”

Her voice was teasing, but I knew she was serious. My grandmother would always be, if nothing else, a Slytherin who knew how to get what she wanted. I chuckled slightly. “Alright, you win.”

I rose and followed her through the corridors to her quarters. Ever since my grandfather died - almost three years ago now - she had given up staying in the master suite, choosing to reside in what had previously been the largest of the guest bedrooms. It had its own small sitting room, which she was quite content to use for receiving close friends and family.

When we were in her parlour and she had called a House Elf to make the tea, my grandmother handed me a magazine - Witch Weekly. I was perturbed to discover that I had made the front page. The glossy cover of the magazine was a photo of Rose and I on the dance floor. The caption was Heartbreak at Hogwarts: scandalous marriage proposal turned down by Rose Granger-Weasley. 

I turned to the indicated page and began reading with a sigh. 

The Hogwarts Graduation Ball, which took place this past Tuesday evening, was full of revelations that shocked outsiders. Perhaps the biggest of these was the fact that Rose Granger-Weasley, daughter of (obviously) Harry Potter’s two best friends, attended the ball with Scorpius Malfoy, whose father Draco Malfoy was a Death Eater during the War and has never been on good terms with the Golden Trio. At the beginning of the evening, while the couple danced together, Granger-Weasley’s parents were seen conversing with the elder Mr. Malfoy, whose wife will be dead five years in July. 

After joining their parents in a bit of socializing, Malfoy took Mrs. Granger-Weasley onto the dance floor while his father danced with her daughter. This was when Malfoy shocked everyone by getting down on one knee and asking Rose Granger-Weasley to marry him. Although he was confident, the object of his affections seemed shocked, and after apologising she fled from the room. Malfoy attempted to run after his lover but was held back by his father. Hermione Granger-Weasley followed her daughter out of the room, while a clearly upset Scorpius Malfoy remained seated until eventually taking his leave.