Name Game (completed)

Chapter Twenty

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I intend to do a longer one of these at the end of this chapter, but for now this will suffice. So, this is (I think) the last chapter of Name Game. For that reason it is dedicated to anyone who read this story to this point. Anyway, thank you so much, and yeah... Enjoy it!

DISCLAIMER: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter and most of the characters mentioned herein. I am merely a humble fan, borrowing her beautiful characters to play with.

"Rose! Rose, you have to wake up! Please!" Scorpius shook her sleeping form frantically. Why, why, should she choose now of all times to fall into an unwakeable slumber. For days he had yearned for her to get just a little rest, just enough to erase the bruise-like circles from beneath her eyes. He had been delighted when she had finally crossed over into the realms of unconscious. And now...

"Please Rose." No amount of begging would rouse her. He shook her harder, more insistently, desperation and fear growing within him.

And then, miraculously, by gradual and painstakingly slow degrees, Rose's eyes opened. She squinted at him with sleep-blurred vision, and muttered a stream of both Muggle and Wizarding profanities beneath her breath.

"What?"

"Rose, they're coming!"

She blinked stupidly for a few moments, not fully comprehending his meaning. Then, quite suddenly, she seemed to understand.

"The Death Eaters?"

He nodded, silently.

"But why? What are we to them?" He could see the terror shining in her blue eyes. Her breathing rate had increased and she was trembling, albeit almost imperceptibly.

 "Calm down." He had meant to reassure her, but his own voice was shaking. Wrapping his arms around her, he attempted to comfort and soothe her. 

She laughed suddenly, in spite of her fear.

"Just promise me that we won't commit suicide and die in each others arm like Romeo and Juliet."

He smiled.

"Why not? A Weasley and a Malfoy. A Capulet and a Montague."

"I thought you hated people being restricted by their names?"

"I do. But really. You're Forbidden Fruit."

She sniffed and chuckled lightly.

"If I'm Juliet and your Romeo, doesn't that make Al Tybalt."

Scorpius lips twisted into a wide grin.

"Definitely."

"Then who's Rosaline  in the comparison?" Rose challenged.

"Lily, of course!"

 "Did you fancy Lily before me?" There was a flirtatious note to her voice.

"Never."

"Then why - " She stopped abruptly in the middle of her sentence. "Scorpius. Why are we doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Playing silly games and messing around. Why are we behaving like first years in the face of such danger. It doesn't make sense." She was almost crying by the end. Scorpius couldn't understand it. He hugged her closer. 

"Because, if we're going to die, which lets ace it is pretty likely, this is how I want to remember my life. I love my parents and family obviously, but you're special. And I although I'm delighted to have you as my girlfriend, I want to remember you as what you were to me to begin with. You were my best friend, the first best friend I ever had, the first person ever to stick up for me and stand by me through everything. And if I have to die at the hands of a Death Eater then this is how I want it to end. Me, hugging you, and laughing over some stupid analogy or comparison we made up together. That's what I want to reflect on as I die. Is that what you want, Rose?"