Delicate - eng version

The Hitch In The Plan

From the moment I woke up this morning, I knew this wasn't going to be a good day. When I opened my eyes and looked at my watch, I noticed it was just gone a quarter past ten. On any other Sunday morning I'd just think 'excellent, three more hours sleep', but not today.

"ROSE! GET UP NOW!" I heard Mum screeching in the door at me. Why did she have to come home again? "We're leaving in five minutes!"

That made me jump. I hopped out of bed and threw on the first pair of magically expanded jeans I could find on, and a very baggy t-shirt. I supposed I'd change later on the train (which is where I am now, however I haven't changed yet). I started flinging everything I could find into my trunk and ran to the bathroom to brush my teeth. It's so typical that on the morning we're due to go back to Hogwarts, everybody oversleeps.

Dad drove us to the station, and we arrived with less than a minute to go before the Hogwarts Express left. We crossed through the barrier to see James, Al and Lily being shoved onto the train by Aunt Ginny and we followed them, waving goodbye to Dad and Ginny. There were no empty compartments, so guess what?

We – as in Scorpius, Hugo, James, Al, Lily and myself – have to share a compartment with the Scamander twins. If I wasn't such a nice and considerate cousin, I'd laugh at Lily's misfortune. Dom joins us in the compartment soon after, having spent quite enough time with Mark, who's sitting in a compartment with a bunch of random Hufflepuffs.

It's very awkward. Apparently Lorcan is the only one who doesn't know about what happened, because he seems as blissfully weird as always. Lily isn't even pretending to know what he's talking about as she usually does, but stares down at her feet. Lysander is doing the same. Really, it's Lysander who should be feeling ashamed of himself. What kind of bloke cops off with his twin brother's girlfriend? I swear, my life wasn't half as dramatic when I was in fourth year.

Eventually Lily mutters that she's going to go find Roxie, and Lysander says he's going to talk to his friend, Phil. I've never heard of a Phil, but nobody asks any questions. Then Hugo drops out to find his scary emo-Goth-chain smoking friends. Then Lorcan, realising he's been left with just sixth and seventh years, makes no excuse and just leaves the compartment.

"Well that was awkward," James states, putting his feet up on the seat that Lorcan has just vacated. "Who'd have thought our little sister to be the school broom?"

"James!" Al growls, "That is Lily you're talking about."

"I know, but really –"

"Just shut up!"

"Are you two ever going to stop arguing?" I sigh.

"Are you two ever going to start arguing?" Al shoots back, looking at me and Scorpius. We look at each other.

"What are you on about?" asks Scorpius.

"We argue!" I protest.

"All the time!" Scorpius agrees.

James and Al look at each other and smile knowingly. I don't like that smile one bit. Scorpius and I argue all the time! We didn't talk for days before the wedding. We always argue. I mean, we argue even more than my parents do.

"Since you two got together, you haven't argued once," says James triumphantly.

"It's true," Dom agrees.

Scorpius and I open our mouths to retaliate, but neither of us can think of anything to say. Now that I think about it, we haven't argued since we got together. Surely we're not that disgustingly perfectly cute couple that never argues with one another? I mean, we don't even have petty, fun arguments. How can this be happening? I live to argue!