The Red Rose That Has Green Thorns

“So, there’s no questions?” Scorpius asked, and when no one answered and about three people shook their heads no, he continued, “All right, then. Are you satisfied with our first meeting, Professor?”

She beamed. “Very much so. You both handled yourselves quite well.”

“Thanks,” we grinned in return, and I took up the words, “All right, everyone, you’re free to head off to breakfast now.”

“You will all be notified for the next meeting on your common room’s bulletin board. The bulletin board in the entrance hall will also have such notifications.” Professor Malin announced as she, like everyone else, stood. “I will see you all in your next Charms lesson.”

A few students nodded or mumbled as Scorpius and I just stood at the front of the room and just waited for them all to file out.

“You contained Alexander Boyd quite expertly, Scorpius,” Professor Malin walked over to us. “I’m glad. And Rose, the avoidance of your cousin’s request and the announcement that there would be absolutely no changes was a good idea. Telling them up front instead of one at a time when confronted is truly the best. I think you two are very well suited for the roles you’ve been shoved into.”

“Thank you,” Scorpius said politely.

“Very much,” I added on. She laughed.

“It’s true, so there is no need to thank me. Now, off to breakfast with the two of you.”

“See you after lunch, Professor!” I smiled as we left the room.

“You two as well!” she called back to us.

As we walked toward the Great Hall, Scorpius began to chuckle.

“What?” I asked blankly. “Did I miss someone tripping face-first into a pile of stinking hippogriff dung, or something?”

He laughed again and said, “Nothing like that. It’s just…those death glares Lily was giving me the whole time! And then you said there was no changing the pairs. You’re going to catch hell from her later.”

“Thanks,” I commented dryly, playfully slapping him on the back of the head. “Thanks a lot, Captain Obvious.”

“Hey!” he cried in protest. I only laughed, rolling my eyes.

“Just be a good boy and go eat your breakfast.” I said, as we’d already reached the Great Hall. I gave him a gentle shove toward the Slytherin table, and he laughed.

“All right, all right,” he grinned at me. “Just so long as you do the same.”

I rolled my eyes again with a, “Duh. I eat just about as much - or more - as you!”

He gave a friendly salute and laughing, we both turned and walked to our respective house tables…with half of the room staring.

“Whatcha lookin’ at?” I called loudly, annoyed. “Do I have something on my face?”

My family and friends laughed at this. My plan worked, however, and everyone turned their attention away from me sheepishly. Shaking my head, I took a seat by the sleepy looking Albus.

“Morning,” I said brightly, causing all my cousins at the table (other than Lily and Albus) to laugh. Lily just glared and Albus groaned. Hugo was laughing, as well.

“Aren’t we cheerful this morning,” Fred remarked.

“Just fine and dandy, sir!” I replied, piling some bacon and eggs on my plate. “And I’m also absolutely ravenous.”

“We can tell.” my little brother teased. I stuck my tongue out at Hugo as I began to eat. Neville, the head of Gryffindor house for the last two years, began handing out our schedules. Professor Malin was doing the same at the Hufflepuff table while Professor Wintley, the Arithmancy professor, was passing timetables out to his Ravenclaws. The newly appointed Potions professor, Professor Platt, was handing them out at the Slytherin table.

To my immense relief, Al and I had all of the same classes, except I filled one of my two free periods with Arithmancy and the other with Muggle Studies, and he’d left them free. Once we’d established that, I snatched my timetable as well as Al’s and stood up. I strode towards the Slytherin table with a purpose and once there, squeezed myself in between Zachary Zabini and Scorpius.

“Rose! What’re you doing?” he asked after swallowing his large bite of toast.

“We,” I emphasized, “are comparing timetables.”

And I promptly grabbed his from in front of him and placed mine and Al’s on either side of it in front of me.

“Hey! You’re taking Arithmancy in the first free period, too?” Scorpius said at the exact same time as I said, “Wow! You’re taking Muggle Studies with me!”

Then we laughed.

“Well, we have all of the same classes, and Al’s in all but the Muggle Studies and Arithmancy ones,” Scorpius observed.

“Yup. The lazy-butt,” was my reply.

“I don’t believe my house colors are red and gold,” I heard, and I looked up to see Professor Platt grinning down at me. “You’re the Head Girl, Rose Weasley, if I’m not mistaken?”

“Yes, Professor,” I replied.

“You’d best get back to your house table, if you’re so annoyed at everyone looking. You do know that all you’re doing by coming over to your enemy’s table is causing them to stare more, don’t you?”

“Right-O!” I said, glancing around to see that she was right - people were looking my way. “It’s annoying, but I can’t say I’m not getting used to it. Because I am. Anyway, later, Scorp! See you in your class, Professor!”

I stood up and headed back to the Gryffindor table with a bounce in my step and a laughing Scorpius and Zachary Zabini and grinning professor watching me go.

“Congratulations, Al!” I said, sitting once more in my seat at my house table. “You get to endure all of your classes, excepting your free periods, with myself and the infamous Scorpius Malfoy!”

“I think you’re the infamous one,” Al said, teasingly.

“Speaking of which!” Lily cut over him with a slightly raised voice, then directed the words to me, “how did you two ever come to the agreement of pairing me with that absolute arse, Zabini?!”

“We figured the two of you could handle the pressure,” I replied simply.

Lily seemed dissatisfied but didn’t yet press her case because, I assumed, I had technically given her a compliment by saying she could handle Zabini.

It never even crossed our minds that just because she could deal with one Slytherin didn’t mean she was protected from all of them.