Seventh-Year: The Next Generation

Chapter 3: The Rose

The rose

Blood-red

The blood-red rose

Perfectly created

So delicate

So beautiful

Can be crushed in an instant

A snap, and its life is snuffed out

Its fragrance

Sweet and enticing

Holds so many dreams

So many passions

Yet so quickly it fades

How long

How long

Will it adorn the field?

It attempts to hold off its inevitable fate

It grasps at life

Its petals reaching for sun

Its roots for water

It wants life

They all do

How much can it get?

How much will it suck up?

Before its short life is over

Here a second

Gone the next

It's the blood-red rose

Scorpius rushed Rose along, down corridor after corridor, heading steadily for the outside. They walked in silence for the moment, Scorpius being still preoccupied with the strange incident in the library.

Scorpius knew the boy; well, by sight anyways. He was a seventh year Slytherin who was in Scorpius's Potions class. His brow wrinkled in concentration as he tried to remember what little he knew about him. The only thing he could recall was that he was an excellent student, yet a very quiet boy who rarely let a word slip past his lips.

In Scorpius's memory, what few interactions he had had with the boy had given him the distinct feeling that the boy disliked him. This in return had earned the boy Scorpius's own disliking.

Bollocks, what was his name? thought Scorpius to himself in irritation.

The idea to ask Rose had crossed Scorpius's mind, but a strange feeling in his gut had prevented him. So, he planned to wait and ask Albus.

As they crossed the entrance hall and stepped out onto the grounds, Scorpius looked down at his side to see Rose quietly contemplating.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, studying her face carefully.

"No, not at all. I just had something on my mind."

"Yes?"

"It's nothing of importance, really." Scorpius continued to tow Rose down towards the lake.

"If it was, you would tell me, right?" He still watched her carefully.

"Of course," Rose said briefly, with a strained smile up at him.

They reached the trail that lead around the lake. The two of them had walked it's worn path many times, sometimes alone together, and sometimes with Albus as well.

The narrow lane was close enough to the water for someone to cast a stone in, but far enough to be under the shade of the trees that ran alongside it.

It was on a walk down this path that Scorpius and Rose had shared their first kiss.

Scorpius remembered the experience like it was yesterday, though in reality it had been last spring. He could feel her small fingers clasped at the nape of his neck. He could hear the birds singing in the trees. He could smell the soft scent of her hair. It smelled like books, and ink, and flowers -all that was her.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Scorpius started out of his reverie. "What is?"

"The lake." Rose was staring out over its large expanse.

Scorpius turned his head, following her gaze.

The water looked like liquid jade. The sun sent up sparks off its surface. It was almost too bright to look at.

"Yes, it is." He stopped.

Rose looked up at him questioningly. "Something the matter?"

"No, I was just thinking about our first kiss." He was still gazing over at the lake.

"Oh."

Scorpius quickly looked down at her, but he wasn't quite quick enough, and missed the expression that had flitted across her features in a second.

Scorpius smiled wryly. "If I remember correctly, Albus was there."

Rose laughed lightly. "Yes, he was, but he was also kind enough to leave quietly. While we were, er, still otherwise engaged."

Without thinking about it, Scorpius twirled her around so that she was facing him, and kissed her. At first she was reluctant, like in the library. So Scorpius kissed her more intensely, trying to get her to relax and open up. Which she did.

She let her arms slide around his waist, she pulled herself closer to him, and for a moment, for a brief moment, Scorpius could almost believe that it could have been any other of their shared kisses.

But there was still something wrong, something that didn't feel quite right. Pulling himself back, Scorpius looked down at her. Her wide eyes locked with his in surprise. There was something... something he couldn't put his finger on. It was there, hiding just out of reach.

Scorpius decided to put that train of thought away until he had more time to think about it. Changing the topic, before Rose could even ask him what was wrong, he said, "I'm worried about Albus."

"Wha-?" Rose took a step back in surprise at this unexpected turn of events.

Scorpius was peering over Rose's head, at the lake. "He's been acting differently lately."

"How so?"

He looked down at her, his eyes full of concern -but it wasn't for her. "He's more reserved, as if his thoughts are always somewhere else."

"That's hardly enough reason to be worried Scorpius-"

"But there's more. Things that are just purely uncharacteristic of him. He's not been eating much; he just plays around with the food on his plate -he's losing weight because of it. I often catch him staring at everything around him, as if he's trying to take it all in, as if he's about to lose it all."

Rose was becoming impatient. "Scorpius, you need to relax. This is his seventh year at Hogwarts, as it is yours and mine as well. He's just already missing the school. In a sense, he will be losing all of it."

Scorpius shook his head fervently. "I don't think so, that's not like Albus, besides-"

"Scorpius!" Rose said sternly, stepping closer to him and cupping his face in her hands by placing one on each cheek. Then more quietly, she said, "Trust me, it'll all be okay. He's just going through a brief spell. He'll be back to the Albus we know and love in no time. Trust me, I'm his cousin, I know him better than practically anyone."

Scorpius was still unconvinced, but he realized Rose was not going to give him the reassurance he really needed, so he dropped the subject.

They started to walk on again. They were silent for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts.

Scorpius stooped down and scooped up a pebble from the rocky path beneath them. He held it in his open right palm while he drew his wand.

"What are you doing now?" asked Rose, as they strode on.

"Just watch," whispered Scorpius quietly. "I've been working on this just for you." A brief look of concentration flashed across Scorpius's face. "Transfiguro!" The small bit of stone in his palm started to squirm and move.

"Wha-?" began Rose.

"Watch!" said Scorpius urgently.

The pebble started to lengthen and thin out. Suddenly petals began to sprout from it, and it started to change color. A few more moments, and there in Scorpius's open hand lay a rose. It was blood-red and its stem was unblemished by thorns.

Rose inhaled sharply.

"Like it?" asked Scorpius with a smile.

Rose stared at it, open-mouthed. "It's - it's gorgeous!" she gasped out.

Scorpius smiled to himself as he handed it over to her and started to stroll on, whistling quietly.

Rose stood staring at the flower in her hand, before quickly running to catch up to Scorpius.

"How long have you been working on this?"

"Oh, not very long. It really wasn't hard to learn at all."

Rose was quiet for awhile, just looking down at where the rose was curled carefully in her hands.

Scorpius was busy watching a couple of kids who were swimming in the shallows of the lake. Every time one of them dived beneath the surface, he would send up a splash of water that glittered like diamonds in the sun.

Like diamonds, or possibly, angels, thought Scorpius to himself.

They were just now completing their circuit of the lake. Scorpius stopped and looked down at Rose. Slowly he raised his hand and ran it gently through her wavy brown hair.

She wasn't looking at him, but still down at the flower in her hands. "I - I'm sorry, Scorpius, but there are some things I still need to get done in the library."

She looked up quickly here. "But I really enjoyed the walk, and I love the rose."

Scorpius sighed, and dropped his hand from her hair. "Okay, run along. I'll go see if I can find that bundle of bones and flesh I call my friend Albus."

Rose smiled at him. Standing up on tip toes, she laid a quick kiss on his cheek. Then she ran up the hill to the entrance hall, turning briefly to wave once.

What is going on? First Albus is acting strange, and now Rose, too? He stood a good while after Rose had gone, still quietly watching where the last bit of bushy brown hair had whipped indoors.

***

When Albus made his way to lunch, he found Scorpius lost in thought. Scorpius had his elbow on the table, and his head resting in his palm. A bit of untouched pot-roast sat in front of the boy.

"What's on your mind?" asked Albus, sliding into the seat across from his friend.

Scorpius's eyes widened in surprise as he looked up.

Albus frowned. "What? Is there something on my face?"

"No, not at all," said Scorpius, sitting up straight hastily. "Well, nothing that's not usually there anyways."

"I repeat myself, what's on your mind?"

Scorpius sighed, sticking his fork into the bit of meat on his plate. "Rose."

Scorpius didn't offer to say anything else. So Albus stuck in a thoughtful "Ah..."

When the blonde boy continued to be silent, Albus got impatient. "Yes? What about Rose?"

Scorpius blinked. "What about her?"

Albus threw his hands up in the air, exasperated. "I don't know, that's what I'm trying to find out. Stop being daft, and tell me what's bothering you."

"Oh, sorry," muttered Scorpius.

Albus felt his temporary anger flood out of him like a deflated balloon. "What is it, Scorpius? Something must be wrong to get you this down. You're rarely sentimental."

"Well, I'm not down precisely. Just been thinking a lot."

"About...? Let's try and make some progress in this conversation, shall we?"

"Well, Rose has been acting odd lately. She's spending a lot of time in the library -even for her." he added hastily at the look on Albus's face. "Look, she didn't even come down for lunch."

"Rose often skips lunch when she's in the middle of something she's working on. It's no big deal."

"But it's not just that... She's..." Scorpius trailed off, thinking that it would sound kind of funny to say that she wasn't kissing the way she normally did. "I just have this feeling, that something's not quite right. And she doesn't seem to be acting like herself. I should know, she's my girlfriend."

"Hm... I can't say I've noticed, and I know her pretty well, too. But then again, I don't play as close attention to her as you do, so I might be missing things. She seemed normal enough at the celebration last night, didn't she?"

"Well, normal enough. I've been noticing her odd behavior for awhile now, but it's just been small things, so I've waved them off. But... more and more now, I'm noticing things. Things that just don't fit with the Rose I'm used to. Whatever it is, it seems to be speeding up."

Albus's brow furrowed in worry. "Well, I don't know what to say. Have you tried talking to her about it?"

Scorpius laughed slightly, but it was without humor. "No."

"Well, maybe you ought too."

Scorpius shook his head. "Not unless it keeps going."

Albus sighed in annoyance. "Scorpius, you can't just put it off. Not communicating is what causes rifts between people."

"Oh yeah?" Scorpius shot at him. "Then what about you? I've noticed you acting odd lately, too. Don't you dare try and deny it. I should know."

Albus stiffened visibly. "I haven't a clue what you're talking about."

Scorpius snorted. "Your such a bad liar you can't even convince yourself."

"What do you know about how, or how not I'm acting?" asked Albus angrily. "It's not like you can read me like a book. Besides, you pay more attention to Rose than to me. You wouldn't even notice if I started acting oddly."

"You honestly think I pay more attention to Rose than to you?" Scorpius said it so quietly, Albus couldn't be sure he heard right. "Albus, I can read you better than I can read a book." Scorpius's last sentence was spoken at a normal volume.

"What makes you think that?"

"Maybe, because I've happened to spend the vast majority of the last six years with you," said Scorpius fiercely, through clenched teeth.

Albus and Scorpius glared at each other across the table in a steamy silence. Green eyes locked with blue. Emerald with Sapphire.

"It's nothing, leave it, Scorpius," snapped Albus.

"Come on Albus, you know you can tell me anything. Don't be daft."

"Scorpius, this does not concern you," growled Albus.

"Again, the lie. Albus, what are you hiding from me?"

"Just leave it!" Albus was on his feet, and almost yelling now. Other students were starting to turn and watch them.

Scorpius stared up in surprise. They watched each other for a moment. "What are you trying to protect me from?" asked Scorpius, quiet enough that only Albus could hear.

Albus glowered at Scorpius for a moment before turning and marching out of the Great Hall, leaving plenty of eyes watching him go.

***

Lily Potter stood in the entrance to the Great Hall. She scanned the Hufflepuff table, looking for any of the friends she usually ate with. Not seeing any of the students from her own house that she liked to eat with, she turned and scanned the Gryffindor table.

Her eyes found where her brother and Scorpius sat opposite each other. She found it amusing to watch them, because they formed such contrasts when juxtaposed; surprisingly, neither of them had ever noticed it.

She watched them argue. Blonde-white, silky-fine hair on one side; jet-black, curly-thick hair on the other. Green eyes across from blue, each equally brilliant. The sharp cut of Scorpius's features that were all angles, fine enough to cut paper; the softer, smoother bones of Albus's face.

Even their personalities were so different. Albus, capable of fear, yet he disguised it well. Scorpius, who never seemed afraid, even under the most terrifying circumstances. Albus, cool and calculating, taking in every angle of a situation. Scorpius, acting on a whim with sharp, instinctive insight.

It was fascinating that such opposites could be such good friends. Or maybe that was why they could be so close.

Albus leapt to his feet, and was clearly angry. Lily watched them stare at each other for a moment, and then she saw Scorpius's lips move, though there was no way of knowing what he said.

Albus came storming down the aisle between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables. He stomped by Lily without even noticing her.

"Typical," muttered Lily.

Scorpius was now looking up at the where Lily stood, but he was clearly not seeing her, his mind obviously being preoccupied.

Gah! Will no one ever take notice of me? thought Lily bitterly.

Scorpius looked back down at the table for a moment, before reaching into his robes and pulling out a book. He promptly began to read it.

Lily walked down towards him, being careful to walk lightly enough to not alert him to her presence. When she was directly behind him, she reached over his shoulder and plucked the book out of his hand.

Scorpius looked up in surprise, saw Lily, and smiled wryly. "Oh, it's you, Lily."

"Who did you think it would be?" asked Lily, sliding into the vacant seat next to her brother's best friend.

Scorpius shrugged, unresponsive.

"Twelfth Night?" asked Lily, confused.

"It's a Muggle piece of literature. Well, it's a play actually," said Scorpius, giving no sign at all of being disturbed by the recent argument with his friend.

"I know what it is. I'm not ignorant. You know, my dad did grow up in a Muggle household."

Scorpius blinked at her. "Well, you sounded-"

"Not because I didn't know what it was. It's just, I never took you for being one who read Muggle romances."

"It's a comedy first, a romance only secondly," Scorpius pointed out. "I stumbled upon it. I decided it must be the hand of fate. Besides, it passes the dull hours during which my girlfriend hides in the library, and my best friend is too angsty to talk to me."

Lily raised an eyebrow at Scorpius. "I didn't know you stumbled, you've always struck me as being too elegant and smooth for that kind of thing."

"It's a figure of speech, Lily. I don't stumble."

She stuck a tongue out at him. "Aren't you perfect."

"Well, I am a slave to popular demand, and expectations," said Scorpius wearily, standing to his feet.

"Why do you care so much about what other people think of you?" asked Lily hastily, trying to make Scorpius stay longer.

Scorpius looked down at her with rather strained patience. "Because, if you don't believe in a God, who is there besides people to do anything for?"

He started to leave, so Lily said the first thing that came to her mind, "Well, what about yourself?"

Scorpius turned back in surprise. "What would be the point of doing anything for myself?"

Nothing came immediately to Lily's mind, so she just sputtered incoherently.

"See you around, Lily." Scorpius flicked her ear lightly before turning and walking briskly away.

Lily stared after him, a mixture of emotions churning in her abdomen. Why, why does he have to make me feel like such a child? And why, why does no one think I'm worth bothering about? This is how it's always been. Scorpius, Albus, and Rose -the perfect triangle that no one can penetrate. The heroes that everyone loves, the next era of champions... and here I am, stuck in Hufflepuff. None of them ever have the time for me. Lily thought to herself miserably.

An unfamiliar weight in her hand drew Lily back to reality. "Oh dear!" she said, looking down at the book clasped tightly in her grip. "I do believe I have Scorpius's Twelfth Night."

Author's Note:

Please, PLEASE review if you think this story has ANY potential at all. Reviews are the best support an Author has. Tell me what you like about it, what you dislike about it, anything. Even if you just leave two words, "I liked", I would be so grateful. Anyways, if you like this story, stay tuned for more, it'll just get better, just get more exciting. The poem at the beginning is one of my own creation, called, shockingly, The Blood-red Rose. It was not created specifically for this story, it was something I wrote awhile ago and decided to stick in. Stay tuned.