Leave Out All the Rest

Chapter 33: Song as Old as Rhyme 

POV: Rose

It was comical to see the beautiful royal blue hue of the starry night outlined by dozens of protective charms. As Easter brunch progressed into an Easter dinner, relatives and family friends pointed out the stars, gazing at them like suspended fireflies caught in a painting with a growing moon taking up the center. They ignored the outline. 

"No one is ignoring it, Rose," Mum has said to me early on, right as the sun was setting red and purple across the darkening sky. Beside her, absentmindedly refilling his goblet with more than pumpkin juice, Mister Malfoy made an agreeing noise. "Most of us have grown up focusing on that outline because it was all we could see. It is because of our history, sweetheart, that we have also learnt to live in the moment. I know it seems ridiculous, but life is too short to be worrying about when things will end."

"Take it from someone who has been a prisoner multiple times in his life: there are worse ways to be locked up," Mister Malfoy had then said with a glare as Mum took his goblet from him, handing him a glass of water with a pointed look on her face. He took it without any comment. "Mad men and cold cells will never compare to a bubble of protective spells, your mother's constant nagging, and your grandmother's cooking."

Mum huffed impatiently at Mister Malfoy, but there was a look exchanged between the two that reminded of affection.  

I wandered off from them, leaving them to a conversation shared in whispers, and attempted to get through the festivities without a sour expression.

Alike many things in my life, I exceeded expectations. I sat beside Nia most of the time, both of us making small talk with anyone around us, never acknowledging the fact that we had to speak about several things on our minds. Some of those things pending from weeks back.  

"Lorcan and I are just friends," Nia muttered to me as we helped Gran clear up the tables, giving us something to do while the others argued over a miserable game of Quidditch where Louis caught the snitch (much to everyone's shock) and Freddie fell off his broom, breaking a wrist (and breaking a longstanding record of Louis' losses). 

"He fancies you," I murmured back. "Has been since First Year."

"A lot of blokes and girls have," Nia said with a shrug. "Remember that Slytherin boy who bought me flowers and chocolate every Hogsmeade trip until last year when his girlfriend found out? Hell, Dominique flirted with me for weeks after we snogged for that production of Pride and Prejudice." 

I made a pile of dirty plates fly in the direction of the Burrow, nearly smacking straight into Coral McLaggen rolling her eyes at Louis as he flaunted the snitch at the others. 

"This isn't like those times," I replied with a scolding tone. "Lorcan isn't like them. Lorcan isn't lusting after you because you're the prettiest girl he's ever seen. He likes you because you're the best person he's ever met."

Her blue eyes narrowed at me. "We both know I am not the best person anyone has ever met."

"You sell yourself short, Nia. All that beauty and brain is for nothing when you don't think you deserve anything good and worthwhile." I took a breath, setting down a clutch of forks and spoons. "Look, I love you and I love Al, but he has Evanna. You don't need to waste your time on someone who doesn't know—"

"Beauty and brains describes you, too, Rose," Nia cut me off before I could finally say what I have been wanting to say to her. "And it is also for nothing when you keep punishing yourself for a chain of events you did not set in motion. You are a good person—"

"I can't, Nia, please," I told her, stopping her from continuing on.    

"Emily gave you forgiveness, Rose. Forgiveness she nor anyone thinks you needed in the first place. What are you waiting for?"

"For me." The oxygen in my lungs got caught when Scorpius had wandered away from the feuding huddle now trying to steal the snitch for Louis' hands. "Your grandmother sent me over," he added, "said there shouldn't be two girls cleaning up after all of us."

Nia glanced at me once, something resolute crossing her beautiful face before she tossed an old rag at Scorpius. "About time you got your hands dirty, Malfoy. No house-elves here to help you wash a dish."

Scorpius rolled his eyes at her. "Piss off now, Harper."

She laughed loudly, clearing away our previous discussion as she made her way over to the others. 

I turned away from his silver eyes, occupying myself with collecting other forks from the table. I would keep my silence for as long as I could, but Scorpius was just as stubborn as I was. If I was intent on not saying anything at all, he would make himself heard if his intent was to say anything at all.

Truth is, as much as I wanted him to let silence wrap us up, my heart was more eager to hear his voice. For too long now I heard him in passing, words directed at someone else and never me.

A punishment I had inflicted on myself.

A punishment he let me have.

"I was angry at you," Scorpius mumbled, clearing his throat as he started folding used napkins into messy squares. "Angry that you did not believe my feelings for you were genuine. I know all these years I've been a confusing twat, constantly switching between fancying you out loud to not being able to stand the sight of you just for show. But I meant what I said in that classroom, Rose. And once I had the courage to say it out loud, I was never going to take it back."

I looked up from his working hands, finding a shred of that Gryffindor bravery to meet his eyes. "You said you were tired of fighting each other, but I still fought you. Even after you told me it had always been me. Then Em—"

"This rift between us was never about Emily," he said, a sadness in his eyes that reminded me of grief. A constant shade I saw in him and James. "I love her, more than I love myself, yeah, but as I would a sister. She is my sister. What happened to her...it broke me, Rose."

"It broke all of us," I whispered.

"And I let it consume me," he continued without a beat. "I let it combine with all the other anger and confusion I was feeling. So when you pulled away from guilt, I let you."

A shaky breath left my lips. "We aren't good at this, are we, Scorpius?"

"No," he said with a sad smile. 

The knot in my throat made it hard to speak, but somehow, with tears burning in my eyes, I still managed to say, "Better off as friends, then?"

"We weren't friends to start off with, Rose."

In the distance, Louis gave a cry of pain. Over Scorpius' shoulder I could see Nia standing over him, her heeled boot digging into his spine as she raised the snitch high in the air. Freddie looked at her like she was a goddess bringing truth and justice to the world. Beside an annoyed Evanna Nott, Albus looked at her the exact same way.

I dropped the silverware as my hands shook. "Okay," I muttered, unable to stop the tears from falling down my cheeks. 

I was turning away from the table, intent on running away and hiding in the expanse of (protected) fields surrounding the Burrow, but Scorpius' hand was in mine, holding me in place. 

"I didn't want to be just friends with you then, Rose. Just how I don't want to be just friends with you now. We aren't good at this because we've never done this before, this whole open feelings and relationship stuff, but we'll learn."

I used my free hand to wipe at my tears before I slapped him on the chest. "Don't do that!"

Scorpius laughed, pulling me into him just as I went to slap him upside the head.

"You scared me," I told him. "I honestly thought—"

"If you believed for a moment that I would let you go, Rose, then you are definitely not as smart as you've let on."

Just as I went in for another smack, Scorpius closed the distance between us by capturing my mouth with his.

The first time we kissed did not compare to this second time. Not by a long shot. I felt every cell in my body wake up and burst with energy. 

"I love you," I told him, breathing the words over his lips. "I really, really do."

There was a loud groan from yards down. 

Alike the first time Scorpius kissed me, a parent interrupted what could have been a proper snog fest. This time, however, it was my parents alongside his. 

"Not the Malfoy boy, Rosie," Dad almost cried, bringing in the attention from my friends and cousins now playing keep-away with Louis' prized snitch. "Anyone but the Malfoy boy."

Scorpius frowned at my father, his fingers lacing through mine. "Cheers, Mister Weasley."

"Don't take it the wrong way, mate," Hugo said with a snort, drinking out of an old goblet I was sure was filled with firewhiskey. "Dad just doesn't think anyone is good for his little girl. Hell, he'd rather you date me. I'm not that into blondes, but if you wanted to give it a go, I'm all up for it."

I grimaced at my little brother's seductive smirk and my father's agreeing nod.

"There's nothing wrong with you, dear," Mum said with an apologetic smile at Scorpius. "Please don't let Ronald ruin this for you two."

Dad scoffed. "You would say that, 'Mione. But you're not processing the fact that if all works out with them, we'll be related to Malfoy!"

"I'm standing right here, Weaselbee," Mister Malfoy said. "You think I want redheaded grandchildren?"

"Oi, you'd be lucky..."

I tugged at Scorpius' hand just as Dad's voice got loud enough to make Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny peak from inside the Burrow. 

"There's an old fort down by the pond," I told him. "Let's go before they start comparing family trees."

"Are you asking me to runaway with you, Rose?"

"Would you?" I asked with a smile.

"If it could be just you and I forever, hell yes," Scorpius said before kissing me again.