*Warning! Sensitive Topic in this chapter*
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Chapter Nineteen
Tiptoeing up the stairs and carefully opening the door, I made my way into my room as quietly as possible. It was almost midnight. I'd sat outside and thought for nearly four hours, lost in my mind.
I silently pulled the door shut and turned around, only to find a pair of wide hazel eyes staring at me.
“Bloody hell, Ryan!” I cried, before clapping a hand over my mouth. “What're you doing still awake?” I whispered.
“What are you doing sneaking into our room at midnight?” She flicked on the lamp, and turned to face me, arms crossed and expression stern.
I snorted. “You look like my mum.”
A smile broke across her face, a real smile with none of the sadness she'd had since her and Al broke up.
“Where were you though?” She asked, looking concerned and curious. “I had to cover for you, so if your mum asks how you're feeling tomorrow, say you're better.”
“Thanks, Ry.” I sighed and walked across the room, flopping down onto my soft bed.
“Are you not going to tell me then?” She crossed her legs under her and looked at me stubbornly.
I sighed again. “I was outside... Thinking. I had another fight with Scorpius.”
“Oh.” Her voice was soft. “What happened?”
“I said I hated him.” My voice was barely a whisper, and I could feel more tears stinging my eyes. “He said he hated me too.”
She paused, thinking about her answer. “And do you?”
“Do I what?” I said, sitting up and facing her.
“Hate him?”
“I...” I wasn't quite sure of the answer. I'd spent so much time trying to figure out if I loved him, I never really considered if I actually like him.
“How did you know you were in love with Al?” I blurted out.
Ryan seemed to get a faraway look in her eyes. “My stomach dropped whenever I saw him, it gave me butterflies just talking to him, and I couldn't get my mind off him.”
“I don't feel that though.” I lied, trying to keep the truth out of my voice.
“Rose.” I looked up at the change in her voice, from soft to a stern tone. “I may or may not love Albus, what I feel for him is simple and sweet.
“But what you feel for Scorpius is different. You both love each other against your will, you love each other passionately and angrily and recklessly. It's not the immature school girl love, it's real. I am, without a doubt, positive you belong with Scorpius where you want to or not.”
I thought for a moment, letting the silence press on my ears, and trying to work out my thoughts.
“Something Lily said.” I started. “She said I was happier than she'd even seen me with him.”
Ryan half smiled as she came and settled down. “Lily's a smart girl.”
“So I was. Happier with him, I mean.”
Ryan nodded her head. “Yes and no. I'd thought I'd seen the worst of you last year, when you were depressed. You were so much worse though, after one of you fights with Scorpius. Last year, you just seemed so tired and didn't want to try. This year, it was like your whole world had fallen in.”
“Was I really that bad?” I asked, my voice filled with shock.
“I wasn't finished.” She said, smiling a little. “But when you were with him, everything changed. You glowed. You smiled, and you laughed and you seemed to have a happy outlook. You've always been a bit of a pessimist, Rose, but around him, you looked like nothing could go wrong.”
“Oh.” was all I could really think to say.
Silence filled the room again and we sat, both lost in thought, for several minutes.
“But I can't tell him how I feel.” I whispered.
“And why not?” Ryan asked, looking a little frustrated.
“Because he hates me.”
Ryan rolled her eyes. “Rose, he doesn't-”
I cut her off. “You weren't there, Ryan. You didn't see the look on his face. You didn't feel his anger. He hates me, I can tell. And there's nothing I can do about it.”
“Rose! Ryan!” A ringing, high voice shattered my sleep. “Wake up!”
I heard someone walk across the room, but I pulled the covers over my head. I was not ready to get up.
“Up, up, up!” The voice sang, as they climbed on the bed and started bouncing on it, carefully avoiding mine and Ryan's bodies.
I huffed and threw the covers off my head. “Lily!”
She giggled and plopped down beside me. “Morning, Rosie.”
I rolled my eyes at her, and wiggled out from under the covers.
“You are the worst cousin ever.” I stated, stifling a yawn as I stretched my back.
She laughed again, flipping her long auburn hair, and started poking Ryan.
“Ryan!” She cried as she continued assaulting my best friend with pokes.
“That won't work.” I grinned as I crouched down on Ryan's side of the bed, and leaned close to her ear. “Ryan, Albus is here.”
“Huh? What? I'm up!” Ryan whipped her head up, slamming the back of her head into my forehead.
“OW!” I yelled, rubbing my forehead.
“Well, that's one way to get up.” Muttered Ryan, as she rolled over in bed and glared at me.
“You can say that again.” I said, as I stood up and gathered my bathroom things.
Slamming the door of the bathroom attached to our bedroom, I quickly threw off my clothes and started the scalding water. I was one of those people who was immune to hot water, my showers were hot enough to burn, but I loved it.
After cleaning my hair with grapefruit scented shampoo, and lathering it with slimy conditioner, I set to work scrubbing my entire body with soap that smelled amazing, sharp and citrusy like lemons. I stood in the hot water that rained down on me, simply wishing I could live in the shower and not go out and face the world until an angry Ryan pounded on the door.
“Rose Weasley! If there is not any hot water left for my shower, I swear I will push you off the deck!” Her voice was accompanied by loud pounding on the door.
Snickering and rolling my eyes, I shut the water off and wrapped myself in a fluffy, black towel.
Like the towel, all the accessories in the bathroom were black. Everything from the soap dish, the toothbrush holder and the soft rug on the floor. The rest of the bathroom was painted cream, and a huge, gilded mirror hung above the black, marble counter top.
I sighed as I wiped my hand across the mirror, clearing it's foggy surface. I looked... different today.
Nothing was changed in my face, of course. My eyes were the ever same blue framed by long eyelashes, and the bridge of my long nose was still splashed with a few faint freckles. My hair looked darker in it's sopping state, really more of burgundy than it's usual mahogany.
I grabbed another towel, wiping it across my face and catching the drops of water that fell off my eyelashes.
What was so different about me?
Oh, right, I was in love with a boy who didn't love me back, and who I hated most of the time. Fate was annoying like that.
I nearly snorted at my thoughts as I squeezing toothpaste onto my toothbrush and scrubbed it across my teeth, I sounded like a little girl complaining that the world didn't revolve around her.
After brushing my teeth and towel drying my hair ( I was still sixteen, so I couldn't cast my usual drying charm on it ), I put on my makeup, concealing the circles under my eyes and brushing black mascara on my lashes. Making a fishy face in the mirror, I swept blush across my cheeks then gathered all my things and opened the door, hot air rushing into the cold room.
“Finally.” Ryan said crossly from where she stood against the wall, arms folded over her chest.
I just laughed at her. “You'd think after sharing a bathroom with Dom for six years you would have been used to it by now.”
She cracked a smile at me. “True that.” And she disappeared into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
“Morning, Uncle Harry.” I said brightly, plopping down in my seat and spreading liberal amounts of strawberry jam on a piece of toast.
“Morning, Rose.” He looked at me mischievously over his round glasses and folded a copy of the Daily Prophet up.
I warily took a bite out of my toast. “What?”
“Guess what you're going to learn how to do today?” He wiggled his eyebrows at me, sneaky grin still in place.
“What?” I said, nervous still.
“Today, I'm teaching you how to drive.”
“Driving? Why?” I asked, shaking my head incredulously.
His smirk widened into a full out grin. “Your Mum wants you to know how, some rubbish about it being part of growing up in the Muggle world and Ron's too lazy to teach you.” He looked thoughtful for a moment as he took a bite out of his toast. “That and he's absolute rubbish at driving.”
I snorted into my orange juice. “Sure, wouldn't want you to face the wrath of Hermione Weasley.”
He chuckled. “Thanks, Rosie.”
He started to get up, and was halfway to the door before he turned around.
“I forgot Scorpius wants to learn how to, so he's going to tag along. That alright?” His bright green eyes looked so innocent, it was amazing how he didn't realize his words made my stomach drop about five stories.
“Um, yeah, sure.” I stuttered, and took a huge bite of my toast.
Driving lessons with Scorpius? Oh, good God, please let this be a nightmare.
“Always remember, Rosie, accelerate right, brake left.” Harry told me from over my shoulder. He sat behind me, in the magically extended seat of our red Ford, while Scorpius sat to my left, smirking at my obviously flustered state.
“Yes, Uncle Harry.” I chanted, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. “Can I put the car in drive now?”
The car was sitting on a deserted stretch of road a little over a mile from the house, Harry had not let us drive there, insisting he had to. He'd been going over every bit of the car for the past hour, and told me which pedal was which at least a hundred times.
“Sure.” He said, a little warily. “Just shift it from the P to the D.”
I did so, grabbing the leather knob of the gear shift and moving it down. Cautiously, I pressed down on the gas pedal and waited for the car to move. It didn't.
“You forgot to take of the parking brake, Rosie.” My uncle said patiently, and Scorpius snickered beside me.
I shot him a look as I took the parking brake off. I tried the gas pedal again, moving it down barely an inch and the car rolled forward, moving at a snail's pace but moving all the same.
“I'm driving!” I exclaimed, feeling proud of myself.
I glanced around, catching Scorpius rolling his eyes, and I glared at him again.
“Eyes on the road, Rose.” Harry said sternly, and I hurriedly turned back to the road. “And you can go a little faster.”
I pushed down on the pedal more, and the car responded, moving a little faster. We were now cruising done the road, snow covered country passing by us.
“Good job, Rose.” Uncle Harry said from behind me. “Why don't you brake, and Scorpius can give it a try?”
I huffed but pressed my foot on the brake, a little too much and we jerked to a stop.
“Harry,” I asked, undoing my seat belt, “Dad put the Supersensory Charm on the car, so I don't have to use the mirrors, right?”
“Right.” He said, as he opened the car door. “I'm pretty sure Ron also had your grandfather take out the air bags, he says you can just use a Cushioning Charm.”
Scorpius looked a little alarmed. “Isn't that a little dangerous, sir?”
“Nonsense, Malfoy, nothing's going to happen.” Harry smiled at down at him. Hm, that was something I bet the Chosen One had never anticipated; teaching Draco Malfoy's son to drive.
“Can we just get in the car?” I jumped up and down a little, running my hands up and down my arms, trying to keep warm. “I'm bloody freezing.”
“Su-” He was cut off my a streak of silver that landed in front of us. It formed a glistening terrier and from it spoke the voice of my father
“Urgent situation at the Ministry. Apparate immediately.” The dog blinked at us once, then disappeared, leaving only a few wisps of silver which were gone in an instant too.
“Bloody hell, I need to go!” Harry's face was turning red as he patted his pockets, searching for his wand. Pulling it out and turning to me, he said hurriedly, “Rose, you drive home and for Merlin's sake, be careful, your mum will kill me if you get hurt. The house is just a mile up the road.”
And with that he Disapparated, leaving Scorpius and I standing on a lonely road by ourselves.
I glanced at him once, and caught his eye, then looked away quickly, hiding in the blush in my cheeks. I looked around at the road, taking in the white scenery and the snow covered, stone walls that rose several feet from the ground, bordering the road as far as the eye could see.
Scorpius cleared his throat. “We'd better get going, especially with the way you drive.”
I scoffed, as I made my way back to the driver's side of the car. “What do you mean?” I protested.
He rolled his eyes, and opened the car door. “You were going at a snail's pace, Rose. You are always so cautious.”
“Am not!” I protested, as I slid into my seat. “See, I won't even wear my seat belt!”
He snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. “Rose, it's barely a mile up the road, and it's deserted. I wasn't planning on wearing one either.”
“Whatever.” I mumbled, sticking the key into the ignition.
The car hummed to life, and I shifted the car from park to drive, double checking the parking brake, and pressed down the gas.
We rode in silence, white snow and frosted trees passing up by before he finally broke the silence.
“I think we should talk, Rose.” His voice was soft, barely above a whisper.
I stiffened, hands tightening on the wheel, and I pressed down on the gas a little more, trying to get home faster. I really wasn't ready for this conversation yet.
“About what?” I asked, my voice just as soft.
“You know exactly what.” He said, and I could tell from his voice he was frustrated, and a little hurt.
I took a deep breath, and turned to him, taking my eyes off the road and turning my body towards his.
“Scorpius, I really don't know how I-”
I was cut off my Scorpius yelling.
“ROSE, LOOK OUT!”
I whipped back to the road, and time seemed to slow down.
A deer stood in the middle of the road, it's eyes wide with fear at the car coming towards it. I started to panic, my mind going blank. We had been going at a considerable speed in my rush to get home, and we were hurtling toward the deer.
'What do I do? What do I do?' My mind screamed at me, all memory of my lesson flying out the window. I jerked the wheel to the right, turning so hard we veered off the road, heading for the stone wall.
I screamed, and wrenched the wheel back to the left, coming back onto the road.
But the horror wasn't over.
The wheels screeched in protest as I tried to turn the wheel to make it stay on the road, but the ice that slicked the black concrete sent the car flying the other side of the road. The stone wall loomed in front of us, and we sped towards it, the top of the wall level with my head. I could hear Scorpius yelling and swearing next to me, and suddenly his body was beside mine, his arms thrown out in front of me as if that would protect me from harm.
All this happened in a matter of seconds and then BOOM!
The car impacted with the wall. Glass shattered, metal screeched, but Scorpius and I kept moving forward, crashing through the windshield. I could barely feel the sting of the glass as I was flung through the air and ripped out Scorpius's arms. I hit the ground in an explosion of red and pain, and then the world disappeared into nothingness.
*
I opened my eyes and looked around, taking in the scene but not comprehending what had just happened.
Glass and bits of metal littered the snow around me. From what I could see from my position on the ground, the front of the car was completely crumpled against the front of the stone wall. Smoke was pouring out of the hood, and even now I could see licks of flame flashing under the red hood.
I looked down at myself, running my eyes over my arms and legs. Red cuts were slashed up my arms, and my clothes were torn and bloodied. My right leg was bent at a funny angle, but I felt none of the pain. It was like watching a television program on mute, it was all happening, you just didn't really realize it.
My head pounded, and when I pressed a hand to my forehead for a moment, it came away red. It felt like someone had cast a Silencing Charm, it was so quiet.
I looked around again, something was missing. But what?
I took in the glass, the metal, the stone wall, the flaming car, and... The crumpled heap lying ten feet from me. Scorpius.
Adrenaline rushed into my veins. Oh my God. Scorpius.
I tried to stand up, but my legs collapsed under me, my right one screaming in pain. I crawled, dragging my injured leg along the snow, until I knelt in front of Scorpius's unmoving figure.
I reached out my hands, and they hovered over his body, frozen at the realization. He could be dead.
I felt a gasp rake through my body, pain shooting up my ribs and tears spilled over my eyelids.
“Scorpius!” I screamed, my hands no longer hesitated, they shook him roughly, brushed back the bloodstained hair from his face, and rolled his body over. “Scorpius! No! Wake up!”
Sobs burst from my chest, and I felt my hysteria getting worse, my breath accelerating and then he opened his eyes.
A tsunami of relief crashed over me, and I stared down at him, searching his face, like a blind man would at his first glance of life.
A huge gash on his forehead was leaking blood, and his blonde hair was soaking wet with snow and more scarlet. His shirt was torn to shreds, more cuts littered his stomach. One of his arms was splayed out at a funny angle.
I felt my breath hitch as I studied his injured form.
“Scorpius.” I whimpered, tearing pouring over my cheeks again.
“Rose.” He whispered, his voice hoarse and his lips bright red. “Rose, sh.”
His good arm reached up and brushed the tears from my face, his fingers coming away wet and red.
“D-Don't go.” I choked out. Please, God, please, don't let him die.
“Rose.” He looked at me intently, his burning grey eyes boring into mine. “I love you.”
My heart seemed to explode in my chest, and I reached down and twined my shaking fingers in his.
“I love you too, Scorpius.” My voice came out cracked and broken, but I didn't notice.
My whole body was shaking now, and I bent over him, softly pressing my lips to his. He returned the pressure for a moment, and then his hand went slack in mine.
More tears streaked down my face, blurring his face and trees into one blob. His name rang over and over in my head. Scorpius. Scorpius. Scorpius.
“Rose!” A terrified voice yelled from behind me, and I slowly turned to see my mother followed by the rest of my family sprinting towards us.
I watched numbly as they scrambled towards the wall, Aunt Ginny pausing to conjure a Patronus.
My mother's face swam above me. “Rose, are you okay?!”
“Scorpius.” I whimpered.
And then everything went black.
A/N:
....... Okay, so don't kill me. Please. That would be nice. However, feel free to send me raging reviews! Yay angry reviews! :) Lol, hope you liked that chapter! Keep reading and reviewing! 59 reviews!! And almost 7000 reads :D Love you all! xoxo
April 16th
Sorry this took so long, it keeps getting rejected :(
For those of you who scrolled down, Rose and Scorpius get into a car accident.
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