2017 : Hogwarts

Texts between Albus and Scorpius

Texts between Albus and Molly II Weasley !

James finished his Butterbeer and glanced at Champagne, which he was allowed a cup but obviously hadn't been pranked, and  at Firewiskey. Obviously, his mother would never let him drink some, but she was rather busy, debating with Victoire and Rose.

« If you don't, I will », threatened Fred.

« We're supposed to wait for Lucy »

Their cousin would never forgive them if they cheated. She had disappeared moments ago, probably getting frozen under snowflakes.

Soon enough, it would be time to eat. Lily was sitting on the floor, reading next to Molly. Phones had been banned for Christmas, but neither Percy or Hermione could bring themselves to forbid children to read, even though this was family time. James looked fondly at his sister, who appeared so calm and focused while they all knew she could on fire before the end of the evening.

« So, how is Hogwarts ? », asked their Uncle Bill. « I miss it so much, I sometimes wish I was teaching there. »

« You'd be bored after two weeks, mon amour », Fleur laughed.

Louis listened quietly, playing with his laces. He would be eleven soon, and Hogwarts was waiting for him the next year.

« Albus, Rose, how is your first year ? Have you discovered the way to the kitchen yet ? »

« Well », the girl said before her cousin could even open his mouth. « It's fantastic. I have terrific friends, and I think we're going to discover many secrets of the Castle together. Polly is adorable and witty, and Doran is so brave he can go on any adventures with me. »

Molly and Victoire exchanged a significant look. James clenched his jaw. It was christmas, and he would have hated anyone criticising his friends, especially when he was behaving this full of himself.

He was full of himself. Sometimes. He knew it. Rose smiled.

« And Albus had the best friend in Scorpius Malefoy, I guess he's very lucky ».

Time froze. Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny stayed silent for a second, astonished. George's jaw dropped, Angelina tensed, Percy rose and Audrey put an arm on his elbow.

Then Lily's book dropped and she nearly jumped at Rose's throat. Molly stopped her before she could do any harm, but her eyes were cold as ice.

Because no one was expecting him to jump at Rose's throat as well, James could have achieved it. Instead, he stormed out in the snow. To litterally cool down.

« I can't believed she just... I just can't believe... »

He wanted to hit Rose as he never had wanted to hit anyone. It was Albus's secret to tell, Albus's frienship, Albus's relationship with both Scorpius and their family. And with a sweet, innocent smile, Rose had given the information for her own pleasure, her own satisfaction.

« Who and what ? Quickly », Dom ordered.

« I can't... Rose just told the entire family Scorpius is Albus's best friend, for no other fucking reason than betrayal ! I'll... I'll... »

« I'll take care of this », said the oldest, and then she was inside again.

James's finger finally met the freezing snow on the floor but did nothing to help this boiling rage coming out.

« She had no right. »

Lucy was beautiful in her muggle, black dress for Christmas. Just like her sister, she had taken a book to the living room, but for now, they hadn't start reading, as the evening was all about family. She kept an eye on James and Fred, sipping her pumpkin juice with delight. Apparently, neither of the three drinks they had chosen was pranked, so she went to Dominique.

« Can I talk about the service I owe you ? »

« Outisde », her cousin answered.

Snowflakes were slowly falling, the dinner wouldn't start before an other half an hour, and all these people in one place were starting to be suffocating.

« Don't cheat ! » Lucy yelled to James and Fred, then followed Dom in the garden. « So, what is it ?  If I'm going to receive a package next week, I'd like to know what's inside. »

« Weasley family can't keep their noses out of other people business, huh ? » argued Dom, conveniently forgetting she had harrassed the youngest to know about Molly's Christmas present. Lucy just raised an eyebrow.

« Please », Dom sighed. « It's nothing I want to share. You're too young for that, really to young. »

« So it's either alcohol or sex », Lucy said without blinking. « Dom, I hope you aren't drinking. Your sexuality is none of my business, but I hope you aren't drinking. It's unhealthy, and you are aware of this »

« Teen alcoholism really isn't subtle, and undignified », Dom growled.

That was her answer, and the moment James showed up, boiling with anger.

Harry liked champagne, and he always let Albus, James and Lily taste a bit during special occasions. Albus sat next to his father, and asked for the story he had been promised concerning Polyjuice and Slytherin common room. Lily cuddled with her brother, both beaming with the perspective of a story.

Bill listened too, chuckling when Percy finally discovered what exactly his little brother was doing in the Girl's toilets during his second year. To be fair, the look on his face was hilarious and the children listening (Roxane and Teddy were sitting with them too now) all laughed.

Harry didn't talk about Ginny's possession, Chamber of Secrets and Voldemort's Horcruxe. He merely said that this was the year student were getting petrified, and they suspected the culprit to be Draco Malfoy. Albus tensed and Lily took his hand.

« There was a time where you could be in danger at Hogwarts ? » Roxane asked, concerned.

« It was Voldemort's doing, but we didn't know that », Harry admitted. « Draco Malfoy was full of himself, bragging about pretty much everything, and we were ready to jump to conclusion because we didn't know who else it can be. It couldn't have been a twelve years old's doing, but when you're twelve, you never think about how young you are. »

He told them about Hermione's work, and about the cat's hair, about the awful taste of the juice and how stupid Crabbe and Goyle must have been in general that Ron and Harry's poor disguise didn't alert Malfoy. He told Albus about the common room during his Hogwarts time, and they were laughing at Hermione.

[This is rather long. The other will be shorter, if you prefer the texts posts, just read the next short stuff and then we’ll be back to texts]

The Potter House wasn't exactly the best place to entertain such a Christmas party. Everyone being there, the rooms where crowded and some of the kids were sleeping in Arthur's old tent, the one their parent had used during 1994 Quidditch Cup.

James and Fred were happily sleeping there, for James's room was used by Molly, Lucy and Dom. Albus had kept his room, as Harry knew his son needed a safe place to get to if things were getting to noisy. He shared it with Louis and Hugo. Lily, Teddy and Victoire were together, Hermione and Ron slept and the Potter's couch, and the other Weasley adult slept into the rather cranky bed in the tent.

They all missed Arthur and Molly. Lily looked at the kitchen, empty or her grandmother's food, and her face fell.

« They'll be here at lunch tomorrow », Ginny reassured her.

« It's not the same », the little girl persisted

Ginny had yelled at her several time already, so she said nothing. Her daughter was hard to understand, for someone who had grew with six older brother and learnt never to complain.

Everyone was here, and everyone had helped. Bill and Fleur had decorated the living room with ice sculptures and a blue and silver table had been set for drinks. Uncle Georges said he pranked one of the juices, and it probably was true. Fred, Lucy and James bet to whom would be the first to find it, with very complicated and strict rules about it.

Molly helped in the kitchen with Louis. His sister set the table in the dining room, a mix of gold and green decorations, in harmony with the huge Christmas Tree Ron, Albus and Dom were busy with. Victoire, Rose and Percy put the present in each Christmas Socks. Roxanne, Audrey, Hermione and Angelina were trying to keep everything rather cleaned and in order.

Albus kept looking by the window, distracted by his father still at work, Scorpius's medical appointment, and Lily's sadness. To this, Dominique pointed that if he didn't care, anyone else in the house would be delighted to decorate the tree.

« Everything will be alright, son », Uncle Ron promised. « At least, there are no Death Eathers making vows this time ! »

It was a weird joke, the first one Albus had ever heard on the subject or maybe, the first time he understood the words Death Eaters. Some melancoly started to surround him, suffocating, and he felt the need to go to his siblings. James would be embarassing, but he would know, as he witnessed every day at school with Scorpius. Lily would be furious, ready to battle for him, and would hug him with too much compassion.

He thought about going to his room, checked on his sister who was babbling about Hogwarts's Owls with Molly, and decided it would be worse if he was alone.

When Harry got home, his mood lightened.

Everyone sat in the living room at 6:00 PM, when Christmas'Eve started. They chatted, exchanged about Hogwarts, happily and as only a family can do.

Short text, I know... 

It seems important that James would send Scorpius a text for Christmas.