Chapter Nineteen: Hematite

Screw Advil; try hematite.

“You didn’t!”

“She did”

“I didn’t mean to!”

“You did though!”

“Sorry?” Savannah says weakly. Rose glares at her, from where she has Savannah pinned to the floor. Scorpius sat in the armchair by the fireplace, reading a new charms book and Albus was finishing an essay while Peregrine practiced the latest hex for DADA. Even Jonathon was there, in the other armchair, with an old genealogy book for reference in a History of Magic essay.

“Sorry? Sorry won’t cut it when I have to explain to Mr. and Mrs. Zabini why their son was brutally murdered!” Rose yells. At that precise moment, Lionel walks into the Gryffindor Common Room, slightly uncomfortable.

“Who’s been murdered?”

“YOU!” Rose screams, turning to face him with wide eyes. He halts and looks at Albus for an explanation.

“Savannah let slip that you’re taking Rose on a date to Grandmum Weasley. Ron knows by now.” Lionel pales slightly.

“You guys aren’t going to do to me what you did to Scorp, right?” Scorpius glares as Savannah erupts into laughter, curling on her side as she giggles.

“Will everyone stop bringing that up!”

“Nope, never.” Rose replies, laughing as well. Scorpius grumbles under his breath and hides his face in his book, reading furiously.

“Hugo and I won’t kill you. It’s Ron you have to worry about. I suggest getting to the Slytherin Common Room. He can get in here easy, but down there?” Peregrine suggests.

“No chance, he and dad snuck into our common room plenty of times when they were at school.” Albus comments dryly, crossing a few words from his paragraph. Lionel scowls.

“Well he can do what he wants. Dating you is worth most anything, Rose.” He declares. Everyone in the vicinity hoots and whistles as Rose blushes prettily and gets off the floor, hugging Lionel.

“You’re such a snake tongue.” She teases.

“He’s also worm food!” Lionel spins around as the portrait door slams shut behind a furious Ron Weasley. His hair has shoots of gray in it and he hadn’t shaved today, but his blue eyes flashed with the fury of a father about to see his little girl grow up.

“Ron! Restrain yourself!” Hermione dashes into the common room. The other Gryffindors lounging about the room sit up, excited at the new drama. Hermione flashes them a look.

“Go to your dorms!” They scramble to their feet, knowing what could happen if they disobeyed.

“He didn’t ask my permission!” Ron counters furiously, glaring at his ex-girlfriend and best friend. Hermione scowls at him.

“This is not the eighteen-hundreds Ronald. He’s not marrying her; they’re going on a date to Hogsmeade. Like you and Lavender used to do all the time?” She reminds gently. Ron grimaces.

“And I know what went on during those dates, Hermione. There’s no way Rosie is going with the git!” Rose gags slightly at the implication while the rest of her friends look slightly sick. Old people love? Gross!

“Excuse me, sir, but I would have asked your permission if I had known it meant so much to you. I won’t take Rose on a date until I get your blessing.” Lionel breaks in, his voice strong but his hand shaking slightly in Rose’s. Ron turns his gaze to the boy who could possibly become his future-son-in-law.

“Don’t smooth talk me, Zabini.” He starts, but at that moment, the portrait door opens again to admit Lavender and Harry. Harry’s panting and in his pajamas while Lavender is wiping flour from her face.

“Really, Ron, at least take me with you when you go to kill someone.” She growls. The scars Greyback had left upon her face still looked as fresh as they did the day she received them, but her beauty was still apparent, made more vibrant with the fact that she was no longer a simple-minded ditz concerned with cute boys and fame. She was matured, humbled, and realistic. And not tolerable of her husband’s rashness.

“Lavender, honey, I’m sorry. When mum told me, I had to put an end to it immediately.” Ron apologizes. Rose makes a noise of fury.

“Excuse me? Put an end to it? You can’t control every single thing in my life! I will date anyone I want!” Rose argues.

“I am your father, young lady! You will listen to me! And you will definitely date not a single person!” Ron retorts angrily. Rose colours deeply and her eyes flash with fire.

“Watch me!” She turns and kisses Lionel square on the mouth for a burning second before pulling back and taking both his hands tightly in hers. He looks a bit dazed, smiling like a love-struck fool.

“I like Lionel and I am going to date him for however long he and I are interested in each other. It might not last or it just might go on forever! Who knows? All I know is that I deserve to live a normal life, dad. Not one dictated by you.” Ron goes to retort, his entire face red, when Hermione and Harry go up on either side of him.

“We didn’t get a normal childhood, Ron.” Harry says gently.

“It wasn’t dictated by a protective parent though, who can be reasoned with, but a horrible and cruel creature. Do you really want to restrict Rose in such a way?” Hermione reasons. Ron huffs and puffs for a moment before stalking up to Lionel, pointing a quaking finger in his face.

“Treat her like the damn sun or I’ll put you six feet under in a second, got it?” When Lionel nods slowly, he turns and stalks out of the common room. Hermione and Harry smile, breaking into soft laughter and accompanying an exasperated Lavender out of the room. Savannah sits up from where she had been frozen on the floor.

“Well that was fun.” She comments. Albus shrugs and goes back to his essay, Scorpius resumes his reading, Jonathon pulls out a sheet of parchment to begin his own essay, and Peregrine starts on the next hex. Rose and Lionel sit on the loveseat, bewildered expressions on their faces.

“In all honesty, that was a regular Weasley visit.” Rose states weakly. Savannah nods and studies the back of the portrait.

“Your family is brilliant.” The others nod offhandedly and the night returns to normal.

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Dedicated to my wondrously awesome and beautiful Twin and best friend, Cynder, whom I love and cheirsh very much. Without her, my life would not have been as magical as it has been. I wish her the happiest birthday that I know she will enjoy very much. Happy Birthday, twin! <3