The Intelligence of Love

"Welcome home sweetie!" Hermione said throwing her arms around her daughter and giving her a tight hug.

"Hi mum." Rose said guiltily.

"What's wrong, you sound sad?" Hermione said as she searched her daughter's face.

"I'm just tired. All those exams this week really exhausted me." Rose lied.

"You just need some sleep." Said Hermione lovingly. "It's hard work being smart."

"Yeah." Rose said faintly, with a small smile. "I think I'm going to take a nap."

"Good idea." Her mother smiled at her. "I'll wake you before its time to eat."

"Thanks mom." Rose walked up the stars and into her room. She crawled onto her bed and buried her face into the pillow.

She could not wait until the end of break to tell her parents about Scorpius. She felt horrible that she had kept if from them this long. They deserved to know the truth, she owed them that much. She owed it to Scorpius as well.

"Ahh! What's wrong with me!" She said to herself out loud. She was Rose Weasley. She was smart. She should be able to sort things out and have a plan. "But I do have a plan." She was going to tell her parents. She had not anticipated the feelings that would go along with the plan. Rose was used to dealing in facts, not feelings.

"I wish Scorpius was here. He could help me sort this all out." As soon as she thought it, the truth of the statement shocked her. She liked Scorpius, that was certain, but did she also need him? "Yes."  The acknowledgment  gave her the courage to tell her parents.

***

After diner, Hugo, sensing something was about to happen, excused himself to his room. Hermione, Ron, and Rose all sat at the table in a pregnant silence.

"I want to tell you something." Rose said nervously, staring down at her plate, avoiding eye contact with her father.

"What's going on Rose?" Ron asked insistently.

"I have a boyfriend." She said quietly.

"That's great honey!" Said Hermione happily.

"Who is he?" Asked Ron with a laugh and a smile. "Did the Mertin kid finally win you over?"

"Scorpius Malfoy." She said quickly.

There was a pause in the room. It was as though all the air had been sucked out.

"What did you say?" Ron growled.

Rose lifted her face and looked defiantly at her father. "Scorpius Malfoy is my boyfriend."

Ron stood quickly, his chair tipping as he did so, falling to the ground. He leaned forward over the table, putting both fist down.

"Oh Rose, no. No, no, no." Hermione said in a soft kind of shock placing her hand over her mouth.

"A Malfoy?" Ron said angrily raising his voice.

"Yes." Said Rose defiantly, standing from the table. "A Malfoy."

"Do you know what the Malfoys did during the war!?" Ron shouted at her, slamming his hand down on the table. "They are nothing but scum Rose!"

"You don't even know Scorpius!" She shouted back at him.

"I don't need to! He is his father's son, and his father is a weak piece of shit."

"Scorpius is not his father!" Rose said throwing her hands up angrily. "Just like I am not my mother!"

"Rose, we know you are not-" Hermione began to speak but was interrupted by Ron.

"I don't care! You are my daughter. I will not have any child of mine being ruined by a Malfoy!"

"He's not ruining me!"

"Did he make you have sex with him yet? Did he touch you?"

"He didn't make me do anything I did not want to do!"

Ron rushed at her angrily, slapping her face despite his wife's protest. "I won't have you being some little whore to Draco Malfoy's son!" He took her wrist roughly, and began to pull her towards the stairs.

"Ouch!" Rose screamed. "Dad! You are hurting me!"

"Ron! Let her go!" Hermione cried.

"She's going to learn a lesson!" He shouted as he began to drag her up the stairs.

Rose twisted her wrist wildly, trying to get away from her enraged father. She felt a pop in her wrist and a burst of pain as she finally managed to break free. She ran down the stairs and threw open the front door. Her mother tried to restrain her, but Hermione was too late. Rose ran out into the street as Ron chased after her. She apperated before he could reached her.