ROSE WEASLEY AND THE MEMORY THIEF
Disclaimer: HP, the Wizarding World, and all those lovely canon names and characters are property of JKR, and we are just lucky enough to get to play in her sandbox. Everything you find here is a work of fiction, similarities to real life are totally unintentional. Additionally any fanart or extras you might find here belong to their creators, and will be credited accordingly.



Welcome to our fic, belatedly being posted (and completed) by me (Tegz) and Ern (Cassirin). This story was first begun back in November 2011 as our joint effort at nanowrimo, which we won, so that gives you an idea of how much reading you have in store for you, over 100,000 words (mind you that's pre-editing). We're exclusively posting this here on SS for right now, so if you see it elsewhere... it shouldn't be. We are hoping to make our fic interactive so once we get things rolling keep an eye out for polls and opportunities to contribute. If you DO want to make any graphics or fan art, we would LOVE to have it. Anyone who does will be linked in this first post, either to individual works, or to shop posts or albums etc. Yeah we're probably too ambitious for our own good! Anyway, hope you guys enjoy! - Tegz

Chapter Guide
PART ONE
Chapter 1 - The Hogwarts Express
1.1 On The Platform (Scorpius)
1.2 Leaving the Station (Rose)
1.3 The Slytherin Carriage (Scorpius)
1.4 The Prefect Compartment (Rose)

Chapter 2 - Back at Hogwarts
2.1 The Welcoming Feast (Scorpius)
2.2 After the Feast (Rose)
2.3 Viridis (Scorpius)

Chapter 3 - Classes and Quidditch
3.1 Potions Class (Rose)
3.2 Everybody Crushes on a Weasley Girl at Least Once (Scorpius)
3.3 There Is Squishing (Rose)
3.4 Slytherin Tryouts (Scorpius)

Chapter 4 - The Hidden Journal
4.1 In The Slytherin Common Room (Scorpius)
4.2 Gryffindors in the Library (Rose)
4.3 Scorpius Discovers the Journal (Scorpius)
4.4 The Hidden Journal (Scorpius/Journal)

PART TWO

Chapter 5 - Hogsmeade and Halloween
5.1 Overthinking Everything. Like Usual. (Rose)
5.2 Hogsmeade Meet-ups (Rose)
5.3 Have Something Orange (Scorpius)

Chapter 6 - Games and Politics
6.1 Easier to Find if You're a Little Lost (Scorpius/Journal)
6.2 Hatstall (Scorpius)
6.3 When Lily Happens (Rose)
6.4 Old and New Rounds (Rose)

Chapter 7 - Christmas
7.1 Jayne Gets a Date (Rose)
7.2 A Date and a Favour (Scorpius)
7.3 I'll See You in Three Weeks (Scorpius/Journal)
7.4 Christmas at the Burrow (Rose)

Chapter 8 - New Years and Nuances
8.1 Hogmanay (Rose)
8.2 The Past is History (Scorpius)
8.3 The Study of Ancient Runes (Rose)
8.4 Like a Fungus (Scorpius)
8.5 Personal History (Rose)

Extras Guide
Book Cover (Tegz)
Nera Zabini (Tegz)
Jayne Wood (Tegz)
Apollo Burke (Tegz)
Rose and Scorpius (Stefan)
Book Cover 2 (Tegz)

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1.1 On The Platform

Oblivious to the usual hustle and bustle of Platform 9 3/4, Scorpius Malfoy abandoned his trunk to the porter who would stack it with the others piled at the end of the platform where the luggage car would soon appear. This year was the first time that Scorpius had seen himself off at Kings Cross. Partly fueled by the fact that his mother's usual goodbye kisses always made him blush and more often than not served as a source of embarrassment in front of his friends, it had seemed like a good idea when he'd thought of it during the summer. He was sixteen, he didn't need his parents to hold his hand and bring him to the station. He could get there on his own, meet up with his friends, and board the express without any unnecessary fuss. It had taken some arguing on his part and his mum had been pretty put out by it but eventually he'd managed to convince his parents to let him go on his own. The trouble was that he'd had to take the floo since he wasn't yet old enough to apparate, and it was a bit of a walk to the station through Muggle London. Really it had become more of a mission than he'd considered when he had first made the argument to be allowed to go alone. Come to think of it that was probably why his father had allowed it. A lesson in there somewhere. Draco Malfoy was big on lessons.

Scorpius didn't have any problem with Muggles, it was just that there were so many of them, and they were always in such a hurry. Even though he'd left early enough that he'd arrive well before the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station, Scorpius had still needed to fight the urge to hurry himself. It was as if the sense of urgency from the Muggles had infected him. It was hard to imagine that anyone could be so desperate to get somewhere that they would rush and barely say a word to apologize when they knocked into him, but all any of them did was pepper him with dull-eyed, preoccupied glances before looking away as if it had broken some sort of rule to never make eye contact with a stranger. Maybe wizards only apologized to people they barged into to avoid a hexing but Scorpius still found himself coming to the conclusion that, as a whole, Muggles were a bit rude.

"Malfoy!"

Almost as soon as he had deposited his trunk with the porter he was greeted by one of his dorm mates, a tall and lanky boy with teeth that Scorpius privately considered unfortunate. But, being as Vincent Nott was something resembling a friend, he chose not to comment on the other boy's large bucked teeth. This didn't of course stop others from doing so or stop Scorpius from secretly finding it funny when they did, unless it was a Gryffindor, in which case he was almost obliged to be bothered on Nott's behalf. Scorpius sauntered over casually and clapped Nott on the shoulder.

"Alright, Nott?"

"Alright." It was as if the boy's teeth were talking. Scorpius averted his eyes, glancing around for any of the others. Nott began talking about his summer, and what he'd been doing since he'd last seen Scorpius a few weeks earlier. Scorpius was only half-listening while he kept an eye out for his best friends, Apollo Burke and Takeshi Haneda. Takeshi would be exactly on time and no earlier, but Apollo was likely here somewhere already.

It was almost as if just by thinking about the tall Greek boy he had summoned him. Apollo appeared at his shoulder in that silent way he had, not bothering to say hello, and Nott continued to chatter on oblivious to the fact that he only had a fraction of Scorpius and Apollo's interest. Scorpius relaxed a little now that Apollo was there and continued to distractedly scan the growing crowd. The two boys stood head and shoulders above most of the children milling about, taller again than Nott by a head and a half. Still and watchful, they had none of the nerves exhibited by the overexcited first years about to take their first journey to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, they could afford to feel as if they were above it all. The badges which Scorpius and Apollo wore pinned to their chests further separated them from the masses and picked them out as students who were known by everyone, though perhaps not universally admired. Even the greenest first years would soon know their names. It could be a heady feeling at times. Apollo, Scorpius knew, relished in it. For Scorpius himself there was another level to the strange instant recognition of him in his position as Slytherin's Quidditch Captain, because he carried with him a particularly recognizable family name. Malfoy. It was one which caused whispers even still, even now, a generation on from the Battle of Hogwarts.

It was strange, he reflected, to attend school with the children of the people who had been on the other side of the war from your own family. Even if things were different now, there were some things that couldn't be overcome so easily. Some resentments and old prejudices remained. By this time Liam Pucey and Curtis Flint had joined them too and the boys stood around with their hands thrust in pockets, joking around while Scorpius remained silent and introspective, looking out over the throng and losing himself in his own thoughts.

"You're quiet." Apollo observed near his ear, and Scorpius shot him a small smile and a shrug.

"Everyone else is making plenty of noise."

"They usually do." Apollo agreed, "A quarter of a population of Gryffindors is a quarter of a population too many."

Nott chimed in with a comment about bloody Weasleys being everywhere and Scorp looked back at him, following the other boy's gaze to where a gaggle of them were milling about, laughing with one another and saying their goodbyes. It never failed to amaze Scorpius how many of them there were or how many of them seemed to turn out every year. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen a Weasley on its own. Nott made a derisive comment about rabbits and laughed at his own joke, but Scorpius found himself watching them thoughtfully. He almost wished his own mother was there after all to give him hugs and embarrassing kisses goodbye.

He was acutely aware that standing on the platform without his own parents or grandparents seeing him off made him look... well... lonely and unloved, he supposed, which matched up fairly well to what many thought about his family, but they didn't know. His family were close and he didn't much care for the looks he was currently getting, Nott's laughter having caught the attention of a few of the Weasley brood and their various hangers on. James Potter was looking smug and whispering loudly in Fred Weasley's ear. Fred's was nodding and chortling, his freckle dusted grin suggesting that he'd never heard a single thing funnier than whatever James had just said. Both boys stared directly at Scorpius, making it clear enough that he was the topic of conversation. Nott made a few more rude comments, seemingly unaware that he didn't have anyone's full attention, the antipathy of the rabbit-toothed sixth year towards the predominately Gryffindor family was blindingly obvious and entirely expected. Really it'd be stranger to begin the school term without it.

The train arrived and resulted in two things; a cheer going up from those gathered on the platform and a staring match of some intensity between the two groups of boys. Scorpius kept his expression stony, but he was seething quietly. While Fred and James weren't making any secret of their opinions, admittedly Scorp was reading into it a little more than necessary, his imagination filling in the blanks and deciding that the seventh year Gryffindors were obviously whispering horrible things about him and even worse, about his family. Someone pushed past Fred and James. Having said his goodbyes, Albus Potter was making to board the train. The other end of the carriage was closer to his family, and Scorpius focused on Albus in puzzlement, wondering why the younger Potter boy was coming the way that required him to push past himself, Apollo and Nott, when it would be easier to go the other way, towards where the porter was beginning to load the student trunks into the luggage car.

"What does he want, I wonder?" Apollo murmured. Scorpius had no idea.

"Alright, Malfoy?" Albus greeted him loudly and then, without waiting for a response, added, "Good luck with Quidditch this year, we've got a few tricks up our sleeves, you won't win the cup this time!"

It was clear to Scorpius that the other boy had said this intentionally to be heard by his brother and cousin, and Scorp was quietly startled when Albus winked at him. The mention of Quidditch though, that pulled Malfoy out of his little funk and he smirked at the elder Potter. The previous term Slytherin had won the Quidditch Cup led by Scorpius as captain, while James Potter, captain for Gryffindor, had to swallow defeat with Gryffindor in last place. The elder Potter's expression grew sulky and one of his younger girl cousins nudged him teasingly but Scorpius didn't see which one it was, only seeing a flash of red hair behind Potter's shoulder. Could have been almost any of them. He made to respond to Albus but the other boy had already boarded the train, apparently not intending to wait around for conversation. Apollo watched this exchange with a heavy-lidded gaze, like a lizard baking in the sun and eyeing up potential prey that was interesting enough to keep an eye on but too far away to expend any effort in catching.

"Made a new friend over the summer?" He asked in a low voice which brimmed over with the barest hint of curiosity.

"Hardly." Scorpius responded, and was about to say more when they were interrupted by the presence of Nera Zabini at his shoulder wanting his attention. Scorpius turned around only to be swamped by a hug.

"Mother said you were coming on your own and that Aunt Astoria was upset that you didn't want her to see you off." Nera reported, linking her arm with his and giving him a nudge. She fixed him with a look, made more intense by the glasses she wore. Nera's voice encouraging an explanation. Scorpius simply shrugged and resolutely turned away from the Weasleys to focus more completely on Nera.

"I felt like it." He said, trying for nonchalance, wondering if he'd set a precedence for himself and would have to come on his own next year too.

Nott and the other boys seemed impressed but Nera looked skeptical. She wasn't one inclined toward unnecessary adventures, a behaviour which she categorised as 'too Gryffindor', but she miraculously refrained from any sort of accusation of that variety.

"Well you better get on the Express before my mother comes over to give you a proper send off."

Scorpius looked around, a bit worried at that. It was a very real threat since Daphne Zabini, his mother's older sister, did tend to be quite affectionate and would probably embarrass him on purpose just to spite him so she could laugh about it later. His Aunt was nearby talking with her eldest daughter, this year's head girl Acantha Zabini, who was playing up the affectionate farewell to the best of her abilities and drawing quite a bit of attention for her efforts. Scorpius would say hello to his older cousin once they were all safely on the train. He nodded at Nera. She was right.

"We should claim our seats." She suggested and dragged Scorpius along, the other boys following behind like a small procession.