Disclaimer: Nope I don't own Harry Potter. Which is a shame, because it'd have gone Harmony if I did…
A/N: An idea I had just after reading DH to make right things after the crapilogue. Hope you'll like the story, and please if you read, review, thanks.
After The Night, Sun Shines
Chapter Seven: Importance of Friends
It was two days after the funerals that James, Rose and Albus went back to Hogwarts. Hermione and Harry had brought them there themselves, sidelong Apparating them to Hogsmeade and then walking up the castle.
As the moment of hellos came, Hermione took her daughter apart. "You going to be right?" she asked. She was worried, because Rose didn't have all these friends, and she knew for experience that friends were the best way to go through though moments like this.
"I'll manage" the girl bravely said. "I can do it" she added then, more to convince herself than to convince her mother.
"Don't worry, Aunt Hermione. We will be by her side" James said, walking up to them and placing an arm on Rose's shoulders. Albus nodded his approval too.
Harry knew his sons would be alright. They were strong, especially James, and they were old enough to handle this. As for Hugo and Lily, he and Hermione would be by their sides constantly, so he wasn't worried.
"Well, we don't want to embarrass you in front of your friends with the typical parents' act" he joked, "so we better leave you to school before we end doing that" and with that he nodded to the three kids who waved back, an hint of a smile on their faces.
As he put an arm around Hermione's shoulders and started walking back toward the gates, James' voice reached him.
"Dad!" he shouted.
Harry turned to meet his son's stare. "Don't be too hard on yourself. Mum wouldn't have wanted you to" his son said, and it meant the world to Harry.
He had to admit he still felt his heart had been ripped in half, but with the presence of his kids those last days, he had started to heal. Going back to an empty home, however, was not going to be easy.
"I will" he whispered, and Hermione moved closer to him, as to underline the fact he wasn't alone and they would help each other. With a grateful smile to her, he started walking again.
Once their parents were out of sights, the three Gryffindors walked into the castle, and to the common room. It made no sense to join classes now, it was just half an hour before lunch.
As they sat there, all lost in their thoughts, James couldn't wait to see his best friends, especially Kate. He knew she would listen and help him go through the pain. With all respect to Rob, he wasn't exactly known for being good with feelings. The thought brought a smile to his lips.
"Thinking about Serena?" Albus asked, trying to light the mood. Serena Heskerks was a fifth year Hufflepuff, and currently James' girlfriend. She was blonde, with a slim waist and good curves, so it was no wonder boys liked her, although she wasn't this bright. She was in his same year.
"What? Why would I think of her now?" James retorted, surprised at the question.
"Dunno, she's your girlfriend after all" Albus mumbled. He still didn't get this thing about dating, he had not the slightest clue about how girls thought, and how he would have to act with them.
Rose's brown eyes, instead, sparkled with realization. "It's a certain brunette he's thinking about" she teased her older cousin, who suddenly blushed.
"Well, she's my best friend" he tried to justify himself. "We talk about things, and she can help me go through this".
As if on cue, Kate entered the room, and as soon as she saw him, she flung herself in his arms.
"James! I've been so worried about you!" she quickly said, not letting go of him, and he held her close too. Rose just smiled at him, as to prove her point.
"Jeez, mate, it's good to see you want to say hello to me too" Rob whined, although it was clear he was joking. He loved to tease the two of them about their closeness, as he firmly believed there was more than met the eye there.
The five of them then headed to have lunch together, and Serena was not pleased to see James coming into the Great Hall paying no attention to her, while he was instead intent talking with Kate.
"That tart" she scowled. "She's going to pay for hitting on my man"
When the trio of James, Rob and Kate was leaving, heading to Care of Magical Creatures, she stood up too, and walked quickly to join them. She had their same class after all.
"Hi, James" she flirtatiously said, effectively pushing Kate away to take her place on his side, and slipping her arm under his own. Then she kissed him quite hard on the mouth, slipping her tongue in, as to prove the point that he was hers.
James however did not kiss her back. "Hi, Serena" he said coldly then. "I would appreciate if you didn't push my friends away, you know" he icily added.
She was taken aback. "But…I'm your girlfriend and you haven't properly greeted me since you arrived!" she said, shocked.
James snorted. Rob took Kate and lead her away, this was not going to be pretty.
His friend was grateful to him, he didn't want to put a show on for an audience. "As if I could talk with you about what troubles me" James heatedly said to Serena once they were alone.
"We are together, you're supposed to talk to me about it, not with her" Serena scathingly retorted.
"Her, as you say, has been by my side far longer than you have. Accept that she's going to be part of my life and that we are close, or go your own way" James said.
"We have had good times together, James" Serena almost whined.
He looked at her, and wondered what did he find in her in the first place. He sighed. "Serena, our relationship has been nothing more than snogging in broom closets. As fun as it is, there's more than that in a real relationship"
"So…you're breaking up with me?" she babbled, sobbing quietly. James felt bad for her.
"I dunno, Serena. Give me time to think about it" he concluded, then he walked away, angry with himself. He had wanted to call it quits for some time now, but her broken face stopped him from doing that.
"Trouble in paradise?" Rob teased him once he joined them.
"You can very well say that" James joked back. He was thankful to have friends like these, because they could take his mind off his troubles for a while, and then they would help him go through them.
Raising his eyes to the sky, he thought of his mother, looking at him from above, and in his mind he blew her a kiss, then he returned to his friends. He shared a look with Kate and she nodded, caressing his hand with her thumb. He nodded back, then turned as the lesson started, feeling already better.
As for Rose, she walked up to Transfiguration, her preferred subject, alone as usual. Well, no, she wasn't always alone, however she didn't have good friends as Rob and Kate were for James. She had acquaintances, let's say, and she got along fine with all her dorm mates, but no real friendship there. Albus usually walked with her, as they were in the same house and year they had the same lessons to attend, however this time he had said her he would meet her in class as he needed to retrieve something from his dorm.
"Hey, Weasley" she heard someone calling her. She cringed. "Not him. Not now" she thought. The idea of her father being dead upset her enough without Scorpius Malfoy adding to it.
"Go to hell, Malfoy" she said, not even stopping.
"Feisty, aren't we?" he snickered. "Too bad you're a bookworm" he commented then, coming to her side to mock her some more.
He was shocked to see her on the verge of tears. He had made much ruder comments to her in the years and she never cried. It was one of the things he admired of her, her strength.
"What's up with you?" he asked, suddenly gentler. "Why are you almost crying?"
"Why do you care?" she spat back.
"Ok, I know I deserved that" he joked, giving her an half smile. His two cronies were still behind them, and wondered why Scorpius was being gentle to the Weasley girl. She was a Gryffindor after all, they were supposed to hate Gryffindors.
Natalie came to her other side. "Why, isn't that clear, Scorpius? She's a cry-baby, too bad she can't go to her mother or father here" she snidely commented.
"My dad is dead, you bitch!" Rose finally snapped, crying freely now.
"Aww, that's too bad" Natalie kept mocking her, now openly laughing. Scorpius however glared at her, and her laughter died on her lips.
"Natalie, your jokes are not appreciated" he coldly said her.
"Scorpius, why do you care about her?" she spat back, narrowing her eyes.
"Do I have to report my actions to you?" he growled dangerously. Rose was shocked to see he wasn't joining his friends in mocking her.
"Fine, then, but you won't be my friend anymore!" Natalie snapped. "Vince, come with me" she added then to the third Slytherin, walking away and purposely bumping into Rose, who lost her balance, and started falling. Scorpius was quick though, he was not Slytherin's Seeker for nothing, and grabbed her.
"You ok?" he said softly, his grey eyes boring into her brown ones.
"Y-yes" she said, collecting herself and standing up again.
That was the moment Albus came. "Hey, Rose, is he giving you an hard time?" he protectively said. The two boys glared at each other.
"No, no. He was helping me, actually, I slipped and he helped me stand up" Rose lied. As Albus curtly nodded and preceded them into the classroom, she winked at Scorpius giving him an half smile and followed him. She felt the sadness for her loss diminish a bit, and she hoped Scorpius would act friendly toward her again. She definitely needed a person out of her cousins she could confide to, and she knew it was stupid but she hoped it could be him.
The Slytherin boy remained there, dumbfounded as to why she would lie to cover him, and especially why she had winked at him!
He had to admit he had always fancied her a bit, although he knew the history of their families enough to know it probably wouldn't be appreciated, so he covered it with the teasing and mocking. However, he was more than aware that she was a fine young witch, beautiful in her own way although not strikingly so.
As he entered the class, he made a point to be friendlier to her and get to know her better. Especially if her father was dead, she would need support and he was willing to try and help her through such an hard time.
After their afternoon lessons, Albus, James and Rose met again in the common room. Being the oldest, James made a point to check how the other two were doing.
He told them about his day and his almost break-up with Serena, and Rose giggled. He glared at her.
"What's so funny, Weasley?" he asked, with a fake stern tone.
"Nothing, it's just I knew the two of you wouldn't last long" she revealed with a knowing smile. James was astounded. She really had his aunt's brain.
She saw his face and laughed more, so he smirked. "You enjoy this too much for your comfort, Weasley" he announced, then he started tickling her mercilessly, and he stopped only when she begged him to, through fits of laughter.
As she recomposed herself, Albus was telling his brother about his first day at school after their mum's death, then he told him about meeting Rose and Scorpius.
"The git" James snarled. "Did he say anything bad to you?" he asked his cousin.
She rolled her eyes, a smile coming to her lips as she thought of the Slytherin boy. "No, he was more than gentlemanly, in fact" she said, and while Albus was oblivious to everything, James was hit with realization.
"You don't fancy him, do you?" he asked, suspicious. Albus looked at him as he had sprouted a second head.
"What if I do?" Rose proudly spat back, then she went to the girls dorm, leaving both of them speechless.
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