Chapter 14: A New Reality
The days following the duel passed in a strange mixture of calm and tension. Theo had been unusually quiet, licking his wounds in private, while the rest of the school continued to buzz with gossip. scorpius and rose 's relationship was no longer something whispered about in corners—it was now an open topic of conversation. Some students admired them for standing up to the pressure, while others still clung to old prejudices.
For rose , life felt different now. The sense of normalcy she had clung to was gone, replaced by a new reality—one where she and scorpius were constantly under scrutiny. The stares in the corridors, the hushed voices in the common room, and the occasional nasty comment were reminders that Hogwarts was not as forgiving as she had once hoped. But at the same time, she found a new sense of freedom. They no longer had to hide who they were, and that made everything else seem more bearable.
One afternoon, as rose sat in the library, trying to focus on an essay for Transfiguration, Grant dropped into the chair across from her, looking particularly tired.
"How's it going?" he asked, sliding a piece of parchment toward her. "I've got to start on my essay, but I think I might fall asleep first."
rose smirked. "I'm almost done. But that doesn't mean it's any good."
Grant chuckled, but his smile faded as he glanced around the library. "You two seem to be holding up well, considering."
rose sighed, leaning back in her chair. "We're trying. It's just… a lot. I didn't realize how much people cared about who we dated. It's exhausting."
Grant nodded. "You're under a microscope now. People love drama, especially when it challenges the status quo. But most of them will get bored eventually. You just have to outlast the gossip."
"Easy for you to say," rose muttered, rubbing her eyes. "You're not the one everyone's talking about."
"True," Grant admitted, "but I've got your back. So does hope."
rose smiled gratefully. It was comforting to know that, no matter how intense things got, she had her cousins by her side. "Thanks, Grant. I appreciate it. And I know scorpius does too."
Grant hesitated, then leaned forward, his expression serious. "You know, not everyone in Slytherin feels the way Theo does. Some of them actually respect scorpius for standing up to him."
rose raised an eyebrow. "Really? I thought most of them were angry."
"Some are," Grant conceded. "But Slytherins value strength. They don't all care about house rivalries as much as Theo does. They just want to see someone stand their ground—and scorpius did that. He's earned more respect than you might think."
rose hadn't considered that. It was easy to lump all of Slytherin together
Chapter 14: A New Reality
The days following the duel passed in a strange mixture of calm and tension. Theo had been unusually quiet, licking his wounds in private, while the rest of the school continued to buzz with gossip. scorpius and rose 's relationship was no longer something whispered about in corners—it was now an open topic of conversation. Some students admired them for standing up to the pressure, while others still clung to old prejudices.
For rose , life felt different now. The sense of normalcy she had clung to was gone, replaced by a new reality—one where she and scorpius were constantly under scrutiny. The stares in the corridors, the hushed voices in the common room, and the occasional nasty comment were reminders that Hogwarts was not as forgiving as she had once hoped. But at the same time, she found a new sense of freedom. They no longer had to hide who they were, and that made everything else seem more bearable.
One afternoon, as rose sat in the library, trying to focus on an essay for Transfiguration, Grant dropped into the chair across from her, looking particularly tired.
"How's it going?" he asked, sliding a piece of parchment toward her. "I've got to start on my essay, but I think I might fall asleep first."
rose smirked. "I'm almost done. But that doesn't mean it's any good."
Grant chuckled, but his smile faded as he glanced around the library. "You two seem to be holding up well, considering."
rose sighed, leaning back in her chair. "We're trying. It's just… a lot. I didn't realize how much people cared about who we dated. It's exhausting."
Grant nodded. "You're under a microscope now. People love drama, especially when it challenges the status quo. But most of them will get bored eventually. You just have to outlast the gossip."
"Easy for you to say," rose muttered, rubbing her eyes. "You're not the one everyone's talking about."
"True," Grant admitted, "but I've got your back. So does hope."
rose smiled gratefully. It was comforting to know that, no matter how intense things got, she had her cousins by her side. "Thanks, Grant. I appreciate it. And I know scorpius does too."
Grant hesitated, then leaned forward, his expression serious. "You know, not everyone in Slytherin feels the way Theo does. Some of them actually respect scorpius for standing up to him."
rose raised an eyebrow. "Really? I thought most of them were angry."
"Some are," Grant conceded. "But Slytherins value strength. They don't all care about house rivalries as much as Theo does. They just want to see someone stand their ground—and scorpius did that. He's earned more respect than you might think."
rose hadn't considered that. It was easy to lump all of Slytherin together