Nervous as she never was before, Rose stepped into the room. She felt better even before her OWLs. Her hands were shaking and she had to repeat herself over and over again that she certainly is not a coward.

Her father, Ron, was sitting in his very favorite armchair, one that she wasn't allowed to lay a single finger on when she was a child. Now she was no longer one. She just turned seventeen- according to magical law, she was a mature person and she could make her own choices.

Ron looked at her, raising his eyes from The Daily Prophet. Rose had to look somehow concerned, because he closed the newspaper and examined her carefully.

"Um, Dad? Do you have a moment?", she asked, playing with her hair. She always did that when she was feeling uneasy.

Of course he had a moment. Rose was his daughter, his pride, his lovely child he had raised. He would have found a moment for her even if he was in the middle of running away from a wild hippogryph. It was a silly question.

"Yes, I suppose I can finish this later", Ron answered, laying the newspaper dawn on his lap with hesitation, as if it was very interesting. In fact, it was plain boring and he caught himself reading the same article about Arabian Ministry of Magic for second or third time.

Rose nodded. "Um... I wanted to ask you... I mean, to ask if you would like to meet my boyfriend", she mumbled, looking at the carpet, but not seeing it actually.

For a moment Ron thought that he's having heart attack. It ached as if somebody hexed him, but the only person it the room beside him was his daughter.

Her boyfriend? Some boy that wants to steal his Rose from him? Some unworthy brat, not good enough for his little brilliant princess (she had this intelligence of hers from Hermione)? He'll make sure taking her on a date (another horror- his Rosie having a date!) will be last thing in his pitiful life.

Rose seemed to interpret his bewildered expression in slightly different way. She gave him a look that was very much like the one her mother would give him.

"I also can have a boyfriend, Dad", she said. "It's enough that Lily makes fun of me and calls me a nerd, thank you very much. You could support me a little bit".

Support her? It was as if she had asked Ron to help her shut him because she can't really use this muggle gun.

He did believe that she could attract boys, like hell she could. Sometimes (and it was one of those moments) he wished she wasn't so pretty. And if she was a nerd when did she found time to look for a boy? He should write a letter to headmistress. They should give those kids more homework, they have too much free time.

"I don't like him", he said eventually.

"You haven't even met him, Dad!", she cried out in pure frustration.

Ron sighed heavily, closing his eyes so that she won't see his expression and how much it costs him to stay calm. "I will meet him. Happy?".

In response Rose smiled widely, clearly content. "He will come over tomorrow for a dinner". Her expression hardened for a moment, when she looked straight at him with blue eyes that were just like his. "And I don't want him to run away screaming, so please, behave, Dad!".

"I always do".