It took you long enough.

Chapter 1:

It's taken me a while to realize that I like her, not just as a friend, but 'like' like her. This is probably going to be hard to explain to Albus. He's been bugging me to tell him who I like, and I can't just go up to him and be like 'Hey Al, you know your cousin, the one who I've been fighting with since 1st year? Yeah well I like her!' If I did that he would go mental, completely off his head! Then he would go and tell her ... Oh no, he was talking about my sleep talking habits the other day. Maybe he knows and hasn't said anything, but why wouldn't he say anything? Maybe it's just too weird talking about Rose like that. Well I may as well go ask him now.

"Hey Al."

"What's up Scorp?"

"What did you mean the other day?"

"Huh?"

"When you were talking about me… sleep talking?"

"Umm, well… I don't know how to say thi-"

"SAY WHAT!"

"Well we are best friends and you know that you can tell me anything, right?"

"Yeah?"

"You could have told me."

"I know, I know, I should have told you but I just thought it'd be weird."

"It's going to be weird either way, but you can tell me now."

"Okay, here goes nothing. I think, wait, I know that I like Rose, more than just a friend."

"WHAT?!" Al all but screamed at me

"What?"

"That is a big relief! I thought you were gay! Ha ha ha"

Now it was my turn to scream "WHAT THE HELL!"

"It's not my fault you were talking about Hugo and saying things about how you couldn't tell him how you feel and how your father would never approve and stuff."

"I was talking about how my dad AND Hugo wouldn't approve of me and Rose, and I wanted Hugo's approval before talking to Rose and telling her how I feel, I wasn't sure how he would feel."

"Oh, I'm sorry dude."

"It's okay, at least Rose didn't find out about this little mix up."

"Um, well, you see, because Hugo is her brother and I'm her cousin, I might have told her about this little mix up" Al said, rubbing the back of his neck to the point where I thought that his skin was about to start peel.

"WHAT?" I really need to stop screaming in the common room, people are starting to stare.

"I'm sorry!" Al shouted back, now this is starting to scare some of the first and second years.

"Thanks Al! Thanks a lot!"

"Looks like you have some explaining to do."

"Really! I hadn't noticed." I shouted, running out through the portrait.

"Oh, yeah, bye Scorp, this was a great chat!"

So flipping him the bird probably wasn't my smartest move, but hey, it shut him up quick. Now I have to get my potions book, and go and find Rose before Potions, and before she decides to tell Lily. The minute Rose tells Lily, the whole school will know!

My day didn't get any better. After trying to find Rose, I had sprint to potions, fortunately I got there just in time to walk in with the rest of the class. Unfortunately, I'm paired with Rose, which is good because she's a hard worker and is very talented with potions, actually she's talented with every subject we have together, but she didn't turn up today and she wasn't in any of her classes. I asked Lily at lunch if she knew where Rose was, but Lily said she hadn't seen her since last night at dinner. By the time dinner came around, I knew something was up. She hadn't been at quidditch practice either, and she never misses quidditch practice, nor of her classes, or anytime she can have food.

Once dinner was finished, I checked the library, in case she was studying and forgot about dinner. She wasn't there, I checked the entrance hall, I have no clue why she would be there, but she was still a no show. Next was Hagrid's, and he said she hadn't been down to visit in a couple of weeks. The owlery, Ravenclaw common and the Room of Requirements were duds. Where on earth could she be?

I don't know how Al got into Ravenclaw, but he did, and at the moment I'm glad he did, because he let me 'borrow' his cloak of invisibility to find Rose. Considering it's past curfew and she probably knows that, there aren't many places she could be. I checked the kitchens, and walked down to the quidditch pitch.

As I got closer I started hearing quiet sobs, but it seemed muffled by someone trying to talk. By the sound of it there was a guy who was trying to talk to the sobbing person, I assume it's a girl by the sound. As I walked over I saw a glimmer of red hair and I realized that it was Rose. Now the question is: who's the guy?

"Hey there, Red"

All I heard was a stuttered hi back, and then the guy spoke up.

"Do you mind, I'm trying to talk to Rose?"

"Zambini, is it? I heard that the only reason you only like Rose and bother talking to her is because she has a good body."

"Correction, she has a GREAT bod! It's better than just 'good'."

"So you're saying the only reason you are here right now is because she's hot?"

"Ummmm…"

"YOU DICK!" Rose screamed, and she proceeded to punch him in the face. I mean Rose is this small, petite, studious girl but if you're playing quidditch or fighting you always want Rose on your side, she can be really scary sometimes. She even scared her dad and Uncle Harry! I'm so glad that it wasn't me she hit, that's going to bruise in the morning, So after Zambini ran off, I moved and sat next to Rose.

"Red? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it doesn't matter"

"Red. You were sitting within 10 CENTIMETERS of Zambini, you know the guy that's always insulting you and hitting on you at the same time?"

"And that's any different to you how?"

"1. I don't run away like chicken after getting punched in the face.2. I like you for more than your body 3. I know not to piss you off when you're upset or otherwise and 4. You can stand to be within ten centimetres of me" my signature smirk came into play as I said this, which made her laugh and smile.

"Okay, I can see the difference now."

"Good. So will you tell me what's wrong?"

"Don't worry, it's just something Al said."

Oh shit, please don't be about me and the 'little' misunderstanding, please, please, please.

"He just said something about Hugo and some guy or something."

"Rose, if this is about Al saying I'm gay for Hugo, then it's not true, Al just got his wires crossed." The biggest smile came across Red's (I call Rose 'Red' because she hates it) face.

"Oh, Scorpy I never thought that for a second, your standards are way too high for Hugo. Come on let's go and see if we can get some hot chocolate and biscuits from the kitchens because I'm starving!" Rose exclaimed. I'm not surprised that she's hungry; she hasn't eaten since dinner yesterday.