Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter characters!

Chapter 1: Long time no see

She had never believed in love. Not even after seeing her own parents. Aunts and uncles. Grandparents. Cousins. Brother. Best Friends.

There had been a black period (as she considered it) in her disbelief. There had been a guy. She had been fascinated.

No, she corrected herself, she had been mesmerized.

It hadn't been his looks, though he hadn't lacked in that either; it hadn't been his character, though he was one of the best persons she had known; it had had nothing to do with the fact that he was her cousin's best friend; though Albus claimed, to this day, that friends like Scorpius Malfoy came around only once in a millennium.

No, it had had every thing to do with the forbidden fruit being sweeter than the rest. It had always been about going against the rules. Being a rebel. Breaking out. Or that's what she had always told herself and her disbelieving friends.

And she had achieved all that. But, men weren't wads of paper to throw away after you used them for two whole years. Or was it three? Rose was always confused. Her last years at Hogwarts had always seemed to merge into one confused mass of exams, Diane, Al and of course, Scorpius.

He had loved her. He had said so himself the day they, she, had broken up with him. Dumped would have been fairer but, it made her feel ugly. Like a heartless bitch.

But he would wait. She had been both irritated and shocked by that statement.

Then, she had just smiled at him and said that Love never lasted that long.

And they had parted. A clear sever, just the way she had wanted.

They had gone their separate ways, she becoming a curse breaker and he, a healer along with Albus.

Albus had tried to bring them together, but, she had heard from Al that Scorpius had told him not to interfere. How he had said that to Albus without offending him, Rose was still unsure.

And so, five years had passed after their break up and she was yet to realize her 'love'.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Good Morning, Agnes! What's on the menu today?" Rose asked cheerfully as she entered the front room of her office, where she found her boss, David Agnes, shuffling through bundles of paper, earnestly searching for some thing.

"It's just the Wrights' case, Rose. I can't seem to find the excerpt and there's a case that's very similar to it"

"Did you search the top cupboard on your left? It had the red note tied in front"

"Why, thank you, Rose! I'd never be able to run this place without you!"

"Sure! What am I allotted today?"

"A visit to St Mungo's. There is a case there and the Healers suspect that Dark Magic was involved"

"All right, then. Tell Wendy not to wait for me for lunch. I'll arrange it with Al"

"Sure thing Rose. Just go to the reception and ask for Scorpius Malfoy's consultation room"

Oh dear!

As soon as Rose exited the office, she cast a patronus, a cute little mix between an eagle and a dragon she had never been able to name, and sent it to Albus with the message of her arrival.

When she apparated to the reception of the hospital, she landed a bare inch in front of some one. Some one who was taller than her. Some one she soon recognized as her favorite cousin, Lily.

"Hey there, Lily! Fancy seeing you here"

"You too" Lily retorted impatiently, as if she was restraining herself from bursting with some news.

"What is it?" Rose asked, cutting short the pleasantries.

"He asked me to move in with him!"

"Lily! How is that in any way good? Hell, Lily! You're just twenty two!"

"And that's not too early for moving in. Look at Hugo, Rose. And Diane!"

Indeed, her own brother, Hugo had married when he was but twenty, and Rose had only seen a handful of couples more in love than them. Then there was the case with her own friend. Albus, her cousin, had gotten himself engaged to her long time friend, Diane and as far as her knowledge went, she didn't think they were, in any way, unhappy.

"Each to their own, I guess. So, what brings you here?"

"Oh, it's just my day off. I thought I'd meet Al for lunch. And Scorp, of course! And if you're free, may be you could join us? It could get a bit tiresome being the only girl in a threesome"

"Why is that?"

Rose had pondered her options about being able to be in the company of Scorpius, before deciding that the best course to take was distraction until she came up with an answer.

"They'd immediately revert to Quidditch"

"I thought you liked Quidditch?"

"Sure I do, but it'd be nice if, for once, they could talk about some thing, any thing else, other than the chances of Chuddley Canons winning the Quidditch World Cup which, every one knows, is lesser than zero"

Rose had to laugh at that. No matter that Lily had grown up. She'd always be the girl that complained about how her brothers had nothing better to do than sit around and talk about Quidditch or girls.

"Never let your Uncle Ron hear you say that! And I'd be glad to accompany you for lunch. I'd been planning to ask Al any way"

"Do they teach you manners at the Office, Rose? You sound so stiff and formal nowadays"

Looking back on what she had said, Rose realized that she had, in fact, been quite stand off-ish.

"I'm just a bit tired is all, Lils! Nothing a nice weekend can't cure" she assured her.

"Do you, by any chance, know where Scorpius' room is? I'm supposed to look at a case in there"

"Sure! It's on the fourth floor. Take the right corridor and its right at the end. The room of the Deputy Head, it even has a name plate"

"Thanks Lily! See you at one at the WWW?"

"Sure" Lily replied and waved as Rose began to negotiate the crowd in the lifts.

Knocking on the door labeled "Scorpius Malfoy, Deputy Head", she heard a muffled 'Enter' before she entered the room.

It'd be a huge lie if Rose had said that she hadn't avoided Scorpius Malfoy. A big, fat lie. Avoiding lunches with Albus, missing dinners at the Potters', it had all had to do with the fact that he'd have been there.

But it was the reason that Rose was clear of. Not because she was afraid of her feelings. Or his. Of course, not. It was just that she had wanted to give them both recovery time. Like in between rounds of boxing. And she just hadn't been sure how long that would be.

So, she could truthfully admit that she was relieved when she met the warm green eyes of her cousin rather than the cool blue-grey ones she had been anticipating.

"So the finest curse breaker in town finally decides to show up. I'd begun to think that the patronus was fake. Scorpius has just gone for a break. Didn't you meet him in the lobby?"

"Must have missed him in the lifts. Just as well. Now, where is this case?"

"I dunno much about it. Scor's the magical injuries expert. So you better wait till he returns"

"Couldn't you ask him to return?"

"Why are you in such a hurry?"

"Nothing particular. I just hate waiting, I guess. I met Lily at the entrance"

"Yeah! That git has asked her to move in with him! The nerve! He'd better keep clear of me the next time he decides to visit or I just might be tempted to try my hand at the lawn mower. Move in! Move in!"

As Albus' rambling turned incomprehensible, Rose turned her attention towards the bed where the patient lay, white as a sheet.

He was a man of about thirty, by her estimation, and seemed too innocent to have been dealing with Dark Magic. But, who was she to speculate such things?

She moved over to the bed, and picked up the pad that hung from the end, browsing through the notes written in an unimaginably tidy and cursive scribble, proof enough that not much had changed about her boyfriend.

Ex-boyfriend she reminded herself for the umpteenth time that day.

"So, how's Diane? It's been so long since I saw her"

"She's fine. She's quite mad at you for canceling out on the party at our flat that day"

"Oh, that! I had an emergency call" Rose said though she knew the real reason she hadn't come.

"Tell her that I'll call soon and we can have an outing"

"Ok, Rose…"

Sensing that Albus' voice had faded out, Rose turned to see the reason and was face to face with the reason of her sudden social isolation.

Nothing had changed about him. He was still the same person she had sneaked out of Hogwarts with. The same person who had endured the threats of her family. The same one who made her look forward to the Hogsmeade visits which she had always hated. The one who had said that he loved her. The one who she had mercilessly dumped…

"I see your hair is still too long" Rose chose the most insignificant comment of them all.

"You are still a head shorter than me, I see" Scorpius shot back as his signature smirk made its customary appearance.

And his eyes gained a wicked gleam that had always had her heart sprinting. And five years seemed to have been incapable of toning it down.

"What's wrong with this one?" Rose expertly averted her eyes, turning instead, towards the patient, before her eyes would give away what her heart was feeling.

"Oh, it's just that whatever we use bounces right off him. We think there's some sort of curse on him that repels any kind of magic. Even potions"

"Oh, okay! Let me check whether it repels muggle means too" Rose said and proceeded to take a thermometer out of her pocket.

"Where did you get that!" Albus exclaimed though Scorpius remained silent, knowing that she'd have nicked it from some where.

The thermometer bounces right off when she tried to put it in his mouth.

"That was that…."

Half an hour later, she had been able to break the curse and stuffed her wand in her cloak.

"You really are good at what you do, aren't you?" Scorpius asked with open admiration.

He had never been one to hold back compliments. She, of all people, knew that quite well.

"That's what I tell my boss" Rose replied as they left the room and went towards the elevator.

"Where do we meet Lily?" Scorpius asked as they were leaving the hospital.

"The WWW" Rose answered automatically and they apparated to the shop to pick up Lily and meet Ron and George, and also Fred who had joined there after graduation.

"So, what have you been doing?" Rose asked casually, as they waited just outside the shop while Albus had gone inside to fetch Lily.

"Oh! This and that"

"This and that?"

"This and that. And you?"

"Nothing flashy. Just my work, I guess"

"You always took the world far more seriously than needed, you know?"

"So says the person who panicked because he had predicted Professor Trelawney's untimely death in his NEWTs. You didn't even need to pass that subject for becoming a healer. And, who made you Deputy Head?"

"Why not?" Scorpius was indignant. He considered his position at St Mungo's one of his greatest achievement.

"I dunno. Could have some thing to do with the fact that you and Al were the ones that finally made Filch retire, in our second year, might I remind you. A feat even the Marauders, Uncle Fred, Uncle George, even James and Fred had been unable to accomplish"

"Ah! Those were golden days! When all you had to worry about was the next prank and impressing girls"

"So, who are you impressing now?"

The question was asked in a casual tone, yet the intent was clear. She was interested in his love life.

"No one in particular. Just one now, and another later. You know, being flighty is a real treat"

That hurt. More than it should have. Hell! She shouldn't have been hurt at all! Trying not to let her disappointment show, she turned around when she heard a cough behind her and found Fred standing there with Albus and Lily.

Albus and Lily were sending identical bewildered looks towards Scorpius which he studiously ignored.

"I should be offended. But since you are my favorite cousin" here, he was interrupted by the indignant protests of Lily and Albus, "I'll let that slide this time"

"Oh, Fred! You're my favorite too! You know that!"

Fred lifted her into a bear hug and she let out a delighted laugh.

When she let her down, she met the amused gaze of Scorpius, and it flustered her. And she detected a bit of longing in those orbs too. It startled her that she knew the exact reason for it.

He had always envied her, Albus and most of the Weasleys and Potters for having such a big family.

Trying to change her thoughts from the day he had told her this, the day they had actually sneaked out of Hogwarts, she said her Good bye to Fred and apparated to the Leaky Cauldron, Albus muttering to Scorpius furiously and him shaking his head fervently.