It all started the day after Christmas holidays. Those who rode the Hogwarts Express had gotten back late due to problems with the train. It was already after curfew, and they all just straggled up to bed. I greeted my friend Rose before going to bed, but my other friend Al was a Slytherin and not a Ravenclaw like us, so I didn't get to see him. I hadn't taken the train, so I hadn't seen my two best mates since we left for holidays.

Al is one of those weird people who gets up early no matter what day it is. So it wasn't a big surprise to have his Patronus wake me up asking to be let into the Ravenclaw common room. Stupid Al and his stupid corporeal Patronus. Still in my pajamas I trudged downstairs to let him in, then we collapsed on one of the couches to talk.

"Why'd you have to get me up so early?" I asked, dragging a hand through my long hair, trying to sort it out.

Al shrugged. "I was bored. You would have had to get up soon enough."

"At least then I would have been able to get dressed and brush my hair."

"Girl." Al taunted.

I was about to reply when Rose appeared at the bottom of the stairs to the girls' dorms. She appeared to have been crying, her eyes were red, her face tearstained, and her nose running. She sniffled. "Morning boys."

"Are you crying?" I asked.

Wiping her eyes on her sleeve she replied, "No."

I stood. "You are crying! What happened? Who do I need to beat up?"

Now, I think I need to explain here that Rose is my best mate, but I'm secretly in love with her. I just can't tell her. I mean, a Weasley and a Malfoy? It was hard enough convincing our parents we could be friends.

She insisted that she wasn't crying. I ignored that. Of course she was crying, it was obvious. Of course, Rose never wants people to see her weakness. I crossed the room in three strides and pulled her into my arms. "It's OK to cry," I whispered.

She leaned into me, pressing her face into my chest. I could feel her shoulders shaking. Then I heard Al snicker. I turned my head to look at him. "Why are you laughing? Your cousin is over here crying, in case you didn't notice!"

Then I heard Rose laugh. What I had taken for sobs was silent laughter. "Scorpius! I'm really not crying!"

She wasn't? "Oh. But…"

"I just got contacts last week," she explained. It's still hard for me to get them in my eyes, it makes them water, which makes my nose run."

"Contacts?" I asked stupidly.

"Yeah, contact lenses, like glasses, only you can't see them 'cause they're in my eyes. See?" she said, getting right in my face to show me. "See the little line around the iris of my eye?"

I did see it. Oh man, I'm a fool.

Rose laughed. "Nice to know you care about me though Scorp."

She left to get her books after that. I sunk down next to Al on the sofa. "I'm such an idiot."

Al laughed. "Yeah mate, you are." He continued laughing, then stopped suddenly. "Scorpius?"

I looked up. Al was looking at me funny. "What?"

"Are you in love with my cousin?"

Oh damn.

END

Author note: putting my contacts in always makes my eyes water, even after 5 months of doing it, and sometimes it does make me look like I'm crying.

Reviews are much appreciated. Flames will be laughed at and poked with a stick.