Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of J.K. Rowling. I am in no way affiliated with her. This is not a profitable work. No copyright infringement is intended. Thank you :)

Prompt:Write an excuse for not coming today.

Unanimous

Dear Rose,

I'm sure, by now, you're wondering where I am.

I'm in the forbidden forest. I know you don't like spiders, so please don't come look for me. Just go about your normal business. I'll find a way out, I'm sure.

I've already got a bit of a plan in mind. There's this really big spider, see? And then a few smaller ones, that're still the size of cars, you know? So, I think maybe, if I can kill those ones, the little ones I can just step on.

I haven't got my wand, though, which is a bit of an issue. If I had my wand, I would certainly use it to dispose of these spiders and then come and meet you.

But I haven't my wand. They took it from me when they found my in the forest.

I know I shouldn't have been in the forest, Rose, but I accidentally used up the last of some of my potions ingredients. I would've asked Lucy, or Al, except they've used up their's, too.

But since they're not in my potions class, they don't need their ingredients, so they didn't come to the forest. Just me.

It's alright though, I'm used to being on my own. Dad's always at work in that muggle bookstore of his, and Mum's always off in the garden writing her novels. And we don't have any house elves, like Lucy.

I'm always alone when I'm with spiders, too, because Mum can't stand them and she's made sure there aren't any in any of the rooms of the house, except I undid her spell in my room, because I'm afraid we might accidentally effect the local ecosystem. Also, what if the spiders become immune to whatever's in that spell? Then we'll have no way of getting rid of them.

If I could remember that spell now, I'd use it, of course, but I'm afraid it's positively slipped my mind.

Well, got to go, a spider is biting my leg and it's starting to feel a bit numb.

Best wishes,

Scorpius

"So, all you have to do, Al, is hand it to her. Say a stray owl left it on your window-sill. Say you haven't read it, and if she asks if your potions ingredients are all used up, just say yes! Alright?"

Albus knew he ought to be supportive like a good friend, but he didn't feel too guilty snickering, because he knew Scorpius would do the same if he'd ever shown him such a pathetic letter.

"This... you're kidding, right Hyp?" Albus asked, trying to keep a straight face and failing miserably.

"No, I'm serious," Scorpius replied, looking hurt. "D'you think it's rubbish?"

"Rubbish is too kind a word. You're better off not showing up at all."

"I guess I'll do that, then," Scorpius murmured with a sigh.

Albus stopped snickering and looked at Scorpius with his best threatening face. "Don't you dare, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy. She'll be heartbroken."

Scorpius rolled his eyes, running a hand through his hair. "She will not! She doesn't even like me! I asked her to Hogsmeade and she said she couldn't because she had to study!"

Now it was Albus's turn to roll his eyes. "Hyp, she does like you, you dolt. After she heard you'd been crying-"

"I did not cry!" Scorpius interrupted, "I pouted and hid, there were no tears!"

"After she heard you'd been hiding from everyone," Albus continued, "She asked you to come study with her. In Rose's book, that's a perfect date."

"Is not!" Scorpius announced. Then he thought about it for a moment, and added, "And even if that were true—which is isn't—she only asked me after she found out I'd been upset. It's out of pity. It's because I'm pathetic!"

Albus suppressed a sigh, then said, "No, Hyp, pathetic is Rose rereading that O. Henry book your gave her for Christmas about fifteen times."

"So she liked it? She'd said she liked it, but I though maybe she was just being polite. I'd thought she'd like it, but you can hardly ever tell with her, but I know she liked twist endings so-"

"Yes, she likes it. She likes it because you gave it to her. She likes you."

"D'you really think...?" Scorpius seemed dreamily lost in thought, and Albus watched him, trying to limit himself to one sigh.

"Are you talking about Rose Weasley?" asked the Hufflepuff girl, Annalice Twicket, who was sitting at a nearby table.

Albus nodded.

Annalice laughed. "Everyone knows Rose Weasleys in love with him."

"With who?" asked a Slytherin sitting behind her.

"Scorpius."

"Oh, yeah, obviously," agreed the Slytherin.

A few more students, who had evidentially been eavesdropping the whole time as they worked on the extra credit charms project, piped in with murmurs of agreement.

Albus tried not to laugh, and turned to Scorpius, who had an expression of extreme concentration despite the fact that he wasn't working on the charms project at all. "Scorpius, it's unanimous, she likes you. You're the only one who doesn't know it."

"So, I should-?"

"Yes. Get on the to library, you'll be late."

As Scorpius practically ran out of the classroom, Albus tucked the note carefully away in his pocket.

-x-