Chapter Two

We knew this day would come. We knew it all along. How did it come so fast?

Scorpius P.O.V

Truth is I had no Idea if she noticed or not but even when she walked in front of me and seemed to be walking a completely different path I would find myself incapable of taking my eyes off her. I had memorized all the details within time – and that includes all the time we didn't spend together as well. I could tell anyone who'd want to hear me out that she would always walk in the tip of her toes – even when she was running late to classes – and how her shoes were always looking weird and old in the sides because she stepped wrong with them and I felt like I wanted to teach her how to walk all over again. I thought she was absolutely lovely and gracious and I would dare to say that Rose Weasley would move somehow somewhere in between flying and walking. Everything about her was unique – just like herself. I knew her socks would never be up high close to her knees and I could hear her voice explaining to me in a really bored tone that they would hurt her because they were way too tight to her legs, that they pissed her off and left huge ugly marks in her skin and that it was even painful sometimes. I knew she couldn't stay quiet for too long and that it was really hard for her to actually focus on classes, just like I knew how every time she took a little bite in the tip of her feather would take her in a trip to another planet in seconds. Even though I hated to admit it I knew Rose Weasley like the back of my hand, I knew every curve – it didn't matter if it belonged to her body or her smile – and I knew how badly that was killing both of us, softly, even though she would insist on believing we were living some kind of fairytale.

Every time I saw her leaving to her common room I would feel something growing smaller and tight in my chest and I would rather repeat to myself that it was just another practice to next rounds when we would actually leave each other for real, and I knew that would have to happen with all kindness possible. But my mind was still disturbing me, reminding me that we still had a couple days, maybe weeks? And that I didn't need to be so desperate, that I didn't need to feel like I was losing my ground and feel like I couldn't breathe. Or worse, lose all my composure. Thinking about her leaving – or mine – wasn't the end of the world. It was the end of another round in our lifes.

And when I felt completely convinced with this theory she would come – Merlin know's from where – running in my direction in a crazy way, putting her arms around my neck and kissing me without any notice, reminding me once more, and twice more, and three times more why and how I fell in love with her.

I can assure you it wasn't her long brown hair that would fall in her back like a waterfall; it wasn't her milky chocolate eyes or even the touch of her hand, the texture of her skin against mine. It wasn't the way our lips would match with perfection or how she made me feel like I was in living my best dream in real life. I fell in love with her without even noticing it, I fell in love with her hysterical yelling when I would do something wrong with our potion in class, I fell in love with her scandalous and mean laugh in improper moments, I fell in love with her pout every time she wouldn't get things her way and I even managed to fall in love with her even when she was chasing me in the Quidditch field trying to stop me from catching the Golden Snitch. I fell in love with her spontaneity, her authenticity and most of all I fell in love with her because it really felt like I had no other option. Because in one of these mornings I woke up and realized that I just couldn't fight it anymore, that I didn't hate her at all and that from a smart ass know it all she became the most amazing girl I have ever met, and that I wanted to have her in my arms as fast as I could and never let her go.

Some people take months, days maybe. I took seven years.

"When are you going to tell her?" "I have no idea, I thought we had talked about that" I rolled my eyes to my best friend. "Do you really need to keep things from your girlfriend?" a female voice joined the conversation a little too self-assured. I knew they've been waiting for the right time to gang up on me. "She's not my girlfriend." I answered careless and she rolled her eyes at me this time. "We're just seeing each other ok? I don't need to label it, and neither does she." "Yeah, specially with you leaving the country right after classes are done, right?" George kept on going. "I still can't believe you'll leave without saying goodbye to me in a proper way" She put her arm around mine. "I don't know what changed in you that made you settle down like that in these past few weeks…" I took her arm politely away from mine "You know what Gina, you're one of my best friends and I want to keep it that way so don't push it ok? We had our thing and that was it, a thing." George raised his eyebrow at me. "And what is she?"

George and Georgina Parkinson were twins and not just any ordinary set of twins, they were my best friends since the first day of school – to my mom's delight since she had to put up with their mom always at our place throwing herself at my dad with an unpleasant frequency. Even though they were twins, they were complete opposites: while George was that kind of guy that liked to keep things to himself Georgina was a little bit like her mom. Accordingly to what I've heard from my dad in one of the many discussions my parents had after one of the visits she paid us. But I had grown to love them, they had a huge spot in my life and I wouldn't push them away because they were trying to do what any sane friend would do for the other. And maybe things were like that between us because in the beginning they were my only friends, the only ones to reach out without expecting me to just curse them or something like that – even call Voldemort somehow. I loved their company because while Georgina would distract me whenever it was necessary, George would always bring me back to reality, just like it was happening now.

Knowing Georgina it was obvious she was planning the ideal moment to ask the question and George was waiting to analyze my answer – they worked like that. And truth be told I didn't know how to answer, after all I didn't even know what she was to me, or what whatever it was that we had was, or why she would have such an effect on me. I didn't know how to answer because she had all control when she was with me – even though she never really realized that – and I knew even less how to answer what has changed in me after her.

"Scorp?" Gina lifted my chin with her fingertips "Earth to Scorpius." "C'mon now Gina, don't." I took her hand away from my face and smiled. "You're finally taking something serious in your life let's not ruin that ok?" She looked at me with a skeptical face. "Me or you?" "It doesn't really matter." I looked away trying to show I wanted to change the topic of the conversation. "You still didn't give me an answer. When are you going to tell her?" George insisted and I looked him in the eyes even though he looked back at me with crazy eyes. "I don't know ok? Try to understand me here, ok? We both play in the same position for different teams." "And your families hate each other as well." Gina added happily. "My mom doesn't really like your mom if you really want to compare things." I teased instantly in the moment I felt like I had to stand up for Rose. "Focus you two." George stopped us, and put his hand on my shoulder. "Look man, I understand. I understand you don't want to put her in that situation." "No you don't." I mumbled. "We're competing for the same scholarship. She also wants to leave" "You don't really know that for sure yet." He said trying to reason me. "Or where does she wants to go" Gina completed winking at me. "Maybe you guys want to go to different places." "And that doesn't help me at all. I'm either taking her spot or flying thousands of miles away." George gave me a pat on the back. "Since when do you overreact like that?" Gina looked at me as if I was losing my mind. "I had no idea you would be so unrecognizable when you actually fell in love. I'm almost rooting for both of us to get positions away from each other so you won't actually see the Queen of the Poor that often because you're acting like an idiot." She rolled her eyes at me looking bored. "What? I mean it. You used to be a lot of fun back in the day!"

She wasn't really good with keeping things to herself which meant that I knew that she actually wanted to say each and every word she said in our conversation. I knew that just like I knew that if it wasn't for Rose I'd still be tangled up with her anywhere we could find. We always had a friend with benefits kind of deal that made our lifes so much easier in every little part of it and that was the responsible part of our friendship that was now turning into a little chaotic mess. It's not like she had feelings for me or anything – I knew she didn't – and I never had them for her anyways, it's just that she was really possessive about me and the fact that somehow she lost me was kinda showing a little too much in her pale face since Rose's has been showing the widest smile I had ever seen in years. Georgina had someone, lots of someones, lots of people that she loved to waste time with and have fun with and I knew that something had changed to her in a while and that she wouldn't assume this because of status or silly things I had no idea what they were – so I didn't really get involved when the topic came up. Especially now that I have been letting her know pretty clearly that house, family or blood weren't good enough of a reason for you not to allow yourself to be happy – and after that I told them both I had kissed Rose Weasley for the first time.

"You know that you have to tell her before anyone else does." George insisted, being the bastard that he always is. "George I thought about it and I agree but what the hell do you want me to do?" "I don't know, try to find five minutes in between the time you guys are basically drooling into each other and throw the truth out there. She needs a reality shock." Gina said fiercely and I looked at her kinda pissed off. "What? It's the truth ok Romeu? You need it too." I looked away trying to ignore her. "I'm actually considering giving up the scholarship and taking a year off." "Have you fucking lost you stupid mind you asshole?" George yelled at me. "You totally lost it, that's it. Merlin you need a fucking intervention. Are you sure that Weasley girl didn't give you a Love Potion, word has it she's really good at it… I mean you say it so I don't really think that counts." Now was my turn to yell and get mad. "What the hell? What's the biggie? I mean I don't need that scholarship, or the money. I know I always wanted to play first league but it's not like this would somehow ruin all my opportunities in the future. After all I'm still one of the best seekers the school has ever had." "Yeah, when you don't let your girlfriend catch the snitch." Gina said with a mean voice. "You know what, my sister is right. And I don't say that very often. And that's fucking scary and that should show you how mental you are! Since this girl came along you're someone else. You'd never give up Quidditch!"

I knew he was right, but maybe he hasn't quite realized that whatever changed in me was something that changed for good. If someone told me that one day I wouldn't think twice to give up anything over a life, a real life with someone, for a lazy sunday morning like the ones I've been having for a while I would have said they lost their mind. But I did, I wanted to give it up. I wanted to let her know that from one of my crazy uncertain ideas she became the only certainty I had in my life and that I didn't want to play, I didn't want to see the world if that meant losing any second beside her. That I would give up not just the spot, but I also would give up the distance and buy a little house somewhere in London so we could be closer to each other if she agreed to give these things or any other things that were tearing us apart up. But I wouldn't do it. I would just choose to stay sane, hidden in my comfort zone where she'd just see whatever seemed necessary to allow me to be part of her life. To let her know for sure that we were safe one more day, instead of letting her know I wanted to keep us safe for our entire lifes.

"Train like a man because I think Rose Weasley cut your favorite toy and has been carrying it around with her to the library" Gina kissed my face. "If our team loses, I'll make sure you won't have any other toy for the entertainment of the poor." "Thanks Gina, you're lovely." I kissed her cheek back and watcher her walk away. "You get me, don't you man?" I asked George hoping that he would say yes. "Actually I don't. How long has it been Scorp? A month? It's been a month that you've been seen this girl and you guys don't even spend that much time together since she's always surrounded with lots of people and you're always hanging out with us. You guys are so different and I don't really see how this could work at any level and…" "I don't need time or a reason." "Please don't say you need her." He rolled his eyes at me skeptical. "Who are you and what did Rose Weasley do to my best friend? Look, I knew it. I've always known you'd two would fall for each other at some point. There was something there, but that's it. Muggles call it chemistry, not love."

I fought the impulse of explaining to him that to me chemistry was just the combustible to love, but that wasn't even worth it. It wasn't worth it trying to make my best friend understand that he wasn't losing me because I didn't spend that much time with our games or our parties, or smoking mandrake together at the lake. It wasn't worth it because he knew me well enough to understand that no matter what he said that wouldn't change anything for me. And I knew him enough to know that none of my explanations would make sense to him for me to make those decisions, and for Merlin's sake they didn't make sense even to me!

It's just that, every time I looked at her – no matter if it was in the library or the class room, or even sitting at the bench with her face hidden in a huge book that would probably stink a lot – I knew it was her.

What I didn't know was if my future could wait for her or if she would have to wait for it, and that would kill me every single day.