A/N: Chapter 3!!! WHOOO!!! Here we start the drama!!! PLEASE REVIEW!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!!! Virtual brownies (baked fresh) for all reviewers!!!
Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever, owned Harry Potter.
Rose and Scorpius were sitting in the Heads' Common Room by the fire working together on their Arithmancy homework. They were both studying hard for the N.E.W.T.s and had received more homework than ever before in the first month of school.
"Where's Al?" asked Scorpius, looking up from his finished assignment.
"With Anna," said Rose, looking up at him, "They're out by the lake."
"You've got to be kidding me!" Since the train ride Annabel, or as they now called her, Anna, had become great friends with the trio, especially Albus, who had been blowing off a lot of study dates with Rose and Scorpius to hang out with her. At first they didn't mind, because they relished the alone time, however by the end of the first month they felt as though they had been replaces.
"I know, I wish they could hang out up here with us. I miss Al."
"Hopefully they'll start dating soon, then we can double date and stuff," said Scorpius.
"They'd better get together soon. I'm thinking about writing to James."
"What?" Scorpius looked incredulous.
"He knows better than anyone how to get two stubborn people together." They both smiled knowingly.
"Why don't we wait a bit, and see how it plays out?"
"Okay," she said, looking a bit sad, "I just miss him."
"Aren't I good enough company?" asked Scorpius with a playful smirk.
"Hmm, let me think…" she leaned in to kiss him, smirking playfully, "Yes you're good enough company for now."
Homework forgotten, the couple spent a relaxing evening in each other's company, forgetting about Albus, and about everything but each other.
The next day Scorpius walked with Albus to the Great Hall, because Rose had had to rush off to ask Professor Longbottom a question about their Herbology essay.
"Hey Al?" asked Scorpius as they walked.
"Yeah?"
"What's going on between you and Annabel?"
"Nothing," said Albus, a little too quickly, looking defensive.
"Sure, if it's nothing then why do you always sneak off with her?" said Scorpius. Albus muttered something incoherent and blushed. Scorpius let the subject drop. Albus would talk to him eventually, and if he didn't he had no doubt that Rose would make him. Thinking about how amazing his girlfriend was he continued on his way to the Great Hall, a new spring in his step.
When they reached the Great Hall Scorpius saw something that made his blood boil, and all thoughts about how wonderful his girlfriend was were quite forgotten.
Rose, his Rose, was holding Lysander Scamander's hand! Holding his hand!
"Scorpius," said Albus, sensing what Scorpius was about to do, "Calm down mate. It probably isn't what it looks like."
But, predictably, Scorpius did not calm down. As Rose walked away from Lysander he cornered her saying angrily, "What was that?"
"What was what?" asked Rose, looking genuinely confused.
"Don't lie," he spat.
"Lie about what?" Rose looked more confused than ever.
"You and Lysander," Scorpius was getting angrier and angrier.
"What about Lysander?"
"Don't act like you don't know!" Scorpius was almost shouting, and Albus took the opportunity to drag him and Rose out of the Great Hall, where everyone was watching them, through the Entrance Hall, and out the front doors onto the grounds. He barely registered Clarice following carefully at a distance.
"Scorpius, what are you talking about?" Rose was shouting too, clearly getting defensive.
"Do you think I'm stupid?" he bellowed back.
"Scorpius, what's wrong? Please tell me!" Rose looked close to tears, the fight going out of her. She hated it when Scorpius was mad, and the thought that she might be the cause made her sick.
"We're done! You didn't even have the decency to break up with me! You just went off behind my back! I can't believe you Rose! I thought you cared about me! I guess it was just another lie!"
"What?" Rose was trembling with sobs.
Scorpius didn't say another word, and walked away, towards, not the castle, but the lake. Only Albus saw the tears in his eyes. Albus was torn. Should he stay with Rose, who was crumpled on the ground sobbing, or go after Scorpius. Thankfully, Clarice stepped forward and said, "I saw the whole thing, go after him, I'll get Rose up to bed."
"Thanks!" called Albus, already running after Scorpius.
"Rose," said Clarice, "Rose! Get up, please. We're going up to your room."
Clarice half carried Rose up the marble stairs, taking every secret passage she knew to avoid the crowds of students. Finally they arrived on the seventh floor, at a portrait of a maiden, dancing in a field filled with wildflowers and butterflies. The contrast between the joyful picture and the Rose standing in front of it would have been comical if it had not been truly disturbing.
"What's the password?" asked Clarice.
"Devil's Snare," whispered Rose through her sobs, barely loud enough for the portrait to hear. Clarice got Rose up to her room, and into bed. Rose curled up in a ball still sobbing. Once she calmed down she asked, "I don't even know what I did!"
"I don't know that you did anything," said Clarice kindly.
Rose sobbed herself to sleep as Clarice whispered words of comfort to her. Afterwards Clarice left her, hoping to find Albus, but not before casting a charm for long-lasting, dreamless sleep on her best friend.
At the same time that Clarice was taking Rose to the Heads' Common Room Albus was chasing after Scorpius. He eventually found him, standing with his back against the whomping willow. The first thing Albus did was punch him. He was furious. Scorpius hadn't even given Rose time to explain, and even though Scorpius was his best friend, Rose was family. Family always, always, came first.
"What the hell was that for?" bellowed Scorpius.
"You made Rose cry, Scorpius! Cry! You bloody git! You didn't even give her a chance to explain herself!"
"What was there to explain?" bellowed Scorpius, before he slumped up against the tree.
"I wouldn't know," said Albus coldly, "You didn't give her time to explain it."
"Al," Scorpius was pleading with Albus to understand, and Albus immediately took pity on his best friend and sat down beside him. "I thought everything was working out between us…" Scorpius looked miserable, lost, and confused.
"It might still be," said Albus, trying to comfort him.
"After the things I said, she'd be an idiot to forgive me. I knew I never deserved someone as amazing as her in my life."
"Scorpius," said Albus gently.
"Just go!" said Scorpius, looking anguished.
"Scor—"
"I said go!"
Albus walked away, feeling miserable. He needed to find Clarice, and hopefully he would run into Lysander on the way. He wanted the real story.
