DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters in this story.

This is third era HP, the story of Scorpius Malfoy and Rose Weasley

CHAPTER TWO

From the moment she woke up she knew it was going to be a great day. It wasn't the fact the weather was so fine – and it was. The sun shone bright through her window, tickling her when she opened her eyes. But it was the huge banner hovering over her bed that brought a smile to her lips. Rose sat up and combed through her bed hair, stifling a yawn before stretching.

She slept like a log through the night, like somehow her body knew it needed to rest before tonight. She heard whispers outside her door, no doubt Lilly and Vic whispering furiously to one another as to how carry the plan out and she had to smile. Her two cousins, her two best friends, trying to surprise her on her twentieth birthday. It was going to be such a perfect day. The door flew open giving her a jolt as they crashed into a wall but she had no time to react as two blurry figures launched themselves at her.

"Happy birthday!" Lilly climbed onto her kissing her all over the face like an overly enthusiastic dog and Vic sat down next to her enveloping them both in a tight hug. "Yeah, happy birthday cousin."

"Thanks guys, you didn't have to do this." Rose said, surprisingly touched even though their Weasley-Potter clan always made sure nobody's birthday was overlooked. That sometimes meant going from one party to another, but they were always so much fun.

"Oh please. We didn't do anything." Vic waived her hand and pointed to the banner. "Even that was Al's work." Rose glanced at the happy and cheerful banner still hovering over their heads.

"Really? Wow."

Rose and Vic exchanged glances and Vic cleared her throat. "I said… it was all Al's work." She annunciated the last part of the sentence loudly and Rose frowned.

"Yeah, I heard you the first ti-"

But before she could finish her sentence Al appeared in the doorway with an enormous cake and if she wasn't mistaken twenty lit candles on it. Somewhere in the back of her mind she registered Scorpius behind him, a bouquet of roses in his arms and she sat there with tears in her eyes as her best friends sang happy birthday to her.

"You guys…" Too touched to say anything else she got out of bed and enveloped each one of them in a bear hug and stopped in front of Scorpius last. He presented her with the roses then wiped the tear off her cheek. "No crying birthday girl." Then he spun her around, her legs lifting off the ground as she let out a laugh before turning to the others.

"Alright you lot, cake for breakfast!"

After lunch with her parents, during which her father kept sighing dramatically and showing her pictures of a chubby toddler saying how 'it was just yesterday she looked so small' and her mom kept brushing her mane of red hair, retelling the story of her birth they were joined by the Potter family – including Teddy and Vic for a small-ish gathering at the Potter house. It was loud and full of laughter as they sat around, talked and laughed with each other.

Rose looked around and thought her heart couldn't be more full of love and joy as it was in that single moment. The only thing she couldn't quite piece together was why Al was acting strange. He was smiling, sure but she knew her best friend and something was off. After a while she cornered him and he gave her a half hug as they settled in their usual pose whenever they stood together.

"Everything okay?" He checked and she nodded. "Yeah, so far – best birthday ever." They fell into compatible silence and Rose nudged him. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"You tell me." He squirmed slightly under her gaze and then shook his head with a rueful smile.

"Merlin's beard I knew I wouldn't be able to hide this from you. I… I got a job."

"A job?" Rose exclaimed and punched him in the arm happily. "Why wouldn't you tell me?"

"It's… It's in Romania. Uncle Charlie got it for me." Rose knew about Al's fascination with dragons ever since he was little and he had been dropping hints about actually getting serious about it for a while now. But Rose wasn't sure he was actually going to do it.

"Wow… Romania? How long would you be gone?" She asked carefully.

"Six, maybe eight months. At first."

They were both silent for a few moments as Rose tried to come to grips with this realization. Her cousin, her best friend would leave. She wouldn't see him everyday, wouldn't talk to him, have weekly dinners… but it was temporary. At least for now.

"Al… I'm so happy for you, really." She pulled him in a tight hug and she could sense him exhale in relief.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was just… I didn't want to tell you on your birthday."

"Don't be silly, I'm fine. Let's go and join the party okay? You can tell the others." Hand in hand they walked back to their families.

A few hours later, at what seemed her third party today Rose took another sip of her drink and nodded absently at her coworker. They were in their apparent that was filled with people she knew – from her former classmates, family members and coworkers. It wasn't a surprise, exactly, but she was a little overwhelmed by the sheer number of people that came.

All day, ever since Al dropped the bomb about him leaving she felt a little off. Rose couldn't quite get a grip on her feelings – on one hand she was ridiculously pleased for Al, but she's just going to miss him like crazy. Excusing herself she made her way to the balcony to take a few deep breaths of air.

"Tired?" She didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

"A little." Scorpius joined her and leaned on the railing. "I hard Al told you."

"You knew?" She didn't sound angry so Scorpius nodded.

"Yeah, I was there when he found out. He's really going to miss you Rose."

"Me too. But I'm happy for him, really." She gave him a sideways smile that did something to his stomach. Ever since that moment on the quidditch pitch he felt a little odd next to her. Every touch, ever look that much more important.

"Would you be said if I was leaving?"

"Why?" A sudden panic washed over her, when the realization washed over her. Scorpius was a quidditch player. Players get traded all the time.

"No reason, just you know. Wondering." He gave a careless shrug and she punched him in the shoulder.

"Don't scare me like that." But she pondered his question for a few moments. "Yeah, I'd be sad."

She looked up, directly into his eyes when she said that and Scorpius had every intention of brushing it off, maybe make a joke out of it, but his breath caught in his throat. They were standing so close, too close and her big beautiful eyes were gazing up at him, making all coherent thoughts disappear.

"I'd take you with me." Not really sure what he was doing he found her hand in the darkness and swallowed hard when their fingers interlocked.

Rose found it impossible to slow down her heart that was threatening to explode. A slow, dazzling grin spread on his face as he leaned down and she fought the urge to fling herself at him like her whole body was screaming to.

They both jumped at the loud bang when one of their friends drunkenly stumbled onto the balcony and knocked over a plant. "Whoops." Lilly was close behind her, picking her up and Rose was immediately acutely aware just how close they were standing, with everyone's eyes on them.

"I should uh-"

"Yeah yeah, go ahead." Scorpius waived her off with a strangled voice as she escaped back inside, leaving him alone to ponder the fact they very nearly just kissed on her birthday.

AUTHORS NOTE: So as you can see, we're still in the past - the way Rose celebrated her twentieth and the fact Al's leaving will become really important as the story goes on I promise! Sorry there wasn't a lot of Rose/Scorpius scenes in this one, but chapter three will be full of them. Also, thank you so much for your kind reviews, I love you*