At the Slytherin table next morning, Albus was just spreading jam on his fourth piece of breakfast toast when he noticed it.

A note was tucked underneath his plate.

Albus wasn't entirely sure how it had gotten there, but he was betting on a house-elf. He put down his toast and unfolded the parchment. On his other side, Scorpius leaned over curiously, his mouth full of cereal.

The note contained just eight words, but those eight words made Scorpius almost choke and consequently spit his cereal all over the parchment.

It's on. If you tell anyone, it's off.

"Nice going," Albus grinned, pounding his friend on the back. "I knew the flower was a nice touch."

Eyes watering, Scorpius nodded. He couldn't help, however, the grin that was spreading rapidly over his face. "I'll take care of Polly right after class," he managed, still grinning like an idiot. "You've earned it, Al."

Albus glanced over at the Gryffindor table. Rose was looking at him, her eyes a question. Albus nodded, and winked. Rose nodded back, then shot him a glare that would have frozen water in July, and put a finger to her lips.

Albus angled Scorpius's head around so he, too, was facing the Gryffindor table. Scorpius's grin widened when he saw Rose, and he gave her a double thumbs-up.

Back in her common room that night, Rose had a sudden flashback of her first day of Hogwarts, when she had been on Platform 9 ¾.

Her father had told her that Granddad Weasley would never forgive her if she married a pureblood- Scorpius in question.

Well, she thought, I'm not marrying Scorpius. I'm going to the ball with him. I'll just have to make sure Dad doesn't find out.