Dear Scorpius, the letter started. Of course, the first time he had read it, he wasn't sure why she had sent him a letter at all, but now he had read it so many times that he had it practically memorized. And that was how it started.

Dear Scorpius,

How are you? It seems a bit odd, my asking you that when we only saw each other a couple of days ago, but the thing is, we didn't really see each other.

Well of course you actually saw him, Rose, don't be daft. Hey Scorp. Good hols?

Oh. And Albus is here, too. We're not actually at home; we're at the Burrow, which is my grandma's and grandpa's place. It's nice being with family, but it's also rather ghastly, because there's about fifty of us crammed in a house that only held nine, originally. I'm in Aunt Ginny's old room with all the girl cousins, and there's seven of us. Thank Merlin mum's good at expansion spells, or we would have been eating on the lawn.

In the snow.

Right. Anyway, before Albus interrupted, I was going to apologize. I realized that the way I've, actually, we've, been treating you lately hasn't been exactly fair. After all, we did promise that we thought you were different, and then at the first sign of troubles, we turned tail and ran. So anyway, sorry.

The thing is, though, that it all took me a bit by surprise. They never told me, you see. I mean, they told me about the Horcruxes, and Voldemort, and all of that, but not… you know. The drawing room.

Just out of curiosity, mate, do you like spend Christmas in there and stuff?

Albus! Just ignore him. He keeps stealing the parchment from me. But I just hexed him, so all's well. Having my mum for a mum can sure come in handy. Plus the fact that Aunt Ginny taught me the bat-bogey hex. But, like I was saying, I hadn't known that, and it sort of surprised me. And even though I know that your dad's different now, I kept seeing him just standing there and watching mum hurt. And then suddenly, in my head, it was me being hurt, and you just standing there, watching. And even though I know that that doesn't really make sense, and certainly isn't very fair to you, the two kept being associated in my head. So sorry for that. Can we just… start over? Maybe? When we see each other again, of course.

The funny thing is, it was mum and dad who made me see how stupid I was being. And Albus' parents, too, of course, but since his snot is currently attacking him, he's a little preoccupied at the moment and can't be bothered to affirm this fact.

Anyway, our parents gave us a good talking to when we told them that we weren't really friends anymore and why. Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry doing it didn't surprise me much, Uncle Harry's sort of always been the forgive and forget type—

I don't know where you're getting your information, Rose Weasley, but it's faulty. I still don't think he's forgiven James and me for taking his invisibility cloak that day, and that was nearly four years ago.

Yes, Albus, but then you stole. Plus, they couldn't find you, and they were frantic. You didn't come out 'til Aunt Ginny set dinner out. Now you're only being a prat. Anyway, Scorpius, Aunt Ginny only knew your father sort of vaguely, and even though he and Uncle Harry weren't exactly the best of friends, they're all about love and friendship, so they set Albus straight right quick.

I was actually more surprised that my mum and dad took an interest. I didn't think mum could get mad at me about the Drawing Room, but she did.

"Rose Weasley," she said. She didn't really yell, but her hair was looking bigger than usual, and her lips were sort of pursed up. That always means she's angry, and if anyone thinks Aunt Ginny's bat-bogey hexes are bad, they haven't seen mum in a tizzy. "What happened between us and Draco twenty years ago should have absolutely no impact on your friendship with Scorpius. You chose him as a friend knowing full well who he was, and you simply cannot back out now. It's just not fair." She has always been really big on the fairness thing. You don't have house-elves, do you? She'd be over the moon if I told her you didn't have house-elves.

Even though I was a bit surprised that mum was so adamant about it (no offense,) it was dad who really surprised me.

"Merlin, Rosie, you know how it is to be overshadowed by family. Do you think he likes it?" As much as dad doesn't want to admit it, I think he sort of identifies with you. Not that he doesn't like you, of course. He's never met you. But I think he really is rather impressed that you're in Gryffindor. How are your parents taking that, by the way, now that you're really there?

Actually, Rose, I think maybe Uncle Ron just agreed for your mum. They have been a bit odd since Uncle George bewitched that sprig of mistletoe to follow them around all day and Aunt Hermione let him keep all his limbs attached to his body.

Honestly. They're like newlyweds. Hugo says it's been hell living with them lately, and I sympathize. I've only been around them for three days, and if I walk in on them snogging one more time… they're almost as bad as Teddy and Victoire.

Anyway, Scorp, I'm not trying to make it sound as if I (we) only wrote this letter because our parents told us to. I knew it was wrong all along to associate you with the man your father was twenty years ago, I just had to be told it. Does that make sense?

No.

I really hope that you forgive us, Scorp, and that your holidays are just as happy (although perhaps not quite as crowded) as ours have been. Gifts are coming in a later post. See you at school, unless you're not too irritated with this epic letter and decide to write back. Not that I care either way, really, because we'll see you soon!

She cares.

Shut up, Albus.

Happy Holidays!

Love, Rose

And Albus. But you can scratch the love part.

P.S. You better have gotten us gifts, Malfoy, and good ones too. What's the use of having elite, wealthy friends if I don't get anything out of it? Consider yourself warned.

He's joking. You really don't have to.

That's what she thinks.

Scorpius was quite sure that he had never read anything so glorious in all his life.

It wasn't just the fact that he had laughed, really laughed, for the first time in months, imagining Rose, flushed with anger, cursing her cousin.

It wasn't just that all the family antics made him somehow feel that he belonged, too.

It wasn't even that the same letter that had begun Dear Scorpius had ended Love, Rose.

It was the fact that they had apologized, and the fact that he was more than ready to forgive them, and the fact that when they all went back to Hogwarts, he would have his friends again.

And so, still chuckling, Scorpius picked up his quill to respond.