Rose Weasley could barely keep her grip steady on the steering wheel of her mother's car. She could not even make out the traffic in front of her. She was dangerous and she was the victim. Her vision was blurred with tears and her mind was racing with thoughts that made her want to intentionally crash this car and end everything. She was too distraught and disturbed to even reach the phase of anger that was bound to come with betrayal.

She had been at a muggle shopping centre when she saw him. She had been waiting for her friend in the food court when she saw him with her. It was the hand of a younger and beautiful woman with dark red hair that her daddy was holding. He was smiling at her, lovingly no doubt. It was the same way he smiled at her and her mother all of the time. Rose had watched him let go of her hand and turn his attention to the child sitting in her lap. It was a toddler with hair that strikingly resembled the Weasley clan's, a toddler no more than two years old. She watched her father take the child from the young woman and plant a kiss on top of its head. Rose could make out it was a boy but she didn't care to further contemplate what she had seen. Tears brimmed in Rose Weasley's beautiful blue eyes. Eyes she was sure she wasn't the only one to inherit from war-hero Ronald Weasley. Rose did not care to shop with her friend anymore. She did not even care to explain to her friend why she was leaving without a word when her friend arrived not long after. Rose ran and ran until she found the exit doors. She did not care as people watched with peculiar gazes or glanced at her, annoyed, when she pushed past them. All she cared about was going...

Where though? Rose wasn't sure where she even wanted to go. She certainly did not want to go home anymore. Not where her mother was preparing her father's favourite for dinner because he had been having such a rough week and working late every night. Come to think of it, Rose wasn't even sure if it was work that kept him out till late. Rose realized she wasn't sure of anything anymore.

"Not him. This can't be true, Not him!" She yelled to herself once she was inside the safety of her car.

She could feel the rush of tears as she cried out to no one and dangerously pulled out of the parking lot. "Not him! It can't be!"

"Not him..."

...

"Not...him..."

"Rose!"

"Not...true..."

"Rose!"

"Not..."

"Rose, wake up! You're screaming in your sleep!"

My eyes burst open, alarmed, from being shaken awake. I woke up to the familiar eyes of steel and tried to sit up.

"Are you alright?" Scorpius asked me worriedly. "I think you were having a bad dream".

I groaned as I felt I the beginnings of a headache. It was strange though, because I had been sleeping and yet I felt like I had been deprived of rest and my head would split in half soon. I looked around and noticed it was still dark and quiet and even the sound of the sea washing the rocks was unheard.

"What time is it..." I groaned in a quiet voice.

Scorpius, who had been watching me worriedly, said in a quiet voice, "it's the middle of the night. Almost four am. What happened? Were you having a nightmare?"

Not exactly. I pursed my lips and shook my head. It was a memory I had been trying to forget since the day my dad was...was...I realized I couldn't even say the word in my mind let alone out loud!

"Was it about your dad?"

I shoot Malfoy a wide-eyed look. How...how had he...did he guess that or had I voiced my entire dream while I was unconscious?

"Was it about...that night?"

"No", I squeaked. I pursed my lips again and tried to shut my eyes tightly so I wouldn't cry. I didn't want to cry. I didn't want to feel like this. Not in front of Malfoy. In fact, I didn't want to feel anything. Not ever because I just couldn't bear to go through it if I did.

"Rose..." Scorpius said as he placed a hand on my shoulder. I brought my knees up to my chest and buried my face in my hands.

"Rose", Scorpius said again as he gently peeled my hands away from my now wet face. "Please don't try to ignore it. It was real and it's only natural to feel the pain", he begged. "Don't block yourself from hurting".

"I don't want to feel like this. I don't want to cry", I said through quiet sobs.

"I know but you can't turn off your emotions, Rose!" He insisted. "Your dad was tortured and murdered before your eyes. You have to let yourself hurt and cry it out or you'll never be able to overcome the pain!"

My sobbing increased as Scorpius reminded me of the horror I had tried so hard to block out of my memories. I cried because I wished I hadn't been there but more so because I wished I had never made that mistake. It was my fault that he was murdered and my punishment had been that I was there to witness it.

Scorpius watched me while I cried. I thought I had heard soothing words from him but I could not be sure as I hadn't been paying attention to anything but the battle raging in my mind.

"Rose, I wish I could do something..." Scorpius whispered with sorrowful eyes. "Something to help you".

I wished so too so I leaned in and when he realized this, he put his arms around me and held me while I cried at the fact that I haven't had a shoulder to cry on in years. How had I survived the pain alone for so long? How had I survived for three years without someone to hold me as I released it all. I was grateful more than I had ever been because as I cried, I realized the ache numbed when Malfoy stroked my back and whispered comfort in my ear. I felt that a load had lifted off of me.

We had lost track of time and I didn't remember when we finally went back to sleep but my eyes had stirred open around noon to a sight I had never imagined. I had woken up to the face of a sleeping Scorpius Malfoy on who's wrist I had a tight grip on. I immediately released his hand and noticed the reddish-purple bruise forming on the fair skin just above his palm.

Scorpius was in my bed. I faintly recalled that after weeping to him, I had attempted to go back to sleep but I was afraid to be alone. I remembered he had assured me, "It's alright, Rose, I'm not going anywhere". I had fallen asleep easily after that. I never thought he'd be so keen to keep that promise that he'd spend the entire night next to me. I couldn't help but allow myself a small smile when I noticed he had placed a whole bunch of extra pillows in the middle of the bed like a wall to divide our spaces. I was surprised at how thoughtful he was to stay by my side yet respectful enough to maintain appropriate distance. For the first time since I met him again, I realized this was not the same Scorpius Malfoy he had been at sixteen.

"Scorpius", I whispered. I reached my hand over our pillow wall and nudged him. "Scorpius", I said again, slightly louder this time.

"Wh-what?!" He said, suddenly waking.

"Sorry..." I smiled shyly. "I didn't mean to startle you".

"It's fine", he groaned, lifting himself up as he scratched his head of messy, blond hair. "Sorry I...I got up really early 'cause Nate was hungry and I had back pain this morning. I don't know why. I think it might be because of the couch. I hope you're not too mad I came here".

"Of course not", I said quickly. "I wanted to thank you for being so kind to me last night", I sighed.

Scorpius yawned before smiling, "it's nothing compared to how kind you've been to us".

I turned pink and I wasn't entirely sure why. "By the way, where is Nate?" I asked.

"He was up since six and only went back to sleep at ten", said Scorpius as he rubbed his bruised wrist.

"Sorry for that", I whispered.

He shrugged, "don't worry about it. You were pretty freaked out last night".

"No, I'm really sorry", I said. "I woke you up and worried you".

"Rose, relax", Scorpius insisted. "We're friends aren't we?"

I nodded.

"Then you don't have to apologize, silly".

As much as I tried not to think about it, I could not sleep without the same dream every night. Scorpius suggested it was because I had pushed it out of my conscious mind but the memory still lingered somewhere in my subconscious only to come out when I didn't intend it to. I began to leave my bedroom door open at night now because I felt safer just by listening to the sounds of Scorpius's soft snores coming from the couch. It reminded me of his presence which made me feel secure and in a way, the snoring lulled me to sleep. Nate continued to sleep in his cot outside with Scorpius since Scorpius assumed responsibility now that he was all better.

Scorpius suggested we talk about the night dad died and what I had seen. He said my description could even help identify the killer or the killer's red-haired girlfriend. She was the same girl I saw my dad at the mall with though I didn't tell Scorpius that. His persistence became much to overwhelming and even reduced me to tears. He apologized and ceased to press on the matter further so our conversations became minimal again. Like every time we have nothing to talk about between the two of us, we divert our attention to Nate and this time was not an exception. Scorpius made Nate cry most of the time since he wouldn't let Nate throw around the television controller or his mobile phone or even my flower vase and these were Nate's favourites. So Nate usually crawled his way to me with a patchy, red face and bawled with his arms held out to me until I'd pick him up. Scorpius was becoming worried because Nate was developing a bad habit of always wanting to be carried and this made strapping him in his seat a real nightmare.

"You can't have it! It's mine!" Scorpius said sternly as he tried to wrestle his expensive wrist watch out of Nate's grasp since Nate was banging in on my coffee table and the minute hand had come loose. Scorpius managed to free his watch but Nate began to scream at the top of his lungs. "Nathanial! NO!" Scorpius said harshly with his finger pointed in front of Nate. I noticed his anger and frustration begin to surface as his voice got louder. "Stop! Stop screaming! Bad Nate!" Nate became startled at Scorpius's yelling and started to whimper before crying even louder

"Stop it, Scorpius! You're scaring him!" I yelled, utterly horrified. "He's too young for discipline", I said from the kitchen where I was making a lasagne dinner for Scorpius and me. Scorpius barely knew how to cook and I had fed him frozen leftovers for the past couple of times. I felt guilty so earlier today, I had planned to drive down to the grocery store and Scorpius had decided to joined me. Since he was able to drive now, we took his car and I found myself in the passenger seat quietly gazing at the moist fog that had found its way in our air as August neared its end. I suspected he pitied me for being unemployed and did not want to burden me with fuel expenses but I had to remind myself of the possibility that perhaps he was just trying to be nice and helpful.

"He's so badly behaved!" Scorpius defended himself after he forcefully strapped a shrieking Nate in his seat before coming to the kitchen for a glass of water.

I glared at him with immense fury before washing my hands. "He's seven months old!" I yelled, astonished as I went to the sitting room and unstrapped Nate who was crying in hysterics and pulling at his belts. His face was bright red and tear-streaked and he held his desperate arms out to me so I release him. I cradled him in my chest so I could soothe him and he'd feel secure. "How do you bear to listen to his cries?! You can't expect him to understand you", I yelled at Scorpius who was licking away at the spatula I had been using to layer marinara sauce on the pasta sheets. "He doesn't exactly have a moral compass yet!"

"This is so good!" Scorpius said.

"Are you even listening to me?!" I said annoyed. "You can't just tie him up whenever he's restless! He needs to release his energy somehow. You need to comfort him".

"What do you want me to do?! Let him trash the place?!" Scorpius retorted.

"No. You're going to play with him. Put him in his walker and take him outside while I finish dinner".

"You're going to make me play with a seven-month-old baby?" Scorpius said with a furrowed brow. I nodded and he groaned.

I forced a mumbling, reluctant and unamused Scorpius to dress Nate and take him outside where he ran around in his walker happily pressing on the colourful, musical buttons. Nate was tired out when they came back in so Scorpius fed him plain mashed potato I had prepared for him earlier and let him crawl around freely for a bit (he did follow Nate around to keep an eye on him). He finally put Nate to bed around eight, just when the oven alerted us the lasagne was ready to eat.

"You've got to realize he doesn't think like you and me. He doesn't realize your watch is not a toy. All he sees is a flash of silver shine and he wants it".

Scorpius nodded, "I'm not cut out for this. I never even wanted children before Nate. I'm not saying I resent him. I love him with all my heart but I hate that I can't relate to him. This whole family thing...it's not for me. I don't want marriage or kids or a house with white, picket fence. I just wanna go back to my old life at my downtown London apartment and live the way I want".

I listened quietly while Scorpius released his frustration.

"I thought...in my twenties I'd spend my Saturday nights in bars getting drunk with my friends—not babysitting. I thought I'd spend my days at the gym or playing quidditch, not changing diapers and burping a baby. I didn't think I'd have to be responsible for anyone but myself. How am I going to be a good parent when I'm not even done growing up?! I mean I love him—how could I not—he's my own blood and I'm his uncle but I don't know if I'm ready to be more than his uncle. I don't know if I can be his parent. A good parent".

"Scorpius, there's no manual for this stuff. It's just something you learn with time and the more time you spend with him, the more you will learn about him. And you will relate to him. Once he's older, he'll look up to you", I said encouragingly.

"But you don't get it! I'm not the best role model. I don't do well with people or relationships. I barely speak to my dad, my grandfather and I can't even be in the same room without arguing about my career choices, my grandmother nags me about not wanting to settle down and I'm not even twenty-five yet! I haven't had a relationship last for more than three months and if it did, it usually ended with the girl finding someone better and referring to me as the 'jerk'!"

I pursed my lips to keep from letting out a small laugh. "Why were you referred to as a jerk?" I asked.

Scorpius shot me a look and snorted. "I don't think I want to corrupt you just yet so let's just keep that a mystery".

"Tell me!" I insisted, suddenly curious.

"Some other time, maybe", said Scorpius. "I can't really cook", he changed the subject. "So I wish you wouldn't spoil me—Nate too— with all this good food. It's going to be hard without you..."

I grinned. "I'm quite vindictive like that aren't I? What did you usually do for food?"

Scorpius smirked and for some reason, that face of his etched itself in my mind. "James. He was the chef when we lived together", Scorpius sighed. "His mum gave him a whole recipe book filled with her mum's recipes. And I guess after he...well I just started getting takeout".

I sighed and nodded, "Granny taught everyone how to cook. Even my recipes come from her. She wrote books for all our parents one Christmas and I brought the one she had given my mum with me".

"No wonder you're so good at it", Scorpius laughed and I chuckled as well.

"What about you? When you were younger, who made dinner in your home? At the manor", I asked curiously as Scorpius helped himself to seconds.

"The house elves. They were trained for cooking. I've never really had anything my gran made except for maybe chicken soup when I'd get sick. My mum doesn't cook but she loves purchasing expensive cutlery we don't use", Scorpius snorted.

"Are you close with your grandmother?" I asked.

Scorpius stopped to think for a moment. "I guess you could say so...Father and grandfather were usually busy with the family business so I was practically raised by my mother and my grandmother. And grandfather's a bit old-fashioned so I never really saw eye-to-eye with him".

"Were you her favourite? Your grandmother's".

"She didn't really have favourites since it was just the two of us growing up but I could tell she always doted on Bea because we haven't had many Malfoy girls in our family", Scorpius said. "What about you? I'm sure with so many grandkids it must be hard to be noticed".

"Actually", I smiled. "Being the youngest Weasley granddaughter, I'm a hundred percent positive I was granny's favourite. She called me her sous chef!" I laughed. "We bonded over baking. She taught me how to perfect a souffle when I was fifteen".

"You've got to make one! I love those! Did you, like, fall from heaven or something...?" He said jokingly.

I turned pink. I didn't know why I was doing that so much today. I hoped Scorpius didn't notice but it was hard not to since I was a pale girl. "I've forgotten how though. It won't be as good", I said feebly.

"I don't care! I'll eat anything those beautiful hands can produce!"

Scorpius and I both laughed and finished the rest of our dinner I realized I preferred conversations with him rather than silence. I decided, from now on, I'd try to find something to talk about even when there's nothing left in our conversations except for Nate and his needs. Sometimes, I pretended he and I were the only human beings to exist in this world. I pretended that my cottage was the only place on earth and there was nothing to cry about anymore.

Scorpius had been receiving tons of letters every morning from his mum and Ariel, his owl, never failed to bring the Daily Prophet.

"Listen to this", he said at breakfast one morning. "'Acclaimed Quidditch player and World Cup Seeker, Scorpius Malfoy, is now facing multiple charges including break-and-entry, violation of property, and even the abduction of his infant nephew among others. Mr. Malfoy has been missing since the August 2nd now and the Aurors believe he could be armed and dangerous. He was last seen in a black car at the British-Welsh border by muggle immigration officers. It is believed that he may have performed magic on the officers though the ministry has not detected any traces from his wand as of yet. His father, who runs a monopoly of wizarding apothecaries throughout the continent was brought in to the ministry earlier this month for questioning. The Malfoy family has chosen not to comment at this time. It is known that Scorpius Malfoy is the heir of the Malfoy fortune as well as the grandson of former Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy, known to be part of Voldemort's inner circle..."

"Oh my goodness", I said shaking my head. "Armed and dangerous? Now that's just silly!"

"Cunning little bastards, these media people! Always know how to bring up my grandfather's history no matter how much charity he fucking does for St. Mungos and Hogwarts! All they care about is their revenue!" Scorpius said angrily as he crumpled up the newspaper. Soon after, a small group of owls began to peck at my window. Scorpius rushed to open the window and received a whole bunch of letters as well as more copies of the Prophet. I thought I even saw a howler or two in there.

"Fuck", Scorpius groaned.

"What's wrong?" I asked once he came back to the kitchen table.

"It's my manager", Scorpius said bitterly. "He's sent me a howler. I don't even have to open it to know what it says. Blah blah blah, my sponsors no longer want to do business with me. I'm no longer the face of energy drinks or new broomsticks or men's underwear. Boohoo", Scorpius rolled his eyes and snorted.

A small giggle escaped me. "I didn't know you were a model", I said interested.

Scorpius shot me a rather unamused look and I immediately apologized. "There's a howler in here from my grandfather", Scorpius groaned while going through the rest. "A letter from the owners of Appleby Arrows. I was supposed to be drafted to the Arrows this fall. A couple from former teammates and friends...ah, one from former coach of Puddlemere United..."

"What's going to happen now?" I asked. "It's not quidditch season right now but come October, you'll have to go back to work. How can you just raise Nate when you're not even supposed to have him".

Scorpius sighed, "I'm not worried about that, my parents will take care of it. I just wanna find Nathanial and beat the fuck out of him! This is all his fault".

"What?!" I said alarmed.

"Not Nate!" Scorpius said quickly. "His father, Nathanial Sr."

"Nate's named after his dad?"

"Unfortunately", Scorpius said bitterly.

I looked to Nate who was still asleep peacefully in his cot. "If we could prove Nathanial Sr.'s drug business then it'll be your parents who get custody of Nate", I suggested. "You're still under criminal investigation but your parents will be the best candidates—"

"If grandfather agrees", Scorpius reminded me.

I sighed and Scorpius and I both resorted to our breakfast half-heartedly and Scorpius started writing to his mother while I cleaned up the dishes.

"By the way, Rose. Something came in the mail for you", He said to me.

"What are you talking about?" I laughed. "Who'd send me—"

"Just look at it", he said with a twinkle in his eye. Scorpius handed me a large, yellow envelope that had my name written on it.

"Who sent this?" I asked but Scorpius didn't respond. I looked closely at the watermark on the envelope and noticed an emblem. It was a wand crossed with a bone. I tore open the packaging immediately and to my horror, it was an employment letter.

"'Dear Miss Weasley. We are pleased to inform you that you have been invited for an interview for the position of a Mediwitch at St. Mungos Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Your application has been approved and we believe you can be an excellent addition to our team of staff members...WHAT?!" I yelled. "I never even applied! You did something didn't you?! What did you do, Scorpius?!" I demanded.

"Nothing! Honest!" He said, faking bewilderment.

"I'm not stupid! You sent in an application for me didn't you?!" I yelled.

"No", he said in a small voice. "Okay, you're much smarter than I thought. I don't like it", he said.

"Scorpius, wh—" I stopped midsentence because I wasn't sure what to be mad about! I mean, I wasn't even sure if I was angry with him. I was sort of amused but when I really thought about it, I was also touched that he cared for me.

"Just go for the interview", he urged me. "They have a whole ward for children. I know you love that".

"I-I can't" I said.

"Why not?"

"I just can't...I can't go back to our world now...I've...I've forgotten..."

"Forgotten what? Forgotten who you are? Rose, I told you before, you can't forget magic, it's in your blood".

"No, I can't. I just can't..."

"Yes you can! I'll help you refresh your spells and all and they will train you. For two years", Scorpius said insistently.

"You don't understand!" I yelled. "It's not that easy. What if I meet someone I know?"

"So?!" Scorpius snorted. "Who cares! Sometimes you just have to say 'screw the world' and do what you want. You know what, you're going to think about this. I don't care if you doubt yourself. I'm gonna help you practice and you're going for an interview. Once you get a job offer, then you can decide whether you want to accept it or not".

"If I get an offer", I corrected him. "Though I don't think I will".

Scorpius rolled his eyes and smiled smugly. I felt like I had lost and he had won this time. No matter. If the score was one to zero now, I'd just have to catch up.

Like he had promised, Scorpius helped me search for my wand and decided to be my professor for the next couple of evenings as he tried to re-teach me my seven years at Hogwarts. It wasn't very hard catching up though. Scorpius commented on my wittiness but I assumed he wasn't wrong when he said magic is in one's blood. Scorpius helped me pronounce all the words right and he showed me how to flick my wand the proper way. I noticed that although he was be a bit harsh and dominating at times, he was a very gentle and calm teacher.

"Okay, now this is the last basic one for tonight. This one is really good in case of deep cuts. I should've told you about it when I was injured though I suppose it slipped my mind then", Scorpius said to me while he went through my old textbook. We were sitting on the couch one night after putting Nate to bed and Scorpius was helping me practice. "Ferula. Say it with me, Rose. Ferula".

"Ferula", I repeated.

"Good. This is supposed to instantly bandage the bloody wound", he explained and I nodded. "Okay, let's try this...let's try this on my hand".

I nodded again. "Okay...ferula", I said. I saw a small piece of loose gauze try to place itself on the back of Scorpius's hand before slipping away to the floor.

"It's alright, that was the first try. Here, do it like this". Scorpius performed the same spell and I saw a long piece of gauze emerge from the tip of his wand and wrap itself around his left hand. He whispered another incantation to undo the spell.

"Try again", he said cheerily. So I did and it was the same result this time as well.

"I don't know what I'm doing wrong", I said annoyed. "Ferula. Ferula. Ferula!"

"Okay, just relax", Scorpius said. He suddenly wrapped his right arm around me and placed his hand over mine to guide my wand movement while he held his left hand in front of me to practice on. I could feel the hair of his arms tickle mine and I felt goosebumps form. "It's just like an 'O' shape with a flick at the end", he said almost whisperingly near my ear.

I suddenly felt very warm and my heartbeat grew faster with every breath I took. He was close. Almost too close. His musky scent was enveloping and I felt his warm breath on my neck. I shivered and I realized he had felt it because he distanced himself almost immediately.

Scorpius cleared his throat, "just, erm...just try it again like I showed you".

I nodded. "F-Ferula!" I said as confidently as I could manage. I remembered to move my wand the way he had shown me and surprisingly, a long strand of thick gauze wrapped itself on his hand.

"You did it!" He said excitedly taking hold of my hand. I locked eyes with him for a moment and he let go instantly.

...

We pulled Nate's cot into my room that night and I let Scorpius sleep in my bed because his back pain was getting worse. I was pleasantly surprised he had put up the pillow wall we had while I was in the washroom brushing my teeth.

"Scorpius, are you awake?" I whispered a while after we had turned out the lights. I turned to face him and I saw he was laying on his back straight with his hand over his head, staring at the ceiling. "Is your back hurting?" I asked.

Scorpius nodded so I handed him the painkillers I had been keeping on my bedside table lately. I sighed and turned back in an attempt to sleep but it just wouldn't come. I turned around again to my other side and stared at Scorpius who was layying just as he had been before. I wondered if something was troubling his mind.

What are you thinking about?" I asked in a soft voice.

Scorpius sighed, "nothing..."

"You must be thinking about something", I lifted my head just a little bit in order to face him.

Scorpius sighed again, "just about Nate. I'm going to look for an apartment in town tomorrow, on the island. or even a smaller house".

"Why?" I said confused. "You can stay here as long as you want, you know that".

"Thank you, Rose", he turned to face me and smiled warmly. I noticed the moonlight shined strands of his hair like highlights. "You've been very hospitable but I've been here a month now and I think I ought to look for my own place".

"But I don't mind having you here. Honest! I...I actually like it", I admitted shyly.

Scorpius sighed and gazed at me intensely for a moment. "Nate's not going to be the only one to miss you", He whispered. I felt his eyes pierce in to mine like he did when he let my hair down that day. Like he was searching for something. His intense face softened and he whispered, "you're eyes sparkle like blue jewels in the moonlight, did you know?"

We stared at each other silently while we were absorbed in our own worries. I sighed and broke the gaze after a moment or so. "Don't go..."

I was caught off guard when suddenly, he smiled and reached his hand over to touch my face. I felt his fingers push my soft, auburn curls aside and his thumb stroked my cheek before resting there. "It's not right. I could get you into trouble with all that I've got going on".

"I don't care", I said quietly. "Besides, weren't you the one who said sometimes we just have to say 'screw the world' and do what we want?"

Scorpius chuckled and I took his hand from my face and wrapped it in my own. "I want you to stay and I don't care about anything else".

"I don't want to take advantage of your sympathy..." He gave me a small smile but it did not reach his worrisome eyes.

I shrugged. "Well I'm taking advantage of your company and I don't really care to apologize for it. You might as well do the same", I said teasingly. Scorpius laughed and withdrew his hand.

"My mum says the allegations can be taken off me and she's placing charges on Nathanial for abusing my sister and for alcoholism and all. She's turning his case around. I'm going to see her again soon. I think it might actually work...Will you watch Nate for me for an afternoon?"

"Of course", I said. "And you're welcome to invite your mum here. I don't mind".

Scorpius nodded. "I think you should sleep now", He said.

I yawned but resisted. "I'm not...tired"

"Yes you are", He chuckled.

I was beginning to feel drowsy now and I tried to keep my eyes open to show him I wasn't sleepy but I couldn't do so anymore. I was letting myself slip away but before I could fall into dreamland, I felt Scorpius pull my blanket up higher on me and play with my hair before resting his hand there.

"So innocent you are..." came a whisper and I wondered if he watched me sleep.

...

My eyes stirred opened around early morning and I saw Scorpius sitting on the bed with his legs stretched out and his back against the headboard. I noticed he was cradling Nate who was wide awake, staring at Scorpius, and I heard Scorpius whispering to him while he gently planted kisses on the planes of Nates face.

"I'm so sorry, little buddy. I won't ever scare you like that. I promise I'm gonna try to be a good dad. I'll never yell at you again...well not unless you come home drunk or start doing drugs—Don't do drugs by the way. They're bad for you. Very bad".

I almost laughed even though I was only half awake but I couldn't even explain how happy I was. I felt like I had won and I didn't even care to keep score so I went back to sleep with a much better dream in mind.

A/N: Hi guys! I hope you liked that! I hope I'm not taking it too fast but I don't want to stretch this for more than 25 chapters so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know what you think. I hope we're all acquainted with Scorpius much better now. I know the part about him getting frustrated with Nate is a bit upsetting and it was sort of hard for me to write it without scarring the readers but he's not exactly the father type and he's not very close to his own father figures. Please forgive me for that, I'm just trying to make it as realistic as possible and if it did upset you, please pm or or message me so we can talk about it or something. I do hope he redeemed himself at the end though. On a lighter note, how are you all liking Scorose? Let me know if you have any suggestions or thoughts on how their relationship is progressing and let me know if there's anything you're wondering or any other issue you want me to tackle (besides Ron's death of course - I'll get to that). Thanks again for reading and please review! It really helps motivate me to write more. Thanks everyone!

- Madamam