Albus got no sleep that night, and not for a lack of trying. He tossed and turned, so much he finally put on his pair of trainers and decided to go on a walk. Without thinking it through he crept across the floor of the Head's Common Room. Silently he pushed open the door to Alisha's room to watch her sleep, just to make sure she was okay. Reassured Al left the common room to take a walk. He stopped in front of the door he had unconsciously been walking towards the entire time. Gently he knocked on the professor's door, the one guy who he could talk too.

Neville answered, looking bleary eyed and tired. Yet he almost looked unsurprised to see Albus standing there waiting. He simply stood to the side, allowing his godson entry.

"How long have you been going on the walks with us?" Neville was never one to beat around the bush, especially when it came to Alisha.

"Since . . . well I don't actually think I have ever missed one. How did you know?" Albus couldn't even find it in himself to be embarrassed at being found.

"Your Dad taught me a trick, I don't know how I didn't pick up on it sooner." Neville seemed to be thinking over how he missed Albus following him.

"I never followed you that close, until tonight, usually I just took the opportunity to watch her for a little bit, when I'm under the cloak I don't have to pretend I don't care."

"I guess I still don't understand why you can't just talk to her?" Albus sighed, he had tried to explain this to his godfather many times before, but never found the right words, or maybe a good enough excuse. "The ones we love are always safer where we can keep them safe while still loving them."

"It's too late for that, she hates me at this point." Albus looked at the ground, hope didn't seem to exist in his eyes.

"We shall see." Neville said cryptically.

Without another word, Neville transformed the rug into a small cot for Albus' to spend the night.

Scorpius had been distant since Donavan Jackson had come right out and accused him of everything he already hated himself for. Rose had remained angry, but only because of how much the man knew about what had happened without being told anything. Infact, Rose wasn't even mad about him knowing about what had happened, she was mad that he was smart enough to know every player in the game.

Scorpius spent most of his time walking around the grounds, that is where she found him. Lily Potter never saw Scorpius as an older brother figure, no that's what she had her actual brothers for. Scorpius was kind and sweet, he never treated her as if he was better than she nor did he act as her superior. It was in her fifth year, his sixth, that their friendship became something more. To this day the couple will argue over who made the first move, neither would probably ever find an answer.

No one in either family knew of their secret romance, and not for the reasons you would think. They did not fear their parents wouldn't approve of their relationship. Instead, they both decided that it was cruel to boast of their happiness while Al was in such obvious pain in everyone's eyes except his own. So they settle for stolen moments when no one was looking.

Lily always knew where to find Scorpius at any given point, it was almost a secret talent. So that is how she came to stand before him. The good weather was fleeting and based on Lily's attire, she planned to enjoy every minute of it. She wore jean shorts that stopped mid-thigh, and a black tank-top. She sat down beside her boyfriend and immediately curled up to his side, even though he was upset, he welcomed her comfort.

"Have you met the new kid?" Scorpius asked her while he tightened his grip.

"I'm going to assume that you're talking about the 7th year, because it's not like every year twenty plus kids join the school." She gave him a teasing smile. "But, no I have not yet met the new kid, Why?"

"Just something he said yesterday. I just find it strange that the first thing this new guy does is draw attention to himself by befriending Alisha, then sticking his nose into what happened all those years ago." Lily, like the rest of the Potter family knew why Albus broke up with, who she believes, is the love of his life. Lily was one of the more outspoken people when it came to the break-up. The only thing she didn't know was the guilt her boyfriend felt.

"He obviously isn't an attention seeker, otherwise he would have befriended one of us, Albus being number one. Befriending Alisha is social suicide, I think he's brave because there is no way he didn't know what he was getting into. After the first time they were seen together he would have been informed of all the rumors." The couple sat in silence for awhile, eventually it was time for lunch and at the great hall they went their separate paths. Scorpius found Rose, she didn't talk to him, she was staring intently down the Gryffindor table, most would say she was thinking. But once he followed her gaze it couldn't be mistaken, she was watching Donavan as he ate lunch with Alisha.

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Albus arrived late to lunch, the familiar buzz of a hundred people talking could be heard the staircase. He almost didn't want to have to face her, the other hundreds of kids, fine. But if she saw him, he wasn't sure if he could stay strong. He loved her, how could she ever doubt that?
That was a stupid though, he chastised himself. Of course she would think he hated her. But he didn't, and there was no way to ever explain to her how he did all of this to her because he loved her.

Karma, fate, destiny, whatever you believe in. Perhaps it was simply a coincidence. Yet the moment Albus gathered the courage to get lunch, the two people he wished to avoid, he ran into them instead.

None of them said a word, not even an apology was mumbled. It wasn't until Alisha and Donny had left that Albus realized there was a note that had been slipped into his pocket.

Sorry to disappoint, but no this isn't Alisha. We need to talk, tomorrow meet me in the kitchens just after lunch. -DJ

So Donavan wanted to talk? Well this should be different.

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You know all of those excuses about school and life. Well, yeah. I'm not going to give anymore excuses but here is this chapter. Please review, I would love to know what people think. I realized that Next Generation stories aren't as popular on this site, but you should let me know that someone is reading.

Don't Hate Me,
The StoryWriter