Hello everybody!

First of all, I wish you all a happy new year and all the best for 2011.

I'm not going to give you lame excuses for not updating in like a month. There were a lot of things going on in my life, most of which preventing me from using a computer (true story).

Thanks for sticking to this story, especially L'Etoile Noire who reminded me I hadn't updated in a while... Here's chapter 10, which was supposed to be the last one, but which turned out to be much longer than I expected. The last chapter will be on line very soon!

Disclaimer: I doubt JK Rowling spent a month without writing Harry Potter, unlike me with this story. Ergo, I am not JKR and I don't own HP.

One day accidentally
You called me baby

(Lily Allen, Who'd Have Known)

'I'm going to the Yule Ball with Scorpius.'

That's what I say to Lana on Monday morning while droping my heavy bag as casually as I can on the bench near our table.

Lana almost spits out her gulp of pumpkin juice and looks up at me with eyes wide as saucers.

'You ARE?'

'Well, he asked me, and I said yes, so I suppose it pretty much seals the deal,' I say with a cocky grin, as if Scorpius asking me to the Ball meant something else than the invitation of a friend to another friend.

Obviously Lana has her doubts too: she eyes me suspiciously until I sit down next to her.

'So?' she asks, one eyebrow raised.

I sigh and I give up.

'Yeah… You're right. He asked me just like he asked me the past years. As his best friend, that is all.'

Lana resumes her drinking her pumpkin juice.

'You don't know for sure, Rose.'

'I won't know until I ask, blah blah blah,' I say, a little annoyed that everybody keeps telling me the same thing.

'Well, there you go,' Lana answers in earnest. 'Don't come complaining if you don't even try.'

That ought to shut me up for a moment. I decide to take this time to ponder what she said and start eating breakfast.

Sunday ended much better than it had started, as I still vividly remember. Scorpius asked me to the Ball and just like that, the atmosphere became instantly more relaxed. We spent the rest of the night laughing, talking about books and watching the slow dance of the snowflakes out of the window of Scorpius's room.

When I went back to bed, it was probably three on the morning and all my roomates were sound asleep. Even Lana didn't flinch in her sleep when I opened the door, walked to my bed, undressed and slid under the sheets.

I don't know what Sunday evening meant. I just know I felt good, and I hadn't felt this good for what seems like forever – that is, since me and Scorpius started growing apart. Somehow, I deserve to feel this good a little longer after feeling so depressed for weeks. I'll enjoy my renewed friendship with Scorpius for as long as possible.

'Lana?'

'Mmh?' she mutters halfway through a mouthful of raisin scone.

'I'll talk to Scorpius about it during the Yule Ball. I think it's the most appropriate moment to do so. In the meantime, I'll just be friends with him, OK?'

She takes in my commanding tone and insisting glare and just nods.

'Whatever seems best to you, honey,' she just shrugs, 'I'll be there to support you, whatever decision you take… but just so you know, right now, I believe the best decision you could take is to tell him the truth – one day or another.'

She stares at me with her beautiful big brown eyes until I nod.

I'm lucky to have Lana as a friend – because it's just really lucky to have a friend who has the guts to tell you the truth, whether you like to hear it or not.

In these early days of December, just like every other year, the only topic of conversation at Hogwarts is the Yule Ball. By this time of the year I used to feel excited because the Ball was coming up – which meant Hogwarts would turn into a huge ballroom full of possibilities and adventures for one night – and because the Christmas holidays were just a few days away – which meant I would go back to my family and also spend a few days at Scorpius's manor.

Only this year the Yule Ball scares the hell out of me. I gave my word to Lana that I would let Scorpius know about my feelings then – I gave my word to pretty much everybody, including Alejandro Garcia and my family – and I can't back out of this one. And somehow, I don't want to either. I realise it is time to take responsibility for the feelings that have made me so miserable these past few months and stop whining about them. And also, somewhere deep down, I guess I'm curious about what Scorpius will say. Maybe it's because Alejandro, my brother, my cousins and Lana planted all this hope in my heart, but there's always a possibility that he'll respond to my feelings, say he loves me too, and kiss me senseless with his gorgeous lips of his…

'Rose, potion-making time!'

Scorpius nudges me in the ribs and I snap out of my daydream.

It's dangerous to dream about his lips when he's sitting right next to me in Potions class. When he's around I'm always afraid something might slip and I'll accidentally kiss him or throw myself at him and start unbuttoning his crisp, white, sexy shirt…

'Rose?' he waves his hand in front of my face, looking a little worried about my hearing or my sanity.

'Yes!' I almost start. 'Yes, sure, let's start with the potion!'

'Do you even know which potion we're supposed to brew?' he asks, half suspicious, half amused.

'Amortensia?' I venture.

'You wish,' he snorts, and yeah, I wish it was, because Amortensia would, at least momentarily, solve my issues, 'it's Placebodonia, the universal curing potion.'

'Do you imply it's hard to brew?'

'Kind of…'

'Well, we're seventh years, that's what we're supposed to learn, right?' I start skimming through the pages of my Potions book. The challenge of brewing an impossibly difficult potion has completely waken me up. 'So stop acting like it's so difficult and pass me the ingredients.'

'Alright, Master,' he bows playfully. 'After all, you've always been the best of us at Potions.'

'The only subject you outdo me at is Quidditch, so yes, I outdo you at Potions, and at almost everything else.'

'That's why I love you,' he winks.

My heart freezes in my chest. The love he talks about is the love we've had for each other since we were eleven. And let's face it: boys don't like competitive girls who outshine them in class. Ergo, Scorpius doesn't love me the way I love him.

I swallow back the hard knot that just formed in my throat and start throwing Carpathos beans into the cauldron.

As you see, Scorpius and I are friends again. I can't say it makes me completely happy – only one thing would make me completely happy, and the thought of making it happen paralyses me. But at least we talk to each other, we laugh together, we spend time reading and playing chess and walking around the snowy grounds of Hogwarts and for the moment, it's more than I could wish for. A few weeks ago I thought the things we're doing these days were over – now I know they'll be over soon, but at least I can fully enjoy them one last time.

As we walk back to the castle in the setting sun, I throw fond sideways glances at Scorpius. I admire his aristocratic features, the pure, untainted joy that lights up his sad eyes when I make a joke, his beautiful blond hair that turns red in the afternoon light, and I know – I just know all the pain is worth it because he's irrevocably, unmistakably the one for me.

The countdown has begun, and there's no avoiding it.

One week before the Ball and the tension is palpable in the Great Hall when Lana and I arrive for Saturday morning brunch.

As soon as I appear at the Slytherin table my cousin Lily gets up from the Gryffindor table and rushes up to me, waving her hands excitedly - and a little ridiculously, I must say.

'Oh my God !' she screams when she's within hearing distance – that is, thanks to her shrill, loud girly voice, thirty metres away.

'What's up, Lil'?' I ask casually, one eyebrow raised.

'The Ball is a week away!' she jumps around me like an ecstatic little bunny.

'I know that. Why so happy?'

'You're going with Scorpius, aren't you?'

'How do you know?'

'Everybody knows, my sweet, oblivious cousin,' Lily pats me on the shoulder, 'you're Rose Weasley and he's Scorpius Malfoy.'

'Of course,' I roll my eyes. Of course everybody knows. Didn't I already mention that? Don't I experience it every single day? Sometimes I feel people know more about my life than I do. It doesn't bother me too much though, since it saves me the trouble of having to tell my friends about it, as they generally already know what's going on with me before I open my mouth.

'I guess I am going to the Ball with Scorpius then,' I shrug.

'That is brilliant!' Lily exclaims, and for the first time I have to shush her – there's no need to attract Scorpius's attention.

'No, really, Rose, it must mean something!'

'I go to the Ball with him every single year, honey, why would it mean something more than last year?'

'I just know,' Lily lifts up her chin, smiling smugly.

'Rose is going to ask him about, you know, his feelings and stuff,' Lana interferes.

'Lana!' I say, a little offended.

'What? Aren't you?'

'Yes, I am, and please, go on and make a public announcement while you're at it!'

'Oh, come one, I'm your cousin, Rose, I would have found out anyway.' Lily states wisely. 'Did you get an answer from Aunt Hermione by the way?'

'No.'

I didn't get a letter from my mum and it worries me. I don't know if she's mad at me for not writing more often, or if she's at a loss what to advise me to do. And honestly I don't know which explaination I like best.

'Maybe you will get a letter. The post has been really slow this winter. Don't worry about it.'

'It's OK, Lily. Thanks for stopping by anyway.'

As Lily leaves us, Lana and I share a meaningful look: who would have thought, last year at the same date, that so many things would be at stake with the Yule Ball?

On Tuesday evening after our Defense Against the Dark Arts class, I hear someone calling me from behind me in the corridor. I thought I was the last one to leave the class: I had a few more notes to take and I didn't want to pack my things before I wrote them down for fear I would forget about them. So I'm all the more surprised when I turn around and see Scorpius walking up to me.

'Hey,' he says, his irresistible smirk back on his lips, his blond hair falling in his eye – just his usual, attractive self.

'Hey,' I manage to smile back eve though I can't help but feeling dazed. It's amazing how I've known him for years and he still has this incredible impact on me. I push a strand of red hair behind my hear and ask him casually:

'What's the matter?'

'I was just wondering… what are you going to wear next Saturday?'

I freeze on the spot.

'That's quite an unexpected question.'

'It's just because… every year we go to the Ball wearing plain jeans and sweaters, and I figured, this is our last Yule Ball at Hogwarts, ever, so what do you think we dress up a little?'

The very idea is funny and embarassing. Funny because I'd never thought the day would come when Scorpius would say he'd like to wear a tuxedo and see me wear a couture dress. For his defense, Scorpius could wear anything and still be breathtakingly handsome – even covered in rags he'd look like a blue-blood prince. The same doesn't go for me, but I never paid too much attention to my appearance – until I fell in love with him.

And it's embarassing because I don't own a fancy dress, and it's Tuesday night, and I'll never manage to get one by Saturday, even if I order it through Witch Weekly. But what choice do I have? Scorpius is right – it is our last Ball at Hogwarts, and we owe our beloved school a nice outfit for the occasion.

'That's a brilliant idea, Scorp!' I smile, and I'll figure out who I'm going to extort a a party dress from later, I think.

'Perfect,' he flashes his bright smile at me. 'I really can't wait, Rose.'

And then the oddest thing happens: he seems to hesitate, then – he walks one step closer to me, puts his hand on my shoulder, and plants a light kiss on my cheek.

'See you later,' he mumbles, straightening up awkwardly and avoiding my eye in such an obvious way I can't help but smile at him smugly. Blushing slightly, he briskly walks away, leaving me dumbstruck, perplexed – and ridiculously happy with this tiny victory.

It's Friday morning and I still haven't found a dress – the only one I have in my trunk is a knitted grey dress, which I love, but which isn't very official-looking, and I'm pretty sure it's not what Scorpius has in mind. Lana ordered hers weeks ago and got it last week – thanks a lot for the tip, Lana, couldn't you tell me about it before I made a fool of myself on Saturday? – and Lily has six fancy dresses, none of each fits me, considering she's two sizes smaller than me, that beautiful, arrogantly thin bitch.

In such circumstances I always regret I don't have more girlfriends. I've spent too much time with Scorpius since I came to Hogwarts and – fortunately – he doesn't have a dress to lend me.

I'm waiting for Lana at the Slytherin table, my gaze lingering on all the delicious food the Hogwarts house-elves serve for Friday's breakfast as a preview to Saturday's brunch – although I can't eat any since I've lost my appetite to fashion issues – when the post owls swoop over our heads in the Great Hall. Many of them carry pretty red and gold enveloppes, probably containing Christmas wishes from the students' families. But among the normal-acting owls, a strange scene catches my eye: a large, brown owl, one of those you can rent at wizarding post offices to carry big or heavy parcels, flies over the Slytherin table while being attacked by a ferocious, squeeky, minute silver owl. Wait… I know that owl.

I jump on my feet.

'Artemis!'

The tiny silver owl turns its head towards me and lets out a cry of helplessness. It swoops down to me and perches on my shoulder, hooting excitedly as if to explain to me why it isn't carrying the parcel.

I burst out laughing and stroke its head reassuringly.

'Calm down, sweetheart, you couldn't have carried that weight anyway! But thanks for keeping an eye on your owner's interests.'

The big brown owl lands on the table and hoots in a dignified way to catch my attention. I sign the receipt on the parcel, undo the ties that keep it attached to the owl's leg and take the box in my arms.

The owl bows slightly and then takes off, its mission accomplished.

I check the handwriting on the parcel: that neat, straight writing is unmistakably my mum's.

And I can't help but feel my heart swell with joy and love as I rush back to the Slytherin dormitories to open my mum's parcel in privacy.

When I'm in my room I hear Lana's voice coming out of the bathroom door:

'Rose, is that you?'

'Yes it's me!' I all but sing back. 'I got a letter and a parcel from my mum!'

'Oooh, brilliant! You'll let me know what she says, ok? I'm getting out of the shower.'

'Take your time, honey!'

As much as I love Lana, I want to be alone just for five minutes – just for me to read my mum's letter without someone breathing down my neck while doing so.

I open the parcel: it's a cardboard box with an white parchment enveloppe on the top. I take the enveloppe and tear it open: a piece of parchment covered in the same, beautiful handwriting comes out of it.

I unfold it and start reading.

"My dear Rose,

Don't worry about not writing so much. I've been to Hogwarts, and I know there are few other places in the world as exciting as this school. The fact that you just think about me is enough, and if sometimes you find the time and patience to write me a quick note, then, nothing can make me happier. So, what can I say? It's your last year: have fun, experience everything there is to experience at Hogwarts, read, learn, enjoy it as much as you can. These are priceless memories you'll carry with you all your life – and it's completely understandable that you don't have much time to stop and think about your old parents in the meantime!

As for Scorpius now, you're right, I don't have much advice to give you. We never talked much about him together, but there was no need to: I've seen how happy you are since you've met him. I've known you since the day you were born, my dear daughter, and you've always been like a flower blossom, waiting for something or someone to bloom for. Scorpius had that effect on you: he didn't make you who you are, but he helped you become who you are: a beautiful, brilliant, intelligent young woman.

It's hard to be seventeen. I know that. It was hard for me too, and my best friend wasn't someone as mature and smart as Scorpius: it was your dad, Ronald Weasley, and fortunately he grew up a lot since then, but when we were at Hogwarts we certainly fought and bickered a lot – I can't count the times when we stopped talking to each other and when I thought our friendship was over. But in the end, even if we didn't know it then, all this was just a way to say: I can't believe I'm falling in love with my best friend. And yet we eventually came to terms with our feelings.

I hope Scorpius and you will find a way to make up. He's good for you, Rose, and I can't wish you anything better than a friend like him. Again, if it doesn't work out, it won't be the end of the world either. But give it a try, you never know. Be honest and open, with him and with yourself, and let me know how it turns out.

Looking forward to seeing you at Christmas.

Lots of love,

Your mum,

Hermione

PS: your dad says hello. Don't worry, I haven't told him anything about Scorpius. He knows he's your best friend, but he'd rather ignore this fact most of the time. Did I mention how much he grew up since Hogwarts?"

I read the letter three times before Lana comes out of the bathroom, an emerald green towel wrapped around her.

'What is the letter about?' she asks, obviously curious.

'I'm not sure…' I say, stroking my chin. 'Here, read it, tell me what you think.'

Lana takes the piece of parchment and reads.

'Well, first of all, may I say your mum has quite a sense of humour,' she smiles knowingly when she's done.

'Sure, sure, what about the rest of the letter?'

'Well, she makes a parallel between you and Scorpius and herself and your dad, doesn't she?'

'So?'

'So she probably thinks you'll end up getting married and having lots of babies! Oooh, I'm sure they'll be strawberry blond, a mix between your red hair and his blond hair!' shes grins excitedly.

'Stop it, Lana!' I sit up, half annoyed, half amused, and I try to get my letter back from her as she stands up on my bed and keeps reading.

'And I'm quite sure that if you read between the lines, she suggests I should be godmother for your and Scorpius's first born!'

'Lana! Give it back!' I now laugh with her.

'Seriously! she means you should go for it, Rose! Go talk to him! 'Be honest and open', isn't these her very words? She compares your relationship with the one she had with your dad, she says things worsened between them when they started developing feelings, and that in the end they managed to make it work!'

I stop jumping around her on the bed and stare at her with my mouth gaping.

'What?' Lana stops jumping too. 'You sure look stupid like this.'

'Lana… my mum suggests Scorpius and I could be developing the same feelings right now!'

'Yes!'

'YES!'

And we start jumping on the bed again, giggling and occasionnally hugging each other.

'Rose,' Lana interrupts our display of joy.

'You're right, we're Slytherin girls, and Slytherin girls don't giggle around,' I say.

'No, stupid! Look, you haven't opened the box!' she says pointing at the cardboard box that came with the letter.

We both kneel down on the bed and I tear open the top of the box.

Inside layers and layers of folded black silk paper lies a beautiful, shiny silk deep green dress.

Eyes wide open with surprise, I carefully take the dress out of its box and stand up on the bed, showing it to Lana. We exchange a meaningful look and I'm too moved to speak. She gets up too and takes me by the hand, then leads me in front of the big lifesize mirror that stands in the corner of our room.

'I think you should try it,' she says under her breath as if she was afraid to break the respectful silence that has settled in the room.

'We're going to be late for class,' I whisper back, unable to take my eyes off of the reflection of me holding the dress.

'Who cares?' Lana rolls her eyes. 'Such an occasion demands skipping classes, doesn't it?'

'Alright,' I approve easily. 'Help me put it on.'

I take off my school uniform while Lana looks for the zipper of the dress. When I'm only wearing my bra and panties, she helps me with the dress. Lost in the folds of velvety fabric, I finally manage to find my way out of the dress, at which point the dress hugs every curve of my upper body perfectly while Lana pats the folds of the dress to make the last wrinkles disappear. Then we both take in my reflection in the mirror.

The curly fiery red mess that is my hair spectacularly emphasizes the minimalistic beauty of the dress. While the upper part of the dress is tight and almost severe-looking – there's a round collar that barely shows my collarbone and two round holes for the arms – the lower part of the dress hugs the top of my hips before cascading down to my knees in dozens of tulip-shaped folds of fabric. The deep green shade of the dress, a subtle reminder of my House colour, highlights my pale, freckled skin. All in all, the dress is both formal and sexy, elegant and slightly provocative. In a nutshell: the perfect dress to go to your school's Yule Ball when you're a seventeen-year-old girl and you want to impress the boy you're in love with.

As if she could hear my thoughts, Lana says under her breath, obviously impressed:

'It's almost as if she knew…'

'Oh, she knows,' I answer in the same tone. 'She's the smartest person alive.'

'Yeah, and she picked just the right dress for you,' she throws me a sideways glance, one eyebrow raised mischievously, 'look how much bigger your breasts look! It's a Christmas miracle!'

I playfully punch her on the shoulder.

'You're just saying that because my dress looks better than yours!'

'Oh, I'm not denying it,' Lana laughs, 'but it's OK, I've already seduced my boyfriend, I could go to the Ball with sweat pants and it'd still be OK.'

'Don't make me chase you around the room with that beauty on,' I laugh with her. 'Help me take it off now, and then we'll plan our hair and make-up for tomorrow.'

'Rose, I'd have never thought I would hear you say this kind of sentence one day.'

'Me neither, but this is a case of emergency,' I say pointing at my bushy hair. 'Now come on, partner in ditching classes!'

And this is how Lana and I spend the rest of our Friday.

Have you ever noticed how time seems to expand or shrink according to the situation? Take a History of Magic class with Professor Bins, for instance: it only lasts one hour, but it feels like ten centuries – and not just because it's the age of the ghost that teaches it. On the other hand, take the twenty-four hours before the Yule Ball: time seems to fly, and before you know it, it's already Saturday morning, you're eating brunch at the Slytherin table with Lana and you're absolutely not ready for dancing in a fancy dress.

Or for asking Scorpius Malfoy out, for this matter.

Speaking of Scorpius, I haven't seen him yet this morning. Probably that, unlike me, he's not stressed out about the Ball at all and he uses Saturday morning to sleep in – personally, today, I wouldn't be able to sleep in if you paid me for it.

But Lana gives me a nudge and draws my attention back to the Great Hall, just when Alejandro Garcia walks in in all his brown-haired, black-eyed, tall and muscular glory. There's a perceptible movement in the Hall when all the female student population of the school turn their heads to see him walk down the Slytherin table and sit down next to a fifth-year girl whose name I don't know.

'It's Emilie Duchateau,' Lana whispers from the corner of her mouth.

I check the girl out carefully. She's a thin, pale girl with brown curls and chestnut eyes, and she seems to glow with pride that Alejandro Garcia chose to sit next to her.

'Do you know her?' I whisper back to Lana.

'Not really. She's half-French, half-British, but I think she spent a few years in Mexico, so maybe that's why Alejandro knows her.'

I stare at the pair of them for a while before tearing my gaze away from them. It's not that I'm jealous or disappointed. It's just that I wish my story with Scorpius could be just as simple as sitting next to each other at the Slytherin table and being happy about it.

The thought crosses my mind but I don't let it linger on for too long. I've finished my breakfast and I sit up.

'You're going back downstairs?' Lana asks, downing a forkful of scrambled eggs.

'Yes… I can't eat much anyway. Lost my appetite,' I shrug.

'OK…' she says doubtfully. 'I'll be back soon.'

'Don't worry about me, I have a lot of work to do, curls to straighten and stuff… Take your time!' I tell her before leaving the Hall quickly.

I didn't mean to leave Lana alone after all the support she gave me but I just need to be away from the noise and the rumours and the babbling crowd of students for a while. Just a few minutes, just for me to concentrate on the huge step I'm about to take – the one that will change the most important component of my life.

The most important component of my life which I run into in the corridor leading to the Slytherin Common Room.

'Scorpius!' I can't help but cry out when I see him, looking as good as usual although I notice the slightly dark circles under his eyes.

'Hey, Rose,' he gives me a forced smile. 'Didn't expect to meet you here! Are you already done with brunch?'

'Yes,' I answer him, still smiling, though I can barely control the suspicious tone my voice has taken. It's very unusual for him to act like this: he looks like a person who's just woken up from a nightmare, or rather who hasn't slept at all. I've known Scorpius for seven years and I almost never saw him look so tired and disoriented – except the times when he was really depressed.

'Too bad, I was hoping for some company.'

'Lana's still downstairs, you know,' I tell him, 'though you'll probably have to put up with Jake Jerrod as well now I've left her alone.'

He doesn't answer anything and keeps staring at me as if lost in thought. Which is quite upsettling since his staring makes me heart beat even faster and louder than it usually does when he's around.

'Scorpius?' I venture eventually.

'Yes, sorry!' he shakes his head. 'I'll see you later for the Ball then.'

And as I resume my walking to the Slytherin dungeon, he stops and puts his hand on my shoulder. I feel a shiver run down my spine and slowly turn to look at him. His face is serious, his eyes darker than usual, and in the dim light of the corridor he looks dangerous and madly attractive, like in dreams I've had with him in them.

'I can't wait,' he whispers, and then lets go of me.

And slightly dazed, I keep walking, wondering why suddenly everything in my life seem to take such an unexpected turn.

I'll try to update soon (next chapter will be the last one). Leave a review, you know how important they are! xx