The minute he had fallen, I opened my arms to catch him. He was heavy, and I almost crumpled to the ground under his dead weight. I had to levitate him to Madame Picoult in the hospital wing. Now I stood beside her as she slowly examined Scorpius, waiting to hear whether he would be okay.

"Miss Weasley, would you please hand me the small bottle with red liquid in it?" Madame Picoult asks me.

I search on top of the cluttered counter for the bottle matching her description as Scorpius lies before her, unmoving. The counter is so cluttered with bottles of every shape and size that I can't find the "small bottle with the red liquid anywhere". I frantically move the bottles around, almost knocking over some of them in the process.

"Miss Weasley, it's on the table right next to you."

I blush delicately as I notice the lone small bottle with red liquid in it sitting on the table and I hand it over to Madame Picoult.

"This will make him wake up. From then on it will be your job to keep him awake. He's going to need to stake awake for an hour or so while I administrate to his wounds and I've found that with many students it's helpful to have a friend with them." She looks at me meaningfully and I nod.

She opens his lips and places just a drop of the liquid on his tongue. I hold my breath as I wait for him to react, hoping that it's normal for the reviving process to usually take a few minutes. Soon enough, his body twitches and he blinks blearily.

I rush over to his side, grabbing his hand.

"Scorpius?" I can hear the fear in my own voice as I grasp his hand tightly.

"Rose?" He croaks. "What….happened?" He tries to get up and hisses with pain again.

"Mr. Malfoy I would advise you to sit still and tell me where it hurts, okay?" Madam Picoult orders him.

He nods weakly but manages to glance wearily at me and roll his eyes. I try to keep myself from smiling in relief: Scorpius is still himself. I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding.

"Do as she says." I whisper.

"Aw, Rose, are you worried about me?" He whispers, smiling delightedly at me.

I glare at him. "Just minutes ago you passed out in my arms, after telling me you got into the auror academy and then hissing in pain when I tried to hug you. I think I have the right to be worried."

"Absolutely." He smiles widely at me.

"Now, Mr. Malfoy, this might hurt a bit."

"Ah!"

I wince as I hear his sharp scream. He clutches my hand tightly and I watch as my knuckles turn white. Madame Picoult continues to prod at his toned stomach, and each time he squeezes his eyes shut, grasping my hand.

"Just as I thought. You seem to have broken a few ribs, Mr. Malfoy." She diagnoses him. "Do you remember what you might have done to obtain these injuries?"

I watch Scorpius's face as he closes it off. "Quidditch."

"Of course," Madame Picoult mutters something about 'stupid Quidditch players'. "Well, we'll just have to repair these then. It's going to be a bit painful."

Scorpius nods and she heads off to find the rib-repairing ointment.

"Liar." I whisper as soon as she's out of earshot.

"What?"

"You lied. You didn't even have Quidditch practice today." I say condescendingly.

"Wow, you've memorized my schedule?" He winks.

"I hang out with you all the time; I tend to pick up on it." I smile.

"If I tell you will you promise not to tell anyone?" He asks hesitantly.

"Who would I tell?" I tease.

"It was Vaisey and Zabini." He whispers to me. "They heard about me getting in to the auror academy and they weren't very happy. They didn't use any curses but—"

Scorpius breaks off as Madame Picoult brings some nasty looking green ointment to the table. I crinkle my nose at the nasty smelling stuff as she takes two fingers and begins to administer to his wounds. He grabs blindly for my hand and I slip my fingers through his again.

"I'm going to have to put this ointment on your ribs, Mr. Malfoy, and it might sting a bit. Then I'm going to have you take this potion, it will help with the inside repairing of your ribs. The ointment will only help the broken skin."

Soon, the treatment is complete.

"Keep him awake for another half an hour, Ms. Weasley. Then I will come back and see to it that he goes to sleep. He seems to have been through quite an ordeal."

I nod as she walks away. Again as soon as I'm sure she can't hear us, I turn back to Scorpius.

"They did what?"

"Rose, don't make a big deal out of this, I can handle myself."

"That's bullying Scorpius! They could be expelled something could be done about this!"

"Rose, I don't need anything to be done about this." Scorpius says determinedly. "I'm trying to make it through this year without disturbing anyone. I don't want to do anything that could put my position with the academy in jeopardy. It was just some idiots who want to make my life miserable because I'm going to become an auror and they're not. Relax. It's two months."

I study him but soon see the amount of stubbornness in his eyes that assures me that he will not budge. He's not going to let me tell anyone about this.

"I think you're being ridiculous." I tell him.

"You can think whatever you want; don't tell anyone."

I stare into his eyes, looking through his tough façade to see the pleading emotion in their hidden depths. He just wanted to be like everyone else.

"Who would I tell?" I whisper, holding his gaze.

"Mr. Malfoy, I think it's time that you go to sleep."

"Can Rose stay with me? Just until I fall asleep?" He looks up at her pleadingly.

She smiles fondly at him; I swear he has the strangest effects on people.

"Close your eyes Mr. Malfoy, you'll be asleep in minutes. Miss Weasley may stay if she wants."

He complies immediately but doesn't loosen his hold on my hand, basically giving me no choice in the matter. I was staying with him.

Madame Picoult walked back into her office and Scorpius's eyes opened again.

"I can't sleep."

I rolled my eyes at his childishness. And then got an idea. It had been so long since I had had the opportunity to sing someone to sleep, and now that I had the opportunity. I didn't want to waste it."

"I'll sing you to sleep." I whisper. "I used to sing Hugo to sleep."

I avoid his eyes as I clear my throat. "Close your eyes first." He complies and I begin to sing.

Starlight, starbright,

All day, all night

I will be right next to you

Here forever

I will never leave

I will never leave

I continue to repeat the chorus of Hugo's favourite lullaby and I soon hear his breath begin to even out, his hold on my hand relaxes and I can only assume he's fallen asleep, just like Hughie used to when he was younger. Scorpius looks so innocent when he's asleep. He doesn't look like the bitter young teenager he's grown up to be, hidden beneath his 'everybody's friend' façade. He looks peaceful and I feel happy as I continue to sing the song, again and again, feeling my vocal chords rejoice in their use again.

My breathing becomes labored as I continue to sing, quietly, so as not to alert Madame Picoult that I'm still here.

"You used to sing that song to me."

I look up at the sudden voice, halting my singing, and see my brother Hugo staring at me strangely.

"Yes, I did. Whenever Mum and Dad were fighting." I smiled fondly at the memory. "It was the only way to get you to sleep."

"I remember." Hugo says smiling sadly at me. "You…um…" he breaks off leaving an uncomfortable silence. "You're a good sister Rose." He whispers, staring at Scorpius instead of at me.

I stare at him, unshed tears filling my eyes. I feel so touched. Hugo and I are a lot closer at home than we are during the school year, due to him having a social life. I love him dearly and i miss his company throughout the school year, but I understand. Sometimes in life you just have to let things be. He's a great younger brother.

"Thank you," I say, my voice cracking.

"That's why I have to tell you this, Rose." He tears his gaze from Scorpius and stares at me intently.

"What's wrong, Hugh?" I ask, catching on to his serious tone.

"It's Lily. She's playing you like a marionette." He says scornfully, looking at Scorpius. "Lily's the reason that Scorpius is talking to you."

I stare at him, completely confounded.

"Rose, listen to me. Lily and Scorpius got in a fight. She hexed him again, I don't think you were there, and then he felt really bad about it later, so he asked what he could do to make it up to her. She wanted him to talk to you. Said he was the only one who could talk some sense into you, seeing as you loved him and all. He's only been paying attention to you because she asked him to." Hugo finished nervously. "I'm sorry, Rose. I just…thought you should know. Lily's been blackmailing me not to tell, but I can't do it anymore. I don't care if everyone finds out that I like Tallie Chapman."

I let my hand fall from Scorpius's cold one. He didn't like me at all. Of course, I should have seen this coming. Why would someone with so much charisma, so much life, so much promise want to hang out with me, the shy girl who hangs in the back of the classroom, never living up to her full potential? Lily. Lily would do this. Lily is a little interfering wench. Did she really think she had the right to go meddling in my life? To meddle with my feelings?

I thought…I thought Scorpius had liked me. He wanted to hang out with me! He hung out with me every day! We were rarely ever apart and he confided his secrets to me! Had it all been some kind of vicious lie?

I feel like I've been betrayed. But by whom, really, have I been betrayed? I've been betrayed by my own family. My own flesh and blood. The people who are supposed to be there for you no matter what. Who does something like that? It's sickening.

My mind flashes back quickly: the whispered conversations Lily had in the halls with Scorpius, she repeatedly pointing at me. It all made sense now. How could I have not seen it before?

I was always there for Lily and here she was trying to mold me into the person that she wanted me to be. The new haircut, the new clothes, it all fell into place now. What sort of teenage boy would randomly ask me if I wanted a haircut? One that was working for Lily.

Did he know how I felt about him? Was he enjoying this is some kind of twisted way?

"Rose? Rose are you alright?" Hugo asks frantically, waving his hand in front of my face.

"Fine, Hugo, I'm fine. I suppose I should have expected this." I say in a controlled voice. I won't let him know how much this has hurt me. I can't even believe this is happening.

If Scorpius wasn't already in the hospital wing, I'd want to put him in here. I want revenge on Lily, I want…hell I want revenge. Lily wanted to see the real Rose Weasley? She wanted someone emotional and passionate? She was about to get her.

"I'll see you later, Hugo." I say, exiting the hospital wing with a swish of my cloak, not even glancing back at the sleeping boy behind me.

Things were about to get messy.

A/N: Oohh my chapters are starting into the double digits! This is so exciting! :)

So...were any of you expecting that? Does anyone even remember my tiny mention of their hallway conversations? Hmm? Are you on the edge of your seat waiting for what's next? Let me know!

I love you all, thank you so much for your reviews. I'm so pleased that you seem to be enjoying this story, I know I'm love writing it.

Let me know what you think-a-dink!

~wwccd