A/N: Hey, look at me, I'm posting a second chapter within a day of the last one I posted. Thankfully I have a clear idea of where this is going again, so I shouldn't be too much longer.

"Rose?" Hugo called tentatively up the stairs to the girls dorms. Unlike his cousin he wasn't fast enough to run them before they turned and he was beginning to worry about his sister. He hadn't seen her since she finished her exams three days ago and he worried that she might never come out of her room again. He had known his sister to become reclusive at times but it was usually due to studying and she would still show up for meals.

"Hugo? What are you doing mate?"

"Al, have you seen Rosie? I haven't seen or heard from her in days" Hugo's brow furrowed in worry and confusion.

"I'm sure she'll show up somewhere, she probably just needs a break from everything. You know how highly strung she is around exams, and these were N.E.W.T.s" Al replied wrapping an arm around his cousin's back (as he couldn't quite reach his shoulders) and leading him to the portrait hole. If there was one thing Al was sure of it was that it would be unwise to disturb Rose if she wanted to be alone; she may have struggled a little with Charms but she was more than adequate at Defence Against the Dark Arts. He had decided after the past couple of weeks to just wait her bad mood out.

Hugo and Al sat in relative silence at the Gryffindor breakfast table, Hugo checking the door several times for any sign that his sister might be up and about. Scorpius had taken to sitting at the Ravenclaw table with Rebecca, something Al couldn't help but be happy that Rose was not around to see. It was strange to be sitting at the table without either of his best friends, though Albus was sure that this would all blow over before their family holiday this summer, or at least he was hoping that it would.

Albus was aware that both Rose and Scorpius were stubborn and one of them would eventually need to apologise. Though he doubted whether Rose would ever feel the need. She would rather eternally miss Scorpius than admit she had overreacted and it appeared that he was too caught up in his new found romance to care either way. This was a disaster in the making, and Albus couldn't help but feel that the he would be the one left behind by the two of them. He knew it was selfish but he wondered if either of them had taken a moment to consider how this would affect him. So long as they were fighting Al was stuck in a strange no-man's land, where he was expected to fix things while being completely impartial.

"Al? Hello? Um, there is post for you" Hugo waved a hand in front of his cousin's face, indicating a large, black owl perched beside his plate of toast. Albus blinked a couple of times before reaching for the bird's outstretched leg and untying the attached parchment. The owl waited momentarily hoping to be fed something, before it took off back out of the window it had flown in through. Albus thought it was an unusual time to be receiving a letter, he hadn't sent his parents a letter in weeks and everyone knew that he wouldn't have an indication about his results until they were given to him at the graduation ceremony next week. He curiously unrolled the paper to see what it was, immediately recognising the neat cursive of the letter.

Dear Al,

After much deliberation I have decided that I had best inform someone at school of my whereabouts. I've come to London for a break before graduation.

I decided a couple of nights ago that I needed to get away from the castle and I thought a trip to the city might be nice. I'm sorry I didn't tell you (or anyone) before I left but this is something I needed to do alone.

I didn't talk to mum and dad about this so I would prefer if you didn't let them know.

I'll be back by graduation.

Rosie

Albus read the letter over twice before handing it to Hugo, who had been staring at the back of the parchment. This was completely unlike Rose, she never made rash decisions and she certainly never did anything this big without informing her parents about it. As Al mulled it over Hugo read the letter a second time, his eyes grew wide with shock. Glancing at Al, Hugo's mouth moved trying to form a sentence that would adequately sum up his feelings on the matter. After a moment he closed his mouth into a hard line and nodded at Albus before getting up and leaving the hall.

"Wow, I think that is as serious as I've ever seen that kid look in all the time I've known him. What's up with that?" Scorpius asked, slipping into the seat opposite Albus, smiling teasingly.

"I would suppose that he is concerned that his sister took off to London without telling anyone two days ago, and that no one noticed that she wasn't in the castle at all" Al answered in a flat monotone.

"I'm sure that she will be fine, I don't see why he's concerned, she probably needed a break" Scorpius said, before turning the conversation to how he was going to spend the next couple of days. Albus' eyes narrowed and he took a deep breath to try calming himself, unfortunately Scorpius didn't seem to notice the tell-tale flush making its way up his best friend's neck. That was, until Al slammed his fist into the table hard enough to make the cutlery on his plate jump.

"Whoa, mate, what is going on?" Scorpius managed to splutter out.

"What's going on? You're a bloody right git, you know that? She ran away to the blooding city for a week and you're not even a little bit concerned?" Albus yelled, cause the remaining students in the hall to all look in their direction. Scorpius' eyes widened at the smaller boy's sudden outburst, this was not the first time he had been on the receiving end of Albus' temper but it was the first time that he felt concerned for his safety.

Albus' whole body was trembling with anger, was Scorpius so self-obsessed that he couldn't find a place somewhere inside to feel worried that his normally rational, socially conscious best friend had travelled hundreds of miles alone, without telling a single person. Al knew something was wrong how could Scorpius not possibly know, this was not the kind of thing Rose did. If it were a month ago Rose would have talked this over with them, told her parents and Hugo where she was going, she would have left a list of contact information but a month ago she probably would have invited Albus and Scorpius to come with her.

Before Scorpius could respond Al was on his feet and walking towards the doors to the hall, it was taking every ounce of self-control he had not to run back and punch Scorpius. He just kept moving, leaving the castle and instinctively heading towards the Quidditch pitch. He needed to think, his first response was to owl his uncle and aunt to dob Rose for, essentially, running away. He knew that she would probably hate him forever but he was worried about her.

Al took the stairs leading to the stands two at a time, he just needed to think about this. Maybe he should just let her be, she was, for all intents and purposes, an adult and she could probably make her own decisions. He wouldn't have wanted her to worry if it were him, but then I would have let her know where I was going before I just took off.

Perhaps he could owl James, he was working at the Ministry and living in London, he might be able to find out where Rose was and just check in on her. Or his Uncle George. This was impossible, Rose might be an adult but Albus was far from ready to be one, it seemed that it would involve a lot of worrying about other people, and he wasn't sure he was ready for that.

"Al? I know you're thinking of some way to help Rose, but perhaps you should leave her to herself," Lily walked slowly towards her brother making sure he had calmed down before taking the seat next to him, "She said she'd be back for graduation right? That's only another three days."

"Maybe you're right Lil, it just seems mean to not be there for her" Al replied. He met his sister's eyes, he could see she was worried too but she seemed to know something that perhaps Albus didn't. "Lily Luna Potter, do you know something I don't?"

"I do, but I'm going to keep it to myself for the moment. Trust me when I tell you that this is a trip she needed to make alone and that she will be back," Lily said, there was a strange mix of emotion showing in her eyes. There was a twinkle of superiority, worry and some sadness playing in the back somewhere. She smiled at her brother before giving one of his hands a squeeze.

"How did you get to be her confidant? I'm her best friend" Al asked a small twinge of hurt swimming just beneath the surface of his sarcasm.

"Perhaps because I'm a girl, I don't have a big mouth and Scorpius isn't my other best friend?" Lily said, teasing her brother now.

"You knew that she had…urgh, I can't believe I'm going to say it like this but feelings for him, didn't you?" He asked, making a face at the turn of phrase he was forced to use.

"Yes. She told me a long time ago, she's been waiting him out, I think."

Albus contemplated this a moment, his feelings were hurt that Rose hadn't told him, but more than that, his feelings were hurt for Rose, that she would have to watch the reality of the situation play out. He had spent a lot of his time looking out for Rose, and now that she really needed his protection there was nothing he could do for her. He felt useless.

"By the way, I think you might have scared the hell out of Scorpius inside. He looked totally bewildered" Lily said smiling a little too gleefully.

"He deserves to have been scared, it's like he doesn't care anymore. He's so wrapped up in what's happening to him and how happy he feels, that he hasn't even noticed she's not been around, let alone left the castle," Albus said, some of his earlier anger returning, "and really Lily, stop smiling like that, it's not funny."

"Oh please, I've been hoping that jerk would get his comeuppance since he started flirting with other people in front of her in fourth year. It may have taken her another 2 years to realise she liked him but Merlin's pants, he needed to get a grip. Which is not to say I don't like Scorpius, because of course I do, but sometimes I would like to pull out one of mum's Bat Boogey hexes and…" Lily shook her head as she thought of exactly what she'd like to do to Scorpius, "Or, you know, slap him and tell him to wake up to himself."

Albus stared in wonderment at his sister's rueful expression and began to laugh, she looked like a younger version of his mother, he couldn't help himself. Before long Lily was laughing too, the two of them laughed a long time together. Just as they thought they had gotten it under control one would look at the other and it would start all over again. Giggling Lily stood up and gave her brother the most serious look she could muster.

"But really Al, I think its best to just let this one play out. Give her the time and space she needs, she'll be ok."

"Lily?" Albus said, causing her to turn at the top of the stairs.

"Yes."

"How and when did you get to be so grown up?" He asked smiling at her, seeing for perhaps the first time, not his baby sister, but the woman she had become.

"Well you see, something happened to me over the summer," Lily said, her eyes glistening with tears of laughter, "I found the maturity that someone had put away for you and James, but had evidently forgotten to give you. "

Lily took off down the stairs as Albus rushed from where he was seated. She might have made a joke about it but he knew that she was more mature and smarter than he would probably ever be, he considered that perhaps it might be best to take her advice.

A/N: Review kiddies.

Much love and later dayz.

Manda

xx