Rose, unlike myself, seemed unworried that she was about to be torn limb from limb by a mob of her overprotective relatives. But then, she wasn't the one they were no doubt contemplating the murder of. That was me.

Rose, of course, was far more worried about her parents finding out, saying "If any of you sent a letter to your parents, I will hunt you down, kill you horribly, and then make it look like suicide."

"Why would any of us dare risk your wrath, Rosie?" asked James somewhat smugly.

"It would be a real pity for you to have gone to all the trouble of seven years of school only to be murdered before graduation James."

"Come now. I'm entitled to inflict a bit of good natured irritation. And anyway. We came here to let you censor what we're sending home."

"Did any of you mention anywhere bones breaking?"

"How stupid do you think we are, Rose?" Asked Hugo on a manner that suggested his was not an uncommon question.

"Just checking. Thanks guys." She attached her letter to Spike and was turning to leave when James spoke.

"And, uh… how long has… this…" he indicated her, then me "Been going on?"

"Why whatever do you mean." Drawled Rose, practically twirling her nonexistent moustache as she spoke.

"Again, how stupid do you think we are?" asked Hugo.

"Since yesterday." Reported Rose coolly. "And I'd really appreciate it of this didn't reach home either."

"Don't want to be sent to a nunnery, Rose?" asked Albus.

"Not fervently." Then a feather irritated her sinuses enough to cause her to sneeze, which irritated her lungs and caused a rather violent coughing fit which somewhat worried her family.

When she calmed herself enough to breathe normally, something which took about a minute, she waved off her brother's attempts to send her back to the hospital bay, and decided instead to 'mince off to the common room'.

When we were out of sight, I took her hand and pulled her closer.

"I really thought for a moment that they were going to kill me." I said as we walked.

"So did I." admitted Rose. "I didn't want to alarm you so I decided not to mention that minor issue."

Not having a suitable rejoinder for that, I resolved to stare at her, gobsmacked.

"You didn't want to alarm me, so you didn't mention that minor issue." I confirmed.

"What!?" exclaimed Rose. "I didn't!"

I shook my head and continued walking. We were near the entrance to the great hall when we were accosted by none other than Richard MacRichards himself. I was overtaken by a sudden desire to maim him horribly. These hormones were funny things.

"Rose, I am so sorry about—" he was hut off by Rose.

"It's fine. I'm alright, as you can see."

The Hufflepuff in him wouldn't let it go.

"But you were so injured."

"And now I'm all fixed up."

"But I injured a girl. That sort of thing just isn't on."

Rose sighed. "To begin with, that is disgustingly chauvinistic. Furthermore, now that I've been good and bashed up playing quiddich, statistically I won't be fantastically injured again for a while to come. No blood, no foul."

"But you had a punctured lung." He argued. "Surely that constitutes blood."

"The phrase implies external blood." now Rose was arguing semantics. She'd have him beaten down soon enough. She was somewhat terrifying when it came to grammar. Earlier in the year we had engaged in a half hour long debate as to the proper deployment of the subjunctive in a phrase someone had said before we realised just what we were arguing about.

Sure enough he backed down.

Walking into the hall for breakfast, Rose muttered "Chivalrous ass."

I chuckled and threw an arm around her soldiers, earning a few raised eyebrows from around the hall. One of the Ravenclaw sixth years yelled "It's about bloody time."

It seemed that much of the school had been waiting for this. Joy.

"You know the worst thing about a school this small?" Rose asked as she took a bite of toast.

"Enlighten me, o ginger one."

She shot me a glare before continuing. "Gossip spreads fast." She finished, looking around to indicate the numerous pairs of eyes directed at us.

"They'll get over it." I reassured. "It's just been a slow couple of months what with all the exams we've had. Soon enough it'll be holidays, and they'll be bombarded by the joys of the outside world."

"James is going to be hell all holidays."

"He did seem to expect my busting a move, didn't he." I mused.

"You so did not just say bust a move." Rose giggled. Reattaining a sense of decorum, Rose cleared her throat. "I found out off Teddy that he actually had a betting pool going as to when the penny would drop for us. I spent the entire year trying to ignore how hot you've become."

"I've been suppressing hormones since halfway through last year."

"Funny how all this was sparked by horrible gory injury."

"For you." I muttered darkly. I had a feeling I would be antsy whenever Rose went near a bludger for some time to come.

The last days of school came and went, and Rose went from being dark purple to being solidly black where she had been hit. The bruising on her ribs was clearly visible through the somewhat transparent school shirt.

On the first day of summer vacation, the day we were taking the Hogwarts express back to Kings Cross, I almost cracked up when I saw what Rose was wearing. After suppressing a rather pronounced urge to grab her then and start making out with her as if there was no tomorrow. She was wearing a floral patterned strapless summer dress which really accentuated her bruising. Other things too, but I was trying (and failing) not to dwell on them.

As we walked up to the entrance hall where we would be walking down to the station with the other students, I said "You're really going to wear that, aren't you."

Rose chuckled ruefully and put on a pair of sunglasses as we stepped outdoors. "I had promised myself that I would wear this dress on the first day of the holidays, and injuries be damned, I'm wearing it. Mum and dad won't be thrilled about the bruising, but such is life. They were bound to find out at some point."

"I'm really going to miss you over the holidays, Rose."

"I reckon. You're not going to Lapland again are you?"

"No. I'll be able to access the internet. And not be called a southern barbarian."

Rose broke off to yell at a seventh year who was conjuring great balls of fire. It turned out that Professor Longbottom wasn't being unnecessarily paranoid when it came to fire. Go figure.