I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, I wouldn't be posting my works on a fanfiction website.


"I didn't think there'd be so many people here," said Alice, as she and Rose dragged their trunks up the staircase leading to their dormitory. Indeed, when they reached it, they saw that all of their dorm-mates were already present. Aisha was lying on her stomach on her bed, legs in the air, holding a new faux-fur cushion to her chest and reading The Quibbler. Her twin sat at the window where the water jug was, feverishly scribbling what seemed to be a letter. Amy was pinning up a poster.

All three girls noticed the newcomers at the same time, and a tangled assortment of greeting filled the air.

"Hi," Rose smiled, depositing her trunk at the bottom of her bed and opening it. She pinned up her own poster; an old Holyhead Harpies one, which featured two of her aunts.

She also pinned up the photo she liked to keep with her most of the time, it depicted the Gryffindor Quidditch team (and supporters who had run into the frame) from almost two years previously, after the Quidditch final. Louis was holding the cup, grinning. James and Fred had thrown their beater's bats aside, and were occupied with ruffling their sisters' hair. Albus was grinning at the camera, clutching the snitch tightly in his hand, Alice and Scorpius's arms around his shoulders, the two wearing Gryffindor scarves and rosettes, Rose standing next to them, laughing at the sight of Lily and Roxanne's indignant expressions as they tried to ward their brothers off. Molly, Lucy, and the Scamander twins were also in the frame, congratulating the team, and Victoire's finger was visible in the corner of the photograph – she had been there to see the match, and had been the one who captured the shot.

Smiling, Rose turned back to her trunk. She set the framed photo Scorpius had given her on her nightstand, along with the oak music box, which now contained another withered rose.

"Have a good Christmas?" Amy grinned at the newcomers, flopping unceremoniously onto her four-poster.

"Yeah, it was great," Rose answered, straightening her poster and then turning. "Alice's was better though." She smirked mercilessly at her – now deep red in the face – friend.

"Shut up," the embarrassed honey-blonde retorted, rummaging in her trunk (or pretending to do so) so as not to show her face, while Aisha's emerged from behind The Quibbler.

Grins were spreading across Amy and Aisha's faces, and Samantha looked up again.

"What happened?" the latter asked curiously.

Predictably, Alice's response was only mumbles.

"Sorry?" Amy asked. "Didn't catch that."

"Nothing," Alice grumbled. "Nothing happened."

"Not buying!" Aisha teased.

"C'mon, tell us!" Samantha grinned.

"I hate you!" Alice called to Rose, as she, having finished unpacking, left the dormitory.

"I know!" Rose yelled back, laughing.

It had taken a few days, and the combined efforts of Rose, Scorpius, Lily and Roxanne, but eventually, after they'd locked Alice and Albus in the "common" room (which, contrary to popular belief, had a door – an invisible one), they had talked things out, and were now together.

The common room was almost empty, with only Scorpius and Lucy, who were playing chess to pass the time, and Lysander was sitting, lost in thought, it would appear, with Smoky curled asleep on his lap. Neither Katherine nor Albus were anywhere to be seen.

"Where's the other two?" Rose asked, flopping down on an armchair.

"Hagrid's," Scorpius answered, without looking up from the chess board.

"Katherine wanted to see the thestral foals," Lucy rolled her eyes. "Even though she can't actually see them."

"Al can?" Lysander asked interestedly.

"We all can," Rose answered. "We were all in around my … great-great – is it? – aunt's death bed."

"Muriel," Lucy muttered. "Secretly, we were all glad she died. She was ancient, and really annoying."

"All she used to do was insult us," Rose added.

"She's the one who used to own Victoire's tiara, wasn't it?" Scorpius asked, looking up this time.

"Yup," both Weasleys answered.

"She left it to her in her will," said Lucy. "Eldest Weasley girl and everything. It's supposed to be passed along to everyone."

"Something old, you know."

They lapsed into silence. Rose moved over to the window, and peered out.

"They're coming back, now," she told the others. Katherine was going first, almost bouncing and yapping away. Albus looked as anybody would after being in her presence for a reasonable amount of time – annoyed and exasperated. Rose laughed to herself.

Rose sat back down again, this time on a couch. It was only a few minutes later when Katherine and Albus clambered through the portrait hole. Katherine swept past them without a word, climbing the stairs leading to the girls' dormitories – passing Alice, on her way down – while Albus sat next to Rose with a sigh.

"If you weren't my best friend I'd hex you into oblivion," Alice muttered darkly, sitting between her (so-called) friend and boyfriend, and glaring at the former.

"What happened?" Lucy asked interestedly, prodding a chess piece forward.

"The others wanted to know about Alice's Christmas," Rose answered with a sweet smile.

"You're evil," Scorpius said to her.

"So are you."

He laughed.


Gryffindor tower gradually filled up as the day term would recommence drew closer. It was no longer possible to sit in an empty common room (unless it was very early or late). With a day to go before the Christmas holidays were officially over, Rose was wandering the castle.

It was almost an hour until curfew, but the halls were surprisingly empty. Rose would have heard if somebody had approached. Passing close by the steps leading the Ravenclaw common room, she heard a bang that must have been somebody knocking on the doorknocker for admittance into the tower. Rose stopped dead when she heard something else. Curious, she began to walk again, finding the source of the noise. It came from an abandoned and dark classroom, and it was the sniffling sound that accompanied crying.

She pushed the door open gently and approached the figure. When she was close enough to see (despite the dark) who it was, she stopped again.

"Jamie?"

He turned his head to face her. It was indeed Jamie. The Ravenclaw hastily wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "What are you doing here?"

"Could ask you the same question," Rose murmured, lighting her wand and sitting down next to him. "What happened?"

"None of your business," Jamie snapped, but he was too friendly a person to manage the coldness.

"I'd like to help," Rose said, undeterred. "It's not often you're like this …"

"I'd rather be alone, if you don't mind."

"I'm not going to leave," she replied coolly. "And you know I won't. Stubbornness is one of my qualities."

"You can hardly call it a quality," Jamie quipped, still wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

"I do want to help," she said, smiling a little now. "If you'd let me."

"I'm being stupid, s'all," Jamie sighed. "Thanks anyway."

"I didn't do anything."

"Yes, you did," Jamie smiled at her, got to his feet and walked towards the door. His hand was on the handle when Rose looked over her shoulder and said to him, "It's Mia, isn't it?"

That stopped him in his tracks. Hand still on the door, he turned. "… if I said no, would you believe me?"

"No," Rose replied. "You should talk to her."

"And you should take your own advice," Jamie said, hand still on the door-handle.

"What do you mean?" Rose asked him, eyes slightly narrow, even though she was blushing.

"Come, on, Rose; we're not blind. We know."

"What does 'we' mean?" she asked suspiciously.

"Everyone," Jamie shrugged. "Thanks for the advice; I'll talk to Mia if you talk to Scorp."

And with a grin at the sight of how red Rose's face was, he left.

Rose had no idea how long she sat on the stone floor, hugging her knees, her it wand beside her, but when she was finally called out of her reverie, it was by Albus's anxious voice.

"Rose!" he hissed. She couldn't see him, which had to mean that he had the invisibility cloak. "Curfew was ages ago! What are you doing here?"

"How did you find me?" she asked, ignoring his question.

"James lent me the map, and the cloak," Albus replied, matter-of-factly, taking the cloak off and revealing the attendance of Alice and Scorpius.

"You've been away for ages," Alice said worriedly, sitting next to Rose. "We were worried."

"What were you doing in here?" Scorpius asked, also sounding worried.

"I'm sorry," Rose said softly. "I didn't want to worry you. I just fancied a walk, and I found Jamie in here. He was crying."

"Why?" Albus asked, brow furrowed.

"He didn't tell me," Rose murmured. It was true – she had worked it out, and she didn't think that Jamie would want everyone to know.

"Listen!" Alice hissed suddenly. They heard footsteps approaching.

They dashed under the cloak, Alice practically dragging Rose to her feet, and waited with baited breath.

Luckily, whoever the footsteps belonged to passed by without noticing them as they peered out the doorway cautiously.

With sighs of relief, they bolted back to Gryffindor tower.


"What was all that about?" Alice asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?" was Rose's automatic response.

It was lunchtime, and while the boys had gone off to changed their robes (Peeves had pelted them with paint balloons as they went to meet Alice and Rose) the girls sat on one of the ornate benches in the courtyard, waiting patiently for them.

It was not the first time that Alice had badgered Rose about running off almost a week ago, and it seemed that the determined honey-blonde was not going to give up.

"I told you what it was about," Rose sighed, with extreme patience, when Alice merely raised an eyebrow.

"That doesn't explain why you've been so distant."

"Just give it a rest for five minutes!" Rose snapped angrily, getting to her feet and storming off.

"See?" Alice yelled after her. "You're acting really weird! What's wrong?"

"Where's Rose?" Albus asked a few minutes later, when he and Scorpius arrived and they plopped down on the bench.

"Stormed off," Alice replied, taking a bite of her apple. "I don't know what's gotten into her."

Scorpius looked thoughtful, and then he got to his feet. "I'll go talk to her."

"Scorp!" Alice called after him, in warning tones. "She was angry; be careful!"

Scorpius just nodded and continued on his way.

He found Rose sitting on her own on the ground, where she had cleared a patch of snow with her wand, and dried the grass underneath, leaning against the war memorial stone.

"What is it with you and this stone?" Scorpius asked, sounding almost amused.

"Go away, Scorp," Rose muttered, but she was not as angry-sounding as she was when she had snapped at Alice, even though she was still furious inside. Why did they keep pushing her for answers when she made it perfectly clear that she had no intention of giving them?

Scorpius sat next to her, since the patch of grass left where she had cleared the snow was large enough, and frowned as he studied her. She glared at him.

"We are genuinely really worried about you," he murmured. "You've been acting weird. If you won't tell Alice, then at least tell me. We're close, right?"

Rose lowered her gaze. "I can't tell you especially."

"Why not?"

She didn't answer.

"Look," he said, sounding worried. "If you can tell someone that could help, then do, because we really want you to be back to your normal self. We care about you, you know that."

He had risen and had set off back towards the courtyard when she called after him.

"Wait!"

He turned back. "What?"

"… nothing."