Author's Note: Update :) My show closed today, so I may have more time to write, but then again, I may not. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: You know what's mine & what's not.

Chapter Thirteen: A Friend by Any Other Name

Rose was on her way from Charms to Arithmancy when she first became aware of the rumor.

"Rose! Rose! Rose Weasley!"

Rose stopped to look behind her. Elizabeth Stimpson, the sixth year Ravenclaw prefect, ran up to her, panting and pushing her scraggly dirty blonde locks out of her eyes.

"Yes?"

"Your boyfriend is looking for you. I think he wants to finalize the agenda for tonight's prefect meeting or something."

"Excuse me?"

"Nicholas Boot is looking for you to—"

"No, I heard that. What did you call him?"

"What?" said Elizabeth. "Oh, your boyfriend? Isn't he?"

"No," said Rose. "No, he's not—no."

"Oh," said Elizaeth. "Well, that's what everyone's saying anyway." She shrugged. "See you later."

She ran off down the corridor the way she had come. Rose stayed frozen in place.

Boyfriend? Everyone was saying that Nick was her boyfriend? That was ridiculous! She had turned him down! Well, sort of… But still…

Rose was jerked out of her thoughts by a hand on her shoulder.

"Rose, good, I found you."

Rose jumped and whirled around right into Nicholas Boot's broad chest.

"Did I startle you?" said Nick, placing his hands on her shoulder and holding her at arms' distance in front of him. "Sorry."

"It's alright," said Rose, feeling flustered. "I—um—heard you were looking for me. Elizabeth Stimpson said something about the agenda for tonight's meeting."

"Yes," said Nick, "I asked her if she knew where you were. But actually the agenda was just an excuse for me to talk to you. What I really wanted to talk to you about was this weekend."

"This weekend? What about this weekend?" asked Rose, and then mentally kicked herself. How dimwitted could she make herself seem? Scorpius would have teased her to no end if he could have heard her now.

Nick, however, seemed unperturbed.

"It's a Hogsmeade weekend," he said. "I was wondering if you would like to go with me, if you don't have any other plans. As friends of course."

Rose swallowed, her heart speeding up in her chest. She couldn't help it, she had never been asked to Hogsmeade by a boy before. She had never been asked anywhere by a boy before.

"Alright," she said, her voice climbing an octave higher than normal. "I'd be happy to go to Hogsmeade with you this weekend, Nick. As friends."

The Ravenclaw smiled his hundred watt smile.

"I can't wait. See you later, Rose." And he walked off down the corridor.

Rose, suddenly remembering that she had Arithmancy in less than a minute, jumped and took off in the direction of her class at a run.

*****INEBHG*****

That day was Thursday and the Hogsmeade trip was on Saturday. This meant that Rose had a whole day and a half in which to second guess her decision to go to Hogsmeade with Nick. Her friends, of course, were thrilled, even though she insisted that they were only going as friends. Rose herself alternated between defiantly telling herself that it wasn't a big deal and she could do whatever she wanted with whomever she wanted, and calling herself every kind of fool for accepting the invitation from a boy who made her feel like a stuttering idiot every time she tried to talk to him. How did she go from being one hundred percent single to have two boys she didn't know where she stood with? What she tried very hard not to think about was Scorpius Malfoy.

In either case she couldn't back out of it now, and so she resolved to put it out of her mind and focus on her lessons. And, as NEWT exams were rapidly approaching, that was the perfect distraction.

*****INEBHG*****

The morning of the Hogsmeade visit Rose stood in the bathroom staring at herself in the mirror. Her red-brown curls were brushed back and held in place with a headband, her eyelids sported a layer of bronze eyeshadow and rims of eyeliner and mascara, her cheeks bore circles of blush, and her lips glistened with red lip gloss. She didn't look like herself at all.

Rose glanced at the watch on her wrist; if she didn't leave now she was going to be late. She picked up her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and started for the stairs, and the Entrance Hall where she would meet Nick. She had only ever gone to Hogsmeade before wilth Jessica, Eleonore, Lily, Hugo, and Albus. Even though they had agreed to go just as friends, she wondered if she was about to go on her first date.

Nick was already waiting in the Entrance Hall when Rose arrived. His eyes brushed over her appreciatively but politely as he greeted her and took her arm.

"You look lively," he told her, flashing that disarming smile of his.

"Er…you look nice too," she said.

The journey to Hogsmeade Village passed in silence with Rose unsure of what to do to break it. When they had arrived, and Nick had helped her down from the carriage, he asked, "Where would you like to go first, Rose?"

Rose shrugged.

"I—I don't know. Er…Honeydukes is nice."

So they went to Honeydukes, and then to the new parchment shop, the bookstore, the Three Broomsticks for lunch, and then, as it was a nice day, window shopping down the main street.

"I enjoyed today," said Nick as he walked Rose up to the castle that evening. "I hope you did too."

"Yes," said Rose. "It was…nice."

They arrived at the entrance to Gryffindor Tower and Nick turned to smile at Rose.

"Would you do me the honor of allowing me to say goodnight to you?"

"Erm…sure…yes, okay."

Nick let go of Rose's hands and brought his own up to frame her face. Then he slid one back into her hair and used it to pull her face up to his. His lips brushed hers, gentle, caressing, as sweet and smooth as honeysuckle blossoms. After a moment or two he drew away, tucking a couple loose locks of hair behind her ears as he did so.

"Good night, Rose. Pleasant dreams."

AN: Things are getting confusing for Rosie. Sorry there was no Scorpius in this chapter. There'll be more letters in the next chapter.

Loves, & also hopes for reviews ;)

-SQ