Chapter Twenty-One

"What!" I gasp.

"I kissed Logan," he repeats. His face looks torn between awe and terror; shock freezing his expression while his eyes flood with a thousand things I couldn't name.

"Oh…" is all I can manage to get out. "Oh."

"I actually kissed him," Hugo's expression is dazed.

"What happened?" I finally manage to articulate. He looks at me briefly in confusion, whether at the fact that he doesn't understand my question or that he forgot I was even there at all, I'm not entirely sure.

"He was just…" Hugo starts but seems to rethink is words. "I was coming back from the Great Hall and we somehow ended up in the same corridor. It's been awkward between us since we got back after Easter – we haven't even spoken," he frowns. "And we sort of shifted around each other and then I manage to get around him and carried on walking and then suddenly he call my name. He started apologising – I don't even know what for – but then he was saying stuff like wanting us to be friends again and he was sorry about trying to push us further when I clearly didn't feel the same way and that he just really wanted to be friends with me again and then… I just- I had this sudden image of us going back to how it was and I suddenly realise that that isn't what I wanted anymore," Hugo rushes out, his eyes unfocused as he recalls the events. "You were right Rose, I was just too scared to see it. And he just kept talking and this is Logan for Merlin's sake, he doesn't talk, so I knew he was really nervous and I just didn't know what to say. So I kissed him," he finally breathes out in awe.

"I like him Rose," Hugo continues when I don't say anything. "I really like him."

"But the kiss… What happened then?" I pry.

"He just froze," Hugo snorts, coming back to himself a little but the smile on his face doesn't fade. "So I pulled back and then he panicked and practically fell onto me in his hurry to pull me back," he chuckles. "But the kiss…? The kiss was amazing Rose. Seriously. Have you ever kissed someone and it feels like the entire world just slips away… Like nothing else matters, nothing else exists...? I don't know, it just felt special, you know?"

"Yeah," I whisper. "Look Hugo, I've kissed a lot of people but that feeling? That doesn't come with just anyone. That's someone special," I smile.

"Have you felt it?" he asks, eyes zeroing in on mine. Have I felt it? Have I ever kissed someone that special? I think I know the answer. I'm just not ready to admit it yet. So I just shrug and eventually he nods and looks away. "I'm not ready to tell everyone yet," he confesses in a more subdued manner. "I will but just… not yet."

"So what happened after the kiss?" I pry.

"I told him that if he was okay with being more than friends then so was I but that I needed time to adjust and he seemed to understand. Next Hogsmeade weekend we're going to do something, just the two of us," he smiles softly.

"Like a date?"

"Like a date," his smile is shy but definitely there and I find myself leaning forward and pulling him in for a hug. "I really like him, Rose," Hugo repeats into the crook of my neck.

"I know. I'm so happy for you," I mutter into his hair. We sit like that in silence, just hugging each other for a while before Hugo pulls away.

"Alright," he says. "Enough of the sap, I'm going to bed," he declares but sticks his tongue out at me anyway and tries to ruffle my hair. I duck and jab him in the stomach for his efforts. "Goodnight Rose," he grins before sprinting off in the direction of the boys' dormitories.

And I am happy for him. He deserves a shot at a real relationship, with someone who actually knows the real him and not the façade he puts up in front of everyone else. He deserves to be with someone that likes him for him, not his family name or his parents' legacy or his popularity. And Logan is that person.

~X~

"So…" Will smirks as we commandeer a table at the back of The Three Broomsticks. The moron was too lazy to head up to The Hogshead so now we are squashed into this over-packed pub. "Have you heard?"

"Probably," I sigh, taking a swig of my butterbeer and scowling at my surroundings.

"Lily set fire to Jada Chang's robes," he continues, ignoring me. And no, I had not actually heard that. "Turns out Chang has been trying to get Montague to ask her on a date for years and was furious when he started seeing Lily. It shouldn't be so funny but you should have seen her face Rose," Will laughs.

"No one pisses Lily off and gets away with it," I snort

"You've triggered a bit of a revenge spree though… Especially from the girl's whose boyfriends paid you to kiss them to get rid of them – Ella Morrel actually turned Jake's hair bright pink and he still hasn't figured out how to change it back," Will rambles but then his face changes into a mildly startled expression. "Is that your French cousin?"

Turning in my seat I spot Dominique heading towards us, smiling at all the boys hurrying to step out of her way and let her past. I roll my eyes as she takes a seat next to Will, across from me.

"Well if it isn't ze William," she smirks, imitating her mother's accent. "A pleasure to meet you again," she smiles her dazzling smile and Will blushes hilariously.

"Pleasures all mine," he chokes out.

"What are you doing here Dominique?" I interrupt to save him any further embarrassment. "I thought you were meeting Nott?"

"He'll be here in a minute, I was just waiting for him when I saw you and this charming young man sitting over here snuggly in the corner," her grin is nothing short of gleeful malice as Will splutters beside her. "But all that aside, I'm glad to have caught you – I've been hearing some interesting rumors ma chère. Please tell me they're true and my little Rosa has been corrupting the Hogwarts populace?"

"That would depend on the rumor I'm afraid," I confess, knowing full well how quickly news gets twisted on the Hogwarts' grapevine. Dominique just laughs but her attention is quickly snapped away from us as a tall figure looms over our table.

"Alec," Dominique breathes and the way she says his name is so intimate I have to look away. Will shifts uncomfortably beside her as well. "Well Rosa, I expect a full detailed letter later but for now I will leave you with this handsome young man as I have things to do," she smirks, winking at Will before getting up and taking Nott's hand.

"Miss Weasley, Henderson," Nott nods at us both before leading Dominique back out through the crowd to do heaven knows what.

"She still scares me," Will mutters glumly, watching them leave.

"Don't ever let her hear you say that," I chuckle, finishing off my butterbeer.

"Why? Would she be offended?" he frowns, glancing back to me.

"No, she'd get big headed," I laugh.

"And what the hell was she doing with Alec Nott?" his frown deepens as he glances back towards the door they had disappeared through.

"New development," I shrug by way of explanation. "Now, we have more important things to discuss – like Bertha Corner who is currently sitting on her own by the bar looking lonely." Will's head instantly spins around to look for Corner who is indeed sitting on her own.

"I just don't know what to say to her," he huffs.

"Oh come on," I sigh. "Just go over and say hello, I've been watching you two together these last few days and she is obviously into you!"

"How do you know that?" he huffs again.

"Come on," I roll my eyes. "With my… line of work, so to say, I've become pretty good at telling people's emotions, especially those who see something they like. She gives you that secret smile that girls only ever give the guys they're seriously interested in," I explain. "Trust me Will, I know the look."

"Well that may be but you're crap at tell when people like you," he mutters, throwing another glance over his shoulder at Corner.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I huff before I can stop myself. Of course. I had no idea how Will felt about me. He gives me that look – the one that clearly states he thinks I'm being thick. "Oh right… sorry," I mutter awkwardly and he chuckles.

"It wasn't even just me!" he laughs. And there is a little less sadness in his eyes than there was a few days ago. "You had no idea Tom Harding was obsessed with you and the whole school new about that! You couldn't tell Dave was practically pinning for you all of this year despite everything that happened with Lucy… And don't even get me started on Ma-"

"Okay, okay," I cut him off. "So I can't tell when people are interested me, so what? That has nothing to do with the fact that you need to get your ass over to Bertha Corner and rescue her!"

"What if she doesn't want to talk to me – she only just broke up with her boyfriend, it's probably too soon!" he protests.

"Well then the two of you are very well matched because I seem to recall it wasn't too long ago you were into somebody else as well," I give him a pointed look and he visibly shrinks into himself in defeat. "Go!" I demand. "Go be her saviour."

Will looks over to where Corner is sitting once again, hesitancy still evident on his face. But then something changes and his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Before I can look at what caused this, he is standing up and blocking my view.

"Fine," he huffs. "But only because it looks like your saviour is heading this way right now," his voice is joking but the expression in his eyes is serious and he pins me with a look that tells me to stay put or else. My heart jumps into my throat at his words but then Will is gone and I'm left looking into the throng of students that crowd this godforsaken pub.

And that's when I see him. And I'm not sure if I'm more shocked at who it is. Or that I thought it would be Scorpius. Because I certainly don't remember giving my heart permission to think of Scorpius in that way.

But it's not. It's James. And he is heading towards me with a determined look on his face and my heart breaks all over again because he was my best friend and I miss him every goddamn day and I can't even remember why I was so angry with him.

"Rose," is all he says when he finally reaches my table. We just stare at each other, not really knowing what to say, how to act. His expression is almost vulnerable and I can't even begin to think what mine must look like. "May I sit down?" he eventually asks, a little hesitantly. I just nod as he takes the seat Will had just vacated.

"James…" I whisper.

"I, um," he frowns, looking down at the table and shifting awkwardly in his seat before the determined look that was on his faces as he made his way over here returned and he looked up to meet my eyes. "This is ridiculous Rose," he finally states.

And I laugh.

Because it is.

"Stupidly, moronically, ridiculous," I agree with a nod and a lump in my throat. And then I'm crying. For the first time since the night I found Dave with that girl. I'm sobbing in the middle of the Three Broomsticks and James is leaping around the table to pull me into a hug and I've never been so grateful that they have benches here rather than chairs and James is crying too and… "I'm sorry," I gasp out into his robes. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I chant and he's hugging me closer, repeating my name into my hair and all the walls I had built up these past few years come tumbling down and I am crying in earnest, heaving sobs.

"We're such idiots," he chuckles wetly. "Dammit, Rose, I've missed you so much. Can we never do this again, next time we just need to talk it out okay? None of this stupid ignoring each other shit, okay? Because I can't do it again Rose," he rushes out.

"Deal," I smile weakly. "I'm so sorry James."

"S'not just your fault, it's mine too," he sighs. "I wasn't there for you when you needed me most. I should have stuck by you and helped you but I fucked up and shut you instead."

"I shut you out James," I state quietly. "I shut you out of my life. I shut everyone out of my life but you – you were by far the hardest. And I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too Rose," he sighs. "I'm sorry too."

We sit in silence for a while, just hugging each other. We're not okay yet. We've still got a long way to go before we're anything like as close as we were before… and to be honest, we'll never go back to exactly like it was because we're both different people now. We see the world a little differently to how we did a few years ago. And that's okay.

But James and I are best friends and that means that no matter how badly you've fucked up, you will always be able to figure out a way to move on, move past it and move on together. It might take a few hours, a few days or in our case, a few years. But that's the point of best friends: they know you better than you know yourself and they love you anyway.

When my neck becomes sore and I feel like I'm pulling a muscle in my side, I loosen my grip on James and he straightens up too. "How are you?" he asks.

"I'm okay actually," is my honest answer. "It's been strangely hectic but in a way, I think that was sort of a good thing. People just kept forcing themselves into my life and while at the time I just thought it was annoying, now I'm a little bit grateful," I chuckle. "You've probably hear about some of it I'm sure-"

"You'd be surprised, no one dares mention your name around me anymore. I got into a habit of accidentally setting things on fire when they did," he mutters half-amused, half-regretful. "All of my Rose-News comes from things I overhear," he confesses.

"Albus and Lily used to have unnecessarily loud conversations about you when I was in hearing distance because they knew I wanted to know what was going on in your life but point blank refused to ask," I admit.

"We're such morons," he chuckles. "So you're really okay? I know you've been seeing a lot of Dominique lately and Molly says you and her are talking again – although, she refused to tell me anything about it because she thinks I'm a bullheaded idiot who should have fixed things between us years ago… But what about at school? Are you friends with Bethan? I know you were friends with Lucy for ages but then something happened and no one will tell me what," he frowns.

"Lucy caught me making out with Dave," I confess and James flinches. "She was dating him and asked me to do it," I shift awkwardly in my seat. "Admittedly it took me a while to actually get around to doing it and she went mental, blaming me for steal her boyfriend when she had asked me to do it." James looks glum. "Then the other day she sort of announced it to the Great Hall, effectively putting me out of business… Although, now that I think about it, I wasn't really taking in much business anymore anyway."

"Wait- you're not doing that anymore?" James' head snaps up.

"Uh… no? Isn't that why you're here?" I frown. Because surely that's why James has turned up today of all days: because I've stopped doing what he made him stop talking to me.

"What? No. Are you serious – you've actually stopped doing that?"

"Well yeah, it's kind of hard to carry on something like that when everyone knows," I frown.

"Right, obviously," he mutters. "Can you… can you promise me you'll never take money for anything like that again?" he asks, a little hesitantly. Like he doesn't want a rematch of our last argument.

"I promise," I say instantly. Because there is no way I am going to risk my friendship with James being ruined again before we've even really started to heal properly. He grins at me and pulls me in for another hug. "So, wait… what are you doing here then?"

"I came looking for you obviously," he snorts, ruffling my hair. "I um… Well something happened yesterday and, well, you were the first person I wanted to tell. Then I realized that I couldn't and then I thought: well, why the hell not? So I owled Lily about Hogsmeade days and she said that there was one today so here I am," he rambles in typical James style.

"Well that was convenient," I chuckle.

"To be honest, I would probably have snuck into the castle if you hadn't had a Hogsmeade day today," he laughs.

"How did you know where to find me?"

"I tried the Hogshead first but you weren't there and then I ran into Dominique who said you were in the Three Brooksticks," he explains.

"So here you are," I repeat his earlier words with a smile and he ruffles my hair again. "So… what happened yesterday?"

"Oh right… Well it's sort of a long story but I'm going to make you listen anyway," he teases and I grin because I've missed the sound of his voice. "Okay, so for about a year after we stopped talking, my life kind of went to shit. Molly and Castor stopped talking to me for a while, Bethan dumped my ass, my grades all dropped… It sucked. Anyway, my OWLs were bad and my parents insisted I get some help for at least my schoolwork so I ended up with this girl from Ravenclaw as a tutor. She was called Evanna and she was amazing. Honestly. She was beautiful and smart and wouldn't take any of my crap – and I gave her a lot of it. She forced me to reevaluate my life and gave me the motivation to actually get some good grades.

"Anyway, she tutored me through our NEWTs and we became really close. She was the one I could talk to about you I guess, eventually. Towards the middle of Sixth Year I guess I didn't really need her tutoring anymore but by that time I was already completely in love with her.

"I thought it was probably one sided but then she showed up at my house on my birthday that year and dragged me out. We spent the whole day together and at the end she kissed me – apparently she couldn't be bothered to wait for me to make a move anymore. So we've been together ever since and well, yesterday…" James trails off, trying to formulate what he is trying to say.

"If you tell me she's pregnant, I swear to Merlin-" I interrupt. Because I do not need another pregnancy in my life right now. James snaps his head up in shock.

"What? No! I asked her to marry me!" he rushes out.

"You what?"

"I… I asked her to marry me," he repeats, quieter.

"Well? What did she say?"

"She said yes of course," he chuckles. "I know we're young and we have no intention of getting married for a while yet but I honestly can't picture being with anyone else," he shrugs. "She's it for me and I wanted to let her know that."

"And you couldn't have just told her?" I ask a little skeptically.

"Hey! You're supposed to be happy for me," he laughs, nudging me with his elbow. "But yeah, I probably could have but this made more sense and I am happy Rose, I'm so stupidly happy."

"Well then I'm happy for you too," I smile. "But how come I didn't know you were dating anyone? I'm sure someone would have mentioned it if you were really that serious about her," I frown.

"Well… that's the thing," he mutters. "We've sort of been keeping it on the down low – Molly and Castor have met her obviously but I just… We're both just a little hesitant to tell out parents – I mean, my parents have seen her once or twice and I've mentioned her in some of my letters but they don't know we're dating or who she actually is…"

"Why? It's not like she's an evil Slytherin is it? She's a Ravenclaw and besides, even if she were a Slytherin, I don't think your parents would really care too much."

"Well that the thing: she's not an evil Slytherin," he draws invisibly quotation marks around the words 'evil Slytherin', smirking slightly. "But herparents are," he finishes glumly.

"Oh."

"She's a Macnair," James sighs, as if revealing some dreadful secret.

"So?" I frown again and he just pulls a face. "James you don't honestly think your parents are going to be prejudiced against her because of who her family aligned themselves with in the war do you? Because if you do, that's seriously dumb. Just because their parents were Death Eaters or sympathizers doesn't mean their children will be too. If we viewed the world like that, we would just end up in another war!" I exclaim, leaning towards him. "James, if you love this girl and this girl loves you – your parents will accept her no matter who her family is."

"You think so?" he asks hopefully.

"Yes! And you're an idiot for thinking otherwise!" I smack him across the back of the head.

"Hey!" he protests. "Do you really think they won't be mad?"

"Oh they'll be mad alright! They'll be mad you didn't introduce her to them before you proposed to her at the very least! Oh Merlin, the look on your mum's face! I have to be there! Let's go tell them now!" I grin.

"Are you insane?" he hisses.

"No, last time I checked I was just Rose," I smirk at his eye-roll. "Come on! Please, I want to see your mum hex your ass into the next millennia!"

"You're sadistic, you know that?" he mutters.

"Whatever, we're going," I state without room for questioning before getting up and dragging him out of the Three Broomsticks. Now technically the rule is that we are not allowed to Apparate out of Hogsmeade during these visits even if we have our license. But I am going to classify this as an emergency.

"Rose, you're not actually serious?" James protests in horror as I pull him into a deserted side-alley. "Holy shit, you are," he groans. "Okay, okay, wait, just give me a second," he mutters, yanking his arm from my grip and swirling his wand around, muttering under his breath. Suddenly, a ghostly substance was emerging from his wand and slowly solidifying into a silvery doe.

"Go to Evanna and tell her my cousin is forcing me to tell my parents about us and I love her and if I don't come home tonight it's because my parents have murdered me," he grimaces at the Patronus before is prances away with a nod.

"If you really don't want to, you don't have to James," I say gently.

"No, you're right, the longer I leave it the worse it will be. Besides, I've got you to back me up if it all goes to shit, right?" he grins.

"It's not going to go to shit James but hypothetically, yes, you've got me."

"Well then, let's go," he holds out his hand to me and I glance around to see if anyone is watching us. That's when I spot them. Two figures at the other end of the alley. They are standing close together, the man has an arm wrapped around the girl's shoulders and she is leaning into him familiarly. My blood runs cold as my heart stops in its tracks before something snags behind my bellybutton and it takes me a moment to realise that I am not actually about to be sick but rather, James was taking me on a side-along apparation.

~X~

The Potter's house is really just an oversized cottage on the outskirts of Godric's Hollow. There is something innately homely about it and in a weird sort of way it has always reminded me of The Burrow. James is already pulling open the gate and beckoning me to follow him, we slip past the protective charms easily as we are family. James pauses at the door, hesitancy evident on his face once more.

In the end, I push open the door and stroll inside. Ginny is in the kitchen prepping what looks like their dinner and jumps a foot in the air when she sees me.

"Rose!" she shouts.

"Hey Ginny, your son is an idiot," I grin by way of greeting. James slinks in sheepishly behind me.

"James?" she asks in astonishment, glancing rapidly between the two of us. "Harry!" she eventually screams up the stairs. Within seconds, Harry Potter himself appears in the kitchen, a look of relief and joy spreads on his face when he sees James and I.

"What is going on here?" he asks with a good-natured eye-roll behind his wife's back.

"James has something he wants to tell you."

"Oh really?" Harry asks as three pairs of eyes turn on the agitated man who refuses to meet his parents' eyes but manages to send a glare in my direction.

"I'm married!" he finally blurts out. "Wait, no, no I'm not. I'm getting married. Oh Merlin, this is going so wrong," he moans, hiding his face in his hands as I suppress a chuckle. His parents look entirely bewildered. "Okay, so I'm with this girl and I love her and I asked her to marry me and I really want you to love her too but I was scared you would disapprove of her because of her family but Rose told me to stop being an idiot so I really hope she's right and you won't just hate her because of who her parents are and I really love her so…" James rushes almost incoherently, looking down at his toes.

"Rose is right," his mum says after a moment. "You are an idiot."

However, before she can get out another word in response to James' ramblings, the proximity charm starts blaring, altering us to the approach of a stranger – or at least someone who isn't family or very close friends with the Potters.

Harry goes to the door to see a young woman standing by the fence, she waves when she sees him and her polite smile turns to a grin when James sticks his head over his father's shoulder.

"Eve?" he breathes out in astonishment. "What are you doing here?"

"Well I wasn't going to miss you telling your parents you that you're thinking of settling down and letting me make an honest man out of you, was I?" she smirks.

"Is this some kind of elaborate hoax James? Because it's not very funny," Ginny turns on her eldest son who somehow manages to pull himself away from the intense yet silent conversation he seemed to be having with the woman.

"Mum… This is Evanna Macnair," he takes the girl's hand, pulling her into the house and close to his side. She's tiny in comparison to him, barely coming up to his shoulders. Her olive skin and dark hair seem to gleam in the sunlight coming in through the kitchen window and those soft waves frame a small, delicate face with large brown eyes that take in her surroundings with rapped attention. She's wearing a pair of light denim cut offs and what looks like a orange muggle football jersey, her hair has half fallen out of a braid she must have put it in this morning and is now curling around her face in wispy ringlets.

The woman – Evanna – looks up at him with a raised eyebrow and mutters: "you're an idiot," under her breath. James looks momentarily offended before bending down and whispering something in her ear. Something that makes her slapping his chest and roll her eyes.

"What is going on?" Ginny snaps, looking at her son who abruptly jerks out of the little world he and Evanna were wrapped up in. She glances at her husband but Harry is just leaning against the doorframe, looking faintly amused.

"She's my fiancée," James elaborates, thumb brushing absentmindedly over the Evanna's knuckles where I assume her engagement ring is.

"Okay, what are you on?" Ginny asks sternly, glaring at her son. "Did someone set you up to this? Did George make you test products again? Or was it Fred? Did you take something you shouldn't have? Are you poisoning my son?" she asks harshly, her last question aimed at Evanna.

"Mum!" James shouts in horror, tugging Evanna behind him as if to protect her from his mother's questioning. Evanna just rolls her eyes again. "I am not being poisoned or drugged or blackmailed for that matter!" he protests before his eyes swivel to where I'm leaning against the counter. "You said this wouldn't go to shit," he glares.

"It's not going to shit," I sigh, rolling my eyes as well. "Hi Evanna, I'm Rose," I smile, debating whether or not to hold out my hand for a handshake but deciding against it and opting for an absurd little wave instead as Evanna is still tucked protectively behind James.

"I know," she grins.

"Rose are you in on this too?" Ginny asks suspiciously.

"There's nothing to be in on," I shrug. "James is a moron – not that that's much of a surprise – but there's nothing fishy going on as far as I'm aware of."

"Are you trying to tell me my son is actually engaged? Just out of the blue? I didn't even know you were seeing someone!" Ginny flaps her arms around in a manner that is so like James it's almost unnerving. "You had better have a bloody good reason for this-" she starts but cuts herself off with a look of horror as if she had just realized something terrible. "Harry," she practically whispers. "Harry where is my wand?"

"I have no idea," Harry grins – clearly lying.

"Harry, give me my wand. If my son has knocked up this girl I have every right in the world to remove his balls," she whispers fiercely.

"What?" James squeals. "Why does everyone think I've knocked her up? There has been no knocking up! No one is knocked up! Nadda. Nope. No baby-"

"James, shut up," Evanna suggest.

"Okay, shutting up," he agrees, nodding rapidly.

"That wasn't very convincing son," Harry chuckles.

"I'm really not pregnant," Evanna supplies, biting back a chuckle of her own.

"Then why on earth are you getting married to him?" Ginny asks exasperated.

"Because I love him," Evanna frowns as if that should be obvious. Which it sort of is, to be fair. "Also, I think an accidental pregnancy is not really good grounds for getting married anymore," she adds on as an afterthought.

"How come I've never met you before then?" Ginny continues her interrogation, arms crossed tightly across her chest as she glares at the couple. I don't even bother to repress the smirk I throw at James. Evanna just raises a pointed eyebrow at him.

"This is the part where he's really a moron," I mutter under my breath so that only Harry hears. He snorts but doesn't let his eyes leave his son.

"Well…" James begins, shifting awkwardly and glance to me for support. I just grin at him unhelpfully. "I thought that you wouldn't approve," he states defensively, crossing his own arms to mirror his mother.

"Well you're damn right I don't approve! You're not even twenty!" Ginny seethes.

"Not about that- I thought you wouldn't approve because of you know… her family," he sulks.

"Her family?" Ginny frowns, clearly taken aback. James nods tersely. "What does her family have to do with anything?"

"James thinks you wouldn't approve because my father was a Death Eater and so was my maternal grandfather," Evanna explains. "He was one of Riddle's original followers – Bartholomew Nott," she elaborates, making James squeal in protest.

"Wait," it is surprising Harry who responds first. "You're Theodore Nott's niece then?"

"Yes," she nods, standing tall, her chin slightly tilted up in defiance.

"But what has this got to do with anything?" Ginny interrupts, still frowning.

"James is an idiot," I supply.

"Are you trying to tell me…" Ginny begins, eyes narrowing in on her son as she takes a step closer to him. "That you didn't introduce me to one of the most important people in your life because you thought I would be prejudice against her family," her voice is low and mildly terrifying. "Have I taught you nothing?"

"I'm… sorry?" James shrinks away from his mother's furious face, his fiancée watching him in amusement.

"Harry, have we got anymore steaks?" Ginny changes tack completely, glancing at her husband, who nods. "Good, you three," she points to the couple and then me, "are staying for dinner," she states in a tone that broke no argument.

~X~

Dinner with the Potters is a surprisingly fun affair considering how it began. Ginny threatened James that if he even thought about getting married before he was twenty-one she would sabotage his wedding; Evanna proved to be a great source of conversation and her and Harry found themselves in a heated discussion over media rights (as she herself was a reporter) which somehow ended up with Harry laughing so hard he almost fell off his chair; James was constantly watching everyone, on edge, as if waiting for something to go horrendously wrong before Evanna smacked him up the back of the head and told him to pass her the salt.

It was almost surreal to be sitting in the Potter's back garden again, listening to them bicker about nothing and insult each other with loving smiles. It was almost like the last few years hadn't even happened. James would occasionally grin at me from across the table and I couldn't help the grin I always had ready to return.

When dinner was done, Evanna offered to help Ginny clear everything away and Harry tactfully disappeared somewhere as well. James (once convinced his mother was going to kill his fiancée whilst he wasn't looking) grabbed two mugs of hot chocolate and we headed down to the back of the garden where we had built a tree house when we were younger. Heading up first, I reach down and grabbed the mugs carefully before settling back against the cushions. It was really less of a tree house and more of a partially covered platform with a view to the night sky.

"I'm going to get in a shit ton of trouble when I get back to school," I mutter glumly making James laugh.

"Since when did that bother you?" he snorts.

"I'm glad you're happy."

"So am I."

"You really are an idiot though."

"I know."

We sit in silence for a while, both lost in thought. It's a good kind of silence though.

"I guess I should really be glad that you're dating a Death Eaters kid," I mutter randomly a while later. He raises an eyebrow at me. "It kind of paves the way if anyone else in our family decides to date a Death Eaters kid," I explain.

"Like who?" he asks, eyebrow still raised.

"Like Molly," I suggest.

"That's Castor, it doesn't count," he chuckles.

"Okay… Louis?"

"Louis' dating a Death Eater's kid?"

"Louis' dating Pollux," I grin at James startled face.

"I guess I probably should have seen that coming," he mutters. "Anyone else?" he narrows his eyes at me.

"Um… Dominique? She's sort of seeing this guy – actually, I think he must be Evanna's cousin," I frown.

"Alec? I've met him. He's pretty cool actually and his dad was never a Death Eater, just the son of one. I'm pretty sure he was just a neutral during the war. There's also Fred – I'm pretty sure he's seeing Renée Zabini. Wow, a lot of our cousins are actually dating Death Eater kids," he chuckles. "Although I don't think Zabini was ever official a Death Eater."

"I know one more who's sort of dating a Slytherin but doesn't want anyone to know anything yet," I supply, thinking of Hugo and his date with Logan today.

"Mmm… What about you?" James asks without even glancing at me. There's an unsettling knowing tone to his voice though. He knows me too well.

"I'm not seeing anyone," I reply truthfully. James contemplates it for a bit.

"But there are feelings for someone?" he suggests.

"There might be… feelings," I confess with a sigh. Because there is really no point in denying it anymore. James doesn't say anything, just continues to sip his hot chocolate, knowing I'll reveal more when I want to.

We stay up there for another couple of hours, talking about everything and nothing before Ginny storms out at tells me to get my ass back to school before curfew.

~X~

Of course, I'm a little behind curfew but manage to sneak back into the castle only to come face to face with Zabini. He sighs inwardly and gives me a detention (which all things considered is a very light punishment) before sending me to my common room.

That night, as I fall asleep I am horribly reminded of the picture I witness just before James had apparated me to the Potter's house. A tall, blonde haired man with his arm wrapped securely around a petite girl's waist; a smile breaking his face and the serene features of another all too familiar face smiling back up at him.

Scorpius Malfoy and Georgiana Morrish.

Author's Note

Hello everyone! Sorry this took a while and that it's a bit disjointed in places, I wrote it in several installment because for some reason this was a tough chapter to write. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it and hopefully the next one won't be as long. No promises though. We finally meet James! Tell me what you think! Also, the fact that so many of the Weasley cousins are dating Slytherins/Death Eater kids was an entirely unconscious thing that I only just realized writing this chapter. So sorry about that. As always, let me know your thoughts, come and check out my blog (link on Author's Page) and see you next time,

Irish Myth.