I wasn't lying. I tell you :D

Answering a question of why I don't post everything at once...I wish I could but I only have a little time to edit things :(

Also. There's a mini M-Rated Scorose that can be read before this. Sort of an extra that I wrote because I felt like it that day (it was probs last year tbh. Sigh) So yeah, you can read it to find out what REALLY happened in the woods. OoooOOoooOOhhh. I'll post it when I have time.

Heh. Enjoy

Chapter 20

The majority of the group were falling over themselves by the time it reached 3AM.

Rose had managed to stop Scorpius from drinking anymore, so he was the most sober out of everyone.

James and Fred had fallen asleep on the ground, wrapped up in each other's arms. Rather than go inside the cabin, Lysander and Molly were wrapped up in Lysander's sleeping bag, talking in slurs between themselves.

Rose had taken a bottle of wine out of her bag and her and Scarlett were drinking it and chatting animatedly together. Neither of them tired and just enjoying each other's company.

Scorpius lay on the log, looking up at the slightly brightening sky and eventually Albus kneed his thigh and gestured to the fire. The embers were slowly dying and there wasn't much more wood to put on it. Without another word, the blonde got up and stumbled slightly after Albus into the woods. He rubbed uncomfortably at his eyes and scratched the back of his neck.

"Al, you want to get me some coffee?" Scorpius mumbled as he started to pick up twigs.

Albus laughed. "Mate, you hit that firewhiskey way too hard. Will you ever learn?"

Scorpius hissed at Albus and threw a stick at him. "You make me want to drink."

"At least I'm not a light weight, Scorp." Albus commented, before pushing a branch aside and nearly jumping at the sight of a fox. The fox skittered off and Albus picked up some twigs. "And I know it's rich coming from me, but do you have to when you're with Rose?"

There was silence between them for a moment, Scorpius continued to walk beside Albus and then he kicked at a stone and mumbled an expletive. "I'm such a shithead, aren't I? I know it."

"I wouldn't go that far," Albus responded. He looked at his friend and frowned. Albus could tell Scorpius was on a downward turn. "It's just, you're pretty embarrassing, mate. I guess it's alright when you're with us, but then, I can't say the same about her dad. You always manage to stay upright when you're with your parents and all those fancy-pants people, what's up?"

Scorpius glanced at Albus, his expression slightly irritated. "Have you changed your fiddle now? Rose is too good for me?"

Albus sighed heavily. "You're an idiot. I'm saying you act like you're unhinged these days. I know that Uncle Ron can get to you, but don't let it…"

"How can I not?" Scorpius cut Albus off and stopped walking. "I feel like I've been made into an absolute psycho by that man. I don't remember being like this before, but now I feel like I've become this completely different person."

"I don't think you have," Albus responded. "You're just…having a problem right now, isn't that it?"

Scorpius shook his head. "I mean, I'm not going around like a nutter, but I don't even feel the same. Half of the time it feels like I'm forcing myself to be Scorpius Malfoy, when it wasn't like that before. It feels like I've become a rabid dog and I'm seconds away from a break."

"You really think that?" Albus asked, relatively surprised. "Do you think it would be better if you weren't with Rose anymore, then?" he questioned warily.

He shook his head again and breathed out heavily. "It's just so frustrating because my actions don't feel natural anymore and I think it's because I'm just so consumed with making her happy. I feel more myself when I'm back at home, when I'm not with Rose. But I'd rather be with Rose than have myself back and isn't that the whole problem?"

Albus frowned. "You don't think anything would help? Maybe moving back in with your parents? At least then you wouldn't have my whole family breathing down your neck."

Scorpius shrugged. "Maybe, but then how could I do that? Rose wouldn't take that lightly."

Albus nodded in agreement and put his arm around the shoulder of his friend. "First step, stop drinking so much, you're a lightweight, you look like an idiot. Second step, sort it out with my Uncle, maybe it's the stress that's the problem. You're so scared of him, he's made it so and you probably feel guilty as well. I think that's what you've always felt."

"Guilt." Scorpius looked up at the canopy and breathed out heavily. "It's so pathetic, Al. No matter what I'll still be labelled as a filthy Malfoy and like a fool, I carry my father's guilt with me."

The brunette nodded with a sigh and shook the shoulder of Scorpius. "Makes you think, maybe you should have taken your father up on that offer to marry that rich chick in Slovakia."

"You would, wouldn't you?" Scorpius responded, a chuckle in his voice.

Albus laughed and pulled his friend into a one-armed hug, the manliest version of it he could manage with a bunch of twigs in his other hand. He let go of Scorpius and patted him on the shoulder. "Even though I might seem like a leech living off you and Rose, or even an uncaring terror, the last thing I want is for either you or Rose to be unhappy. And that also means I don't want her being a part of your life to completely fuck you up, do you understand?"

Scorpius laughed and nodded. "You've finally grown out of your hatred for our relationship?"

"You can say that," Albus responded, before he started walking again.

"I knew it, you and Scarlett." Scorpius exclaimed suddenly.

Albus looked back and glared at him. "How do you get that from four words?"

"Isn't that what best mates are for?" Scorpius grinned and hurried ahead, picking up twigs at a faster pace than before.

XxX

Scorpius and Al returned to the camp about twenty minutes later and Rose and Scarlett were still chatting away, half way through the bottle of wine.

Scarlett looked over towards them when they came through the canopy. Her eyes caught with Albus and she smiled before taking a sip of her wine.

The two men put some of the twigs into the fire, letting it grow again and then Scorpius took a seat beside Rose. She leant on his shoulder, sipping gingerly at her cup.

Albus sat beside Scarlett and she turned to him, pulling her legs up to her chest and she smiled.

"Thank you, Albus," she said lowly. Low enough so that the other couple didn't hear.

"For what?" he mouthed back.

Scarlett smiled and her free hand went to take Albus'. She squeezed his fingers slightly. "For inviting me here, for letting me meet your family, or at least some of them. You've made me feel very welcome and I appreciate it."

Albus shook his head, but he was smiling, the expression looking somewhat coy on his face.

Scarlett turned back towards Scorpius and Rose. Rose looked like she had fallen asleep against Scorpius' shoulder, the cup empty in her hands. Scorpius looked up into her face and carefully put his hand beneath her head and then moved his shoulder away. Without trying to disturb her too much, he put his arm under her knees and the other under her armpits and he lifted her up. Rose's arms automatically went around his neck and Scorpius carried her inside the cabin.

The two left behind watched after them and there was a silence that remained once the door was closed.

"Those two are really amazing," Scarlett commented. She put her cup down and glanced at Albus, a smile on her face. "It makes me laugh knowing that even you, the ever persistent Albus, didn't manage to break them up."

Albus sighed dramatically and rubbed his temples. "I tell you, Scar, I tried everything."

She beamed at him repeating the nickname he had given her. Her hand reached out and grasped onto his wrist. "I really like you, Albus Potter."

He grinned and winked. "That's what they all say eventually."

Scarlett pouted and got up, her hands on her hips. She started walking towards the cabin before Albus gripped onto her hand from the ground and he stood up.

"I really like you, Scarlett Catullus."

The two smiled at each other and then their hands disconnected. Scarlett continued on her way into the cabin, a big smile on her face, whilst Albus stood where he was, considering exactly what this all meant. Not only that, but what would he do next?

The Next Day

The whole party woke up incredibly late.

Molly and Lysander fell asleep in the sleeping bag, though Fred and James got too cold and ended up running into the cabin in the early morning and jumping into the bed with Rose and Scorpius. The two weren't too surprised at that and all four of them ended up asleep together in the relatively large bed.

Scarlett was sleeping on the sofa in the lounge, whilst Albus had taken the arm chair, a blanket wrapped around him and a pillow against his shoulder.

The noon sun came through the curtains and the light hit Scarlett. She was therefore the first up, however reluctantly it was. The only noises were the light snores of everyone else inside the cabin, the loudest being Albus' as he slept beside her in the armchair.

She got up from the sofa and smiled at his uncomfortable position.

Trying to be as quiet as possible, she tiptoed around the lounge and took her wand from her jacket pocket. Using the wand, she started whispering spells to make breakfast out of the foods everyone had brought with them. It was starting to look like a grand English breakfast by the time she went outside to start cleaning.

The smell of frying bacon was what brought Fred, James, Scorpius, Rose and Albus out of their dreams and they all deliriously went towards the kitchen. None of them considered their dishevelled appearance, but they all just stared in wonderment as the frying pan was frying the bacon itself. Whenever they tried to reach out to take some from the cooked pile, however, a spatula hit at them.

They all resigned themselves to waiting, all sitting around the table.

Scarlett was humming to herself as she waved her wand around, cleaning the camping area.

What was left of the fire was just a smoulder and Molly and Lysander still lay in each other's arms.

It wasn't long before Scarlett had disposed of all of the empty bottles and placed all the rubbish in a bin bag. She swept into the kitchen and paused, noticing that everyone was sitting around the table in silence. They were all staring into the distance and she laughed.

"Good morning," she said cheerily. Eyes went to her and she received murmurs in reply.

Scarlett laughed and began fixing a big pot of coffee. She sat by it, watching over the cooking food and began setting out mugs for everyone. The pan was onto making hashbrowns and one glance at the table, she could see they were all salivating. Fred was dribbling as he stared at the growing stacks.

The coffee finished filtering and she poured two mugs and brought them outside.

As Scarlett knelt beside Molly and Lysander, before she could wake them, Lysander was sniffing the air and he opened his eyes, squinting at Scarlett.

"Morning love birds, here is some coffee," she said. "There is food inside," she added and they both turned, hair sticking up and eyes squinting. Molly wiggled out of the sleeping bag and took her cup and drank at it. A heavenly smile erupted onto her face.

"How did you know how I liked my coffee?" Molly questioned Scarlett.

Lysander got up with a grin and took his own steaming cup.

Scarlett shook her head. "I don't. It's a little spell I came up with." She nodded to them both before walking back into the cabin.

Scorpius was up, pouring everyone cups of coffee with a puckered look on his face. James' head was against the table. He was murmuring something.

When Fred got his hands on his own cup of coffee, tears started falling down his cheeks.

Scarlett started setting out the plates and then shared out the finished food. When Fred started eating, the tears continued pouring.

"I love you," he said, his eyes closed. "Marry me, please, I beg you." Fred continued, looking at the bacon though most likely talking to Scarlett.

She laughed and watched as everyone else remained silent, just shovelling food into their mouth.

Molly and Lysander eventually came in, grabbing plates for themselves and Scarlett sat down, drinking at her coffee and nibbling at a bread roll.

"Don't you want any of this?" Rose asked, rubbing at her eyes and forking egg into her mouth.

Scarlett shook her head and smiled. "Italian breakfasts are very simple," she responded, holding up her coffee and bread roll. "I couldn't eat like the English."

Rose nodded and continued eating. Scarlett was just happy to continue watching them all eat. She felt as if she had grasped what it was like to be in their family. It made her smile. The Weasleys and Potters were a warm family and they made her feel included. Scarlett liked that feeling.

XxX

The group had enjoyed the rest of the morning and eventually they managed to clear out by late afternoon. They all could agree though, that they had a memorable time, even if it wasn't one of the craziest trips they had. They had Dominique and Roxanne's absence to blame for that. They all made an agreement before they left the campsite, though. That they'd all make sure the tradition continued, no matter whether they had twenty children and ten significant others between them.

Albus dropped Scarlett to Violet's flat, leaving her with a great smile on her face as she walked inside. She was relatively relieved that Violet wasn't home yet, as she imagined that she'd have a lot of questions for her, which Scarlet honestly didn't want to answer. All she knew was that she liked Albus and she didn't want Violet to say anything about it.

Rose & Scorpius

Rose tossed her bag down on the sofa once they entered the flat and Scorpius crept around her, trying not to attract attention. This was the first time they'd been alone and sober since Scorpius' antics the night before. Scorpius already knew what to expect, so wanted to prolong the argument that would eventually begin.

"You better stop and sit down," Rose's voice was stern.

Scorpius turned around to look at her and then sighed, sitting down on the sofa.

"Scorpius, I know you were drunk, but you should know that you have to take these things seriously." Rose pulled a hand through her hair and sat beside him. "What are you going to do if I actually get pregnant?"

His expression became serious. "Of course I would be here with you, because I love you and all I know is loving you."

She didn't say anything and just stared at him for several seconds. "You know my dad wouldn't just let it go, Scorpius, he'd find a way to separate you from me, or me from my whole family."

Scorpius shook his head and stood up. "No he wouldn't, he could never do that to you, he'd kill me before he let you go. But even then, he'd have to accept it and us. Maybe a baby would change him." Scorpius found that his hands were fists and the conversation he had had with Albus came back to him.

Rose shook her head and Scorpius could tell she was holding in her tears. His hands relaxed and he sat back down, lifting his hands to Rose's face.

"Don't cry." His voice was weak, but he tried to keep his gaze strong.

She blinked and the tears spilled and she looked disappointed in herself.

"But what if he doesn't, Scorp? What if we have these hopes that it will turn out our way and it doesn't. Then what? And then what if it becomes so much harder than it already is, Scorp? I love you, but I love my dad too. I can't help it."

Scorpius shook his head. "No, I know you do, I don't want you to separate yourself from him. We should have had this conversation before, Rose. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He leant his head against hers, wiping away her tears.

Rose shook her head and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Don't be sorry, it's not your fault."

He closed his eyes tightly. It was times like these that Scorpius really felt helpless. If he wasn't around, Rose wouldn't have to deal with this and at least then her relationship with her father wouldn't be so stretched. But then as well as that, Scorpius knew that his helplessness also felt so unlike him. Scorpius had always been the plan man. He felt empty not knowing what to do anymore, he didn't feel like himself.

Even as Rose held him and loved him as she always did, it was beginning to feel like a lie. That he had changed and he was lying to himself by pretending like nothing had changed and that even Rose knew it, but she had just taken it as something natural.

Scorpius' hand lifted to Rose's head and he stroked at her curls softly and breathed out.

Rose was enough. She was enough, Scorpius thought to himself.

The mantra worked, like always.

Thanks for reading, guys.