A/N: Thanks to LilyxJames4ever, dwarfperson, FredGeorge, anon and Starkid1996 for reviewing the recently. I hope you all like this one. Let me know what you think!
The plan appeared to work. Scorpius and I sent letters to each other every evening, regardless of whether we'd seen one another during the day. The secret trysts between lessons weren't exactly planned, but the tension of being in the same room but kept apart just got to be too much. When he waited for me after the lesson, I didn't think about throwing my arms around him and kissing him so eagerly it looked like I was trying to eat his face; it just happened. And he was the same. Before I'd even walked towards him, his arms were open for me.
And whilst the teachers didn't relax the rules that would not allow us to sit together, they did appear to be taking pity on us. That next day Professor Harris was the first to set partner activities but let us choose our own partners. Scorpius and I instantly teamed up and by the end of the transfiguration lesson both of us had managed to switch our school uniforms with Scorpius getting my red-lined Gryffindor robes and me getting his blue-trimmed Ravenclaw ones.
"They suit you," Scorpius had said, admiring himself in one of the old mirrors at the back of the room.
"I still prefer the bold scarlet and gold colours of Gryffindor," I replied. Even if I was intelligent enough to be in Ravenclaw, I wouldn't trade houses for the world. My entire family was in Gryffindor and it was really a kind of tradition for Weasleys now. I felt sorry for whoever it was who ended up breaking the convention.
"Shame," he muttered. "I was hoping we could switch permanently…"
Rolling my eyes, I shook my head. "Tough. Besides, the blue brings out your eyes nicely."
The compliment was out my mouth before I realised it, and then for the rest of the day I had Scorpius chanting, "You think I'm handsome. You think I'm sexy. Look at my beautiful eyes, Rosie. Don't they make you want to kiss me?" in my ear.
By the end of the day, I was beginning to think that a little separation would have been beneficial, but sod's law dictated that Professor Wyncross also set us a pair's task, to translate runes into English. Predictably Scorpius rushed over to sit at my table, not that I minded really. When the scent of his cologne wafted over me, it was like breathing clearly for the first time since having a cold. Checking our translation, Professor Wyncross smiled gently and congratulated us on receiving one hundred per cent, the highest mark in the class. As what he called a 'special treat' he gave Scorpius and I a box of sugared mice to share, but no doubt he would be reporting to Professor McGonagall about us that evening.
However, just because the teachers were taking pity on Scorpius and I, didn't mean Professor McGonagall was. Whilst Scorpius and I were waiting for Filch in the Entrance Hall to begin our rounds, I could feel her stern eyes on us as she made her way out to her office. Clearly Filch was under strict instructions to keep a close eye on us too. From the moment he arrived, he made sure to walk between Scorpius and me. When we encountered someone out of bed, he always made me go; jeering at Scorpius and claiming that he 'couldn't be trusted to stay with me alone or to reprimand the wrongdoer without helping them.'
With Filch hanging around, all the fun was taken out of rounds. Instead of playing twenty questions, we were forced into walking in silence. It was either that, or Filch's running commentary on his preferred punishments.
For the last two weeks of term, that was the way things went. Sometimes, of course, Scorpius and I couldn't work together. I imagined that Professor McGonagall would have disapproved had she heard that every lesson my fifth year class was being set partner work, even if it meant that mine and Scorpius' marks did improve. Not only did the teachers help us out in lessons, but I'm sure some of them must have turned a blind eye to us when they left their classrooms and probably caught sight of us kissing outside the rooms. If they did see us, none of them said anything. Filch continued to patrol the corridors every Tuesday and Thursday, though he didn't become any friendlier.
The Easter holidays arrived, and as usual we were given the opportunity to return home for two weeks. Whilst I normally stayed at school to revise, I decided to go home. It was as good an opportunity as any to finally tell me dad just who my boyfriend was. I only hoped that when I got back to school, Professor McGonagall would have alleviated her restrictions on us. I certainly wouldn't be able to bear not being able to see Scorpius alone as well as having my dad hate me.
The journey back to London on the Hogwarts' Express seemed quicker. I dreaded its arrival, and every time I looked at my watch, expecting to see a couple of minutes had passed, I was shocked to find that the minutes hand had jumped forward thirty minutes.
When we finally pulled into Kings Cross Station, I was sure Scorpius could feel the tension radiating out of me. I was a mess of nerves and anxiety. Though he'd kept hold of my hand the entire journey, whilst playing games and chatting with my family, he'd no doubt noticed my rigid position in my seat and lack of speaking.
James and Fred pulled down everyone's trunks one by one with the help of Al, Louis and Hugo, and then led the way off the train, leaving Scorpius and I in the carriage with our trunks.
"You okay?" he asked, running one hand up and down my arm.
I tried to speak only to find the words died in my throat. I nodded instead.
"We should get off the train before it leaves," Scorpius murmured.
I nodded and followed him out, dragging my trunk behind me.
"Rose, are you sure you're okay?" he asked, stopping on the platform.
The steam spewing from the engine, surrounded us, shielding us from view.
"Just promise me you'll still be my boyfriend regardless of whatever my dad does or says?"
"You know I will," he replied, pulling me into a hug. "I love you."
Pushing myself onto my tiptoes, I melded my lips to his and wrapped my arms around his neck. For the next five minutes, as the Hogwarts' Express left the station, I was completely unaware of the world around me. I didn't notice Hugo standing a few metres away waiting for me.
I broke away from Scorpius and said, "I'll see you in two weeks."
"Two weeks is too long, but have a good Easter and look out for my owls," he replied, pressing his lips to mine, once, twice more and then picking up one end of his own trunk and walking away.
I picked up my own trunk as Hugo walked towards me and turned around to get off the platform. Unfortunately I didn't see Uncle Harry standing right behind me in the dissipating grey smoke the train had left behind.
"Rose? Were you just…kissing Scorpius?"
Aw, crap. I groaned.
"You're father's not going to be happy about this, Rose."
"You don't have to tell him, Uncle Harry-"
"Don't have to tell him? Don't have to tell him? Of course I have to tell him! He's my best friend. He's my brother-in-law."
"Auntie Ginny knows-"
"I don't care who knows. I care about my best friend," Uncle Harry said. "I'm sorry to have to do this-"
And then Hugo did it.
"I'm gay!" he declared, speaking loudly over the top of Uncle Harry and shocking him into silence.
"Hugo?"
"You heard me, I'm gay," he repeated. "Now will you leave Rose alone, or do you want to have to tell my Dad about me too?"
Uncle Harry was stunned into silence.
"I'm going to tell Dad anyway. It's why I came home," I told them both.
Uncle Harry nodded and muttered, "Rather you than me," thinking we hadn't heard him.
Hugo and I followed him to where the rest of our family were surely gathered, and I said in an undertone to Hugh, "Thanks for that. You didn't have to tell him."
"No, but I wanted to help."
"Well I'm grateful," I replied.
"No problem. I'm sure you can repay me anyway," he murmured, grinning cockily.
Somehow, I couldn't help feeling that I would come to depreciate Hugo's intervention.
A/N: I'll try to update by Monday, but I've got a mock exam next week that I need to revise for so I'm not promising anything. As always, I'd love to know what you thought of this chapter, so if you've got time, leave a review.