N.E.W.T.s were just about as exhausting as Scorpius had expected. As the school year began to draw to an end, he barely did anything outside of studying and taking exams, and the first week of N.E.W.T.s almost passed in a blur. Although, he could vividly recall the rather amusing conversation he had with Malcolm Bray after coming out of the Muggle Studies exam.

"I mean, it's not technically my business," Professor Mac had said to Scorpius in an undertone, "but she is my little sister, and it's my job to look out for her. And it's not entirely professional, me asking you about your cousin."

"No worries, professor," Scorpius said in amusement. "And he's a good bloke. I don't know how serious it is, but he seems to really like her. I'm keeping an eye on him."

Malcolm had given him a nod and a small smile in understanding before allowing Scorpius to go on his way.

There were other brief glimpses of things unrelated to studying through their exam weeks. Rose had heard from her mother that Roxanne and Lorcan had set a date for the wedding, and she'd also been asked to stay with Teddy and Victoire for a week in the summer before she started work.

"If I do start work," Rose said quietly to Scorpius during breakfast one morning, her initial elation simmering after remembering this small detail.

"You're going to do brilliantly," Scorpius whispered into her ear, kissing the side of her head in an effort to offer some type of reassurance. Rose gave him a grateful smile. Her Ancient Runes O.W.L. would be taking place after breakfast, and since Scorpius and Erin would be taking the N.E.W.T. for it after lunch, the three of them had spent the previous day studying nothing but the subject, making sure that Rose knew the material front and back, seeing as neither of them really needed a N.E.W.T. in Ancient Runes.

The second week of N.E.W.T.s wasn't any easier than the first. Everyone in the castle seemed to simply be trying to survive until the last day of exams hit and they were finally able to think about anything other than schoolwork once again.

The final exam the seventh years had to take was Defense Against the Dark Arts. It was on the Wednesday of the final week of exams, which meant they would have a few more days to spend at the castle once they'd finished. They didn't have a typical graduation ceremony, but Professor McGonagall would give a speech at breakfast the final Saturday of term before the train left Hogsmeade. All the seventh years would sit at a special table at the front of the Great Hall and have their names read out in recognition.

But before any of that could happen, they had one final exam, and one final party to throw.

It was mostly put together by the sixth year prefects, since the seventh years and the Head students had N.E.W.T.s to worry about. But Rose and Scorpius were still in charge of making sure things went smoothly and no one took advantage of it being the last night of term. This one wasn't chaperoned by the staff, as they patrolled the castle corridors instead.

There hadn't been a party during Scorpius' sixth year, since Ethan had been Head Boy and needed to leave the castle grounds a day early before the party could take place. But this year would be different. And Scorpius was worried.

Typically, Slytherin house had their end of the year party the weekend before the last week of exams, but this year, nothing had happened. Scorpius could only assume that this was due to Prince having to serve detention. He wasn't about to breathe a sigh of relief yet. There was still time for him to pull something. Scorpius just wasn't sure what it would be.

He hadn't had much time to think about it, what with his own exams and still keeping up with Head duties. And Lucas Prince was the last thing on Scorpius' mind as he, Al, Erin, and Rose left their Defense Against the Dark Arts written exam, finally done with their N.E.W.T.s after having successfully completed their practicals in the subject earlier in the day. Scorpius felt an extreme weight lifting as they all snapped themselves out of their exam induced hazes. Erin was the first to break the silence, laughter issuing out of her before she spoke.

"Is that really it? We're done?" she asked in disbelief. And then they were all smiling, laughter and cheers echoing around the corridor as all the seventh years finally let loose. Erin, Rose, Scorpius, and Al took off in the direction of the seventh floor, laughing and carrying on the whole way back to the Heads' common room.

"Scorp!"

They collectively turned to face Corbin as he hurried towards them, Scorpius waving his friends into the common room as his cousin approached him.

"What's up?" he asked once the others had disappeared and Corbin stopped in front of him.

"I just thought you should know," Corbin began, slightly out of breath after having hurried to catch him, "that I think Prince is planning something for the end or term party."

A pit lodged itself in Scorpius' stomach at his cousin's words. "Shit," he ground out, his hand going to his face as he rubbed it in frustration. "You sure? What did you hear?"

"I overheard him talking to Nott at lunch today," said Corbin. "No real specifics, just something about being ready for Friday night along with your name and something about a surprise. Didn't sound like it would be a good one."

Scorpius let out a sigh of frustration. "Right, okay. Thanks for the heads up."

Corbin nodded. "What're you going to do?"

"Not sure," said Scorpius, weighing the options in his mind. "I should probably tell Rose, but I also know she'll hardly think about anything else till then if I do."

"You could always tell one of the teachers," Corbin suggested.

"What, that I have a hunch something is going to happen?" Scorpius asked skeptically.

"Why not?" asked Corbin. "Would they have a reason to think you were making a big deal out of nothing? Doesn't his reputation speak for itself? Not to mention the fact that you're actually a trustworthy person?"

Scorpius was struck silent for a moment at Corbin's words. It still surprised him that he and his cousin had gone from barely spending any time with each other, to actually having a friendship. He doubted whether or not Corbin would have warned him about this at the beginning of the year.

"I'll think about it," he told Corbin. "I'll figure out what to do."

"Alright," said Corbin, seeming proud that he'd done his part and the rest was now in his cousin's much more capable hands. He turned to walk away, but Scorpius found himself stopping him before he'd fully decided to do so.

"You and Charlotte," he began once Corbin had turned to face him once again, "are you actually together?"

A smirk appeared on Corbin's face and he shrugged, his hands shoved in his pockets.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Scorpius asked when he didn't elaborate.

"Does it have to mean anything?" Corbin asked as if the whole thing was no big deal. "I'm having a good time, she's having a good time…"

"Does she know that's all it is?" Scorpius asked, growing more annoyed as the conversation continued. "A good time?"

"That's not what I meant," Corbin said a bit impatiently. "I just meant that I'm not putting any pressure on either of us, and neither is she. Especially going into the summer. I suppose I don't see the point."

"The point is you don't lead her on and potentially hurt her when you come back next year and act disinterested," said Scorpius, crossing his arms as he gave his cousin a harsh look.

"What are you trying to say?" Corbin said in exasperation. "You trying to force me to make a decision?"

"I'm just saying that you should at least let her know where your head's at," Scorpius said calmly. "I'm not saying you should ask her to be your girlfriend or put labels on it or anything. Just that it's only fair that she knows where this is or isn't heading."

"Scor, I appreciate that you care, really," said Corbin, "but I think I can handle it, okay?"

He wanted to protest, but he also knew he didn't really know the details, so how much could he really say? Maybe Charlotte was perfectly fine with how things were and it would only ruin things if Corbin said something now?

"Alright," said Scorpius finally. "Just know that I'm here, you know. If you ever need anything."

Corbin gave an appreciative nod, repeating the sentiment back to his cousin before turning and walking away.

The second part of their conversation had momentarily caused Scorpius to forget the first part, but it came screaming back to him as soon as his cousin was gone.

What was Prince planning to do? And what was Scorpius supposed to do about it? Should he tell Rose? More likely than not, she'd be upset with him if he didn't. Plus, she deserved to know as Head Girl. And did he need to bother a professor?

He still had a few days to think about it, maybe do a little digging and try to figure out what Prince was planning. Until he had something more concrete, he'd keep quiet. There was no need to dwell on it, and there was no need to worry anyone else. Not until he knew for sure there was anything to worry about.


"What do you think that's about?" Erin asked as the portrait shut behind her and Al and Rose.

"Dunno," said Al with a shrug. "Maybe it's a family thing."

They both looked at Rose questioningly, but she could only shrug in uncertainty. "I don't know. There's nothing going on that I'm aware of."

She turned to face the fire, flicking her wand so flames burst up around the logs.

"Do you have any food?" Al asked, wandering over towards the small kitchen area.

"I think there was a pack of biscuits from the other day we didn't finish," she said through a yawn, following as Al began to open and close cupboards while Erin made a pot of tea. Rose helped Al to locate the already opened package of biscuits and showed him how to get fresh ones to appear. By the time they were making their way back to the couch and chairs, Scorpius was entering the common room.

Rose looked at him curiously for a moment as he masked the concerned look he wore with a smile, which turned into a sigh of relief when he saw the food.

"Brilliant," he said. "I'm starving."

"What did Corbin want?" Al asked, shoving a biscuit into his mouth.

"Nothing much," said Scorpius, shrugging out of his robes and discarding them on the back of the couch. He didn't elaborate further, and an awkward silence settled.

"I didn't think it would be this hard to turn my mind off," Rose said with a sigh, collapsing onto the couch and rubbing a hand over her tired face, deciding it best to change the subject and let it go for now. Scorpius smiled gratefully as he joined her on the couch, lying down with a groan and placing his head in her lap.

"I know what you mean," he said, looking up at her as she pulled her hand away from her face. "I keep hearing all the different protective enchantment incantations running through my mind on repeat."

"It might help if we talk about something else," said Al, his tone a bit exasperated as he collapsed into one of the arm chairs and tossed one of the sleeves of biscuits at Scorpius.

"Like the future?" Erin asked with a smirk, sitting on the floor in front of Al and leaning back against his legs with a cup of tea in her hands.

"Hell no," said Al, his head resting against the back of the chair and his eyes closed. "Let's just let ourselves be nothing but a handful of teenagers for a few minutes, yeah? Nothing else to worry about except spending time laying about and talking about meaningless things."

"Like what?" Erin asked through a yawn, tipping her head back so she could look up at Al.

"Like how shit it is that the Falcons won the league," Scorpius chimed in, shoving a biscuit into his mouth.

Rose and Erin let out matching groans. This was a topic of conversation that Rose had thought was behind them. The season had ended at the end of May, and it had been the main discussion around the school for almost a week straight. It had died down when exams had started, but it appeared it was only a brief reprieve from the topic.

"It's gotten to the point where only their diehard fans care that they win since they've done it so many bloody years in a row," said Al in indignation. "James said the rivalry between Falmouth and Montrose has never been more intense. He's even expecting there to be a bit of tension at the gala this year."

"Are we going to be able to go to more of his matches?" asked Erin.

"Should be," said Al, perking up a bit at the idea of seeing some Quidditch as he finished off his package of biscuits.

"We'll have pretty tight schedules, though," Scorpius couldn't help pointing out. "We only get one Saturday a month off."

"Damn it, I forgot that bit," Al grumbled, sliding further down in his chair and jostling an annoyed Erin.

"When did you say Rox and Lorcan plan on getting married?" Scorpius asked Rose, rubbing his eyes and doing his best to stifle a yawn as he set aside his own package of biscuits.

"The eighth of March," said Rose with a small smile, her hand going to rest on Scorpius' chest. "So a little less than a year from now."

"Who do you think will be next to get married?" Erin asked.

There was a pause as everyone thought the question over.

"Umm… Rox and Lor?" Al said uncertainly, looking down at his girlfriend a bit concerned.

"I meant after them, you prat," Erin said, chuckling as Rose and Scorpius laughed.

"Oh," Al mumbled, sinking further back into the chair and saying nothing else. Erin rolled her eyes and shook her head at Rose as if to say how ridiculous her boyfriend was. Al scowled at the back of her head, knowing exactly what she was doing. A moment later, Erin let out a yelp of surprise as Al spread his legs so that Erin fell back between them and against the chair, almost spilling her tea in the process. .

"Hey!" she said indignantly, scooting herself back so she could rest more comfortable between Al's legs as he and Rose both chuckled. Scorpius gave a curious hum at the commotion, his position and the fact that his arm was draped over his eyes not allowing him to see what had happened. Rose just rubbed his chest and shook her head as he looked up at her.

"Maybe it'll be James and Violet," said Rose with a small chuckle, answering Erin's earlier question.

"I'm not so sure," said Al with a shrug. "James has always said he wants to wait a while once he's done with school before settling down. Like Ted and Vic did."

"Don't you think that might be different now that he's with Violet?" asked Rose, and Al's brow furrowed in concentration.

"I never really thought about it," he said uncertainly, "but, yeah, maybe."

"I think Violet would be more likely to want to wait than James," Erin commented as she sipped her tea.

"What makes you say that?" Al asked, his tone sounding a bit surprised at this observation.

"Well, she's just finishing up her training and starting her placement this summer, right? She probably wants to focus on that for a while before worrying about planning a wedding. And I know Rox and Lorcan are doing it, but still, twenty is awfully young to get married."

"They'll be twenty-one by the time the wedding rolls around," Rose pointed out.

"Are you saying you'd be ready to get married by the time you're twenty-one?" Erin asked with wide eyes, obviously surprised by Rose's blase attitude about the whole thing.

"Not necessarily," said Rose, absentmindedly continuing to stroke Scorpius' chest. "It would depend, I suppose."

"On what?"

Rose shrugged, tilting her head in thought and focusing on the blazing fire in the hearth. "I don't know. It would probably matter what I'm doing and what he's doing career wise; where we are in our relationship. I guess I couldn't really say for sure, but I'm just not writing it off as a possibility."

Erin was nodding her head in contemplation when Rose looked back at her. "I suppose that makes sense. I just always had it in my head that, if I ever got married, I'd wait until I was at least twenty-five."

"Really?" Rose asked. "Any reason why that age specifically?"

"Just what Mum always recommended. Then again, she doesn't really have room to talk with how everything played out with her and Dad."

Rose chuckled at the smirk Erin wore. She could vividly remember how shocked Erin had been when she'd done the math on her sister's birthday compared to her parents' anniversary one year. She'd actually confronted her father about it, who'd been extremely horrified at being called out in front of more than a few of his students. Erin had actually earned a detention for that one, but Neville had given her raised voice and attitude as his reasoning.

"Do you think you'd reconsider it, though?" Rose couldn't help but ask. "If the timing felt right?"

Erin gave a noncommittal shrug. "I don't really know, do I? It's all a little hypothetical, but I doubt it. Besides, who said I even want to get married, anyway?"

Rose couldn't help giving Erin a small smile. It was just like her to act like the whole idea didn't mean all that much to her. And she was always the type to get an idea in her head and stick to it. Time would only tell how things would play out for her.

Amused by Erin's nonchalant attitude, Rose looked down at Scorpius with a smile still on her face. She was about to make a comment about how stubborn Erin was, when the look on his face stopped her short.

Scorpius had removed his arm from over his eyes so it was now resting on his forehead. He was looking up at Rose with wide eyes and a shocked expression. Rose looked at him in confusion for a moment before everything she and Erin had just been talking about took on a whole new meaning now that she was realizing their boyfriends had been in the room to hear it.

All she could do was stare at him in shock, mentally backtracking through her conversation with Erin to see if she'd said anything too revealing or presumptuous. Thankfully, the panicked expression she was wearing was enough to relax him, and Scorpius chuckled, smiling up at her in amusement.

"Don't worry," he reassured her in a quiet voice, his hand going to rest on hers that had stilled on his chest. "You didn't say anything too terrifying."

Rose let out a breathy laugh of relief, her hand turning over and gripping his. Scorpius gave her a tender smile before turning his head in her lap and looking over at the other couple in the room, whom Rose had momentarily forgotten about in her state of panic.

Erin had set down her tea and picked up a magazine off the table next to the couch. She was flipping through it nonchalantly, but Al was staring intently at the back of her head, his expression hard to read.

They were all way too young to be thinking about marriage, let alone talking about it. However, Rose knew that once Al was serious about something, it was to a fault. And if he really did love Erin, he'd already thought about their future together. Maybe not in clearly defined terms, but Al had told Rose just last summer that he wanted what Roxanne and Lorcan had. And Rose was willing to bet that even back then, he could see himself wanting that with Erin.

"What time is it?" Erin asked after a few minutes of silence, completely oblivious to the tone of the room as she flipped through a copy of the Quibbler. Scorpius lifted the hand that was holding Rose's to check his watch.

"Dinner time, actually," he said. "Want to head down?"

"Yes, I'm starved," Erin said dramatically, tossing aside the magazine and bracing her hands on Al's knees to push herself up off the floor. Scorpius sat up as well, and he and Rose both watched closely as Erin turned to Al with an outstretched hand and a small, expectant smile on her face. Al took it automatically, allowing his girlfriend to pull him into a standing position. His previously unreadable expression had been replaced with one of perfect contentment, not giving away at all that her earliet comments had any effect on him.

"Do you think it bothered him?" Rose said quietly to Scorpius as they followed their friends out of the common room.

"Not enough that he'll say anything about it anytime soon," said Scorpius a bit hesitantly. "At least, I don't think he will. It's not really that relevant right now, is it?"

"No, I suppose it's not," Rose said with a sigh. As Scorpius took her hand in his, she decided not to worry about it. She spent too much time as it was concerning herself with her best friend and her cousin's relationship.

Erin, for her part, remained oblivious to the effect that her words had had. They sat through a relatively normal dinner at the Gryffindor table, the subject only coming up again briefly when Erin said she wouldn't be surprised if Alice married Malcolm.

Rose couldn't help agreeing with this notion. Alice had been making more and more regular appearances around the castle, and the weekends she wasn't able to spend at Hogwarts, Malcolm spent in Hogsmeade. They were inseparable, and they were undeniably adorable.

"I mean, look at them," said Rose, her gaze trained on the head table where Alice was sitting next to Malcolm, having kept with her tradition of coming to the castle for dinner on Wednesdays. "He's obviously head over heels for her, and I'm willing to bet she feels the same."

Sure enough, as they all subtly watched, Malcolm seemed to be babbling on about something, and Alice seemed perfectly content to just sit there listening, her elbow resting on the table and her chin propped up in her hand, a serene smile on her face.

"It won't be anytime soon, though," said Erin. "I don't think, at least. It's taken her this long just to let someone in."

The subject was dropped as Caleb and Lily joined them, both looking tired but also better than they had in a few weeks.

"Is everything ready for the party on Friday?" Lily asked, looking surprisingly excited by the prospect. It was only a week ago that she'd made a comment during lunch about how awful the idea of another party sounded.

"Yep," said Scorpius. "Molly and Billy Price from Hufflepuff are in charge of getting everything set up, but everything's all planned out."

"They going to be next year's Heads?" Caleb asked curiously.

"We don't know," said Rose. "We're supposed to give recommendations, but they don't tell us who they choose."

"Molly would be a great choice, though, don't you think?" said Erin. "Not that I know much about being a prefect or Head duties, but she's very 'Rose-like'."

"What?" Rose asked through a chuckle.

"You know," Erin said with a roll of her eyes. "She's studious and responsible and doesn't get into any trouble. Plus, she at least tried to control the mess that this lot made during the last party we had."

She made the last statement with a gesture towards Caleb and Lily. While he focused back in on his food and pointedly ignored everyone, she looked equal parts frustrated and heartbroken.

"That wasn't our fault," Lily snapped, settling on anger as her primary reaction. Erin gave a disbelieving snort and appeared to be about to respond, but Rose was swift to kick her under the table, effectively shutting her up.

Rose and Scorpius had filled Erin and Al in on the mess that was their little meeting with Caleb, Lily, Hugo, Louis, Bobby, and Jill, and while they all saw the role that Hugo and Louis had played in making matters worse, it was hard not to fault Lily and Caleb for how they'd handled their transition from friends to something more.

Even Rose had come face-to-face with the effects of Lily's new relationship and could see the truth behind Hugo's accusations. She was having a hard time prioritizing anything above her relationship, if that was something she'd even tried to do. And even though she wanted her cousin to make things better, Rose understood. It was hard not to get caught up in something that made you so happy.

"Lily," said Rose quietly, leaning in to talk to her cousin with a bit more privacy, "have either of you even tried to talk-"

"No," Lily hissed at Rose as she cut harshly into her chicken. "He said horrible things to me. I know he's your brother, but I don't want to have anything to do with him at the moment, and I'm not sure if I ever will."

"Lily-"

"Let it go, Rose," she said with a bit more volume. The two cousins stared at one another for a few moments, one challengingly and the other imploringly. Eventually, Lily stood roughly from the table and stormed out. Caleb watched her leave, looking torn between following her and staying.

"Oi, Wood," Al called down towards his sister's boyfriend. The sixth year turned to look at Al questioningly, seeming both fearful and hopeful. "This whole mess centers around the two of you, and you're just about the only one she'll listen to right now. So find a way to fix it, and fix it."

Caleb nodded, his expression serious as he took in Al's words, and his choice between leaving or staying was momentarily made for him when Jill and Molly sat down across from him.

"We just talked to Louis," said Jill, who seemed happier than she had in the past few weeks.

"You two make up?" Caleb asked uncertainly, almost as if he were trying to decide whether or not he should care.

"Yeah," said Jill with a relieved sigh. "We talked it out. You should do the same."

"Jill…" he said with a groan, obviously not looking forward to the encounter.

"Caleb, I've known you as long as I've known my cousin," said Molly. "I know that you're probably dying inside since you can't stand being at odds with anyone. He may have been acting unreasonable, but he was feeling hurt and left out. Yes, he needs to apologize, but you need to make things better."

Caleb seemed to contemplate Molly's words for a while, before he nodded resolutely.

"I'll fix it," he said with determination, glancing back towards Al again. "Okay? I'll fix it."

Everyone gave a sigh of relief as Caleb stood from the table and left the Great Hall, thankful that at least a few friendships looked like they were about to be salvaged. Time would only tell as far as Hugo and Lily were concerned, unfortunately, and Rose was having a very hard time remaining optimistic.

By the time Friday night rolled around, things were at least better between Louis and Caleb, if not perfect. Rose had seen them having what appeared to be an amicable conversation at the beginning of the end of term party, though it was short lived.

"It's a start," Jill said with a sigh from her seat next to Rose. The party had been set up in the joint common room, and Rose was hoping that a repeat of the previous party held in the room wouldn't be occurring. She and Scorpius had shown up near the beginning of the evening, and she'd encouraged him to spend some time with the housemates he was actually friends with, seeing as it was likely to be for one of the last times. Rose had been floating around and enjoying having quick conversations with the people she came across, until Jill and Molly had found her and joined her on one of the couches almost as soon as they'd arrived.

"At least they're behaving better than my idiot brother," Rose grumbled. She'd been trying to ignore the way Hugo was carrying on. He wasn't breaking any rules, but he wasn't carrying himself with anything close to grace or respectability. Not that he normally did, but there was something unsettling about how little he seemed to care about how his actions affected others.

"His fellow Gryffindors seem impressed," said Molly, cringing a bit as they watched the group surrounding Hugo laugh and carry on uproariously. He'd been spending most of the evening showing off some new products from the joke shop that his dad had sent him, and Rose was having a difficult time not being frustrated with her father for enabling her brother's behavior. Not that he had any clue what was going on in his son's life at the moment, so she knew it was irrational. It was just becoming exhausting to have so many negative emotions towards her brother.

"There's not much that can be done," Rose said in resignation, looking away from the display of tomfoolery as she heard Anastasia Bennett let out a shriek of laughter. "Not unless he actually starts breaking rules."

"Can't you talk to him?" Molly asked Louis as he came over and joined them.

"I've tried," he said with a resigned sigh, sitting on the arm of the couch next to Jill. "He's more hurt than he wants to admit, and he messed up more than he's willing to fess up to as well."

"Did Caleb try talking to him too?" asked Jill. Louis nodded, but made no other comment, his silenced speaking for itself in showing how badly it must have gone. Jill gave him a sympathetic look, resting her hand on his knee comfortingly. Louis' face brightened up a bit at the gesture, and Rose had to wonder what exactly had been said between the two when they made up. She watched curiously as Louis' placed his hand on Jill's back before he began to rub it in a soothing gesture.

"We'll get it sorted," he said, glancing between the three girls. "Not doing so isn't really an option."

"You lot need to stop looking so mopey," Erin announced as she and Al came and joined them just as the music grew louder. Rose smiled and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet and towards the center of the room where a handful of other students had already started dancing.

It felt brilliant to let loose, and Rose allowed herself to be spun around by Erin and to laugh with her cousins and friends. It wasn't long before the majority of the students had joined in on the frivolity, and Rose soon found herself wrapped in the arms of her boyfriend.

"Aren't you supposed to be spending time with your housemates?" Rose asked above the noise of the music and the general ruckus that came with a party.

"And let the prettiest girl at the party dance by herself?" he said with an incredulous laugh. "No chance in hell."

Rose let out a delighted laugh as she flung her arms around his neck and he spun her around, lifting her feet off the ground.

"I love your laugh," she heard him say into her ear, his voice softer due to their close proximity. Rose gripped him tighter, continuing to hold him so that her cheek was pressed against his and she was looking over his shoulder.

"I love yours too," she responded, knowing full well she sounded ridiculously flirty as she whispered the words into his ear. She felt his hands grip her back and his jaw clenching against her cheek as he took a few deep breaths. And even though the music was still going at a fast pace and the people around them were keeping with the upbeat rhythm, they were barely swaying as they held each other tightly.

"Do you know what else I love?" she barely heard him whisper in her ear. Rose felt her breath catch in her throat, and she closed her eyes and breathed deeply a few times to steady herself.

"What?"

She heard him about to answer, but then his hands, which had taken to running up and down her back, stilled suddenly, and she knew something else had unfortunately grabbed his attention.

"What is it?" she asked, pulling away to look at him in concern. Scorpius' gaze was fixed behind her, and he tried to play it off as nothing as he shrugged and met her curious expression. But Rose wasn't fooled, and she instantly turned in his arms despite his protests.

She felt a mixture of embarrassment, anger, and disgust when her eyes landed on her younger brother, who was now giving all of his undivided attention to Anastasia Bennett. She was draped rather salaciously across his lap as they were wrapped in a rather heated embrace, snogging like their lives depended on it.

Rose's eyes immediately sought Lily, who would take this as an even further act of betrayal. It was obvious to just about everyone who knew Lily that she and her dormmate practically hated each other. There was no way she'd be understanding about this.

When Rose finally spotted Lily, her heart sank. She was walking away from Charlotte and Lucy, who seemed to be either trying to comfort her or get her to stay. As she turned to turn away her friends one last time, Rose saw the tears welling in her eyes when they couldn't help but glance in the direction of Hugo. And Rose's heart broke slightly at the sight of her cousin, who did her best to hold back a sob before she fled from the room.


A/N: Stupid Hugo, taking after his father. Next chapter picks up right here from Scorpius' POV and will be the last one! I definitely have sequels I want to do, especially since there are things I'm going to deliberately be leaving open ended. I'm working on planning all that out so hopefully you won't have too long to wait! Thanks as always for reviewing! Seriously, hearing from you keeps me going.