Hello! Hope you all are doing well and keeping yourself safe by practicing distance and maintaining good health. Praying for everyone's good health. Shout out to the all the brave medics and forces trying to keep things under control! Much respect and love to them!

Coming back to the story, thank you so much for the all the encouragement and love for the previous chapter. Absolutely blessed to have reader-base like you! :')

Will respond to any pending messages/reviews at the earliest. Had been busy with shifting and sorting out the chaos related to Corona.

Hope you enjoy the chapter ahead - may seem choppy. Took me a while to get this out.


Disclaimer: Everything belongs to JKR. Copyright infringement is unintended.


27. The Other Side

Ryan wondered how if he'd aged up in the last two weeks. What else was supposed to explain his lack of enthusiasm for partying, especially after a good game, these days?

He and the rest of the team were currently at a gala in Brussels, partying with the social elite of the city. The rich and affluent, however, were currently focused on getting drunk on all the alcohol flowing in the ballroom, all grace and niceties thrown out of the window two hours into the event.

He sat between his teammates, quiet, hidden from the flashlights of the paparazzi, hidden from the overtly friendly socialites and models, who he knew would throw themselves at him once they were a couple of drinks down. It was better to stay away from the limelight. Too much already had been said in the tabloids about him anyway.

A flash of red caught his eye, startling him and making his heart race. Squinting in the direction of the potential distraction, his eyes landed on a stunning redhead donning a black floor-length dress, who was looking at him suggestively. She smiled at him. He politely smiled back, nodding at her.

She winked at him, making him roll his eyes.

A year ago, he would have jumped at the opportunity to bed a stunning woman looking to hook up with him.

And now?

He can't even look at a woman, least of all a redhead, without thinking about her.

Meeting anyone, dating anyone just seemed like a death sentence for the relationship he wanted to build with Lily. He wasn't going to risk that.

Least of all after losing Rose: after all, he'd lost her because he was unable to commit when he needed to.

Ryan remembered that evening vividly, the evening that changed his life.

It had been a rather lovely day; Rose and him had just finished doing a crossword puzzle. There was no way in hell anybody knew that he, Ryan Smith, Quidditch player, playboy extraordinaire, was overwhelmed with happiness because he'd spent an evening sipping tea, having cookies, and completing a crossword in the newspaper with Rose.

He should have seen the signs then, should have realised then that he was already happily in love with her.

Rose walked up to him with a plate of mini sandwiches. She looked cautious as she approached him, a small smile gracing her face.

"A sickle for your thoughts?" he asked her, smiling.

"Ryan, what are we doing?" she asked, the top of her cheeks turning pink.

"Having some beautiful sandwiches you've made for us."

Looking back, he realised how much of an idiot he'd been to not see the signs from her end, the lingering gaze, the softness in her eyes, the passion in her kisses, and very recently, the earnest look in her eyes as she spoke to him.

"Thank you, your highness." she replied, rolling her eyes. He'd only proceeded to eat the sandwich, ignoring her. Irritated, she sat on him, jumping rather ungraciously.

"HEY!" he squawked out as the plate of sandwiches almost fell out of his grip. He smacked her bum as he gave her a death stare.

"I'm trying to talk to you, you idiot." she said, giggling.

"Of course, talk to me," he replied quickly, trying to lean in for a kiss. She looked so incredible, with flushed cheeks and bright eyes, that he couldn't help himself.

However, she stopped him, putting a finger to his lips.

"I meant about us," she said, the nervousness in her voice hitting him. The word 'us' made his skin break out in goosebumps, and not the bad kind. "We've been sleeping around for a while now. It's been over, like, seven months -"

"And it's been brilliant, hasn't it?" he asked her, wanting to kiss her again the moment he saw her biting her lips. These months had been the most incredible time of his life.

"It has," Rose replied, beaming. Her expression then turned serious, "But is it enough? I just feel like we have stepped beyond that-"

Ryan remembered being startled as she dropped this bomb on him, asking him if whatever arrangement they'd had was enough for him. He'd thought it had sufficed. He'd never been one for serious relationships. Besides, he could keep seeing Patricia on the side, while dating her. Keeping things casual allowed him to be with both of them without feeling guilty. Although, for Patricia the relationship had been on the exclusive side; for her he wasn't dating anyone else. But he didn't care much for her.

But Rose...

He knew Rose hadn't been seeing anyone, hadn't met anyone ever since they got involved. She neither had the time, nor had she want to meet someone else while she was hooking up with him.

Because she was Rose. Being poly-amorous just wasn't her style, never mind the situation.

Maybe he had wanted that exclusivity, that intimacy associated with monogamy, where the other knows that their partner is truly theirs. But he was an idiot to not realise fully how much more he wanted. Instead, he had chosen to reply to her concern with something extremely stupid.

"Of course it is!" he replied, chuckling, trying to ignore the unrest within him, "It's perfect, really. No strings attached. We hook up whenever we want to. No pressure on either of us."

The smile on her face slipped.

"Hooking up? No strings attached? That's what we do now?" she replied, looking stunned, "Calling us 'friends with benefits' isn't appropriate anymore, and I'd like to think of us beyond that!"

That was his moment to grab and turn around things. He had sensed the disappointment in her voice. There are so many things he could have replied with to placate her, assure her that she had his heart. Instead, he'd replied with,

"Merlin! Where is all this coming from suddenly? It's perfect for us, isn't it? We're too busy to actually have a relationship. Besides, do you really want the exclusivity? Like just be with one? I thought you were also happy with just casually hooking up!"

Rose's face immediately twisted into a painful expression.

He should have reached out to her, held her, and told her how he felt. But he did none of these.

"I thought it wasn't enough for you as well, given how close we'd become, especially in the last few weeks. But I guess it was all in my head. I was wrong." she said, a quiet anger simmering in her voice.

She got up from her seat and headed straight for the bedroom, ignoring where his cries of 'Hey! Where are you going?'.

He followed her, his heart thudding in his chest, his insides blazing. She did that a lot, stop arguments abruptly, she did.

His thought process had dropped to zero as he observed her near-naked form scouring through her wardrobe

He lived in a world where he was surrounded by supermodels and female Quidditch players on the regular, but none evoked a reaction in him the way Rose's body did. He had wanted her for so long and seeing her naked was truly one of the more pleasurable things in life.

He watched as she pulled out a dark green dress from the wardrobe. The dress was really pretty; he knew she would look stunning in this.

"Where are you going?" he found himself asking, trying to stay calm and keep the obvious lust out of his voice.

"Kate's bachelorette party" she replied offhandedly, separating her dress from the hanger it was attached to, "I told you this last week."

"Oh come on Rose! Are you seriously going to leave for the party when I am here?" he'd replied indignantly. Looking back, he realised how arrogant that sounded.

She had only proceeded to ignore him and dress up.

And boy, it was the hottest thing he'd ever seen. And to think people called undressing sexy.

They clearly hadn't seen Rose Weasley dressing up for a night out.

So he sat back on the bed, watching her line her eyes with make up, run a comb through her long tresses and pinning it to a side, apply moisturizer on that soft freckled skin till it looked ridiculously supple.

He knew that she was aware of his gaze. His oh-so-obvious gaze that trailed over each body part of hers, hypnotised by how sinful she looked.

But she continued ignoring him, pulling on the dress over her hips, smoothing it.

Ryan was sure he'd stopped breathing. He knew that wherever she was going, every guy and girl would be looking at her.

Merlin, she looked like an absolute dream.

Jealousy started coursing through his veins at the mere thought of other people checking her out, maybe asking her for a dance, or a drink, alarming him.

"Rose", he called out weakly, his voice coming out strangled as she started walking towards the bedroom door, ready to leave for the night, "Are you sure you don't want to stay in?"

She paused at the door, and took a moment to look back at him. Her stunning blue eyes had been blazing; the tight lines in her face had told him she was very upset with him.

He should have walked up to her, kissed her and told her that he'd wait up for her because he was falling for her and wanted to be with her, just her.

But he didn't.

"I don't have a boyfriend to stay in with, so why bother?", she replied coldly, "The door will seal itself once you leave the house. Wish you a good night, Ryan. I'll see you whenever you want to hook up next."

She walked out of the room, and then out of her flat, slamming the front door.

He should have gone after her, tell her he wanted her. But he didn't. He'd assumed then they'll work it out the next day; maybe she needed time to cool off.

But he'd assumed too much, given too much space and time. And that had been his undoing.

He'd come to her place the next morning, having had troubled nightmares of her dancing with strangers, getting intimate, and then telling him to fuck off the next day. He had needed to see her, to know that she still wanted him, yearned for him, and lusted for him.

And when he found out that she had, in fact, gotten very comfortable with someone the previous night, the bruised lips just giving an indication of how much the stranger then wanted her, he had snapped.

"Be my girlfriend." he blurted, cutting Rose off from her rant about her drunken snogging session she couldn't recall a moment of.

"What?!" she spluttered, her eyes as round as galleons, "Did-"

"Be mine, Rose, please" he asked her, desperation evident in his voice. He was done holding back. He wanted her. She was absolutely his. Anyone could whisk her away if they were anything else, "No one else should be kissing you. These lips are mine. You are mine."

And like that, his lips met hers urgently, seeking some love, some assurance that she doesn't want anyone else. He couldn't bear the idea of anyone else touching her like she belonged to them, even if momentarily.

"Yours." she whispered against his lips, before passionately locking lips with him while his heart expanded in joy. She was absolutely perfect, and Merlin! It terrified him how strongly he felt for her.

She pulled back minutes later, gasping for air, her eyes boring into his.

"Be mine?" she'd asked, breathing deeply, her eyes searching his, her fingers curving around his chin. She'd looked so vulnerable as if she might lose him any second. He knew she was concerned about that. His reputation with flings preceded him.

"Yours", he'd replied without hesitation, crushing her lips with his. She smiled so widely against his lips; he could feel her happiness vibrating in her body. His own heart shattered, crumbling inside on realising how empty and false his promise was. But he couldn't stop feeling what he felt for Rose.

Maybe that's why he'd been punished. For making hollow promises when she had meant the world to him then.

If only he'd chased Rose that night and told her how he'd felt about her, maybe they would have still been together.

Maybe she would have raised a beautiful daughter or a son with him, instead of having Amelia with Malfoy.

But he was done losing someone he loved, because he didn't speak out on time.

The flair of red caught his eye again. He spotted the redhead, now getting comfortable with an aristocratic looking official, the man's eyes speaking volumes about how much attention he was enjoying.

He felt a uncomfortable swoop in his stomach, dread filling him. He had to reach out to Lily at the earliest. It would only be a matter of time before she moved on from him. She was a very attractive woman who would have many suitors, no doubt. The image of Lily laughing around, smiling at a faceless man made his insides boil with blinding jealousy.

He needed Lily. He was done being stupid and oh-so-careful. He had to make a move now, or else he'd lose the most wonderful thing that had happened to him in a long, long time.

"Ryan?"

He was startled as Lily's soft voice called out to him, from somewhere, her voice as clear among music and crowd chatter, as a gush of a gentle stream in the mountains.

He then saw her, coming closer to him. And just like that, hope bloomed inside him.

She was here, with him.

She was brilliant, this woman was. Oh so beautiful. And funny. And smart.

She'd made him feel like he could love again, and be loved again.

He'd die before he let go of her this time.

He'd love her, and he'd make her feel so as well.

He was heartbroken over what happened with Rose, but he'd finally realised and accepted, especially in the last few weeks, that she wasn't the one for him.

Distance could give the most assuring perspectives at times.

The way Lily was looking at him, raw, honest, with affection in her eyes, lips turned up in a small smile - Merlin! He needed to kiss her.

He'd merely gotten up, trying to fathom if the vision of Lily in front of him was real or a fantasy when another face appeared behind her.

The face of a suspicious, frowning Albus Potter.

Which is when he felt that he was probably dreaming. If there was a horrible nightmare, it was this.

"HOLY CRICKET! Is that Harry Potter?" came his teammate's voice.

Or maybe it wasn't a dream. The dread in his stomach grew, tightening his gut. He hadn't faced Potter since that horrible evening in their seventh year, when he was attacked.

Ryan watched as Albus rolled his eyes to give his teammate, Steve Rashford, a dirty look

What the hell was going on?

Why was Lily here?

Why was Albus here?

"Can we talk somewhere private, please?" came Lily's voice from seemingly afar.

The girls seated with the team players gave Lily a dirty look. She only smirked back as she took his hand and locked her fingers in his.

Warmth flooded his chest and his gut uncoiled, his heart picking up pace as he felt her soft hand in his. He hadn't even realised the first time his heart started racing around her.

It just happened.

He quietly let her take the lead, allowing her to take him out of the club. Ryan was vaguely aware of the other Potter's presence. He was feeling very, very confused about this.

They exited from the backdoor of the ballroom they were at. They couldn't risk the event photographers hounding them; Potters were still among the well-known faces in Europe, and walking around with a man who looked like the Boy-Who-Lived was a sure-shot way of attracting unwanted attention.

The moment cool air hit his lungs, Ryan turned around to capture Lily's lips with his, not being able to hold back any longer.

She gasped into his mouth, surprised at the sudden change. He wrapped his free arm around her, bringing her closer, their fingers still linked, every space between them gone. His heart raced, a thousand explosions setting his nerve endings on fire as his head spun in the most wonderful way. She melted into his arms, sighing deeply as she pulled him closer by his collar. He could sense her smiling against his lips as their kisses became deeper, more yearning, overflowing with feelings; the kiss had his heart humming something sweet and beautiful.

"Ahem."

Lily pulled away abruptly from him at that sound. Ryan groaned internally and braced himself to meet the face that he'd avoided since Hogwarts.

"Smith" came his voice.

"Potter" was the equally terse response. He then turned to Lily, his fingers still curled around hers.

Her eyes were shining as she looked at him, her eyes simmering with something he wanted to believe was happiness. There were so many things he wanted to tell her. Her expression told him that she was finally ready to listen to him. He beamed at her.

"What are you doing here?" he breathed, still struggling to believe that he was speaking to Lily and Albus right now.

"We need you to come back to England with us right now." came Albus's voice.

Ryan turned to look at him, startled. That was a strange request.

The raven-haired man looked tired, a melancholic air around him.

"Why?" asked Ryan, furrowing his eyebrows, an unsettling feeling gnawing at him, "Li-."

"Scorpius and Rose are separating because he thinks you and Rose are still in love," hissed Albus angrily.

Wait. What?

Ryan took a step back in shock; he turned to look at Lily, mouth wide open, "Is he-"

"It's true", sighed Lily sadly, "Scorpius thinks that because you and Rose had Amy; you both still love each other-"

Ryan sensed Lily's fingers becoming limp in his hand the moment she said 'love each other'

"It was in the past" he blurted, startling Lily and Albus, making the latter raise his eyebrow. He wasn't going to build any false perceptions anymore. He needed Lily to believe in him, "I want you, Lily. I need -."

"Brilliant," groaned Albus, looking irritated. Lily had merely flushed pink, a small smile growing on her face, "Doesn't solve our purpose of coming here."

Ryan's head was spinning. Rose and Malfoy were separating?

Ryan remembered the look on Rose's face, when she'd come over to his mansion last year. Her eyes were blazing with passion as she declared her love for her husband, the kind he'd seen when they were together. He had no doubt that she was in love with Malfoy.

And Ryan knew that Malfoy was also in love with her.

This made zero sense.

"Ryan, listen", said Lily urgently, grabbing his face between her hands, her eyes silently pleading "We need to leave at the earliest. Scorpius wants a divorce because of some stupid misconceptions he has about you and Rose. Can you help us, please? I know it sounds ridiculous -"

Rose's heartbroken face was suddenly swimming in front of his eyes.

Hot fury flooded his veins.

It was terrible enough that he, Ryan Smith, broke her like that over two years ago.

Malfoy, her supposed best friend, her fucking husband, shouldn't have done that.

He really shouldn't have done that. Rose did not deserve that.

"I know Amelia is yours, Smith, and a part of you is happy about them separating. But you need to help Rose and Scorpius. Amy doesn't deserve this." came Albus's voice from somewhere. "The portkey leaves at eight PM. We need to leave-"

In his head, Rose's face morphed into the Amelia's.

Oh, he'd grown to love the little girl so much.

She had opened his heart to the idea of having a child of his own with someone he loved. He'd grown to care so much about her.

She deserved all the happiness in the world. And she would get it.

"I'll inform the team manager." he responded firmly, his eyes blazing. Potter's eyes widened at the sight of the determination in his eyes.

Lily on the other hand had a proud smile on her face, like she always knew he'd help them.

She believed in him. Maybe she would finally understand that he could love her.

Ryan moved towards the door connecting to the ballroom. This was his moment of redemption, to get things right.

He won't mess this up.


There was just way too much noise around him, and maybe the lights as well; they were absolutely blinding.

But Scorpius supposed this chaos was welcome. Along with this super delicious bourbon cocktail thing he was holding.

It was nice to get out of the house for a change, to head to a place where he wasn't likely to run into his family. He needed to be somewhere other than his home.

He had to escape his parents, who were informed about the impending divorce not so discreetly by his sodding lawyer.

Draco and Astoria Malfoy had arrived at his doorstep around three in the afternoon earlier today, dressed impeccably, while he was hungover, and dressed sloppily, giving his parents a rather rude shock.

The interaction, hereafter, was nothing short of disastrous.

"Why did I receive this owl from Nott in the morning, informing me that he was sorry to hear about your divorce?"

"Because he's an arse-of-a-lawyer who shouldn't have abused the attorney-client privilege."

"Scorpius! That's no tone to take when addressing your father-"

"Sorry Mom. Unfortunately, I'm in no mood to talk. You guys came in at the wrong time"

"Utter nonsense. Scorpius Malfoy, you better start talking. What is this news about you and Rose divorcing?"

"We don't love each other anymore. Divorce just made sense to both of us."

"WHAT-?"

"Easy Dad, you could wake up the dead with that scream-"

His usually composed father had lost his cool. Went on and on about how Malfoys always have had a solid marriages despite the differences. His mother had tried calming him, telling him that it's ok to divorce if Rose and Scorpius weren't in love anymore.

Scorpius didn't bother correcting her.

He was alright with them thinking they fell out of love, rather than knowing that their marriage being a one-sided affair. His parents didn't need to know the deal with Smith and Amy. Hell, he didn't have the heart to tell them that the Malfoy bloodline may not continue beyond him.

Maybe medical advancements could help later, but having a family with someone else seemed like an impossibility for him, especially after what him and Rose had lived for the past two and a half years.

His father then had began to rant about 'today's generation' running through relationships faster than England's exit from the Quidditch Cup two years ago. And then it only took a 'we couldn't have predicted this' from his mother to his dad to have another meltdown, this time about arranged marriages, making Scorpius almost hurl at the idea of an arranged match for him.

The meeting went on for a while before his father thankfully remembered of a trip he had to leave for at eight in the evening.

Scorpius thanked the stars and the moon for his parents' departure. He didn't feel like being around people anymore.

The sudden craving for alcohol after they left got him to finish the half a bottle of Odgen's finest he'd had. But that wasn't enough to dull the pain he'd been feeling ever since Rose signed on the divorce papers; that night after their meeting at his office, Scorpius had owled his lawyer to get started on the proceedings for the divorce despite not having signed himself yet.

He was terrified, absolutely terrified, of even seeing Rose's signature on their divorce papers. Despite all he had said and done, he wasn't ready to face the end. He knew he was weak and pathetic, someone who couldn't face the reality, the reality he'd been instrumental in creating.

Nevertheless, he'd mailed his lawyer to get started on the proceedings; he'd sign on his share of papers once the times come. But now wasn't the time. He wasn't numb enough yet. But he supposed he'd reach there, eventually.

After disposing off his bottle and taking a shower, he realised he needed the loud music, the insane crowd to keep him distracted. This had been the life he'd lived before Rose and he'd gotten together, after all.

Since there was no going back, today was a day good as any to getting back to the good old life

Scorpius wished the earth could eat him up as misery permeated his senses, overtaking every nerve in his body. The good life was what he had with Rose and Amelia, not this. He missed his girls so much.

Being a Malfoy meant life would only dole out spoonful of opportunities to score the happiness of a lifetime, and Scorpius feared that his opportunities had run out. Big time.

He knew things wouldn't be the same with him and Rose anymore, or at least for a very long time. It'll probably be years before he could look at or even think of Rose with anything other than longing; so much had changed and realised in the time that they were together.

Maybe once she moved on, it'll be easier for him to close the chapter, he thought bitterly. How did his life get so hateful?

Taking another sip of his drink and scowling, Scorpius observed his surroundings. Club Enervate had surely changed since the last time he'd been here. The lighting was better, the interiors were lighter, and the crowd certainly seemed less seedy.

The interiors and the crowd were the only things he remembered from his last visit. Memories of most of that night had been wiped out, courtesy him accidentally having drinks made with ingredients popular in underground trade; drinks made with the secret ingredients were rather popular at Club Enervate over two years ago. He'd come here last time for he was tailing a suspect, who was deep into illegal trade of Jobberknoll feathers. The ingredient, along with Lethe River Water, had then been a part of an secret drink 'Liquid Courage' at Enervate, which was served only when asked for; the cocktail gave people a spike of extra courage in doing things they'd wanted to do but couldn't gather courage for, an effect he discovered about through witness testimonies he'd conducted. The drink also allowed people to wipe off their memories after pulling off outrageous stunts, often encouraging to nefarious activities that had Aurors scrambling to crack down on the ring as soon as possible.

He'd ingested the drink without prior knowledge, and everything after he'd said or done after taking the first sip had been an absolute blank the next morning. But he had always assumed that the night had transpired successfully and harmlessly, for he'd woken up in his bed the next morning and the people involved in the trade ring were being detained at the Ministry of Magic without any injuries. He'd also probably gotten a little hot and heavy with someone at the club, if the hickeys on his neck and the nail scratches on his back under his shirt were anything to go by. But the woman had neither left any contact details nor gotten in touch, and he moved on, not giving it a second thought.

"Waiting for anyone?" came a soft voice from next to him, bringing him out of his reverie. He turned to look at the woman.

Black hair.

Brown eyes.

Not Rose.

"No," replied Scorpius, shrugging, downing his drink in one go and gasping. The drink was strong.

The lady next to him brightened up and slunk closer to him.

"My name is Imelda," she said casually, her eyes glinting in the dark space as she extended her hand, "My date seems to have ditched me. The cad that he is -but no harm in buying you a drink, huh? You are -?"

She paused, looking up at him expectantly, the distance between them less than appropriate.

Scorpius, suddenly, felt very uncomfortable as her dark eyes scanned him. He felt chills down his spine and his face flush hot as uneasiness made his stomach contract painfully. This was so, so wrong.

He was not ready for this. He didn't want this.

"I'm sorry. But I am not interested," he said, making eye-contact with the bartender to ask for another refill. Maybe she'd leave him alone if he didn't make any eye contact and ignored her.

"You clearly look like you need company, grumpy." she said, smirking as she leaned closer, "And I'll be more than happy to give you some" she finished, whispering huskily into his ear. Her perfume was overwhelming. He'd turned to his side to see that their noses were nearly touching. Her eyes spoke volumes about what she wanted from him.

Oh hell no.

He'd seen that look in many women before he got married. And more often than less, he used to act on it. But not now.

He jumped up, "Maybe you didn't hear me before. But I am not interested in you. Let me know if you need me to spell it out for you."

The woman looked offended. "You're seriously turning me down?"

"I am leaving now. AND not with you." he growled before the lady got any more ideas about how to hit on him.

Suddenly, it felt like the room was closing in on him. He needed some fresh air. At the earliest.

He quickly tossed a few galleons on the bar and rushed out, feeling vomit make its way up his throat. As soon as the cool air of the night hit his face, he moved to a corner and heaved, throwing up immediately, feeling disgusted at what had just happened.

This was most likely going to be his life now onward. Meeting new girls, taking them home, trying to work on a future with one of them.

He thought he would get sick again. The idea of being with another woman felt vile and despicable.

He wouldn't be able to make it happen. He was going to die alone. Without someone to love.

Stop being so morose, Scorp! You can get whatever you want but only if you set your mind to it! Drop the sad act, and work towards your goal.

Rose's sharp tone from their fifth year reverberated in his head. Back then, he'd been upset about receiving a 'P' in his Muggle Studies essay and had been quite upset about the result. Instead of mollycoddling him like she usually did, Rose gave him a good earful about wallowing in self-pity instead of working harder on his weaker subjects. And surely, with a little more effort, he had received nothing less than 'Exceeds Expectations' for the rest of the year, including his O.W.L.

He stood up straight, breathing deeply. His head spun violently again, the impact of alcohol hitting him hard.

Rose was right. He had to stop being so miserable.

He had to keep moving forward. So what if his love life wasn't working out? He always had his career; he was doing spectacularly before the accident happened.

Eventually, he would find someone to date. That had never been a problem with him. Girls had always flocked to him. They liked him. He knew he was good-looking, good in bed, and knew how to treat a girl.

But you're a Malfoy. Who'd want you? Also, have you seen your face recently? And that temper? And maybe your name? No wonder Rose left you.

The snide voice in his head immediately crushed the smallest surge of confidence he'd felt in weeks, and he wanted to do nothing but crawl up in his bed and never leave his room. Once again, he felt like the heartbroken seven year old, who'd been bullied by the boys at the beach they were holidaying at, just because he was a Malfoy.

The view in front of him moved again and he leaned against the wall, trying to steady himself. He'd had a lot to drink tonight.

He disapparated and landed in front of his house, upchucking once again into the flower bushes as his head spun again. The world was moving too much around him. He groaned as his head throbbed painfully. He could pass out now and have a dreamless sleep.

He just needed to make it to his bed in time, which was seeming impossible by the second.

He was, however, distracted at the sight of lights in his house. The front door, too, was unlocked.

He pulled out his wand, and shook his head hard, trying to clear his vision. Who on earth was in his house at this hour?

Blood pounding in his ears, he waved his wand, opening the door slowly.

The sight that greeted him was quite unusual; Albus and Lily were seated in the living room, having tea and talking calmly in soft tones.

Lily saw him first, her eyes widening in recognition. "Scorpius!" she breathed, causing Albus to turn to look at him.

"What the hell are you guys doing here?" he exclaimed, trying to wrap his head around the scene in front of him.

"Trying to knock some sense into you." came a voice from his left.

He'd merely turned to see Ryan Smith's face before a fist collided with his nose.

He registered blinding pain, his body suddenly falling, and everything turned black.


Scorpius's eyes snapped open as he registered his nose being repaired, making him him groan in pain.

It took him a moment to realise that he was in his house; the drunkenness was now all gone.

The second thing he registered was that that his limbs were cuffed against the chair by the fire, the chair Rose often sat in as she caught up on a read while sipping on some tea. He didn't have mobility.

The next thing he realised was Albus and Lily were sitting right opposite him, looking concerned.

And at a distance was Ryan Smith, his face twisted in distaste as he eyed him with contempt. He was leaning against the wall while looking at him, looking heartbreakingly handsome with his nonchalant stance.

The pain in his nose reminded him that the sniveling arsehole right in front of him had also punched him.

THAT FOUL GIT!

"LET ME GO, ALBUS!" roared Scorpius, straining against the spells that chained him to the chair and staring right back at Ryan, baring his teeth. He needed to beat that little shit into pulp. He was the cause of all his misery. He started it all. He needed to hit Ryan. NOW. "I'll fucking kill you, Smith. How dare you-,"

"Enough, Malfoy", replied Ryan coldly as he pushed himself off the wall and walked towards him, "You've caused enough damage as it is, and we are not here to listen to your rant."

"Albus, what the fuck is going on?" spat Scorpius now turning towards his best friend, whose face was lined with worry as he observed him. How was Albus all ok with Ryan in his presence? There was something wrong with his best friend, who looked surprisingly calm. Scorpius was seething inside. This was ridiculous. And boy, he wanted to hit Ryan to pulp. He didn't even need his wand for the same. His bare hands were sufficient. He was so, so mad, "And why the hell have you tied me up?" He was being tied up in his own house. He was being held hostage in his own place. What the hell was going on?

"Lily and Ryan have something to say to you, Scorpius." said Albus quietly, crossing his arms, "And I'd rather have you listen to them first before you go around throwing punches and be out of control."

"Out of control -?" hissed Scorpius, narrowing his eyes, but he stopped abruptly when he saw Lily's face.

She looked like she would start crying any second now.

"Scorpius. I need you to be calm," she started in a pleading voice, but Ryan got ahead of her.

"You made a big mistake in treating Rose the way you did," he spat out, glaring at him. Scorpius sneered at him.

"You're the one to talk, Smith," he growled, "Now get out of my house-"

"Scorpius!" came Albus's warning tone. His green eyes flashed at him, "Listen to them, please."

Scorpius stopped struggling against the binding and sank bank into the chair, breathing loudly. Lily was looking terrified as he met her eyes; he realised she was shaking.

Shockingly, Ryan moved forward and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and whispered something in her ear, seemingly trying to calm her.

Scorpius felt an unpleasant swoop in his stomach at the sight of the duo looking so intimate with each other. This was NOT something he thought he'd be seeing in a million years.

Lily and Smith-? What on earth-?

He turned his gaze towards Albus, a million questions running through his head, all the while dreading what was coming up next.

Albus, instead, was looking back at him, as if saying, 'You won't like what's coming up.'

Lily turned to look at him, her eyes filled with guilt, while Ryan was shooting glares at him.

Reality hit Scorpius like a speeding bludger meeting its aim. He knew why they were here.

"It wasn't Rose's fault," said Lily softly, her eyes red, "I took Amy to Ryan because I thought Ryan deserved to know more about his daughter-"

Oh no no no NO.

Rose hadn't been lying to him. She wasn't the one who chose Ryan.

"You actually think I took my child to that git? It was Lily who took her to Ryan!"

"Scorpius. That is not me."

"I swear I have never-It was a co-incidence - I didn't do anything! You have to believe me!"

Her words came back to him like a tight, hateful slap. The look on Lily's face and the fact that Ryan was here, facing him, was enough for Scorpius to realise that none of it was a charade.

Scorpius felt like the rug beneath his feet had been pulled away and he was falling into straight into hell. He felt his heart clench painfully as horror overwhelmed his senses, guilt pricking every pore of his body.

Rose had pleaded with him. She'd begged him, cried out to him to listen to her.

And he had only hurt her, humiliated her as she talked herself hoarse, claiming her innocence in everything that had transpired. He had ignored her, yelled at her.

"-she loves you, Scorpius. She always has. She was absolutely mad when she found out - b-but you must know that sh-she had nothing to do with this! This has all been a big, stupid misconception."

"Therefore what I feel for you today, started fifteen years ago. So it would take a lot more than these scars and infertility to make them go away."

"Every day that we were together, was the greatest day of my life. I will always be yours. Because I love you."

He felt shameful tears prick his eyes as he gritted his teeth, not allowing himself to cry.

She had begged him to listen to her since the night they fought and he had asked her to leave. She chased him since then, trying to reach him , asking him to give them a chance. He only ran away further.

Even two days ago; she had been on her knees, eyes wet with tears, her hands holding on to him desperately, praying to get through, asking him to believe her. He'd asked her to divorce him instead.

He had ripped her apart, said horrible things to get her to do what he wanted.

He'd done everything and worse than what he hated Ryan for.

He was a rightful monster. Who didn't deserve her.

The inner monster that had been subdued since Rose had walked out of his office that night, suddenly awoke, clawing at his insides, lashing out at him, crying and wailing, hating him for what he did. His senses were overwhelmed with feelings of absolute hatred, all towards himself.

He'd hurt the love of his life. Not Lily, not Smith.

Him.

His hands started trembling, the reality of his horrible decisions sinking in. He felt his throat closing up, tears now escaping his eyes.

He had fucked up big time.

"I don't love you anymore."

Rose's warm hands had encased his, silently asking him to feel how much she loved him. Instead he'd said those despicable words to her.

He loved her to death, and he'd pushed her away.

How bloody blind was he to not see it earlier? How thick does one have to be to think this way?

Albus released the hold on him, and he buried his faces in his hands, finally allowing the tears to truly leave his eyes, not being hold it back anymore.

He didn't deserve Rose.

And that had to do nothing with him being a Malfoy. It was because he was a horrible, horrible person.

Tears wet his hands as pain started shooting everywhere, everywhere in his body. He was a terrible person, a despicable excuse of a human being.

But.

But there was one thing he could do to ensure her happiness. He was pushing Rose towards the same.

"Smith," he croaked, finally resurfacing from his palms. Ryan's eyes widened at the address, looking alarmed, "She needs you. Take care of her. I have hurt her too much. There's no going back. There's so much you can give her - I can't have - Amy will finally have her real father." his voice cracked as he finished.

This broke his heart into a million pieces. He was letting go of his daughter, the little love of his life.

But then he deserved this pain. Scorpius never thought that there would be a day when he'd ever address Ryan as Amelia's real father. But then, he never assumed there'd be a day when he would fall in love with Rose Weasley and raise a family with her.

Ryan was observing him, tight-lipped, his face tense. Scorpius was surprised when he dropped the tough stance and looked at him sharply.

"Rose never needed me. She still doesn't. And Amy already had her real father, Malfoy. She always did," he said quietly, his pale blue eyes watching him silently.

There was pin-drop silence.

"Excuse me?" whispered Scorpius, breaking out of his misery for moment. Certainly, he had heard Smith wrong. What did he mean by Amelia already having her father?

"She's your kid. Your blood. She's a Malfoy."

Wait, this wasn't making any sense.

Scorpius wondered if he was dreaming. Must be a bizarre dream.

"What are you playing at, Smith?!" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows. He then looked at Albus and Lily, wanting to point out the absolute tosh Ryan was spewing.

They simply looked back at him, no sign of any humour, any mischief.

"Malfoy," hissed Ryan, looking agitated now. He ran his hand through his hair and looked at him straight. "Stop being so dense. I am saying I am not Amelia's biological father. You are."

Yet again, there was utter silence for a moment. But Scorpius felt that this silence was probably the loudest he'd been a part of.

He stared at the three of them, mouth slightly open, trying to comprehend what Ryan had just said. Scorpius felt as if he'd been punched in the gut and all the wind had been knocked out.

How - just HOW?

Ryan continued, taking on the shocked look on Scorpius's face, "As it turns out, the men in the Smith family have a bit of a problem with fertility as age increases; we need medical help to be able to have kids. I discovered this shortcoming when my annual medical tests few weeks ago looked slightly off. I thought that maybe it was more of a recent development and Amy had been the miracle child before -and-and when I was trying to push Rose for visiting rights, I'd decided to get Amy's DNA matched with mine. I thought it would help my case," he paused. Scorpius was too stunned to speak, "Just that, the tests showed it wasn't a match. The genetics showed that she was the child of Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy."

Scorpius tried to take long breaths to steady the world in front of him.

His ears were ringing. His throat had dried up.

He couldn't think of any words, anything that could help grasp the bomb of a news dropped on him.

"But - but" he spluttered, trying to comprehend the implications of this. It was improbable! Couldn't anyone see that? "You guys had been together for a year! And Rose and I - we never -"

"Are you absolutely sure about that?" asked Ryan, raising his eyebrows.

"I'm positive!" yelled Scorpius, now getting angry. "I would remember if something had happened between me and -"

"So you didn't have any missing nights at a certain place that goes by the name Enervate?"

That effectively shut Scorpius up. Ryan only smirked in response.

"There was a time before Rose and I made things official, when she'd hooked up with someone at this club and she couldn't recall who the next morning," said Ryan, grimacing. The expression itself was enough for Scorpius to know how unpleasant it was for him to recall this, "We had become exclusive after she had revealed the night. When Amy's genes didn't match with mine, I asked the clinician for the parents' name. She said that the testing spells and potions reflected Weasley genes and Malfoy genes - your genes in Amy. And suddenly, everything made sense - it was you that night - it's always been about you and Rose. You were the one who'd hooked up with Rose that night. And nine months later-"

Nine months.

Scorpius found his brain working feverishly to recall the time when he'd blanked out. A part of him felt foolish for even believing this - why would Rose and him ever hook up, least of all before they even got married? There had been literally no signs of interest from her side, and he too had been busy with the new life after graduation.

Are you sure you're the only one who had that memory loss drink that night?

Scorpius was very glad that he had been sitting. He was feeling extremely light-headed; he thought he might faint.

The nagging voice in his head, for one, was making sense. It also made him realise something equally wonderful and terrible at the same time.

That night was approximately nine months from Amelia's birth.

That night he had hooked up with a woman. That woman was Rose Weasley.

Scorpius clenched his fingers into a fist, taking deep breaths and trying to calm his heart rate that seemed to have shot through the roof.

Pleasant tingles started their way through his body. Amelia was his little girl. She was a Malfoy like him.

Her cheekbones, the sharp nose, the eyes, the smile - they were his.

Scorpius lifted his eyes to furtively observe Ryan. Sure, they had similar features, especially the eyes. But there was a sharpness to his own features that seemed exclusive to him, to the Malfoys, but a simple recollection of Amelia's smiling face, with her lopsided grin, made him realise that he now shared those characteristics with his own daughter.

HIS daughter.

Bloody fucking hell.

The enormity of the entire situation crashed on him, and not for the first time, tears pricked his eyes. Amelia - Merlin! She was his and Rose's daughter. The little girl he'd held in his arms, the one'd raised, the one he'd sung lullabies for, the one he'd taught how to talk, walk, and fly on a broom. She was his flesh and blood.

Rose...

It was her. It had always been her, hadn't it?

Everything that everyone ever said about Rose and him crashed on him, one thought at a time, making him realise how he'd so bluntly ignored so many signs that pointed out that him and Rose were destined to be together.

Tears again crowded in his eyes as shame overwhelmed him. How had he been so cruel to hurt Rose like this?

His eyes landed on the coffee table. The folder containing the divorce papers was lying comfortably on the table top, triggering a wave of abhorrence.

He'd made her sign these, by spewing those dreadful words that should have never left his mouth.

"I made her sign these" he croaked out, immediately trying to curb the overflow of the tears, "Rose - I - she's given up on us."

"Are you sure she did?" came his best friend's calm voice. Scorpius looked at him in surprise. Albus bore a condescending look on his face, immediately triggering his own irritation.

"She signed - I saw - I owled Nott," he said, confused, only to see Albus shaking his head, "What?" he snarled

Albus leaned forward, picking up the file and handing it to him, "You clearly didn't see it, idiot. Utterly foolish of you to believe otherwise."

Heart in mouth, Scorpius took the file from Albus wordlessly. He heard Albus grumble 'Idiots, both of you.'

He open the folder to the page where her sign was meant to be.

He nearly cried in agony on seeing the page, a part of him dying inside at the sight of her handwriting. But the rest of him awakened, nearly exploding in happiness.

For instead of signing next to her name, Rose had simply written, 'I love you.'

She hadn't given up on them.

After all he did, all he said, after all they went through, she hadn't given up on him.

That little minx was so, so stubborn.

But she was his minx after all. If she was fighting so hard for them, who was he to wrap up their story like this?

They deserved their happy ending. And fuck anyone who would try and take that away.

"Where is she now?" he croaked hoarsely, his senses burning with a need to see her, kiss her, apologise to her, beg her to take him back.

He would do anything, anything to have his girls back.

Rose fought tooth and nail for them to be together. It was his turn to be a stubborn jackass. And he won't give up till his dying breath.

Because he loved her. And always would. Just like she would.

"Good morning, Scorpius. They are at my place, I suppose." smiled Albus, checking his watch, "It's fifteen post midnight. James had mentioned that he would also be dropping -"

Just then, a bright silver light from the corner of his eye caught Scorpius's attention. All in the living room jumped up to see a Patronus, a silver fox, land among them.

"This is James' patronus!" gasped Lily, looking stunned. "Wha-"

"Elora's been admitted to Mungo's. The baby's critical," spoke the patronus in James' somber voice, "Come as soon as you receive this message."


AN:-

So that's that! So glad to be done with this chapter.

How easy do you think it'll be for Scorpius to come back from what he pulled off? Will Elora be fine? Will Albus Jr. be fine?

Quick queries to be addressed:

1) The second half of this chapter and the previous one were happening simultaneously - just in case anyone is confused about the timeline!

2) the Rose/Scorpius hookup will be a part of the prequel, since it was officially before the story began, and neither of them remember the night to be able to draw it out in the story.

Credits to One Tree Hill for the divorce papers idea.

Don't forget to drop a review - would love to hear your thoughts on the same :) And of course, motivate me to write and update faster!

Also, can you recommend some brilliant, preferably complete, multi-chapter Rose/Scorpius, Ron/Hermione stories, which may not necessarily be on this site? Would love to read more exciting work by fellow writers! I have read most of the complete stories on FF, especially in the recent past. Happy to share my own list of fav reads with you as well.

Until next time, please stay safe,

Lots of love,

WeasleyKingRocks