Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter book series or movie adaptations.

Note: I am so sorry that this chapter took so long! My family came down with the virus and I've been busy coordinating holiday plans and trying to help them get better from afar, but I haven't forgotten about this story or you guys!

Chapter Eight: Lips

15 July 2025

Rosie,

This isn't really my department; I'll have to ask some colleagues about what they think. In the meantime, you might have Malfoy Senior tell you who he previously hired to look into the matter and ask what tests they ran already. I'll try to be discreet, but if I hear that the boy uses this curse against you he'll become acquainted with the ugly side of my wand very quickly.

Uncle Bill

I rolled my eyes in amusement. I didn't really expect Uncle Bill to answer completely without threat to Scorpius' life when I'd explained the situation, but it really couldn't be avoided. He was the only curse breaker I knew, and I needed his contacts to help me break this curse. As much as I hoped Scorpius was telling the truth about not forcing me into anything, I couldn't help the niggling feeling I had and the fear that I held toward the prospect.

I looked up as Stitch laid down on the side of my desk. He did that often, though the reason evaded me. He always managed to lay on the one part of the desk that had my most important paperwork on it. I reached over to pet his ears with my left hand, my right hand busy writing my next letter.

15 July 2025

Daya,

Have you had a chance to talk to August yet? I don't want to make you feel pressured at all, I promise, it's just that Scorpius has been asking and I really don't want there to be a fuss so close to the date. All my love,

Rose

I'd just finished the last letter of my name when there was a knock on my bedroom door. I smiled; I could always tell which of my family members was there based on how they knocked. This one came in three short, shy knocks - Hugo.

"Come in," I called, rotating in my chair so that I faced my door.

Hugo walked in, and the first thing I noticed was the look of apprehension on his face. "Hey, Rosie," he said shyly.

I frowned. My brother was not the shy type. He was more like James - just as likely to make a scene as he was to wake up in the morning. "Come in," I said, "And then maybe tell me whatever it is that has you worked up?"

My brother nodded, closing the door behind him as he came to sit on my bed. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you, and I didn't know how you'd take it, so I decided since you're getting married in less than six weeks I should let you know-"

"Hu," I said, "Spit it out." He was almost scaring me now.

"Right," he said, looking down at his hands as he placed them in his lap. "So there's a boy that I've been talking to for a while." I nodded; it had never been a secret that my brother wasn't straight. "The boy I've been talking to," he said, slowly, as though he was searching for the words. "Well, he goes to Durmstrang. We had friends put us in contact because they thought we would get on, and one thing led to another, and, well, I want to have him as my date to your wedding."

I beamed. "That would be amazing," I all but shouted. "I would love to meet him! What's the bloke's name?"

Hugo bit his lip. "Canopus Malfoy," he uttered.

I stopped. The whole world seemed to slow down for a moment as I processed what my brother had just told me. Canopus was Scorpius' brother; I had met him once or twice in the past, though never for long since he didn't go to Hogwarts with the rest of us.

"Does his family know that he's, er," I began, looking for a word.

My brother nodded. "He's bisexual, and he came out last summer. His grandmother had a right fit about it, and they don't talk much anymore, but his parents and Scorpius are fine with it. I'll be the first bloke that he's introduced to them, though."

I nodded. "Well," I said, "Seems like it's settled then. I don't know what you were so worried about, Hu."

"I know you have a rough relationship with his brother," Hu explained, "And I just want to make sure that that won't effect the relationship that I want to have with him. I'm sure Dad will have a cow about both of his children going with Malfoys; I didn't want to risk more than one person in my immediate family becoming a problem."

I nodded in understanding. "Well it isn't like I would disapprove," I said. "I'm marrying his brother. That has nothing to do with you. I'm just glad that you're happy."

Hugo grinned. "Thanks Rosie," he said. "Now, can we keep this between us for now? I want to tell Mum and Dad myself, later."

"Of course," I said with a nod. I mimed a zipping motion across my lips. "My lips are sealed."

Hugo chose to tell our parents about his new relationship that night, at dinner, and I was glad that he had told me before, because it took both me and Mum to convince Dad that it was fine. Ironically, he took the news that Hugo was dating a Malfoy much harder than he took the news that he liked blokes in the first place.

That night, I sent a quick owl to Scorpius asking whether or not he'd heard the news, since Hugo had told me that Canopus was telling his family about the relationship that day as well. Scorpius' reaction was much the same as mine; as long as neither boy hurt our respective brothers, we weren't going to be an issue. We also agreed that news of that particular match might make our wedding much more interesting, since our extended families weren't being explicitly told of the happy couple until the wedding.

I spent most of the rest of the month preparing with Alice and Albus for their upcoming nuptials and getting settled into my new job in the Prophet; when my first article was published, Mum cut it out and framed it to hang on the wall in the living room, along with every art project that Hu and I had ever completed.

The twenty-ninth rolled around relatively quickly, and I found myself at the Burrow that morning. Albus and Alice had decided that, since it was such a small ceremony, there would be no one except for family there, and they would have the ceremony at the Burrow, as most of the people in our family did.

The ceremony was gorgeous; I didn't think I'd ever seen my cousin or my friend look quite as happy as they did that day, and I was happy for them. This marriage law had drawbacks, of course, but it occurred to me that without it these two would probably still be dancing around each other, unaware of their feelings. I was glad that they'd been given this opportunity.

Afterward, when I'd gotten home, I looked into the mirror as I carefully pulled my hair out of the updo I'd put it in that morning and wondered about my marriage. I'd always wanted to be in love when I got married; even with the law, I'd assumed that I could find a way to fall in love with whoever I was paired with. I laughed derisively at myself; I had been in love with the person I matched with - just not when I was matched. For just a moment, I allowed my mind to wander back to when our relationship had been good.

I was doubled over laughing at something he'd said; by the time I was done laughing, my stomach had cramped and I could hardly remember what he'd done to send me into stitches in the first place.

We sat in the room of requirement, after yet another study session. The initial project that we had been working on had been done for weeks, but we had decided to continue our regular sessions anyway because, given that my strong suits seemed to be his weak ones and visa versa, there was no reason we shouldn't help each other.

"I'm telling you," Scorpius said, wiping a gleeful tear from his eye as his laughter subsided into occasional giggles, "When my dad first told me that story, I didn't stop laughing for almost an hour. By the end, Mum had to give me a calming drought just to get me to sit up straight."

I placed a hand over my aching stomach, grinning at him. "I can imagine that," I said. "I can't believe he got away with that!"

He shrugged, still beaming. "Grandmother always had a soft spot for him, I guess. He used to say that that was the only reason he made it to Hogwarts; otherwise Grandfather would have killed him for some of the pranks he pulled as a child."

I nodded, and the room went quiet for a moment before I decided to break the silence. "You know," I said, "It's a shame that we were so mean to each other for so long. I think we could've been friends otherwise."

"Are you saying that you genuinely enjoy hanging out with me, Rosie?"

I crinkled my nose. "Don't call me that," I said with playful distaste. "That's what Hugo and Dad call me."

He shrugged. "Too bad," he said. "Because I like it." He stopped for a moment. "You didn't answer the question, Rosie."

I nodded. "Yeah," I said, "I guess I do kind of like it."

Scorpius beamed. "Good," he said, "Because so do I." He leaned forward then, pressing his lips to mine for the first time.

There had been a lot of kisses after that, of course. Some of them had been good; most of them had been great. And yet, I reminded as I physically shook myself from my reverie, those kisses had ended for a reason. A good reason. As much as it was tempting to forget the bad had ever happened, I couldn't do that. The past couldn't be erased.

As I laid down in my bed and prepared to sleep, however, I couldn't help but think to myself; perhaps I could never allow myself to forget what he'd done, but maybe, just maybe, I could find myself able to forgive him.

A niggling feeling in the back of my mind worried that I might have already started to do so.