She was an idiot.

Such an idiot.

She shook her head, hoping to clear her thoughts.

What in the world had she been thinking?

She hadn't been thinking - that was the problem. Every second of Rose Weasley's life had been calculated and recalculated allowing for nothing other than for her to make the most well-balanced decision.

But then Albus stepped out of their train compartment for a moment, and they were alone. The other boy in their party handed her a hastily wrapped gift he pulled from his school bag. She accepted it guiltily. She hadn't even thought to get him something. Perhaps she could buy him some candy from the trolley?

She methodically tore the paper from the corners, causing him to smile at her systematic nature even when it came to such things as Christmas presents. Rose finally pulled the last strip from the gift to reveal an old book.

"It's a first edition of Hogwarts: A History," he explained. "I wasn't sure if you had something like it already, but I know how much you like-"

Before she could stop herself, before she could mentally run through a list of pros and cons, before she could really even comprehend what she was doing, her lips were on his, and his hands were running through her bushy hair, and she was trying to figure out when he had outgrown his scrawny build. She wasn't sure how long they had stayed like that - minutes, hours, it didn't seem to matter as she couldn't get enough - but eventually the train whistled and pulled Rose back to reality.

She wasn't sure how she had managed to get onto the platform, or find her things or her parents. She couldn't remember three things from the car ride home or what her father had even served for dinner. The only two things she could think about were that she had kissed, snogged really, Scorpius Malfoy, and when she would be able to do it again.

"Mum," Rose said timidly as she pushed the door open into her study.

"Hey sweetie," Hermione greeted her as she closed the large volume she had been reading moments before. "I feel like I've hardly seen you since you've been home."

Rose nodded. "I've been in my room mostly. Reading."

"Ah," Hermione pushed the papers on her desk to the corner and moved over to the tiny sofa, inviting her daughter to sit with her. "Anything good?"

"Hogwarts: A History," Rose explained, showing the book to her mother.

Hermione's eyes lit up. "One of my favorites," she beamed as she took the leather covered book in her hands. "Is this a first edition? Where did you get this?"

"From a...friend," Rose replied carefully.

Not even the rare book in her hands was enough to blind Hermione to the way her daughter hesitated before answering. "Ah," she said. "And would this 'friend' also happen to be a boy?"

Rose rolled her eyes at her mother. "You of all people should know that girls can have friends who are boys without it being anything more."

Hermione smiled at her daughter's cheek. "You're right," she admitted. "Although, I'll remind you that one of those friends did become your father."

Rose looked down at her feet and kicked at an imaginary piece of dirt on the floor. "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about," Rose said timidly. "You and dad were friends before you started dating, right?"

Hermione tried to suppress the grin forming on her lips in hopes of not embarrassing her daughter. "We were."

"So what changed? Did you just wake up one morning and decide you liked him more than that?"

It was something Hermione had thought about often, how her and Ron's relationship had transformed from friends to romance. "I'm not really sure I had much of a decision in the matter at all," Hermione explained. "Love is a tricky thing, Rose. It's not just a series of big, larger than life gestures, it's a million little things. And there's no magical spell or book revealing all its secrets - trust me, I've looked."

Rose sighed and hung her head in her hands. What if what she felt for Scorpius wasn't really love and it completely ruined the friendship they did have? What if she told him how she felt, and he didn't feel the same way back. What if -

"Rose," Hermione said her name gently, pulling her back from her thoughts. "You're like me in a lot of ways, and right now, I can see your mind spinning and analyzing and over-analyzing every possible outcome of this."

Rose nodded her head in agreement and smiled sheepishly.

"Now, I'm not telling you to rush into something blind, but I am telling you, sometimes you just have to let happen what needs to happen. I wasn't thinking when I first kissed your father, the timing, everything, it was just something I had to do."

"You kissed dad first?" Rose asked, feeling a little better about initiating what happened with Scorpius on the train.

"He'll deny it," Hermione answered smiling. "But I did."

"Why does it have to be so complicated?" Rose shrugged. "We used to hate each other. Well, I guess I was really the one who...I don't know. He was different - he said I smelled like bread," Rose held her head in her hands. "But when I gave him a chance, and we became friends - he's brilliant, Mum. Maybe smarter than I am. And he notices things, like how I scrunch my eyebrows when I'm concentrating, or how I always put my hair up if I've had a rough day."

Hermione smiled at her daughter, recognizing the telltale signs of infatuation and possibly even love. She wondered how her daughter had grown up so suddenly right under her nose. "He sounds lovely," she said genuinely. "I'm looking forward to the chance for your father and I to meet him."

A fresh wave of panic hit Rose as she dropped her head to her hands and groaned. "I don't know about that," she sighed, and then in the same breath before she could be talked out of it said, "it's Scorpius Malfoy."

She peaked through the slits of her fingers and was pleased to see her mom's reaction wasn't overly surprised. "Well, Scorpius sounds quite thoughtful and kind," Hermione answered.

"He's a Slytherin," she added, sure her mother already knew but wanting to make sure nonetheless.

"So is Albus," Hermione answered reasonably.

"But Dad -"

"Dad is going to have a heart attack knowing you're snogging someone regardless of who he is. It wouldn't matter if it was the team captain of the Cannons," Hermione interrupted. "He'll come around."

Rose dropped her head in her hands again. "I don't even know if there's anything to come around to," she replied.

"Right," Hermione took a deep breath. "So, why don't you go and write to Scorpius? Tell him everything you just told me and see what he says. It's not going to do any good to stew about this all holiday."

"But what if he doesn't feel anything back?" Rose asked quietly.

"Then wouldn't it be better to know?" Hermione asked honestly. "Your father and I could have had another two years together if either of us would have just admitted to the other that we fancied each other. So, go write to him."

Rose sighed and nodded, knowing the wisdom from lessons learned from her mother. "Okay," she agreed. "But can we just keep this between us for now?"

Hermione smiled. "We're going to have to tell your father eventually."

"Maybe after the Cannons win the Cup," Rose teased as she stood to leave, but not before placing a kiss on her mother's cheek. "Thanks, Mum."

"You forgot your book," Hermione said, albeit too late as Rose had already shut the door and presumably headed back to her room to write to Scorpius. She smiled as she turned the book over in her hands, marveling at how history really did find a way of repeating itself.

This story has been long overdue for an update. I'm starting to catch the writing bug again and hoping to begin with more regular additions. As always, follows, favorites, reviews, and requests for future pairings or prompts are always welcome.