Wednesday – Albus

Rose was on her bed in her Head Girl dormitory. She was laid flat on her back staring at the stone ceiling, counting the cobwebs. It was the limbo between classes and dinner. A time normally reserved for frantic scribbling of concise notes had instead been set aside in favour of Rose wallowing in a poor form of self-pity and re-evaluation.

Agonising guilt was not something Rose Weasley was familiar with. In that afternoon however, she was racked with it.

She kept going over and over the circumstances in her head. Upon Elliot's suggestion of the two of them seeing each other, sure she hadn't been overly enthused, but she had been caught off guard – the potential of it becoming a good thing had taken precedence. Why shouldn't the Head Boy and Girl work as a couple?

Then Scorpius happened. A fickle voice in her head kept reminding her that he had always been attractive, that much she had known and accepted.

When had her objective opinion based purely on the fact the giggling girls surrounding him had irked her changed into a subjective one? One where she could willingly attest to his attractiveness. Was it his open admittance that he liked her, or was it his testament of liking her for a long time behind the scenes? The idea of an attraction to Scorpius was curling itself around her consciousness – tightening its hold every time she let her mind wander to all those supposedly innocent conversations and his ever-lingering gaze. Rose Weasley was not about to go all puppy dog eyed over a man (her weak moment in the library was quite obviously a blip), though he certainly wasn't just Albus' friend anymore. It didn't help that at a boarding school crammed with young witches and wizards that when you're implicitly trying to avoid contact with someone your interactions with them always increase tenfold. It's inevitable.

This did nothing to hone Rose's focus away from Scorpius. She had never considered any guy to be as alluring as Scorpius was beginning to be in her mind. This thought freaked her out considerably. Why Scorpius? And why now? Rose tried to reason, in her mind, as she often did with difficult or potentially problematic issues such as this by breaking it down. His attraction towards her was displayed in such honest and beguiling confidence she struggled to argue against it. He was completely unabashed about his feelings, that somehow was lending Rose to become more open around him herself. She found how at ease she had been with him in the library the previous day to be rather freeing.

She also, though she was loathed to admit it, felt some familiarity there. Something that had once been dread of being pranked in his presence had transformed into that strange tightening of her gut and heat in her cheeks.

Something else was nagging at her. It was this particular feeling that was dangerously close to encroaching above her more often than not, infallible reasoning. That feeling in her gut; it excited her. It was a similar sensation she had forgot about that had occurred during the summer when she had unwittingly hung out with Scorpius and enjoyed herself. She just hadn't recognised it then.

Rose knew based on these conclusions she had two very difficult conversations ahead of her. The first was obviously with Elliot. It was neither fair nor justifiable that she could have led him on as long as she already had, purely because she had never truly liked him in the first place. Not like that anyway. She was certainly not about to be that brutal when informing him that their arrangement couldn't possibly continue a day longer. Unfortunately, Wednesday marked out the Duelling club, run by Elliot himself and another Hufflepuff seventh year. Meaning Rose would have to wait until their evening patrol the following day or cancel studying with Shannon and Jasmine that night to have this uncomfortable conversation.

The second person she had to speak to was Albus. For a smart girl, Rose still couldn't fathom why Albus had been so harsh about the whole Scorpius situation. On recollection, it really did seem he was more pissed off about that than the broom cupboard issue, no matter what Scorpius had said about "self-preservation". True, she had never previously been overly keen on Scorpius' attention or company, but things can change so easily. The truth can change things so easily.

For this reason, Rose sat up gingerly on her bed, running both hands through her hair to calm herself down. She slid on her old boots and threw her cloak over her shoulders, accompanied by her Ravenclaw scarf to combat the biting February winds.

As she made her way across the grounds, she couldn't make out any dark figures up on brooms against the darkened sky. This most likely meant they had finished training and were instead hauled up in the changing rooms for a post training pep talk.

As she approached closer, a few Slytherin boys appeared out of the stands. Their faces looked despondent, their shoulders sagging beneath their brooms. Making their way to the nearest broom shed a few of them cast Rose a cursory nod or lift of their hand as they passed. At a glance, she noted the five boys as they headed back up to the castle, meaning only two remained.

Taking a steadying breath, Rose knocked on the wooden slat leading into the changing room. Upon hearing a muffled grunt, she crossed the threshold into the damp air left behind after half a dozen showers.

"Hi Red," came a voice from behind her. As she spun round her eye level caught the bare chest of Scorpius Malfoy disappeared as a tshirt was pulled over his head. He ruffled his wet hair with his palm while bending down to scoop his glasses off the nearest bench.

A few months ago, hell, a few days ago, Rose might have recoiled at the prospect of stumbling across Scorpius with his shirt off. Now however, she had to wrench her eyes away from where she had just witnessed bare skin. Her mouth parted, her whole demure relaxing before she caught herself; it was never appropriate for the Head Girl to leer at a bloke in the changing rooms. No matter what kind of earth shattering realisation you had just had about said bloke. His wet and ruffled hair still made her throat go dry.

"Hi," Rose spoke, her voice cracking, "is Albus round?"

Scorpius gritted his teeth, looking vexed his eyes lifted up to the ceiling, "You're braver than me."

"How come?"

"Training isn't the most pleasant experience when you've got someone whacking bludgers at you with impressive force for two whole hours."

"What're you doing here?" came the voice of Albus Potter from the alcove leading to the showers. His hair was damp with water, which did nothing to dilute the piercing look Albus surveyed her with.

She held his gaze, wary though determined.

Scorpius grazed her elbow as he shouldered his broom, "I'd better be going, catch you later Al." He threw him a halfhearted wave before whispering "good luck, Red." As he left, leaving the two cousins alone.

"What're you doing here?" Albus repeated, dispassionately.

Rose bit her lip. She knew putting herself in this situation again wouldn't be easy, but she wanted closure. Her heart screamed that she needed it. She felt her chest constrict. "I'm….erm…I don't think our conversation went all that well the other day."

Albus turned, his back now facing her, "you don't say? Have you at least come to tell me face to face that you are going to McGonagall?" His question was blunt as he rummaged in his satchel.

Rose started, "if I was it would be both of you."

"How fair of you," muttered Albus under his breath, his back still to her. Rose knew he'd be wearing an ugly sneer she would rather not see anyway. Perhaps this was better.

"I still don't understand-"

"Did you just say 'if I was'?" Albus interrupted, his hand half raised.

"Maybe I did," said Rose, crossing her arms defensively over her chest.

Albus' expression transformed into one of melancholy as he angled his body back towards her. This caused a fiery anger to flare up within her. She bristled, her hair crackling quietly with static. Why did he feel the need to pity her, especially when Scorpius had admitted his feelings outright? Albus' denial was plain and simply hurtful.

"Scorpius spoke to you again, didn't he?"

"I'm here to speak to you, Albus. Not to discuss Scorpius." Rose stated coolly, failing to mimic the same level of hostility as Albus.

"He clearly managed to convince you. Your tune has changed drastically since we last spoke."

"Actually I've had time to sit with it. Scorpius and I-"

"Since when has he been Scorpius to you?"

Rose gulped, Albus merely watched her patiently. A dark shadow cast over half his face. If Scorpius had stayed, would it have made this conversation any easier? Albus was already upset with him too.

"He's grown up a lot over the years," she said, although she knew ALbus would see right through this.

"The bloke that cut a chunk out of your hair in 7th year Herbology – last week – has matured?" Albus barked out a harsh laugh. It reverberated off the wooden stats in the walls, cracking like splinters puncturing the skin.

Rose winced, knowing she was falling into his trap. She wasn't here to discuss this.

"Albus we're going nowhere here. You're giving me the cold shoulder; for what? Because Scorpius and I don't dislike each other anymore?"

"He never disliked you."

"Fine." Rose bristled, "Then I find him more-" Attractive, "-tolerable." Her chest tightened again, this time like a coiled spring, she wasn't keeping her blush in check. Albus exaggerated rolling his eyes, Rose ploughed on, ignoring his insolence, "I've said I'm not going to dob you in. It would be completely hypocritical of me if I did, wouldn't it?"

"Don't give me that crap. You were fluttering your eyelashes at him just then," Albus gestured towards the door where Scorpius has made his exit.

"I bloody well wasn't Albus," she said shrilly, glaring at him. The indignation had caused her voice to crack. They stood there in silence for a moment. Rose knew she wouldn't win this without admitting something – anything – of how she now felt. She sighed.

"Talking with Scorpius, it opened my eyes a little. Made me think I was being too insular and judgemental."

"So you do like him now then?" Albus demanded, his anger flaring up again unexpectedly.

"I'm not sure," she lied.

"That's a yes," Albus spat.

"It wasn't a yes. I've just become," she tried to think of an ambiguous enough word to convey that she didn't even know yet, "ambivalent towards him."

"Yeah," Albus face melted into a sneer worthy of his middle-namesake, "and that blush as you merely talk about him says differently. To me that suggests guilt."

"Honestly Al, is this exaggerated hostility because you don't want me to tell McGonagall or because you want Scorpius all to yourself?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Eugh," Rose threw her hands in the air in exasperation, "we've had this god damn conversation before! I mean that you want him as your friend and not in any way shared with me," she jabbed roughly at her own chest with her thumb. "The Head Girl who supposedly already has it good enough."

"You're not even his type."

"Circe, Albus. You're being cruel for the hell of it now. Just because you're in Slytherin doesn't mean you have to act like the textbook definition of one! It sounds to me that you're upset that you might – heaven forbid – end up spending a fraction less time with your best friend?!" She hit a nerve, the vein in Albus' forehead twitched, his eyebrows crushed together furiously. This only spurred her on, "or are you jealous? That I might take him away from you? Need I remind you that we were best friends when we were kids? Before Hogwarts!"

"A best friend, defends someone Rosie. Whatever house they get put in," he said his old nickname for her so bitterly she had to ball her fists to stop herself hurtling at him and punching every part of him she could reach.

"Not this again," she said through gritted teeth, she knew if he looked furious she must look positively frenzied. "I was a fucking first year. I had a blip, like everyone else! It was shock. I was never mean about it. Sure, I should have owled your mum sooner but I didn't did I? Because Scorpius turned into your only confidant. And then it was him who told me all the things James was doing!"

"By that point, I didn't care." She took a step towards him, shaking with repressed rage. He didn't even blink.

"Merlin. This conversation is exhausting. Bringing up ghosts from the past that I thought had been lamented. So, Albus Potter is pissed at me for numerous reasons," Rose lifted her right fist. "You're still mad and bitter about something that happened when we were eleven?" She pulled out her smallest finger, "you're pissed because I got Head Girl," another finger. Albus pursed his lips but this time remained silent, "pissed because Scorpius fancies me-"

"I knew this would happen!" Albus voice exploded out his mouth as if it had been contained for an innumerable amount of time. "The bastard."

Rose shook her head, feeling in disarray and incredulous, "How does him liking me make him a bastard?"

Albus looked wild, his eyes blazing a white heat that doused the green, "because he's supposed to like me! He's supposed to fall for me!"

The words fell into a chasm between them, echoing around their ears. Albus wore a look of absolute horror at the words he'd just yelled.

A bubble seemed to inflate in her chest and burst. Again and again. With each memory, each heart wrenching time she had felt insecure about her and Scorpius' respective relationships with Albus the realisation of why she had been treated the way she had caused the painful repeated thud behind her ribcage.

He's supposed to fall for me.

Although this fit with everything, she still couldn't believe she had never noticed, not had a single inkling.

"Albus I had….no idea." Her voice shook and she internally cursed herself for it. It made her sound afraid.

"I wanted to keep it that way," he said, tearing he eyes away, he sounded ashamed.

She took another step towards him; all anger having burnt out by this other revelation. "Albus, are you ok?"

Albus didn't answer. He sat down on the bench, his shoulders hunched and his head fell in his hands.

Rose bit her lip, "does anyone else know?" She saw him shake his head. She took another, this time more confident step towards him.

"Look at me, Al," she said as soothingly as she could. She hadn't seen him in such despair in seven years. It was gut wrenching. His deflated form flinched away as she moved to squeeze his shoulder. Moving even more tentatively, in both shock and awe of what she had just found out all her senses now pointed instead of confusion and hatred to comfort. Albus looked positively wounded and that didn't sit right with her; whatever he'd said earlier to hurt her feelings.

When she had managed to gracefully lay an arm around his shoulders, he relaxed a fraction before to her uttermost surprise one of his hands shot up to grab her hand and squeezed her fingers together tightly. She rearranged their hands to apply the same sure pressure back, his hand just as warm and rough as she remembered from childhood.

This physical contact instilled in her the ability to keep talking. "How long have you known?" Her attempt at phrasing the question with all emphasis away from Scorpius. Albus ran his free hand through his hair.

"I don't even know," he croaked, still not looking at her. His head down, almost to his knees, completely hopeless. After a moment he had a sound, something guttural and primal – a throaty growl of an animal furious that it's prey has escaped.

"Better you then Lily I suppose," his voice taking on a more familiar morose tone. At Albus words she couldn't help herself. If he wanted to deal with this in this manner, she would continue as she saw fit.

"You should tell him."

Albus' head shot up, his eyes wide, staring straight at the wall in front of him, transfixed, "no, absolutely not."

"He's a brother you chose for yourself, of course you need to tell him."

"It's not the 16th century, Rose. Incest of the brotherly kind is out of the question."

"I don't mean it like that, "she said softly, "your friendship is valued so highly by both of you, the bond you share is more like brothers than friends. Lots of people have said that to me before."

"Here's me suggesting he might reciprocate," Albus chuckle was hollow under his breath. "I'm aware of that," he ground out through his teeth, "he's as straight as they come. A knights sword, the out of bounds line on the Quidditch Pitch-"

"I get it," Rose interrupted before Albus could begin a tirade with false humour.

Albus put his head in his hands again, massaging his temples, "Uncle George likened us to him and Uncle Fred. Except…what was it he said….'if we were evil snakes'."

"He didn't mean that!"

"Didn't he?" Albus finally locked eyes with her, and she was startled to see them brimming with unshed tears, his voice still level but empty. Almost pleading. "The whole family still denies it."

Rose dug deep, for something she wanted for the both of them, for something that she had been struggling with herself, "your house doesn't define the path you tread into adulthood. The black and white merged decades ago. Your house isn't who you are," she gently brought their foreheads together closing her own eyes, her hand finding his, "your decisions and treatment of others is how you're viewed in the outside world." She said this in a quiet breath, feeling it's heat pool between their faces.

"My treatment of you doesn't bode well for me then?" Albus asked, sardonically. "You've fitted into your house well though," he pulled away though he kept his hand with hers, his eyes dark but swimming, "you'll be following in your mum's footsteps soon enough."

"Contrary to popular belief, this is all a well-planned front. I have zero clue what I'm going to do after Hogwarts."

"You'll get fed up with him, Rose. He's too much of a jester for you."

"But not for you," Rose smiled sadly at him, which Albus return while wiping his eyes. "I'm starting to think I've taken life too seriously. And its probably took me too long to work that out." She looked at him again, really looked at him. It had been some time. His chin was sprouting generous and even stubble, his eyes were more hooded then when they were younger, and he'd definitely grown into his jaw. His green eyes a clear standout of his facial features; piercing and heart stopping if they held fire.

"Are you going to tell him?"

"I don't think I can."

"He deserves to know why you're angry at him," said Rose with earnest. Her breath caught in the back of her throat before she managed to utter her next question, "are you in love with him?"

Albus shook his head violently, "I don't even know! It comes and it goes. One minute I'm furious he's fooling around with some girl while I'm yearning over him, the next I'm over the moon he wants to hang out with me and puts me first when we pull pranks together, stuff like that." He finished lamely, but she knew what he meant.

"Diplomatic response."

"I wish we were still kids too sometimes. No thoughts of love or who you fancied, especially if it was boys or even what we want to do after school?"

Rose couldn't help smiling despite herself, "How is it that Scorpius is the only one out of the three of us who seems to have any idea what he's doing?"

"Probably that heavily weighted paternal upbringing," Albus deadpanned. He caught her eye and they both laughed. Awkwardly at first, but then so much that they were hanging off each other's shoulders, tears of laughter falling big and fat onto their legs.

Between gasps to calm down, Rose spoke, "yeah, I bet his father coaxed him into wanting to travel the world an wear…what was it? Metallica t-shirts in our grandmother's kitchen?"

"Not to mention how many detentions he's had."

They were both still breathing heavily, Rose felt hot in the changing room from her newly racing heart. She pulled away from Albus to give him some space too. She fanned herself with her hand, grinning at him.

Albus eyed her curiously, "maybe I have underestimated him when it comes to you." Her heart leapt to her throat.

"It's nothing to speak about yet!" she said hastily.

"You a fucking awful liar."

"I'll admit that at least. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't considered it," she didn't want to talk about that now, that wasn't what mattered, "will you at least think about telling him?"

He paused, a hand coming up to his chin as he shrugged, "what if he laughs?"

"Liberal, jester-Malfoy, 8th descendent of goblin slave owners, your best friend, confidant and partner in crime?"

Albus blinked.

"Doubtful."

He didn't say anything, he just pulled her into a hug. It was full and close, almost like how her father hugged her.

"God Albus, what's been wrong with us? I love you, you…git." Her tears fell into his pullover.

"I deserve that one."

"I'm sorry we drifted apart."

"I'm sorry too."

They said nothing else to one another. No other words were needed. They left the changing rooms shoulder to shoulder. Walking back up to the castle, the glow of the thousand lit windows, reflected in the tears on her cheeks.

Thursday – Elliot

"Is someone going to tell me why Scorpius Malfoy is burning a hole in the back of your head, Rose? Or do I have to go and ask him to stop it myself?" Shannon glanced over Rose's shoulder for the umpteenth time that dinner.

Rose sent a sidelong glance at Jasmine who was distracted, having one hand holding a textbook and the other slicing profiteroles on her brass plate.

Shannon huffed, "So Jasmine can know but I can't?" having followed Rose's gaze. The worst flaw of a Ravenclaw; they had to know everything. Although Rose's knowledge of 'everything' came in investigating physical circumstances that she should probably leave well alone, Shannon's came in the form of gossip and affairs.

"He fancies her," said Jasmine frankly, not taking her eyes off her book. Rose gagged, the burly fifth year beside her whacked her on the back, thankfully dislodging the chunk of biscuit base of her cheesecake from her windpipe.

Rose stared at the side of Jasmine's head as if she'd gone mad. Whether Jasmine could feel the side of her head heating up or not she continued to read as if she were alone in the hall.

Shannon looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "doesn't everyone know that?" Jasmine lowered the textbook.

"You knew?" she asked, her voice sceptical but her face expressionless.

Shannon shrugged, "if I had to guess, he's always glancing at her. All looks like he's attempting to be furtive. He seemed to manage it with the girls he's actually seeing. Never really looks at them, but he's always looking over here."

"Fair deduction," said Jasmine going back to her book as if she has zero interest in the matter.

Rose took a moment to look over Shannon's shoulder and caught the eyes behind spectacles staring this way. A small smirk curled his mouth. He nodded his head, Rose's eyes widened and she looked back down at the leftover cheesecake on her plate.

"Oh my god! You fancy him as well," said Shannon, grinning with unbridled glee.

Rose grabbed the front of her robes rather aggressively, pulling the other girl round to face her, "will you keep your god damn voice down!" For a moment Shannon looked shocked at being man handled, but the panic must have been evident in her eyes. She raised a knowing and annoying eyebrow.

"You're still seeing Rhodes then? I thought that would have fizzled out by now." Said Shannon as if it was a topic often spoken about freely at dinner.

Rose cringed, "I'm working on it."

"So there is something between you and Malfoy?"

"No."

"You want there to be?"

Rose hesitated, "can we not discuss this here?" she glanced up the table, thankfully most of her house had vacated to the library or the common room. Fewer open ears to hear her indiscretions.

"That's a yes," said Shannon, a satisfied smile dancing across her face.

"Should we go start that essay for Greengrass? There are some books in the restricted section I wanted to have a look through," Jasmine spoke as if in a daze – or autopilot – as she addressed Shannon, having set aside her fork in favour of her bare hand to pick up the two remaining profiteroles.

Shannon bristled, glancing between the other two girls, "you guys are no fun! Why can't I be excited that our Rose might actually have something more amorous than missionary?"

"Hey-"

"We all know there isn't a passionate bone in Rhodes' body." Said Shannon in a rather patronising tone. Jasmine began to pack away her things as her plate faded into thin air. "Malfoy however…" the girl looked vacantly over to the Slytherin table, "compulsive, funny, smart. Definitely cunning, I'd bet a galleon he'd rock your world." She said this so matter-of-factly it made Rose's stomach flip.

"Come on Shannon," drawled Jasmine in a bored voice taking a handful of grapes from the remaining fruit bowl, "the Head Girl has patrol." She caught Rose's eye and gave her a weak but apologetic look. Rose returned a begrudging smile as she heard Shannon ask Jasmine from ten steps ahead of her, "so Cattermole, you know more than you're letting on. Don't make me curse the books you want to read into runes, I know even you'd struggle to translate."

"You know I don't bend to threats," she heard Jasmine reply, dryly.

"And you don't break rules so wouldn't be able to stop me without putting me in a Body-Bind-"

"Don't tempt me." She heard Jasmine say as they moved out of earshot.

If it wasn't for patrols, Rose might have taken the opportunity to take to her dorm room again to work on an essay or distract herself with a fictional book. Or the ground to swallow her up, again. She saw in the corner of her eye a tall dark-haired bloke head towards the Slytherin table and bend down to speak to Scorpius. She knew it was Albus immediately, but she didn't want to look like she was being nosy. At the very same moment she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder and turned to see Elliot smiling down at her, his cheeks like a cherubs, round and tinged pink. She returned his smile with slight reluctance.

"Shall we?" he put out an arm for her but she raised from the seat herself and threw her bag over her shoulder. He followed dutifully behind for a moment before rushing to catch up to her brisk stride.

"Are you in a rush?"

"Not particularly." She stated, not even convincing herself.

They reached the doors of the hall as Albus and Scorpius passed talking in hushed voices, both boys glancing their way – suddenly finding less space in the door way with the other couple present. Scorpius eyes seemed to hone in on the arm Elliot had just slung over her shoulders with a deep frown and Albus surveying the situation with mild interest. His eyes flicking between Scorpius and Elliot before he threw Rose a - let me sort out my mess first – look before tugged on Scorpius' sleeve and heading towards the dungeons.

Elliot turned them towards the marble staircase as they began to walk in step together, Rose resisted the urge to immediately shrug off Elliot's arm. "Those guys are really close, don't you think?" he asked, a slightly mystified look in his eye.

"They're friends. Best friends," Rose corrected, a warm feeling spreading in her chest at the thought of her remerging relationship with Albus.

Elliot made a noise somewhere between a grunt and a huff, "the guys on the Hufflepuff team thing there is something going on."

Rose stiffened, his words rattling around her head for a moment before she forced her shoulders to relax, "I highly doubt that based on how Scorpius is with girls." She forced it out trying hard to not sound like she had any reason to agree with Elliot.

"He could bat for both teams," said Elliot casting his own glance towards the dungeon entrance before they turned onto the first-floor corridor. "And Potter, he's your cousin right? You'd know if-"

"Enough!" said Rose, falling to the end of her rope. She tasted bile. There had been too many revelations, too many intimate conversations that week already and yet she still had to force herself to have this one. With a guy who found the most perfect time to question her cousin's sexuality when she was about to effectively dump him. Merlin had to have it in for her. She straightened herself to her full height, taking a few deep breaths, Elliot had dropped his arm some time before.

"It's none of our business what they get up to in their spare time." The double meaning in her choice of words wasn't lost on her and a panicked drumbeat began in her chest.

She must have looked irritated as Elliot just nodded, "alright."

They were quiet for some time. Every now and then they would open up a broom cupboard to reveal a writhing couple or a pack of rats fighting over a chicken carcass of unknown age. Every now and again Elliot would sidle closer to her in the corridor but she would scoot away, closer to the wall each time. She didn't need his physical attention then, nor did she want it.

"Are you alright, Rosie?" he asked on the fifth-floor corridor after she had a shouting match with Peeves for writing Farts are loud, farts are fun, never smell like roses; they dart out your bum! On the stonewall.

Still seething, Rose couldn't help but be thankful for this window of opportunity. Elliot might be unlucky to feel her wrath as a stress outlet, and not in a way she usually let him have it.

"No, actually."

"You want to talk about it?" Elliot asked, kindly while still managing to appear unsure.

"You're not going to like it." She said bluntly, tearing open a tapestry and taking the stairs two at a time, stomping with each footfall.

"Oh."

She halted when they arrived on the seventh floor. Spinning round to face him, his innocent expression knocking half the fight and anger out of her. His mousy hair was tousled, his mouth downturned in concern. He was good looking, undoubtedly. He'd make a good boyfriend to someone who returned his affection she reasoned with herself.

"This," she gestured between the two of them, closing her eyes as if pained, "it isn't working for me."

When she looked at him he was staring back blankly, realisation showing gradually in the upturn of his mouth and bottom lip protruding out.

"Oh, right. What's brought this on?" he asked, the naivety of the question almost caused Rose to laugh in his face. She decided that now wasn't the time to beat around the bush.

"I haven't been fair to you. We've always been a bit one sided. I guess, as clique as it sounds…I never felt a spark between us."

He suddenly looked confused, "even when-" he trailed off as she nodded.

"It was good, don't get me wrong. It just isn't the relationship I had in mind. It's unfair to you when you could be with someone who appreciates you. Sorry," said Rose, the guilt rising in a wave from her navel and crashing around her ears, "it's six months of your final year you won't be getting back."

Elliot remained stood there, silently nodding, watching her face as she spoke. She assumed it was still sinking in, so she ploughed on. "I feel like I've always been closed off to you, I never really opened up."

This time Elliot turned a little to lean on the wall closest, folding his arms, "can I ask you something?"

"I don't see why not," although having encouraged him to continue, Rose felt a little nervous at what the question might hold.

Elliot frowned, "do you like someone else?"

"What?"

"It's just I happened to stumble on a conversation you were having with Malfoy."

"When?" she asked, thinking about the library and the dungeon and which one might be considered worse.

"Yesterday. In the library." Taking the smallest of victories in this, she felt a little relieved it hadn't been their encounter in the dungeon he'd bore witness to.

"So you heard?-"

"I also heard," Elliot seemed to have found his voice, interrupting her and raising his speech above her interruption, "Chambers saying some things in the Owlery a few days ago."

So, he had known? He'd known what she was going to talk about before she even mentioned it? Rose guessed she deserved that, she pleasantly surprised amongst everything of how ruthless Elliot had been.

"So you knew I was going to have this conversation with you?" she asked flabbergasted, tugging at the sleeves of her robes awkwardly, the blue stain catching her eye for a moment.

Elliot, who it appeared was more easy-going about the situation than Rose had expected felt a little ashamed. Maybe she had thought a bit too much of herself?

"I put two and two together," he gazed at her, impassive, "it gave me a little heads up to process. OF which I'm actually grateful. I'm not good with surprises."

"I wouldn't trust any of the shit that comes out of Chambers mouth, just so you know." Rose bit out suddenly, Elliot grinned for a moment.

"Oh I don't doubt that. But the exchange you had with Malfoy was kind of…eye opening." He cast her a probing look as her cheeks turned rosy in the torchlight. "Perhaps I should have seen it coming. I guess there was a small part of me that thought you might open up to me. Wishful thinking, eh?"

"No!" she said hastily, the guilt stealing her again to make excuses where there clearly wasn't any warranted, "in another world where I hadn't subconsciously started liking Scorpius Malfoy without even my own knowledge we could definitely have been something more." She knew she was saying this to save face, make him feel better. He didn't look dejected, but It was in the slump of his shoulders and the vacant expression in his eyes. Some part of him was saddened by it all even if he wasn't quite as overt about his feelings as others (such as herself) might be.

"So you like Malfoy then?" tat was the clearest she'd herard it, the hollow quality his voice had established in the empty corridor.

She sighed, exhausted and not wanting to lie to anyone – her self especially – any longer.

"Loathe am I do admit it."

They continued the rounds in what Rose thought was amicable silence. Rose felt free of the guilt she'd begun to feel. She felt lighter than she had in days, although Albus' secret might start burning a hole in her brain if he hadn't the courage to tell Scorpius the truth. The slump in Elliot's shoulders went barely noticed. She might have felt worse had she had strong feelings for him in the first place. What they experienced was not what she would even have considered a serious relationship. And now, relieved from it, she wondered how he could have thought it that either.

XXX

Things with Elliot had never been what she had displayed on the surface. When she relived the events over the following hours and days she would go through repeated stages of guilt, relief and excitement.

Until it became too much.

When the following Saturday rolled along, Rose couldn't quite believe the week she'd had. Amongst all the unusual and unprecedented drama she had somehow gained three O grade essays and over two dozen house points. It was like the rest of her work load had been set to autopilot while her brain kicked and whirred with all the social issues she was facing.

Word hadn't seemed to have got out about her own indiscretions. For that she was grateful. People still treated her with as much respect as they had the Head Girl a week ago. Yet she wasn't the same person.

In retrospect, a huge amount had happened, but realistically it was just another burst of events amongst the general monotony. Only one thing stood out to her those next few days. Even though she tried to catch his eye, Scorpius was more evasive than usual. Blaming a potential heart to heart with Albus to be the thing affecting his usual rapour, she had mused a thousand scenarios on how things would work out. Now that she knew this – he - was what she wanted. The excitement, the thrill, the passion.

She was still Rose Weasley though. It had taken her at least an hour in front of a mirror for a pep talk with her own reflection to get her sneaking across the entrance hall on Saturday night. She clutched tightly to the tie in her pocket, like a talisman. Her toes were already tingling.

I wrote most of this on my phone. Yep. I'm that guy now. My life is so freaking busy I only went through it once after I pasted it into a WordDoc for spellcheck. I might have missed some so I apologise. (I was just super keen to get this out tonight).
In all honesty I feel like this chapter is rather weak. Perhaps I bit off more than I could chew with the tension in Albus and Rose's relationship. If I get some bad reviews I'll consider going back for a rehash...but I don't think it reads that terribly. Could also be considered a filler chapter - the next one is also mostly written on my phone already. I just need a night or two to dedicate to fleshing it out a little.

Many thanks for reading all.
*Mischief managed*