Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Perfume? Check.

A happy book? Check.

Educational book(s)? Double- no, scratch that- triple check.

Romance book? There'll be enough romance where I'm going-

"What's up, Rose?"

I looked up from my long scroll of parchment. My brother was standing on the threshold of my bedroom. I had to start remembering to close that door.

"Get a belt, Hugo, or ask dad to do to the tightening charm." Ah, my little brother was coming into his teenage years with the grace of a clumsy hippogriff. Though I doubted any hippogriffs wore underwear with 'Accio' written on the band.

Hugo shrugged, making an I-don't-care-go-to-hell-big-sister noise. I didn't return the sound. I was in too much of a good mood. Scorpius and I were hours away from being reunited. I felt like I could step out my window and walk on the clouds, but I wouldn't because heights.

"Yeah, when you learn a blue cloak and a purple lacy thing doesn't go together." He gestured to my outfit.

"What lacy thing?" I said, moving to my mirror. "This," Behind me, he sat down on my bed and tried to give Pumpkin a tummy rub. "Is a jumper. Granny Molly wouldn't be caught dead with lace on her knitting needles. You know how she feels about anything other than good old wool."

"It has holes in it." He protested.

"This jumper has survived a potions accident and a stay in Pumpkin's pile of clothes he likes to nap on." I pointed an accusing finger at Pumpkin. He ignored me, far too interested in licking his paws. "It's a bloody miracle it still looks like a jumper."

"Where's Lily when you need her?" Hugo sighed. "I need someone to play gobstones with-"

"I can when I'm done packing."

"You only like gobstones when you're winning."

"Then I'll win."

He ignored that, Hugo didn't care for any argument that lasted more than ten seconds, "And dad's being weird."

"Weird? Dad's always weird."

"No, a different kind of weird. He's really... active. It's unnatural. He weeded the back garden- dad did- when nobody was watching. I'm scared he's going to ask me to go outside with him."

"Oh, I forgot ginger people can't go outside during the day. What about Pumpkin?"

"Nope," Hugo shook his head. "He ate my gobstones last time." He looked down at Pumpkin. "I still don't understand how you digested those, you oversized furry snake."

"Don't call Pumpkin that!"

"I'll call him anything I want after he shed on my bed." He said. "Can I come with you to Abby's?" Hugo added hopefully.

"No," I said firmly.

"Why?" He whined.

Because Scorpius Malfoy, that's why.

"You don't even know Abby or Kenny or… Mike." I bit the inside of my mouth. For Merlin's sake!

"Mike? Who's Mike?"

"Yeah, Rosie, who's this Mike bloke?" There was dad towering in my doorway. I really had to remember to shut that door. His new cloak was covered with grass stains. There was dirt on his long nose. True dad fashion.

"Dirt, dad," I tapped my nose, hoping to buy myself a second. Dad half-heartedly rubbed his nose.

"How do we know this person's a fella?" Hugo asked the room.

"He isn't." I jumped right in. "Mike isn't even a person, Hugo."

"Is he in the room right now?" Dad laughed coming in. Dad sat down beside Hugo almost squashing the toy mouse Pumpkin was guarding. Pumpkin hissed at him. Dad bopped him on the nose, his finger almost ended up as Pumpkin's dinner.

"Are we breathing him in?" Hugo joined in. He Inhaled deeply, changing his position to some Witch Weekly style yoga pose.

Dad chuckled, "No, Hugo, we are him."

"Yes, you're Abby's toad," I stated.

"Abby does not have a toad," Hugo exclaimed.

"It's elderly and fears crowds."

"Why are you describing Granddad Arthur?" Dad and Hugo hi-fived.

I put my hands on my hips, "I'll tell him that."

Dad shrugged, "He refers to himself as senile." He picked up my list. I had doodled an 'S' in the top corner of the parchment with little hearts around it.

I swallowed and turned my focus back to my overflowing bag. I had drawn it in the moonlight, after reading the latest letter Scorpius had sent me. He signed it off 'Love, Scorpius.' Just the thought of it made giggles rise to my throat. But the 'S' was next to a doodle of Pumpkin in a bow-tie so maybe…

"You don't need to bring all these books, Rosie," Dad said. "You'll have to bring your trunk if you take all of those."

"I'll bring an extra bag or get mum to enchant this one. Easy."

"So much like 'Mione with the lists and the back breaking amount of books."

"You forgot terrible fashion sense." Hugo offered up unhelpfully.

"Oh, and that, Rosie, change for Merlin's sake. Pumpkin might as well have picked out your clothes. And you don't need the scarf it's about twenty degrees."

I tugged my Slytherin-in-disguise-Scorpius-scarf tighter around my neck.

"I'm comfortable," I stated.

I thought the purple jumper and blue cloak went nicely together. And based on what I had heard from Scorpius you need as much colour as you can get in the manor.

Dad waved me off, not worth the fight.

I turned away from them, they were now discussing the latest quidditch scores IN MY ROOM. On my bed where I eat, sleep and read. I pressed my nose to my scarf pretending to get a t-shirt out of my wardrobe. It could've been my imagination or just not washing the scarf for two months luck but I could still faintly smell his scent. And my neck sweat. I seriously had to wash it.

"I'm going over to Harry's," Dad said after I told them to take the quidditch talk to the next room. Pumpkin was trying to guard his toy mouse in peace.

Hugo's face crinkled.

"Rosie?"

"Packing," I watched Hugo, maybe some of Pumpkin's fur got in his mouth. Happens to me on more than a daily basis.

"Mini me?"

Hugo shook his head.

"Again?" Dad sighed. "Look, Hugo, you can hang out with Lily or even James. Fred might be there or the rest of the family. Even stick with me and Harry-"

"I'm not five," he pouted. He stood up and left the room, shutting my door after him. Pumpkin curled into a ball at the sudden draft.

"What's wrong with him?" I said. "I thought he got over his vampire phase."

Dad shook his head, "Albus is a little-" Dad frowned remembering he's not supposed to curse in front of me especially when mom was under the same roof.

"Pureblood-death-eater-wannabe." I borrowed from Scorpius and Abby's long, long list of accurate names for Potter.

Dad looked at me. Then at the shut door.

"Yeah, Rosie, you could say that to anybody under the age of seventeen, who isn't your parent." He said good-naturedly.

"Sorry," I grumbled returning to my clothes. "But he's… mean."

"I heard from Harry he gave little Malfoy a broken nose."

"Fractured," I corrected.

"Whatever, Al's a peg up in my book if he did that."

"Sco-sssooo." I recovered. "Malfoy isn't that bad." I tested the waters. What Hagrid could do, even though he liked Scorpius, was still on my mind. If someone was going to sell us out I had to get there first. Carefully and cautiously. "He hasn't said one mean thing to me all year. Potter- sorry, habit- Albus is a different story. I dropped a book in the corridor," Yeah, 'cause Scorpius Malfoy came up behind me in an empty corridor with one thing on his mind, my lips. "And Malfoy picked it up and gave it to me. And went on his merry way." I added for good measure.

Dad laughed, "Are you sure that was little Draco? Did you check your back for any 'Jinx me' signs?"

I frowned, "No, dad. He was just being nice."

"I think Albus did him a favour by breaking his nose." Fracture! "It was one bloody-awful nose-"

I cleared my throat, "A nose is a nose." Instead of 'I find his nose cute and hope all your (possible) future grandchildren have it.'

"Rosie, it's Malfoy. Stop trying to save the world, I've already done that." Dad turned to my cat. "Pumpkin would tell you the same thing if he could talk. Cats are better judges of people than wizards. That's right, Pumpkin," He dared tickle my cat's chin. "Malfoy's a-" Dad was cut off by a loud hiss. Pumpkin followed it up with a swing of his out sketched claw.

I dropped the t-shirt I had twisted with my hands. "Pumpkin!" I exclaimed. I ran over, sweeping Pumpkin into my arms. I forgot that he weighed roughly as much as my school bag and almost face planted onto my rug. Once he was in my arms he started purring.

Dad hissed at his scratched up hand. Then he threw a few curse words at my cat prompting my door to open again. I was more than happy to see mom standing there.

"Ronald, what in Godric Gryffindor's name are you shouting about now?" Mom's arms were crossed, tucked under one arm was a thick volume.

"That-that beast attacked me."

Mom set down her book at the end of my bed.

"Let me see," Mom ordered wand at the ready.

A second later and an expert jab of her wand later, dad's skin was back to pre-Pumpkin attack condition.

I stared in awe. I wished I could do that. Her magic was so effortless, no incantation aloud was required. I tried that charm on Scorpius' paper cut in the Library once. He was impressed even though when I squinted at his finger I could see a faint line where the paper cut had been. And don't even get me started on the blood stopping charm… that's a horror story.

Dad continued to grumble, all the way out the door.

"Thank you?" Mom called.

Dad retreated, popping his head back in. "Thanks, 'Mione, I don't know what I'd do without you."

That brought a smile to mom's face, "There's a sandwich downstairs for you."

And off dad went like the cat incident had never happened.

"Got everything?" Mom's eyes ran over my room. I instinctively shuffled, with Pumpkin's in my arms, to my desk. I blocked that special drawer where the real reading material was hidden from view.

"Yeah, I made a list." I nodded to my pillow where dad had abandoned the long scroll of parchment. "And checked it not once but twice."

Mom picked up the list. She saw something dad didn't.

She turned the list around, so the writing was faced towards me. She tapped the 'S' with her index finger and chuckled, all-knowing.

"A crush?"

I nodded.

"Be careful," Mom warned. "Boys can mess with your heart. And your head," she added.

"Mom, 'S' is for spellbook." I grinned. "And sorcery and sweets." Apparently, everything good started with an 'S'.

"That's better, Rose." Mom beamed.

"Can you enchant my bag, please?" I asked. "Dad says I'm bringing too many books."

"Your father owns one book about quidditch which he has yet to read. Don't listen to him." She pointed her wand at my bag.

"Did you hear about Albus fracturing Scorpius Malfoy's nose? Dad heard it from Uncle Harry."

"I thought it was a break."

"Fracture," I repeated for what felt like the tenth time, keeping a passive face.

"Poor thing," Mom flicked her wand and ta-da, the bulges and the overflowing mess was gone.

There was a light at the end of the tunnel.

"Yeah, I heard Malfoy was telling Albus off for…" being an a-hole. "His meanness."

"Don't believe hearsay. I taught you better than that."

"But that gossip could have some truth to it. I was telling dad that he hasn't said anything bad to me all year and- here's the shocker, I was in the corridor on my way to class and I dropped a book. He picked it up and gave it to me."

Mom raised an eyebrow, "That's good. But be careful. Slytherin's are known for their sneakiness for a reason."

"I think everyone deserves a second chance." Third, fourth or two-hundredth if the air was different. "Like Pumpkin." I jiggled him. He burped in response.

We both laughed at the sound. It erased some of the tension that was left in the room from dad and Hugo.

"Of course they do." Mom relaxed. And that filled me with hope. " Everything seems to be on the list. Do you need help packing?"

"No, thanks, mom," I shook my head. "You should go back to your break while the house is quiet."

"A rarity." She sighed.

"But Hugo," I said quietly. "I think he needs someone who isn't dad to talk to. Someone-"

"With an emotional range bigger than a teaspoon's." Mom finished for me.

"Yeah." I smiled.

"'Mione!" Dad called from downstairs. "Hermione!"

Mom rolled her eyes, a smile still on her lips, "Coming, Ron!"