It was a miserable afternoon, one perfect for curling up on the sofa and watching movies. As rain pelted against the windows of the Granger-Weasley home, Rose was snuggled underneath the crook of Scorpius's left arm, laying against him casually. Her feet were sprawled out on the opposite end of the couch near Albus, who had made sure he was as far away from the pair as possible. The credits rolled on television screen, marking the end to the second film the trio had watched.

Albus hadn't been paying attention to either of the movies, though. He'd been distracted all day with intrusive thoughts about what he'd overheard the evening before.

He'd been wresting internally about whether or not to share this new information with Rose and Scorpius. They were his best friends after all, but this felt different. This was his parents, and he wasn't entirely sure he'd be able to hold it together once the subject was broached. Yet, as much as Albus didn't want to breakdown in front of them, he equally wanted their perspectives. He wasn't entirely sure how worried he should be, and being alone with his thoughts was driving him mad.

Deciding to rip the bandage off, Albus sat up from his slouched position and turned towards his friend and cousin.

Scorpius immediately noticed the strange look on his best mate's face. Gently he pushed Rose off of him, and crinkled his blonde brows with concern.

"Al," he said slowly. "You look like a ghost."

With those words, Rose's attention was captured, and she too sat up and directed her attention to Albus.

"Are you going to be sick?" She asked with genuine worry. "Did you get too many rubbish Bertie Bott's?"

Albus shook his head, and said the four words as calmly as he could manage.

"Mum cheated on dad."

"What?!"

"No..."

Both Rose and Scorpius stared intently at Albus now. He nodded in confirmation, stifling his brewing tears.

"I heard them talking a few nights ago," he explained sadly. "Mum feels awful and Dad's... well he's being Dad. Self blame and self loathing. The usual."

"Shit," Scorpius whispered. "Did you find out with who?"

"No," Albus answered somberly, and then choked out, "I don't even want to think about that."

Rose shot Scorpius an annoyed look. Why would he ask that?

"Do you guys think they'll come back from this?" Albus asked. "I mean, it's pretty bad right? Do you think they have a chance?"

"There's always a chance," Rose said quickly, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. She could empathize with how lost he was feeling. After all, she'd been experiencing something similar with her own family.

"You're parents have been through literal battles," Scorpius added reassuring. "If anyone can get through it, it's them."

The pair continued to sooth their distressed friend. Rose spoke confidently about all the couples she'd known to get back together after having gone through infidelity, but mind you, they were all from muggle television shows she watched, while Scorpius repeated how unlikely it was that Harry and Ginny would split up after 20 loving years, pointing out several times that the two were practically made for one another. Albus could hardly get a word in. It was almost comical how hard they were trying to make him feel better. He was glad he shared his worries with them.

When Rose started to talk in circles, Albus decided he'd had enough support for one day.

"I'm going to head home."

"No, stick around," Scorpius said. "You shouldn't be alone when you're upset."

"I just want to read a book in my room. I need a distraction," Albus replied. "Besides, I'm sure you two are counting down the minutes until you can be alone."

"Not true," Rose said, giving her cousin an eye roll. "We do have some self control, you know."

"Relax," Albus smiled. "I'm only joking."

"You'll let us know when you want to talk more?" Scorpius asked.

"Definitely."

Once Albus disappeared into the fireplace, Rose and Scorpius shared a distraught look. Despite what they'd told him, both were concerned with Harry's and Ginny's worsening marital problems.

"... you okay?" Scorpius asked.

"Yeah... well, maybe. I don't really know."

He waited for her to continue.

"I mean, I just can't believe it," she took a beat. "It's just... I can't..."

"I know," Scorpius soothed her, tugging on her arm and pulling her towards him.

"Let's talk about something different," she proposed with a heavy sigh.

"My grandfather wants to meet you."

Rose pulled back and looked at Scorpius oddly. Had she heard that correctly?

"You're joking," she said, but he continued to stare at her seriously. "What on earth for?"

"He didn't really say," Scorpius shrugged. "Just that he wants to get to know my friends."

Rose wasn't buying it. There had to be more to it than that. There was only one reason she could think of.

"Does he..." she struggled for the words. "Does he think something's going on between us?"

"I don't think so," Scorpius replied with a frown. "He probably likes that I'm friends with the Minister's daughter, that's all. Connections are very important to Grandfather."

"Even if the Minister's a dirty mudblood?" Rose said with a pointed look, before confessing, "I hate that you're spending the last two weeks of the summer with him. I thought he'd agreed to just the weekends."

"Well it's still better than the month he originally wanted," Scorpius's shoulders dropped slightly. "Do you think you'll be allowed to come over?"

"Not likely," Rose answered truthfully. Considering how much her dad hated Draco, she could only imagine what he thought of Lucius.

"Guess we'll have to make the most of our time, then."

Rose leaned into him, allowing their lips to softly brush.

"Guess so."

...

Hermione scolded herself as she floo'd home and appeared in the fireplace. It was mid afternoon, and she needed to be back at the Ministry by four. Stupidly, she'd forgotten several classified documents at home that she'd been reviewing the night before.

As she hastily dusted off her pants with her hands, her ears perked at the sound of music coming from upstairs. Strange, she thought to herself. She wasn't expecting anyone to be home.

Kicking off her heels and gently tossing her raincoat on the side of the sofa, Hermione curiously ventured towards the noise, making her way to the second floor. She continued further, her sock feet padding down the hall that led to the bedrooms. The music was coming from behind Rose's door.

Mild concern flooded her. The night before, Rose had told Hermione she was planning to spend the afternoon flying with Dominique and Roxanne. Why was she home? What could be wrong?

Without thinking, Hermione placed a firm grasp on the handle before swing the door open to Rose's room. Her body stiffened, absolutely stunned. Later that night she would curse herself for not having had the foresight to knock.

On the small ruffled bed, wearing a black lacy bra and unbuttoned jeans, Rose was straddling a nearly naked Scorpius, her lips attached to his lower neck. Scorpius's hands were busy undoing the clasp of her bra when he saw Hermione standing shellshocked at the open door.

His grey eyes widened, and in a state of panic, he quickly pushed Rose off of him. Wearing only evergreen boxers, he fell onto the carpet with a dull thud before frantically searching for his stray shirt and slacks. For a brief second, Rose looked at her companion, confused, until she noticed what had startled him. Mirroring her mother, she froze with horror.

Hermione continued to stand motionlessly with her mouth hanging open, gaping at the two teens. Despite how much she wanted to, she was unable to look away from the scene in front of her.

Her daughter. Bed. Half naked boy.

Rose's entire face was scarlet red as she sat up silently, and Scorpius quickly zipped up the pair of pants he'd slipped back on.

Finally regaining some composure, Hermione closed her mouth and swallowed hard. Not wanting to bear the sight for a second longer, she silently backed out of the room and closed the door.

For a moment she braced her back against the side of the wall outside of Rose's room, focusing on her breathing and desperate to calm down. After one last deep inhale through her nose and exhale out through her mouth, she slowly walked down the stairs to the main floor. She took a seat at the kitchen island, and with her elbows propped up on the counter, she allowed her face to rest in her hands.

Hermione was struggling to think logically. Her mind was racing, and she didn't know if she should cry or scream. Rose was only fourteen. What the hell was she doing?

Despite what her daughter thought, Hermione wasn't stupid. She knew something had been going on between her and the young Malfoy. Though, just exactly what was going on is what she'd gotten so wrong.

Hermione had imagined chaste stolen kisses and innocent hand holding. Certainly not this. This wasn't supposed to happen, at least not for a very long time. Rose wasn't mature enough or ready for sex. She was even old enough to drive a car in the muggle world. There was no way she understood the consequences or the seriousness of physical intimacy. How could she be so reckless?

An awful feeling overtook Hermione as she slowly realized Scorpius and Rose had been unsupervised often since returning home for the summer. Not only that, but from the look of things, this wasn't the first time they been in a position like the one she stumble upon, and the thought made Hermione queasy.

Hermione bitterly thought back to her trip to the mall with Rose and Lily earlier in July. Playful Promises. She'd been so wrapped up in her own world that she didn't bother to press further about Rose's purchase from that bloody store. Maybe if she had, she could have put a stop to something before it started. Now it was too late.

Hermione groaned, allowing her head to drop down and hit the counter. As much as she was dreading it, she knew she had to go back upstairs and talk to them. The only problem was, she had absolutely know idea what she should say. She hadn't read any books about giving the sex talk or ask Fleur for advice on teenage dating, all of which she'd intended to do when the time came.

Knowing there was no use delaying, Hermione rose from her seat, but paused when she heard the sound of footstep. Before she realized what she was doing, she slipped out of sight into the washroom, keeping the light off and the door cracked.

Rose and Scorpius were now on the main level, both cautiously scanning the room for older witch.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay with you?" Scorpius asked with concern. "I feel awful leaving you to face her alone."

Hermione moved her head slightly so she could peer out from the wall she hid behind. She could see Rose and Scorpius standing near the fireplace, shifting uncomfortably. Scorpius had a handful of floo powder.

"I'm sure," Rose said unconvincingly, a forced half smile on her lips. "It's easier this way."

"You'll let me know how it goes?"

"I will."

Scorpius nodded before stepping under the mantel and tossing the powder at his feet.

"Malfoy Penthouse, London!"

With a loud crack, the blonde boy was gone, leaving Rose alone in the spacious living room.

Knowing that it was now or never, Hermione took a deep breath before stepping into plain sight. Rose noticed her immediately, and a pained expression took over the young girl's face.

Neither witch moved closer to bridge the distance between them. Both remained motionless, staring at one another.

"I wasn't sure if you were still home," Rose said meekly. "I thought maybe you'd gone back to work."

Hermione looked at her daughter with anguish, and crossed her arms tightly against her chest.

The hurt in Hermione's voice was evident as she quietly spoke.

"You said weren't dating."

"We aren't."

Hermione scoffed.

"I catch my fourteen year old in bed with a boy and he's not even her boyfriend?" She shook her head with disbelief. "Seriously Rose?"

Rush flushed at her mum's word, and immediately dropped her gaze.

"We're friends, okay."

Hermione was struggling to keep from raising her voice. Who was this girl?

"Friends do not do what the two of you were doing," she said as calmly as she could manage.

"Really?" Rose shot defensively, her body beginning to shake slightly. "What about you and Uncle Harry then? Weren't you two 'just friends' when you slept together on the run?"

It was a cheap shot, Rose knew that, but the words left her mouth before she could stop them.

Hermione felt as though she'd been slapped, and dangerous emotions immediately began to swirl within her.

"Is that what this is?" she asked sharply. "I set one poor example and you have no choice but follow?" Her chocolate eyes blazed with anger as she took a few steps closer to her daughter. "You really want to be as stupid as me and wind up pregnant!"

"No!" Rose replied quickly, and then sighed. "Ugh! I don't want to talk about this with you!"

"Well I didn't want you to have sex!" Hermione shouted wildly, causing her daughter's eyebrows to shoot up. "Guess we both lose!"

"Oh my god!" Rose's ears were scarlet, and she covered her face with her hands, not wanting to look at her mother.

"You're way too young," Hermione continued, ignoring her obvious mortification. "You only even started your period a year and a half ago."

"Mum!"

"What?" Hermione fired back furiously, feeling herself further lose control. "You can't honestly think I'd be okay with finding my daughter in bed with some guy!"

"He's not some guy!"

Hermione ignored her comment, continuing to voice her upset.

"I thought you were smarter. I thought I wouldn't have to worry about this with you!"

Feeling defeated, Rose threw her hands up in frustration while doing her best to suppress the hot tears welling at the corners of her eyes.

"Mum! We're not having sex!"

At those words, Hermione stopped herself from firing off her next loaded remark. As she caught her breath and her heart rapidly fluttered in her chest, she looked over Rose carefully. Usually Hermione knew when her daughter was lying, but this time she felt like she couldn't see through her at all.

"Mum?" Rose said after an uncomfortable beat.

Hermione sighed heavily, glancing at the grandfather clock against the far wall.

"I have to go," she said coldly, brushing by to grab her jacket and slip on her shoes. She didn't look at Rose when she spoke. "I'll be back late."

Rose could read her Mum like a book. She knew she didn't believe her, but then again, why would she when she'd been sneaking around with Scorpius all summer?

Feeling her fall from grace, Rose said nothing as she watched the older woman crawl into the fireplace. She waited until Hermione disappeared in the flames before allowing a steady stream of tears to roll down her cheeks.

...

Ron and George were sharing a mid-afternoon butter beer at the back of the joke shop. It had been a particularly slow week, and for once, the brothers had caught up on all their outstanding tasks and had a chance to relax.

Ron set his glass down and lean back in his chair, enjoying the rare feeling of accomplishment. He'd been feeling good over the last few days, which was a welcomed change. After several evenings of numbing himself with fire whiskey, he'd finally managed to sort himself out. It was amazing how exercising daily and eat right could improved his mood so much. It was the best he'd felt all summer, and a huge confidence boost.

"Did you see that blonde woman staring at me earlier in the Love Potions section?" Ron asked his brother. "Think she like what she saw?"

George ignored the question and looked at Ron with annoyance. It took all his restraint to hold back from saying something harsh, but it was starting to get ridiculous. George been tip toeing around the volatile man a month, and enough was enough.

"Ron, when are you going to go home?"

Ron was taken aback by the abruptness.

"I don't know," he answered densely.

George leaned forward in his chair, a seriousness radiating from him.

"Mum keeps pestering me to find out if you and Hermione are still together," he said in a hushed tone, as if Molly Weasley could somehow hear him. "Are you?"

Ron grimaced slightly. He didn't like thinking about the state of his marriage. Whenever he did, it always made him reach for the bottle.

"Officially, we're separated," he mumbled when he realized George wouldn't drop it. "Temporarily, but who knows for how long."

"Did you even discuss what that means?"

"Sort of," Ron replied, running his hands through his hair uncomfortably. "I told her I was staying at the loft and that we needed some time apart to figure out things."

George wants to roll his eyes. Of course leave it to his brother to be as vague as possible.

"What about seeing other people?" The older wizard pressed.

"I mentioned I might go on the occasional date."

George shook his head slightly. He couldn't believe how stupid Ron was being.

"You idiot."

"What?" Ron asked with irritation.

"What if she gives up?" George asked, hoping he could get through to him. "What if she thinks there's no hope and starts seeing other men because she thinks you've moved on?"

Ron felt his stomach sink. Could he really handle Hermione being with someone else?

"You think she would?"

"I think she's an attractive witch and if you're not careful, you could very well find yourself with some tough suitors to compete with."

"Yeah, well maybe I'm not willing to compete with them," Ron replied angrily. "I'm tired of jumping through hoops for her."

George knew his younger brother was hardheaded, but even this was extreme.

"It's Hermione," He tried to reason. "She's your wife, she's your family. Are you really just going to let that all slip away?"

A beat passed as Ron looked at his older brother before standing to his feet.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore."

...

The rest of the day had proved to be a good distraction from Hermione's personal problems, particularly the one concerning her daughter. She was absolutely exhausted when she got home, and she was ready to sink into the sofa to close her eyes. However, when she appeared in the living room, a cloud of guilt consumed her. She hadn't handled things well with Rose and Scorpius that afternoon. In fact, it had gone about as poorly as it could have.

Hermione walked to the kitchen and reached for a wine glass. It wasn't often that she indulged during the week, but today seemed like it was worthy of an exception.

As she poured herself a half a glass of Merlot, her eyes wandered to a small piece of paper placed on the middle of the island. It was a note.

Recognizing Rose's writing, Hermione eyes quickly scanned over it.

Mum,

I called Gran. She's coming get me and I'm staying with her for a few days. Please don't get mad at her. She's just trying to help.

- Rose

Ps. Sorry I'm not the girl you thought I was.