p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"emspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"span style="font-size: 12pt;"So I just realized I never finished /spanspan style="font-size: 16px;"uploading/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt;" this story from 5 years ago. Whoops. It's been sitting on my computer finished for such a long time. I'm not even rereading this, so I /spanspan style="font-size: 16px;"apologize/spanspan style="font-size: 12pt;" for mistakes. Thanks to those who are still reading./span/span/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"There must have been a reason why after Lorcan's conversation, something propelled Rose to go to the kitchens. Years later, when she looked back, though, she's still not style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMaybe she was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMaybe it just felt like the closest room to be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMaybe because that was the last place Rose knew that Scorpius style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMaybe magic compelled me to go. Whatever the reason was, Rose wished she could do it style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"Upon arriving in the kitchen, house elves bombarded style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFood of all sorts were thrown at her before she could even get a word style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Thank you!" she cried out over all the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"But I'm not really style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI just need a place to think."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"The house elves stopped and looked at each style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThen back at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDeciding it wasn't worth the augment, they went back to their jobs of preparing style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanStill, the pile of food they left in front of her was still enough to feed a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEven though she wasn't hungry, Rose took a few things and placed them in her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHaving something to nibble on in class never hurt anyone./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"Rose sat down at a table to go through her conflicting style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe first thing she did was go through all the places she thought Scorpius could be, hidden or style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer list consisted of many possibilities, for the woods, to caves, to his basement, to the Shrieking style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOf all those places, though, she couldn't pinpoint one style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"Next, Rose laid her and Lily's list of things they knew about the case side-by-side the letter that Luna style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Maybe if I just study them more," she whispered to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe knew that somewhere, a class was missing her presences, but she didn't style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhy she thought she should go to class when Lily's life was on the line was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRose needed to think./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"Taking out her wand, she conjured a muggle highlighter and pen. She re-read everything she had about the case, occasionally highlighting or circling things she felt were style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThen she placed the snippets together to try to come up with a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"But most of it didn't make sense, or it contradicted style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLike this line form the style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;" I'm not sure what you meant by your mother's garden, Lily. /em/strongHowever, Lily wrote the opposite on her style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanstrong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"Mum is thinking about started a garden this spring per Luna's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/strong/emThen Lily talked about how her Mum hasstrong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;" visited Luna's house a least once a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt didn't seem likely that Luna would have forgotten if Ginny was going to start a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"Another thing was with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLily had always been blessed with multiple letters every week from her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut she said her Mum strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"had stopped writing letters for a while in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/em/strongBut then Lily said that Ginny had strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"written more letters this term that in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/em/strongIt may have been to make up for the absence in November, but Rose couldn't be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was also in those letters that Ginny started mentioning style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd she never talked about Harry and the divorce. Like she was trying to hide style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt could be to spare Lily's feelings, but something seemed wrong about style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"And then the whole things with the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt almost seemed like they were a part of it, the way Ginny had been talking about style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLuna had wrote that Ginny said strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Lorcan hasn't a mean bone in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/em/strongBut Luna followed up by saying that strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Lorcan did have a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBefore, it seemed apparent that this temper made Lorcan a likely style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat is, if Ginny knew who was blackmailing style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd if the blackmailing and the murder were by the same style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRose had to admit to herself that a lot of her evidence was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"None of it really made style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRose was beyond style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEven more confused as she was when she started style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanPerhaps a bit of food would help her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRose reached over her papers and grabbed a small style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBiting into it, she looked down at her papers again. The one highlighted part she hadn't looked at was about style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut Rose had already dismissed him for the list of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt couldn't hurt to look though. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"Both her and Lily's list didn't mention anything about style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHowever, her list did say something about style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe had put that Scorpiusstrong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;" em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"compares himself to Lysander because of their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/em/strongRose had seen that both Lysander and Scorpius were somewhat isolated by their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhile she wasn't sure it was by choice, the connection was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRose also looked over the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLuna had said that Ginny strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"was also worried that Scorpius's bad behavior had started to go into style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/em/strongRose wasn't sure what she meant by style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanScorpius really didn't have any bad style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYes he was bad, but he wasn't style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd why would Ginny worry about that?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLysander had never shown any bad behavior around her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"The answer suddenly hit her like a ton of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRose had never felt more scared, but she had to make style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe looked back through her notes to confirm style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd there is was, in plain style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOf course Ginny knew who was blackmailing style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOr course that person was connected to the Malfoy style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOr course that person would kidnap Scorpius without a second thought./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"It was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanbr /span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanLysander was behind it all./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"Rose stood up abruptly, leaving her papers sitting on the crowded kitchen style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe had to tell style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe had to warn style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut most of all, she had to get somewhere style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLysander knew Lily had told her because of the questions she had asked style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNo doubt he was looking for a way to silence her and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe bent down and circled Lysander's name in her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHopefully she would be find, but if she wasn't, she wanted to leave this behind for Lily to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"Before she could turn around, she heard a slight style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"You just couldn't leave it alone," the voice style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRose felt a damp cloth wrap around her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe tried to turn to see her attacker, but she blacked out into sea of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"[-**-]/span/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"When she woke, it wasn't much different from being passed out, save a little light in the opposite corner of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWell, the word room was being style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrom what Rose could see, she was in big cavern style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe air felt damp and moist, and Rose could hear a little trickle of water from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe cave was about three times the size of the Gryffindor common room, though it was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe only light came from a small torch near what Rose gathered was the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was no tell if there was another way to enter or exit./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer hands were bound in front of her, but still loose enough to move style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer feet laid out in front of her on the hard cold style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLuckily, Rose didn't think she was hurt style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was no throbbing pain when she started to move style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHowever, when she moved to the right, she felt something warm, alive, and breathing./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;""Aw!" she yelped and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe tried to move as far away from the warm body as style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe thing itself started to move, like it was waking style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe figure sat up and Rose could tell by the glimmer of light that it was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;""Rose?" the human whispered, like they had just woken style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe voice was scratchy and dry, but Rose knew that voice anywhere./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;""Scorpius?" she asked, not wanting to believe style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf it wasn't him, she didn't want to get her hopes style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;""Oh Merlin!" The voice exclaimed, scooting his body closer to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"It is you."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"In the glow of the pale light, Rose knew this was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Scorpius!" she yelled as she move in towards him, greeting him with a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe wasn't sure why she had done style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe last time she had seen Scorpius, they had just made love to each other. They hadn't talked about anything style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOld fears of Scorpius just using her came style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe broke the kiss off and moved away slightly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"If Scorpius noticed, he didn't say style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIn the light, his facial featured couldn't betray what he was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSo Rose would have to gather what he was feeling by his words style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I'm sorry about that," she said style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I don't know what came over me."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;""It's fine," Scorpius said with a strained style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I wanted to do that too."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"These words put a glimmer of relief in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNow she knew Scorpius felt the same about style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe moved closer to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBeing near him made her feel safe, even if she had no idea where she style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;""Where are we?" Rose asked finally, unable to contain her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe had a pretty good idea of what was going on, but she still wanted to make style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBeside, Scorpius could have some insight as well./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I'm not exactly style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll I know is that I woke up here a few hours ago when you came," Scorpius replied, rubbing his head with his tied-up arms as if trying to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I was relieved but also sad to see you style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI waited for you to wake up, but I must have fallen asleep."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; margin-left: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;""Who…" Rose started, "...who brought me here?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; margin-left: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;""The same person who kidnapped me, I style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was so dark, I couldn't see anything when he moved us."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; margin-left: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;""Was it Lysander?" Rose asked, half afraid she was right and half afraid she was wrong./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; margin-left: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"If she was right, then would mean Scorpius would lost his only style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf she was wrong, she just accused Scorpius's best style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNeither way could end well./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; margin-left: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;""I see you are a detective," Scorpius style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Yes, it was Lysander."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"He ruffled his hair style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis allowed Rose to see his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRose had seen him just a couple days style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHow could he have gotten the bad?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDark circles surrounded his eyes like raccoon style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis hair, usually kept to pristine conditions, was ragged and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhere had Lysander been keeping him?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanInstead of drawing on the obvious wound, Rose asked another style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Where have you been?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I told you," Scorpius said, "Lysander took style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe kept me in this dark room that didn't seem to have any doors or ways out."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I mean what happened?" Rose murmured, lifting her hands to run her fingers through his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe used to do that back when they were style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt gave him comfort style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHopefully it would give him comfort style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"The whole story?" Scorpius asked, looking style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Since I left you that morning?"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRose silently shook her head style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Very well then."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTaking a moment to gather himself, Scorpius began his tale./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I knew before I slept with you that I was going to stand up to my style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen I told you he was the reason I broke up with you, I knew that time had style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHaving sex with you only proved my style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEven though we had only gone out for a little bit, I had fallen helplessly in love with you," he blushed slightly while saying style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I know this sounds like it's for a book, but believe me when I say it's the truth."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanRose's mind was whirling like she had just stepped into a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanScorpius em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"loved /emher?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHow was the even possible?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was supposed to be the cold-hearted Slytherin prince who didn't give a crap about anyone other than style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd now, here he was, declaring his feelings for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRose's heart fluttered with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Anyways, I woke up at the crack of dawn and dressed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI thought about waking you, but you just looked so style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI wanted to get back before you woke up, but that wasn't style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanInstead, I wrote you a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe last thing I wanted was you to think I had left style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was floo powder in my trunk, and it took it to the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOnly one house elf was up, so I told her not to tell anyone I had style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI would have gotten in big style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI told her only to tell you where I had style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEvidently, she must have told Lysander as well./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"When I got to the Manor, everyone was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI should have woken my father up then and there, but I wasn't in a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI had written you a note, and you would cover for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI had all style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSo, I stayed in the drawing room where I had come out of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI must have fallen asleep again, because the next thing I remember is being woken up by the sound of the floo letting someone style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut before I could turn to see who it was, a cloth wrapped around my head, and I blacked out./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"When I came to, Lysander was standing over style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAt first, I was grateful that nothing bad happened to me, seeing who Lysander was my best style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut then I realized that my hands were handcuffed to a chair and I was sitting on the ground in an empty style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThen I thought my kidnapper had taken Lysander style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut then I realized Lysander wasn't tied up, and he was my kidnapper."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanRose couldn't imagine what he felt at that style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTo realize the person that you trusted the most betrayed you?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat would be like Al divulging all her secrets for the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe suddenly felt sick style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDid Al know she was gone yet?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDid anyone?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I was pretty messed up after that," Scorpius continued, as if the words he had just spoken had no real style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe only way Rose could tell that it had an effect on him was his clenched style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Lysander wouldn't say anything to me, but brought my food and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBy the second day, I was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI had time to think about why he might be doing this, but the list I came up with was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThen, last night, Lysander came into my room with a cloth style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI knew I was going to be knocked out style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThen next thing I know is I was waking up here, in the cave, with Lysander bring you style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis is all my fault."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanScorpius took a deep style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis voice, while sounding scratchy before, sounded immensely style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRose knew how much it pained him to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe wished she could offer some words of comfort, but she couldn't find style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNot that anything would make Scorpius feel any less style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRose tried to wrap her arm around his shoulder, but the rope keeping her to the wall wasn't long style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanInstead, she settled for a hand on his knee./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Everything is going to be alright, Scorpius," Rose murmured into his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I promise."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThey sat in silence for a long style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSomewhere during that time, Rose moved her head so that she was laying on Scorpius's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRose found the sound of Scorpius's heart soothing and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEven though they were locked up in this cave and were probably going to die, Rose felt at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe hadn't felt this peaceful since the morning after she and Scorpius made love, but before she realized he was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Do you ever think about that night," Rose blurted out, her voice echoing throughout the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe shuttered slightly at the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe didn't want to start the conversation like style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSince she was laying on his chest, she couldn't tell what Scorpius's reaction style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanspan style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"All the time," he whispered, as if talking to loud would break the little light they style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRose was glad she didn't have to specify which style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat would have been even more style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"It was the only thing that kept me going when I was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat, and trying to find out why Lysander was doing this."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I think about it too," Rose found herself style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe hadn't expected herself to talk about this besides in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Never in my life had I felt more style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt that weird?" she asked, turning her head so she could see his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"No."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanShe style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I have a question."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"About that night?" Scorpius style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Everything I told you was true."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Not about that," Rose style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe felt the famous Weasley blush coming out, so she turned away style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"About when we did it."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"It?" Scorpius asked style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRose could tell that he was just trying to tease style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe could tell he was trying to keep her mind off of everything that was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd it was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"When we had sex, okay?" Rose replied, trying not the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"And what was your question?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Did you, um, perform the protection charm?" Rose asked, closing her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe wasn't sure why she felt the need to ask style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMaybe because she knew she wasn't on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOr maybe because she couldn't remember if he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOr maybe because she had thrown up the other style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut even if she was pregnant, she wouldn't be showing any symptoms style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe first time she had sex was less than a week ago./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I think I did," Scorpius style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRose felt an instant style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll her worrying was for nothing style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanScorpius kept talking, though he was quieter this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I have had sex before, so I must style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI just, that night was all kind of a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'm not sure if I did."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanA sickening feeling went through Rose's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe had to have executed the protection style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf not, Rose was in big style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe knew how fertile her Weasley genes style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"But that okay, right?" Scorpius style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"You're on the pill, right?" he asked, looking down at her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanRose glanced up at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Of course I am."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA flash of relief when through Scorpius's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRose felt guilty for lying, but it was for the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe chances of them getting out of here were slim to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanJust like the chanced of her getting pregnant her first style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd if they did get out and she was pregnant, they would deal with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLying in here wouldn't change the fact. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Why did you ask about the protection charm, then?" Scorpius style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanRose style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNo way would she tell style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat would just add to his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"It's just that sometimes, the pill doesn't style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut I'm sure it style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI guess I'm just nervous because it was my first time."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You have no reason to be," Scorpius said gently, his hand running through her hair style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSo, Rose didn't share any of her suspicions with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanInstead, they just sat there, with her head up against his chest, their hands folded style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRose started to count the sound of Scorpius's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSoon, she drifted off to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: 15.0pt; background: white;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p