Just Friends

Scorp,

Why do I always seem to end up sending you notes so late at night? I'm really sorry, and you must be getting so sick of it. It's just that Charlie and I broke up.

Rose


Rose,

Do you want to talk about it? Or I could punch him for you if you like? Wouldn't be hard, cos he's asleep in the bed next to mine right now.

Scorp

P.S. Don't worry; I was awake anyway. Couldn't sleep. And don't ever feel bad about waking me up if you're upset about something. Friends are more important than sleep.


Scorp,

No, don't punch him. He didn't do anything. It was just … we weren't really meant to be together. We had a massive fight earlier – about something really stupid – and yelled at each other for a while, but then we realised that we hadn't really wanted to go out in the first place. He says he only asked me out in the first place cos he was so dazzled by how I looked at the Yule Ball (I didn't really look that amazing though, did I?) and because he knew it would make all his mates jealous, and I only said yes to annoy Daniel, and to prove that I didn't need him, cos I could have any guy I wanted. So the whole relationship was kind of doomed from the start. It's probably good we ended it so soon, rather than both being miserable for ages.

Rose


Rose,

Yes you did look amazing, and you were the only one who couldn't see that. I don't blame Charlie for asking you out. I was tempted to ask you out when I saw you walk down the stairs in that dress with your hair all done up.

Scorp


Scorp,

You wanted to ask me out?

Rose


Rose,

No! I just meant that you looked really great. I didn't actually want to ask you out.

Scorp


Scorp,

Yeah, cos that would just be weird. I mean, you and me are just friends. That would be like … like me going out with Al or something ridiculous like that. Wouldn't it?

Rose


Rose,

Yeah. Yeah, we're just friends. Nothing more. Just friends.

So was that all you wanted? To tell me you broke up with Charlie?

Scorp


Scorp,

Well, actually, I was wondering what your plans were for the Hogsmeade weekend. It's just that, now I'm not going with Charlie, and Al's going with Gemma, I was wondering if I could go with you?

Rose


Rose,

Well, I promised some of my mates I would go with them, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you come too. It's just a couple of the guys from my dorm. I suppose Charlie might want to come too, but if the two of you aren't really mad at each other then you won't mind going as part of the same group, will you? Or if not I can just tell them that I'm going with you instead. I doubt they'll be that bothered.

Scorp


Scorp,

I don't mind going with your friends. And I'm fine with Charlie being there. I like Charlie. He's a nice guy. We just aren't a great couple.

Rose


Rose,

Okay, well that's settled then. I'll check with the guys in the morning, but I'm sure they'll be okay with it. Goodnight, Rose.


Goodnight, Scorp


Dear Grandma,

I just realised the other night that it's been ages since I last wrote to you. It's almost the end of fourth year now; can you believe that? Next year we'll be doing OWLs. I have to admit I'm pretty terrified about that. I really don't want to let Mum and Dad down, especially after they let me choose my subjects completely on my own. Oh well, I suppose I can worry about that next year.

Rose is now on her fourth boyfriend this year. I've stopped even feeling jealous of them now, because I know they'll only be around for a few months at the most. I may only be her friend, but at least that means I'm the one she comes to when she's broken up with her latest boyfriend, and I'm the one she can't just dump when she gets bored of me.

Gemma dumped Al a couple of months ago, but he didn't seem very upset about it. I'm starting to wonder whether he really liked her that much at all. He hasn't got a girlfriend at the moment, which is nice because it means I get to hang out with him more again. I'd forgotten how nice it was to hang out with a friend who was really just a friend, without worrying about letting something slip or allowing my feelings to show.

I can't wait for the holidays, and getting to see Mum and Dad (and maybe you and Grandad?) again, but I know I'll miss my friends a lot. It's always really hard to hear about all the fun Al and Rose have at the Burrow with their cousins, and not get to be a part of it. Rose said once that I should come, but she wasn't being serious. Most of her cousins at school don't mind me now, but apparently a lot of the Weasley family still hate Dad for what happened during the War, and I don't think they'd really be happy for me to come and visit.

I've got to go now; it may almost be the holidays but that doesn't mean the teachers are giving us any less homework.

Love, Scorpius


Hermione,

How are you? I'm sure you must be looking forward to the kids coming home; I know I am. It will be nice to have some life back in this empty house again. Though I know that by the second day I will probably be dying for them to go back to school again. Then again, they're all going to the Burrow for the second week, so I'll get a little bit of peace for a few days before I join them there. How Mum puts up with us all I will never know, though she insists she enjoys it. I suppose her and Dad must get pretty lonely all alone in that massive house. Not that it seems massive once we're all there, overflowing out of the bedrooms, with the kids running up and down the stairs.

I heard from Al a little while ago. Apparently he and Gemma – his latest girlfriend – broke up. I say latest, but I suppose she is only his second. Though he is only in fourth year, and two girlfriends is a lot to have gone out with by then. I only went out with three guys during my whole time at Hogwarts, and even then my brothers seemed to think that was a lot. I didn't really expect Al to be that kind of guy. I've given up on keeping track of James' girlfriends, but James is different. From what I've heard about James Senior, I think they're probably very similar.

Oh well, I'm sure I'm worrying too much. Harry said Ron got back a few months ago, and you must be so glad to have him home. Though, personally, I would rather have an empty house than have to live with Ron. But I am his sister. Hopefully you can put up with Ron a lot better than I can.

I look forward to seeing you and all the kids at the Burrow in a few weeks.

Ginny


Ginny,

Yes, it's wonderful to have Ron home, and at the moment I'm still too pleased to have him back to get annoyed with him for things, but somehow I don't think that will last long. I can't wait to see Rose and Hugo again. I saw Hugo at Christmas, but Rose didn't come because of that Yule Ball, so it's been a whole year since I last saw her. A year is such a long time. It doesn't seem so long ago that I had the kids at home with me all the time, and now I only see them once or twice a year.

You say Al has a lot of girlfriends, but really two isn't so bad, especially spread out over a year and a half. I wrote to Rose a few weeks ago, asking how everything was going with Charlie, just to be informed that she and Charlie broke up months ago and that she has been out with and broken up with another two boys since then. I'm trying to understand, but four boyfriends in one year does seem like a lot.

Rose didn't actually seem to want to talk about any of those guys very much. Most of her letter consisted of her talking about her friend Scorpius, and all the things they – and sometimes Al – had been up to. I have to say it's a relief to hear that there is one guy in her life – apart from her cousins of course – who she doesn't feel the need to date and then dramatically break up with. I remember how great it was to have Harry as a friend when I was her age, especially whenever things went wrong with Ron. She has lots of other friends, mainly in Gryffindor, who are girls, but having a guy friend to look out for you and to hang out with when no one else can be bothered is always great. You had that with Neville a bit, didn't you?

Well, I've got to go. Ron is moaning about being hungry, and you know how useless he is at cooking, as well as how grouchy he gets when he's hungry. I'm tempted to send him to the Burrow early, just so that Molly can feed him for a little while.

Hope to hear from you soon,

Hermione