A/N: I've had this chapter planned for a long time now - I've been looking forward to posting it for ages.
Enjoy!
We Need To Talk
Scorp,
When guys say they love you, what does that mean? Because I thought it meant they actually loved you, but was that really naive of me to think that? I thought it was perfectly reasonable to believe that if a guy said he loved you and wanted to be with you forever then it was actually true, but obviously there must be a second, lesser-known meaning of the words "I love you". Because otherwise why would he have done this? It just doesn't make sense. Is it my fault, do you think? Did I do something wrong?
Rose
Rose,
What the hell was that letter about? Did something happen between you and Ethan? Are you okay?
Scorp
Al,
Rose just sent me a really strange letter, and now she's not replying to me. Did her and Ethan break up? And why is the writing all smudged, like she was crying while she wrote it? Rose has never cried over a guy. Never. What's going on?
Scorp
Scorp,
Ethan broke up with her, and she's absolutely devastated. She may never have cried over a guy before, but she's certainly crying now. She's sitting in the common room, sobbing her heart out, and there's absolutely nothing Lily or Daphne or any of her other friends can do to comfort her. I honestly never thought any guy could get to her like that. Do you reckon you could send her another letter? She listens to you more than anyone else, and I think if anyone can get through to her right now it's you.
Al
Rose,
Al told me what happened. I'm so sorry Rose, but maybe it just wasn't meant to happen. Ethan's an idiot for breaking up with you, but he clearly didn't deserve you. Don't let him get to you like this. There'll be other guys. He's not important.
Scorp
Scorp,
All of that "wasn't meant to happen", "he didn't deserve you" and "there'll be other guys" worked with all the other guys, but this is different. Ethan's not an idiot; he's a really, really great guy. And it did feel like it was meant to be this time. Thanks for trying, Scorp, but he already has got to me. I'm in love with him, and I don't understand why it had to end like this. What did I do wrong? No, don't bother answering that, because I know that you'll just say I didn't do anything wrong. I know I did, though. Why else would he have dumped me? I guess I just wasn't good enough for someone like him.
Rose
Rose,
Don't ever say that. You're more than good enough for someone like him. Maybe you're too good for someone like him.
Whatever the reason, it's over and you can't change that.
Scorp
Rose,
Don't think that by ignoring me you can pretend what I'm saying isn't true. Crying in your dormitory isn't going to make Ethan come back to you.
Scorp
Rose,
You haven't come out of your dormitory in a week. You're lucky you have such great dorm mates; they've been lying to all the teachers and saying that you're ill. Personally, I would just tell them the truth: that you're too busy wallowing in self pity to realise that you can't abandon your entire life just because some guy broke up with you.
I'm sorry if that sounds a bit harsh, and I understand that you're hurting, but did you really love Ethan? Because I don't think you were, and I know you a lot better than most people do. Certainly better than Ethan did. Think about it: he forced you into playing Quidditch, was constantly buying you roses (I mean, really: roses? Anyone who knows you at all knows you hate roses) and he once said he thought you'd be more suited to an office job than teaching! Surely if he'd really been in love with you he'd have bothered to find those things out? And surely if you'd loved him back you'd have bothered to tell him, rather than just going along with it?
Pull yourself together, Rose, and come out and show the world that Rose Weasley can't be broken that easily.
Scorp
Scorp,
Yeah, you're right, I'm really sorry. I wasn't in love with Ethan, not really, and he wasn't in love with me. It just took me a little longer to realise that than it took him, and I didn't want to believe it. But I have officially pulled myself together and I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast.
Rose
Mum,
Ethan and I broke up. Possibly Hugo told you that already, or you heard it from one of my cousins. I've been pretty miserable lately, and I know most of my cousins have been getting pretty fed up of me. Particularly Al. And even Scorp told me to pull myself together. Which he's never done before.
I guess I just really wanted it to work out this time. I've been getting pretty sick of dating a different guy every few months, and I hoped Ethan would be more permanent. I tricked myself into thinking I was in love with him, when what I was really in love with was the idea of being in love. Kinda stupid of me, I guess. Do you think I'll ever actually fall in love?
Rose
Rose,
You're only seventeen; I know it doesn't feel like it right now, but you have plenty of time to meet the right guy. I don't know whether you're maybe comparing yourself to Aunt Ginny and me, because we both met the guy we would marry at the age of eleven, but it doesn't always work like that. Maybe you'll meet him once you leave school.
Another possibility is that the guy is right in front of you, and you just haven't seen that yet. Sometimes the best things are the things we completely overlook while we're chasing after something else.
Try not to overthink it all, and it'll work out how it's meant to, I promise.
Mum
Scorp,
You finished that Potions homework yet? Because I'm really stuck. Help me, please?
Rose
Rose,
Did I read that right? You want me to help you with Potions homework? Potions homework that's due in tomorrow, in fact. Not to mention that it's three in the morning. Since when does Rose Weasley have to stay up until three in the morning to do her homework?
Scorp
Scorp,
Oh, I'm so sorry, I hadn't realised it was three o'clock! Did I wake you up? I'm really sorry. It's just that I've been up for hours trying to do it, and I guess I lost track of exactly how many hours. But don't worry. You should just go back to sleep. I'll figure it out, or maybe I'll just not bother. Professor Zabini won't mind too much. It's not like I've ever not done my homework before.
Rose
Rose,
I've enclosed a copy of my Potions essay, just to give you an idea of the sort of thing I've written, not that it's likely to be anywhere near as good as what you normally write, but hopefully it will help you get finished a bit faster.
But it's not like you to struggle with Potions, or to leave it until the last minute. Are you okay?
Scorp
Scorp,
Honestly, you're a lifesaver! You must be one of the most unselfish, considerate, wonderful people I have ever met. How come you've only ever had one girlfriend? Surely you should have girls falling at your feet? You're certainly a million times better than any of the guys I've dated. I can't think of many guys who would be happy to wake up at three am in order to help someone with their homework and ask them if they're okay.
As for why I left it so late, I guess there's been a lot on my mind lately. I just can't seem to focus on anything, and I keep forgetting about stuff.
Rose
Rose,
Oh stop, I'm blushing! But being serious, you're my best friend. Why wouldn't I do all that stuff for you?
What's on your mind? It's not Ethan still, surely? I thought you were over that. I've never known you to worry about something so much you neglected homework before.
Scorp
Scorp,
But surely a boyfriend is supposed to be your best friend, too? And yet not one of my boyfriends would ever have treated me as well as you do.
And no, it's not Ethan. I guess it's more just guys in general, and the future, and lots of stuff. I don't know. I suppose with coming to the end of sixth year and stuff it's just suddenly struck me that I'm almost an adult – well, technically I am an adult; I've been seventeen for a couple of months now – and soon I'm going to be all on my own and making my own decisions without my parents there to do everything for me. It's a bit scary.
Rose
Rose,
Yeah, I guess a boyfriend is meant to be a friend, too. In fact, I wanted to talk to you about that. Do you think it's a good idea for me to ask out someone who's already my friend, or do you think there's a chance it might ruin the friendship?
As for all that stuff about leaving school, of course it's scary, but you're exaggerating a little. It's not like the moment you leave school you're suddenly all on your own. Your parents will always be there to help you out when you need it, and so will all those aunts and uncles and cousins of yours. And me and Al, obviously. No matter what happens, the three of us will always be there to support one another. Leaving school doesn't change the fact that if you send me an owl at three in the morning, I will always be happy to wake up and to be there for you.
Scorp
Scorp,
No, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't ask out someone who's already a friend. I mean, I suppose it's a bit of a risk, but all the best things in life come at a risk.
Rose
Rose,
Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll take the risk. Thanks for the advice Rose; you're the best.
I'll ask Sarah out tomorrow.
Scorp
Scorp,
Sarah? Who's Sarah?
Rose
Rose,
You know who Sarah is! Sarah Clearwater; what other Sarah could I be talking about? I know she went out with Al ages ago, but it's not like Al will mind. She's in my Muggle Studies class, and ever since Cameron dumped her for that Ravenclaw girl the two of us have become a lot closer. At first we were just friends but then, well something changed, and I guess I've started to see her a little differently. I just hope she feels the same, because I really don't want to ruin our friendship by saying something and then her rejecting me. But you're right; nothing good ever happens if you don't take a risk.
Scorp
Scorp,
Of course: Sarah Clearwater. That's who you were talking about.
Yeah, it's funny isn't it, how someone can be just a friend for ages and then one tiny little thing happens that changes your entire perspective on them.
Well, good luck with asking Sarah out. I hope it goes well.
Rose
Mum,
Well, you were right. The perfect guy was just in front of me, and I was too blind and self-centred and stupid to see it. And now he's falling for someone else, and there's nothing I can do about it, because all I really want is for him to be happy. Wow, love hurts. Why on earth was I so eager to experience it?
I really am an idiot.
Rose
Scorp,
Well, I'm sitting in the Gryffindor common room, and I've just been talking to Rose. She says you were planning to ask out Sarah Clearwater today. Did you get round to it? And may I ask what the hell you think you're doing?
Al
Al,
No, I didn't get a chance to talk to her on my own, but we're working on a project in Muggle Studies together starting tomorrow, so I should get an opportunity at some point. You don't mind, do you? After all, it was ages ago that you went out with her.
Scorp
Scorp,
Well of course I don't mind that, but what I do mind is that you have spent years pining after Rose while she dated other guys, and yet the moment she's single, and you have the perfect opportunity to ask her out, you suddenly decide to chase after some other girl. Maybe if Rose was still with Ethan then this would be a good idea, but she's not. Why don't you just put me out of my misery and go and ask her out?
Al
Al,
And here was me thinking you'd be supportive of this decision. After all the time you've spent telling me to get over Rose, and the moment I do you turn around and tell me the opposite. Do me a favour and make up your mind.
Scorp
Scorp,
If you can honestly tell me that you are completely over Rose, and that you love Sarah the way you used to love my cousin, then I will be nothing but supportive, but somehow I don't believe that.
Al
Al,
No, I'm not completely over her, but it's starting to look like more of a possibility than it ever has before. I don't think asking her out would be a good idea now. She's my best friend, and one of the most important people in my life, and I don't think I could stand to lose that if it didn't work out. And what am I supposed to do? Just walk right up to her and say, "Yeah, I know you only broke up with your boyfriend a few weeks ago, and I'm just supposed to be your best friend and supporting you right now, but I'm madly in love with you. Will you go out with me?" Somehow I don't see that going down well.
And no, I'm not in love with Sarah, but I like her a lot. Being with her is fun and easy and I think if I tried I could probably come to fall in love with her. So I will ask her out tomorrow, and see how it goes from there, and I'd appreciate it if you could support me in that.
Scorp
Scorp,
Firstly, I want to say I'm really, really, really sorry. It's just that Al went away to the bathroom and an owl came for him, and when I saw it was from you I figured it wouldn't matter if I opened it. I'm so sorry; I shouldn't have read it. I just never considered the idea that the two of you would have a secret I didn't already know about. In fact, I though it might say something about whether you'd asked Sarah out yet.
But I have to know, who is the other girl you mentioned? Because it really sounds like it's … me.
Rose
Rose,
No, it's not you it's –
Rose,
Please let me explain, I was just referring to –
Rose,
I don't know how to say this but I –
Rose,
I've written about a million attempts at this letter, and binned every single one of them. The truth is that –
Rose,
Yes. Yes, it's you.
Scorp
Scorp,
We need to talk.
Can you meet me on the Astronomy Tower in ten minutes? I know it's past curfew, but this can't wait.
Rose
A/N: And on that dramatic note, dear readers, I leave you. Next chapter will be posted in about a week.
