5. Understandning Rose

"I have a theory," started Albus just a few minutes after we had picked up our assignment from Transfiguration. The only thing the teachers talked about these days were the OWLs and the only way they thought we would pass (they meant getting an E or better) it was to study all the time. It was even worse for me and Albus, we who didn't get anything in our normally pace were as good as dead .

"I don't think you have come anywhere with Rose." I slowly looked up from my book and laid down my quill on the table. We didn't really have time to discuss these topics but everything about Rose were always a top priority for me. I didn't know what this conversation came from but he had probably managed to over hear someone talking about my lame attempts of inviting her to Hogsmead. It was soon Christmas, two weeks from now. Of course I would tried to invite her.

"No se, José." I sighed. "It's like she decided the first time we met that she wouldn't give me a chance. I have tried everything." It wasn't completely true. I hadn't tried everything. I thought about sending flowers, gifts or write a poem but something told me that she would start to ignore me if I did that. Why couldn't Rose be like any other girl? Girls were supposed to like that cheesy stuff. Well, I said to myself. You like Rose because she's like no one you ever met. She's headstrong, independent, self-righteous, smart and – in her own way – kind.

"I have to tell you something." I frowned. Albus tone was very serious.
"What?" I was almost afraid. What could had happened? Was it something about Rose? Had he found a prophecy that challenged our love for each other? I would totally get a scar for her.

"The first time you met. Ron, her dad, told her that she shouldn't lose to you." Well, that was a long time ago. Her dad probably just saw me as a Malfoy. I had to correct myself, I was a Malfoy but not his version of it. He would be surprised about how different I were from my father. He had probably heard by now that I'm a nerd. A handsome and hot nerd. I didn't understand how this could bring anything to the situation but then again... what did 'lose to you' mean? It could meant grades but then she had won thousand times over. It could meant the house cup and Gryffindor had won all the years we had been here on Hogwarts. (Seriously I had started to consider if the teachers just gave Gryffindor more points just because the whole Potter and Weasley family were in that house – expectations for Albus.) It could even meant Quidditch and I wasn't even on the Slytherins Quidditch team. What more could it have meant? There wasn't anything she lost to me at.

"Lose to me? Albus, everyone loses to me. She makes me look like a double-loser even when she doesn't say anything." I had to be honest I didn't like being so bad at magic. I wanted to prove myself worthy if her. I had tried to make a joke out of it. It felt easier that way. It wasn't fun to recognize your own weakness. I saw something in Albus eyes glimmer. He gave me a smirk. Oh-no. This was never a good sign.

"Please don't look at me like that. I don't understand were you getting at." Albus laughed a bit but hurried to lower his voice. We were still in the library and we didn't want to get kicked out. It was a blast knowing someone more then you knew yourself.

"She knows that she wins over you at everything. That's her weakness. She won't lose to you but she could fall for you." Then I finally got it. This was the most genius theory I had ever heard. Albus must have thought a lot about my one-sided crush becuase this was taking it to a different level. This was Albus theory and the way to understand Rose. Yes, she knew that she didn't even had to lift a finger to win over me. She knew that so well that she didn't have to think extra about it. She wasn't allowed to lose to me but to fall. There was a difference. Finally had I understood why my attempts to flirt with Rose had been almost in vain. She saw my flirtation as a distraction for her getting good grades but how would this solve anything? I had to flirt with her to make her understand that I do like her. Women, why were they so complicated?

"And how am I supposed to make her understand the difference? If I flirt with her she will think that I'm just disturbing her so what could I do to make her understand that I'm not trying to distub her but really to charm her?" I mean. There wasn't any point if it weren't any plan. Albus had already figured that out. I saw that on his smiling face.

"I'm inviting you over to Christmas with the Potters and the Weasleys." I didn't know what to say. Had... had Albus just invited me over to his house? To his cousins house? To Roses house? Well, that didn't matter. The only hting that mattered was that Rose was there. He had thought a lot about this. He had even asked his parents before informing me. He continued. "I think you will charm her if you're out of school grounds. Out of school grounds means out of the grades and Quidditch reach. You two have to talk without having anything about school in your heads. Only outside school will you have this chance. What do you think?" What could I even answer?

"Holy macarony, yes."