Weasleys. Weasleys everywhere. They had arrived at their hotel, settled into the three bedroom suite—Scor and Hugo were to share a room. Rose's dad kept repeating that louder and louder until her mum told him to shut it—and they were ushered into the banquet hall for Christmas Eve dinner.

And there were Weasleys. Weasleys everywhere.

Rose had already hugged her Uncle George and Aunt Angelina. Roxanne and her date—Connor Wood—were nowhere to be found. And little Fred was ducking in and out from underneath the extravagant tables. That was one family down, and only three billion, two hundred, forty-seven to go.

"I feel like I'm in the Red Sea," Scor said from beside her. When they first entered the room, he had instinctively stepped closer to her, as if she could protect him from the onslaught that was her ginormous family.

"It's not actually red, you know. It's still just a sea," Rose said.

"Metaphorically, then."

"Right. The Weasleys: Metaphorical Red Sea. We should have that anagrammed onto our bath towels."

"Cheeky," he smiled down at her.

"Thank you."

She was exaggerating, of course. She knew it. And she only felt a wee bit guilty about her resentment. Because this was family after all, her family, and no matter where in life she might be, she'd always have them.

"You know," Rose started to make her way toward the next group to greet, "you see all of these same people every summer at the Burrow."

"True, but not all in one room," Scorpius replied.

Rose felt like a dog whisperer, and Scor was her beagle attached to her heels.

Hmm. Maybe not a beagle…

But whatever dog he was like, he was there. It made Rose smile to herself. Just Scorpius's presence alone made the room feel less crowded. More bearable.

He placed a hand on her lower back so as not to lose her in the crowd, and instantly Rose felt like melting into the floor. Could he possibly have a taser hidden up in his sleeve? Was he made of electrical wires? Every damn time he touched her, instant internal mess.

Rose would not breach the subject with herself. Not at all.

Her eyes, instead, helped her to focus on the task at hand: greet the bride, acknowledge the groom existed, and find her table.

"Vic!" Rose waved. Her cousin was hugging a balding, short man Rose didn't recognize. It must have been the one Delacour invited. Once he moved away, Vic beamed at her.

"Rosie! I am just so happy that you're here!" Like Rose had a choice. But Vic wrapped her perfect arms around Rose anyways, and Rose took in the overly powerful scent of lilac. "And who is this handsome thing?"

Vic was hugging Scor now, without any hesitation, because of course Vic knew it was him. And of course she would compliment him. And hug him. And place a kiss on each cheek. There was absolutely no reason for any of these obvious and formal normalities to make Rose's chest constrict and her mouth to dry out.

Yeah. Rose would have to have that "feelings" conversation with herself later.

"I didn't know that you two were…" Vic looked between the two of them with a devilish smile.

"No we're not…"

"He's just my…"

Scor and Rose stopped and looked at each other. She could tell he was letting her explain, so Rose turned to Vic, her own mouth open and ready to say "just friends."

But then Teddy was there. Teddy, who had been talking with that short-and-bald Delacour. Teddy, who sent her that note. Teddy stinkin' Lupin.

"Yes. Scor is my date for the next two weeks," Rose quickly laced her fingers through Scorpius's own hand. She felt him grip her hand back hard.

Oops.

"Date?" Teddy asked. His purple eyes caught hers, and Rose wanted to vomit, cry, slap him, and possibly die all at once.

But instead, she kept talking. "Yes. My date. For the next two weeks. And for longer. Possibly forever. Who knows how these things really go. Maybe Scor is my date for life."

Did Scorpius's palm get suddenly sweaty… or was that Rose's?

"Or not for life. Again, who knows," she sputtered on. She couldn't even look at Scorpius; she could barely pull her eyes away from the face Teddy was making. Definitely confusion, mostly disgust. A hint of jealousy? No, of course not. "We… we're just going to be over here, if anyone should need us."

Rose pushed Scorpius in front of her, Quickly her eyes scanned the crowd until she found a secluded corner, where a lonely table awaited them.

"Aren't the seats assigned?" Scor asked as she plopped down into a chair.

"Who cares?" her voice was muffled. Probably because she had buried her face into her hands, and her hair was acting like a blasted curtain again, surrounding her head in a whole new sea of red.

"So, wanna tell me what just happened, or?" Scor slid into the seat next to her.

Instead of answering him, Rose looked down between them. "Hello, Foot. Meet Mouth." Then she looked into Scor's beautiful green eyes. "I do not want to talk about it. At least, not here."

"Okay" was all he said. And that was that.

There was something wrong with this family, Scorpius decided. Something off, at least. And it all started right after Victoire and Teddy got engaged.

Al refused to tell him anything, and, although distantly related, Teddy was not going to tell him either. But Scorpius would never ask Teddy anyways. His own parents really didn't talk to their families unless necessary.

Which meant as little as possible.

Rose. She was definitely hiding something. And not well. Date for life? The hand holding? Her face alone gave her away. Teddy had turned to them and suddenly she was blank. No more jumpy, lively, gorgeous Rose Weasley (though that last part wasn't exactly true. She was always gorgeous, wasn't she?). But instead of her normal self, Teddy made her sink inward.

All throughout dinner—they were forced back to their assigned table—she picked at her food, made polite conversation, and refused to look at him. The promise of hearing more later was the only thing getting him through any of it without exploding.

"Where's Albus?" Scorpius asked as their final dessert plates were cleared.

"I'm not sure," Rose glanced around. "Mum, where are the Potters?"

Mrs. Weasley nodded toward a table. "They put Harry and the lot with your Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur. You know, the immediate family table."

Rose and Scorpius both peered over toward said table. In addition to the bride's parents and the groom's honorary parents were Dominique, Louis, Al, Lily, and James. A shy Ara Waters was beside Al, and a lean blonde was beside James.

"James has a date?"

"Apparently," Rose answered. "Hu, who's James's date?"

"Huh?" Hugo was currently debating Quidditch tactics with Connor Wood. "Why would I know?"

"I think it's Yana McLaggen," Roxanne said. "She graduated two years ago. Works in the Ministry with her dad."

"McLaggen?" Mr. Weasley—Rose's dad—said. "Good luck, James."

"He'll need it," Scorpius heard Rose's mum mutter under her breath.

"Anyways," Scorpius turned back to Rose. "Should we try to catch up with Al and Ara later?"

"Maybe…" Rose scrunched up her nose. "Yes. But, later."

Soon they were dismissed and allowed to mingle with the other guests. Rose had instantly grabbed Scorpius's hand and began leading him to the exit.

"Not so fast."

Upon turning, Scorpius discovered Al and Ara standing there. The former looking peeved. The latter looking like she regretted ever saying yes to this whole plan.

"Where were you two before the dinner started? I found Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione. Then I found Hugo. I even found Roxanne in a dark corner with a leech on her neck!"

"I think he means Connor Wood…" Ara attempted to diffuse the Albus-Bomb. Scorpius took pity on her almost instantly.

"Potato, potatoe. Point is, I didn't find you."

"We were talking at another table. We read the nametags wrong, or something," Rose crossed her arms.

"You read the nametags wrong?" Al was incredulous to say the least. Twat. Couldn't leave well enough alone.

"You'd be surprised, mate," Scorpius tried. "It's kinda funny, really. I've been her Potions partner for seven years. You'd be surprised how many labels we've misread over the years."

Could that have been anymore lame? Scorpius chanced a glance at Rose, and she was smiling ear to ear.

"It's true," she continued. "It's usually me, though. Scor's being a bit generous saying 'we.'"

"Scor?" Al stared into Scorpius's face, smiling like a lunatic, and for a moment, Scorpius worried that he'd have to punch his best friend in the face in order to keep him quiet. "You remember the deal we made, right? The plan?"

"Yes, Albus. We know the plan that you came up with. It's why we're all here," Rose said very slowly. Scorpius had to hold in his laughter. "But right now, I need to show Scorpius something, so you can wait another fifteen minutes before starting your little Parisian playdate."

Scorpius. So she too had noticed Al's smile.

"And, Ara," Rose continued, "I'm terribly sorry for this prat you're stuck with. I will rescue you shortly, I promise."

"Oh, it's alright," Ara said. But Scorpius heard the hope in her voice.

Rose began to stalk out of the room again, but Al never was one to quit. "I thought the four of us could go swimming or something. There's a ginormous indoor pool here. I wasn't deliberately leaving Ara out. I quite like her company, Rosie!"

"Then enjoy it some more!" Rose shouted over her shoulder.

"Guess we'll meet you in the pool?" Scorpius turned on his own heel and followed the bushy haired Weasley back up to her family's suite in silence.

Twelve minutes had passed, and all Rose had mustered to say was "let's talk in my room, yeah?"

Smooth. But she was only acting like this because everything was so unbelievably complicated. Life was just unbelievably complicated!

Scor was standing in the open doorway. Rose was sitting on the edge of her bed. No one was back. Yet. And the clock was ticking. He deserved an explanation. She knew that. She acted like a total nutter and called him her date for life. What even was that? Why was he still standing there anyway? Clearly she was off her rocker.

"Close the door," she commanded. When the latch clicked shut, she threw herself backward onto the bed.

"Is this—is this some weird way of seducing me?"

Rose sprang up. "Oh, Merlin! No!"

Scorpius's laughter only made her breathe easier. "Teasing. Now what's going on?"

"Al didn't tell you anything, huh?"

"Of what?"

"Sit." Rose motioned for Scorpius to sit beside her on the bed. When he did, the mattress sunk so that his legs immediately rested alongside hers. Somehow, this made everything easier. So, Rose just started talking.

"Right after Teddy and Vic got engaged, something bad happened. Something very nearly scandalous in our family. And no one talks about it. Even mentioning it brings up bad blood, because everyone is split on the matter."

"Okay?" Oh why did he have to look so cute when he was confused?

"Anyways, Vic and Teddy got engaged. And we had a party to celebrate. Because that's what we do; we through a party for every little thing. Reminds Grandma Weasley of happy things. Anyways… Well, things are going really well. Too well, apparently, because we all heard a shriek from upstairs—this was at the Burrow, sorry I didn't say it before—and, anyways, there was this shriek. And we all rush upstairs to find Vic crying on the floor and Teddy and Dom just standing there."

"So… what happened?" Scor leaned in closer to her. Rose tried to suppress a blush, but his thigh was touching her thigh and for the first time she felt like she actually understood magic. Everything before that must have been parlor tricks and illusions, because, my Merlin, the feeling of being this close to him.

"Um, you want Vic's side or Dom's?"

"Either?"

"Well, according to Vic, she walked in on Teddy and Dom kissing. Passionately kissing. Like, Dom was already out of her shirt."

"What?!" Scorpius almost fell off the bed, the way he jerked backward. Rose caught his flailing arms, pulling him to her, until they collided and tumbled off the other side. And now they were just a mess of limbs on the floor.

And Rose felt like her brain was imploding. Because here Scor was, on top of her, and all the things she refused to acknowledge surfaced and she fancied him and it was marvelous and this next part was going to be so crappy. Because he was getting off of her and apologizing, and she still hadn't told him her darkest secret.

"It's okay, relax," Rose laughed it off. She plopped back on to the bed, this time facing Scor. "Would you like to hear the rest?"

Scorpius positioned himself so that he was staring right into her eyes. "Sure."

"Dom's side was quite different. Dom… She had gone upstairs because of a headache. Grandma Weasley was out of Pepperup Potion, so Dom wanted to take a nap. Teddy, well, apparently he approached her and had this really long heart-to-heart about being nervous and scared and Dom listened. Then he kissed her, and he wouldn't stop, and Dom was too in shock to stop until Vic walked in."

"So…" Scorpius prompted.

"So, the family is torn on who to believe. A lot of the cousins say Vic is going through with the wedding to spite Dom. Just to prove that she won," Rose sighed. "It's a mess."

"What do you believe?"

"Me?" Rose knew this was coming, but that didn't prepare her for it actually happening. "I know for a fact that Dom is telling the truth. I also know for a fact that Vic is marrying Teddy because she loves him and not because she feels like she has to prove anything to anyone."

"How do you know that, though?"

"Easy," Rose smiled sadly. "Victiore is kind. She's generous. And she's been in love with Teddy Lupin since she discovered boys existed in this world."

Scorpius looked hesitant, but Rose knew he was going to ask anyways. "And, and the Dom side of things?"

She slid off the bed, opened her trunk, pulled out her dirty sock, and produced that god-awful note.

"This."

She handed it to him. Scorpius read aloud. "'R—don't bring it up during the wedding—T.' Is T—"

"Teddy? Yes."

"And the thing you shouldn't bring up is the kiss?"

"Well," she sank back down. "Not exactly."

"Not exactly, meaning?"

"Scor, what I'm about to tell you is confidential. Swear you won't repeat it. Not to Al, not to Teddy, not to Vic. No one."

"I'm starting to get really concerned now."

"Scorpius." When did she become so whiney?

"You know," he smiled, "you have the same puppy dog pout as Albus. Except I think yours is actually working on me. Unlike him."

Rose laughed and suddenly it was okay that this was finally happening. That she was finally telling someone. "Three years ago I kissed Teddy."

Now there was real silence. At least no one fell off the bed. But Rose felt like curling up anyways and rolling far away from Scorpius freakin' Malfoy. What was she doing?

And yet. Her lips wouldn't stop. "It was New Years, and he was drunk, and I was fourteen, and some older, cuter guy was into me. And I had never been kissed, so it was definitely something exciting for me. And it was just a peck. Then it was more. It was more until his hand was up my shirt and I stopped it and then he wouldn't stop apologizing until Vic called him over and..."

She took a big breath. "And neither one of us acknowledged it again. And neither one of us said a word to the other until that bloody note he sent me! And I'm furious. And I feel sick to my stomach," when had she started pacing? "There's a reason I never wanted to date anyone. I just felt so damn dirty after that. Because he was with Vic and Vic was family and I was somehow at fault. I know now that I wasn't, because I was fourteen years old and he was well beyond legal at that point.

"And that is how I know Dom is telling the truth. Because it's so like Teddy to do this kind of thing. Panic about his relationship, reach out to other girls, then regret it instantly." Rose inhaled sharply, her brain unclouding, and her heart coming to a dead stop. Had she really forgotten who she was talking to? "Oh, my, great… Scorpius, I'm so sorry, I just—"

"Stop," he grabbed her hand. "Stop being 'just' anything. Don't you dare be sorry either."

Then he was hugging Rose.

Merlin, help her.

"I don't know why I told you any of this," Rose muttered. They were on a lift heading down to the ground floor where Al and Ara must have been waiting by the pool. Scorpius felt like his entire stomach was reeling. Maybe from the lift. Maybe from Rose's story. "I mean, I could've stopped with the Dom story, and you would have understood, right? I mean, I don't know what I mean. The Dom part of that story could have explained my foot-in-mouth episode from earlier, right?"

He looked at her then, really looked. She was still Rose. She clearly had grown from the… event she disclosed, and she was definitely living a different life now. But she'd never recounted to anyone those events. No one. Except him. "It could have. But honestly," he should really take her hand in his. That would be the right thing to do. Naturally, he didn't, "I'm glad that you told me."

"Really? The stranger who brought you to her cousin's destination wedding told you her most embarrassing secret on day one of fourteen, and you're glad." Then Rose laughed. "Maybe you are what all the girls think."

Scorpius felt his ears heat up. "What?"

"Never mind." Was she hiding behind her hair deliberately now?

"No, no. You have to spill that now."

"Don't you think I've spilled enough tonight?" She placed a hand on her hip. Teasing him.

Scorpius could only smile. "Okay. Fine. I am glad you told me. Truly. Because, one, I would call us more than strangers at this point. Maybe, and dare I say it, friends. Two, this week is going to be much smoother now that I can play along with your foot-in-mouth shenanigans—remember, we're dates for life—and finally, it's good that you aren't holding that in anymore.

"Now," he paused, "what do the girls think of me?"

"You think saying nice things will make me say them back?"

"I meant what I've said. I don't care if they're nice or not, Rose."

"Okay, Scor, I'll spill all the dirty secrets I know then," she smiled. The bell on the lift dinged and they exited through the door. "The girls at school think you are oh-so dreamy. You play Quidditch, you are definitely smart, and you're really sweet. You have that 'bad boy' thing going for you because of Slytherin, and you are quite attractive..."

Rose was still talking, but all Scorpius could hear was the phrase "quite attractive" playing over and over again.

Merlin, how could only three days land him in this colossal teenage-hormone-pool of never-ending butterflies? He was falling hard and fast for one Rose Weasley, and she was probably laughing on the outside so as not to think about what was happening on the inside. At least, Scorpius could hope.

And no wonder Al was always saying Vic and Teddy were a bad match. Every single conversation Scorpius had had with Albus, or any other Weasley-Potter for that matter, about the wedding involved some form of "this shouldn't be happening" or "this can't be reality anymore." Scorpius never thought on it, though, and why should have he? He didn't know anything.

And now he knew everything and then some.

There was a small tug of jealousy each time he thought about older, attractive Teddy kissing Rose. But that was the past and Rose should talk about the whole thing more. Because Scorpius saw the physical relief she felt admitting it. Maybe later, after swimming or over breakfast the next day, Scorpius would talk to Rose. Because it really did matter that she was okay.

And he really had meant it that he was going to act like her life-date for the rest of their time there.

"…anyway, here we are." Rose had her hand on the door which would lead to the pool. "Remember. Not a word."

"Rose, I promised. Cross my heart." And to prove his honesty, Scorpius placed his right hand over his heart.

Rose smiled up him, and for a brief moment she looked like she was about to kiss him. But instead her ocean-blue eyes closed. "Thanks."