I jerk awake, groaning in pain as a shot of pain tears through me. Opening my eyes, I realize almost immediately that I'm in the hospital wing. I'm lying beneath soft white sheets, a fluffy pillow beneath my head. I turn to my left and see someone sitting beside me, slumped, asleep, in a chair. I focus on him and recognize his platinum blonde hair and his sharp facial features and know it's Scor. "Scorpius?" I whisper, squinting at him.

His head lurches upwards as he hears my voice. "Rose!" he exclaims, his voice still husky with sleep. He rubs the sleep from his eyes and then takes my hand in his. It's hard for me to move mine, so he supports it with his and intertwines our fingers. "How're you feeling?"

"Good," I croak. "You?"

"You're the one who bled out on the floor of the Astronomy Tower, Rosie. Tell me how you feel, and I'll go get Madame Pomfrey. She'll whip something up for you."

I sigh, a little shaky. "It hurts… a lot. Every time I breathe in."

He moves to get up quickly, but I squeeze his hand and try to make him stay. "No, Scor. I'm okay. I'm fine."

"You're not okay, Rose!" he cries, slamming his other fist down onto the table. His shoulders relax after his bout of anger and he sighs. "I just…you could have died, you know?"

"I'm okay, though, and that's all that matters, Scor," I reply. "But…where's James? And the rest of my family?"

He shrugs, tracing my knuckles with his thumb over and over again. "He was here earlier today, but I think he's in Hogsmeade with the rest of the them."

My heart sinks a little. "What?" I pause, trying to collect my thoughts. "They went to Hogsmeade instead of staying here…with me?" He nods, pressing his lips together. I want to say something else, but instead I start to cry.

"Hey," he says, scooching closer to me in his chair. "I'm here." He wipes away my tears with his free hand. "I'm still here."

"I just," I begin, still sobbing a little, "feel like they should be here, right? Because he's the one who did this to me, he should be here." I shake my head. "I'm sorry. I'm being selfish. I know."

"You're not being selfish," Scorpius assures me. "You're being realistic. Apparently, James wanted to be seen, by the rest of the world, as an arrogant prat. That's his problem."

I sigh, and then end up coughing. He rubs my back as I do so, trying to make me as comfortable as possible. He never once lets go of my hand. "Thank you, Scor," I croak out, as soon as I am finished. "I'm sorry that you have to see me like this."

"Like what?" he counters, placing his finger under my chin and turning my head so that I will look at him. "As a smart, beautiful" —I blush— "survivor? I love you, Rose, remember that, no matter what."

He kisses me softly, not wanting to hurt me, and moves his thumb over my fingers at the same time, sending shivers through my entire body.