Chapter 9: Breaking Point

Disclaimer: All belongs to JKR except for my OG OCs

AAA.

Rose woke up that day knowing she was going to have to break up with Carter McLaggen.

The last unnerving confrontation in the library had prompted Rose to ponder over the issue painstakingly, even to the expense of her studies. Stay with Carter, dump Carter. Her mind was in a continuous seesaw, intercepted by memories of their time together. She wracked her brain for answers and thought about life mottos (something about not giving a bloody shite). She even consulted J.D Salinger briefly, but found his prose too unreliable and convoluted to be satisfying.

Then that morning, on the day of her Potions O.W.L, she opened her eyes, saw the sunlight streaming into her room, and just knew.

The realization came with harrowing sadness. As she entered the Great Hall and Carter appeared in front of her for the first time in days, his hands stuffed in his pockets and his head hanging limply to one side, she felt the pressure mount inside her chest.

"Ready for your exam?" he said by way of greeting. His voice was gentle and contrite.

Rose inhaled sharply."Hi."

He stared at her and swallowed visibly."I'm an idiot." He looked utterly wrecked. Guilt pinpricked at Rose and she forced herself to remain impassive. "I know I shouldn't be ambushing you like this before your O.W.L, but I had to say something."

Rose said nothing and waited for him to continue.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean—any of what I said. Over the last couple days I've had a lot to think about and I keep thinking about how good it's been, Rosie. We've had so much fun together and you're bloody brilliant and I know I should trust you after all this time, even if I don't necessarily like Rowan and the lads. It's my issue, really, I've never been good at letting go." He strode over and impulsively took her hands into his own. "Let me fix this."

She had heard these words before. The alternate Rose, the one who had up until twenty-fours ago loved Carter, would have been skipping in her steps by now, but something had fizzled out between her head and heart. His words no longer felt like hopeful promises but rather wretched rituals.

Nevertheless, the pain of what she was about to do stung her from the inside out.

She squeezed his hand and gestured towards the door. "Let's go somewhere and talk."

AAA.

Best day of O.W.L week so far, thought Scorpius when he woke up to the sensation of sixth-year Jenna Gilbert's warm, albeit slightly bony, body shifting on top of his. She was doing something marvelous with her lips into the hollow of his neck.

He groaned involuntary and felt a little prick of delight as she giggled into his ear. With his free hand he pulled her face towards his and slowly moved his lips over hers.

They stayed that way for several minutes, snogging without the least bit of consideration to his roommates, until Scorpius felt Jenna's hand shifting downwards across his abdomen and further below. There was a metallic click as he heard her unbutton his pajama bottoms.

Scorpius rose immediately to a ninety-degree angle and pushed her hand away, the momentum causing Jenna to lose her balance and topple to the floor. She let out an indignant squeal. "Scorp! What's the problem?"

You calling me Scorp for one.

He eyed the blonde clambering back onto his bed with an annoyed expression on her face-Jenna Gilbert, one of Hogwarts' finest and most shameless specimens. He tried not to stare too long at the black bra that peeped out of her nightie. Girls and their body parts still flustered him terribly, but he would rather die than admit it.

"Can't, erm, do that now," he replied, tearing his eyes away as he turned towards the clock on his nightstand. 9:00."I've got my Potions O.W.L in an hour, remember?"

"Why so worried? My fifth-year mates tell me you're one of the best students in that class," snorted Jenna. She leaned in with a sly expression. "Afraid you're not going to be able to focus?"

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Love, don't flatter yourself." He smiled to himself as he heard Jenna scoff behind him.

He walked towards the bathroom, counting the number of heads still left in the room. Lucas' impeccably made sheets indicated that he had already left. Gareth was nowhere to be seen and Potter, the lazy arse, was still fast asleep. His red hair was barely visible from under his pillow. Why the boy chose to sleep in that position; Scorpius could never understand.

Scorpius stepped into the bathroom and eyed himself in the mirror. His white-blond hair fell in clean, effortless strands around his face, framing the refined angular bones in his cheeks and lean jaw. His blue eyes were tireless and clear. All in all, he surmised with satisfaction, he looked like he was ready to conquer the world.

When Scorpius finished washing his face and walked back into his bedroom, Jenna was still lounging about on his bed half-dressed, peppering questions at Al, who looked utterly overwhelmed as he attempted to answer her whilst using his blankets as a shield around his body. The poor boy's eyes continuously darted to the walls and ceiling and away from Jenna's exposed skin.

"Hi. Shouldn't you be leaving?" Scorpius cut in firmly. Jenna shot him an irritated expression.

"I'm in the middle of a conversation with Albus. Could you be any more rude, Scorp?"

"Thing is, I've got to go in ten minutes and I'd prefer if nobody saw us leaving together, seeing as you're not even supposed to be here," he replied a matter-of-factly, and then added sarcastically, "Please and thank you?"

Jenna rose to full height and opened her mouth to retort.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Scorpius!" His blood froze as the familiar lilting call of Chantal pierced through the wood. "You were supposed to be downstairs five minutes ago. I'm waiting. Did you sleep in again?"

"Buggering hell!" Scorpius swore in hushed tones, shooting Jenna a look that plainly shouted: Do you see what I mean now? The girl frowned but she too was visibly alarmed. No one wanted to be on Chantal's hit list.

"Potter, tell her I'm not here."

"Me?" exclaimed Al, a grin slowly spreading across his face, "Like hell I will."

Scorpius glared at him. "Don't be a prick."

"You really don't want to be pushing any buttons right now."

"I'm asking you nicely."

"This is nice?"

"Scorpius!" The banging persisted and grew louder in volume. Scorpius rubbed his temples.

"What do you want?" he hissed frantically, clasping his hands together. "Favors? Money? My leg?"

"You could say 'I'm sorry', for starters."

"I apologize, Potter, a thousand times over. I hope somebody rewards you with bars of gold and a dozen temple virgins for your toil. Now please-"

"I think you should get down on your knees and proclaim me lord of the universe."

Scorpius' jaw went slack and he threw Al an incredulous look. "You're not serious." He turned to Jenna. "He's not serious."

Her grim expression told him that she was not at all happy with the situation. "I would be."

Al grinned. "A little humility goes a long way." With a dramatic sigh, he scooted to the edge of his bed and gestured towards the floor. "Well, Malfoy?"

Scorpius looked at the boy's dancing bottle-green eyes and knew the git wasn't about to budge. Grimacing, he went down on his knees, quickly bumped his head against the floor and uttered in muffled tones: "Hail, O' Lord of the Universe."

With that, he stood up hastily like he'd just touched excrement. "That was disgusting. Now will you tell her to go away so that my insides aren't skewered before breakfast?"

Laughter bubbled out of Al's lips. He promptly went to the door and shouted, "Chantal! He went down to breakfast."

There was silence as the incessant rapping against wood finally ceased. They heard a loud puff of air as Chantal released her frustration, and then her footsteps echoed off into the distance accompanied with an impressive stream of French curses.

"That didn't help," stated Scorpius with a wince, "She'll probably skewer me anyway for not escorting her down to the Great Hall." Jenna made a small derisive sound from the corner where she stood and he was reminded that she was still here. "Sorry, Gilbert, that was a close one. Next time when I say out by breakfast, I mean it."

"You don't have to tell me twice," the blonde snapped, slipping on her last article of clothing before her hand turned the knob of the door. She checked both left and right ends of the hallway before stepping out and turning to face him with a scornful look.

"Let's, ah, do this again?" ventured Scorpius beatifically.

"You really are a prick, Malfoy." The door slammed behind her so loudly that the walls trembled.

"There's a good way to wake up in the morning," noted Al, dead-pan.

Shortly after, the two boys agreed to walk down to their Potions examination together, seeing as they were the only two left in their year who felt that they didn't need to do any last-minute revising. Their trip to the dungeons was highlighted by their considerable amount of confidence, engaging in what could have constituted as cordial conversation.

"Why don't you just tell Chantal that you'd like to see other people?" inquired Al, rubbing his still-sleepy eyes.

"Have you tried telling a banshee that it really shouldn't sing?" Seeing Al's blank expression, Scorpius shrugged. "Me neither, but that's how I'd imagine that conversation would go."

"I thought the two of you were happy…in a twisted, pretentious and completely superficial sort of way."

"Happy?" repeated Scorpius as though he was tasting the word for the first time. "With Chantal? Have you met Chantal? 'Scorpius, buy me this fifty-Galleon necklace that I'll never wear again', 'Scorpius, escort me to every sodding meal otherwise I'll accidentally choke on my ego', 'No, that's not a real kiss; Englishmen don't know passion like the the rest of continental Europe', 'Oh, look at all the poor scum on the streets who wish they were us.'"

Al snorted. "That last one actually sounds a bit like you."

"It does, doesn't it," Scorpius admitted.

"So why is she still your girlfriend?"

"She's not my girl-" Scorpius started on the phrase that he'd uttered a million times before, but interrupted himself. "Potter, you sheltered simpleton, what are you on about? You've just got to drown out the noise and stare at her tits, that's all."

Al's nose scrunched in distaste, prompting all his freckles to cluster rather comically in one spot. "Top class."

Al's tone was starting to get on Scorpius' nerves. He spotted a familiar mane of light-brown hair heading their way and decided to poke a little fun at him.

"Jealousy is unbecoming, Potter."

Al scoffed but his cheeks, predictably, turned beet-red. "I—you—how would you—I've got Isabel," he finished lamely.

Scorpius smirked. "I might be uncommitted but at least I'm not being strung along without benefits."

"That's not-that's none of your business."

"Merlin. How long has it been now, nearly a year? Has she even let you grope a little?"

"Shut up."

"Tell me, honestly. Have you seen her tits?"

"I—that's-" In spite of his oblivion that the object of his affections was drawing nearer, Al's head looked like it was about to blow its top off.

Scorpius folded his arms, the top of his lip curling. "From what I know, if a bird's been going out with a bloke for about a year and he's been a gentleman about everything, she's usually willing to make the first move. Maybe you ought to ask her whether there's another reason for it." He paused. "Or another bloke."

Al's hands instantly balled into fists and he swung at Scorpius, who dodged easily with a side-step. "You bastard."

"Well, prove me wrong. Tell me what her tits look like."

"Her tits look fine!" The words left his mouth furiously and reverberated across the walls of the hallway, prompting onlookers to swivel and break into laughter. With the perfect timing of a clock tower, Isabel, who had been right behind Al during his outburst, blurted out in shock: "Al?"

Al's eyes widened in surprise and his mouth rounded into a scandalized 'O'. He immediately turned to face his girlfriend and began explaining profusely.

"Oops," remarked Scorpius, trying his best to hold his laughter in. He stepped around the pair and headed off into the distance, knowing full well that Potter was going to do a miserably inadequate. Taking the piss on Albus Potter was a sport that could never run out of steam.

He stopped outside the Great Hall and ducked his head for a quick look. When he noted that Chantal was nowhere to be seen on the Slytherin table (although he did earn a nasty look coming from Jenna among the Ravenclaws), he swiped a couple of croissants from the breakfast bowl and drained a goblet of orange juice.

Still chewing on his way out, he glanced down at his watch. Twenty minutes until his O.W.L. Plenty of time to kill.

He headed up to the fifth floor, where he knew there was a lovely Prefect's bathroom he was entitled to, and decided he had nothing really better to do than to admire his own reflection for awhile. As he rounded the steps leading to the third floor, he heard a series of shouts echoing from one of the empty Transfiguration classrooms down the hall.

He stopped, frowned, and turned to inspect the source of the noise.

A door opened, and he heard a familiar female voice shout angrily, "…going to be late for my O.W.L. Just let me go." Scorpius caught the flash of red hair and saw the solid figure of Rose Weasley stepping out in the hallway, the majority of her face obscured by shadow.

"…can't do this to me. You're not leaving until we've resolved this," shouted another voice, male, in reply. Rose uttered a surprised cry as an unseen force yanked her body back into the room. The door slammed behind her.

Scorpius knew from deep in his bones that there was something out of place. He had been around quarrelling couples for as long as he could remember. He stared down the hallway, not quite comprehending why a pervading, frenzied itch was now rooted in his sternum, prompting him to resolve the situation.

Bloody McLaggen.He took a deep breath and strode forward.

AAA.

"I don't understand," said Carter hollowly.

They were sitting in an empty Transfiguration classroom on the third floor. It was the first place they had found that was unlocked, vacant, and private. Rose was perched on one of the desks in the front row so that she could deliver the news with steady limbs. Carter stood, propped up against the teacher's blackboard with his arms hanging limply by his sides, facing her with a gobsmacked expression.

"I'm sorry," Rose said softly, trying her best to hide the fact that her hands were shaking in her lap. "I didn't want to do this now but I felt that it couldn't wait."

"You're saying we should split up because you woke up today and had a bleeding epiphany," stated Carter in a tone of dull incredulity.

Rose stayed quiet.

"That's not a reason," said Carter, more to himself than to her, "At least tell me why."

"It wasn't just sudden," Rose tried to respond in gentle, firm tones, but she couldn't look him in the eye. "There have been so many issues recently and I've just realized that it's because there are…fundamental differences between us."

"I don't believe that," replied Carter fiercely, coming towards her. "You can't just—for Merlin's sake, give it another chance." His eyes were already tinged red and there was a lump bobbing in his throat. Rose's heart contracted at the sight of Carter so vulnerable, but there was a part of her that felt cheated out of her emotions. Where were you the whole of last week, when all I wanted to do was make it right for us again?

"You were the one that said you felt this wasn't enough for you," said Rose quietly, "That's not something easy to forget."

"It's only because I like you so much," said Carter in choked tones. He took her hands in his and carressed the top of her knuckles. "I've always liked you, Rosie. Ever since the Three Broomsicks two years ago, even if we were just kids then and it was just for a moment…I thought you were…there's no other word for it, mesmerising." He chuckled to himself bitterly. "Look at me, using a word like 'mesmerising'. I'm just a bloody child."

Rose stared down into his hands. "I know."

AAA.

A Year and 8 Months Ago

On the first day of her fourth year at Hogwarts, Carter McLaggen won her heart.

Ever since their encounter at the Three Broomsticks, Carter had undeniably left an impact on Rose, even if she didn't quite understand what she was feeling. His profile at the end of the corridor was enough to induce an arrythmic pulse in her body and when he spoke to her, even in just a passing hello, her eyes would look anywhere but his face in fear of revealing her emotions. It was a contaigion that only grew stronger with each encounter. Once she'd dropped a pen, and when he stooped down to pick it up for her, she caught a whiff of his hair and thought it smelled like vanilla and grandmother's cookies and home.

Over time, she mustered enough courage to hold a conversation for more than several minutes, and then it wasn't long before their conversations began paving into library hours, stretching into the evening. He raved about the wild moors of his childhood home in Ireland and his mother's blueberry pies. He understood what it was like to have annoyingly frequent similarities to his parents. They'd crack jokes about Quidditch, their professors, and occasionally the topic that had brought them together-Malfoy.

On the last day of her third year, Rose had gotten wind that Carter fancied someone and that he was in a secret relationship. It was a passing remark made by Lily as she commenced her daily grind of the rumor mill for the rest of the family. None of them suspected that this tidbit had resulted in a piece of Rose's heart crumbling into dust. Nevertheless, she wrote to Carter frequently over that summer, taking great care not to mention his personal life in fear of slipping in a carelessly scathing word. Friendship wasn't off the table.

When Rose returned for her fourth year of school, she was set to forget about her little third year crush, convinced that she had grown up and was moving onto better things.

The trainride to Hogwarts that year proceeded with minimal distress. Her troublemaker cousins had gotten smashed the night before and were too hungover to conduct any mischief that had, on other occasions, resulted in one or more other family members needing the Hospital Wing upon arrival. After the train pulled into its destination, Rose swiftly unloaded her trunk and began heading to the carriages with the rest of her peers. All was normal, until someone called her name.

She saw him then—taller, leaner, and looking like damn Adonis—and her heart sputtered awake, putting her efforts over the last few months to shame. This time he didn't simply walk past with a swift hello.

He stepped in front the carriage that she was about to climb into, obstructing her path. His face wore an abashed, blushing expression she had never seen on him before.

"Don't get on," he blurted out, then amended himself quickly "Well, you can get on but only after I'm finished."

"Oh. Right," responded Rose, agog. "So, um. Hello."

"Hi."

"How—how was your summer?"

"Terrific. Really terrific," replied Carter in an odd, high-pitched voice, his knee jiggling agitatedly. "Mum really stepped up on the blueberry pies and dad was—was terrific and I really didn't come here to talk about my summer." He stepped forward and closed the distance between them, planting his lips on hers without another second's hesitation.

It was surreal, more than surreal. For a second, Rose thought she was having an out-of-body experience because in her mind's eye she saw herself, with her untidy red-hair and sweaty clothing, locking lips with this wonderful handsome boy who was perfect to her and thinking, this is not happening to me.

He drew away from her with a wide, joyful smile. "I thought about you the whole time," he murmured, cupping the side of her face.

This was happening all too fast. It was the first time a boy had ever kissed her and even that wasn't fully sinking in.

"I did too," she said faintly, trying to shake herself out of the daze clouding her brain. "So that secret relationship didn't pan out then?"

"What secret relationship?" he repeated, confused. The smile seemed embedded into his wonderful, gorgeous face.

"I thought you fancied…" began Rose, but then she realized that she had heard it from Lily and vowed that she was never going to trust the word of loquacious first-years again.

"You?" said Carter so softly that it was painfully clear to Rose in that moment that, of course, it had been herthe whole time, that she was an imbecile for having thought otherwise and had wasted an immense amount of time moping that summer.

"Well that works out then," she hummed in reply, throwing her arms around him. They snogged for several long delicious moments, admidst many catcalls and snide remarks telling them to disappear behind the bushes.

When they broke apart, Carter asked:"This is obviously redundant, but will you go out with me?"

She slipped her hand into his and told him yes.

AAA.

"The thing is," said Rose, lifting her head finally after what seemed like an eon of silence. "I think we grew apart."

Carter frowned. "How?"

"I don't know. Sometimes it just happens."

Carter chuckled mirthlessly, and he let go of her hands. "Did you read it in a book somewhere? Is that what you're basing this on? Bloody hell, I've been one upped by Hemingway or—or whatever other person's head you've been muddling around in."

"See, that," Rose replied sharply and she shook her head. "I can't even—how do I respond that? I can make my own decisions based on what I've seen and how I feel, Carter."

"What about the way I feel?"

"That's not how this works. It just hasn't been alright in a while and I know it's time to stop."

With a sigh, he buried his head against her shoulder and held her. She felt his breath on her skin when he spoke. "That's not fair. Don't let the good times count for nothing."

AAA.

Nine Months Ago

It was a year into their relationship when Carter finally met Rose's parents.

They were on the train back to King's Cross, sitting cozily in a compartment that was stuffed to the brink with Gryffindors—or at least, herGryffindors.

"Could you please snog your boyfriend in a different compartment," complained Lily loudly and Rose buried her head into Carter's neck to stifle her laughter. The other Weasleys echoed Lily's sentiments-including Fred, who conjured up a number of sparks in the shape of a tomato and hurled it with considerable force towards the couple.

Rose finally conceded to the groans of her family and led Carter out of the compartment. When the door shut behind them, they burst into bouts of uncontrollable laughter. Then they resumed where they had left off, fumbling with aimless hands and feet towards the doorway to another compartment. Their wide goofy grins never exited their faces. They were disgustingly happy.

As the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station, Rose stepped onto the platform with one hand tugging her luggage along and the other tucked into Carter's sweaty palm. He had good reason for sweating because there, standing with expectant looks underneath the 9 and ¾ platform sign, were her parents.

Her mother looked prim and neat as usual, dressed in black blazer over a blue blouse with her graying brown hair pulled back into a bun. Her brow furrowed momentarily in surprise when she registered Rose's companion but it was quickly smoothed over by a sharp smile. Her father-on the other hand-looked just about as careless as her mother was neat. His plaid button-down was wrinkled over his rotund figure and he looked as if he'd half-heartedly strung a tie around his neck.

Just as Rose had predicted, Ron Weasley's eyes locked onto her and Carter's joined hands, causing his cheeks to bloat in a manner that was akin to a bullfrog's.

"Rose, Hugo," said Hermione Granger-Weasley with a relieved sigh, collecting her youngest into her arms and cuffing Rose tenderly on the cheek. "It's been so quiet around the house. Thank goodness the two of you are back."

"Hullo mum," replied Rose, letting go of Carter's hand so that she could embrace her mother. She caught the familiar whiff of lavender soap and let the idea that she was finally home again wash over her. "Hullo dad," she added, turning towards her father with a hint of a smirk on her face.

"Rose," responded Ron Weasley gruffly, enveloping his daughter with thick, heavy arms. When they let go, Rose glanced over at Carter's sheepish expression and took a deep breath.

"Mum, dad, I would like you to meet my boyfriend Carter."

Her father's smile faltered.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Weasley—Granger-Weasley," Carter corrected himself nervously as he shook both of her parents' hands. "It's a real honor to meet you. Rose has talked the world about her parents."

Rose internally rolled her eyes. Overdoing it, but at least it was effective. Her father's cheeks seemed to be deflating back towards normalcy.

"Likewise," remarked Hermione with a twinkle in her eye. "Are you in Rose's class?"

"I'm a fifth-year, so we're not in any of the same classes, but I play for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team and that's how we-"

"They snog an awful lot," interrupted Hugo with a smug grin. Their father emitted a gnarled choking noise from the back of his throat and Rose shot her brother a murderous look.

"Arg—yes, well, that's not-" Carter spluttered, turning scarlet.

"What he means to say," Rose cut in firmly, pushing Hugo gently aside, "Is that we just got to talking one day and found out the two of us had a lot in common and it just went on from there."

"Fair enough," replied Hermione with raised eyebrows. "What did you say your name was again?"

"Uh, Carter. Carter McLaggen."

The statement prompted the strangest of reactions from her parents. Ron jerked alive and uttered "McLaggen?" as if it was the most ridiculous statement he'd ever heard, which caused her mother to explode with laughter, startling even Hugo. The laughter continued for several long moments as Hermione held her stomach in vain in attempts to contain herself before it finally died down into a few short giggles. All the while, Ron was gazing at her with an ironic smile on his face.

"What on earth, mum?" said Rose in shock.

"It's—oh, it's nothing, darling," gasped Hermione, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. "Life just works in such peculiar ways." And that was all Rose could get from her.

As Ron, Hermione and Hugo rolled the trunks off the platform, Rose informed her parents that she was going to catch up with them later and stay behind to bade Carter farewell.

When the two of them were alone again, Rose and Carter looked at each other and simply smiled, thinking of the year they had had together.

"What do you suppose that was all about?" inquired Rose, referring to her mother's outburst earlier.

"Maybe your mum and my dad got it on back in the day," teased Carter with a grin and pulling her close.

Rose made a 'puh' sound and twined her arms around his neck. "She would never. The two of us aren't that similar." She met her lips with his and they continued to snog, perfectly content in their own little universe, until Hugo came running along and exasperatedly hollered at Rose to stop going at it otherwise she could find her own way back home.

AAA.

Rose nudged Carter's head off her shoulder and placed her feet firmly on the ground. Carter backed a step, watching Rose with wary eyes.

"They counted," said Rose slowly, feeling new resolve well up inside her. "Of course they counted, but that doesn't change anything. We grew up together these last two years,and I've never done anything to show you that I don't care, but you still play the victim. I've asked you to be patient with me because I'm not the sort of person that just needs someone else. I never have and everyone who's ever been in my life has been there by my choice, not by necessity. You never understood, did you? You do have issues, Carter, but at least Istood by them all without ever speaking up—and it's made me feel awful about myself in the process."

The mood had shifted now, definitely. The morose expression on Carter's face flared to life with a look of incensed confusion. "Well, you're not standing by us now. You've given up."

" 'Given up'?" repeated Rose with a spurt of indignant anger. "I didn't give up, you did—the moment you shoved all your jealousy in my direction and blamed me for being heartless."

"I didn't mean—I just wanted you there, Rose!" shouted Carter, slamming his fist in frustration against the blackboard and causing it tremble violently. The sudden act caused a chill to run down Rose's spine. "I just wanted you to come to me and ask me to fix a problem for you." He faced the wall, and his voice broke down slightly. "I feel inadequate because you've never let me in."

"That's not true."

"What else is it, then?"

Every time I tried to tell you something that mattered to me, you'd roll your eyes and turn away. You think an obsession with muggle literature is something to laugh about. You think prejudice isn't a massive deal when it is. You've expressed hate towards people without reason. We disagree on fundamental values.

"I did try letting you in. I just felt like you were never listening," Rose murmured dully.

"No," refuted Carter with a stubborn shake of his head. "That's because you were always letting someone else in first—Al, Drew, Rowan, even Malfoy."

AAA.

Six Months Ago

At some point, a crack had emerged. Just as it had begun, their relationship ended with Scorpius Malfoy.

"Look, the blond-'aired tyrant emerges."

It was an exquisite autumn day. Red and golden leaves were scattered all over the grounds and a couple—like stray ducks—glided peacefully over the Black Lake's calm and glassy waters.

She and Carter were having another one of their afternoon strolls, holding hands and chatting animatedly over how fortunate it was that they had similar enough timetables so that they could afford these moments together. Rose was so distracted that she barely noticed when Scorpius strode into view, the back of silver head looking immaculate as always.

"No doubt hurrying to rule his subjects." Scorpius' expression was tight as he strode along, indicating that some minor catastrophe had transpired, but Rose—in her peaceful bubble—wasn't in the mood to care.

"Death Eater scum," stated Carter with a dry smile.

Rose stopped cold and stared at her boyfriend. He had said it so casually that even though she'd halted he continued ambling leisurely in the same direction. It was only when her hand dropped limply from his that he realized he'd said something wrong.

He looked at her perplexedly. "What's the matter, Rosie?"

"Do—do you always call him that?" said Rose in shock.

"Well, sometimes I just think it." He frowned. "What?"

"You-" A hot flush had crept up Rose's neck. She wasn't quite sure where she was going with this, only that it occurred to her that for some reason she was now feeling beyond livid on the behalf of someone she didn't even like. "That'sawful, Carter."

Carter's eyebrows disappeared above his hairline. "Excuse me?"

"That was horrible and—and everything that I thought you were above," said Rose quietly.

"What on earth have you done with Rose Weasley? I thought she hated Scorpius Malfoy."

"I don't hate him," burst out Rose angrily, her eyes flaring, "I dislike him, yes, but there's a difference between not liking someone and thinking that they're less than the dirt beneath your shoes."

Carter folded his arms and stared Rose down resolutely. "His family was instrumental to the rise of the most destructive Dark Wizard of all time."

"Two generations ago."

"It was the Malfoys that tried to kill Albus Dumbledore."

"His father, Carter. Not him. And, for Merlin's sake, he didn't even succeed."

"It's the thought that counts, Rose," snapped Carter, his fists clenched. His entire demeanor had changed frighteningly, as though a spirit had wiped Carter's innocuous personality clean and painted black all over the canvas. "They're evil-not just the Malfoys, but the whole lot of them. They tortured and killed hundreds of innocent witches and wizards and tried to start a muggle genocide. It was the worst period of our civilization. Who knows when something like that will happen again? In my opinion, the Ministry should have executed all Death Eaters and rounded up their families after Voldemort fell. It's a shame that the law protects them now."

Rose couldn't believe her ears. She had always presumed this rhetoric was reserved only for the lunatic far right of Wizarding politics and that teir sphere would never intersect with hers, but her own boyfriend? She wanted to shake him for head to toe so that he'd metamorphasize from this vengeful creature into the Carter she knew. "Do you hear the words coming out of your own mouth? How could you allow yourself to be blindsided by such prejudiced bollocks?"

"Well, you've got your views and I've got mine, alright?" replied Carter in a dangerously low tone. "What, do you fancy him or something?"

Rose let out a loud hoot of laughter and shot Carter a scathing expression. Up until this point, she had thought his jealous episodes were endearing, but not now. Now all she wanted to do was sock him in the face. "Right, yeah, I fancy Malfoy. You're completely missing the bloody point, aren't you?"

"Which is what, exactly?"

"If you fancy me as much as you hate Malfoy, then the only reason the two of us are together is because my mother and father helped bring Voldemort to his downfall."

"Don't be daft, Rose. Of course that's not the reason why we're together."

"So what makes you think the actions of Malfoy's family are the reasons to hate him?" Rose demanded with a persistent glare. "I'm not defined by my family and neither is he. My parents could have easily been on the other side but it was Malfoy who got the short end of the stick, so I can damn well imagine what it's like." She gritted her teeth. "Don't say something like that again, Carter. I mean it."

She waited for him to say it. I'm sorry, Rose. She thought that if he could see how much his words had upset her, how much his reconciliation on this aspect would mean to her, he would concede and apologize.

But Carter simply stood his ground and watched her with a sad, frustrated glint in his eye that she had never seen before.

"I don't understand you." With that he turned on his heel and left her there, among the dead, washed-out leaves.

AAA.

There was no point continuing the discussion.

Rose took his hands again and looked at him, willing for him to make eye contact. He kept his face fixed resolutely towards the floor, as though he was hoping it would open up beneath them. "I…really cared," she anunciated, slowly, trying to keep the tremulous emotion out of her voice, "I love you, Carter. I'll always be there, whenever you feel like talking to me again, if you ever need me for anything. But I will never make you feel like you're enough and it will eat you up inside. I couldn't do that to you."

Carter said nothing.

She took his silence to mean assent and recognized it as her cue to leave. Everything blurred, like raindrops against glass, as she headed for the door. Right before she was about to leave, the world yanked beseechingly at her gut, steering her towards Carter because nothing was worse than this at this moment. "I'm so…sorry."

He looked at her now, his face impassive like stone. Then, before she could react, he took three stormy steps right up to her and clamped his hand stiffly on her arm.

"Stop." His voice was hard. "I won't let you leave like that."

"That hurts," said Rose, wincing slightly as his fingers tightened. "Carter, I'm going to be late for my O.W.L. Just let me go." Her breath hitched on the last note, and in a flash she realized that she was—for the first time—quite frightened.

"No!" yelled Carter in frustrated tones. Her ears ringing, he yanked her back inside the room and slammed the door behind her. "You're sorry? You can't do this to me! You're not leaving until we've resolved this!"

"There's nothing to resolve," cried Rose, trying to wrench her arm away but failing miserably. "I told you, I don't feel-" She stopped to catch her breath, and looked him in the eye firmly. "You're being ridiculous."

That struck a chord. With his hand still clamped around her arm, he pushed her up against the wall, slammed her hand against the concrete, and then mashed his lips against hers with a fervor that was full of rancorous, frightening heat. She wriggled underneath him, her mind whirling, trying to use her one free arm to shove him off. "Carter, stop," she said, her voice muffled.

He pulled away and looked at her imploringly. The freckle above his left eyelid shook and all the while Rose was taking notice she grappled at Carter's hand, which was now forced between her collarbone and her throat.

"Rosie, come on." His voice shuddered into her ear, tinged with quiet hysteria, "It's just exam stress talking. We'll work through this-"

The most bizarre thing happened. She felt him jerk back as though his body had been suctioned in the opposite direction. The weight on her instantly vanished and she gasped in effort to collect her breath, recovering just in time to see the familiar profile of a wiry blond-haired boy pull his fist back and knock the living daylights out of Carter McLaggen.

AAA.

Scorpius had never liked Carter.

Hogwarts was his peace, a haven away from the scornful world that awaited him outside King's Cross, but even havens had their flaws. They came in the shape of ''Death Avengers", a loose nickname for families that hailed from extremist Anti-Voldemort views. In Scorpius' eyes, they were the kryptonite of any manner of progress that had transpired over the past two decades, the reason for every nonconsensual background check, Ministry house search and confiscation, and every broken post-Voldemort household.

Children of these families were often bred in such digestible hateful bombast that they usually came in a similar variety. Predictably, many grew up resentful and misguided towards any descendant of a Death-Eater line, a ploy their families used to carry on their own disgruntled feelings about how the Ministry should have handled Voldemort's ex followers.

They hated without purpose, without reason, without even a specific method in mind.

Carter was no kind exception. Scorpius had known him at Glaverstone, the Wizarding primary school in his neighborhood, where the two had engaged in multiple fistfights even at the age of five and six. It got to the point where Scorpius' desperate parents were forced to withdraw him from school because it had proved impossible for Scorpius to endure one day of class without getting into trouble with Carter and his cronies.

When Scorpius enrolled at Hogwarts and they crossed paths again, the situation regained control, in part because of their increased maturity. Carter realized that his actions held more gravity and therefore refrained himself from fighting by refusing to speak to Scorpius entirely. That suited Scorpius just fine but even then, Carter never hesitated to throw Scorpius a dark look whenever he came in close proximity. On the Quidditch pitch it was easier to mask purposeful malcontent as an accident. It helped that Carter was the Beater for his team and could thus express himself in a way he was limited to with words.

Scorpius had no intention of stooping to Carter's level, but he was gutted to admit that his early years with Al had remarkably resembled his Glaverstone days. Despite Al's good-natured forgetfulness Scorpius did occasionally wonder whether Al had ever truly forgiven him, and his own murderous thoughts towards McLaggen helped cast that idea into doubtful light. Still Carter needed a proper schooling, and as much as Scorpius could convince himself that hating Carter was immensely hypocritical on his part, it was hard not to give into his emotions.

So when he entered that empty Transfiguration classroom that day and witnessed the spectacle of Carter acting like a right old bastard, he felt obliged—no, ecstatic—to yank him off of Weasley and sock him smack-dab in the face.

It was only seconds later, after Scorpius began feeling a ringing pain in his knuckles and Carter uttered a loud groan from his fetal position on the ground, did Scorpius absorb the gravity of what he had done.

"Shit."

Rose Weasley was frozen to the wall, staring at Scorpius with her jaw hanging.

Carter uttered another painful groan and, still clutching his face, he got to his feet. "You—you wanker."

The shock Scorpius felt for what he had done vanished. He watched Carter sway pathetically and folded his arms. "Bugger the hell off, McLaggen. You're done here." He heard his own voice in his ears, icy and unwavering.

For a moment it seemed as if Carter was going to reach for his wand, but he simply straightened. He turned towards Rose with an expression that was a mixture of shame and defeat. She stared back, her face unreadable.

"You're right. I'm done," stated Carter quietly, his voice full of anguish, and with that he treaded with heavy feet out the door.

They were alone. Scorpius finally dared himself to look at Rose, whose chest rose and fell heavily as she straigthened herself. She looked white as a sheet.

"We, uh, should probably head down to our O.W.L-"said Scorpius, taking a step towards her. Her brown eyes slid to his for a brief second, prompting a curiously elated tremor down his spine, and then she slid past him without a word and disappeared out of sight.

AAA.

The Potions examination room was filled to the brink with people. Papers shuffled and vials clattered as students hastened to file away their last-minute revision notes and set up cauldrons in their individual stations. Nervous whispers and giggles clouded the air.

Surveying it all was Astrakhan, standing at the front of the room with his hands clasped in front of him. Next to him were seven O.W.L examiners, dressed in their customary robes of red and black and donning extravagant hats embossed with the Ministry insignia. They occupied themselves by consulting their clipboards, their heads darting up ever once to confirm that everything was still in order.

Scorpius entered the room in a daze. He weaved his way through the seats, searching for that familiar hue of red hair. He didn't know why it was so damn important to find Weasley, but her mute response to his actions had unsettled him. Deeply.

"Scorpius," familiar silky tones materialized next thim, and Chantal's slender hand slipped into his own. "There you are." He let her lead him towards her station, all the while flipping through the faces that passed him for the one he was looking for.

"...tried looking for you this morning, but Albus told me you had already gone to breakfast. You really should let me know in advance…I really don't appreciate the spontaneity…"

"Did Weasley come in?" he interrupted her, looking down to Chantal's face for the first time. She looked fresh and pretty as always, her hair done up in an elegant bun. There was an emerald butterfly clip attached the side of her head—was that new, or had she always had it?

"I—which one?" replied Chantal with a frown. Her eyes narrowed. "No, she hasn't."

"Fantastic," muttered Scorpius in exasperation, "Bloody fantas-"

Then, from the corner of his eye, he registered the familiar mane wide, heart-shaped face and the mane of red hair entering the premises. She was carrying a carton containing her Potions apparatus in one hand and was shielding her face with the other. That was Weasley, all right. Scorpius watched as she headed towards her station almost completely across the room. On the way there she collided into Rowan Thomas, who had been on his way to greet her. Evidently he had seen something that bothered him because his face morphed into a solemn frown and touched her shoulder. In response Weasley shook her head and slid his hand off her shoulder, resuming her path.

"Sorry, love. I'll see you after the exam," said Scorpius hurriedly, dropping Chantal's hand. He heard her call out indignantly after him but he had already weaved through several aisles. He slid into the seat behind Rose, pausing to declare to a boy who had just been about to place his bag on the chair, "Seat's mine."

The boy gaped at him. "It's alphabetical."

Scorpius swiped the name tag off the corner of the bench, 'Trevin Wesley', and handed it to the bloke. "Lets just say it's human error, Trevin. Happens all the time."

Rose swiveled around at the sound of his voice. "Malfoy, leave me alone." He caught sight of her angry expression before she faced the front again.

Scorpius waited until Trevin grumbled his way out of earshot before replying. "What happened up there?"

"You know what happened. You marched in and socked my boyfriend."

He chuckled sardonically. "Ex-boyfriend, don't you mean?"

Her shoulders stiffened. "It's none of your business."

"You know," countered Scorpius with a flare of irritation, "I would have expected a thank you at least-"

There was a sharp, amplified clap produced by one of the O.W.L examiners, demanding the students to settle down. Scorpius let out a puff of frustrated air as he was interrupted yet again. He leaned back in his seat and stared holes into the back of Weasley's head as the examiners droned on about testing procedures, wondering why she still had to be so prickly even though he'd actually thought he'd done something rather chivalrous for the first time in their lives.

"…and you may now begin." The last words echoed into the room, prompting a rapid rush of pages being flipped and the hiss of cauldrons being lit.

Scorpius glanced down at his paper. The assignment read: Confunding Potion. Easy stuff.

Halfway into the exam, he couldn't help himself. He glanced up at Weasley again, who was proceeding with her instructions in perfectly measured movements. The idea of her being irritated at him for absolutely no reason burned like a hot blade. Making sure that O.W.L examiners weren't watching, he leaned forward and whispered:

"Do you remember when I said Carter McLaggen was a thickheaded prick? Well, do you see my point?"

Rose's back erected rigidly, indicating that she had heard him, but she did not merit him a response.

"Come on, Weasley, don't be a stubborn bint," hissed Scorpius, reaching forward and prodding her back with a finger. "If it weren't for me he would have given you one in the face. He's off his bleeding rocker, you know."

He heard her mutter, "Touch me again and I'll hex you."

Scorpius rolled his eyes. Big words, small threats. Weasley would never do anything to jeopardize her academic career.

Smirking, he reached out his finger and prodded her again, this time in the small of her back so that it warranted a nasty reflex from her spine. "If it makes you feel better, I never thought the two of you would have lasted-"

Several things happened in quick concession. A sharp yellow jet of light hit him smack in the face. Instantly a slow drone descended upon him as if he were surrounded by a flock of bees. The sounds of the world around him faded away, replaced by watery, muffled noises that were almost indistinguishable to the ear. Muffliato Curse, he acknowledged with faint admiration as he stumbled backwards. In his disorientation, his elbow accidentally knocked into his half-finished Confundus Potion, causing the entire cauldron to tip and its contents to splash all over him. He yelped as the cold liquid permeated his hair and clothes. The scraping of chairs against wooden floors echoed around him as people got to their feet.

Briefly he registered Rose's open mouth and the look of alarm and regret that crossed her face before his knees give away and he sank into blackness.

AAA.

Oh my god, please tell me I didn't kill him. Rose knew she was being ridiculous, but Scorpius looked sickeningly drained as he lay unconscious on the floor of the examination room. She was down on her knees in a second.

"Malfoy. Oh shit, buggery shit." She shook him frantically. "I didn't mean it. Please wake up."

There was a crowd of students circling them now, craning their heads to get a better look at what was happening. She heard the dulcet tones of Astrakhan ordering them to return to their seats. Loud, authoritative footsteps marched her way.

Rose felt her stomach sink as the Head Examiner's face appeared above the clamor, his face white with rage. Great, she thought in terror, I'm going to be locked away for murder and expelled.

Something tickled her hand. She saw to her immense relief that Scorpius' fingers were moving, the tips just brushing the skin of her palm.

"Thank Merlin's hairy arse," she said fervently, reaching out to grip his hand fully. "Malfoy, can you hear me?"

He uttered a groan and his eyes flickered open, startlingly blue. Rose exhaled magninaimously. The blue eyes stayed fixed on her, oddly innocuous, and a smile slowly spread across Scorpius' face.

"Wow," he said, "Hullo, gorgeous."

"I-What?" spluttered Rose in astonishment. The hand she was gripping was ice-cold – or was that the temperature of her own skin? "Are—are you okay, Malfoy?"

"Malfoy?" repeated Scorpius amusedly, "Who's Malfoy?"

AAA.

I always love a good break up story, but even more so, I like the tragic arc of a relationship.

As much as some of you might not like Carter, in my mind I thought his relationship with Rose was really sweet.

Anyway – onto better things.

Reviews always appreciated!

~Missuswitch