Thanks for the reviews AmyAmidala and Rosie! I think I replied (it won't let me answer them now, anyway), but I'll mention you here too! Loved your reviews! I'm flattered! Thanks so much!

Lesslyn: Oh, I would love to be The Doctor's companion…'drools uncontrollably at the thought of me and David alone in the TARDIS…' Ahem, sorry, 'bout that. Thanks so much for that lovely review! Here's an update, and I hope it doesn't disappoint!

LittleGinny15: Yay! Franz Ferdinand! Brilliant! Sequel it? I haven't even finished this one yet! Still…it's a good idea though. Maybe if I could leave it on a cliff-hanger… interesting ideas. Maybe if I almost kill off, instead of killing off… never mind. Thanks for reviewing!

'Sigh' Still not mine. Oh, and David Tennant in Glasses? That's excruciating Hotness! Hope you Like!

Learning the Truth

Ten minutes later, Ginny had returned to class, explaining hurriedly to an inquisitive Professor Slughorn that she had been caught up in a meeting with the Headmistress. Hermione had dragged Ron back to the Library, despite his protests, to search for information on The Underworld, and Harry had been called for by Professor Lupin. He had apparated away almost immediately, quickly telling The Doctor that they had a couple of hours to kill before the Order meeting and that they should explore the Castle.

"Meet me in The Entrance Hall at quarter to seven," he had called as he pulled on his cloak. He'd then turned to Lupin, whose face had been graced with a similar look of tiredness as Harry's, and they had disappeared with two simultaneous Cracks.

Rose glanced at The Doctor and sighed.

"So… what do you want to do, then?"

The Doctor drained his mug and placed it onto the small table, glancing at the window and contemplating the view from the Room of Requirement.

"Well, I wouldn't mind a walk, but there's no way I'm going out in that," he answered quietly, gazing longingly at the small blue blip amidst the endless grey fog. A soft, almost glazed expression fell across his face, as though he was seeing something beyond what they could physically see.

The lights dimmed suddenly, plunging them into darkness. Rose had raised herself to her feet, preparing to stumble towards the wall for a light switch. But a second later, a bright, white light replaced the endless blackness and she stopped. She fell backwards, expecting to fall into her chair again, but there was nothing there. She hit the ground sharply, and cried out in shock.

A dull thud told her The Doctor had just hit the deck as well. Her hands glided gently over something warm and soft, and there was a strange sound echoing around them.

Water…the sea…

"What the Hell's -?" but the whiteness faded and Rose felt her jaw drop. They were sitting on a beautiful, sandy beach, a deep, staining sun bathing them in warmth and comfort as it shone softly. Dusk.

An unearthly sea lay before them, lapping gently against the blindingly white sand, its waters an unnatural turquoise. There was a strange but comforting silence; only the sea seemed to make any kind of sound as it swayed further and further in land towards them. Large trees of varying species and colour whispered faintly behind them, the soft rustle of miss-matched leaves a soothing sound against the surreal silence.

Paradise.

"How strange." The Doctor muttered.

"Where are we?" Rose asked in wonder.

"Well, my imagination."

Rose gaped at him, eyes as round as saucers.

"Come again?"

The Doctor pulled himself to his feet and gazed out over the sea towards the horizon, watching as the sun disappeared below the surface, the strange orange glow of the sky becoming richer. The sea and sand were as blue and white as ever. No shadows or areas of cool darkness fell across them, despite the approach of night. Only the sky seemed to be affected by the sinking sun.

"Well… when I said I fancied a walk… I was imagining… this…" and he fell silent, staring in wonder as the waves rolled gently over the sand in front of them.

"Are we still in the Castle?" Rose asked in astonishment as she moved her hands gently over the sand below her. It felt so warm, so real. Surely this was an illusion. Maybe she'd knocked her head when she'd fallen…

"Well, I'm presuming so. Think about it, Rose. The Room of Requirement. It probably changes depending on what you want. I bet if you moved over to where the door was before, you'll find it again."

Rose stumbled to her feet and walked towards where she thought the wall had been before the strange light show, feeling around almost blindly. To her amazement, there was a solid barrier. Her hands stopped palm first against some invisible force, knocking her backwards slightly, and as she moved them across, they came into contact with a cool, brass handle. She gasped and turned to The Doctor, who was watching her with amusement.

"Told you," he said, smiling. "Want to leave and explore, or stay here?"

"Do you really need to ask, Doctor?" she asked sceptically, her eyes lingering eagerly on the sparkling waters in front of them.

"Well, I'm all for Heaven, but I thought you were too curious to cope with stopping in one place for a bit. I mean, it's a brand new world, lots to see. Sure you don't mind waiting around here?"

"Why not wait for a grand tour? We have got a time limit after all, and the castle looked huge on the outside. We can't be getting lost. At least if we wait here until we're needed, we know where we are. Besides… it's beautiful." She turned to him and stared at him thoughtfully.

The Doctor fidgeted slightly under her gaze, blushing, but didn't look away. She paused, and turned to the view.

"I never knew you had such a vivid imagination," she muttered.

"Neither did I," he admitted quietly as he sank to the floor, wrapping his arms around his knees and watching the last remnants of sunshine disappear below the horizon. Rose paused, watching him. Then she stepped forwards and sat down beside him, shrugging her jumper from her shoulders. She untied her trainers, pulled her socks from her feet, and dropped them next to her jacket, gasping with pleasure as her toes wriggled in the warm softness of the sand.

Stars blossomed in the velvet sky, too many to count; their twinkling smiles had Rose sighing with happiness as she watched them. A large full moon sent soft legs of light towards them, but they never hit the ground. The strange streaks of moonlight hovered in the air, fluttering beautifully around them, never touching.

"You said you wanted a walk," Rose reminded him, softly.

"Hmm? Oh. I like it here… unless you want to," he added, quickly. Rose shook her head and fell onto her back, staring up at the star-strewn sky.

"Nah, I'm good."

The Doctor glanced at her and watched as the starlight was reflected endlessly within her eyes. She smiled.

"It's rude to stare, you know, Doctor," she called, cheekily. He blushed again and returned to watching the sea. The glittering quality it seemed to create against the silky back-drop suggested the substance before them was crystal rather than water.

"Sorry," he sighed. "I just… well, I mean… Oh, I don't know anymore..." and he trailed off hopelessly.

"Don't know what?" Rose asked curiously, raising her head to look at him.

"I don't know what I don't know… I don't know what I mean. No… I think I mean I don't know who I am."

Rose paused, trying to work out what he had just said.

"Well neither do I," she smiled when the pieces finally fit into place, "but it's nothing to worry about. Just consider it a challenge that needs conquering. We'll get there in the end," Rose replied as she fell back onto the sand again.

"I'm sorry," he muttered. His voice was barely more than a whisper, but the words lingered in the air, hauntingly.

"What for?"

"For changing, for sending you away, for bringing you into this… for dying…" and he fell silent again. Rose sat up, staring at him sadly.

"Right, you haven't changed, you've just… changed… so there's no need to apologise for that because you're still you. You sent me away to protect me and I know that you didn't want to, so there's no need to apologise for that either. I wanted to travel with you, and I wouldn't want to live any other way, so there's no need to apologise for bringing me here. And you haven't died."

"But I did. I couldn't survive for you as I was. I left you behind. I changed. I died. I'm not me anymore."

Rose sighed and clambered to her feet. She walked over and dropped to her knees in front of him, taking his hand in hers. He blinked and turned away, staring at nothing in particular as he tried to avoid her penetrating gaze.

"What happened, Doctor?" she asked, quietly. The Doctor shook his head, sighing heavily.

"I'm sorry, I can't," he muttered. "Don't make me relive it, Rose."

"How can you expect me to understand and help you if you can't even…" but as she raised her right hand and pressed it onto his knee hoping to comfort him, she gasped and her body tensed, her eyes becoming oddly misted and blank. The Doctor turned to her as he felt her convulse slightly.

"Rose? Rose, are you alright?"

Her eyes snapped shut and she fell gracefully forwards.

"Rose!"

He caught her quickly, his hearts beating painfully against his chest. Laying her down gently, he stared in shock as her eyes opened almost immediately. Hardly three seconds had past, and she was staggering to her feet again, backing away slowly.

"Rose, what on Earth -?"

"It was my fault," she muttered wildly. "It was all my fault…"

"What was?"

"I killed you… I killed him…" and tears began to cascade carelessly down her cheeks. She fell to her knees and brought her hands up to her face, her nails digging painfully into her cheeks. "I killed him…"

The Doctor felt his heart thump agonizingly hard as a large lump settled itself into his throat. He stared at her in shock as she rocked gently, tears falling thick and fast onto the sand below.

"No. No, you didn't, Rose."

"I shouldn't have gone back. I should have stayed with Mum and Mickey. He wouldn't have died if I hadn't looked into the TARDIS. He wouldn't have needed to sacrifice himself to make me stop. I couldn't leave it… he had to take it from me."

"Rose, what did you just do?" The Doctor asked quietly, his voice quavering as he tried and failed to keep calm.

"I saw everything. The Daleks, The TARDIS, you, him, The Vortex…," she stared at him in wonder, "The Kiss."

The Doctor closed his eyes, praying he hadn't just heard what he thought he had. He turned away and sank to the ground again, his already ruffled hair flying around softly as the wind carried from the make-shift sea increased. He could feel Rose's tear-filled eyes burning into the back of his head, but couldn't bring himself to look at her. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"You kissed me. Of all the things you could have done instead… you kissed me."

"I told you. It would have destroyed you. I couldn't just stand there and let it consume you."

"But why not a hug or- I don't know- linking hands or touching palms or something?"

The Doctor sighed.

"I don't know. It just happened, seemed instinctive at the time. I never intended to do it… it just happened."

"Why couldn't you tell me?"

"Rose… look, it was… I only… please, we've been through so much together! I would have done the same thing for any of my companions," he said firmly, but that was a lie. She could tell he wasn't being totally honest with her. She waited for him to admit it, but he fell silent again.

"No," she muttered.

"Yes."

"No, you wouldn't. I know you wouldn't, because I know what you're feeling."

"You know nothing about it, Rose!" he cried suddenly, turning and glaring at her. She stared resolutely back, the tears shining delicately against her moonlit skin, but no longer falling from her eyes.

"Yes I do. I saw it. All the pain, the suffering, the hunger for a family and the feeling of belonging. And I saw what it is that you feel for me. I just don't understand why you can't see it for yourself."

"Coward or Killer," he mumbled unexpectedly. "That was all it came down to in the end. I finished it, you know. The only manufactured piece of technology that was capable of destroying the entire Dalek fleet. But when it came to using it… I couldn't sacrifice all those innocent lives. I couldn't make myself end a lifetime of suffering. I couldn't avenge my people. You did it.

"The way you emerged… well, I thought I'd died. I thought it'd finally finished. Angels, I thought. Soft, golden, beautiful, powerful, intense… everything. But it wasn't. It was you. The look in your eyes… it was scary. Such raw energy… but it wasn't just you. I saw a part of me in there, too. There was this strange look, and it was my link with the TARDIS. She was with you.

"Those words have been haunting me ever since." He shivered slightly even though the evening air was warmer than imaginable. He couldn't make himself say them, but she seemed to know what it was he was talking about.

I want you safe… My Doctor…

"When you said it, it was you. It wasn't her, well, not really. I suppose she probably felt like saying that too, but it was you. I guess things really hit home, then. Please, that kiss, it wasn't supposed to happen. I'm not supposed to feel things like that. I can't… I shouldn't…"

"But you did. Why do you have to deny it?"

"Because there's no guarantee the feeling's mutual. How could I just turn to you and say, 'sorry, hope you don't mind but I love you more than life itself'? I cared too much about your happiness, our friendship. It would have changed everything. I thought, maybe if I ignored it, the feeling would go away and we could go back to how we were before. Adventures and excitement and friendship. But things just escalated beyond all proportion. Your human. I'm not. I tried telling myself it wouldn't work.

"When I first met you, there was something about you. I told myself you'd be another companion, special in your own way like they all were. All are, actually. But you were more than that. I couldn't understand. But seeing you there, glowing immortally, prepared to sacrifice your own life to save mine… something just clicked. I love you, Rose," he sighed.

Rose sat stunned, staring at him with wide eyes. Without warning, completely forgetting everything she had just seen and needed to talk about, she threw herself at him, her eyes blazing, knocking him backwards onto the ground.

Before he knew what was happening, her lips were on his. He could feel the sweet softness of her skin grazing his cheeks, see her eyes fluttering below their lids, taste her sugary scent within his mouth. He was too stunned to react. He felt her recoil a little, wondering if she'd just made a huge mistake. She raised her head and stared at him, sympathy and sorrow blossoming in her beautiful eyes. She smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, blinking back tears. "Look, maybe we should think about joining Ron and Hermione." She raised herself and turned to reach for her jacket, pulling it across towards her. "Maybe there's a few books in the Library that could -"

He cut her off, suddenly understanding what it was that had just happened. She was silenced as he leaned forwards and captured her lips with his. He felt her smile against his mouth and his hearts soared.

Time seemed to stand still around them; everything froze as the kiss became more passionate. Long since buried sparks burst into flames as his entire existence crashed in around him. His head was spinning painfully. Everything was spiralling out of his control. This was wrong. They couldn't do this. But the more he thought about it, the more he longed for her.

His Rose.

He vaguely felt her hands tangled within his now sand-covered hair, exploring of their own accord, and somehow noticed his own arms wrapped tightly around her back with no memory of placing them there.

The sudden outburst of chills cascading down his spine had his soul screaming with pleasure. His doubts and worries vanished into nothingness as she began attacking his mouth with unnatural ferocity, tongues coming into play. While one of her hands was still tugging gently at his hair, the other was skirting softly across his stomach where his shirt had ridden up as she had fallen with him, sending uncontrollable shivers through his body. His own were tracing her neck, his fingers curling around stray strands of gold that had fallen around her, framing her face beautifully.

Much to his undisguised disappointment, she drew away, gasping for breath. He sighed and smiled up at her, his eyes lingering on her lips as she licked at them temptingly.

"Wow," she murmured. "I'd never have guessed you were such a professional."

"Doubt it. Haven't done that in a while," he replied, interlocking her fingers with his. She nibbled at her bottom lip slightly and fell against him, hugging him. He stroked at her hair, absent-mindedly.

"Talk to me," she whispered, her breath warm against his ear, sending pleasurable shivers rocking his spine again. "What happened?"

"You saw it for yourself," he muttered, turning away.

"Only flashes. I saw him… you… staring at me, and me talking to the Daleks. I saw the dust, and the silence. I saw the kiss."

"Well that's all that happened. You linked with the TARDIS. Bad Wolf. All you need to know is that you saved everything. You saved life. You saved me," he added, quietly.

"But why couldn't you tell me sooner?"

"Well, I didn't tell you about regeneration because I didn't expect it to happen so quickly. It didn't seem necessary, and thinking about it, when would I have had the chance to tell you, anyway? We've been more than busy, lately. And I couldn't tell you about what happened because… Well, I just couldn't. You didn't remember anything, so I couldn't tell you."

"I still can't believe you kissed me," she said as she nuzzled her head below his chin, his double beats echoing slightly around her in a comforting way.

"I'm sorry, about that, Rose. I really didn't plan it. But I wasn't about to let you die for me if there was a way of saving you. I just didn't think through my options before jumping in."

"You actually died for me," she whispered, suddenly. "How many people say they'd die for those they love... and you actually did."

"You know I'd die for you. Hell, I'd die for your mother if I had to," he smiled. "Just don't make me test that resolve, because I really don't want to die again for a long time. I'm running out of lives."

"How many have you got left?"

"Erm, three regenerations I think. We only get thirteen… or is it twelve plus our first? I can't remember. Things are becoming hazy about my people, these days. It's almost as if someone's draining their existence from everything, trying to rid time of any mention of them. Even I can't recall everything I used to know. I don't want to forget them but I'm remembering less every day."

"Maybe it's something to do with what's going on here."

"Hmm. Maybe... And what have you just nicked from my pocket, Rose Tyler?" he asked suspiciously as Rose sat up and grabbed her jacket. She turned to him and threw it at his head, grinning evilly.

"Nothing," she sang, running towards the water's edge, pulling up her jeans slightly before throwing herself cautiously into the sea, giggling. He sighed, threw her jacket onto the ground again, and ran at her, reaching for the hand she was trying to conceal behind her back.

"What have you got?" he asked, smiling.

"A pair of your newest accessories," she smiled, throwing her hands over her head and stretching her arm out of his reach. He grabbed her around the middle and she shrieked, laughing.

"No, Doctor! Don't do that! Doctor, let me down this instant!" she cried. She stopped suddenly, and began shaking her head furiously. "No, on second thought, don't. No! Doctor!" but she was too late. He threw her backwards and she landed with a splash, her clothes drenched. He was laughing amiably, a mad glint sparkling within his wide eyes as she clambered to her feet, glaring at him.

"So, you want to play like that, then, do you?" And she began kicking and splashing out at him, drowning him in sea-spray. He backed away, still laughing, but tripped as his feet caught a small rock below the surface. Rose burst into fits of hysterical laughter and jumped on top of him, sending them both under.

His fingers suddenly caught hers, and the small leg that was poking out was quickly pulled from her grasp. He smiled as she tried feebly to pull them back from him, but he wouldn't let go.

"I never realised you liked glasses, Rose," he smiled, cheekily.

"I never realised you wore glasses, Doctor," she grinned back. "Or is this a new thing?"

"Well, I found I needed them when I was watching that report on Harriet Jones back at your mum's flat. Haven't used them since, like, must just be for television."

"Well, let me see, then! Get them on!"

The Doctor sighed and separated the rather thick legs, sliding them onto his now sodden nose, wiping salt from his eyes as he did so. Rose tried to arrange her face into a straight and uncaring line as she waited, but the corners of her mouth twitched, spoiling the affect. She blinked as he lowered his hands, and felt her jaw drop.

"Is that supposed to be a good reaction, or not?" The Doctor asked apprehensively as she stared at him, her mouth wide open. He moved to take them off but she grabbed his hand and held it, still staring.

"Getting a hint of 'liking' here," he grinned. Rose cleared her throat and smiled.

"Yeah, they suit you," she said, trying to sound indifferent. Internally, she was screaming at herself about how good she felt he looked in glasses. He was right, she'd never shown any fondness towards them. She'd hated wearing them herself at school. But now… well, she couldn't think of a word strong enough to express how good he looked in them. He grinned cheekily, apparently seeing straight through her visage and reading the thoughts she was trying to keep hidden.

"On or off?" he whispered, lifting them from his nose as he said 'off'. Rose felt her eyes widen as he replaced them gently, hands sliding a little on one of the legs.

"Well… I suppose it depends entirely on the circumstances of the 'taking off'." She shuffled forwards through the water and lifted them from his nose herself. "In this case, then definitely off," she murmured as she leaned in to kiss him once more. He smiled evilly and welcomed her, tugging his glasses from her hands and replacing them into his coat pocket again. He cupped her chin softly, pulling her closer…

"Doctor!" Rose and The Doctor jumped and turned, gazing out towards the beach once more. Ginny was standing on the shore's edge, a look of utmost terror upon her young face. She ran in towards them, disregarding the warm water licking softly at her ankles, and halted beside them. The Doctor pulled Rose to her feet and they both stared at Ginny.

"What is it, Gin?" Rose asked.

"He's attacked," she replied frantically. "Voldemort's attacked Hogwarts! Death Eaters ambushed Harry and the other Order Members about twenty minutes ago. They're here, now! They've attacked Hogwarts… they've attacked Harry!

I was beginning to feel this story was getting slower and slower by the chapter, but it's finally reached the action, now. Sorry, but I fancied a bit of a cliff hanger, so there you are… Don't hurt me! I'll update soon, I hope!…

Oh, and I think I should apologise for the mushiness, too. I've never had the pleasure of experiencing anything like that, so it's all purely invented. Sorry if it's wrong, or anything.

I want to thank all of my wonderful reviewers! Huge hugs and kisses to you all! Hope you liked it! Please Review!