The following morning Rose woke up to the smell of sizzling bacon and french toast. She was still dressed in the clothes she'd put on the night before, her hair splayed out across the pillow, and her body on top of the blanket. She'd been left untouched, but the dust that had been on the side table had been wiped clean. She got up, groggily and peered out the window, just behind the fence in the yard was a large field, still wet from the previous night's rain. Meanwhile, in the distance, the trees were swaying in the forest.

Rose heard a clanging pan from downstairs and it brought her back to reality. She clung to her wand as she walked slowly down the stairs and into the kitchen. She turned the corner pulled her wand out and pointed it at the back of the stranger.

The man turned around, his platinum blonde hair shining thanks to the light streaming through the windows. And Rose caught a look at his face. She lowered her wand and he grinned at her. "Morning darling. I made french toast,"

"You need to stop quoting that movie from our first date." Scorpius grinned. And waved around the spatula he was holding. Rose sat down on the bar stool and watched as he flipped the french toast on the pan. He finished making the food in silence and Rose squirmed in her seat, knowing she couldn't escape.

She couldn't escape the familiarity, the calmness that overcame her in Scorpius' presence, but she also couldn't escape the silence, the awkwardness and the tension. And so Rose occupied the silence in her mind with her thoughts and worries.

After a few minutes, Scorpius put the french toast on a plate and poured them both some tea. He was about to pour milk into her tea when she put her hand up to stop him. "I don't take milk anymore, no sugar either."

"Oh, alright." he nodded solemnly. "I suppose you aren't going to tell me where you've been right away." he added, sitting down beside her. Rose moved her chair back a bit. Nonetheless, she put a piece of french toast on her plate and took a drink of the tea. "I'll just tell you what's been happening in my life then…" he waited for her to respond, but she just looked away from him. "I uh… don't know if you saw the 'for sale' sign. I, um… put it away. It's the third time I've thought about putting it up for sale, but I," he sighed deeply "I just couldn't bear to."

"I was getting my life back. You know, I was on a date last night." "Haven't been on a date in three years, but you know… Everyone assumed you were dead." Rose didn't say anything. "I suppose you want to know how I figured out you were here. I uh, had some new enchantments put up after you left. In case someone tried to answer, I haven't been staying here so I was worried that someone might break in. Or hopeful that you might come back."

I would say that everyone else told me to give up, but they all seem hopeful. We stopped trying to track your after I lost any trace of you in Boston, we figured, if you were still alive, then you didn't want us to find you, and if you weren't then it may be better if we didn't lose the only hope we still had left."

"Boston?"

"Yeah, after some serious researching I found some spell that could track you based on an object of great value to you." he paused, "I tried myself as the object first obviously." Rose smiled at his joke. "But eventually I found something that you'd left behind, it was that necklace I gave you for Christmas sixth year. The one that's inscribed on the back, before everyone knew for certain that we were dating. I was surprised you'd left it behind, but I suppose there are some things that remind you of things you don't want to remember."

"Like getting caught by my Uncle Bill?"

"Exactly." he laughed, "Boy was that a nightmare. I sometimes still think he's glaring at me as I pass him." Rose couldn't keep the grin off her face as she recalled these things. "At least I think it was better than when Bill found out abut Teddy and Victoire."

"I was young and I still remember that. He was the only clueless adult left in the Weasley clan when he found out about them."

"Anyways, I went to Boston, but I guess the spell didn't work, because there wasn't anyone there, in this home it led me to. The landlord said he'd never met the person, because they'd lived in the apartment, but no one ever saw them walking out and they hadn't left anything behind except the rent. I asked a few people living in the building, but they said the person never seemed to be home. I didn't see any proof that it had been you and, either way, you were long gone by the time I got there."

"It was me."

"Huh?"

"I lived in Boston for a time. I got another job afterwards and then moved. Boston was alright, but New York offered so many opportunities."

"Oh. New York."

"Yeah, New York."

"So are you staying here or…?"

"I'm not sure."

"How long?"

"I have a house and friends and…"

"How long?"

"I don't know…"

"Let me try and convince you, please, give me a chance to figure out what I did wrong, give me a chance to make it up to you. I'll do it, just don't leave. We can figure it out. Please."

"I'm not leaving that quickly, I just meant that I may go back one day." Scorpius looked confused. "Scorp, I've only been here three weeks. The majority of my family thinks I'm probably dead. I'm not leaving till I sort things out. I've been planning this for a while, I have somewhere to live and I got a job, I'm set to stay, at least for a few months."

"You can move back in here!" he … "It's all like it was left. I won't move in with you, I have an apartment, I won't cramp your space till we figure everything out."

"Scorpius, I bought a place. I'm not homeless and I'm not jobless. I have a source of income and a shelter. I'm set. Really."

"You won't leave again, will you?"

"No. Not without telling you, at least." "Now that you know I'm here, I'm almost waiting for you to cast some undetectable tracking charm on me."

"Oh I would, if I didn't know what kind of trouble that would get me into with you."

"It would. Look Scorpius, I love you. It's been three years though, a lot of things have changed for me. You aren't my priority anymore. I'm not comfortable with telling you everything right now."

"Is there someone else?"

"No, no one else. I'm just living a different life." "Tell me what you've been up to."

"Um well, I went to see your family last weekend. Vic and Teddy's kids and Molly's son are back from Hogwarts, and you wouldn't believe how big the other children have gotten. There's so many of them. I was overwhelmed by your family once, but this is a whole new level. At least now, there's no glaring."

"Sorry, there is glaring. Roxy's pregnant and she glares at me, because I was helping all the Weasley women out in the kitchen, not by choice, and I burned her favourite dish. The one she'd supposedly been craving all week."

"Oof. Not good to get on Roxy's bad side when she's in a good mood." "How are your parents? Did your dad finally finish the greenhouse."

"Um, yeah. Mom got sick last winter. Alzheimer's. So, dad dropped all the work and everything and he's been taking care of her all the time. Most days she's fine, but others she has no idea what's happening." "She keeps telling me how much she wished we'd finally have kids. Sometimes she's forgotten you'd left. But even if she remembers herself and who everyone is, well it's all about how I didn't have children for her to spoil."

"Oh, Scorpius. I'm so sorry. I wish I'd known."

"What for? What would you have done!" he said angrily, "I'm sorry, that was out of line, I'm angry at myself, I'm angry at time. She's going too quickly."

"It's alright. That's very frustrating."

"I'm not saying now, but would you go an visit her with me sometime?"

"Of course. I'd love to. Is there any hope?"

"An experimental procedure on the cells in her brain, but it may be too tough on her for her to get in. We'll have to wait and see." He looked sadly around the kitchen and living room of the home, staring off into the distance. "We wanted kids, if things hadn't gone like they had, then maybe we'd be hearing the giggles of our children running around the house on a weekday…"

"Oh shit!" Rose said, quickly getting up she grabbed her jeans from the dryer in the laundry room and ran into the foyer.

"What is it? Do you still have work this close to Christmas?"

"Oh, shit. Oh shit, Oh shitty, shit, shit!"

"Rose!" She had just finished slipping her boots on when Scorpius grabbed her by the arm and pulled her towards him before she could leave. They stared at each other's eyes before he pulled her closer and kissed her. The kiss was tender and warm and it brought up a giddy feeling in Rose's heart. She kissed him back, overwhelmed by the feeling. They both pulled away, breathless.

"I'm sorry." Scorpius immediately said "I-"

"Don't be."

"But I am."

"It's alright. I have to go Scorpius."

"Just like that?"

"It's urgent." she said pulling open the front door.

"How can I be sure that we'll talk again, soon."

"I will contact you."

"But-"

"You just have to trust me Scorpius" she said pulling open the door and running behind the shed before apparating home.

When Rose arrived home she ran through the door, flinging it open worriedly. She was met with the giggles of her toddler coming from the kitchen. She crept down the hall to the smell of something burning. She turned the corner to watch how Orion laughed as her brother, Hugo, tried, and failed, to make toast. He turned around and saw Rose.

"Good morning! Do you know how to uh, set this up?" he grinned as Orion continued to giggle.

"Hugo, how do you not know how to set the stove?" she looked at him skeptically, and he shrugged "What do you eat?" Hugo blushed.

"What is it?"

"Well…"

"What?"

"I either eat out or, I go to Nan's or grandmum's…"

"You've been eating off our grandmothers?"

"Well and the cousins. You know Scorpius makes great breakfast and Dom is great at lunch, salads, sandwiches, the works. Meanwhile, I'm stuck between Molly's casserole and Hannah's lasagna."

"Hannah?"

"Fred's wife?"

"FRED GOT MARRIED?!"

"Oh, I forgot you weren't there. Yeah, last September they finally tied the knot.

"Who's Hannah?"

"Hannah, she was in Fred's year, Hufflepuff."

"Quiet Hannah? I sneak into the kitchens before dinner and cook with houselves Hannah?"

"Yeah, she's great. Fred bought her a bistro instead of an engagement ring. You should have seen seen her face when he opens the door to the bistro and proposes with the key. We were all peering through the door in the kitchen. She was absolutely ecstatic! And so was grandmum, she burst out of there and hugged them both until I could swear neither of them could breathe."

"Wow."

"Yeah, and she taught Fred how to make soufflé's and crème brûlée, so desert at their house is an added bonus."

"That's not what I meant."

"Oh." Rose pulled some yogurt out of the fridge and started to unstick the burnt egg from the pan Hugo had been using. "So how was your night."

"I'm sorry for leaving you here the entire night, I fell asleep and it was like I was in another time, I wasn't thinking."

"Calm down Rose. Anything happen?" Rose grabbed herself a yogurt and stuffed a bit in her mouth.

"I met with Scorpius." she mumbled out barely audible.

"Oh, so it was that kind of falling asleep."

"Hugo!"

"Hey, he's your husband. I'm not protesting."

"No, Hugo. We didn't do anything."

"Uh huh."

"Stop it."

"So you're telling me that a husband and wife haven't seen each other in three lonesome years and they don't even give each other a kiss?"

"Well."

"So, I was right."

"Hugo, we just talked. I woke up in the morning at the old cottage and he was there. He just made me breakfast and then told me about what was happening in his life." Hugo glanced at her sideways, deciding whether or not to believe her. "Look, Hugo, I've got to talk to my assistant about the contractors coming in today. Would you mind looking after Orion for a while?" she glanced at her son who was surprisingly quiet and covered in strawberry yogurt, "Just for a few hours. Then I'll take you both out to a late lunch or early dinner?"

"It's like I've got a life."

"I know Hugo."

"Oh psh. Yeah, I got him." Orion had gotten up and run up to the wall Rose had painted with chalkboard paint and started doodling. "Uh, any suggestions to keep him occupied?"

"He's a child Hugo, take him outside, teach him something. Just promise not to sit him in front of some muggle technology for hours."

"Alright. I'll think of something." Rose grabbed her keys and was pulling her jacket on again when Hugo called her back.

"Just could we eat lunch around four?"

"Sure, why?"

"Well, It's Tuesday, I'm eating dinner with Scorpius."