Emily coughed beside me, trying to get my attention.

Rolling my eyes, I flipped the page of the book, trying to look as if I wasn't bothered by her. The clock behind us ticked away dully, reminding me of how boring my life was. I needed a new hobby. No, cross that out, I needed a new life.

Another cough emitted from her, and I gritted my teeth. Just ignore her, I thought, my fingers gripping the page quite tightly. Focus on something else rather than the really annoying brat called Emily next to me. Hmm- ah! The stupid, bloody book that the cow wrote! I still don't understand how Skeeter earns money through writing. She totally ruins the whole-

I scowled in irritation as Emily started on a full fledged coughing fit.

"All right!" I yelled, closing the book with a loud smack before throwing my arms in the air. "You win, what do you want?" My voice was clearly exasperated, desperation tingeing the ending word. She merely fluttered her hazel eyes at me before replying innocently.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said sweetly, putting her arms behind her head with a devilish look on her face. Before I could start snapping at her, she continued on. "I was just wondering how the encounter went with the new guy."

"Nothing happened." Good job, Rose. Keep your voice nice and steady. Emily will definitely drop the issue.

"Yeah, right." Or maybe not. I scowled at her, although she wasn't looking at me. Tell her something that will distract her, I thought. Then, I snickered. Ah, got one.

"I threw an apple at Scorpius."

There was a moment of silence where Emily stared at me with utter disbelief colouring her eyes, then she threw her head back and started laughing. I joined in, remembering Scorpius' dumbfounded expression. However, our giggles immediately ceased when Cleopatra, Emily's cat, hissed at us at our sudden outbursts before trotting away with her tail high up in the air.

What a snob. Although she was the reason for Scorpius' abrupt departure; he was allergic to cats. Cleopatra had a good sense of timing, because we were on the verge of arguing with each other. Again.

I smiled, though making sure that Emily didn't catch me doing so. I didn't have to worry, because she was chasing after Cleo, trying to soothe her precious cat. I really did owe a lot to that feline. Maybe I should give her a can of tuna…

Or maybe not. I ran to my room as a shatter of glass was heard. Cleopatra was curled up on top of my closet, and Emily looked horrified. By her slippers, my mirror lay in pieces, scattered all over the floor. Stupid cat.

"It's okay, Ems," I said, casting a simple Repairing charm. In a second, every miniscule shard came together and formed my mirror again. I placed it on my desk. "Though I don't think Cleo should be let off that easily. That's seven years of bad luck."

"But it's fixed!" She protested, using her wand to levitate her cat down, holding her firmly in her arms. If I had done that, darling Cleo there would've clawed at me; I knew that from experience. I even had the scars to prove it. I never understood why Mum kept a half-cat-kneazle when she was a teenager.

I led them out of my room so that the cat wouldn't cause any more trouble in my room. Cleopatra gave me one reproachful look before strutting away to sit by the window to bask in the sun. I flopped back onto the couch, and Emily mimicked my actions next to me. She turned on the television, flipping through the channels to see if her favourite Muggle show was on. I merely tuned out the noises and refocused on that horrid book. Rita Skeeter ought to be fired. Her books being a bestseller must be some crude joke.

"Why are you reading that?" Emily asked, breaking the silence so efficiently that I jumped a little, the book falling out of my hands. She caught it before it hit the floor, handing it back to me quickly as if it was a disease. It might as well be, I thought grimly.

"Well, you were the one who threw it at me," I replied, and she grinned back cheerfully. "It's like a train wreck; it's horrible to watch, but you can't help to come back for more."

"Morbid curiosity?"

"Something like that." Impatiently, I opened it again to the page where I left off. Ah, here we are: Chapter Three- Why Is Your Baby Crying? I felt Emily's burning gaze again, so I spoke up, not looking at her. "Don't you have anything better to do?"

I thanked Merlin when she finally stopped looking at me as if I was a dog about to do some amazing tricks like speaking English while quoting famous people and returned her attention back to the screen. The flat was quiet once more as we relaxed into our daily routine.

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Before I knew it, the tiring day turned into night, and night quickly changed into the morning- and I had one minute to get to work on time. Again. Perhaps I should've taken Em's advice and set my alarm clock so that I didn't have to rush all the time.

…Nah. All of them seem to lie broken on the floor when I woke up anyways.

"I'm here!" Emily didn't look surprised to see me flying through the door from the Apparition point; instead, she merely had my ID card handy in her hand and threw it with dead accuracy at me as I reached for the Play Room's door. "Thanks!"

I saw her bronze hair flipping over her face as she nodded briefly. Time to meet the children again. I took a deep breath, and opened the door, walking in confidently. A chorus of "Hi, Rosie!" rang through the room, while Darcy looked incredibly relieved to see me. Next to her, John held the same expression as Darcy did. Their clothes were dirty with random streaks of paint all over the place, and their hair is wilder than mine on my bad hair days.

Strange. Darcy was always neat as a pin, and John never liked to get any part of him messy due to his vanity. Before I had any time to make a comment on their appearance, Darcy startled me by muttering "Thank Merlin" and patting my shoulder before speeding off without a bye. John hugged me, whispered "I pity you", and also left as if there was a Dementor at his heels. Behind me, I heard a thump, a hurried apology, and the final click of the door closing.

I took a look at the children. They were playing around, chasing each other, building bricks, eating cake… it was normal to me.

Wait. Eating cake!?

I let my eyes travel up to the wall in front of me, and my mouth popped open at the sight of the bright, blinding colour of the streamer. Oh my dear sweet Merlin.

"What the bloody hell?" Scorpius asked, rubbing his shoulders slightly. I didn't respond, still staring at the shocking pink streamer that read "Happy 5th Birthday, Mary Studdings!" in bold letters. Get me out of here, I thought numbly.

"Hello?" A huge hand waved at me, and I blinked. The hand, cake, and streamer were still there. Unfortunately. "What are you looking at?"

My arm rose out of its own accord, and pointed at the huge hanging poster. "Happy 5th Birthday, Mary," he said out loud. He turned to me, frustration and confusion clouding his eyes. "So?"

At his words, multiple of heads bopped up, their eyes filled with hope and excitement. I groaned, finally meeting his gaze. "Now you've done it." I said, exasperated. A stampede of children feet ran at us, their hands grabbing every inch of us, bringing us down to the carpet with a painful thump. Mary stood at the very front, looking very innocent but her smile gave everything away. She was cute, yes, but usually looks were deceiving, especially in Mary's case. She was a definite spoiled prankster at heart.

"Hi, Miss Rosie, Mr. Scorpius," she said, having her hand outstretched to us. "Do you have a present for me?" It was really creepy how it could sound so threatening in a little girl's voice. I had to think fast to save both of us out of this situation.

"Of course," I replied. Mary's face broke into a beautiful beam, expectant and waiting. I grabbed Scorpius' arm, and dragged him upright to his feet as I stood up. "However, you're going to have to wait, since it's a magical present." I prayed that Scorpius would shut his mouth and just play along.

He did.

"Yes, we have something that you'd be really happy with," he added, sounding chipper. For a second, I thought Mary was going to refuse, but she nodded her consent, flopping down on the floor with the others following her suit, their doe eyes burning holes on our skins. Giving them one last smile, I half-dragged, half-pulled Scorpius away from them.

"What kind of trouble did you get us in now?"

I felt myself bristle at his accusation. "I just happened to save your sorry arse from getting trampled and kicked at, and all you can do is find a way to blame me?" I scoffed at his bewildered expression. "Typical."

He tried to regain his composure as I rummaged my pockets to find something to transfigure. Bubble gum wrapper? Too weak. A watch? Nah, not worth it.

"What are you doing?" He asked softly.

"Hey, do you know how to transfigure an item into a really pretty bracelet with charms?" I ignored his question, firing one of my own at him. Please say yes…

"Yes," he said, after a while. I only made a noise in my throat, my search turning frantic as I felt the children's restless energy prodding at me. Marbles! They would make really pretty charm stones. That left me with one last dilemma; I needed a bracelet to hang the charms on.

"I'm going to ask you one more time, and I want an answer," he said. I met his gaze to show him that he had my attention, but my hands were still busy, fiddling with random things in my pocket. "What are you doing?"

Grabbing the handful of rubbish, I thrust it into his hand, brushing off his bewildered expression. "Finding things to transfigure into charms," I admitted sheepishly. His face immediately relaxed, understanding. "Thank Merlin I found Hugo's marbles, though I have no idea how they got in my pocket. Say, you don't happen to have any bracelet-like thing to spare, do you? It doesn't have to be expensive."

There was a pause from him as he studied my expression with a raised eyebrow. Why was he looking at me like that? My hands stopped fidgeting, falling limp at my sides as I let myself be studied at. In one swift motion, his hand delved into his pocket, fishing out a silver bracelet without hesitating.

My pulse stopped when the bracelet- our friendship bracelet- glinted off the ceiling light. Was he so willing to give it up to a small child?

Of course he was. Our friendship in Hogwarts now meant nothing to him. I controlled my expression, keeping it disinterested. "Oh, that's nice. Give it here." Still watching me, he passed it over. I tugged at it lightly, pretending to ponder over something. "Hmm, it seems a bit flimsy, doesn't it? No, don't answer, it was a rhetorical question. I think adding it with something will help strengthen the bracelet." Without waiting for his reply, I took off my own friendship bracelet and stuck it together with a merging charm. "Here."

He retook it, a small fire burning in his eyes. I felt spiteful, my temper taking over me quickly. He had no reason to be mad; however, I did. I was a fool to keep up my wistful thinking of regaining our friendship. "Now please transfigure these marbles into small stones so that we can hang it there- you know that Transfiguration wasn't always my strongest point."

He did as I asked, though he was glowering at me the whole time. I snatched it from him when he was done without bothering to say a thank you. I turned my back on him, a huge fake smile taking over my face as numerous pairs of eyes were on me. "Mary Studdings, happy birthday!" I heard her squeal in delight as she took the charm bracelet and gingerly placed it on her wrist, but it was so distant, a faint echo of what was really happening. After all those years of wearing that bracelet every day, my wrist felt empty. Like my heart.

What have I done?

"Duck!" Before I could react, a piece of flying cake hit my face. I swiped it off, feeling annoyed. I had been the victim of food fights long enough. I searched the room to see who was guilty. Ah, Mark. Grabbing a fistful of chips that were conveniently nearby, I grinned evilly, advancing towards the delighted looking child. He ran away, screaming, but I held him by his middle with my free hand as I shoved down the chips down his back. He thrashed around, squirming and laughing at the same time.

In no time, a raging food war started. Sauce, cake, bread, chips, and finger food flew around the whole place, splattering on the walls and the floor, and the ceiling on occasion. Laughter, sounds of disgust, and squeals were loud and ringing, and I felt myself smile behind the table. This was why I worked here; the children were so innocent and had fun without a worry in the world. It was so easy just to feel what they were feeling.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?"

Everybody stopped, and it seemed like even the food halted in midair, dropping on the floor without any life except for a flying blob of pink icing that was heading towards Mr. Blair, the Boss with a capital 'B', with full speed. When a splat was heard, Scorpius and I both winced. Oh no.

"Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Weasley, please come out from under the upturned table and follow me," his voice was calm, which made him sound more threatening. We both stood up, though we avoided each other's eyes. I felt my jovial mood fade away, replacing it with annoyance. Not forgetting the stained children, I cleaned them up in a minute, told them to take a nap in the Napping Room. Scorpius did his bit too, but I doubted they'd listen to any of us.

Hearing Mr. Blair clear his throat impatiently, I threw the children one last stern look before running out to catch up with him. Scorpius followed. The three of us walked through the hallway in silence, and I felt uneasy. Judging by the Boss' irritated look and the situation at hand, we weren't being called for a casual cup of tea.

No, we were probably going to get an earful- that was, if he was in a good mood.

Finally, the great doors loomed ahead of us. From my peripheral vision, I saw Scorpius stiffen his back, adding an extra inch or two to his height. I gulped quietly, bracing myself as Mr. Blair opened the doors, and beckoned us in with his grave face. Scorpius walked in first, and I closed the doors behind us.

"Sit," he ordered, his hands outstretched to the two black chairs in front of his desk. We did as we were told. I started fidgeting again as Mr. Blair sat behind his desk. Scorpius' back never slackened.

"I am very disappointed in the both of you. Mr. Malfoy, though you are new, I expected better from you. You should've stopped the food fight." When Scorpius didn't answer, the Boss carried on, his gaze settling on me. "And you, Ms. Weasley. I am very shocked and let down by your attitude. For a person who has been here for two years, you should've already know the rules like the back of your hand, and have control over the children. Until yesterday, you were a great example to the kids."

Yesterday? But nothing happened…

I froze, and briefly looked at Scorpius. He was staring back, his face guarded though his eyes were frantic. He knew as well. And somehow, the Boss knew about the Kiss.

But how?

"Ah, I see that you remember," Mr. Blair said dryly. "Imagine my surprise when not one, but five mothers called me yesterday, complaining that you and Mr. Malfoy were showing inappropriate behaviours in front of children who are barely five years old. Some even said that you should be removed from the Center all together."

Startled, I snapped my head up to stare at him in disbelief. What!? They couldn't do that to me! He couldn't do that! My shoulders slumped when I saw his determined expression. Oh, yes he could. I struggled to protest. "But-,"

"Mr. Blair," both of us turned to Scorpius' abrupt interruption. I was too stunned to even feel annoyed. "I believe that I was also involved in the kiss as well. It wouldn't be fair to lay the punishment on her." A rush of gratitude swept me, and I stared at my hands guiltily. I regretted being spiteful towards him. Actually, I regretted a lot of things when it came to him.

Silence stretched on and on until Mr. Blair finally broke it. "I will let the both of you off the hook, but I will be checking in now and then to make sure that you are doing everything properly. Keep in mind that this is a warning, and the next time, a sack will be taken into consideration." He nodded at us. "You may leave."

Muttering our goodbyes, we exited the room, sighing in relief when we were far, far away from the devil himself. "Phew," I said. "We were lucky." Scorpius merely grunted in response, his feet picking up speed. Away from me.

"Scorpius, wait." His figure stopped, and I walked in front of him, trying to get him to look at me. It was a wasted effort. "Thanks for saving me back there," I said sincerely.

"Don't mention it." His voice was gruff, and he still refused to look at me. He started to walk again, but I instinctively grabbed his arm, holding him back.

"I'm sorry that I got us into trou-,"

"Just stop it!" He suddenly said, cutting me off. His eyes were desperate, meeting mine with such intensity that I almost let go of his arm. Almost. "I'm sick of hearing your apologies! Don't you get tired of apologizing, Rosie? Think about it!" His voice started cracking, and I could finally recognize this Scorpius. My Scorpius from fourth year, after our fight left us damaged and scarred. My Scorpius, who was annoyed beyond reasoning. "You apologized during Hogwarts, you apologized for bumping into me, you apologized for kissing me, you apologized for every single damned thing since I came here!"

Pain rippled through me, and I was hurt. "Scorp…"

His grey eyes were now wild, flitting around everywhere. "No! Just stop! I hate how you keep on apologizing! I hate how you're still like Rose five years ago! I hate how you haven't changed one bit! I hate how you still cling on to the hope that you and I can be friends like the old times again!" At this point, I was on the verge of tears, my bottom lip trembling slightly. So it was obvious that I was wishing for our friendship. "Open your eyes, Rose! The clock is ticking away, and people change! That's life!"

With that, he retracted his hand from my limp grip, and stormed away, back to the Play Room to check on the children. And I stood there with no power left in me to do anything.

Just like before. He was right, I thought, wiping away the tears that escaped from my eyes. I haven't changed one bit.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter (J.K.R does) except for the plot and some original characters.

A/N: I know, I know, the chapters are getting even longer and longer, but this was really important, as Rose finally gets to hear what Scorpius had bottled up all along. What do you think of the chapter? Good? Bad? Disappointing (I hope not…)?

Read and Review please! And thanks to all the reviewers that have reviewed my story so far!