Chapter 9

"I'm sorry." Scorpius said, as they headed towards the lake.

"For...?"

"What I did. I didn't mean to."

"Oh." He chanced a look at her then, and thought it may have been disappointment on her face.

"To upset you." He added quickly, because something told him he wasn't handing this very well. It was possible that girls didn't like being told a guy hadn't wanted to kiss them. "Or make you mad."

"You didn't." Rose replied coolly, and he knew he hadn't done a good enough job covering.

"Rose..." He said, but could think of nothing else to add. When she said nothing, and they reached the lake, he stopped, and waited until she faced him. "What do you want me to say?" He asked finally.

"I don't know." She replied. "Why don't you keep trying?"

His temper spiked. "Because I don't know what's wrong with you. You said you're not upset, or mad. So what are you?"

"If you're going to shout at me, I'll just go back inside." She told him flatly.

"I'm not -" He stopped when he realised his voice was slightly louder than it should be. "I'm not shouting." He said, quieter. "Do you want me to apologise? Ask you out? Beg for forgiveness? Drown myself?" He added the last two options, simply because he hadn't meant to say the second. Her eyes had widened at those words, and he didn't know if she'd heard the rest. He gestured wildly towards the lake, already regretting speaking them.

"I..." She said, her blue eyes fixed on his silver, her mouth slightly opened. "I don't want you to drown yourself. Or beg for forgiveness. Or...apologise."

She wasn't aware of holding her breath, as his mind worked quickly.

"Ah...you...you want me to...?"

She nodded, the slightest nod he'd ever seen. If he hadn't been watching her so intently, he may have missed it.

"But you wouldn't...would you...?" He managed, knowing he was making little sense. Maybe he was afraid of making sense, afraid he had misunderstood her and the things he was trying to say would only end up humiliating him.

She nodded again, and he just stared at her.

"You and me?" He said finally. "Me and you? Like..." He couldn't find the word, and so instead brought his hands together.

"If...if you wanted..." Rose murmured, now blushing furiously.

"Well...yes, I guess I do." He said finally, and, for the first time since they'd come out here, he smiled a little.

---

Al stared at them, his mouth hanging open, his mind blank.

"You two?" He said finally. "But...that doesn't make sense. You two don't like each other."

Rose and Scorpius exchanged glances.

"Well...we didn't..." Rose said finally. "But...uh..."

"Al." Scorpius said, and Al turned his attention to him. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Well...no...I guess not." Albus said finally. "You...Scorp, your dad...and your granddad..."

"I don't care." Scorpius shrugged.

"And as long as you don't..." Rose said, and Al nodded.

"I don't mind. It's...great news...I guess." He said, still trying to get his head around it. Only a few months ago, they hadn't barely even spoken to each other...and now...

Having grown up with James, Al couldn't help but wonder if this was just a complex joke. And then he looked at the two of them, stood side by side, slightly awkward and yet somehow at ease, he knew it wasn't.

-----

"You're what?" Lily Potter asked loudly, her eyes wide.

"Shh." Rose snapped, and offered a benign smile at the people who had looked around, waiting until they'd all turned their attention away before looking back at her cousin. "Keep your voice down, will you? We're trying to keep it secret."

"Wait - back up a little." Lily said, dropping her voice and shaking her head. "You and Scorpius Malfoy? Are you kidding?"

"No. I'm serious." Rose replied. "And if you tell anyone -"

"I won't." Lily said distractedly, waving her hand. "You and Malfoy? Really?"

"Yes." Rose hissed, slightly annoyed.

"That's crazy."

"It's not." Rose replied indignantly. "Why wouldn't Scorpius go out with me -"

"I didn't mean that." Lily replied quickly. "I didn't think you'd go out with him."

"Well. I am." Rose replied, unable to keep a little smile from her face. Lily studied her for a moment, then she smiled too.

"Well, that's great. OK, details. Who asked who, where, how, when?"

And Rose grinned widely as she leaned forward and described the whole thing to Lily.

----

"Excuse me?" James Potter, on the other side of the common room, looked at his brother as though he'd gone mad.

"Shh. They want it to be a secret." Al hissed, glancing over at his sister and cousin. "So if you tell anyone -"

"Albus, do you think I'm that stupid?" James interrupted. "You are the one who believes everything I tell you. We can't have the role reversal: I'm not going to believe that. And if you really want to trick me, you could come up with something believable."

"I'm not lying." Al snapped. "I'm serious."

"Swear it. One the invisibility cloak." James demanded instantly. Albus sighed, and muttered that swearing on the cloak was ridiculous. It had been something they'd decided years ago, when the cloak had been the most amazing thing they'd ever seen. Somehow, it had lasted all these years.

"I swear on the invisibility cloak." Al said dully.

"Wow. Really?" James looked over at Rose, titling his head, as though seeing her in a different light. "Little Rosie? And Scorpius Malfoy?"

"Shh." Al commanded, and looked around quickly, but no one was close enough to hear. "And Rose hasn't been "little Rosie" for years."

"How did that happen? Someone curse her?" James asked, sounding faintly amused.

"No." Al replied, and smirked. "I thought someone had cursed me when they told me, though. The shock was amazing..."

"And they expect it to be a secret? At Hogwarts?"

"Yep. Well, to be fair, they've only told me. And I think Rose is telling Lily." Al replied, looking over at Lily and Rose again, who were laughing. "I wasn't supposed to tell you." He added, looking slightly remorseful. "I didn't mean to tell you. I don't know why I did. Really, James, don't tell anyone, OK?"

"Yeah. Sure." James replied, without meeting his brother's eyes.

"Swear on the cloak." Al replied instantly.

"Aw, come on, you said that's stupid -"

"James."

"But what's the point in me knowing if I can't tell anyone?"

"James."

"Fine. I swear on the invisibility cloak."

"Good." Al replied, and relaxed.