Well, I've just finished writing the last chapter of Written In Blood, and can tell you that chapter 22 will be the end. Unless I change my mind and want to add more, which has happened before.

Chapter 19

Scorpius waited impatiently for the reply, his head snapping up at the arrival of the post owls, causing a shooting pain down one side of his neck. But his eagle owl took three days to arrive, which, had he been thinking realistically, was pretty good time. Instead, he glared at the owl as he removed the scroll.

"Took your time." He muttered, and the owl, having been expecting praise, tilted his head. When Scorpius unrolled the parchment without another look at the owl, he took off, careful to hit Scorpius' head with his wing as he did so.

The reply was short and - thankfully - sweet.

You can have both if you want.

- Dad

Scorpius only just stopped himself from crying "YES!". Instead, he jumped up and scanned the Gryffindor table, looking for the tell-tale flash of red hair. And then he was walking towards her - he had ran too much of late - and then she looked up and saw him. The flash of hurt in her eyes shamed him.

"Can we talk?" He asked her, aware that her friends and a couple of her family members were listening.

"Go ahead." She replied cooly.

"In private." He said quietly. She looked at him for several seconds, searching his face, his eyes, for something. Whatever she found must have told her what she wanted it to, as she nodded and stood.

"I'll see you in potions." She murmured to her friends, and allowed him to grab her wrist and lead her from the hall.

"It's about time." Lily Potter snorted.

"Yep." James agreed, nonchalant. "Pass me the toast, Lily."

"Where are we going?" Rose asked, as they left the Great Hall.

"Outside."

"But it's raining."

"So? You know how to dry clothes and stuff."

"Why can't we talk here?" Rose protested as they crossed the Entrance Hall towards the doors.

"It has to be by the lake."

"Why?"

"It just does." He said, aware that his face had gone pink and relieved that she was behind him. He'd thought about this ever since he'd sent the letter, and had decided it had to be by the lake. He wasn't entirely sure why, but it had to be.

When they finally reached the water's edge, he turned to face her and offered a hesitant smile. "I think you're right." He said. Rather naively, he had assumed she'd understand. She didn't, and instead of the reaction he'd hoped for, he received a blank look.

"About what?"

"The other day." He said impatiently. "When you said we should give ourselves another chance, remember? I think you're right."

"Oh." She replied, and he waited. But she remained silent.

"Aren't you - aren't you going to say anything?" He asked.

"I...I don't understand." She said finally. "I mean, a few days ago, you thought it was best that we didn't get back together. And, just like that, you've changed your mind?"

"Not just like that. I just had to -"

"I don't think there's much point in us trying again if you're just going to change your mind every couple of days." She frowned.

"I won't. Look, Rose, I want to give us that chance. Let's get back together."

He shouldn't have said it like that, with the faintest hint of command, the self-certain look on his face. It instantly spiked her temper.

"Let me - let me just make sure I understand." She said, in an icy tone his grandfather would be proud of, as she took a step backwards. "I wanted to give us another try. You didn't, and so that was it, we didn't. Now you want to give us another try, and I'm supposed to, what, jump up and obey?"

"What? No - I didn't mean it like that -"

"As if I'm one of your servants? Or one of those pathetic little Slytherin first-years, who look up to you like their prince?" He blinked at her, and for a moment just stared, taking in the damp skin, the soaking red curls, and raindrops clinging to eyelashes that framed angry blue eyes.

"You know I don't like that. You know it's only because their parents are friends of mine -" Scorpius said, obviously annoyed.

"OK, forget the firsties." She said, waving a hand. "You still just practically ordered me to get back together with you, didn't you? You think we can start something based on your little whims?"

"My little whims? What the hell does that mean?" He snapped, brushing his sopping wet fringe out of his eyes to glare at her better.

"What does it mean? I thought I already made that point? You started this in the first place. You ended it -"

"We both agreed to end it!"

"Then you refused to give us another chance. And now you decide, actually, I think we should."

"It's not like that!" He cried angrily.

"And then what? I agree, and in another few days you change your mind again? I'm not a - a toy, Scorpius. You can't put me away when you're bored with me and then drag me out a few days later."

"I won't! I never got bored with you, OK? For heaven's sake, Rose, I give you permission to jinx me within an inch of my life if I ever get bored of you. We've messed this up, both of us, and, yes, I've been an idiot. But you wanted another chance, I want another chance, I don't see the problem."

She looked at him for a long moment, chewing her bottom lip in silence. Eventually, a slight smile touched her mouth. "You know I'd jinx you without permission."

He blinked, then smiled back. "I know you would."

"This has to be the last chance, Scorpius." She said, her smile fading into seriousness. "I can't go through all this again. It either works out or it doesn't, but no more running away from it, OK?"

"OK." He agreed softly.

"What about your family?" She asked. "How are you going to -"

"Already sorted." He interrupted. "Well, near enough. Don't worry about that."

"Alright." She nodded, then, after a pause, spoke again. "I'm glad you brought me to the lake. Even if it is raining. It balances it out."

"Balances it out?"

"Yeah. You know, it started here, it ended here, now it started here again."

"If you say so." He replied with an amused smile.

"Though, you could have waited 'till it wasn't raining."

He laughed, brushed the wet curls from her face, and pulled her closer.

Several minutes later, the bell rang, causing them to break apart.

"We better go." She said, sounding stricken. "We'll be late."

"We could just skip the lesson, and stay here." Scorpius suggested. "Joking - just joking -" He added hastily, as she looked scandalised.

----

Draco had spent a long time trying to reply to Scorpius' letter. In truth, he'd been waiting for the question for weeks, sure that Scorpius would refuse to choose. When his son had written to him to tell him that he and Rose were over, with an underlying accusation of blame, Draco had been surprised and disappointed.

Draco had always been proud of Scorpius, of the way his son stood up for his beliefs, questioned what he was taught. He had expected Scorpius to defy the family, to stay with the Weasley girl if only to spite them.

He hadn't expected him to give in.

And so, when that letter came, and Draco realised Scorpius was trying to keep everyone happy, keep his life balanced, he'd smiled, and struggled to put his pride into words. In the end, he couldn't, and so instead had simply replied to the question.

But, in simple words, he felt his son was better than he could ever be.