A/N: I had a bit of trouble with this chapter. I threw a random James/Leila scene in because we haven't really seen them for a while and I wanted to just make a quick mention of them. Also, there is so much heavy plot I want to get to, but I need to get through a few other things first.

I titled this chapter "Vulnerable" because most characters show a vulnerability in this chapter.

I spent some time this week making a list of the characters in the story along with their ages and houses. Just the main characters though. Here it is in case you are interested:

Teddy - 26 - Hufflepuff

Victoire - 24 - Ravenclaw

Molly - 21 - Ravenclaw

Roxanne - 21 - Gryffindor

Louis - 20 - Slytherin

Fred - 19 - Gryffindor

Dominique - 19 - Gryffindor

James - 19 - Gryffindor

Leila - 18 - Gryffindor

Lucy - 18 - Hufflepuff

Scorpius - 18 - Slytherin

Norah - 18 - Hufflepuff

Albus - 17 - Gryffindor

Rose - 17 - Gryffindor

Hugo - 15 - Ravenclaw

Lily - 15 - Gryffindor

I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

WARNING: Language, scenes of a sexual nature, and mentions of violence in this chapter.

…

As it turned out, finding Nathan was easier than Rose had anticipated. First they went to Norah's flat. When they found the mess there, it only seemed to confirm Rose's prediction that Albus had saved Norah but let Nathan escape.

"Okay, so let's think," she said as they walked down Diagon Alley. "Where would you go if you attempted kidnap, failed, and knew the authorities would be after you soon?"

"Not home, that's for sure. Maybe to a bar. You know, one last drink before I was chucked into Azkaban?"

"The Hogshead?"

They both looked at each other and he gave her a sharp nod. With linked hands, he Apparated them to Hogsmeade. A lot of shady characters hung out in that bar. It would be the perfect place for a wanted criminal to blend in.

"Stay behind me," said Scorpius sharply. Rose glared at him but obliged.

He pushed open the door to the bar and it was a bit more crowded than usual. They spotted Nathan immediately. He was sitting at the bar, taking shots of firewhiskey. "Another!" He growled just before another popped up magically in front of him.

"Zabini!" Rose jumped out from behind Scorpius and lunged at the tipsy wizard. Before she could reach him, Scorpius had lifted her off of her feet and pulled her back.

Nathan watched the two of them lazily for a moment, downed the last bit of alcohol in his hand and said, "I reckon you're here to take me to Azkaban?"

"Unfortunately I'm not a qualified Auror yet, so I can't. But I know someone who can," Scorpius flicked his wand and a silvery Patronus shot out of sight before Rose could decipher it's form.

"Aren't you going to run?" Rose snarled, still fighting Scorpius, flinging her fists, wanting so damn badly to pummel Nathan.

"What's the point? I attacked Harry Potter's niece and soon-to-be daughter-in-law. I'm sure he'd want to catch me just as much as any Death Eater."

Rose was shocked to find such a volatile man to be such a calm drunk. "Well...yeah," she said intelligently.

"What's going on here?" Harry Potter entered the bar and his eyes locked on Scorpius.

"Sorry to bother you, Mr. Potter," said Scorpius as he released Rose and shook Harry's hand, "but this is important. Have you seen Albus?"

"He just arrived at the house when I got your Patronus. What's going on?"

"Nathan Zabini attacked me at my flat! He was impersonating Scorpius with Polyjuice Potion!"

"Why?"

"I was looking for my sister," Nathan stood up, wobbled a bit, then held out his hands, obviously expecting to be put into shackles. "She left home a few days ago. I was going to drag her arse back home. I just...lost it. My dad's been a nightmare since she left and I wanted her to be the one to suffer for what she'd done instead of my mum and I suffering for it."

Even if he didn't make total sense, everyone seemed to be able to piece things together quickly. "Then what happened?" Harry asked.

"I left Rose chained to the floor of her bedroom, found a letter in Albus's room telling me where Norah lived now, and I went over there. I fought with her. Hit her. Tried to take her home, but Albus showed up. I couldn't Disapparate directly out of her flat, so I shoved her to the floor, knowing Albus would pay more attention to her than me and I took off. Suddenly these two show up and called for you."

"Is that what happened?" Harry looked to Scorpius and Rose to confirm the story.

"Yes, as far as I know," Rose confirmed.

Her uncle sighed, ran a hand through his hair, and said, "Procedure dictates that I detain you until you can have a trial. Come on, Mr. Zabini," Harry put a hand on his shoulder. "Rose, Scorpius, I will notify you two when the trial is so you can give your testimonies."

Harry Potter escorted a stumbling Nathan out of the bar without any difficulty. "That was rather anticlimactic," she grumbled.

Scorpius laughed, "What should we do now?"

"We should go to the Potter's house, let Albus know that I'm okay, then have our date."

"You still want to watch a movie tonight after everything that has happened?"

"Yes, I do," she smiled up at him and his heart constricted at the sight.

...

"Couldn't you have left a note at least? Merlin, Rose! I was panicked when I went home and you weren't there! We went to St. Mungo's because we thought you must have been really badly injured!"

"I'm sorry, Al," Rose pleaded with her favourite cousin.

"Don't be so hard on her," Norah encouraged him, "she managed to get Nathan caught, didn't she?"

"Okay, you're forgiven, I guess," Albus relented.

Rose hugged him tightly in relief but it didn't go unnoticed by her that Albus hadn't forgiven her until he had been prompted by Norah. "Are any of you hungry? Dinner's almost done," said Ginny as she peeked her head into the sitting room.

"No, thanks anyway, Aunt Ginny, but I think we're going to get going. Scorpius and I have a date," Rose said brightly.

Scorpius was pleased at the way she spoke of them together. It gave him a strange feeling of pride and happiness to hear her say things like 'we' and 'Scorpius and I.'

"Another movie?" Al inquired.

"Yes," said Rose.

"Oh! A muggle movie? That's so fascinating! I've never seen one before. Are they wonderful?" Norah squealed in excitement.

Scorpius and Rose exchanged an identical look, almost as if in that moment they read each other's minds. "Would you and Albus like to join us?" it was Rose who voiced the invitation.

"Can we?" she asked Albus with a radiant smile.

He put an arm around her shoulders and hugged her close to him. "Of course we can." he kissed the top of her head.

...

And so it was their first double-date. Rose was glad for the opportunity to get to see her cousin interact with his fiance and wasn't disappointed. They acted like a real couple. Albus sat on one end of the coach, with Norah curled up in his lap as the film played.

Scorpius sat on the other end, with Rose beside him. Just like before, he had his arm around her and she leaned into his shoulder. Again it took a bit of effort on her part, but not quite as much as before. She wondered if this looked awkward to an outsider.

If Al or Norah glanced over, would things between Scorpius and Rose look natural or forced? Deep down in her heart, Rose knew she wouldn't like either possible answer.

After the movie ended, Scorpius politely said goodnight and left, after kissing Rose swiftly on the cheek. Albus escorted Norah back to her flat, after Norah had profusely thanked Rose for inviting them and expressing repeatedly what a wonderful time she'd had.

Albus fixed the door and helped her pick up the mess in her sitting room; spilled tea and broken tea cups. "I hope you sleep well," he said politely as he got ready to leave.

"Al?" her voice was small and meek. He smiled softly at her. She was so adorable it broke his heart. "Would you stay with me tonight? I know it's silly, Nathan's in Azkaban and I'm perfectly safe, but I just...want you with me. You make me feel safe."

He was so surprised by her request that it took him a minute to decide what to say. "Yes, anything you want." And he meant it. Anything she asked of him, anything she wanted, he would do it.

Silently, she took his hand and they went to her bedroom. "I'm afraid I don't have any pajamas that will fit you..." she said.

Without thinking, Al said, "I normally sleep in my boxers anyway."

"That would be fine," she said without even a trace of reluctance. As she disappeared down the hall with her pajamas in hand, Al began to strip. He both liked and disliked the fact that she was so comfortable with the idea of him being in bed with her in his pants.

That could only really mean one thing. Norah Zabini was, most probably, not a virgin. At that thought, Albus felt an emotion that he could only describe as sad. His mind began to wander. Who would she have been with before? He attempted to pull up any memory he had of her from Hogwarts, but mostly the only other people in the memories were Lucy, her boyfriend Lysander, and Lysander's twin brother Lorcan.

Norah returned then and smiled at Albus casually as he stood before her in nothing but his boxers. She wore a light tank top and pajama bottoms. They crawled into the bed silently and snuggled together. "Did you lock the door?" asked Al.

"Yes, although there really isn't any need. Nobody can get in without my express permission anyway."

"Good point," he yawned.

Norah rolled over to face him. Al gave her a small smile, suddenly not caring if he was the first bloke she was with or not. It didn't matter to him. What mattered was that she was safe and here in his arms.

He kissed her sweetly, gently. and she responded with a soft gasp before kissing him back. Things heated up quickly. One moment it was an innocent snog and the next she was raking her nails down his back, writhing beneath him, as he had his hands under her shirt.

Timidly, his hands grazed the undersides of her breasts and she pressed her chest up in encouragement. When she felt his thumb trail over her nipple, she pulled her face away from his, "Albus," she panted, "I don't mind this...snogging and touching, but I'm not ready for...anything else."

When he heard her words, the first thought that entered his mind was, 'No problem. I don't know if I'm ready yet either.' but then the second thought that followed the first immediately was, 'What the hell? She's shagged other blokes but isn't ready to shag me?' He reprimanded himself for that thought.

He continued kissing her and she continued to respond enthusiastically. Norah was having a hard time resisting. It was obvious that Albus wanted her and that thought alone made her mind unfocused and clouded by lust. His erection was pressed against her inner thigh and she would be lying if she said she wasn't writhing in an attempt to get that hardened length pressed up against a more intimate part of herself.

But they'd only really known each other for what? A week now, maybe? Something in her wasn't comfortable with the idea. Especially after the day she had had. She didn't want her first time with Albus associated with the aftermath of an attack by Nathan.

She whined when she felt his hands leave her breasts and slide back down her stomach, but stopped instantly when he asked softly, "May I?" and tugged at the hem of her shirt. Norah nodded.

Albus wrapped an arm around her back and lifted her upper body off of the bed so he was able to pull her shirt up and over her head, flinging it aside. He groaned as he saw her naked breasts for the first time. Then he bent his head down to kiss them.

That was it. Every ounce of Norah's self control was shattered the moment his tongue circled her nipple. With a moan, she pulled his body harder against hers, ran her hands through his hair, and squirmed under him in an attempt to get out of her pajama bottoms.

It took her a few moments before she realized that Albus had stopped moving. He had her hands pinned above her head as he hoovered over her breathing heavily. "You said..."

"I know what I said," she rasped, "but I changed my mind."

Al closed his eyes and shook his head, "We're not ready for this yet, even if we want it."

They stayed in that position, still, as they both fought to control their breathing. Once she'd calmed down, she knew there was wisdom in his words. "You're right," she consented.

"Ready for sleep?"

She chuckled, "Not really, but I am exhausted."

Albus rolled onto his side and opened his arms, allowing her to cuddle into his chest. Together, they fell asleep.

...

Rose Weasley woke up screaming. There was something small and furry on her chest nuzzling her neck. Scrambling, she disentangled herself from her bedding and flung the critter to the floor.

With a mixture of fury and relief she yelled, "ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER! YOU PROMISED ME WHEN WE MOVED INTO THIS DAMNED PLACE THAT YOU WOULD KEEP YOUR PETS UNDER CONTROL! YOUR STUPID ARSE NIFFLER ALMOST ATE MY FACE OFF TRYING TO GET MY NECKLACE!"

She stormed down the hall and flung his bedroom door open. The only problem was that Albus wasn't there. What was there, however, was a small pile of her shiniest pieces of jewelry on the floor. Even as she stared at it, Ned the Niffler scuttled past her with another hair clip, dropping it on the top of the pile, then started back toward her room.

"Oh no you don't, you worthless thing!" Rose scooped him up, deposited him into his cage, and went to the kitchen. It was amusing to her that Albus hadn't come home the night before, but she was too angry to be amused at that moment.

"Was that your lovely voice we heard all the way down in the lobby?"

Rose let out a yelp and spun around to see the two people she had been missing so very much recently. "Hugo! Louis!"

Louis Weasley was her next closest friend. In her own secret list, her best friends went in this particular order: Albus, James, Fred, then Louis. Louis, however, had been two years ahead of Rose in school.

After he graduated, Louis travelled abroad for a year before deciding to join the Ministry as an Unspeakable. Too much of his time, in Rose's opinion, was spent traveling for work. Hugo had been in Italy for the past two weeks with Louis.

They rushed her. Squealing with laughter, Rose was knocked over by the force of their hugs. There had been a time when Louis and Albus were tied for first place on her 'best mate' list, but that had changed when Louis left Hogwarts. When he could no longer share most of his life with her because, as an Unspeakable, he couldn't discuss work.

Everyone knew that was probably why he and Verity got on so well; they were both Unspeakables and could talk to each other about everything. "How was Italy?" she asked as she ruffled Hugo's mop of orange hair.

"Excellent! You would have loved it. The architecture was beautiful, the girls were so hot, and the food...magnifico!" he kissed his fingers and blew a kiss into the air in a good imitation of a chef.

"What are you two tossers doing here anyway?"

"We came to comfort you," Hugo told her gravely, "we just heard the news about your recent, er, engagement."

Rose snorted, "It's not as bad as you would think."

"'course not," said Louis, "I know Scorpius. He's a good bloke for you, Rosie."

"Oh please, Lou. How do you know Scorpius?"

"I was Head Boy when you two became Prefects, remember? We were both Slytherins. I was his Quidditch Captain, too."

"Blimey, I forgot. It's been a few years since you were at Hogwarts."

"I miss it every day," his voice was wistful, "why don't you have breakfast ready for us?"

"Maybe because I just woke up about two seconds before you two decided to Apparate yourselves directly into my kitchen. Speaking of, Hugo, I hope that Louis brought you via Side-Along Apparition and you weren't doing any underage magic?" she eyed her brother suspiciously.

"Underage magic?" he feigned innocence, "I would never."

The kitchen filled with their laughter. "You're an idiot. Come on, take a seat and I'll whip something up."

"Where's Al?" Louis was looking around curiously as he walked over to a kitchen chair and dropped down into it.

"Let me put it this way. He escorted Norah home last night...and wasn't in his bed when I went to wake him up this morning."

The boys grinned at each other knowingly while Rose threw them a disgusted look. "Ah, I heard you two were here," Fred Weasley joined them in the kitchen.

"Bloody hell! Don't any of you prats walk anymore? Or even announce your presence before you just barge in? What if I was running around the flat naked?"

"Why would you be naked?" inquired Fred as he rummaged through the fridge.

"Maybe Scorpius would be here," said Hugo with barely restrained laughter.

Ignoring that statement, Rose said in a dignified way, "Maybe I just got out of the shower or something."

Likewise, the boys ignored her comment, "I don't think Scorpius could get into her knickers that quickly. It will take him another solid month at least."

"I don't know about that. Usually it's the quiet ones who are the wildest."

"Since when has Rose ever been 'quiet'?"

"I mean quiet on the dating front. She hasn't been with many blokes, so who knows how fast she actually moves in a relationship?"

"Does being forced into a marriage count as an actual relationship?"

"Oi! Shut up all of you or Merlin help me, I won't make breakfast for any of you tossers!" Silence rang through the small space almost as loudly as the boys' voices had been a moment before.

"We're sorry," said Fred repentantly, "and we would be much obliged if you would please grace us with your fabulous cooking."

"That's better," she turned toward the stove, unaware of the snickers and looks the boys were shooting behind her back.

Just as she was tipping the last of the sausages onto a plate, two more people ambled into the tiny kitchen; James Potter and Leila Scamander. Seeing their hands linked and knowing they'd probably just been in bed together was only slightly awkward for those who were already in Rose's flat.

"Merlin's bouncing balls, why don't we just take this nice little reunion to Gran's?" Rose suggested, sounding a bit put-out.

"Nah, there's no adult supervision here," said James as he snatched a hot sausage from the plate and practically swallowed it whole.

"Do I not count as adult supervision?" Louis teased.

"No," Leila told him with a laugh, "definitely not."

"For Godric's sake! Are all of my relatives complete imbeciles?" Rose said in a way that was very similar to her mother.

"No, Aunt Hermione," everyone said at the same time before bursting into raucous laughter. It took Rose less than a second to join in.

...

Scorpius barely got any sleep the previous night. Liam had Flooed into the bedroom only to leave again when he found his best mate to be unresponsive to anything he said. He'd returned a while later with Albus, Norah, and Adara.

"Told you," said Liam as he motioned to where Scorpius lay on his bed, gazing up at the canopy without really seeing it. "Do you think he's been poisoned or cursed?"

"If he has been, I can think of one way to snap him out of it," Adara smiled wickedly. "When Liam and I went to Norah's flat to drag her over here, we found Potter in bed with her."

Scorpius shot straight up, "What?" he screeched.

"Don't be a prat," said Norah, "he is my fiance after all. Not to mention, we didn't shag."

"Aw, and I was so looking forward to hearing all of the riveting details of what sex is like with the famous Albus Potter," Adara pouted.

"Alright now, mate," said Liam in an attempt to change the subject, "tell us what has you in this state."

"Nothing," Scorpius shrugged, "I was just tired. Didn't get much sleep last night," he gave a very fake yawn, "now, if you'll all please be kind enough to leave the way you came, I'd love to get back to my nap."

"But...your eyes weren't closed," Adara noted.

"Bloody hell! Can't everyone sleep with their eyes open? I thought that was a rather common occurrence."

"Being snippy with us is only confirming the fact that something is wrong with you. I mean more wrong than the obvious, of course," Norah teased.

"Liam," Scorpius whined, "you're my best mate. Please get them all out of here. But you can stay."

Liam nodded, swept his arm toward the fireplace, and said to Norah, "My lady?"

"If you don't mind, I'd like to stay and talk to Scorpius for a moment," said Al curtly.

"Alright, ladies, get out of here. Liam, wait for me here. Come on, Al, we'll go down the hall."

As soon as they were safely out of ear shot of Scorpius's bedroom, Albus blurted out the question that had been burning in him all night. "Has Norah ever had sex before?"

Scorpius raised his eyebrows. That was definitely not what he had expected Albus to talk with him about. "Yes," he answered carefully, "why do you ask?"

"I guess I was just...too much of a coward to ask her. I didn't want to make her feel guilty, because it honestly doesn't matter to me, it just makes me feel like I...missed out or something, you know?"

No. Truthfully, Scorpius didn't know. The witch he loved was a virgin. The other birds he'd been with didn't matter to him. But if they had, how would he have felt? Like Albus, it wouldn't have been the most important thing in the world to him, but yes, he would have wished that he would have been able to have that honour.

"I suppose."

"I figured she had. I guess what was really bothering me is that I wanted to know who she'd been with."

Scorpius gave a chuckle, "Wanting to see what sort of competition you'll have in the bedroom?"

"Hardly," Al exuded confidence.

"Don't worry, Potter, Norah's only ever been with two blokes as far as I know, and I'm pretty sure she tells me everything."

"Who?" Albus pressed.

"When your cousin Lucy started dating Lysander-"

"No," Albus griped, "don't tell me he cheated on her with Norah!"

"Shut up, you git. No, he didn't cheat on Lucy. But when they started dating, they all thought it would be cute if Norah and Lorcan tried dating, too. So they dated for a few months in fourth year. He was the first guy she was with."

Lorcan Scamander? Albus could handle that. He knew Lorcan very well. All things considered, that wasn't as bad as he was thinking it would be. He'd been picturing horrors like Zachary Nott or Travis Goyle. "And the second?"

"Longbottom," said Scorpius with a grimace.

Al's face fell and then contorted into one of rage, "Vincent Longbottom has been dating my little sister for almost three years. Are you telling me that he cheated on her with Norah?"

"What's with your paranoia with cheating? No, nobody cheated on anybody as far as I know. Keep your hair on. I'm not talking about Vincent. I meant the other Longbottom," explained Scorpius. Albus almost wished he had meant Vincent. The 'other' Longbottom was Vincent's older brother, Austin.

Austin Longbottom had been a Gryffindor two years ahead of Albus and Vincent. All of the girls at Hogwarts wanted to get with him and most of them did. He inherited none of his father's awkward clumsiness. None of his mother's gullibleness. Instead he'd inherited the best from both sides of his family.

In summation, he was the epitome of the stereotypical image of a Gryffindor. A star on the Quidditch team, built like a bloody Greek god, intelligent, with devilish good looks. A charming sense of humor, bravery, sincerity, and above all, he truly respected each woman he was ever with. No matter how many they were in number. Most were of the opinion that he was perfect.

Albus's teeth started to grind together. "Easy, mate," Scorpius put a firm hand on his shoulder, "that was a long time ago, back in fifth year. And don't worry, she hasn't been with a bloke since."

"Be honest with me, Scorpius. Do you really think I can compare to someone like Austin Longbottom? I don't just mean shagging, I mean everything."

"Norah fancies you," said Scorpius as if this concluded the matter.

"So?"

"So, Norah never fancied him. If anything it was a rebound sort of fling. They hooked up at a party where Norah saw Lorcan all over some Hufflepuff slag. If you must know, he was the one who chased after her after that night. She was the one who broke his heart because she never fancied him. She really likes you, Al. To her, you're worth more than a hundred of him."

Albus mulled this over, "I reckon if you're sure Norah prefers me..."

"I'm sure."

Albus smiled, feeling like a weight was lifted off of his shoulders. The terrible worries that had been on his mind were gone. Happily, they returned to Scorpius's bedroom where Albus said with a cocky grin, "I'm off to spend the day with Norah," and Flooed away.

"Now," said Liam who was the only person remaining, "are you going to tell me what-"

"I-think-that-I'm-in-love-with-Rose-or-actually-I-know-I-am-in-love-with-her-and-that-scares-the-shite-out-of-me-because-I-know-she-doesn't-feel-the-same-way-and-I-don't-even-know-how-it-happened-it-just-did," Scorpius said all of this very fast while wringing his hands.

"You do realize, mate, that you just sounded uncannily like Adara and Norah when they're squealing and gossiping about girl things, right?"

"I'm aware," this time his voice was deeper.

"Secondly, it's a good thing that you love her. It will make your marriage a hell of a lot less complicated. The hard part will be getting her to even fancy you, let alone love you."

"I think she's starting to like me. We've been seeing a lot of each other and she says things sometimes in a casual way that reveal so much more than she means to."

"Are you sure you're in love with her?"

"I don't think I've ever been more sure of anything."

"Does that mean you've figured her out?"

"I'm starting to. The first time that I finally saw straight through her damn facade, and saw the heart of who she was, that's when I fell in love with her. At her core, she's...she's the bravest, strongest, most intelligent, loving, person I've ever known," he was frowning as he said this, "Suddenly I don't know if I'm a good enough person to be with her."

"What?" Liam's eyes bulged, "there's not a wizard better suited to that crazy witch than you, Scorpius. You have this way of being able to see who people really are, and that's what Rose needs. Like when you first met Zach, Travis, and Rider. You took one look at them, shook your head, and sat next to me at the Slytherin table."

Scorpius smiled at that memory, "It was obvious they were bad news."

"Obvious to you. Not to anyone else. Rose will love you back as soon as she gets to know you the way you've come to know her."

"I've never felt this way before. I've never...loved. Not like this. It's more than just wanting to shag her or wanting to make her smile, it's..."

"It's wanting to keep her safe and happy. It's wanting to be the one person in the world she runs to first and trusts the most. It's needing to know that she needs you, too. It's...the most exhilarating yet scariest feeling in the whole world."

"Yeah! How do you...?"

"Adara," Liam looked positively miserable.

"Oh," Scorpius didn't know what else to say. "Who is she...?"

"Patrick Yaxley."

"Her ex-boyfriend?"

"That's the one."

"He was probably her second choice. He's a decent enough wizard. The only reason she left him in sixth year is because she started falling for you."

"I didn't know that. I thought it was just because she didn't like him anymore," Liam averted his eyes, gazing out the window instead of at Scorpius.

"I'm really sorry, mate," Scorpius said sincerely. It was an almost painful experience for him to watch his best friend suffer so much.

"Nothing we can do about it now," Liam lifted his head and sighed deeply. "You'll be my best man?"

"Absolutely. When's the date?"

"August 27th."

"Same date as Dominique and Nathan if he's not in Azkaban. Good. I'd rather come to your wedding."

"But that will be your wife's cousin..."

"I'll talk with Rose about it, but there probably won't be a wedding that day anyway. I asked my dad and he said that according to the law, for the crimes he's being charged with, Nathan will be required to serve anywhere from two to six months in Azkaban."

"That's all? I thought it would be a few years at least."

"Well he didn't seriously hurt Rose or Norah," Scorpius said in an exasperated way, clearly he wasn't happy with that news either, "nor did he threaten either of their lives. The most serious crime he committed was impersonating me to gain their trust. Uses of Polyjuice Potion are limited to things that are legal."

"Let's hope for six months then," said Liam in a positive way. Scorpius grinned. It filled him with an odd sense of respect to see that despite his miserable circumstances, Liam was ever the optimist.

...

"I'm beginning to think this was a terrible idea."

"But he's so happy."

"I don't care. Look at those idiots!"

"Aw, Gin, they're just having fun."

"They're playing leap-frog, Harry. In the front yard. Next door to our house. All of the neighbors can see! They look like toddlers for Godric's sake!"

Harry and Ginny stood looking out the picture window of their home as James knelt down to the ground and Leila jumped over his back with a wild war cry. Harry chuckled, "Those two will probably always be toddlers."

Even as they watched, James disappeared to the backyard then reappeared dragging a hose with a sprinkler attached to it. Gleefully, he turned it on. In their shorts and t-shirts, James and Leila started running through the sprinklers. Ginny looked at Harry with an I told you so look.

"Well, it is rather hot outside today," Harry defended.

Ginny chuckled affectionately and wrapped her arms around his middle, "You're so cute when you try to stick up for all of his idiotic ideas."

"You're rather indulgent yourself, darling."

Outside, James and Leila were now chasing each other, both of them sopping wet. "This was the best idea ever!" yelled James as he lost his footing and slipped in a pile of mud.

Leila stuck her tongue out at him, "That's because it was my idea!"

"Where's my wand? I don't think blue is a good colour for you. Let me turn that t-shirt white."

"James Sirius Potter!"

"What?" he asked innocently, knowing very well what a white t-shirt would mean.

"How dare you suggest such a thing!"

"It's not like I haven't seen them before," he gave her a sexy wink.

Leila smirked, "I wasn't talking about the t-shirt, love, I was talking about performing magic out in the open with all of the muggles around!"

"Oh, right, that..." he shrugged, "I've done worse."

With a shriek, Leila found herself tackled into a giant mud puddle.

...

Rose and Louis. Louis and Rose. It used to be that way all the time. Louis used to be just as close to Rose as Albus. Now she felt a bittersweet emotion as the two of them sat on her sofa, everyone else had left, and just talked.

"You look good, Rosie," he complimented.

"Thanks, Lou. How are you doing, really?" He looked tired she noticed.

"Alright, I guess. Things are busy down at the Ministry, but I don't want to talk about work. I want to talk about you."

"Me?" she asked with wide eyes.

Louis's eyes were the same as Rose's. The Weasley eyes as her mother called them. Although only Rose, Louis, and Molly had inherited them. Louis was the person she ran to when the Sorting Hat almost put her in Slytherin. He was the one she went to when the first bloke she'd ever kissed tried pressuring her into going further. He was the one she confided so much in and loved so much. Now he almost felt like a stranger.

"Yes, you. Rose, I know we haven't been close in a few years, but I still know you almost better than I know myself. I worry that you're not going to give Scorpius a fair chance. I don't want to see you make both of your lives miserable."

"Louis..." she growled in warning.

"Cut the crap, Rose. You might be able to fool James and Fred with that tough little attitude, but we both know you're not fooling me, or Al, or yourself. You can act all pissed off, you can throw a tantrum, you can do whatever the hell you want, but underneath that, we know what's really going on here."

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about," her eyes flashed.

"Don't make me say it," Louis frowned and his brow creased.

Again, she repeated, "I don't know what the hell you're talking about."

"Ethan Bones."

Rose flinched as if he'd slapped her. She couldn't believe he had the balls to say that name in front of her. Ethan Bones. The first boy she'd ever kissed. The first relationship she'd ever had.

"He has nothing to do with anything," she rasped.

"I know he's not the main reason behind this, but he's definitely a factor. It's okay, Rose. It's me. Louis. We've been through everything together, haven't we? The best and the worst? You really liked the bloke. He wanted to have sex and you weren't ready. First chance he got he left you for a slag who would give him the only thing he wanted. Now you're scared silly of physical intimacy."

"I'm afraid of physical intimacy because I've never experienced it before," she bristled.

"I'm sure that has something to do with it. But let's get to the heart of the issue, yeah?"

Right at that moment Albus Apparated into the flat. "What are we talking about?"

"Rose," said Louis with a significant look, "and her reasons for being like...this."

"Oh," Albus's face fell. Gingerly, he sat on the sofa on the other side of Rose.

"Louis thinks it's because of Ethan," Rose bit out the name with anger.

"Partly," Albus agreed, "but mostly it's because of yourself. Ethan, Hugo, your parents, Wendy, Helen, Becca, and Melanie all had something to do with it as well."

Rose groaned, "What the bloody hell is this? An intervention?"

"Of sorts," said Louis.

"You have issues, Rose, and you need to figure them out before you can have a healthy relationship with Malfoy."

"I don't want to talk about this."

Two hours later Rose was exhausted. She'd hashed through every mental block she'd been having. Now she was crying while Louis held her and Albus patted her back. "It's a good thing that we talked about all of this," said Albus.

"It is," agreed Lou, "maybe now things can move forward with Scorpius."

"I'm sorry," she said while wiping away the last of her tears, "that you two had to sit through all of my rambling."

"We don't mind one bit," Louis assured her.

"We're just glad you're doing better now. I should have talked with you about this two years ago," said Albus.

"I shouldn't have left right when you needed me the most," Louis said guiltily.

"Don't blame yourselves, you dolts. Can we please get out of here now? I could really use something to cheer me up," she grumbled.

As if on cue, the fireplace lit up green and Scorpius Malfoy appeared. His eyes went directly to Rose without even noticing Louis or Albus at first. "What's wrong?" there was such concern in his voice that it momentarily shocked Al and Lou.

He went to her and knelt down beside the sofa, "Are you okay?" he pressed, "are you hurt?"

"Calm down, Scorpius," Rose gave him a small smile, "I'm fine, I just didn't realize how much I missed this git," she elbowed Louis affectionately and he gave an exaggerated 'oof!'

"You're sure? There isn't anything I can do?"

"Thanks for caring so much, but I'm really okay. But I probably look a mess."

"You look beautiful," he said.

Rose filled with curiosity. What was with this sudden change in him? He'd always been nice and caring but this was different. He took it to a new level that she wasn't prepared for. Why did he sound like a doting boyfriend instead of a forced boyfriend?

"Is there a particular reason why you're here?" she asked politely. Despite the talk she'd had with Albus and Louis, she was still reluctant to let anyone else get too close to her.

"Yes, I was going to ask if you wanted to come to my place? I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" When her eyes lit up Scorpius knew that he had said just the right thing and that Rose Weasley must love surprises. "I'll see you two later! Thanks so much for everything!" She jumped to her feet, wiped one last time at her red-blotched cheeks and let Scorpius Apparate her to his home.

What Scorpius was unprepared for, however, was his parents waiting anxiously for him. "Thank Merlin you're back," said Astoria as she rushed up to them, "we knew you would Apparate here," they were in the south sitting room.

"What's wrong?" Scorpius instinctively wrapped an arm around Rose and pulled her slightly behind him.

"Your grandparents are here," said Draco gravely, "and they want to meet your new fiance."

"No," he pushed Rose behind his own slim frame as if he could hide her from sight, "Absolutely not. I don't want them to meet her, I don't want to see them at the wedding, I don't want them to send a gift, nothing."

"Now Scorpius," a voice drawled from the hallway, "is that anyway to speak of two people who love you very much?"

Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy entered the room regally. If Rose thought Draco and Astoria always looked sophisticated and elegant, they were nothing compared to this. They had both aged gracefully. their blonde hair faded to white but they still managed to look so young.

"Is this the half-blood then?" Lucius spoke of Rose as if she were not in the room.

"Hullo, Mr. Malfoy," said Rose in an attempt of polite conversation.

For a moment he looked surprised at being addressed by her. "Ah," he said with a smirk, but he still addressed Scorpius and not Rose when he spoke, "I see the Ministry has seen fit to give you a Weasley. Merlin, they breed like rabbits. There are so many of them."

Rose blinked at him in shock. Quite honestly, she didn't know how to respond to this. On one hand, these were Scorpius's grandparents. On another, they had just entirely disrespected her entire family.

"I see the Ministry has seen fit to not chuck your sorry arse into Azkaban," Scorpius made the decision for her, it seemed, as the words were spilling from his mouth, "at least they did one thing right in pairing Rose with me."

Narcissa gasped and Lucius was looking murderous. "Hullo," Narcissa Malfoy addressed Rose like she was speaking to a small child, "I am Scorpius's grandmother."

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Malfoy," said Rose uncertainly.

"Such a shame," said Narcissa sadly, "Scorpius had so much potential. Now he's stuck with a dirty little muggle like you."

"ENOUGH!" bellowed Scorpius. It seemed that Draco was still unable to stand up to his parents as Scorpius was the one to take control of a situation that was quickly spiraling out of hand, "If either of you say another word against my fiance, I will use force to remove you from these premises. Malfoy Manor no longer belongs to you. I bet it burns your butterbeer to know that in a few short weeks Rose Weasley will have more claim to this place than you."

Lucius scowled, "Surely you didn't want this?" he motioned to Rose.

"OUT!" Scorpius shouted as he pulled his wand from his robes.

"Is this anyway to treat your grandparents?" Narcissa asked haughtily.

"Is this anyway to treat the witch who I love?"

Everything seemed to freeze. Nobody spoke. Nobody moved. Nobody even breathed. The first person to react was Astoria. A broad smile stretched across her face and her hands clasped together in joy.

Lucius was the second to react. He took hold of his wife's hand and said, "If this is the type of grandson my son has raised, we're leaving." Without another word, he tugged his wife out of the Manor.

"Perhaps we should...leave them alone for a few minutes, love?" Draco said as he put a hand on Astoria's arm.

"What? Oh, yes!" she beamed at the pair of them and retreated with her husband.

"Scorpius," said Rose, "did you really mean that? Or were you just saying it to get rid of your grandparents?"

With a tortured gaze he turned to face her and said, "I meant it. Very, very much. I don't know how or why, but I am in love with you, Rose."