A/N: To be completely honest with you, I certainly had no plans in writing an epilogue because the last chapter has been on my mind ever since I started writing this story. The idea of Scorpius ending up still as Rose's Secret Admirer is already planted on my head since the very first start. But I guess some of you are wondering if they actually end up together or just stay as best friends. I always think of them as an OTP, so this is how it turns out. This is my very, VERY belated present for all of you: my Christmas, New Year's and Valentine's present combined :D I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to JK Rowling.

CHAPTER 26

It's been a few years after that night. Four years to be exact. But who's counting, right?

Who am I kidding? I am.

After that night where I boldly (and stupidly) declared my feelings, even though she's asleep that time, I could not stop thinking about it. What if she was actually awake and fully aware of what I did? I told her how I really felt (or feel, rather) about her and I even kissed her forehead!

I didn't plan on doing either of that; not a bit. The plans were to just give her a blanket and the letter. After everything's done, I would go upstairs to my room and force myself to sleep because I reckon I would be nervous as it was my first time ever delivering a present as a Secret Admirer right in front of her. Even if she was asleep, I was just as uneasy.

But even after that reckless incident, I still am her Secret Admirer. Name whatever presents you can think of, I already gave her. And I can be proud of myself because the Potter brothers don't help me as much as they did in my second year. But I still go to them for advice just in case the presents are too weird.

Unfortunately though, I run out of ideas. Well of course, who wouldn't? I mean I've been a Secret Admirer for five years already, so of course this time would come. And it won't come as a surprise if the stores in Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley know who I am already judging by the number of times I've visited and bought items in their shops.

Well, there is one thing that I haven't done until now. Okay, maybe three things; one is to reveal my secret, two is to admit my feeling as Scorpius, and three is to give her a proper kiss. Not on the forehead, nor the cheek. And not on the side of her mouth, either. If you still don't get what I'm trying to say, proper kiss means a kiss on her lips.

Tonight is actually a great time to do it (or all of them, really) because it just happens that Hogwarts is having its annual Christmas party tonight that is always held a week before the holiday starts. This occasion is new; it just started around two years ago. And even though I'm a prefect, we're never really told who suggested it and why this started in the first place. It's always been a wonder to all of us.

And now here I am, pouring some drink to my glass. I'm not really a fan of parties anyway. I'm the type to just take a seat at the side and observe the people who decide to take the dance floor. It's more interesting because I can see who have two left feet and who are actually good.

Apparently the Weasleys and Potters are included in the good dancer category. Every one of them is brilliant in dancing. I reckon they were once forced to take some dancing lessons when they were little. Or they're just naturally good. Maybe their grandmother taught them.

"Stop drinking, will you?"

Without me actually turning my eyes to the newcomer, I already know who it is. "Well I can't waste free drinks, can I?"

Albus snorts. "You're not the only one drinking. What if it finishes before any of us could have some?"

"If that's the case, I could always," I take my wand out of my trousers' pocket and flick it towards the drinking bowl to put more liquid, "refill it." I turn my head towards him. "Easy, isn't it?"

He shakes his head in amusement and pours himself some drink. "Can't you mingle with the others this time around?" He takes a sip before looking at me again. "You're always just sitting around every year. Why don't you dance?" He hits my arm gently. "Better yet, dance with her."

I only shake my head as a reply before turning my eyes towards the dance floor where she is currently at. Right now, she's dancing in the arms of one of our classmates who is unfortunately a bloke. She's even laughing with him, much to my disliking.

"Scor, you've been hiding your feelings for years already. Don't you think it's time to tell her the truth?" he asks in a low voice, despite the loud music. It's amazing how I can hear his response. "You can't be serious when you said that you would only admire her from afar." He pauses. "What if someone takes her away?"

I can only keep quiet at everything Albus just said. He's correct of course, and he knows it.

"You know that you're not the only one fancies her." He takes another sip of his drink. "You might have a slight advantage, but that doesn't mean that she'll wait for you forever."

"I know," I mumble before I sigh. "I'm actually planning to do it tonight."

"Do what?"

"Tell her everything."

"Great," he replies. "When?"

"When the time comes."

Albus snorts again. "Well as long as you do it tonight, I'll leave you alone." He hits me for the second time that night. "Otherwise, I'll tell Rose myself." Before he can get a response from me, he runs away to the direction of the dance floor.

I shake my head as I take a seat on a chair nearby. I turn my head towards her again, reminding me of what Albus said just now. He was right: she's not going to wait for me. What if she's actually already dating that bloke?

Nah, she would've told me if she was.

And if she really was, school would be in a chaos. I'm not exaggerating because it's true. Students here are such gossipers that everybody will know something in a matter of seconds. Words travel faster than actions, if you ask me. When Secret Admirer first started, even the teachers knew about the rose. Sometimes it worries me; what if my cover's blown already? What if they pretend to be excited whenever Rose gets a new present?

Then again, nobody has ever confronted and threatened me. And I haven't got any impostors. So I guess I should be a bit calmer?

"You still haven't changed after all these years."

I reckon I've been dazing off for far too long because the next thing I know, the person who's been on my mind tonight is right now standing right in front of me. I immediately ignore the great pounding my heart is suddenly doing and silently clear my throat. "I don't know what you're talking about."

She snorts. "Come on," she says as she offers me her hand.

I look at the said hand before looking back at her eyes. "Where are we going?" I ask, even though I know exactly what she means.

"You never ask me to dance, so I suppose I should make the first move."

When I just stay quiet at her reply, she lets out a big sigh and takes my glass despite my protests. The glass on the table behind me, she grabs my hand and pulls me up before walking to the dance floor, drawing attention from others. At this point, my heart can't stop beating. The smirks on their faces are not helping either.

Reaching our destination, she turns around and daringly puts her hands around my neck as the song being played at the moment is quite slow. She arches her brow, asking me to do the next move if we're really going to dance.

Before I can even do anything as a response, someone from behind bumps into me causing me to move closer to Rose with my hands on her waist. I widen my eyes at the new position (we've hugged before but hugs are usually done quickly, so this is new). I can even feel her heartbeats now because of the close proximity.

Despite those facts though, she's now just innocently looking at me with a blush on her cheeks. I have to look away to restrain myself from doing something that might earn a slap on the cheek. I decide to look back to see who did it. It turns out to be Lily who mysteriously has a grin plastered on her face.

"Oops. Sorry, Scor," she giggles as she turns and dances away with her partner from us.

I turn back to see my own dancing partner currently narrowing her eyes at her cousin.

"Sorry about that," she says before looking at me. "It wasn't an accident because I saw her whispering with her boyfriend."

I restrain myself from snorting. "That doesn't mean she did it on purpose."

"Come on; she's James' sister. She's just as evil."

I shake my head as I smile at her words.

Then I suddenly notice everyone's eyes on us, which makes me realise that both of us haven't been moving at all. It must be quite a sight to see a couple who is just talking in the middle of a dance floor.

"You owe me two dances now because the song is almost over."

I can only nod because what she just said is true. Now or never.

"Finally," she says as we start to sway, following the rhythm of the slow song. She smiles as she looks up at me bashfully. "So, mind telling me what's on your mind?"

I tilt my head slightly. "What are you talking about?"

She smiles again. "Come on, we've known each other for years. You expect me not to know when you're hiding something from me?"

"You really think I have secrets hidden from you?"

She nods as a reply. "Everybody does."

"And yet you want me to reveal my secrets to you?"

"If it's about me, yes."

My heart beats faster at her reply. This is one of those times where I suspect that she actually knows my secret. I quickly calm myself down because there is a small chance that what she's thinking about might be different from what I have in mind. "Well if you know that it's about you, there's no need to reveal." Smooth.

"I want to hear it directly from you," she says. "And clarify it myself too."

I gulp. No, that doesn't mean she knows about Secret Admirer. "Clarify what?"

"I asked you first." She smiles. "And I think you know what I'm talking about."

Yeah she does. I guess I just have to be honest now because I don't think I can hide from her anymore. "You know your mysterious boy?" As I get a nod from her, I sigh and continue, "I'm him." I pause. "I'm your secret admirer."

To my surprise (or maybe not?), she smiles and wraps her arms around my neck. There's nothing else I can do but reciprocate her hug, even though I'm too confused to ask her anything.

"I realise that I've never thanked you properly before," she eventually says after a minute of silence. "So, thank you. I really appreciate and love every gift you've given me from all these years ago."

I gasp. "You knew for that long?"

She laughs softly. "I'm sorry, but yes. I've always known from our second year." She places the side of her head on my left shoulder. "It took me awhile to believe though."

"Why's that?"

Rose looks up at me. "Don't be angry but Dominique found out that it was you ever since you gave me that first rose. She actually told me about it but I didn't really believe her." She pauses. "I thought it was someone else, but then everything made sense." When I just keep quiet, she continues, "Why didn't you tell me anything?"

"I was scared that you didn't have the same feelings."

She shakes her head as she smiles and hugs me again. "Oh Scor. Even after everything, you still didn't know my feelings towards you?"

For a while, none of us are making noise. We just sway from left to right, still having each other close. The smell of her perfume is intoxicating; I wonder why I have never noticed that before. Maybe she put more because tonight is a special occasion? Probably.

"You know, I have a question."

"What's that?" she replies, looking up at me again.

"Why didn't you tell me anything about you knowing that it was me all along?"

She looks away and sighs. "I wanted you to tell me yourself." She starts playing with the collar of my shirt. "I thought you're going to tell me after we finished our exams in our second year."

"Trust me: I still didn't have the courage to do that." I sigh. "I had to get advice from Albus just now."

She diverts attention to me again. "So I actually have to thank him too?" she jokes. "Does James play some parts as well?"

"Don't forget that you have to thank yourself because you asked me to dance first and thank Lily for 'accidentally' bumping into me."

She shakes her head and pulls me into a hug, causing me to smile. I can get used to this.

All of the sudden, I feel a tap on top of my head. Sensing that it can't be a person doing that (even ghosts are polite), I look up to find myself staring into none other than a mistletoe. I'm not sure if I should be happy or nervous because I get to kiss her properly this time.

I think she feels that I'm rigid by the way I'm awkwardly swaying into the music because she pulls away and looks at me. "Are you all right?" She looks so worried that I have to restrain myself from laughing at her face. But that won't be the right thing to do because I'm sure that she's going to knock me out cold.

I let out a breath as I assure myself to kiss her tonight. "Rose, did you know that I have some things to be done tonight?" Ugh, trust me to say something so stupid to her. Of course she didn't know.

"No," she answers as she shakes her head (how many times has she done that tonight?).

"Three things," I continue, "One is to admit that I'm your Secret Admirer which I've done already; two is to admit my feelings as myself." I pause as I take more deep breaths. Once I'm ready, I lean in closer slowly as to not surprise her just in case she doesn't want this. "And three is to …"

Finally after years of waiting and dreaming of kissing her, the time has come. It's of course much better than what I have imagined all this time. It's simple, yet passionate at the same time. I couldn't ask for a better one because this simply comes from her.

"This might sound too much for you," I whisper as we lean our foreheads against each other, "but I really, really love you. It's okay if you –"

"I love you too, Scorpius," she cuts in. "Have been for a while."

THE END

A/N: It's been almost 2 years since I first wrote and published this story. Thanks for (always) taking the time to read and review this. Oh and sorry if the ending is too off.

Til next time..