I tossed and turned all night and eventually gave up on sleep around four am, instead opting to just read. I still couldn't focus, so I completely gave up and crept out of my dormitory, still in my pajamas. It was getting warmer now, and I could sit on the front steps of the school, drinking tea, in only my pyjamas, slippers and jumper as I watched the sun rise. I saw smoke come from Hagrid's chimney and smiled.

Suddenly, I swore, realizing why I had felt so bad about yelling at Malfoy. Yesterday was his birthday, he'd told me so last weekend, and I'd cried on him and yelled at him, on his birthday. Even if I did hate him, that's a bitch move if I ever heard one.

I groaned and swore again. Where was Indy when I needed her? Why didn't I have friends who weren't family? I took a big sip of tea and it burned my throat. I felt like I deserved it.

I went back to bed at ten and slept all day, waking up just before dinner. I went to dinner and sat with Lou, who was in a broody, silent mood and didn't want to talk. After that, I went back to bed and slept all night and late into the next day. When I finally got up at eleven and went down for food, Lou was sitting at the table, picking at his food and looking sullen. I sat down next to him, still in my pj's.

'What's up, LouLou?' I asked.

'No. Not the nickname. It's not cute, or funny. It's dumb.'

I looked at him, surprised; he's never that rude. 'What's the matter?'

'Nothing.' He poked at some congealing porridge with his spoon, then threw the spoon down with a gloop. 'Okay, something. There is something wrong.'

'Do you want to talk about it?' I poured myself a cup of tea.

'No. Yes. Maybe. Can we take a walk?'

'Yeah, sure.' I spread marmalade on a piece of toast and wrapped it in a napkin to take with me. We headed out towards the lake, me munching my toast. It was an unseasonably warm day and I realized that it was the last spring I'd ever spend at Hogwarts. It was an unsettling thought.

We walked in silence for a minute, then Louis spoke. 'Okay, so what we have here is a hypothetical conundrum in which a guy who is bi likes a guy who is almost positively straight. And the bi guy thinks that one of his female relatives likes the almost positively straight guy. What should Bi Guy do?'

I took a moment to sort this in my head. 'So, you like an unnamed straight guy, we'll call him X. And you think one of the cousins likes X too?'

'X may be bi, I don't actually know, and I think that two of the cousins like him.'

I pulled a face. 'That is a sticky situation.'

'I know, right?' He looked extremely distressed in the way that only Louis can. It was kind of adorable, actually. I reached up and ruffled his hair.

'Would you tell me who X is?'

'No way in hell.'

'Would you tell me which cousins?' I was fishing, piecing it all together. It's my hobby.

'Lily is one of the cousins, but I won't tell you who the other one is.'

'Hm.' By omission, he just ruled out many of the cousins. If it were Dom, say, he would have told me. As is, it could be…

'Does this unnamed cousin still go to Hogwarts?'

'Yes.'

Oh. My. God. The only female cousin at Hogwarts other than Lily is me.

'So you think that me and Lily like the same guy? And you like him too?'

'How did you figure it out?' he demanded.

'You know, Lou, for such a genius, you're pretty thick.' He rolled his eyes at me. 'And you know, the only guy I like is my boyfriend. And if you want him that much, you can have him.'

Lou pulled a face. 'No thanks! I don't even like being around that guy. I'm sorry, Rosie, but your boyfriend gives me the creeps.'

A picture flashed into my mind; the ugly look on Chase's face as he bruised my arms, the fear I felt. I shivered slightly.

'What?' Lou asked.

'Nothing.' We had finished a circuit of the lake. I yawned.

'I'm pretty tired, Lou. I think I'm going to go do some homework, maybe read a book and take a nap.'

'You just got out of bed an hour ago!'

I yawned again. 'I know. I'm just really, really tired. I have no idea why.'

He flicked his fingers at me. 'Shoo. Go get your beauty sleep, not that you need it. You already have enough boys chasing you.' I shook my head at his silliness and shuffled back up towards the castle.

Entering the Ravenclaw common room, I saw a couple of fifth years in the corner, madly studying for OWLs, and Chase, reading in an armchair by the window. When he saw me he came over.

'Rosie! Come on, come sit with me.' He kissed me quickly and then took me by the hand, leading me to where he was sitting and pulling me onto his lap.

'Hey, Chase.'

He kissed me again, for longer, until I pulled away.

'Look, Chase, I'm really tired, I think I'm just going to go to bed.'

'Come on, doll.' He kissed me again, pulling me closer, and I pushed him away, feeling trapped.

'Chase, no.' I tried to stand, but he had his arms wrapped around me tight and wouldn't let go. Fear shot through me. 'Chase, let go.' I said it softly, but I was shaking, and I knew he saw it.

'Babe, come on.' He had this wild look on his face.

'Let go of me!' It came out shrill, shaky and frightened. The fifth years whipped their heads around as he let go, shaking his head.

He held his hands up. 'Whatever. If you want to be a prude, whatever.'

I backed away until I was at least ten feet away from him and then turned and ran up to my dormitory, where I slammed the door behind me, convinced in some irrational part of my mind that he was chasing me.

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I slept most of that afternoon, waking for a couple of hours in the evening, and slept the night through. Somehow, I was still tired when I awoke Monday morning. I showered and dressed through half-closed eyes and made my way down to breakfast. I sat down next to Lou and poured myself tea. A while later, to my surprise and apprehension, Chase sat down next to me.

But he acted like everything was normal. He poured me coffee, but when he leaned in to kiss me, I had to fight the urge to lean back, into Lou and away from Chase.

Lily bopped over at one point, giving me and Lou huge hugs and kisses. When I asked her what gave, she just giggled and said that it was a beautiful day. In Lily-speak, that means that she's got a new prospect. I sent a silent prayer to whoever was listening that it wasn't the guy Lou wanted.

First class was Herbology so I trudged out to the greenhouses, trailing my feet, still half asleep and depressed by Lou's problems and Lily's problematic cheeriness.

I only half listened to Professor Longbottom's explanation of the day's task, mentally flicking through the list of boys that I and Lily could mutually like and drawing a blank. It was only when I heard my name that I jerked my head up.

'What?' Everyone tittered.

'You're paired with Mr Malfoy,' Professor Longbottom said. 'And I would appreciate, Ms Weasley, if you would pay attention.'

He was scowling, very unlike his usual self. I assumed that something had happened to make him cranky, or maybe he just disliked Monday mornings as much as the rest of us did.

I silently took a suspiciously innocent-looking plant, something similar to a lilac-coloured nasturtium. We were apparently supposed to take off the dead flowers and leaves.

Easier said than done.

Malfoy and I put on our gloves and goggles and had at it. Every time we reached towards it, it would extend a thin, strong stem with a round flat bit at the end, covered in spikes, which would push our hands away. It was strong, fast, flexible, and nearly untrickable. It took all our intelligence, strength and cunning to get just one dead flower off.

'This could take a while,' Malfoy panted after a particularly tricky attempt, where he held the club-like stem while I picked off the dead leaves.

'You could say that,' I replied.

We worked in silence for another few minutes, doggedly attacking the plant.

'Rose-' he began, but I cut him off.

'Don't use my first name.'

He rolled his eyes. 'Weasley, then, if you're so picky.'

'Yes?' I said sweetly.

'Who left those bruises on your arms?'

'It has nothing to do with you. I'm a big girl, and I can handle myself.' I shot him a look. 'And even if I couldn't, you're the last person that I'd ever ask for help.'

'You have to tell me.' He looked serious, his eyes boring into mine. I turned my head, focussing on the plant again.

'I have to do nothing of the sort. Shut up before I let this kill you and make it look like an accident.'

He opened his mouth to reply, but then Professor Longbottom came up, tutting.

'Hardly any progress.' He made a note on his parchment. 'Better get a move on. Less chatter, more work!'

As he left, I muttered about my supposed loving godparents, then pulled out my wand and put a freezing charm on the plant, picked off all the dead stuff quickly and unfroze it.

'Professor? How's that for done?'

'That's ten points from Ravenclaw, for cheek.'

I hate Mondays.

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The next class was Arithmancy, which was surprisingly easy, for once, then Transfiguration, for which I was late, since I'd had to run up to Ravenclaw Tower for my book.

When I skidded in, nearly every seat was filled, except for the one next to Scorpius Malfoy. McGonagall took five points for lateness as I threw myself into the desk next to Malfoy, again. I took careful notes as McGonagall talked for half the class, then put my head down on my arms as she decided on which devilment to assign us for homework.

'Rose, this isn't a joke, it's important. Who did it?'

I replied, my voice muffled by my arms. 'Malfoy, it's none of your business. Fuck. Off.'

McGonagall was standing next to me. 'Such atrocious language, and from the Head Girl! Twenty points from Ravenclaw!'

I hate Mondays.

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That night was my first Quidditch practice in more than a week, since I'd been forbidden to play all of last week while my concussion finished healing, and I was not feeling up to it.

Nevertheless, after dinner I trudged down to the pitch and took to the air.

The practice sucked; everyone totally failed, leaving me feeling extremely.

I was walking back up to the castle with Chase, who was the team captain, talking about the practice.

'I don't know what went wrong,' he was saying. 'We've trained so hard, and we just-'

'Suck, I know. You don't have to tell me,' I replied glumly. 'I have so much homework, I don't know if it was even worth coming.'

'Aw, come on, doll, you know it was, just to be with me.' I knew he was half-joking, but I didn't like the edge to his voice, so I agreed.

'Okay, you caught me. But I really need to get back to the common room; I have extra work for Transfiguration on top of my normal homework.'

We were holding hands, and he brought my hand up, kissing our entwined fingers. 'Come on, Rosie. Let's just walk for a bit.'

'Chase, I have homework.' I tugged my hand out of his. 'I have to go. I've wasted enough time already on this shit practice.'

'Shit, is it? I've put work into this team, I'll have you know, and I don't want people like you knocking it.'

'People like me?' I was tired and frustrated. 'What kind of people are those, exactly?' I was nearly yelling at this point, and getting angry at his arrogant manner.

He replied with a string of works so vile I won't repeat them.

I was shocked, and replied without thought. 'Fine. If you think I'm that bad, go face the world by yourself, you coward.'

I didn't even see the punch coming. I just knew that suddenly, my right side was on fire. I tucked my arms around myself and bit my lip, fighting tears. I raised my eyes to him, where he was standing there staring at his fists. He looked at me, met my eyes, and then turned and ran away.

Once the pain had subsided somewhat, I made my way up to castle. Every time I took a deep breath, my ribs flared in pain, so I tried to breathe fairly shallowly.

Once I'd reached my dorms and changed, though, I had to face a decision. Did I just keep going with this punch, carrying the pain around with me while my body healed itself, or did I go to the hospital wing and let the whole thing that had happened with Chase get out?

I decided to put off the decision, see how much it hurt in the morning.