-CHAPTER TWO-

"You!" Lily screeched, pointing at her tall raven-haired brother with venom. "Get out here."

Al was used to his sister's somewhat angry – or feisty, some would put it – personality, and so got up and left the room without a fuss, knowing that she was no doubt making a mountain of a molehill.

"What now, Lilykins?" he asked, arranging his features to look as bored as possible. She kicked him in the shins and brought him to his senses. He gave her his full attention. "What was that for?"

"It was for neglecting your best friend," she said.

"What? He's in there…and he's fine," Al said, pointing towards the living room in slight confusion.

"No, moron! The other one!"

Realisation finally dawned on him. "Oh, Rosie! Why, what's wrong with her?"

"Her idiot boyfriend dumped her by owl yesterday afternoon. Not that you noticed, what with your sleepover here with your stupid friends," Lily said pointedly. Al looked a little worried. Rosie's boyfriend broke up with her? He had never liked Lorcan Scamander, he decided. He also felt a little guilty. After Grandma Molly's Christmas party he had gone straight back home with his parents and his friends, and they'd stayed up until six in the morning eating the food they nicked from the kitchen. He felt bad that he had neglected his best friend since forever, his cousin Rosie.

"Oh god. What do we do? Is she OK?" Al asked his sister frantically.

"She's down in the dumps, and no wonder. They did date for 8 months," Lily looked surprised, as if it was a feat to stay with someone so long. The longest she stayed with anyone was a month, tops. "I'm plotting with her to make him jealous."

"How?"

"I'm making her dump her baggy clothes and look as gorgeous as she does in the holidays when she wears muggle clothes," she told her brother confidently.

"What do I do?" he asked her, unsure how to comfort her. Lorcan had been Rosie's first boyfriend, so she'd never been dumped before. He didn't know how to deal with it.

"Just talk to her. She needs you at the moment, more than your idiot slime friends," Lily said, giving her brother a warm smile. He smiled nervously back. Operation Cheer-Up-Rosie was underway.

Lily bounded upstairs a second later, her long red hair swishing in her wake. Al wandered back into the living room and sat down, deep in thought. His friends were leaving in an hour, and he could invite her over and feed her biscuits, and offer to pummel Lorcan's face in.

"What was that about?" Guilliano asked, looking at him with an inquisitive frown.

"Nothing," Al said, wondering whether he should tell his friends. He decided after a second that he would tell them. They would understand, and maybe they could help him get revenge on Lorcan. "Actually, there is something." Scorpius raised an eyebrow in faint amusement. "Rosie's boyfriend broke up with her yesterday afternoon and Lily wanted me to help cheer her up."

"What are you gonna do?" Guilliano asked, slightly more interested now that he knew Rosie was single – not that that had stopped him in the past. He might seem sleazy, but he just liked company…female company.

"Give her a packet of biscuits, and get back at her nancy-boy idiot of an ex," Al said.

"I know how to get back at him," Scorpius said suddenly. Guilliano and Al both looked at him.

"Beat him up?" Guilliano suggested.

"No, too violent. I have to protect my head boy badge. No…we make him jealous," Scorpius said.

"I know!" Guilliano announced. Al looked at him hopefully. "I'll date her and he'll be jealous that she managed to get with such a handsome fellow after so little time!"

"No, you're not going anywhere near her," Al told him forcefully. Guilliano might be a good friend, but when it came to girls, he wasn't the nicest of all guys. There was no way he was letting him near his favourite cousin.

"Then Scorpius can do it. What with his Greek-god charm," Guilliano said, un-phased.

"I dunno…"Al said. Maybe this wasn't the best way to go about things. But then again…it would certainly work. Scorpius was by the far the best looking out of the three of them, and if Rose knew then she could play along.

"Maybe…not…" Scorpius said, slightly reluctantly.

"You're backing down? Why? She's gorgeous," Guilliano turned to Al apologetically, "Sorry Al, but she is!"

"I'll check with her first…you'd just pretend to be together for a bit," Al said, warming up to the idea.

"But, everyone knows we don't like each other. Wouldn't it be a bit suspicious?" Scorpius said.

"You came up with the idea!" Al reminded him.

"Fine, but you better get me a huge birthday present," Scorpius grinned at the two of them. "And she has to agree."

"You might have to stay away from your various girlfriends for a bit to make it more realistic," Guilliano added, grimacing at the thought of it.

Scorpius crinkled his perfect nose. "I'll do it for two weeks," he added to the list of conditions. Al nodded. That was perfectly fair, besides it might do his friend good to only be with one girl at one time, even if the relationship was fake.

"Nutter," Guilliano muttered, thinking that he didn't think he would be able to stay with one girl for a week, let alone two. Not unless they were someone really perfect.

*

0

I stepped into the fireplace and threw the floo powder at my feet and then said Al's address clearly to the green flames that had sprung up, and were licking my feet harmlessly. The familiar rush and spinning feeling of travelling by floo powder overcame me, and I shut my eyes tightly until my feet connected with solid floor. I stepped out of the fireplace and dusted myself down, before looking around. There were three boys sitting sprawled across Al's sofa. The very three boys that had been in my Grandparents kitchen the day before making fun of Lorcan.

Don't think about him, I told myself angrily, it would only make it harder to forget him.

"We heard about Lorcan," Al said, solemnly, and my stomach sank.

"Come to laugh some more about him have you?" I sniffed angrily, then I softened. "Come to think of it, I might join you."

"Go get a biscuit," Al added, smiling slightly, glad that I was making jokes. It meant that I wasn't too upset. In truth I was extremely upset, but at the same time, and I couldn't understand why, I felt slightly relieved. I would never have to listen to him complain when I wittered on about Quidditch aimlessly between writing essays in the library. 'Can't you talk about something interesting,' he would say pointedly, and I could never help but feel a little hurt. Quidditch was interesting, I would console myself.

"A biscuit?" I repeated. "I'm OK thanks."

"We've come up with an ingenious retaliation plan," Guilliano piped up from the floor. I fought extremely hard to keep my eyes from rolling. Not them as well as Lily!

"Let me guess," I said sarcastically. "It involves me wearing indecent underwear and shagging you for the rest of the school year."

He grinned lopsidedly, "Actually no. But I like that one too." How could he not.

"It involves you pretending to date Scorpius so that Nancy-boy gets jealous," Al interjected, saying it as quickly as possible, as if hoping I would miss certain details.

Like the fact he wanted me to pretend to date a Malfoy.

And not just any Malfoy. Scorpius Malfoy. Who was looking at me from his casual position on the sofa with a certain gleam in his eye which suggested to me that he was undressing me in his mind.

No.

Absolutely no.

"Are you kidding?" I demanded, and Al shook his head. "You want me to pretend to date him." I threw a disgusted look in Scorpius' direction. He raised an eyebrow and his smirk didn't even falter.

"It'll work. Lorcan hates him," Al added, as if this decided the matter.

"Are you insane? I hate him too! You honestly think people will believe we like each other after the Potions incident," I demanded.

Ah…the Potions incident. Aka. One stupid teacher's idea to pair us up, resulting in Scorpius 'accidentally' feeding me veritaserum instead of giving me our hiccoughing solution to test like he was supposed to. And then asking me to name every guy in our year that I thought was good looking. Then smirking when I finished with his name.

So I transfigured him into a ferret, thinking this was an original idea (according to my dad it isn't). Professor Longbottom found it very amusing, anyway, but it didn't stop him giving us both a weeks detention.

We were forced to forgive each other by Al who couldn't stand having to listen to each of us moan about the other, but that doesn't mean we like each other.

"Well, you'll have to make it convincing. It's that or I go beat him up," Al said, knowing that I don't approve of such violence.

"Are they the only options?" I asked meekly, knowing the answer.

"Yes," Scorpius said, pouting at me. "Don't you like the idea?"

"Surprisingly no. Are you telling me you do?" I asked incredulous.

"There are compensations," he said, taxing me with a smirk.

I hope Al doesn't turn out like these two pervy idiots from hanging out with them too much.

I turned my wide-eyed gaze to Al, "Is there no one else?"

"I think we both know the answer to that," Scorpius piped up.

"Unfortunately, no," Al said. "The more people that know about it, the less likely it is to work."

"I suppose I have no choice if I want to get back at him," I said, more to myself than anyone else.

"Too right," Scorpius put in.

"Shut up, perv," I snapped back.

"Make me," he drawled, and when I turned to him again he winked slowly at me.

Sweet mother of Merlin.

Hormone alert!

"Seriously, if I do this, you have to stop with all the pervy things," I said.

"That's part of the package, I'm afraid," Guilliano said, exchanging a look with Scorpius. "So, are you going to do it?"

The million galleon question.

My thoughts flickered back to the letter: I've found someone else, and it's not fair to you, or to her.

My fingers balled into fists without me realising.

"Yes."

I was getting the strangest feeling that I was signing my own death sentence.

*

0

"It's New Year's Eve!" I screeched in excitement, bounding into the kitchen at the burrow, and colliding painfully with a chair, to Hugo's amusement.

"Nice one, Rosie!" he grinned.
"Shut up," I replied in a faux-grumpy voice, rubbing my leg where I'd hit the chair.

"It first became New Year's eve about 18 hours ago, Rosie," Hugo told me, filling up a glass with water from the tap at the sink.
"I can tell the time, you know," I said.

"If you've stopped colliding with things," Hugo said, as I hopped towards the cupboard where the biscuits were kept. "We're leaving in about two minutes."

"Are Granddad and Grandma coming?" I asked, taking a bite out of a biscuit. Hugo rolled his eyes at my demonstration of my serial-biscuit-eating habit.

"Only for a bit," he said. "By the way, we're spending the night there, because Aunt Ginny says we'll be home late and we'll wake up Grandma and Granddad."

"You could have told me that!" I gasped, running upstairs to pack an overnight bag, finishing my biscuit on the way. I picked up a bag and threw in a toothbrush, toothpaste, a change of clothes and pyjamas. I was back down in the kitchen just in time to see the green flames swallow up Hugo as he flooed to Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry's house.

"Come on, Rosie, dear," Grandma Molly said, holding out the pot of floo powder.

I arrived several minutes later in the living room of their house, and taking care not to spill soot over the carpet I climbed out of the fireplace and came face to face with Lily.
"Are you seriously considering wearing that?" she demanded. I looked down at my Christmas jumper with 'Rose' plastered over the front and my favourite jeans.

"Yeah," I grinned. "Why? What's wrong with it?"

"It's a party Rosie, not a group-gardening session," she said, grabbing my arm and hauling me up to her room where I would probably be sleeping.

"Here, try this," she said, throwing a floaty black dress in my direction.

"But you're taller than me, so it won't fit me," I said, eyeing it nervously.

"Nah, it'll fit. This is from last year when I was only a tiny bit taller than you are now," she assured me, dashing out the room muttering that she was going to look for shoes. I pulled off my jumper and folded it neatly and put it on top of my bag. Then I took off my t-shirt and jeans and they joined the jumper in a neat pile on top of my bag in the corner of the room.

Lily was right, the dress was pretty much a perfect fit, I concluded after zipping it up carefully. It was quite low cut, and I spent a few minutes considering what I could do to make sure that it wasn't too revealing.

"Lily?" I said turning round. "Lily? Do you have a shawl or-" I stopped speaking, flabbergasted to see a smirking blonde figure leaning nonchalantly against the doorframe with his arms loosely folded. He had a look of mild approval.

"Nice dress," he grinned.

"Uh…How long have you been there?" I asked cautiously. I honestly hadn't realised that the door had been open while I changed and so I was screaming an unspoken plea to anyone up there that he hadn't been there long.

"Long enough," he smirked, and shamelessly looked me up and down.

"So you…er….you…"

"I saw you changing, yes," he drawled arrogantly. My mouth dropped open. Crap. Of all the people to see me changing!

"Why didn't you just close the door and move on?" I demanded, my face flushing uncomfortably.

"And miss the show?" he opened his arms wide and gestured to me with one eyebrow raised.

Pick your jaw up from the floor now, Rosie!

Finally anger overtook the shock of seeing him standing in the doorway. I marched over and with all the force I could muster-

SMACK.

I slapped him round the face. And, boy, did it feel good.

I clutched his hand to his face, with his mouth open wide, ready to complain. He closed his mouth and his hand dropped from his face. "I guess I kind of deserved that," he said, and actually had the audacity to grin. I watched him walk along the corridor to Al's bedroom. "It was worth it though!" He winked at me.

"Get back here you stupid ferret!" I screeched, and I could tell that my ears were glowing red just like my dad's did when he was angry. Scorpius spun slowly round on his heel and returned, adopting an extremely bored look.

"Yes, dear," he smirked.

Boy, was he going to pay.

"Say that again," I ordered, folding my arms and hopefully looking as intimidating as possible. Though, I imagine I didn't really look that intimidating at all. Especially as Scorpius towered over me at six foot two.

Yeah, he must have been quaking in his proverbial boots.

"I didn't say anything, dear," he lied, with a sneer.

I slapped him round the face again, and he scowled at me, clutching his hand to his face. "Can you stop it!" I smirked back at him, and spun around my nose in the air, but before I could take so much as a step a pale hand slipped around my wrist and pulled me back.

"Now, listen here, ginger-" I raised my hand again to slap him, but he grabbed that wrist and pulled it back down. I huffed at him. "Remember when I say this, you are the nuttiest, stupidest headcase I have ever met!"

"And you, Scorpius Malfoy," I replied, my ears still producing enough heat to heat a blast furnace, "are the most arrogant, self-centered son of a-"

"SHUT UP!" he cried down at me, and I had to fight my facial muscles to stop myself grinning. It seemed he was having similar difficulty as his current facial expression was a cross between a scowl and a grin. "Shut your fat mouth!"

"Make me."

His eyes faintly widened, and he completely lost his cool and calm composure. "Make you? Make you? I'm….I'm gonna…I'm gonna hex you into oblivion!"

"Try it and you'll be walking funny tomorrow," I smirked calmly back. "Or should I say funnier."

Our eyes clashed together in a glare, which was only interrupting when we heard a roaring of laughter coming from the top of the stairs. We both stared at Guilliano who was clutching the banister with the pain of laughing at the hilarity of the situation.

"I'm off," I said, removing my wrists from Scorpius' grasp and flouncing towards Lily's bedroom. Lily, however, was standing in the doorway of her bedroom clutching a pair of extremely high heeled black shoes and grinning at me. I scowled at her.

"Please shut the door," I told her as I hurried past her into the safety of her room.

"What was that about?" she asked, giggling.

"Urgh," was all I said.

"I saw you slap him," she said, and grinned at me. "His face was priceless."

I grinned back. If only I had had a camera with me.

Wow, I'm proud of myself – a nice quick update Thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter: x8xdanix6x, ErinFabu, Draora Moss, .tears, A True Dreamer and any anonymous ones. Reviews are always loved!
Let me know what you think, and if I made any mistakes etc.

G xoxo