His mum really had outdone herself this time. Skilled witch though she was, Hermione had never quite mastered cooking. Sure, she knew the theory behind it perfectly but even after years of practice she still hadn't actually managed to put this into practice. It was a long standing joke in the family and so nobody had been surprised when the sausages emerged as charcoal and the mash as rather lumpy mountains of barely cooked potatoes. She had long since given up being embarrassed by it and smiled good naturedly when Hugo had chuckled at and risen to place their usual order at the local muggle takeaway they so regularly called upon. From the living room, he could hear her mumbling to herself about she was 100% she had managed it this time.

"Practice makes perfect," his dad chimed, his usual response to his wife's numerous culinary failures. So far the standard Weasley-Potter gathering.

But then he heard gasps and exclamations from the room next door and couldn't help but stick his head round the kitchen door only to be greeted with the sight of the whole family gathering around Al and his new fiancé, judging by the ring everyone was clambering to get a look at. Hugo bustled into the room, with a jubilant grin on his face. A family wedding! Al and Mia would be the first of the cousins to marry (excluding Dominique of course but her vows had been taken under some foreign waterfalls with none but their backpacking friends as witnesses) and quite frankly, this particular union had been a long time coming. He clapped his cousin on the back with glee.

"Well done mate. Good to see you finally worked up the courage eh?"

"Apparantly there's an expiry date on being a girlfriend that us mere males are not aware of." Albus quipped, planting a loving kiss on Mia's forehead, who slapped him playfully on the chest.

"Hey! I was patient for five long years!"

"You really don't have to worry about that Scorpius dear," called Hermione as she watched him pile the empty cartons in the bin, "Run home and see Meg. She'll be wondering where you got to!"

She must have sensed she had said something wrong because she was at his side in an instant, her hand resting against his arm in a comforting manner. A maternal concern in her eyes filled him with love as she looked at the purplish skin under his eyes and weary stance. But raising two teenagers had taught her not to pry so as she rubbed his arm in the circular manner she had used to comfort her own children, she decided to leave his relationship well alone until he presented his troubles to her. Then she would make him a nice cup of tea and enfold him in a loving hug. But not before.

"You know, it's probably a bit late to head back now. You'll only wake her. Take yourself up to Rosie's room and stay the night dear."

Hermione was rewarded with a gracious and more alarmingly, relieved smile as the boy she had come to love as one of her own sloped from the kitchen he had spent so much time in.

They had pretty much left Rose's room when she had left, although it was devoid of many personal items that could be found in her new flat. They said it was "just in case" but Scorpius knew they had been worried by her living by herself. They all had. The 'incidents' as she insisted on referring to them as had been scarily frequent and intense in their seventh year and no one could bear the thought of one occurring when she was by herself. Anything could happen. She had broken her arm once when she had caused a bookcase to collapse on top of her. Luckily Hugo had found her and managed to move her before something more serious could happen but it had weighed heavily on their minds as she was treated in St Mungo's.

But Rose was a stubborn girl and had been adamant that she could not let this rule alive. So she moved out, reluctantly agreeing to certain conditions. She had to keep in regular contact and her owl had been trained to come straight to her parent's house if something was amiss. It wasn't a foolproof plan but so far they had managed to keep her safe.

A year or so ago, Scorpius had even managed to stumble upon some ancient draught that had originally been used to momentarily strip convicts of their powers that she consumed when the warning signs begun. Between that and her coaching with her Uncle Harry, who knew all too well about wayward and unusual powers, it seemed that Rose was finally learning the control they all desperately wanted for her. And she seemed happy. He couldn't deny that. She loved her job – anyone could see that – and even been dating in the last couple of years, something Scorp had yet to make his mind up about. On the one hand, he didn't want her to be alone but that hypocritical side of him struggled to cope with seeing her with anyone else. As selfish as it was, he preferred her single.

He just couldn't really pinpoint why.

Their little…adventures at Hogwarts had long since been at the back of his mind and he hadn't exactly been chaste over the years…

It was just…

Rose always seemed so suffocated in a relationship. There had been many a morning when he would find her at his doorstep and in desperate need of space.

She hadn't exactly made the best choices either. They were all too boring, too talkative, too short. No. None of them had been good enough for his friend and that was why he had such an issue with her dating. Perhaps if she found someone more suitable, he would find it easier to accept.

Not that his own love life had taken such a great turn recently. He was beginning to wonder if he had and Meg had reached the end of the road. But was he ready to give up? He wasn't so sure. Scorpius had been jealous when he had seen the exquisite jewel on Mia's finger and the contented smiles the couple had shared all evening. He missed those secret glances. With a sigh he lowered himself on to his friend's single bed. For some reason he couldn't forget the time he had sat here when he was fourteen or maybe fifteen with Al next to him and Rose rummaging through the closet to his right. They had spent many an afternoon here. How simple everything had seemed then! Laughing as she had thrown a chocolate frog at each of them from the supply she had always kept behind her handbags. If he looked hard enough, he would probably find some other secret stash in her new apartment. She had always had a sweet tooth.

He lay down, contended by his memories and trying not to think of his troubles, suddenly placated by this familiar room in a safe house with a family he loved as well as his own.

That night he slept better than he had in weeks.

The next morning, Hermione smiled to herself as she noted his still sleeping form, fully clothed and above the covers. Despite her husband's protests that he always listened to the radio before work, she made sure Scorpius slumbered in a silent household before she left, leaving a note on the kitchen table for when he finally awoke of his own accord.