Chapter 12

"Butterbeer?" James offered as he walked into the living room and took a seat on the chair beside his flatmate.

"Cheers," Sal replied accepting the bottle and twisting the top open.

"So how's it going?" James asked, "No Rose tonight?"

"She's down at the Cauldron with Dominique and Holly catching up but she's flooing over when they've finished!"

"So it's going well then?" he chuckled in reply, "Seeing as you've barely been apart for three weeks!"

"Well, you know how it is," Sal smiled and James nodded as he thought back on the first three weeks of his relationship with Annemarie when he had hardly been able to function for thinking about her and they had barely been apart for the three months since then.

"I think I love her mate," Sal said quietly, "I mean I know it's only been a few weeks but I just can't get enough of her! I always thought I loved Gloria but these last few weeks with Rose have been the most amazing weeks of my life and I don't think I ever felt like this about Glors, even at the beginning. She's just so...so...different and loving." James looked at him curiously, "Well take last week for example, we went out to Madame Puddifoot's in Hogsmeade for a drink and she held onto my arm all the way there bustled up against the cold and while we were at the table she held onto my hand and it felt so warm and close. Gloria was never like that, she wouldn't hold your hand in public and was never very affectionate at all, she'd occasionally sit on my knee here at the flat but that was it. Even back in school when we first started going out and you'd be snogging yet another girl in the corner of the Griffindor common room," James chuckled to himself as he thought back on the fun days of school. "Well Gloria would never do that in public, it had to be in a deserted classroom or behind a tree near the lake, she was really prudish about things like that but Rose...Rose is so...open about it and it feels great!"

"You're good for her, and she's good for you," he added noting just how much happier his best friend had been in the last few weeks, more than he had ever seen him with Gloria. "She's totally different around you than she's ever been with men before."

"What do you mean?" Salamander asked quizzically.

"Well," James coughed, "Rose was always...well...desperate when it came to men."

"Desperate?"

"She always tried too hard to cling on to a man and ended up scaring them away before they got to know what she was really like but with you...well you already knew what each other was like so she...well I don't know, maybe she didn't try her usual things."

"Maybe not," Salamander smiled, nodding his head and thinking about the outfit she wore when she turned up at the flat. He realised then that that may have been her attempt but he had seen straight through it to the real Rose that he knew and wanted.

"So you think you love her then?" James asked.

"Mate, she blows me away!"

"Dude that's my cousin and I don't need to know."

"No," Sal shouted shaking his head, "I don't mean like that I mean...well actually like that too."

"Eww."

"Sorry but that's another thing that Gloria never...well she never did very much at all...but Rose...sorry I'll shut up!" he added chuckling at his uncomfortable friend.

"Thanks, well I'm glad for you mate but detail is not needed."

"I know, again I'm sorry but she's just amazing!"

"Well I'm happy for you Sal and for Rose too, it's about time you both found someone worthy! Another beer?" he asked as he stood up to get a second bottle for himself.

"Sure," Sal replied.

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They were onto their third drink in the Leaky Cauldron and both Holly and Dominique were intrigued by everything Rose had to tell them about her new relationship with Salamander Longbottom. Neither of them had seen their friend so happy before and were so pleased that she had finally found someone to be happy with, "You actually miss him now don't you?" Holly teased making Rose blush bright red.

"No," she lied, "I want to be here with you two!"

"Yeah but you still miss him don't you?"

"I suppose," she replied shyly.

"I think it's great," Holly smiled, "seriously Rose, you deserve it with all the creeps you've had to put up with so far."

"Thank you," Rose beamed back at them as they fell into fits of laughter.

"What's so funny?" spat a sarcastic voice from behind them, "Chuckling at how you're trying to stop me from getting my man?"

"What?" Dominique shrieked turning to face Gloria who was stood behind her cousin glaring menacingly at them all, "Your man? I think you're a bit wrong there, you gave up your man when you cheated on him!"

"A mistake, and just a little one, I'd have had him back by now if this little bitch hadn't wheedled her way in."

"How dare you?" Holly cried, "How dare you call her that? You had no claim over Salamander anymore and Rose did not wheedle her way in anywhere, you drove him away and he found someone better!"

"Better? That little whore better than me? She's a slag, she was a slag in school and she'll break his heart, that's if she doesn't scare him off with her desperation like she has every other man she's ever met!" Gloria shouted, "Salamander will see through her, he'll remember that he loves me really and realise that I made one tiny little mistake, eventually he'll come back to my bed."

"What so you can bore him to death with your regimented sex life?" Rose spat not wanting to hear any more. Gloria had given up her right to Salamander when she had slept with another man and even if she hadn't been with him now Rose knew that he would never go back to Gloria.

"What?" Gloria spat back, "How dare you? What do you know about my...my...sex life?"

"A lot more than you actually if you catch my drift!" Rose screamed back glaring menacingly at her.

"He...what has he...he been saying about me?"

"That you're a frigid prude who just lays back and thinks of England!"

"He never had any complaints when we were together," Gloria argued quietly.

"Because he didn't know what he was missing!" Rose laughed.

"How...how dare...how dare he talk about what we...we...he has no right to talk about me like that."

"You gave up any rights you had to keeping your sex life private when you were laid back thinking of England with someone else!"

"But...but that was...was private, how dare he say I wasn't any fun?"

"Look Gloria," Holly interjected standing with her hands on her hips beside her best friend, "you were a boring cow in school and you're a boring cow now, I think we could all work out that you'll be like a sack of potatoes in the bedroom. For Merlin's sake you would never even kiss Sal in public, how the hell you ever managed to bag him is beyond me when he could have had the pick of the school. So quit whining about how hard done to you are and let the guy be happy and fulfilled for a change!"

"You bitch," Gloria returned slapping Holly around the face.

"Ha," she laughed back holding her stinging face, "maybe if you'd shown some of that feistiness Sal might have thought about taking you back but it's too late he's moved on now and you need to do the same! You have no one to blame but yourself Gloria! So pass on by and find yourself another man to bore in the bedroom!"

"You'll be sorry," Gloria replied in a menacing tone, turning to look at Rose who was beaming at her best friend with admiration, "I'll get him back."

"Keep trying Glors," Dominique said, "you don't stand a chance!"

"We'll see," she replied looking knowingly at Rose, "we'll see."

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"Hey James," Rose said wearily as she stepped out of the fireplace at his flat.

"Hi," he replied looking at her concernedly, "is everything alright?"

"I don't know," she answered slowly sitting down on the edge of the sofa, "where's Sal?"

"In bed, went about half an hour ago. Are you okay Rose?"

"I think I did something really stupid."

"Like what?"

"We saw Gloria at the pub tonight and she was shouting her mouth off about getting Sal back and I sort of…said some stuff I maybe shouldn't have said."

"Like what?"

"Well Sal...Sal told me about their...their sex life, well not exactly about it just..."

"That it wasn't the best?!" James interjected for her.

"I was so stupid but she made me really mad saying she was going to get him back and that if I hadn't wheedled my way in then she'd have had him already!"

"Is the girl deluded?" James asked pulling a face, "She hasn't got a prayer! She wouldn't have even if you weren't going out with him but now that you are she won't even get a glance!" Rose began to blush a little at his comment, "Whoa Rose, you could fry eggs on those cheeks!" he teased.

"Shut it!"

"Well it's all true, he's crazy about you! And I don't think he'll care one jot that you've said anything to Gloria about their lack of...excitement! Especially now you've made up for it!"

"James!" she shrieked at him angrily, "What the hell has he said?"

"Nothing that will get him in trouble! Trust me, I didn't want to know! He just said that Glors had always been boring and unaffectionate in public but that you are the total opposite and you've shown him what he's been missing! Don't worry he wouldn't kiss and tell!" he explained softly, smiling at his cousin. "Rose you are so good together don't worry about Gloria he'd never go back to her now, you have him hook line and sinker!" She smiled wryly at him and he continued, "Go and tell him if you are that worried but I promise you he won't be mad!"

With one more thankful smile she stood up slowly and walked tentatively to Sal's bedroom door which she walked through and then closed softly behind her. It was dark inside but she could just make out a sleeping form in the bed which she walked towards, the noise disturbed him from his slumber and he peered up through bleary eyes and smiled, "Hey," he whispered.

"Hey," she replied sitting on the edge of the bed.

Sitting up in bed Sal sent a spark from his wand to the candle beside his bed and looked up at Rose's face which was filled with anguish, "What's wrong?" he asked sounding concerned as he reached out to touch her bare arm.

"I think I might have done something stupid," she replied, "and I'm really sorry about it."

"What is it?" he asked kindly sensing her nervousness but also feeling his stomach turn a little in fear. For a minute she didn't speak and he sat right up in bed next to her to try and give her some encouragement, "Rose, talk to me," he went on rubbing her arm.

"I saw Gloria at the pub and I said some things that I maybe shouldn't have."

"Like what?" he asked feeling his stomach unclench.

"She was shouting at me and saying that she'd have had you back in her bed by now if it wasn't for me getting in the way."

"She said what?" he asked indignantly putting his arm around her, "How dare she?"

"But I was so angry at her and I started saying things about how...how," she started to bite her nails nervously, "how she wasn't...very...exciting and I shouldn't have done it Sal, I'm so sorry, that was your private business and I had no right to say anything about it, please don't hate me."

"Hey, Rose," he said tenderly catching her arm as she tried to stand up and walk away from the bed, "I don't care what you said to her, especially if she thinks she'd have had me back with or without you in my life," he pulled her gently down onto his knee and put his arms around her. "As long as you were standing up for me you can say anything you want about mine and Gloria's sex life, or lack of it! All I care about is keeping our sex life private!"

"Are...are you sure?" she stuttered looking at him and feeling her body relax.

"Honestly," he said stroking her hair back from her face and cupping her cheek in his hand, "Gloria can say what she likes and think what she likes and if she's going to upset you by threatening to take me away then feel free to give her whatever you've got!" Rose smiled at him and sighed softly.

"Thank you," she said.

"For what?" he asked quizzically.

"For being so understanding." But instead of replying he leaned up to kiss her gently on her nose, her cheeks and her lips and then pulled her down with him as he laid back on the bed.

"Come to bed," he whispered stroking her face with his fingers and she quickly stood up and began to undress.

"Where do you want me to put these?" she whispered back holding her red dress and tights which she had worn for the night out, "I know you like to keep the place tidy," she chuckled knowing that this was definitely one place where they were complete opposites. Tidiness was not one of the traits she had inherited from her mother and over the last few weeks she had felt increasingly guilty about messing up Salamander's room.

"Just drop them anywhere and get in here," he chuckled back holding up the covers, "you don't have to be tidy for me!" But she carefully laid them on the chair near his bed anyway before removing her underwear and dropping them on top. "Hey, you're not really worried about what Gloria said are you?" he asked as she climbed into the bed and let him pull her close to him, "because you don't have to be, I'm going nowhere."

She smiled at him and started to stroke his chest, she wasn't afraid that he would go back to Gloria, she knew that wouldn't happen, but she was worried about what Gloria might try to do, "No," she whispered back.

"Good," he said kissing the top of her head, "did she say anything else to you?"

"No," she lied deciding not to go into the whole conversation, it had unnerved her slightly and her friends had spent the rest of the night trying to convince her that she had not said anything out of turn but she could only relax now that she had told Sal all about it.

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"Can we just spend the day here?" Sal asked a week later when he opened his eyes and saw Rose's beautiful face staring back at him.

"That's fine with me!" she replied smiling and ruffling his tousled hair. They had spent another blissful week together culminating in a special dinner which he had cooked for her the night before where he had actually told her that he loved her. Upon hearing the three simple words she had melted and repeated them back to him, something which had then prompted Sal to lift her up in his arms and carry her into his bedroom where they made love to each other intermittently through the night, eventually falling asleep wrapped around each other at about four o clock. Rose had never felt as happy in her life before, no one had ever uttered those words to her and meant them but this time she had seen the sincerity in his face and had felt it in the way he had made slow and tender love to her.

"I'll make some breakfast shall I?" he asked nuzzling her neck.

"Later," she replied running her fingers along his chest and down towards his navel making him moan with pleasure. Laying back his head he allowed her fingers to touch and caress him as his sought out her soft breasts but they were interrupted seconds later by a knock at the front door. Sal groaned in frustration and was about to get up when he heard James' bedroom door open so he laid back and held onto Rose's hand as he listened carefully to see who had disturbed their Saturday morning.

"What the hell do you want?" he heard James moan.

"I need to see Salamander," replied a familiar voice and he groaned again.

"Well he doesn't want to see you," James went on stoically.

"I don't care whether he wants to see me or not, I need to talk to him and I'll wait here until I do James almighty Potter," he heard Gloria reply and then the door closed behind her as she had presumably pushed past him and entered the flat. Sal groaned again and looked apologetically at Rose who nodded her head in understanding as James knocked on the door.

"You decent?" he asked as the bedroom door slowly opened.

"A ha," Sal replied and James' head peered around the side.

"Er...Gloria..."

"I heard," Salamander groaned as he sat up and located his dressing gown from the chair beside his bed, "tell her I'll be there in a minute," he added standing up to fasten the robe and then leaning down to kiss Rose on the forehead.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Rose asked supportively as James closed the door on them.

"No, you stay here," he whispered brushing her frizzy hair away from her face, "I'll get rid of her," he added and then kissed her forehead again before walking slowly over to the door.

"What the hell do you want?" Rose heard him ask suspiciously when the bedroom door had closed behind Salamander.

"I need to talk to you," she heard Gloria reply, "alone," she added obviously referring to James who was undoubtedly standing loyally by his friend. "I suppose that whore's here as well," she went on.

"Don't you dare talk about Rose like that!" she heard Salamander bark steadfastly.

"What, so she can spread vicious lies about me but I can't say anything about her?" she spat back.

"She was telling the truth Gloria and as far as I'm concerned she can say anything she likes about you, you're the one telling the lies, Rose is not a whore," he spat back, "that's what you are." In the bedroom Rose hugged her knees and smiled at the way he had stood up for her.

"Look," Rose heard Gloria say as she sighed heavily, "I didn't come here to argue, like I said I need to talk to you alone."

"I'll...I'll just..." James said and a moment later the door opened again and he walked in to check on his cousin. "You okay?" he asked when he had closed the door on Sal and Gloria.

"Yeah," she replied knowing full well that Gloria would always refer to her in that way, "I'm fine," she added pulling the sheet around her body so she could sit up on the bed next to him, they could hear hushed voices coming from the room next door but neither could make out what was being said as they waited.

Eventually they heard the front door to the flat close and James walked out leaving Rose to search out something to wear. Dragging one of Salamander's quidditch shirts over her head and donning a pair of his boxer shorts she walked to the bedroom door and opened it. Out in the living room she could see Salamander on one of the chairs sat with his head in his hands while James sat on the arm patting his back, James' face looked grave and Rose sensed immediately that something was wrong. At the sound of her closing the bedroom door behind her Salamander looked up and she could see that he had aged in seconds, something was definitely wrong but all he could utter was, "Rose," before he dropped his head back into his hands.

"What's the matter?" she asked tentatively as she walked towards them and saw him shaking his head.

He didn't look up so she looked to her cousin for information and her heart plummeted as he looked back at her solemnly and whispered, "Gloria's pregnant."