Chapter 5

Rose stared at her cousin's face. When had his face become so hard? She'd seen that look when he was dueling in corridors with a few boys from Ravenclaw who used to bother him a lot, but never had that face been directed at her. But then, what else could she expect, seeing as he knew of her deception.

"I was under the impression, since you were whoring yourself out to Malfoy, that you had no emotions."

Her breath hitched at his words, and he didn't miss it. His eyes bore deep into her soul as he just stared at her for a long moment.

"Please, Al-"

"Please what?" He asked, his voice dangerously low. "Please don't be angry with you? Please don't tell Lily? Please don't kill that blonde git, Malfoy? I think you'd know me better than to ask any of that of me, Rose."

"I'm sorry." She whispered, looking down at her fidgeting hands in her lap.

"Why should I believe you?"

She looked up and saw that his face was starting to flush, he was really pissed off. "I'm so sorry, Al. You have to believe me. I never meant for it to happen. I just- I don't know."

He shook his head, and took to glaring at the corner of the table. She watched him for a while. Then she asked "How did you-"

"Figure it out?" He looked back to her, his green eyes flashing. "That sixth year, Paige Thomas told me. Last night after her rounds, she told me in the common room that she had just seen you and him in an empty classroom. Mum says she's as big a gossip as her mum was back in school, so at first I just ignored it, told her she was crazy. But then I started watching the two of you. This morning at breakfast you were watching the Slytherin table. At first I dismissed it as you watching Lily, but when Lily got up to leave for class, you still stared, and he was there. Then in Charms today, I was looking around the room and saw him watching your back. After class when we encountered Lily in the hall it just clicked. He was being…I don't know…weird." He stopped, and observed her as the tears she had tried to keep down fell from her eyes. "I'm actually surprised I didn't beat the crap out of him right there. But I wanted to talk to you, first."

She didn't look up at him. Were they really that obvious? Why then had it gone on for so long? Why had no one ever noticed or said anything before? If someone like Paige bloody Thomas could catch them, and yet the news hadn't spread its way around school by now, well what was the deal? Why didn't she tell anyone besides Al?

Al let out a deep breath in front of her. "Why'd you do it, Rose? I don't get it." He hadn't lost the dangerous edge to his voice, but she could tell there was some frustration and exasperation in there as well. "Weasley blood is supposed to be thick, really thick, Uncle Percy is proof of that. So how could you do this?"

"I'm sorry, it's over Al. It's done."

"He ended it after we talked this morn-"

"No. I did."

He stared at her with a calculative look for a few moments, then it was as if he came to a realization, his face softening considerably.

"I never meant to hurt anyone, I just got so caught up when I never meant to. And I wish I could take it back, I'm so sorry."

"Do you love him?"

His words caught her off guard, and she looked up to see a serious, almost empty face. What was he expecting her to say?

"Yes." Her voice was so small, she hardly heard it.

Al's face again hardened. "That bastard took advantage of you and Lily," he rose from his spot at the table, and walked around to kneel in front of his surprised cousin. He took both her hands between his two larger ones, and squeezed gently. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-" He stopped, at a loss for words, and glared at the floor. Rose's face held confusion, but he didn't see it until he looked back up at her, and straight into her eyes. Then Rose got scared, because in his eyes was a hardness, something that spelled trouble. "He'll pay, Rose. He can't do this to you two, play you two against each other and expect to get away with it. You were stupid for doing what you did, but he knew, he knew how you felt, and he used it to his advantage." He stood up, and placed a tender kiss to her forehead. "He won't be able to walk by the end of the day."

With that he walked away, Rose too surprised to say anything. What had just happened? Had Al just forgiven her? Had he found an excuse for her actions? Had he actually just called her as much a victim in this situation as Lily? Oh no. What was he going to do to him? She didn't want Scorpius hurt, she just wanted this whole situation to go away! Damn Al, and his hero complex!

A/N: Soooo... anyone see that coming? i didn't. lol i love how writing can sometimes just take me places i so had never intended upon visiting! x]

well, last night i was at work, and i saw this group of three people walking: a chick with light brown frizzy hair, a guy with tannish skin and dark dark messy hair, and a light skinned guy with dirty blonde hair and the first thought that came to mind was 'the next gen trio!' haha so in honor of my geekiness and totally unexpected sighting of the trio, i have decided to pose an opportunity to you all, my readers. What do you want to see with the confrontation of al and scorpius? should it be public/private? should it be short/long? should lily hear/see? should rose? any specific things you think should be said on either boy's part? let me know in a sweet review! i promise, i'll try my best to incorporate everything you guys suggest! :)