A/N: Ok, so the whole pre-written thing really didn't work out for me. My apologies. I'll try to be better at updating!

Chapter 9

"Why do you keep the whole Magical Law thing under wraps?" I asked into the silence of the common area. It had become something of a routine over the past few weeks for Scorpius and I to sit in the common room while trying to catch up on our work. It definitely made it easier to have someone to work with once we both dropped our pride and started growing more comfortable asking each other for help. Truthfully, I was still a bit uncomfortable, though. Usually I tried to figure the problem out for a good ten minutes before he'd look over, somehow know I was stumped, and force his help on me. I was appreciative, yes, but not quite ready to actively seek out help from the guy I'd spent my entire school career trying to beat. Sometimes I caught him doing the same thing, so it wasn't like I was alone in the adjustment period.

My abrupt question brought Scorpius's head snapping up in surprise. "What do you mean?"

I blushed, suddenly realizing what a personal question that was. "Sorry, forget it. I didn't mean to pry."

"It's fine. It just surprised me, that's all," he replied, taking a breath to gather his thoughts before continuing, "I guess I just don't want people to make judgements, you know? I mean, a Malfoy becoming a lawyer? That's bound to start gossip."

I frowned, "How so?"

We were obviously giving up on homework for the night as he put down his quill to focus on me. "Come on. A Malfoy standing up for criminals? That'll prove everyone right about my family. I hide it because I'd rather put that off until absolutely necessary."

I stared at him for a moment, assessing what he'd just said. "I don't think that's true."

"Of course it is."

"No, I think that's what you tell yourself. I think you want to pursue this because you want to stand up for those who are being judged by society. You want to give a voice to people who don't necessarily have one. I also think you don't want to tell anyone what you really want to do because then you'll have to tell them all of that and face the possibility of them laughing in your face. Or worse, accepting and respecting your reasons."

"What's worse about them respecting my reasons?" He asked, confused.

"Well if they respect your decision then you'll have standards to live up to, and the possibility that you could fail to meet those standards. You don't want the responsibility. It scares you," I answered. I suppose I could have been more tactful about it, but I had problems with thinking before I spoke around Scorpius. It was really becoming quite a nuisance.

"It scares me?" He repeated incredulously. "How would you know what scares me?"

"I don't. I shouldn't have said anything. Forget it," I muttered, turning my eyes back to my book in an effort to put a stop to the conversation.

"You know, it's funny how you can be so quick to point out that I'm keeping this quiet because I'm scared when you're doing exactly the same thing."

My head snapped back up. "What?"

"Well, it's kind of obvious. You're too afraid to tell your family about the whole alchemy thing because it's something you actually like but it doesn't fit with daddy's plans for his brilliant little girl."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I snapped.

"Yes, you do. You know exactly what I'm talking about. You don't want to disappoint your parents by telling them you like something that won't get you a job in the precious Ministry after school. Alchemy isn't exactly a stable career, is it?"

"No, it's not. Which is why I'm pursuing Muggle Relations. You can like subjects without making your entire life about them."

"Muggle Relations? You're still on that? I know that's not what you really want to do. You hate your Muggle Studies class."

"How would you know what I do and do not like?" I asked angrily.

He held up his hands in defence. "You're right. I don't. I just don't see you eagerly poring over your Muggle Studies book like you do for Alchemy."

I had to concede defeat on that one. Truth be told I did hate Muggle Studies. "Fine. You win. I hate Muggle Studies, so what?"

"So why are you letting expectations push you into something you don't like?"

"The same reasons you are I expect," I replied, looking him square in the eye. For such a simple question our discussion had gotten quite heated. I wasn't sure what it was about Scorpius Malfoy that got me so defensive and riled up, but I could see in his eyes that I had a similar effect on him. Tearing my gaze from his, I glanced down at my watch, noticing the time and quickly rising to my feet. "I should go take the patrol schedules around before it gets too late."

Scorpius blinked, "Right. I'll take Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"

I nodded, handing him the correct papers and heading out before he even stood up.

"Hey, I didn't know you were coming by tonight," Adrian's voice startled me as I pinned the schedule to the Ravenclaw notice board. He'd apologized almost immediately after our last episode, and for the past couple of weeks things had been really good. It was almost the same as last year, except for one thing I couldn't quite place the tip of my wand on. I chalked it up to a bit of remaining tension over the whole rough patch, though. We were fine.

I smiled, turning to face him. "I didn't either. The patrol schedules got done early so I figured why not."

"How was your day?" He asked, pulling me closer.

"Fine. Ended up with a ton of work though. Yours?"

"About the same. I can't wait to be done with this place. Only seven more months until we're free," he sighed, sounding a lot happier at the prospect than I was.

"It's not so bad here," I hedged.

"Well, it does mean I can see you every day," he smiled, leaning in and pecking my lips affectionately.

"That it does," I agreed, grinning.

"You know, that could still happen after we graduate. We could probably see even more of each other."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I've been thinking. I love you, Rose."

"And I love you," I replied, still not sure where he was going.

"We were going out for a while before summer, and I think we should consider taking the next step at the end of the year."

"What do you mean? I don't think there are many more steps to take, Adrian."

"I want us to get a place together after we graduate."

I did not see that coming.

"I'm sorry, he said what?" Dom asked, eyes still wide with shock.

"He asked me to move in with him, Dom," I repeated, still shocked myself.

"What did you say?" Emily questioned.

I exhaled loudly. "I said I'd think about it. I have no idea what to do here guys."

"You already know what I think," Dom chimed in. Of course I already knew what she thought.

"What do you think, Em?" I asked, desperate for a level-headed opinion.

"It doesn't matter what I think, Rose. It matters what you think."

"I think this is all going way too fast. We've only been back together for a couple of months and half that time we've spent fighting. I don't know where this came from."

"Where what came from?" Al asked, dropping into the open chair across from Emily.

"Nothing important," I replied vaguely.

"So it has to do with Davies then," he surmised.

"I have to go. I'll see you guys later," I sighed, ignoring my cousin.

"I'll walk you," Dom offered, "I have to meet Colin."

I threw her a look. She knew it was nearly after hours. At the look I received in return, I knew she wasn't planning on a return journey through the corridors tonight. Leaving Emily and Al to start in on their homework, we set out into the castle. She surprisingly said very little until we reached the point of separation, when she turned to me.

"Look, I know nothing I say is going to change your mind, but just be careful, alright?"

I nodded mutely, and she squeezed my hand before heading off to the Room of Requirement. I stared after her until she turned the corner, still unsure about what to do.

My mid-year meeting with Professor Longbottom was only a few days away and I didn't really have anything to tell him. I was supposed to have done some research into my chosen career path by this point, but I hadn't done anything of the sort. It was the first time I hadn't completed a homework assignment. Scorpius's words from the other night rang in my ears every time I tried to think about what a career in Muggle Relations would look like. Why are you letting expectations push you into something you don't like?

His question was too accurate for my liking. He was too perceptive for his own good. Being a Weasley meant never doing anything unexpected, and pursuing a career outside the Ministry would definitely not meet expectations. Everyone assumed I was like my mother because I was smart, and that meant I would go into the Ministry. I'd always wondered what it would be like to go in a completely different direction, but I'd never seriously considered it before. Sure, I liked Alchemy, but it wasn't something I could make a living at, was it? Most of the jobs I knew about were in experimental research, and that wasn't exactly stable. I needed stability in my life.

My thoughts were interrupted by a very irritated Scorpius storming through the portrait hole. I watched in silence as he pulled off the outer layer of his Quidditch robes jerkily while still trying to walk. I couldn't suppress a short laugh as he stumbled.

"It usually works better if you stop walking before you start undressing," I noted, trying not to smile.

He scowled at me, but stopped trying to walk as he shed the outer layer more successfully this time.

"Bad practice?" I asked as he flopped down on the couch, closing his eyes.

"You'd think I was plastered when I put that team together," he sighed.

"Were you?" I asked innocently. He opened his eyes just enough to glare at me, which was the opposite reaction I was fishing for. Guess I'd have to try again. "If it helps, Gryffindor looks pretty miserable this year, too."

"We're worse," he replied shortly.

My eyebrows rose skeptically. Gryffindor was really bad. "Al called the last practice after five minutes because Miller ran into the goal post. He was staring straight at it, too."

His lips twitched a bit. Ok, so making fun of Gryffindor was the way to go tonight.

"The practice before that ended because O'Connor was so busy staring at Lily that he got hit in the face with a bludger I'm not totally convinced Al didn't knock his way."

He laughed outright this time. "I reckon you're right on that one. He definitely hasn't had any love for O'Connor these past few days. They've still got time before the first match though. Ours is in a couple of weeks, and we're playing Ravenclaw."

I winced. "Yeah, they're not exactly having any trouble this year…"

"Davies giving you the inside information?" He asked, raising one eyebrow.

"I may have caught the tail end of a couple of practices meeting up with him," I admitted.

"Any pointers?" He asked. I knew he was kidding, and I faked offense.

"What do I look like, some sort of cheater?"

He grinned, "Just a good-hearted friend who doesn't want to see me fail epically in my first game as Captain."

I rolled my eyes good naturedly. The fact that he'd called us friends was not lost on me. It was really the first time either of us had classified our relationship out loud, and it was true. We were somehow friends after all the years we'd spent at each other's throats. It had only taken a couple of months to get to this point, too. It didn't make sense to anyone, not even me, but for once I wasn't going to question it. I spent my entire life overanalyzing and questioning. I was going to just let this one play out. It wasn't like I could really predict what was going to happen anyways. Two and a half months ago if you had told me I would be sitting in the common room trying to get Scorpius to smile for whatever reason, I would have told you to check yourself into St. Mungo's. Obviously I wouldn't be able to predict anything about our friendship even if I tried.

"Well, in that case, watch out for Adrian's bludgers. His aim's gotten better since last year. He never misses, and I'd hate to see your pretty face ruined," I said, without fully thinking it through once again.

"I'll keep that in mind," he replied, a sly grin forming on his face a few seconds later, "So you think my face is pretty, do you?"

I threw a throw pillow at him as he laughed loudly.

"Alright, Miss Weasley, here we are once again. I guess first of all I'll ask if you have any questions for me?" Professor Longbottom asked.

Why are you letting expectations push you into something you don't like?

"I was wondering what the outlook was for job security in Muggle Relations?" I asked, trying to push Scorpius's Merlinforesaken voice out of my head. Now was not the time.

"Well, let me check here…" He rummaged through some papers, searching for some sort of data I guessed. "Ah, here we are. Yes. Numbers suggest it looks good. There's a healthy number of entry-level positions each year, and the average employee seems to stay around five to ten years. That's to be expected in that line of work."

This surprised me. "Only five to ten years?"

He nodded. "Yes, most often after so long in the department employees either get shuffled to another or get promoted. It's a good field to go into in terms of advancement within the Ministry, that's for sure."

Why are you letting expectations push you into something you don't like?

"Do you have any numbers indicating job satisfaction?" I asked suddenly. I wasn't sure where that question came from.

He shuffled a few more papers around. "Well, there are a few different categories. In terms of fulfilling the purposes of the job it rates fairly high, but in terms of long-term happiness it drops off a little. I get the impression Muggle Relations is a stepping stone for careers more than a destination."

Why are you letting expectations push you into something you don't like?

"Professor, what can you tell me about careers in Alchemy?"

I left the office a full half an hour later with a stack of pamphlets and a lot to think about. I blamed Scorpius for my sudden question, but it had given me options. There was a lot more I could do with Alchemy than I thought. Besides independent researching and becoming a Professor of the subject, there were also alchemists employed by the Ministry in various departments. I'd thought Muggle Relations offered me more stability, but Alchemy had given me more options. It may be a more volatile field, but I always thought passion made you better at your job, and the better you were at your job, the more likely you were to stick around.

I was so engrossed in looking through the pamphlets that I ran straight into Scorpius coming out of the portrait hole. I apologized profusely as we knelt to pick up the scattered papers.

"I take it you asked Longbottom about Alchemy then?" He asked, glancing at the cover of one as he handed it back.

I nodded. "I don't know what possessed me to ask him for these. I blame you," I told him jokingly.

"What did I do?" He asked, startled.

"You're the one who told me to not let expectations force me into something I hate. Next thing I knew I was asking questions I really shouldn't have been."

"Why not?"

"Because it's not what I'm supposed to do. I'm supposed to pursue a career that won't raise eyebrows," I interrupted myself with a chuckle as he raised an eyebrow.

"I think you're safe. Now, if you wanted to become an opera singer I might feel compelled to jinx some sense into you."

"Really? Because that's my fall-back…" I replied, feigning disappointment. He laughed along with me before we were interrupted.

"Hey, Red."

I turned to see Adrian approaching the still-open portrait hole. I knew him well enough to see the tension he was trying to conceal, but was grateful he was trying to keep it contained. He'd been better with the irrational jealousy. I still hadn't answered his proposal of moving in together, but maybe just the fact that he'd asked was enough for him to keep himself in check. He was actually being very understanding about giving me time to think about his offer without pressuring me.

Scorpius took that as his cue and held out the last brochure to me. As I took it, our fingers brushed and I felt a clenching in my stomach as I looked up at him. Adrian's tension must be getting to me.

"I'll see you later?" He asked, starting down the corridor.

"Yeah, later," I replied as Adrian approached. He kissed my cheek, almost startling me even though I was very aware of him standing there. "Come on. The homework won't do itself."

"That it won't," he sighed, giving me a tight-lipped smile as I led the way into the common area.

After about twenty minutes of homework I couldn't resist the urge any longer. I set down my quill and looked over at Adrian. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Have you ever thought about doing something completely unexpected?"

"You mean like being spontaneous?" He asked, frowning.

"Not exactly. I mean… Well, your parents expect you to go into the Ministry after Hogwarts, right?"

He nodded.

"Have you ever thought about doing something else?" I asked nervously.

He shrugged. "Not really. My parents work in the Ministry and they're doing fine. As long as I make enough to support myself and my family I don't really care what I'm doing."

"But don't you want to do something you love?" I pressed.

"I think you can learn to love a job if you're at it long enough. Besides, it's really only there to make you money. It's just a means to an end."

I was silent, digesting his answer.

"What's this all about, Rose?"

I bit my lip. "I've been taking Alchemy since last year."

His eyebrows rose a bit in surprise. "I didn't know that."

"No one did. My dad thought it was a useless class when schedules came out so I didn't tell anyone I signed up for it, but I actually really like it. I asked Professor Longbottom today what I could do career-wise with it."

"Isn't that a bit unreliable? I thought you liked Muggle Studies. Don't you want to go into Muggle Relations?"

I half-shrugged, "It's not bad. Sure, it would be better stability to go into a desk job at the Ministry but I'm not sure that's what I want."

"Why wouldn't it be?"

I opened my mouth to reply, but found no words could form at first. This conversation was not at all like I pictured it. "I don't know if I want to be trapped behind a desk my whole life. I mean, I've done it for seven years already. I want to do something I love."

"Where did this come from?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"Well it just seems kind of sudden is all. Is this some kind of delayed rebellion against your parents?"

"What? No! This is something I've been struggling with. Stability versus passion, you could say."

"Well, I'd go for stability. You can get passion in other areas of your life," he told me, grinning suggestively as he leaned in and sealed his lips over mine. I kissed him back, shoving my thoughts aside.

Once Adrian left, I had nothing to occupy me except my thoughts. I tired of this rather quickly, deciding to visit Gryffindor Tower instead of sitting alone.

Dom was nowhere to be found when I stepped through the portrait hole, but I spotted Al and Emily sitting on the couch by the fire. Usually when I saw them together, they had homework out, but today they seemed to just be hanging out. Al said something and Emily burst out laughing. I headed toward them, catching the tail end of their conversation as I sat in a chair beside them.

"You are ridiculous, Al," Em managed through her dying laughter. Al's returning grin reminded me a lot of Scorpius's. It was eerie how similar they were. "Hey, Rose!"

"Hey."

"You seem… not yourself. Everything good?" She asked, sobering immediately.

I nodded, not sure what I would even say to explain whatever it was I was feeling. How could I say I felt like Scorpius Malfoy knew me better than my own boyfriend? Up until two and a half months ago Socrpius and I didn't know each other at all. "I just have a lot of thinking to do."

"About?" Al prodded, leaning forward in interest.

"Everything."

"What did Davies do now?" He asked, eyes narrowing.

I smiled slightly. "Nothing. We've been really good lately, actually."

"Any closer to making a decision?" Emily asked, making sure to keep her question vague.

I shook my head. "I really don't know what to do. I just want to give it some time and see if this lasts, you know?"

She nodded.

"How's everything with James? He sounded kind of depressed the last time he wrote me."

Emily exhaled loudly as Al looked over his shoulder at some first years playing Exploding Snap in the corner. "I really don't know. When we get to talk he seems fine, but we don't have much time to do that these days. I'm looking forward to Christmas holidays though. Maybe seeing each other again for more than a few hours in Hogsmeade will help us sort out whatever's going on."

"James loves you, Em. Whatever this is, you guys can fix it. He didn't spend all that time trying to break your resolve for nothing. He's not going to just give up."

"I hope you're right. Sometimes I wonder if this is even worth all the trouble. I mean, he's in a whole new stage of his life and I don't want to be the one holding him back…"

"You aren't, Em, don't worry about that."

She smiled half-heartedly at me before changing the subject. Al rejoined the conversation at this point, but his mood seemed dampened somehow. His smiles didn't quite reach his eyes anymore. I couldn't figure out why, but shrugged it off. He was probably just put out that we'd been talking about our boyfriends. He made no secret of his hatred for girl talk.

"At least things are looking up for the team," he said when the topic turned to Quidditch.

"Well that's good news for you. Not so much for Scorpius, though," I replied, laughing lightly. "Apparently Slytherin is miserable this year."

"Good. Maybe that means we'll have a shot this year. Now that O'Connor's stopped ogling my sister and Miller's learned how to avoid solid objects in flight…" He said, shaking his head in exasperation.

Emily and I both laughed as Ben joined us.

"Going to the party this weekend?" He asked, looking mostly at me and Emily. It was a given Al would.

Emily shrugged while I shook my head. "I'm all partied out."

"You've only been to one this year, Rose," Al pointed out.

"I know. I've seen enough of Scorpius hung over to grasp the overall experience of the rest of them, though."

"You never get the full experience second hand. Though if you're going to try, Scorpius is probably the best way to do it. He doesn't go halfway," Ben said, chuckling.

"I've realized," I replied drily.

Emily raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean? Has he brought any… companions back with him?"

"No, definitely not, thank Merlin. Besides, if he did, at some point the charm VanHousen told us about would kick in," I paused to consider it, "That would actually be pretty funny though."

"You know, I don't think he actually snogged anyone at the last one," Al said thoughtfully, finger on his chin in thought.

Ben frowned. "I think you're right. Not for lack of people trying, though. I don't think I've seen him reject anyone like that since Alex Davies last year."

My eyes widened in surprise and I couldn't stop the shriek of laughter that burst from my mouth. "Alex tried to snog him? And he rejected her?"

"Yeah. It was epic," Al answered, a wistfully cheerful look on his face as he remembered it.

"I really wish I'd seen that."

Even picturing it was enough to put me a good mood for the rest of the day.

A/N: Ok, I think I'll leave it there. I'll try to update really soon, because I feel like, after nine chapters of waiting patiently, you guys will really like the next chapter…