A/N: So sorry it took so long to update! I was trying to decide exactly where I wanted to take this and how many more chapters I wanted to do. I only decided where I want to take this, so we'll see how long it takes to get there. It also took me a while to weigh my options about what Vanhousen should do.

Chapter 17

The next few days seemed to pass in a strange blur. It felt almost like a dream, as cheesy as that sounds. I'd always sworn to myself I wouldn't be one of those girls, yet here I was. The funny thing was that not a whole lot had changed. It was mostly just the little things. We'd still sit in the common room and talk, or sit together in class, but now it didn't feel strange to do it. Instead of being careful to avoid accidental brushes of fingers or flirty comments, they were now intentional. There was no longer an undercurrent of tension or the unanswered question of why.

Of course, the school was pretty much in an uproar. It was just whispers at first; those at the party gossiping about what they'd seen and those who hadn't gone not believing a word they said. The whispers quieted as people caught their first glimpse of us walking down the hallway. We weren't holding hands or even walking particularly close together, but their confirmation came as I saw them watching us out of the corner of their eye, turned on impulse and stood tall to press my lips to his briefly. As I pulled away, he raised an eyebrow at me and I simply gave him a half-shrug and headed into the Charms classroom, leaving him to follow. That was when the rumor became truth and spread like fiendfyre through the corridors.

This meant that we couldn't put off speaking to Vanhousen any longer. It was time for us to make it completely real, no matter the consequences.

I sat perched on the edge of my chair, consumed by nerves as we waited for her to arrive. What exactly would she do once we told her? What would she say? Would she be disappointed?

"Relax," Scorpius's voice drifted through my panicked thoughts as he reached over to squeeze my hand briefly.

My lips twitched upward just a bit and I felt some of the tension leave me. It would all work out… right? Nothing to be worried about. This would be nothing compared to telling my father what was happening. Oh Merlin, I hadn't even thought of that yet. My stomach churned.

"You just thought of what's going to happen when we have to say something to our parents, didn't you?" He asked. I could tell without even looking at him that he was amused.

"How can you be so unconcerned right now?" I hissed, glaring at him.

He outright laughed at me. "Because I don't care what people think. You worry too much."

I only continued to glare at him as the door opened behind us and we stood.

"Miss Weasley, Mr Malfoy. Please have a seat," the headmistress smiled warmly as she swept around to the other side of her desk. "Now, I presume you have a reason for asking to meet with me?"

"Er- yes," Scorpius began, shifting slightly in his seat. Now he seemed uncomfortable. "We, er, well… Rose and I, er-"

"Oh for Merlin's sake," I interrupted him, rolling my eyes, "We're dating."

I watched her eyes for any sign of surprise, but registered none. The words still felt foreign on my tongue; how could she seem so unaffected by them?

"Well, I can't say this was entirely unexpected. It's happened many times before," She finally replied. "In this situation, we place stricter regulations on the Heads' dormitory. There will now be an enchantment on Mr. Malfoy's staircase as well as the one already in place on yours, Miss Weasley. The charm placed on the bedrooms will be expanded to include the common area. Trust me, you do not want to trigger the alarm. The first time is a warning, the second time you will be moved back to your separate dormitories for the remainder of the year."

"That's it?" I asked, shocked.

She raised an eyebrow. "What did you expect, dear?"

"Well, I expected to probably be moved back straight away."

Vanhousen smiled at us as she folded her arms on the desk. "We have considered that option over the years, but allowing the Heads to live separately is a symbol of our trust and confidence in their maturity and responsibility. To move you back to your houses for simply acting on attraction," we both shuddered slightly at the word coming out of her mouth. She was pretty old. "would be perceived as a punishment. I will not punish you if you have not done anything wrong, especially since you displayed your trustworthiness by coming to me with this in the first place."

We both nodded silently.

"Well, I'm sure the pair of you have mounds of school work to start on. No use wasting more time here, unless you have anything else you'd like to discuss?"

Our heads shook simultaneously as we stood once more.

Vanhousen nodded once, "Good."

As soon as we were out of the spiral staircase I started laughing. "So much for unconcerned."

It was his turn to narrow his eyes at me. "What? She's an intimidating woman!"

"It was so adorable watching you stutter around it," I teased, gasping as his hand closed around mine and jerked me back to him.

"I am not adorable," he growled. His proximity coupled with the deep, gravelly tone his voice had taken on left my breaths coming in shallow gasps.

Get a grip, Rose. "Really? Because you looked pretty damn adorable to me."

He tugged me the rest of the way to him and pressed his lips to mine firmly, our chests pressed together as I struggled to tame my wildly beating heart. My arms found their way around his neck as his wound around my waist. He pulled away too soon and stared down at me, eyes dark.

"Still think I'm adorable?"

Unable to speak just yet, I only shook my head.

"You know, I've been so distracted by other things since break, I forgot to mention that I told my parents about the whole Alchemy thing," I suddenly blurted out into the silence. We were sitting at opposite ends of the couch in the common room, my feet in his lap despite his initial protests. Apparently he didn't like feet very much. I, being the supportive person I am, told him it was probably time to get over that, and I was very willing to help.

He looked up from his book, "You did? How did they take it?"

I shrugged. "Well enough on the surface. I overheard them talking about it later, though, and they didn't seem too pleased. At least my father didn't. I'm not too sure about Mum yet."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well he kept going on about how it was unreliable and he didn't want me to regret the choice later on. He also said it was your bad influence," I laughed.

"Oh, good. So he hates me even more now."

"I tried to set him straight but I don't know if it helped any…"

"Oh well," he said, putting his book down, "Not much can be done about it. They're probably just worried about you. They're your parents. They want the best for you. Once they see how happy you are, they'll come around."

"That's what I'm banking on," I replied. We both knew I was talking about more than Alchemy. "What about you? Make any big confessions during break?"

He scoffed and shook his head.

"Wait a second," I said, removing my feet from his lap as I sat up straight and crossed my legs, "You spent all last term nagging me about coming clean and you didn't do the same?"

"Malfoy holidays don't exactly invite heartwarming confessions."

I looked at him in disbelief.

"What? It's not like we all sit around the table and share our deepest secrets over pudding. My father isn't even there most of the day anyways."

I caught the bitter note in his voice, even though he tried to hide it. "Where does he go?"

"I don't know," he replied shortly. I knew his reply was dishonest, but figured pushing it was not a good idea.

"Well, regardless of mysterious disappearances, there's more than one day in the break," I pointed out.

"He probably wouldn't even care anyways, so it doesn't matter."

"That can't be true."

He shrugged, "He likes to keep to himself, especially during Christmas."

I frowned at that. Having a parent so reserved was a completely foreign concept to me, given mine were so openly affectionate and concerned. "I find it hard to believe he wouldn't care at all. He's your father."

"My father isn't like yours. He likes to keep his distance and his secrets. So, if he asks, I'll tell him, but until then…"

"What about Al? Gage?" I questioned.

He sighed. "I'll think about it. I haven't even heard back from anyone yet. For all I know they tossed the application in the fire the moment they saw my last name."

"People wouldn't really do that, would they?" I asked, horrified at the thought.

"I'm a Malfoy, Rose. Nothing's off-limits."

"They know nothing about you. Surely they'd realize that you could be very different from your father and grandfather."

"When has anyone ever thought that?" He asked, running a hand through his hair.

"Al did. Gage did. Most people besides me for the past six years have."

"That was because of Al though. I start over once we graduate. I don't have him to make people give me a chance."

"You don't need him to make people do anything. Someone will give you that chance, and it only takes one person."

"I hope you're right."

"I am," I told him confidently, watching his lips lift in a half-grin despite the sour turn the conversation had taken. I leaned back into the couch again and put my feet back in his lap.

He looked at me incredulously, "Seriously?"

"I'm just saying it's weird! No couple I know acts like you two, especially in the honeymoon stage. If you aren't paying attention you miss any sliver of PDA you might show," Dom exclaimed.

"So we aren't too big on snogging in deserted corridors, what's the big deal? I never really liked being attached at the hip of my boyfriend anyways. It just feels weird to be all mushy. It's not me, and it's not him either," I shrugged, drawing another leaf on my Herbology diagram. "And can you try to keep your voice down a bit? I'd rather not get kicked out of the library."

My cousin shook her head as she surveyed her own drawing, but lowered her voice. "You two don't even really hold hands in public. The odd time, sure, but most times you're just walking beside each other, not really even touching. It's like you skipped the first six months of your relationship and started right when it gets boring."

I rolled my eyes. This was why Dom had never exceeded a relationship of three months. She was too easily bored and too quick to move on to better, brighter things. "It's not boring. We have more than a physical connection, so… I don't know… I guess I don't feel the need to show everyone we're together. I already know we are."

"Oh come on! Think of how you could torture Al with it! Wouldn't that be worth it? He cringed enough as it is when you were with Adrian. Just think of what he'd do now!"

I laughed along with her at the image of Al's face that conjured up. It would be funny.

"I don't know… I really can't explain it, Dom. It's not like I don't feel sparks or the desire to touch him constantly, it's just that even a small bit of contact or a close proximity is enough for me. Being together just feels so right that I don't need to display it for other people. It's really not their business anyways; it's ours."

She stared at me like I'd suddenly transfigured into Fluffy the Three-Headed Dog. "You take all the fun out of relationships. What is wrong with you?"

I just grinned at her and added a label to my drawing.

"What are we talking about?" Al asked, dropping into a chair beside me.

"Rose's sex life," Dom told him, grinning devilishly.

I gasped and reached across the table to hit her as Al made a horrified sound between a groan and a shriek. If I hadn't been so mortified I would have burst out laughing. He sounded like a banshee.

"I'd like a time turner so I can go back and unhear that," he finally mumbled, dropping his head in his hands.

"Time turners don't exactly work like that," I told him sympathetically. "If it helps, Dom was massively exaggerating."

"It really doesn't."

I was eating breakfast the next morning when Cyprian dropped the letter in my lap. I rarely got anything during the morning post, and frowned as I slit it open.

Meet me in the shop tonight after 9. Come alone.

-J

My frown deepened. Why in the name of Merlin did James want me to meet him tonight? And why was he being so cloak and dagger about it?

I turned to shoot Emily a questioning look, only to find her picking at her eggs glumly. I recognized that look. That was the 'James and I had a fight' look. I turned my eyes to Dom, who merely shrugged and continued eating, and then my gaze landed on Al, who was also picking at his eggs. My eyes darted between my two friends as I tried to discern what was going on, but before I could ask, Emily stood abruptly and left the table without a word. After a short internal debate in which Albus glanced after her guiltily, I followed her.

"Emily! Wait!"

Her steps slowed and then stopped, but she didn't turn around.

"What's going on?" I asked when I reached her. "What's happened?"

"Al told James about the program in France," she stated tonelessly. "I've never seen him so angry. He kept on about how I should have told him I was applying and when I got accepted I should have come to him, not his brother… He didn't understand when I tried to explain that it wasn't something I'd seriously thought I stood a chance at. He was just so… angry."

"Wait. Let me get this straight. You told Al about the program in France?" She nodded. "Al told James." She nodded. "Why did you tell Al?"

After a deep breath, Emily shook her head. "I have no idea. We were talking after you left the night I told you and I just sort of blurted it out. He must have assumed I'd told James by now. It's not fair of me to be so angry with him. I should have told James myself."

"Ok, no big deal. I'm supposed to go see James tonight. I'll fix it."

"I don't think this is fixable, Rose," she told me sadly. "Before I left… he just… he looked so defeated. He said he'd made the decision to come to Hogsmeade with Fred to be closer to me and if I was planning on heading to another country without even consulting him then maybe he wasn't as important to me as he'd thought."

"Did you tell him you only did it to see if you could?"

"Of course I did. He didn't care. I still made the decision by myself, he said. He told me that if I wanted to go that badly then I should just go."

"Well, that's kind of a supportive response?" I tried.

Emily shook her head again, "No, Rose, if I go, it means the end of us. He made that very clear."

"What kind of potion have you been drinking?" I snapped as I came through the back door of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes at ten past nine, throwing off the invisibility cloak. "Is it supposed to induce idiocy? If so, it's working wonders!"

"How long has she known?" James replied dully. I caught my first glimpse of him as he raised his eyes to meet mine. He looked almost as bad as Emily.

"Does it matter?" I asked angrily. "She's been a mess up there, torn over what to do. She didn't think she'd actually get into the program, James. She still has to interview, too. It's not a sure thing."

"That doesn't make any difference! She still applied without telling me. She didn't trust me enough to tell me!"

I stopped in surprise. "Is that what this is about, then? Her not trusting you?"

My older cousin ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't know. I suppose so. I just- I thought we were doing better, and then I find out she's kept this from me. Makes me wonder what else she isn't telling, you know?"

"James-"

"No. I put so much effort into getting her to see she could trust me and now… now it feels like we're right back where we started. She isn't including me in her life, Rose. This is her life, and she's shutting me out. She didn't even tell me there was a program in France, much less that she wanted to apply."

"She probably didn't think it would become a reality you'd have to deal with. She's been having a hard enough time as it is trying to make plans for the future that you don't seem too concerned about, and what with exams coming faster and faster it's a wonder she hasn't cracked. She's been under a lot of stress. We all have."

"You think I don't know that?" James shouted, pushing back off the counter. This was the first time I could recall ever seeing him so serious and angry. Probably the longest I'd seen him go without a smile or a joke, too. "I've been there, Rose! I've been where you are! Em was there for me last year, but now she won't let me be there for her! What does that say about us? We're supposed to be solid. We're supposed to support each other through difficult decisions, and instead she's leaning on my little brother!"

I blinked. "What do you mean by that?"

"Exactly what I said! Al's up at the castle and I'm down here. I asked him to keep an eye on her before school started. I asked him to keep an eye on all of you, and look what's happened. Lily's dating some prick," I frowned at that. When had Lily started dating? "You're dating Scorpius Malfoy- don't think we won't have a conversation about that, either- and my girlfriend has started hanging out with my brother and telling him the things she should be telling me!"

"First off, who I date is none of your business. Second, Al and Em are friends. She was conflicted. She probably thought that Al would have some helpful insight into you. She loves you, James. And you love her."

James sighed and rubbed his hands over his face and I turned to survey the store. The shelves were half-empty, which I took to be a good sign. "Maybe love isn't enough. Maybe Al's right. Maybe I should just let her go now."

That brought my head snapping back to attention. "What did Albus say, exactly?"

"Albus Severus Potter," I snapped, storming up to him in the Gryffindor common room fifteen minutes later. "I'd like a word."

He glanced at Ben with a resigned expression on his face and stood, following me back out of the portrait hole. I didn't speak or turn around until we reached an empty classroom. Then, I whirled on him.

"What are you playing at, telling James those things?" I demanded, hands on my hips.

"I don't know-"

"Don't play games with me Albus. I just came from the shop. James told me you all but suggested he should end things with her. Why in the name of Merlin would you do that?"

He shrugged, but at least had the decency to look ashamed. "I just… I don't know. I don't want to see he- them both in so much pain. Emily told me she could feel a distance growing between them, even before Christmas. James has no idea what to do, so I just said some stupid, vague things hoping to help. I didn't know he was going to take it to mean end it."

"You're a terrible liar, Albus Potter," I hissed, stepping closer to him and crossing my arms, "You knew exactly what he'd take it to mean."

"I didn't! I knew what I meant by it, but I didn't know he'd pick up on it."

"So you want them to break up?" I questioned, stepping closer again. Al flinched.

"I didn't say that. I just… I don't know ok? Sometimes I just think she'd be better off without him is all."

"Better off without him," I repeated, stunned by his honesty. "Who are you to make that decision for them?"

"I'm just trying to look out for them!"

"Is that what you call it? Urging him to break it off because of a little spat? That's great looking out, Albus," I snapped icily. "Why are you so set on destroying your brother's relationship?!"

"Because she deserves better!" Al yelled back at me. We were only a step away from each other now. "He was the biggest player in the school before her and he never takes anything seriously! She deserves someone who does!"

"How can you say that? He loves her!"

"Not enough! Not as much or as long as I-" Al cut off abruptly, face turning immediately red. He turned on his heel and fled the classroom before I could even register his words. Everything started falling into place suddenly. It became so painfully clear I didn't know how I'd managed to ignore it for so long.

Albus was in love with Emily.

A/N: When I write, I have a general outline of what I want to accomplish, and then I have these moments that I randomly think of and they stick in my brain. When I'm stuck in a particular chapter, I start thinking of these moments and how much I want to get to them, so I power through the chapter so I can continue on my way to getting to the moment. The party chapter was one of those moments, so was Rose's confession of her feelings, and the end of this chapter was also one. I know it may seem kind of tedious or unnecessary to Rose/Scorpius to some of you, but the idea of Albus being in love with Emily occurred to me very early in this story's life (before I'd even settled on it just being from Rose's point of view, and not a whole bunch of different ones) and I just couldn't let it go. That, and I feel like it's more balanced if there's 'outside' drama as well as the internal drama of their relationship. Just because they're together doesn't mean the story will be over! It doesn't mean they're done with their internal drama either! Alright, now that my confusing AN is done, please leave a review!