A/N: Ok, so here's the next chapter! We'll pick up where we left off, then head to Malfoy Manor for a bit, and then head back to Hogwarts.

Chapter 22

It took me a while, but I finally managed to calm down enough to pull away from Scorpius and wipe my eyes.

"I'm sorry," I said, embarrassed. Glancing anywhere but at him, I noticed that at some point, Al had left the room. I couldn't help but be a bit relieved that he didn't have to see this. I imagined I wasn't a pretty crier.

"You have nothing to apologize for," he replied, smoothing my hair down again. "I'm the one who's sorry."

"What? Why?"

"Because I'm the reason this is happening. If you'd just stayed with Davies, or-"

I cut him off mid-sentence as he stared at his lap. "This isn't your fault. It's my father's."

"But if I wasn't… me, we wouldn't be here."

"No, we wouldn't," I told him honestly, placing my hand over his, "But I happen to like where we are, so don't think for a second that I'm sorry we're here."

He was silent for a minute before looking up at me finally. "What did he say?"

I focused on the view out the window of Al's bedroom as I gave him the gist. "I guess his actual reaction doesn't bother me so much as the implications of it. I guess I just assumed he'd be like he was about you, but I didn't expect him to… say that to me. It felt like he was blaming me, saying I was incapable, and I didn't expect him to do that. That's really selfish, I know, but he's my dad. I just figured he'd give me the benefit of the doubt."

He gave no reply, just pulled me against his side with one arm. We sat like that for a while longer before I finally stood up, pulling him with me.

"It'll be fine. Dad will get over it," I told him, smiling as brightly as I could. He likely knew I was faking it, but let me pretend all the same. "Let's go find Al. He's likely going mad by now."

"Patience was never Al's strong suit," he agreed. His point was proven as Al jumped off the couch the second he heard our footsteps. The expression on his face was cautious despite his obvious excitement at seeing us.

"Everything good?" He asked, looking between us apprehensively.

I nodded firmly as we reached the last stair and relief washed over my cousin's face. "It will be. I have to believe that."

"Well, I hope round two of meet the parents goes better?" He offered, drawing smiles from both of us.

"If it doesn't, I'm giving serious thought to discovering some way to turn back the clock and deciding to go hide out in that mountain cave Dom suggested."

"Time turner?"

"Time turners don't work like that, Al," we both replied at the same time, exasperation clear in both of our voices.

"Sometimes I swear you two are the same person."

Round two of meet the parents came much more quickly than anticipated, and I could feel my stomach twisting with nerves. I should be used to it by now, what with the tension filling my house for the past couple of days setting me constantly on edge, but I was still filled with frightful anticipation. I wasn't speaking to Dad despite his numerous attempts to apologize, and neither, it appeared, were Mum or Aunt Ginny for the moment. Al had filled Aunt Ginny in on what had happened when she'd inquired about me after catching a look at my face the other day, and of course she'd gone straight to Dad, ranting and raving at him, which attracted Mum, who was hearing about it for the first time, and then it all just blew up. Whoever thought families should need to meet your significant other obviously had a sadistic streak. At this rate, Hugo was probably glad he'd decided to stay at Hogwarts for the break, as disappointed as he'd originally been to miss the 'show'.

"Hey," Scorpius said softly, catching my attention. "It's going to be fine. I think we can be assured my father won't hex you. He may try to murder you with his gaze, but he's been trying to do that to me for years and I'm still standing, so I like your odds."

I laughed, but it sounded a bit strangled. "Well, here goes nothing."

Taking a deep breath, we set off up the driveway of Malfoy Manor the Redo, as Al liked to call it sometimes. If there was one thing he was good at, it was relieving tension even when not present.

It was more homely than I imagined inside, that was for sure. Most of the walls were coloured a warm beige, with a deep blue punch wall in the sitting room where we took tea. The furniture was stylish and comfortable. Overall, it wasn't the image people had instilled in me from a young age. I tried to take it all in without being obvious, but I could tell from Scor's amused glances that I wasn't quite succeeding.

"You have a beautiful home, Mrs. Malfoy," I finally said into the silence.

Scorpius's mother smiled warmly at me. "Thank you, dear. Please, call me Astoria."

I blinked, more than a little surprised by her comfort level. Even my mum had been a tad awkward during our tea, and she was the picture of projecting a good public image.

"I thought Father was going to be here, too," Scorpius commented.

"He had a work emergency. He said he'd try to get back as soon as possible."

"Right," he responded.

"So, Rose, what do you plan to pursue after graduation?" She asked, turning to me.

I fidgeted. "Well, I've been looking into Alchemy recently."

The surprise on her face was genuine, even though she tried to hide it. "Wow. What made you want to pursue that?"

I shrugged. "I took it last year just to see what it was like and found I really enjoyed it."

"Well that's as good a reason as any, I'd say."

I'd be lying if I said I expected her easy acceptance of my career path, because I'd gotten accustomed to the idea of having to defend it after my parents' reaction.

"You look surprised," Mrs. Mal- Astoria observed.

"I, er, well… I guess I was expecting the whole 'is that the smart, stable choice?' interrogation my parents gave me," I blurted out before I could filter the response. My eyes widened in mortification at my bluntness, but Astoria smiled.

"I don't really see it as my place to judge. As long as you're doing it for the right reasons, it's your life, not mine," she replied before her smile turned knowing. "Like your relationship."

Scorpius choked on the sip of tea he'd just taken and I nearly dropped my own cup in shock.

"Our what?" Scorpius finally managed to spit out, at the same time that I stuttered, "H-How did you…?"

"I had a feeling when Scorpius told us you'd be joining us for tea. Why else would either of you willingly engage in conversation with the other's parents? No offence, dear, but I don't think you would be here for a simple social call. I know all about your parents' history with my husband and his father."

I had to smile at that. "None taken, since it's true."

It was amazing how comfortable I felt being honest with Astoria Malfoy. After all of the nerves at coming here today, this made it seem like a lot of tension for nothing. This was how tea with my parents should have gone, I realized. This was how normal couples met each other's parents. This was how a normal relationship progressed. For the first time in a week, I felt like we had a chance at succeeding. That is, until Draco Malfoy walked in half an hour later.

The man strode into the sitting room and took a stiff seat beside his wife after kissing her cheek quickly, only nodding to Scorpius in acknowledgement. It felt like the temperature in the room had dropped about ten degrees and I had to prevent myself from shrinking back from the sudden tension.

"Father-" Scorpius started, taking a deep breath.

"I can't stay long. I have to get back to the shop in an hour."

"Right, I'll just get straight to the point, then. Rose and I are dating."

The silence that followed was exactly like the one at my house, yet different. It seemed almost more ominous to me, since I was the one under the microscope this time.

Finally, Mr. Malfoy nodded curtly. "I see."

I waited for more than that, for any indication of what he felt at the admission, but his face was a carefully blank mask. After a few more moments of silence, he stood swiftly, buttoning his coat and departing without much more than a promise to be back before dinner. The difference between Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy became painfully clear in that moment. My father made his disapproval very apparent, while Mr. Malfoy could be having the exact same reaction right now and we'd never know it because of the way he hid his emotions. I remember once overhearing someone saying that Dad's greatest weakness was his inability to remain objective and unaffected by emotion. Clearly, Mr. Malfoy's was just the opposite. He struck me in that brief moment as a man who allowed very little emotion to be on display, but I couldn't say I blamed him. The wizarding world judged him by his last name and atrocities he'd been privy to largely under duress. It made sense, in a way, that he wouldn't want to be too open with anyone, given the way it could come back to bite him in the end.

I'd at least assumed he'd be more open with his family, but Scorpius told it true. His father was the epitome of stoic. I couldn't tell whether he approved, disapproved, or frankly didn't even care, and it bothered me more than I cared to admit. At least Scorpius knew my father outright hated him. I had no idea what Mr. Malfoy felt about me. I couldn't decide which of us was worse off in this situation.

Astoria, on the other hand, maintained her smile even at her husband's abrupt departure. It took on a slightly sadder tinge as he walked away, but it seemed she was expecting this. Scorpius seemed utterly unsurprised as well.

"Mum, there's one other thing I wanted to talk to you about," Scorpius began hesitantly. His hand wrapped around mine seemingly without his awareness, and I suddenly knew what was coming. He was going to jump in, right now. "I've decided to pursue a career in law after Hogwarts."

It seemed her reaction to my chosen career path had encouraged him enough to decide it was time. I hoped, for his sake, that he got more than the grunt Al had given him.

To her credit, Astoria only looked surprised for a brief moment before covering it with a smile. "I think that sounds like a lovely idea, darling."

"You do?" He asked, clearly taken aback.

"Of course I do. What I said to Rose extends to you, too. It's not my place to judge your choices," she told him softly, before amending, "Anymore, that is. You're an adult now."

"You really don't think this is a stupid idea?"

"Why would I ever think that?"

Now he studied our joined hands rather than looking at his mother. His fingers played idly with mine and I realized I didn't feel completely uncomfortable with the obvious intimacy of the gesture in front of his mother. "It's just that… Well… I'm a Malfoy."

I almost laughed at the eloquent phrasing I'd used to describe him to my own parents as Astoria prompted him to embellish.

"A Malfoy defending criminals? You don't think that will raise all new kinds of hell?"

"Undoubtedly," she replied, the bluntness of her tone taking both of us aback. "But that's a good thing. Defy expectations, Scorpius. It's the only way you'll change what the Malfoy name means to the world."

Digesting what she'd said, I suddenly understood where Scorpius got a majority of his ideals from. Astoria's words to him were not too different from the ones he'd said, and continued to say, to me. He clearly took after his mother a lot more than he did his father, if today was anything to go by. Astoria's idea of the world was refreshing, and I found myself glad that Scorpius had taken his cues from her. Seeing the good in people and believing society was capable of change were rare things to find in a person these days, and understanding clicked. Astoria's ability to see past the stereotypes was likely what allowed her to look past the mask of Mr. Malfoy, and see what I could only assume was the good man beneath the persona. She took a big risk, marrying into the Malfoy family, but she did it, not even keeping so much as her maiden name to distinguish herself. My admiration for the woman grew tenfold in that sitting room, listening to her encourage her son to follow his dreams when the easier path would be to tell him to give up now and find some menial paper pushing job under the radar. I wondered if my parents would ever support me so unconditionally, or if they'd always doubt whether my judgement was flawed.

I was glad to get back on the Hogwarts Express, to say the least. The silent tension in the house hadn't dissipated as Weasley conflicts usually did, and I found myself a full hour early for departure. With nothing else to do, I bid my parents goodbye straight from the house, declining offers to see me off and telling them I was planning to stop by Al's first. Before I could leave, Mum pulled me aside.

"I'm sorry this break didn't exactly go as planned," she told me softly, "Your father really is sorry for what he said, even if it was inexcusable. You know how he is."

I nodded, understanding what she meant. Dad usually said things before he thought them through in surprising situations, but I'd always viewed it as representative of what he really thought, but was too afraid to say under normal circumstances.

"I was surprised, too, at first," she continued, "And I'm sorry if it seems like we aren't supportive."

"You didn't imply I have no judgement, though," I pointed out, "Initial surprise is warranted, all things considered. Mrs. Malfoy took it surprisingly well, actually."

Mum smiled at me. "That doesn't surprise me. I met her a couple of times at the Ministry before she married Draco. She struck me as a very intelligent woman."

"She works at the Ministry?" I asked, frowning. Scorpius hadn't mentioned that.

Mum shook her head in explanation. "She resigned after her marriage and decided to go back to school to become a healer. I think her resignation was more of a way for her to save face than out of actual preference though. I imagine after she became a Malfoy the department realized how it would look and gave her a very nice offer to pursue other career options."

To say I was shocked at this would be an understatement. How could the Ministry get away with something like that? Looking at my mother's face, I could tell she felt the same, regardless of who was the victim of the injustice. "That has to be against at least three different laws."

She smiled again. "Five, actually. I looked it up."

"Why wouldn't she fight something like that?" I demanded.

"I imagine because it wasn't worth it. It's just a job, and I'm assuming she's happy where she is now anyways. No point making a fuss."

"But- But that's-" I spluttered.

Mum smiled lopsidedly at me, smoothing my hair. "You remind me a lot of myself at your age, you know that? You would have made a great rights lawyer, but I'm sure you'll make just as good of an Alchemist."

I returned her smile, breathing an inward sigh of relief at her words. Her acceptance of my choices was exactly what I needed right now, and I knew she knew that.

"Your father really is sorry. Just… think about giving him a chance to make up for it, alright? He loves you, and he wants to see you happy. He doesn't want you to regret anything when you look back at your life, and sometimes he chooses the wrong way to express that."

I snorted. "I'll say. But I'll think about it."

With the goodbyes over, only nodding to Dad in farewell as he stared mournfully at me from across the room, I apparated to Al's for the remainder of the wait. After the tension of the past few days, Al was exactly what I needed. He never did confirm my suspicions, but I was sure he came home for Easter specifically for moral support if things went sideways on us, and I was eternally grateful to him. Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry also expressed their displeasure at my father's reaction to the news, but that was a bit more expected given that they had years of experience with Scorpius and knew how misguided the prejudices were where he was concerned. After what seemed like forever, we were back at the school and starting in on our last two and a half months at Hogwarts.

My final meeting with Professor Longbottom came much too quickly. This time, I'd done my homework and was prepared for his questions, but I still felt out of place in his office. I had a strange desire to be back in sixth year, having the preliminary meeting instead of my final one. What I wouldn't give to start this whole process over again and have another year yet before I had to become a true adult.

"Alright, Miss Weasley, I understand you have some applications for me to look over?" He asked, getting out a quill from his cluttered desk drawer.

"Yes," I replied, sighing heavily. I'd spent the past couple of weeks gathering applications and working on letters to send to the various employers I'd narrowed down. Scorpius was filling out his own applications to intern with a lawyer for the summer before he would be eligible to apply to the secondary law school, but all I needed was someone willing to take me on as a student before I could start working. After two years of intensive study with my mentor, I would be able to apply for an entry-level position and work my way up to the designation of Alchemist, at which point I could then take on my own interns.

"Ok, let's see here," Longbottom mumbled as he flipped through the papers I handed him. "We've got a few for independent Alchemy companies, one for the Ministry's Alchemy department, and another for St. Mungo's. You're planning to stay in London, then?"

I nodded in the affirmative. "So far. If I don't get approval for any of these I'll re-evaluate."

"So long as you haven't completely written it off. It's good to have back-up plans," he replied, still looking over the forms. Finally, he looked up at me, a smile in place. "Everything looks in order here. I'll get these sent off straight away and you'll start receiving replies probably within the month."

"Perfect, thank you Professor Longbottom."

I tried to ignore the twisting in my stomach as I stood and made my way out of the office, sending Ben in after me with what I hoped was an encouraging smile. I hated waiting, but that was all I could do now. I was approaching this realistically, and knew that I'd likely be training at the Ministry or the hospital. Independent companies didn't usually take on students, preferring to wait until they came out of the St. Mungo's or Ministry training programs. It was just as well, considering the two generally offered more stable employment than independent companies. Most people didn't realize they even had Alchemy departments, as was apparent in my father's assumption that all Alchemy employment was unstable.

I was so wrapped up in my anxiety that I turned the corner without paying attention, stopping in surprise when I saw the two lone occupants of the corridor.

"Sorry again," Al was saying as he handed a brunette girl the books I assumed she'd dropped.

"It's no problem, really. I wasn't paying attention," she replied, flushed.

"I'm the one who ran you down, though. You were just walking," he argued, before spotting me. "Oh, hey Rose."

"Hey," I replied, approaching him and the mysterious girl.

"You sure you're ok?" My cousin asked, turning back to her.

"Like I said, no problem," she told him, making to skirt around him.

"Wait, I didn't, er," he stuttered, running a hand through his hair, looking every bit like his brother in that moment, "I didn't get your name."

"Carrie Brantley," she told him. After he replied with his own name, Carrie turned around and continued walking away.

Once she was gone, I turned to him with a speculative look. "What was that?"

"Er, nothing. I ran into her, literally."

"That's not what I mean. I meant what was that whole 'Oh, sorry, what was your name?'" I clarified, tossing my hair and running my hand through it mockingly as I mimicked him very inaccurately.

He flushed. "Shut it, Rose."

I laughed, lengthening my strides a bit to catch up with him as he took off toward Gryffindor Tower. "She was cute," I commented. He remained silent, so I added, "But you noticed that."

"I'm not immune to attractive females, Rose."

"Clearly."

I teased him on the surface, but in reality it was good to know that Al was considering other options, as it were. A terrible way to put it, but pining after Emily wouldn't do him any good, and I'd made it my mission to help him move on. Hopefully, this incident with Carrie Brantley was an indication that it was working.

The next few days were spent balancing time with Al and Scorpius, since they refused to see each other in the days leading up to the match in case either of them gave anything away about strategy. That didn't stop them from trying to extract information from me, though. Scorpius was much better at it than Albus, but I wasn't budging.

"Oh come on," he mumbled against the skin of my neck, "Just a hint."

"Hmm, nope," I told him, trying to keep my breathing even. "You know, I can't work with you distracting me."

"Then maybe you should stop working."

I rolled my eyes at him before finally sighing. "Fine, but this in no way means this will work again in the future."

He smirked as he leaned in to kiss me properly. "You say that now, Weasley, but I distinctly remember this exact conversation taking place last time."

"I think I like you better when you don't speak."

"I live to serve," he replied and, true to his word, he stopped speaking. For a bit, at least.

A/N: OK, we'll leave it on that fluffy little note there. I was originally going to introduce Carrie in the next couple of chapters, but I had some room at the end here that I wanted to fill up and it was pointed out in a review that Al's pining is kind of depressing for him, so I figured I'd let her run into Al a bit sooner than planned. I'm sure you can all guess where that's going, haha. Anyways, reviews are lovely! I'm going back to school in the next week, so updates will probably start coming slower again as I find myself busier and busier. However, my schedule so far gives me some time, so I'll try my best to keep updating as regularly as I can before my papers and midterms start. Hopefully I can keep it steady this term!