Firstly, my thanks to anyone who's posted a comment/review since my last chapter, please keep them coming, I like knowing what you think!

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: New Arrangements

Ron and Hermione sat in an empty classroom, about a foot apart, studiously avoiding looking at each other, neither of them quite knowing what to say. When Rose came in and took a seat opposite them, it was hard not to breathe a sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry you had to wait,"she noted. "I wanted to get out of class but I spoke to Professor Longbottom and Professor Slughorn and they said I had to wait until I had a free period…"

"Rose, what's all this about?"Ron interrupted.

Rose gulped hard. "It's about Easter. You know, the holidays are coming up in a few weeks and I was supposed to be spending them with you and then you." She nodded first to Hermione and then to Ron.

"So?"Hermione asked.

"Well, do you mind if I spend them somewhere else?"

Ron looked at her in confusion. "Where?"

"Um… Scorpius has asked me to spend them with his family."

Harry was sat outside the classroom. He had accompanied Hermione to the school but they had both agreed she and Ron should talk to Rose alone. He raised an eyebrow as he heard Ron shouting something inside the classroom but decided that Hermione and Rose would be able to handle it.

"Hello again, Mr. Potter,"a voice greeted him.

Harry turned to find Melinda walking down the corridor. He nodded politely to her. "Professor Havelock." He expected her to walk on but instead she stayed where she was. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I just had a feeling that whatever Miss Weasley wanted to discuss with her parents might involve one of my house."

Harry smiled. "You may well be right." He looked at her curiously. There was something oddly familiar about her. "Have we met before?"

"At the Quidditch match, when Professor Macmillan was attacked."

"No, before that. When we were both pupils here?"

"I was two years below you. I was in the Great Hall when You-Know-Who tried to get the school to hand you over. Then Pansy Parkinson said we should do it and Professor McGonagall ordered us all out. Of course, I was underage so I'd have had to have gone anyway."

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "Right."

"Spent my first year sleeping in there because everyone thought Sirius Black was coming to kill you. All this talk of intruders in the school, it's starting to seem like the bad old days."

"Well,"Harry replied awkwardly,"I hope it's not going to come to that."

"The Malfoys!"Ron erupted for about the fifth time since he'd begun his tirade. "Why on earth would you want to spend your holiday with the Malfoys?"

Hermione decided it was time to interrupt. "Technically, it's not the Malfoys,"she pointed out. "I mean, it's just Scorpius and his mother. The rest of them are in Azkaban."

"Is that meant to make me feel better? Even Astoria…" Ron stopped himself. In truth, aside from the fact she obviously had an appalling taste in men if she married Draco, he didn't know much about Astoria. He knew she'd been in Slytherin, which the logical part of his mind knew he shouldn't hold against her but, however many times Harry had pointed out over the years that Snape had come good in the end and even the Malfoys cared about each other, he couldn't help the instinctive mistrust he had of the house.

He was suddenly aware both Hermione and Rose were looking at him, expecting him to go on. He turned to Hermione. "Can I speak to our daughter alone?" Hermione shot a querying look at Rose, who nodded, and quietly left the room. Ron turned back to his daughter. "Do you really want to spend the holiday with this boy? Tell me the truth, not want you think I want to hear."

Rose took a deep breath. "Yes,"she said at last. "I like him, Dad, and… and he hasn't really got anyone except for his mother and… I don't think he's happy with it just being the two of them."

Ron smiled at her. "You're a good girl, Rose." She blushed slightly and he smiled even more. "Yeah, I know that's not what you want to hear from your dad but you are. You see he needs a friend so you're being that friend."

Rose was surprised at the turn of the conversation and suddenly hopeful. "So… I can stay with him?"

Ron sighed. "Well, I'm going to miss you. I was looking forward to us all spending time together. But I wouldn't be much of a father if I didn't encourage you to do what you thought was right, would I?"

Hermione had been talking with Harry and Melinda when Ron came out and said Rose wanted to see her. She nervously re-entered the room, unsure exactly what was on her daughter's mind. "How did things go with your dad?"

"He said I can go,"Rose answered. "So long as it's all right with you."

Hermione looked at her carefully. "Scorpius means a lot to you, doesn't he?"

Rose lowered her eyes slightly. "He's a friend."

Hermione decided to take the risk. "Are you sure that's all it is?"

She could see Rose getting defensive. "What do you mean?"

"I was just thinking about when I was at school, all the holidays I spent with your dad and his family. I always used to tell my parents he was just a friend." She gave a hopeful smile and was pleased to see Rose gave a reluctant smile back. "Of course you can stay with him."

The Hogwarts Express drew into King's Cross. The pupils could see their parents waiting on the platform, ready to take them home for the Easter holidays. "That's my mum,"Scorpius pointed out, gesturing to the dark-haired woman Rose remembered seeing the previous year, when she'd come to collect him after their escape from Riddle Mansion.

Rose gave a brief nod. "You're sure she's all right with me staying?"

"Yes, she said it would be nice for me to have a friend around."

They descended from the carriage. Rose noticed Harry and Hermione there, waiting to pick up the others, and was surprised to see Ron there as well, beaming broadly. "Dad! What are you doing here?"

Ron enveloped her in a hug. "Well, I'm not going to spend much time with you this holiday so I thought I'd come down here and catch a glimpse."

Rose smiled. "It's good to see you."

"You too." Ron released her and patted Hugo on the shoulder. "Hey, son. Be good for your mum and Uncle Harry and I'll see you in a week."

Neville had clambered down off the train and Luna seemed to be giving him a long "Welcome home" kiss. Emily gave a slight smile at her parents before turning to James. "So, guess it'll be two weeks before we see each other."

"I'll owl you,"James promised. "And…and we can talk by the floo network."

Emily nodded. "That'll be nice." She hesitated and then she planted a kiss on James' lips. He was stunned for a moment, then he moved into the kiss, feeling the taste of her mouth.

Martin rolled his eyes. "Great, now they're all doing it."

"It's getting a bit predictable,"Albus agreed.

Harry cleared his throat. "James, we do need to get going."

James backed out of the kiss, blushing slightly, and saw Emily redden as well. But like him, she couldn't stop smiling. He glanced round at the onlookers: Harry looking at him with a sense of pride, Hermione with a knowing look, Albus sighing deeply and Lily open-mouthed.

"Right, James, Albus, Lily, Hugo, to the car,"Harry declared. "Before there's any more drama."

Hermione cast one last look at Rose, as she and Scorpius walked hand in hand over to where Astoria was waiting. For all her enthusiasm, she couldn't help wondering exactly what was waiting for her daughter at Malfoy Mansion.