Chapter Six

Albus' POV

Much to Charlie's annoyance, I immediately detangle myself from her arms and take a hasty step back.

'What's up?' she pouts, and then her gaze drifts over to James and Dad and she suddenly looks as though Christmas has come six months early.

In fact, she looks like she doesn't know which one of us to talk to first. Her eyes skip past me, rest on James for a moment and then flicker over to look at Dad.

Okay, this may be the most disgusting moment of my life.

'What are you doing here, Charlie?' I ask- mainly to stop her looking at my dad like that, rather than because I actually want to talk to her.

She turns back to me and smiles, as though she's not just checked out my brother AND my father, 'I wanted to see you, Albus. I know you said you don't want a girlfriend but…'

'Let me stop you right there,' says Dad suddenly, in his strict voice that I've only ever heard twice before (once when James and I convinced a six year old Lily that there was a Basilisk under her bed, leading to her refusing to sleep there for a week, and once when James got inappropriately drunk at Granddad Arthur's seventieth birthday party.)

'I do not want you having a girlfriend at the moment, Albus,' he says, giving me a stern look over the top of his glasses.

'Okay,' I say, catching on surprisingly quickly and hanging my head slightly.

'But Mr Potter-' begins Charlie, but Dad cuts her off.

'I'm sorry, Charlie is it? You seem like a lovely girl but Albus needs to focus on his schoolwork this year. I don't want a repeat of James' NEWT results.'

'Oh, okay, I see,' says Charlie, looking more than a little disappointed but clearly not daring to go against Harry Potter's wishes.

She turns to me and sighs dramatically, 'Well I suppose we'll just have to be good friends, Albus.'

I rearrange my expression so it looks as though what I'm saying is emotionally painful, 'Better not, Charlie. It'll just put temptation in our path.'

'Maybe you're right,' she sighs, 'I suppose I'd better go.'

She waves a rather glum goodbye to us all and heads out of the door looking upset but also a tiny bit pleased about something. I suppose seeing me, James and Dad all in one room was something of a dream come true.

Sighing with relief, I close the door behind her and collapse against it.

'Dad, I owe you one. Seriously, you could be an actor if you ever get bored of the Auror thing.'

Dad rolls his eyes but looks rather pleased with himself all the same. I try not to dwell on the fact that I've just required my father's help to escape the clutches of a sixteen year old girl.

'What do you mean, you don't want a repeat of my NEWT results?' asks James suddenly, looking outraged.

Dad rolls his eyes at him this time, 'Have you forgotten the Troll in Potions?'

James doesn't seem to hear him, however, and turns to me, 'Albus! What are you still doing here? Go and see Katie!'

My heart thuds erratically at the thought of telling Katie how I feel. I need to do it though, I tell myself. And I want to do it.

I just have to hope that she feels the same way.

Katie's POV

Following my dramatic storm out after Al and Charlie turned up, I spend the next half an hour or so sitting alone in the spare room wondering how on earth things turned out this way.

A week ago I was wandering around the little Muggle town near my parents' house with Al, having a perfect day. And now I'm hiding in Rose's spare bedroom as she talks to him and his new girlfriend.

I've been sitting up there for a while, perched on the bay window seat, when Rose appears, looking apologetic.

'I'm so sorry about that!' she says, standing by the window and watching Al and Charlie walk through the garden and disapparate.

I shake my head, 'It's not your fault. It's your twat of a cousin who's to blame.'

'Yep, that seems fair,' she reasons, 'seriously though, are you alright?'

I was until Al paraded Charlie in front of me. Now I'm fighting the urge to chase after him and put a few curses into practice.

It seems an appropriate time to test my skills at the Cruciatus Curse. Or Avada Kedavra. The list is endless really.

'I know!' exclaims Rose excitedly, completely ignoring my lack of response to her question, 'We should set you up with someone else.'

'Why?'

She gives me a patronising look, 'The best way to get over someone is to find another guy.'

'And they say feminism is dead.'

She ignores me and looks deep in thought, while I briefly think of the two guys I've dated previously. One was Ryan Finnegan, a Gryffindor in the year above who I was with for a few months, and the other was Michael Simpson, a seventh year Ravenclaw. Last I heard, Ryan was in Dublin working for the Irish Ministry of Magic, and Michael had a girlfriend.

'What about Luke Wood?' she asks after a few moments, looking quite pleased with herself.

'Roxanne likes him,' I point out.

'Does she?!'

'It's so obvious!' I exclaim, rolling my eyes, 'And I'm sure he likes her too.'

'Oh, okay, well what about Marlon Bennett?'

'Dating Cecilia Perkins.'

'Rob Jones?'

'He's a Slytherin.'

'Phil Stephens?'

'He's gay.'

'My God, you're picky,' mutters Rose, throwing herself on the bed dramatically.

I give her a bemused look, 'Why are you getting so frustrated? It's me with the shit love life, not you.'

'In case you hadn't noticed, Katie, I'm single as well. I've not dated anyone since Lewis Smith last year.'

I shudder at the memory of Rose's last boyfriend, a Ravenclaw in our year who everyone agreed was a serious contender for Tosser of the Year. Inexplicably, Rose went to Hogsmede with him one day, and before we knew it, they were dating. It lasted four months until they had a massive argument which resulted in Lewis getting two black eyes- one from Rose, and then one from Scorpius once he saw how upset Rose was.

I raise my eyebrows at her, 'What about a certain Mr Malfoy?'

Rose blushes scarlet and covers her face with a pillow.

'I know there's something going on between you two,' I probe, relishing the chance to get to the bottom of the matter for once.

'No there's not!' she protests, although her response is muffled by the thick pillow covering her head.

I'm silent for a moment, wondering whether to pursue the matter or not. Then suddenly Rose sits up, her cheeks pink and her hair ruffled.

'I would like something to happen though,' she says, fiddling with the corner of the duvet cover.

If I had been holding anything, I would have dropped it.

After six years of spending endless alone time together, bickering over Potions tests and- more recently- flirting non-stop, Rose has actually admitted to fancying Scorpius!

'Well why aren't you together then?' I demand furiously.

She raises her eyebrows.

'Okay, okay, so I'm not in a position to talk, but still!'

She sighs and jumps off the bed, choosing instead to pace up and down the small room; this is evidently a stressful subject matter.

'I like him,' she says, 'and Scorpius has told me he likes me too.'

Oh my God! I'm glad I'm sitting down for this conversation.

'But,' she cuts me off before I can say anything, 'It's just so complicated. My Dad hates his family, his father hates mine. I think we're just better as friends at the moment.'

I feel very deflated at her words. If Rose and Scorpius got together they would be the cutest couple ever. They're absolutely adorable even now and they're just friends.

Before either of us can say anything else, however, the doorbell rings, making my stomach leap.

'If that's Al and Charlie again, I won't be held responsible for my actions,' I warn Rose, 'Seriously, you may have to stand up in court as a murder witness.'

'As melodramatic as ever,' she laughs, 'no, don't worry, it's probably Scorpius. He usually pops round during the day…' She trails off and blushes again.

The two of us head downstairs to the door, since Hugo appears to be unwilling to leave whatever it is he's doing and answer it. I try to compose my face so that I won't burst out laughing when I see Scorpius and let on that Rose has told me everything.

When Rose opens the door, however, it is not Scorpius, but a tall boy with dark hair and the green eyes which I've been picturing for the past week.

'I need to talk to you, Katie,' says Al, putting his foot in the way of the door so I can't shut it in his face.

'What the hell are you doing?' I shout, attempting to shut the door but only succeeding in slamming it into his foot.

'I need to talk to you,' he repeats, pushing the door fully open and striding inside as if he owns the place.

Okay, I know it's not my house either, but I am technically living here, unlike him.

'What's going on?' shouts Hugo, bursting into the hallway, wand at the ready.

Rose takes one look at her lanky fifteen year old brother who looks identical to their father and burst out laughing.

'Hey!' protests Hugo angrily, 'I thought someone was trying to break in. I was coming to fight them off.'

I ignore them both and turn back to Al, 'I don't want to talk to you Al! Surely you're too busy snogging your new girlfriend anyway?'

He flinches at the harshness of my tone but isn't deterred. He stands in the doorway and crosses his arms across his chest. 'I'm not leaving until you talk to me, Katie.'

'Hugo, fancy throwing him out?' I ask Rose's rather bewildered looking brother.

Hugo glances at Al who raises an eyebrow and gives him an 'I'd like to see you try' look.

'Argh!' I yell in frustration, wanting nothing more than to be left alone to think murderous thoughts about Al and Charlie.

'Charlie and I aren't together!' exclaims Al, looking straight at me, 'It's you I like, Katie. It always has been.'

Well I was not expecting that.

Beside me, Rose and Hugo exchange looks and one of them mutters something about 'having homework to do'; they both slink off, clearly not wanting to be a part of the conversation.

'What?' I ask Al, wondering if I've heard him right. Only an hour or so ago, he was sitting at the kitchen table being mauled by Charlie, and yet now he's saying this to me.

'You heard me,' he mutters, walking into the house properly and closing the door behind him. Meanwhile, I just stand there gawping at him in what is probably an incredibly unattractive way.

'Why the hell were you with Charlie then?' I demand furiously, refusing to make direct eye contact with him, because I know those green eyes will make me melt, 'You have no idea how horrible it was seeing the two of you together!'

To his credit he does look ashamed when I ask him this, and glances down at the floor, something he always does when he's nervous.

'I was going to tell you that I liked you, Katie. But then you disappeared before I had the chance. And then Charlie was just sort of there…'

'Very romantic,' I snap.

'It was a mistake!' he protests, 'I was drunk and I shouldn't have done it. It's over with her though.'

I'm quiet for a moment, thinking about what he's said, unsure whether to believe him or not. How do I know that he's not saying all this to me but still secretly hooking up with Charlie?

Because Al isn't like that, a voice in my head immediately replies.

'Listen, Katie,' says Al, taking a step towards me so we're mere inches apart, and looking directly into my eyes, 'I want to be with you. Not Charlie, not any other random girl, but you.'

I try to avoid his gaze because I'm still furious with him, but I can't help glancing at the sincere expression etched across his features.

'What about when we get back to Hogwarts and Lucinda Nichols and all your other fan girls resume the stalking?' I argue, still refusing to let him off the hook regardless of how sincere he may be.

He pulls a face, 'Come on, you know I'm not interested in any of them. I'll just have to shake them off again.'

I'm silent for a few moments, watching him look at me.

'I think I love you, Katie,' he says quietly.

At that point I have to grip the kitchen side to stop myself from falling over in surprise. He loves me?! Then why the hell did he kiss Charlie?

I'm unsure whether to kiss him or slap him, but that choice is suddenly taken out of my hands as Al leans towards me and presses his lips against mine.

Of course, as soon as he does that, my resolve crumbles and I'm soon kissing him back enthusiastically. My arms wrap around his neck and he places his hands on my waist, pulling me towards him so we're impossibly close.

Damn, he's a good kisser.

We break apart after a few minutes, both of us looking a little flustered. Al gives me one of his lop-sided smiles while I just stand there trying to compose my thoughts.

'I like you too,' I tell him, and he breaks into the biggest grin I've ever seen.

'Really?'

I roll my eyes, 'No, Albus, I make a point of kissing guys I don't like.'

'Okay, okay, just checking,' he laughs, as he moves towards me and wraps his arms around my waist again.

We kiss again for a while, even more enthusiastically than the first time. Just as it looks like we could go for some kind of world record in snogging, however, an annoyed sounding voice shouts at us from the next room.

'Oi! Can you tell me what's going on because this suspense is killing me?'

Al and I break apart, laughing, as Rose comes stomping into the kitchen looking irritated. She stops dead at the sight of us and her mouth falls open in an incredibly comic manner.

'About bloody time,' she mutters, 'it's only taken you six years!'

'I could say the same about you,' I retort, earning me a furious glare from her that she soon turns on Al.

'I hope you've apologised for the Charlie fiasco!' she tells him sternly, sounding not unlike Professor McGonagall.

'I have,' Al assures her, taking my hand in his and smiling at me.

'So what's going on between you two then?' she demands, glancing between the two of us.

'Who knows?' I shrug, winking at Al, who grins back at me and looks rather pleased with himself.

And that's the truth, because at the moment I don't know how to define us. I'm still annoyed about Charlie, but I also know that I want to be with Al. However, I don't want to give him too easy a ride after him being such a prat.

I do know one thing, however, as I look at the boy whom I'm holding hands with.

This summer is going to be so much better than I thought it would be!

Okay, I wasn't sure about this chapter. I'm not sure if they've got together too early and Katie's forgiven him too easily. I can promise plenty more drama though ;)

Thanks for reading, and please review to let me know what you think.