Hello, readers! I'm back, with a hopefully-better-working laptop. Stupid thing decided it didn't like our Internet system and I couldn't do anything on it for about a week. Luckily for you all, I got the next chapter finished, so I'm posting this! I hope you all like it. Thanks to the extremely kind words of everyone who reviewed last time, that was so nice to hear :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter/anything you recognize

Chapter 14: And Suddenly Things Got Complicated

For the next two weeks, neither Scorpius nor Rose spoke to one another. They didn't argue, they didn't joke around, they didn't even make civilized conversation. There had been no cleaning to do for the detentions, so they were all set to writing lines in one big classroom, where it was easy for them to avoid each other.

Rose wasn't sure what to say, or, indeed, if she should say anything. She didn't know if she thought of Scorpius in that way...or if she was just tired of fighting him all these years. Sure, in the past few weeks, she'd grown to like him, and she couldn't deny that he was good-looking. But two people didn't go from pranking each other and screaming at each other daily to suddenly dating. It just didn't happen. So what was she to do, now that it was happening to her?

Scorpius was scared that he'd screwed things up for good. Finally, he'd gotten Rose Weasley to stop screaming at him and actually get to know him. And truth be told, he'd really enjoyed getting to know her as well. She was really a great person behind all the screaming. And yet...did he even want to go out with her? He could just see the two of them in Hogsmeade, talking at a table in the Three Broomsticks, when suddenly, they disagreed about something and started screaming at each other again. And then they'd be right back to square one, which was not where he wanted to be. Now that he knew the real Rose Weasley, he didn't ever want to see mad Rose Weasley again.

Which left them at an impasse. Rose wouldn't speak to Scorpius, and Scorpius was too scared to speak to Rose. To make matters worse, nearly everyone at Hogwarts knew or suspected something had happened between Rose and Scorpius. The betting pools of who would win the next argument changed to "do you think they're in love or not?" Rose became more short-tempered and increasingly stressed. Scorpius became more quiet and withdrawn, spending all his time reading Jane Austen novels. No one was quite sure why. And so the whole of Hogwarts was thrown into seeming unbalance, wondering, just wondering, what was going to happen between Rose and Scorpius...

"Rose, seriously, come on! I need the answer!"

It was Friday, October 12, and Rose was staring at her blank Potions essay that was due on Monday, unable to concentrate. Albus, however, really wanted to get started on the essay so they could have Sunday off.

"Rose, come on-" Albus began again, but this time, Molly interfered.

"Albus, just leave her alone. She's not into it tonight. The poor girl's had a hard enough time the past couple of weeks. If you really want the answer, go to the library and find out yourself."

Albus threw his hands in the air. "I'd go ask Scorpius, but he's no use either these days."

That finally got through to Rose, but not in the way Albus had wanted it to, for he was suddenly shivering under Rose Weasley's infamous death glare.

"Rose," Molly cautioned. "Don't say something you'll regret."

"I'm...going for a walk," Rose said, getting up and walking right out of the common room. For a moment, the cousins simply stared after her. Then Albus sighed.

"I'll go try to mooch some answers off Dominique."

"Oh, no you won't," Molly retorted. "It's time to learn how to use a book."

Albus just stared at her in horror.

Rose made it all the way out of the castle and through the oak front doors before she realized she probably should have brought a cloak. Shivering, she considered heading to the library before she noticed the stars.

They were shining so brightly tonight, and Rose couldn't help but look for the constellations her mother had taught her when she was young. Orion, Cassiopeia, Andromeda, Leo, Hydrus, Lupus, Draco...and Scorpius. She glared at the constellation angrily, knowing at the same time she was being completely irrational. The grouping of stars had nothing to do with the blond haired boy who had suddenly made life so difficult for her. Shaking her head, she set off around the lake.

What was a girl to do? Rose had considered writing to her mother several times, just to ask her advice, but something held her back. She wasn't even sure she liked Scorpius in that way, and besides, what if her father saw the letter? Rose just knew he would blow a gasket. And send a Howler. And come marching up to Hogwarts just to tell Scorpius to "stay the hell away" from his daughter.

No, that wouldn't do. Obviously, she'd have to figure this out on her own.

"OOF!"

The next thing Rose knew, she was on the ground. Lost in thought, she had apparently walked into someone else, who was out for a walk in the moonlight.

"I'm sorry," the person said, and Rose froze, for she knew that voice. "Can I help you up?" And Scorpius Malfoy reached his hand down to help Rose to her feet. She didn't take it, though. Instead, she recovered her shock and scrambled to her feet, hoping he wouldn't notice her famous Weasley blush.

"I - I'm sorry," she stammered, cursing herself for sounding so stupid. She took a deep breath and tried again. "I'm sorry about that. Please excuse me." Her voice was so polite and calm, expressionless, so unlike her.

"Hey, Rose, wait," he called, and she stopped.

"Yes?"

"Don't be like that," he sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "I just wanted to talk to you, but you've been avoiding me."

"Avoiding you?" Rose asked, her calm mask suddenly gone, all her uncertainty turned to anger. "I think the positions are reversed, Malfoy. It's you who's been avoiding me."

"Malfoy?" Scorpius asked, hurt and angry. "Is that all I am now? 'Malfoy'? What happened to 'Scorpius'?"

"I don't know, Malfoy, that's what I'm asking you!"

"I don't even know what you mean!" he cried, exasperated. "You haven't talked to me for two weeks!"

"You haven't made any attempt to talk to me, either," Rose retorted. All her confusion and anger had come bubbling to the surface all of a sudden, and she didn't know what to do.

Scorpius closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Well, I'm talking to you now. Can we please just discuss what happened?"

"Why? I think we both know what happened. You overreacted," Rose said.

"I - I was excited," he admitted. "And I wanted to see you."

"Well, I didn't want to be hugged!" Rose replied. She wasn't even sure why she was mad at him. She just was.

"I didn't mean to!" he protested. "I mean, maybe I did, but I didn't mean for you to take it this way! I thought we were going to not be enemies, and now we are and I don't want to be!"

"What do you mean?" she asked, thoroughly exasperated and bewildered. "You're so confusing! You fight with me for years and then all of a sudden you're nice to me and hug me? I'm so confused, Malfoy! So you know what? Just - just leave me alone, OK?"

"But -" Rose didn't give him a chance to argue. She turned on her heel and stormed off to the castle, just hoping that somehow, she could figure things out. She needed guidance, a hug, some chocolate - and there was only one person who could give her that. She was going to see Dominique.

"Dom!" she yelled, ten minutes later as she climbed the staircase to the seventh year Ravenclaw girls' dormitories. "Are you up there?"

"Yes," Dominique replied, shoving aside her Potions essay. "What's wrong, Rose?"

Rose sighed and dropped into a seat. "I think my famous Weasley temper got the best of me again," she admitted.

Dominique sighed. "What happened?"

And Rose explained her entire run-in with Scorpius down by the lake, including all of the confusion she'd been feeling since the match. When she finished, Dominique tossed her a bag of chocolates.

"Hmm. How very interesting," Dominique said. "You say you've been feeling confused and angry regarding the situation?" Rose nodded. "Anything else?"

"I...I don't think so," Rose replied. "I mean, honestly, Dom, I just don't know."

"Rose, be honest with me. How did you feel when he hugged you after the match?" Dom asked, fixing Rose with her piercing blue gaze. Rose fidgeted.

"Shocked, startled, confused," she confessed. "I didn't get why he'd be hugging me. I mean, someone doesn't just go from being your enemy to being your boyfriend over, what, two months? That just doesn't happen!" Rose exclaimed.

"Rose." Dominique laughed. "You like him."

"I do not!"

Dominique just looked at her. "Yes, you do. Don't you?"

Rose wouldn't answer. Finally, after a long silence, she spoke. "Do you think I should apologize to him?"

"Yes," Dominique replied. "From the way you put it, you were a little harsh with him. I think he deserves it. Just remember, Rose: Love comes out of the blue, when you least expect it. OK?"

Rose just nodded. "I'm not in love with him," she said firmly to Dominique as she left.

"Yet," Dominique muttered under her breath.

Key word: yet. Anyways, please remember that the road to romance never is easy, especially with two people who've been arguing for years. There has to be some uncertanity or it's not realistic. And I prefer realistic over fairytale romances where everything goes right.

Anyways, I hope you liked it. Please review!

Lovelovelove -D-