When she opened her eyes, everything was a bit blurry. Not again, she thought. Yes. She had been unconscious. In front of the whole class. In front of her teacher and in front of all the Slytherins.

"Darling? Are you alright?"

"Mum? Is that you?" Rose rubbed her eyes to get a clear view, "Mum! What are you doing here?"

"I am looking after you. How are you?"

„I am slighlty upset." Rose sighed and looked at her parents. She was sitting in her professor's bureau after she fainted. She didn't manage to beat the boggart. And not even the best chocolate she has ever tasted could make her feel any better. Although her Dad had offered her her favourite one! "I am really sorry; I didn't want to disappoint you."

"You could never disappoint us, Rosie." Ron smiled at his daughter. "We are here because Seamus sent us an owl to tell us about your boggart." He stroked her cheek and lightly kissed her forehead. She really looked like her mother, even though her hair was red. She had the same eyes. Not the same, hers were lighter, more golden. But they had the same strength, she same knowledge, paired with his pursuit to adventures.

"Professor Finnigan wrote you? Oh no… and everyone in class saw me fainting! This is just so embarrassing, Daddy. It truly is. I am even more than slightly upset. I am fucking embarrassed."

"You don't have to. We did much more embarrassing things. And we are a bit worried, you know?"

"Yes, we are." Hermione nodded and took her daughter's hand. "Maybe you were too young. Maybe we did something wrong when we told you, James and Albus all about Peter Pettigrew and what how he was responsible for Lily's and James' death."

"Don't worry, Mum. It is all fine. I am glad you showed us. It is just… I think I am afraid of Peter Pettigrew because he betrayed his friends. Because I am afraid to be betrayed. I think, Peter Pettigrew is just the form for a fear which doesn't have an actual form. Because betrayal is Peter Pettigrew. He was their friend. And he was your rat! He betrayed you and your family! That is just awful…"

"Oh Darling…" Her mother smiled gently and took her in her arms. "You sound so mature and all grown up. Where is my little baby girl?"

"I am right here. And I will always be. You didn't need to come, really. I am fine, Mum. Much better already. I am sure Al and Scorp will be here any minute to cheer me up with some of Fred's and George's stuff. I know they sent a package to James the other day."

"Are you sure?" Hermione looked a bit worried and stroked her daughter's cheek.

"Yes, Mum. I am perfectly fine. See, there are Al and Scorp." Rose smiled towards her two friends, who were entering the Hospital Wing.

"Hey Aunt Hermione, hey Uncle Ron. How are you?" Albus smiled at them and shook their hands, "is everything alright at home? Dad told me you are going on a mission?"

"Indeed we are. Will take us about two weeks. Now that all of you kids are in Hogwarts we can go on longer missions than before."

"So that Mum and Aunt Ginny are all alone instead of having a child with them?" Rose chuckled, "well, that is boys' logic. James would do the exact same thing! He always goes on trips when all his girlfriend's friends' are gone. You all think being alone is fine for us girls, don't you? What do you think are we doing when no-one's home? Running around naked?"

"Well, I know for sure that your mum does not walk around completely naked. She doesn't even walk around in nothing but her underwear."

"I am sophisticated, my dearest Ronald. I am not like you."

"Please, Mum... I really don't wanna hear stories about either of you two being naked."

"You started it, Rosie!" Ron exclaimed and hugged his daughter, "I am delighted to see that you are feeling much better. So I think it is time to head off now. You boys take care of her, won't you?"

"Of course we will, Mr. Weasley."

"Fantastic!" Ron kissed his daughter's forehead and said goodbye to the boys before leaving the teenagers all on their own.

"So... you are alright, Rosie?" Scorpius hesitantly asked.

"Sure I am! As alright as a buttercup."

"And how alright can a buttercup be, Pumpkin Pie?"

"I have no idea", Rose giggled and cuddled the blond boy next to her. He just smelled so fantastic! He couldn't believe she never really noticed all the scents coming from Scorpius. There was – of course – the smell of his shampoo. Something like... peach? Maybe apricot. She could never tell those two apart. But it didn't really matter. All that mattered was that his hair just smelled incredibly fantastic. Then there was the smell of Scorpius himself. Rose couldn't actually describe it. Somehow warm and comfortable but at the same time cool and controlled. Could one even smell controlled? How would it smell? Like Scorpius? And if she smelled controlled somewhere else, would she say controlled to it as well? Anyway. He smelled like it. No discussion. Rose liked the scent of his clothes. Somehow they smelled different than hers or all the others, although she knew that the same washing powder, the same washing machine was used for his and hers and Albus'. It was still different but enjoyable different. His clothes smelled fresher and like they have just been washed and not washed and then stuffed into a dark wardrobe until a week later. How could she not have noticed it before?

"I want to go. May I? Please?" Rose pouted. "You all know how much I detest it here. The food is awful and there is hardly anyone around and I don't like sleeping here all on my own."

"Well, Rose, who are you sleeping with in your bedroom when you're not alone there?" Albus asked, winking at her.

Rose laughed and threw a pillow at his head. "You can be sorta stupid sometimes, dearest cousin! There are people around to whom I can talk before I go to sleep. There are none here! I need to talk to myself and that is getting all boring after 16 years of doing so!"

"Oh Rose, you can be so funny sometimes." Albus grinned and messed up her hair a bit. "Dh! By the way, Dimitri sent you a letter."

"He did? That's not a by the way! That's a Rose, I have super-mega-awesome-fantastic-megastic-wonderful-exciting news for you! Where is it? Give it to me! How do you even know?"

"Well, you know, Rose, we are in the same house and this afternoon there was an owl knocking on one of the common room windows. With your letter from Dimitri. There you go." Albus handed her the letter or rather tried not to rip it into pieces because he was scared to not letting go quickly enough after Rose snatched it out of his hands.

He carefully obeyed his best friend watching his cousin reading the letter. Albus didn't see Rose but from the way Scorpius' face was filled with disgust he could tell that Dimitri must have written something which was very pleasant for Rose. Why didn't he just tell her how he felt about her? Everyone around them could see that those two just belonged to each other. Everyone but Rose and Scorpius themselves.