Weeks passed. Rose hadn't talked to Scorpius, Scorpius hadn't talked to Rose. They both hated it. But somehow neither took the first step. Scorpius lived with James in London now and it was an awful lot of fun. Albus was in Edinburgh and was doing a six-month-internship in something to do with goblins. He was really keen on working with them and possibly on working for Gringotts at some point in time. Anyway, Scorpius was with James and he really enjoyed himself. But he missed Rose a lot. James usually teased him about what had happened between Rose and him. He knew. All her cousins knew. It was fine. They had understood their decision to let it cool down, to be separated from each other for a while in order to figure everything out. It still hurt like hell. Scorpius wasn't sure if he wanted to meet her. They've exchanged a few letters over the last four weeks. So he knew that Rose would shortly be off to Iran. Another internship. Bill had helped her getting it and Rose didn't mind. She had taken off her prejudices of not letting her family or her name help her but working with Persian beasts was way too tempting. Scorpius hadn't yet decided whether or not to meet her. On her last evening with Hagrid, he decided to talk to her. He had to. Otherwise he wouldn't forgive himself.

"Scorpius..." Rose stood still as she saw his figure outside of the Hut, waiting for her to come home from the forest. She wasn't sure what to feel. Was she still crushing on him? Was he still crushing on her? Did he want to talk it out? Was she mad at him? Was he mad at her? It only took her a split second to decide. Soon she flung her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "You arse! I missed you!"

"I missed you too, Pumpkin Pie. And I am so sorry for not coming earlier."

"Well, I could've visited you, too."

"Nah, James is always in the flat and the keeps teasing me about you. You would not want to experience that, trust me."

Rose chuckled and kissed his cheek. "I guess we need to talk, don't we." She let go of him and sat down on a step before the Hut.

"Yes, we need to." Scorpius sat down next to her and took her hand in his. "Being separate was a stupid decision. We should never have done that."

"I know. But a month earlier it seemed to be the only reasonable thing to do."

"Screw reasons." Scorpius kissed her temple. "Just so you know: I do not have a crush on you anymore."

"And I don't have a crush on you. So everything is fine, isn't it?"

"Apart from the fact that we have lost four weeks. And you will go to Iran rather soon."

"Not for another two weeks." Rose smiled at him. "I am sure you can stay the night. If you want to, that is."

"I'd love to. But... In Hagrid's Hut?"

"No." Rose laughed. "That'd be weird. Hey! You got rid of contractions!"

"Yeah, of some... Living with James just makes my language really strange. I've started to curse a bit, too!"

"How shocking!" giggled Rose and hugged him again. "Oh and I sleep in the Head Girl's room. Really comfy. If you don't mind sleeping in one bed with me, you can stay there, too."

"I do not mind at all." He smiled at her softly. How he had missed her. Everything about her. From the top of her head, her freaky auburn curls, her amazing hazel eyes with love and light and life in them, her cute little nose, her laugh, her touch. Just everything.

"You can't imagine how many letters Hugo wrote me to tell me that I'm a fool to let you walk away. My baby brother clearly wants you to be his brother-in-law."

"We get along quite well. And he is so much of a romantic person. So so much. If I ever need dating tips, Hugo would be he one to turn to. Anyway, shall we head to Hogsmeade, eat something and then get back to your room? Why don't you go home today, if today is your last day?"

"I'll get my certificate or whatever tomorrow and I have to check on the baby Hippogriff."

Scorpius eyes became wider, he looked at her in amazement. "I have to see it, Rose. I have to! Hippogriffs are amazing, I love them."

She chuckled and got up. "Okay, follow me. She hasn't got a name yet, so if you can think of anything nice, we might name her that way." Rose held out her hand and helped Scorpius up, leading the way to the tiny baby. "This is her." Rose smiled at her best friend, picked up the Hippogriff and handed it carefully over to Scorpius.

"Oh wow... She is really tiny! I already love her. Her wings have the exact same colour of your eyes."

"Have they? I didn't notice..."

"I think we should call her Hazel. Sounds good?"

"Sounds amazing." Rose watched smiling as Scorpius stroke the small animal, cuddling it softly.

The furry and feathery cub seemed to be very comfortable with Scorpius, as it began nibbling on his fingers.

"The beak isn't very sharp yet, is it?"

"Not really. Like babies have their baby teeth, Hippogriffs have very soft beaks at first. They develop and harden the older they get."

"Faszinating. Oh. I think she fell asleep." Scorpius smiled and placed the animal back in its pen. "So this is what you have been doing the last four weeks?"

"Nah, she's only 10 days old. I've taken care of her mother but she can't nurture the hatchling, so I did it. And I've talked to Centaurs, which was amazing! They were really kind and honest and it is so interesting to listen to their stories! I've taken care of all sorts of beasts. Small and fluffy and dangerous and tiny and complicated ones. I loved it! Did your training start already?"

"Not yet, no. In two weeks time. But I've already moved in with James, about two weeks ago. I don't know why. I like being home but I felt the need for a change."

"I understand. Shall we go and grab a bite in Hogsmeade?"

They really had fun that evening. Chatting about the good old times, gossiping about their old classmates and who was off to do what and where. Hardly anyone went into Muggle jobs, which Rose considered to be a pity. She would work at a zoo or a tiger reservoir; it was a possibility but still not very likely, as magical creatures were far too interesting. After hours and hours of laughing, they went back to Hogwarts. Since Scorpius didn't mind sleeping in one bed with Rose, she got a second duvet and cuddled up next to him.

"Do you think it was a mistake? Sleeping with each other, I mean."

Scorpius shook his head. "Nah, not really. At least for me it was quite an exciting experience and I did like it a lot. But we should have dealt with it differently. Starting by not admitting crushes which weren't proper crushes. And spending time apart from each other was stupid, too."

"I think so, too. The confessions were what made it awkward. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I certainly did." She smiled at him and placed a small peck on his cheek. "So we're back to normal?"

"Yes, back to normal. Finally." Scorpius sighed happily. "So, tell me about Iran and what you'll do there?"

"Well, I'll be with some guy who teaches me how to deal with Manticores."

"Manticores? They are the ones with the body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion, am I right?"

"You sure are." Rose smiled at him. "I see, you've listened to me rating about different beasts. Did you know that Hagrid actually managed to get one breed with a Fire crab to create Blast-Ended Skrewts?"

"What are those? Have we seen them in class at some point in time?"

"No, we haven't. Have I never told you about them? Harry had to face one in the Triwizard Tournament. Hagrid never discovered what they eat, so they mostly ate themselves or starved to death. He had had several hundreds of them but no not a single one is left. As far as I am concerned."

"As I know Hagrid, he might have one somewhere, keep it alive somehow. Wouldn't that be an interesting thing for you? Researching those creatures? Discovering everything about them?"

"Yeah, sort of... but they are small and look like wabbly lobsters and somehow I am really not into them. I prefer Manticores and Hippogriffs and Unicorns and Thestrals and I am not so keen on Dragons."

"So like everything with fur or feathers?"

"Hm. I've never thought about it that way. You think so?"

"We'll go through some beasts and find out. Maybe that will help you to get a clearer idea of your future. Hand me a sheet of paper, turn on the light and give me a quill. We are going to help you now."

Rose laughed and did what the commanded. She cuddled up next to Scorpius and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "Okay, let's start."

"Unicorns, Manticores and Hippogriffs have something in common: all have fur and wings. Thestrals only have wings, no fur. So, let's look for winged beasts. Dragons you said."

"Interesting, but widely researched and Charlie is working with them. So no. An internship would be great, a longer one than the one I had over holidays once. But dragons are not my cup of tea."

"Okay, cross that off the list. Too popular. What about a Phoenix?"

"Too small. Not dangerous enough. Fascinating, beautiful, mysterious, elegant, yes. I would love to have one but not to work with them."

"Then I guess Doxies are off the list as well?"

"They are. As are fairies overall. So boring. I like the bigger creatures."

"Something like Chimaeras?"

"I really do like them, yes. But they don't have wings. Doesn't fit into my profile!"

"But they have fur and they are a hybrid creature. The same as Hippogriffs and Maticores. And, what I've noticed: Unicorns and Thestrals resemble horses. You have one at home which you love very much. You are also very keen on Centaurs. Hybrid creatures which are partly horse. How do you feel towards Hippocampi?"

Rose looked at Scorpius in awe. "How did you get so smart? I never drew all those conclusions, I never thought about the facts in those ways."

"It is late at night and when I am tired my brain works in mysterious ways" he chuckled and kissed the top of her head "so, Hippocampi?"

"I am very fascinated by them. They are usually found in Mediterranean waters but some Scottish Merpeople have tamed a few specimens and domesticated them. I think we know way too little about those beasts. But I am not sure if I would like to work with Merpeople. Not keen on them."

"So what about Kelpies?"

"They are demons and that fascinates me. They have no true form but are mostly seen as horses with bulrush manes. You can tame them very easily by using a Placement Charm."

"Everything which is horse-like appeals to you. You should do something with that, don't you think? I know you and I know you need danger but you also need stability. And something which reminds you of your beloved pet is the best stability you can get. Manticores do not look like horses, but they have the body of a goat. And somehow a goat is like a horse, isn't it?"

"Scorpius Malfoy. I think you have just helped me with my future. How can I ever thank you? I need to research all those beasts! I need to travel around, to see if their behaviour is similar, to see if they eat the same, sleep the same. I have to tame some of them, I have to talk to Centaurs to find out about their culture and what they think about Unicorns and Hippogriffs and Hippocampi. I can combine everything I love. Oh Scorp, thank you so so much!" Rose hugged him tightly and kissed his forehead. "How can I ever thank you for that?"

"Oh well, just promise me to stay in touch with me and sent me lots of postcards from around the world. Maybe you even manage to visit me once or twice a year."

"You know what you should do, Cupcake?"

"Sleep, because it is very late and we have to get up early to feed Hazel?"

"Yes, that too, but something else. You should come with me. Either specialize in the healing of beasts or specialize in the healing of the wounds and injuries they cause. That way we can be together forever."

Scorpius smiled softly and blew out the candle. "Well, that is an appealing thought, I have to say. Travelling with you has its perks. But you know I like a quiet life and I am content with a high position in St. Mungo's. But I know I have to do an internship at some point. If you still want me then, I'd gladly come with you to get more experience. A different experience from all my other colleagues. That way I can stick out of the mass, be special. And be with you."

"That would be a dream come true" Rose mumbled sleepily "to work with you for a while... amazing. To see you every day and know I just have to feel distressed for you to take care of me... I would love that, Scorp. I would love that."

He smile softly and ran his fingers carefully through her tangled curls. "I suppose I will work with you then. As long as you promise me to fall asleep now."

"Promise if you promise me to never letting me allow myself to break up the communication between us."

"How can you fall half asleep and still utter such complicated sentences?"

"'M my mother's daughter. Promise?"

"I promise. I will take care of you and our friendship."