It was shortly after Cassiopeia's third birthday. Rose hadn't been there for the actual day, because she had been in Azerbaijan, at a Unicorn Reservoir. But that internship was over now. She had written Scorpius tons of letters, met him a few times in between two internships. She had written him about the Unicorns, about the Thestrals in the Russian Taiga and how amazing it was to work with them, to get to know those precious underrated creatures. She had written him about the Manticores in Iran, of course, about how the Hippogriffs lived all over Italy and how she had lived with them. Rose had written him about the Chimaeras in Egypt, how much fun it had been to work with some old colleagues of her uncle Bill. She had written him every single bit, just as Scorpius had written her every single bit of his Healer training. Right now, the newly graduated waited for his best friend at the airport. Rose quite liked Muggle transport and she wasn't keen on Portal Keys. Not after what had happened to her as a kid, after James had managed to accidentally hex her toy car.

"There you are! I've been waiting for ages and ages!" she beamed at Scorpius as she pulled him in for a hug.

"You just came out of the luggage area, Pumpkin Pie." He grinned and hugged her tight.

"Rosie!" A very blond, very small girl smiled up to Rose, tugging lightly on her skirt, "aren't you cold in a skirts?"

"I just came from a very very hot country, Cassie, so yes, I am a wee bit cold here in good old England." The red-head picked up Scorp's sister and cuddled her. "So, Sweetie, are you ready for our adventure? I told you, I would celebrate with you for your birthday. Sorry I couldn't be there on the actual day."

"Is ok", Cassiopeia smiled, "Scorry said you were wif Unicorns! Are they magical?"

"They are very magical, dearie. So beautiful and elegant. I took pictures I can show you later on." She kissed her forehead and placed her softly back on the ground, taking her hand.

Scorpius, gentleman as he was, took Rose's suitcase and led them to a nearby magical café from where they could travel back to the Weasleys. Rose just quickly dropped off her stuff, was welcomed by her parents and was gone a few moments later.

"Were we go?" Cassiopeia looked up at her two companions, her big blue eyes full of questions and awe. "Scorry, you so pretty!"

Scorpius laughed and kissed his sister. "Thank you. You are pretty, too, Sweetheart."

Cassiopeia giggled and took Rose's hand as well as Scorpius' hand. She was really glad that both of her siblings – she regarded Rose as sort of her sister although she knew better – were throwing her a small birthday party. Or a surprise, she wasn't quite sure about that. But she knew that is was going to be awesome. Being with Scorpius and Rose was always awesome. She wanted them to get married, so that they could have a baby she, Cassiopeia herself, could take care of. She wanted to be a big sister! But right now, she was quite content with the ice cream she was allowed to eat.

She brabbled all the way, all the day the three of them spent together in the amusement park.

"Can I go on a round-about? Pwetty pwease?" Cassiopeia looked at the pair of them with those big eyes no-one could resist.

"Of course you can, Princess. Do you want me and Scorp to go with you?"

"Oh yes!" She smiled very brightly as Scorpius sat her on the back of a horse, climbing on the one next to hers as Rose sat down behind Cassiopeia, making sure she wouldn't fall off.

Scorpius smiled at Rose and she smiled back. Merlin, how he had missed her smile. How he had missed everything about her. The smell of her hair, the colour of it. The twinkle in her eyes, the small pull on the left corner of her lips while she is fighting to hold back a smirk. How could he even be apart from her for that long?

As he looked at her, Rose smiled even brighter. His eyes were a book to her, she could read every single feeling. It scared her, sometimes. Especially after not seeing him for the last few months. One expects a person to change, but somehow, whatever had happened, Rose was still able to see right into Scorpius' soul. She loved it. It wasn't because of her ability, no. It was because of what it meant. It meant that she and Scorpius would be together until the end of time, one way or another. They would be friends, come what may. They would be family, connected through Cassiopeia, through James and Albus. Even through their parents. If she was ever in the situation to rely on someone to safe her from death, she would rely on Scorpius.

Since she was so deep into her thoughts, Rose didn't even notice that the roundabout stopped. Cassiopeia began to tuck on her jacket.

"Rosie, pwease another turn!"

"Okay, one more" Rose said softly, turning away from Scorpius to focus her attention on the little girl, "but then we need to move on and do other adventurous things like going on a water ride."

As Cassiopeia was still very young, Rose and Scorpius had a hard time shielding everyone from seeing the magic she accidentally produced. It wasn't something bad. Smaller charms and hexes, like directing her fishing rod to the duckies with the most points or re-filling her cotton candy, changing its colour frequently. It was still a lot of fun for all of them.

After dropping Cassiopeia off at home, Rose and Scorpius read her a bed-time story and tucked her in.

"So, did you enjoy your first day back in England, Pumpkin Pie?" Scorpius smiled as he handed her a glass of water and some chocolate brownies.

"Thank you. Yes, I really did enjoy it. I love spending time with my goddaughter. She's amazing. Though she already plans how to name our first child. My cousins and my brother aren't on this road anymore, they don't want us to marry again. I guess they finally understood."

"I hope so. Cassie is very romantic, so she loves to talk about babies and marriages and kisses and everything. Last week, she had a phase were she wanted her plushies to marry and kiss and have babies. So she basically wants everyone and everything around her to marry."

Rose giggled. "Fine with me. Speaking of the matter, how's your girlfriend doing?"

"We broke up. Few days ago. Not so big of a deal, really. I wasn't in love with her, so it did not really hurt. I hesitated a few weeks."

"Oh, I remember. You wrote to me. That you are not sure, that you didn't feel that comfortable in the relationship."

"I wasn't. She never took me for who I am, always wanted me to change and I was so sick of it. Stressful time, with her clinging on me, with my final exams coming up... Anyway, I broke up, passed my exams with the best marks possible, became a Healer and I will be starting to work at St. Mungo's next month."

"That is all very awesome." She smiled at him and kissed his cheek. "I am so bloody happy that for the next three months, I'll be down in Scotland, learning about Hippocampi. I am quite eager to get to know the species before I study them in Greece afterwards."

"Have you found out what species you want to really work with?"

"Nah, not really. I mean, all of them are equally amazing, for so many reasons. And I love travelling around the world! I want to go to Eastern Asia, to work with Qilins."

"What the hell are Qilins? I have never ever heard of them."

"I have heard of them a few months ago. Didn't I write you about that? Well, obviously not. They are from China, originally. Look like... well, they have the head of a dragon and the body of a tiger. But no fur. They have scales instead. That is the common Qilin. A rarer form is the one of a single horn on its head, a multicoloured back, hooves of a horse, tail of an ox and the body of a deer."

"That sounds really strange... and there are no wings! But still, very interesting. So you want to work with them for a while?"

"I think so. But I also kind of want to settle down finally. Not really settle down as in find a proper place to live, but settle down as in find a beast I want to study, I want to dedicate my life to."

"Go with your heart. That would be the best thing but I don't need to tell you, do I?"

"No. Following my heart is what my parents taught me. What my aunts and uncles and grandparents taught me. But I am never sure if I can really and truly follow my heart."

"Why not? What keeps you from doing everything you want? You've been travelling around the world for the last three years. What could you possibly dream of that is harder than letting behind all your loved ones?"

"Trying to reconcile my Hermione-part with my Ronald-part." She smiled sadly.

"Oh Rosie." Scorpius sighed and pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head. "Look, here we are, sitting on my flat's roof, having a small picnic. Is that what you want for the rest of your life? Quietness, boringness?"

"No, I don't like it quiet and boring. But I want this for my life. This! I want to be with the ones I love every evening. Maybe not every evening, but most of the evenings. I want to live somewhere in the UK, so that I can apparate home every evening and sit with my husband as I sit with you. I want this for my life. I want to feel safe and loved and comfortable. How can I if I wander around in the freaking world? But I want to travel. I don't want to feel trapped in a relationship or in a place. I want to live dangerous at work and safe at home. Just like Bill and Dad and Harry. I'm really fucked up, am I right?"

"Nah, you are just a Weasley. They love danger and you love family. That is who you are and you should embrace every last bit of your soul. Even if at the moment you are a bit conflicted."

"But how did you know what you wanted?"

"I suppose because I wasn't that conflicted. Your parents... you have the smart one and the loyal one. Both are very brave. So are you. But from what I've gathered, your parents both are not that adventurous. From what you have told me and what your dad told me, your dad is loyal and stuck with Harry because he is his best friend. Your mum stayed with him, because he was like her brother and because she knew that he needed help on his quest. That is why you are fighting. Because the adventure comes from the thoughts, not from the heart. But with a part of you, it comes from heart. With the Bill-part and the Charlie-part in you, it comes from the heart. You are fighting head against heart, but the heart is with your parents as well. The heart of love, of family versus the heart of adventure and danger. You know, I think you should talk to Bill. He managed to combine both, didn't he?"

"You are way too smart for your own good, Cupcake." Rose smiled and kissed his cheek "and I love you so much for always knowing the right words, for always protecting me. I haven't met a single soul as brave and great as you are." She snuggled closer to Scorpius. "I think we should spontaneously go on a vacation. Just the two of us. Not tomorrow, but in a few days. After I've spent some time with my family and after I've visited Al. Will James be here soon?"

"I suppose so. He had a date tonight. The first one in ages. Bless his soul. Ava really did break his heart. But since he's gone for quite a while now, I guess it's going well and he's enjoying himself. I hope so."

"Yeah, he sounded bloody heartbroken last time I got a letter from him. Poor James. Two years and she just ripped his heart out; she just humiliated him in front of everyone." She sighed and took Scorpius' hand in hers. "If it went badly, he'll come home with something to drink and we'll drink with him. And then I'll sleep here and we will go on a nice vacation. Where do you want to go?"

"Hm... you've come around. What would you suggest?"

"Azerbaijan is beautiful but fucked up. Italy is too close, Russia too cold. Iran and Egypt were both amazing countries. But I want to go somewhere I haven't been before. I want a new experience with you. A first time we can have together. We had so many first times together."

"Small ones, yes. But nonetheless important." Scorpius smiled softly. "Since you are an adventurer and I could use some adventures in my life, I would love to go to South America. People say, Ecuador is the best country for adventurer."

"So Ecuador it is. We can split it up. Have one week adventure, one week calm vacation. Or adventure, vacation, adventure, vacation. So that there is always time to rest."

"Sounds amazing."

"There you are! I've been searching for you everywhere! Well, just in the flat, but hey, I'm one for big entrances", James smiled as he entered the rooftop, "glad to have you back, my love."

"Hello!" Rose jumped up and hugged James happily, "so how did it go? Your date."

"It was nice, yes. She seemed to be genuinely nice and interested. We'll meet again on Friday. So I am quite happy now. And as happy as I am, I won't bother you too much. How was the day with Cassie?"

"It was amazing! She is so cute and I love her so much. And spending the day with her and Scorp was just..."

"It felt like family?" James suggested and smiled softly, "so, you two, have fun the rest of the evening. I'll be in my bed, smiling like a madman, because the evening was just splendid."

Rose and Scorpius waited until James was back in the flat, until they burst out laughing.

"Well, I guess he is love-drunk, isn't he?"Rose giggled. Scorpius nodded in agreement.

"He is so love-drunk, it is actually really cute. Love must be so great."

"I suppose it is." She grinned and sat down next to Scorpius, cuddling up against him.

"Rosie?" he said after a while of mutual and comfortable silence.

"Mhm?"

"We should marry each other."