I meant to post yesterday but FanFiction wouldn't let me access my account. Anyone else get that problem?

Warning: This chapter'll mess with your feels...

It was pretty outside. Beautiful. Otherwise, Scorpius would still be inside, as he had been for the past two weeks. Anytime it was so much as cloudy, he wouldn't leave the safety of the basement. He hadn't gone out at all, excluding when he had to race across the grounds to get to Herbology. He even missed the Gryffindor vs. Slytherin game, in which Gryffindor beat Slytherin so roundly that the entire house had moped for the entire week following.

He was trying to detox himself. He couldn't go outside without thinking about it.

He tried determinedly thinking about whether Slytherin ever had a chance at winning a game while Gryffindor had Albus, but Albus made him think about her, which swiftly led to thinking about it.

Grass. Grass is green, he tried to recover. Slytherin is green. And also silver. Like the earrings Rose was wearing yesterday.

Bloody hell. He tried looking around for something to distract him but soon realized he was in the exact field where it had happened. This outing had been a complete and utter failure. He was about to run for the closest exit he hadn't used that day when the worst thing that could've possibly happened, (surprise, surprise), happened.

He felt a small hand on his arm.

"Scorpius?" she said, "Don't run away." She knew him too well.

Scorpius turned around, but couldn't meet her eyes. He stared at the back of his hand.

"Scorpius." Frustration began creeping into her voice. "Stop pretending it didn't happen and that you didn't like it. I get you better than I get most of my family members. I get you better than I get myself, so I know you liked it. You get me better than most of my family members. You get me better than I get myself, so you know I liked it. Stop running. Why are we torturing ourselves?"

"Because," Scorpius muttered to his hand. "It can't work, and you know that."

"Why not?"

Scorpius finally met her eyes. His stomach turned at the blue that meant her, but the anger kept him there. "Because I am a snooty, closed-off Slytherin, Rose. You are a beautiful, golden-hearted Hufflepuff. People love you and hate me. We don't belong together. And if that isn't enough," he snorted, "you're a Weasley and I'm a Malfoy. No matter how you spin it, we can't work. We can't be together. If we try, everyone will get hurt. So let's not try."

They stared each other, like always, but now, their anger at the universe couldn't be calmed just because they were together.

"We're worth it, Scorpius. You're worth any hurt to me. What we are to other people doesn't matter. We do belong together. We both know it, we've belonged together since first year in that forest. I knew when you smiled. Merlin, Scorpius, you have the best smile. You haven't smiled in two weeks and it sucks. If you would just—"

Scorpius kissed her, like he wanted to for years. Until Rose's fingers were playing with his hair and his arms were wrapped around her waist and the mind he'd so frantically tried to direct away from all thoughts of Rose became consumed by them.

Rose pulled away reluctantly. "Take me to Hogsmeade this weekend?"

Scorpius smiled before going in for another sweet, soft kiss. "I'd love to," he whispered, and pulled away. "Obliviate."

"Oh, hey Scorpius," Rose said, looking confused.

Scorpius had completed his first wandless spell.

"Hey, Rose. You alright there? That was a bad fall." Scorpius unwound his arms from her waist. It took her a moment to remember how to stand.

"I fell?" she laughed. "I can't remember how I got out here. I must have been really distracted."

"Yeah. If you're okay, I need to be going. Have a good day." The politeness sounded foreign and stiff even to Scorpius.

"Yeah, see you later."

Scorpius walked away without looking back. Now Rose wouldn't have to, as she said, 'torture herself' thinking about it. Only him.

I should get inside.