AN: Hey there! Sorry for the day lateness..I have a very busy weekend and I just had a free moment, so I decided to post ;)
So, this is an interesting chapter, although I've had multiple internal struggles writing it.
As always, an enormous thank you to EmilyAndTheDiamonds for betaing.
Last but not least: reviews make my afternoon/day/week/life? :)

Rose walked cheerfully to the pool, today had been definitely a better day then yesterday, at least so far.
She had woken up to a beautiful and heartwarming text, at school she had managed to avoid her «friends» and she had already asked her teachers when and how she could repair her bad grades.

She opened the door with a smile, strangely enough on time too.
When she saw a head of wild hair in the room, her smile widened. The Doctor was leaning against a wall, talking with a couple of blokes, and when she had entered, his smile had lightened up the whole room.
He immediately stopped talking and walked up to her, so instinctively she opened her arms and wrapped him in a hug. He seemed taken aback for a second, then wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
"Hello.." He whispered in her ear.
"Hi..." She answered letting him go.
He looked down at her face "Happy, much?" He teased.
"Actually, yes. Had a good day" she bit back.
He smiled sweetly "I'm glad."
They stared in each other's eyes, but a loud voice interrupted them.

"John, you coming? We're gonna be late!"
John nodded reluctantly and, with an apologetically smile, said "See you later? I'll walk you home"
Her heart fluttered at his words and she nodded eagerly "Yeah, see you later".

After training John showered quickly: he wanted to be out before Rose, he couldn't make her wait for him!
He was toweling his hair when Mickey approached him.
"Hey bud"
"Hi Mick!" John smiled at his teammate.
"Listen...What's happening? You almost never spend time with us before and after training anymore and you always somehow run away without any explanation. Have we done something wrong?" He said, somehow worriedly.
John listened guiltily: he hadn't noticed he had "abandoned" his friends quite often lately.
"No, you've done nothing wrong…" He sighed. He should probably tell them the truth, or they'd eventually find out anyway.
"It's just...there's this girl I've just become friends with and well…That's the reason I disappeared sometimes lately."
Mickey's face was surprised and a bit offended "Oh, so for a girl you just abandon your best mates" He accused his mate.
"No, of course not! Listen Mick, I'm sorry. Honestly, I hadn't even noticed I had done this until you told me, so I'm really sorry, okay? I'll try my best to spend time with you all again, I'll organize my time better, I promise."
Mickey's face was surprised but understanding "Okay John, but you better hang on that promise." Mickey said sternly.
Then, as a second thought, he added "She must really be some girl to make you forget about your friends" He half-joked.
John only smiled, but the only thought in his head was «you have no idea how right you are.»

"Stupid muggles!" She muttered under her breath when a car drove into a puddle and splashed the water all around the street and on her.
John stopped his babbling and stared at her wide-eyed.
"What?" Asked Rose, self-consciously.
"What did you say?" He asked still bewildered.
"Uh, nothing!" She said hurriedly: he didn't need to know she was a big ol' HP geek.
"N'aww, come on!" He whined.
Rose sighed: now she had to tell him.
"I said 'stupid muggles'" She said, her eyes downcast and her cheeks red.
Then she waited for the inevitable "What,s a muggle?", but it never came. She looked up and found him as if he was still processing the thing.
"You are a potterhead too?" He asked excited.
"Of course I am! Harry Potter is just brilliant!" Rose answered truthfully.
"And did you read them all?" He said gleefully.
"I'm at the sixth, what about you?"
His eyes lit up "I just finished the fifth!"
Rose beamed: she couldn't believe he was a potterhead. A crazy idea passed through her mind.
"I just had a mad idea. Wanna hear it?" She said mischievously.
"Of course" John replied conspiratorially.
"If you want, when we're both finished with the sixth, we could start over from the first together and read them all to the seventh." She proposed, looking a tad sheepish.
The excitement on his face was obvious:p "Oh yes! That's brilliant! Let's do it!"
Rose beamed at him and nodded.
Adrenaline running through him, he took her hand and squeezed it. Both giggled.

Just then, Rose's house came into view and she suddenly remembered something "Oh, I almost forgot... Are you still up for that tutoring? 'Cause I need to fix those grades..."
He looked at her "Of course! We just need to decide the day" He said with a smile.
"Perfect! Is it tomorrow okay for you or is it too late to ask now?" She asked timidly.
"Mmh, yeah, should be. Let me just check my planner when I get home and I'll send you the ok!" he grinned.
Rose blushed and nodded.
"How... How much should I pay you?" She asked in a small voice.
John looked confused, then he understood what she meant.
"Oh, no, no! You don't need to pay anything! I volunteered for it, so really, I'll do it for free" He said with a easy smile.
Rose looked surprised "Are you sure?"
By then they had stopped in front of her house. They turned to each other and the kind smile he directed to her gave her butterflies.
"Of course. It'll be a pleasure for me" John said squeezing her hand (were them still holding hands? It felt so natural, as if they've always been doing this).
Once again on impulse (damn, she should control herself) she wounded her arms around his neck, pressed a kiss to his cheek and whispered a "Thank you".
To say John was surprised was an understatement: he felt his cheeks burn and his heart was pounding in his ears.
The shrill ringtone of her phone sprang them in action and she looked at her phone before sighing.
"Bye John...See you tomorrow?" She asked hopeful.
"Not if I see you first." He answered cheekily.

As he watched her leave, both were thinking the same thing: How did they get so intimate and dependent on each other so fast?