Sorry for the delay. This chapter gets a little intense. All rights to J.K Rowling and the bits I used from the book.

"Rose?"

I turn around to see Cedric just having come out of his Arithmacy class. Don't ask me why he takes that because I have for the past 18 months that I have known him. He looks from me to George. I look from Cedric to George and then down at myself with my clothes from yesterday.

"Oh crap, Cedric this isn't what it looks like."

George is now bright red as the crowd forms around us, gossip already stirring.

"What is it then Rose? Because to me it looks like you're cheating on me?" he asks looking hurt.

"We're just friends," tears are starting to escape down my face as I try to keep myself together. "That's all George and I are."

"I wish I could believe you," He says

Cedric puts his hands behind his head looking tired.

"We'll talk about this later," he sighs before walking off with a wave of gossip trailing behind him.

"Rose it will be ok," George says going to put his hand on my shoulder.

"Not now George," I snapped storming off after Cedric.

I catch him on the Grand staircase heading towards his house.

"Cedric please wait," I call trying to catch up.

He turns towards me as I reach him, students bustling around us to get to their destinations. Looking into his grey eyes I notice that they are dark compared to his usual glistening colour.

"Nothing happened, I promise you," I say.

The pain look comes back to him as he shoots a look at me then away again.

"I can't even look at you right now," he whispers. "I'm going to go home over Christmas. I just think that we need a break for a bit."

I wipe the tears away as people glance at us on their way past. Cedric looks at me for a brief moment, and then he leaves me standing on the stairs.

Leading up to the Christmas holidays the halls were rumbling with gossip. Cedric and my break up was just in front of the petrified Colin Creevey gossip. The looks and whistles I got from all the guys made me feel so dirty that I showered twice a day. I also got giggles from hoarding masses of girls everywhere I went. George and even Fred had tried to talk to me but I just swatted them away not wanting to cause more doubt with Cedric. I even asked Snape if I could go home for Christmas which came back with a steady no. Part of me knows that he has heard of the lingering talk about me but he never asks. Adrian had also instructed me to take a break from Quidditch; probably because I would get crap from the guys. The thing I was going to enjoy was my double potions lesson where I could at least excel at something. I loved the look of the twenty cauldrons steaming as I walked into the dungeon that Thursday. As usual Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle sat at my lonely desk, undressing me with their eyes in an evil way. Snape made his normal remarks at the Gryffindor's attempt at the Swelling Solution.

"So you finally dropped the Hufflepuff golden boy," Draco said. I glance up at his smug face then I go back to work. I think the only reason he sits at my cauldron is so he can both annoy me and take my credit for the work. "Everyone isn't too happy with you cheating on him with a Weasley though."

"I didn't cheat on him," I growl out. He laughs to himself.

"We all know you did," He whispers into my ear. "We all know that you are a whore and a scumsucker but don't worry you will get what's coming to you. You always do."

I turn to him, the fury building inside me. Before I can realize what I'm doing, I slide my wand out of my sweater sleeve and hold it to his chest. His face doesn't show bewilderment or shock, it holds that amusing face that I have grown to despise.

"What are you going to do Grey?" he asks as if he wants to find out.

"Do not push me Draco," I hissed.

"Come on half-breed. Do it," he says.

He smirks at me as I put my want away before Snape could see. The last thing I needed was a daddy detention.

Just when I thought it couldn't get worse; Goyle's cauldron explodes, showering everyone in the near vicinity with Swelling Solution. Draco got a good amount on him causing his nose to swell like a balloon. Luckily only my hands got hit which inflated fast. Everyone started to panic fast.

"Silence! SILENCE!" Snape bellowed. "Anyone who has been splashed, come here for a Deflating Draft. When I find out who did this…"

We all line up to get the Draft, and I may have 'accidentally' hit Draco with my giant hands. With all the commotion going on, I spotted Hermione slinking out of Snape's office with bulging robes. Now why would she be coming out of his office if only to steal something, and what? When everyone was back to normal size, Snape scooped out fireworks from the bottom of Goyle's cauldron.

"If I ever find out who threw this," Snape whispered, "I will make sure that person is expelled."

I knew he meant it too.

A week later word was out of a Duelling club for each house and I put my name down for the Slytherin cub. I later arrived in one of the dungeons where it was about to take place, all most everyone in Slytherin had signed up to take part. They had moved all the cauldrons and desk away and created a long rectangle platform, where I guess we could watch a duel or something. I just hope I don't have to practice against any of the 6th years. They had decided to do it in houses instead of mix because well Slytherins and Gryffindors don't get along well. They thought it would be better if we younger kids could defend ourselves against the older ones. Adrian stepped forward to get the ball rolling.

"Welcome to the Slytherin Dueling club. I will be running tonight as Professor Snape has a meeting to attend to," he says. "The way that we are going to do this is that whoever wants to go first will stand on this amazing platform. Then choose their opponent, so any takers?"

A variety of hands go up with shouts of names to go up, I keep my hand down hoping to just watch a few first.

"Lucian you're up," Adrian shouts as he pulls his friend up.

I hope whoever goes up against him will kick his ass but I also try to hide myself just in case. Lucian looks around at the crowd until he touches my gaze. He points at me with a broad but victorious grin.

"Grey," he calls.

Everyone turns to face me and someone pushes me forward. Adrian at least has the decency of helping me up onto the platform but he doesn't look into my eyes as he jumps down. I grab my wand out to face my opponent who just looks down on me. He leans in close so no one else can hear.

"You made the wrong choice coming here," he whispers. "But that's what whores do isn't it? They push the limits."

I get a sick feeling and my face goes white. We both get ready for the fight, he stands in the duel stance and I copy him.

"Everte Statum!" he shouts.

"Protego!" I shout at the same time.

His bright orange light hits my lightning blue light then the light goes. The spell had left me breathless and in shock. We continue throwing punches at each other neither one of us hitting each other but he came too close several times. I start to get tired and slow causing me to try hard to hit him. He fires a spell at me and I try to dodge it but I'm just not quick enough.

I fly backwards and pain shoots through me. I hear cheers around me as I try to get up. I find my wand and shoot Stupify at Lucian. In his victory he had gotten distracted which meant I hit him right in the chest. He flies backward as well but by the time I get up he is already up facing me as well. He sneers at me before shooting more spells at me. I manage to dodge a few but get hit again causing me to once again fly backwards. My head goes all foggy and I try to reach for my wand.

"Expelliarmus" he says as he walks towards me and my wand shoots off. I try to get up so I can at least face him.

"Segmentum"

This spell cuts me like a knife on my arm. It's not deep but enough to draw blood and rip my shirt. I look up from my cut to Lucian. He has his wand raised at me and a sneer on his face. He shoots more of the same spell cutting me everywhere; arms, legs, I manage to save my face by holding my arms in front of it.

"I'm done!" I shout causing him to stop firing.

He storms toward me making me slide away. He's faster though and stands right over me pointing his wand down on me. He shoots again slicing my cheek, it feels like a slap and my hand goes right up to the blood.

"You're not done yet. Someone retrieve her wand." He calls out into the crowd.

It wasn't long before I was standing ready to continue the duel, wand in hand and blood seeping from my wounds. I feel a little dizzy but I push through it to continue the duel. He raises his wand to fire at me, I sway on my feet but then the dungeon door opens and Snape walks in. The look on his face suggests that this isn't what he was going to find and he just happened to walk through the door at the right time. Everyone turns in shock and Lucian lowers his wand in shame. It was as if my body was waiting for Snape to walk in because I fall face first on to the long platform, trying to keep my eyes open.

"Out, EVERYONE OUT!" Snape snarled causing everyone to scamper out the door in a hurry.

Lucian heads out the door behind Adrian to but not before Snape gives them both a week long detention. Once everyone is out he rushes to me, his robes billowing as usual. I moan as he rolls me over onto my back, a metallic smell lingering in the air. I cough and blood comes to my mouth.

"Rose listen to me, I'm going to pick you up, ok? I need to get you to the hospital wing" he asks, the tone of fury had left his voice leaving only tenderness.

I look up into his black eyes seeing all the fatherly love that I heard in his voice.

A tear slides down my face and I grab his hand.

"No" I say quietly. "Dad, I can't go through any more. Just let me sleep."

Shock floods his eyes but then I realize that tears are sliding down his face. I close my eyes to finally be with my mum and dad. Before I lose consciousness I hear what sounds like a song.

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I wake with a gasp to find myself in the hospital wing; I wince at the pain in my side. I didn't realize death would be here of all places or feel like thing. I look around; I notice Colin Creevey in a bed diagonal to mine, a human stone with a camera. Cedric is asleep in a chair next to my bed.

"Ah you're awake" says Madam Pomfrey as she bustles into my cubical. "Professor Snape has been very worried. He has been visiting you every morning and night hoping you would be awake. And this one" she points to Cedric "hasn't left your side for two days since he found out."

All I can do is gaze up at her in shock from my white bed. She grabs a bottle and pours some in a cup.

"Now take this, it will heal all those nasty scars." She says.

I drink it down in one swig causing me to cough.

"How long was I out for?" I ask.

She looks at me with some form of pity that I had never seen on her face.

"Two weeks" she says.

"TWO WEEKS!" I shout.

Cedric jumps at my outburst and almost falls out of his seat. Madam Pomfrey looks much taken aback by it.

"I will go let Professor Snape know." She says bustling off.

I collapse on my bed, already exhausted. I feel awkwardness filling the room as I lie there.

"Why did you stay Cedric?" I ask.

"I don't know" he says. "I was going to stay till you woke up and then Professor Dumbledore said I could use his fireplace to go home for Christmas."

"If I've been asleep for two bloody weeks then you know as well as I do that Christmas has been and gone" I snap causing him to flinch.

He stands looking angry.

"Well you are awake and fine so I'm going to go and send a few days with my family. Oh and George dropped by yesterday to see you." and with that he stormed off.

I wasn't long before Snape arrived with his face full of relief. I cross my arms, to show my feelings towards him.

"What did you do?" I whisper with my voice full of fury.

His face turns from relief to shock at my sudden reaction. He checks the hospital wing to see if anyone was there but it's only the petrified and Madam Pomfrey in her office.

"I did what was necessary to save you."

"That wasn't you choice to make. I told you to let me go, to let me die" I say throwing my hands in the air with frustration.

"As your guardian that was my choice to make" he shouts. "I was not prepared to let you die like that."

"Do you have any idea what I'm going through?" I shout back at him.

"Yes" he says. "I do have an idea."

I feel as if all this pressure has lifted off my chest and I cry. All I can do is cry. Snape sits on my bed and holds me tight into his chest.

"I don't know if I can do this."

"You can and you will because we Snape's are fighters. We don't give up even when we have lost everything and everyone."

Please leave constructive criticism, any ideas etc. Thank you for all the support so far.