The news came at the closing of their fourth year. The winds of winter and spring slipped away into summer, leaving behind heat and sunshine. They spent their days down by the lake, under the shade of the trees, and watched the younger students wade into the water. Roses' brother, Hugo, and the rest of the Ravenclaws attempted to draw the giant squid out of the depths to study it, while James and some of the older Gryffindors dove deeper into the lake to tickle the squid.

"We got it!" As Scorpius and Al sat under one of the willow trees, writing out study guides for their transfiguration exams, Rose came bounding down the hill with a letter clutched in her hand. She waved wildly to the pair, nearly tripping in her attempt to reach them. Her hair, in this high sun, was blinding.

"Got what?" Scorpius asked curiously, looking from Rose to Al.

"What?" Al asked, clueless. His focus had not been on the pages littered in front of him. Out of the corner of his eye, Scorpius could see Jaclyn and Clementine and some other girls in their class, basking in the sun. Jaclyn had pulled up her shirt just slightly, and shook her hair back. Scorpius grinned, and Al turned back to look at the girls.

"Summer jobs." Rose flew in at their feet, tearing up grass and dirt and sending clods flying. She waved the letter in front of Scorpius' face and smiled. "At my uncle's store."

"Wheezes?" Al said suddenly.

"Sorry?" Scorpius asked, slapping Al on the back.

"No, the store." Rose collapsed next to Scorpius and leaned her head against his arm. She propped her legs up on Al's back and read the letter aloud.

"Hi Posie. As long as it's okay with your mum, I'd be happy to have you work at the store this summer. Maybe you can help come up with some ideas for new things? I hear you have good marks. Al's parents gave me the okay yesterday, as did James', so I expect I'll see all three of you in here this summer. Just check with your mum, please. I don't think she's forgiven me for the nose biting teacup incident. George."

"You're going to be in London all summer?" Scorpius asked. Rose still lay against him, her hair falling over his shoulder. Her shampoo smelled light, of coconuts.

"If mum says yes."

"What happened with the nose biting teacup?" Al asked, absent-mindedly, scratching his nose with the end of a quill.

"Er…Christmas morning at your place?"

"Dunno."

Rose sighed. "Mum went downstairs to get tea in the morning and picked up one of the china-patterned tea cups sitting by the sink. And I suppose they were some new high-end prototype George was trying out because she didn't recognize what it was, so when she went to take a sip, the cup bit her nose, and mum spilled hot water on her robe and on the floor."

Albus chortled, and then immediately looked guilty. Rose shrugged, and then shifted to look up at Scorpius, her blue eyes wide and slightly worried.

"You'll come visit this summer, won't you?"

"Yeah. Do I get a discount?"

"Family only," Al murmured. His eyes had not moved away from Jaclyn.

"Scorp is family," Rose said, bringing down a heavy heel on his back. Al didn't notice.

Scorpius grinned. "I'll visit, sure. Can't be cooped up all day at home, can I?"

"Must get boring with just your mum and dad around," Rose mused.

"Sometimes. Dad's always at work, mum's doing research for that book she's writing."

As if on cue, a familiar hoot came from above. Scorpius looked up to see Diao swooping down out of the sky, his wings extended. Diao dropped a letter square in Scorpius' lap before taking flight towards the forest. Scorpius turned over the envelope and saw his family's crest, marked in green, on the back. Rose tactfully lowered her eyes and allowed Scorpius to open the letter, but continued to lean against him all the same; her red curls snaking across his left arm.

Dear Scorpius,

Your father and I were so happy to hear you've only gotten two detentions this semester. Well, I was less than pleased that there were any. But sneaking out late and setting up a portable snowstorm on the fifth floor are not the worst things you could do, I suppose. I'm assuming you had company, I have no doubt Rose and Al helped set up that snowstorm…how are they?

We are so pleased you'll be home soon. Your father and I have some news for you, and we can hardly wait to tell you in person.

Good luck on exams!

Mum

"Everything okay?" Rose asked after a moment, not looking up.

"Hmm?"

"You stiffened up."

"Just…my mum has something she wants to tell me. Dunno what that could be."

Al suddenly shot to his feet, scattering books everywhere. From her spot along the shore, Jaclyn had spotted him and was waving him over. Al was turning a shade of ferocious red.

"Go have a snog!" Rose said loudly, drawing the laughter and howls of James and his friends, who were beginning to emerge from the lake. Al ignored her, and began to swagger towards Jaclyn, who grinned and blushed prettily. Scorpius snorted.

"You sure you're okay?" Rose sat up and spun around so she could look at him. She stuck her thumb in between his eyebrows and pressed outwards. "You're all furrowed."

"I'll be better once I know what this news is," Scorpius said, folding up the letter and sticking it in his pants pocket.

"Maybe it's about Teddy and Victoire."

"Your cousin?"

"And yours."

"Teddy's not really my cousin." Scorpius looked at his feet. "Second, remember?"

"It counts."

"Maybe. What's the news?"

"They're engaged, of course. Happened a couple weeks ago. Didn't I tell you?"

"Erm…no."

"Oh right. It was before the potions exam. I was just so busy studying…well, anyways. They're engaged to be married. They're getting married in August."

"Wow. That's great." Scorpius thought about it. "It only seems like Victoire was still here and a prefect yesterday, telling me not to run in the hallways…"

"Telling me not to stuff dungbombs in Zabini's backpack…"

"Yeah, I doubt that was my mum's news. We wouldn't be invited."

"No?"

Scorpius shook his head and took a slight breath. "After the wizarding war, I know my grandmother reached out to Teddy's grandmother. I know they remained civil, but I think it was out of circumstance…the other sister had spurned Andromeda entirely, I think. I don't know, my family doesn't talk about the other sister."

"They're civil, though?"

"Not enough for my parents to suddenly be invited to Teddy's wedding." Scorpius paused. "Although, I do think they feel guilty about the rift. My mother named her cat after Teddy's mother. She wouldn't admit it, but I think his mother may have saved her during the war."

"Mmm," Rose said, thoughtfully. "I wouldn't worry about it, Scorp." She reached up and sloppily patted his head.

"Thanks," Scorpius replied. His scalp burned where she had touched him, and he mussed up his hair.

There was a sudden commotion as Lily Potter swooped down upon them on her broom, touching down with a quick and graceful entrance. Rose started, and shot away from Scorpius, flushed and reaching for her book bag.

"Where are you going?" Lily demanded with a cheery smile, extending her arms wide. "I just got here."

"Left a book in the common room. Forgot it." Rose pushed her hair back behind her ears, flushing even more. The tips of her ears turned red. She didn't look at Scorpius as she packed up, but patted him on the shoulder before she left. Scorpius watched her go, and Lily sunk down next to him, in Roses' place.

"What were you just up to?" Scorpius asked, as Lily set down the broom next to her.

"Practicing," she said airily. "I'm going to Quidditch camp this summer, and I wanted to brush up on some of my skills."

"Right." Scorpius looked down at his lap, where he had a stack of very unappealing potions notes. He knew he didn't really have to study them to get good marks, but he felt obliged. However, at that moment, Lily Potter turned towards him with a curious look in her eye.

"Is everything alright between you and Posie?"

"Yeah," Scorpius said mildly. "Yeah, why?"

"She just…I felt like maybe you two were fighting this year. Maybe there was tension?" She arched an eyebrow.

"I think she might just be stressed about school. You know, she always wants the top marks."

"Yeah, you could give her a run for her money."

Scorpius grinned easily. Talking to Lily has become comfortable, over the past few years. She had slipped into his life as the beautiful girl on the train, and had seamlessly become one of his close friends. She was quite different from her brothers, far more rambunctious than Al, and cleverer than James. She was hell on wheels, but she was fiercely loyal to her friends, and a wicked good listener.

"Thanks. Why do you ask?"

"About Rose?" Scorpius nodded. "Erm, just something I've noticed. I've known you for a couple years, and I know Posie like she's my own sister. Whenever you look at her, your jaw tenses up a little. Like maybe you're mad? And she keeps storming away."

"Rose and I fight occasionally, but it's never big." Scorpius shrugged. "Don't worry about it, Lil. Nothing's up, I swear."

"Maybe she likes you."

Scorpius' breath caught in his throat and he coughed loudly. Lily stared at him in alarm.

"W-why would y-you say that?" He asked, his shoulders shuddering in between coughs.

"Kidding," Lily said, her eyebrows rising so high he thought they might disappear into her hairline. "Just…taking the mick."

"Yeah," Scorpius coughed, wheezing slightly. "For sure. Joking. Makes sense."

Lily smiled at him, and the wind blew just at that moment. Her long, straight hair blew out around her, and a leaf caught in the end of the strands.

"You've got…" Scorpius reached out and plucked the leaf from her hair. Lily laughed, and reached out and plucked a leaf from his own hair.

"You too."

"Thanks."

"Yeah." Lily settled back against the tree and closed her eyes. Her hand brushed his as she put her hands down on the ground, and Scorpius' skin tingled. She left her pinkie against his, until Al emerged from the lake, his hair soaking wet after he had chased Jaclyn into the water. Scorpius felt a seed of guilt in his stomach, but given that Rose didn't return his feelings, he supposed he shouldn't feel guilty at all.