They were indeed several minutes late to the Prefects' briefing, but Professor Millew waved away their apologies with a smile. Almost as if by remote control, Rose and Scorpius separated the moment they walked in, each of them taking their usual seats as far apart as possible from one another. Charlie Corner, a sixth year Ravenclaw Prefect, gave her a nod and a smile when she sat next to him, which she returned. Other than that nobody paid her much attention as they waited for the meeting to commence.

"Welcome, Prefects, to another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Professor Millew was a short, stern looking witch, with a bob of grey hair and bright blue eyes. Her robes were always crisp and immaculate and smelt of fresh laundering. She had taken over from Professor McGonagall in Transfiguration when the former had been appointed Headmistress. "I trust your summers were enjoyable and productive?"

There was murmured agreement. Rose was purposely avoiding looking at Scorpius, who had sat next to his female Prefect counterpart, Flora Bletchley, and was whispering something in her ear to make her giggle.

"Very good," remarked Professor Millew primly. "Of course, the usual rules and procedures apply this year as always. Sixth years, I expect you all to help the fifth year Prefects adjust to their roles and assist them in any way they require. And of course we should congratulate our new Head Boy and Girl, Eliza Macmillan and Todd Sprout."

There was polite applause. Rose didn't know either Head very well, but she smiled at them encouragingly all the same. Maybe, just maybe, that would be her next year…

"Seeing as the horrific and apparently unprovoked attack on Hunter Macnair moments ago has made this rather topical, I may as well begin with the most important announcement of the year." Rose, who had only been half-listening, turned her full attention to the teacher, as did the rest of the Prefects. News of the attack must have spread like fiendfyre through the train, as none of them seemed the slightest bit confused at the mention of Macnair. "The Headmistress has decided that this year, in order to foster harmony between the four Houses of Hogwarts, and prevent outbreaks of prejudice, each Prefect should be paired with a Prefect from another House for weekly lessons in tolerance and understanding."

There was a long silence as the students absorbed this information. Some of them looked scared, others annoyed. Rose was staring incredulously at the Professor. Weekly classes? On top of everything else she had to do? Surely it was some kind of joke…

"We've prepared a list with the pairs of students," continued Professor Millew, and with a wave of her wand she conjured a list of names in each Prefect's hands. "As Prefects you will be required to set a good example to the rest of the school with respect to inter-House harmony. We hope," she gave them all a penetrating look, "to prevent any more attacks or fights between the Houses."

But Rose had stopped listening. She was staring at the parchment in her hand with a mixture of horror, anger, and a growing sense of hysteria. Her own name glared up at her in elegant, loopy handwriting, while opposite it were the words she had been dreading…Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy.

"No," she said out loud, and the entire room fell silent, looking at her. She blushed. "I mean – uh…" she could see Scorpius looking at her with a blank expression, and she knew that he knew exactly why she had spoken. For some reason that made her feel worse than all the curious eyes already focused on her.

"Is something wrong, Miss Weasley?" asked Professor Millew.

Rose shook her head vigorously. As much as she couldn't even begin to contemplate weekly 'lessons' with Malfoy, she wasn't cruel enough to say that in front of everyone. Although she had an awful feeling that most of the Prefects had figured it out for themselves already, as there were a great many meaningful looks being sent around the room. Scorpius was staring out the window, his jaw tight.

"Very well then, if no one else has any interruptions to make, I'll continue with what I was saying. It is up to the individual pairs to arrange a time to meet each week. The meetings will not be supervised, but the Headmistress expects a full report at the end of the year detailing what lessons have been learnt. If the trial proves successful, the program may be extended to other students, so it is imperative that everyone here makes a full and genuine effort to engage themselves with the spirit of the exercise." Rose could have sworn the Professor's eyes flicked in her direction as she said this.

It was no matter, she told herself, as the conversation moved on to more mundane things, such as patrol schedules and the updated list of banned and restricted items. She would simply have to go and talk to Professor McGonagall. In fact, she could do that as soon as she got to Hogwarts, and explain that she and Scorpius couldn't possibly be partnered for this experiment. They were just too…incompatible. Yes, that would solve it. Then she could go back to ignoring him as usual.

"No, Miss Weasley."

"But Professor – "

"The answer is no." McGonagall shuffled a pile of papers on her desk in a dismissive manner. "And it will not change."

Rose looked at her Headmistress in exasperation. After more than 70 years of teaching at Hogwarts, she was a wiry, wizened witch, with a tight bun of grey hair and a heavily lined but still formidable visage. In her age she had shrunk somewhat, and there were deep grooves etched around her mouth and eyes. This did not, however, make her any less intimidating to the students.

"The situation between Mr Malfoy and yourself is a perfect example of why these measures are necessary to begin with. Two exemplary, talented students bearing such a grudge should not be tolerated."

"But his father – "

"I think," McGonagall interrupted her, nostrils flaring, and Rose knew she was close to pushing her Headmistress too far. "That I know a little bit more about Draco Malfoy than yourself, Miss Weasley. Or have you forgotten that I taught both Draco and your parents during their time at Hogwarts?"

Rose shook her head. She had not forgotten. Her parents – in particular her father – were full of stories involving the terror of an angered Professor McGonagall. It seemed as if she were now experiencing it firsthand.

"My dear," McGonagall pinched the bridge of her nose tiredly. It was very late, after all. Rose had had to wait until after the Sorting, the Feast, and then the helping of the first years to Gryffindor Tower, before she was free to come and plead her case against being paired with Scorpius. From the looks of it, she needn't have bothered. "I understand the history between your parents and Malfoy's, honestly I do." She held up a hand before Rose could interrupt. "But on this issue I'm afraid I simply cannot compromise. You must know that both you and Scorpius are in serious contention for the positions of Head Boy and Girl next year?"

Rose opened her mouth and then closed it again, unable to think of anything to say. She was simultaneously delighted at hearing she was being considered, and horrified that Scorpius was as well. Did he really have to match her in everything?

"And, as you are also well aware," continued McGonagall. "It's customary for the Head Boy and Girl to share their own private common room, separate from the other Houses. So, it is of utmost importance that both you and Mr Malfoy learn to get along with one another. Just in case."

"But I really can't stand him!" cried Rose petulantly, feeling somewhat like a petulant child that's been told to go to bed. She knew she was being unreasonable, but her mind was full of the prospect of a thousand weekly lessons with Scorpius, his handsome, cocky face, his smirk, his smart-aleck replies, his –

"Well, Miss Weasley, there are many people I 'can't stand' with whom I still interact on a day to day basis," sniffed McGonagall. "It is all part of growing up and becoming a responsible member of the Wizarding community. And you never know, you might actually learn something in the process." She waved her hand and the door swung open. "Good night Rose."

"Quite right too," she heard Phineas Nigellus exclaim from his portrait on the wall, as she slouched resignedly out of the office and down the revolving stone staircase. "An excellent young wizard, is Scorpius. A true credit to his family."

Rose rolled her eyes. Oh, it was going to be a long year.

Despite the inconvenience of the latest scheme at promoting inter-House unity by the Headmistress, and her unfortunate pairing for it, Rose was more than glad to be back at Hogwarts for another year. She felt comfortable and at home in the castle, especially now that she knew her way around all the useful shortcuts, and was on good terms with her teachers and most of her fellow classmates (excluding a few unsavoury Slytherins). It was a home away from home and she was glad of every familiar sight, from Nearly Headless Nick floating serenely past to Hagrid striding across the grounds, to the eccentric portraits on the walls and the gaggles of students, both old and new, filling the corridors.

Currently she was in Charms, listening as Professor Spitflick instructed them all on the correct movement to conjure a water stream from their wands. She already knew the theory from reading the textbook over summer, and was simply waiting for a chance to practice. Eventually, the Professor instructed them to pair up and begin attempting it amongst themselves. Rose turned instinctively to Dominique, when a masculine voice cut across her.

"Partner, Rose?" someone who wasn't her cousin asked from her other side. She turned to see Charlie Corner, the Ravenclaw Prefect who had smiled at her on the train, looking at her with a hopeful smile. Dom nudged her unsubtly in the ribs and turned to partner with Daisy Hopkins, leaving Rose somewhat perplexed as to what was going on.

"Umm, sure," she said, and picked up from her wand from the table. Charlie grinned warmly and did the same.

"I hope you don't mind," he said as they positioned their wand tips above the bowls Professor Spitflick had conjured for them. "It's just, you're the smartest witch in our year, and…well, I wanted to practice with the best."

Rose blushed at his compliment. Looking past Charlie, she caught the eye of Lorcan Scamander, her old Ravenclaw friend. They had grown apart a little in the previous year, mostly from an increased work load and not having as much time to socialise outside of their Houses, but Rose still considered him a good friend. So she was surprised to find him looking less than pleased with her. She shot him a questioning look but he merely scowled and turned back to his partner.

"What's wrong?" asked Charlie, catching her confused expression. His eyebrows drew together in a concerned frown.

"Oh, nothing," she shook her head and focused on the task. "Aguamenti," she said, copying the movements the Professor had shown them earlier with careful precision. To her displeasure, only a brief spurt of water shot out, spraying so strongly it overshot the bowl and spilled onto the table. Rose clicked her tongue in annoyance. It was more than most of the class had managed so far, but she knew she could have done better if she'd concentrated harder. Curse Lorcan and his strange attitude.

"Hey, that's really good," said Charlie encouragingly, trying himself and managing the smallest trickle, just three drops. He grimaced and swept his dark brown hair off of his forehead. They took turns for a while in silence.

"So, have you started your lessons yet?"

It took Rose a while to figure out what he was talking about. Then she remembered; the inter-House Harmony lessons. "Uh, not yet," she said guiltily. Truth be told, she had been avoiding thinking about it. She and Scorpius were ignoring each other as usual, and she saw no reason to disturb that until it was absolutely necessary. "We're just…waiting for the opportune moment."

Charlie laughed. "Yeah? They're not much fun, huh? Who are you partnered with?"

"Malfoy." She attempted another stream and got a slightly gentler spurt of water than before.

"Really?" Charlie's eyebrows shot up. "That's too bad. He's such a jerk."

Rose gave a noncommittal shrug. Even though she agreed, she wasn't really comfortable bagging on Scorpius with a guy she barely knew.

Charlie seemed oblivious to her hesitation. "He thinks he's better than everybody else just because his family's got a lot of money," he said spitefully. "You'd think after what his dad did in the war that he'd have a bit of humility, but he still thinks he's top – hey, you did it!"

Rose gave a smug smile as she watched the crystal clear water stream smoothly out of her wand and into the bowl. Looking around, she saw that she was the first to have perfected it, and allowed herself a moment of self-congratulation. Mostly, she was just glad to have stopped Charlie from discussing Scorpius. He was more interested in praising her now and seemed to have forgotten about Malfoy.

"Oh well done Miss Weasley," beamed Professor Spitflick, approaching their table and clapping enthusiastically. "Ten points to Gryffindor for succeeding so quickly. Now you can help Mr Corner with his technique. You're nearly there, boy, it's just the last flick that's troubling you," he informed Charlie, before bouncing over to inspect Dom and Daisy.

They continued on in practising for a while, before Charlie spoke again. "So…I hear your little brother's playing Beater for Gryffindor this year," he said conversationally, swiping a little too vigorously with his wand and sending a splash of water in her direction. "Oh man, I'm so sorry, here," he used a corner of his robe to dab at her arm.

"It's okay," she said, waving away his apologies with a smile. "Yeah, Hugo tried out on the weekend. I'm glad he got in, he's been practising all summer."

"Well, lucky for him his cousin is Captain huh?" said Charlie. "That certainly makes it easier."

She regarded him coldly. "You think he only got in because of James?" she asked in a frosty voice. Charlie flushed.

"Uh…no, of course not," he said quickly. "So, uh…do you like Quidditch."

"It's alright," she said, deciding to let his jibe pass. "My family's just a little obsessed, that's all. At least our dad will be happy, to see his son following his footsteps."

Charlie nodded. "You know my dad went out with your aunt," he said after a bit. When Rose just stared at him blankly he added, "Your dad's sister, Ginny."

"No way!" she exclaimed, attracting the attention of the Professor. Quickly, she lowered her voice. "I never knew that."

"Yeah, it was during fifth year," he said, seemingly relieved to have moved the conversation on to a different topic. "Only for a few month though. It was when they were both in Dumbledore's Army. My dad says your dad didn't like him because he was dating his sister."

Rose laughed. "Yeah, that sounds like my dad. He can be a bit over-protective."

"Guess he'd give any guy who thought about dating you a pretty hard time, hey?" there was something about Charlie's question that made Rose's heart skip a beat. She fiddled with her wand, suddenly nervous.

"It depends. Are you a pureblood?"

"Nope," said Charlie.

"Well, you're probably alright then," she forced a smile. Charlie laughed and went back to practicing his spell. It took him until nearly the end of class until he had fully mastered it, along with around half the students. Dom was still having trouble getting her stream to last for more than a few seconds, and Peoria hadn't managed to get anything at all – she was banging her wand on the table and proclaiming loudly to anyone who would listen that she needed a new one. Rose chanced a glance over at Lorcan, but he wasn't looking at her and still seemed to be angry about something.

At that moment the bell rang to signal the end of class. Professor Spitflick vanished all the bowls with a wave of his wand and ordered them to read the necessary chapter in their textbook on conjuring liquids before the next class. "Guess this is where I leave you," said Charlie, with a self-conscious smile as they started to pack up. "I'll – I'll see you round then." He half turned to go before abruptly stopping, as if he'd remembered something. "Um, actually Rose, what – what are you doing next Hogsmeade weekend?"

Rose immediately felt her cheeks start to redden, and cursed herself for always blushing at the worst moments. "Nothing," she mumbled, trying for a mix between friendly and nonchalant.

Charlie seemed to relax a little at her words. "Okay, cool. So, did you…did you want to go to Hogsmeade with me next time we're allowed? We could get a butterbeer or – or visit the Shrieking Shack or…whatever you'd like." He looked at her nervously, and Rose found herself wanting to say yes.

"That would be really nice," she said, her heart fluttering when his face broke into a broad grin at her words.

"Awesome! I mean, uh, that's great. Well, I'll – I'll see you round," he walked backwards for a few steps, nearly tripping over a chair, gave her a half wave, then really did turn and begin walking away. Rose stayed where she was until he had left the classroom, then let out the breath she had been holding with relief. She was fairly sure – certain, in fact – that she had just been asked out on a date. She felt like squealing in excitement as she hurried to meet Dom, who was waiting for her at the door.

"Tell me," her cousin demanded as soon as they were in the corridor. "Tell me everything."

"It was nothing," said Rose, blushing. Catching Dom's infuriated expression, she smiled. "He just wanted me to go to Hogsmeade with him."

"Are you serious?" Dom squealed so loudly that a pair of first years scurrying past jumped in fright. "And you said yes, right?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Oh, I am so jealous," announced Dom dramatically. "Charlie Corner is the cutest Ravenclaw in school, now that Calvin's gone," she grinned and tossed her hair behind her shoulder, causing a few of the boys passing by to stop dead in their tracks.

Rose was about to reply when she caught sight of a group of Slytherins walking in the opposite direction towards them. Before she could stop herself, she had sought out the blonde in the centre, her blue eyes locking onto his grey ones. His expression was perfectly indifferent, and he broke her gaze after only a second, but Rose couldn't help the feeling of unease in her stomach, as if she just eaten something unpleasant. She shook her head to clear it. She was just imagining things.

"What's wrong?" asked Dominique. She swivelled around, trying to see what had caught Rose's attention, but Scorpius and his group had walked past them and Rose was looking fixedly ahead of her, giving nothing away.

"Nothing," she said, ignoring the churning in her gut. "Nothing at all."