She wasn't going to 'unpromise' Charlie. This Rose had been adamant about since her conversation with Scorpius earlier in the week. She didn't give in to cheap threats and outrage, and she wasn't going to be bullied into doing something that she didn't want to do, especially when he hadn't even had the decency to ask her politely.

If he wanted to discuss it civilly he could. But so far Scorpius had shown no indication of wanting to talk to her ever again. He seemed to have decided to ignore her until he found out that she had told Charlie their plan was off – and, since she wasn't going to do that, it looked as though he would be ignoring her for a while yet.

Rose woke up Saturday morning of the Hogsmeade weekend feeling decidedly foul-tempered. It wasn't as though she even wanted to go to Hogsmeade with Charlie, she thought grumpily, pulling on stockings underneath her robes with more force than was strictly necessary. It had just become a matter of principle, and she refused to give in to Scorpius' forceful demands. So now she was stuck with the ridiculous situation of going on a date with a boy she didn't even like, while the boy she did like treated her as though she didn't exist. Rose picked up her comb and ran it through her hair, hit a snag, then threw it away again with a growl of frustration.

Dom, who had been standing in front of the mirror preening her already flawless appearance for at least ten minutes, turned around and gave her an exasperated look.

"What's up with you?" she tossed her hair to one side and examined the effect. "You're moodier than my dad on the full moon."

"Just…nothing," she deflected sullenly. "Why are you so happy?"

Dom smiled brightly, and Rose could tell she had been waiting to be asked. "Oh, didn't I tell you? Calvin's coming up to visit me."

"That's great," she forced herself to say, albeit with minimal enthusiasm. What it really meant was that Dom wouldn't be available to spend the entire day with her, thus necessitating some alone time with Charlie. But there wasn't much point in bringing that up.

"I know," said Dom, oblivious to Rose's scowling. "I mean, at first I was devastated, because I thought he wouldn't be able to make it. Which would have been totally unacceptable. I mean, what sort of couple spends Valentine's Day on opposite sides of the country, especially when it takes literally seconds to Apparate? Well, I mean, for him anyway, since I still haven't passed my test," Dom giggled, before catching sight of Rose's reflection in the mirror. "What?"

Rose was gaping at her cousin with a mixture of shock, disbelief, and hysteria. She was so stupid! How could she have forgotten…Rose gripped the side of the bed to stop from compulsively hitting her head against the stone wall.

Dom was looking at her concernedly now. "What happened?"

"Of course!" she exclaimed loudly, as everything seemed to click together in her mind, several days too late. She smacked her hand against her forehead in frustration.

"Okay, you're seriously starting to freak me out," said Dom, but Rose wasn't paying her any attention. She leapt off the bed and began to pace.

"The fourteenth. The fourteenth! How could I have been so stupid?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, I knew it was coming up, but I didn't know it was this weekend!"

"What are you talking about?"

"And for that matter," stormed Rose, rounding on Dom with her hands on her hips. "Why didn't you remind me? What sort of a friend lets their best friend completely forget all about Valentine's Day?"

Comprehension dawned in Dom's wide blue eyes, and for a moment she looked surprised. Then she shrugged. "I don't know," she said, turning back to the mirror and resuming her preening. "I'm sure I mentioned it. And didn't you notice when Daisy got that singing dwarf from Malachy McLaggen?"

Rose frowned – she hadn't noticed that at all. Could she really have been so preoccupied all week? Okay, so she had been keeping an unusually close eye on Scorpius to gauge how angry he was with her, but that hadn't occupied all of her brainpower! Had it?

She sat down heavily on the bed again, and put her head in her hands. "No wonder he was angry," she said to no one in particular. Scorpius must have thought she was going on a Valentine's date with Charlie, when that was about as far from her intention as it could get. Well, she thought angrily, why hadn't he told her his suspicions, so she could set him straight? Rather than just jumping to conclusions like some kind of…of –

"Who's angry? Charlie?"

Rose gave a humourless laugh. "Why would Charlie be angry?" Indeed, he'd got a Valentine's date out of her against all her wishes. Speaking of that, why hadn't he said anything? Or Lorcan? Clearly she couldn't rely on any of her friends for information.

"Well, I don't know," said Dom breezily, apparently unconcerned by her friend's sudden outburst. "You're not making any sense to me. What does it matter if it's Valentine's Day or not? Unless you're hoping to get stuck under some mistletoe with Charlie?"

"Ha-ha," she deadpanned, making a mental note to stay well away from any mistletoe that might be hanging around Hogsmeade.

Dom flicked her hair one last time before pirouetting away from the mirror. "Anyway, hurry up and get ready, or we're going to be late. You said you'd meet Charlie at ten, right?"

She supposed it was too late to cancel now – it would look strange and besides, Scorpius was already angry with her. There was nothing for it but to stomach the unpleasantness and get the whole thing over with. After all, thought Rose, as she wrestled even more unenthusiastically with her comb before giving it up as a bad job, it was only a stupid day. It didn't mean anything.

"Alright," she said, throwing on her scarf and pocketing a pair of mittens in her jacket pocket. It had stopped snowing earlier in the week, but the clouds were still a threatening sort of grey and she didn't want to take the risk of getting caught out. "Let's go then."

"Fine with me," said Dom with a smile. They laced arms and marched out of the bedroom together, Rose with a very ominous feeling in the pit of her stomach.

She supposed it wasn't going so badly, after all. Rose found herself smiling as they approached the small Antiques shop that marked the entrance to Hogsmeade village. In all the turmoil with Scorpius, she had somehow forgotten that Charlie was actually fairly decent company. They had been talking easily about a wide variety of subjects the whole way from Hogwarts, and she hadn't really noticed the time pass, or any of the awkward pauses she normally associated with bad dates. A lot of that was thanks to Dom, who babbled away incessantly on any topic that was brought up. Her good mood was infectious, and Rose found it difficult to be too broody about the turn of events.

When they reached the Main Street, Dom immediately suggested a visit to the Three Broomsticks, where she was planning to meet up with her family for lunch. Rose agreed, eager to keep a crowd around them for as long as possible, as she was sure it was Charlie's intention to ask her for a private walk, eventually. He had been nothing but casual since they met up in the Entrance Hall, but she had noticed how keenly he watched her when he thought she wasn't looking.

As she had expected, the pub was full of Hogwarts students and teachers, enjoying the first Hogsmeade weekend on offer. It was, as usual, noisy and crowded and filled with the strong scent of spiced mead. What wasn't usual was the large amount of confetti that seemed to smother everything.

"What's this?" she asked, rubbing a few pale pink hearts off her shoulder where they had floated down from the ceiling. "Why is there confetti everywhere?"

Dom gave her an exasperated look. "I told you already, silly, it's Valentine's Day."

"Oh," said Rose heavily, looking around at the many happy couples, singing dwarves, and bouquets of roses and mistletoe that she hadn't noticed at first, and feeling her heart sink. Suddenly the atmosphere in the pub seemed a lot less inviting. She glared furiously at a rather muscular cupid who appeared to be sizing her up with his bow and arrow, holding his gaze until he shrugged and slouched away. "Right."

Dom didn't notice her reaction. She had been standing on tiptoes scanning the crowded pub, but now slumped dramatically. "Calvin's not here."

Neither was Scorpius. Rose was beginning to feel sick – she was getting lots of sly looks from fellow students, most of them younger than her, that suggested news of her and Charlie's 'date' was going to be hot gossip around Hogwarts next week. Of course most would assume that the guy you went to Hogsmeade with on Valentine's Day was your romantic interest, and there was really no way to correct their suspicions. No wonder Scorpius hadn't wanted her to go.

"Rose?" Charlie touched her hand and she jumped, nearly knocking over a bar stall. "Um…shall we sit down?" he asked gently, looking at her as though afraid she might explode at any second.

"Yes, yes let's sit down," she said, grasping Dom's hand and striding purposefully towards the back of the pub, her eyes fixed on a spare table that had just been vacated by a seventh-year couple.

It took her a moment, after sitting down gratefully and glaring daggers at a small gaggle of third years until they looked away, to realise that only her cousin had followed her. "Where's Charlie?"

Dom grinned at her. "He's buying drinks. What a sweetie," she put her hands together flirtatiously and quirked her eyebrows. "There's mistletoe just over there," she whispered, pointing to a large clump of the plant hanging in the corner behind them.

Rose dragged her chair closer to the table instinctively. "When are you meeting Calvin?" she asked just for something to say.

"He said he'd be here sometime around lunch," said Dom with a pout. "But I have to meet Mum and Victoire first, and fuss about wedding dresses. Honestly, it's going to be a nightmare."

"Why?"

"Well," Dom took a deep breath, "Mum wants Vic to wear the same dress she did for her wedding, but Victoire doesn't like it, she thinks it's too plain, and that it won't suit her figure, which I kind of agree with, you know, because Vic's taller than Mum and her waist is smaller and if she wears that old dress she'll probably look like a tree, but then again it really sets off her complexion and…"

Her cousin meandered off into wedding details, which allowed Rose a good opportunity to let her mind wander, occasionally nodding or saying 'uh huh' to keep Dom's commentary from faltering. Most of it she had heard before anyway. Inevitably, after only a few moments, she couldn't help her thoughts from turning to Scorpius. Where was he? Had he come to Hogsmeade? She hadn't seen either he or Albus in the line traipsing past Filch, but that didn't mean they wouldn't come later. Would they pass through the Three Broomsticks? Albus usually spent most of his time in Hogsmeade stocking up on joke supplies at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, but they would surely come here for lunch. Or would Scorpius want to avoid it because he knew she was here, with Charlie? Did he know she was here? Rose wondered if Flora Bletchley would be accompanying them – her gut squirmed uncomfortably at the thought.

"….and I was like, if the bows are that big, they'll overshadow the bouquet, and if you have them in silk, they'll wilt by halfway through the – oh, thanks Charlie!" Rose's head snapped up and she saw Charlie standing sheepishly in front of them, juggling three glasses of butterbeer.

"So you're having a wedding, huh?" he asked, setting the drinks down and pulling up a chair. "Whose is it?"

"My sister's," said Dom, brightening at the prospect of another person to join in her discussion. "She's marrying Teddy Lupin."

"Cool," he said, shooting Rose a quick, nervous grin, as though afraid she was mad at him. She forced herself to smile in return. "So when's it gonna be?"

Rose could tell when Fleur and Victoire arrived because the entire pub went silent, a sort of hushed awe at such concentrated beauty. The ripple started at the door the same time as the bell tinkled, and then spread slowly throughout the pub. Most people recovered after a few seconds, and resumed their conversations, although a few of the younger boys remained unable to tear their eyes away, including one unfortunate soul behind the bar who held an already overflowing mug of ale under the tap until Madam Rosmerta smacked him roughly on the back of the head. Rose had to admit, seeing Fleur, Victoire, and Dom all together certainly had a blinding effect – it was almost like trying to stare directly at the sun.

"'Ello, lovelies," said Fleur affectionately, weaving her way to the back of the pub and kissing them each on both cheeks, completely oblivious to the attention she was drawing. "'Ow are you, Dom, Rose…and, 'oo is this?" She turned her large blue eyes to Charlie, who could merely splutter incoherently in response.

"This is Charlie, Aunt Fleur," said Rose, when it became clear he was not going to be able to speak for himself. "Charlie Corner."

"Enchanté," said Fleur demurely.

Victoire, meanwhile, had sat herself at the table and helped herself to Dom's butterbeer.

"Wedding's going to be a complete disaster," she announced dramatically, unwittingly echoing her sister from earlier. "Only four months left and I still can't decide on a colour for the bridesmaids. How can I find a colour that compliments a blonde, a brunette, and two different shades of redhead at the same time? It's completely impossible!"

Rose, who happened to be one of these maligned bridesmaids, took a large sip of butterbeer to hide her smirk. It was a well-known source of family angst for the Delacours to have to dress so many redheads, and had been since Fleur's own wedding over twenty years ago.

"Where is Louis?" asked Fleur, her eyes sweeping the pub. There was no sign of any of the rest of the family. "'E said 'e would meet us 'ere at twelve."

"He'll be here," said Dom lazily, swiping her drink back from Victoire. "I'm more interested in where Calvin is," she said in a sulky undertone to Rose. "He's late."

"He'll be here as well," Rose replied automatically. After all, it was Valentine's Day. Despite her best efforts, she found herself scanning the crowded street outside, where there was no sign of either Albus' dark head of hair or Scorpius' blonde one. But there was nobody she could ask about their whereabouts, and even if there was, they certainly wouldn't be able to provide her with any sort of reassurance.

Charlie was still gaping at Fleur and Victoire with his mouth open. Rose wanted to kick him underneath the table – honestly, it wasn't that much of a surprise, was it? Everyone knew Dom and her family were part-Veela.

"So…how is Uncle Bill?" she asked loudly, hoping to steer the conversation onto more mundane topics.

"'E is well," gushed Fleur, perking up immediately. "Although those Goblins work 'im much too 'ard. 'E is too talented for 'is own good, I 'ave always said this."

Rose grinned. She always enjoyed hearing Fleur fawning over her husband, especially after learning from her parents that when the two first started dating many thought the attraction was purely physical and wouldn't last. And yet here they still were, as in love as ever, even after so many years. Proving everybody wrong.

Charlie seemed to be recovering. He took a large gulp of butterbeer, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Heard…lots…my father," he mumbled, before busying himself in studying a nearby singing dwarf.

"Ooh, guest list, let me see!" squealed Dom, snatching a piece of parchment out of Victoire's hand that she had just fished from her handbag. Rose leant across the table and scanned the long list of names quickly, recognising most of them besides a few obscure French names that were no doubt distant Veela cousins. Her heart rate suddenly picked up when she reached about halfway down the page.

"Malfoy?" said Dom, at the same time Rose opened her mouth to say the exact same thing. "Why would you invite him?"

Victoire shrugged. "He's Teddy's cousin," she said, as if that settled the matter. Rose scrunched up her face in confusion for a moment, trying to work out the connection, before she remembered. Of course, their grandmothers were sisters. How very strange.

"Yeah, but…he won't want to come," said Dom petulantly. "We're all blood traitors, remember?"

"But doesn't he hang around with Albus at school?" asked Victoire, looking to Rose for confirmation. "Why would he do that if he's such a – "

"The thing you should know about Malfoy," interjected Charlie superciliously. "Is that he has a very over-inflated opinion of himself, even though this is completely without justification. He likes to hang out with people who are famous, which is why he chose Albus as a friend, but he's just as prejudiced about blood as his father was, and – ow!"

Rose skidded backwards in her chair, her heart racing, and let go of her wand, which she had been gripping unconsciously in her robe pocket. It had been a while since she had lost control of her magic like that. She glanced apologetically at Charlie, who was rubbing his thigh where the sparks had burned him through his robes, and blushed.

"Sorry," she mumbled, aware of all the eyes on her, including several of the people seated nearby. She stood up, suddenly desperate to get away. "Um, I'm gonna go outside for a minute."

"You want me to come?" asked Dom, half rising from her seat, but Rose shook her head hurriedly.

"No, no you stay there. Calvin'll be coming soon. I'll just…be back in a minute," she gave them another strained smile before turning and walking out of the crowded pub, keeping her eyes fixed in front of her and forcing herself to ignore the many curious stares being sent her way.