Her father returned home in the early hours of the morning. Rose was still awake when she heard him come in; she had been staring at the ceiling for hours, unable to sleep, her mind going over and over the events of the previous evening. At the sound of his voice she slipped quietly out of bed and padded to the door, opening it a fraction so that she could hear her parents' voices filtering up the stairs.

"… completely cleared out," she heard her father say, his voice tinged with exhaustion. "No sign of him, must have apparated out the moment he got home. We contacted International Floo, but they're saying there's no trace of him." He sighed and Rose heard the chair creak as he sat down. "Harry made me come home."

"I don't blame him," her mother commented. "You look terrible."

"I can't believe I didn't listen to her, 'Mione," Ron went on, sounding older and sadder than Rose had ever heard him. "She tried to tell me, and I just – and now that bastard's got away, and I – "

"They'll catch him," Hermione cut in crisply. "He won't get away for long. But I do agree that you owe Rose an apology. And I think you owe someone else one as well."

There was a tense silence. "I just can't believe… " Ron began, and Rose could hear the glower in her father's voice. "My baby girl. With a Malfoy. Am I being punished? Is this some kind of sick joke the universe is playing on me, matching my daughter with – with one of them?"

Hermione clicked of her tongue. "Oh don't be so melodramatic, Ron! He seems like a lovely young man – "

"You wouldn't be saying that if you'd walked in on him with his paws all over Rose on the dining table – "

"And have you forgotten all the things you got up to when you were sixteen?" asked Hermione heatedly. "Rose is almost seventeen, she's not a baby anymore! You've got to let her grow up."

Ron sighed heavily. "I know," he muttered. "But she's not exactly making it easy. Of all the boys in Hogwarts, why did she have to choose him?"

Blocking out her mother's hissed response, Rose turned and crept back into her bedroom, not wanting to hear any more. The door shut behind her with a soft click, and for a moment she swayed where she stood, unable to face the prospect of the new day peeking through her drawn curtains. Her bed seemed miles away but somehow she managed to shuffle over to it, sinking onto the mattress and squeezing her eyes shut against the hazy grey light of dawn.

They hadn't caught Cheren, then. The thought of him wandering free made her feel sick, but she wasn't sure she had ever expected anything different. Her brow furrowed as she replayed the events of the previous evening. None of it made any sense. Why had he come to the wedding, when he must have known she would be there? Had her other attackers been there was well, mingling in the crowd like ordinary guests? Were they planning something? Her mind churned with possibilities, each more terrifying than the last. Rose shivered and burrowed deeper in her quilts. Despite the balminess of the night, she suddenly felt very cold.

She slept late into the day, and none of her family came to disturb her. Even after she woke, she lay for a long time in silence, listening to the noises drifting through the walls. She could hear someone poking around in the kitchen; probably her mother. The rest of the house was quiet.

Eventually she could delay no more, and dragging herself out of bed she shuffled over to her writing desk and pulled out a parchment and ink. She needed to write to Scorpius, to make sure that he was okay. In the turmoil over her own father she had almost forgotten that Draco had discovered them as well. But the memory of his face as he ordered Scorpius to leave chilled her, and she couldn't rest any longer until she knew for certain that he was alright.

Pig wasn't in his cage. Rose stared at the blank page before her, her fingers twitching around a quill as her mind wandered inevitably back to Scorpius. She barely knew where to start. It had only been a few hours since she was on that table, his body pressing down on her, his hands… Rose blinked. She knew that if her father hadn't interrupted them things would have quickly spiralled out of control. And, in reflection, she didn't know whether she would have minded – in fact, she was fairly certain the emotion churning within her as he had pulled away had been disappointment, not shame. That was a message she couldn't ignore, no matter how much it might displease her family.

Scorpius, she began, the ink shining as it caught a ray of sunlight filtering from between the curtains. It was a glorious summer day outside, filled with light and promise.

I hope your father wasn't too angry at you…

She crinkled her nose. That was a foolish hope. A more accurate sentiment would be, I hope your father doesn't murder you and dispose of your body in the backyard.

My own dad is feeling so guilty about not listening to me that I don't think he can possibly give me a lecture about our relationship.

This was true. Rose had already decided that no matter what, she wasn't going to let her dad lecture her about Scorpius. Her mind was made up and he wasn't going to change it.

That was a pretty terrible end to the night. But at least Victoire and Teddy were happy. Anyway, it's not a proper Weasley get-together without drama, so I doubt anyone really minds.

That was a blatant lie. Judging by the expressions on James' and Fred's faces, they most certainly minded. And Dom didn't appear to be getting over it any time soon. Never mind her Uncle George or Uncle Harry or all the rest of the family, who would most definitely know by now.

I really hope your own family doesn't give you too hard of a time. I meant what I said last night Scorpius. I love you.

She took a deep breath and forced herself not to vanish that last sentence with her wand. She had said it last night, and she had meant it. And he had said it too. That thought alone gave her enough courage to keep the words there.

Write me back as soon as you can, so I don't worry that your father has locked you in a dungeon or something. I hope I see you soon. Love, Rose.

Rose sat back and re-read what she had written. It was hardly profound, exhaustion and worry having effectively robbed her of her eloquence. But it would have to do, because she didn't have the patience to write anything more until she had a reply.

Pig had returned while she wrote, and now fluttered erratically around her head, no doubt sensing that he was required. Swallowing her unease, Rose rolled up the scroll and tied it to her owl's leg.

"Take this to Malfoy Manor," she instructed him, and Pig gave her finger an affectionate nip. Then he was off in a blur of feathers and excited chirping, through the open window and into the blue sky.

There was a soft knock on the door. Rose stiffened, waiting for whoever it was to speak.

"Rose?" Her mother called at last in a tentative voice. "Honey, are you awake?"

Rose opened her mouth, hesitated, then closed it again without a word. She sat still and silent until she heard her mother sigh and move away back down the stairs. Then she crept back to her bed and scurried under her covers once more.

The days passed. Rose spent most of the time in her room, reading or preparing for her upcoming final year at Hogwarts. Since her seventeenth birthday was still two months away, she remained forbidden from using magic at home; but that had never stopped her from studying before, and now more than ever she was desperate for the distraction, seeking out a haven of books and study notes to ease the slow passing of time without news.

Her parents didn't talk to her about David Cheren, but from the snippets of conversation she overheard she gathered that he was still on the run. That and the fact that she imagined his arrest would be the first thing they told her about. Her Uncle Harry came round once or twice, looking as worn-out as her own father, and a pair of Ministry officials arrived to interview her over lunch one day; but there was no sign of any breakthrough.

There had been no reply from Scorpius. Rose tried not to let this bother her – he was no doubt very busy, and perhaps he didn't want to antagonise his father any further by writing to her. She tried to console herself that it was only a few weeks until they would be back at school, and then they could work out what to do together free from parental interference. Her own father scowled darkly on the rare occasion the conversation drifted near to any mention of Scorpius, and so she could only imagine how Draco was reacting. It seemed all they could do was wait for the sanctuary of Hogwarts. Never before had summer seemed to drag so long; she counted down the days with agonising impatience.

It was the matter of Scorpius' reply that was occupying her mind the morning that the post from Hogwarts arrived at their home. Rose was seated with her brother at the breakfast table, poking miserably at a now soggy bowl of cereal and wondering for the hundredth time whether she should send another letter to Malfoy Manor, when Hugo's head perked up moments before a loud tapping shattered her inner wrangling. Rose glanced up, saw the pair of tawny owls perched on the windowsill, and went back to her breakfast with a sigh. She felt more than saw the glare her brother sent her way as he scraped his chair back to go and open the window.

"Guess these are the book lists," he noted as he relieved the birds of their burdens and walked back to the table. He dropped the letter marked 'Rose' besides her bowl, before tearing open his own. "Oh, wow."

"What is it?" she asked, not even bothering to reach for her envelope.

"I've been made a Prefect."

Rose lifted her head, a smile growing on her face for her brother's sake. Hugo's eyes were wide with surprise, the badge that had accompanied his letter clasped loosely in one hand. "Congratulations," she said. "You deserve it."

"Didn't think I'd get it, to be honest," he shrugged, beginning to pace around the room in his excitement. "I mean, I mucked around a bit and there was that detention with Louis and – " he paused, and ran a hand through his untidy mop of auburn hair. "Dad'll be proud, won't he?"

"Of course," she answered at once, somewhat surprised that he had to even ask such a thing.

Hugo stopped his frantic movement, his eyes sweeping the kitchen as though he had only just noticed something. "Mum and dad are already at work, aren't they?" he asked.

"Erm… I guess." Truth be told Rose had taken to avoiding her parents most of the time, finding it all too awkward to converse with them. Her father was still mad about Scorpius, and her mother was worried. She could talk to neither of them about her own anxiety and so had stopped caring whether they were around or not.

"Figures," grunted Hugo, his shoulders slumping and the excitement in his eyes dimming as he fell back into his seat and pulled his breakfast towards him once again. The badge sat beside him on the table, gleaming innocently in the early morning light.

"Hugo," she began tentatively. He scowled at her tone and didn't look at her. "They're really busy right now. Things are crazy at the Ministry."

"Things are always crazy," he retorted in a hard voice. "Things will never not be crazy."

She reached across the table and rested a hand on his arm; he tensed but didn't pull away. "Hu," she said firmly, catching and holding his eye. "They're so proud of you. You know that, right?"

"Where are they then?" he demanded, looking around the empty kitchen with sarcastic confusion.

"Just cause they're not here right now doesn't mean they're not proud," she responded in frustration.

Hugo stared at her for a while, grinding his jaw. "They're never here, Rose," he said at last. "Neither are you."

She blinked at him in confusion. She had barely gone anywhere the past fortnight! "What are you talking about? I've been here almost every single day – "

"That's not what I mean," he retorted, shifting his arm out of her reach. "You're not here, Rose. You're wandering around in this daze half the time, and the other half you're locked in your room writing letters."

She flushed. So Hugo had noticed that, had he? "I'm studying," she attempted half-heartedly, giving up at the look he sent her.

"Whatever." His chair scraped again as he got to his feet. "I'm going to visit Lily."

"Hugo – "

"Later, Rose."

Rose slumped back in her seat, feeling even more miserable than usual. Her eyes drifted onto the table, to where the gleaming Prefect badge still lay besides the torn envelope, and she sat up straight.

"Hugo, you forgot your – "

But the rushing of the flames in the fireplace told her she was too late.

With a groan, her eyes turned to her own letter, lying forgotten on the table. She glared at it sullenly, before giving in and reaching for it. Merlin knew she needed something to distract her, and if a book list and study materials were all that was available, well she'd just have to take it.

She unfolded the parchment and scanned the list of required books and instruments with disinterest. She had seen it all before and the only vaguely remarkable items were some of the more unusual potion ingredients. Besides that there was nothing to catch her –

She froze, her heart thudding as all at once she noticed that, like Hugo, a badge had been included in the bundle of papers sent from the school. It had fallen in to her lap and she had hardly even registered its presence. Now, her eyes were drawn like magnets to its shining surface, raking over the letters several times before their meaning permeated her brain.

H.G.

For a long time she simply stared at it, a myriad of conflicting emotions running through her. In the chaos of the summer and Teddy's wedding she had all but forgotten her long cherished dream of being made Head Girl, and now she wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel. Happy, that her wish had come true? Rose knew that was how she should feel. But in truth all she could think was whether Scorpius had been made Head Boy, and the horrible conversation she had held with Professor McGonagall, about Scorpius' misdemeanours and how it might have jeopardised his chances. And she saw again the moment when he had dropped Charlie Corner into the Lake, and his expression when she had met him outside the Headmistress' office. A churning fear rose up within her that someone else would be chosen over him, and she fidgeted in her seat, desperate to know whether he had been given the position.

Unable to bear it any longer, Rose darted from the table and sprinted up the stairs, practically falling into the seat at her desk. There was a blank piece of parchment just sitting there in anticipation, as there had been every day over the last few weeks. Rose forced herself to take a deep breath, not wanting her hand to shake and betray her nerves through the smudged ink.

Scorpius,

I just got my Head Girl badge in the post. Please tell me you've been made Head Boy. I can't imagine they'd choose anyone else, but – well, just let me know.

I'm dying to hear from you.

Love,

Rose.

Impatient, she rolled the note hurriedly, not bothering to let the ink dry. "Pig!" she rapped out, and her bird gave a small chirp in response, flapping its tiny wings in an indication that he was ready.

"Take this to Scorpius," she commanded him as she tied the note. Pig nipped her finger affectionately, before taking off out of the window. Rose sat back in her seat with a sigh. All she could do now was wait.

"But this is wonderful!"

Her mother's face was radiant, lit up with happiness in a way Rose couldn't remember seeing for a long while. With both she and Hugo being sent badges, a family celebration had been called for. The Potters were joining in as well, since Lily had also been made a Prefect. They were all going round to Harry and Ginny's to celebrate, and Hermione insisted they both wear their badges.

"I'm taking it off as soon as I'm out of the fireplace," Hugo grumbled as he stood at her side, allowing Hermione to take one more photograph of her children. "And if she asks where it is I'll say James and Fred nicked it."

Rose snorted, then hastily covered the sound with a cough. "I might steal your idea," she whispered back. Her parents' gushing was annoying but not unexpected, and Hermione had been stressed enough recently that Rose couldn't begrudge her an excuse to celebrate. Still, that didn't mean she was going to be wearing her badge all night either. Pride had its limits, and as far as Rose was concerned those limits were the edge of the family's fireplace.

"Alright, enough photos," Ron laughed, slipping an arm around his wife's waist and gently lowering the magical camera. "Or we'll never get there. We wouldn't want the Prefect and Head Girl to be late now, would we?" He leaned in and kissed Hermione, and Rose and Hugo both made gagging sounds until their parents pulled apart.

"Let's go, shall we?" Hugo had the pinch of floo powder ready to throw into the flames. At a nod from his father he did so, and the fireplace turned an instant green. Stepping inside, Hugo called out 'Potter Residence' before vanishing in a flurry of emerald flame. With a final smile at her parents, Rose prepared to do the same.

A blur of fireplaces later, and she found herself in the Potters' living room, standing amidst a crowd of relatives and friends, all of whom hurried to congratulate her as soon as she stepped out of the fireplace. Hugo had already vanished, no doubt gone to find more enjoyable company. The living room appeared to have become the haunt of the adults; Rose could see her Uncles Bill and Percy, her grandparents Molly and Arthur resting together on the sofa, and Teddy deep in discussion with Harry in the far corner. She hesitated, taking a deep breath as they all turned to look at her, waiting for the barrage of questions and comments to come her way.

A second later she felt a hand touch her elbow, and a familiar voice whisper in her ear, "Looking for a quick escape?"

A grin split her face, and she turned to throw her arms around her cousin. Albus laughed as he absorbed the force of her impact, ruffling the top of her hair affectionately. Rose had to choke back a sob as a wave of relief washed over her at the fact that her cousin was still speaking to her.

"Ugh…" she muttered, drawing away and smoothing her hair back to hide the fact that she had almost burst into tears. "You're stupid."

"Me? Stupid?" Albus gave her a look of deep offence. "Says the one blubbering like a baby over absolutely nothing."

She glowered and whacked him playfully. He grinned in response and grabbed her wrist, tugging her in the direction of the kitchen. "Come on," he said. "Before Gran and Gramps decide to take you hostage and gush over your badge for the next twenty minutes."

He led her through the kitchen, where Ginny and Angelina were gossiping while preparing dinner. They stopped talking when they saw Rose, and shared a meaningful glance before breaking out into identical cheesy smiles.

"Lovely to see you Rose," said Ginny, waving her wand and causing a pot of water on the stove to start boiling instantly. "And congratulations on getting Head Girl."

"Thanks, Aunt Ginny," she responded automatically. Her heart was beginning to pound under the weight of their scrutiny, and her palms felt clammy with sweat. It was the nerves, she realised, of just waiting for them to ask about Scorpius.

"Do you know who'll be Head Boy?" asked Angelina. Rose felt her stomach drop and opened her mouth to respond, but Albus cut her off.

"Well it certainly won't be me!" he announced cheerfully, earning a frown from his mother. Tugging Rose along with him, he made a beeline for the door that opened onto the large backyard, swiping a plate of sausage rolls that had just emerged from the oven as he went and ignoring Ginny's exclamation. Before Rose knew what was happening she was outside, the cool night air hitting her face as Albus dragged her along behind him.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Somewhere quiet," he replied, and she was surprised at the change in his voice. Gone was the light-hearted tone; now he sounded quite serious. "Somewhere we can talk properly."

She sighed and followed him along, secretly grateful for his support; she still had no idea how she was going to answer the inevitable questions about Scorpius when they arose. How could she, when she hadn't heard a word from him since the wedding?

They stopped at last at the very back of the Potters' garden, underneath an old and weathered oak tree where they had often played as children, enjoying its seemingly endless spread and undergrowth. In later years an assortment of beanbags had been set beneath its branches, equipped with drying enchantments and weather protection to ensure their timelessness. It was into these that they sank, Albus balancing the plate of sausage rolls on his lap and biting into one with a satisfied sound.

"So," he said after he had chewed and swallowed. "Have you heard from him?"

She frowned into the darkness. "Nothing," she admitted, relieved to finally have someone to talk to about it. "I've sent him two letters, and got no reply to either of them."

"Me neither," said Albus. "I think maybe they've gone away."

Rose's heart leapt as she latched onto this perfectly reasonable explanation. Of course! "He did mention he was going to France," she said, unable to keep the excitement from her voice at having finally solved the mystery. How could she have been so stupid? All this time, she had been worrying over his lack of reply, when it was only because the letters hadn't been reaching him at all. Why hadn't she realised it sooner?

"Yeah," Albus' tone was distinctly lacking any enthusiasm. "I guess. Never stopped him replying before though."

"Well, we'll be back at Hogwarts soon enough anyway," she assured him, suddenly feeling far happier than she had in weeks. "It's not so long and everything will be back to normal."

"Normal?" snorted Albus. "With you as Head Girl? Hogwarts will have never seen such a tyrant."

"Ha-ha," she drawled.

"Seriously though, do you think he'll be made Head Boy?"

She swiped one of the sausage rolls from his plate and bit into it with a shrug. "I hope so," she confessed. "I don't know who else they could make it."

"Cam Finnigan?"

She wrinkled her nose. "Nah. He's too disorganised. And his grades aren't good enough."

"Charlie Corner?"

"Don't even joke," she snapped, whacking him with her free hand. Albus snorted.

"Don't think McGonagall has that kind of sense of humour anyway," he said. "I reckon it'd have to be Scorpius. But I can't say I'm looking forward to him moving out of the dorm."

She smirked, before growing serious as a wave of sadness washed over her inexplicably. "What do you think of Draco?" she asked, trying to discern her cousin's expression in the darkness.

He took a long time in answering. "He's proud," said Albus at last. "But fair. At least that's what I've found. He seems to have a strange respect for my dad, but not…" he trailed off.

"But not mine," Rose finished for him. It was the unspoken admission.

"He works hard, and he expects a lot from Scorpius," Albus went on. "He won't like it at first – you and Scorp. And he'll take a lot of convincing. But I reckon once he gets to know you, he'll be alright about it."

She highly doubted it, but resisted voicing her thoughts on the matter. Scorpius had told her that he didn't care what his father thought, and that was enough for her.

The sound of loud voices from the living room interrupted their comfortable silence. It sounded as though someone had just arrived. Sure enough, moments later the backdoor reopened as Hermione stuck her head outside.

"Rose?" she called out, head swivelling as she peered around the dark yard. "Rose the Scamanders are here. Do you want to come and say hello?"

She hesitated, before getting up with a groan. "Should go and say hi to Lorcan at least," she said, stretching and offering Albus a hand, which he made no move to take. "Coming?"

"What, and abandon this entire plate of sausage rolls? Who do you think I am?" he grinned at her, and she smiled back. It felt like the first time in months that she had exercised the muscles on her face. "Reckon I'll stay here and polish these off first."

"Suit yourself," she shrugged. "See you soon."

She found the Scamanders in the living room. They were so bright and colourful they were easy to spot; Luna had on a fiercely orange mumu emblazoned with bees, while her husband wore swamp green dress robes. At their shoulder was Lorcan, rather tamely dressed in comparison in mud brown jeans and a psychedelic spiral shirt. Lysander had already vanished.

She approached them with a grin, glad to see her old friend again. She had hardly spoken to Lorcan at the wedding, and even that felt like months ago.

"Rose!" Lorcan's face brightened as he saw her, and he gave her a brief hug. "I was hoping you'd be here."

"Ah Rose, lovely to see you dear," said Luna, peering at her rather disconcertingly over a pair of glittering spectacles. "Your mother is here, isn't she? I'm dying to talk to her about my recent adventures in Africa. We spent three weeks documenting the migrating patterns of the Rhodesian Harklump. Fascinating!"

"I see you've been made Head Girl," commented Rolf, nodding to her badge which she had forgotten to take off in all the commotion. He put a hand on Lorcan's shoulder with a smile. "The two of you will make a good pair."

Rose blinked in confusion. "I'm sorry?"

Lorcan shifted uncomfortably. He shrugged off his father's touch, before glancing at Rose. "I was going to tell you," he said in a low voice.

"Tell me what?" she demanded, trying to keep her voice level and not give away the churning that had started in her stomach.

Lorcan sighed. "I got it in the post last week."

The room seemed to shrink around her. Rose struggled to comprehend what Lorcan was telling her. All she wanted to do was clap her hands over her ears and run from the room. "Got what in the post?"

He sent her a look, but she needed to hear him say it. Needed to hear the words come straight from his mouth.

"Got what, Lorcan?"

He shoved a hand in the pocket of his jeans and drew it out. The letters of the badge caught the firelight much the same way as her own had.

H.B.

Tears stung her eyes, and she blinked them away furiously. The sounds around her seemed to dim, so that Lorcan's voice came from a great distance.

"Rose? Rose, are you alright?"

She turned and walked away without answering, stumbling blindly out of the room.