She didn't go back outside. Albus would be waiting, but she didn't think she could face him right then. Instead she slipped quietly upstairs and into the guest bedroom where she normally slept when visiting the Potters. It was dark and quiet and blissfully empty. Rose sank into the soft mattress and closed her eyes, trying to sort through her emotions.

Disappointment churned in her gut like a poorly digested meal. She had really believed Scorpius would be made Head Boy. He was the best candidate, a good Prefect, had outstanding grades… she clenched her teeth, hating to think that he had missed out on the position because of her. She thought back to Draco's words to her outside of the Headmistress' office. Every time you and Scorpius happen to associate, trouble seems to ensue... Her stomach clenched and she longed to see Scorpius herself, to talk to him and hear him reassure her that it wasn't her fault. What she wouldn't give to have him with her right then, not somewhere far away in France and out of reach.

But there was another reason for the guilt flowering in her chest. Rose gnawed her lip, hoping she hadn't upset Lorcan with her reaction to his news. Merlin only knew what his parents must think of her. More importantly, she didn't want her friend to think she was unhappy he had been made Head Boy. She was happy for him. It had just been such a shock, she hadn't known how to react. She had been so sure Scorpius would be given the position…

The door opened, and Rose glanced up. At first she couldn't make out who was standing there, silhouetted in the light from the hallway. But soon enough, as her eyes adjusted to the light, she began to make out features that were strikingly familiar: golden halo of hair, slender figure, and blue eyes widened in surprise.

"Dom?"

Her cousin hesitated on the threshold, looking as surprised as Rose felt. "I – I didn't know anyone was in here," she said in an apologetic voice. There was an awkward silence. "I can leave if you want."

"It's alright."

They regarded each other warily. Rose hadn't seen Dom since the wedding; memory of that night made her tense, and she waited for a barrage of angry words from her friend. But Dom's expression was tentative; her eyes were large in the dimness and, if Rose hadn't known any better, she could have sworn that her cousin seemed to be seeking her forgiveness.

"How – how have you been?" asked Dom at last.

Rose blinked at the question. "I…" she struggled for a suitable answer. "Good, I guess."

Dom hesitated a moment more, before stepping inside and shutting the door behind her. "I just wanted some peace and quiet," she offered, standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. "I didn't mean to disturb you."

"It's fine," said Rose, gesturing for her to come and sit on the bed. Dom perched herself on the end of the mattress, eyes looking anywhere but at Rose.

"Albus told me about that man," she said softly. "The one that attacked you."

Rose's stomach plummeted. "Oh, yeah." She picked at the stitching on the quilt cover, unwilling to revisit unpleasant memories.

"I'm so sorry Rose."

The earnest note in Dom's voice made her look up. She met her cousin's beseeching gaze, and wasn't sure what to think. "Sorry for what?" she asked guardedly.

"For being such a bitch," Dom went on, the words tumbling out of her in a rush. "I was so upset about my own stuff and – and I didn't know what to think when you told me about Malfoy. It was just such a surprise and… I didn't believe you and then I didn't know what to say. But that doesn't excuse the way I acted. I was a bitch, and I know it." She reached out and grasped Rose's hand, eyes overbright in the dimness. "I should have been there for you, instead of being angry and stupid. Then maybe – maybe we could have got that guy together. That's what a good friend would have done."

There was a long silence as Rose tried to take it all in. "Wow," she said.

"And – and I don't care if you want to date Scorpius," continued Dom uncertainly, as though unsure whether she was forgiving and wanting to hammer her point home while she could. "Really, I don't. I know I said those awful things about the two of you but I didn't really mean them, and you know that, right? If he makes you happy then I don't care and – and I'm sorry for acting like such a toff at Victoire's wedding as well."

Rose gaped. It was an outburst she hadn't expected, and she didn't quite know how to respond. "You were quite a bitch," she agreed with a wry smile. "Outing me in front of everyone like that. That was harsh, Dom."

Dom scrunched up her nose. "Ugh, yeah I suck. Honestly though, I think… I think I was a little jealous."

It took a while for the words to sink in. "Jealous?" scoffed Rose. "Of me?"

She shrugged. "We've always been a pair, right? And of that pair, you've always been the smart one."

"It's not like you're dumb, Dom," Rose interrupted gently, but her cousin shook her head.

"Yeah, but I'll never be as smart as you – don't deny it," she added when Rose opened her mouth to interject. "You're the smart one, and I'm supposed to be the pretty one. No offence," she added hurriedly when Rose's eyebrows lifted.

"Oh none taken, I'm sure," she drawled back. "Do go on. I'm smart and you're pretty."

"Exactly," said Dom, either ignoring or not noticing Rose's sarcasm. "And then I was single, and you were sneaking around with a guy behind everyone's back. Scorpius Malfoy," she sighed, shaking her head. "Only one of the cutest guys in school. Not to mention totally off limits. And I was hanging out with a dumb jock who – " she gave a choked laugh, blinking rapidly – " well, an obnoxious, putty-brained idiot was how I believe you described him once."

Now it was Rose's turn to cringe. "We're both pretty harsh, huh?"

Dom gave her hand a squeeze. "Yeah. But we're friends, right?"

She nodded. "Always."

All at once Dom pulled her into a fierce hug. "I've missed you Rose," she mumbled, and Rose was surprised to hear tears in her voice. "I've gone all summer with only Victoire and Louis for company, you have no idea how tedious that gets after a while!"

"Hey, you're talking to Hugo's older sister here," she replied, her own voice less than steady. It felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, to be back on good terms with her cousin, even more so than making up with Albus had been. Despite everything that had happened between them Dom was still the one who understood her best; the one she could talk to about anything. She knew exactly how to hurt her but she also knew exactly how to be her friend.

"Seriously though," said Dom, pulling away. "You do realise that being smart and having a cute boyfriend makes you essentially perfect?"

Rose snorted. "Merlin, if this is how perfect feels then I pity anyone who aspires to be it. Anyway," she added on a more sombre note. "I don't know if you could classify Scorpius as my boyfriend. We haven't spoken since the wedding."

Dom frowned. "Why not?"

"He's… been travelling…" she had attempted to keep her tone light and worry-free but from Dom's look it was obvious she hadn't succeeded. "I don't know why he hasn't been replying," she admitted miserably. "But I know he hasn't been made Head Boy."

"Really?"

"They've given it to Lorcan instead."

"Oh," Dom's tone was a careful neutral. "But he wasn't even a Prefect."

Rose shrugged. Thinking about it was making the guilt churn in her gut afresh. "Guess McGonagall decided that didn't matter, since the – the Charlie thing."

There was a silence, as both of them thought back to the tumult that had been sixth year. "It's not your fault," said Dom softly, jerking Rose out of her thoughts. "I'm sure Scorpius doesn't blame you."

Her comments cut just a little too close to the bone. "Maybe," muttered Rose.

"And I mean, can you really imagine Malfoy as Head Boy?" Dom half-laughed, before catching sight of Rose's expression. "I mean, not that he wouldn't – you know – be good, or anything… "

Rose sighed. "You're probably right. Half the school still hates him. And can you imagine what some of the parents would say if a Malfoy was made Head Boy?" She shook her head. "I just thought we might have gotten past that… I hoped we could have gotten past that."

"Well, at least it's Lorcan, right?" said Dom in a cheery voice. "You two get along pretty well, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"I'm glad we've made up," said Dom brightly, squeezing Rose's hand again. "It's good to talk to you Rose. But let's get out of this room. Enough sulking, I reckon."

Her cousin was probably right. There was no need to blow things out of proportion; so what if Scorpius wasn't Head Boy? That didn't meant they couldn't still spend plenty of time together. It wasn't as if Lorcan would mind if Scorpius visited. And they still had classes together, and patrol, and free time almost every day… "You're right," she agreed, straightening her shoulders. "I think Albus is waiting outside. With food."

"Albus, alone with food?" Dom snorted. "And you think it's still going to be there?"

Rose grinned. "Well, here's to hoping."

Rose had never been so excited to push through the barrier for Platform 9 ¾ as she was that day. Not even in her first year had she been as keen to see the gleaming steam engine of the Hogwarts' Express, nor listen to the clamour of a thousand students beginning the new year.

"Quickly, quickly," urged her mother, pushing Hugo in front of them as her eyes scanned the platform. "We're running late as it is."

Rose didn't care about that. Her eyes were darting through the crowd, her heart hammering so loudly in her ears it drowned out all other sounds. There were lots of familiar faces around her; she knew almost everybody now besides the first years, and even some of them she recognised from family visits. But there was no striking flash of blonde to catch her eye; no towering form cut its way through the crowd. Scorpius wasn't anywhere to be seen.

Rose ground her teeth in frustration. He must already be on the train. It made sense, since he was normally early and they were running late, as usual. He was probably already sitting in a compartment somewhere, waiting for her with a smirk on his face and a sarcastic quip about the state of her hair…

"Rose?" Her father's serious voice caught her attention. Reluctantly she tore her eyes from scanning the crowd, to focus on him instead. He wore a solemn expression, his lips pressed into a thin line.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I wanted to talk to you," said Ron, lowering his voice as a group of chattering students walked past. "About… well, about Malfoy."

Rose stared at him, amazed that he had waited so long to bring it up. She had spent the last few days of the holidays waiting for the inevitable 'talk' about her relationship; clearly, her father had been dreading it as much as she.

"I know what you're going to say," she said quickly, cutting him off as he went to speak. "And I want you to know that it's not up to you to make my decisions for me. I respect your opinion, dad, but if I want to be with Scorpius you're not going to be able to stop me."

For a moment Ron looked stunned. He opened his mouth, before shaking his head. "You're all grown up, Rosie," he said in a voice laced with sadness. "How can I stop you doing anything? I just want you to be happy."

"And if that means being with Scorpius?" she asked, watching his expression carefully.

Her dad looked as though he was being forced to chew on something very bitter, but he didn't break eye contact with her as he responded, "And if that means being with Scorpius Malfoy then I guess – I guess I'll just have to get used to it."

Sudden affection surged in her heart, and Rose threw her arms around him. Ron grunted in surprise, before squeezing her back and kissing the top of her head.

"You be good, alright?" he whispered in her ear. "And if that boy does anything to hurt you, I want you to tell me straight away – "

"Dad!"

"Rose, quickly!" Hermione was calling her from the edge of the platform. Giving her father a quick kiss on the cheek, Rose turned and ran toward the train, dragging her trunk on board just as the whistle for departure blew. Leaving her bags in the corridor for a moment she raced into the nearest compartment, running to the open window and sticking her head out as the engines groaned to life.

"Mum! Dad!"

"Have a great term," called Hermione, her eyes shining as she hurried over. "It's your last year sweetheart, so enjoy it."

"But not too much," added her Dad, coming up and wrapping an arm around his wife's waist. From the expression on his face it was clear he was only half joking.

Rose eyed him sceptically. "You remember what I said?" she told him, making sure she held his gaze. "Please, dad."

Ron sighed. "I'll remember, Rosie," he said ruefully, running a hand through his hair. "Just be careful, please. I don't want to see you get hurt."

There was a grinding of gears as the train began to pull away. Rose felt the familiar lurch of excitement that greeted the start of a new year, and now her smile was entirely unforced. Soon, so soon, she would see Scorpius again. A matter of minutes, that was all…

She clasped her mother's hand briefly. "I love you Mum, Dad."

"Love you too."

She watched as they grew smaller and smaller, before pulling back from the window and nervously smoothing her hair. She couldn't wait any longer. Never mind about stowing her luggage, or finding her friends, or Lorcan. She had to see him. Even if he was cold, aloof and disinterested, it had to be better than not knowing.

Leaving her trunk dumped on the floor, Rose left the compartment and hurried into the corridor. It was still full of students, looking for seats or searching for their friends. Most of them were younger than her now, and drew away slightly when they caught sight of the gleaming Head Girl badge on her chest, clearing a path for her to walk through.

She didn't know where Scorpius was most likely to be, but decided to head in the general direction of the Prefects' carriage. If she hadn't found him by the time she got there, she could at least sit there and wait for him. He couldn't avoid her forever. Not anymore.

She spotted Hector Nott leaning against a compartment door towards the front of the train, talking with a couple of younger Slytherins whose names she didn't know. When he saw her a shadow seemed to pass across his face, and he opened his mouth as though he wanted to speak, so much so that Rose almost stopped walking. But when she looked again he was back talking to his friends and appeared not to notice her. Shaking her head at his strange behaviour, she brushed past and continued up the corridor.

Two carriages away from the Prefects' carriage, she ran into Flora Bletchley. The blonde girl stopped short when she saw Rose, and a vicious glare marred her features. It was so abrupt that Rose had to double check she was the person being glared at.

"Looking for Scorpius?" asked Flora snidely.

Rose swallowed and nodded. She had never sensed any animosity from Flora before, despite all the drama that had surrounded them. But it was certainly emanating from her in waves now. Well, two could play that game, thought Rose, glaring herself now. She wondered if Flora had spent much time with Scorpius over the summer. Whether she had heard of the events at Victoire and Teddy's wedding… Whether Scorpius had talked to her about not getting Head Boy… Whether he wrote to her when he was in France… Rose sucked her teeth, pushing away her insecurity regarding the previous year, and exactly what had happened between Flora and Scorpius. "I am," she said. "Have you seen him?"

Flora sneered. "Good luck," she said sarcastically, before pushing past her and disappearing into a compartment, slamming the door behind her.

It was with a sigh of relief that Rose let herself into the Prefects' carriage. She had half expected to find Scorpius already sitting there, as he had been the year before, but there was no one there beside herself. Well, he would show up eventually. He was a Prefect, after all, even if he hadn't been given Head Boy, and he wasn't one to shirk his duties.

She sat herself on one of the leather seats, fidgeting a little. It felt stupid, sitting here waiting like she was at St Mungo's while the rest of the students enjoyed themselves. But wandering the corridors looking for a flash of blonde was not exactly appealing either. And she didn't really want to risk running into Flora again.

She began to gnaw on her bottom lip. Deep down, she had expected Scorpius to come and find her as soon as the Hogwarts' Express had left and their parents were out of sight. The fact that he hadn't suggested he didn't want to see her – a possibility Rose had tried hard not to dwell on during the summer. What if he was having second thoughts about their relationship? Rose swallowed, forcing herself to consider this unpleasant scenario. Well, she would simply have to remind him how good they were together.

At that moment, the door to the compartment slid open. Rose turned her head and opened her mouth to complain about how long he had taken, only to see who it was and bite back the words.

"Hi Al," she said instead. She had been keen to catch up with her cousin as well, since they were back on friendly terms. But the way he was looking at her now put her on edge. Perhaps he was searching for Scorpius as well.

It took her longer than it should have to realise something was wrong. Al didn't step inside, but remained where he was, and there was a blankness to his expression that made her nervous.

"What's wrong?" she forced herself to ask.

He opened his mouth, shook his head, and closed it again. His jaw clenched and he seemed to take a moment to compose himself. "He's gone," he said at last.

She rolled her eyes at his unnecessary melodrama. "Who's gone?" When he didn't reply she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. For some reason she felt clammy and unsettled, which was ridiculous since her cousin was probably only playing a stupid trick on her.

He didn't answer, but stared blankly at the floor instead.

"Albus," she bit out, annoyed with him for making her worry. She tapped her foot against the floor. "What are you talking about? Who's gone?"

He raised his eyes to hers, and they were tortured. "Scorpius," he mumbled.

She attempted a laugh, but it felt like there was something stuck in her throat. "What do you mean? Where is he, the bathroom?"

He didn't return her smile. "He's gone Rose," he repeated softly.

"Gone where?" she demanded, her voice growing louder as the room seemed to press in upon her. She couldn't understand what Albus was telling her. Her fingers twitched against the seat. "Well?"

Al looked at her and she saw the truth in his eyes.

"Gone where?" she practically yelled at him, jumping to her feet. "For Merlin's sake Albus, tell me!"

"Durmstrang."

Rose sat down abruptly. It felt as though the bottom had just dropped out of her stomach. Like she couldn't breathe. She shook her head. "No."

"Rose – "

"No," she said again, more firmly this time. "It – he can't be – I don't – "

"His father enrolled him over the summer, and took him out of Hogwarts," said Albus. His voice came as though down a very long tunnel, wretched and miserable. "He won't be coming back this year."

"No," said Rose. feeling tears being to leak out as the horrible truth sank into her. "No. How could – how could – it's not possible!"

And yet, despite her words, it all began to make sense. The unreturned letters, the lack of any contact, the fruitless search on the train. Hector's look, Flora's vicious glare… they had known, they had known he was gone…

She was still shaking her head, as though denial could somehow make it untrue. Albus just stood in the doorway, his hands hanging at his sides.

"I'm sorry, Rose."

She couldn't speak. This was wrong, all wrong. It had to be some kind of nightmare. She would wake up and the day would start over again. "I – I – " she squeezed her eyes shut and hugged herself. A moment later, she felt Albus sit beside her and wrap an arm around her shoulders. Abandoning all pretence, she turned and began to sob into his chest.

How could he? It was the one overriding thought echoing through her mind. How could he leave? Surely he had a choice… surely his father hadn't forced him… and why hadn't he told her? Didn't she deserve to hear it from him, rather than wander around the train like some lovesick idiot? How could he?

"Shh Rose," Al muttered into her hair, his own voice harsh with pain. "Please stop crying."

But she couldn't. Didn't her cousin understand? This wasn't just some silly adolescent argument that they would forget about in a few weeks. He had gone. Not just for a week, or a month, but for the whole year. Their last year. The implications were starting to hit her now, each one like a bludger straight to the chest. She would never go to Hogwarts with Scorpius Malfoy again. They would never sit next to each other in Potions… never meet for study sessions in the library… never take a walk around the Lake… never kiss on top of the Astronomy Tower… she would never watch him play Quidditch for Slytherin again… he was gone. Gone.

"The other Prefects will be here in a minute," her cousin said in a low voice.

His words seemed to jerk her out of her misery, and she squeezed her eyes shut to try and stem the flow of tears. She still had enough dignity not to break down in front of the other students, didn't she? She was Head Girl now; she had to set an example.

"I – I guess… " she sniffed, and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I guess there'll need to be a new Slytherin Prefect, now that… " there was another pang, and she bit down on her bottom lip. "Now that… "

"Yeah," said Albus glumly. "That'd be me."

She looked at him then, and saw the pain shining in his green eyes. He had just lost his best friend, after all, and Rose could tell he hadn't had much more warning than she had. Her fury at Scorpius grew.

"I wish – "

Someone cleared their throat, and both their heads whipped in the direction of the compartment door. Lorcan stood there, his eyes wide as he surveyed the scene before him. Hurriedly, Rose dragged a hand across her face.

"Lorcan!" she said in a voice of painfully forced cheer. "Hi! It's good to see you. Albus and I were just discussing… uh… " her brain was a complete blank slate. How could he?

"Stuff," finished Albus in a low voice.

Lorcan's eyes swivelled between them, and his mouth opened and shut as though he couldn't decide what to say. "Stuff is important," he said at last, sticking a hand in one of the pockets of his robe. When he drew it out he was clutching a small glass ball. "I have a Remembrall to help me keep track of my stuff. I can let you use it if you want?"

Rose gave a choked sob, her eyes blurring again as her emotions threatened to overwhelm her. She felt Albus get up and move to speak with Lorcan, his voice deep and distant so that she seemed unable to grasp the individual words he spoke. Outside the scenery was already changing, the suburbs of London left behind and replaced by rolling fields. She wondered where hewas, right then. Already at Durmstrang? Making new friends? Meeting new girls? Forgetting everything about her and what they had shared?

"Rose?"

She turned to see both Lorcan and Albus looking at her.

"The roster," said Lorcan, holding up a sheet of parchment. "For patrols. Shall we distribute copies?"

She nodded dumbly.

"I'll help," said Albus. He walked over and took her head. "You don't have to do this alone, you know."

Her gaze drifted back out the window. Alone? She supposed she was, now. The burning was back and she closed her eyes to try and hold back tears. How on earth would she get through the year?

She would never forgive him.