Chapter 37

There was a limit on how many could be in the room a once, so the many waiting to meet the newest member of their family had to enter in small groups. Of course, immediate family was first. After a few minutes Dominique and Louis came out, followed by a beaming Bill and Fleur, allowing Percy, Audrey, Molly and Lucy to go in. As Bill and Fleur gushed to her parents and Aunties and Uncles and Louis made his way over to Zoe, Rose watched Dominique. She seemed happy but Rose could see the worry in her eyes. She obviously still felt her own doubts about what she was planning to enter into. Scorpius stood up and gave her a hug, followed by a smile when he stepped back.

"Congrats, Aunty Dom," he said. She let out a little giggle.

"Great, now I feel old," she said, sarcastically. "Sounds funny, doesn't it? Aunty Dom?"

"No actually, I think it has a nice ring to it," Rose said with an encouraging smile, before putting an arm around her cousin with a small squeeze. "And you can't be old, that would mean I am only a year away from it," Rose added, lightly. Scorpius and Dom chuckled.

"Just you wait until Hugo…" Dom drifted off as she looked over at Hugo, who was playing with the toys St Mungo's left in the waiting room for any children. Rose and Scorpius followed her gaze. Scorpius desperately trying to hold back laughter as Rose just smiled and shook her head at the sight of her 19 year old brother sitting on the floor playing with used children toys.

"You were saying?" Rose mocked turning back to Dom.

"Yeah, never mind," she answered, as all three broke out into laughter. Ben quickly joined them, sliding his arm around Rose's waist. Rose automatically leaned into him, feeling comfortable in the familiar embrace.

"Congratulations Dominique," Ben said sincerely with a charming smile. "I know that this little girl will have the coolest Aunty."

"Thank you, Ben."

"Do you know if they have picked out a name?" he asked.

"Victoire said that they have, but they want to keep it a surprise until the naming ceremony," Dom answered.

"Well, I am sure it will be extraordinarily beautiful," Ben said, with a charming smile at Dominique which she gratefully returned. He then turned to Rose. "Are we ready to go? We both have early starts tomorrow."

"Oh, Rose you can't leave without seeing Victoire and Teddy," Dominique said before Rose could speak. "Not to mention the reason why we are all here in the first place, Little Baby Lupin."

"Besides its only 10:30pm, is it past your bedtime?" Scorpius teased Ben.

"I just like to be fresh in the mornings," Ben replied, for the first time clearly showing a dislike towards Scorpius. "Besides we are not all like you, Rose and I actually have places to be tomorrow, careers to build." For the first time, Rose saw the old, horrible Scorpius. His face displayed his normal smugness, spiteful arrogance and malicious rage, but now that she looked deeper she saw the vulnerability behind it. It was clear now that he used it as his mask, probably always had.

Before Rose really had time to process what was happening, she found herself being guided away by Ben. Only when they had made it out of the room and down the hallway did she realize what he was doing. She did want to stay. Yes, she had an early morning tomorrow, having to open up and attack the accounts, but that didn't mean she would miss congratulating her cousin and her husband and meet their daughter.

"Ben, stop," she said, pulling him to a halt and turning him around to face her. "I want to stay."

"What?"

"I want to stay for a bit and congratulate Teddy and Vic."

"But you know, we need at least 8 hours of sleep if we are going to function properly tomorrow," Ben argued. "Studies show that any less isn't healthy."

"Technically, you don't have to work tomorrow, you could sleep in," Rose returned. "And as for me, I am used to it. I have been doing all-nighters since long before I met you. So, a few less hours sleep won't do any harm."

"Okay, first of all, as it happens I do have to work tomorrow. I am meeting with a Bulgarian representative to discuss some union matters. And secondly, you know I can't function with less then the required amount of sleep."

"Fine!" Rose raised her voice slightly, taking Ben by surprise. "You can go, but I am staying," she said defiantly. Ben just gaped as thought he didn't know her and the sad thing is, Rose realised that he probably didn't. What was worse, Rose felt that it was mostly her fault. She didn't really let him in, and she wasn't her true self a lot of the time. Rose had moulded herself into something that was easily compatible with someone like Ben because he was so different to Scorpius. Well, at least the Scorpius she remembered. Ben was nice and reassuring, especially at the beginning. However, over time and especially the last hectic month, the cracks have begun to show and grow. Rose knew this was not the time to discuss this issue. "I'll see you at home," she said as she leaned in and gave him a kiss on his cheek. Then with a forced smile she turned around and made her way back to her family.

Rose had waited until the end when everyone left to see the new arrival. She stuck by Scorpius and Dominique most of the time, as Alison was clearly still mad at her, but she drifted to chat with Molly, Lily and Lucy as well as Louis and Zoe before they all left. It had been a while since see had seen them all, work had kept her busy. Dom and Scorpius stayed with her, until everyone else had left to see the baby. They didn't ask questions or mention anything to do with Ben, they just simply hung out. They joked and talked about everything and nothing at all. When Teddy finally led them into the small room, they found Victoire sitting up in bed, cradling what looked like a little bundle of pink cloth.

"Hello," Victoire looked up welcomed the last of her visitors, before redirecting her gaze back down at the tiny bundle that lay in her arms. Dom made her way over to the right side of her sister, while Rose took stood on the other side. Teddy and Scorpius stood at the foot of the bed sharing their own congratulation wishes.

"Well done, mate," Scorpius said as he shook Teddy's hand.

"Thanks," Teddy said letting out a large sigh of relief.

"Tough day?" Scorpius asked in a slight mocking tone, smiling. Teddy chuckled. "How's the bump?" Scorpius asked, indicating towards Teddy's head.

"I should survive," he replied with a small laugh.

"Aunty Dom must like you, she's back for more cuddles," Victoire smiled down at her baby. Rose could only describe Victoire as glowing, specifically, the new mother type of glowing. Victoire gently passed her baby to its Aunty, freeing her hands to embrace her cousin.

"Congratulations, Mummy," Rose said as she hug her cousin. "I am so happy for you and Teddy."

"Thank you," Victoire replied, pulling back to look her cousin in the eye. "It wasn't a walk in the park, but she's worth it."

Dominique had walked around the bed to Rose. "Would you like a cuddle?" Dom asked with a smile. Rose hesitated, but then nodded slowly. She took the baby in her arms, cradling her just as Dominique had, the crook of her elbow supporting her head. She was so tiny and petite, but what really surprised Rose was her eyes. They were wide open and gazing straight up at her, curiosity burning through a sea of brilliant green. Her fair hair was barely visible on her head. She had cute little chubby cheeks, though her skin was quite pale.

"She absolutely beautiful, Vic," Rose said as she smiled down at the little girl in her arms.

Scorpius watched Rose's smile brighten as a small hint of a smile graced the little angel's face. While Teddy moved to sit on his wife's left bedside, wrapping an arm around her as Victoire leaned back into him, Scorpius moved to stand behind Rose. He looked over her shoulder at the tiny infant in her arms. Once the little girl caught sight of him, the curiosity returned into her sparkling eyes. Noticing this, Rose turned and leaned back slightly, resting against him and giving the little girl a better look and the handsome man. Without even realising it, Scorpius wrapped an arm tenderly around Rose's waist, steadying her and bringing her closer to him. She didn't pull away either; he just held her as she cradled the baby as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Little Lupin wriggled an arm free and reached out towards Scorpius, her tiny fingers stretched out. Scorpius lifted his free hand from his pocket. The little girl didn't waste any time in grasping one of his fingers in her hand. Reflexively, all five of her tiny fingers wrapped around his one, showing no sign of releasing anytime soon. Scorpius smiled and moved his finger in a way that looked like they were shaking hands.

"It's nice to meet you too," Scorpius said with a laugh, causing Rose to giggle and the little girl's eyes to sparkle once more. Both Rose and Scorpius were so wrapped up in the beautiful green eyed girl that they didn't even notice the quick flash of the camera.

Albus and Alison's Bedroom

Alison stood in front of the large mirror in her short summer night dress, deep in thought as she methodically brushed her hair.

"I wonder what they will name her," Albus said from the bathroom as he wiped his face after rinsing out his mouth of toothpaste. "Do you think they would name her after anybody?" When he didn't hear a reply, he went in search of his girlfriend. Albus stood, his shoulder comfortably leaning against the door frame, watching Alison as she ran the brush slowly through her soft, flowing, brown hair. A tender smile found its way upon his lips. 'She's so beautiful', he thought. She still hadn't noticed his gaze, which was odd since she usually always caught him when he was staring at her. He hadn't gotten away with it since they were at school; it was like she could feel it or something. However, tonight she was so deep in thought he could have announced that he was gay and she wouldn't have even heard. He knew what was troubling her. Rose and Alison hardly ever fight, in fact he couldn't even remember a time Rose ever snapped like that at Alison before.

He sighed, leaving the door frame and entering the bedroom. He approached her from behind; her eyes were glazed over. She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice his presence until she felt him wrap his arms around her, resting his head against the side of hers. Albus watched as she came back to him, their eyes connecting through the mirror. She tried to reassure him with a smile but it was painfully obvious that it was forced. Albus didn't say anything; instead he kissed her cheek, and then her neck. Alison felt him smile against her skin as she let out a noise that was somewhere between a sigh and a moan. She turned around in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck as she leaned to claim his lips. Their mouths moved against each other's passionately, as their hands began to wonder. However, as Albus laid Alison down on their bed he could sense her mind was otherwise occupied. Slowly, their kiss became soft and tender until Albus pulled back, looking down at Alison as she bit her bottom lip nervously.

"It's okay, you know," Albus whispered. "To talk to me about it." Alison smiled up at Albus, lifting her hand to caress his cheek.

"I love you," she whispered in to the little space between them, before lifting her head and meeting his lips in an affirming kiss. Albus kissed her back, showing her that he loved her too. When he pulled back he rolled off her to lay beside her as they both turned in to face each other.

"Talk to me," he said simply. Alison sighed before answering.

"It's just so frustrating that she knows I am right and she still won't listen to me," Alison said. "Truthfully, I probably brought it up at a bad time but…" She paused looking into Albus' eyes for some support and was glad when she saw his soft expression.

"Rose still shouldn't have snapped at you like that," he said, understandingly. "Besides you know what Rose is like. If it's studying or cooking or baking, it comes naturally and it is perfect most of the time. When it comes to feelings and relationships, you have a better chance at getting a Flobberworm to understand them," he added with a chuckle. Alison joined him, but knew that it was a slight exaggeration as many times in the past Rose had helped her with some of their relationship issues or developments; it was only with her own feelings and relationship that Rose was almost completely clueless.

However, now that Alison thought about it Rose wasn't clueless anymore. She had to know that Ben wasn't right for her. Ben doesn't make her happy anymore, not as happy as she could be. This is what made Alison's frustration return. Put aside all of Rose's confusion about Scorpius, Ben still wasn't right for her, no matter which way you look at it and Rose knew it. When she voiced this to Albus, he completely agreed.

"Yeah, I know. We all thought he was great at the beginning but lately…" he trailed off, obviously snagged on a thought. "Wait, what did you say about her confusion with Scorp?"

"You saw them tonight, you have to know he still has feelings for her," Alison replied. "Why are you so surprised that Rose might have confusing feelings for him?"

"I didn't know, I just thought…Hang on, what do you mean confusing feelings?"

"I mean, she has feelings for him and they are confusing her because she thought that she wouldn't see him again and probably thought that she had put them to rest."

"But how could she think she would never see him again?" Albus asked, confused himself. "He's my best mate; he's like a brother to Hugo and even to Dom. So, he was going to come back eventually."

"Knowing Rose, she most likely convinced herself that once he'd seen the world, he wouldn't want to come back," Alison replied with a sigh. "It's probably what allowed her to move on."

"Wait, you didn't know what?" Alison asked after a moment.

"Huh?"

"You said before that you didn't know about something?"

"Oh, yeah," Albus said after realising what she was talking about. "I didn't know for sure whether Scorp still has feelings for her."

"How can he not? You sure the way they were acting today."

"Yeah, well, I am still not convinced on how real his feelings ever were," Albus admitted. Once he saw the disbelieving look on Alison's. "I don't know maybe it's my protective side, but how would he even know they were real feelings instead of just lust? He has never felt anything more than that towards a woman before."

"Maybe that's why, it's real because he has never felt like this before," Alison answered. Albus just sighed and nodded.

"Maybe you're right," he replied. After a moment of thought, his curiosity spiked as he asked, "So, do you think she was happy to see him?"

"I'm pretty sure she was," Alison said, with a dreamy smile on her face as she remembered watching the two interact at St Mungo's. "At least after the enviable, initial awkwardness," she added, looking back at Albus.

"Having Dom there probably helped," Albus commented.

"MmHmm," Alison murmured in agreement. "I haven't seen Rose laugh like that in a while," she added.

"Yeah, she has been busy and stressed lately and with reason," Albus said.

"Just like someone else I know," Alison replied giving Albus a meaningful look. Albus sighed.

"I am really sorry but with the possibility of a promotion, it is important that I show I am committed and focused. Everything rides on whether I get it; everything," he replied, stressing the word everything before leaning in to kiss her without giving her the chance to respond to what he said. He quickly deepened the kiss, successfully distracting her as his hand slowly slid up her thigh, under her night dress.

Hello everyone, I hope you all had a safe and happy holidays :)

This chapter gave me trouble, but I hope you enjoy it. It is the kind of chapter that raises more questions rather than providing answers but I promise you have those answered soon.

Now, you may be wondering why Dom and Rose have suddenly become much closer then they were 3 years ago. My beta has made me see my mistake. So thank her for that :) I originally had a filler type chapter before the 3 year jump that explained this but I left it out and decided to include and mention it in a later chapter. Only I forgot, but always had the information in my head, making sense for me but not for you, my readers :( so sorry about that.

I will tell you all briefly now and I hope to include it later as well. When Rose was in her second year of her culinary studies, she took a sort exchange or temporarily transfer to learn in France. During which time, to save money and for some familiarity, Rose stayed with Dom and Jacob. it was only for about 6 months but they grew closer in that time :)

I hope that clear some things up. If you have any questions don't be afraid to ask :)

Please review, follow and fav :)