Chapter 67

Rose was on cloud nine and nothing could bring her down, not even the slightly rude business people that rush in and out early in the morning. After her amazing day with Scorpius yesterday, Rose couldn't wipe the smile off her face. She was happy and feeling so positive about their relationship. They spent so long talking and sharing stories that they didn't finish the painting they needed to do. For the first time since he returned she felt like she really knew where she stood with him. She was almost giddy about their relationship and their future. Things just felt right. Daisy hadn't stopped sending her teasing looks every time she caught her smiling to herself as she thought about a certain blonde. Distraction came in the form of her other best friend walking through the door.

"Hey," Rose greeted Alison over the counter.

"Hi, it's nice to see you're feeling better today," Alison replied with a smirk.

"Better?"

"Yeah, the only reason you'd ever miss work is because you were deathly sick. Right?" Rose blushed as Alison cornered her. Her friends, knew too much and were using it against her.

"Yeah, I'm feeling good," she replied looking down from Alison's teasing eyes, but her red cheeks and infectious smile couldn't fool anyone. "More than good. Great actually," she looked back up at Alison and the friends shared a smile.

"I'm glad," Alison said reaching across the the counter and squeezing Rose's hand. Leaving it at that, to let Rose decide how much she wanted to disclose just yet, Alison decided to move on to the topic she wanted to talk to Rose about yesterday. "All talk of attractive blondes aside, I actually have something I really want to talk to you about. Can we go to your office?"

Lily & Ella's Apartment

"Uh…Hi," Hugo said as the door swung open.

"What do you want?" Lily said, clearly angry with him. Which meant that most likely she knew at least some of what had happened between him an Ella. Hugo sighed defeatedly.

"I'm looking for Ella, is she here?"

"No, actually she's not."

"Right well, do you know where she is?" Hugo asked nervously.

"Why should I tell you?" Lily questioned. "All you seem to do is hurt her." Hugo looked down at his feet, feeling ashamed as he felt she was right. "I mean, you have a real chance with her and you pretty much blew it! I thought that was what you wanted Hugo!"

"It is!" Hugo countered. "Sorted off…" he added, less confidently.

"Look Hugo, I will be honest with you," Lily said, in a much softer and sympathetic tone. "You need to really think about what you want in this. If it's Ella then chase after her, if its only friendship then be clear and don't lead her on. I don't think she can take much more hurt."

"Yeah…Okay," Hugo muttered, before turning and leaving. Hugo walked down the stairs and out onto the street. He didn't really acknowledge his body moving as it continued to walk. There were so many thoughts going around in his head. This is why he had left it so long to try talk to Ella as it was. Everyone kept saying to figure out what he wanted and be clear with her, but that was the problem. He had no idea what he wanted and what his feelings were towards her now. Obviously he cared about her and probably always will. However, did he still want to pursue a romantic relationship he wasn't sure. He had spent so long closing that part of his heart that he wasn't sure if he could let her in again. He wasn't sure if it was even there anymore.

Rose's Office, Le Coin Rose

"Hey, I'm sorry for not returning your calls," Rose started as she lead Alison into the office. "I was going to call you back at lunch."

"It's okay," Alison replied sitting down next to Rose on the little couch.

"So what's up?"

"Um…I found something."

"Okay…"

"Look, I can't say it. It might jinx it," Alison replied, bitting her lip to hold back a smile.

"Can you show it to me?" Rose asked, clearly confused and worried for her friends sanity.

"Yes!" She exclaimed, happily. "But it's back at our place, you'll need to leave work?"

"Okay, we'll be quick right?"

"Yeah, of course."

"This is so weird," Rose commented, as she tidied up and gathered her things to leave.

"It will make sense when you see it," Alison responded, following Rose out the door.

Rose told the others that she would be back shortly and with that Alison and Rose left Le Coin Rose and found a secluded alleyway to Disapparate from. Once inside Alison and Albus's Apartment, Rose watched her friend scamper off to her bedroom.

"Rose, come on!" Alison called. Hesitantly, she following her friend. When she entered the room she saw Alison bumping a shelf with her hip. She guessed it was to try and knock something down from a top shelf.
"Oh Ali, sometimes I really worry about you," Rose said, smiling fondly but trying to hold back a laugh.

"What? Why?" Alison replied, still focused on the top shelf with wooly jumpers on it. Rose noticed and with a wave of her wand, the jumpers floated down from the self passed Alison's shocked and sheepish face into her arms.

"Thanks," Alison said to her friend as Rose just smirked in return.

"So Albus's wooly jumpers is what we came here for?" The red head asked as Alison moved to sit on the neatly made bed.

"No, this is," Alison replied, pulling out from between two jumpers a small velvet box. Rose's mouth opened wide and she fell onto the bed, sitting in front of her friend, eyes on the little box.

"Is that-"

"Yes!" Alison exclaimed, clearly excited and happy.

"Are you sure?" Alison opened the box for Rose to see.

"Oh Ali!" Rose exclaimed, before pulling her in to a hug. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Thank you!"

"Wait…it's hiding with wooly jumpers and not on your finger, why?" Rose push Alison away for that she could look at her face.

"I don't know," Alison replied as they both sobered from their excitement. "This is why I wanted to talk to you."

"Okay well, you have two options," Rose said seriously. "You either confront my slow cousin about it and tell him to get a move on, or you pretend you haven't seen it and wait from him to ask."

"See that's the thing I don't want to confront him, I want Al to ask me when he is ready," Alison explained. "But I have no idea how I am going to pretend I don't know about it."

"See that is the difference between you and I. I would just walk up to him and be like what the hell is this?" Rose thought out loud, drawing a small chuckle from her friend.

"Merlin, help Scorpius if he ever tries to hide a ring from you," Alison joked back.

"Scorpius wouldn't be stupid enough to hide it in our house, he knows I'd find it," Rose replied without really thinking. After her brain caught up with her mouth, she blushed bright red and cringed slightly.

"So, thinking of rings already?" Alison teased.

"No, that was just…"

"Ah huh?"

"Never mind, what are you going to do?"

"I'm not going to say anything yet, just see how things go," Alison replied.

"Yeah, okay. Play it cool and try not to think about it to much," Rose agreed. "I can't believe your getting married," she added, smiling fondly at her best friend.

"I know," Alison smiled back, before the friends embraced again.

Suddenly, Hugo found himself outside of his mother's office without really knowing how he got there.

"Hugo, what a lovely surprise," Hermione Weasley said as pulled him into a motherly hug after seeing him outside her office. "What are you doing here?"

"Hi Mum, I actually came to see Ella. Do you know where she might be?"

"Yes, of course. Her office is just down that way," she said with a smile, pointing the the hall to her left. "Fourth door on your right."

"Thanks Mum," he replied, stepping in to give her a kiss on the cheek and a quick hug.

As he walked down the hallway, he tired to scramble together what to say in his head. The problem was he had no idea about what she was feeling and thinking. She probably felt used and taken advantage of in their drunken state. He was scared of making things worst, more awkward or hurting her again. When he got to the fourth door, it was open and he could see Ella standing beside her desk. She was reading a scroll with her weight resting on one leg. She tapped her other foot almost as though she was tapping along with a beat. Her black, sturdy glasses framed her eyes making her look as cute as they did back in school. Taking this moment to admire her, Hugo felt a sense if calm. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he did when he was fifteen, as though he could do anything because he has her in his life with him through it all. His best friend.

Ella let out a frustrated sigh, before putting the scroll down. As she turned to move, she caught sight of a figure in the door way.

"Hugo!" She gasped, raising a hand to her chest in fright. "Shit! You gave me a fright."

"Sorry, I didn't mean too," Hugo said a little sheepishly, now moving inside her office slowly. "You looked so deep in thought that I didn't want to disturb you."

"Why are you here?" Ella asked, now showing more discomfort and anger in her voice as she already guessed the answer.

"I…I…wanted to talk to you about what happened…you know, between…us," Hugo nervously stuttered, clearly reading on Ella's face that her walls were up and she was in defensive mode. His calm feeling completely gone.

Ella took a deep breath and moved around Hugo to the door, deliberately keeping a good distance from him as she did.

For a moment, Hugo thought she was going to leave, until he heard to door click closed. He turned to see her leaning up against the door, looking at him like she was ready to take the blows. Determined but also a little sad.

"You wanted to talk, so talk Hugo," she said with a shrug, trying to be nonchalant.

"Well, I…Um," Hugo struggled, before heaving out a big sigh as though accepting his fate. "I'm sorry."

"What exactly are your sorry for?" Ella replied after Hugo didn't continue, clearly hoping for more than that. "There are a great number of things you could be sorry for."

"For everything," Hugo almost shouted, before continuing in a much softer sweet voice. "I know that what…happened…what we did, wasn't what you wanted and then me leaving in the morning probably hurt you even more…and I am so sorry for hurting you again. I just panicked when I woke up. You looked so beautiful laying there and you never wanted it and I was taking advantage because you were drunk and I…"

"I wasn't that drunk," Ella cut in, blushing and looking down at her feet.

"What?"

"I said, I wasn't that drunk," she repeated more confidently, this time looking back at him. Hugo just stared back at her, completely unsure what to say. He had convinced himself after his walk there, that he had taken advantage of her and that she didn't want him. After everything that has happened between them nothing that he could remember, said that she felt the way she was now hinting at about him. In fact that was the problem in school, she didn't see him as anything more than a friend.

"Say something please," Ella pleaded as Hugo continued to stand in front of her in shock. "Hugo?" She added after he still didn't respond. This time she moved a closer to him, close enough that she could reach out and touch him. Ella fought the urge to do so, when finally Hugo spoke.

"What do you want me to say to that?"

"Well, anything at this point would be better then nothing at all."

"I'm sorry, I am just a little confused here," Hugo rushed out. "You don't like me like…that. You never have. Why are you saying this now?"

"Look Hugo…I," Ella began, but he cut over the top of her.

"No, no, it was a mistake alright. This is stupid, it was a drunken mistake," he denied with a raised voice turning away from her.

"Is that really how you feel?" She asked, clearly trying to keep her emotions out of her voice.

"It is what it is," Hugo replied, defeatedly.

"That's not an answer."

"Well, what do you want from me?" Hugo raised his voice again, turning around to face her.

"I want to know how you actually feel about this?" She yelled back. "You haven't said anything about your real feelings on the matter."

"That's because they don't matter right now."

"How can they not?"

"Well, you haven't said anything about yours either!" Hugo accused.

"That's because you haven't let me!"

"Haven't let you?" Hugo said, real anger now seeping into his voice. "Are you kidding me? You have had years to say something like this! Why now?" Hugo advanced on her, clearly angry. "Is that why you moved back to England? Thought Hugo's a famous quidditch player, now he's worth my time. Now that there's something in it for you!" Hugo's accusation was cut off with a loud smack sounding through the small office and a stinging cheek.

"How dare you!" Ella screeched as she lowered the hand that left the red mark on Hugo's face. She continued with tears in her eyes as he look down at her. "I thought you knew me better than that. I thought I knew you better than that too. Obviously not."

"Ella…I," Hugo tried to say sorry, realising what he had just accused her of. However, this time Ella didn't let him. "I don't want to hear it, Hugo. If you think that of me then you're right, this was a mistake. Now get out," she said, struggling to hold back tears.

"I didn't mean-"

"Leave Hugo!" She steeled her gaze and looked him straight in the eye. Clearly leaving no room for argument. Hugo hesitated, but then listened to her and left the office. The last thing he heard were her cries as heard walked back down the hallway.

Rose's Apartment

That night, as Rose walked up the stairs to her apartment, she thought about her best friend and her cousin. She was so happy for them. Rose couldn't think of anyone who deserved to be so happy more then them. They were so good for each other.

When she reached her door, Rose was pleasantly surprised to see a certain someone leaning against it. "And who are you waiting for?"

"Oh, no one special really. She's probably just a one time thing," Scorpius replied, smirking as she got closer. He pulled her against him with an arm snaked around her waist. "See she's high maintenance, very temperamental and a huge know it all."

"She sounds terrible," Rose played along, smiling up at him.

"Yeah, but she is also kind, bright and stunningly beautiful," he replied seriously, as he gazed down at her with a genuine smile.

"Really?" Rose whispered as leant up towards him.

"Yeah," came his whispered reply, before he met her lips in a sweet kiss. She slid her arms up his chest to his neck as they deepened the kiss. He wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her tighter against him. Rose let out a little sigh when they slowed things down and pulled back. Scorpius was breathing deeply and rested his forehead against hers. After a moment, he said, "But you're probably right, she's terrible," Scorpius joked. Rose twisted his ear for ruining the moment. "OwOw…Hey!" He exclaimed as she let go of him to unlock the door. "What was that for?" Scorpius continued to joke with a playful smile on his face as he followed her through the door and into her apartment.

"You know," Rose replied, without looking at him. She busied herself with put things away that she brought from work. "Why are you really here though?" She asked, as she came back from putting her things in her room. "I thought were going to have dinner with your parents tonight?"

"I was, but I just wanted to see you," he admitted, moving in close again and taking her hands in his own. "Is that to mushy for me to say?" Scorpius asked with a chuckle at himself.

"Probably, but I don't care," Rose replied with a beaming smile. "I've been wanting to see you all day."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

They both leaned in and kissed each other again. Completely enjoying the fact that they can now. Just as things began to heat up there was a knock at the door. When Rose pulled her lips away. Scorpius let out a frustrated sigh and rested his head against Rose's neck, his arms still holding her tight. "Can we just ignore it?" He asked, hopefully.

"Ah," Rose didn't answer straight away as she thought about ignoring whoever it was as well. Scorpius' breath against her neck was doing this to her, and she hadn't felt like this in a while.

However, when they heard Dominique's voice through the door. They both knew they couldn't continue what they started. "Rose, are you home?"

"Soon, okay?" Rose whispered, as she untangled his arms from her waist and put some distance between them. Scorpius' response was to stick out his bottom lip like a child who had been denied their favourite toy, drawing a small laugh from Rose as she straighten her clothes and hair a little.

"Rose, open up! I am a pregnant woman and I need to pee so badly!" Dom shouted through the door. Rose opened the door and not a moment later was pushed aside as Dom rushed past to find the bathroom to relieve herself.

"Hi Dom," Rose called after her, closing the door, with a little laugh at her cousin.

"Don't you dare laugh at me Rose!" Dom threatened through the bathroom door. Causing Scorpius to laugh at the slightly scared expression that crossed the redhead's face. "Same goes for you too, Scorpius!" Causing Scorpius' laughter to cease. Rose cheekily poked her tongue out at him.

"I wasn't laughing at you, I was laughing at Rose," he called back. Rose rolled her eyes at him and moved towards the kitchen.

"Would you like something to drink?" She asked him, hoping that he might stay.

"Ah, don't you want me to go?" He whispered, unsure how this was going to be with her cousin around.

"Why would I want that?" She replied softly.

"With Dom here and us not being an 'us' yet, I just thought…"

"Look, we will be with all of my family and our friends all weekend for the wedding," Rose replied stepping in closer to him, resting her hand against his chest. "I may not want them to know yet but that doesn't mean I don't want to see you or talk to you. We just have to be careful."

"I don't know if I can pretend," Scorpius replied, smiling down at her. "You are highly irresistible, you know."

"Believe me, its going to be hard for me too," Rose bit her lip lightly, sliding her hand up to his shoulder and pressing her figure against him.

"Oh, I know," he smirked. She couldn't help but laugh at his cocky response.

"Honestly, if we get caught we get caught that doesn't worry me much. I just don't want to announce it or anything yet."

"Okay," Scorpius agreed and stealing a quick kiss. "Then I will have that drink."

"Good, what would you like to drink?" Rose replied, on her way to her fridge.

"Did you say drink? cause I'd love one," Dominique said as she reentered the open plan living space.

"Fizzy drink? Water? Tea?" Rose asked.

"Fizzy drink for me, please," Dom replied and Rose reached in a pulled out a can before turning to Scorpius.

"Do you have any beer?"

"Yeah, I think I have something in here from ages ago," Rose responded, as she searched the fridge.

"Ben, did leave something of his behind then," Dom joked, slipping from her can.

"Probably was his, actually," Rose replied, as she passed Scorpius a bottle. She didn't notice his body stiffen at the comment. Something about the mention of Ben, did something to Scorpius. It made him realise it wasn't that long ago when Rose was with another man. 'I mean, his beer is still in the fridge'.

"Anyway, why I came was just to double check everything is on track for the weekend," Dominique got to the point. "So it's good that you are both here, actually."

"Yeah, we were doing that ourselves too," Rose jumped in quick seeing where her cousins train of thought may lead her. "Scorp, just stop by to go over things," she continued trying to bring him into the conversation. Scorpius seemed to be in his own world, still thinking about Rose and Ben. "Right, Scorpius?" She prompted again to get him to back her up, a little concerned with how quiet and aloof he was now being.

"Yeah, although I think we have covered everything," Scorpius finally said. "Rose, you can just fill in Dom, I have to be getting back to dinner with my parents."

"What?" Rose said, concern now as it was a total flip to what he said earlier.

"Yeah, what about the beer Rose dug out for you? Stay have a beer with us," Dom jumped in, as Rose tried to search his face for what's was going on.

"Maybe another time, sorry," he replied, looking at Rose briefly before Disapparating.

"Well, that was weird," Dom commented.

"Yeah," Rose mumbled, staring at the unopened beer left on the bench as Dominique continue with the wedding plans.

Again I am so sorry, it took so long. However, I think you will like this one plus it is a long chapter. I will continue to try and make the next one quick. I am lucky to have some time off recently and I will see how I go.

Just a special mention to LilyBlack18. Thank you for commenting, you comments really got me back into it. Hope you like the chapter :)