Harry Potter 1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: **I do not own the world that this story is written in, nor do I own 95% of the character's involved. That right belongs to the beloved Queen Rowling. That being said, the idea for this story came to me through a combination of things, the main one being the movie **What to Expect When You're Expecting**, though this is not a crossover. I hope you enjoy it! There's a whole lot more of story to come! ~Addy_

**Broken Foundations**

Chapter 1

_"I'm sorry, Rose. I don't like you like you like me."_

_The memory, imprinted on her brain, haunting her dreams, began as it always did. Rose Weasley faced the boy she had harbored a crush on for more than four years, Scorpius Malfoy. She had just professed her love for him. The moment she heard the words from his mouth, her heart shattered. Of course he didn't like her. Why would he like her? She was a bookworm who loved chess and school and nothing more. He wasn't that into learning, more interested in Quidditch and pranks. But something had drawn her to him. Something had made her fall hard._

_Rose thought she knew every aspect of what happened that night at the end of her sixth year at Hogwarts. She had been through the dream enough times in the past eight years to claim so. Therefore, she was shocked when the memory-dream went in a completely different direction._

_Instead of running off, tears stinging her eyes, like she did all those years before, Rose unconsciously chose to stay. She watched Scorpius, more specifically his eyes. And the pain swimming in them was enough to cause her to question everything that happened between them._

_"Scorpius?" she attempted to call to the dream manifestation of him._

_"I'm sorry, Rose," Dream Scorpius whispered, barely loud enough for her to hear._

_"Sorry for what?"_

_Dream Scorpius turned his back and walked away, headed toward the Slytherin common room. Rose tried to follow, but she was rooted to her spot. She felt her consciousness being pulled from the dream, and tried desperately to reach something that could keep her there, so she could follow Scorpius, but there was nothing in the desolate corridor she had dragged him to._

Dazed, Rose opened her eyes slowly, her bedroom ceiling coming into view inch by inch. She was more than railroaded by the dream she just roused from. Stretching, she pulled the covers over her head and yawned.

"Morning," called a familiar voice, one she had half a mind to murder for being in her bedroom so bloody early on her day off and without permission.

Throwing the blanket from her head, she rasped, "What are you doing in my room, Al?" She was immensely glad that the night before had been a bit chilly, and she had chosen to wear pajamas to bed.

"That doesn't sound like 'good morning, Albus.'"

Rose glared at her cousin, who was perched on her windowsill, cup of tea in hand. "Oh, you'll get your 'good morning, Albus' when I show up in YOUR room at the crack of dawn."

"Always so temperamental when you wake up, Rosie," Albus teased. "You'd think this morning would be a good one after what you were going on about in your sleep."

Rose froze. How could he possibly know what she was dreaming of? She barely remembered the dream herself, just the ocean of pain behind Scorpius's eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't lie, Rosie. You're not very good at it. You know full well what I'm talking about."

Rose folded her arms over her chest. She refused to acknowledge that Albus was right. "Don't tell me what I know, Al. Or do you not remember what happened the last time you tried to pull that with me?"

Albus merely chuckled. "No, I remember well, cousin. But I heard you saying his name, Scorpius. He was in your dream, wasn't he?"

Silence fell between them. Rose looked away, chewing on her lower lip.

"I knew it! What happened between you two? Things haven't been the same since the end of sixth year. You guys were practically attached at the hip back then. Have you even talked to him since we left Hogwarts?"

Rose frowned. She hadn't talked to Scorpius at all in a really long time, partly because of how she left things with him, and partly because she was sure he hated her. "No," she muttered slowly. "I've just been busy."

"Bull!" Albus barked, shaking his head. "That's rubbish, and you know it. Tell me, what did you do last night? Sit at home with me and my girlfriend when you could have gone out and had dinner with him."

Rose definitely did not like the direction the conversation had taken, so she decided to change it. "How IS my lovely roommate? I assume she let you in?"

Albus grinned wickedly, momentarily distracted. "She did . . . last night."

"Oi!" groaned Rose. "Not something I needed to know, you bloody numpty. Keep your love life with my best friend to yourself."

"Will do," he replied, chuckling. "And you're not getting away with that change of subject trick you tried to pull. I'm not letting this go, Rosie."

Rose merely ignored him as she climbed out of her bed, and padded over to her wardrobe. She chose an outfit for the day, and turned back to Albus. "Scorpius made his bed," she muttered cryptically, before heading off to have a shower.

Albus wondered what she meant by that. But he had an idea that it wasn't good, for his cousin had been close to tears when she brushed past him. He knew that he pushed too hard, but he only wanted happiness for the both of them. While Rose showered, Albus decided it best not to bring up Scorpius, at least for a little while.

When Rose emerged, smelling much like her namesake, Albus had a cup of tea waiting for her. "You looked like you could use this," he mumbled, gesturing to the steaming mug in front of him.

"Thank you." Rose had to admit, her annoying, idiotic cousin could be pretty awesome sometimes. She sat in front of him, and sipped slowly from the mug.

"I'm sorry about earlier," Albus and Rose exclaimed at the same time, after a few moments of silence. They both burst into giggles, as if they were still children.

"J-Jinx," Rose choked out.

Albus pouted, attempting to con his way out of the silly Muggle game.

"Oh, fine," Rose murmured, rolling her eyes. "You have my permission to speak."

"Good. I was going to ask you something."

Intrigued, Rose eyed Albus carefully. "Go on," she prompted.

"Well, James's first Quidditch match of the season is today. I was wondering if you wanted to go with me."

"Why aren't you taking your girlfriend?"

"Because she has to work," Albus replied with a shrug.

"And what makes you think I don't?"

"It's half past ten, and you've only just woken a while ago. If you had to work, you'd have been up hours ago. Face it, Rose . . . the people around you know your schedule better than you do." He smiled satisfactorily.

"When exactly did you find the time to pay so much darn attention to me," Rose questioned with a huff. "Between Kaydee and Auror training, you'd think your mind would be full up."

Albus smirked. "It doesn't matter. Just say you'll go with me."

"I don't know, Al," Rose muttered, wracking her brain for a reason why she shouldn't go.

"Come on. Please?"

Rose couldn't possibly say no to the face he was giving her. "Fine," she cried, exasperated. "But you're going to owe me, cousin, if I'm expected to take time out of my busy day of lounging around to go with you to a stupid Quidditch game."

Albus chuckled. He knew that she had become an avid fan of the sport, and was probably itching to go. "Sure, whatever you say."

* * *

Arriving at the Quidditch pitch, Rose had never felt more alive. There was something about the atmosphere at a Quidditch match that brought out the best in people. A genuine smile graced her face for the first time in a long while.

"Let's go find some seats," Albus suggested.

The pair of them wrestled their way through the crowd, some supporting the Tutshill Tornadoes, wearing sky blue clothing embroidered with double T's in a darker shade of blue. And some wore dark grey and white, with a falcon embossed across their chests, for the Falmouth Falcons. Rose, herself, was supporting her cousin, by wearing a Tornadoes T-shirt that James supplied her with for Christmas the year before.

Once they settled on what they deemed the best seats they could find, Rose and Albus made themselves comfortable.

Rose noticed that her cousin had begun to act very strange. She wasn't sure what was up with him, but didn't have the chance to ask, for the announcer cut her off.

"Welcome, welcome, welcome!" boomed the announcer. "It is almost time to begin this Quidditch match! But first, let's introduce the teams! In grey and white, we have the amazing Falmouth Falcons!" Nearly half the crowd erupted, whistling and cheering.

"Yes, yes, good luck Falcons! You're going to need it since you'll be facing the unbeatable Tutshill Tornadoes!" The rest of the crowd came to life. Rose jumped out of her seat, hollering and hooting, taking Albus by surprise.

When she calmed down, she noticed Albus eyeing her. "What?"

"Nothing," he murmured, shaking his head.

Rose decided to ignore him, to not let him ruin her amazing mood. She watched intently as the players flew out onto the field. Studying them through Albus's binoculars, she came across one very familiar man. She couldn't quite place him, though, and it began to nag at her.

Rose barely listened to the beginning of the game. Her eyes were glued to the familiar man's back, as he played the position of Chaser. His sky blue robes trailed behind him as he shot through the air, Quaffle tucked safely under his arm. She cheered when he scored through the center goal, after faking to the right.

Albus smoothed a crease in his cloak nervously. "So, erm, Rose?"

"Hmm?" muttered Rose, hardly paying any attention to him.

"I . . . I was thinking of . . . I was thinking of asking Kaydee to marry me." His words tumbled from his mouth in a rush. A blush crept up the back up of his neck, making the fine hairs there raise.

"That sounds great, Al," she murmured a million miles away, her mind in a completely different place.

Albus glared at his cousin. He was irritated that she was so into the game and couldn't bother to take herself out of it for one moment and be happy for him. He noticed Rose's half smile, and followed her line of sight to see something he never would have imagined.

Albus had made the wise choice not to tell Rose that James had gained himself a brand new teammate that year. He knew Rose would avoid the match like the plague if she knew his best friend, Scorpius Malfoy, had landed himself a spot on the team.

The way Rose was staring after Scorpius made up Albus's mind once and for all. He was going to get the two of them together, even if it killed him.

While Albus was formulating various plots to get the two of them together, Rose was wracking her brain trying to figure out why the mysterious man she couldn't keep her eyes off was so familiar. She went through a list of people she went to school with, because she was fairly certain they were close in age, that played Quidditch, and more specifically, the position of Chaser. Her mind hit a brick wall, and she soon grew frustrated.

The game finished before Rose expected, with James just barely winning out in the race to catch the Golden Snitch. Every single person in blue erupted in a wild cheer, hollering at the top of their lungs. Rose grinned at Albus, happy to see that he had risen from his seat as well, and was cheering just as loud as she was.

"Come on," Albus shouted, barely able to rise above the noise. He pulled Rose along, headed to congratulate his brother and best friend.

James Potter was easy enough to find. He was hoisted atop his teammates, a wide grin adorning his face. He still wore his Quidditch gear, and every one of his teammates had a hand on him, congratulating him.

"Let me down, you lot," he called once he spotted his brother and cousin headed in his direction. They set him on his feet, a few of them taking the opportunity to clap him on the back once more.

"Never thought I'd see you here, cousin," James murmured, a smirk crossing his face.

"Oh, shove off, James. I couldn't very well miss your first match of the season, now could I?"

"My parents missed the game," James supplied.

"But they had their reasons," Albus jumped in quickly.

"Yes, yes. I know. I got the spiel last night when Mum forced me into dinner. They've been at enough of my games to earn themselves a bye, I guess. Still, I wish Dad had seen that wicked catch I made. I think he'd be proud."

"Of course he'd be proud, James," Rose murmured, smiling at her elder cousin. There was a time when he did nothing but annoy her. But they both had grown, Rose more than James, and grew to be somewhat closer than when they were children.

Albus tuned the two of them out. He focused on Scorpius, who had just noticed Rose. Once he got Scorpius's attention, he beckoned him over to join them.

As Scorpius sauntered over, he couldn't help but check out the girl he let get away. Rose had blossomed into a gorgeous woman, and he knew for a fact that her most beautiful asset was her mind. Through Albus, Scorpius had found out that Rose went into the Healing business, not that it surprised him one bit. She always had an uncanny ability to sense when someone needed her help, and did whatever she could for anyone she could.

Thanks to the recent win, Scorpius felt considerably confident. But at the same time, due to the way they left things between them, Scorpius grew incredibly nervous as he neared. He momentarily considered a change of direction, and chickening out of the situation.

"Well done, mate," Albus called, smirking. He could clearly see Scorpius debating and decided to make the decision for him.

Scorpius frowned at his best friend. "Hello, Rose," he murmured.

Rose whirled around only to come face to face with the Quidditch player she was unable to place. Once she was able to look at his face properly, her heart sunk. She knew that face, only her memory showed it a few years younger. It was the face of Scorpius Malfoy, the boy who never loved her, the cause of her pain for many years.

Seeing him in that moment was more than enough to bring back it all flooding back. She struggled to keep her emotions in check, to not show any signs of weakness.

"Hello," she replied, venom dripping from the word.

"You look well," Scorpius tried, his lips turning up slightly. He didn't miss the bitterness in her tone, choosing to overlook it and compliment her.

Rose turned to glare at her cousins. James surveyed the situation, standoffish. Albus watched more intently. Rose could see he had a plan of some sorts, and was suddenly furious with him for not warning her that Scorpius would be there.

"I . . . I forgot. I'm supposed to meet Mum and Dad for lunch." Rose turned on the spot, disappearing with a loud pop, but not before all three men caught the stray tear that rolled down her cheek and the hitch in her breath.

"What in the bloody hell was that about?" James asked, still starring at the spot Rose stood a second before.

Frowning, Albus simply shrugged.

"It's a long story," Scorpius murmured, looking away from the brothers. He knew exactly what made Rose leave so abruptly, and it made him feel terrible. For the reason she left was him.

* * *

A few hours later, Albus let himself into the flat his girlfriend, Kaydee Longbottom, shared with Rose. He checked to see if his cousin had come home, but he knew better. Rose had looked terrible when he caught up with her, nursing her second fire whiskey at the Leaky Cauldron. She refused to speak to him for more than an hour, and when she did, he was glad words weren't able to physically harm, because hers would have cut him to bits for sure.  
Albus sighed. He truly thought he was doing something good for Scorpius and Rose, because he felt they were perfect for each other, despite their past. In fact, he wasn't clear on the events that transpired between the two of them, and was determined to get to the bottom of it.  
While he busied himself, preparing his favorite feast for the dinner he planned for his and Kaydee's seventh anniversary, he immersed himself in memories of days long gone, attempting to figure out when both of his best friends became miserable and why.

Albus was so consumed that he did not hear the front door opening, nor did he hear his girlfriend coming up behind him. Only when she wrapped her arms around his waist and sighed happily did he realize he wasn't alone in her flat.

"It smells delightful," she murmured, surprise coloring her tone.

"You say that with entirely too much disbelief," Albus retorted, pulling Kaydee in front of him to have a proper look at her. "I learned from the best cook there ever will be, my Gran. Happy anniversary, love." He kissed her sweetly.

Once Kaydee recovered from the effect his kisses had on her, she countered, "I'm pretty sure not even your Gran could save your cooking. What about our anniversary last year? You tried to make breakfast in bed for me, and wound up in St. Mungo's, with Rose treating you for what you assumed were second degree burns?" Kaydee giggled as she helped Albus float their dinner to the dining room table.

"You swore you'd never mention that again," Albus muttered, but was unable to keep the smile from his face. "And besides, that bacon grease was ridiculously hot! For all I knew, it could have been third degree instead of the minor skin irritation it got classified as."

"Well, maybe you should have thought of that before you cooked the bacon with your shirt off."

"Funny, it never occurred to me until that day." Albus went around the table to pull out Kaydee's chair for her. He wanted everything to be perfect for what he was about to do.

Throughout dinner, Kaydee dealt with the sense that something was off with her boyfriend. She chalked it up to stress, what with his Stealth test scheduled for less than a month later, and didn't comment on it.

Albus finished his food first, practically inhaling every morsel out of sheer nervousness. Would Kaydee accept his proposal? He hoped with his whole heart that she would.

The moment Kaydee put her last bite into her mouth, Albus shot up, mumbling something about going to get their dessert.

"I get dessert too? I wish every day was our anniversary."

Kaydee spent more than a few moments alone, before deciding to go see what was taking her boyfriend so long with their dessert. "Albus? Did you get lost? I know how my flat's layout can be confusing to you."

When Kaydee crossed the threshold of her kitchen, she was not expecting to see her boyfriend of seven years down on one knee, holding one of the most beautiful rings she had ever laid eyes on.

"Kaydee Marie Longbottom, I have loved you since I was seventeen years old. I have known you were the one for me for a pretty long time now. I think I might have even known it back when we first started dating, right after we made up from our first real fight. I couldn't bear to be without you during those two weeks, and after all this time, I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife, and making me the happiest man in the world?"

Kaydee had been waiting for him to pop the question for months, and now that it had finally happened, she was immensely ecstatic. Wasting no time at all, she exclaimed an overly joyous, "Yes! Of course I'll marry you, Albus!"

Elated, Albus placed the ring he purchased from a Muggle jeweler on Kaydee's finger, and then stood to take her into his arms. His butterfly kisses on her face and neck made her squeal.

Once they had composed themselves enough to be able to take their dessert to Kaydee's dining room table, they began the talk of wedding plans.

"I want Rose to be my maid of honor," Kaydee murmured without a moment's thought. Of course she would want her best friend to be a part of her wedding. The two of them had been inseparable since they met their first year at Hogwarts.

Albus had absolutely no problem with his favorite cousin being a part of their wedding. It actually gave him an idea. "I would like Scorpius to be my Best Man." When he noticed Kaydee's look of protest, he continued, "Now, I know Rose may not be very happy about this, but Scorpius has been my best mate as long as you and she have been friends. It is our wedding, and we should have the right to choose who we invite into our wedding party. Rose is a big girl now. I am confident that she will get over what happened between the two of them all those years ago."

Kaydee stayed silent for a moment. She knew a fraction of what happened the night Scorpius broke Rose's heart, only the bits and pieces she was able to pull from her best friend's hysterics, and the things she observed. She had always wondered about the full story, but wasn't willing to bring up the past and the pain.

"I don't know everything," she began, wondering if she should be telling him any of it. But once the words were out, it was too late; Albus would have gotten it out of her one way or another. "Rose told me her crush on Scorpius began in our third year. It grew from there, to out-of-control, Scorpius-was-the-only-thing-on-her-mind, couldn't-focus-on-anything proportions. In sixth year, she'd had enough of the daydreaming—she wanted the real thing. One night, she dragged Scorpius to an unused corridor in the castle and confessed her feelings. Obviously they weren't returned, because by the time I found her hours later, still alone in that dark corridor, heartbroken, she was an utter mess. Do you remember that time she spent almost a week straight in the Hospital Wing with bandaged arms? That was when it happened. She just couldn't deal with all of the stress she was under so she hurt herself, burned her flesh pretty horribly. It's a miracle the scars aren't still visible, but magic is marvelous that way."

By that point in Kaydee's tale, Albus was fuming. Scorpius, his BEST FRIEND in the whole world aside from Kaydee, was the reason his cousin hurt herself. He could barely consume his rage enough to work out that this was the incident that broke up Scorpius and Rose's friendship. He would have never guessed back then that Rose liked Scorpius, what with the way she regarded him, and sassed him.

"Calm down, Albus," Kaydee murmured, clearly able to see him murdering his best friend in his mind. "It wasn't Scorpius's fault Rose did what she did. Yes, he played a part in it, but Rose could have acknowledged that she had a problem. I'm not saying that she was in the wrong either, but we were always there for her. She kept a lot of things buried back then, things I am sworn to secrecy about, so don't even try it, Mister."

Silence fell between the two of them. Albus wanted to question what things Rose kept quiet, but he knew he would get nowhere in that conversation, so he moved on to trying to wrap his head around why his best friend told his cousin no.

"I'm a little confused about something," Albus admitted.

"You're a little confused about a lot of things, Hunny," Kaydee joked, sticking out her tongue at him. "But what are you muddled about this time?"

"I understand that in some variation or another, Scorpius told Rose that he didn't like her, or that they couldn't be together. What I don't understand is why, if he did that back then, if he didn't actually like her, would he feel the need to ask about her every single time I see him, most times even before asking about you and me? And why is it when he asks about her, he has a weird look of longing in his eyes? Is he just trying to toy with her emotions, hoping that I would tell her every time her name passed his lips?"

It was a very good question, indeed. Kaydee took a few moments to mull it over. "I'm not sure why Scorpius told her he didn't like her back then, but maybe now that he's matured, he realizes that he made a horrible mistake and missed out on an amazing person?"

"But should he be allowed a second chance with her?"

"What do you mean?" Confusion colored Kaydee's features.

"This morning, I went into Rose's room to ask if she wanted to go to James's match today."

"Albus, what did you do?" Kaydee groaned, knowing she would be in for a discussion later that night, when Rose returned home.

Albus raised his hands in defeat. "I didn't do it on purpose! I was just waiting for her to wake up, and I heard her say his name, Scorpius. She was dreaming of him. So I figured when she saw him at the game, they'd begin the repair process on their friendship. It didn't quite work that way. Throughout the match, Rose couldn't keep her eyes off him. I thought my plan was working. It blew up in my face, though, when we went back to congratulate James and his team on their win. I guess Rose had no clue who Scorpius was while he played. But the moment he said her name, she knew. Boy, did she know. Not even a minute passed before she disapparated, mumbling something about lunch with Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron, leaving us standing there like a bunch of idiots. How was I supposed to know what happened between them? Nobody tells me anything!"

Kaydee placed her hand on Albus's. "It's okay, love. You couldn't possibly have known. Your heart was in the right place. And you weren't wrong. Rose DOES still have feelings for Scorpius; she just won't admit it to herself. A girl never forgets her first love, even if he never loved her back." She paused, considering her next words. "So the only question left is, do we get involved, or do we leave it up to chance that they'll bridge the gap themselves?"

Albus didn't know how to answer her question. On the one hand, he only wanted happiness for Rose, and Scorpius, as well. But should Scorpius get a second chance at what he missed out on the first time? Albus wasn't sure if he did, but he figured if he were in the same position with Kaydee, he would have wanted the opportunity to, at the very least.

"So we're doing this? We're really doing everything in our power to fix things between Rose and Scorpius?"

"It looks like we are," answered Albus.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Kaydee woke early the next morning, despite the fact that it was her day off, her day to rest. She barely slept a wink, worry growing by the hour. To her knowledge, Rose had yet to come home, which was unusual for her best friend.

Donning her robe, Kaydee went to check Rose's room, to see if she had snuck in while Kaydee was deep in dreamland. The moment she peeked into Rose's room, she remembered Rose had been scheduled for a morning shift at St. Mungo's.

Kaydee turned on her heels and went back into her room to dress. She had decided that if Rose was going to try to avoid her, or, at the very least, her fiancé, then she would just have to go to her.

The Floo to St. Mungo's took only a few moments, but to Kaydee, they felt like hours. She knew in the pit of her stomach that her best friend would be in a sorry state when she caught up with her. Albus had mentioned something about Fire Whiskey, and Rose was never one to hold her liquor well.

Sure enough, when Kaydee caught sight of the girl who had practically become her sister, she could clearly see the bags under her eyes.

"Rose?" Kaydee whispered between a crack in the curtain drawn around a patient's bed.

"I'll be right back, Miss Wayne," she heard Rose tell her patient, before the curtain parted and out stepped a haggard-looking Rose Weasley. "Hello, Kaydee. What are you doing up here? I thought today was your day off?"

"I came to see you," Kaydee admitted, studying her best friend's face. "Are you free for lunch?"

Rose checked the Muggle watch on her wrist. She was surprised at how late it had already become, over half of her shift had passed without her taking a break of any sort. "Sure, just let me finish up with my patient. I'll meet you down in the cafeteria in a few."

Kaydee nodded, and headed off down the hallway, while Rose disappeared behind the curtain once again.  
Twenty minutes passed before Rose made it down to the cafeteria. Before she sat down across from her best friend, she grabbed a salad, her favorite lunch food, and an apple for dessert. Working at a hospital, magical or not, had inspired Rose to take better care of her health.

Kaydee had already finished her soup by the time Rose joined her, so she sat patiently while Rose ate.  
Rose could tell something was different about her best friend. Kaydee, normally a complete chatterbox, had never spent longer than five minutes without uttering a word. "What's up?" she asked between bites.

"I did something bad last night," Kaydee murmured, her eyes sinking to the table in front of her. "Really bad."

"What? I honestly don't believe that you could have done something as bad as you're making it out to be. Did you cheat on Albus? Murder someone?"

Kaydee shook her head, biting on her lip. "Worse. I told him . . . Everything that I knew."

"Everything? What do you—" Rose froze. "E-everything? Everything except . . . ?"

Kaydee shook her head again. "I'm sorry, Rose! It just came out! I didn't even realize what I was doing until after I had opened the flood gates. If it helps, Albus is the only one who knows."

"It doesn't help anything," Rose murmured with a sigh. "If Albus knows, my entire family will know soon. Why did you tell him, though?"

"I'm not sure. We were talking about who we wanted in our wedding party, and I, of course, said you."

"Wedding party?" Rose was confused, that is, until she saw the ring on Kaydee's finger. She vaguely remembered Albus mentioning something about it at James's Quidditch match, before everything turned horrible. "Wow, that's awesome, Kaydee! I'm really happy for you!" Rose leaned over the table to hug her best friend. She hadn't forgotten about her cousin finding out about her self harm, or the fact that she was in love with his best friend, it had just been moved to the back burner of her mind. She was truly happy that her two best friends had found love, and were well on their way to marriage.

"So will you? Be my Maid of Honor, I mean."

"Of course," Rose murmured without a moment's thought. She and Kaydee had been planning dream weddings together since their second year at Hogwarts.

"I can't wait to start planning this wedding!" Kaydee was practically bouncing with joy.

"Have you guys set a date yet?"

"We were thinking late this summer."

"THIS summer? But that's only four months away! Are you both insane?"

"No," Kaydee murmured, a starry look glossing over her eyes. "Just in love."

* * *

When Albus arrived at the pub he and Scorpius had decided on when they made plans for lunch the night before, he was surprised to find his best friend already seated. It was unlike Scorpius to be on time for anything, and he wondered if he was the late one. One check of the watch on his wrist told him otherwise.

"Hello, mate," Albus murmured, wiping rain from his cloak as he took his seat across from Scorpius. "You're here early."

"Practice ended early," Scorpius replied. "Coach had enough of us nearly flying into lightning. Said the weather was too bad and that we'd have to have a double practice tomorrow. But I don't mind. I'm living my dream, mate, and I wouldn't trade it for anything."

"Good, I'm glad. I also followed a dream of my own last night."

"And what dream was that?" To say Scorpius was curious was an understatement.

"I finally was able to muster up the courage to do it. You know, ask Kaydee to marry me." He paused, gauging his reaction, leaving him on the edge.

"What did she say?"

"Well, she said yes, of course. Did you doubt it, Malfoy?" Albus loved to joke with his best friend.

"I honestly don't know what was going through poor Kaydee's mind when she said yes, mate," Scorpius joked back. "Does she even know what she's in for?"

Albus snorted. "Probably not. But it's a good thing that she didn't think about it too much. I don't know how I got so lucky, Scorp."

Scorpius wondered when luck would come his way. Sure, he had landed a spot on his favorite Quidditch team, but his joy meant nothing if he didn't have anyone to share it with. Especially if he didn't have the one woman he really wanted to share his life with.

"So will you do it?" Albus stared at him, question rooted deep in his eyes.

"Do what?"

"Will you be my best man? Honestly, mate, do you ever pay attention?"

"Of course I will," Scorpius answered. "You didn't even have to ask."

"Okay, good," Albus grinned. "The wedding will be in late August, after your season is over. Kaydee wanted to have it earlier, but I wouldn't have it. I told her 'my best mate is a Quidditch player, and he is going to be in our wedding no matter what, so we need to have it when his season ends.' Then she pointed out that my brother is a Quidditch player, also, and our date was set."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's how the conversation went," Scorpius murmured, smirking. In their seven years together, he had yet to see Kaydee and Albus have an argument. It seemed they were way too perfect for each other. He wished he could find that.

"Did you ever catch up with Rose after the game yesterday?" Scorpius stared at his best friend expectantly. Of course Rose had been nagging on his brain, but he waited until Albus told him his news, out of courtesy. After all, Al had been the one to invite him, earlier that morning.

Albus spent a few moments opening and closing his mouth, choosing his words wisely. He wasn't sure if he should tell his best friend of the events his rejection had been a part to cause. At the same time, he felt Scorpius and Rose couldn't be more perfect for each other. It was half of the reason he decided to force them together. "I'm going to be honest with you, mate. She was a mess when I found her. Seeing you really fucked with her head, and it was my fault for putting her in that situation. I spent the night at Kaydee's and she never came home."

Scorpius frowned at some unseen pattern in the tabletop. "I was afraid of that," he admitted. "It's not your fault, Al. It's mine."

* * *

Albus sighed as he slid his key in the lock for Kaydee and Rose's flat for the third night in a row. He had just arrived back from his lunch with Scorpius, and their discussion was weighing heavily on his mind.

Try as he might, he simply couldn't understand why Scorpius turned Rose down that night. After talking with him, he was more positive than ever that his best friend harbored feelings for his cousin, feelings that were strong enough to endure the years. Unless, of course, they began after they got out of school, but that wouldn't explain the way Scorpius used to look at Rose during their Hogwarts days. Maybe he just wouldn't admit it to himself, or maybe he didn't want it to be true. Albus had no idea why Scorpius would fight his feelings for Rose, though. They were best friends, and so contradictory that they would have made a near-perfect couple. So why would Scorpius say no? It hurt his head to think too much about it.

Upon swinging the off-white door open, Albus was hit directly in the face with the most wonderful smell he had ever sniffed. It was his favorite dessert, and he was certain Kaydee had prepared it just for him.

He was conflicted about his girlfriend's baking, because normally, Kaydee only baked when she was stressed. But the delicious masterpieces that would spawn from such anxiety were enough to make him question his worrying.

Albus followed his nose, and found Kaydee covered head to toe in flour, her arms wrist-deep in a bowl of some sort of dessert in its preparation stage.

"You've got a little something on your nose," Albus murmured, smirking.

Kaydee looked up from the bowl she was so deeply focused on to force a smile at her fiancé. "Very funny, Potter. You're a regular comedian."

"I do my best." Albus grabbed one of the two towels hanging above the sink and wet one end of it before turning to face Kaydee. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Kaydee frowned, keeping silent, moving her attention back to the dough beneath her hands.

Brushing the towel against her face to rid it of its newfound paleness, Albus frowned as well. "I know something is going on in that brain of yours. The only time you bake is when you're trying to figure something out. So come on, out with it."

Kaydee stopped kneading the dough in her hands. She stood still for a moment, contemplating how to explain the worrying that was going on in her mind.

"I'm not sure if it's a good idea to force Rose and Scorpius together. What if it doesn't work out? You didn't see her the way that I did back then. She was more than a mess . . . She was a disaster. Just because she's gotten her life together, doesn't give us the right to try and screw it up all over again."

Albus considered her words, heard just how scared she was for her best friend, before responding. "I can't predict the future. I don't know if Scorpius and Rose will be perfect for each other, or, if things end badly, it will be the start of the Third Wizarding War. All I know is that Rose deserves happiness. And you can say that Scorpius doesn't for turning her down back then. But I think he does. I don't know why he did what he did, but it's done. Do we have the right to condemn him for the rest of his life? We don't even know the entire story, so we shouldn't be passing judgment. There could have been a completely credible reason why he didn't want to date Rose. But I think we should allow them the chance to figure out if they would work together. And since they're both about as stubborn as my Uncle Ron was when it came to realizing his feelings for my Aunt Hermione, I say we give them a little nudge. If it doesn't work out, we can always be there for them. I don't know what was going on with that cousin of mine back in the day, but I believe she is in a much better place now. Maybe it's time for a second chance?"

A tight smile crossed Kaydee's face. She wasn't quite as sure as Albus was, but she did agree; Rose, at the very least, deserved the chance to have what she couldn't all those years before. "So how do we do this?"

Now it was Albus's turn to frown. "I was hoping you had some ideas about that."

"You were, were you?"

Albus nodded, his lips turning up in a slight smile.

"You're lucky I do have something up myself." Kaydee grabbed a plate from the cabinet and served Albus a piece of his favorite desert, chocolate tiramisu. "I was thinking that we should set them up on a blind date."  
Albus considered it as he took a bite. "Do you think that will work?" he questioned, his mouth still full.

Kaydee put her hands on her hips with a huff. "Why wouldn't it?"

"Well, do you think Rose will be very trusting of us after what happened at the game? I know I can get Scorp on board, but I don't think my stubborn cousin will go for it."

"I hadn't thought of it that way," Kaydee admitted. She sat across from him, trying to think of the best way to force Rose and Scorpius together. After a few moments, she came up with what seemed like the perfect idea, one that Rose couldn't possibly back out of. "What if we bring them along when we plan our wedding?"

Albus smiled wider. "That just might work. You can leave out the part where Scorpius and I will be joining you two when you invite her."

"And then we can force them to talk to each other by excusing ourselves every few minutes."

Nodding, Albus chuckled. "And if that doesn't work, we can just go with the old 'lock them in a broom cupboard until they work everything out and fall madly in love with each other' thing."

"Let's just make that our plan B."

As Albus and Kaydee continued to discuss and formulate a plan on getting the two to work things out, they were oblivious to the fact that Rose had come home, and was posted against the other side of the kitchen door. Normally, she wasn't too fond on letting her arrival into the house be known, and therefore was able to get the inside scoop on a lot of information and dirty secrets, some that she wished she had been left out on; so the instant she'd walked in and heard her name in the same sentence with Scorpius', she'd known something was up. And once she heard talk of them making use of their wedding planning to twist her and Scorpius's arms into submission, she vowed right then and there to make excuses every time they tried to invite her to do something. She was not about to be let them make her their puppet, and that was the truth.


	3. Chapter 3

Months flew by with Rose successfully able to bow out of each and every wedding event, blaming work or other responsibilities. She would always apologize, and make it up to her best friend and favorite cousin, assuring them she would make it to the next thing, but never following through.

After about a month or two, Albus and Kaydee begun to worry that their plan wouldn't work. Rose could tell their worry was weighing on them, but she wouldn't budge. She had valid reasons for not wanting to be forced into something with Scorpius, the most important being that he not only tore apart her heart, he made sure that no one else would be able to put it back together.

By the time their wedding neared, Rose had run out of excuses, and was debating whether it would be moral to outright lie to get herself out of the rehearsal dinner. She knew Scorpius would be there, and she wasn't ready to face him, though she would only have a few days more of peace if she didn't go. At the same time, her Aunt Ginny had pretty much threatened her life, and the lives of her future children, if she didn't show. She didn't know who she was more afraid of.

But none of that mattered to her at that moment. All that mattered was that she was late to meet her ex-boyfriend, Vincent Flint. Grabbing her purse, she checked her reflection, satisfied with what she saw in the mirror, and turned on the spot.

Rose arrived with a definite CRACK in the alley behind the tea shop she was supposed to meet Vince at. Rounding the corner, she saw that he was just arriving as well, and didn't feel so bad about being late.

"Hello Vince," she murmured when they reached each other. She took a second to give him a once-over, noticing all his flaws that had fixed themselves with time. She had to admit, age had been courteous to Vincent Flint. He looked better than when they were back at Hogwarts.

"Rose," he gruffed, his voice deeper as well. "You look well." He pulled her into a hug, allowing her to feel all the muscles in his chest that his Quidditch career kept toned.

"Thank you. You do also."

"Shall we?"

Nodding, Rose let herself be led into her favorite tea shop. The pair of them ordered, and then took their steaming mugs to a seat by the window.

"So what was so important that you felt the need to call me up after four years?" Vince sipped his coffee slowly.

Rose knew Vince wasn't the kind of person to keep waiting, so she decided to come right out and ask him. "I was wondering if you would be my date to Albus and Kaydee's wedding."

"Albus and Kaydee are getting married? I never thought they'd last."

Rose bit her tongue, holding in her snide remark. She was desperate to get Vince to go with her, because she felt he was the best to get a rise out of Scorpius. "They've had their fights, but they always manage to fix things."

"Why do you want me to go with you? Don't you have a man in your life?"

"Working at St. Mungo's doesn't really allot me enough time to date," she admitted. "I want you to go because I know I'd have fun. And because I'm comfortable with you."

"You were never comfortable with me," Vince muttered under his breath. Rose caught it, no less, and didn't dispute him. She knew how right he was, but he didn't know that the reason she had never been truly comfortable with a guy, truly into a relationship, was because of Scorpius.

"Would it help if I told you that Scorpius Malfoy will be there? And that if you go, you can flaunt me in front of him the entire night. I think I remember an ongoing feud between the two of you. Am I wrong?" Rose decided to leave out the part where she didn't think Scorpius would get very jealous at her being with him, just annoyed that he was there.

Vince, who had stiffened at the mention of Scorpius, took a moment to weigh his options. He could go to the stupid wedding, make Scorpius jealous, or he could spend the evening at home or even out with one of the bimbo Quidditch groupies that flocked to him nearly every place he went. "Fine," he murmured, a smirk crossing his lips. "I'll go to the wedding with you. But we need to talk about what you're going to do for me, since I'm doing this for you."

Frowning, Rose sipped her tea, suddenly wishing she had skipped this entire outing.

* * *

A few hours after her meeting with Vincent, Rose limped around her flat, wearing only one of her favorite silver strappy sandals. She couldn't seem to find its' mate, and her temper was fuming. It wasn't in the hallway closet, the designated area for company and everyday footwear. It wasn't in the closet in her own room, because that was where she found the one she had on. It wasn't even under the sofa, which was surprising since that seemed to be the only place where her cousin Victoire's, two children loved to hide things when she babysat them.

Climbing to her feet with an inward groan, she finally remembered what seven years at Hogwarts had taught her. She was a witch, and happened to know a handy dandy spell for summoning things. Grabbing her wand from the counter, she tried her best to picture her shoe. It was a task, considering she had to force her mind from her fretting over Albus and Kaydee's rehearsal dinner, and more importantly, who she would be required to be in the presence of. But she managed to form some semblance of what a shoe looked like, and practically screamed "Accio" inside her head.

Nothing happened for a second, and Rose frowned deeply. She was already running late and did not have time for the spell not to work. She concentrated harder on the shoe-shaped object in her mind, and repeated the incantation, again, nonverbally. It was the worst mistake she could have made in that moment.

From all around her, shoes began wiggling, lifting themselves off the floor, and, in most cases, thumping loudly against the doors between them and their Summoner. The one on her foot, too, began wiggling, but was strapped half way up her calf, so it had nowhere to go. The shoes that were not housed behind closed doors soared through the air, colliding right into a very, very irritated Rose. Once she wised up to their intent, she turned her wand on them, causing them to fall to the floor immediately.

"Maybe I should just call Kaydee and tell her I'm not coming." Rose sighed heavily, slumping down on the sofa.

"You're going, whether you like it or not."

Rose nearly jumped right out of her skin. She twisted to see that her favorite aunt, Ginny, had just stepped out of their fireplace. "Aunt Ginny! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"I came to see what was taking you. The rehearsal dinner was supposed to start half an hour ago, but Kaydee and Albus insisted on waiting until you were there. Much to your father's disapproval, I might add."

Rose frowned, biting her lip. With her aunt's words, she realized how horrible a friend she had been for the past few months. It was not a pleasant feeling, but it did manage to open her eyes. The dinner, and the wedding in general, was not about her, and the fact that she definitely did not want to see Scorpius. It was about her two best friends in the entire world coming together, promising to spend their lives with each other. She felt selfish, and desperately wanted to rewind the past and be a better friend.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Ginny," Rose murmured, nearing tears. "I am a horrible person. And-and I can't seem to find my other shoe."

Ginny pulled her niece into a hug. "I know it will be hard on you to see him, Rosie," she cooed.

"Which one of them told you?"

"Kaydee. I was fussing with them over where you've been the entire wedding planning process. It sort of came out. Don't get mad at her, though. I'm glad she told me. I was kind of hoping that you knew you could come to me with things like that, but I guess you didn't."

"No," Rose answered quickly. "I knew I could. I just thought that somehow it would get back to Dad, and I just wanted to forget it. I didn't want to think about that time in my life, not even while I was living it."

"I see. And you're not a horrible person, Rose. You're just someone who got her heart broken. It happens to the best of us. But look at it this way: If you can get through tonight, and tomorrow night, you'll never have to see Scorpius again."

A small ghost of a smile crossed Rose's lips briefly before fading, leaving a grimace in its place. "I don't think I'm strong enough for this, Aunt Ginny." Her eyes shone with the truth behind her words. She honestly believed seeing Scorpius that much in such a short amount of time would break her into pieces once more.

"You, Rose Weasley, are the strongest woman I know. You've made it through way worse than this. I guarantee you this will feel like a piece of cake, once you introduce yourself into the atmosphere at the Burrow. Trust me, it's chaos there, it always has been when all of the children were over. And your Grandmum has been looking forward to seeing you for so long. You should visit them more."

"I know, Aunt Ginny. I should visit everyone more often. But it's so easy to hide behind my job, much easier than facing them, and letting them know that I'm just barely getting through even the best of days. I just can't put my problems on anyone else. It's not fair to them."

"No, Rosie. It's not fair to you. Your family loves you. We all would do anything in the world for you, and all you'd have to do is ask. I think you know that. I think you're just embarrassed that you're have a tough time in your life right now. But it's nothing to be embarrassed by, dear. It happens to the best of us. Don't shut your family out of your life, Rose. We only want what's best for you. Now, would you like me to help you find your shoe?"

Rose nodded, wiping at the tears that had begun to stream down her cheeks.

Ginny reached into her pocket and pulled out her wand. She took one look at the sandal her niece was wearing, and then called, "Accio sandal!"

The footwear at Rose's feet began to wiggle once more, causing her to mutter, "Oh Merlin, not again," before the mate to her sandal shot straight up out of the pile. Ginny caught it, and handed it over.

"Thank you, Aunt Ginny," Rose murmured as she tied the strap up her slender leg. "For everything."

"No need to thank me, dear. All ready to go?"

Rose nodded, though she was the furthest thing from ready to see the boy who had ripped her heart to shreds. Hand in hand, the pair of them turned on the spot, their destination: the Burrow.

* * *

Scorpius sensed Rose's presence the moment she arrived at the Burrow. He had been mid conversation with James about a new Quidditch play he thought they should try for next season, when he heard the unmistakable CRACK! Forgetting about his teammate, his eyes sought out the girl he let get away. She looked absolutely stunning, more gorgeous than the last time he had seen her months before.

"Ah," Ron Weasley called. "There's that daughter of mine. Now can we PLEASE get started with this dinner?" Laughter bubbled up throughout the crowd, while Hermione tried to hush him.

Chuckling, Albus answered, "Yes, Uncle Ron. Now that my lovely cousin decided to grace us with her presence, we are free to begin tonight's festivities."

Scorpius couldn't help but detect a bit of acidity in his best friend's tone, and he was sure Rose could as well. He felt sorry for her, sorry that his own presence was most likely what had kept her from all of the wedding planning in the first place. He cursed his Sixth Year self for not realizing what he was letting go when he turned her down. But he made it his mission to, at the very least, begin the apologizing process. And while he didn't see any sort of romantic relationship with Rose in his future, though he wished he was wrong on that one, he would have liked to become civil with her at best. He hated himself for causing her so much pain, and was sure that she felt the same. He only hoped she would forgive him, even if it took all the time in the world.

While Scorpius was lost inside his head, Albus had been calling his name. "Scorpius, are you in there?"

Once the fog in his mind cleared, Scorpius tore his attention from Rose only to realize that every single pair of eyes were on him. He felt hot all over, and wished everyone would go back to their own business.

"Er, yes?" he half-whispered.

"Now would be the point in the evening where the best man would generally give his toast," Albus prompted, causing laughter to bubble up once more. "Do I need to ask my brother to step in for you?"

"N-no!" Scorpius replied quickly. He stood, raising his glass. The crowd that was the Weasley-Potter clan, along with Kaydee's parents, Neville and Hannah Longbottom, and her brothers, Xander and Benjamin, quieted.

"Good evening," he began. "Let me start off by thanking each and every one of you for everything you are doing to help Kaydee and my best mate have a night they won't ever forget. I met Albus and Rose on our very first train ride to Hogwarts, and we became fast friends, much to our parents' dismay." Scorpius paused while a few chuckles rang out. "And while our parents disapproved of our friendship in the beginning, Albus and I still grew closer as they years progressed.

"We also met Kaydee our first year at Hogwarts. She was Rose's best friend, and Albus was Rose's favorite cousin, so we were acquaintances by default, at least in the beginning. It didn't take long to begin a friendship with her as well.

"School started off great, the four of us learning new things about each other, and forming lifelong bonds. We did nearly everything together back then, despite the fact that we were in different Houses. Rose and Kaydee tutored us throughout our Hogwarts days, and I'm sure we wouldn't have gotten by without them.

"As Albus and I got older, we started noticing girls as something more than walking, talking cooties, and I could tell something was brewing between him and Kaydee. They both denied their attraction to each other, but Rose and I could see it there, bubbling under the surface. We were happy for them, but at the same time, we were frustrated. We spent our entire Fifth Year trying to force them into situations where they would have to confess their feelings. Almost all of our plans never made it past the beginning stages, though it was fun spending so much time with her." His lips turned up at the memories that were playing in his mind.

"Nevertheless, we eventually got what we wanted in our Sixth year, when Albus finally plucked up the courage and asked Kaydee out. By then my friendship with Rose was nonexistent, so we didn't get to share in our friends' good fortune, but that is a story for another time."

Scorpius fell silent for many moments. He looked somber, and his slate eyes stung with his hatred for his younger self. When he began again, his voice had a harsh edge. "I'll never forgive myself for what I did."

Rose blanched. She had been trying her best to keep the memories of younger days at bay, and was succeeding, until she caught his words. She didn't want her family to know how he had rejected her, tossed her to the curb without a moment's thought. She was so focused on her worrying that she missed the meaning behind his words.

"Er," Albus called quickly, "Scorpius? This is not the time, nor the place."

Kaydee could tell her best friend was close to a breakdown. She reached over and took Rose's hand in hers, squeezing it to show her support. Despite all the things Rose had missed out on during the whole wedding planning process, Kaydee didn't think any less of her. They had been best friends for more than twelve years, and a few occurrences of bad friend-itis wasn't enough to damage their friendship.

Nodding, Scorpius agreed. "You're right, mate. Sorry about that everyone. In the past seven and a half years, I have watched Albus and Kaydee together. What I saw was a love that should only exist in fairytales. She's been there for him when he needed her the most, and pulled him through a few pretty dark places. And he's done the same for her. I couldn't imagine them spending the rest of their lives with anyone else. So let's toast to Kaydee and Albus. They truly are soul mates. My only hope is that, one day, I can be as lucky as they are."

Scorpius raised his goblet to a cacophony of tinkling glass.

Albus stood, forcing a smile. "Thanks mate." He turned to face his cousin. He was worried about her, but he knew she didn't want their family to know what happened. "Would you like to say anything, Rosie?"

Rose tried her hardest to forget Scorpius's Best Man speech in its entirety. It, coupled with the sight of him, stirred up feelings that never truly went away, both pleasant and unpleasant. When she arrived at the Burrow, she was not prepared to be transported, emotion-wise, back to a time where she thought she had fallen in love with him. Nor had she expected that same pain she felt rippling through every vein in her body to sear her once more.

In the span of less than a minute, she was overloaded with a lifetime's worth of emotions. It was too much for her to bear. Before Albus had a chance to call her name once more, she jolted from her seat and ran as far as her legs would take her.

Kaydee stood to follow her best friend; along with both of Rose's parents, but it was Albus who calmed them. "I've got it," he murmured calmly, and took off to follow her.


	4. Chapter 4

Growing up, Rose Weasley was never the girly type. Dresses and make-up were far less interesting than the idea of leaping into far away fantasy worlds that only accompanied book reading. So now that she had come to a point in her life where she was forced into elaborate garb two days in a row, she felt out of her element.

With her arm twisted into her date, Vincent Flint's, Rose felt half-ready to face her family for Albus and Kaydee's wedding reception. The pair of them made their way through the outskirts of her mingling family members, with Rose's eyes glued to the vivid green blades of grass under their feet to avoid eye contact with anyone. She was already on edge, and didn't want to have to answer questions about her past.

As they dodged relatives, Rose was reminded of her talk with Albus the night before. He had found her in the garden, swaying slowly on the swing their Grandfather, Arthur, had put up for his grandchildren. Albus had taken the seat beside her, and the pair were silent for many moments.

Most of Albus's spiel fell on deaf ears, but Rose couldn't seem to ignore the fact that he knew how much she was in love with his best friend, even after everything that happened. In response to her silence, Al decided he would inform his cousin that her feelings for Scorpius were reciprocated. But Rose refused to believe his words were true. Him being in love with her didn't make sense. She hoped against hope that Albus was just trying to make her feel better, knowing for a fact that it would be easier for her if Scorpius Malfoy harbored no romantic feelings toward her.

"Rose?" Vincent's body stiffened next to her. Turning, Rose greeted Kaydee, still in her wedding dress.

"Hello, Kaydee," Vincent drawled. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you, Vincent, isn't it?" Kaydee forced a smile. She remembered Vincent Flint quite well, actually, but didn't want him to know that. She remembered all too well how he wormed his way into Rose's life when she was in a very vulnerable place, got what he wanted, and left her in pieces on his way out. She especially remembered that it took double the time that their relationship lasted for Rose to get over him. What in the world was he doing at her wedding reception? But, more importantly, what in the world was her best friend thinking, bringing him?

"Vince," he replied, smiling curtly.

"It's nice to see you again, Vince. May I borrow my best friend?"

Rose's arm was all but yanked out as Kaydee hauled her away from her date. "Ow, Kaydee! I kind of need my arm to remain in its socket, you know." She rubbed at her shoulder, hoping to ease some of the pain.

"What is he DOING here, Rose?" Kaydee was not exactly happy, but she did her best to keep her emotions under control. She wasn't going to let anything ruin this day for her.

"My invitation said plus one. He's my plus one." Rose bit her lip, avoiding her best friend's glare.

"But why him? Out of all of your boyfriends, why him?"

"Geez, Kaydee. You make it sound like I'm some sort of a slag or something. I've only dated four boys in my life. One is married, one has a baby on the way, and one came out of the closet last year. That only left me with Vince. I didn't have much of a choice."

"Oh, you had a choice," Kaydee muttered under her breath.

"I'm sorry, Kaydee." Rose hugged her best friend. "I promise I won't let anything ruin your day."

Kaydee sighed. "It's okay, Rose. I just wish you would have warned us."

"Perhaps we shall go take our seats?" suggested Vincent, his face suddenly inches from her ear. He had grown tired of the death glares being shot at him from Rose's cousins.

"Right," Rose mumbled, remembering they were supposed to be seated soon for dinner to begin. She hugged her best friend once more. "We'll talk later, okay?"

Rose and Vincent only made it a few feet before he whirled her around and kissed her so deeply that she felt for a moment as if she would pass out for lack of oxygen.

"What was THAT for?" she questioned once she regained her composure.

"Scorpius is watching us. I was only giving him a more interesting show. I was under the impression that the whole purpose of my being here was to make him jealous? In fact, and I specifically remember this, your words to me were, 'You can flaunt me in front of Scorpius Malfoy the entire night.' Was I wrong on my understanding?"

"That wasn't my only reason for inviting you," Rose floundered. "I like your company." She hoped he couldn't detect the lie in her tone.

"I'm not as stupid as I look, Rose. I know you're still in love with him. I knew it before we even started dating in Year Seven. You used me to try to get over him then, and I used you for my own pleasure. I'm perfectly fine with being used again. You were pretty great in bed, after all." A wicked grin crossed his face as memories played in his mind. "I have no feelings toward you, Rose. I thought you knew that."

Rose opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to come up with a response. But she was unable to get past the sting his words had caused. It didn't matter that whatever miniscule feelings she had once harbored for him were long gone. At one point in her life, she thought she did, and it was still hard for her to let go the idea of them.

Before she had a chance to say anything, though, she was once again led away from her date, this time by Albus.

"What in Merlin's name is Flint doing here, Rose?" Albus was fuming, tension rolling off of him in waves.

"Like I told your wife," Rose replied acidly, "my invitation said I could bring a date."

"So you decide to bring Vincent Flint, mine and Scorpius's only true rival at Hogwarts? That's bullocks and you know it, Rose. It's bad enough that you dated him in our Seventh year. Don't you remember the hell he put us through?"

Rose ignored him, trying and failing not to feel bad about bringing Vincent. Sure, Vince had been a hellion during his Hogwarts days. Sure, he had caused a lot of strife for Albus and Scorpius. But that didn't mean he hadn't changed in the past seven years. She chose not to voice her opinion, opting instead to question something else that had begun to nag on her brain.

"How come you haven't said a thing to your sister and Lorcan? I'm surprised she hasn't sucked his face off by now."

Albus blinked slowly. Lily's actions with Lorcan Scamander were no longer a concern of his. She had gotten married only a month before, and the two of them were clearly not out of the honeymoon stage yet. "They're newlyweds," he growled through clenched teeth. "That's how they're supposed to be. And besides, you and Flint aren't together. There's no reason you should be following Lily's example."

"How do you know I'm not back with Vince?" Rose was curious.

"Because I know you're not that stupid. Flint was never good enough for you, and I think you knew that, even back then." Albus paused, the two of them staring at each other. "But most importantly, I know you are in love with him," he reminded her. "I can see it in your eyes, in the way you steal glances at him, in the way the mere mention of him makes you miserable."

"I-I-" Rose sighed, giving up and stalking off. She grabbed Vincent's arm as she passed him, and pulled him along to their table.

Left in her wake, a Cheshire grin split Albus's face. He hoped that she would come to her senses soon. He had given her every opportunity he could to try to get her to repair things with Scorpius. It was all up to them now.

"I can't believe she brought HIM," grumbled Scorpius, joining him, nursing some amber colored liquid.

Albus had half a mind to smack his best friend, to shake him, and remind him that he was the reason that they weren't together. The remembrance of that fact brought to mind a question that had been bugging him for months, no, years. "Why'd you do it, mate?"

"What are you on about? What did I do this time?"

"Why did you have to go and turn Rose down? You both could have had something better than what Kaydee and I have. I just don't understand."

Scorpius had been dreading this question for months. He knew it would come up eventually, and had worked out what he thought sounded like the best explanation. Still, he began with apprehension. "You're going to think I'm not the quickest broom in the shed. Do you remember when we were in Second Year? You got mad at me for the way I was looking at Rose one day, and you threatened to end our friendship if I ever 'touched that with a hundred foot pole.'" Scorpius paused, concerned for his best friend's health, for Albus looked like he was nearing a stroke.

"You. . ." he began more than once, always trailing off. After many moments had passed, he tried again. "You mean to tell me that the reason you broke my cousin's heart was because of a stupid, meaningless threat I may have dished out when we were TWELVE? ARE YOU INSANE?" Albus's voice rose as he went along, completely floored at Scorpius's revelation. "Is there some disconnected wire in your brain? How could you believe that I would end a six year friendship over something so stupid? Even back then, I suspected that you had feelings for her. I was okay with it, Scorpius. You could have been happy with her!"

Kaydee could hear her husband's voice carrying over the crowd. She turned to see that he had turned a violent shade of red, and was clearly angry. She looked around him for Rose, but only spotted Scorpius. What could her Alby be so upset with Scorpius over? She moved closer to investigate.

"-I cannot believe you, Scorpius," Kaydee caught as she moved to Albus's side.

"What's going on here?" She reached for her husband's hand, trying to calm him before he did something he would later regret.

"Ask him, Kaydee. Ask him why he told Rose he didn't like her all those years ago. Ask him, and then you'll understand why I'm just barely keeping the urge to pull out my wand under control."

Kaydee turned to Scorpius, her eyes conveying the question she wouldn't ask.

"I'm stupid, Kaydee. Rose deserves much better." Scorpius sat at the nearest table, burying his head in his hands. "I turned her down because when we were in our Second Year, Albus threatened he would end our friendship if I even thought about a relationship with her. How was I to know he would forget that threat? I just didn't want to lose him!"

Kaydee could see how much Scorpius hated himself. She knew now that he had been in love with Rose when she confessed her feelings, and only denied his own to keep his best friend. She felt for him, knowing that it couldn't have been easy to watch her date after lying to her. She wished she had a time turner to go back and fix everything, to make sure the rift in their relationship never had a chance to begin.

* * *

During their wedding planning, Ginny suggested to Kaydee that she should have little bells placed on a few of the tables at her wedding reception. When the bells were rung, Kaydee would then have to share a kiss with her husband. She loved the idea, and had spent hours hand crafting beautiful bells for each table. It was a wonderful idea, but turned out to be her biggest mistake of the night.

The bells were placed within reach of the few children that were there. And once four-year-old Dory Lupin saw her six-year-old brother, R.J. playing with one, she had to follow suit. Of course, this began a chain of ringing, alternating from different areas, the sound reaching them from various points under the tent as Dory and R.J. chased each other. In the beginning, it was adorable. But now that they had shared more than thirty kisses in the span of twenty minutes, they were both beginning to get irritated.

Soon, the chiming grew more frequent. Albus decided to find the culprit, and followed the sound to his cousin, Louis's twin boys. "Alright, which one of you gave Finneas and Felix a bell? They're barely two, which means they're much too young to understand what they're making us do!"

When nobody fessed up, Albus glared at his brother and cousin, Freddie, who doubled over laughing. "I know it was you lot, you know. When will you both grow up?" He made to take the bells away from the boys, but quickly changed his mind when they threatened an ear-shattering, echoing cry. "Fine, keep them," he grumbled, returning to his wife.

"Let them play," Kaydee murmured, smiling at him. "It's rather adorable."

"I'm fine with them having the bells. It's the other two that are getting on my nerves." Albus turned to call to his cousin and her husband. "Oi, Victoire, Teddy, could you mind your children? We're trying to eat here."

Laughter bubbled over yet another bell chiming. "Remus John Lupin," called Victoire, catching hold of her son as he attempted to run past her. "Let's let Albus and Kaydee finish eating before we continue with the bell, yes?"

Teddy Lupin followed suit with their daughter, grabbing the squirming little ball of energy up into his arms. "Whoa, there. Calm down, Nymphadora. Daddy needs you to let him see the bell for a little while. You can have it back in just a little bit."

"Daddy, don't call me Nymphadora!"

"Right," Teddy murmured, nodding. "I'm sorry, Dory. Please hand me the bell." Once she did as she was asked, he set her on her feet, and she took off, the bell completely forgotten.

"Thanks, mate," Albus called before turning back to his wife. "Ah, silence never felt so good."

Kaydee merely giggled. With her eyes, she sought out Rose, and realized that both she and Vincent were gone. She hoped that they hadn't left without a goodbye. Or worse, that they weren't off somewhere doing something that she knew Rose would regret.

With a sigh of relief, though, only moments later, Kaydee spotted her best friend walking back from the house.

Vincent was nowhere to be found when Rose returned to the table she shared with him and Scorpius. She wondered where he'd gotten off to, but wasn't sure if she wanted him to come back. Scorpius sat alone, nursing his glass of fire whiskey. She couldn't help but notice that he looked really good in his tuxedo. Almost too good, and she wasn't sure if she should sit with him since she had already had a few drinks, and was feeling a little fuzzyheaded. In the end, she decided to suck it up. At the very least, he could provide her a little bit of company if Vincent didn't come back.

"Did you see where Vince went?" she questioned, staring expectantly.

"He snuck out with Siobhan Finnigan while you were gone," Scorpius answered, eyeing his goblet. He was afraid to look up, to gaze into her eyes, for fear that she already knew the truth.

Rose sat down with a huff. "That rat bastard," she growled, more for show than out of anger. She produced her wand from some unseen pocket inside her dress, and used it to refill her glass.

Scorpius, curiosity finally getting the best of him, braved a glance at her. He was completely shocked that she was even sitting at the same table as him, let alone staring at him. He floundered, desperate to find some topic to bring up to keep her there.

"So when does your break end," Rose questioned, knowing that he was currently on an off-season break.

"A little over two weeks," he answered casually. "How is work going for you? Any new Healing spells I should know about?"

"Work is work," Rose replied with a shrug. She never knew someone to be interested in her job other than her parents, and that was only because they were obligated to ask questions. "It pays my bills, and I get to help people. That's enough for me."

Scorpius nodded. "I'm glad you're doing what you love to do, Rose."

Hours flew by, with Scorpius and Rose drinking and talking of everything under the sun, as if Sixth Year never happened. They both grew very drunk fairly quickly, and started to become more animated in their storytelling.

After a while, Scorpius realized that he was becoming increasingly worn out, and assumed that Rose was as well. "I could disapparate you home, if you'd like."

Luckily, Albus was nearby and intervened. "Oh, no you don't, mate. Both of you are in a sorry state. It would be a miracle if neither one of you ended up splinched or worse. I'll take you both home. I've just got to let Kaydee know." He hurried off to do so.

"Kaydee, I've got a plan," Albus murmured quickly. "I think I know of a way to get Rose and Scorpius together."

"How?" she questioned, curious.

"Just trust me on this one," he grinned. "I'll be right back, wife. I love you."

Kaydee giggled as he kissed her cheek quickly. "Okay, husband. I love you too. Hurry back to me."

Albus returned to his very drunk best friends. He stood both of them up, using each other for support, and grabbed onto them both before turning on the spot.

Once he arrived at Kaydee and Rose's flat, he sat both Scorpius and Rose down on the sofa. Both were nearly passed out as it was, and they slumped against each other.

"Merlin, I hope this works," he mumbled as he disapparated back to the Burrow.

* * *

It is common knowledge that drinking excessively leads to hasty decisions that aren't properly thought out. And that hasty decisions lead to stupid mistakes.

By the time Rose and Scorpius arrived at her flat, with the aid of their conniving best friend, they were already three sheets to the wind. So when one of them, though it is unclear which one, suggested they introduce even more alcohol into the mix, it only seemed like the logical thing to do.

"I still don't understand why you told me no that night." Rose's words were slightly slurred, but Scorpius still caught the pain hidden behind them.

"I was a stupid boy back then," he muttered, lifting his eyes from his drink to meet hers. "I'm still a stupid boy." He admitted the last bit more to himself than to Rose.

"I don't think you're stupid," Rose half-whispered. She bit her lip, looking directly into his slate gray eyes.

Before either of them realized what was happening, their lips met, fire on ice. Passion, scalding hot, coursed through their veins. Rose had never felt anything of the sort, and she hoped Scorpius was feeling the same.

When they finally broke, she was dazed and lightheaded. "Would you like to see my bedroom?" Her words were barely audible, and Scorpius had trouble hearing them.

"Er, I didn't quite hear you," he tried. At least, he didn't believe he heard her right. Surely Rose Weasley, the girl he had been in love with probably since the day he met her, wasn't inviting him into her bed . . . Right?

"My bedroom," she repeated, meeting his eyes once more. "Would you like to go into my bedroom?"

Scorpius was speechless. Never in his wildest dreams would he have expected that he was going to wind up ending the night with Rose, let alone kissing her and being invited to share a bed with her. Maybe his luck was changing? Maybe she was finally ready to forgive him? Or maybe she was just lonely enough that she needed any sort of company? He tried not to let it nag at him that if Flint had not ran out on her, he could have been the one in the current situation.

"Well?" Rose questioned, clearly growing more and more impatient, desire burning through her eyes. She stood, grabbing his hand as she did. "Please?"

. . .

Please . . . That one little word had done him in the night before. Scorpius woke hours after the most magical night of his life. He could remember only bits and pieces, but he recognized that it was Rose's bed that he roused in. He thought something had changed between them, that Rose forgave him even though he refused to forgive himself.

Rolling over, he expected to see a sleeping form next to him. Instead, he was greeted by a folded note with his name on it. Smoothing it open, he read the words, and his heart dropped into the pit of his stomach.

'Dear Scorpius. I think we made a big mistake. Last night, I was able to ignore the pain seeing you causes me. But we both were really drunk, and our judgment was clouded. And this morning when I woke to your sleeping face . . . I just think it would be best if we didn't see each other again. Please don't try to contact me after this. I'm sorry. If I could take it back, I would.'

"No, I'm the one who is sorry, Rose." he muttered to no one but himself. "I must be the stupidest bloody git in the world."


	5. Chapter 5

In the month after Albus and Kaydee's wedding, Scorpius really did try to go back to his normal daily life. Off-season training for the Falmouth Falcons had begun only two weeks earlier, and their new coach, Oliver Wood, was fairly intense.

Despite the fact that Wood was his, and nearly all of his teammates', role model growing up, Scorpius's patience had worn thin by the end of first week. Sure, he appreciated all the pointers Coach Wood would give, and even seemed to be improving, for the most part. But if he had to hear one more "That's not quite right, Malfoy," he was sure he'd probably snap.

Of course, it didn't help that the only thing Scorpius could manage to think about more than half of the time was Rose. Rose in her Maid of Honor gown, and her drunk, smiling face. He even pictured what her face must have looked like when she wrote him that letter the morning after their night together, how much pain and sorrow buried behind her azure eyes.

"Oi, Malfoy! MOVE!"

Instinct took over, and Scorpius was able to swerve his broom out of the way as a rogue bludger sailed past his ear on its' route through the hoops. He looked up to thank whichever of his teammates that had the common courtesy to warn him. He was met instead by Coach Wood's unsmiling face.

"Are you bloody blind?" he growled. "Do you wish to land yourself a permanent bed at St. Mungo's? Get your head in the game, Malfoy! This is how Quidditch players loose limbs and even sometimes their lives!"

"Sorry, Coach." Scorpius shrank under Oliver's scrutiny. "It won't happen again, I'll make sure of that."

"It better not," he muttered, softening. "Look, whoever she is, she isn't worth all this danger you're putting yourself and your teammates in."

Confusion colored Scorpius's features. "How did you know?"

"I was once you, Scorpius. I nearly ended my Quidditch career by a serious injury because I couldn't get her out of my head. As it was, I was out for an entire season, but it could have been worse. I want you to do something for me. Before you step out onto my Pitch, I want you to let go of everything that is weighing on your mind. You can pick it back up when you leave, but when you're out here, I want your focus on the game. Does that sound good?"

Scorpius nodded, thankful that his lecture wasn't as lengthy, nor intense, as the one James received only the day before.

"Right then. Let's practice some drills. Malfoy, we know you're a reasonably good Chaser, but I want to see how you fair against my Keeping skills. Chasers, take turns trying to get the Quaffle past me."

One after another, Scorpius' teammates tried their best to get the Quaffle through one of the three hoops at Oliver's back. Only a few of them made it through, and when they did, Oliver would stop the procession, and show them what they did wrong.

"Instinct is your friend. Listen to what it is telling you and I guarantee you won't be let down. I saw that Lambert faked right, so I faked right as well and went left. She thought I wasn't going to follow through, but she didn't know that I caught her tell. Every Chaser has a tell, you just have to find out what yours is. Once you do that, you'll be able to work on it, and eventually become good enough to get everything past me. Alright, back to it."

The drills went on for more than an hour before Oliver called it a day. "Alright you lot, hit the showers. Training same time tomorrow. See you bright and early."

Once he set foot on the ground, Scorpius took off towards the locker room. It didn't take long for James to catch up. "I saw that little talk you had with Coach," he murmured, whistling. "How bad did he give it to you?"

"It wasn't bad," Scorpius admitted with a shrug. "He only told me to stop thinking about girls on his Pitch."

James was silent the rest of the walk. He wondered what had happened between his teammate and his cousin, but didn't know how to ask. He'd been under the impression that things were going good, after seeing them leave Albus and Kaydee's wedding together. But maybe he was mistaken.

"I know what you're thinking," Scorpius muttered, having been staring at James for more than a minute, after he stopped abruptly.

"Then answer me why. Why are you and Rose so miserable all the time? You were getting along famously a month ago. What could have been so bad that you're right back to where you started?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try it," he murmured, cracking a smile. "Besides, if I get too mad at how you're treating my cousin, you'll always have the rest of the team to hold me back."

"I made a mistake when we were sixteen that she has yet to forgive me for. Let's just leave it at that."

"Oh no, you don't get to leave me hanging like that. What did you do, Malfoy?"

Scorpius stared at the ground, preferring the green blades of grass to James's malevolent glare. "I lied to her. I told her I didn't have feelings for her."

"But you obviously do?"

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Yes, of course I do. You've met her. How could I not?"

"Well she's my cousin, mate. I'm not exactly allowed to view her that way. Okay, so let me get something straight. Rose told you she had feelings for you?" Scorpius nodded. "And you told her you didn't share those feelings?" Scorpius nodded again. "But you do?"

Scorpius frowned. "Yes. I'm in love with her, James."

"Then why in the bloody hell did you lie?"

"This is the part you won't believe."

"Go on," James prompted. At this point, he was more than curious.

"I did it because of Albus. At least, because of something Albus warned me of."

"And that was?"

"He told me that if I ever pursued Rose, I would end our friendship. I couldn't risk losing him."

"So you preferred to break Rose's heart? This doesn't sound like the Albus I know. How old were you?"

Scorpius swallowed. He hated being reminded of all the pain he caused. "Twelve," he half-whispered.

"Oi!" James's fists clenched and unclenched. "And that brother of mine knows what he caused?"

"Yes, I told him at the wedding."

"Oh, what a wonderful time to tell him," James mocked. "But I saw you leave with her that night?"

"He asked. And yes, we left together." He paused, considering whether it wise to tell him that he and Rose slept together. He decided to leave out the bad part, and only share that they spent the night together. "We drank more at her flat, and then passed out. When I woke up, she was gone to work, and I left. We haven't talked since."

James was silent once more. He attempted to digest everything Scorpius had told him, but it was taking a while. When he finally spoke again, a smirk split his lips. "Well then, you need a night out with the boys."

"James, I don't-"

"Nonsense," James said, cutting him off. "You can't tell me you don't need a night out. So it's settled. Tomorrow night, we're going out. We need to find someone to help you get over that stubborn cousin of mine. And that doesn't mean we can't get bloody drunk in the process. Besides, she's probably already over you."

Scorpius flinched at his last line. The thought was always in the back of his mind, taunting him, but he honestly never considered she would do such a thing to him. But as he changed out of his uniform, he wondered how true the idea could be.

* * *

Nearly an hour after training ended the next day, Scorpius dashed into the pub he was supposed to meet Albus at for lunch. "Sorry, mate. Wood kept us late to show us more drills. I swear that man will be the bloody death of me."

"Don't worry about it," Albus replied with a smile. "I've only been here for a few minutes. Kaydee and I had a bit of a late start this morning."

Scorpius rolled his eyes, groaning. "Oi, I do not need to know about that part of your life! You are married. That kind of thing should stay between you and your wife."

"Noted," Albus murmured, smirking. "So the new coach is going well?"

"Yeah, Wood's great. He just likes us to be repetitive. I mean, I can see that he wants to make us better by making us repeat the same thing over and over. But there's only so many times I can stand him saying 'Alright then, one more time.' I'm going to go prematurely grey."

"That wouldn't be much of a difference to your hair now," Albus cracked.

Scorpius chuckled. "I guess not, but twenty-three is entirely too early to have to worry about this sort of thing. But enough about my Coach. Have you heard from Rose?"

Albus knew this portion of their meeting was coming. He was still confused as to why they hadn't repaired things between them, especially since it seemed as if they were on their way to doing so the night of his wedding. Sighing, he voiced his confusion. "I thought things were getting better between you two? At least, that's what it looked like the night I took you both to Rose's flat."

"I thought so, too, that night. But I couldn't have been more wrong. I really messed up this time, Al." He looked away from his best friend's questioning eyes, unable to bare them boring into his face.

"What did you do this time?" Albus groaned. He couldn't think of what could have been so bad.

"I slept with her." Scorpius voice was so low that Albus nearly missed his words.

"You . . . You what?" He was dumbfounded, unable to form coherent words. "Why would you go and do something like that, Scorpius? You knew she was vulnerable! Merlin, YOU were just as vulnerable! What in the bloody hell were you thinking?"

Scorpius took a moment to answer, choosing his words wisely. "I was thinking that I was in the presence of a woman I had loved since I was eleven. I was thinking that she was inviting me to see her bedroom, inviting me into her bed. But most of all, I was thinking that she actually wanted me there. But, as usual, I was wrong. I realize now that all the alcohol we drank made her lonely, and I was the only suitable person available at the time."

"Bloody hell," Albus muttered, staring blankly.

"I don't regret sleeping with her, Albus. I regret everything else before, all the pain I caused her. If I could do it over, everything would be different."

"Bloody hell," Albus repeated slowly. He was still reeling from Scorpius's revelation.

"Can you at least try to form sentences longer than two words?" Scorpius teased, breaking the tension that had been building.

"Sorry, mate. I just . . . wow. You slept together. You slept with my cousin. I can't seem to get past that."

"Do try, please. I don't want your threat to end up coming true. I know you told me it wouldn't, that you understood that I love her. So a part of you had to know that this was a possibility, however miniscule. I need you to get past this, because I need you to talk to her for me. She asked me not to contact her, or I wouldn't have to go through you to say what I have to say."

Albus nodded, shaking his head to clear it. "Right," he muttered. "I'll talk to her, and see if I can't get her to meet you."

"Thank you, Albus. I don't know what I'd have done if we never became friends on that first train ride."

"At least if that happened, you wouldn't have had to worry about the Rose fiasco."

"Oh no, I'm fairly confident that I would have been drawn to Rose no matter what. I don't want to sound like a stalker here, but lately, I've begun thinking that we belong together. I could be wrong, but I hope not."

"Yeah, that does sound a little stalker-ish. Try not to tell that to too many people." Albus chuckled lightly.

Scorpius nodded, accepting his advice. "Oh, I nearly forgot! Did you hear about the boys night out tonight?"

Albus shook his head, confusion crossing his features.

"Hmm, I wonder why not," Scorpius murmured. "Either way, James invited me out. I was wondering if you could go, of course, if Kaydee was okay with it, and act as a buffer. I told James last night what happened between me and Rose seven years ago, and he still wasn't very happy with me today. The last thing I need is Drunk James to get it in his head that I need to pay for all the pain I caused Rose."

"Yeah," Albus agreed, "that wouldn't exactly be pleasant. Count me in."

* * *

"Merlin, you'll both be late to your own funeral," James joked as Scorpius and Albus pulled up chairs to the pushed together tables.

The boys, nearly all of them related to Albus somehow, had already been at the pub for over an hour. They hadn't thought to wait for Albus or Scorpius, and were well on their way to an enhanced thought process.

"Wow, I didn't expect so many of you," Scorpius murmured more to himself.

"Of course, I had to invite my best mate, Freddie," James explained, clapping Freddie on the back. "Freddie then invited Louis and Lucy, because she's one of the guys anyway. Louis invited his brother in law, Teddy Lupin, and Lily's husband, Lorcan Scamander. And Hugo showed up of his own accord." He ended with a shrug.

"There's really not that many of us," Lucy stated, sipping her drink.

"Do you have a reason why you wouldn't want the lot of us here?" Freddie's smile suggested he was joking, but his tone told Scorpius otherwise. He knew then that James had shared what he told him the night before. He wondered if the story stayed with them, or if the rest of them knew as well.

Scorpius blanched. "N-no. I just don't normally see you lot together. I have no problem with it."

"Good," murmured Freddie. He turned his attention back to Lorcan. "So what are your intentions with my little cousin Lily?"

"Er, Freddie?" Teddy muttered, his low voice rumbling, "Lily and Lorcan have been married for a little more than two months now. What in the bloody hell do you THINK his intentions with her are?"

Laughter bubbled through the group.

"I just want to make sure he's treating our little LilyPad well. Is that a crime?"

Having had a bit too much liquor already, Lorcan smirked widely. "Oh, I'm treating her quite right," he said with a wink.

"Oi, shut it!" James shouted, covering his ears, causing every eye in the pub to turn to their group. "I do NOT want to know about my little sister's sex life!"

"I second that," Albus added groaning, slightly green in the face. "Can someone please change the subject!"

"So Freddie," Lucy murmured, "how's the shop going?"

Confusion passed over Scorpius's face. He knew that Freddie's dad owned the chain of joke shops, Weasely's Wizarding Wares, and had so for nearly thirty years. He'd visited Albus's uncle more times than he could count, since Albus was always allotted a certain amount of free items. George Weasley loved to spoil his nieces and nephews. What he didn't know, though, was that Freddie had been given one of the seven shops, and he wondered which one he'd landed.

"Fantastically!" Freddie exclaimed. "I've only just finished my first invention the other day. Bit of a twist on the extendable ears that Dad and Uncle Fred came up with when they were just starting out. Dad says they're sure to be a success."

"That's great, Freddie!" James said, clapping Freddie on the back once more. His congratulation was echoed throughout the entire group.

"I've landed myself a girl," Hugo muttered to anyone listening. When he realized that no one actually was, he spoke louder. "I've landed myself a girl, you bloody numpties."

He was met with blank stares, rather than the looks of envy he was expecting from his single cousins.

"What's her name then?" Louis asked, mildly curious.

"Annissa Wood," Hugo slurred, sounding more like "I need some wood."

"You need some wood?" Albus asked incredulously. He wasn't sure if that was appropriate talk, even for such a manly outing.

"I don't think it's legal for any one of us, except Scorpius, here, to help you with that one, mate," Freddie said, barely containing his laughter. Scorpius shot Freddie a look that he missed.

"No," Hugo groaned, slapping his head rather hard. "Annissa. Anni. Wood. Oliver Wood's daughter."

Scorpius and James sucked in a collective breath. They'd seen Anni at their practice the day before, and knew that it wouldn't be a good thing when their coach found out she was dating someone such as Hugo. They definitely did not want to be in his shoes. At the same time, they wished to be there when he did find out, because it was sure to be a sight to see.

"But Anni Wood is hot," Lucy noted, still overcome with shock. "What in the bloody hell is she doing with you?"

Hugo shrugged. "Don't know, but I'm not complaining. She's beautiful, she likes me, and she's downright amazing in the sa-"

"Alright!" Lucy shouted over him. "I think we get the picture. Oi, I swear, the only thing you boys talk about is sex!"

"Like you've got room to talk," snorted Albus. "You're ten times worse than I am."

"That's because you're practically a woman, little brother," James countered. "You don't count because you married the first woman you slept with."

"All I'm hearing is that you're jealous of my relationship with Kaydee. Why don't you give settling down a go? You never know, you just might like it."

"NEVER!" Echoed James and Freddie both. Again, all eyes in the pub turned their way, but they were already past the point of caring.

Scorpius couldn't help but laugh at the direction the conversation was going. He saw Albus's point in settling down. And if he could just figure out how to fix things with Rose, then he'd be able to follow suit. But that seemed next to impossible. If only he could convince her that he lied.

"Alright, mates, this was fun, but I've got to get back to Victoire and the munchkins. I don't like leaving them for too long. We should do this again some time." Teddy drained the last of his drink, ignoring the protesting going on around him.

"I should probably get going, too," Louis murmured. "Grace shouldn't have to put the twins to bed alone. And I've got the morning shift tomorrow, so I need my sleep."

"It's only ten-thirty, you lame-o's," Freddie called after their retreating forms.

Slowly, Hugo, Lorcan, and Albus departed, returning home to their significant others. Lucy had moved on from her cousin's and began chatting up a suspicious-looking bloke who kept receiving the stink eye from James and Freddie, while Scorpius got more and more lost in the bottom of his glass.

Having drunk more than he ever remembered drinking, Scorpius's judgment was a tad off. So when the Quidditch groupies began trickling into the pub, his normal first instinct to run was faulty. He even went as far as to sign a few autographs for them.

The last girl to make her way to their table was leggy and blonde. She was a bit familiar to Scorpius, but in his alcohol eyes, she wasn't too bad looking. Of course, she was no Rose, but she wasn't hideous either. James caught the way his gaze lingered on her longer than usual, and took the opportunity to get his teammate over his cousin once and for all.

Once the leggy blonde left, James leans over, wearing his serious face. "She was a babe. You should go after her. Ask her to dinner."

Every instinct in Scorpius's body was telling him that it was a bad idea, screaming their protest, but Scorpius still did what James told him.

"Excuse me?"

The leggy blonde whirled around, surprised that he was actually talking to her. "Yes?"

"Would you like to go to dinner with—"  
He didn't even get the chance to finish his proposal before she had already accepted. Pleased with himself, he turned back around to rejoin his table, realizing he never asked her name. Not wanting to look like a blithering idiot, he decided to ask James if he recognized her.

"Well? What did she say?"

"She said yes," Scorpius answered with a shrug. "Do you, er, I didn't ask her for her name."

"You don't know who she is?" James stared incredulously.

"That's Serenity Finnigan, mate. You've got a date with Serenity Freaking Finnigan." Freddie added.

"THAT was Serenity? Why didn't I recognize her?"

"Maybe because you've never had the pleasure of being with Serenity Finnigan?" James suggested, reminiscing. "You never forget a girl like Serenity. She stays with you throughout your life."

"Serenity Finnigan," Scorpius muttered, whistling. What had he gotten himself into? She was DEFINITELY not the best way to get over Rose.


End file.

Harry Potter, Drama, Hurt-Comfort