Rose

Sixth Year, Third Term

"Scor!" I spotted a tall, blond figure moving in the general direction of the Great Hall and jogged after him. He stopped, and swivelled slowly to face me. His expression was patient, but not entirely welcoming. I guess I deserved that.

"Yes, Rose?" he asked in a businesslike tone. "Can I help you with something?"

I quailed slightly sheepishly. I had been acting like an immature idiot yesterday in the library, and I really wanted to apologise for taking my embarrassment out on him so viciously.

"I'm sorry I was such a bitch yesterday, but I was just embarrassed, and I... well, two girls in Hufflepuff had just accused me of being a slut, and I was already in a stress and... well, it doesn't really matter, the point is, I shouldn't have taken it out on you. I feel horrible about it."

"No," Scorpius agreed. "You shouldn't have taken it out on me. But that's fine, I accept your apology."

I breathed a sigh of relief. I had been tying myself in knots about that speech all morning. A grin flitted across my face.

"So... do you want to get some breakfast and take it down to the lake?" I asked cheerily. His expression remained carefully neutral, and that should have been my first clue.

"No, I don't think so."

I frowned in confusion. "Why not?"

"Because," he said, letting out an exasperated sigh. "I meant what I said when I told you I'd had enough of petty dramas. And I've totally had enough. You can never decide where you are, Rose, and more importantly, you never know whether you like me or not. So I'm going to decide for you. I'm fed up of all your stupid mood swings. I am going to be a Slytherin, and you are going to be a Gryffindor, and we will ignore each other in the same traditions as all Slytherins and Gryffindors have in the past."

I blinked in confusion, resisting once again the urge to burst into tears. "But... I don't understand..."

"That's not my problem. In fact, you aren't really my problem anymore. Just... stay out of my way."

I shook my head, not accepting his words.

"No! No way! You can't just quit on me like that!"

"Sure I can," he said coolly. "I just did. Hate me if you want, if that makes it easier. I don't give a crap. Just leave me out of all your stupid little hissy fits. I'm over it."

"Scorpius, I... I thought we were... no... don't... I said I was sorry..." I caught his wrist as he made to turn away from me, holding him in place. He couldn't walk away now. Not after... everything. I thought we were getting somewhere.

"All you do is make me unhappy, Rose. I can do so much better than you."

His words were worse than a slap in the face. How well I knew he could do better than me. My eyes filled up with tears, and they spilled over, rolling down my cheeks. I let them fall – what was the point in stopping them?

"Don't do this to me," I whispered in a tiny, broken voice.

His face was cold and impassive, his eyes like steel – soulless and robotic. "I already have. Just go away. I'm bored of you. So bored."

I was boring. He didn't care about me after all. No! No, I didn't believe that! He was just being a coward, he was running away from his own feelings! I knew, because I had spent the best part of six years doing the same thing.

"Scor, you don't mean that."

"Yes I do. I mean..." and here he leaned in close, as if to whisper a secret to me. "I could have a more fun time with pretty much any girl in the year. And I know they'd have sex with me. I fancied the challenge... but now it's totally not worth it. No sex is good enough to have to endure you for that long."

My eyes widened, and I jerked backwards as if he'd slapped me. The tears continued to fall, dripping down my chin.

"You... you bastard..." my words held no volume, and no conviction. I felt as if someone was slowly shredding my insides.

"Yup. I'm awful. And I'm kind of hungry, so can you do me a favour and get lost so that I can head in and eat my lunch in peace? I don't need a snivelly, drippy virgin hanging all over me like a rash while I'm trying to eat my cereal." He raised his volume on that sentence, so that everyone in the entrance hall stopped to stare at us both. They alternated between sympathetic glances and disgusted glares.

"I hate you," I whispered, my voice cracking.

"Good," he drawled, smirking. "Then maybe you'll finally fuck off."

He swung around with a swish of his robes and sauntered into the Great Hall, leaving me alone again. A sea of horrified faces stared back at me, until I felt someone slowly pull me into a hug. I didn't care who it was, I just wrapped my arms around their waist, burying my head in their shoulder. In front of everyone.

And I sobbed.

Scorpius

It was for the best. It really was. My legs felt like lead as I dragged them to my usual seat, and the people filing in behind me were giving me stares so contemptuous that I would have been struck down as though I had been kedavraed if looks really could kill.

I didn't mean any of that stuff. Of course I didn't. I had spent ages thinking about it last night. Hours. And it all made sense now – Rose was always miserable around me, because I made her miserable. It was my fault, and I didn't want to be the cause of that.

And surely it was kinder for me to let her go than to keep her where she was constantly unhappy, even if she didn't realise that that was what I was doing? I may have seemed like a world class arsehole, but it was done with the greatest of intentions.

Hopefully she'd be happier without me around to screw her life up. Hopefully she'd hate me enough now that she would stay far away, not testing my resolve again.

Maybe she'd get a boyfriend, and fall madly in love. That thought made my heart wrench in agony, but I swallowed my feelings. I wanted her to be happy, didn't I?

It was like the story I had read in the newspaper a few weeks ago, about the witch who lost her cat, and put up posters everywhere, only to find that the cat had been taken in by a little muggle girl whose father was away most of the time and whose mother had died when she was very small. And the witch had been all set to take back her cat, whom she adored, but she took one look at this kid's face and... she couldn't do it. She had to sacrifice her own happiness so that the little girl was happy instead.

If you love someone enough to let them go, you were a better person, right?

Sophie glanced up from her Daily Prophet as I sat down beside her, and her eyes widened as she took in my expression.

"Oh, Scor, what have you done?" she whispered in dreaded anticipation, and I hung my head.

"I let go," I whispered.

A/N: And that is the end. I hope this explains why Rose detests Scorpius at the beginning of A Scorpius' Sting, and I shall briefly fill you in on what happens up til then. Rose's heart is totally broken, and she decides that she loathes Scor, just like he planned. He continues to love her, but is still under the impression that she is better off without him, so on the few occasions he needs to talk to her, he is vicious. Which makes Rose hate him all the more.

Really, this is all because they love each other. And Scorpius is a bit deluded – Rose isn't miserable because of him, she just has a really short temper and other contributing factors have always gotten in the way.

And Scorpius isn't really mean deep down. But I suppose there's a bit of self-fulfilling prophecy involved... if you tell someone they're a bastard enough times, they'll become a bastard. And he does, for a little while.

And in case you're wondering, Sophie Avery and Albus Potter are seeing each other on the sly. I haven't mentioned it because... well, none of the other characters know. If you've read A Scorpius' Sting, you'll know that that little relationship all works out for the best :D

Longest author's note ever. I just want to say a massive thank you to all my readers and reviewers who have stuck with Rose and Scor until the end, and you've really boosted my spirits with all your lovely comments.

You're all terrific!

PJ x