A/N: SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! I'm still struggling with the death of my Dad and Fanfiction is second to my happiness, and is would be for anyone. But I am determind to finish this story! So, another chapter! Things should start getting interesting quite soon. Please review!

Dear Dad...To Dad... Daddy?... Dad... Ron? No... Ugh.

Rose's quill was perched, ready to write on the parchment in front of her but the words just could not find their way out. She sighed and dropped her quill onto the table. The fire was blaring and Rose was snuggled up in her pyjamas and for some reason her body refused to relax. Writing the letter to her Dad wasn't helping and neither was the fact that Michael had made it perfectly clear at breakfast what he thought of her. Yes, they weren't on very good terms at the moment anyway but he still meant something to her. Even though she didn't show it, it still hurt.

Albus had gone out to Quiditch practice a while ago, along with Scorpius and Rose had been left to ponder her situation alone. Soon, however, the practice would be over and they would return to help Rose. But then, of course Scorpius would be off to his detention- the thought made Rose shudder. Rose hated the thought of Scorpius and Rachael in a room together for 3 hours, she had no idea what Rachael might try to do.

Hoping to escape her thoughts, Rose picked up her quill again and forced herself to write something.

Dad,

Thanks for writing to me, and I miss you too. I'm sorry about our argument. You said your decision hasn't changed, and as much as I hate to do this, neither has mine.

I love him Dad, and you may never understand. I can't just leave him and everything that has happened. I know he loves me back, Dad. I know it.

Please, try to accept it at least. You don't have to like it, just accept it and him. Please.

Love Rose

x

Rose hadn't noticed the tears that had slowly started to fall down her cheeks as she wrote, she dropped her quill down on the table and wiped at her cheeks. She hated this, she wanted to be able to be with Scorpius and have her Dad at the same time. To her, it felt like it was becoming more and more likely she would have to make that fatal decision Monica had talked about. But how could she? Scorpius had promised he would sort, and she loved his kind promise, but Rose knew he was just as anxious as she was. She sighed, wiping the last tears from her eyes and rolling up her letter. She was just about to make her way up to the Owlery when Al and Scorpius came bursting into the room.

"I'm just saying, we need to work on our defence. Sure our attack is pretty good but we'll never win a match if we can't defend." Albus' hands were waving madly in the air.

"I get your point but- hey!" She saw Scorpius drop his broom on one of the chairs and completely detach himself from their conversation. She thought should have felt slightly rude for taking all of his attention, but she wasn't. Rose just grinned.

"Hi" she said, quietly. While Albus just shook his head with a smirk.

"Where are you off to?" He said, circling her waist in his arms.

"The Owlery." She said. "To send this." Rose gave him a knowing look. She couldn't say here, with Albus listening and he knew that as well.

"OK, I'll see you later yeah?" I asked, a slightly concerned look on his face.

"Yeah, after your detention." Rose said, reminding him.

"Ugh, yeah." Scorpius replied, rolling his eyes. She pecked him on the lips before moving out of his arms.

"See you later!" she said, stepping out of the portrait hole. It didn't take long to get to Owlery from here, so Rose took her time. She meandered through the corridors and skipped up the steps. There was something about wandering the corridors be yourself, not noticing the people around you, that calmed Rose. She was attempting to push down her anxiety about sending this letter, but it wasn't working. Maybe it wasn't that she was nervous about the letter, more about the reply. She blew out a breath as she ascended the stone stairs of the Owlery. It was slightly cooler up here, but the Spring sun still shone. It smelled a bit, but Rose could live with that. What she couldn't live with however, was the other occupant of the Owlery at that time. She just gave him a stony look and walk over to an owl.

"I know I'm the last person you want to see."

"Don't speak to me Michael." Rose attached the letter to the slightly grumpy owl's foot.

"Look Rose-"

"No, you look Michael. Look at my face. Does it look like a face that wants to be talked to?" Rose turned away and heard him sigh.

"I don't know how to make you listen to me." Michael said. "So I'm just going to say it whether you're listening or not." Rose just ignored him and pushed owl off it's perch and watching it fly off. "I'm sorry about what I said, I was a jealous twat. I get that. I never meant what I said-"

"Then why did you say it?" Rose didn't know why she asked, but she did. She suddenly felt a pang in her chest at his words. They used to be best friends.

"Because, you're not my girlfriend, you his and that hurts!" Rose stopped and turned to him. She didn't know what to say. "But having you hate me as well is too much, so I just want to be friends again. Just friends." He walked towards Rose. "Please?"

Rose couldn't think, her head was spinning. "Wh-what?"

"I want to be friends, go back to how it used to be." Rose felt Michael's hand touch hers, she looked down at it. He was holding her hand. She pulled away, quickly when she realised what she was doing.

"You just want to be friends?" Rose closed her eyes, he had said stuff like this before and it had never been genuine.

"Yes." When Rose didn't say anything, he carried on. "I would rather that, than you hate me... I'm sorry I didn't want to upset you this morning. I went too far, I didn't know what I was saying." Rose had no idea what to believe.

"How do I know you're not lying?"

"You don't, and I know you probably don't want to trust me right now but..." They stood in silence for a while, Rose just trying to process what he was saying to her. She didn't want her friend back, of course she did, but after everything that had happened? She didn't know what she really wanted from him.

"We had good times, didn't we?" She blurted out, and they had. Potions, chatting and laughing. Just being friends.

"Yeah... We could go back to that. Just start fresh." The idea appealed to her, she couldn't deny that.

"It would be nice." Then Rose's hand reached up and touch her necklace. She thought of Scorpius, what would he think of this proposal? "But I..."

"Rose, I swear. I've realised what I've done. Please, just give me another chance."

There was a tense moment.

"OK." Rose sighed, she could hear Michael's smile in his voice.

"Thank you Rose, thank you so much." Suddenly he hugged her, hard, pulling her to him. She pulled back and look up at him awkwardly.

"Let's... start slow, OK?" He stepped back, almost instantly.

"Yeah... sorry." He said, as he shook his head.

"I'll see you later."

"Yeah, see you." Rose walked out of the Owlery, thoroughly confused and conflicted. How would she tell Scorpius about this? Scorpius would be at his detention now if her watch was right.

Scorpius.

Rose hung her head. She would just have to tell him. Michael had apologised and they were working on a friendship, he just wants to be friends. That didn't sound to hard, right?