Well your wait is over.

I have returned again to tell more of my tale!

When last I left you I had just kissed a Slytherin and anticipated how dramatically my family would react to it. And yes there was indeed a lot of drama.

The next morning I saw Nick in the great hall. He didn't come over or say anything, but he smiled at me and every couple of minutes we would look up and catch each other's eye from across the room. Much to the amusement of Leah who was the only one that knew.

"Herbology with the Slytherins." Albus said pulling a face.

Problem….

I shot a panicked glance at Leah and she suggested we started towards the green houses.

"We'll meet you guys there!"

Corbin and Albus nodded and continued stuffing their faces while we hurried out the doors.

"What am I gonna do?" I said once we were out of ear shot.

"Uh ….telling them would probably be a good idea!"

"No absolutely not!"

"Oh yes because they're not going to notice! I've got news for you Rose, this is huge! How often do Gryffindors and Slytherins go out, especially a Weasley! This is like some seriously groundbreaking shit!" I laughed at her. She was so serious, and I honestly hadn't realized how abnormal this whole ordeal was.

"It's not gonna be pretty is it?"

"Not in the slightest!"

"Well I guess I'll have to just grit my teeth and…."

Suddenly someone grabbed my arm from behind me and pulled me behind the green house.

"Hi." Nick said.

I looked at him and laughed. "Nick you nearly gave me heart failure!"

He smiled and leaned forward to kiss me, and I let him….again.

"Uhhh Rose?" I heard Leah say timidly.

"I'll meet you in there!" I shouted back at her.

Nick kissed me again, and I just stood there. I didn't even bother to think about how easy it would be for James or Albus or Fred or Hugo to find us. But looking back on it, I think it was pure luck that one of them didn't pop up and snap Nick's neck.

"So," he finally said after what seemed like forever, "Rose Weasley will you go out with me?"

I looked at him, "Well I'm going to have to think about that." I said sarcastically, then when he looked offended I laughed and kissed him again "Of course I will! "

Suddenly the bell rang and he and we took off into the Green house, where professor Longbottom had already begun the lesson. When we walked in everyone ( including professor Longbottom) was staring. Leah was trying not to laugh, and Albus and Corbin had their eyes narrowed.

"5 points from both Slytherin and Gryffindor for lack of punctuality .Don't let it happen again alright?" professor Longbottom finally said attempting to look stern.

Nick and I silently agreed to separate for the time being. He went to work with his mates and I went over to Albus, Corbin, and Leah. I barely talked the rest of the class, ignoring Leah's plea for information and the boys' demands to know where I had been. When the period was finally over, I felt I could speak freely. Nick winked at me as he left and headed to Professor Binn's class, while we the Gryffindors, headed to Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures.

"Rose!" Leah screamed trying to catch up with me, the boys in her wake "Rose hello!"

"Wait till we get to Hagrid's!" I said back. I needed time to think, to decide whether I could trust Al and Corbin not to go ballistic. When we finally got there Hagrid greeted us like he usually does, fussing over how big we've gotten, how the family was doing, and how much Albus looked like Uncle Harry.

"I got a treat fer y'all today, fer ya firs lesson n'all" he said leading us over to the edge of the forest. We expected to see something large, scary, and possibly bloodthirsty, but were pleasantly surprised to see two Unicorn foals.

"Now ther real shy so be gentle!" Hagrid reminded us, as the people around me shifted to interact with the foals.

"Okay Rose spill!" Leah said.

"What?" I answered, trying to put off telling the guys. I know what you may be thinking and yes I am a coward.

She raised her eyebrows at me "Well do you…."

"Yes." I said simply, hoping to Merlin the conversation would end there.

"Oh my god this is huge! This is bigger than huge this,…..this is colossal!"

"What is?" Corbin asked.

"Do you realize what this means Rose? Wow this is… WOW"

"What is?" Corbin asked again, a little more sharply.

"And to think it all happened this soon! Wow this is unbelievable!"

"Will someone please tell us what the ruddy hell is going on!" Albus snapped.

I took a deep breath and looked at him and Corbin.

"If I tell you do you promise not to freak?" I said and they both nodded. "No matter what just hear me out and be open minded and understanding."

"Just get on with it!" Corbin said, both boys now looking concerned.

"Okay , well,….I uhhhh….. I sort of…..go out with ….Nick Layndon" I closed my eyes as soon as I said it, scared to see the look on their faces. But that didn't work, there was no escaping it now.

"YOU WHAT!" Albus screamed, so loud in fact that the unicorns darted away from the group to hide in the trees. This of course did not please Hagrid.

"WHAT ARE YOU THINKING!" Albus screamed again.

"I KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN! DIDN'T I TELL YOU YESTERDAY? I TOLD YOU!" Corbin added.

At this point everyone was staring at us and the unicorns were long gone.

"Oi you lot!" Hagrid said forcefully, "See me after class, and keep your ruddy voices down!"

We spent the rest of the class in silence listening to Hagrid's lecture on unicorns. By the end of the period I still hadn't figured out what I was going to say to get myself out of this, but Hagrid was always fair maybe he would support me, or at least keep them off my back.

"Aright, what was so important that yeh had to shout like that during me lesson?" Hagrid said, once all the students were gone except for me, Leah, Albus, and Corbin.

"Hagrid , she's dating Nick Layndon, NICK LAYNDON!" Albus said angrily.

"Are you really?" Hagrid asked, looking surprised.

"He's not as bad as everyone assumes he is." I said weakly.

"HES IN SLYTHERIN!" Corbin yelled.

"That doesn't mean anything!" I yelled.

"Umm yes it does!" Albus said.

"Really, aren't you named for a slytherin? Albus SEVERUS?"

"That's beside the point!"

"Alright enough!" Hagrid said.

"Now look you two . Rose is plenty capable to judge fer herself what's righ an wrong, an as fer Nick , don judge a book by it's cover I always say." Albus stared at him looking outraged "Jus give 'em a chance!" Hagrid added with a wink "Now off you go , or you'll miss lunch."

Albus and Corbin turned to leave "Guys" I yelled after them " please don't tell James!"

They didn't reply or look back they just kept on walking.

"Yeh didn't tell James yet?" Hagrid asked.

"It only happened this morning. " Leah said.

"Well yeh better geh on that, Al is the calmer of the two idnt he?"

I nodded "Thanks Hagrid. See you around."

I grabbed Leah's hand and started towards the castle. It felt like I was walking to my execution. As soon as we reached the great hall and I heard all the voices, I grabbed Leah's arm and pulled her in the opposite direction.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, pulling her arm out of my grip.

"I can't do this!" I said, "not now!"

"I never thought I'd see the day that you were afraid of your family. You LOVE fighting with James!"

"It's not that! I just don't want them to make a scene, Nick is in there you know!"

She looked at me for a second then reluctantly nodded her head "Fine" she said, following me into an empty classroom where we could talk until the bell rang.

I avoided everyone the rest of the day, I went to ancient ruins class, which luckily no one I associated with was in, and then I went to transfiguration and sat as far away from Corbin and Albus as I could. I even tried to talk Leah out of dinner, but she would have none of that.

"No Rose, absolutely not, you've already robbed me of a meal today!"

"Fine!" I said "You go enjoy your dinner and I'll go up to the common room and wallow in self-pity!"

Apparently my friendship comes second only to food, because despite my guilt trip she just shrugged and walked into the great hall. I decided to go the long way to Gryffindor tower and had just started walking when I heard footsteps behind me.

"Rose!"

I turned around to see Nick rushing to catch up with me.

"Where've you been all day?" he said "You weren't at lunch and don't appear to be bothering with dinner, what are you on some weird kind of hunger strike or something?"

"No" I said "I just, don't feel like dealing with….."

"Ahhhh the family!" he said knowingly, "Do they know?"

"Well Albus does so…."

"I haven't been jumped yet, I guess that's a good sign."

"It's nothing personal Nick it's just all the rivalry….."

"I understand", he leaned forward and kissed me softly.

"I got to go, okay? Why don't you talk to them, then maybe you'll be able to eat? And hopefully I'll see you at prefect duties tonight."

He walked away back towards the great hall. I knew he was right, it had to be done. I couldn't hide from them forever and they were bound to find out eventually. I took my time and walked around for about another half-hour before I reached the common room. Once I got through the portrait hole; I decided to go straight up to the girl's dormitories.

Then it happened. I was half way up the steps when I heard someone call my name.

It was James.

The shit had hit the fan.

"ROSE!"

I walked back down the steps so that I would be level with him. He was standing in the middle of the room, Hugo, Lily, and Grizz were all sitting on the armchairs staring reluctantly at me, Albus and Corbin were standing by the door to the boy's dormitories, and Fred was standing behind James glaring at me. Everyone else who had been there before seemed to have disappeared (everyone in Gryffindor knew to sod off whenever our lot started to argue, things usually got ugly fast) , which was exactly what I wished I could do at that moment.

"What are you playing at huh?" James yelled, "How could you betray me like that?"

"James I didn't mean to…."

"No, don't speak. you're not the same as you used to be Rose. I never thought you could do something like this!"

In my desperation to figure out what to say, I turned on Albus.

"WHY would you tell him Al?" I screamed. He was about to speak but I cut him off.

"Listen James, I know your upset but this really isn't a big deal, he's not at all as bad as you think!"

I was so caught up in the moment at this point that I didn't notice James's confused look.

"Rose!" Albus whispered, but I ignored him.

"I understand that you hate Jacob for whatever reason, but Nick's different! He's completely different from all of them!"

Again Albus whispered "Rose!", and again I ignored him while James and almost everyone else looked much more confused.

"Besides I am at perfect liberty to date whomever I want, even if he is in Slytherin!"

"Rose!"

"What!" I screamed at Albus.

"I didn't tell him." he whispered.

"What?" I said, praying to Merlin that I had misheard him.

"I didn't tell him, but you kinda….. just did."

Oh yes journal the shit had indeed hit the fan.

I turned slowly to face James.

"Oh "I said "So ummmm why were you mad at me then?"

"Because I can't find the marauders map, and figured you confiscated it." He said dryly.

"Nope sorry, let me know if you find it!"

"Hold on one minute!"

Everyone was standing now, even Lily looked a little angry.

"Did you just inadvertently admit to dating a Slytherin behind our backs?" James demanded.

"No, not behind your backs! It only happened this morning, I just hadn't had the chance to tell you! "

"So that's why you weren't at lunch or dinner?" Hugo asked harshly.

"Uhhh no I'm…. on a hunger strike."

"So you've been sneaking around with a Slytherin all day?" said Fred.

"Oh not JUST a Slytherin, a LAYNDON!" James shouted.

"Why does that, matter?"

"BECAUSE ALL LAYNDONS ARE SCUM ROSE, COMPLETE SCUM!"

"No Jacob Layndon is scum, Nick is different!"

"HOW DO YOU KNOW? HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY KNOW, DID YOU EVER EVEN TALK TO HIM BEFORE YESTERDAY?"

"That's none of your business!"

"NONE OF MY BUSINESS! LIKE HELL IT ISNT! DON'T YOU SEE HE'S JUST A DISATER WAITING TO HAPPEN!"

"OH LAY OFF IT JAMES IT'S GETTING OLD!"

"WHAT IS?"

"YOUR WHOLE 'I ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT ROSE' ROUTINE!"

"OBVIOUSLY YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT ME, OR ANY OF US FOR THAT MATTER, KEEPING THIS FROM US LIKE YOU DID!'

"I KEPT IT FROM YOU BECAUSE I KNEW YOU'D REACT THIS WAY!"

"RIGHT BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT ALL LAYNDONS ARE SCUM!"

"JUST STOP IT JAMES!"

"NO I WON'T!"

"WHAT IS YOUR OBSESSION WITH HATING THEM, WHAT ARE YOU JEALOUS OR SOMETHING?"

See what I just did journal, I crossed the line big time, and that's why I wasn't surprised to see James pull his wand.

"James calm down she didn't mean it." Grizz said as he and Fred closed in on him ready to hold him back.

"OH YES SHE DID!" he shouted back.

I just stood there frozen. Not knowing what to do next.

"Rose just go upstairs!" Lily said.

"NO! This needs to be sorted out now!" Hugo yelled.

"What's to sort out?" I said.

"Nothing, there is no way your dating the idiot." Fred said.

"Excuse me!"

"It's not a good idea." Albus said.

"Yeah Rose, he's nothing but bad news. "Grizz added reluctantly.

"Oh that's right, everyone gang up on me!"

"No one's ganging up on you, you tosspot we're only trying to look out for you!" James said.

"LOOK OUT FOR? ME THAT'S COMPLETLEY MENTAL!"

"NO ROSE, YOU ARE COMPLETLEY MENTAL! YOU'RE ALWAYS THINKING SOMEONE IS OUT TO GET YOU! WELL I GOT NEWS FOR YOU…."

Just then the portrait hole opened and Wood walked in room.

"Oh hey James!" he said looking up absent mindedly "I've got the map, sorry I …what's going on?"

"Rose is dating Nick Layndon." James said swiftly, still glaring at me.

Jordan did a double take "What?"

I didn't look at Wood or anyone else but turned around towards the dormitories.

"Where are you going?" James demanded.

"Away from you!"

"We're not done here!"

I stopped on the staircase and turned around to look at him.

"JAMES POTTER YOU ARE NOT MY FATHER, SO STOP TRYING TO CONTROL MY LIFE AND GROW UP!"

With that I ascended the rest of the stairs, the last thing I heard was someone kick something forcefully (presumably James).

I skipped prefect duty that night. I stayed in my room refusing to talk to anyone, and in fact James wouldn't talk to me until yesterday. Everything is pretty much back to normal. A little more awkward mind you, but normal all the same, and the best part is they haven't jumped Nick yet.

Actually they won't even look at him or acknowledge his presence. It's rather rude but he understands, and we're not going to push our luck.

Alright well, I'm going to bed so I'm sure I'll have another grand tale for you tomorrow.

Goodnight,

Rose Weasley