I'm Dead

Red Stains on the Kitchen Tiles

'Please, Rose.'

'No.'

'Please.'

'No.'

'Please.'

'No.'

'Please.'

'NO!'

'Why not?'

'Because I said so.'

'Why not?'

'Malfoy, the puppy-dog eyes don't work on me.'

'Ah, you're back to Malfoy now, mate.'

'Shut up Potter. Please, Rosie. I'll make you chocolate cake. No, even better – I'll buy you chocolate cake, to save us all the explosions.'

Rose was momentarily distracted from Scorpius' begging. 'Explosions?'

'Remember the rhubarb crumble incident of third year?' Al reminded her, smirking.

'Oh, yes,' she giggled, before glaring at Scorpius. 'That put me off rhubarb crumble for life.'

'Sorry, Rose,' Scorpius apologised, not even sure why he was doing so.

The three were currently in Al and Scorpius' bedroom. Rose was sat cross-legged on Scorpius' bed, Scorpius on his knees at her feet. Al stood near his bed, arms folded, an amused half-smile on his face. It was three days since Kingsley and Snape had visited, and they'd gotten nowhere. Unless Sirius had some long-lost third cousin five times removed that hadn't been added to the Black family tree, there really wasn't anyone that would have the means, the motives and the correct age to have cast the curse.

'Scorpius, I'm sorry, I'm not telling everyone that we're dating yet,' Rose said apologetically, her expression softening. 'Shouldn't you be the one reluctant to tell a house full of Weasleys and Order members that we're going out?'

Scorpius grimaced. 'When you put it like that, it sounds like suicide,' he said thoughtfully. 'Rose, I just figured that if we tell them now, their reactions will be better than if we tell them later. Or worse, if they find out from somebody other than us.' He looked pointedly at Al, who held his hands up.

'I wouldn't betray my two best friends like that!' he insisted defensively. 'Actually, it's more like I don't want to see a repeat of what Uncle Ron did when he found out about you two in our time. That was truly scary.'

Scorpius obviously hadn't thought of that. 'OK, Rose, I'm terrified of your dad. But everyone else –'

'Aww, is ickle Scorpy scared of big bad Ron Weasley?' Rose teased, grinning widely. Scorpius just glared at her, his cheeks turning faintly pink.

'I just meant… oh, what the hell am I saying? I'm older than he is now! He can't hurt me! And everyone else will be a pushover. Just please, please, Rose, let's tell them,' Scorpius pleaded with his girlfriend, taking her hands in his like they were about to do something very brave and very dangerous.

'Now's not the time, Scorpius,' Rose argued.

'Rose. Rosie. Just listen to me. I'm going to spell this out very slowly.' Scorpius sounded as if he was talking to a very slow five-year-old. 'If. We. Tell. Family. Now. We. Get. Off. Easier. If. Someone. Else. Tells. Family. Now. We. Die. Very. Slowly. And. Painfully.'

'I thought Al was the sucker for melodramatics?' Rose asked faintly, though she was beginning to come round to the idea. It might have had something to do with the fact that Scorpius' thumb was now stroking the back of her hand. He could get her to agree to anything when he did that. She had no idea why. 'Scorpius Malfoy, you are the craziest person I have ever met. And I have met a lot of crazy people. But I suppose you're right. I mean, some of them might even admire you for having the guts to be the one to announce it. And I think a few people are starting to get suspicious.'