Never Be The Same {SCOROSE}

Chapter 12 - Rose [UPDATED]

"The touch of someone else to save me from myself"

Things were quiet when I slipped into the Gryffindor Common Room. After all, it was Sunday morning, and there was no reason for most people to be up yet. I had almost reached the door to my own dormitory when a thought occurred to me and I stopped, doubling back to the sixth year dorm. After hesitating for only a moment, I tapped softly on the door -- once, then twice, then once, then twice. The signal was something we had developed years ago, and it would tell Lysa -- the only morning person out of the six girls in her year -- that I was standing outside.

I counted the seconds that followed, and was somewhere around nineteen when the door swung open, and Lysa (wearing nothing but a huge yellow t-shirt that reached almost to her knees) cocked an eyebrow at me. "Good morning," she said, her mouth turning up into a smirk as she glanced me over. "Although it seems possible you never went to sleep."

I was in yesterday's clothes. I had expected her to notice, of course, but what if someone else did? I couldn't have people suspecting anything; this had to be covered up. It was the only way I would survive it.

Lysa, apparently reading my thoughts, whispered, "You can put on something of mine," and dragged me inside, shutting the door behind her. Then, she aimed her wand (which I just now noticed she had been holding all along) at the sleeping girls and cast a muffliato before saying, "I want all the details, okay? From beginning to end."

Even though I know her roommates can't hear, I glance at them and cringe before saying, "It's nothing to get excited over, Ly."

"Bollocks; you're hooking up with Scorpius Malfoy! It's basically the most interesting thing that's ever happened to me."

As she spoke, my friend tossed me a tank top and a zip-up hoodie. I took them, then shook my head. "You might want to use the past tense."

The blonde girl sat down cross-legged on her bed, brow creased as she thought over her last statement, and then her smile drooped. "Did something happen? Are you two... broken up?"

I started to take off my jumper, only because I hoped it would distract me from thinking too deeply about the whole thing. "We were never really together," I told her with relative calm, depositing the jumper on her bed and pulling on the tank top. "The two of us had... different ideas of where it was going. I had to put an end to it." I slipped the jacket on, turning to glance in her mirror as I pondered what to do with my hair.

In the reflection, I saw Lysa watching me, concern clear on her face. "Are you okay?"

The question hit me like a ton of bricks. Was I okay? Godric, no. Scorpius had just told me he never wanted to look at me again. But that was my problem to deal with, and besides, I had no right to be upset. I was the one who had said it needed to be over. I would just have to live with the consequences.

Snatching a hairband off the vanity, I pulled my hair back into a tight ponytail, leaving a few strands hanging loose. Then I turned back to face Lysa. "Honestly, I don't think I want to talk about it."

My friend sighed. "Okay. Well... do you need anything? I was going to make a run to the kitchens in a few minutes."

The thought of eating made my stomach start to churn, and I quickly shook my head. "I threw up a couple of times this morning... Still haven't gotten rid of whatever's been bothering me. I don't think I'll eat for a few hours, at least."

"Okay," she said, but there was still worry in her eyes. "Well, you're welcome to crash here until I come back. I doubt any of these lazy bitches will be up and about for another hour or so."

I smiled half-heartedly, but once again shook my head. "I should go to my dorm, but thanks... for the clothes, and everything. I owe you one."

Lysa's smile looked slightly more genuine than mine had felt. "You owe me plenty... but I'll never try to collect. That's what friends are for."