Delicate - eng version

Ask Your Mother

Being friends with Malfoy turns out to be easier than I'd first anticipated. I've controlled my feelings (whatever they were) for him and I can stand to be around him and Dom now. Al and Malfoy appear to be friends again and Dom and Jenny seemed to get on pretty well when I introduced them. My life would be close to perfect if my stupid parents could just swallow their pride and talk to one another. Oh, and if James broke up with Laura Phelps – they've been dating for two weeks now, meaning I haven't spoken to him in two weeks. But I suppose I can't have everything.

Today is the rematch between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Wood was going crazy that it took so long for the match to be rescheduled. Most of the team members had detentions or apparition classes or extra Herbology or Hogsmeade trips on all of the Saturdays since January, so now, on the first of March, the match is finally taking place. James picked some fifth year boy to replace me as keeper. It's weird to be going to watch a Quidditch match where Gryffindor are playing. I feel sort of left out. Although I don't feel half as left out as Laura Phelps must feel – she's been banned from every Quidditch match from now until the end of her seventh year.

Jenny sits with me and Lily in the Gryffindor stands. Jenny and Lily clap wildly when the Slytherin team fly out onto the pitch. At first I'm confused as to why Lily, a Gryffindor, is clapping and then I see Lorcan Scamander doing a lap of the pitch with his beater bat in his hand. Jenny's smiling and clapping at Al, who's still on the ground. The Gryffindor team fly out and James and Al shake hands before taking off into the air. After a few moments, it's difficult to see who anyone is – they're all just green and red blurs.

"Welcome students to what should be an exciting rematch between Gryffindor and Slytherin! The first match in January was called off due to - erm - keeper issues...but, erm, anyway, here we are, Saturday, March 1st for what's tipped to be the best match of the season -"

"Crap!" I exclaim and Lily and Jenny jump at my sudden outburst, "It's March 1st?!"

"Rose, are you okay?" Lily looks really worried.

"It's Dad's birthday!" I slap myself on the forehead, "I completely forgot! I'll be right back!"

I rush away before they say anything. When I leave the Quidditch stadium, I contemplate going to the Owlery to send him a letter, but I know it would never reach him in time. I head back to the school, and run up to the Gryffindor tower. I grab the emergency stash of Floo Powder I have in my trunk and floo my head to my house. Our living room comes into view – and Merlin, it's messier than ever. There are empty beer cans scattered all over the place, discarded pizza boxes and bits of unfinished food all over the floor – Mum would have a fit if she saw the place. Then again, this place looks like bloody Buckingham palace compared to what Mum's living in.

Dad himself is asleep in the armchair, snoring to the high heavens. His hair obviously hasn't had a cut since I last saw him, because it now falls right into his eyes and flicks out at the back. He looks absolutely pathetic.

"Dad?" I call.

He doesn't even stir.

"Dad?" I say louder.

Nothing.

"DAD?"

He couldn't be...dead?

No, since when do dead people snore?

"RONALD WEASLEY!" I shout, sounding very much like Mum.

"My-nee?" he stutters as he jumps up. He looks wildly around him for a moment until he sees my head sticking out of the fireplace.

"Rose," he yawns, "Are you alright?"