Dance Lessons - Scorose

True Love

"Morning!" Rose called cheerily as she walked into her office, passing desks on the way.

"Rose," Michael began, standing up and following her, "you're back,"

"Yes, it would appear that I am, how are you, Mikey?" She asked as she hung her coat up on the coat stand.

"I'm good thanks, um, we, er, well, we,"

"Michael, you're stammering,"

"Right, sorry, we didn't expect you back so soon, that's all,"

"Oh well, I'm here, so, have we got the articles for me to edit for tomorrow's paper?"

"Er, yes, let me get them," he said and left the room, reappearing with a folder of paper.

"Great, thank you," she said, and before she could turn to go and sit at her desk, Michael and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Oh, don't let James see us, eh?" She joked.

"Rose, I'm here if you need me, okay?" He whispered.

She pulled away from him, muttered a thank you and sat down at her desk, eager to get back to normal.

*         *         *

Around midday, James turned up at the Prophet. He had come to take Michael out to lunch, something that was thoroughly unusual for him. James was normally a fast food or packed lunch person but he had changed a lot since his relationship with Michael, most people thought for the better.

"You almost ready to go?" James asked as he walked towards his boyfriend.

"You're early," he replied, standing up to kiss him.

"Ah sorry, I don't mind hanging around a little bit while you finish what needs doing," he said, kissing Michael again before looking left and seeing some very familiar red hair. "Blimey, is that Rose Malfoy which I see before me?"

Rose looked up at the mention of her name and smiled. "Shakespeare quote, I appreciate it,"

"You alright, bub?" James asked, wandering in and engulfing her in a big hug.

"Yeah, I'm alright, you?"

"Not bad, not bad," he replied, and then added quietly, "Don't react but... I'm gonna ask Mike to marry me,"

"What?!" She blurted out, causing Michael to turn around and look through the door.

She smiled sheepishly and James hastily shut the door.

"I said don't react. Merlin, Rose, subtlety isn't your strong suit, is it?"

"You're getting married?!"

"Keep your voice down, would you? And not yet, he might not even say yes,"

"You've known him for all of five minutes"

"Actually, we've been together all of five minutes, I've known him much longer than that and why not? You only live once, right? Why waste time?"

"Don't you think this is all a bit fast?"

"Rose, I've been in love with him since sixth year and now I'm - I'm actually with him. It's like a dream. You know, everyone always thought that I was a bit of a jock, quidditch captain and all that and that I always had the pick of whoever I wanted...except the one I wanted. Look, I've never told you this but it wasn't just a crush in sixth year, okay? I - I used to show off at quidditch to try and impress him, I would watch him studying in the library, scribbling down stories and makeshift newspaper articles. You could practically see his brain ticking! I read everything he ever wrote in the school paper, kicked myself every time I never asked him to the Yule Ball, I didn't sleep for a week when he was in the hospital wing after his first and only attempt at quidditch. He was always rubbish at it. I - I just, I don't know, I'm worried that my sixth year self will get scared and bottle it and I don't want to give myself that chance. I - I love him."

"Well, when you put it like that," Rose replied with a small laugh, "I never knew, you never said. Aw, James you're finally growing up,"

"Shut up," he replied before accepting his cousin's hug.

"Have you told him all of that?"

"Not yet, no. How did it sound? That's kind of how I'm going to ask him,"

"It sounded incredibly sweet, J, really really sweet. Just don't get your heart broken, okay? Michael, he's very sensible so he might be reluctant. Be careful -"

At that moment, the door opened and Michael appeared.

"I'm all yours," he said with a smile, "I'll wait out here for you,"

"Yeah, I'll be right out, babe," James replied and, when the door had shut, he turned back to Rose.

"Wish me luck,"

"You're doing it over lunch? Wow, okay, well, good luck, J." She said and as he turned away from her, she caught his arm and pulled him around, "And thank you. You're the only one who hasn't mentioned the - the miscarriage,"

Rose forced the word out and actually felt a weight lift off of her shoulders. Her and Scorpius had just been saying "it" and "the thing that happened". It was an ugly word but a word that needed to be said and a word that Rose felt better for saying.

"Course. Why would we talk about you? An outrageously attractive and charming bad boy, I'm much more interesting. If you hadn't noticed, I'm wearing leather," he said, tugging at his sleeve and giving Rose a wink.

"Doesn't make you a bad boy! You're still lame!" She called after him as he took Michael by the hand and headed off to lunch.

Feeling both distracted and incredibly lighter for having said the ugly word she had been avoiding, Rose said down and began writing. Once she had filled up a page, she lifted it up to read it. "Chapter Forty: In which the Malfoys reverted back to a double act. For now."

*          *          *

Rose left the office early, having worked hard all day and, just as she shut her office door, she saw James and Michael in the corner wrapped in a tight embrace.

"Public display of affection, much?" She called out to them, causing Michael to jump and try to step back but James wouldn't let him move too far, keeping his arms resting on his shoulders.

"Sorry boss," Michael said, blushing.

"Yeah, sorry boss," James said, giving a mock salute. Rose rolled her eyes. "But Michael can't help it because I'm an outrageously attractive and charming bad boy...who just stole his heart in asking him to marry me," He looked back to Michael with a smile. Rose recognised that look. She had seen her parents look at each other that way and Scorpius looked at her like that every day. She knew what James saw just then because it's what she saw every time she looked at her husband. It was strange. Everything seemed to darken except him, his face grew brighter, it seemed to glow, as silly as it sounds, and he looked even more beautiful than ever. It was the look of true love.

"Congratulations, guys! Good luck with that one, Mikey," she said with a wink after hugging them both.

*          *          *

Later that evening, Rose and Scorpius sat on the floor in front of the fire with a bottle of red wine.

"And they're really getting married?" He asked.

"Yeah. I've never seen James like that before. They're so different, if it wasn't so cute, it'd be ridiculous! James is one of the most confident people I know and Michael, well, he can't spit a sentence out without stammering," she said with a laugh, "but I saw it, Scorp, I saw true love,"

"Well, you know what I always say to you, Rosie," Scorpius began, standing up and giving a flick of his wand. A record clicked onto the gramophone in the corner and started playing. "I just can't help falling in love with you,"

He held out his hands and pulled Rose up off the floor and started to sway with her, in an embrace, singing under his breath.

"You're not going to complain about my posture?" She teased.

"Nah. I know you're a good dancer. I just want to hold you right now," he whispered back.

"Well that's good because I just want to hold you as well," she said, hugging him tighter.