Meet me at the Hog’s Head tomorrow. Two o’clock. We need to talk.
- L. Scamander

The note was terse, leaving a lot to the imagination. I hadn’t seen Lysa since her departure from Hogwarts at the end of the last term. Our reason for communication no longer existed - what could she possibly want from me?

I stood up and began pacing the length of my room. There was only one thing Lysa could want to talk to me about, and it wasn’t exactly my preferred conversation topic. Goddammit… I was finally in a good place, and a chat with my former lover’s best friend was just the sort of thing that had the potential to completely destroy my progress. 

“Scorpius?” My dad stood in the doorway of my bedroom, a concerned look on his face. “Is everything alright?”

I glanced down and realized my anxious hands had made a crumpled mess of the note. Mutely, I smoothed it out and passed it to him.

He hummed uncertainly. “Scamander… that’s one of Lovegood’s kids, yeah?”

I nodded. “She’s in Gryffindor…” 

My father heard the unspoken ending. “You think it’s about Rose.”

“There’s not much else it could be about.”

He frowned. “Are you going to go?”

I shrugged helplessly, and began to pace again. “I need to go… Whatever our status may be, she’s still carrying my child… Merlin, do you think something’s wrong with-”

“The baby is fine, Scorpius. I’m sure they would notify you immediately if it wasn’t.”

“Would they? I’m nothing to them now…”

“They would.”

I chewed my lip. “Do you think I should go?”

After only a moment’s hesitation, Dad nodded. “I think you’re right that you need to go. Perhaps you could ask Albus to go with you. For… support.”

I could not deny that support was something I would probably want. Salazar, I was so vulnerable. When it came to the girl I loved, I was apparently incapable of thinking straight and liable to have a breakdown when things (inevitably) went awry. “Yeah, I could do that.”

My dad smiled. “Don’t worry too much, Scorp. It’s just a conversation.”

Yeah. Just a conversation. A conversation about the girl who kept breaking my heart.

• • •

And so it was that I found myself in Hogsmeade the next day, accompanied  by my best friend. We stopped in Honeydukes because James Potter (being the douche that he is) had forgotten that it was his girlfriend’s birthday and he was too ‘busy’ to go buy her some chocolate himself. 

“Al,” I said tentatively as we walked out of the sweet shop, “are you sure you don’t have any idea what this meeting is about?”

Albus, being Rose’s cousin, saw her frequently, but I didn’t normally ask after her and he didn’t normally bring it up. But maybe she had mentioned something…

My friend shook his head. “I haven’t a clue, as I’ve already told you no less than five times. Let’s just head over now; Lysa might be early and you can get the answers you’re so anxious for.”

I nodded, and followed Al in the direction of the Hog’s Head. When we reached the pub, we walked inside and found it mostly deserted - the exception being the blonde girl sitting in the back corner. She waved us over, unsmiling. 

“Scorpius,” she greeted me flatly.

“Scamander. What’s this about?”

Lysa’s eyes darted to Albus. “Go back outside.”

He frowned. “But-”

“No buts. I’m here to talk to Scorpius. Alone.” 

“Come on, Lysa,” I sighed, “it’s not like he doesn’t know about… about the baby.”

“I don’t care what he knows; If he doesn’t go, I’m not telling you anything.”

I groaned. “Sorry, Al.”

My friend shrugged. “I don’t mind. You’ll be okay?”

I swallowed hard. “Yeah, I’ll be okay.”

Then I watched him leave, and desperately wished that he had stayed. 

“Sit down,” Lysa said, her voice unreadable.

I did. “Alright, now tell me why I’m here.”

A beat of silence. Then, “Rose’s parents want her to put the baby up for adoption.”

I stared at the blonde girl. “What?”

“She said… they think it will tie her down too much. That if she wants a career, she can’t take care of a kid.”

“And you’re telling me this… why, exactly?”

“Because Rose asked me to. She thinks you have the right to be a part of that decision.”

I bit my lip, uncertain. “What does she want to do?”

Lysa sighed. “She has no idea, Scorpius. She’s overwhelmed. She needs… I don’t know… certainty.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“I don’t know… but when she wrote to me, the only thing she seemed certain of was that she wanted me to talk to you.”

I ran an agitated hand through my hair. “Did she tell you about that night? In the tower?” She nodded. “I asked her not to give me hope that there could still be a future for us… I needed to let her go. And I have. I still care about her, but I… I’ve moved on with my life. And look, I’m glad that Rose cares enough to try to involve me in this - but tell her that if she wants to talk about this stuff, she can come to me herself. I’m leaving in four days to go to Paris with my grandmother… I’ll be gone for three months. I’m free most of the time between now and then, so if she wants to meet up we can. Okay?”

The blonde girl looked hesitant. “Scorpius-”

“I’m not asking, Scamander. Tell her, okay?”

“Okay.”

I stood up. “Have a nice day, Lysa.” And then I walked out before I could change my mind. 

Albus was sitting on a decrepit bench just outside the door, and he glanced up at me. “What’s the deal?”

I sat down next to him. “Well… if she wants to, I’m going to meet with Rose.”

My friend stared, frowning. “Are you sure-”

“Yeah, I am. It just sucks that she feels like we need a go-between, you know? I want to show her that I’m okay.”

Al still looks uncertain. “I don’t know if-”

“Please let me do this.”

That quiets his protests. “Alright.” But I see the worry in his eyes, and know he doesn’t think I can do it. He doesn’t believe I can get through a conversation with Rose without breaking down again.

He’s wrong; I can do it. It will hurt, yes, but it won’t tear me apart again. I won’t let it.