Rose leaned against Travis, her head rocking back and forth on his shoulder with the Knight Bus’ jerky movements. She groaned, reaching to touch her forehead as if to hold her skull in place, already feeling a strong headache coming on. Travis chuckled quietly, gently laying his hand over hers, her eyes briefly coming up to meet his.

“Fun date, huh?” she asked miserably.

“It’s definitely something new,” he grinned.

She nodded, thinking back to the exchange with Lily, her face falling. “How could you tell all that so easily? That she still hated me?”

“I never said she hated you,” Travis murmured.

“She won’t forgive me.”

“She doesn’t want to face the fact that these problems are solely her own, not because of someone else’s faults.”

“Her mum and Scorpius’ dad are hardly her fault,” Rose argued, not understanding.

“But it is her fault that she refuses to forgive either of them,” he corrected.

Rose nodded to herself, falling silent.

“Hey, you tried to talk to her,” he said. “You did your job. Now we’ll just talk to Scorpius’ dad, send him in like the chess piece he is, and go home.”

Rose smiled briefly, reaching up to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. “Guess so. I am nervous about seeing him though,” she admitted quietly. “Much more nervous than I had been with Lily.”

“Why?”

“He kind of saw the worst side of me and I haven’t seen him since. What if he doesn’t want to help us? Doesn’t want to even talk with us because of me?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve been to Scorpius’ loads of times, practically grew up there. His dad’s not that bad.”

“That’s what you think,” Rose warned.

Eventually the bus came to an abrupt stop outside of an impossibly tall office building, and Rose stared out the window in fascination, the tower climbing up and up.

“Come on, Rose,” Travis said, lightly tugging on her hand until she got up and followed him off the bus.

Once off the bus, Rose stared infinitely upwards at Scorpius’ father’s building in front of her. Travis had taken her hand to ensure she not lose her footing coming down the steps and the touch finally brought her back to meet his level gaze.

“Welcome back,” he joked.

“That building is enormous,” she breathed, her eyes still quite large.

He raised an eyebrow, as if to ask if she had expected anything less, which truthfully, Rose supposed she hadn’t.

Rose breathed a deep sigh, more than a little intimidated. “Merlin’s beard, how are we going to do this, Travis?”

“Well, we’re going to go through those double doors, get in a lift, and go up to his office. How’s that sound?”

Rose rolled her eyes but still waited for Travis to make the first move towards the tall building, privately fearing that she was losing whatever courage she had left.

*

Stepping off the lift, Rose looked around herself in wonderment at all the expensive furnishings of the corporate office. There was a secretary in the corner answering owls. She quickly looked up and her shoulders sagged in relief upon seeing that it was only students rather than an important client. “Give me a minute, will you both?” she said abruptly, quickly returning to her letters.

Rose scrutinized the girl, reading her name plate. “So this is Amber…” she murmured.

Travis bent down to hear her properly, “Oh, her, yeah, she was in Slytherin with Scorpius and me.”

“Mmhmm, she also wrote the letter that started this mess,” Rose muttered. Travis cocked an eyebrow at her and she sighed. “Oh all right, she contributed to the mess; it started with me.”

“Come on, I wasn’t trying to blame you…” Travis protested when the secretary cut them abruptly off.

“And how can I help you two? Are you looking for donations or job applications?” she asked with a lazy drawl, barely glancing up from her work.

“Actually, Amber…” Here Travis strolled over and put his hand on her desk, the older girl’s eyes rising in first irritation and then recognition.

“Bletchley?”

He smirked and she grinned back, laying her paperwork aside and giving him her full attention.

“What brings you to see me, hmm?” she smirked, one eyebrow raised in question.

Rose felt her face redden, instantly disliking the older girl and forming rather bad opinions about her already.

“Actually I’m not here to see you,” he grinned. “I’ve brought my friend Rose Weasley and we were wanting to see Mr. Malfoy.” He gestured for Rose to join him, which she did, albeit with her arms crossed over her chest and looking down her nose at the secretary.

Amber regarded them both with some surprise. “Why on earth are you looking for Scorp’s dad? Can’t you just see him at the manor next time you’re over?” she questioned.

“I don’t see why that matters, considering it’s none of your business…” Rose began nastily, but Travis put a hand on her shoulder, effectively cutting her off.

“Play nice, girly,” Amber said, smirking at her.

Travis interrupted the girls’ cold glares, drawing Amber’s attention back to himself. All familiarity with the Slytherin girl had gone though, and his blue eyes were suddenly direct and unwavering. “We’re here to see Mr. Malfoy,” he said.

“Do you have an appointment?” Amber questioned him rudely.

“Why don’t you see if you can’t find us one? Hmm?” Travis replied with a pointed stare and a false smile. “It’s urgent and I’d hate to tell Mr. Malfoy that you’ve been giving any clients a difficult time just because they’re friends with his son, you know, the one who got you your job?”

Flushing pink, Amber seemed to remember her place as secretary and quickly checked an appointment log beside her. “He has a free half hour in about ten minutes,” she replied. “Would you like me to pencil you in?”

Travis smiled. “Please.”

“Very well, Mr. Bletchley and… what was it?”

“Weasley,” Rose bit out, both irritated with the secretary and relishing the older girl’s embarrassment.

“Right, Weasley. Please have a seat; Mr. Malfoy will be with you in a moment,” Amber said sweetly, her eyes dark.

Rose turned to take a seat in the waiting area when Travis suddenly put his arm around her shoulders and spun her around, turning back to Amber. “What are you…?” Rose questioned but Travis was already speaking.

“Oh, and one more thing, Miss. You wouldn’t know about an owl delivered to Hogwarts a week or so ago? It concerned a Mrs. Potter.”

If it were possible, Amber turned even redder. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she bit out. “Is that what this is about, Bletchley?”

“Mr. Bletchley” he corrected her. “And I haven’t decided yet.”

Amber glanced around herself, her voice no more than a whisper. “That letter was for Scorpius only. You could get me fired if you tell Mr. Malfoy that I…”

Just then the door opened and voices were heard, an older businessman they’d never seen before stepping out and wiping a sheen of sweat off his brow. He glanced at the two teenagers and said, “Good luck if you’re meeting with him.”

Rose paled and no one moved until the man left, the lift doors shutting behind him.

“Was my aunt here that day or not?” Rose hissed.

"Your aunt?" Amber questioned, her eyebrows narrowing in realization. “Look, what exactly are you two planning to do? To say to Mr. Malfoy?”

“None of your concern,” Rose snapped.

“You tell me or I shan’t tell him you’re here. He’s not expecting you after all and he’s booked the rest of the day. Tell me now or you can say goodbye to seeing him today and for the rest of the week.”

Rose felt ready to strangle the secretary but Travis quickly cut in, well- versed in Slytherin threats. “Was Mrs. Potter here that day or not, Amber? Did what you wrote in that letter really happen?”

“Why does this matter?” Rose exclaimed. “It’s Lily we’re worried about!”

“Because this impacts how willing he is to help, Rose.”

Rose stared at the boy next to her, trying to understand his angle, but he was already demanding an answer from Amber again.

“You’re not going to tell him I sent it, are you?” she asked. “Travis, we were in the same house…”

“I’m not saying a word; I just need to know.”

Amber bit her lip, warring with herself.

Travis glanced at the clock, only two minutes left before the time he needed to meet with Mr. Malfoy, the clock still ticking away.

“Now, Amber.”

“Yes, she was here. Why would I go sending a fake letter? Honestly!”

“What did you see? Anything between them? To indicate that they were…” Travis trailed off, shrugging his shoulders.

Amber sighed, leaning forward in her chair. “I didn’t have to see it to know.”

“Well what does that mean?” Rose cut in, turning red.

Amber sent her a withering stare, rolling her eyes. “That man was in love with that woman. Could see it plain as day. He cancelled all his appointments for the rest of the day. Mr. Malfoy never misses a chance to make more money.”

“Isn’t it possible they were just having some sort of emotional reunion?” Rose asked hopefully but Amber rolled her eyes, clearly thinking it wasn’t possible. Rose nearly stamped her foot, she was so mad. How dare this girl accuse her aunt, even admitting she hadn’t seen anything! She opened her mouth to give the witch a piece of her mind when the hand of the clock moved, their appointment with Mr. Malfoy was at hand.

Amber glared at both Rose and Travis, rising from her seat. “Are you going to keep quiet about the letter or not?” she whispered. “Tick, tock…”

“We won’t tell,” Travis assured her.

Amber nodded, smoothing her skirt and moving around her desk to the office door, knocking quietly. “Mr. Malfoy?”

“Come in.”

Amber slipped into the office, lightly shutting the door behind her, no doubt informing Mr. Malfoy of his unexpected visitors.

Rose turned on Travis, still whispering angrily under her breath. “What that secretary saw doesn’t prove a thing. My aunt didn’t cheat!”

“And you’re probably right, but we still got information we needed.”

“And what’s that?” Rose demanded, throwing her hands up.

Travis lowered his voice, meeting Rose’s gaze. “She said he loved her. Draco Malfoy still loves your aunt and I’d be willing to bet he’d go pretty far to help her, even help us keep Lily in England.”

Rose blinked once, taking his idea in. “You really think we can convince him?”

Before Travis could answer, the office door was opened once more, a tall blond man stepping out with Amber waiting behind him.

Draco’s grey eyes widened in recognition of Travis and in surprise at the sight of Rose.

“Miss Weasley…”

Rose swallowed, nodding slightly. “Mr. Malfoy. I-If Travis and I could have just a minute of your time…”

“Oh I don’t know if that’s necessary, is it Travis?” Draco asked, one eyebrow lifting in question. “I see my son’s friend every few days, but you Miss Weasley, I don’t believe I’ve seen you since my visit to Hogwarts over a month ago.”

Rose turned brick red, fidgeting with her fingers as she remembered the scene she caused in the hospital wing. Seeing Draco Malfoy’s cold, grey eyes, she realized just how angry he must have been for what she’d done, not to Scorpius but to her aunt Ginny.

“Come inside,” Draco gestured to his open office, Amber quickly scurrying out of the way and back to her desk. Draco led Rose inside with a hand on her shoulders. Rose glanced back to Travis, seeing his worried blue eyes for only an instant before the door shut quietly behind her.