Chapter 21 - Charming

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"What about me?"

As though one, all three girls looked up to see Scorpius stood above them. Rose stared at him, her face blank, her stomach churning not just with fear and betrayal but something else as well, something she couldn't identify. As she took in his appearence, which was rougher than she'd ever seen him, that feeling strengthened. 

Scorpius stood like a puppy in a window, infront of the three girls. His face was bruised and broken, which Rose could only guess was the work of Isabelle. What she could see of his eyes behind the swollen area around them were red and bloodshot, defeated and a cold silver. His hair, long and greasy, flopped into them. His school uniform, usually freshly washed, nealty ironed and put together with a practiced and sophisticated look of carelessness, was crumpled, unwashed and looked as though it had been thrown on, possibly even slept in. It didn't even manage to make him look careless, just even more lost, broken and defeated. Worst of all, He stank of stale drink.

Rose wondered what had happened to him. Where had her best friend gone? This wasn't Scorpius. Had it broken him, breaking her again? Why? How? She was so confused. 

As Rose pondered at her missing friend, the silence stretched on. It was finally broken by Indie.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She snapped, shuffling forwards on her chair. 

"I came to make sure Rose was okay." 

"You have no right!" Indie shouted. She lunged forward and pointed an accusing finger at her ex-friend. "Don't you dare look at her! Don't you dare speak to her! She doesn't deserve you! You were meant to be her friend! She's worth 10 of you!"

"Indie!" Sia gasped. She grabbed hold of her arm and tried to drag her back. 

Indie rounded on her. "Do you know what he did? Do you? Do you know what he shouted at her in that changing room before the match? Do you know what he said to her? Do you?" She paused for a breath, her eyes dancing. "Do you know what he said to Libby when she tried to get him to help, after? Do you?"

"Well, you aren't repeating it here." Sia replied. Indie opened her mouth, a look on her face that clearly said she wasn't going to listen. Sia sent her a glare so fierce that she shut it again.

Indie turned and looked back up at Scorpius. She cast him a filthy look. "What are you still doing here?"

Scorpius took in a deep breath. His defeated eyes, deflated a little more. "I'm sorry." He said. He wasn't looking at Indie though. He was looking at Rose. His silver moons begging for her to understand. 

For a moment, Rose did. She stared into the eyes she loved so much and thought of the person who belonged to them. Something flashed inside her, a pain, the churning feeling from before. Then she remembered the pain, and looked away. She wasn't allowed to forgive him no matter how much she wanted to. Indie wouldn't let her. Or Sia. She wouldn't even let herself. She couldn't risk the chance of getting hurt again. That had been the worst part. If things had been different, if they were just muggles with no expectations in a world where she hadn't been shattered, she could have delt with the shouting and the leaving but it was the fact that the one person who had protected her through all the hurt, was suddenly making her hurt.

"I told you not to look at her." Rose heard Indie's fierce voice echo from besides her. 

"I'm sorry." Scorpius repeated. Rose could feel his eyes boring into her head, willing her to look up. She didn't. She continued to stare at the page in front of her. "Rose?" He reached out for her hand. That's when Indie really lost it.

Rose didn't hear what she said though. She was halfway out the door. At the feel of Scorpius's hand on hers, if only for a second, something had stirred in Rose. She'd lept up, knocking her chair to the floor and scattering paper everywhere, and made for the door. 

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