<AtGryffindorCommonRoom>

"Wasitfun?Lastnight."askedJennifer.

"Yeah,itwasfun."saidRose."Howaboutyou?"

"Well,Jameskeptsteppingonmyfeet,sowegaveupdancing."saidJennifer.

"Hesaidhewasn\'tgoodatdancing,that\'strue."saidRose,wholaughed.

"Hey!Wheredidyougettheearrings?They\'rebeautiful!"saidJennifer.

"Oh...,Scorpiusgaveittome."saidRose,whowasthinkingwhydidn\'tshetakeoffthemimmediately.

"Hownice!"saidJennifer,smiling."Whatdoyouthinkabouthim?"sheasked.

"Whatdoyoumean?"askedRose,whowasconfused.

"Comeon!Heaskedyoutogototheball,andhegaveyoutheearrings!"saidJennifer.

"Sowhat?"askedRose,whostilldidn\'tgetherpoint.

Jennifersighed,howcouldapersonbesodetached?

"So,itmeansthathelikesyou!"continuedJennifer.

Rose\'sjawdropped,shewasshocked.Sheneverthoughtofthis.

"No!We\'rejustfriends!"saidRose.

"Really?Maybehedoesn\'tthinkso!"saidJennifer.

Roseshookherheadandsaid,"Okay,stop.First,that\'simpossible.Second,Idon\'tlikehim."

Jennifershrugged,"Fine,ifyousayso.ButIthoughtyoulikehim."

"Ionlylikehimasfriends."saidRose.

Butevenherselfwasn\'tsureifitwastrue.

<AtGreatHall>

"Hey!Al,didyouhavefunlastnight?"askedRose.

"Yes,butguesswhoIsawattheball?"askedAlbus,wholookedangry.

"Who?"askedRose.

"Lily!ShewasdancingwithaRavenclawboy!"saidAlbus."AndwhenIaskedherwhywasshethere,shetoldmesheknewwhatshewasdoingandtoldmetomindmyownbusiness!"

"Itoldyouthatyouprotecthertoomuch,youcan\'talwaystellherwhattodoornottodo."saidRose.

Albusthoughtforawhileandsaid,"Maybeyou\'reright,IthinkIshouldapologizetoher."

Rosesmiledandsaid,"Ithinkshewasn\'treallyangryatyou."

AlbusalsosmiledandwenttofindLily.

RosesatattheGryffindortable,shelookedovertotheSlytherintable,wantingtofindHugo.

Shedidn\'tsawHugobutsawScorpius,hewaslookingather,too,soshequicklymovedhereyesaway.

Whenshesawhim,shefeltstrange,andherheartbeatsfasterthenusual.

Isitpossiblethatshelikedhim?LikeJennifersaid?

Ifitwasbefore,shewoulddefinitelysayno,butnow,andaftertheYuleBall,shedidn\'tknow.Shereallydidn\'tknow.