A/N 6-25-09… I did a quick edit and fixed a few discrepancies and typos. 3

"Mum, what am I going to do?" Rose said pacing the floor of her kitchen.

Hermione Weasley knitted her brows together, "Have you told the baby's father yet?"

"No."

"That seems like a good place to start then," Hermione said matter-of-factly to her daughter.

Rose put her hands on the terracotta tile counter and stared blankly over the kitchen island at her mother. "You can't be serious?"

"It is Scorpius, isn't it?"

"Who else would it be?" Rose Weasley said miserably sinking down to her elbows and resting her chin in her hand. Scorpius Malfoy was her on-again-off-again boyfriend of nearly seven years.

Hermione shook her head, "I still don't see why you two haven't gotten married yet. Even your father has been wondering about it—I mean you practically live together."

"We do not!" Rose said in indignation. Her mum rolled her eyes. "Really, he has a flat near the Hospital."

"And how often does he sleep there?" Rose started to answer, but her mum spoke over her, "How often does he sleep there alone? And don't try and tell me that isn't his toothbrush in your bathroom and that you don't do his laundry and fold his shorts."

Rose buried her face behind her hands, "Mu-um" she moaned, "I don't want to discuss this with you."

"Didn't you bring it up?" Hermione said with a self-satisfied smirk, "After all, you didn't get pregnant by snogging did you?"

Rose groaned and hid her face, "What am I going to do?"

"You are going to tell Scorpius, and the two of you are going to work this out. He loves you. It will all be fine."

"I'm not ready for this, Mum," Rose said worriedly.

Her mum snorted behind her hand, "You were ready enough to have sex with him. Besides," she said waving her hand dismissively, "I was younger than you when I found out I was pregnant. For Merlin's sake Rosie, you're twenty-five."

"But you and dad had been married for years by then," Rose reminded her, "Scorpius and I aren't even engaged."

"Easily enough remedied, my dear," the older witch said with a smirk.

The fireplace roared to life in Rose's cottage kitchen and Scorpius Malfoy stepped out of the Floo, "Oh, hello Mrs. Weasley," he said with a charming smile, "I didn't know you'd be here." He glanced at Rose who had invited him over to talk about something after work. She looked uneasy and he knew something was wrong.

"I was just going, actually," Hermione said standing from her bar stool she gave him a peck on the cheek and headed toward the fireplace to leave. "Dinner is at seven at The Burrow, Grandma Molly is making roast pork and expects you both to be there. And it's not very often Scorpius is off at this time on a Saturday, so don't be late." She gave Rose one last smile of encouragement and left through the Floo to The Burrow.

As if she wasn't already feeling nauseous enough, the prospect of telling Scorpius that she was two months pregnant was only making it worse. She'd been feeling tired and a little under the weather for the past week, but Rose had only realized this morning that her monthly hadn't made its appearance on time. Given that final sign, she'd gone to the apothecary to buy a rapid test potion.

"Hello," Scorpius said stepping around the kitchen island and taking Rose into his arms. He had already changed out of his lime green Healer's robes and into something a little more fashionable. Well, as fashionable as a pair of threadbare denims and black cashmere sweater could be considered. He looked downright delectable.

Rose sank into his embrace and rubbed her cheek along his chest like a cat. "Hello, love," she whispered. She sometimes wished it didn't show on her face how much she missed him when he worked a double. But as her eyelashes fluttered shut, she knew her wishes were in vain. She was transparent and completely in love.

"Merlin, I've missed you," he said picking Rose up by her waist and setting her on the countertop. He settled his hips between her thighs and kissed her thoroughly. Rose purred as he fisted her unruly red curls and plundered her mouth with his. She pushed lightly against his chest and broke the kiss too soon, resting her forehead against his. "Sorry," he whispered, "I know you wanted to talk about something. But I really needed that."

He looked worried, and he should be, Rose thought self loathingly. Usually, whenever Rose made a special point to talk it was because she was going to suggest they take a break. Rose worried her lip with her teeth. "I do," she said in her best businesslike tone.

He nodded, but wisely kept silent.

It wasn't that she had ever truly wanted to take a break from the relationship. It was just that she didn't think she want to marry him. Rose supposed that wasn't quite true either. She was afraid to marry him and afraid that everything would change between them and now it would anyway. It was one thing to cohabitate and a completely different thing to be bound in the institution of marriage.

They would have to share finances, and bills, and they wouldn't have separate homes to retreat to if they had one of their rare but passionate arguments. And above all else, she'd be a Malfoy. Not only would certain things be expected of her, but for as long as she lived, Rose would never forget all the rotten things her father had said about the Malfoy family before she and Scorpius had started dating. And she knew, unfortunately, that most of them were true. She didn't fit in with his family.

So, every time Scorpius brought up marriage, which had been exactly fourteen times over the past five years, Rose had pulled away. The first time he proposed marriage to her, she'd retreated to Spain for two weeks. The second, she ignored him for a month, and the third she'd sent a howler and ignored him hoping he'd get the point. Every time he so much as breathed the word to her she'd done something equally irrational to push him away. But she did love him.

"We have a little, erm, predicament," Rose said in a small voice.

"Continue," he urged her gently.

"Remember our trip to the French seaside in September?"

"How could I forget?" Scorpius said raising an eyebrow. They had only spent an hour on the beach, and it had been completely naked in the moonlight. The rest of their time had been spent in a very soft featherbed, on the floor and in the shower.

Rose's face heated. She had no idea how to say this to him, so she did her best to be blunt, "Remember the time on the sand when our wands were in the bungalow… and how we didn't want to wait?"

Scorpius' eyes widened, "Yes, I remember."

"Well, we probably should have waited," she said looking away fighting the urge to cry.

"Should we have?" Scorpius asked cryptically. Rose nodded. "Are you saying what I think you're saying, aren't you?"

Nodding, she looked everywhere but his face. She couldn't bear to see his disappointment, so she was completely surprised when he whooped with joy and spun her in a circle off the countertop.

"This is wonderful!" he said grinning down at her. Rose managed a watery smile in return. "Aren't you happy?" Scorpius asked tentatively.

"I don't know how I feel about it," Rose replied truthfully, "I'm nervous and scared."

Scorpius hugged her close and rocked her gently as she cried, still grinning over the top of her head. "Are you done?" he asked when she'd stopped crying into his chest.

"Maybe."

"Let's get you freshened up and ready for dinner," he said placing a kiss on her freckled nose.

"Can we keep this between us for a while?" Rose asked as she was urged up the stairs. "Mum knows, of course, but no one else does, and I'd like to keep it quiet for a while longer."

"While it sinks in," Scorpius said.

"Right. While we process it."

He nudged her into the bedroom and turned her in his arms, "I've already processed it, Rose."

"Fine, while I get used to the idea then," she pouted, "Can we keep it between us?"

"Take as long as you need, love," he said leaning in and kissing his way up her jaw to her ear. His fingers were working almost frantically at the buttons on her blouse. Scorpius needed to show her how much he loved her, and how affected he was by the fact that she was carrying his child in her womb.

"Scorpius," Rose said trying to sound affronted. After all, she'd just told him he was going to be a father. He could have at least acted a little bit shocked, or put out by the idea. Instead, it seemed he'd become crazed by it. She halfheartedly swatted at his hands at the same time tilting her head back to give his lips better access to her neck.

He urged the satiny fabric off her shoulders and kissed down to the valley between her breasts, "I thought you might fancy a shower," he said smirking up at her.

Forgetting her reluctance and all the reasons she should be worried, Rose answered, "Hmm, yes… I think I would."

They stripped the rest of their clothes off in record time and raced into the adjoining loo. Rose tapped her wand on the showerhead and the water turned on, steaming and ready. They took turns washing one another and then snuggled contentedly under the spray of water.

When Scorpius sank to his knees in front of her and rubbed his cheek along her the flat plane of her stomach, Rose's heart fluttered in her chest.

Rose combed her fingers through his pale hair as she watched him nuzzling her stomach. "I love you, little one," he whispered barely loud enough for her to make out. She felt hot tears cloud her vision as he continued whispering quietly to their unborn child.

Realizing that she had been a complete burk, Rose knelt in front of Scorpius. "I love you so much," she whispered. Through the haze of tears, she could scarcely see him, but she closed the distance between them and kissed him with every bit of passion in her soul.

Scorpius urged her into his lap, cupping her bottom in his hands and positioning her over him, "Marry me, Rose," he said between kisses.

"Yes," she murmured against his lips with a smile as she sank down onto him.

Scorpius halted and his eyes flew open, "Really?"

She smirked, her heart beating wildly in her chest at the prospect of the unknown road ahead. "Of course I will."

"Oh god, I love you Rosie," he said before kissing her and urging her to resume their lovemaking. And she did so with wild abandon. Scorpius took one pink nipple between his teeth and sent her screaming over the edge. He followed closely, clutching her tightly to his chest as the effect of their shared climax rocked them both to the core.

Rose rested her head on Scorpius' shoulder and wrapped her legs around his waist as he lifted her from the tub, "Will it always be like this, you know, after we are married?"

"I imagine it'll change a little, what with a crying infant around the house," Scorpius said grinning lazily at her. She smacked him lightly on the shoulder. "Nothing will change between us. I've always loved you and I always will."

"Promise?"

"Promise," he said walking to the bedroom with her in his arms. "I know you're afraid, love. I wish I could take that away, but you'll just have to trust me." He sat down on the bed with Rose straddling his lap. "I'm not perfect, but I swear I'll take care of you and the baby."

"Oh Scorpius," she wailed feeling silly. "That isn't what I am afraid of. I know you will take care of me, you always have. Even when I was busy being an ass you always took care of me!" Rose sighed heavily, "I'm afraid I'll make a terrible wife, and a terrible mother. I—I just don't want to disappoint you."

"You could never," he told her softly. "The only thing you've ever done that has disappointed me is said 'No'."

Rose blushed and hid her face in his chest, "I'm so sorry. I should have never pushed you away. I just didn't think I'd fit in your life and I wanted you to understand that."

"You listen to me Rose Weasley," Scorpius said sternly, taking her face between his palms and looking into her chocolate eyes, "You are my life. You and this baby are the purest and unmistakably the best things to ever grace my world. You'll be the most amazing mum. I don't give a damn if you don't want to host parties and go to charity events like Mother. I just want you to be mine… forever."

She blinked and nodded, "Forever."

Scorpius swiftly rolled Rose over on her back. Her dark red curls framed her face against the pale cream of the duvet. Rising above her, he locked eyes with her. She gasped at the intensity in his gaze.

"Forever," he growled before slipping inside of her again.

Sometime later, they lay contentedly in a tangle of limbs. Rose lifted her head from Scorpius' chest. The glare from the hall lantern bounced off the face of her bedside clock, "Oh bugger! Scorpius, we're late!"

They arrived through the Floo at The Burrow holding hands just as Grandma Molly, Rose's mum and Aunt Ginny were clearing the table. Her cousin James, who sat in the corner rocking his newborn daughter, smirked at their disarray. Scorpius' clothes were wrinkled and Rose's hair was an untamed mass sticking out at every direction. Her face was flushed and Scorpius wore a grin that could only mean one thing.

"So?" Hermione prompted raising her eyebrow at the pair.

"We're getting married!" Rose blurted enthusiastically.

"Thank God!" Grandma Molly said without enthusiasm, "I thought you were going to live in sin for the rest of your lives."

James snorted, "I thought you were going to have to get her knocked up." His brother Albus, coming up behind him, smacked James on the back of the head. Scorpius coughed uncomfortably.

"You did!" Albus said disbelievingly.

"I resent being referred to as knocked up," Rose said huffily. She turned to Scorpius and with a wink said, "I swear! You can't keep anything quiet in this family." When Scorpius grinned back at her, she knew without a doubt that everything would indeed be okay.