"And it may have, or it may yet, or everything could change again, or something that you haven't ever considered could happen. You and Scorpius may wind up friends, or more, or less to each other. And even if you want to, you can't force one of those outcomes and have it work, I don't think.
"And if Scorpius told you he wanted an answer now, which is what it sounds like he did, then you gave him the only one you could give.
"You know, James has asked me out so many times that I suspect we've both lost count. But it's only come up three times when it felt like something I was supposed to take seriously. And the first two of those I said no, or at least not yet. And it was more because the time was wrong than James was. Sometimes you're just not ready to date someone. And it wasn't the answer he wanted, and there was a brief sulking phase both times, but he backed off, and he gave space to deal with everything else and be sure. And when I was sure, of myself and of how I felt about him ... that's when I finally said yes. More than a year after he first asked."
no subject
"And it may have, or it may yet, or everything could change again, or something that you haven't ever considered could happen. You and Scorpius may wind up friends, or more, or less to each other. And even if you want to, you can't force one of those outcomes and have it work, I don't think.
"And if Scorpius told you he wanted an answer now, which is what it sounds like he did, then you gave him the only one you could give.
"You know, James has asked me out so many times that I suspect we've both lost count. But it's only come up three times when it felt like something I was supposed to take seriously. And the first two of those I said no, or at least not yet. And it was more because the time was wrong than James was. Sometimes you're just not ready to date someone. And it wasn't the answer he wanted, and there was a brief sulking phase both times, but he backed off, and he gave space to deal with everything else and be sure. And when I was sure, of myself and of how I felt about him ... that's when I finally said yes. More than a year after he first asked."