Rose Evans was a black sheep. Even in her little family where there was a rather high bar set for 'odd'. The youngest of 3 children, she watched her older sister Lily leave to attend a school for witches and wizards. Since Rose was only a year younger than Lily, her parents eagerly waited for a Professor to come to their doorstep once she turned 11 to tell them Rose had been accepted as well. But it never came. Or at least not until the Eve of Rose's 12th birthday. She would never forget that June evening.
If Lily was a perfect little angel and Petunia was a suck up, Rose could be considered a rebel. When Rose wasn't accepted, she began to act up in school. She had never fit in and her antics only made it worse, but now it was summer and she didn't have to worry so much about being in trouble. After getting back, Lily wouldn't shut up about Hogwarts and Rose had been exceedingly jealous and annoyed by it. On this evening, Lily had been back from school for about a month and was talking with her parents about one of her classes after dinner. Rose had immediately excused herself, telling her family that she was going to go to bed. Instead, she had snuck out of the house and was gallivanting around the neighborhood.
She started for her best friend Severus's house and threw a rock at his window.
In the middle of one of Lily's stories, she was interrupted by a knock at the door. The family exchanged glances.
"Who could that be at this hour?" Their mother asked, as their father got up to answer. Lily followed him out of curiosity. He opened the door to a familiar face. Lily beamed and ran to hug McGonagall.
"Professor!" Lily exclaimed. McGonagall hugged her back and chuckled.
"Hello Lily, Mr. Evans." She smiled. "May I come in?"
"Of course." Mr. Evan's stepped aside for her to come in and Mrs. Evans prepared her a cup of tea.
What is it, Rose?" Severus 'shout-whispered' from his window.
"Come down and I'll tell you." She motioned for him to climb down like he often did.
"I can't, my parents will kill me if I get caught again." Rose rolled her eyes.
"You're such a ninny!" She crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue. He turned red and frowned.
"NO! YOU! Why don't you climb up here then if you're so fearless!" Severus pouted. Rose sigh and began to climb the thick plants that grew up the sides of his house when she got high enough he helped her in through the window. "What is it?"
"It's Lily again." Rose frowned.
"But Rose! Lily is such a nice person." Severus reasoned.
"She's annoying if you're her sister." Rose matter-of-factly spoke, sitting on his makeshift bed that consisted of a mattress on the floor. Severus sat beside her. Rose noticed the trunks in the corner waiting still to be unpacked.
"I'd trade Lily, but it's so sad that you leave too." Severus chuckled.
"It's not like we don't see each other when I'm back. Besides we have the whole summer."
"I know. I just… I wish I was going with you guys."
"Maybe you will. You're different too, I can tell." He smiled.
"You're just saying that because you're my friend. I'm already almost 12!" She sighed, laying down to stare at the ceiling.
"No! I mean it! And even if you're not you're the only muggle I'd be friends with." Rose smiled.
She, like Lily, had become very close with Severus. Their bond was one that came about because of their reclusive natures, and their lack of friends. Rose knew about his feelings for her sister. It made her sad, she had developed her own little crush on him over the years. But as time went on she realized that she valued his friendship too much to ever pursue her feelings.
"So you see, we seem to have not noticed that Rose should have received her acceptance last year." McGonagall explained. "If she comes with me tonight we can have her take the remedial courses in June, July, and August, to prepare her so she can enter in her proper year when students begin in September."
"She's going to love this news, you see, in her normal school she had always acted out. This explains everything." Their mother spoke up.
"I'll go wake her up!" Lily exclaimed, skipping up the stairs. "Rose!" She opened the door to their room and saw the window ajar and no Rose.
"I don't know, it's harder at Hogwarts. She's always around other people. I can never talk to her." Severus explained. They laid next to each other on the mattress.
"I'm sorry." Rose sympathized, looking at her friend.
"It's not your fault."
"Maybe you should…."
"SEVERUS." Both kids jumped up and hurried to the window.
"YES, MUM." Severus helped Rose get situated on the vines as he shouted back.
"Good luck," Rose whispered as she climbed down the window, Severus shut it just in time.
"Have you see your friend Rose tonight?" She suspiciously spoke.
"No."
"You had better not be lying, I know you sneak out to see her."
"Mum I haven't." She glared at him and turned to go back downstairs to tell Rose's parents the news.
Lily and her father were downstairs at Snape's house. Her father had come over to ask if they had seen her that evening. McGonagall waited on the road. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a little girl climbing down from the upstairs window and sneaking off toward the trees.
"Lily." She called.
"Yes of course Professor?"
"I'm going to look around, I'll meet you back at your house. Will you let your father know?"
"Of course."
When Lily had skipped back to her father McGonagall morphed into a cat and took off after Rose.