Every year that one of Rose's many cousins had been off to Kings Cross Station to be taken away by the Hogwarts Express, the whole family had congregated at The Burrow to provide a proper send off. That's how it always was, and that's how it always would be. It would be Rose's first time this year, as well as Albus's. They were to be first years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The end of August was always a spectacle at The Burrow. Rose lived there year round, but most of the rest (besides Hugo) lived else where, and only would return on the 20th of August, ten days before the big journey. They would arrive in all sorts of different ways. Uncle Harry, Aunt Ginny, Teddy, James, Albus and Lily would all fly in on broom stick, even Lily, who had turned nine only in July. Uncle Billy, Aunt Fleur, Victoire, Dominique and Louis would come by muggle car, which was always a sight to be seen. Uncle George, Aunt Angela, Fred and Roxanne would apparate, Georgie holding Roxanne's hand and Fred holding Fleur's. Lastly, Uncle Perce, Auntie Audrey, Molly and Lucy would come by the Floo, spinning in a whirl of ash and soot. Mr. Hagrid normally paid a visit too, Buckbeak toted along behind him on a great silver chained leash. They happened to be her personal favorite visitors, although the one person she always missed most was Teddy, who she couldn't help but adore.
Life at the Burrow could be so quiet with just her and her brother. There were often visitors in the summer, but through the past few years of her life, Rose and her brother had been very lonely during the fall, winter and spring in the absence of their cousins. They were all off at Hogwarts. There was nothing Rose yearned for more than to go off amidst all the warmth and activity of the school. Her mum always told her to be patient, but it was hard to be patient when the only companion she had was Hugo and she had to keep the magic from exploding out the tips of her fingers and the top of her head.
This year though, this was her year. She got her letter as was expected and bought all of her things that would be needed for the coming school year. Rose was happier than she'd ever been. At long last, her cousin Albus and she would be making the long trek to Hogwarts, deep within the mountains, next to a deep, murky lake, surrounded by dense and dangerous forest, where they would finally learn how to control their magic, and do what they'd always dreamed they could.
Rose woke in the wee hours of the morning on September first with a smile fixed on her face. She stared up at the ceiling dreamily, feeling the familiar swooping excitement as she thought about what would be entailed in the next few hours of her life. Next to her, her cousin Molly lay snoring peacefully. On the floor, Roxanne was curled in a patch of moonlight, wrapped in a blanket, only the tips of her toes sticking out.
Rose tried to maintain her silence and lull herself back into sleep, but she couldn't help it. She prodded Molly's sleeping form with her index finger. Molly twitched out of sleep, her mussed up hair starting to poke out from beneath the covers.
"What the hell?" She mumbled, yawning sleepily. She yanked her arm from beneath the many fuzzy blankets and glanced down at her wrist to see the time. She groaned.
"Rose...it's 4:30 in the morning...we have half an hour more of sleep." Molly flopped back into the pillows. Rose laughed and rolled over on top of her lazily.
"But we're actually GOING! We need to get ready! Aren't you excited?!" Rose whispered. She heard Molly sigh exasperatedly.
"No." Was the simple reply. Rose giggled again.
"That's because you're a second year Molly, come on, it's not so bad." She teased. Molly shoved Rose away playfully.
"Let me sleep you idiot. I'm exhausted." She complained.
"That's just because you and James were up late playing pranks on Victoire. She had to tell you to piss off at 3:00 last night." Rose collapsed in giggles.
"Don't let your Mum hear you say 'piss off' Rosie, you know how she feels about that." Molly grumbled. Rose's giggles subsided.
"You're only grumpy 'cause Mum was angry that you called Hugo a slimey git." She responded.
"Yah well he deserved it, and Uncle Ron thought it was funny." Molly muttered. Rose nodded
"Yah Dad finds everything funny, especially when Mum left the room and Hugo called you an arse hole." They both guffawed appreciatively at the memory.
Suddenly the door creaked open and someone shuffled in. Roxanne let out a muffled squeal.
"Ow! OI! FRED YOU STEPPED ON ME!" Roxanne yelled.
"How'd you know it was me?" He whispered. He sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Probably because of your big, fat feet." Molly joked. Fred snuck out a hand and cuffed her on the head.
"My feet aren't fat...they're proportionate to my body." He replied in a mock wounded tone. "You lot are so noisy, what's all the fuss about?" He asked. Molly immediately volunteered an answer.
"Rose here is a little to over excited about school. She woke me up." She said, giving Rose a nudge. Rose could see a sliver of Fred's face, his toothy smile gleaming in the moonlight.
"There's nothing wrong with that. I understand." He said quietly. Rose beamed up at him. Fred was always so sweet to her.
"So what?" Roxanne suddenly spoke up. "Molly and I are tired, we need sleep. You stepped on me, and now all this chattering is driving me up the wall. Go away Fred." She spat. She pulled her blanket over her head grouchily. Fred stuck his tongue out at her. Rose fought a smile off her face.
"It's probably best you go back to bed Freddie. We got about twenty more minutes of sleep before Aunt 'Mione comes." Molly warned. Fred nodded and got up.
"Believe me I know." He said, creeping over to the door with expertise. He had just turned the handle and cracked the door open when the room was flooded with light, and in the hallway there was Mum. Up bright and early, twenty minutes early to be exact. She blinked in surprise.
"Oh, you're all up." She said with a smile. "Breakfast will be ready in half an hour, you best start getting dressed!" Rose's grin widened.
Rose straightened her sweater the best she could, pulling away stray strings with great care. She was wearing a maroon knit sweater, her favorite pair of jeans, and a pair of Chuck-Taylors. She smiled at herself and ran her fingers through her thick brown hair. She was ready.
She bounded down the stairs, the smell of bacon, eggs and fresh baked pancakes in the air. Victoire sat at the kitchen table, painting her nails a bright red, her blond hair flowing down to her waist in shining perfection. Mum was busying herself with the food, while Dad sat at the table reading the Prophet. Dominque was chattering animatedly to Dad as he read, but he was hardly listening. Rose smirked to herself and walked into the sitting room, where Albus and James sat, arguing, or rather, James was whispering rapidly and Albus was sitting, silently miserable. She was about to ask what was going on, when a pair of arms swept around her waist and lifted her into the air. She shrieked loudly and laughed. The arms swung her in a circle and then set her back on the ground. It was Teddy.
He grinned down at her, flicking his light brown hair out of his eyes. She gave him a playful punch.
"Why do you always do that?" She exclaimed. He shook his head amusedly.
"Because it's fun Rosie." He said, ruffling her hair. For a moment she was mildly annoyed, having just perfected her appearance.
"Thanks a lot." She pouted, but she smiled nonetheless. "Where is everyone else?" She asked. Teddy shrugged.
"All the other girls are crammed into the bathroom getting ready and Fred and Louis were outside seeing Hagrid off." Teddy paused, seeing her downcast face. "You'll see him again, he'll be the first one to greet you at Hogwarts." She nodded, still slightly disappointed. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Aunt Ginny poke her head around the corner.
"Is everyone ready? Hermione is going absolutely ballistic right now with everyone in the house, we want to get out of her hair as soon as possible." Aunt Ginny said, swooping through the sitting room to land a peck on Teddy's cheek. "How 'bout you Ted?"
"Yes Ginny." Ted said rolling his eyes, but returning the peck anyway.
"You best be packed too before Hermione-" But she was cut short just as Hermione bustled into the room from the kitchen. Her hair was tied up into a bun at the top of her head, her eyes bright, her hands on her hips.
"Bags must be packed, clothes on, we're ready to eat breakfast and afterwards all baggage goes out to Perce's car. On the double everyone." She announced. As everyone started to troop out of the room, Hermione stroked Rose's head fondly. "You look lovely darling. Like you're ready." She whispered. Rose nodded.
"I am ready. I want to go." She said excitedly. Hermione's eyes began to well, her gaze far off and distant.
"You're so much like Ron but so much more like me. I remember my first day like it was yesterday." She looked back at Rose, her face clearing. "Are your things packed?"
"Yes Mum." Rose said sweetly in reply. Hermione smiled almost a little sadly.
"Come on. Time for breakfast." She gave Roses arm a little nudge and they walked into the kitchen together.