Written for the livejournal community, nextgen_drabble, with the prompt "This is what cousins are for" using the characters Lily Luna Potter and Rose Weasley. Again, it amazed me that I won the most votes. :D
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters you recognize nor am I making profit off of this. Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and I'm just a poor college student.
Two nearly identical brown eyes locked gazes late one night, one pair much older and slightly tired and the younger pair surprisingly bloodshot. The tired brown eyes closed then with contemplation before her head moved forward, giving the okay for the obviously tipsy, younger girl to come into her room.
"What happened Lily?" the older redhead asked, closing the door, making sure no one saw her cousin.
"Neal Zabini's birthday party," Lily whispered, a smile lighting up her freckled face.
Rose rolled her eyes; she and the rest of her family desperately wanted Lily to leave the troublemaker, but the youngest Potter, stubborn as always, wouldn't listen. Rose should have just let Aunt Ginny find Lily in this drunken state, but when the eighteen-year-old noticed how happy yet … sad and vulnerable the sixteen-year-old looked, Rose realized that her cousin wanted to enjoy a good memory of hers, if only for a while. Sighing, Rose went over to her drawer and tossed extra pajamas to Lily, who put it on smoothly despite her current condition.
Rose sat behind Lily – who hid her slightly stained clothes under Rose's bed – and brushed out the girl's flaming red hair. When they were younger, Rose had had a talent for braiding all of her cousin's hair and they often would ask her for help right before bed. Rose's hands were gentle and she never pulled too tight, allowing Lily to relax for a few minutes.
"I know that nobody approves of Neal," Lily whispered softly. "But you can't baby me forever."
"We don't mean to," Rose said, finishing the long braid. "We just don't want you to get hurt."
Lily looked at her bare feet sullenly. "You won't rat me out?"
Rose shook her head no and rubbed Lily's arm. "No. I'll give you Scorpius and Albus's favorite hangover potion in the morning."
Lily looked at her seriously. "Scorpius misses you. I could tell by the way he asked me about you all night. Why can't you forgive him?"
It was Rose's turn to look at her feet with sadness. "It's too much to deal with; he was always more invested than I ever was."
Lily nodded, not wanting to push her favorite cousin into a relationship, but she wished that Rose would realize how much Scorpius cared for her. "I'll keep him off your back as much as I can."
"Thank you," Rose said with a slight smile.
Lily hugged Rose tightly, hiding her face in the older girl's shoulder. "This is what cousins are for: having each other's back."
"Forever," Rose whispered, hugging Lily back and closing her eyes, enjoying the sounds of the wind outside the Burrow and the smell of Firewhisky, muggle laundry detergent, and Lily's gardenia-scented shampoo.
Read and review please! It's greatly appreciated!