Disclaimer: I don't own Potter Property and that's the end of the matter. Hope you enjoy.
AN: I'll update as frequently as I can. I think I'm going to shoot for a tuesday/thursday upload, but dont hold me to it. Im not sure how long its going to take me for getting this story out there. its kind of long. thanks. enjoy. review, if you want. =D
JUST ROSE
Rose slumped forward against the kitchen table, half asleep, staring at the coffee pot making gurgling noises. Slowly, drip by drip, she watched the blessed liquid accumulate in the carafe. Hugo stumbled through the hallway and slumped down in the chair next to her, his eyes half closed.
"Coffee?" Hugo muttered.
"None yet," Rose answered, her voice hoarse.
Hugo groaned and let his head fall onto the table.
"Hey you two," their dad said, coming into the kitchen with a spring in his step.
Rose glared at him; how dare he be chipper when the coffee isn't even done yet? Blasphemous!
"You know, sometimes I wonder about you two. It's almost eight and you're still half asleep," their dad muttered, flipping open The Prophet.
"Grrmmmm," their mum said, shuffling down the hallway. She took her seat across from Rose, rubbing her eyes and stifling a yawn.
"G'mrnnng," Hugo groaned, not looking up.
Rose blinked. The coffee pot gurgled particularly loud, heralding the end of the process. She perked up. Coffee? Hugo followed suit, sitting up straight. Rose quickly stood up and ran around the table, pushing Hugo off. Hugo followed after her, the two of them jostling each other for the first cup.
"Get off, Hugo!" Rose said, kicking him.
"I don't think so."
"I was the one that put the coffee on. I get the first cup."
"No."
"You're being unreasonable."
"All I want is a cup of coffee! Why won't you let me have coffee?"
"Hugo!" their dad barked. "Let your sister have the first cup."
Hugo groaned and pulled away from the fight. Rose grabbed her red cup and filled it with coffee, milk, and sugar.
"I still can't believe you ruin it like that," Hugo spat.
"I'm not ruining it," Rose insisted. "I'm enhancing the flavor."
"When you dnwithat go'etrest," her mum muttered, fighting against sleep.
"Actually…'Mione, you might want to go get dressed now," their dad said, his hand on his wife's arm. "We're supposed to be there in an hour."
Their mum put her head on the table and groaned. Rose grinned and drained her cup. Their mum had spent all last night working on legislation, claiming to be close to passing it. They had fallen asleep to the sound of their mum grumbling about house elves. Rose slipped down the hallway to her room and stared at her clothes. She slipped into her cannons sweatshirt and jeans and pulled back her honey hair-- her uniform -- and prepared for another day messing around with Fred and James.
3
Rose laid down on the floor in the sitting room of the Burrow. She could hear Lou, Roxy, and Luce arguing about dresses again. Sometimes, she felt bad for Lou. The things Luce and Roxy made him do…it was only fair, though; he was the youngest Weasley. Teddy thumped down the stairs and slumped into a chair.
"Hey, Ted," Rose said.
"Rose," he replied with a slight nod.
"How are you?"
"Sore," he muttered. "Last session was difficult."
"Are you off for awhile?"
"I have Christmas off, and then I'm back."
"Sounds like fun."
"Teddy?" Vicky asked, standing in the doorway, a worried look on her face.
"Mmmm?" he said, glancing over at her.
"Can I talk to you…in private?"
"Why?"
"Just…come on. I don't want to do it here."
Groaning, Teddy lifted himself from the chair and followed Vicky up the stairs. Rose rolled her eyes; even after almost three months of being separated, they insisted on having secretive meetings together. Whores.
"Where's Ted?" James asked, laying down next to Rose.
"Getting it on with Vick," Rose answered tartly.
James hit her hard in the ribs like he usually did when she took a jab at Ted.
"That's not funny," he said sharply.
"You and I both know they can't keep their hands to themselves."
Another sore rib.
"Stop beating your cousin," Uncle Harry said, sitting down on the couch.
"What're Vicky and Ted talking about?" James asked, turning towards his father.
"I think Vick should tell you that," Uncle Harry said.
Fred collapsed on the other side of Rose.
"I'm hungry," Fred muttered.
"Good on you," James said.
"I'm bored," Fred muttered.
Rose could feel both of them grin and turn their gazes on her.
"No!" she said suddenly, realization seizing her. She scrambled to her feet and backed away from her cousins. "Don't you dare!"
"Oh, I don't know. What do you think, James?" Fred said, slowly advancing on her.
"I think we do."
Both of them lunged for her at the same time. She couldn't get away. Adeptly, as they have done since they were six, they pinned her to the ground and tickled her relentlessly. Rose squirmed, laughing hysterically, trying futilely to push them off. When they were younger, it was easier to come out victorious, when she was about the same size as them. But since becoming beaters for the Gryffindor team, they had quickly outgrown her. She flailed and hit James in the jaw.
"Fred, this is mine now," James said, rubbing his face.
"Ok," Fred said, backing off.
"Jim! No!" Rose shouted, trying to get away from him.
Jim pinned her to the ground and pulled her arm in a painful position. She struggled against him, barely managing to escape his hold. Rose tried to return the gesture, but Jim was too stout.
"Bloody hell, James!" Rose said. "Get off!"
"You shouldn't have hit me!" They struggled for a few minutes, each one trying to cause pain to the other.
"It was an accident! Ow! Fricken hell, James!"
"What?" James leaned back on his heels, a puzzled look on his face.
Rose scrambled to her feet and sat on the couch. She rubbed her chest, feeling a bruise form. She hated it when that happened.
"Watch where you put your elbows next time," Rose snapped angrily.
"Whatever, Rose," he said, plopping down next to her, brushing his longish hair out of his eyes.
"Dinner!" Aunt Ginny called.
Rose watched as Fred, James, Hugo, Al, and Dom all scrambled to get the seats by the meat. Shaking her head, Rose followed, always amazed by their perpetual hunger. She supposed that's what you get for a group of teenaged boys.
3
Rose's sweater was always too big. It had been for the past few years. Her grandmum kept overestimating her size. She wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing. Regardless, she took off her Cannons sweatshirt -- the same one she'd had since before Hogwarts -- and slipped on the Weasley sweater, swallowing her in yarn.
"Rose, you look hilarious," Fred muttered, slipping on his own sweatshirt -- black with a yellow 'F' on the chest.
"Rosie," her dad said, holding up a light blue sweater. "I think you got mine."
"Oh," she said, quickly slipping out of the maroon monster. That would explain quite a bit. She put on the blue one. It actually fit right.
"Take that off," her dad said quickly, pointing his finger at his daughter. "Take that off right now!"
"Ron!" his mum laughed, grabbing her husband and pulling him onto the couch.
"It's too tight. Take it off, Rose."
"It's not too tight, Ron," Uncle Harry said.
"No, it is." Her dad's face was bright red, his eyes narrowed. "Take it off."
"Don't listen to him," her mum said, patting her dad's arm.
"No! Take it off!"
"Ron, stop it. You're being unreasonable," Aunt Ginny said, throwing a ball of wrapping paper at him.
"I'm not being unreasonable. First this, and then boys are going to be groping her!"
"Ronald!"
"Put on your Cannons sweatshirt!"
"Your dad is angry because you're starting to look like Vick," Louis said absently, shoving a piece of fudge in his mouth. Dom hit him, sending the youngest Weasly sputtering into his hand.
Rose just stared at him, the comment not sitting quite right. Particularly because it was from Lou, who was currently wearing a purple skirt over his jeans. Tentatively, she pulled the sweater off and slipped back into her worn Cannon's sweatshirt.
"Put it back on," her mum said quickly.
"No," her dad said.
"Ronald, stop it. That sweater looks really good on her."
"It's too revealing."
"It's not too revealing!"
"It's too tight."
"Anything is going to look too tight for you, if that's your definition of too tight!"
Both of them stood up, their faces red as they went at it. Rose knew her face matched her parents, for all the embarrassment they were giving her.
"Alright," Aunt Ginny said quickly, distracting everyone from the problem at hand. "How about some hot chocolate?"
3
"Here, don't let your dad know I gave this back to you," Rose's mum said, handing over the blue Weasley sweater.
"But it makes me look like a hussy," Rose refused.
"Your father has a stick up his bum," her mum said, stuffing the sweater in the trunk. "Wear it to Hogsmeade or something. It really is a decent sweater."
"I know."
"Keep your head down, don't get in trouble, and study hard," her mum said as always, closing the trunk with finality. "You only have a few months left before summer break. Don't slack off now."
"I know, mum."
"They're waiting for you at the Burrow; you should floo there now."
"Good bye."
"I love you, Rosie."
"Yeah. I love you, too."