Written For:

Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition

Kenmare Kestrels

Chaser 2

Prompts: #5 food (strawberry), #4 word (name), and #12 phrase (a man is known by what company he keeps), Teddy and Rose as colleagues

Hogwarts Houses Competition

Gryffindor

Round 10

Short Story: "Books have feelings too, you know"

Hogwarts Assignments:

Cliche Day: Happily Ever After

Princess: Éowyn - Write about someone caring for someone

Word Count: 1143

Her "cousin" worked at the top floor of the hospital, something Rose envied as she climbed the stairs. From the cafeteria one had a view of Big Ben chiming over the rooftops of London.

"Rosie!" Teddy was waving furiously from a corner table, looking very blue. He was wearing the traditional sapphire Healer's robes, the same color as his enormous earrings and shoulder-length hair. "Finally!"

Grinning widely Rose darted over to him, her red curls bouncing behind her. "Sorry Teds. Fawcett couldn't make his normal surgery." She kissed his cheek after he kissed her hand, and then they both took a seat. "So how was Brazil? Castelobruxo? Did Vics find lots of treasure?" She pointed as his earrings questioningly.

Teddy laughed at her last question. "She did! The goblins were thrilled. And she got a hefty cut, too. We got you a surprise. Vics'll break up with me if I ruin it though."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Vics would never break up with you. Unless you sell her cat or something." She accepted a mug a coffee from the server with a thanks, then continued, "And bloody Merlin, when are you two getting married?"

He smirked secretively. "You going to be at the Burrow for Sunday lunch? We might have an announcement."

"Teddy!" She smacked his shoulder as he took his first sip of tea, causing some of the hot liquid to splash on the glass table. "Oh, sorry. But Teds, of course! I haven't missed a Burrow lunch since I graduated. I heard Dom's bringing her girlfriend for the first time. I can't miss that!"

"So I heard." He flicked his wand to vanish the spill. "How's the hospital been? Taking care of it while I'm away?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "All good. I'm hoping to be promoted out of Junior Healer soon. Scorp says I'm stressing too much, but I feel like I deserve it, you know?"

"Of course you do, Rosie." He patted her arm gently, their robes swishing against each other. Hers were still outlined with a dark-grey novice's trim. "And you will soon. You should have heard what's-his-name from training going on about you." He paused to wave at the attendant. "And once you do, you should come on one of Victoire's expeditions with me! They always need Healers."

"I'd like that." The server reached their table and set down a plate of strawberries. Rose's mouth watered as she smelled them - they were just perfectly ripe, and droplets of juice could be soon where the stems had been cut. "I'd like to try Healing somewhere that isn't a hospital. And I'd like to travel more. Dom said Japan might be next?"

Reaching for a strawberry, Teddy shrugged. "Honestly? I have no idea. But it'll be fun! And they take Aurors sometimes. We could see if Scorp can come too."

"Well." Rose savored the feel of the strawberry as it melted in her mouth. "I don't know how you stand it, actually. I dunno. I hate that Scorpius is an Auror." She sighed and took Teddy's hand.

"Don't you ever tell him that though."

He squeezed her fingers.

"I dunno, when I met him he was this little Slytherin nerd and I'd flatten him in Quidditch. He literally told me once 'books have feelings too, you know' after I bent one, and he was so happy when we got a pass to the Restricted Section….I never thought…" She trailed off, looking at the ring on her finger. "I thought he'd work for the Ministry or something."

"I get it Rosie." Teddy looked at his own hands, not meeting her eyes. "I really do. I have nightmares sometimes, about Vics being attacked in some ancient tomb or something. I talk to Fleur a lot about it, actually." He shook his head as if to clear it. "I think we're barking, the lot of us. A man is known by what company he keeps, they say. Or a woman. And we all surround ourselves by Aurors and Curse Breakers and Quidditch players…"

"We were all raised to be Big Damn Heros, I guess." Rose sighed. "Once I treated a Quidditch player who had literally broken one-hundred different bones. And I thought, 'what if that was Aunt Ginny?' And I treat Aurors all the time, you know? The one this morning was blonde."

"That's the hardest." Teddy gave her hand another squeeze. "When they look like them. Two days after James started Auror training, I had one with that same messed-up stupid hair. You were still at Hogwarts then, but I floo'd to Grimmauld Place the next morning to check on him. He was sitting in his pajamas eating cereal, with not a care in the world."

Rose laughed. "Was he eating those Frosted Acromantulas? Sounds like James."

"Of course he was."

They both giggled. Rose deepened her voice, "I just really like the Frosty Spiders, Dad! Stop laughing, Teddy! You're just jealous Aunt Hermione doesn't let you have them, Rose."

Teddy snorted, managing to once more knock tea onto the table. "I think Victoire's Mum would disown her if I ever ate those things. I'm amazed Grandmum Molly didn't disown Aunt Ginny for letting them have it."

Rose looked at her ring again, her smile fading. "You know, one of the kids I treated kept asking for them. Last week. I mentioned it to Scorpius and he bought a whole box. But I hate it. Scorpius has been eating it for breakfast, and I hate it."

"Have you talked to him about it?" Teddy ran his finger on the tabletop, drawing a smiley face.

"I haven't. Have you talked to Vics?"

Teddy shook his head. "I should, huh?"

"I mean, yeah!" Rose drew a smaller smiley face below Teddy's, and they both gazed fondly at the table. "You're getting married."

The server brought another plate of strawberries, then a round of coffee and chocolate croissants. They talked about wedding preparations and colleagues at St. Mungo's, until a comlink in Rose's pocket buzzed, setting the entirety of her robes vibrating.

She disabled it with a tap, then stood up. Teddy walked her to the top of the stairs. She turned and headed downwards, then paused on the second step from the top. "Teds?"

"Yeah?"

"I - just? Do you think that's what our parents felt? Like how scared we feel, sometimes? But worse?"

Teddy looked at her. He thought of how happy she was with Scorpius, and how happy he was with Victoire. He thought of Al and Hugo and Roxy and all their other cousins, with their ridiculous cereal and more ridiculous careers.

Then he thought of his own parents, dead and buried long ago. "I don't know, Rosie. I don't think we'll ever understand. Not really."

Rose nodded. "I'll see you soon, Teds."

"You too, Rose. Go be a hero."