Chapter 1

I sit in the bathroom panting heavily. No! This can't be happening! I chant in my head, rocking back and forth on the marble floor. I had dropped hints for years, how could he be so ignorant? I would spend hours filling diaries with Rose and James Potter. I would put my hand next to his, seeing if he would take the bait. None of it worked.

Of course James had to ask out the prettiest girl in our year, Angela Longbottom (Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom's second daughter) to go out with him. Of course she is ten times prettier than me, more talented, and smarter. There's no way for any girl at Hogwarts to compete with her.

I have just witnessed James saying the heart wrenching sentence at the table at the weekly family dinner. Every week when my many cousins and I aren't at Hogwarts we meet at Grandma Mollie and Grandpa Arthur's house to have a home cooked meal. The usual attendants are Grandma and Grandpa, Mom and Dad, Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny plus children (James Potter, Albus Potter, and Lily Potter), Hugo my younger brother, Teddy Lupin, Professor Neville, Luna Longbottom, Angela Longbottom, Grace Longbottom, George Weasley and his wife, Kirsti Weasley plus his son Fred. Also there is occasionally Uncle Percy and Uncle Charlie. Oh, and me, Rose Weasley, just a lovesick redhead with a low level of confidence.

Now I am just sitting in the powder room, shivering as I sit on the bare marble floor. I hear whispers from the kitchen just start to utter my name but I don't care. If I go back to the table I'll just see James and Angela sitting side-by-side holding hands and sharing a drink like a typical, stupid couple. My mom, Hermione Weasley, knocks on the door.

"Go away," I call miserably. Of course she doesn't listen and runs straight in.

"Rose what are you do-"she cut off as she saw my tear-streaked face. "Rosie are you okay?"

I made up a quick lie to cover my secret, "Just a tummy bug," I tell her, pretending to cramp up. I suddenly get a jolt of real cramps as I see Angela standing in the doorframe, a worried expression on her delicate face. I was about to scream and yell at her to go away but she spoke first.

"Rose, are you okay? You suddenly disappeared from the dinner table and I wanted to make sure you were okay," said Angela as she took a small step forward. I wanted to smack the sincere expression off her stupid face but on the inside I knew she was a kind person.

"I'm fine," I mutter, pushing my mother's hand away. "Let's just go back," I murmur in an equally bored voice. The two females looked ready to object but I stood up and pushed my way through them and stalked to the dinner table. James smiled.

"Hey Red!" he called through a mouthful of turkey. "Where've you been?"

"Ew. Okay first don't talk with your mouth open, and second why do you insist on calling me Red?" I ask, trying to steer the conversation away from my absence.

James rolled his eyes and grinned crookedly. "'Cause I like to pick on you and your hair and freckles are red as a fox!" Everyone at the large table erupts with laughter; even Uncle Percy cracked a smile.

Angela ran to James and gave him a delicate peck on the cheek. His cheeks turned a dark crimson color and she blushed as well. "Aw, shucks!" he said in a fake country voice. Everyone but me made kissing faces.

Grandpa Arthur stood up. "Okay! Dinner over! Everyone leave my house!" I could tell that he was tired… and when he was tired, it isn't pretty.

"Come on Rosie! Hurry up!" my mom ordered, pushing my trunk-cart and towards the bright scarlet train. She shoved my owl into my arms and shooed me into train. "Remember, do your homework, study for tests, and eat healthy!"

I rolled my eyes, looking back at my mother. "You forgot to watch after Hugo!" She just rolled her eyes in response, but still had a familiar kind grin on her face.

I was about to finish my goodbye until the whistle sounded. "Bye!" I called over my shoulder as I walked towards the compartment James and the others were in.

"Red!" James exclaimed happily, pulling out his wand to clean it with the hem of his shirt. Around him sat Angela, Teddy Lupin, Fred Weasley, Albus Severus, and Lily. Lily looked to Teddy with a dreamy expression.

Teddy looked up. "Rosie!" Teddy was the only boy (aside from my dad) allowed to call me that. I felt like I could tell him anything, even my crush on James.

I bowed dramatically, my owl Midnight perched on my shoulder. "Thank you, thank you very much!"

Suddenly Angela tapped James's shoulder. As he turned around she pulled him in for a long kiss on the mouth. Every one rolled their eyes except for me.

I just stared at them sadly, looking away as they broke apart so they wouldn't notice I was watching.

How did things get so complicated?