Me: Hi, guys! Thank you SO much for the 16 favorites and 33 follows! They really made my day :))
REPLIES TO REVIEWS
ChristieMouse18: You really think so? Thanks! You'll find out more on her situation eventually :3
PhoenixGrifyndor: If we're going into technicalities, Rosalie was married to James.
Seth Deimona stories: I will, don't worry :3 I've just been really busy with exams and Student Council duties :P
Chapter 1
A Home
"Hey, Scout, if you had a son, what would you name him?"
"I think I'd go with Harry, but really, Moony, do you seriously see me with a kid?"
Harry felt a little overwhelmed by the situation. He was a wizard and he had a mother to care for him now. More importantly, they were heading over to her house, his new home. He had often dreamt of this situation happening, of his parents coming to get him if they weren't dead, of his parents taking him away from the hellhole known as Privet Drive. It only just hit him that yes, his mother was here right now and yes, he was going to be free.
He felt tears prick his eyes, and he hurriedly wiped them away. He'd rather not let his mother's first impression of him to be a crybaby.
Mother.
It felt strange to think about, that he now had someone to say 'Mum' to, or 'I'm home', or 'Hi, Mum'. He felt…
…happy.
They stopped at a large house at Cokeworth, a few miles away from Privet Drive. The house was large and painted orange and yellow. There was a balcony by the second floor and Harry could see plants growing everywhere. He looked at Rosalie, to ask if this was really real, if he wasn't dreaming, but he stopped himself when he saw her eyes glistening. He didn't know what about the house caused her to act that way, but he figured now wasn't the right time to ask.
"Well, here we are," she said in a soft voice. "Let's get you some lunch first before you start unpacking and get settled here."
Harry nodded and stepped out of the car, closing the door behind him. Rosalie walked next to him and held out her hand to him, hesitating slightly, almost as if she was afraid. Harry didn't understand why she had reacted that way, but her hand was still waiting, so he took it. Her hand felt so warm to him, and he liked it.
They walked towards the house and Rosalie opened the front door, gesturing for him to come inside. He walked in and his mouth opened slightly in awe of the interior. There were certificates and medals everywhere, along with several paintings with his mother's name on them. What intrigued him the most were the pictures decorating the wall to his right, pictures with his mother and people who seemed to be her friends.
He glanced back at the door, where he saw Rosalie with her wand out, muttering words under her breath as white vapor came out of her wand. Eventually, he had seen some sort of shield enveloping the home and his eyes widened.
Rosalie came back inside and gave him a small smile. "I just reinforced the wards around the house. No one will find you here. I can promise you that."
Harry nodded and watched as she slipped off her coat, glancing sadly at the pictures he had seen before she led him to the kitchen. She made him sit on one of the brown chairs as she walked behind her kitchen counter and started cracking eggs.
"I hope you don't mind an omelet and bacon right now. I haven't really had the time to shop for some food. I wasn't…" Rosalie explained, before stopping herself. "I didn't think I'd find you."
"Oh, it's fine." Harry said politely, noticing her small flinch again. He figured he'd ask her about it at some point, at a point where they'd have the mother-son bond that they missed out on for nine years.
Harry glanced back at the pictures on the wall, which he could see from the threshold of the kitchen. He didn't know why, but he felt this urge to see and know the people in those frames.
"You can look at them if you want."
Harry inhaled sharply in surprise and he looked back at his mother, who had a sad smile on her face. "I don't mind. Go on."
"I—"
"Really, Harry. They're just pictures." Rosalie said. "Once you're done eating, I can tell you about them."
Harry nodded as his feet led him back to the photos. He noticed that his mother was usually in photos with a boy with dark hair and gray eyes. In others, she was with a brown haired boy with messy hair and another boy resembling the one with dark hair and grey eyes. Almost all the photos were taken when his mother was a teenager. He also noticed that there was only picture of his mother with a girl who looked like her and his Aunt Petunia. He supposed the other girl was his Aunt Lily, his supposed mother.
"Harry, come eat your lunch!" Rosalie called out from the kitchen, interrupting his thoughts. He felt a smile come across his face. Oh, how he longed to be the one to receive those words.
He walked back into the kitchen and saw an omelet with fried potatoes awaiting him, along with slices of bacon.
"I know they're fattening, but this is what you should be having, you know? Not the rubbish Petunia made you eat," Rosalie frowned as Harry began to dig into his omelet.
"Thank you for this. I really appreciate it." Harry said. (He wasn't sure if she wanted him to call her 'Mum'. He wasn't even sure if he had the guts to say it without tearing up.)
"You don't need to be so formal, Harry," Rosalie chuckled, but he could see her eyes glistening again. "I know I haven't been with you all these years, but you don't have to think I'm like Petunia or…"
Harry nodded. "Okay."
Once he finished his omelet, Rosalie brought over a chair for him and placed it in front of the photos. He sat down there and looked at the first photo she held out for him – one with her and the boy with grey eyes.
"Is he my dad?" Harry wondered out loud. He was expecting Rosalie to smile sadly and nod, and to tell him that yes, that's your father and he was a great man, so he was surprised when she started laughing.
"Oh, I'm s-sorry, Harry. It's just—" Rosalie stopped herself from laughing, but her eyes seemed amused now. (Harry was actually pleased that he made his mother laugh.) "Most people assume I married Reg, but Harry, this is Regulus Black, my best friend and your godfather."
"I have a godfather…?" (Harry wondered if this Dumbledore also prevented Regulus from coming to get him.)
"Had, Harry," Rosalie's amusement died down as she looked at the photo with longing. "He died when we were just eighteen."
"I'm sorry," Harry said.
"Don't be." Rosalie said. "He didn't have the best life, but he was the best friend I could ever have asked for. He died for me, you know?"
"Oh…" Harry didn't know what to say about that.
"Anyways, on to the next picture!"
As his mother started choosing other pictures to show him, Harry suspected that she didn't want to talk about his godfather anymore. He didn't mind, but he didn't like seeing the sad look in her eyes.
Rosalie sent Harry to bed afterwards, telling him to get some well-deserved sleep as she returned all the photos she had shown him. She had told him some stories about Regulus, Lily, Petunia, James… She sighed as she sat on a chair in her kitchen, staring out the window as memories continued to flood through her head – memories she had purposely not thought about ever since Reg and James died.
She smiled once she realized that she no longer had a reason to be so depressed. She had her son now. She had Harry now, and she'll be damned if she let Dumbledore or anyone else take him away. The only problem now was how to remove that stupid Fidelius charm Dumbledore had placed on him. She knew it was connected to Privet Drive, the reason why he couldn't be harmed there, but if she could somehow transfer those protective wards to her house, then Dumbledore wouldn't be able to trace Harry back here, thanks to her Runes.
She frowned when she also realized that if she did that, Petunia and the Dursleys would be vulnerable to attacks. She supposed she could leave the wards there, but then she would have to Obliviate Petunia. She had to erase Petunia's memories, along with those of her son and husband, of Harry ever existing there. If Dumbledore ever dropped by there to see what was wrong…
She rested her hand on her chin. She wasn't an expert at Charms in the way Lily was, and James was only ever good at Transfiguration. She couldn't contact any of her old friends because they were either dead or in the Order, which would lead Dumbledore to her and Harry. She groaned, wondering who to ask for help when she gasped.
She was at Cokeworth. She was at her family's old home. She was near Spinner's End.
"Severus…"
Severus Snape was a no-nonsense sort of man who was brilliant at Potions. He was sly, tough, and a master of masking his emotions, just the way a Slytherin should be. All those qualities of his, however, temporarily went away once he opened his door. He was reading up on his mother's old textbooks when a knock on his door disturbed him. He had been expecting someone else, and once he opened it, he felt as if he had seen Lily Evans, his best friend and one true love, again. It was only when he looked at the woman's eyes that he realized that no, this wasn't Lily.
"Rosalie, I see you're alive."
Although he tried his best to make his voice sound detached, he couldn't conceal the emotions that escaped from him once she sat down in his living room. For years, he had believed that she was dead. He hadn't expected her to still be alive. He also would never admit to her that he had been so worried when he realized that not only was Lily again, but Rosalie was as well.
"Hey, Sev."
Although she was smiling, he could see that look in her eyes. She was hardened by the war, but there was still longing in her eyes. He knew why.
"What brings you here?" Severus sighed. "If Dumbledore found out, this cover of yours would be over in a snap. I could even tell him I had seen you."
"But you wouldn't, Sev." Rosalie chuckled. "I know you. You're not the snitching type, unless it was to snitch on… them."
Them. The Marauders. He knew he couldn't say their names out loud without letting go of her pride and crying. It was good for him that she didn't, anyways. He really couldn't handle crying girls.
"You needed something?"
"I need to get rid of the Fidelius Charm, Sev. Or at least, mellow it down so Dumbledore can't trace him."
"You realize that this would be useless should you send the boy to Hogwarts?" Severus raised an eyebrow at her. In all honestly, he would have taken care of young Harry had he not been Dumbledore's double agent. He may have detested the boy's father, but his mother, Rosalie, was a close friend of his, much as he wouldn't say it out loud.
"Once he's at Hogwarts, I'd have full custody of him. Dumbledore won't be able to do anything if the Wizengamot overrules him. After all, everything regarding Harry should be brought to my attention. The only reason I wasn't there was because that old fool believed I was a Death Eater just because of my connection to Reg." Rosalie frowned. "The Wizengamot would take my side. I know that much."
Severus hummed in reply.
"Plus, Lucius is still there, ain't he? He still owes me big time from before." Rosalie smiled as she remembered her Hogwarts friend.
"I… suppose I could lend you my assistance." Severus said.
"Great! Then I can introduce you to Harry tomorrow."
"…That was not a part of our conversation."
"So what?"
They fell into silence until Severus went away and came back with a photo album in his hands.
"What's this?" Rosalie asked him curiously, an eyebrow raised.
Severus rolled his eyes. "Just open it."
Rosalie gasped once she flipped onto the first page. "This – you – how – I don't…"
"I was supposed to give it to you after his funeral, but you went missing." Severus explained with a shrug, looking away from her because he knew she was about to cry.
"Thank you, Sev." And then she started crying, releasing all the tears she had held back for years because she couldn't hold it in anymore.
(The photo album was held tightly in her arms, bearing the letters 'R.A.B.' on the front page.)
When Harry awoke from his nap, he noticed that he was in a dark green colored room with a desk and chair, a bookshelf, and a closet. His things were already unpacked, and he supposed Rosalie had done it for him. A note was resting on his desk, saying: 'Hi, Harry! I had to drop by a friend's house first to get some things done. Don't worry! He lives at Spinner's End, so it's just a short walk from here to there. I'll be back soon enough! ~Rosalie'.
Harry had a smile on his face. For a brief moment, he had wondered if she had left him alone and if this wasn't real at all. The note cemented the fact into his head that this was all real, and not something he conjured up in his head.
He heard the sound of the front door closing and he saw Rosalie with a smile on her face, a nice change from her demeanor a while ago. Rosalie glanced up at the stairs, where he was at, and smiled. "Hi, Harry. Have a nice rest?"
"Yes, Mum."
His words had stunned the both of them and he felt his face heat up in embarrassment. He didn't mean to say it out loud – it just came out of his mouth. Harry was about to go back to his room to hide his face when Rosalie walked up the stairs and unhesitatingly gave him a hug. He stiffened upon contact, having never been hugged before, until he relaxed and hugged back, letting himself feel warm because of it.
"Thank you, Harry."
He didn't know what she was thanking him for, but it didn't matter to him right now. All he cared about was that he was being hugged by his mother, the woman he longed for. He was experiencing something he had always wanted to experience whenever he saw his classmates being greeted by their parents.
He liked it.
He was home.
Me: And that's the second chapter! Expect another one by October :3
Review please! :))
P.S.: Instead of being Lily's twin, I just changed it to Rosalie being Lily's younger sister. When I thought about how I wanted my story to go, I realized that the ages wouldn't fit for what I had in mind, so now, Rosalie is the same age as Regulus :3
