| Rose |
The train rattled on and the compartment was once again filled with silence. Rose had stuffed a chocolate frog into Grace's mouth to stop her nervous ranting, and took the reprieve as a chance to think. It was very odd for Grace to be so out of sorts about a boy. From what she could gather, Grace had acted shy, small, and awkward –all things that defined Rose. And the boy probably still liked her. Grace was better at being Rose than Rose was. How great.
It could just be nervous jitters about being at a new place, but Rose doubted it. Grace didn't really get nervous about things; especially boys.
No, the only explanation was that Grace actually kind of liked him, which was weird in itself considering they talked for a solid three minutes. But people do fall in love in mysterious ways. Not that this was love. Or that either sister had been in love before. Rose, surprisingly, had come very close at their old school, but after the incident she knew her shot had gone haywire.
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block the images that barged their way into her head.
Stop thinking about it. You did what you had to.
Liquid, hot and heavy, rolled languidly down her hand from where her fingernails bit into her palm in crescent shaped marks. She studied the small indents for a little, fighting to gain control of her thoughts. Just thinking about it made her angry all over again.
Her eyes flicked up to Grace. Normally the sight of her sister would be reassuring, but instead of seeing her sitting in front of her, staring out the window deep in thought, she saw her lying there, hardly moving. Her eyes blank. Her skin clammy and grey. And she saw him. Standing there. Smiling like the sick, sadistic son of a –
"Rose? Rose, you ok?"
Grace's eyes were suddenly right in front of her, although Rose could have sworn she was still sitting right across from her a second before. Her eyes went to her hand and all of the blood that dripped from it. Rose slowly retracted one hand from the other, wincing internally as the nails pulled away and the ache started from the loss. She stared unfocusedly at the hardened crimson moon indents, then at the ones that were almost healed.
"You need to stop doing this to yourself," Grace murmured softly. "Hey, look at me." She took Rose's chin in between her thumb and index, forcing her to look into her eyes. "Everything is ok now. You have to let it go."
Rose shook herself out of her head in time to finally piece together what Grace was saying. She looked away as Grace riffled through the bag for a second, and came back with a roll of wet wipes and a piece of paper.
"Thanks," she said, a little wobbly and started wiping away the blood from her hands. Grace took a seat beside her. It was quiet between the two of them as she scrubbed. She hoped she hadn't caused Grace to think about what happened. That was the last thing she needed.
"What's that?" Rose asked, nodding her head to the paper still clasped between Grace's fingers as she performed a silent cleaning charm on her palms. That spell had come in handy very often lately.
Her sister looked much more comfortable with the change in topic. "It's the letter from Hogwarts with the course list and all of that shit. But more importantly, it's the little letter telling us to go to the prefect's compartment for information on how we're getting to school and what to do blah blah blah."
The information rang a dim bell. They each had gotten the same letter, although Rose had hardly looked at hers. "Isn't there only one way to get to school, and isn't it this train? What other way is there?"
Grace scanned the letter again, then shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, but I guess we should head over there soonish."
Rose nodded and they both stood, heading to the door. She flexed her hands, trying to soothe the pain. She would have used a spell to get rid of it, but feeling the pain anchored her to reality, as masochistic as that was.
"Wait," Rose stopped in front of the opened door. "What are we supposed to do with all of our stuff?" They both surveyed their bags and various wrappers and books.
"Uh, we can just leave it?" Grace said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Rose gave her a look. "What if someone steals it?"
Grace snorted at that. "Yes because people are really that interested in," she picked up the book Rose was reading, "'Kill the Boyband'. What the fuck kinda book is that?" she tossed it carelessly back onto the seat.
"Hey!" Rose hit her arm. "It's actually a really good book. They kidnapped one of the members of this band and I'm not that sure what they're going to do with him. They're kinda creepy if I'm being honest, but I have to put myself in their shoes and wonder what I'd do if –"
"As if you don't know what you'd do if your favourite band member was at your mercy." Grace's smirk said it all.
Rose blushed and swatted her sister again. "Anyway, we have money and stuff in here too. I don't really want to lug around all of our shit though, but I also don't want anyone to come in and take it." She bit her lip and turned to Grace, who was shaking her head at her sister's unrequired worry.
"We could lock the doors?" Grace suggested with a roll of her eyes.
"Yes! Ok, let's do that."
They both cast the spell, retreating from the compartment. Rose looked to the left and the right as they stowed their wands in their boots.
"So, which way do you think the prefect's compartment is?"
"Uhhh..." Grace looked around before pulling Rose to the right. "Let's go this way."
"Would going this way have anything to do with a certain boy?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Well, I specifically remember during your bout of mild insanity that you said his compartment was just a couple down from ours."
"It's very possible I said that, yes."
"Ok so I guess we should –what the fuck are you doing?"
Grace paused mid crouch. "Uh... nothing?" The corridor was deserted of people, and Grace was rolling from compartment to compartment, crouching and peering through the glass before frowning and going on her way.
"This is a good way to make friends actually. As long as they don't think we're crazy or randomly re-enacting a James Bond movie."
"Please. Nobody could ever mistake us for Bond girls, we are not that pretty."
"Ok, whatever, just try not to crash into any–"
"Fuck!"
" –thing."
Rose collapsed on the floor, laughing too hard to be heard. Grace had rolled poorly and banged into the door of a compartment. Rubbing her head and scowling, she looked up through the glass, then leapt to her feet in alarm.
"Gottagogottagogottagogottago!" Grace yelped, diving into a random compartment a couple down.
Rose was confused. She was still trying to catch her breath from her laughing fit and the lack of oxygen made her brain a bit fuzzy. It was only when the compartment door opened that she realized what it was that could have made Grace run away like that.
"Oi, what the fuck?"
The smile melted right off Rose's face as she stared up into the face of a random boy.
She gulped, scrambling to her feet. "Oh, uh, hi there..."
The boy looked at her, a little humorously. "What were ya doin' on tha floor?"
Rose looked at her feet nervously. She doubted Grace wanted to be mentioned, considering she ran away and left her here. Like, what a great sister, thank you so much.
"I- I- slipped a little, and kinda hit your door. I'm so sorry about that by the way. I didn't mean to bother you and your," Rose peered inside, seeing the other boys staring, their game forgotten, "friends. I'll let you get back to your game, I'm so sorr –"
His booming laugh cut off the rest of her apology. He leaned casually against the door frame, arms crossed as he studied her. He was a lot cuter when he smiled, Rose noted. His hair was a little weird though.
"Not ta worry, there's no need ta apologize. Or be so nervous. We aren' gonna hurt ya or anything. I'm Seamus by tha way. I'll take a guess an say you're new here?"
Rose only nodded in response. She could feel all of the people in the compartment looking at her and it made her uncomfortable. She crossed her arms and looked to the right trying to spot the place that Grace disappeared. A face was pressed up against the glass, looking at her with wide eyes.
Grace waved frantically, pointing towards the compartment with the boys in it. Rose looked back to Seamus, only to see another boy had joined him.
"I told you I'd be seeing you around," the other boy said. He was actually very cute.
"Uh... sorry, what?" Rose was confused. She doubted she had ever seen this guy in her life. She looked back to Grace, only to see her face-palm. Sheesh, she knew she was awkward, but normally Grace encouraged her instead of made fun of her.
The boy looked at her weirdly. She looked at him weirdly. Seamus looked between the two of them curiously.
And then it clicked.
"Ohhh! You're trolley boy!"
"I suppose you could call me that. Or Dean works too. I never did catch your name by the way. Also, did you do something to your hair? I could have sworn it was a lot curlier."
Rose laughed a little awkwardly. Fuck Grace for putting her in this situation. "That would be because I'm not the same girl you met."
Dean's eyebrows flew up to his hairline, before understanding dawned on him. "You're her sister then? The one who liked licorice?"
"Yep, that would be me."
"Wow, you two look the exact same."
"It might be because we're twins, but you never know." She didn't mean to be so sarcastic, but they got this all the time and it was a little annoying. He laughed good naturedly though, so she guessed it was ok.
"So what's your name then?" Seamus asked.
"I'm Rose and my sister is Grace," she directed the last part to Dean. He nodded, looking very pleased. "Anyway, I should be off looking for her, we have to go to the prefect's compartment for something or the other. Do either of you know where that is by chance?"
They both shook their heads, but Seamus pointed over Rose's shoulder, saying, "Is that her?"
The three looked to where Grace was pushed up against the glass, with two familiar red-heads. She smiled big, waved and then disappeared from view.
Rose laughed at Grace, thinking that it definitely served her right for stranding her here. "That would be her yes. It was good meeting you two by the way." She smiled and walked towards the compartment where Grace was hiding.
After cussing out Grace, more awkward (for Rose, at least) flirting between Grace and Fred/George (they were so similar, she didn't feel the need to differentiate) and a small fire that singed the bottom of her hair, Rose was –to say the least –slightly pissed.
Fred and George were trying to impress Grace with their new collection of fireworks. There were only two of them, but apparently they each did different things when lit, though Rose wasn't paying any attention to what they were saying as it really didn't interest her.
She was still a little annoyed from her slight disagreement with her sister. Of course, she understood why Grace would run away; looking like an idiot in front of someone you liked was awful. But she could have used it as a means to talk to him! Instead, she just left Rose there to take the heat. And Grace knew how afraid Rose was of looking foolish in front of –well anyone really.
Rose didn't even know why she cared so much what others thought of her. But just thinking of someone –anyone –making fun of her, making her out to be less than who she was; it made her want to cry.
And she was so over crying.
Also, they had been in here for a solid hour, and she had hardly said a word since she and Grace spoke. She was getting really bored.
Which is naturally when things started to go wrong.
" –and we charmed it so it will stay active for hours. It has to burn out by itself: trying to vanish it or destroy it just makes it multiply. Which comes in handy, especially if you knew our mother." Fred grimaced a little, gesturing to the firework in his hand.
"Our mother would probably find it fascinating. She's very into all of that science-y stuff, which is why she's working in the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry here. Of course, it would have been nice if she had passed on some of her brain to me, but Rose got most of it," Grace laughed, nudging her sister.
Rose looked up at her name, smiled big, then went back to staring at her hands.
Grace coughed. "Well anyway, can I see it in action? I'd be willing to pay for it," she gave her best puppy dog face that Rose knew any male specimen was susceptible to.
One look at her face and George was already pulling out his wand to light the firework.
Rose didn't think that somebody who created such an extensive firework could be stupid enough to light it in such a small space.
She was wrong.
The firework burned to life, flashing beautiful colours so bright Rose had to close her eyes. It was a wonderful show behind her eyelids, and she almost calmed down enough to enjoy it, until she smelled the smoke.
The fireworks had burned the curtains on the windows; very close to where Rose sat. She could feel the heat rolling off the fire, could smell it on her hair. And then she didn't know which was hotter; the blaze or the anger she felt.
Grace was laughing coyly, as if they always almost died in minor explosions and it didn't matter her hair was smoking. Fred and George were frantically trying to stop it from spreading and their friend, Lee, was apologizing profusely to Rose, seeing as he was the only one who saw how angry she was.
Rose took a deep, calming breath, only to choke on the smoke coming from her own head. That pushed her a little bit too far.
In one swoop of her hand, wind exploded and put out the fire, sucking up the smoke and fireworks and pushing all of the occupants into their seats. With another flick, she fixed her hair, the deadened, burned pieces growing back swiftly into their curls. A snap of her fingers and the wind tunnel disappeared, leaving the compartment completely still. She stood up, swiping the dust from her jeans and met the incredulous stares head on.
"As fun as this has been, I think Grace and I should be going now. Would any of you happen to know where the prefect compartment is?"
