A/N: Chapter Four of Rose's Turn. It took me a bit longer to get this one out. It didn't want to be written, especially after I figured out what happens in the next chapter. :) But I'll save that for another day. Until then, enjoy!
Rose woke up long before the sun did. She settled herself on the windowsill next to her bed and looked down at the grounds below.
"It's so pretty," another voice said from behind.
Rose nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned around quickly, meeting Lucy's bright, smiling face.
"Lu, don't do that to me! I didn't even know you were up!"
"Hush up," one of the other girls mumbled from behind her thick maroon curtains.
"Sorry," Lucy said quietly.
Rose looked at her cousin. Lucy was already dressed in her uniform, her book bag swung over her shoulder.
"What time did you wake up?" Rose asked, looking at the clock next to her bed.
"Oh, around five," she answered. "I could hardly sleep, I was so excited. Come on. Get dressed and let's have a look around before breakfast. I want to check out the Library."
"Alright, give me a sec," Rose said, going to the trunk at the foot of her bed, removing her crisp uniform from its place and quickly changing. Her heart skipped a beat as she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Dressed in her uniform, Rose felt she looked confident and beautiful.
"Come on, Rosie!" Lu said, grabbing Rose's hand and pulling her out the door to the Gryffindor common room, which was more or less empty, save for a couple of higher years hanging flyers on the call board.
"Are we even allowed out of our dormitories this early in the morning?" Rose asked.
"I can't imagine why we wouldn't be. I just want to have a look around before breakfast."
The two girls hurried out the portrait hole and down the nearly empty corridors. The sun was beginning to rise when they reached their destination; the school library.
Madam Pince, a vaguely vulture-looking woman, eyed them suspiciously as they walked in, and pointed at a sign hanging next to her, which informed them they weren't to eat in the library or defile or disrespect the books in any way or else there would be dire consequences.
"Rose!" a voice called, only to be immediately shushed by Madam Pince. Scorpius came bounding up to Rose and Lucy, giving each girl a hug. "Are you excited? First day of classes! Look at this place!" Scorp whispered excitedly. "This library has more books that I've ever seen. I don't know how I'll ever be able to read them all!"
"Remind you of someone, does he?" Lucy asked Rose, a wry smile on her face.
Rose returned the smile. "Scorpius, you need to meet my mum. I have a feeling you two would get along really well."
Scorpius looked confused. "Why?"
The two girls looked at each other and burst out laughing, which got them all another stern shush from Madam Pince.
"You're just like Aunt Hermione," Lucy explained when they had finally gotten their laughter under control. The group made their way over to one of the long tables in the back of the library. "All of the professors said she was the brightest witch of her age. There wasn't a problem that she couldn't solve by a trip to the library. She even figured out that the creature in the Chamber of Secrets was a Basilisk, when the diary containing a piece of Voldemort's soul opened the Chamber during their second year. She learned how to brew Polyjuice Potion in order to find out if Dra–"
Rose shot her a nasty look. Lucy took the cue.
"– to find out if a Slytherin was the heir," she finished quickly.
Scorpius nodded, lips pressed tightly together. "My dad. It's alright. I know that he did some horrible things. And I know that it was my grandfather who ultimately caused the Chamber to open."
There was a heavy silence that hung in the air around the three.
"It's alright, Scorpius," Rose finally said. "You're not your family."
"No," Lucy agreed.
Scorp smiled, a cute little half smile. "Thanks you guys."
"So, have you two written your parents yet?" Lu asked, pulling a sealed letter from inside her cloak. "I wrote Mum and Dad last night, but I couldn't send it."
Rose and Scorpius exchanged nervous glances.
"I haven't written yet," Scorp admitted.
"Nor have I."
Lucy sighed and rummaged through her bag, pulling out two sets of parchment, envelopes, quills and ink. "I had a feeling I'd need to bring these. You'd both best write your letters now, so we can get them sent before classes start."
The two grimaced, but took their letter-writing kits, prepared to put their news in words for their parents.
Rose penned her letter quickly, trying not to think too much about what she was doing.
Dear Mum and Dad,
I am writing you before my first morning of classes in the library. Hogwarts is amazing. The castle, the grounds, the people – everything is better than I could have ever imagined.
I know that the biggest question on your mind right now is which house I've been sorted into, and so I won't hold you in suspense any longer. Dad, you'll be proud to know that you're little girl is a Gryffindor, just like you and Mum.
So far, everything has been going very well. I enjoy my classmates very much, and the other girls in the dorm are very nice. There are seventeen of us first year Gryffindors in all. Hogwarts has grown so much since the Second War. There are so many students now, nearly five hundred.
I've also met an amazing friend. We sat together on the train on the way to school. I know that you'll love him, Mum. He's exactly like you. I've never seen a first year student take such an interest in Hogwarts, A History. His name is Scorpius Malfoy. He's actually sitting right next to me, writing to his parents to tell them that he's been sorted into Ravenclaw. (Lucy's here, too.) You should have seen the look on Scorpius's face when he was sorted. He was ecstatic. He embodies ever trait that Ravenclaws hold dear. I hope that you'll get to meet him someday. He's really nothing like the stories you've told me of his family.
I hope that you and Hugo are doing well. I'll be sure to write again in a few days, after I've gotten a chance to meet all of my professors.
With love,
Your Rosie
She read back over her letter, making sure that everything was right.
Well, there's really no point in rewriting it, Rose thought, folding the letter up and putting it in the envelope, putting her home address on the front, and sealing it carefully. When she looked up, Scorpius was finishing his own letter.
"Alright," Lucy said as Scorp finally sealed his letter. "Let's head up to the owlery before breakfast."
Rose and Scorpius nodded, holding their letters close. Other students were also beginning to emerge from their dorms, wandering around the castle and enjoying their last hour of freedom before class started.
"Lucy, how on earth do you already know where everything is?" Rose asked, making sure to keep close to her cousin, who seemed to know exactly where everything was.
"I sat with James on the train," Lucy explained. "And he's got that map of the castle that shows where everything is and everyone on the grounds, the one that his granddad and grand godfather made when they were in school. He was showing me and Al where all the important things were."
"Huh, I'll have to ask James to show me."
"Okay, come on. The owlery is up here." Lucy pointed towards one of the towers, where owls were flying around. "Oh, look, there's Al. Al!" She waved at Al, who was also making his way to the owlery.
"Hey, Lucy!" he called back, running up to us. "You three have letters to send off, too?"
"Yep," Rose said, holding up her envelope. "Dad's gonna flip, but oh well. I guess it's better to tell him by letter than when I get home for Christmas holiday. At least this way, there's not too much he can do about it."
"True," Al agreed. "So, what about you, Scorpius? Letting your parents know which house you got sorted into?"
Scorpius looked a little shocked that Al was talking to him in a friendly tone. "Yeah. Letting my parents know that I'm the first person in the family to not be in Slytherin. That'll go over well, I'm sure. I'd be surprised if my dad will even speak to me during the holidays."
Rose gave him a quick hug. "Don't worry. Even if your parents won't talk to you, we can spend some time together over the break."
Scorpius gave her a small smile. "Thanks, Rose."
The group started up the steep steps of the owlery, which were covered with owl droppings and pellets. "Hey, Scorpius," Al said. "I'm… I'm really sorry… about yesterday. I was being a prat."
"Don't worry about it," Scorp told him as they reached the top of the stairs.
"Athena!" Rose said, raising her arm, letting her beautiful European Eagle-owl land on her forearm. She gave the owl her letter. "Take this to Mum and Dad."
The owl gave her an affectionate croon and took off.
Lucy gave her gray owl, Lilith, her letter, and Al gave his snowy owl, Henry, his.
"Where's your owl, Scorpius?" Rose asked.
"I don't know," he admitted. "Bay! Bailey!"
Suddenly, a small black and white speckled owl zoomed out from one of the burrows and landed on Scorpius's shoulder, nipping happily at his ear.
"Hello, Bailey," Scorpius said, stroking the little bird. "I've got a letter for Mother and Father. Come straight back after given them the letter. I don't want them to shoot the messenger owl."
"What a sweet little owl," Lucy said as Bailey flew off with Scorpius's letter.
"Yeah, she is. She's been my best friend since I got her two years ago."
"Alright, well, we'd better be getting to the Great Hall. It's got to be about breakfast time," Al said, carefully making his way out of the tower.
"Agreed," Rose said. "I'm hungry."
The group made their way from the owlery, following the throng of students all headed towards the ever strengthening smell of eggs and toast.
"Come on, guys, I'm starved!" Lucy said, rushing to an empty spot of Gryffindor table when they entered the Hall.
"Okay, Lu!" Al called. "Come on, Rose. We'd better go sit down."
"Alright." Rose turned to Scorpius. "I'll see you later, Scorpius. I hope we have classes together."
"Alright," he said, beginning to head towards the Ravenclaw table. "See you later, Rose. See you, Albus."
"See you, Scorpius," Al said, and he and Rose took their seats at the Gryffindor table with Lucy.
"Can you pass the pumpkin juice?" Rose asked one of the other first year girls as she started loading up her plate with eggs, bacon, and toast.
"What is this stuff, exactly?" the girl – Marie-Anne Taylor, Rose thought she was called – asked, passing the pitcher of the spicy burnt-orange juice.
"You've never had pumpkin juice before?" Rose asked, pouring herself a glass.
Marie-Anne shook her head. "Muggle-born," she explained.
"Try some," Rose urged, pouring an extra glass and handing it to her.
Marie-Anne hesitated for a second, giving the juice a light sniff, before finally taking a sip.
"It's like liquid Hallowe'en!" Marie-Anne exclaimed, taking another drink.
"If you like that, just wait until you have your first taste of butterbeer. It's even better," Rose promised, going to take a bite of eggs.
"Hello, cousin," a voice said, and Rose was suddenly crushed uncomfortably between two people.
"Yeah, hello, cousin!"
"Hello, Fred. Hello, Roxanne," Rose said, slightly exasperated, looking at her twin cousins.
"Excited for your first day of hell – I mean, classes?" Fred asked, his dark brown eyes sparkling conspiratorially.
"I'm very excited to start classes."
"So, dear cos," Roxanne said. "We noticed you hanging around with one Scorpius Malfoy."
"Gave her a hug at the Sorting Ceremony, didn't he, Rox?"
"I do believe he did, Fred."
"Alright, guys," Rose said, pushing Fred and Roxanne away. "Enough. He's my friend. He didn't have any friends and all I had was the likes of you. At least Scorp doesn't try to crush me at breakfast."
"Well, I think we know when we're not wanted, right Roxanne?"
"I do believe so, Fred. Best not waste our time on this one. Time is Galleons, after all."
"Bye, Fred. Bye Roxanne," Rose said, still exasperated. Dealing with the twins was always exhausting business, even though she loved them dearly. They were just a little too much like Uncle George, who was always trying to test new products for the family joke shop on anyone he could.
"If ever you find yourself in need of a Skiving Snackbox, you know where to find us," Roxanne said, just as Neville Longbottom, Herbology professor, Gryffindor head of house, and longtime Weasley family friend.
"Hello, Rose," he said, handing her a piece of parchment. "Hope your first night was good. Here's your timetable. Class starts at nine. Don't be late."
He gave her a wink.
"Thank you," Rose said, pouring over her timetable as Neville moved on to the next student.
"History of Magic, Double Transfiguration, Charms, Double Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Muggle Studies," Al said, reading his timetable.
"Not a horrible day," Rose said. "I mean, History of Magic is sure to be a bore, with Professor Binns and everything, but everything else seems great."
"Betcha I get higher marks than you in DADA," Al said with a huge smile.
Rose laughed. "Yeah right. You might be the son of the 'Boy Who Lived', but I'm the daughter of the one who made sure he did. There's a reason they called her the brightest witch her age."
"Yeah, who couldn't even make an O on her Defense Against the Dark Arts OWLs."
"Oh, yours only did because he could produce a Patronus."
"And he defeated Lord Voldemort when he was a baby."
"Which he did because his mother sacrificed herself to save him. He just sat there and cried."
"Dad held Voldemort off when he was eleven and Voldy had attached himself to the DADA professor."
"Still his mother."
"And then in his second year, when he saved mum from the Basilisk."
"Which he wouldn't have been able to do unless my mum had figured it out for him."
"He got away from Voldemort again during the Triwizard Tournament."
"That was a flook. It was their wands' twin cores."
"Got away from him again at the Department of Mysteries in his fifth year."
"Dumbledore and the Order saved him."
"Alright, you two, enough," Lucy said, butting in. "Both Uncle Harry and Aunt Hermione did a lot of good when they were in school and when they were out of it. I'm sure you'll both do great."
Rose and Al both rolled their eyes and went back to their breakfast, eager to start the first day of the next seven years of their lives.
A/N: Am I the only one amused by Al calling Voldemort "Voldy"? I hope not. I think that Al and Rose have a really close – if competitive – relationship. I also figure that, after all the things that Harry, Ron, and Hermione went through when they were young, they would be very open about everything, and not really that sensitive about it, which is why Al and Rose can joke about things like Lily's sacrifice and all the times Harry nearly died. Just so you know. Please don't kill me. And, please review. It makes me want to write more.
