Disclaimer: Not Mine
Wanting More
Chapter 7
Rosmerta missed the freedom of the summer and the long lazy days on the far side of the lake. She hated the too confining uniforms and school robes, feeling she had outgrown them and her schoolmates. During transfiguration lessons, she leaned her chin in the palm of her hand and stared off at the window, day dreaming of Grigori and his kisses. She sighed deeply and wistfully wound her finger in her hair.
"Miss Fritz." Professor McGonagall slapped the back of her head. "If you are in this classroom I expect you to pay attention. Five points from Ravenclaw."
"Yes Professor," she stammered as a blush crawled up her throat and the sounds of giggles filled her ears.
"Wait after class Miss Fritz," the professor said then pressed her lips together and strode to the front of the class. "Now class, you will all take up your wands and practice changing your desks into comfortable chairs. As soon as you complete the spell and I check your work you will return it to its normal state."
Rosmerta slid out from her desk and drew her wand, frowning at the desk. She flicked the complicated pattern and mouthed the incantation, watching as the old scared desk changed into an over-stuffed wing backed chair. Looking up to her Professor, she was surprised to see a look of disappointment on her face.
"I am sure, Miss Fritz, you can do better than that," she snipped.
Rosmerta scowled and changed the chair to one with a rich flowered fabric, with gracefully curved Queen Ann legs. Returning Professor McGonagall's glare she flicked her wand and returned the chair to a desk.
"Shall I still wait or come back in an hour?" Rosmerta glowered.
"In the hallway, Miss Fritz," Professor McGonagall instructed as the turned back to the class. "You will not take advantage of my absence but continue on as if I were here. Am I understood?"
Mummers of agreement filled the room as she followed Rosmerta out of the classroom.
"Now, Miss Fritz, you will explain to me this attitude you have been displaying."
"I don't need this stuff," Rosmerta spat angrily. "I don't need to learn how to change cups to teapots, or a fan to an umbrella. It is a cute parlour trick but not much use."
"Parlour trick? Perhaps I was wrong to put you in advance transfiguration, Miss Fritz. Perhaps, you see your weekend activities as more important than what we teach. I will suggest to the headmaster that you are not to leave these grounds until this changes. Perhaps, once you learn how to focus on what is important your attitude will change."
"You can't do that. I have the …"
"Miss Fritz!" Professor McGonagall said sharply. "You will report to the Headmaster's office at once, and ten more points will be deducted from your house."
"I don't care about your old house points," she pouted, folding her arms and glaring back.
"We will see about that young lady."
"Why should I care about a stupid house cup? Why should I care if you take points from them? They don't even talk to me," she felt tears beginning to well in her eyes.
"Miss Fritz, you must learn to tempter your anger. Now, report to the Headmaster's Office as you were told. I shall be there shortly."
"Yeah, sure." Rosmerta lowered her head and kept her eyes to the floor as she made her way down the hallway and up the circular stairs. She was sure that once again someone would tell her all the things she could not do.
"Well my dear, what brings you to my door?" The Headmaster greeted her.
"Professor McGonagall. She doesn't like me." She slumped into the chair across the desk from him.
"If that were true she would not have championed for you this past summer." He peered over his spectacles, smiling. "I am afraid some of the fault is mine."
"Why do you say that sir?"
"She asked me to step in and stop you from seeing Mr. Yaxley. However, I thought a young lady such as yourself would only see this as an intrusion into her private life and perhaps leave us. I further thought, perhaps foolishly, that you would see him for what he is and in doing so, could also lead Mr. Rookwood back to his old path. "
"That's what she wants to do now, make me stop seeing him."
"Rosmerta, I know he is considered a friend by you, and has done much to advance young Mr. Rookwood's career. However, I am not convinced he is all he appears to be. There are rumours my dear, rumours from sources I tend to trust."
"You think I don't hear them? You think that my great housemates don't make sure I hear everything that is bad about someone I like? You know what they think of me. Why should I care?"
"I am not saying you should believe unfounded rumours my dear, I am merely suggesting that you do not discount them entirely. If I had any proof of these things I hear I would have forbade you to see him long ago."
"You have no right!" She came to her feet.
"Child, he is…"
"I am not a child. I am almost of age, and when I am …"
"Until you are of age you will do as you are told." Headmaster Dumbledore's voice turned to the authoritative one she knew not to argue with. "At that point you will make a decision to complete your education or to leave. However, until that time you will attend to your class work. I have yet to speak to Professor McGonagall, but I believe from our conversation you owe her an apology."
"Why? I didn't say anything that isn't true," she sighed and saw him scowl at her. "Fine, so I'll apologize, but I won't mean it."
"Rosmerta, he is much older then you," he started, then put his hand up to still her objection. "That in and by it's self would not bother me, friendships and even love may brook the generations. However, in this case I must ask you to cease seeing him. He is wise in ways that you are not. I am not at liberty to say more, but I must ask you to take this on trust."
"Trust? I trust him!" she spat. "Not those wenches that I live with and talk about every one that's not a Ravenclaw as if there's something wrong with them. It's you that I used to trust. You who always says to look for the good in a person. Now what are you saying? To walk away from everyone that does not fit your own little concept of good and bad?"
"Rosmerta!" Headmaster came to his feet. "You will conduct yourself as a student at this school. I will not tolerate this kind of talk from you."
"Then you don't have to," she stood and glared at him. "I'm old enough to leave."
"You are not of age to work, and have no place to go," Dumbledore frowned at her.
"Miss Fitz," Professor McGonagall strode in the door. "I can hear you for the bottom of the stair case. Young ladies do not yell."
"Young ladies don't do anything much fun around here," she pouted.
"I think Miss Fitz will spend the rest of the afternoon in her room, Professor. Please see to it that her other Professors are aware she will be missing classes today."
Rosmerta stalked out of the room, and all but flew down the stairs in her hurry to get away. She felt the tears that had begun to fall and bit her lip, refusing to let the sobs escape.
Unlike the other students, Rosmerta had no one to go to. She had not spoken to her mother in months, and with Augustus and Kingsley gone there was no one she cared for, or would care to get close to her. Unable to quiet her sobs longer than the trip to her room she threw herself on her bed and began to cry.
"Such a baby," a voice came from across the room. "Really Rosmerta Fritz, why don't you just go somewhere your kind is wanted? No one here wants you."
"Shut up Luella," Rosmerta spat, "your friends aren't here to hear how clever you are, why don't you just go away?"
"Why don't you? Everyone thinks you should leave. My mother says everyone knows you are here because your Mum is fucking someone important. Why else would they have let you in here? Your kind was never allowed in here before you know."
"Take it back," Rosmerta came to her feet, holding her fists to her sides.
"There's nothing to take back you cow. Do you think anyone wants you here? Name one, just one. Now that your precious Augustus is gone, who in the bloody hell cares about you?"
"Shut up!"
"What's wrong? Don't have your big bad Kingsley to shag you in the hallways? Don't have…"
Rosmerta hurled herself across the room. Her hands snaked through Luella's golden curls and held fast, close to her scalp. Then, planting her feet solidly on the ground she pulled as hard as she could, then pushed the other girl into the wall, smacking her head against the hard stone. A sickening crack, and a small whimper was all the noise Luella made as she slipped to the floor.
Rosmerta turned to the sound of gasps and shrieks at the door. The rest of the sixth year Ravenclaw girls stood watching her with their hands covering their mouths and looks of horror in their eyes. She couldn't think of what to say, or even think of explaining what had happened, all she did was run. It would not matter. Nothing would matter after what she had done.
She ran down the moveable stairs, and out to the grounds, not stopping when she heard Hagrid call to her. Her tears blinded her, almost causing her to stumble when she turned in midstride and disappeared in a crack of thunder.
"Hagrid!" The half giant turned at the sound of his name being called and saw the Headmaster running to him in a flurry of silk and satins.
"Hagrid, do you have any idea where she had gone?"
"No, can't say I do," he said, turning back to look up the path. "Not like 'er to run off like that. 'eard me she did. Know that she did."
"We need to find her, Hagrid." Dumbledore said sadly. "I fear we could lose her for good if it is not done quickly."
"You want I should go after 'er?"
"Perhaps you could look in Hogsmeade, and use the floo to Diagon. That is where she spends most of her weekends."
"I'll do what I can 'eadmaster, but… well, if she don't want to be found…"
"I know, but all we can do is try. I am afraid that the others have pushed her too far this time. I only hope she can find it in herself to forgive them and come home."
"It was the others did this to 'er?"
"Yes, Hagrid, children say things that can be cruel, and most cruel when directed at someone such as our Rosmerta."
"She is a right good girl, she is."
"If she were not I would not be as concerned my friend."
Hagrid left for Hogsmeade, knowing even as he walked away that he would not find her there. Of all the places in this world and the next she could hide, Hogsmeade would be the last place she would run.
She landed in Diagon and went out through the Leaky Cauldron, heading for the Ministry. Once there she did not know how to enter and paced back and forth near where she knew the entrance would be, unable to catch even a glimmer. She judged the people that walked by, knowing that wizards had trouble blending in and smiled when she saw someone walking toward her with a pair of purple slippers. Why, she thought, would they wear them here when they would not wear them at home?
"Sir?" she asked softly, "I am trying to get into the Ministry, but I have never been here."
"Know what a tel-lee phon-ee is girly?" The old wizard questioned.
"That red box they go into and talk to people that don't have floo's?"
"That's right, now you go right round the back and you will find it." He frowned at her and looked around nervously. "You shouldn't be wearing your school uniform you know. Draws attention."
"Sorry," she giggled, looking at his furry slippers. "I should know better."
Running down the pavement, she turned and kept going until she found the phone and was at last able to enter the Ministry. She surrendered her wand to the receptionist and walked to the bench she was directed to wait at until they could locate Augustus. It seemed like hours before she saw him walking toward her.
"Augustus!" She cried as she ran to him, coming up short in front of him, held back by his scowl. "Maybe I shouldn't have come? I… I'm sorry, I didn't know where else to go."
"I'm sorry, Ro." He glanced back over his shoulder and pulled her back to the bench where he sat with her. "What's going on?"
"I left Hogwarts and I'm not going back. Even if they let me, I won't go."
He tipped up her chin and turned her head, inspecting her for bruises.
"I'm fine," she grinned, "but Luella is going to have one hell of a headache come morning."
"Ah, Ro." He shook his head. "Now what did you do?"
"She called me a whore. Not in actual words but she meant it. She said they only let me go to school because you were there and then she said I was … that I was shagging Kingsley. You know I never did. Augustus, you don't believe all that do…"
"Hush, of course not." He put his arm around her and let her sob on his shoulder.
"I'm not going back. I won't do it, I won't"
"Hush now. We can talk later," he whispered quietly. "I'm renting a house now, Grigori's place. He bought a new one, so I have plenty of room, even an elf to keep the place up. I'd be glad to have you stay as long as you want to."
"You mean it?"
"Yes, I mean it."
"I didn't think you wanted me here. You looked angry when you saw me."
He chuckled at her and shook his head. "Ro, you come here dressed like a school girl and acting like a… well, not a school girl. I got the message that my… girlfriend … was down here and that she… that she was dressed up for me."
"Dressed up how?"
"Never mind," he said with a smirk. "We can stop on the way home and pick you up some decent robes. You need to look … I don't know… older, a proper witch… if you are to stay here."
Rosmerta looked down at the uniform and blushed a scarlet red, then began to laugh as she saw how uncomfortable Augustus was sitting in the lobby with a schoolgirl. "They think we are playing sex games?"
"Ro, hush." He looked back over his shoulder again, and then grinned. "You have to admit you don't really look like a student. And that uniform just makes you look … not like any student they've seen around here."
She blushed and pulled her robes over her chest. "Do I wait here for you?"
"Give me a few minutes. I'll make up an excuse to leave." He stood up and frowned at her. "Ro, are you sure?"
She nodded up at him. "I've never been so sure. Even if this hadn't of happened I was going to leave. I can't stand it, I have to get out."
Augustus smiled at her, then turned on his heel. He needed to find Yaxley.
