Rose had visited the Hospital Wing on Saturday, and she spent the whole rest of the day making little teasing remarks at James about how she was the one who got to spend time with the mysterious sailors. He got annoyed rather quickly, and she hurried up to the clock tower before he could hex her. She wondered what was making him so touchy lately and whether it might have anything to do with being fifteen and a boy. If Albus was as annoying at that age, she might have to do something about it, though she wasn't sure whether she would try to cheer him up or just hex him until he started acting normal. Maybe a combination of the two would work best.
The clock tower was abandoned, as usual, and she got right to work. Rike had told her to send out an owl in a few days, and so she wanted to get all her homework done quickly. She was already a bit ahead in some of her classes – mostly Herbology, but she'd also been studying a lot of Transfiguration – and to make time for the sailors she would have to get ahead in everything.
By Sunday afternoon, she was at least a week ahead of the rest of her class. That seemed like far enough, at least for now, so she headed off in search of James. He was busy snogging Lujayn, though, so she left them were they were and decided to spend some time with either Albus or Ruby, whoever she found first.
Both were in the library, which didn't surprise her all that much, but then she saw Scorpius sitting across from them. She wasn't jealous, she told herself as she hurried out, slipping through the stacks as quietly as she could. They could have as many friends as they wanted, and be friends with whoever they wanted. They'd probably find time to spend with her later. Albus was her cousin, after all, and Ruby liked her enough to kiss her forehead. They had to spend time with her.
Unless they liked Scorpius more than they liked her.
She passed by Peeves at nearly a run, and when the poltergeist tried to tip a suit of armor on her, she snarled and pulled out her wand. He cackled, blew a raspberry, and flew off, and she raced away in the opposite direction, only just remembering to tuck her wand away before she hit someone with it.
It wasn't long before she found herself in the Owlery, and Hellebore flew down from her perch to land on her shoulder. "Hey, girl," Rose murmured, rubbing her owl's head. "Want to carry a message for me?"
Hellebore hooted, and Rose sat with her back against the wall and pulled some parchment and a quill out of her bag. She knew it was early, but she needed something to do besides studying. She could study any time, and she already knew she could beat Scorpius this year. She would beat him every year, and she wanted to help the sailors.
Dear Captain Anholts,
Hi. It's Rose. Rike told me I could write to you in a few days, but I thought I'd just go ahead and send my owl now. How are the repairs coming along? Is Vittore doing better? Rike told me she'd be okay. When can I see the ship?
Rose
It was a short letter, but she didn't think the sailors would want a full sheet of parchment covered in tiny handwriting, like the ones her mother sent out to that one former Quidditch player. She tied the note to Hellebore's leg and carried her to the window. "It's just that ship there," she said, "the one that looks like it belongs to pirates."
As Hellebore flew down to the lake, Rose wondered why she hadn't been thinking about them as pirates as much. She supposed it was because they didn't seem as romantic to her anymore. With everything they had been through, they had suddenly become real people and not just a group of men and women who reminded her of stories her parents had liked to tell. They couldn't be real pirates; real pirates wouldn't bother with flattering a twelve-year-old girl, and they probably wouldn't be kind to anyone. They'd be more interested in recruiting new sailors and leaving their wounded behind, or in trying to sack Hogwarts, as though anyone could do that.
She left the Owlery and headed down the stairs two at a time. It might be a while before Hellebore returned, and until then, Rose could look over some Potions work.
A reply came Monday morning. Rose was attacking her pancakes in between swigs of pumpkin juice when Hellebore arrived and held out her leg. A little scrap of slightly stained parchment was attached to it, and when Rose untied it, she saw rough handwriting, as though whoever had written the note was on a rocking ship. She gasped with excitement, and Hellebore, sensing she wasn't needed any longer, snagged a sausage from a nearby plate and flew off.
Rose,
Write to us whenever you please. It's always a pleasure to hear from a friend.
I was already told Vittore would live, and that we had you to thank for it, but hearing good news is always welcome, no matter how often it's repeated.
Repairs are going well, and though I'm not sure we're ready to have guests aboard our ship, I'll send a cabin boy to meet you tomorrow. If nothing else, the two of you can talk. I'm sure you'll be good friends.
Captain Anholts
She read the note twice before folding it and tucking it in her bag. All the rest of the day, she thought about the note, and if she hadn't already been prepared for her classes, her distraction might well have ruined everything. As it was, she did well enough for no one to comment on it. She wondered who the cabin boy might be, and whether they really would be good friends. If he disliked Tavian as much as she did, then they would get along great.
As soon as she was done with her classes, she ran out to the lake to see whether the cabin boy was there, not even bothering to head for Gryffindor Tower to drop off her books. If he wasn't there, then she might as well head up just so she wouldn't have to wait around, but if he was, then she could bring the books with her wherever they went. She wasn't about to waste any more time when she had already been waiting all day to meet him. Her bag slammed against the back of her thighs as she raced out of the school.
The boat Captain Anholts had brought to the shore that first day was there again, and sitting on the prow was a tan-skinned boy with dark hair that looked like it was going everywhere at once. He got to his feet as soon as Rose drew near the boat, and she asked, "Are you the cabin boy?"
He nodded. "You're Rose?"
"Yeah. What's your name?" She set her bag by the side of the boat and perched on the edge next to him. This close, she could tell that he was a few years older than her, and there were some scars and bruises on his face.
"Horus," he said. "Like the hawk-headed god."
"I've never met anyone named after a god before," she said, and Horus just shrugged, as though he didn't care much about either of their names.
"I've met people named after flowers," he said after a moment. "Why'd the captain send me out to see you? What makes you so important?" His petulance made Rose want to hit his arm. All fifteen-year-old boys really were the same.
"I'm the first person here that the captain talked to," she said. "Rike told me that means I'm lucky."
"Lucky for the crew, maybe," Horus muttered.
"What's that supposed to mean?" If she'd known he was going to be this annoying, she would have just gone up to the clock tower and gotten some writing done, or wandered around looking for Albus and Ruby. Scorpius had spent the whole weekend with them, and it was about time she had a chance to be with her friends.
"It means whatever you take it to mean," Horus said with a glance out at the boat.
Rose groaned and got to her feet. "Look, if you're just going to be snappish at me, then I think I'll head right back inside. We don't have to spend any time together." She grabbed her bag and had taken one step up the shore when Horus grabbed her wrist.
"Wait," he said, and Rose stopped, but only because he sounded so desperate. "I'm sorry. It's just… I'm not sure I can explain properly." He looked up at her with brown-gold eyes that had the longest lashes Rose had ever seen. "Do you want to go out on the lake with me? I'll try not to be snappish, and if I am, you can use your magic against me."
Rose grinned and slung her bag into the boat. "Let's go," she said. "But I get to help with the rowing."
"Are you sure?" Horus asked even as he passed her an oar. "I'm a lot stronger than you are." He pushed the boat out into the water and clambered in, making it rock a little precariously. It steadied soon, though, and they started rowing.
"I can handle it," Rose said, and she was determined to, even though the oar was heavy and seemed to stick in the water. Horus was having no problems at all, and so she wouldn't complain.
"I was a first too," Horus said after a while. "Captain Anholts and his ship landed on the shore of my river, years ago, and I went up to speak to them. They were so foreign and so curious that I could hardly help it. They said I was their luck, and flattered me, and I went along with them."
"Has it been difficult?" Rose asked.
"At times." Horus glanced at her as though trying to tell her something without using words. "Captain Anholts is a charming man."
"Everyone on the crew is," Rose said. They treated her like she was more than just a normal twelve-year-old, as though she was someone who could do big, important things. "Except Tavian."
"Tavian's a cruel man," Horus said with a nod. "He gave me about half these bruises." The boat cut through the water easily, rocking slightly as it did so, but Rose didn't feel the slightest bit seasick. In fact, she liked it a lot. "Of course, I probably did a fair bit to deserve them."
"What do you mean?" Rose asked.
"Being cabin boy's a difficult job," Horus said. "You have to follow the orders of everyone on the ship, and you have to learn quickly. It can be pretty wonderful, though. I've seen more than I ever could have if I hadn't joined them."
He might have been about her age when he joined the crew, and for a moment she was tempted to ask whether they might take her along, too. But she had her rivalry with Scorpius, and even if it didn't seem like it now, she was sure Albus and James would miss her. Hugo and her parents certainly would, and she would miss all of them.
"Where are you headed next?" she asked.
"I'm not sure. That's the most exciting part," Horus said. "We never know where we'll end up. It's the life of a pirate."
So they were pirates. Rose had thought that would make her nervous, but it only excited her more. If she had a chance, she would definitely visit the ship again. "I'm glad you're here," she said. Horus smiled.
