Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any recognisable characters.
"I am so glad! Oh, goodness! We have been so worried—the entire morning, and the day before, and the day before that come to think of it… oh, but anyway! It is so wonderful you both got off! I had no doubt in Dumbledore's abilities, of course, but this was a little far-fetched even for him. Doesn't matter, though! Oh, this is great! You were not at fault after all, the trial being held was an abomination itself. I cannot-"
"Hermione?" Rose interrupted her, amused.
"Yes?" she asked a little breathlessly.
"You are rambling."
"Oh."
And both the girls began laughing. The air was light and joyous. Rose and Harry had been cleared off all charges and Mrs. Weasely had thrown them a wonderful 'going away' party. Even the presence of Mundungus Fletcher couldn't dampen anyone's spirits. Ron and Hermione had been made prefects; although Rose had been surprised that Ron had been made Prefect and not Harry, she didn't show it. On Hermione's position, she had no doubt. Every single Professor in their school knew that Hermione was a better rule follower than Rose and she couldn't bring herself to feel bitter about it. She was glad, in fact, that she wasn't given this position; they had their OWLs the coming year and she didn't want midnight patrols to mess up her schedule.
Rose sighed contentedly and fell back in her bed. She looked around the room that she shared with Hermione at the Order of Phoenix headquarters. The cobwebs, which had vexed her to no end before her trial, now didn't seem so bad. The dark furniture around the room that had brought her gloom once, now held a glow that should have been impossible to feel. She looked over at Hermione, to see her grinning.
"Did you write your parents, about the trial?" she asked.
"I did. As soon as I got back, actually."
Hermione was silent for a minute before she spoke again.
"I was so scared you and Harry won't come back with us." She said, quietly. "It was so bad, that Ron and I couldn't bring ourselves to think of school and be happy, like we usually were."
"Stop thinking about that now." Rose said, smiling at her friend. "We all are going back. I just hope this year is goddam boring."
"Yes, so do I." Hermione said, smiling ruefully.
Both of them went silent again. Hermione, too, rested her head on her pillow. Without looking at Rose, she said—
"I'm sorry."
"Hmm?"
"I'm sorry about Cedric."
Rose's heart lurched wildly at his name. It was still just as painful to bring up it up as it had been two months ago, but she didn't cry every single time it happened. That was definitely an improvement. Images of Cedric's dead body flew through her mind and she shut her eyes.
"Me too." She replied after a while.
"I know you don't want to talk about it, but… I just want you to know, he will be brought to justice." Hermione said, sounding quite determined. "I just know it. He didn't die in vain."
"No, he didn't" Rose said, staring at the ceiling.
Hermione looked at her and then sighed.
"I shouldn't have brought it up." she said.
"No, it's okay. I should be able to talk about him." Rose replied, still staring above.
"Mrs. Diggory told me that if we think of nothing but his death, we will forget how he lived." Rose said, slowly. "I don't want to do that. I want to remember Cedric Diggory, my best friend who was nervous around girls, who, by the way, practically threw themselves at him." she chuckled, reminiscing a distant memory. "one of the smartest students of his year, a literal cry baby when anyone touched his chocolate frogs, the boy who gave red lettuce to a girl on their first date, thinking they were wild flower." She laughed, really laughed, and Hermione chuckled. "Hufflepuff's star seeker, and so many other things I don't want to forget because of the way he died."
"You won't." Hermione said, smiling.
"I won't." Rose echoed and for the first time in two months she fell asleep with a smile on her face.
…
There was a lot of commotion in the house the next morning. They were about the leave for Hogwarts that very day, after all.
"..better hurry up, Mums going ballistic, she says we're going to miss the train..." Rose could hear Ron as he made downstairs.
From what she heard as she dressed at top speed, Rose gathered that Fred and George had bewitched their trunks to fly downstairs to save the bother of carrying them, with the result that they had hurtled straight into Ginny and knocked her down two flights of stairs into the hall; Mrs. Black and Mrs. Weasley were both screaming at the top of their voices.
"-COULD HAVE DONE HER A SERIOUS INJURY, YOU IDIOTS-"
"-FILTHY HALF-BREEDS, BESMIRCHING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS-"
Hermione came hurrying into the room looking flustered and she was carrying a squirming Crookshanks in her arms. Seth was resting quite gracefully, on Rose's packed trunk. Rose was wearing a white turtle neck over her blue jeans, her air were pulled in a braid that rested over her right shoulder. She had been pulling her socks up when Hermione had entered the room.
"Are you ready yet?" Hermione asked.
"Nearly—Is Ginny alright?" Rose asked, lacing up her shoes.
"Mrs. Weasley's patched her up," said Hermione. "But now Mad-Eye's complaining that we can't leave unless Sturgis Podmore's here, otherwise the guard will be one short."
"Guard?' said Rose. "We have to go to King's Cross with a guard? Oh wait, sure as hell we do. Quite an entrance it would be, actually."
"Harry has to go to King's Cross with a guard," Hermione corrected her, rolling her eyes at Rose's put-off expression.
"I thought Voldemort was supposed to be lying low, or are you telling me he's going to jump out from behind a dustbin to try and do Harry in."
"I don't know, it's just what Mad-Eye says," said Hermione distractedly, looking at her watch, "but if we don't leave soon we're definitely going to miss the train ..."
"WILL YOU LOT GET DOWN HERE NOW, PLEASE!" Mrs. Weasley bellowed and Hermione jumped as though scalded and hurried out of the room. Rose seized Seth by his middle, put him quite unceremoniously on the floor , and set off downstairs after Hermione, dragging her trunk.
Mrs. Black's portrait was howling with rage but nobody was bothering to close the curtains over her; all the noise in the hall was bound to rouse her again, anyway.
"Harry, you're to come with me and Tonks," shouted Mrs. Weasley over the repeated screeches of "MUDBLOODS! SCUM! CREATURES OF DIRT!" 'Leave your trunk and your owl, Alastor's going to deal with the luggage... Oh, for heavens sake, Sirius, Dumbledore said no!"
Rose looked over at her brother and smothered a laugh. A bearlike black dog had appeared at Harry's side and began licking his palms.
"Bringing a new pet along, Harry." She said, winking at Sirius the giant dog. "Not that I mind of course, he is lovely." She patted his head and he licked her hand.
"Oh honestly..." said Mrs. Weasley despairingly, "well, on your own head be it!"
She wrenched open the front door and stepped out into the weak September sunlight. Harry and the dog followed her. The door slammed behind them and Mrs. Black's screeches were renewed.
"God, that dead woman is going to bleed my ears out one of these days. I hope we are going to the Burrow for Christmas." Rose said, grimacing.
Hermione nodded, casting a disdainful look at Mrs. Black's portrait.
"Alright, everyone here?" they heard Alastor Moody's voice booming over the chaos.
The occupants of the room murmured ascent, Fred, George, Rose, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Mr. Weasely, Lupin and Moody being the only ones. Moody, after doing a head count, pulled up a bowler's hat over his head and walked out, gesturing for all of them to follow. Their trunks had been shrunk and placed into a pocket of Moody's large coat. The twenty-minute walk to Kingscross was uneventful, and they were soon standing on a bustling platform. Moody walked in first, through the barrier, and seconds later was followed by Rose, Hermione, Ron and Mr. Weasely. They saw the Moody talking to Mrs. Weasely and Tonks. Rose spotted the black dog and Harry standing near them and made her way over to them.
"All okay," Moody muttered to Mrs. Weasley and Tonks, "don't think we were followed..."
Seconds after Fred, George, and Ginny turned up with Lupin.
"No trouble?" growled Moody.
"Nothing," said Lupin.
"I'll still be reporting Sturgis to Dumbledore," said Moody, "that's the second time he's not turned up in a week. Getting as unreliable as Mundungus."
"Well, look after yourselves," said Lupin, shaking hands all round. He reached Harry last and gave him a clap on the shoulder. "You too, Harry. Be careful." He then gave Rose a side hug and smiled at her.
"Look after yourself, and your brother." He added.
"That's like a job I am not paid for." She said and Remus very seriously agreed.
"Yeah, keep your head down and your eyes peeled," said Moody, shaking Harry's hand too. "And don't forget, all of you-careful what you put in writing. If in doubt, don't put it in a letter at all."
He then shook her hand and nodded. She nodded back. It was silent agreement to keep Harry out of trouble.
"It's been great meeting all of you," said Tonks, hugging Hermione, Ginny and Rose. "We'll see you soon, I expect."
A warning whistle sounded; the students still on the platform started hurrying on to the train.
"Quick, quick," said Mrs. Weasley distractedly, hugging them at random and catching Harry twice, "Write... Be good... If you've forgotten anything we'll send it on... Onto the train, now, hurry..."
For one brief moment, the great black dog reared on to its hind legs and placed its front paws on Harry's shoulders, but Mrs. Weasley shoved Harry away towards the train door, hissing, "For heaven's sake, act more like a dog, Sirius!"
"Take care." Rose whispered to the dog, and he nudged her hand affectionately, before boarding the train.
"See you!" Rose and many others called out of the open window as the train began to move, while Ron, Hermione, and Ginny waved beside her. The figures of Tonks, Lupin, Moody, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley shrank rapidly but the black dog was bounding alongside the window, wagging its tail; blurred people on the platform were laughing to see it chasing the train, then they rounded a bend, and Sirius was gone.
"He shouldn't have come with us," said Hermione in a worried voice.
"Oh, lighten up," said Ron, "he hasn't seen daylight for months, poor bloke."
"Doesn't mean it's safe." Rose muttered under her breathe.
"Well," said Fred, clapping his hands together, "can't stand around chatting all day, we've got business to discuss with Lee. See you later," He winked at Rose and mouther 'little lady' and she mouthed back 'my hero', before he and George disappeared down the corridor to the right.
The train was gathering still more speed, so that the houses outside the window flashed past, and they swayed where they stood.
"Shall we go and find a compartment, then?" Harry asked.
Ron and Hermione exchanged looks.
"Er," said Ron.
"We're-well-Ron and I are supposed to go into the prefect carriage," Hermione said awkwardly.
Ron wasn't looking at Harry; he seemed to have become intensely interested in the fingernails on his left hand.
"Oh," said Harry. 'Right. Fine."
"Sure, thing." Rose said cheerfully, as she set Seth on the floor. "It'll be like first year all over again. Just me and my brother, walking around the train and in search of… friends. Ginny, you hadn't started back then, did you? Well, we'll show you what it was like." Ginny huffed.
Ron grinned but Hermione still looked uncertain.
"I don't think we'll have to stay there all journey," said Hermione quickly. "Our letters said we just get instructions from the Head Boy and Girl and then patrol the corridors from time to time."
"Fine," said Harry again. "Well, we might see you later, then."
"Yeah, definitely," said Ron, casting a shifty, anxious look at Harry. "It's a pain having to go down there, I'd rather-but we have to-I mean, I'm not enjoying it, I'm not Percy," he finished defiantly.
"We know you're not," said Harry and he grinned. They watched as Hermione and Ron dragged their trunks, Crookshanks, and a caged Pigwidgeon off towards the engine end of the train.
"Come on," Ginny told him, "if we get a move on we'll be able to save them places."
"Right," said Harry, picking up Hedwig's cage in one hand and the handle of his trunk in the other. Seth followed them as they struggled off down the corridor, peering through the glass-panelled doors into the compartments they passed, which were already full. Rose could not help noticing that a lot of people stared back at Harry with great interest and that several of them nudged their neighbours and pointed him out. After she had met this behaviour in five consecutive carriages she remembered that the Daily Prophet had been telling its readers all summer what a lying show-off Harry was. She wondered dully whether the people now staring and whispering believed the stories.
In the very last carriage they met Neville Longbottom, Rose and Harry's fellow fifth-year Gryffindor, his round face shining with the effort of pulling his trunk along and maintaining a one-handed grip on his struggling toad, Trevor.
"Hi, Harry," he panted. "Hi, Ginny... Everywhere's full... I can't find a seat..."
"What are you talking about?" said Ginny, who had squeezed past Neville to peer into the compartment behind him. "There's room in this one, there's only Loony Lovegood in here-"
Neville mumbled something about not wanting to disturb anyone. Rose raised her eyebrows.
"Don't be silly," said Ginny, laughing, "she's all right."
She slid the door open and pulled her trunk inside. Harry, Rose and Neville followed.
"Hi, Luna," said Ginny, "is it okay if we take these seats?"
The girl beside the window looked up. She had straggly, waist-length, dirty-blonde hair, very pale eyebrows and protuberant eyes that gave her a permanently surprised look. Rose knew at once why Neville had chosen to pass this compartment by. The girl gave off an aura of distinct dottiness. Perhaps it was the fact that she had stuck her wand behind her left ear for safekeeping, or that she had chosen to wear a necklace of Butterbeer corks, or that she was reading a magazine upside-down. Her eyes ranged over Neville and Rose and came to rest on Harry. She nodded.
"Thanks," said Ginny, smiling at her.
Harry, Rose and Neville stowed the four trunks and Hedwig's cage in the luggage rack and sat down. Luna watched them over her upside-down magazine, which was called The Quibbler. She did not seem to need to blink as much as normal humans. She stared and stared at Harry, who had taken the seat opposite her and now wished he hadn't. Rose looked between Harry and Luna, feeling like she was invading a private moment.
"Had a good summer, Luna?" Ginny asked.
"Yes," said Luna dreamily, without taking her eyes off Harry. "Yes, it was quite enjoyable, you know. You're Harry Potter," she added.
"I know I am," said Harry.
Rose held back a smile and Neville chuckled. Luna turned her pale eyes on him instead.
"And I don't know who you are."
Neville reddened and rubbed the back of his neck.
"I'm nobody." He said hurriedly.
"No you're not," said Ginny sharply. "Neville Longbottom-Luna Lovegood. Luna's in my year, but in Ravenclaw."
"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure." Luna said in a sing-a-song voice. The three fifth years shared a look.
She then turned to look at Rose.
"I know you." She said. "You are Rose Evans. My Daddy says that he has heard of your powers. He says they are fascinating."
"He flatters me." Rose replied with a smile.
She raised her upside-down magazine high enough to hide her face and fell silent. Harry and Neville looked at each other with their eyebrows raised. Ginny suppressed a giggle and Rose elbowed her.
The train rattled onwards, speeding them out into open country. It was an odd, unsettled sort of day; one moment the carriage was full of sunlight and the next they were passing beneath ominously grey clouds.
"Guess what I got for my birthday?" said Neville.
"Another Remembrall?" said Harry, remembering the marble-like device Neville's grandmother had sent him in an effort to improve his abysmal memory.
"No," said Neville. "I could do with one, though, I lost the old one ages ago... No, look at this..."
He dug the hand that was not keeping a firm grip on Trevor into his schoolbag and after a little bit of rummaging pulled out what appeared to be a small grey cactus in a pot, except that it was covered with what looked like boils rather than spines.
"Mimbulus mimbletonia," he said proudly.
Rose stared at the thing. It was pulsating slightly, giving it the rather sinister look of some diseased internal organ.
"It's really, really rare," said Neville, beaming. "I don't know if there's one in the greenhouse at Hogwarts, even. I can't wait to show it to Professor Sprout. My Great Uncle Algie got it for me in Assyria. I'm going to see if I can breed from it."
Rose knew that Neville's favourite subject was Herbology, but for the life of her she could not see what he would want with this stunted little plant.
"Does it-er-do anything?" she asked.
"Loads of stuff!" said Neville proudly. "It's got an amazing defensive mechanism. Here, hold Trevor for me..."
He dumped the toad into Harry's lap and took a quill from his schoolbag. Luna Lovegood's popping eyes appeared over the top of her upside-down magazine again, watching what Neville was doing. Neville held the Mimbulus mimbletonia up to his eyes, his tongue between his teeth, chose his spot, and gave the plant a sharp prod with the tip of his quill.
Liquid squirted from every boil on the plant; thick, stinking, dark green jets of it. They hit the ceiling, the windows, and spattered Luna Lovegood's magazine; Ginny, who had flung her arms up in front of her face just in time, merely looked as though she was wearing a slimy green hat, but Harry, whose hands had been busy preventing Trevor's escape, received a faceful. Rose, who's defence mechanism was perfected, pulled up a blocker and the liquid splashed on it with a sick sound. Not a drop fell on her or Seth, who was sitting in her lap looking bored. She grimaced at the smell, since her blocker couldn't withhold it. It was rancid.
Neville, whose face and torso were also drenched, shook his head to get the worst out of his eyes.
"Sosorry," he gasped. "I haven't tried that before... Didn't realise it would be quite so... Don't worry, though, Stinksap's not poisonous," he added nervously, as Harry spat a mouthful on to the floor. Rose's blocker slid down and took the stinksap with it.
At that precise moment the door of their compartment slid open.
"Oh ... hello, Harry," said a nervous voice. "Um ... bad time?"
Harry wiped the lenses of his glasses with his Trevor-free hand. A very pretty girl with long, shiny black hair was standing in the doorway smiling at him: Cho Chang, the Seeker on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team and Cedric's ex-girlfriend. Rose's body tightened.
"Oh ... hi," said Harry blankly.
Cho looked at her and jaw visibly clenched. She and Cho had never gotten along because of her insecurities.
"Hi Rose." She greeted tightly.
"Hello Cho." Rose greeted back, in the same manner.
"Um..." said Cho. "Well ... just thought I'd say hello ... 'bye then."
Rather pink in the face, she closed the door and departed. Harry slumped back in his seat and groaned. Rose knew Harry would have liked Cho to discover him sitting with a group of very cool people laughing their heads off at a joke he had just told; he would not have chosen to be sitting with Neville and Loony Lovegood, clutching a toad and dripping in Stinksap. But that didn't make Rose any less happy about the situation. She wanted Cho as far away from her brother as possible.
"Never mind," said Ginny bracingly. "Look, we can easily get rid of all this." She pulled out her wand. "Scourgify!"
The Stinksap vanished.
"Sorry." said Neville again, in a small voice.
"It's fine." Rose replied, smiling slightly.
The sight of Cho Chang hadn't done anything to lighten her mood. She remembered of all the times Cedric and she had quarrelled over Cho's cold behaviour. Rose had never liked Cedric except for her small crush on him in first year, but after that he had always been just a best friend to her. Cedric had tried to tell that to Cho, but the mindless girl was too weighed down by her doubts to actually feel any familiarity towards Rose. She wouldn't have objected one bit on it, had the girl not tried to force Cedric to give up her company. Rose had fumed over it for days and Cedric and Cho had almost broken up. Cho had blamed it all on her and from that day on, she hadn't had one civil thought towards the girl.
She shook her head slightly and excused herself from the compartment, telling her brother that she needed some air. She shut the compartment door behind her and sighed. 'way to ruin the day' she thought, irritably. She was so immersed in her own thoughts that she failed to see a certain someone walk towards her and collided painfully with the person. She stumbled back and caught the handle of a compartment door, which was luckily locked, and saved her from an embarrassing fall.
"I'm sorry, I didn't-"she stopped as soon as she saw who the 'someone' was. Her face twisted in a scowl and she growled.
"It's you." She said disdainfully and moved to go past him. But the pale blonde haired boy stepped in front of her, a trade mark smirk plastered on his face. What was more mortifying was that she had to stare up at his face, because he was a head taller.
"Going somewhere, Evans?" he sneered.
"Clearly." She sneered right back.
"To clean your blood, I hope. Oh right, you can't." he said, looking quite amused.
Rose just rolled her eyes. This was getting old.
"Move it, ferret face." She snapped and smirked at his expressions. Oh this was never going to get old.
"If you value even a single hair on your head, you will not call me that again." He snarled, his grey eyes looking colder than ice.
"Watch me." she said and tried to move past him and he stepped in front of her again, this time, looking quite angry.
She sighed in irritation.
"I don't know what makes you so stupid, but it really works." She hissed. Malfoy just sneered back.
"If anyone on this train is stupid, it's your blood traitor friend Weasely." He said, pale blonde hair falling on his forehead.
"Oh, yes I am very insulted. Are you satisfied? Because I have better things to do with my time than waste it with you. Like watching my Kneazle chase his own tail." She replied with an arched brow.
"I'll suggest you a better activity. Why don't you go play in traffic? Maybe you'll get trampled on and the world will be saved from such filth." Malfoy said, looking smug.
"If I wanted to get myself killed, Malfoy, I'd climb your ego and jump to your IQ." She said, folding her hands and glaring at him.
Malfoy glared back.
"That line doesn't work anymore, Evans."
"You seem riled up enough, I'll take that as my prize."
Malfoy rolled his eyes in a manner, he clearly thought, made girls jump on him.
"Keep rolling your eyes like that, perhaps you'll find a brain back there." Was all he got from this one.
"Are you always so immature Evans, or is today special?"
"Today's definitely special since I have to talk to you the only way you can understand."
"Your insults are lame."
"Good thing that these aren't insults but just facts."
Malfoy growled and Rose glared back. Since first year they had been out for each other's blood and nothing had changed now; except for how they looked. Rose had filled out just in the right places, her auburn hair long and straight, came to her waist as her mother had been so against chopping them. Malfoy, too, had broadened in shoulders and had a lean body of someone who was sportively active. While Rose stood at a proud 5'6'', Malfoy stood at 5'9", and was still growing. Though she had to look up at him, that didn't change the fact that she would always look down on him. His beliefs and morals were too despicable to be tolerated.
"You brought this on yourself." She said, smugly.
"Don't force me to speak my mind, Mudblood." He sneered.
"Is that because if you do speak your mind, you'll be speechless?" she asked innocently.
"No but you'd definitely be running around with tears in your eyes." He said.
"Save it for some who actually gives a damn about what you think." She replied drily.
"Ah, yes. You gave a damn, didn't you? About your boyfriend, what was his name again… Diggory? The one that died in a stupid competition-" before he could say another word, he found himself pinned to the wall opposite the compartment doors and his head pressed back. He groaned at the impact. Rose's hands were clenched beside her, her whole frame trembling. She stepped forward and was barely an inch away from him.
"You will not take his name from your mouth." She hissed at him hatefully. She saw that he didn't look as scared as he looked angry. That caught her off guard. What was the anger about? He was the one who had provoked her. He was usually too scared to feel anything else in all the situations he had caught himself in with her.
"Why?" he spat. "Because he was a Saint? Open your eyes, Evans. Didn't you ever see how he looked at you?"
Rose tensed; she had absolutely no idea what Malfoy was talking about.
"What are you talking about?" she asked angrily, and uncertainly.
Malfoy gave a humourless laugh.
"You are so naïve, Evans, it's almost pathetic." He said, sneering. "He wanted you. Even when he was with Chang." He spat.
Rose's whole body went numb. She wanted to punch the braines out of him for even suggesting such a thing but she couldn't move. She didn't even realise the spell withholding Malfoy was removed and he stood tall in front of her. She looked at him and was surprised to see what she saw; he was angry but not because she had placed him under a spell, no. He was angry for some entirely different reason.
"You are disgusting to even suggest such a thing." She said weakly and stepped back.
"I am observant, you idiot." He said, scathingly. "And so was Chang. She saw right through him, hence the constant fights."
"You are lying." She declared. "You don't know anything."
"Don't I?" he asked mockingly.
"No, you don't." she said firmly, and glared at him. "And since when is it any of your business?"
"It's not. I'm just telling you what I saw. I am a guy, Evans. The way Diggory looked at you when he thought no one noticed, is the way every guy looks at the girl he wants." He said, leaning back, smirking.
"You are a pervert is all!" she hissed. "You are doing this to rile me up."
"That's just an added bonus." He said, still smirking, but it lacked any humour.
"You are sick, Malfoy." She spat. "You just want to ruin every good thing I have!"
"Oh, I am sick?" he sneered. "I am just giving you the truth, Evans. It's you who is in denial! Why don't you go ask your brother, huh? I bet he'll be able to tell you just how your Saint Diggory looked you all over! I bet it was just a friendly glace of perversion, hmm?"
Rose was shaking with anger at his accusations. She knew Cedric! All she had been to him was a good friend. Cedric would never do anything like this, not when he was with Cho. He had been devoted to Cho since the beginning of his seventh year. They had had a little ups and downs but he hadn't given up. If he had been attracted to Rose, he would have left Cho and asked her out. Cedric didn't consider girls playthings! She knew that. He was too gentle, too kind, to be anything like Malfoy was making him out to be.
"He's dead, you bastard." She hissed, tears beginning to blur her vision. "At least leave his memory in peace." She saw Malfoy's surprised look and in the next instant she was running towards the restrooms.
She didn't want Malfoy to see her in her weakest. He had been right; he did reduce her to tears by speaking his mind. She splashed the cold water on her face and winced on its contact. She knew her best friend, he wouldn't act like that. He respected her, treated her like a friend and only a friend. Never had she ever felt that he had wanted more. 'who's words are affecting you like this, you idiot!' she berated herself, 'he wanted you to hurt! And he succeeded because you couldn't have enough faith in a dead man, who also happened to your closest friend.'
"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" she muttered to herself and she, once again, plunged her face into the cold water. She looked at herself in the mirror, and sighed. How could have she let Malfoy get the better of her. She knew Cedric better than he did! He would never… But it was the way Malfoy had told her all of this, that made her stop and think. He looked pretty angry for someone who didn't care about any of the three people involved. He was probably angry that people glorified Cedric when he wasn't all pure and good. 'no no no, what the fuck, Rose? Don't fucking think like that! That fake ass blonde Barbie wanted you to do this! He wanted to corrupt Cedric's image! You won't, you absolutely won't let it happen!' she thought to herself, and deeply breathed in. She cast a quick drying charm on her face and slightly wet turtle neck and stepped out of the restroom. She closed her eyes and prayed to every existing deity to get her to her compartment, without seeing the blonde ferret.
And get her there they did.
She stepped inside to see Harry and Neville staring awkwardly at Luna and Ginny stifling giggles.
"Took you long enough." Harry said when Rose took a seat beside him.
"I needed a lot of fresh air."
Harry just rolled his eyes at her answer.
Ron and Hermione did not turn up for nearly half an hour, by which time the food trolley had already gone by. Harry, Ginny, Rose and Neville had finished their pumpkin pasties and were busy swapping Chocolate Frog Cards when the compartment door slid open and they walked in, accompanied by Crookshanks and a shrilly hooting Pigwidgeon in his cage. Rose welcomed the distraction.
"I'm starving," said Ron, stowing Pigwidgeon next to Hedwig, grabbing a Chocolate Frog from Harry and throwing himself into the seat next to Hermione. He ripped open the wrapper, bit off the frog's head and leaned back with his eyes closed as though he had had a very exhausting morning.
"Well, there are two fifth-year prefects from each house," said Hermione, looking thoroughly disgruntled as she took her seat. "Boy and girl from each."
"And guess who's a Slytherin prefect?" said Ron, still with his eyes closed.
"Malfoy," replied Harry at once, certain his worst fear would be confirmed. Rose's stomach plummeted.
"But I just saw him half an hour ago." She blurted out. The others looked at her.
"Yes, he and Parkinson got off early! They were very disrespectful towards the Heads! I don't understand why those two even got the badges. They have no care for authority." Hermione said, huffing.
" 'Course," said Ron bitterly, stuffing the rest of the Frog into his mouth and taking another.
"And that complete cow Pansy Parkinson," said Hermione viciously. "How she got to be a prefect when she's thicker than a concussed troll..."
"Who are Hufflepuff's?" Harry asked.
"Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott," said Ron thickly.
"And Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil for Ravenclaw," said Hermione.
"You went to the Yule Ball with Padma Patil," said a vague voice.
Everyone turned to look at Luna Lovegood, who was gazing unblinkingly at Ron over the top of The Quibbler. He swallowed his mouthful of Frog.
"Yeah, I know I did," he said, looking mildly surprised.
"She didn't enjoy it very much," Luna informed him. "She doesn't think you treated her very well, because you wouldn't dance with her. I don't think I'd have minded," she added thoughtfully, "I don't like dancing very much."
She retreated behind The Quibbler again. Ron stared at the cover with his mouth hanging open for a few seconds, then looked around at Ginny for some kind of explanation, but Ginny had stuffed her knuckles in her mouth to stop herself giggling. Ron shook his head, bemused, then checked his watch.
"We're supposed to patrol the corridors every so often," he told Harry, Rose and Neville, "and we can give out punishments if people are misbehaving. I can't wait to get Crabbe and Goyle for something..."
"You're not supposed to abuse your position, Ron!" said Hermione sharply.
"Yeah, right, because Malfoy won't abuse it at all," said Ron sarcastically.
"So you're going to descend to his level?"
"No, I'm just going to make sure I get his mates before he gets mine."
"For heavens sake, Ron-"
"I'll make Goyle do lines, it'll kill him, he hates writing," said Ron happily. He lowered his voice to Goyle's low grunt and, screwing up his face in a look of pained concentration, mimed writing in midair. "I ... must ... not ... look ... like ... a ... baboon's ... backside."
Everyone laughed, but nobody laughed harder than Luna Lovegood. She let out a scream of mirth that caused Hedwig to wake up and flap her wings indignantly and Crookshanks to leap up into the luggage rack, hissing. Luna laughed so hard her magazine slipped out of her grasp, slid down her legs, and onto the floor.
"That was funny!"
"Holy mother of Jesus…" Rose swore.
Her prominent eyes swam with tears as she gasped for breath, staring at Ron. Utterly nonplussed, he looked around at the others, who were now laughing at the expression on Ron's face and at the ludicrously prolonged laughter of Luna Lovegood, who was rocking backwards and forwards, clutching her sides.
"Are you taking the mickey?" said Ron, frowning at her.
"Baboon's ... backside!" she choked, holding her ribs.
Rose saw Harry pick up the discarded magazine and skip through the pages. She didn't even need to see what he was reading, his face said it all; Quibbler was a load of bull and she didn't need Harry's gaping and disbelieving face to confirm it.
"Anything good in there?" asked Ron as Harry closed the magazine.
"Of course not," said Hermione scathingly, before Harry could answer or before Rose could warn her about Xenophilius Lovegood, the editor. "The Quibbler's rubbish, everyone knows that."
"Excuse me," said Luna; her voice had suddenly lost its dreamy quality. "My father's the editor."
"I-oh," said Hermione, looking embarrassed. "Well ... it's got some interesting ... I mean, it's quite..."
"I'll have it back, thank you," said Luna coldly, and leaning forwards she snatched it out of Harry's hands. Riffling through it to page fifty-seven, she turned it resolutely upside-down again and disappeared behind it, just as the compartment door opened for the third time.
Harry looked around and scowled deeply. Rose shut her eyes and prayed for fortitude. She didn't need to turn and see who it was, there was only one person Harry reacted to that way.
"What?" he said aggressively, before Malfoy could open his mouth.
"Manners, Potter, or I'll have to give you a detention," drawled Malfoy. "You see, I, unlike you, have been made a prefect, which means that I, unlike you, have the power to hand out punishments."
"Yeah," said Harry, "but you, unlike me, are a git, so get out and leave us alone."
Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville laughed. Rose just sat quietly, refusing to look at the blonde. Malfoy's lip curled.
"Tell me, how does it feel being second-best to Weasley, Potter?" he asked.
"Shut up, Malfoy," said Hermione sharply.
"I seem to have touched a nerve," said Malfoy, smirking. "Well, just watch yourself, Potter, because I'll be dogging your footsteps in case you step out of line."
He then turned to look at Rose.
"There seems to be one among you who has sense to not talk back to a superior, I see." He said, staring intensely at her.
"Or maybe there is one with sense enough to not dignify a waste of space like you with any reaction." She said, calmly, still not looking at him. But she didn't need to, to feel his anger. Before he could reply the Gryffindor Prefect decided to take the matter in her own hand.
"Get out!" said Hermione, standing up.
Malfoy gave Harry a last malicious look and departed, with Crabbe and Goyle lumbering along in his wake. Hermione slammed the compartment door behind them and turned to look at Harry, who knew at once that she, like him, had registered what Malfoy had said and been just as unnerved by it. Rose sensed the tension and sighed, pulling Hermione out of her trance.
"Chuck us another Frog," said Ron, who had clearly noticed nothing.
Harry, Rose sensed, could not talk freely in front of Neville and Luna. He exchanged another nervous look with Hermione, then stared out of the window.
He had clearly thought Sirius coming with him to the station was a bit of a laugh, but suddenly it seemed reckless, if not downright dangerous... Hermione had been right... Sirius should not have come. What if Mr. Malfoy had noticed the black dog and told Draco? What if he had deduced that the Weasleys, Lupin, Tonks and Moody knew where Sirius was hiding? Or had Malfoy's use of the word 'dogging' been a coincidence? Rose did not think so.
The weather remained undecided as they travelled farther and farther north. Rain spattered the windows in a half-hearted way, then the sun put in a feeble appearance before clouds drifted over it once more. When darkness fell and lamps came on inside the carriages, Luna rolled up The Quibbler, put it carefully away in her bag and took to staring at everyone in the compartment instead.
Harry was sitting with his forehead pressed against the train window, probably trying to get a first distant glimpse of Hogwarts, but it was a moonless night and the rain-streaked window was grimy. Rose, on the other hand, couldn't get her mind off Malfoy's stupid declarations. She looked back to the time they had argued and thought of what she had felt of him. Anger, yes, fear… little. There was this something else. Desperation, she realized.
'We'd better change,' said Hermione at last, calling her out of her thoughts, and all of them opened their trunks with difficulty and pulled on their school robes. She and Ron pinned their prefect badges carefully to their chests. Rose saw Ron checking his reflection in the black window.
At last, the train began to slow down and they heard the usual racket up and down it as everybody scrambled to get their luggage and pets assembled, ready for departure. Ron and Hermione were supposed to supervise all this; they disappeared from the carriage again, leaving Rose and the others to look after Crookshanks and Pigwidgeon. Seth was draped around Rose's shoulders. As if he had sensed the need of comfort, he had been near her purring and licking her hands throughout the journey, Rose appreciated the gesture.
"I'll carry that owl, if you like," said Luna to Harry, reaching out for Pigwidgeon as Neville stowed Trevor carefully in an inside pocket.
"Oh-er-thanks," said Harry, handing her the cage and hoisting Hedwig's more securely into his arms and crookshanks dutifully trotted after them.
They shuffled out of the compartment feeling the first sting of the night air on their faces as they joined the crowd in the corridor. Slowly, they moved towards the doors. Rose could smell the pine trees that lined the path down to the lake. She stepped down on to the platform and looked around, listening for the familiar call of 'firs' years over 'ere ... firs' years...'
But it did not come. Instead, a quite different voice, a brisk female one, was calling out, "First years line up over here, please! All first years to me!"
A lantern came swinging towards them and by its light he saw the prominent chin and severe haircut of Professor Grubbly-Plank, the witch who had taken over Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures lessons for a while the previous year.
'Where's Hagrid?' Harry said out loud.
"I don't know," said Ginny, "but we'd better get out of the way, we're blocking the door."
"Oh, yeah..."
Harry, Rose and Ginny became separated as they moved off along the platform and out through the station. Jostled by the crowd, Rose could Harry looking through the darkness for a glimpse of Hagrid; But there was no sign of him.
As they moved out of Hogsmead station, she felt Harry stop in his tracks. He was staring at the carriages with shock.
"Harry?" she called. But before he could answer, they heard someone call.
"Where's Pig?" said Ron's voice, right behind them.
"That Luna girl was carrying him," said Harry, turning quickly, eager to consult Ron about Hagrid. "Where d'you reckon-"
"-Hagrid is? I dunno,' said Ron, sounding worried. "He'd better be okay..."
A short distance away, Draco Malfoy, followed by a small gang of cronies including Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy Parkinson, was pushing some timid-looking second-years out of the way so that he and his friends could get a coach to themselves. Rose looked at Malfoy, who looked extremely put out for some reason, half-heartedly shove the second years aside. He looked up and their eyes met. He didn't look away and Rose stared back defiantly. Malfoy was the last person she was going to piss her pants over. He looked, almost apologetic, but that look was gone with a fraction and he glared back at her. Seconds later, Hermione emerged panting from the crowd and Rose obligingly looked away.
"Malfoy was being absolutely foul to a first-year back there. I swear I'm going to report him, he's only had his badge three minutes and he's using it to bully people worse than ever... Where's Crookshanks?"
"Ginny's got him," said Harry. "There she is..."
Ginny had just emerged from the crowd, clutching a squirming Crookshanks.
"Thanks," said Hermione, relieving Ginny of the cat. "Come on, let's get a carriage together before they all fill up..."
"I haven't got Pig yet!" Ron said, but Hermione was already heading off towards the nearest unoccupied coach. Harry remained behind with Ron. Rose, eager to get out of the cold, followed Hermione.
Soon, after Luna joined them, they all were seated into the coach. Harry looking very frustrated and bewildered, Ron looking concerned and Luna looking…well, dreamy.
I couldn't wait.
nshaikh281: Thank you ! goodness I am so happy! I posted this one too quick because I just couldn't wait. And yes the stallion is pottermore thing which I took up from Rose's point of view. And guess Cedric didn't have very sisterly feelings for her after all, or did he? Malfoy is going to get bigger throughout and I can't wait to take him further. Rose is extremely cunning, yes. And she has inherited her aunt's temper which she might…or might not lose. Look for more. Thank you so much for your quick review!
Major hearts.