Chapter Ten

Even Rose understands

By the time that Rose reached the Gryffindor common room all hell had broke loose.

"Merlin," she said aloud whilst in her head adding a few of her father's choice swear words. Hurricane Lily had managed to create pandemonium in the common room. Roxanne was sat on the sofa where Rose had left her and Hugo was attempting to calm down a rather irate Albus.

"But it's my sister Hugo!"

"I know" Hugo replied calmly and not for the first time Rose was glad her baby brother had inherited their mothers calm personality in occasions of stress.

"Al, Hugo," she asked calmly "what's the problem?"

"Charlie broke up with Lily," Hugo said calmly.

"What!" Rose shouted.

"See," Albus said triumphantly "even Rose understands." Normally she would pause to ask what that phrase meant but this time she let it slide.

"She is now upstairs upset." Hugo finished.

"And we are standing here because?" Rose asked looking from one to the other.

"Because someone," and here Hugo looked at Albus "forgot boys couldn't go in the girls dorm and as such set off the slide." Rose for the first time looked at the slide as smooth as glass in front if her.

"What did she say when she came in?" Rose asked.

"Nothing much," Hugo replied "she came in tears down her face looked really upset Roxanne finally managed to prize it out of her what the issue was then she ran up the stairs told us all to leave her alone. Al tried to follow her and as such set off the slide."

"But they're in love." Rose blurted out.

"Zabini a-" Al started before Rose cut him off.

"No Al I mean it both are in love with each other." She screwed up her nose in concentration.

"I am off to find Zabini," Al said quietly so that only Rose and Hugo heard.

"Albus Severus Potter I will put a full body bind on you if you move toward that door."

"What am I supposed to do?" Albus asked Rose felt for him Al was a man action and now he was stood here forced into inaction whilst his little sister lay upstairs with a broken heart.

"I don't know Al," she said in a small voice "I wish I did" a strong crack sounded as the smooth slide broke into pieces and reformed itself into a flight of stairs.

Rose stepped on the first step a little tentatively but it held, as did the rest of the staircase, as she went upwards. Before she even reached the door of the fifth year girl's dorm Rose could hear spluttered crying punctuated with howls. She opened the door to find an empty dorm except the bed at the far end where these sounds came from. Rose tiptoed to the bed and curled her finger inside the curtain pulling it back slightly to see Lily Potter on the bed. Rose had no words what was she supposed to say.

"Are you ok?" It was pretty obvious even from Roses limited observation that Lily really wasn't ok.

"I know how you feel?" well she didn't Rose had flings before but she certainly had never been in love.

"Lily," she whispered.

"Yes?" she managed to reply through sobs.

"I am just going to sit here ok? If you need me." It was about ten o'clock that evening before Lily cried herself out and slipped into exhausted sleep. It would be an uncomfortable awaking for a second she would forget before it hit her with a jolt the tears she had cried the night before still on her cheeks as little salt trails.

When Rose entered the common room she was met with a barrage of questions mostly from Albus. Rose put her hands up in the international symbol of please shut up for five minutes. Her cousins took notice "Lily is asleep I have no idea why Charlie broke up with her I just sat with her we didn't talk so I don't know anything more than you." This hardly satisfied Albus who began again but Rose simply glared at him wished them all good night then herself left for bed.

"It has been an odd night," she thought sat on her bed as those around her brushed their hair, their teeth, practiced spells chattered. Abi and Alizia where talking about Lily and Charlie and Rose had no doubt it would be common knowledge by breakfast tomorrow across all four houses. Octavia sat silently on the end of her bed reading her copy of the standard book of spells grade seven her brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to make the ball of light she had conjured stay in one place.

"Rose?" Abi called across the space in their room. "How's your cousin doing?" Abi put on an act of genuine concern but it was a look Rose had seen before in their second year Rose had told Abi about how she fell from a broom whilst playing Quidditch into a tree and subsequently had been caught on the top branch for an hour. It quickly made it's way around the entire school and Rose became renown for her clumsiness. It was still occasionally trotted out as a story when gossip was thin on the ground.

"She is fine Abi," and smiled sweetly in reply before pulling the curtains around her four-poster bed shut. Although her mind was awake and active her body was much more tired and moments later she fell into a deep sleep.