11 The sad life of rose grey
AN. Sorry it took so long. Disclaimer to the fact that I only own rose and nothing else. Thanks to everyone who has supported me in writing so far.
I walk out to the courtyard after breakfast. The breeze was perfect, blowing my platinum blonde hair around me. The leaves danced together through the trees as I gazed at them. Students were walking, sitting on benches, enjoying the weather while it lasted and winter arrives. Hands wrapped around me from behind while someone rests their chin on my shoulder.
"Happy birthday." Cedric whispers into my hair. I turn to face him, placing my arms around his neck while his went to my waist. He smiles down at me as he notices that I'm wearing the silver bird pendant he got me. His hand goes to my face and he caresses my cheek. Our lips meet for a sweet kiss that was short.
"Can I take you out for a rebellious stroll tonight?" He asks with a gleam in his eye. I laugh at the idea.
"I would like that." He notices his friends waiting not too far off by a tree.
"Sorry I have to go but I guess I will see you later then." He kisses my nose before running off to his friends who starting slapping him on the back. I rolled my eyes as I walked off. Men.
Later that day I went to the common room to find I had received a present. It was a Nimbus 2001. A note was attached but all it said was keep your friends close and your enemy's closer. I frowned, was it meant to be a riddle? Well whoever sent this had money to burn. I checked the time. Crap, I had to hurry if I was to make it for the Halloween feast. I rushed upstairs, hid my new broom (I knew Pansy would do something to it if she found it) and got ready. At the feast, I sat at my usual seat at the end of the long green and silver table. The hall was filled with shades of orange, black and red for the festive season. Pumpkins were littered here and there with cobwebs hanging off the wall to add an extra scary setting to the already darker than normal hall. I grabbed a plate piling it with pumpkin casserole, some kind of garlic risotto, a spicy meatloaf, and a big slab of pumpkin pie (you can't trust there will be any left after the big oafs get into all the food). I feel my stomach rumble in delight at the smell of it all.
"You're in a happy mood." Draco says as he sits across from me. My smile wavers as I lower my eyes to my plate. I know I shouldn't be scared of this boy but I knew the pain he could cause me.
"Yea, I just received the strangest gift." I pick at my food. "It was a Nimbus 2001." I look up at him to see his grey eyes shimmering back at me.
"Well that is strange." He never wavers for a second with his typical Malfoy I'm-better-than-you tone. We go back to our bright array of food. The feast comes to a close sooner than I expected, time flies I guess. I walk with Draco in the bustling crowd but we come to a halt when we see Harry, Ron and Hermione by a wall with words written in blood.
The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir, Beware.
Silence falls; we could hear everyone breathing it was that quiet. No one fails to notice Mrs Norris, the caretaker's cat hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. Draco and I were at the front and as always he had to make a scene being the typical ass he is.
"Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!" He has a coldness in his eyes that I had only seen in his fathers. I didn't know if he meant me as well but Hermione looked close to bursting into tears. I angrily turn around, pushing my way through the crowd not looking back. I finally reach the end and head towards the common room. It's an empty walk through the dank corridor because everyone is still where Mrs Norris is.
"Rose!" I look up to see Snape walking towards me. I smile at a friendly face.
"I should probably call you dad now." I say jokingly trying to lighten my mood. This brings a smile upon his face as he stops in front of me, towering over me as usual casting a shadow that would normally send students cowering.
"Not at school you won't. What are you doing all alone and where is everyone?" He looks worried which is a strange look on his aged face.
"Everyone is down the hall. Mrs Norris got attacked and there's writing on the wall. No one knows what it means."
"I want you to go straight to the common room." He says as he rushes off, his black cloak billowing behind him. When I get back to the common room I write a letter to Cedric saying I'm not allowed out because of Mrs Norris. Well so much for my Birthday. I waited on my bed for everyone else to arrive and to find out what was happening. Pansy and her gang arrived full of gossip but it's all stopped short when they see me waiting. It died down to muffled whispers so I got ready for bed and quickly fell asleep.
No one really knew what was happening with the words on the wall and I didn't have time to find out with the fast approaching Quidditch season. The first game was coming up against Gryffindor and Adrian was working us as hard as ever. You can tell when he's working you hard when there are no fights between me and any of the other team mates. Well in other words they aren't firing bludgers at me for no good reason. It was the day before the big game and to be honest I couldn't think of anything other than making a compete fool of myself in front of everyone. I was on my way to practice just after having a big hearty lunch when I heard a commotion out in the courtyard. It sounded like a fight so I ran out to find a lot of people all standing round cheering. I managed to push my way to the front of the circle where I could see Cedric getting beaten up by Lucian. Draco was standing not too far off holding his face; he had blood running all down his nose and had a black eye forming. I couldn't understand why no one was stopping this when I noticed that most of the people were actually Slytherins, typical they or I should say we are so cruel in that way. I could hardly see any Hufflepuff. I look at Cedric, he looked pretty beaten up. He had a black eye himself, he was bleeding from the mouth, and he looked to have a broken nose. Lucian was a year older than him and as big as a troll. I couldn't take it anymore of this. I start to run to him through the crowd when I feel someone grab me by the waist pulling me back.
"Don't! You'll only hurt yourself." I look to see George holding onto me.
"I can't just leave him there!" I scream over the crowd. I manage to slip out of his strong grasp and start running to Cedric who is now lying on the ground. Lucian goes to punch him in the face but I dive in front of him defending Cedric with my body. They both seem shocked. It goes death silent.
Professor McGonagall breaks through the crowd "What's going on here?" She snaps. I let out a sigh of relief. Lucian drops his fist down quickly. I turn to Cedric who had bruises all over his face as well which I hadn't seen from behind everyone. I caress his cheek.
"You didn't have to do that." He mumbles through his swollen lip.
"I couldn't stand there seeing him do that to you."
I help him stand up. Professor McGonagall looks at each of us in turn.
"All of you to Professor Snape's office, now! You too Miss Grey." Awkwardly some of the teachers knew he was my adopted dad so she will only want me to go so I can get told off from him instead. We follow obediently, me never leaving Cedric's side. We walk swiftly into his office as if he was waiting for us. He's sitting behind his desk getting ready for what look like next week's lessons. The room is damp and cold as it normally is. Professor McGonagall goes and stands next to him. We all stand before then in a line waiting our sentence. Snape just looks down the line never wavering when he gets to me as if he expected me to be here. Great, he probably thinks I'm a future felon.
"Well? What happened?" He demands. We stand in silence waiting for the other to speak up.
"Lucian? You're normally not this quiet." Snape gives him a deadly gaze.
"Cedric was attacking Draco." He says. I can't help but gasp slightly. How could Cedric do that? Snape turns to Draco.
"Is this correct?" Draco nods while holding his still bleeding nose.
"Professor McGonagall please escort Cedric to his head of house." While they leave he turns to the rest of us.
"I'm highly disappointed in all of you. 20 points from Slytherin will be taken. Save it for the game tomorrow. All of you leave except you Rose." The other two look at me before rushing out of the room. I stand there with Snape looking at me in silence for a few minutes.
He sighs "Why are you out looking for danger Rose?"
"Lucian was beating Cedric up! I couldn't just leave him there." I start crying, not the sobbing kind, the silent kind which I think hurt just as much. He quietly strode up to me as the tears cascaded down my face. He gently wrapped his arms around me and held me close. I stand still while his arms go awkwardly stiff. I have never had a parental figure or been comforted so this is new but I think it's new for both of us. After a minute we break apart. He leans against his desk while looking at me.
"Please just stay away from trouble." I wipe the few remaining tears left of my cheeks before replying.
"It's not like I go looking for it." I walk to the door before quietly leaving.
I walk in a half-dream to the hospital wing. Cedric had a lot of explaining to do. It doesn't take long before I reach the doors of the wing. What surprises me is that Adrian is standing outside to what looks like is waiting for me.
"Rose, we need to talk." He says looks awkwardly. "It's come to my attention that there might be some conflict between you and some other members of the team especially after today so I'm replacing you with someone else." He looks up at me, no regret in his eyes just awkwardness as if he's waiting for me to cry. I want to slap him at this point.
"Who brought this to you?" I shout at him. He flinches. I know it wasn't his idea, it was Lucian's. Adrian turns around and walks off having done his duty of dismissing me.
"We're going to lose you know!" I shout at his retreating form. I put my hands on my head and pace in the hall for a few minutes trying not to punch something before I go into the hospital wing. The Hospital wing as usual was ladened with pristine white beds on either side of the walls. It had that super clean smell that made you feel dirty for breathing in the air. As I go in I find only Cedric and Draco both looking at me worried. Being typical men they both managed to choose to sit at beds at opposite ends of the wing. I walk to Cedric trying to pretend like they both didn't just hear what happened outside.
"What was that about?" Cedric asks.
"Don't even go there." Was all I say before I sit beside him on his bed. Madam Pomfrey goes over to Draco and finishes him up before sending him on his way. The moment he's gone I turn to Cedric.
"Why were you beating him up?" I demand. He looks at his hands which have cuts and bruises.
"Cedric?" I plead. He turns to me with sadness in his eyes.
"He was saying things about you to Lucian that I didn't like so I got mad and hit him. Lucian then hit me and you can fill in the rest." He grabs my hand, giving it a squeeze. Madam Pomfrey comes over to shoo me out. As I'm leaving Cedric shouts "Just don't trust him." Pondering over Cedric's last words to me I don't notice the bruised up blonde git standing in front of me till I walk right into him. I start falling over but Draco catches me just in time.
"You know I actually thought you would stop." He says chuckling.
"What do you want?"
"To talk and explain what happened today."
Crossing my arms I nod to give my ok. Draco lets out a sigh of relief.
"Lucian accused me of something's and I set him straight but Cedric overheard causing him to hit me and well you can figure out what happened after that."
"What did he -" I was cut off my Cedric behind me with a grim face.
"He accused Draco here of having feeling for you. Draco then denied it calling you names even I wouldn't repeat." The tears swell up in my eyes then they stream down my face. Cedric starts walking towards me.
"Don't!" I shout at him causing him to stop in his tracks. I turn to Draco who has a shocked looked on his pale complexion. "Is it true?"
AN. Sorry it's short but I wanted to try out the idea for a cliff-hanger thing