A/N Guess what! Since I posted the last chapter, Rose Weasley's Steps to Rebellion has passed 10,000 reads! (and 11,000!) I never expected this story to get so many people reading it, and I just want to say one huge thank you. Sorry for the late post, I've been swamped at school and haven't had time to upload anything. However the next few chapters should be up quickly after this! This chapter's a bit of a fill in, seeing as we've had a bit of action recently. Thanks again to the reviewers, followers, favourites and readers! X
Of course, after I nearly gave Alice a stress-induced heart attack, I had to tone it down a bit. I caught up on the work I'd ignored, I let Alice relax and I let people bask in the glory of my weekend with the Slytherins. I have no idea how, but everyone in the school seemed to find out that we snuck out, though the details got a bit warped. I heard from Rio that we'd actually been kidnapped by centaurs and fought them off, wandless, with our bare hands. I didn't deny it. For the month following, the only unusual part of my routine was the study sessions with Avy. The one that I was forced in to if I didn't want to flunk Ancient Runes. The ones which happened to be on twice a week, seeing as she refused to 'allow her reputation be dirtied by an unfinished project'. Her words.
I hadn't listened to a word that McRooch had said, so I was secretly glad that Avy copied notes religiously. From what her neat cursive told me, we had to pick a Rune that had lost it's meaning and try work out what it could be. Fun. I would've dropped Runes last year if I didn't need it to get in to some of the jobs I was looking at.
The first time we worked in the library we got kicked out, due to a rather loud argument which might have been my fault. Might have been. Since then we made an agreement to talk only when necessary, to try and make sure that no-one got throttled by the end of the project. Every time we met was tense and silent, both of us trying to do our share of the work without causing an argument. The only good thing about working with Avy was that we were used to each other's study methods, and we could both work quickly and well. Basically, we were ahead of schedule coz we're smart.
The project wasn't due for a week, but here I was heading to our last gathering to add the finishing touches to our essay explaining our Rune (ours means 'flightless'. Hopefully) I tugged at my plaid over-shirt and hiked my ripped jeans up a bit more. Whenever I went to meet Avy I consciously dressed more conservatively, to try and keep things a bit calmer.
It's been a while since I've been to the library on a weekend, and I secretly enjoyed it. I loved knowing that I was ahead of work, that I had time to enjoy myself without worry. Of course, when Alice asked why I was going to miss lunch for studying, I just told her Avy was a slave-driver. I got to the library, (10 minutes late of course) she was sitting with a roll of parchment and a quill in her mouth, checking our words.
"That's not right," I murmured, sliding in to the seat next to hers, "it should say the Rune is Greek, not Latin." She glanced up at me, her corkscrew curled in her face.
"Thanks, I guess." Avy mumbled back at me before scribbling in the correction. That was unusual… Normally Avy would triple-check any facts before putting them in.
We sat in silence for a while, both just reading over the essay, before she pulled her glasses off and rested her face on her arms. I glanced over, and saw that her eyes were closed. Well that's not right, Avy never rests while working. What's wrong with her today? Subconsciously I wonder why I care, but I push past that and swivel in my chair to face her.
"Look Avy, I know we've been a bit… tense these past few months, but I know when something is wrong with you. You may as well just tell me." I spit out. Her eyes flutter open but she stays silent.
"Avy. Come on, we were friends for six years. You've got something on your mind." I persist, maybe pushing further than I had the right to anymore. She definitely thought so, seeing as she snapped something like, "I'll finish the essay, thanks for your help, I've got a goat". Wait no, I think she said, "I've got to go." Yeah, that might make more sense. Anyway, she rolled up the paper and walked away, her back hunched. Weird. I wonder what's got her so worked up.
Wait, Rose why are you thinking about her? The project's over, she's out of your life. Be happy.
Ugh, I'm right. I should go celebrate the fact that I'm done with this stupid project, and that Avy and I can go back to gentle anger.
I shove my books in to a faded book-bag and head down the (numerous) flights of stairs that lead to the Great Hall. Maybe I can still catch the end of lunch, and talk to Dom for a little bit. I haven't seen that much of her recently, seeing as I've been laying low.
After a blockage in the bathrooms, a blockage called 'Amity take ages to wash her hair', I climb the stairs in to the Great Hall for dinner. It's been almost a week since I last talked to Avy, and as usual, pie is the Thursday-Night Special. I push past a gaggle of third-years and spot Dom sitting next to Al at the Gryffindor table, Alice across from them. Al-ice was laughing at Dom, who was red faced and looked mutinous.
"Hey guys. Any baguettes left?" I plop on the bench between my two cousins, reaching for a plate and a cup of juice.
"Rose! I'm glad you're here. Settle something for me. These two don't think I could go vegetarian, and I want to." Dom says, smiling winningly. I can see the light glint off her teeth.
Dominique Weasley –the girl who asked for a roast chicken as her Christmas present when she was 12- wants to be a vegetarian. Somehow, I'm sceptical.
"Dom, you have had bacon with you breakfast every day for the past four years. How are you planning on managing going cold turkey – no pun intended." I grin, nudging my cousin with my shoulder. Behind me, Al is yelling 'HA' and pointing at Dom's again-frowning face. My friends are odd.
I take a sip of my juice before spotting someone across the Great Hall I need to talk to.
"I'll be back in a sec guys, I just have to ask Avy something." When I see the scared looks on their faces I laugh and add, "I'm not going to pour another pitcher on her, I just need to see if she finished off our essay." I slide out from the bench and saunter over to the Ravenclaw table, and I notice it gets a bit quieter when I approach.
The group of girls in my year all look at me, and one of them speaks out, "Your uniform is a bit short don't you thi-" before I cut her off with a sharp glare. Ravenclaws always seem to find something wrong with me, though no one else dares to say anything.
"I need to talk to Avy." I bit out, and she got up from her seat next to Dimity Chang. We walked a bit away from her friends, who were all looking at us and whispering. Probably because this is the first time we've been civil in public.
"I'm just checking that you finished the essay. It's ready to be handed in tomorrow, yeah?" I ask, and she nods with her eyes downcast. So apparently something is still worrying her, it hasn't gone away since Saturday. Hesitating, I gently say, "Are you sure you're okay?"
For the first time, she actually meets my gaze. The whites of her eyes are bloodshot, and it looks like she's been crying. But she smiled. The first smile I've seen on her for a while. "I'm fine. Really. I'll see you in Runes." And she turns away from me again. I can sort of see the girl I used to like, under the layer of mega-jerk.
A tiny grin makes its way on to my face, and I start heading back to my friends when I hear her call out, "Rose! This doesn't make us friends. I still don't like how you changed." I would almost be offended if her eyes didn't twinkle.
"That's cool. You're still annoying."
We both separate, and I can feel the eyes of people on my back. Apparently our argumentative year had been anything but private. When I settle back in between Al and Dom, they're arguing about whether or not a bagel should count as a food. ("It's just a wannabe donut!")
I definitely don't like Avy, there's too much hurt right now, but I don't think I hate her. Much.
I was sitting on one of the comfy armchairs next to the fireplace in the Common Room. Al and Alice were playing chess and ignoring the romantic tension that was between them, and I was just watching and trying to figure out how they weren't dating yet. That was, before I was interrupted.
"Are you Rose Weasley?" A strong voice says from my elbow, making me turn. A small and black-haired boy was standing behind me, wearing a green and silver tie.
"August Macnair, second year. Someone called Scorpius asked me to bring you this." The boy said, holding out a scroll in his little fist. My first thought was, Scorpius wrote to me? The second was How the hell did a Slytherin get in our Common Room? Apparently I still need to work on my brain-to-mouth filter, because he answered me with a smirk.
"I'm a Slytherin. If we want something, we get it. I wanted to get in, and here I am. You Gryffindors should try it sometime. Well, bye." Well he certainly is confident.
"They start early, don't they? Twelve years old and already I want to punch him." Al remarks, using the split second that Alice is distracted to cheat in chess.
"Al you're a Slytherin, you can't talk. And I saw that! Give me my pawn back!" Alice scowled and grabbed her piece that Al was smuggling in to his pocket.
"Fine, gosh. And yeah, but I'm lovely. That kid looks like he'll turn in to a major prick. Check."
"Cheater. I give up. And yeah, he does look particularly prick-ey."
While Alice and Al bantered through their obvious attraction (remind me to talk to Alice about that) I read Scorpius' note.
Rose,
Sorry for the little shit that delivered this, he's the only one I could find. Anyway, Lottie and Theo are in detention and I'm bored. Meet me in the Slytherin Common Room and we can hang. The password's 'Gurdyroot'. You know where it is.
Scorp J
I smirked, and got out of my chair.
"I'll leave you two alone, I'll be back in a few hours. Don't miss me too much!" I call, sauntering out the Portrait Hole. It's Saturday, so curfew is at 10. I'll be late, but I've got a pretty good idea of the secret passages now. My only problem is the fact that the dungeons are literally miles away. I think I'll start a petition to install a magic carpet in Hogwarts. Or elevators. My thighs just can't handle this amount of exercise daily.
I puffed down the stairs, only passing a few people on my way down, and ended up at the Portrait Hole.
"You aren't a Slytherin." The painting said gruffly, eyes narrowed.
"True, but I have the password. Just give me a sec." I panted out. I needed a few moments to make my face less red from the walk, and I leaned against the wall while the portrait told me about his blossoming romance with the ballerina in the first floor. Seems like everyone's getting together.
I was wearing black jeans with a red singlet and had a gold bandana in my hair, holding back the fierce curls. I figured if I was going in the snake nest, I should flaunt my Gryffindor-ness. When my shoulders had finally stopped heaving, I decided I was ready to walk in.
"Hope your date goes well!" I smiled at the portrait, "Gurdyroot"
"Do come back again! You're nicer than the usual."
I stepped in to the Slytherin Common Room for the first time since the party. It's surprisingly spacious for a dungeon, and there are beautiful marble sculptures on the columns that you couldn't see in the flashing lights of the celebrations. While the Gryffindor Common was comfy and warm, this room was ornate and classy.
"Rose! Thank Merlin you came, I'm dying of boredom."
Scorpius slouched over to me after rolling off the green satin couch. He slung his arm over my shoulders, ignoring the glares of several girls who didn't seem to like my presence, or his familiarity with me.
"Hey Scorpius. What's up?" I grinned, holding on to the arm that was wrapped around me. His arm was pretty muscular, and not bad looking. I mean, if you're in to that.
"Let's go up to my dorm, the guys are all out so it'll be quieter." He said, grabbing his jacket off the back of the couch.
I grinned, looking forward to escaping the stares of, seemingly, everyone in his house. But I saw a flaw in his plan.
"Scorpius, you know if everyone sees us going in to your empty dorm, it'll be all around the school by breakfast. They'll assume we're doing… things." I trailed off at the end of my sentence, embarrassed to talk about that with Scorpius. He stopped and looked me in the eyes.
He leaned in and brushed my hair away from my face. My ears went red from embarrassment, either from proximity to Scorpius' face or the blatant stares we were attracting.
Scorpius smirked, grabbed my waist, pulled my close and whispered in my ear, "Well let's give them something to talk about." His breath was warm on my neck and I laughed as I understood what he was getting at. I ran my fingers through his hair before grabbing his hand and tugging him up the stairs to his dorms. If people were going to assume we were doing… physical things than we were going to have some fun with it.
"Me and Rose are going to go make out now. Bye!" He announced to the Common Room, before following me up the stairs. We both lost it, and I think from under our laughter I might have heard the sobs of a poor fangirl of Scorpius. Oops.
A/N So there it was! Again, thank you for helping me reach over 11k views on this story, and thanks for your continued support! I'd love if you could review, so I know how you're liking it! Edit: just to clear things up, Scorpius and Rose were just joking about the making out. It was to give all the gossips something to talk about. Sorry to the girls whose hopes I got up :')
Love you all! x