Cherry this has to end.
Everybody's worried about you.
Let's just accept what happened and move on, okay?
Al suggested owling Hermione and Ron (yikes!), so I'm writing in my book to let you know. You have the opportunity to get your shit together in time to stop him committing such a heinous felony (I'm worried for my life as I'm sure your Dad would jump at the chance to blame me).
I hate things being weird and I just want everything to go back to normal.
P.s. When I say 'go back to normal' I do mean in the pranking sense. Watch out :P
.
Rose closed the book and sighed deeply.
Well, there was nothing for it.
She was going to have to pretend that everything was fine 'properly', otherwise Al would be off tattling to her parents – the prat.
It had been a month since the Polyjuice Party, and Rose's friends had given up on understanding her strange behaviour (although they had their almost-accurate suspicions concerning romance, Slytherin House, and the Polyjuice Party).
.
She was still avoiding the Slytherin Common Room, but had managed to get her nerves under control around Sam so no one suspected him as the cause of her erractic behaviour.
As she slipped into a dress Rose pondered the night ahead of her.
It was James' birthday party, in the Room of Requirement of course, and everyone was going to be there.
She was slightly anxious, but mostly excited, about her role at the party and as she tottered about in a pair of high-heeled shoes (now remembering why she never wore them), she prayed she wouldn't mess up.
She had never done anything like this before, but James had begged her for weeks until she finally gave in.
As she carefully walked down the stairs, attempting not to trip over in her heels, she was greeted by a chorus of complaints.
.
"What took you so long Rose?"
"The rest of us got ready absolutely ages ago, where have you been all day?"
"Let's get going or we'll be late!"
So Rose was hurried out of the Gyffindor Common Room by her best friends, although she was followed in twos and threes (so as to avoid being discovered sneaking out by Jane the caretaker) by her abundance of Gryffindor cousins and numerous other partygoers, who were all excited for James' notorious Birthday Bash.
.
.
As Rose stepped up onto the small stage her stomach gave a sinister lurch.
The lights almost blinded her and as she looked out into the crowd all she could see was darkness.
Sweat coated her palms as she stood in front of a microphone set at the front of the stage.
Her brother Hugo nodded encouragingly, and she stepped closer to the mike, then she opened her mouth.
.
"One, two, three, four, one, two:
What a smile
What a mask."
.
Hugo and Rose strummed together on their guitars as Hugo's band members joined them on bass, drums and keyboard.
Rose's clear alto voice rang out over the dancing throng without embellishments, a simple melody over the top of a straightforward chord progression.
.
"All bluster, so sly
But I think I can see
Maybe a little fear, who knows?
I have watched you
And I'm starting to think.
.
Maybe the truth is that we need this
The chase, the game, it keeps us honest
Let's agree only I could be
Your adversary
Tell me you'll be my archenemy"
.
Rose saw Sam emerge at the very front of the stage, shaking his head in incredulity and laughter.
No one knew that Rose had begged Hugo, a self-professed 'musician' (Hermione was thoroughly worried – 'what if he never gets a real job?'), to teach her how to play the guitar over the summer.
Sam made eye contact with her and she grinned back at him, singing with even more confidence and attitude, and wiggling her eyebrows suggestively at him, which prompted an eye roll from him.
.
"I am a brilliant witch
I could beat anyone
But creating diabolical schemes
Has no purpose
Without that one person who can challenge you more
Now I've found you
I'm really not so insane, am I?"
.
Most of the crowd were giggling and clapping their hands to the beat, and the positive reaction encouraged Rose to throw herself into the performance even more – people were actually laughing and appreciating her music? Say whaaat?
.
"Maybe the truth is that we need this
The chase, the game, it keeps us honest
Let's agree only I could be
Your adversary
Tell me you'll be my archenemy."
.
"I'll be your archenemy!" A group of fourth year girls screamed out in unison after the second chorus, causing Rose to laugh herself and look to Hugo for support, but he had cracked up too.
They took a moment before starting the bridge, which roused even more laughs at Rose's theatricality.
.
"Aha
This old ploy
What a move, what a sham
A hidden strike
And you just lie
Like you don't know who I am
Touche.
.
I don't even know
Whether you see what this is
I guess that's part of the show
I want to believe that you don't know
How hard I'm trying to keep up with you
Hiding calmly
Waiting for my opportunity.
.
Maybe the truth is that we need this
The chase, the game, it keeps us honest
Let's agree only I could be
Your adversary
Tell me you'll be my archenemy."
.
Once the song had ended, huge applause broke out from the audience as Rose shouted, "Happy Birthday James! Next year you'll have to pay me for entertainment!"
.
.
"Far out, since when does Rose sing?".Corey pondered out loud, as he and Adam sat at the bar drinking butterbeer.
"No idea. And she was so funny too! I think she's got a fan base already," Adam laughed as a group of girls crowded around Rose asking for her autograph as soon as she got off the stage.
"Oh go on," Corey encouraged, as he rolled his eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"Adam, I've been your best mate since First Year, I know when you want to go talk to girls. You're going to fail miserably, but by all means, give it a go."
Adam grinned, "Fine, but I want you to know just because you're 'the charming one' doesn't mean I don't have my ways."
Winking, Adam went over to the groupies that were surrounding Rose.
.
Left alone, Corey scouted the room for their other friends.
Al was over near the stage talking to a good friend of his, Alice Longbottom, a third year.
Bee and Greg were over in a booth laughing incredibly hard, about something or other, and Jen and Annie were trying to fend off Fred Weasley II, who was going all out for pranks, seeing as this was the last of James' birthday parties at Hogwarts.
Deciding to avoid the slimy blob that was attempting to swallow Annie and Jen, Corey made his way over to the booth and sat down next to Bee.
"Adam's gone to try and flirt with one of Rose's new fan girls, mind if I join you two sniggering gits?"
"Ha! Oh Adam... Of course Corey, come and watch us laugh at the misfortune of others at this party. We were just pointing out Annie and Jen's predicament. Did you see that slime monster?"
"Yeah, you've got to admit, James and Fred sure know how to throw a party."
"Cheers to that," Greg crowed, raising up his butterbeer glass.
.
.
As Rose finally managed to escape from the group of girls that had ambushed her for autographs, she almost immediately bumped into Sam.
He leaned close to her ear to be heard over Hugo's band, who had continued to play after Rose's song, "You hag, since when do you sing, play guitar and write songs about me!?"
Rose just grinned and walked over to the corner of the room where her guitar case was.
She sat down on one of the many beanbags on the floor and crossed her arms, smirking.
"Hugo taught me over the summer. Besides, what makes you instantly assume I wrote that song about you?"
Sam scoffed, "Because I'm the only person you despise with enough passion to fill a song."
Rose laughed, "No comment."
.
What a smile
Sam sat down in a bean bag next to her while shouting, "AHA! That means you think I have an amazing smile."
He flashed her a bright cheesy grin, and Rose snorted, "The lyrics were 'what a smile', not that it was amazing."
.
Creating some diabolical scheme, it has no purpose. Without that one person this is all for. Now I've found you I'm really not so insane, am I?
Sam's face grew mockingly horrified, "Technicalities! But wait. If that song is about me, then that means you are constantly developing diabolical schemes to destroy me!"
"Damn straight I am Malfoy!"
He leaned over and tugged her braid, "You weirdo."
She pinched his nose before he could lean back, "Twat."
"Arse!"
She punched his arm playfully, maybe things could go back to normal?
Maybe she wouldn't have to pretend, and Al could restrain his letter to her parents on her own merit.
.
Aha, this old ploy, what a move, what a sham. A hidden strike, and you just lie, like you don't know who I am. Touche.
"So when have I ever pretended not to know who you are?"
Rose rolled her eyes, typical Sam.
What did he think this was, a post-performance interrogation?
"What, have you gone and memorised every lyric Malfoy?"
"No, I just remember what I disagree with."
Rose poked her tongue out at him, "Well aren't you just a bloody contrarian."
"Come on Rose, tell me."
.
"Well a lot of the song is just about an exaggerated character, maybe kind of inspired by you. Everything's blown up for comedic value, but on our second day of school after our fight on the Hogwarts Express, you gave me the biggest smirk and said 'Who are you again?" Even though you knew who I was before I even introduced myself in our compartment, so I knew you were faking it."
Sam roared with laughter, "Typical me. Gosh I'm a genius."
"Oh shut your mouth you useless toerag and go get me a drink!"
But Rose was repressing a smile.
.
Maybe the truth is that we need this, the chase, the game, it keeps us honest. Let's agree only I could be...
"Well, promise me you'll keep me on my toes for the rest of my days Weasley."
Your adversary. Tell me you'll be my archenemy.
He held out his hand, "Archenemies?"
She grabbed it and shook it vigorously, letting her smile spill onto her features, "Archenemies."
.
.
Thanks for letting me know about Al's owling intentions.
I think everything's going to be fine.
Everything is back to normal.
I mean in the pranking sense too :P
Watch out, archenemy of mine.
Thank Merlin Cherry.
I was beginning to think you were lost forever.
You wish! Haha. Good night Jack.
Good night Cherry.