October 23, 2026
The slides, monkey bars and bridges of the playground was teeming with children running about, and all of the adults seemed to be on the peripheries laying in blankets, soaking up the sun, and conversing as they watched their children. Rose found Courtney sitting on the swings digging her trainers into the sand below her; she had one empty swing next to her, but every other swing was full. The few coloured feathers in her hair were floating upwards in the breeze and her blonde hair was just hanging loose around her face. Hearing footsteps through the sand, she looked up at Rose.
"You look different from a month ago," Courtney said. "Rose, right? Actually never mind. I'd recognise you anywhere. You're super tall and your hair is the most gorgeous wild mess I've ever seen."
Rose dropped her backpack on the sand and thumped down into the swing beside Courtney, chains clinking. "Thanks, I think. And thanks for agreeing to meet up with me."
Courtney shrugged and twisted her swing all the way around. Her lips were the cherry red Rose was accustomed to seeing her with. Her long loose skirt had flower patterns that contorted with the movement of the swing and the wind.
"I mean I have nothing else to do. I'm now unemployed – even though that was delayed by weeks. I'm super confused by everything that was said to me in the past day and a half, and I'm convinced everyone around me is a bloody psychopath."
"You lasted there a lot longer than I thought," said Rose. "No offense meant by that – I just mean with the last conversation I heard I was surprised you weren't fired then and there."
Courtney rolled her eyes. "I think it was because I knew all about the drug business and their posy of nobodies. It's easier to string troublesome ol' me along than hire a new person who might give away the whole business."
"You're not going to go to the Aur – police, I mean?" Courtney was a muggle still, Rose reminded herself. She had to be careful.
"I don't know. Probably. Eventually. I don't know what I'd say. I didn't really have any definitive proof – like pictures, or records of transactions. But now that I say that I wish I would have been doing something more active the past few weeks and gathering information. But whatever. I'm done with that place."
The chain of the swing was twisted all the way to the top and Courtney lifted her feet to go spinning around. Her body whipped around and around until she straightened out. She gave a small laugh, leaning back in the swing until she could drag her hair in the sand. She straightened up with a smile. "Brilliant. I love playgrounds. Have you ever heard the term 'muggle' before?"
Rose's eyes widened before she could think to mask any reactions.
"So it's a word!" Courtney said. "What does it mean?"
"Ummm." Oh snap. "It's just a slang word for … someone. I'm not entirely sure what it means. I don't think it's meant to be – derogatory."
Well it probably was, said Marta. In her context it most likely was.
Courtney eyed her up. "I've been called that no less than 20 times in the past week. At first I just brushed it off. But I mean, it's the same word over and over. It's weird to be called that. I've checked online and everything but it's not anywhere. It has to mean something."
"Er. Yeah, I guess it's not that known to people. I've only heard it a few times myself."
"Oh well. So are you still looking for Canwood? He's stopped by a few times since our last conversation and I wasn't sure if I should have texted you to say that. I kind of thought you'd already caught up with him since he's easy enough to find."
Was she that incompetent? Rose was at a loss for words.
Courtney continued. "And his girlfriend has started hanging around the place in the evenings. She's so annoying. I've also heard rumour that he has kids. She's alluded it to it and other people have as well. Poor souls whoever they are."
Rose almost collapsed backwards off the swing. "I didn't know any of that. What's his girlfriend's name? What do you mean he's easy enough to find?"
"Girlfriends name is Branwen. And he keeps a pretty regular schedule. Tuesdays in the morning at CFK, hits up Pemty Tavern – apparently a dodgy place though I've never heard or seen it – on Thursdays and Fridays. I always see him walking by Wednesday and Friday mornings, but he doesn't come in. I don't know. I mean, it's not always that predictable, but pretty close. Mind you, this has only been the past few weeks. He was gone for a solid month or two a while ago."
She should be writing this down. She pulled her backpack towards her and pulled out Canwood's bio, flipping it over to the back side and writing down what Courtney was saying.
"Well, I've been a little busy lately, but I hope to find him soon."
It better be soon honey, you don't have much time left, said Marta.
"If I see him again, I can let you know. But I'm honestly hoping I'll never see that douchenoodle again."
"That would be great. Thanks." Rose finished scribbling all the extra information down. "Do you know anything about Rebecca Box? You warned me once about her, but anything else? What she does?"
"She manages the money for Snakebitten. She does a few other things as well, but I forget what the words were. Nothing I've ever heard before. It's like another language or something, even though they were speaking English for everything else. She's from another world?" Courtney gave a small laugh. "Sorry. I've been reading some conspiracy theories. She's around occasionally but nothing predictable like Canwood … But really, I can't believe I stayed there as long as I did. That was one fucked up job – pardon my French."
An occupation from the magic world was probably what Courtney had heard and didn't understand, even though she didn't realise it - so much for the gang members censoring themselves and caring about the Statute of Secrecy.
"Yes, it sounds bad. Being involved, even inadvertently, with a gang is never good."
Courtney twisted the swing chain up again and released it to go spinning. "I've heard some crazy rumours about the Box character. I think she's killed someone before."
"I've heard a rumour about her burning someone's arm off." Rose grimaced at that and Courtney made a face.
"Yeah. I heard that one. I was hoping it wasn't true," she said. "She's an illusionist too, or something. Voodoo magic? I'm probably sounding crazy right now myself. I did see her do some abnormal things though – like stuff that disregards the laws of physics. I'm just glad to be out. Sorry I'm bitching and word vomiting all over you." She gave a small laugh. "I don't even really know you."
"No worries, I get it. We're human. I'm just happy you're talking with me. I've had a rough week and this is calming – just to sit and have a conversation. Even though it's on a sketchy topic."
Just the fact that Courtney was a muggle and completely oblivious to Rose's troubles was comforting. There was no judgement coming from her.
"Why have you had a rough week? I'm curious now. I mean, if you're open for spilling. If not, then just ignore my nosiness. I'm not good with personal barriers sometimes."
"I don't mind – it's still quite surreal. One of my cousins is addicted to the drugs that Snakebitten distribute. And completely by accident as well because she found some and was trying to determine what it was – err, that's her job in real life. A chemist I guess you would say. I visited this morning at the hospital and she's in a bad state. Really bad."
Rose dug her shoes in to the sand and let the grains run off her feet. Bad state was putting it nicely.
"That is so shitty. Horrible. Those drugs are so messed up. Not that I'm prying but I bet it has something to do with Canwood, right? And why you're looking for him?" Rose half nodded. That was as good an alibi as any. "I hope she gets better. There's loads of good rehab centres in downtown London, when she's ready to accept help and needs a place to go."
Visions of Dom trying to rip her own stomach open flashed in Rose's mind. She definitely wasn't ready. "I think she's going to be in the hospital for a long while yet."
Courtney gave a sympathetic smile. "I understand that. I volunteer at a Womens Centre – which your cousin would probably benefit from as well with some of our services. There's support for her and her family. If you ever want more information I can send some."
"Thanks. I'll let you know."
The screaming of the kids drew their attention away and they watched a game of tag happening not too far away.
"I should probably get back to my house," Courtney said. "I have to pick my kid up from daycare soon."
"Wait, you have a kid?" Rose asked, astonished. Courtney looked so young. "How old are you?"
"Yes, he's just a wee lad. His name is Henry – he's 3. I had him when I was nineteen. That's why it's bittersweet that I've been fired. Oh well though, I'll find something else eventually that's close by. I always knew I wouldn't be at CFK long after Snakebitten took over. I have much more than just myself to think of now."
Courtney pulled her skirts around her as lifted herself from the seat, the chain jingling behind her. The feathers in her air were still being raised by the breeze and her skirt billowed around her when she let it go. She smiled and her eyes crinkled.
"I'll keep in touch, Rose. You're a pretty cool cat."
By the time Rose got to the flat, the sun was falling in the sky, creating an orange glow upon the buildings around her. She walked up the stairs slowly, scheming in her mind on what to do and how to convince Scorpius of her need to go to Pemty Tavern tonight. It was definitely a dodgy place – nowhere she would go by herself willingly. But what would she do when she finally came into view of Canwood? How would she subdue him? Would Scorpius help and then leave her alone so she could take Canwood into the Headquarters?
You have a long way to go honey, said Marta. You haven't seen Canwood for weeks now. He's not close to being caught.
She's got intel on him, countered Greg. It's close. We all can feel it.
Don't get complacent now. There's lots of variables at play. You still must be wary of everyone around and work efficiently.
The voices were making her head burn.
Wary turned out to be right for when Rose reached her floor Rose Daphne was standing right below where the secret staircase to the roof was situated. She was her bedraggled self – layers upon layers of grey and black clothing, squat form with hair this time under a hairnet, and a hip pack again that looked like it was bulging with things.
Rose was about to turn around on her heels to avoid a conversation, when Daphne's gaze struck hers and she smiled a toothy smile.
"Rose dearies. You came so soon. Fancy you, fancy that," she said loudly.
Rose reluctantly stayed put. "Hi, umm, are you lost? This isn't your floor. Molly, Lucy, and Dom aren't here either."
Daphne waddled towards Rose and reached out to grab Rose's wrist just like the last time they were in proximity together. The smell was not pleasant and Daphne's eyes were crazed under the magnifying glasses. Rose pulled away and kept her hands behind her back.
"Not lost dearies. Not lost at all. I don't need all you Weasley's. Not at all. Bye dearies. And dearies, when the headaches get too bad, you come to me."
The headaches? Rose could do nothing but reluctantly nod. Daphne was batshit crazy and giving Rose a headache already – which she doubted Daphne would help for being the cause of it. After Daphne past her and waddled down the stairs, Rose rubbed her temples and walked into the flat. The door was unlocked she realised after walking in, and she shut the door behind her. Yet, all was quiet in the flat - no sounds of Molly or Lucy finally coming to spend a night at their place. The hair on Rose's arms rose. Her hearing was on high alert and she felt like someone was in the house. Someone who wasn't supposed to be here.
It felt like a violation. She didn't take off her shoes as she crept forward. Someone was in the house, she knew it. Her heart beat faster in her chest. One step, two.
Suddenly a voice broke through the utter silence of the flat. "What the hell is taking you so long Rose?" said a familiar voice. Rose's heart jumped to her throat and she went into the living room to see Louis sitting on the couch like he lived there.
"Fucking fuck Louis! What the hell?"
"Stopped by for a little chat. Thought it would be a pleasant surprise."
Rose's eyes widened as he looked at her with a smug smile. "Louis," she said. "Pleasant surprise? What the hell brings you here?"
His smile dropped and he rolled his eyes. "As if you don't know, Rose. The contracts – yes, plural. Remember?"
Contracts? She was worried about the one that he was witness to about the blood bracelet. What other one?
"I am, of course, referring to the contract about your wand as well as the one about losing your life."
Rose pulled her arms out of her coat and thumped down in the chair across from Louis. "The wand contract, really? You said you would drop it."
"It's not me, actually. It's Albus Severus. You're lucky he's been too busy to pester you about it because he's been asking me questions to see if you're holding up the end of the deal on my end. So this is just a warning – I'm sure he'll come to you soon."
Rose breathed a sigh of relief. "That's alright. I can deal with Al. He probably won't say anything for a few more weeks at least."
Louis shrugged. There was another silence in the room and Rose looked behind her. It felt like there was someone else in the flat. Someone that wasn't Louis.
Louis voice quickly turned serious. "Rose. I think we should go to the Ministry."
Her head snapped back to his. "No."
"Just – this isn't right. You look like death. Like you haven't slept or eaten in months. I didn't take this seriously – but if this is really happening, Rose, we need to do something."
"Did a woman named Rose Daphne stop by while you were sitting in here?" she asked him. He wasn't to be deterred though.
"No. I was alone for half an hour. We really need to do something about the contract."
Rose stood up and marched to the kitchen. She opened the fridge and looked inside for something to make for supper for her and Scorpius. "Louis, I am doing something. Don't worry about it; it's not your problem. This'll all be over soon."
"Like if you lose your life? Because I've thought about it and there can only be one thing that the contract was meant for, only one outcome if you don't find this guy that you've said you'd find."
Rose glared at him. "No. I won't lose my life. I have help, alright."
"Who."
It's not like she could hide the answer from him. Anyone would be able to tell. "Scorpius Malfoy."
Her eyes were trained on his face and the reaction from it. He looked startled but had the grace to quickly hide it.
"Does Scorpius know about this contract you're obligated to finish? About how you could lose your life if you don't complete it in time?"
"No. He can't know, Louis, alright! Everything would be so much more messed up if anyone else knew. I don't want – pity – or anything from people. I just want to get this done. Myself. I've accepted his help and that's all it will ever be. Without him knowing anything."
She pulled out chicken, linguini, zucchini, and tomato sauce from the fridge and set a pot of water on the stove.
"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" Rose asked.
"Rude."
"Yes. There's nothing I can say. Alright. Just drop it and pretend nothing ever happened."
He looked up at her with hands clenched in his lap. "What do you need? I can help."
"I don't want you to get hurt through association with me. This'll have to just be how it is. I can do this. Just don't tell anyone."
"Who is it? I'll tell your parents and Hugo unless you tell me the name of who it is."
Rose almost slammed her fists against the counter. "What the fuck is up with people and blackmail?"
"Well you're the most stubborn person alive. You never accept help so the extremes are the only thing that work to get through to you. You'd cut off your own foot before asking for help to remove the shackle surrounding it."
He hit the nail on the head right there, said Greg.
Fuck my overbearing family, Rose thought.
Talk him through it. He's a smart lad. He'll understand, said Marta.
"I really appreciate this," Rose said slowly. "But I'm serious when I say I don't want any more of my family involved. Inadvertently I've affected Dom, Molly, and Lucy. And I'm really worried about that right now. I think I'm close to finding my target and ending this huge mess. It's not the type of work you're used to, and I'd rather you focus on your midterms and whatnot that you have right now for school."
Louis left the couch to join her in the kitchen, picking up a spoon and stirring the pot of water that had not yet reached a boil. Rose raised her eyebrow at him. He seemed lost in his own mind.
"I'm worried about it. I didn't take the whole thing seriously when I read the contract and didn't really realise what you were doing, but the physical effects are taking their toll on you – I don't want you to be hurt."
Rose wrapped an arm around Louis and hugged him. He felt tense and awkward with the contact.
"I've got Scorpius and you can never tell anyone I said this – but he's probably the best thing that could have happened right now. I'll be fine. It'll all turn out alright."
She let him go and actually put pasta in the water so Louis would be doing something helpful. But then he put down the spoon and leaned against the cupboard instead.
"Is he a decent bloke? I thought you hated him? Because of everything that happened at Hogwarts."
Why was she having this conversation with Louis? "He's changed. I've changed. And we've both come a long way from then. I don't know. That's the short end of it."
He shrugged. "Alright. I'll drop it then." He still had a curious look on his face though. "I really don't want to stick around for your food. I'll probably leave. Are you sure you don't want help for anything? I can research into something?"
The sudden thought that popped into Rose's head was too irresistible to ignore. "Look into the Reds Inconnu, I guess, since you're so insistent. Muggle or magical lit in the libraries might say something about them. They've apparently been around for a long time."
Louis nodded and then left her alone in the kitchen watching the linguini cook. She wasn't a great cook by any means, but that didn't mean she couldn't make something as simple as pasta. Scorpius said he'd show up around suppertime, but she didn't know if that meant he would eat or not. She strained the pasta in a colander and then mixed in the sauce.
She didn't hear any doors open, but kept glancing over her shoulder to see if anyone was behind her. She still felt like someone was in the flat, watching her. It was an eerie feeling. She looked in her and her cousins' rooms, but they were all empty – dust gathering on the unused beds. Nobody was in the flat but her … It was silent and she was alone yet she didn't feel alone. She glanced over her shoulder again.
You're not alone, stupid. You have us, said Greg.
You're figments of my imagination. Unreal and a product of my clearly degenerating brain, Rose said back. You're making my head hurt and making me think I'm crazy. You don't belong.
We're you, dearie. Of course we belong, said Marta.
She couldn't argue with that, but how could she really be sure if the voices were a product of her brain and her being?
What else would we be, love? said Greg.
I don't know. Malicious voices?
Daphne's comment about headaches was too close to a problem to ignore. She had been getting a few more headaches than normal – particularly when the voices were talking. It was not a good feeling to think that Daphne had something to do with the voices. But Rose didn't even know of Daphne's existence before moving in with her cousins, so that possibility seemed extremely unlikely. And the fact that Danny, a muggle, would have voices too was just mystifying. Unless someone had snuck into their place to 'poison' them. Which would be rather easy since she didn't have any magical protections around her place then. And just now, finding Daphne on their floor right where steps to the roof were? She had to be breaking into Dom's potion lab.
Rose rubbed her temples. Life was so complicated now. It had been too simple before and now it was a mess. She needed to find a happy medium after this fiasco was over. Nothing sedentary, nothing life threatening, and nothing that she was running away from.
Normal is overrated, said Greg.
Fuck you, unwanted voice.
As far as Rose knew, she and Lucy were the last ones in Dom's greenhouses and potions lab when they were looking for her, so nothing should have changed if she went up and looked now.
She covered up the food and tried to remember how it looked when she last walked in – the disrupted cauldrons, torn plants, and mess all over. Would it be different now? She wasn't sure. But if it was different then it probably meant that Daphne was stealing ingredients or doing something she wasn't supposed to. She pulled her jacket on and zipped it up to her chin before pulling down the stairs and going onto the roof.
From the higher vantage point she was seeing the sun set again. Rose stopped and stared at the glory of colours spilling out over London. It wasn't quite like seeing it from a mountain, or across an ocean, but it was still beautiful in a different way. The globe of the sun slowly went down and Rose stayed standing and staring at it. Only not enjoying it when the wind blew at the loose tendrils of her hair and caused them to stab in her eye. As soon as the sun crossed the horizon, there was nothing else to see because most of the stars in the darkening sky were not visible with the light pollution of the city.
The gravel grinded under her feet and she opened Dom's lab to an unpleasant smell of decay from the plants decomposing. On her first glance it was apparent that someone had been walking around the place. There were multiple 'new' footprints in the dried up spills that were on the floor. Much more than when she and Lucy were last in the place. Also missing were random ingredients – newt tails, a vial of teardrops, a soggy phoenix feather – that last time were strewn all over the workbench and floor.
Rose walked forwards and continued the search by looking under the tables and checking for any surprises. A light knocking on the door made her jump up and knock her head against the underside of the bench.
"Ouch, fuck," she said. As soon as she pulled her head out, she spun around on her feet, wand not at the ready because she sure as hell kept forgetting to carry it on her at all times.
It was just Scorpius taking in the scene. "What happened here?" he said as he walked in. His hair was damp from a fresh shower and he was wearing a pair of grey slacks and a black wind jacket. It looked sharp, but Rose could only frown at the building around her.
"Someone, and I think I know who, has broken in here and stolen supplies and potions ingredients. Well actually, it has probably occurred more than once. Lucy and I were just up here last week when we were looking for Dom and everything looks different now."
"Do you know what they stole?" He was on the ground and looking at the footprints in the dried up potions. "About a size 4 … small feet. And trainers it looks like. I'll increase the security wards on here when we leave. I'm sure there's ingredients that nobody but Dom should be tampering with. Who do you think it is?"
"Yeah that would work. I think an old lady named Rose Daphne who lives in this building a floor below us. She's completely barmy and an old potions whiz – but is under Ministry watch - or supposed to be - because of previous experimentation on humans. I've spotted her a few times standing under the stairs to get up here, but have never actually seen her on the roof."
"It's a possibility. Some of the ingredients Dom grows are illegal, so for a potions whiz it would be a goldmine," said Scorpius as he walked into the greenhouse portion. "Is she … dangerous?"
Rose picked up some broken glassware and set it on a small pile on the workbench. Maybe she'd clean up the place before Dom got home. Sweep and repair what she could.
"I don't know. I think she's connected into my mess of a life somehow, but I'm not sure where. She's certainly someone who's got more of a story than I previously thought. She's always come across as more crazy than dangerous though."
Scorpius poked his head around to look at her, a few blonde wisps falling into his face that he pushed back. "You're life isn't a mess. We'll find Canwood – I got a tip for tonight where Snakebitten members will be."
Rose gave a small grin. "I got a small tip as well. Remember Courtney who worked at Coffee for Kooks? She's finally been fired and we met up a few hours ago. She thinks Canwood will be at Pemty Tavern tonight."
Scorpius looked impressed. "That's exactly what I heard as well."
They left Dom's workstation. Standing outside, Scorpius waved his wand as he murmured under his breath a few times over the place to set up stronger wards. "I'll leave the counter charms at your place – Dom will need to know before getting back in here, but she's in the hospital so we should be fine for now anyway."
Scorpius looked deep in thought on their way down and after they dished up supper back in the flat. His eyebrows were slightly creased and his foot lightly tapping.
His gaze finally met hers and he drummed his fingers once on the table. "I'm just plotting for tonight. How do you feel about Polyjuice potion?"
A/N: What up fast(ish) update! I just want to say thank you to all my reviewers. You all are so appreciated! Much love xoxo
