DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER BUT I DO OWN MY CHARACTERS AND THEIR STORYLINE.
20th of April, 1958
Sitting on the corner of the Slytherin common room, she opened the letter that she had been waiting for a long time. She took a few deep breaths and tore the envelope open. She got the letter inside of it and a smile appeared on her face as she read down the lines.
Miss Rosemarie Sinclair
Holyhead Harpies have sent our recruits to look at you many times and we have decided as a team to offer you a spot in our team as an alternative Keeper for the next season and hopefully, the seasons to come after. We find you fir for our alternative team and we would like for an answer by the end of June.
With all the respect, the manager of Holyhead Harpies, Greta Hopper
After reading the letter a few times, her smile faltered and it was replaced with a scowl. Her dream had come true, but at the end of the day, it was just a dream. She was Rosemarie Sinclair, daughter of William Sinclair, and she had no place in the professional league. She had been lucky to be allowed to play in school, but outside of it, it would be something she wasn't able to do.
She moved her eyes from the letter and turned to look at the lake. There was a fish swimming, alone and it didn't seem to be going anywhere. It looked so free and so happy that Rose started to envy. She couldn't believe she envied a fish, but even a fish had the freedom of making choices and living their life that she didn't. That she never would.
"What are you doing here, Ro?" She turned her head to see Alphard and she frowned. "Didn't you have a snogging session to go to?"
"I rescheduled it." She answered and he raised an eyebrow. She never shied away from doing that. The only time she thought she was free was when she was with a boy of her choosing, a boy she decided to snog and make love to. "Something came up." She threw the letter to him and he caught it.
He read the letter. As he did, he smiled, but soon, that smile faltered to a sad one directed at her. "I'm sorry, Ro."
"It's funny, isn't it? Getting in your dream team, but knowing that your family will never allow it?" She scoffed. "I should have listened to Philip, he was right."
Alphard scoffed. "You might not be able to play outside Hogwarts, Ro, but at least, you'd get to play here." He reminded her and she crossed her arms. It wasn't good enough, she wanted to have that choice to choose her future. Even Alphard's choices were limited, but at least, he had more than her. "And don't listen to Philip. He is still bitter that you stole his place in the team."
That much was true. Her brother was still bitter about it and Rose knew that he would forever be. He loathed her and he showed that with every hex and curse he sent her way whenever she was back home. A part of her had hoped that a career in Quidditch would offer a place away from home.
"He can be such a wanker sometimes." Alphard continued. "When he stands next to Walburga and Cygnus, they look like saints."
Rose cringed just thinking about Walburga's screams that could turn someone deaf. Cygnus, on the other hand, was the rudest, coldest and blandest man she had ever met.
"She's getting married, you know?"
Rose raised an eyebrow. "Who is the unlucky lad?"
"Orion."
Rose blinked a few times, raised her head and looked at her best friend. Alphard was wearing a false smile that burned through her brain. "Orion as in Orion Black?" She repeated. "Your cousin?"
"Second cousin, actually, but that doesn't make it any better." She hummed in agreement. "Since most other pureblood are married or are unstable like Philip, Orion is my father's only choice." At that moment, Rosemarie was glad that her father would never stoop that low. Her great grandfather had been a healer who had tried to warn the other families not to marry relatives, but most of them didn't listen. "So no that Walburga isn't marrying Philip, you know what that means?"
She shook her head and gagged. "Salazar's locket, no..."
"Yes, Ro." She groaned. "They might marry us." She let out a louder groan that made the other Slytherins look at her. As soon as she stopped, they started to whisper about her. She didn't mind as she had become quite familiar with it. "Yes, you and I might be husband and wife."
"I thought you made it clear to your father that you wanted to live the bachelor life in Europe, Al." She reminded him. Although Alphard was one of the better choices, she would never love him like that. She knew that he would never love her like that either. They were close friends and they liked that. They didn't want to ruin that friendship with marriage.
Alphard scoffed. "Do you think my dear father cares what I say?" She pressed her lips together. "Better than me than a Lestrange or a Nott, right?"
"Right," Rose muttered, but she didn't want this. She knew her marriage would be arranged, but she had hoped that the husband would grow to love her. Alphard would never love her like that and she knew that if they got married, it would be a bitter affair with him having more lovers than she could count. She guessed that happiness wasn't the route for her, she had to do what her family wanted to and her sacrifices scarcely mattered.
1st of September 1958
Rose looked down at her clothes and touched the symbol on her cloak. The golden symbols of the Ministry of Magic on her dark blue cloak, a cloak that she had to wear at work. She let out a scoff.
Never in her life had Rosemarie Sinclair had thought she would be working in the Ministry. Her father had said it was better than her to sit around and wait to get married. She knew it was more about him having contacts in more departments in the Ministry. She knew that her father would never sit right, not having those contacts and having his daughter working in one of them was the best option.
Her dreams of playing Quidditch were ruined. Her father had shunned her, her mother had laughed, Philip had mocked her and so many other people had found her a fool. Was she a fool for having dreams? Or was she a fool for thinking she could have them become true?
She shook her head and picked up her bag. She looked around her dark bedroom and left it. She closed the door behind her and walked to the parlour where she knew it was being occupied by the only person she could stand. She sighed in relief when she saw that she had been right. Her brother, Alexander, was in the parlour nursing a drink.
"Isn't it too early to have a drink?" She questioned him as she sat down on the armchair opposite him.
Alexander downed his whole glass. "It's never early when you're married to Angela." He grumbled as he poured another one for himself.
Rose frowned. "You're still fighting?"
"She blames me for the stillborn boy." She gulped down. She had been in the last weeks of Hogwarts when she had received the news from her mother. Angela had been pregnant with their second child, with another boy, when she had some complications which had led to the baby being born without a heartbeat. The healers had been unsuccessful at reviving him. "She said that I didn't protect her from the stress our lives causes."
Rose sighed. "She'll forgive you one day." She assured Alexander. "She loves you and you have a child together, remember?" Rose remembered her brother's wedding day a few years ago. When they had been married, Rose had hoped that her future husband would look at her the way Alexander had looked at Angela. Of course, all that seemed like a dream.
"Sometimes, love and a child aren't enough." She frowned at her brother's statement. Before she could question him about it, he changed the subject. "How are you today?"
"As good as other days." She huffed and leaned against the chair.
He shook his head. "I know you were supposed to start practice today if you had gotten in the team." Alexander was the only one who hadn't laughed. Instead, he had come to her room and held her as she cried for her lost dream. He hadn't said a word, but he had held her and that had been enough.
"If I was allowed to play." She corrected him and he nodded. "But I'm managing." She gulped down. "It hurt that my dream was an arm away from reach, but our father knows best."
"I'm sorry, Rose." He lowered his head to look at her eyes which were identical like his. "At least, you are working now."
She scoffed. "I would rather prefer to be married off rather than be working with mudbloods." She shuddered. Some of them even dared to think they were on the same level as her. It was sad to see that many people live in delusion. "Has he talked to you about that?"
"Since Alphard ran off to Europe with his money, our father doesn't see how you're going to marry him anymore." Rose had been ecstatic when she had heard the news. Her friend had decided for both of them and had made such a good decision for himself. She envied him a lot, but also, she was proud of him. She also knew that as soon as she got married, he would return to England and she would see him again. "He has been thinking of a betrothal between Cain and Cygnus' youngest daughter, Narcissa."
"They're three years old children." She spoke up. "Why is he thinking about marrying them off?"
Alexander downed his other drink and sighed. "Beats me, but he has been thinking about it." She bit her lip and shook her head. All these families cared about was marriage and children, other things didn't matter. "If not them, he wants to have me another child, so he could marry them off to Walburga's future children."
"Is Walburga with child?" She wondered.
He shook his head. "No, but she will be soon." Alexander pointed out and she nodded. He was right, it was the only matter of time. "People have been saying that her kids are going to be the most pureblood kids in years. I think they are forgetting that Walburga and Orion are second cousins."
"It's not the first nor will it be the last marriage inside the family." She shuddered as she said those words.
Their world was a strange one and she envied the other purebloods like the Prewetts and the Longbottoms who weren't part of it. They might be blood traitors, but they still had choices.
"So, what did you say about Cain and Narcissa?"
Alexander shrugged. "I said that I'll see about it. Men are always giving more of a choice on marriages." Rose held a scowl. It was true, though. The men in her family had made choices on marriages. Her father had chosen her mother, the last of the Selwyns, Katherine Selwyn. Alexander had chosen Angela and Philip had chosen not to marry. Although, Philip had done more good to his potential wives than himself. Even Cain would have a say in it. Only her, only Rose had to be forced to marry someone no matter what she said. After all, it was the last name of her husband that mattered, not him.
Suddenly, the door opened to reveal Philip who was wearing his usual sneer. "Father is looking for you, Alexander." He informed their older brother who got up without saying another word. Philip stayed in the parlour for a few seconds and she gripped her wand for safe measures. All he did was scoff at her, smile and leave the room. She didn't bother to read into him, she could never do that and it wasted her time.
15th of May, 1959
Odd, wasn't it? She hated her work and the mundane tasks that it gave her, but at this moment as she was walking the corridors of MACUSA, she was thankful. She wasn't impressed by the city of New York which was dirtier than London could ever be and MACUSA which was too bright and too noisy for her, she was only glad to have that freedom out of her house. She was in a place where she could do whatever she wanted to even if it was for five months.
"Your supervisor in the Ministry explained to you what you're going to do here?" The MACUSA official spoke to her as they neared the Education Department of the MACUSA.
"Yes," Rose answered and cleared her throat. "He told me that I'm going to supervise the OWLs and the NEWTS following the next month, will be controlling the marking system and will see how the new year starts in Ilvermorny." She explained in short words. According to the whole wizarding world, Ilvermorny had the best educational system out of all the big schools of the world. She was supposed to inspect it and give reports to the Ministry when she returned. "He said that there will be someone to help me."
The official hummed. "Yes, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Lucah King." She frowned at the odd name. Was she going to work with mudbloods again? Plus, she had a feeling that he was old enough to be Dippet's age. After all, most professors were old man or women. "There he is."
Rose followed the man's line of vision and her lips parted. She had been wrong about a few things, but the most obvious one was his age. Lucah King was more her age than he was Dippet's age. As they came closer to him, she started to notice how he looked. He was a tall man, taller than her with dirty blonde hair that fell to his forehead and blended with his fair skin. He was wearing creme coloured robes that were more practical than they were formal. When he turned to look at them, Rose was met with the bluest eyes she had ever seen. They were as blue as the day's sky.
He gave them a smile that showed his perfectly straight and white teeth. He was extremely handsome. She wouldn't have minded having him as a professor when she had been seventeen. "Miss Sinclair, this is professor Lucah King." He glanced at her when the official introduced them and Rose took a deep breath. He was even more handsome in person. "Professor King, this is Rosemarie Sinclair."
The two of them shook their hands and she felt her whole body melt under his touch. "Nice to meet you." He spoke to her with a clear and understanding American accent.
"Likewise." She said softly as they stopped shaking hands. A part of her didn't want to let go of his hand.
"I think I can leave you alone now." Professor King nodded in answer to the official and the man left as soon as he could.
"How was your portkey, Miss Sinclair?" He asked as they were left alone.
Rose nodded. "It was as good as a portkey can be." He chuckled at her words. "Please, call me Rosemarie or Rose."
"As you wish." He smiled which caused her knees to go weak. "You can call me Lucah rather than Mr King." At the reminder of his name, Rose strained herself. He could be a mudblood and the last thing she wanted was to fall in love with him. "So, I guess I can tell you in specific details what we're going to do here." He began to say and she nodded. "At first, you will be inspecting my classes and a few of my colleagues..." She wondered how old he was. There was no way that he was in his twenties and a professor unless he was an intelligent man. "You will be conducting that inspection in a few weeks." He explained to her and she nodded. She had to remind herself that she came here to do her job. "After that, you will be supervising the OWLs and NEWTs test. During summer, we will be busy looking at the grading system here, but also, sending the letters to the No-" He cut himself off when he saw her frown. "muggleborn students."
Rose huffed. "I have to deal with mudbloods-" This time, she stopped herself when she saw his eyes burning into her.
"You need to know that we have a more open-minded opinion in the United States when it comes to muggleborns and muggles." His voice that had been warm, had a coldness to it now. "Or better call it, a right opinion, but you're not ready for that talk yet."
She crossed her arms. "How do you know it's right?"
He stared at her for a few seconds and shook his head. "How can you even doubt that? Don't you think that everyone deserves to be treated equally?" Rose opened her mouth to speak, but he didn't let her. "You know what? Don't even answer her." She raised an eyebrow at him. Didn't Americans have proper manners or were they lost on them? "You'll find out you're wrong either way."
Rose doubted that things would go his way, but she let him have his moment and followed him behind.
2nd of July, 1959
Lucah King was the most stubborn, determined and intelligent man that Rose had ever met. Not only was he a good man and a great professor, he cared a lot about people and he had shown her that. It had taken Rose one month and a half to realize how wrong she had been raised.
Everything she was taught about blood supremacy, muggleborns and the muggle wrong was wrong. She felt like she had been blinded by a cloth for years and Lucah removed that cloth from her. He let her saw how the real world was and Rose had fallen in love with it. She had always been a cynic and hateful to her surroundings, but soon, she had learned that there was beauty and happiness in this world.
He hadn't only taught her about the world around her, he also had taught her how to love. Yes, Rosemarie Sinclair had fallen in love with someone in less than two months. Lucah King had managed to exceed every expectation that she had and turn her whole world. She knew that it was wrong, foolish and unprofessional, but that didn't stop her. She had fallen for his intelligence, his wise soul, his love for teaching and his good heart.
Her love for him was one of the reasons why she was in his house in Morrigan, the village next to Ilvermorny. She spent most of her free time with him and it was only reasonable for her to be in his modest house. She had thought that Lucah was comfortable at best, only to learn that the King name was known throughout America and that his father was the most known Auror in the whole country. She guessed that the reason he lived so modestly was because he was a proud man who didn't even like to borrow a knut from his father.
As she got out of the bathroom, she walked in the living rook only to see an instrument by the books. She furrowed her eyebrows as she couldn't remember the name of it, but she had seen many students in Hogwarts play it. She picked it up and walked on the terrace of the house.
Lucah was sitting on the swing of the terrace and he was looking at the stars in the sky. "I didn't know you played this." She mused and he turned around. She saw his face turn scarlet at the sight of the instrument. "What is this called?"
"It's called a guitar." He answered her and she sat down next to him. "I never wanted you to find out."
Rose frowned. "Why? Are you bad at it?"
"No." He told her and she raised an eyebrow. "I just feel embarrassed to tell you why I learned to play it." She tilted her head, waiting for him to tell her. "Promise you won't laugh."
"I promise." She told him.
Lucah sighed. "I learned it because I wanted to impress a girl." She didn't laugh, she felt her insides stir. She found herself being jealous of that girl and wishing that someone would do that for her. "It's embarrassing, isn't it?"
"No, I find it sweet." She responded as she looked away. She didn't dare to look in his eyes in fear of losing herself. "But I still don't believe that you're good at it."
She heard him scoff and she shook her head. She knew that she had hit a nerve and she smiled. She was only waiting for his quick retort.
Instead, she heard him tap on the floor of his floor and he could hear him test out the strings. Rose turned around and saw that he was getting ready to play. Soon, she heard an unfamiliar melody come from the strings and her heart soared. What truly shocked her was his voice.
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know, dear, how much I love you
Please, don't take my sunshine away"
She watched him as he played, lost in the sound and his voice that fit together so well. He had no difficulty singing and she wondered how many times he had played this song before.
"The other night dear, as I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you in my arms
When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken
So I bowed my head and I cried"
Luke turned his head towards her and looked at her. Her jade green eyes met her sky blue ones and they locked with each other. They didn't look away from each other as Lucah continued to play and sing.
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away"
Her heartbeat quickened even more and her gaze softened as she looked at Lucah and heard him sing. As he sang, she wondered if he was singing to her. The way he was looking at her with so much desire, intention, focus and adoration, she couldn't help but think that he was. Was there a chance he returned her feelings for him?
"I've always loved you and made you happy
And nothing else could come between
But now you've left me to love another
You have shattered all of my dreams"
Rose tried to tell herself that she was imagining all of this. It was her mind that was playing tricks with her because she was sure he didn't feel the same. He was smarter than falling for her. She was going to leave at the beginning of November, get married and never see him again. He knew better than to fall for her as she had with him.
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away"
He finished the song and without looking away, he put his guitar down. Rose took a deep breath as she could hear the beat of her heart and felt her whole body be overwhelmed by her senses. She looked down and pressed her lips together. What was wrong with her? Why did she have to fall for him?
She felt his hand under her chin and he lifted it. Her eyes widened when she saw that he was close to her, close enough for their noses to touch. Because of this closeness, she could feel her heart start beating faster and she was sure t was going to fall out of her chest.
Lucah moved his hand from her chin to her cheek. He started to caress it and she felt her cheeks flush. "Rose?" She frowned at him calling her name, but she realized he was asking for permission. She gave him a nod and he tilted his head so their lips could meet.
When they did, Rose's heart almost exploded in her chest at the contact. Her whole body melted, her brain shut off and she leaned closer to him, giving all of her to him.
Kissing Lucah came easy and natural to her. It was nothing compared to the kisses she had shared before. It was soft and yet passionate, it was everything she could dream about but even more. She wondered why hadn't she done this before. His lips were a taste of heaven and she was going to enjoy that taste for as long as she could.
The kiss didn't last for long because the need for air became too much. She let out a deep breath and Lucah sighed after they pulled away. She squeezed her eyes shut and rested their foreheads together.
"Rose?" She heard him call her name.
Rose opened her green eyes and when she saw his blue eyes, that had darkened with desire, she knew that she had entered a hole that would be hard to climb up. "It's alright." But she didn't care. She knew that she couldn't have Lucah for long, but she decided she was going to enjoy the time that they had left.
3rd of November, 1959
She hadn't been able to sleep all night. She had tried too many times, but she had failed again and again. She would have thought not sleeping would make her tired, she wasn't. She was too focused on the fact that she would be leaving today. In less than an hour, she would be leaving the man that she loved and who loved her back. She had finally gotten what she wanted and it was being ripped away from her.
His arm was wrapped around her body while her head was resting on his chest. She could hear his steady breathing and his calm heartbeats. Every part of her body wanted to be able to hear those two sounds all of her life. She would give her whole old life back just to be with him forever and she knew he would everything for that too. Yet it was still impossible for them to continue and there was no happy ending for them.
Suddenly, Rose felt someone press a kiss on her head and her body relaxed. "Good morning, beautiful." He said softly in her ear and her whole body shuddered. She turned her head to him and smiled at him. Without wasting a second, Lucah leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.
She sighed into the kiss before she pulled him closer to her. Last night, they had made love for several hours until they couldn't anymore. She knew that she needed him one more time, one last time. Her hands moved to his head and her fingernails scraped his scalp while his hands moved down to explore every inch of her body.
He pulled away from the kiss and started to press kisses on her cheek, jaw and neck. She smiled at him kissing her neck and soon, she let out a whimper when he bit her down lightly.
The moment was ruined when his alarm clock rung making them jump apart. Those moments of bliss fell and both of them were faces with the reality that she was leaving, never to be seen again.
"You need to go to work." She reminded him as she sat up and looked around for her clothes. She noticed that they had been thrown around without the care of the world.
Lucah cleared his throat. "You're right." He muttered.
She got up and started to get dressed. She did as fast as she could feel as she felt her stomach grumble. She put her hand over her mouth as she felt a wave of nausea come to her.
"Are you okay?" She heard him ask her.
Rose couldn't respond as she felt the nausea becoming worse. She rushed to the bathroom, opened the toilet and not even one minute later, she found herself vomiting. She could feel her body get cold, her sight blurry and her knees growing weak.
When she was done, she flushed her toilet and got up. She walked to the sink and washed her face. "Did you just puke?" She hard Lucah answer as she grabbed her toothbrush. She nodded at him. "What did you eat yesterday?"
"Nothing that could have caused me to puke." She explained to him and he frowned. "It might just be because I'm stressed to go." She started to brush his teeth and Lucah shook his head.
After she finished, he moved closer to her. "Are you sure you can travel?" She nodded her head. "You can stay for one more day, can't you?"
"It won't make a difference, will it?" He pressed his lips together and she moved closer to him. "I wish I could stay, but you know I can't." He gave her a curt nod. "I love you, Lucah." It wasn't the first time she was saying to him, it was the last.
He gathered himself and straightened his back. "I love you too, Rose." He closed the distance between them pulling her into another kiss. He kissed her with every fibre of his being, making her lose herself in the kiss and forget everything around her. He was saying all the things that remained unsaid through her things and she was telling him everything too.
Their story had been beautiful, amazing, thrilling and an experience that she would never forget, it also had been brief, short and with many things left unexplored.
They took their kiss to the living room when they continued their way. They kissed, cuddled and whispered to each other until it was the time for her to leave.
Soon, she found herself in the fireplace, looking at him through it with tears in her eyes and holding the powder. He gave her a nod and she offered him a smile before she threw the dust on her. "MACUSA." With that, the sight of Lucah was gone and she let a tear slip down her eyes.
Their story was officially over and she could nothing about it.
After two hours, Rose found herself walking back to the mansion of her house. As she walked towards it, she found herself not missing it all. Not even once had she felt homesick and the only person she had missed was her brother. The others were forgotten to her.
"Mistress Rosemarie!" She turned her head to see their house-elf, Poppy walk towards her. Rose smiled. She guessed that she had missed the house-elf as well. As the house-elf came closer to her, Rose saw her smile die down.
"Are you alright, Poppy?" She asked the house-elf as they stepped in the house.
"Poppy is alright, miss." The house-elf responded. "Poppy is just worried about the mistress and her baby."
Rose's body froze, her face fell and her body shivered at what the house-elf said. She made a double-take and her heartbeat moved faster than it ever heard before.
She looked down at her stomach and wondered if it was true. Was there a chance that she was pregnant? Or was Poppy wrong?
"What did Poppy just say, Rosemarie?"
She turned her head to see her father. He was coming out of the shadows with his arms crossed and his face a scowl. When she saw him, Rose knew that her world had just taken a turn for the worst.
17th of February, 1960
Rose looked down to the light brunette baby and smiled. "She's so beautiful, Angela." She spoke to her sister in law about her new niece, Elena. "She looks a lot like you." While her whole family had been upset over the news of her pregnancy, they had been celebrating Angela's pregnancy for months before that. Everyone had talked about how the birth of Elena was a miracle while the birth of Rose's child was going to be a curse in the family.
"She is." Angela brought her daughter closer to her. "She's a true Sinclair, isn't she? Born of love, trust and marriage." Rose narrowed her eyes at her sister in law. The past few months, she had been talking about how pure her child was compared to Rose's.
Rose wanted to snap at Angela, but she kept her mouth shut. It wouldn't matter what she said, her child would always be less in the eyes of her family, the Ministry and the law. "Yes, she is." She muttered as she felt herself in the brink of tears.
Her attention was stolen when Cain came into the room and rushed towards his mother's bed. "Can I see Elena? Can I see Elena?"
"You just saw her a minute ago," Angela grumbled.
"I want to see her again." He insisted and Angela showed her the baby. The boy began to laugh. "She's so red! she's like a tomato!" He beamed and continued to laugh. Rose smiled while Angela huffed. She was about to respond to her son when someone knocked on the door.
"Come in," Angela called and Rose turned to see who it was.
Her jaw fell and her eyes widened when she saw Alphard come in the room. He had changed a lot, but the most obvious ones were his long hair and his new beard.
"Al?" She sputtered. "What are you doing here?"
He didn't even acknowledge her question, he spoke to Angela. "Congratulations are in order, Angela." Rose looked at him and wondered why he was here. "She's such a beautiful baby. You and Alexander are so lucky."
Angela smiled. "Thank you." She glanced at her daughter. "She is, isn't she?"
"She sure is." Alphard drawled and their eyes met. She shot him a questioning look, but he ignored her. "Cain, how much you've grown? Are you heading to Hogwarts next year?"
The boy pouted his lips. "No, I'm only five."
"You look eleven to me." Cain smiled at him. At that moment, Alphard glanced at her. "Rose, how are you?" Before she could answer him, he grabbed her arms. "Can I speak to you privately?" She didn't answer him and led her outside the room.
"What's going on?" She asked him.
Alphard pressed his lips in a thin line. "We need to go to the parlour." He dragged her down the stairs and didn't even allow her to ask questions.
Rose entered the parlour to find her father, her mother and her two brothers. None of them looked at her as she entered the room, they were looking at one person. They were looking at Lucah.
Her eyes widened, her body became numb and her hands fell to her tiny bump. "Lucah?" She called his name and he immediately got up. He was about to walk towards her, but her father's voice stopped him.
"Sit down." He ordered with his usual cold voice. While Lucah didn't move, he sat down. "I just want to know why did you think bringing him here was a good idea, Alphard."
Rose turned to her best friend with raised eyebrows. He gulped down and shrugged. "I think it was the best choice when Ro told me about it." She frowned as she hadn't written to him about it. Her parents had told her to keep it a secret and she had done that. She glanced on the other side of the room when she saw Alexander let out a sigh of relief. It had been him who had informed Alphard.
"I don't want to waste any of your times." Lucah began to speak as he looked directly at her father. "I just want to take Rose and my child..." He trailed off as his eyes drifted to her bump. "with me in America." His voice was secure and he stood straight, showing no fear to her father.
"What makes you think I would give my daughter to an American professor?" Her father scoffed and he shook his head. "Filthy bloodtraitor."
Lucah winced and she saw his body shiver. "I'm the father of that child." He pointed out. "And if I'm not mistaken, no one will take her when she has a child." She saw him flinch at his own words.
"My daughter might be a whore, but she's a beautiful one." Rose crossed her arms and bit her lip to prevent her tears. "I got families lined up to take her." Her eyes widened as she hadn't been aware of this news. "Without the baby, of course."
Rose raised her head and pursed her lips. "Wherever I go, this baby goes with me." She declared.
"You don't get to choose, you whore." Philip snarled at her and Rose gripped the front of her dress. She had been avoiding him since she learned she was pregnant. She was scared of what he'd do her child.
Her mother, Katherine Sinclair cleared her throat. "She gets to choose." Rose frowned. "It's her baby, it's her responsibility." Her mother had been distant with her, but it seemed like she had changed her mind. "She made her bed and now, she's going to lie on it." Rose's hopes diminished when her mother glared at her. "How about you, Mr King? Will your family support you in bringing a pregnant girl home?"
Lucah gulped down and Rose frowned. "I have yet to discuss it with my father." She tried to think if his father would help her, but she didn't know. She had met Jeremiah King once. While the man had been friendly, these situations brought the worst in people. Plus, the Kings had quite the reputation to uphold.
"She won't come with you." William declared as he got up from his seat. "Rosemarie loves attention, money and causing trouble for everyone. Even if your father supported, I am for sure that you don't live the life that we live." Lucah narrowed his eyes at him and took a deep breath. "Your journey here is pointless."
"I can provide her and our child with safety." Lucah insisted and she pressed her lips together. While safety was good, it wasn't good enough for her.
"My sister doesn't want safety, she wants money and luxury." Philip scowled and Rose felt her eyes fill with tears. "She wants diamonds, professor, not your old books." She steadied her breath and looked down.
Silence followed his words and it was like everyone was waiting for someone to speak. No one did and Rose wondered if they were waiting for her to do so.
"So, Rosemarie..." Her father drawled and with hesitation, she raised her head. "What do you want? Do you want a luxurious life that offers you and your child the best of the best or do you want to live with the professor who can only offer you wisdom?" Her lips trembled and her body began to shake. "And if you do choose him, forget us. Forget your family, your old life, your fortune and even your heroic friend here." He sneered at Alphard. "So, what's your choice, Rose?"
Her heart started to beat fast, she felt her lungs suffocate her and her brain wasn't working properly. It was as if the air inside her had been drained and she was left with emptiness. She leaned her body against the nearest table and started to take deep breaths.
"Stop it with the melodramatics, Rosemarie." Philip retorted. "Just tell us what you want."
For the first time in her life, Rosemarie Sinclair had a choice to make. A choice that was leaving her breathless and speechless, a choice that was making her world spin. She couldn't even wrap her head on the options she was given, it was too much.
"Rose?" She heard Lucah call her and a sob escaped her.
Finally, she gathered the courage inside of her and looked him straight in the eyes. "I'm-I'm sorry, Lucah." Her voice cracked.
The light in his blue eyes disappeared and his face turned pale at her words. He narrowed his eyes and cleared his throat. "Thank you for your time." Without another look at her, Lucah exited the parlour and Alexander followed her behind.
She meant to follow him and even called his name, but Alphard gripped her elbow and pulled her back. "It's too late now, Ro." He told her. She held her body tight and gripped his arm trying not to burst into tears. "Calm down," Alphard whispered in her ear. "It's not good for the baby for you to stress."
4th of July, 1960
"Push, Miss Sinclair. Push." The healer told her as Rose felt sweat form on her forehead. She was alone in her room with a healer that her family paid and about to give birth to her child. "You just need two more pushes."
She took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut. Again, she pushed with all that she had. She just wanted to get this done with as soon as she could. After she was done with her push, she rested her head on the pillow and let out a groan.
"I can see the head of the baby." The healer informed her and Rose felt her eyes tear up. She bit her lip and had to stop herself from crying. "Just one more, okay? You'll be done."
Rose nodded her head, breathed out and bit her lip. She pushed harder than ever before which made her let out a scream.
Her scream died down when she heard a baby crying. She looked up and saw the healer holding a baby. Her baby was covered in blood and was crying as loud as they could. "It's a girl." The healer informed her and Rose let out a choked laugh. Her wish had come true, she had gotten herself a girl.
Rose's green eyes started to fill with tears and she felt her lips trembling. The healer started to walk towards her with her daughter in her hands. "Meet your mother, little one." She straightened up and soon, her daughter was placed in her hand.
Rosemarie Sinclair had never believed in love at first sight. She always thought that you needed to know someone before you fell in love. As soon as she got a proper look of her daughter, she fell in love at first sight. At that moment, she truly believed that she had found her true love in the form of her daughter.
A few seconds after, the baby's cries started to dial down and after a while, she opened her eyes to the world. Rose smiled down at her daughter and a tear fell down her cheek. Her daughter's dark blue eyes met hers and she stared at her.
"Hello, Evelyn." She greeted her daughter as her smile widened. "I'm your mum." Evelyn continued to stare at her.
"Evelyn is such a good name." The healer told her and Rose hummed in agreement. She had decided to name her daughter after Lucah's mother who had passed away two years ago. "What's her second name?" Rose looked up with a frown. "I need it for the birth certificate."
Rose gulped down and glanced at her daughter one more time. "Sinclair King." The words escaped her mouth before she could even stop them. When she realized what she had said, Rose took a minute to think over it. Her daughter could never be just a Sinclair or even just a King, just from the look in her eyes, she knew her daughter was both. "Her full name is Evelyn Katherine Sinclair King."
18th of January, 1961
The whimper that came out of her daughter's mouth made Rose wake up as soon as she heard it. She blinked a few times and glanced at her daughter's crib. She could feel her daughter was ready to cry. She got up from her bed and walked towards the crib.
"Are you hungry?" She asked her daughter who pouted her lips. "Of course, you are." She smiled and picked her up.
After that, she walked towards the chair next to the window, opened the drapes and sat on her chair. She lifted her shirt and began to breastfeed her daughter.
While she was breastfeeding her daughter, Rose felt as if someone was in her house, having a conversation. She tilted her head and she was sure that she was hearing some voices that didn't belong to her family members. She furrowed her eyebrows as she continued to feed her daughter.
Soon, Evelyn fell asleep in her arms and Rose put her in the crib. She was about to lay down on her bed when she heard the voices again.
Curiosity started to get the best of hers and Rose decided to see what happened. As soon as she stepped close to the staircase, she heard the voices.
"Why should I trust him, Abraxas?" She heard her father question who she guessed was Abraxas Malfoy. "You said to himself that his father was a muggle. How can I trust a half-blood?"
"He's a Gaunt, William." Abraxas Malfoy told her father and she frowned. Who were they talking about? "The heir of Salazar Slytherin." Rose's eyes widened and she decided to continue listening.
"I thought the Gaunts all died when Morfin went to Azkaban." Her father said what Rose had been thinking. She wondered who was this man and what he was planning to do. "How am I to trust a half-blood, I repeat?"
"Our Dark Lord is someone who will finally do what Grindelwald left off." Rose's eyes widened and her body began to shiver. "He wants a world where pureblood rules and the others are nothing but scum." Her heart started to beat and she gulped. This couldn't be happening again. They didn't need another Grindelwald again. So many innocent lives, wizards or muggles, had been lost during Grindelwald's terror.
"Father, he wants you and your support." She shook her head when she heard Philip's voice. Of course, he would be behind this. He would love the opportunity just to hurt people. "He is going to give us and our ancestors what they wanted." She felt tears well up in her eyes and she pressed her lips together. She knew her family wasn't good, but she would have never had thought they were this bad. Bad enough to kill people just because of their blood status.
"When will we meet this Lord Voldemort?"
Rose put her hand over her mouth when she heard Alexander's voice. He wasn't perfect, but Alexander was better than this. He never cared about blood status and what it meant, he just wanted to do what their father told him to.
She couldn't hear it anymore. She rushed to her room and closed the door as quietly as she could. She couldn't believe her ears nor the words that came out of her family. She couldn't believe that this was happening. She couldn't believe her family was going to join a dark wizard to wipe anyone who wasn't a pureblood or had magical abilities.
Running a hand through her hair, Rose began to pace around the room. Her life was a mess since she was born and for a minute, she thought it was getting better. This conversation proved that things could get a lot messier than she thought. How could she even live with these people and their mentality? How could she go another day?
When her eyes drifted to her sleeping daughter, Rose got her answer.
She wasn't going to deal with this anymore. She was going to get her daughter and leave this family, she was going to do what she should have done months ago. She wasn't going to let Evelyn be raised in the same environment as her. She needed to leave, go to Lucah and talk things through. Before she did that, she needed to go to the Ministry and tell them what she had just heard.
22nd of January, 1961
"Al, please." She begged him as they stood before the park close to his house. "It's better for the three of us to leave."
Alphard shook his head. "I can't, Ro."
"You can't or won't?" She snapped at him and his grey eyes turned cold.
"You shouldn't judge me when a few months ago, you made the same choice." He hissed at her.
"Which was a mistake." She reminded him. "It's better to leave than stay and let these people rule our lives."
Again, he shook his head. "I can't and I won't." He insisted. "I can't piss off my father again, not even for you." She looked away and gripped Evelyn's stroller. "I'm sorry, Ro. I love you and Evelyn, but I want to stay. I don't want to leave with you two."
Rose remembered Alphard's last words to her as she stood before Lucah's door. Evelyn was sleeping on her stroller, their bags were on the floor and her body was shivering from the cold. She hoped that Lucah would open the door soon. The last thing she wanted was for Evelyn to get sick.
The door opened, but Lucah wasn't behind it. There stood a woman with ivory skin, soft brown hair and matching brown eyes. Rose had no idea who she was and she cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. Is Lucah here?" For a minute, she thought he moved out of the house. Her thoughts were stopped when she heard his voice.
"Who's there, Theresa?"
Soon, Lucah appeared in the doorway and his eyes widened when she saw her and the stroller. Rose bit her lip and fidgeted with her fingers. An awkward silence filled their ears for a few seconds before Lucah shook his head.
"Come in, Rose." He opened the door wider allowing her and their daughter to enter his house.
A few minutes later, Rose found herself in his living room. Theresa went to Lucah's bedroom and closed the door behind her. Her and Lucah were left alone with Evelyn who was still sleeping in the stroller.
"What's the baby's name?" Lucah wondered as he stared at the stroller.
Rose shifted. "Her name is Evelyn." He looked away from the stroller and his wide gaze turned to her. "Evelyn Katherine Sinclair King." Lucah's face paled and he rubbed the bridge of her nose.
Without a word, she got up and walked towards the stroller. "What are you doing? She's sleeping, isn't she?"
"She has slept a bit too much," Rose muttered under her breath as she picked up Evelyn. Her daughter yawned and Rose smiled. "Plus, she would rather meet her father rather than sleep."
Lucah froze as Rose neared him. She shot him a questioning look and he nodded his head. As careful as she could be, she placed her daughter in the arms of Lucah. When Lucah smiled down at their daughter, Rose bit her lip. She had almost stopped this from happening. She prevented Evelyn and Lucah from meeting and she thought she was some sort of a monster. How could she have wanted to leave her daughter without a father?
"What happened, Rose? Why are you here?" Lucah asked as she sat down. He didn't look away from Evelyn, he kept studying her and Evelyn was doing the same.
She sighed. "I couldn't do it anymore, Lucah, I couldn't stay with them anymore." She admitted and gulped down. "I know I made a mistake and I know it's going to take a long time for you to-"
"I have moved on," Lucah informed her and she felt her stomach twist. She didn't have to guess with who, she had just met the woman a few minutes ago. "We can't go back to what we were."
"I never wanted to." She lied through her teeth. "I didn't come here for that." Again, she lied. She had hoped that with time, Lucah would forgive her and they would be together. They would get married, raise Evelyn together and even have a few other kids. "I just wanted to talk about Evelyn. Nothing else."
Lucah gave her a curt nod and directed his attention to Evelyn again. "What about this little munchkin?" Rose smiled when she saw her daughter smile at the voice Lucah made.
"I'm going back to Britain." She informed him and Lucah's smile died down. "I talked to the Ministry about a few things and they offered me my old job back. I accepted it." She lied once again. They had offered her a job due to the information she had given, Rose had yet to accept. "A life in Britain will be better and I think Evelyn being with me will be better as well."
He scowled at her. "Are you going to take her away from me again?"
"No, of course not." She told him. "She'll come to visit you in American holidays, family occasions and even your birthday." She explained. "I just think our daughter needs to be closer to her mother more." After all, Lucah was a stranger to Evelyn and her daughter was already trying to call her name.
"How about education?" Luke questioned her and she had to suppress a laugh. Of course, he would ask about that. "Hogwarts or Ilvermorny?"
Rose tilted her head and bit the inside of her cheek. "How about we let her decide that?"
February 27th, 1961
Rose breathed out and looked around her bedroom. She had been lucky when Jeremiah King had offered her money for her to buy a house for his granddaughter. The man wanted Evelyn to have the best house in one of the best London neighbourhoods, and he had achieved that.
She didn't want to get his money at first, she thought that she could live better in a rent-controlled flat, but the man had insisted. She had accepted in one condition and that was to pay off every money he had spent. He had agreed.
Now, she and Evelyn were living in a townhouse with two floors and an attic in Chelsea, London. It was the perfect place for her daughter to grow up and Rose loved every part of her. she also liked that she had another wizarding family as neighbours who had a son at the same age as Evelyn. She had a house of her own and one day that house was going to belong to her daughter. This was better than she could ever dream of.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard her daughter cry. Without wasting time, she walked to the nursery and rushed to pick her daughter. She tried to rock her daughter, but Evelyn wouldn't stop crying.
She groaned and shook her head. As she looked outside the window, she saw that the sun had come out of the clouds and it was shining in the garden. An idea came to her mind and she decided to go with it.
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away"
"The other night dear, as I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you in my arms
When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken
And I hung my head and cried"
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away"
"I'll always love you and make you happy
If you will only say the same
But if you leave me to love another
You'll regret it all someday"
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away"
"You told me once dear, you really loved me
And no one else dear could come between
But now you've left me and love another
You have shattered all my dreams"
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away"
When Rose finished the song, Evelyn had stopped crying and was drifting to sleep. As she looked at Evelyn, Rose realized that Evelyn was her sunshine. As long as no one took her sunshine away, Rose knew she would always be alright.
This has to be one of my top five characters of the whole AWN including the future chapters. I love the relationship between Rose and Evelyn and it's one of the most important ones if not the most important relationship. Rose is such an interesting character and I thought her development is pretty important to show, especially since she was like most Slytherin kids in Evelyn's year. Of course, her relationship with Lucah, although one that is ended, it's important to show, especially since it helped them become the people that they are today. Please, let me know what you thought of the chapter in the reviews.
Mlvh: The club is supposed to make this girls safe with one another and to help them support each other. Right now, the club is doing that. While this phenomenon is in a few places in the world, it's not that widely known and most people criticize these women who try to defy a few things. But yeah, we need more clubs, initiatives or any kind of gathering with women, especially when it comes to body standards and the real body positivity.
ProudSlytherin04: I'm glad to hear that you enjoy the story so much and that you find me a good writer. I hope you enjoy this chapter and the other chapters to come.
Thank you for favouriting, following and reviewing the story. It's much appreciated.
Next up, Summer Wedding
