*Note: In this story, Tony decided to continue with the Expo much earlier on. This story starts in 2003, when Rosemary is about 7*
If Rosemary could stay on that plane forever, she would. She was seated three whole rows away from her relatives the entire flight, so she didn't have to worry about them for hours. The stewardess even gave her free nuts and some water! It was the closest thing to peace she had ever had. Switching planes at New York had been tricky, her Aunt and Uncle not really caring if they lost her, but she made it to the second one just fine with the help of the maps in the airport.
Sadly, however, she couldn't stay there forever, and the plane had to land eventually. After getting off the plane Rosemary went to pick up all of the Dursley's bags. She had to lug the trolley full of their things from baggage claim all the way to where they were waiting out in the parking lot.
"Hurry up girl! If you take any longer you won't get dinner tonight!" yelled Mr. Dursley.
"Yes sir, I'm sorry," Rosemary said quietly. She loaded the luggage into the rental car while the Dursleys got into the car. As soon as she got into the car she was fixed with a glare from her Uncle.
"Now listen here, you freak. If there is even one sign of your freakish ways I will not hesitate before giving you another lesson, do you understand? You are to be silent, invisible and only there when we call for you," he spat.
"Yes sir, I understand. Invisible, silent only there when you call." Rosemary replied quickly, panic tingling down her spine at the thought of not being able to escape those "lessons" with her Uncle.
"Good. That starts now. I don't want to hear a peep out of you."
The drive was thankfully uneventful from there. Dudley had tried to get a reaction from her by yanking her hair a few times but Rosemary stayed quiet and he soon lost interest and fell asleep. Staring out of the window and watching the scenery was a novel thing for her. She wasn't often let into the car, and when she was, she was usually shoved between Dudley and one of his stupid spent the full hour drive from the airport to where they would be staying, watching the cars pass by and listening to another one of Vernon's rants about something or other.
The hotel they were staying at was rather nice. Rosemary was very excited about it. While she knew she would have to stay in the room all day while her relatives went to visit their family, she actually got her own room. It was much smaller and not as nice as the Dursley's but that was to be expected. She was very much looking forward to sleeping in an actual bed for once instead of the thin crib mattress she had in her cupboard. And it was likely that she could get some of the hotel breakfast if she got down there early enough. It's not like the Dursleys would wake up before 10 anyways.
When Rosemary Sage finally made it to her room she was exhausted. She had spent the afternoon unpacking everyone's luggage and ironing out their clothes while the Dursleys went sightseeing and ate dinner. While it wasn't the most labor intensive afternoon she'd ever had, not by miles, she was jet lagged and sore from sitting on the plane for so long. She was kicked out of her Aunts and Uncles room when they arrived, but without getting a good few smack "for good measure" from Vernon.
She opened her door and found a small room. In it was a small twin sized bed with two pillows and a red comforter, a small desk by the window and two chairs. There was also a small dresser, not that Rosemary had anything to put in it, and a door that led to a bathroom. To most people the room might be a tight fit or not up to their standards, but to Rosemary it was paradise and the best room she'd ever have, even if only for a little while. Setting an alarm and crawling into the incredibly soft bed still in her traveling clothes, Rosemary went to bed with a smile on her face and thoughts of the possible breakfast tomorrow.