DISCLAIMER: Obviously not JK Rowling. All ideas are my own :) Sorry if these chapters are shorter at the moment, I'm really struggling with writer's block. I know exactly where this story is going but I can't seem to form my ideas into writing! The story is slowly starting to pick up pace, but for now, enjoy!
I slept through my alarm (again), which prompted Ciara and Astrid to whack me with pillows until I got up.
Ciara has been acting a bit off around me lately, and I think it's because of her going to the ball with James, so I pull her aside to let her know I'm okay with it.
"Ciara, honestly, I have no problems with you going to the ball with James. I know he's my cousin, but I can see how well-suited you are."
"Thanks Rose, but that's not exactly it.", she replies, giving me a half-hearted smile.
"Okay, then what is it?", I say, which probably comes out slightly rudely. I am not known for being tactful at the best of times.
"I gathered when you found out about James taking me to the ball that you probably had no idea, but."
She's stumbling over her words, clearly looking awkward and agitated.
Spit it out! I want to say, but choose not to, whatever it is she is clearly worked up by it.
"James and I have been seeing each other since term began. We owled each other over the summer, and I promise I didn't think it would be anything more than a bit of fun. But I really like him Rose, I really do."
A nervous smile appears on her face, she is wide-eyed and hopeful.
That was what she was bothered about telling me? Bless her, she must have thought I was going to go mad at her. But I do mean it when I say that I am really happy for her. I've seen the way they've interacted in the past couple of weeks, flirtatious glances when they think no one else is looking, coincidentally leaving lunch at the same time. Now it all makes sense!
"Ciara I am really happy for you. And I mean that. You are one of my best friends and James is one of my favourite cousins, I can't think of anyone better for him".
To this she grins widely, lets out a huge intake of breath, and wraps her arms around me, swaying me side to side.
"Oh thank you Rose. You have no idea how much this means to me. James was so scared to tell you that I said I'd do it, and because he was scared I then got scared that you were going to freak out", she laughs as she speaks, relief evident in her eyes.
We say bye to each other, and hug once more, before she bounds down the stairs, like an excited little puppy.
It's cute that the think they need my blessing. It's only because Ciara's my friend though, us cousins don't usually have to give each other permission to date, it's not the 18th century.
As she leaves, Eliza enters. We ignore each other, as we usually do, but I can't help but think that there is something odd about her today, something misplaced. Her bitchy smile is absent, and she looks like she has been crying. She throws on her Gryffindor jumper, and runs out, leaving approximately 30 seconds after entering.
Rain violently lashes against the windows of the Gryffindor tower. I make my way over to the window seat, swinging my legs up and clutching them, watching the storm lurking ini the background.
I look down, and see Albus fighting with Nott. I seem to have missed the beginning of it, Nott and Al are squaring up to each other, forehead against forehead, before Nott swings at Albus, knocking him on his jaw. Al clutches his face, his damp hair sticking to his forehead, before suddenly turning around and aggressively pushing Nott back, who stumbles to the floor. Before the fight can escalate, Malfoy has grabbed Nott, keeping him lying on the floor, muttering furiously in his ear. Zabini has a hold on Al, restraining him, while Al fights against his arms, trying to get another hit.
Whatever Al said to me, about Nott "sticking his nose in places where it doesn't belong", has finally come to ahead. It is clearly much more serious than Nott being nosey, as Al doesn't fight, he doesn't get aggressive.
Nott is fighting against Malfoy, trying to get up, his face bright red, chest heaving. He looks like a bull that has just seen a red flag. Al, on the other hand, has managed to free himself from Zabini's grasp, and is stalking away.
The difference between Nott and Al though, is that while they both look angry, furious even, Al looks more upset. I can see tears starting to well up in his eyes, as he brushes at his face. He breaks into a quick run, and I know I have to follow him. I have to make sure my best friend is okay.
—
My Tuesday's are always a nice day, as all my free periods line up, so I have the day off of lessons.
Al clearly doesn't want to be found. I go down to the dungeons, hoping that someone will have seen him making his way to his dormitory, but am instead faced with the other people involved in his fight.
"Tell Potter that next time I see him Weasley he is dead meat. I don't care whether it messes up our chances of beating you lot at Quidditch next week."
Nott is like a spitting cat. I know, from previous experiences, that he has a nasty temper, but I've never seen him so worked up before.
"Fuck off Nott", I retort angrily, "Whatever you did you probably deserved a punch to the face. God knows you've deserved it for a while".
I know I shouldn't have poked the bear, but I couldn't help it. I regret it however, almost instantly.
To this, Nott shoves me up against the wall, and pins my arms against my side. I can see the angry fury burning in his eyes.
Unlike when Malfoy pushed me against the wall, Nott's face is at a distant from mine, not snarling in my ear like Malfoy did.
He snarls at me, looks me up and down, and says, "I don't know what Malfoy sees in you Weasley. You're just an ugly, frizzy-haired know-it-all."
The reality of his words don't compute until later.
Tears sting my eyes, but I blink them away quickly, and think of the only thing that will get him off of me, I have no one around to help me.
So I spit in his face, and shove him off me. Vile, I know. I have never done that to someone before and never intend to again. But I am justified in saying it was self-defense. I was genuinely scared. Violently pinned up against a wall by someone I can't stand, and by someone who is about 100 pounds heavier than me.
He recoils, wiping his face. He looks even more mad than before. Zabini and Malfoy are stood watching, and Zabini looks slightly impressed. Malfoy, on the other hand, looks angry. Whether it was Nott's catty comment implying Malfoy "sees something in me", which I know to be bollocks and just to get a rise out of me, or me spitting in Nott's face, whatever it was it has riled him up.
I shove Nott off of me, and smile at him sweetly before saying.
"I'd watch out if I were you Nott, you've probably got one of my diseases now".
It is the only thing that comes to mind and honestly I'm not mad at myself for saying it. Victoire once told me that if you make fun of yourself, other people can't do it for you, as it's not the same. The sting that comes from an insult is weakened if you have already done it yourself.
He snarls at me once more, lunging forward, but Zabini grabs him back and pulls him away. Giving me one final glare, Nott stalks away. Zabini gives me a half smile, before following him.
I am grateful for Zabini in this moment, although he didn't help me when pinned up against the wall, he held Al back from doing something he would regret.
I glare at Nott's back as he retreats, before Malfoy says quietly, "You know you shouldn't have done that".
"Well what would you've done if you were held against your will?", I retort angrily, "Do you have a better idea?".
"You're a witch aren't you?", He speaks calmly, raising one eyebrow.
I've never seen this side to Malfoy before. It makes a change from the arguing in Potions class, or the awkwardness of him giving me the letter. For a second, I almost think he is sorry for the way Nott treated me, but then my confusion is answered, when he tells me what he really wants.
"Have you managed to read the letter yet?", he asks, the awkward persona from yesterday appearing once more.
"No. I don't know how I'm meant to get into it. I was up late researching it last night, and can't figure it out"
"Of course you were, swot.", he jests, giving me a cheeky smile.
"Well clearly you want to know as much as I do Malfoy.", I say back, smiling.
Is this flirting, are we flirting right now? Surely not, if it appears that way, it's not intended.
"Naturally, Red. It was one of the last things my mother ever did, no wonder I want to know what's in the letter."
No, we're clearly not flirting. Well at least that was cleared up.
A silence slowly creeps in. His reply is serious, and the playful, light hearted banter of before has vanished as quickly as it appeared.
He goes to say something again, and steps towards me, staring at me so deeply that I lose myself for a second.
I feel that same sensation from our first detention. My breath hitches in my throat, and I feel my heart start to beat faster. What is this boy doing to me? No one has ever had such an effect on me before, and I'm not most pleased by it being Malfoy who has done this to me.
He opens his mouth, looking serious once more, before -
"ROSE, ROSE!"
He jumps back, and a clouded expression takes place of his previous grave one.
I turn around, only to see Anto running towards me, out of breath and sweaty.
"Anto? What's the matter? Is something wrong?", I ask, he looks desperate, and I begin to worry.
I hear Malfoy step back into the shadows. I don't know whether he's left or stayed, I gather that he's left because he has no reason to stay, but right now I don't care, my mind is focused on Anto.
"Everything's fine. Well, not exactly I don't think, Albus is looking for you."
"Okay, but that still doesn't explain why you came to tell me? You and Al aren't close".
I know he's trying to help, but I can't stop myself. To be honest, I've kind of forgotten about Anto the past couple of days. He has tried, on many occasions, to speak to me, but I'm just not interested. He's attractive, sure, and I know has a great sense of humour, but around me he just becomes too serious for my liking.
Stop it Rose, I tell myself, you're just being picky. You'll never have a boyfriend at this rate if you're destroying something before it's even began.
I know I'm being harsh, I should really give him a chance, but my mind is now focused on Al and his well-being, not my love life.
"Well James was going to come, but I wanted to see you. Actually, I have something to ask you."
No no no. Please don't ask me to go to the ball with you. I haven't even given him an answer about the first Hogsmeade weekend.
"Rose?", he asks.
Shit, I wasn't listening.
"Hm?", I reply, clearly sounding disinterested.
"Are you okay? If this is a bad time then I can always ask you another time -"
"No no it's fine, I'm sorry Anto, my head was in the clouds".
"Oh okay. Good. I thought you were potentially trying to put off this conversation."
I was, but he doesn't need to know that.
"Rose, will you go to the ball with me?", he asks, a hopeful tone staining his voice. His eyes are wide, but even in the dim light of the dungeons I can see his handsome face, grinning down at me.
A sharp intake of breath lets me know that Malfoy is still here. My thoughts turn to him for a second, but I'm aware that I've already been rude to Anto once before, so quickly give him an answer.
I don't know what makes me say it, but I say it anyway. I let me mouth run away with me, before my real thoughts can catch up.
"Sure, why not".
He grins, leans in, and gives me a gentle kiss on the cheek. I have clearly given him the answer he wanted.
There are no butterflies, no giddy feeling to his kiss. I could've kissed Lysander and got the same reaction. There's no passion, no fire building inside of me. My heart isn't pounding nor do I feel the need to clench my thighs.
"Perfect. I'll meet you at Hogsmeade next week".
Before I can reply, he jogs away. I haven't agreed to Hogsmeade, but I guess that's a given now that we're going to the ball together.
He leaves me standing, lonely, but not alone, in the darkness of the dungeons.
Next thing I know, something is brushing against my ear. I don't know whether to turn around, run, or stay where I am, but something in my brain dares me to move.
I spin, and am face to face with Malfoy. Our lips are only millimetres away, and for a moment I contemplate what it must be like to kiss them. I brush away that thought as quickly as it pops into my head, he is my enemy after all.
His face is stony, clouded, eyes piercing as usual, but his ever-present smirk is absent.
"Enjoy your date. Weasley.", he snarls, before turning on his heel and stalking away, the only sound present his retreating footsteps.
—
I eventually find Al in the place where no one wants to be found.
I kick myself for not having thought of it earlier, but as I'm entering the room my only thoughts turn to whatever the hell just happened in the dungeons. Anto asked me out, which I stupidly agreed to, and then Malfoy cryptically told me to "enjoy my date", which he probably doesn't mean, not because he cares about me, but because he likes making my life a living hell, and a nice date doesn't fit his picture of it. His eyes danced with his earlier unanswered question, but they looked dark, confused almost.
I rid my thoughts of Malfoy, and find Al sat on a sofa, bundled up in a blanket. He looks like a lost child, lonely and sad. When walking over to him, he looks up at me, giving me a wobbly smile. I sit next to him, put my arms around him, and let him cry.
Sobs wrack his body, he shudders with every intake of breath. I stroke his hair, and try to offer any appropriate condolences, attempting to soothe him in any way.
When he is finally ready, he sits up, wipes his tears away, and turns to look at me. A box of tissues appears by his side, he takes one and blows his nose, throwing the rubbish to the floor once done with it, and by no surprise the tissue disappears.
The Room of Requirement was restored after the war. My parents always tell me about how it burned down, Crabbe using dark magic to set the "bloody place on fire", as Dad says. But somehow it was found, and restored to its former glory. I suppose it must have wanted to be found then. Someone wanted to look for it, and the Room let itself be found. The Room must have known that it would come in handy for future students, which was evident in Albus's current situation.
Albus knew I wanted to look for him, and eventually let himself be found.
"What's wrong?", I ask tentatively, gently smiling at him.
I'm careful not to push him, I don't want his sadness to suddenly switch to his earlier outburst of anger.
"I caught Eliza with Nott this morning.", he snarls, spitting out both of their names, "Apparently they've been sleeping with each other since July of this year. She tried telling me it was a mistake, but how can having sex with someone be a mistake if you've been doing it since fucking July?"
His voice breaks, and tears threaten to spill over. As much as I hated their relationship, and wanted them to break up, I never imagined it would be like this, and would never have wanted it to be this way. As much as I hated Eliza, I know she made him happy, and I know he really loved her.
Anger boils up inside me, but I suppress it. It's not my time to be angry.
I go to ask him if if that's why they were fighting this morning, but know that it's a stupid question. Instead I ask him about the other day, and Nott sticking his nose in where it didn't belong.
Apparently Nott was asking him about Eliza, hinting to specific things that one would only know if they had been intimate with her. He was clearly trying to sow the seed of doubt in Al's mind, and he was successful, as it was Al finishing breakfast early to see where both Nott and Eliza were that found them in bed together.
How low can one person be? To cheat on someone, for nearly 4 months, with someone's dorm mate, and not even feel guilty about coming clean, knowing you've been fucking someone else in the bed next to your boyfriend's.
I spend the rest of my evening comforting Al, pausing only to run down to the kitchens and steal some food, as we missed dinner. By the end of the day, he seems better, not cured of course, because it would be impossible to be over it this quickly, but he seems happier for having talked it out.
When we finally leave, it's nearly 1am. Before saying goodbye, Al jokes about being single for the first time in 2 years for the ball, and says that we can go together and vomit over everyone else's lovey lovey displays.
I dread breaking it to him that I'm actually going with someone, but I dread his reaction even more.
He seems surprised, and I'm sure that I should feel offended, but let that feeling die. He mutters something about "going with the wrong person" and "not what I expected", but I don't pull him up on it, he's had enough confrontation for one night.
As I lie in bed tonight, reflecting on the day just gone, I am startled by an enormous crash, and a sudden flash of light which electrifies the room. Looking out the window, I can see, that lightning has struck.
Poor Al :(. Being cheated on is one of the worst experiences, (I speak from personal knowledge). Also I am going by the books, not the films, and in the books it is Crabbe who burns down the Room of Requirement, not Goyle who does in the films. Next chapter should be up tomorrow, Saturday 22nd May, but for now here is a sneak peek:
"Dear Rose,
You are the only one able to see this letter, and what I'm writing, and for good reason too. It might not be clear now, but I hope one day you'll look back and thank me, even if this seems so out of character"…