Hope you're all doing alright! Things are getting a little crazy, so please make sure to stay home and just hunker down. They keep extending quarantine dates because people are still just going outside and interacting with the public. I know you're all probably sick of hearing people preaching about it, but as somebody who still has to work with the public, it's making me nervous haha.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, it was a bit of a doozy to write.
I AM NOT PROFITING OFF OF THIS. ALL RECOGNIZABLE PEOPLE, PLACES, AND EVENTS BELONG TO J.K. ROWLING
Chapter Eight
The rest of that week, the detentions passed without incident. Bellatrix mostly lazed about, watching Rose create different potions. One healed burns faster, one was supposed to prevent bees from stinging a person, but Rose quickly discovered that it also attracted bees. This sent Bellatrix into a hysterical fit of laughter as the honeybees Rose conjured wouldn't stop alighting on her head and crawling on her shoulders. The Gryffindor wanted desperately to ask the other girl about the arranged marriage; it was clearly causing her some grief. But any time she would try to lightly broach the subject, Bellatrix would shut her out and ignore her. It was annoying, but part of Rose knew she would crack if she just kept poking.
In Herbology, a few days before Holiday break, she was working diligently alongside Hugo. He elbowed her in the arm lightly and gestured at his wiggentree, which was swarming with bowtruckles. The spindly little creatures were milling about in the branches, caring for the tree. Rose smiled at gave him a thumbs up. When she looked at her tree, it only had a few bowtruckles. One jabbed at her hand with a sharp finger.
"Ow, fuck." she pulled her hand back and sucked on the blood that oozed out. Hugo laughed.
"Rose, you always had such a way with that snake of yours, but other creatures seem to hate you. I know that somebody somewhere is thankful because they're better than you at one thing; care of magical creatures." he laughed again, but Rose only grabbed the ring on her necklace and held it tight. Hugo brushed a shock of blonde hair out if his eyes and looked at Rose curiously.
"Say, where is that snake? Haven't seen him in awhile?"
"I had to send him home." Rose lied. She was still pissed at Dumbledore for trying to take Peppers from her. Hugo's face softened and he patted her on the back.
"We can get you a new snake to keep you company here…" he trailed off and quirked a brow at her mischievously. Rose gave a quick laugh, but she looked at Hugo, confused. He squinted at her in a smile and poked her arm.
"You crazy Gryffindor, you've been hanging out with Bellatrix Black." he whispered deviously. Rose scoffed.
"It was detention Hugo. I wouldn't exactly call that hanging out." she poked some soil on the bench with her wand. A bowtruckle reached for her wand in an attempt to take it. Rose kept a firm grip. Hugo shrugged, his sleepy eyes glinting.
"Yeah, but you survived. So you must be on her good side."
"She's not even as bad as you guys say. I was expecting an actual murderer and you give me 'Misunderstood Teenager'." Rose waved her hands around. Hugo grimaced.
"Misunderstood teenagers don't throw textbooks at people's heads, Rose." Rose chuckled at how he always drew out the "o" in Rose.
"I don't know, all I'm saying is that there's probably more to her than we're seeing." she paused "I feel like that's the case with a lot of people." Tom slithered through her brain and she shivered. Hugo grunted at this and shrugged.
"Maybe. Or maybe not. She's still scary." but Rose knew better. Very few people were actually that upset without a reason; she could speak from experience. It was a morbid curiosity of hers now, Bellatrix's moods and vacant threats. There was a nagging feeling in her gut, but Rose didn't want to admit just yet that she wanted to make Bellatrix feel better.
"Rose are yae even listening?" Hugo prodded her.
"Oh sorry, what?"
"I said get your books, class will be over soon." he laughed. Rose shook her head to clear her thoughts. Hugo rolled his eyes dramatically as he waited for her before leaving the greenhouse.
"So what are you doing for holiday?" Hugo asked as he combed his hair with his fingers.
"I'm just going back home. You know, spend some time with my folks and catch up. I miss them." she smiled to herself. Hugo nodded.
"Same here. Most kids do that." they ducked under a swarm of charmed paper airplanes. Henrietta barreled her way through the crowd to clap a hand on both of their backs.
"Hullo!" she cried out, and Rose turned and gave her a polite smile. Hugo shrugged her off and sighed irritably.
"Yes 'hullo' Henny. What's up with you then?" the Hufflepuff boy moved over so they could all walk next to each other. His sister grinned broadly and hefted a bag of galleons in front of them.
"I was thinking we could take a little trip down to Hogsmeade, maybe have a few rounds? A little pre-holiday treat, eh?" she raised her brows mischievously at Rose. The brunette considered this before shrugging with a devil may care look on her face.
"Sure, I guess. When are we going?"
"Ah, well that would be Saturday. I've got plenty of cash to go around, although you can bring your own if you want." Henrietta was jittery with excitement. She tossed her golden curls and looked to them both.
"Well, I pack light, so I should be ready." Rose mused, and Henrietta whooped with joy. Hugo shied away at the loud noise, but grinned as broadly as his sister anyway.
"This'll be fun! Cyril and Terri coming along?" he asked. Henrietta nodded and Rose grinned even broader. This could be fun, and she felt a little giddy at exploring new parts of her home. She remembered that Narcissa and Andromeda had gone to Hogsmeade on Halloween, and she had heard chatter about the small wizard village. There hadn't been any places like that near Ilvermorny, so this would be a refreshing experience.
"So what's even in Hogsmeade?" she asked to the twins as they walked through the halls.
"Well, there's the Three Broomsticks, Hogshead, Zonko's, and Honeydukes." Hugo answered.
"Honeydukes is the one with the candy right? They have any cinnamon? Well, like cinnamon flavored stuff?" Rose shifted the weight of her textbooks in her arms. They spent the remainder of their walk chatting excitedly about their upcoming excursion, and Rose was unconsciously grinning up to her ears. The thought of hanging out with her friends in a more relaxed setting warmed her up inside.
That evening, Rose sat in her dorm on her bed with her roommates, talking quietly and tittering about the latest gossip. The brunette deigned to listen, having only been at Hogwarts for a few months, but the other girls were going ham. Terri tossed a butterbeer to Rose and cheered.
"To new friends! And graduating soon!" the curly haired girl grinned and nearly downed her bottle in one go. Rose raised her eyebrows in surprise at her enthusiasm and tried to follow suit, but it was a lot sweeter than she realized.
"Bless Merlin, I cannot wait to get out of here!" a girl with short black hair sighed.
"You don't like Hogwarts?" Rose asked, baffled.
"No no it's grand! But you know, you get tired of the same thing after…" she counted on her fingers "seven years? Eight?" she made a face in her confusion. A girl sitting on her bed with her laughed.
"Seven, Grace. This is our seventh year. Nobody stays for eight years." the girl groaned and flopped onto her back.
"So what are you guys doing after you graduate?" Rose sipped her drink.
"I'm going to be an Auror!" Grace shouted triumphantly, pumping her fist in the air.
"Probably…eh I don't know. Department of Magical Transportation. I want to get magic carpets un-banned. They're probably loads of fun." Grace's friend nodded. Terry cracked open another butterbeer and sipped it thoughtfully.
"Quidditch announcer." she said finally. Everybody gave her a look.
"Those even pay good?" Not-Grace asked. Terry shrugged.
"Who knows. But I like the sport and what better way to see it then be an announcer?"
"Um I don't know, you could maybe play the sport?" Grace laughed "Besides, we all know you just like Cyril Ashby. Is he taking his skills to a professional level?" Terri blushed profusely and Rose laughed this time, playfully punching her on the arm.
"Don't be bashful Terri! You've had a crush on him since our first year. You should honestly just tell him how you feel!" Not-Grace popped some jellybeans in her mouth and made a face. Rose turned to her friend and smiled kindly.
"He really is a forgiving guy, and I haven't known him as long as you have." she reassured her fellow Gryffindor. Terri just grabbed a pillow and buried her face in it, groaning audibly. Rose gave a sympathetic smile and patted her back while the other two girls giggled.
"The only reason he's really paid any attention to me is because Rose showed up. I don't think he even knew I existed before." she mumbled woefully into the red and gold pillowcase. The American shook her head and sighed.
"Please, you know that's not true!" but she really didn't have much else to tack onto that statement. Despite how happy she was to have new friends, she knew next to nothing about them and she didn't feel totally comfortable with trying to offer up love advice. Especially since she had never been in love before. Terri groaned again and threw her pillow at Rose's head, taking the brunette by surprise.
"Pillow fight?" Grace asked lazily. Her answer was Not-Grace smacking her upside the jaw with another pillow, and all mayhem broke loose.
Bellatrix was laying on her stomach across her bed, bored out of her mind and flipping through a book about Animagi. She wondered what animal she would be if she decided to undertake the apparently arduous process Rose had told her about. Bellatrix sighed and closed the book. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, their detentions together had brought them closer in a way. The Slytherin learned a lot about the weird American girl, maybe more than she had originally planned. But Rose just didn't have the same fear of her like other students did, and it was unsettling.
"I'll show her something to be scared of." she grumbled halfheartedly. The eerie greenish glow of the lake water outside of her window cast spider-webbed glimmers across the silken sheets, and watching the wavering patterns made her feel a little more relaxed. Then her thoughts drifted to the letter she had received from her father. Curling her fingers around the sheets and tightening her grip, Bellatrix tried very hard not to fly off the handle into a fit of rage. Her father, Cygnus Black, was a bloody tosser. Arranging a marriage deal with the Lestrange family, with that idiot son of theirs. Rodney or something. She didn't care enough to remember his name.
"Stupid pure blood marriages." she grumbled, and she could feel fire igniting in her veins. Sitting up abruptly and looking around the dorm room, she saw she was alone, and began her tirade.
"I hate you!" she screeched, ripping the sheets off the bed and tossing them at a wall, and then setting them on fire. Jumping back on the bed, she kicked her feather pillow into the growing blaze with a cackle before taking the book she was reading. Looking at the cover for a split second, she gripped it by the spine and whipped it with all her might against the window, where it hit with a loud bang. Any normal window would have broken, but the ones in the Slytherin dormitories were had been charmed not to break. Accidental flooding would have been more of a nuisance after all.
"It's my bloody life, I'll do what I want!" she shrieked, and a spot on the rug burst into flame as she kept screaming. She found her schoolbooks and began throwing those, some into the fire, and others at the window and walls. Bellatrix heaved her mattress off the bed frame and slashed at it with spells until the springs and stuffing were exposed. Her cries and screams melted into deranged cackling, and she set her mattress ablaze, and sat cross-legged in the empty bed frame, laughing as tears streamed down her face. The smell of burning cloth and paper burned her lungs, but she just buried her head in her hands and cried, shaking. There were a few pops as house elves began appearing in the dorm room. Timid as they may be, none of them looked happy to be repairing the room again. They put out the fires and began straightening the room up, bringing in new linens. Bellatrix ignored them and silenced herself, shivering as she wiped tears from her face.
"Miss must move if we're to put the bed back." a house elf said plaintively. Bellatrix unleashed a hissing growl at the shabby little creature, but he ignored her and waited until she stepped out of the frame. The new mattress settled itself and the bed sheets fixed themselves back in the right position. Several more popping noises, and the room was back to normal, but the smell of smoke lingered. Eyes red and puffy, she flopped back onto the bed and took the new Animagi book in her hands. Well into the night, little Narcissa stepped timidly into the room and sat on her older sister's bed. If the other people in the dorm were awake, they didn't say anything.
"Bella. Bella I just got a letter from mother." she whispered. Bellatrix wasn't asleep, and merely waved her hand a little for her sister to continue.
"Mother and father are taking a holiday trip to India. So we're staying here during Christmas." her voice sounded mournful, and Bellatrix felt a little stab of guilt in her heart. One day she would get married off as well. She sat up and drew the younger girl towards her and hugged her close in an unusual display of affection that made Narcissa freeze. Bellatrix gently combed her fingers through her hair.
"That's alright Cissy. We'll have loads of fun here, just the three of us. We can go sledding and drink hot chocolate, and stay up for Father Christmas. How does that sound?" she murmured, her throat still raw from yelling earlier. Narcissa leaned back a little more into her older sister and nodded with a sigh.
"Okay Bella." she paused for a moment "Can we invite Rosie?"
"Damonne?" Bellatrix scowled "What for?"
"Don't be mean. She's sad because she had to send Peppers home. I don't want her to be sad anymore."
"Narcissa, she has a family and friends. She's probably going home for holiday. Besides, she's a Gryffindor why would we want to hang out with her?"
"You don't mean that." Narcissa said simply, and she shuffled off the bed, leaving the dorm.
The weekend before students all went home, Rose was excitedly packing the last of her things in a trunk, clothes mostly. She shrank her snake's terrarium and put that away as well. Terri beamed at her when she finished up, and hugged her around the shoulders with one arm.
"This will be a blast, Rose! You'll love Hogsmeade!" she was practically jumping with excitement. Rose chuckled and brushed her off, blushing a little.
"How come you're so happy? Haven't you guys been there like, a million times already?"
"Yes but it's much more exciting when we have somebody new to show around. Makes the whole experience rather refreshing." the curly haired girl fixed her glasses and grinned at her reflection in a small mirror she was holding. Rose playfully elbowed her and wiggled her eyebrows.
"You gonna say something to Cyril today?" she snickered at Terri's imitation of a tomato.
"Let's not keep the others waiting." she brushed off the question in a hurried tone and bolted from Rose who was laughing as she followed her down the tower stairs and out into the common room. Lots of younger students had already left by train, but Rose's mother had sent her an owl saying she could just side-apparate with her on Monday morning. With some of her money, she wanted to get gifts for her friends in Hogsmeade. Granted, Rose didn't actually know her new friends too well, but she had to thank them in some way for all they had done. A smile twitched on her lips when she thought about getting a gift for Bellatrix, for being such a gracious companion during detention.
"Oh." she mumbled to herself thoughtfully. Maybe getting a gift for Narcissa and Andromeda wouldn't be a bad idea. Maybe something simple like candy. They seemed to enjoy her company enough, and Andromeda had even confided in her, so maybe they should receive something as well.
"What are you grinning about?" Hugo spoke, bringing her out of her thoughts. The sleepy looking blonde yawned and stretched.
"Just thinking about all the presents I'll be getting you guys." she grinned at him, and returned the smile.
"It's nice to see you so happy Rose. Have you been feeling better?" Henrietta asked pleasantly. Rose nodded and danced around a little on the balls of her feet.
"Come on let's go!" she was swept up in holiday excitement like everybody else, and she cheered when her group began to make their way to the main entrance of Hogwarts where they would leave with a bigger group of students on their way to Hogsmeade. Heart bursting with joy, Rose couldn't help the little skip in her step. She faltered a little when she saw the infamous Slytherin sulking in the corridor, leaning up against the wall and sneering at other students walking by. They gave her a wide berth. Breaking from her friends, Rose meandered over and nudged Bellatrix, in too much of a good mood to think of the consequences for nudging the terrifying witch. Hugo looked like he was going to throw up, and Cyril gripped his wand when Bellatrix flinched and stared at the American.
"Damonne." she growled, and lifted her wand. Rose's smile faltered a little, but she nonetheless ignored the wand pointed at her and she wished Bellatrix a Merry Christmas.
"Piss off." the other girl hissed venomously.
"Say the same to your sisters for me, you asshole." Rose spat back, moods switching in an instant. Tom chuckled and she had an itch to fight Bellatrix there in the hallway. Instead, she stalked away and rejoined her friends. Shaking, she quickly drank her modified calming draught, and she could feel her negative emotions slipping away. Hugo gripped her shoulder and Terri looked like she had witnessed a five car pileup.
"Rose, you're bloody insane." Terri squeaked.
"She could have maimed you." Hugo whispered, looking back quickly. Bellatrix however, had moved away from the wall.
"Well. I'm not maimed, so I'd say that's a success. Come on, let's hurry up." Rose said pleasantly, shocking friends once again.
"Scary how you do that." Terri shuddered but smiled at her brunette friend, who hooked their arms and leaned her head on the other Gryffindor's shoulder.
"I'm not scary. Now seriously enough dawdling those other guys are waiting for us." she chuckled and the five of them finally left the old castle. Fat white snowflakes fell against a grey sky, and Rose pulled her red and yellow scarf farther up on her face, bracing against the chill. She was wearing a thick wool sweater and jeans with some old work boots her father had sent her, but she was still pretty cold. Steamy puffs filled the air as the students trudged down to Hogsmeade, laughing and chatting excitedly about what they were planning on doing.
"Okay, so first stop is Honeydukes. It's always bloody packed but that's all the more reason to get it over with now. Then we can go to Zonko's. Also there's a couple other stores we can visit. By the end of the day, we should all meet up the Three Broomsticks." Henrietta already had their trip planned out. Rose nodded and pushed over a little snow pile with her boot.
"So we're splitting up?" she asked the blonde, whose wavy curls were tucked into a brown beanie. The Hufflepuff nodded.
"Yeah. Hugo, Terri, and Cyril are one group. I'll be with you Rose." Rose grinned at this and winked at Terri, who blushed furiously again and walked a little faster to catch up with the boys.
"Any particular reason we're separating?"
"Not really. But I figured I'd give you a more comprehensive tour. Plus I know all the good spots to find the best snacks." Henrietta puffed out a warm breath, and rubbed her nose, which was pink from the cold.
"Alrighty. Sounds good." and they group continued to walk in companionable silence. Despite the expansive rolling hills and small pine forest between Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, the sounds of quiet chatter and shoes crunching on snow were muffled. Like a big white blanket had been draped over the world. Thankfully, there was no biting wind to torment them as they walked along. The calming draught was working wonders, and Rose couldn't help but feel like she actually had things under control, considering she had a very pissed off supremacist stuck in her brain. Rose shivered again and tucked her hands farther into her sleeves and gripped the cuffs. After a few more minutes, she felt warmth blossoming around her and she thought perhaps something was wrong with her draught when she heard a bored grumble from behind her.
"Damonne, you're a bloody witch. Just cast a heating charm if you're cold. Sick of seeing you shiver like some sad little krup." Bellatrix fell in step next to her. It was then that Rose noticed she had somehow fallen behind her friends. Henrietta turned to look for the Gryffindor, but hastily turned back around when she saw Bellatrix.
"Some friends." the dark witch snorted.
"Hello there, stalker. You're kind of scary, so I don't blame them. But thanks for the heat." Rose grinned at the other witch, who rolled her eyes. "So why are you following me? Unless you're also doing some shopping?" Bellatrix licked her cold lips.
"I'm following you because you need a fail-safe if you decide to go berserk in such a crowded place. Honestly, the rest of those nitwits seem highly incapable of handling you if you snap." she huffed. Rose admired her outfit as she spoke. She was wearing a black dress as usual, with heavy black boots and a black shawl. An expensive fur muffler covered her hands, and she had somehow managed to fit earmuffs over her head of hair to cover her ears. Her ivory skin was flawless as usual, but there was a light pink tint to her cheeks.
"Are you even listening to me? How many of those potions do you have?" Bellatrix jostled Rose a little bit, and the Brunette stumbled. Her voice was low so nobody else could hear her.
"I have two more with me. I should be fine." Rose patted her pocket, where the shrunken bottles were wrapped in a cloth to prevent them from breaking.
"Okay good." and they continued walking in silence. Rose wondered how Bellatrix could manage walking in the snow and still manage a ridiculous amount of grace while she herself was occasionally slipping and stumbling. Then again, everything else about her was an enigma, so it seemed to fit the trend.
"So where are your sisters?"
"None of your business."
"Oh, okay." Rose became a little disheartened, and wondered what had changed between them that had made Bellatrix so snappy. After a minute, Bellatrix's shoulders heaved as she inhaled frigid winter air.
"They're back at Hogwarts. They didn't feel like coming to Hogsmeade today." she snipped, like answering the question was a struggle for her. Rose nodded understandingly, and she greatly appreciated the effort Bellatrix put in to even act remotely courteous.
"What kinds of things do they like? I was going to get them candy but you know them better." Rose mumbled through her scarf. Bellatrix gave her a look.
"You're buying gifts for them?" she snorted.
"Of course, why wouldn't I? They've been nice to me. I want to thank them." Rose said simply. Bellatrix made a sound, like a harsh laugh and a tch. Rose shook her head and just breathed out, a smile on her face. She was definitely going to buy her a gift as well if Bellatrix insisted on being difficult. Henrietta looked back again, this time she tried to hold eye contact with Rose before turning around. Feeling a little guilty, Rose looked between Bellatrix and her other friends.
"Oh don't mind me. I'm not here for some silly little excursion. Just to make sure you don't get tossed into Azkaban." Bellatrix waved her off, but Rose felt this tug in her heart. More guilt probably. Giving the Slytherin an apologetic look, she jogged a little to catch up with the others, the heating charm wearing off as soon as she walked too far away from the raven haired girl.
"Oh good you're back. Why is she here?" Henrietta hissed as she gripped Rose's arm protectively. The brunette couldn't think of an excuse on the spot, and just shrugged. By this time, they could see the little homes and shops of Hogsmeade, and students were beginning to split into groups. Hugo, Cyril, and Terri waved at them and promised to meet at the Three Broomsticks by five.
"Okay, Honeydukes first Rose." Henrietta took Rose by the hand and practically dragged her down the street. Her beanie had shifted to a jaunty angle, and Rose couldn't help but feel like they were embarking on some strange adventure. Probably just the effects of the draught, which was still thankfully working.
Honeydukes was unbearably crowded, as the Hughes twin had predicted. Rose could barely take in what she was seeing. The walls were lined with a wild assortment of candies and various treats. There were barrels of jelly beans, delicate cotton candy clouds suspended in the air, and the smell of chocolate was everywhere. Kids jostled around to try and find a path through the chaos to purchase their wares.
"Well, have fun! I'm going to find something for my mum!" Henrietta called over the din, and Rose nodded. It was a little overwhelming, but eventually she found a carefully erected tower of chocolates and fudge. Thinking that the youngest Black sisters would like it, she picked out what she hoped was vanilla creme chocolate and strawberry. She wasn't actually sure if that's what they liked; it was just a gut feeling.
"Good choice, surprisingly." Bellatrix muttered into her ear. Jumping nearly a foot in the air, Rose turned to see the dark witch inspecting her nails.
"Oh really? That's good, because I honestly didn't know what to get." Rose smiled. And then promptly tried to lose Bellatrix in the mass of bodies.
"Oh, what are those?" she asked, pointing to a table of chocolate frogs. Bellatrix turned to look, and Rose ducked down and wove her way over to a shelf that had boxes of Pepper Imps.
"Finally, something that isn't bland." she said happily, and got a box. When she went to the counter to buy her items, Bellatrix was still nowhere to be seen. Henrietta met her outside. The blonde had bought sugar quills and peppermint toads.
"Oooohhh let's go to Gladrag's! I want to get something for my dad!" Henrietta squealed excitedly, and again dragged Rose down the street and into what looked like a clothing store. Far less crowded than Honeydukes, Rose was comforted by the quiet atmosphere, similar to that of Madam Malkins. As Henrietta browsed the stacks of clothing and shuffled around in the racks of fabric, Rose saw a hat she thought Terri would like.
"You have to try harder than that if you want to get rid of me, Damonne." Bellatrix was a few feet to her left, aimlessly prodding a pile of argyle socks. Rose rolled her eyes and picked up the hat.
"Who said I wanted to get rid of you?" she asked quietly, and glanced at Bellatrix out of the corner of her eye.
"Shut up." she mumbled. "My sister wants to know if you'll go sledding with us." she transitioned awkwardly, and Rose snickered.
"Which sister?"
"Does it matter? It was Cissy. She thinks you're sad about your snake, and…" Bellatrix faltered a little when she noticed Rose frowned a little at the mention of Peppers.
"She just doesn't want you to feel lonely I suppose, the little bugger." she sniffed. Rose shrugged and held onto the hat as she stepped closer to also look at the socks. They were actually kind of cute; maybe she would get her mother a pair.
"Well, I mean I appreciate the offer, but I'm leaving Monday morning." then it dawned on her "Oh, you mean you're all staying here for Christmas break?"
"If you mean holiday, then yes we are. Figures, I told her you had better things to do. Although what would be better than associating with purebloods is beyond me."
"I'll 'associate' with whoever I want. Also, it's Christmas so pardon me if I want to spend this time with my family, unlike you apparently." as soon as she said this, Rose knew it was a mistake and turned to Bellatrix quickly, horror and shame scrawled across her features. Curls whipping, she faced Rose and looked like she was about to hit her.
"You might need more of that potion, Damonne." her voice was low and dark. Rose felt an overwhelming sense of dread in her stomach. Bellatrix watched her with her dark unwavering gaze as she got a potion from her pocket and swallowed it.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it." Rose reached for the other girl's hand but she pulled away.
"Whatever. It's a good thing I was here. Otherwise you might have hurt your ditzy little friend over there." Bellatrix spat, and she turned on her heel to leave Gladrag's. Rose sighed and kicked herself for insulting her like that. Granted, the pureblood thing was a little hurtful, but Rose knew she had no right to insinuate that Bellatrix didn't want to spend time with her family. She probably missed her parents too. After she bought the hat, she waited for Henrietta, who pulled her to several more stores, but the thrill of the day lost its charm a little.
Leave it to me to mess things up. Rose thought to herself numbly. The pair bought roasted chestnuts and ate them as Henrietta pointed out old houses and told Rose about the history of Hogsmeade. Bellatrix meanwhile was never far behind, but Rose never saw the Slytherin witch when she turned around. The snow still fell, and piled up underneath shop windows and on the wide brims of hats. Some of it nestled in the folds of her scarf, and Rose accidentally dumped it down her shirt when she tried to shake it out.
"That's fucking cold." she shrieked a little, the icy water flowing down her back. Pulling out her wand, she dried herself off but still shivered a little.
"Let's go in there." she pointed to what looked like a paper store. Henrietta wrinkled her nose a little.
"Scrivenshaft's? Rose that's just parchment and quills." the blonde tried walking away.
"Oh cool, I needed some fresh quills anyway. Let's just go inside then." she shrugged and placed her hand on the door when it opened quickly and brought her face to face with a bleach blonde Slytherin boy that Rose didn't really recognize. His hair was long and fine, like he spent an inordinate amount of time caring for it each morning. He sneered down the bridge of his long nose at the Gryffindor before him and shoved her out of the way.
"Ugh, a cowardly lion and her stupid little badger friend. I'm surprised you idiots even knew how to get here from Hogwarts." he said.
"Oi, shove off you pasty moron." Henrietta looked like she was about to punch him. Rose just looked at him mildly, to which he responded by waving his wand and causing an enormous pile of snow to slide off the roof and onto her head. Malfoy laughed harshly, and was joined by two other brutish looking Slytherins who stepped out of the shop. Dusting herself off and looking calmly at her attacker, Rose tilted her head at him.
"What was that for?" she asked, genuinely confused. One of the goons made a face.
"Ugh, it's that new American girl, Damonne."
"Quite." Malfoy said simply, and pointed his wand at her "You don't belong here, you filthy foreigner."
"Put the wand down Lucius." a sickeningly sweet voice cooed. Everybody turned to face Bellatrix, who looked like she was just passing by. Of course, Rose knew, she had been watching the whole time.
"Really, Bellatrix? You, of all people, are defending this half blood swine?" he jeered, and kept his wand up. A quirk in his right eye betrayed the fact that he was probably scared as hell, but he kept up the illusion of a tough guy.
"You blithering fool, you want to lose more house points or get expelled, be my guest. But Damonne is no stranger to a duel. You would lose, and frankly be very embarrassed." Bellatrix sighed and twirled her hair distractedly. Rose couldn't help but giving a quick smile to the other girl at the compliment, but Bellatrix dutifully ignored her gaze completely. Henrietta looked like she was about to burst, torn between running away from Black or fighting Malfoy to the death. Nobody moved as Rose stood her ground looking almost bored, which was beginning to make Lucius nervous. Bellatrix waited expectantly, while the goons waited behind their ringleader, unsure of why he wasn't making a move.
"Um excuse me." a timid man poked his head outside of Scrivenshaft's "You're blocking the entrance to my store. I would appreciate it if you moved along." and he went back inside. Lucius put his wand away and smirked at Rose and walked away with a flap of his robes. His goons followed. Henrietta rushed over to Rose and babbled incoherently for a moment about how Rose managed to attract the most dangerous kinds of attention. Rose just laughed jovially and patted her nervous Welsh friend on the shoulder. Bellatrix tripped Malfoy as he walked past her and she cackled as she cast two hexes at his friends.
"Okay Rose, in we go. While she's distracted." Henrietta steered Rose into the little shop. The smell of parchment was reminiscent of the Hogwarts library where Rose liked to hide out, and she instantly became enamored with all the various quills and papers. One tall vase on the floor was filled with an assortment of peacock feathers. There were more common ones, such as Fwooper quills in various jars to be bought in bulk by students. Her eyes settled on a dark colored quill, almost black but not quite. At certain angles, it had a deep red shine to it.
"Ah, that one caught your eye? Not surprised. That would be a feather from a cinnamon bird. Very difficult to obtain. They say the birds build nests out of cinnamon and they can eat entire cows in one bite. An impressive creature. On top of that, this quill can be charmed in a multitude of useful ways. And it's rather gorgeous." the shop owner hummed proudly. Rose looked up from the display case and asked him how much it would cost. He looked uncomfortable for a moment as he looked at her.
"We have other fancy quills if you're interested, really. This one may be a little out of your price range miss." he glanced away when somebody else entered the store. Henrietta looked over her shoulder at the quill.
"Can you afford it?" she whispered.
"That depends," Rose said evenly "He didn't actually tell me the price." she looked at the balding man pointedly, who now seemed embarrassed.
"Three galleons miss." he tugged on his shirt collar. Rose patted her jeans pocket for her coin purse when she realized it was missing. Henrietta looked almost appalled and tugged on Rose's arm.
"Let's go, that's way too extravagant for a feather." she rolled her eyes.
"Okay sure, let me just find my purse. Maybe I'll get some thicker parchment for drawing…" she trailed off as she looked at the warped wooden floorboards of the shop. After some hunting, she found it wasn't in the store.
"I'll buy your bloody paper. Just go find your purse you scatterbrain. And watch out for Black; she's being shifty today and I don't like it." Henrietta grumbled as she went to go look at some good heavy stock. Rose nodded and tried to muster a dirty look for the store manager, but the calming draught made it impossible. Stepping back out into the cold, Rose shuffled through the snow that was piling up on the cobbled streets. A large clock on a post said that it was close to 4:30, which gave her only half an hour before she had to go to the Three Broomsticks.
"Missing this?" Bellatrix moved from where she was leaning against the storefront, and passed the little knitted bag to Rose, who counted her money and closed the pouch up.
"Yeah I was actually, how did you know?" she asked, unable to help the grin that crawled on her face.
"Bloody hell, stop looking at me like that all the time. It's weird." Bellatrix grimaced "I found it on the street after you left Zonko's a few hours ago. Lucky you didn't try to buy anything." Rose thanked her and began to walk down the street.
"What, leaving your little Puffy to fend for herself?" Bellatrix asked, moving to keep up with the brunette.
"Henrietta is fine. I'm just going to the Three Broomsticks to meet everybody else." she paused "Sorry if it was boring following me around all day." she wasn't looking at the other girl's face, but Bellatrix did smirk a little at this before steeling herself.
"If it means nobody outright dies, then I guess I had to do it." she said dismissively. Rose bit back a laugh. It was funny to think that she would be more likely to kill somebody than Bellatrix Black.
"Everybody says that you're the worst person at Hogwarts, but you really aren't you know."
"That was awfully tactful of you Damonne. But make no mistake, I am indeed 'the worst'." Bellatrix snorted and pulled her hands out of her muffler to pack a snowball into her hands. Looking around, she saw a group of fourth years, and pegged a little Gryffindor with it. He whirled around with complete outrage painted on his face until he saw who threw it, and quickly composed himself. Rose rolled her eyes.
"Did you do that to prove a point? Because I'm not convinced, Black." she said, trying her best to use a haughty tone. Bellatrix quirked a brow as she picked up another snowball and lobbed it at the group again, where it hit a girl this time. She squealed in indignation, but nobody went to defend her.
"No, no stop picking on little kids. That's shitty." Rose laughed. She made her own snowball, and chucked it at Bellatrix, who was not prepared in the slightest. It hit the other girl's shoulder and left a powdery white mark after it broke into pieces.
"Damonne!" she roared out, and began quickly forming more snowballs as Rose barked out a laugh and took off running down the street. With a growl, Bellatrix chased after her, black boots thumping down the snow as she went. Rose narrowly avoided a snowball that whizzed past her right ear and hit a window, which startled several people inside.
"Gotta try harder than that!" Rose called, eliciting another frustrated growl from her pursuer. She picked up more snow and tossed it in a light shower as she called out "Smokescreen!" triumphantly.
Bellatrix sputtered and wiped her face, but when she moved her hand, Rose had disappeared into one of the many tight alleys. Slowing to a crawl, Bellatrix tried to listen for any sound that might betray the idiot Gryffindor's location. She would not lose this fight if she could. A noise from the roof of a building on her right made her look up. Rose was sitting and grinning at her, gold fading from her eyes.
"Idiot!" Bellatrix hissed, knowing Rose had just used her animagus form to jump to the roof "What if somebody sees you?" Rose chuckled gleefully and pushed snow down the shingles with her foot.
"Nobody saw me. Why are you so worried? Lighten up." and the brunette pushed more snow down. Bellatrix stepped out of the way and put her hands on her hips, an eyebrow raised. She was fighting every urge not to smile back up at the peaceful girl.
"You know, it would have been funny if you beat up Malfoy. He's a bloody tosser, and would have needed the beating sorely." Bellatrix called up to Rose, who shrugged and tucked her hands into her pockets.
"I don't really like dueling unless it's in class. How did you know I was any good by the way? I haven't actually fought you before."
"True, but you're quick with your wand, and you know how to cast most of the spells the right way. So I made an assumption." she craned her neck upwards, blinking at the snowflakes that still drifted lazily through the air.
"I'm sorry." Rose said abruptly "For making you upset in that shop. I didn't really mean it. I don't know how you are with your family-"
"Damonne, shut up." Bellatrix hissed and looked around like somebody could have heard. Being seen willingly hanging around with a Gryffindor would have been embarrassing. The streets were mostly clear, save for one or two uninterested shoppers. Rose frowned a little, and scooted forward on the roof until she was at the very edge.
"I didn't think this through. My jeans are soaked." Rose whimpered a little. She still had to drop at least a distance of her own height to get down.
"Well I'm not helping you." Bellatrix sniffed.
"And they say chivalry is dead." Rose rolled her eyes and shuffled uncomfortably at the edge. Bellatrix crossed her arms and cocked her hips as she looked up at the helpless seventh year.
"Yeah, well I'm not a bloody knight in shining armor." Bellatrix snarked back. Nonetheless, she moved forward a little bit as Rose's legs dangled off the eaves.
"Wait wait wait there might be a spell for this what am I thinking?" Rose smacked her forehead and pulled out her wand and thought hard for a minute. Then she launched herself off the roof, in which Bellatrix shouted in alarm and raised her arms up in a feeble attempt to catch the airborne girl.
"Arresto momentum!" Rose called out, and her fall was slowed considerably, though she landed with light thump on the snow covered street. Drying herself off, she turned to Bellatrix, who looked annoyed. A single curl hung down the middle of her face, and Rose pushed it out of the way. If Bellatrix had paid a little more attention to her hair, it would be perfect in every way imaginable, Rose thought to herself.
"I'm going to be late, but maybe I'll see you tomorrow, or maybe after break? I'd invite you to come with me, but something tells me you wouldn't accept, and I'm pretty sure my other friends wouldn't sit near me." Rose gave a little wave before walking down the street, leaving a flustered Bellatrix in the lamplight.
In the crowded pub, patrons laughed and talked loudly. Holly wreaths and ropes were hung up everywhere, and the entire room smelled like alcohol and that one unidentifiable Christmas smell. An enchanted instrument floated about, playing a merry tune as Rose pushed her way through several groups of witches and wizards who had come to celebrate. While Christmas wasn't even until Wednesday, many students had taken this time to hang out with their friends one last time before they went home. Madame Rosmerta had her hands full, sending floating trays of drinks upstairs to more tables. Rose found her friends in a booth in the far left corner, and she gave them a wave. Putting her bags next to the booth seat, she slid in next to Cyril and took a large gulp of butterbeer that was already waiting for her. Henrietta didn't waste time in recounting their day. Hugo laughed when he heard about Lucius trying to intimidate them.
"Aw Henny, I bet you would've put his sodding ass to the ground if you had the chance. Strange that Black came to...do whatever you would call it?" he sipped his drink.
"Well it would be help, but she doesn't help people." Cyril rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Terri tittered at this, and Rose couldn't help throwing her a knowing look. The curly haired girl rolled her eyes but was smirking as she did. Rose assumed they had a better day.
"We saw Molly and Arthur strolling around." Hugo chuckled, and everybody else at the table followed suit. Rose was lost though.
"Molly Prewett, Rose. She and Arthur Weasley are both in our year. In our house." Terri emphasized, but the names still didn't ring any bells. Cyril patted her shoulder sympathetically, his green eyes flashing with mirth.
"They're only one of the most famous couples at Hogwarts. Arthur is a little weird, but Molly is a whiz when it comes to Quidditch. Now if only you louts would get a better team together and you would have a fighting chance." he shook his head sadly. Terri scoffed at this.
"Okay well, if you were any better, maybe one of the houses would beat Slytherin for once. They're too good, honestly. Makes me wonder if they've cursed the quaffles or something." she concentrated on a spot at the table as she thought. The pair soon began discussing Quidditch in depth, so Rose turned to the twins, who were chatting quietly amongst themselves before speaking a little louder to bring her into the conversation.
"So we've all noticed Rose." Hugo started.
"You're fantastic at drawing, and Terri told us you don't know what you want to do when you're older." Henrietta continued.
"So you should paint portraits." they finished together. It was weird hearing them talk like this. She laughed nervously and sipped from her butterbeer.
"Ooooh guys, I'm not that good. They're just little doodles and sketches. I've never worked with paint before, and I don't plan on it."
"Oh, well that's disappointing. You might want to seriously consider something though; N.E.W.T.S. are coming in the spring. Are you good at anything else?" Henrietta asked.
"Not herbology. Well, she's good enough, but don't pick that for a career." Hugo answered for her, and Rose squinted at him playfully.
"I don't know, I like potions." she said after a moment.
"Then just do that. There problem solved. Get your mastery in potions. Make cool experimental things for the Ministry." Henrietta sounded convinced, as if she had planned Rose's future from her birth. Swallowing the last of her butterbeer, Henrietta held up a finger for Rose to hold on a moment. The blonde girl reached down under the table and shuffled around for a moment before putting a small wooden box on the table. She slid it across to Rose.
"Go on, open it." she nodded, beaming. Rose gave her a confused look and picked it up. The box was about a foot long and made of polished oak wood. When she opened it, there was a quill inside, almost black but there was a shimmer of green to it. Rose opened her mouth to say something but Henrietta stopped her.
"Yeah I know it isn't yae fancy spicy bird feather, but I got you the next best thing. I'm not made of galleons, but at least I tried." the blonde waved Madame Rosmerta over for another round as she spoke. Rose admired the quill for a little bit longer but then shut the case in a hurry.
"Henrietta this is so nice, but I was actually going to buy that quill as a gift for somebody else." she said shyly. Henrietta shrugged.
"That's alright. Use this one for a gift then. I already got you a present anyway." she smiled mischievously, and Rose thanked her about a thousand times. The five of them continued their conversations merrily, and an hour or two passed before students started clearing out and more regular customers wandered in.
"Well, we don't want to miss curfew." Terri said, moving to get up. Cyril and Rose hurried and scooted out of the booth to get their bags.
"No peeking!" Cyril winked at Terri, who giggled and looked away dramatically as the Hufflepuff seeker got his belongings together. They all left the Three Broomsticks and began the long walk through the snow to Hogwarts. Rose found herself a little disappointed when Bellatrix didn't show up, and she chastised herself for thinking her permanently pissed Slytherin cohort would linger in the cold when she would just as easily be sitting in a cozy bed. When they went their separate ways, Terri pulled Rose close to her and talked excitedly about her day with Cyril, and how Hugo wasn't even awkward.
"That's good! I'm happy for you!" Rose exclaimed, and gave her friend's hand a little squeeze. Terri nodded and clutched her heart dramatically.
"Maybe someday we'll be together and be the happiest witch and wizard of all time." she squealed, and Rose laughed. It was all so beautifully mundane, and Tom didn't even cause trouble. Proud of her potion skill, Rose made a mental note to brew more up, but this time just in the bathroom or something. She had spent more than enough time in Slughorn's classroom for one lifetime, and there was still regular class to attend. Walking up to the dorms and putting her bags on her bed, Rose was about to go brush her teeth in the bathroom when Terri grabbed her wrist and yanked her back into the dorm. Grace and Not-Grace were still in the common room, so they had the place to themselves.
"Okay you." she pointed at the American's face. "Henrietta told me all about what happened, so spill." she poked Rose in the ribs, who blinked before she gathered her thoughts.
"Oh, well I wasn't actually going to fight that weird Malfoy guy. Not worth it."
"No you...ugh I meant Bellatrix Black! She was following you all day, Henrietta saw her!" her dark brown eyes were gleaming "Now fess up; why do you have a stalker?"
"Who knows," Rose shrugged, feeling a blush heating her face "Maybe she was just following Henrietta." Terri chortled and raised her eyebrows in disbelief.
"You know some third years saw you two in a snowball fight? And that Bellatrix didn't immediately obliterate you. So I have an idea, but I want to hear the truth from you." she smirked. Rose pulled her hand away and crossed her arms self consciously. She wanted to say that she was on good terms with Bellatrix, but something was holding her back. Were they friendly with each other? Bellatrix had stopped casting hexes at her, but she distanced herself a lot.
"Well, I don't think she hates me." Rose answered finally. Terri sighed, a little irritated.
"I'd say you're more like her only friend. How you made that happen, I have no idea. Yet here you are." she looked Rose hard in the eyes "What in Merlin's name made you do it?" Rose chewed her lip, searching for an answer.
"Well, as much as she is a pain in the ass, there's definitely some good there. She's incredibly smart. I don't know...I just can't bring myself to dislike her." Rose fumbled for words and wondered why she was still blushing so hard. Excusing herself, she went to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her burning face.