From here on out, Rose will demonstrate just how much of an idiot she can be. Hold onto your butts, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.
I AM NOT PROFITING FROM THIS. ANY RECOGNIZABLE CHARACTERS, PLACES, AND/OR EVENTS BELONG TO J.K. ROWLING
Chapter 14
It was on Valentine's Day that Rose received an owl from Dumbledore. It was a simple message that read
I will accompany you to the Ministry on Saturday morning at eight o'clock. Have a nice Valentine's Day.
A chocolate frog was attached to the note, but Rose let it hop away and off the table.
"Just from my parents." Rose explained to her friends when they asked. Of course, this was a lie, and thinking about her parents nearly made her burst into tears, so she excused herself from the table and went to sit in the library, not feeling like sitting out in the cold of the courtyard that morning. Curled up with a book on dark magic, she heard a quiet cough and almost thought that Bellatrix had followed her again. When she looked up, she found that it was actually Andromeda. It still amazed Rose how similar they looked, despite being two years apart.
"Is this seat taken?" she asked, gesturing to a clearly empty cushion next to Rose, who just shrugged. Andromeda's sudden appearance had made her heart jump into her throat, and now she was trying to forget what she had discovered a few nights ago.
"You know, Bellatrix was unusually quiet when she finally came back to the common room last night," Andromeda started casually "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" the innocent question twisted Rose's stomach further into knots until she thought she might die.
Finally, she flipped a page and answered as smoothly as she could "Perhaps."
Andromeda would have laughed out loud if it weren't for Madam Pince stalking through the aisles and rows of tomes, like a sphinx guarding its treasure.
"I know you were brewing amortentia. I could smell it on her as she walked by and I had to ask myself, 'Why does my sister smell like Ted Tonks?'. It made no sense until I realized. Which begs the question; why in Salazar's name were you making it to begin with?" Andromeda whispered.
"Bellatrix said she needed it for a prank so I wanted to help her out." Rose said weakly.
"Do you know of any pranks that could be pulled off with amortentia? It would be annoying, if anything, to have some lovesick fool following you around. No, I don't think she wanted it for a prank." Andromeda rolled her eyes "I'm more curious as to what you discovered when you brewed such a difficult potion. Tell me Rose, what did you smell?" she asked, and had a devious look in her eye as she asked this.
Rose became acutely aware of how Andromeda seemed to have a very adamant nature about her, much like Bellatrix did whenever she wanted to learn something, or Narcissa when she demanded to see Peppers or go sledding over Christmas. She figured it must have been a Black Family trait, and it made her feel like an ant under a magnifying glass.
"Did Bellatrix say anything?" Rose asked evasively, and Andromeda smiled like she had a secret, but just shrugged.
"I don't know. She might have."
"Andromeda I'm sorry, but please don't mess around. My temper has been short lately. Not to be blunt, but spit it out." Rose said wearily as she turned another page in her book.
The middle Black sister groaned, annoyed that Rose didn't feel like playing along. "Fine. No, she didn't say anything, but she was quiet, and she sputtered incoherently when I asked her what she had been up to. Usually she just tells me to piss off, so I knew something was up. You two spend a lot of time together, so I figured that I would ask you about it."
"Oh." Rose said, not meaning to sound so disappointed.
"Narcissa and I were also surprised to not see her following you around. She actually stayed at the table today. Did you two have another fight?" Andromeda whispered, looking concerned.
"No we didn't fight...I think she was just upset about the amortentia. I think I...messed it up."
Andromeda gave Rose a skeptical glance, but ultimately gave her a nonchalant grin.
"If you say so. I'm off to meet Ted, have a nice Valentine's Day." she patted Rose on the hand before getting up and leaving.
Bellatrix nearly swooned in the hallway, and desperately sucked in some of the musty dungeon air, hoping to clear her head.
"Shit." she gasped. Running shaky hands through her wild hair, she resisted the urge to slide down the wall and crumple into a ball. She hoped that maybe the amortentia would reveal that maybe she felt platonic love for Rose, but this only confirmed her fear.
"No, I refuse to accept this." she thought to herself, nostrils flaring and eyes wide as she practically ran back up to her dorm.
"No no no no no no no no." she muttered. She snapped her teeth at students who were still lingering after dinner, and even dared to shove a few out of her way with the careless toss of both hands.
"Watch out, the bitch is back on the war path again." Lucius sneered.
Bellatrix flicked her wand at him and sent him flying down the hall, a girlish scream escaping him. Andromeda looked up from something she was writing when her whirlwind of an older sister practically busted down the door. Bellatrix didn't notice when Andromeda frowned deeply before a moment of clarity registered on her face.
"And what have you been up to?" she asked casually.
Bellatrix, in an uncharacteristic turn of events, turned to Andromeda and blushed the darkest she ever had in her entire life."Cauldron." she said quickly, and almost bit her tongue off "I was...yes. Goodnight." blushing furiously, never in her life feeling fire on her face like she had before then.
Nobody else was in the dorm room, so she quickly stripped and slithered under her covers, but even the sheets felt too hot. Growling, she clenched her fists weakly, but couldn't find the right energy to destroy something like she wanted.
"Why me." she groaned "Why did I have to...UGH!" she slammed her fists down on the mattress. Refusing to admit the obvious, out loud or in thought, she turned over on her mattress and tried to slowly suffocate herself. Instead, she ended up falling asleep. Her roommates, including Skeeter, were surprised to find the usual terror snoozing well before them. They took great care not to disturb her.
"Bellatrix, stop staring at 're creepy." Andromeda said matter-of-factly while she spooned yogurt and fruit onto her plate.
The dark witch was indeed staring at Rose from across the Great Hall on Saturday morning, thinking about the week earlier. She noticed how her braids were a little messier today, and she could assume it was out of nervousness.
"Do you not remember what I told you? Lucius can rat on you at any time he pleases, and where would that leave either of you?" Andromeda hissed.
Narcissa was doing some staring of her own, disappointed that she never received anything from her crush a few days previous. Andromeda smacked her hand to get her attention and shook her head. It was no secret that Andromeda vehemently opposed Malfoy, and her hatred and disgust increased tenfold when Bellatrix attacked him and that responsibility was moved to her. She didn't understand why Narcissa was so fixated on the brat. Bellatrix only grunted in response.
Rose could feel Bellatrix's eyes on her, but when she tried to offer a smile, she turned away and it sent Rose's heart plummeting to her stomach. Nobody else had gone down to eat yet besides the usual early risers, and Rose was dressed and ready to leave for the Ministry. Eating the last of her toast, she adjusted her sweater and knit hat before walking to the grand staircase to wait. She wasn't sure where she was supposed to wait, but Dumbledore appearing by her side was her answer. He offered her a lukewarm and wizened smile, which she returned meekly.
"We will be using the floo network from my office. If you would follow me please." he said politely, and Rose followed. There was no way that she could have seen Bellatrix bite her tongue and grip the table tighter. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was deeply wrong. Rose hesitated briefly before going through the green flames and appearing in what she assumed was the Ministry of Magic. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of highly polished black marble, so sparkling clean that she could practically see her own nervous reflection. The vaulted ceilings and occasional skylight made the lobby look even more eerie, and not friendly by any means. Witches and wizards moved around Rose indifferently, wearing suits and carrying briefcases or papers. Young interns rushed about on various errands, and despite the mass of people, it was disturbingly quiet. Only the footsteps and rustling of cloaks and parcels could be heard.
"Come along. we musn't keep them waiting." Dumbledore walked ahead of her and Roe followed closely. As she walked, she noticed that there were perhaps twenty more floo entrances along the walls, all with witches and wizards coming and going. In the center of the lobby, where the room bowed out into a large circle, sat a large golden fountain with the statues of two house elves looking up at a witch with a disconcerting emotion, while a massive golden centaur circle opposite the witch. Upon closer inspection, Rose saw feverish reverence on the house elves faces, and it greatly disturbed her for reasons she couldn't describe. Here in the circle, there were stacks of brick offices with windows on all of them, so that Rose could see people going about their daily duties inside each cubicle. They reminded her of little prison cells. Dumbledore stopped slowly in front of a man at a desk, who wore a security uniform. He tipped his hat at Dumbledore as a show of respect.
"Business here today?" he asked in a heavy Irish brogue. Dumbledore nodded politely.
"Yes, I have a meeting with the Minister at 8:30 today. I am also bringing this student along with me." he gestured to Rose, who offered a weak smile. The security guard ignored her and stepped from out behind his booth.
"I'll need your wand for security purposes, miss." he held out his hand, and Rose almost flat out refused to comply. Why on earth would he need to see her wand? Why couldn't she bring it in with her? Rose took a fraction of a second to compose herself and remind herself that she had been practicing wandless spells, and she would be able to attempt to protect herself. The guard cleared his throat expectantly and wiggled his fingers a little. Begrudgingly, she slowly handed over her yew wand and locked eyes with the man, a spark of temper flaring up in her before disappearing.
"I'll be checking you for any other weapons now." the man told them and cast a silent charm, waving his wand loosely around both Dumbledore and Rose in turn. She wondered for a moment as to why Dumbledore didn't have his wand confiscated.
"This way please. You'll follow Jenkins." the security guard pointed to a smartly dressed wizard who appeared to be in his late thirties. He nodded at them pleasantly and they went along. Rose turned at the last minute to see the security guard put her wand in a drawer in his desk and lock it. She felt like she had lost a part of her, a bit of her soul left behind somewhere. She felt naked. Jenkins led them to an elevator, where he pushed the button for the floor they were going to. Rose noticed how there were many floors in the Ministry, with unmarked buttons at the bottom drawing the most attention. She never really researched the headquarters of Wizarding England, and she regretted that oversight now. It was uncomfortably quiet in the elevator, and she was glad for the ding announcing that they had arrived at their designated floor.
"This way please." Jenkins said. They were led through a series of winding and confusing corridors, past offices and various unlabeled doors. Finally, they came to the end of a long hall, with a slight depression in the wall for two benches. Large, ancient double doors were closed, and Rose could guess that this was the Minister's office.
"If you'll wait here, the Minister will be with you shortly." he bowed before turning on his heel and leaving them to wait. Dumbledore sighed that distinctive "old person" sigh and sat down on a bench, hands folded comfortably in his lap. Rose didn't feel inclined to sit and wait for what she felt like was some sort of punishment. The headmaster said she could get help here, but she was starting to feel doubtful.
"Professor," she asked suddenly, "what's on those lower floors?"
"Secrets I would imagine. A place such as this holds many mysteries. One of those would be the Department of Mysteries itself, where Unspeakables manage unknown and dangerous magics. Or so I've heard." he said in a quiet, wizened tone.
Rose was suddenly assaulted with an image she had never seen before. A flash of a circular room, with twelve doors without handles. And the word Apocrypha before she blinked and it was gone. She felt a tug in her mind, her curiosity piqued exponentially. She had to get downstairs and see what it was down there, for herself. Dumbledore didn't seem to notice her space out for a minute, and they spent the rest of the time waiting in silence again. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the double doors opened and a strained man's voice called out.
"Please come in." Rose could see inside the office from where she stood. A short, plump man with thinning hair and small eyes sat behind a large oak desk, fingers steepled in front of his face. He looked very nervous, evident by a sheen of sweat.
"Gross." Rose thought. Dumbledore lead her inside the plain looking room, which had a few filing cabinets, two chairs in front of the desk, and mountains of paperwork. Forms filled themselves out with a quill that scratched rapidly. They sat in front of Minister Leach and the man gave a very nervous glance at Rose before he shook Dumbledore's hand. She watched as the headmaster stealthily wiped his hands on his robes when they withdrew.
"Pleased to meet you, Miss Damonne. I'm Minister Leach, and I hope that we can be of some service to you today. If you would be so kind as to sign this form that states you consent to receiving assistance from the Department of Mysteries." he shakily handed her a paper with a large black X marked at the bottom. There was no other writing on the paper. She looked at the Minister, visibly confused. His frightened aura increased in intensity and he could barely muster up a nervous smile.
"Ah, that's just for security reasons." he explained. Dumbledore said nothing. Rose gripped the quill in an unsure hand. Everything her in her gut was telling her not to sign the paper, but this would mean she would be going to the Department of Mysteries. Apocrypha. She signed, and the second the quill left the paper, two men in matching black uniforms appeared behind them in the still-open entrance to the office. Dumbledore looked at Rose kindly.
"We'll be bringing you to the Department of Mysteries, miss." one of them said, and offered a hand. Rose's curiosity and excitement grew, but she kept her face stoic and unemotional, trying to mimic the "ghoul stare" as Bellatrix called it. Ignoring the Unspeakable's hand, Rose headed left without a backwards glance at the sweaty pudgy man and the headmaster. She had no idea that it was the last time she would ever see Dumbledore's face. As she left, she could hear Minister Leach babble nervously.
"Albus you're right, I could feel it. That poor girl is in trouble." at these words, Rose both felt terrified and thrilled in one.
…
The ride down further into the Ministry was deathly silent, and she could see how the Unspeakables didn't stand nearly as close to her as they probably should have.
"You've been practicing the Dark Arts?" Tom asked casually, his shredded silk voice grating along the bowl of her skull. Rose twitched irritably, making one of the Unspeakbles look at her curiously. Tom chuckled mirthlessly.
"I know your type. Eager to learn, eager to perform. If not for somebody else, then at least for yourself." the top of her spine ached as he said this, and Rose tried very hard not to roll her shoulders or make any sudden movements.
"There is so much more you could learn. From me, from this...Department." he sighed "I believe you already know where to find it. I could even help you, if you so choose."
"No." Rose said out loud.
"Pardon?" one of the Unspeakables asked, looking around as if there were somebody else in the lift. Rose shook her head.
"When you get to the bottom floor, just say the word, and by the time you come back, you'll know a lot more than some simple fiendfyre. Besides, what good is knowledge if nobody can actually…learn from it? Hmm?" she could feel herself slipping again, into the icy cold darkness, something she hadn't experienced since December. She clenched her jaw so tight she thought her teeth would shatter. She didn't even notice that she was shaking.
"Miss, are you alright?" an Unspeakable asked. He had his wand drawn now, and Rose wished dearly that she had hers.
"Just a little control is all I ask...just an hour." Tom stilled, and Rose could feel herself plunging once more into the ink. She stopped shaking and took a deep breath.
"I'm fine." she said evenly. The elevator stopped, and they stepped out like her little episode hadn't happened.
"Full disclosure Miss, you won't remember what you see here today, after this." one Unspeakable said. Rose found it oddly infuriating that she couldn't see the man's face very clearly, like somebody had shrouded it in a fog. She just nodded instead and followed them down another long hall before they came to a circular room with twelve doors. the black marble glimmered dimly in the candlelight. Her body tensed, adn before either auror could speak, there was a flurry of commotion.
"Apocrypha!" Rose shouted, and before the Unspeakables knew what was happening, Rose had disappeared through a now opened door as the walls spun. What they weren't aware of was the fact that Tom was actually in the driver's seat on this one, and Rose could only watch in thinly veiled horror as she moved with inhuman speed through another impossibly long dark hallway.
"Not a hallway," she chuckled "a library, child." When Rose forced her eyes to focus a little, she indeed saw that she was running through yards of towering bookshelves, chains dangling everywhere, glinting in an unknown light source. The whole place smelled of old books, as she expected, and the temperature was delightfully mild.
"Take your pick," Tom spoke with her voice "So many wonderful things to learn. Why, if I were really here, I would spend hours just going through these tomes. I would be the most powerful wizard in the world." he said longingly, slowing Rose down to a walk. They turned together into a row of books as a bolt of red magic fluttered past them. It made no sound of impact, and eventually faded in the dark hall.
"I have come here for one thing, which we must get before you take your leave." she said, sounding bored. Her legs carried her on a winding maze-like path through the shelves, where she passed books of varying size, all chained to the shelves, and she could feel the spells at work trying to keep them in place.
"Let's see here…" she ran her hands along the spines of the books, which thrashed wildly on the shelves at her touch. The chains rattled, sounding like some horrible dirge. At the end of the row, tucked between two books with red spines, was a small unassuming black one. Rose felt her face break into a horrible, maniacal grin, and she simply pulled it free of its bindings. That wasn't to say it didn't hurt. Liquid fire raced through the veins in her arms and made the entire right side of her body go completely numb, but she couldn't scream.
"That...was an unfortunate side effect. Ah well. Knowledge does come with a price I suppose. Well, what do you want then? We have just enough time to get you something before those fools catch us. No? Nothing in particular? Well, I can't have my future lieutenant come out of this empty handed." Tom chuckled as her arm still burned violently. She could hear people shouting, but it sounded fuzzy. The pain spread farther.
"I'll pick for you this time, but I expect quicker decisions in the future. Your name...Rose? Well congratulations Rose, you're going to become a little bit better at gardening. How...prophetic." Tom hummed and then were moving once more, finding a different shelf before she snatched another book with her left hand. If it were possible, Rose would have passed out, but Tom was managing to keep her standing.
"Now all we have to do is a little light reading…" she took the first book that Tom had grabbed and flipped it open, breezing through the pages so fast her eyes couldn't keep up. But her head pounded violently. Suddenly, she knew things that she wasn't supposed to, and they felt dreadful.
"At last…" Tom breathed, then he smiled again. Rose could have swore that she had his face now, could feel her mind and body contorting. "This knowledge isn't for you, I'm afraid, but you can certainly benefit from this one." she tossed the black book aside and opened the second book, again her head screaming as she read through it. Her heart thrummed faster, so much that she thought it would explode out of her chest.
"Time to go." Tom sighed again, and Rose dropped the book. She turned just in time to see another bolt of red light hit her in the face.
When she awoke, she was in a pale, white-grey room, and her back was killing her. Flexing her fingers, she found that she was back in control, but Tom was still there as usual, watching. She groaned, her head feeling like somebody had plowed over it with a thousand trains.
"Oh, good, you're awake." a man said, and she faced another Unspeakable, who she still couldn't see. Her head swaying precariously, she could barely make out the presence of several more people in the room. She tried to move her arms and legs, but the only thing she could move were her head and fingers. Squinting, she couldn't see any sort of restraints and figured that it must have been magic.
"Miss Damonne, that is your name?" another voice said, a woman this time. Rose bobbed her head back in an attempt to see who it was. Again, she could only tell that it was a woman and nothing more. She grunted an affirmative and tried moving once more.
"Miss Damonne,where were you on the morning of December 25th, 1968?" the woman asked, and this suddenly jolted Rose's brain like it had been smacked with a live wire. Tom was also partially to blame for that.
"It seems that they've caught you now. Perhaps make your escape while you can." he advised. Rose ignored him.
"You'll...you will...help?" she slurred. The woman repeated her question. Rose stared, trying to identify their faces, but she couldn't.
"I was...home." she said finally. Tom gave a resentful sigh.
"That was a foolish mistake. I suppose I should assist you again." she could feel magic in her hands, like when she was casting a wandless spell, but nothing was happening.
"So you admit you were in your home. I also presume this means you were there when somebody attacked your father, and killed him? Your father was a Muggle named Jonathan Damonne?" the woman asked, and hearing her father's full name come out of somebody's mouth in such a formal fashion brought hot tears to her eyes. She strained in the chair.
"You must try for yourself a little harder. I can only lend you so much power." Tom hissed warningly. She wanted him gone.
"Please help me." she said quietly, worrying that if she brought her voice higher than a whisper, something within her would break down completely. The Unspeakables ignored her request. One of them wrote something on parchment.
"Have you had any contact with undesirable figures? Anybody by the name of Tom Marvolo Riddle?" the woman asked. Rose blinked.
"You know? Can't you please help me?" she whimpered, tears falling now.
"Only I have the power to help you." Tom seethed. She could feel the Voices coming back, urging her temper to rise and change. She struggled a little more.
"Miss Damonne, have you been contacted by, or approached by, Tom Riddle? Has he influenced your previous actions in any way?" the woman asked, her tone still even. Infuriatingly even.
"Why will none of you listen to me? I need help." she cried. The chair budged a little bit. One Unspeakable murmured something to his companion and they pulled out their wands. Rose's panic grew.
"Where is he hiding, Miss Damonne? What is he conspiring?" the woman's voice was a touch more frantic as Rose cried and begged for help.
"Please, if you could just give my wand back!" she begged suddenly, wishing she had the beloved yew stick back in her hand. She would finally be able to escape. Something in her told her that this wasn't the way to get help, and it wasn't Tom.
"She's resisting," she heard one man say "we need to do this the old fashioned way."
"You know why they took your wand. It's so you can't defend yourself. You're trapped here and they will hurt you. You need to leave now." Tom commanded.
Rose's heart rate increased, and she tried to get out of the chair, but whatever spell they had used kept her stuck fast. The voices in her head began to shriek. The Unspeakable leaned in with his wand.
"This won't hurt too much." he assured her, but Rose answered with a guttural scream. The man lurched back a little and looked at his officers, who just nodded. The raw magic in Rose came forward and she screamed again, throwing her body in any direction she could, and the chair wobbled.
"We'll have to sedate her. Quickly!" a woman yelled, but Rose only thrashed harder. Her throat was already raw from yelling. She was sure she looked insane, but right now she didn't care, she just wanted to get out. The voices continued their murderous din, and Rose roared and howled before two more Unspeakables came forward. But before they could do anything, Rose's eyes widened in panicked fear and she used every last ounce of her strength to wrench herself from the chair. People shouted in surprise and called after her as she began a headlong sprint for the door. When she burst through, she was surprised to see she was in the hallway she had walked through on the atrium level, meaning that her wand was nearby.
"They didn't even lock the door because they thought you were weak. Those fools thought you were powerless." Tom hissed.
Rose grew angry at this and ran faster. The dark polished floors reflected her face in the dim light that filtered through the vaulted ceiling of the Ministry, and she looked pissed. Determined, but pissed. She needed to find her wand, and she needed to get out. Rose shoved past several people, who grumbled or tried to reprimand her. She could hear Aurors calling after her, telling her to stop. Obviously, she didn't stop, and made a beeline for the security stop, where she had given up her wand. However, the guard there was ready to defend his post, and he flung a spell at Rose. She dodged it effortlessly and kept running, blood pumping in her ears. The guard cursed and ran at her, throwing more spells. People began to panic and tried to get away from the scene unfolding, and in the chaos the other Aurors were blocked from view. Tennis shoes slapping against the black marble, Rose was prepared to swing a right hook at the man before he was blown to the side with a spell. Rose whipped her head to her left in confusion to see an unfamiliar woman with a very familiar wand drawn.
"Get your wand and let's go, you idiot!" she shouted. Rose scrambled onto the desk and leaned over it, yanking open the drawer and snatching her wand up before shoving off and following the woman, who was running towards the fireplaces. Aurors were flooding into the expansive lobby, wands flashing.
"Fuck, shit, fuck." Rose hissed. The woman turned and snatched up Rose's hand.
"Hold on tight." she warned, and they barreled into the fireplace.
"45 Clairmont Ave." Rose said hurriedly before the woman had a chance to speak when the powder was thrown. She gave Rose a look, but there was a twist in her gut and both her and the woman burst out of the fireplace in Rose's home.
Sucking air into her burning lungs, Rose dragged herself to the sofa and leaned heavily against it. She really should have gotten into better shape. The woman was sprawled on her back, and her face was contorting and shrinking. The dull brown hair morphed into bouncy dark curls, and Bellatrix's perfect angular face was staring up at the ceiling, grinning like a Cheshire cat. Rose raised her eyebrows in surprise, and snorted before sighing. Bellatrix sat up on her elbows and smirked.
"Some thank you that is." she teased.
"Thanks Bellatrix." Rose said quietly. She leaned her head back on the sofa cushion and groaned.
"Oh my god...I'm so screwed." she sighed.
"I'll say," Bellatrix chuckled and plopped herself on the couch, legs up over the arm of it and laying her head near Rose's "You just ran from the bloody Ministry, with so many Aurors on your silly little tail." she cackled. Rose didn't really see the humor in it, and just stared at the ceiling in despair.
"I can't go back to Hogwarts. They'll just take me back. Or they won't let me go back in and they'll get me at the gate. Oh my god I can't finish school. Holy shit…" her eyes widened as she realized the magnitude of what just happened. Bellatrix tossed her hair and it landed on Rose's face, who moved it off to the side.
"Eh. Not the worst thing that could happen. They could have tortured you." she shrugged. Rose turned to try and looked at the girl.
"Why did you follow me? You know that you could get in huge trouble for this."
"Please," she rolled her eyes "I used a polyjuice potion. They'll never figure it out."
"Okay but still. Why?" Rose said desperately. She wouldn't be able to bear it if Bellatrix had gotten into more trouble on her behalf. The Slytherin witch didn't respond, and only gave a thoughtful hum.
"Where are we, Damonne?"
"My house."
"Where are your parents? Working?" she sniffed. Rose bit her lip.
"No."
"Where are they then?" Bellatrix shifted a little and rolled onto her side. She was trying to look at Rose, who avoided her searching gaze.
"You alright?" she actually sounded a little concerned.
"Yeah, fine. I think I'm just hungry or something." Rose said lamely, and she got on her feet. She moved to go to the kitchen when Bellatrix caught her hand. Rose looked at it numbly. She noticed a pink scar running from the top of her hand and under the sleeve of her dress.
"What's that from?" she asked. Bellatrix's grip loosened a little, and she looked away.
"Your wand backfired when I tried to use it."
"When did you use my wand?"
"When we were in detention." she said, avoiding Rose's searching gaze.
"Oh, okay." she said after a moment of silence and walked away, letting Bellatrix's hand fall. Rose walked into the kitchen, floorboards creaking being replaced by the soft tap of her shoes on linoleum. The fridge was mostly empty except for some pickled eggs, and there was a loaf of bread on the counter. Had her mother even come back to the house yet? On top of the fridge was a bottle of firewhisky, which Rose considered for a moment before taking it. She heard the tapping of heels, and there was Bellatrix behind her in her tight black dress and corset, hair in a glorious dark mane, and a thoughtful look on her gorgeous face.
"Rose, you're crying." she said flatly. Rose reached up to touch her cheek and discovered it was wet. Then she blinked; Bellatrix hadn't actually used her first name before. She wiped her face.
"Oh, sorry." she moved past the girl to the hall where she could go up to her room. Bellatrix stayed in the kitchen for a moment, before following in a huff.
"Why are you crying?" she asked, walking up the stairs after Rose. The brunette didn't answer. She pushed open her bedroom door and sat on her bed, up against the headboard, and brought her knees to her chest. Bellatrix poked her head into the room warily before walking in and leaning on the door frame. Rose didn't look at her and spun the cap on the bottle before flicking it off in an impressive display of "I hate my life and nothing will change that."
"You're crying and now you're going to drink. I'm no expert, but those rarely combine very well." Bellatrix cocked her head. Rose lifted the bottle and smelled the alcohol and sharp cinnamon. It wasn't as nice as Bellatrix. She took a long draught before coughing a little. And then another. And another. Tears trickled down her face. She drank more. She hated Tom. Another. She hated how he made her act, how he made her feel. Another. She wished she hadn't hurt her father, made her mother cry. Another.
"Maybe you should slow down there, yeah?" Bellatrix grimaced and walked to the bed, gently taking the bottle from Rose. The brunette stared into space, her tongue buzzing as she breathed out and let the tears fall. Picking up a braid, she undid the small ribbon and ran her fingers through it, allowing the hair to rest in its normal state. She did the same to the other. Running a shaky hand through her hair and sighed again. Bellatrix still stood above her, watching. Rose shook her head.
"I bet you have soooo many questions, right? Well have a seat, I'll spin you a fucking tale." Rose said bitterly, her words already starting to blend together. Bellatrix hesitated before sitting gingerly on the end of the bed. Rose reached for the bottle, but Bellatrix took a swig herself and kept it. Rose leaned back, eyes glazed and lidded.
"So. It was winter break. I came home. Mom and dad were happy to see me, we had dinner. It was good. Only the first night you know?" she shrugged and stared at a pulled thread on her blanket. Then she lifted her head and looked Bellatrix dead in the eye, who was staring back. Her vision was already swimming, and the dark haired witch seemed to glow.
"Christmas morning...I uh...Tom. He woke me up. Said somebody was trying to hurt me, that I needed to defend myself. I wasn't thinking right. I grabbed my wand, went downstairs, and attacked a guy." her voice dropped to a whisper.
"It was my dad. Putting a few gifts under the tree." she shuddered. She remembered the flash of her wand illuminating his frightened face before he crumpled to the floor. Rose rocked a little, arms laced around her legs.
"That's why you came back early." Bellatrix said quietly, suddenly putting the pieces in place. She took another swig before passing it to Rose, who took another long drink and burped. Bellatrix scrunched her nose a little at that sound. Cinnamon perfumed the air.
"Yeah. Now here we are." Rose slurred. She held tightly onto the locket and shivered. Even with the whiskey in her stomach, she still felt cold. Her head filled with cotton, she stretched out a little more on the bed, nudging Bellatrix with her foot.
"Oi you." the girl sneered, edging off the bed. Rose put her legs over her lap before Bellatrix could get away.
"Please don't go." she mumbled, head swirling. Bellatrix froze and sat where she was. Rose played with her hair, smoothing out the long brown strands.
"You know? I really didn't think that I would fuck up this bad. When I first moved, I thought 'I just gotta get through it. Then everything will go back to normal.' But nothing's been normal." she whispered. Bellatrix was silent.
"I don't know why I'm a Gryffindor. Or was. I'm not even brave. And my friends. I miss them. So much still. I'm weak. I thought I could change all that by climbing back to the top of the class. If I-if I...made myself untouchable, I could just bide my time. But I'm still so weak." Rose said bluntly. Bellatrix suddenly gripped her leg tightly with her hand and Rose blushed.
"No. You're not weak. And you are brave. Stupidly, even. But no you're not weak, Rose Damonne. No, you're smart, brave, beautiful, and possibly the brightest witch of our age. You hold in so much and expect nothing from others. You're kind and witty." Bellatrix was rambling, staring at Rose. The Gryffindor blushed furiously.
"You think I'm beautiful?" she gulped. Bellatrix's eyes flickered away for a moment.
"Platonically. Sure yeah." she stuttered. Feeling a little disappointed, Rose sighed and cupped her hands over her face.
"I also think you're gorgeous. In a friend way." she mumbled through her hands. Bellatrix was still gripping her shin. Her mind stumbled over itself and she kept talking, much to her dismay.
"And I like your hair. It's unique. I've always thought it was unruly, like you. And your eyes? Dude I could stare into them for forever, they're like the ocean at night. You ever been to the ocean? It's mysterious, pretty. Dangerous." she slurred. She hoped the other couldn't hear her clearly. Her mouth had a mind of its own, and Rose was burning up with embarrassment.
"You're literally the smartest person in our year, probably the whole school. You have no idea how badly I wanted to show you up when I first got here. I was the best at Ilvermorny, you know. And boy, I did not like the idea of competition, despite my best efforts to ignore it." Rose rambled. Bellatrix moved her hand. It rested farther up her leg. Rose spluttered and lurched upward. Bellatrix had leaned forward, gazing at her intently. Still struggling to gaze at Bellatrix, Rose's tongue continued, much to her complete and utter dismay.
"You know how we made that amortentia? Well...I didn't mess it up. I could smell my mom baking, and fresh clean laundry on a spring day. But you know what overpowered all that? You. It was...invigorating." she shivered at the memory. If she weren't already buzzed, she would have been more amazed and possibly terrified that the person she actually loved was sitting right in front of her.
"I'm still not quite sure why you had us make that...it wasn't really for a prank, was it?" she asked with hesitation. Bellatrix blushed for a moment, but she covered quickly.
"Damonne, you're out of your tree. You don't know what you're saying." Rose tried very hard to focus on the dark witch's eyes, but she could only stare at her exquisite ruby lips. Bellatrix licked them slowly, and Rose gulped.
"Yeah, you're probably right." Rose whimpered. She promptly tossed her head back down on her pillow and scrunched her eyes shut.
"Well goodnight." she said, hoping that Bellatrix would stop doing whatever it was she was doing.
"It's the middle of the day. You can still see the sun." Bellatrix whispered, and Rose could feel her press closer. The soft swell of her breasts and the tight ribbing of her corset almost made Rose gasp.
"I'm definitely drunk. This was a mistake. I'm sorry I talked so much. You can go." Rose kept her eyes closed, her face still burning. She felt dizzy even though she was laying down. Bellatrix took a long drink from the bottle before putting it on the floor and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
"I'm not going anywhere. You're clearly distressed. I'm here to...support you emotionally." she said carefully before drawing herself up closer and gently laying herself atop Rose, whose breathing hitched loudly. Bellatrix wiggled a little and got herself comfortable, resting her face in Rose's hair and tucking her chin into her neck. Rose's heart hammered in her chest, and she almost choked in disbelief when the girl on top of her grasped her left hand in hers.
"This is good. G'night." Bellatrix murmured, and all Rose could smell was the whiskey. She knew she would regret this, but her eyes grew heavy, and she also drifted off to sleep.