Surprise! I'm back, and the burning hatred I feel for this story is currently immeasurable. As of right now, I'm relatively close to finishing the final chapters, but they still need editing and revising, so don't expect the end to come anytime soon.
Sorry about the late update, I promise this won't be a regular thing. As always, review if you enjoyed!
I AM NOT PROFITING FROM THIS. ANY RECOGNIZABLE PEOPLE, PLACES, OR EVENTS BELONG TO J.K. ROWLING
Chapter 16
Bellatrix, after changing for bed, flopped into her mattress and growled to herself. She missed Rose. Where was Rose? She answered all the letters they sent back and forth, but she needed her. Here. Physically. She groaned again and covered her face with her hands, pouting and snarling.
"Bloody fucking Salazar, Bellatrix if you do not shut up I will risk my life just to make you." one of her roommates hissed angrily.
Bellatrix stopped making noise, and a devious, evil smile curled on her face. Maybe it was time to blow off a little steam. The voice came from one certainly unfortunate Rita Skeeter, whose shiny blonde hair was pinned up in rollers, would be her target now. Bellatrix sat up very slowly, wand in hand. Twirling a curl around the walnut wand, she tiptoed over to Skeeter's bed, silent as the grave this unfortunate Slytherin would be in soon. If the other girls in the room saw Bellatrix stalk her prey, they didn't dare warn the other girl.
"I am so terribly sorry, Rita. A girl like you certainly needs all the beauty sleep she can get, you filthy insignificant little insect." Bellatrix purred, and she raised her wand. Rita shrieked and jumped to her feet, backing against the headboard.
"Stay back! I'm-I'm warning you, Black!" Rita stuttered, who had foolishly knocked her wand off her nightstand, as well as her hideous cat-eye glasses. The other three girls sat up now and watched the scene unfold, magic sparking dangerously on the end of Bellatrix's wand. They had noticed she had been more of a terror lately, although they couldn't understand why. With a quick swish a few muttered words, Rita's head turned into a terrified looking jack o' lantern, whose muffled wails would haunt the other Slytherins as Skeeter fled the room and Bellatrix went back to bed with a self satisfied smirk. But it wasn't enough. In the dark that night, she lay under the silk sheets and pouted, aimlessly tracing a spot on her sheets. The smell of honey, a warm breeze through clean laundry. Rose. It was like she was right there. Bellatrix bit her lip painfully and squeezed her eyes shut to prevent her unshed tears from falling. A comforting hand rested on hers, giving it a gentle pat.
"Sala-!" she began to curse, but a hand clamped over her mouth and somebody shushed her. Bellatrix bit down on the hand, eliciting a quiet yelp.
"Fuck sake, Bellatrix." a familiar voice hissed into the dark, and in seconds she had sprung off her bed and on top of Rose, who was laying flat on her back and feeling blindly through the dark to try and pry the other girl off her. In the commotion, a girl woke up and cast Lumos sleepily, a cold blue light barely reaching Bellatrix's bed, where the two witches were staying as still as they could, not even daring to breathe. When the spell was extinguished, Bellatrix grabbed Rose by her face and pressed feverish and unpracticed kisses all over her face and forehead.
"Shit, I missed you too." Rose chuckled and kissed Bellatrix tenderly on the lips before laying back down on the floor. She couldn't see her face, but by now she guessed that Bellatrix was grimacing.
"Your clothes are bloody nasty, Damonne." she whispered, and got off of her and back into bed, where Rose slipped in with her with a snicker.
"No way, you stink, get out." Bellatrix hissed and tried pushing the other girl away half-heartedly. Rose shuffled around a bit, and Bellatrix suddenly became very aware of Rose's bare skin against the material of her nightgown, which made her shiver.
"There, clothes are gone. I'd love to chat, but I'm tired as hell." she mumbled, trying to tuck the blankets closer around her. Bellatrix growled and instead pulled Rose closer so she wouldn't hog the blankets. Salazar's blood, why was this girl always so cold? They fell asleep, a little delirious after their midnight reunion, and totally forgot about the damage control they would have to perform in the morning.
"Well piss." Bellatrix stated flatly in the morning, still very tired and very much pissed off. Rose had panicked when she awoke first and bolted from the room before anybody else could wake up, but she left a note on the bed saying to meet her in the courtyard around midnight. Bellatrix rubbed her forehead irritably. Getting dressed, she left the bedroom with a sneer at Rita Skeeter who was just coming back from the hospital wing. Now no longer a gourd, she spotted the note Bellatrix left on her pillow and read it before deciding she would exact her revenge.
When the time finally came, Bellatrix took a quick look around to make sure nobody saw her before heading out into the cold, cloak drawn tight around her shoulders to combat the early spring chill. The moon illuminated the courtyard well, causing the various structures to cast dark shadows. Bellatrix smiled when she heard somebody shuffle in the corner to her left, where the covered portion of the courtyard overlooked the chasm. Rose was sitting on a stone bench, fiddling with something in her hand, the half of her face still illuminated showing a mix between concern and something else. Rose looked like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.
"Rose." Bellatrix said primly, and the brunette's head snapped upwards, a grin erasing whatever emotion the Slytherin had just witnessed. She stood up and brought the other girl into a tight embrace, burying her face in the glossy black curls. Bellatrix returned the hug gladly, noticing that she had bathed and put on clean jeans and a flannel shirt. She was also wearing a sherpa jacket that looked a few sizes too big for her, and it had a lot of dirt on it.
"Rose…" Bellatrix said again, backing up and gently pulling on her two braids to draw her face closer for a soft kiss.
"Bella. I have a plan." those four words made something drop in her stomach, but Rose looked so excited. She pursed her ruby lips and closed her eyes, resting her forehead against the other girl's.
"I can cure myself." she smiled triumphantly and backed away so she could show Bellatrix the small crystal vial in the palm of her hand that held a sparkly, slight luminescent liquid. The other witch frowned and stared at it. "Unicorn tears." Rose whispered gently, and closed the palm of her hand "I'll drink these, which will get rid of Voldemort, and then…" her voice was low, excited "and then I want you to come with me. Back to America." she finished, a little breathless. Bellatrix hung her head at this, her heart and mind screaming at her. A pitiful blaze caught on the flagstones before sputtering out. Rose waited for a response, her breath puffing in the air.
"I can't come back here to finish school, but that's okay because my uncle can help us out! I know you want nothing to do with your parents and that marriage, so we can just leave. I don't have a lot of money, but I'll fix it I promise." Rose whispered excitedly.
"I can't, Rose." her voice was small. Rose's smile faltered a little, her face twisted in confusion.
"If this is about the kiss, that's fine I understand we can stay friends, I don't mind—"
"No, Rose. I can't go with you. I'm supposed to be married when I leave Hogwarts." she said quietly, heart shattering with every word. Rose looked hurt, but she held Bellatrix's hands between her own.
"Just run, nobody owns you! You're a powerful witch, you can run and nobody can stop you! Look, we can lay low at my Uncle Jesse's estate until this all blows over—"
"Rose, no. I won't leave my sisters!" Bellatrix finally shouted, effectively shutting up the brunette into stunned silence. It seemed that she had forgotten about the younger girls. She stepped back and rubbed her nose nervously.
"I understand. I didn't realize…"
"What? You didn't realize that I love my sisters dearly, and would do anything to protect them? Even if it means giving up my freedom and entering a sham marriage and having children until the day I die? Even if it means—"
"Even if it means leaving me." Rose finished sullenly.
"Don't say it like that, please, Rose that isn't fair." Bellatrix felt a lump in her throat as she said this, her eyes beginning to sting with tears.
"No I'm not trying to—look, I get it okay? It was shitty of me to think that you could just run without a second thought. Just because I was ready to drop everything and go doesn't mean you would be. I'm sorry. Really…" she choked up and shook her head, rubbing her eye with the heel of her palm. It left a smudge of dirt, which Bellatrix carefully brushed away.
"You know, if things were different, I would go with you. Bloody fuck knows what's in America, but as long as you were there, I think it would have been fine." she said half-heartedly.
In truth, she would have preferred to just run with this Gryffindor and never look back. But she had a greater duty to her sisters. If she didn't marry Rodolphus, her father would put Narcissa in her place, and she didn't want to think about that. Cissy was still young, and she didn't deserve the same fate. Perhaps, there would be some way she could arrange something for her sisters, so her parents wouldn't try to preemptively ruin their lives completely.
"What if...what if I try to come back? Like, come back and get you?" Rose asked timidly. Bellatrix looked at her hazel eyes, so soft yet...there was something there she couldn't put her finger on.
"Bella, I really really like you. A lot. Even if you get married, I mean I'm sorry but it wouldn't matter. You get me like nobody else does and I would miss you so much…" she rambled out, and it made Bellatrix blush a deep red that Rose couldn't see as they stood in the dark.
"I'll miss you as well. Rose, I hope you realize that this marriage doesn't mean anything to me, and it never will. And we still have time...don't we?" she suddenly realized that she didn't know when Rose planned on leaving. She was no longer enrolled at Hogwarts, so technically nothing could hold her back.
"We have time. I'll wait." Rose said, smiling a little.
"You should probably drink up then," Bellatrix gestured at her hand, which still held the vial. Rose shook her head.
"I'm not doing it right now, because I have no idea how it will react to whatever is happening in my head right now. If it's dangerous, I don't want anybody around to get hurt. I've hurt way too many people for a lifetime." she chuckled, but it was an empty sound shrouded with pain.
"Well, whatever happens, I just want you to know that...I love you." Bellatrix murmured, hugging Rose close and kissing her cheek. Her heart soared at this admission, but she just clung to the taller girl like a lifeline. Rose seemed stunned for a moment before smiling and kissing her back.
"I love you too. Beyond just...you know. You've been the person who was with me every step of the way. You will always be my best friend." Rose smiled against Bellatrix's hair as they embraced each other tighter. After a few minutes or whispered words and kisses, they parted, leaving Bellatrix with the knowledge that Rose loved her, and it was all that really mattered at this point. Neither of them noticed the nosy blonde watching from across the courtyard, scribbling on a small green notepad.
…
The very next morning, there was the unsettling buzz of gossip filling the Great Hall at breakfast. Bellatrix showed up late, drowsy from practice in the afternoon and then her late night meeting with Rose. Yawning loudly, she plopped onto the bench and rubbed her eyes. Andromeda looked like she had seen a ghost.
"What are you staring at me for?" she asked, bored. Then she noticed several more curious glances directed at her from all over the hall. Too many curious glances for her liking. Andromeda dropped a piece of parchment on the table in front of her older sister and clasped her hands on her lap, trying to remain composed. Her years of schooling in staying proper in compromising situations was coming into play now as the dark haired girl next to her quickly skimmed over the blurb before igniting it in a rage. Before she had reduced it to ashes, it read somewhere along the lines of
A Dark Tryst?
Hello readers, aspiring writer here. Do I have some news for you! This daring reporter happened upon a shocking and dare I say...romantic midnight rendezvous between resident psychopath Bellatrix Black and a mystery lover! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a good enough look at the mystery man, but fear not! Anonymous sources report that it may be Slytherin heartthrob Lucius Malfoy, which makes an awful lot of sense if you consider the long standing friendship between the House of Black and Malfoy family, it only makes sense that there would be a secret romance. But how scandalous, considering she has been betrothed to another! Dear readers, only time will tell until this blows up in their faces.
There was no signature, only a large looping R at the end of the article. To say that Bellatrix was fuming would be an understatement. Narcissa was giving her sister withering looks, but the oldest girl didn't notice as she glared around the Great Hall, as if to somehow find the writer of this flyer. All she saw was a terrified Lucius Malfoy trying his best to look casual as he fled from breakfast with his cronies. The professors seemed unphased. Typical. Growling, Bellatrix snatched flyers from her classmates and ripped them to shreds and scattering them on the stone floor before sitting down again and swallowing her breakfast with an abnormal amount of ferocity.
"But...you were out last night, weren't you?" Andromeda asked, giving her a searching look. Bellatrix grunted noncommittally and scarfed down a pastry. The middle sister just nodded, and got the gist. She assumed her sister had been out to see Rose, or Rose had gone out to see her. Despite the morning's rough start, Bellatrix couldn't help a little smirk. Rose loved her, and she loved her right back. It made her want to run laps or jump for joy or-
"You look awfully...giddy." Andromeda smirked, but this only made Narcissa more upset. Her sweet angelic face crumpled into despair and misery. A jolt of fear gripped Bellatrix's heart, and she reached across the table to squeeze her sister's hand.
"Cissy, I don't like your weird little rat. Please don't believe those stupid papers." she said soothingly, or at least as soothingly as she could under the circumstances. The young girl just frowned and shrugged. Bellatrix wanted to tell her but...she was just so young. And it wasn't that she didn't trust Narcissa, but things tend to slip in a young girl's excited chatter. She had far more friends than either of the two older sisters, and gossip easily spread like wildfire. The last thing she wanted was people asking questions. Speaking of which…
Bellatrix straightened her posture a little and tried to find Rose's friends. Or the remaining living ones at least. She couldn't help feeling a little apathetic; she just didn't know them all too well. After a few minutes of glancing, she saw the Hufflepuff boy sitting at the Gryffindor's table where Rose had usually been. He was talking with a girl, who Bellatrix vaguely recognized as that other girl Rose knew...what was her name? Tina? Tiramisu? They both looked somber, although arguably not as sad as they might have been a few days ago. Did they even realize Rose was missing? A spark of anger ignited in Bellatrix's stomach.
"Rotten bastards…" she twisted a napkin in her hand. Clearly those buffoons didn't realize what they had let so easily slip through their fingers. She was about to stand up and say something when Dumbledore stood from his seat and walked to the winged podium at the front of the Great Hall. Everybody quieted down almost immediately as he stood there, and hundreds of eyes watched as the aging man spoke.
"Students, staff, and professors…" he began. Apolyon Pringle lurked in the far corner of the hall, near the door where professors came and went "It has come to my attention that there is a dangerous individual loose in the Forbidden Forest. Protective measures have been taken, but it's highly advisable that you do not venture on the grounds during your free time. The Ministry has been contacted." there were hushed murmurs that descended on the hall, everybody guessing who it could be. Of course, Bellatrix knew, and she decided to put the torment of Tracy and the badger boy on hold. When people began leaving the Great Hall, she ran as fast as her legs could carry her, effectively missing her first class and making a beeline for her dorm. Throwing herself at her writing supplies, she penned a hasty message.
They know you're there. You need to leave NOW.
Just as she sent the owl, her door slammed open and she jumped with a shriek. Aurors, with Dumbledore in tow, entered the room. The old man looked relatively calm as the female Auror stepped forward. Bellatrix slowly drew herself up to full height and straightened her robes.
"Miss, we have reason to believe that you've been in contact with a wanted individual, Undesirable No. 26. Rose Amelia Damonne." she said. her companion began to slowly move around the dorm, wand drawn at his side. Bellatrix turned her nose up haughtily, putting on the mask that her mother had made her develop over the years. The pureblood sneer.
"As if I would consort with criminals. And...Damonne, did you say?" she scoffed "Half-blood filth, and a simpering Gryffindor." she wanted to die, saying those words, but her response seemed to work, because both Aurors looked at Dumbledore questioningly. The old man squinted at Bellatrix for a fraction of a second before sighing.
"Perhaps I was mistaken. Have a pleasant day, Miss Black." as he said her last name, the Aurors looked visibly horrified and began to argue with the headmaster as they left.
"Black? Did you really just have us accuse a member of the House of Black? We could lose our jobs because of this!" the man seethed, and Bellatrix couldn't resist calling after them, smirking fully "I'll see that you do!"
Rose was busy organizing her hideout when she got the note.
"Really? I just fucking got all this stuff here!" she swore, and began shrinking things to fit in her bag again. Peppers, who had been lounging on a branch while keeping himself warm, watched Rose with interest. Rose pointed her wand at him quickly and slipped on the small silver ring when it fell into her hand. Vanishing her bed and the fire, she crawled out of the cave into the morning sunlight and shielded her eyes against the glare from the snow. As she did, she saw Aurors in the distance, moving between the trees. their dark jackets making them stick out against the blinding snow. Crouching low, she moved around to the backside of her cave, where she disapparated. This time, she appeared next to King's Cross, near the dumpster she had fallen into on her first day going to Hogwarts. She was already wearing Muggle clothes, and therefore wouldn't be gawked at, but she needed to hide her face. Casting a disillusionment charm wandlessly, she began making her way down the streets of Muggle London. The noise wasn't something she had anticipated, and was a little startled by all the cars trundling down the street. It had been so long since she'd seen or heard one, and it took her a minute to stop jumping every time one passed by. Woman strolled in fur coats with men on their arms, occasionally casting dirty glances at Rose, and she realized that she must have looked like a wreck, her clothes wet through with snow. She remembered what Bellatrix was always saying, about them being witches and that they could easily prevent these kinds of things from happening. She wandered aimlessly for the most part, keeping watch for Aurors disguised in the crowds, but her stomach protesting loudly around three in the afternoon made her stop.
"I'm hungry...but I don't have any money. Where am I even going?" she wondered. She passed people selling things in the street, musicians strumming and picking on guitars. People hailed taxis and walked through puddles of melting snow. All of it was decidedly normal, and it was something Rose decided she wasn't comfortable with. She wouldn't be able to hide with Muggles, she could feel it. She passed by a bank in her musing, and stopped short. Then she held the wand in her sleeve and a thought niggled at the forefront of her mind. Stepping backwards and walking inside, there was nobody waiting in line to get money from the single teller who looked particularly bored. Rose stepped up to the window and looked expectantly at the woman, who barely looked at her.
"I um...I would like to make a withdrawal." she said, her voice breaking a bit. The woman gave her a quick appraising glance.
"You don't have money here, go beg somewhere else." she said in a nasally voice. Rose slipped her wand out her sleeve and wished she didn't have to do this.
"Imperio." she whispered, and the teller stood stock still while Rose quickly slipped her wand back into her coat sleeve.
"Okay, let's try this again." she said carefully "I would like to make a withdrawal."
"Certainly miss. How much will you be needing today?" the teller smiled, and Rose coughed uncomfortably as she did quick math in her head.
"A hundred dollars." she said. The teller didn't move, and tilted her head a little.
"Dollars? Miss, we use pounds here." she explained. Rose looked over her shoulder nervously and waved her hand.
"Just get me the equivalent. Please." she added, and the teller nodded before she went into a back room to get the money.
Rose wasn't sure where the money would come from, but she didn't really care at this point. She would get the money she needed, buy supplies, and begin making camp somewhere. She tapped her foot impatiently, feeling like something bad would happen at any second. But nothing did. she was given her money, and Rose bolted from the bank before releasing the spell at a distance. She needed a map and basic camping supplies, and non-perishable food items until she could figure out a better situation. Hunting as an animagus wasn't bad, but it provided certain challenges. She eventually found a department store that had a camping section, and bought pots and pans, canned food, and a few pairs of thick socks. She could conjure, but the laws of magic simply didn't allow for things created out of thin air to last very long.
As she was on her way to the checkout, she saw a map book with the names and locations of good camping spots. Snatching it off the rack, she put it on the counter with everything else. The young woman at behind the counter smiled at Rose as she was ringing the items up.
"So you like camping?" she asked. Rose grinned back easily.
"Ah yeah, something like that." she picked the map book back up when it the cashier was done with it and flipped through idly. Her stomach growled again, audibly this time. The girl behind the counter laughed and finished. Rose gave her the money and the cashier watched he for a moment.
"I go on break in a few minutes, would you like to grab a bite with me?" she asked, and Rose could feel her face flush.
"Ah...I really should get going. Thank you though." she stammered and scooped up her belongings, the pot and pan clanging loudly. She suddenly felt like the entire No-Maj city was crushing down upon her, and as soon as Rose could, she stepped into a secluded alley and shrunk her things down, stuffing them into her backpack. Then she stood under the light of a streetlamp and opened her map book. Thumbing through it, she saw a large forest, the Forest of Dean. That was where she needed to go.
"Magic is so inconvenient." Rose sighed, knowing she'd need to get on a train first before she actually apparated there. It looked like the nearest train station was Gloucester.
"Awesome. Back to the train station I go." she rolled her eyes and stepped back into the alley before apparating again. It was getting tiring, and she wished she had gotten food. The station was still relatively crowded, so Rose kept her disillusionment charm running. The man at the ticket booth rubbed his eyes as he looked at her, but said nothing.
"One way ticket for Gloucester, please." she asked, sliding him the money. Soon, she was sitting on a bench and waiting for the train. Casting a quick heating charm, she finally took a moment to slow down and breath. A lot had happened. Too much, in fact, for it to be reasonable. She was a homeless, murdering runaway who has now committed at least...(she counted on her fingers), five or six, maybe seven major offenses against the wizarding world, not to mention the robbery from the No-Maj bank. Rose sighed and put her head in her hands, too tired to really cry about it. In reality, she probably could have avoided all of this mess if she had maybe just calmed down for three seconds. But instead, she panicked constantly and dug herself a deeper hole.
"This throws all my plans with Bellatrix out of wack." she thought miserably. By now, the bench she was sitting on was starting to feel more and more comfortable, and everything in her body and mind was telling her to lay down and take a nap. The dull murmur of chatter in the station was working to lull her to sleep.
"Calling for Gloucester!" a man shouted, and Rose's eyes snapped open. Grabbing her bag, she boarded the train and found a seat where she cast a few spells to keep people from sitting with her.
"Now I can sleep."
When she awoke, the train was just pulling into the station, the dark grey sky showing just how late it was getting. Rose rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, feeling the ache in her back from sleeping at such a shitty angle on the uncomfortable train seat. Gloucester was a small city, a town really, and she was amazed they had a train stop there. People were heading home to their quaint white houses, red brick houses, and pubs for a peaceful evening to eat. Rose looked at the town, then down a dark dirt road that cut through fields. She wanted to begin her trek, but her stomach was now protesting audibly.
"Fine." she sighed to herself, and adjusted her pack before making her way to one pub with an old wooden sign hanging outside. In carved letters with flaking faded blue paint was Lion's Rest with a crudely painted roaring lion underneath it. Rose frowned and stepped inside. She was pleased to see that nobody turned to stare at her as she walked in, as if seeing youths trekking with backpacks was a common occurrence here. When she sat at a back corner booth, an older woman walked over holding a tray loaded with beer.
"What can I get you?" she asked, sounding bored.
"Um...do you have roast beef? Or...actually I just need something filling. Like a lot of food." she asked nervously at first, then quickly revised her order. The woman raised her eyebrow but nodded and walked away, dispensing drinks to her patrons before disappearing into the back. Rose took this time to soak in the warmth that was permeating the pub, the low lighting and the smell of beer making her feel oddly comfortable. She pulled out her map book and silently conjured up a pencil in her hand under the table. Looking at it, she traced a line along the roads from Gloucester to the Forest of Dean. About 20 miles, with little hamlets dotting the road along the way. Rose cursed under her breath. That walk would take a whole day at least if there weren't any hold ups. From what she could tell, it was the fastest route. Unless she used a broom. But that had its own risks. No-Majs would see her, or other witches and wizards, who would report her and that would mean more running. So she would need to walk. She didn't realize how long she had been looking at the map until the woman came back with her food and set it down. There were three large plates, one loaded with potatoes and hash, another with three mince pies, and final one with a large beef shank, steaming and filling the room with a delightful smell. She also set down an enormous mug of beer.
"Something to wash it down." she explained "You look like you could use a little meat on those bones." she said gruffly. Rose thanked her, but the woman lingered.
"Hope you don't mind me asking, but you're young, an American by the sound of it." she slid into the booth across from Rose and gave her a scrutinizing look "I'm curious why somebody like you would be all the way out here by herself."
Rose blinked at the woman, as she had already scarfed down nearly half of the potatoes in the few short seconds since they had been put in front of her. Laughing, the woman's wizened brown eyes sparkled as she regarded the youth before her.
"Well, I can see you're hungry, so what, you traveling over the Queen's country? You look like some of those hippie kids that travel in great big groups. Don't see them round here, but they're in the papers sometimes. Protesting that bloody war you got yourselves into. Is that what you're doing? Protesting?" she asked, even though Rose hadn't finished chewing. Instead, she just nodded as she ate and drank, figuring that would be a much safer cover story than whatever she was concocting.
"Traveling with that little bag? I doubt you could fit everything you need in there! And a wee thing like you, why you ought to be freezing out there!" the woman clucked and shook her head. Rose wiped the back of her hand over her mouth and stifled a burp.
"I mean, I'm an adult. I think I'll be fine."
"Bah! Even these old bones get cold from time to time. Say, I hope you weren't planning on walking out by yourself tonight? Do you have a place to stay? They say that rains coming and that old coat of yours won't be much help." Rose almost laughed at this, but stopped herself because there was no way this No-Maj could have known that she was a witch. She realized she probably looked very strange, just wandering around with a bag and not much else.
"I'll be fine. I'm meeting some friends here," she pointed to the Forest of Dean, and the woman shook her head again.
"Now see here, miss, that forest is cursed! Call me crazy, but dark magic has been happening there, near some old ruins."
"Ada! Bugger off and stop bothering the customers, you hag!" a man behind the bar called, who looked a bit older than Ada. She turned and glared at him, which shut him up quickly. Rose began cutting, or perhaps tearing into the roast.
"Oh, well I'm not afraid of some bogeyman, uh ma'am. I'll be perfectly safe." she waved her hand dismissively before putting an enormous cut of beef into her mouth. She was starting to feel a little full, but she didn't know when her next good meal would be, so she promised herself that she would be finishing up here.
"Are you sure you don't want to spend the night? We've got a spare room, the husband and I. I'll even fix you some breakfast if you'd like." Ada said, and Rose considered how nice it would be just to get a few hours sleep before her journey.
"Well, if it wouldn't be too much trouble…" she started, knowing that the woman would say it was okay. She nodded, patting the table a little in excitement.
"Of course dear, no trouble at all! I've always said there's not enough good being done in the world, and I'll do my part to help. I've got to get back to work, so you finish up here, and let me know when you're ready." she jumped up and the man behind the bar groaned in irritation until Ada shot him another look. As she walked away, Rose considered what she had said about the Forest of Dean having some sort of "curse". If there was any shady magical nonsense happening there, it could be a lead on Voldemort. Maybe she could find him and kick his ass, since she had nothing better to do immediately.
"Idiot girl, I can still hear your thoughts. As if you could dare to defeat me." Voldemort scoffed.
"You ruined my life. I'll dare to do whatever the hell I want, you hard-boiled boiled egg." she shot back, along with a mental jab. He hissed and disappeared, but she had headache now, and spent the rest of her meal swallowing pie and wishing she were swallowing a potion for the pain. Patrons eventually cleared out as she drank a few beers, and after she left money on the table, Rose shouldered her pack and met Ada at the bar, where she was bickering with the man, who she guessed was "the husband". Her tired brain couldn't keep up with the fact that she was lead to an apartment above the pub, where she was shown a room and told where the bathroom was. She didn't register the soft quilt and multitude of blankets on the chilly sheets, or how she flopped into the bed still wearing her shoes. But in all her improper bedtime etiquette, she didn't relinquish the grip on her wand, still tuck into the oversized sleeve of her father's sherpa jacket.
She knew she was dreaming when she opened her eyes and saw she was by the Black Lake, sitting on a blanket. A slight breeze coming off the water made her shiver, but the feeling was gone when somebody cast a heating charm.
"There are spells for almost anything. You're a witch." Bellatrix said as she sat down next to Rose. The Gryffindor tentatively reached out to hold hands with the girl, and squeaked in surprise when Bellatrix wrestled her into her lap and encircled her with strong ivory arms.
"I think I like this better than a spell." Rose admitted after a moment of silence, relishing the pure calm that seldom radiated off of the Slytherin witch.
"Did you know that this is a little something I learned from all those books? I combined it with my legillimency." Bellatrix rested her chin on Rose's shoulder as they stared at the lake.
"So you're...asleep right now? And dreaming?" Rose asked, using an idly hand to twirl a strand of grass between her fingers.
"Yes."
"I'm sorry I had to leave. I'm sorry that any of this ever happened." Rose frowned, but she couldn't feel the urge to cry. She could only feel warm and safe, dozing in the afternoon sun.
"It's alright Rosie. You needed to get out of here, I can't blame you for that. As much as it pains me to say it, sending an owl to me to speak wouldn't be a good idea, so I'll do this for the time being. But it's not safe around here, there are Aurors crawling everywhere and interrogating people." Bellatrix gently stroked one of Rose's braids, like an afterthought, as she spoke.
"So I have time to just lay here? With you?" Rose asked, leaning deeper into Bellatrix's embrace. She could feel the dark haired girl shake a little with a chuckle, and a curl fell onto her shoulder.
"Yes, I suppose if that is what you want. Until one of us wakes up."
"Good. That's what I'm doing. Don't you dare wake up."