Chapter two
September 1st 2016
Rosaline sat alone in a train compartment. Snape had left her lone about three days ago, to set up his classroom again, and prepare for the students – Not that Rosaline minded, of course. She was very independent, in her own way. She stared out of the window, watching the cows, sheep and horses graze on the hills, and when she wondered if there was any way she'd have company when the door slid open, and a young boy, presumably her age, stood there, looking slightly harassed. He cleared his throat and looked at his feet shiftily.
"Can I join you? It seems we could both use come company." He blushed a little, and Rosaline cocked an eyebrow. She had learned much from Snape, including her expressions.
"Why not? I've nothing better to do," She shrugged, and then boy stepped in and slid the compartment door shut. He sat down infront of her and looked out of the window, but Rosaline could tell he was listening to her. She cleared her throat.
"I'm Rosaline." She stated. She didn't really know her last name, not yet.
"What's your last name?" He asked. She blinked at him.
"I don't know." She said, her voice a bit wobbly. He nodded, as if understanding.
"I don't know my parents either," The boy said. She stared at him. How did he know?
"What's your name?" She asked, her curiosity peaked. He coughed.
"Harry," He said.
"Do you know your last name?" Rosaline asked him.
"Yeah," He muttered.
"What is it?" Rosaline sighed.
"Potter." Said Harry, holding his head high, though he grinned.
"Wait, you're Harry Potter?" Rosaline gasped. As much as Snape warned her against the boy, she couldn't help but feel amazed that she was talking to him. He nodded, and their eyes met. Harry snickered, and they both burst out laughing. They were still giggling helplessly five minutes later when the lady came with the trolley. She peeped in and grinned at the sight of the two laughing children.
"Anything from the trolley, dears?" She asked.
Harry jumped up, but then looked confused at the sweets there. He hesitated for a second, before sticking his hand in his pocket.
"We'll take the lot," he said, producing a fat bunch of golden coins. Rosaline, intrigued, eyed the coins as they were passed hand to hand. Harry came back, a pile of sweets in his arms, and when he tried getting the sweet mountain into the compartment, he tripped over his shoelace and the sweets went everywhere. Rosaline had some of them, and collected more near her, while Harry lay sprawled on the floor. Rosaline grinned, and they ended up laughing.
They became firm friends as they chatted about anything and anyone while devouring the mountain of sweets between them.
As the train halted to a close, Harry and Rosaline scrambled to their feet, chucking their sweets into their suitcases as they pulled out their school robes. They slid them on over their clothes right as the train stopped at the station. They locked up their suitcases, and the boy and girl hurried out into the platform. Rosaline saw a bushy haired girl looking lonely, but didn't have time to speak to her as they were ushered to the boats. Harry and Rosaline scrambled into a boat, and soon enough groups had formed. There was 1 student left: The bushy haired girl. She dithered, and Rosaline beckonded her to join them. She climbed in gracefully, looking pleased. They sat, and a giant man called out.
"Ev'ryone in? Good ter go? Well, then we're off!" He started rowing, and everyone else followed suit. The group of three came near the man.
"Alrigh' 'Arry?" The man said to Harry. Harry nodded.
"I'm fine, Hagrid. Why do we go this way to the castle? I don't see any older students doing it." He asked. Hagrid beamed.
"Glad you asked, 'Arry! It's traditional for the firs' years to come to Hogwarts this way!" He cried happily, and the other girl nodded as if she already knew this. Rosaline turned to her.
"So," Rosaline said sweetly, as Hagrid rowed to watch other students. "Who raised you? Me and Harry were both raised by muggles," The girl said, beckoning to herself and Harry.
The bushy haired girl gasped. "Really? Oh thank goodness, I thought I was the only one! I'm Hermione Granger, just so you know." She sighed in relief. Rosaline smiled at her, and the three children talked as they approached the castle.
" Follow me, first years." The children had left the boats and were now following a witch who looked older than Hagrid. The youngsters walked in silence as the woman guided them to a small room. She turned to them.
"Stay here, I shall give you time to.. sort yourselves out." Her eyes lingered on some students, before she swept away. As soon as the door shut behind her, talking broke out.
"Did you see her face?" Harry asked. "She looked as though you shouldn't get on her bad side. What do you think?" He asked to two girls. Hermione giggled, but Rosaline sighed.
"Don't you think you ought to show some respect?" A boy called over to the group. Hermione frowned, and Harry clenched hios fist. Rosaline turned towards the boy, arms folded and eyebrow raised, a look of malice on her face. The boy had grey eyes and blonde hair. His face was piched and pale. At the sight of Rosaline's face, however, he took a step back. Rosaline took a few steps forwards, and the chat died down to look at the two.
"Well, well," Rosaline giggled. Hermione and Harry beamed. "I never knew you had the cheek to talk like that to someone you don't know." The boy looked affronted. Rosaline giggled again as he opened his mouth to speak.
"You'll regret this!" He shouted at her. Rosaline smiled in a sickenly sweet way at him and the crowd cheered her on and she unfolded her arms and had her hand on her wand in her pocket. She knew a few hexes, Snape had made sure of that.
"You don't want to get on my bad side," He continued, apparently taking her silence for cowardice. "I come from a better family than you, anyway. I'm not the kind of guy you'd want to argue with."
Rosaline, sighed, and turned away. She heard him snicker from behind her, then she whirled around and whipped out her wand, shouting a curse.
"Locomotor Mortis!" She cried, pointed her wand at him. His legs sprang together, and he fell to the floor face first. Satisfied, she put her wand back in her pocket, and turned to her friends. They gaped at her.
"Where did you learn that?" Harry gasped. Rosaline shrugged, and the chatter started up again.
"I read it in a book," She lied. She didn't want anyone to know about the last few week or so of the summer holidays, atleast not right now.
Laughter could be heard behind her, and she turned around to look at the cause of it. Apparently, the blonde boy had managed to get up and was hopping his way towards her, snarling. She giggled and stepped towards him. She pressed her hand on his forehead and the boy scrabbled at her, though she was out of reach. She tilted her head and smiled.
"What's your name, anyway?" She asked him, smiling. He growled at her.
"As if I'd ever tell you." He drawled, still scrabbling. She pushed him lightly and he fell backwards. Two boulder looking boys ran and caught him, and she sighed, pointing her wand at him and muttered the counter curse at the boy, and his legs sprang apart. She looked around at the crowd surrounded them.
"Anyone know what his name is?" She giggled. A girl at the back spoke up nervously.
"His name's Draco Malfoy." She stuttered. She had a piggy face, and her hair was mouse. Rosaline shrugged, and looked at Malfoy, who was sat on the ground, muttering darkly.
"I hope I never have to see your face again, Malfoy," she said, and turned around again. She grinned at her friends, and high fived them at the same time. The three of them were laughing as the door opened again, and the witch came in. She looked around at the assembled students.
"We're ready for you now." She said, and elad them into the Great Hall. It was giant, with candles floating above, indefinately burning. There were five tables, two on either side of the doors, and one smaller table at the end. This seemed to be the teacher's table, as there werwe only adults assembled there. There was a stool infront of the table, and a hat was placed upon it. It looked raggedy and dirty, but they lined up infront of it.
"Now when I call your name, you will come up, and I will place the sorting hat on your heads, and you'll be sorted into your houses."
She called names, the first of which being "Abbot, Hannah", and it proceeded for a couple minutes until a name Rosaline knew was said.
"Granger, Hermione."Hermione gulped, and Rosaline squeezed her friend's hand as she sat upon the stool. The hat was placed onto her head, and the rip of the hat opened and yelled out.
"GRYFFINDOR!" It yelled out, and Hermione sighed and placed the hat back on the stool, before hurrying off to sit at the edge of the table. A while later, another name Rosaline knew was called.
"Malfoy, Draco." He swaggered up, and he had touched the hat before it screamed out.
"SLYTHERIN!" He went and sat with his classmated. Soon, "Potter, Harry" was called, and room fell silent. Rosaline patted his shoulder as he sat on the stool. He seemed to be there for ages when it yelled out "GRYFFINDOR!" The same as Hermione. Rosaline rolled on the balls of her feet, and waited until her name would be called.
A while later, she was called.
"Rosaline... S- Snape?" Rosaline's eyes widened, and she looked up at the potions master, who had already stood up, and had swept from the room.
The tension was thick as she sat and placed the sorting hat on her head.
A voice in her ear made her jump.
"A Slytherin decsendant, I see. Yes, you have the cunning and the ability, but you wouldn't be truly satisfied there. Hufflepuff is a good choice for you also, but you wouldn't be happy there. Ravenclaw has your wit, and you are much a fighter as possible. Gryffindor seems the best option for you. So, I choose.. GRYFFINDOR!" It shouted the word to the school.
Rosaline took of the hat, placed it shakily on the stool, and walked fast to her friends. As she sat with them, the stareed she got from ehr other housemates was almost Unbearable. The truth came to her.
She was a Snape.
"You don't belong in this House!"
"Go back to Slytherin!"
"Little bitch!"
These unkind yells at Rosaline occured all the next morning. She looked at her schedule and realised she had Potions with the Slytherins first lesson. Potions! She groaned, and put it away, thinking that her day couldn't get any worse.
After breakfast, Rosaline, harry and Hermione made their way to the dungeons, and as they found the potions classroom, Rosaline hung back. She didn't want to go in and face Snape, not right now. But she had to, and was pulled into the room by a mumbling Hermione. She seemed to be re-assuring her, but it didn't work. She stopped at a desk, with Harry and Hermione. She looked up, and her eyes met the Potions Master's. She turned red and hastily looked down at her cauldron.
Snape turned swiftly to look at his shelves, so the students wouldn't notice his eyes, that were on the verge of tears. He mumbled to himself to pull himself together. He had already placed three students in detention for badmouthing Rosaline, and they'd hopefully bond sooner or later. Perhaps on the weekend.
His tears gone, and his usual sneer returned, he turned to face the students, careful not to make eye contact with Rosaline.
"There will be no foolish wand waving in this class," He stated, and Rosaline blinked, not looking at Snape.
He had seen her blink, and he knew she didn't want to look at him infront of the other students. He understood.
"The art of potions is a delicate subject that only the knowledgable can achieve. When you fail at a potion, it can burn, change or even kill you. Therefore I want you all to follow instructions very carefully." He tapped his wand on the blackboard, and words appeared there.
"I want you to follow these instructions, and when I look around I want you to tell me what instruction you have just followed, and I shall tell you if you are doing it correctly. Begin."
Soon the room was filled with all disgusting smells. Snape waited five minutes, then started sweeping around the room. Rosaline looked up and at that same momemt, Snape glanced at her. Rosaline blushesd scarlet and stared back at her own potion, which was bubbling a bright red. She glanced at Hermione's and saw it was a pale pink, while Harry's was still a purple colour, though they seemed to have the same texture. After walking around the other tables two or three times, he couldn't avoid Rosaline any longer, and swept towards the Trio.
"Well? What have you three got to show me?" He asked. She started on Hermione's and Rosaline took the chance to look around at everyone else's potions. None of them had a red colour, though some had pink. Malfoy, Rosaline was pelased to see, had a greenish substance on his hands, and they had swelled to twice their normal size. Rosaline looked back at her table and saw Snape was just finishing with Harry. Rosaline gulped as Snape walked next to her. He bent down to examine her cauldron and looked impressed.
"I assume you've just finished the fourth instruction?" He said, still examining her cauldron. He glanced up at her, and Rosaline just nodded. Just as he was going to sweep back to his desk, the bell rang for second lesson. Rosaline jumped, and knocked her silver knife onto the floor. She dived down to find it. When she came back up, her and Snape were alone. He cleared his throat, and went towards her.
"Listen, about what happened.." He trailed off, unsure of what to say. Sorry? No..
"Look, Professor," Rosaline blurted out. "I don't want to be rude, but for a few days I don't want to speak to you. If I do, people will talk." With that, she packed her stuff away and ran out of the room, leaving the teacher standing silently, a single tear rolling from his cheek.