The Rose That Grew from Nowhere

Chapter 3

A Kindred Spirit…Kind Of

Summary: The Weasley's learn Rose's story, and she and Harry start to discuss the journey to Hogwarts…and just maybe a few other things.

Author's Note: Due to the extreme stinkiness of this web page glares at the owners of Fanfiction.net and growls, the second and third chapters are a bit late, but they still flow.

Disclaimer: Rose MacDuff, created by Lady Nightingale. Any questions?

The Weasley's, Harry, Hermione, and their unexpected visitor sat around the table. Fred and George sat on either side of her, wringing their hands. This was the most worried Harry had ever seen them.

He sat across from their visitor. He tried to look worried in between sneaking glances at her.

"Ok, dear, let's start from the beginning. Why are you here?" said Mr. Weasley.

"I'm being chased by Lord Voldemort," she said.

"How did that come about?"

She sighed. "Years ago, after Voldemort was defeated by…what's his name?"

"Harry…" started Harry. He found it hard to believe she hadn't heard of him.

"Yeah, that's it. So anyway, after Voldemort had fled from society, he kept trying to get his power back. He tried to find even the weakest person of magical blood to kill. And he found me."

"He tried to kill you?"

"Yes, even after my family had withdrawn me from Hogwarts."

"Why did they do that?"

A slightly pink tint went to the girl's cheeks. "I couldn't quite make things float. The magic wasn't quite working with me."

"Sounds like Neville" Ron mumbled in Harry's ear. He nodded.

"Anyhow, my family and I escaped with our lives, just barely. But now that Voldemort's back in power, he'll come for us."

"How do you know? He could have forgotten all about you," said Mrs. Weasley for the first time.

The girl laughed quietly. Harry's stomach flipped. "Voldemort isn't the type to forget who he couldn't kill."

"Makes sense" Harry muttered.

"The other day I saw a shadow lurking in my backyard. I was afraid to check it out; I didn't know what it might be. I didn't see it until it came into the house. I recognized the face, the shallow breathing, and the hollow eyes. I screamed and called for my parents. They heard me and came running. I think as soon as they saw my eyes they could tell what it was. So we ran.

"We got as far as Diagon Alley and sought refuge in The Leaky Cauldron. That's where Fred and George found me. I was getting a few things for mum and dad, hidden under a blanket, just incase he had followed us."

"She told us her story, and we sent an owl to the only person who would know what to do: Dumbledore. He agreed that we could help protect her, she could re-enroll in Hogwarts as a fifth year, and she would be safe" George said. "It was the only way."

Mrs. Weasley suddenly became concerned. "What about your parents, dear?"

"Dumbledore agreed to send Hagrid to get them from Diagon Alley, they can stay in his house during school" Fred said.

Harry was shocked. How could someone like this…girl be on the run from a killer? They had to protect her, he had to protect her, there was no two ways about it. He, Ron, Hermione, and the twins had to protect her somehow.

"Can she stay, mum, dad?" Fred asked.

Mr. Weasley shook himself. "Well I must say, this is a shocking turn of events. We can't very well turn you back out into the world with a killer looking for you…"

"I wouldn't stand for it! She must stay; she's an innocent victim! Dear, of course you can stay! We'll make some room for you in the girl's room and get you your school things, don't worry! Oh we must get an owl to her parents, quickly Arthur!" Mrs. Weasley said, all in a flutter.

She got up and began to bustle around the kitchen, rambling to herself about what to do next.

"Well, if that's all that needs to be said, then I suppose we can go about our normal activities. Ginny, Hermione, why don't you show, um…"

"Rose"
"Thank you, Rose, to the room. We have to make her as comfortable as possible." Mr. Weasley offered her a smile and walked over to his wife.

The kids sat around the table. Fred and George looked relieved. Ron was white faced.

"Well, let's get you settled, Rose" Hermione said. She and Ginny got up. Rose followed them upstairs with a backward glance at the table. She caught Harry's eye and smiled.

"Well, we're going to go upstairs. Had a long night" Fred said. The twins disappeared, already asleep when their feet hit the stairs.

Harry turned to Ron.

"What just happened?" Ron asked. "Mum and dad let a dangerous person stay in out house?"

"Maybe they don't think she's that dangerous," Harry said.

"But it's Voldemort!" Ron said. "That's danger waiting to happen!"

"Do you think she'll be ok? Will Dumbledore keep Voldemort from Hogwarts long enough?" Harry asked.

"I sure hope so," Ron said. "She's cute, eh?"

"What? No…not at all" Harry said, uncomfortably shifting in his chair.

Ron smiled. "Bogus. I saw you giving her the all around. What's with that? Forgotten about Cho, have you?"

Harry laughed. "Cho never liked me anyway. She only wanted Cedric."

"Rose doesn't want Cedric, now does she?" Ron said.

Harry hit Ron playfully in the arm. "Shut up."

"RON! COME HERE!" cried Mrs. Weasley.

"Meet you upstairs" Ron muttered, going to his mother.

Harry shrugged and headed up the stairs.

He was in such deep thought coming down the hallway that he didn't see Rose in front of him. He barreled into her full force.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Rose said.

"Erm…that's ok" Harry muttered.

"I've already scared you once today, seems like once is enough!" she said, smiling at him.

Don't fall, dimwit, Harry thought. He smiled. "That's ok, I was just thinking."

Rose smiled. "Ginny and Hermione showed me the room, I was just going to go outside for a while. Are Fred and George…"

"They're asleep. Long night, I guess" Harry said.

Rose nodded. "Is there anywhere nice to sit around here?"

"Right out back there's a wall that's…" Harry started. He looked at her. "I'll show you."

Rose smiled. "Ok" she said.

Harry led Rose out of the house and onto the stone wall surrounding the garden. She scooted herself up onto it.

"Did you…want to be alone?" Harry asked.

"No, please stay, I've been alone all day, up until the last few minutes" she said.

Harry's stomach did a backflip as he climbed onto the wall next to her.

They both sat in silence for a few minutes, staring at the garden in the afternoon sun. Then Rose smiled and laughed. "Forgive me, first I scare you half to death and then I don't even introduce myself."

"Oh!" Harry said. He had forgotten all about introductions and stuff. "I'm Harry Potter."

"Rose…oh, wait. Did you say, you were Harry Potter?" she asked.

"Yeah, that's me. Wanna see my scar?" he asked, feeling foolish.

"Nah, I know it's there, I'm sure you get that all the time, huh?" she said.

"Yeah, I do, a lot" said Harry.

"Well then I'll take your word for it," she said. "So that whole time I was talking about Voldemort in there you probably wanted to scream and run, eh?"

"Well, it still freaks me out sometimes, but I've gotten used to it. Especially now that he's on the run" Harry said, a shiver going through him just thinking about the mere concept.

"Well if he starts his killing spree it will surely start with me" she said.

"No, we won't let that happen" Harry said, a little too suddenly.

She turned to him. "Who's we?" she asked.

He shrank back a bit. "Fred and George, Ron, me.." he said. "And Dumbledore."

Rose smiled. "Thanks. I guess Hogwarts is the safest place to be for anyone on the run from him."

"I know Dumbledore, he'll take care of you, I'm sure" Harry said, looking at her for the first time.

She smiled. "I know he will. So what do you think fifth year is going to be like?"

"Probably the same as it always is, except a bit more tense than usual. I wonder who our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is?" Harry said, thinking of Professor Moody.

"Last I checked it was Professor Quirrell…what happened to him?" Rose said.

"He, um, was a bit involved with someone we hate."

"Really?"

"Yeah, wore him on the back of his head in a turban."

"Wow. How many more did we go through?"

"Well, I'm not sure if our newest, Professor Moody will be back after what happened to him. Our best was Professor Lupin, but he couldn't stick around…he's a werewolf."
"Wicked! I can't wait to see if old Moody's stayed around."

"I hope so. He wasn't bad, old Mad-Eye."

Harry felt himself starting to ease up around her.

"So, what happened to Moody?"

"Difficult to explain, you'll have to ask Dumbledore. So, will you be in classes with us, or are you going to be taken special care of?"

"I'll just attend class as normal, I suppose. I'm not very advanced, so I have to learn quick," she said, with a sideways glance at him.

He returned the glance, and then had a couple more when she looked away. "If you're in any classes with me, I'll help you. Some of this stuff doesn't mean codswallop to me, so we're in the same boat."

Rose smiled. "You know, you're not at all what I expected Harry Potter to be, no offense."

"None taken. People expect me to be some sort of celebrity. I spend half the time around the castle watching my back for dark wizards who want to kill me."

Rose turned to him. For the first time, her face wasn't lit up with laughter, it was dark and grim. "I guess we're both the celebrities at Hogwarts, eh Harry?"

Harry turned to look at her. "Guess so."