Disclaimer: All of these characters except Rose Lily Potter belong to J.K.
Rowling.
The Unicorn and the Stag
Chapter Four
Rose limped into the hospital wing and presented herself to Madame Pomfrey. The stout nurse's response was exactly as she expected.
"You've done it again, haven't you?"
Madame Pomfrey practically dragged Rose to one of the beds. "What hurts?"
"General bodily area, chin, legs, feet arms, hands."
"So basically everything. What have they done to him now?"
Rose looked mad.
"They beat him, Mother."
Madame Pomfrey looked aghast. "Whatever for?"
"Mostly little things. He ran away after he accidentally interrupted 'negotiations' with one of his uncle's clients. I'll kick their sorry-"
"Rosie love, if you make yourself mad it'll just make it hurt more. Now your ankles are both sprained, one hand is broken, the other has a cut down to the bone, both arms broken, ribs fractured, various deep cuts, bruises...I'm beginning to agree with you. They did this because he didn't perfect the kitchen?"
She bustled over to her cabinet. Rose groaned.
"I despise potions."
"They're the only thing that'll get you better. Well, not quite but you'll kill him if he tries."
They both knew that Harry could heal her if he wanted to, but it would give him the injuries instead. And Rose didn't like to be helped in the first place. So she opted for the potion. She took the goblet Madame Pomfrey offered her and quickly gulped it down. She wrinkled her nose.
"Blech. Dad tried to flavor it, didn't he?"
"Yes, he did, and don't complain. Professor Snape tried his best. And why must you always call him Dad?"
"He's the closest thing I have. I really have two fathers and two mothers. I've got Sirius, Severus, Minerva, and you."
Madame Pomfrey smiled. "Then what does that make Professor Dumbledore?"
"I call him Grandpa. But not to his face. And the first time I called any of my parents Mom or Dad, they nearly had a heart attack. I'm glad you got over that."
"Well, you must understand we were all friends of your parents, and it is just slightly surprising to hear your best friends' daughter call you Mom or Dad."
Rose smiled. "I suppose."
*~*~*
Harry was in shock. "So that's why Malfoy's dad hates my guts. It's really obvious. And the hatred was sort of passed down."
Dumbledore looked grave. "Yes, Harry. Lucius Malfoy and his son are bent on getting rid of you. That is why young Draco knows so many curses. His father taught him Dark Magic before Draco was eight. The one reason Draco goes to Hogwarts rather than Durmstrang is that Lucius wants him near you, so he can get to you."
"So he wanted me to be his friend because he wanted to make it easier for his father to get to me."
"Yes."
"Slimy git."
"Harry, think about how much Rose must hate him. She hasn't attacked him. She could kill him if she wanted to. But she hasn't. Do you know why?"
"No."
"Then why don't you go ask her?"
"I think I will." Harry strode down the spiral stairs down to the hospital wing.
*~*~*
He got there just in time to see her gulping down a giant goblet of potion. "Rose," he said, "Dumbledore just told me everything."
She smiled at him. "Not everything. He wants me to tell you who raised me."
"Who?"
"My two sets of godparents."
"Who are they?"
"You'll have a heart attack and Madame Pomfrey will kill me."
"Rose! Who are your godparents?"
"All right! Madame Pomfrey and Sirius Black."
"Who else."
"You'll die of shock. Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape."
"Snape helped raise you?"
"Yes! That's how Dumbledore knew he wasn't a Death Eater anymore. That and the fact that he told Dumbledore it was Lucius Malfoy who tried to kill me and killed Aunt Sarah."
Harry sat down on the side of an empty bed. Rose smirked slightly.
"Bit much to take in, eh?"
"I guess you could say that."
Madame Pomfrey came bustling over. Rose opened her mouth, but Madame Pomfrey interrupted her.
"No! Don't even bother asking! Not yet!"
"But-"
"No!"
"Will you just-"
"No!"
"Let me finish a sentence! I will stay in a wheelchair if it makes you feel better, how's that?"
Madame Pomfrey scowled.
"Fine. Go ahead."
Rose grinned gleefully.
The Unicorn and the Stag
Chapter Four
Rose limped into the hospital wing and presented herself to Madame Pomfrey. The stout nurse's response was exactly as she expected.
"You've done it again, haven't you?"
Madame Pomfrey practically dragged Rose to one of the beds. "What hurts?"
"General bodily area, chin, legs, feet arms, hands."
"So basically everything. What have they done to him now?"
Rose looked mad.
"They beat him, Mother."
Madame Pomfrey looked aghast. "Whatever for?"
"Mostly little things. He ran away after he accidentally interrupted 'negotiations' with one of his uncle's clients. I'll kick their sorry-"
"Rosie love, if you make yourself mad it'll just make it hurt more. Now your ankles are both sprained, one hand is broken, the other has a cut down to the bone, both arms broken, ribs fractured, various deep cuts, bruises...I'm beginning to agree with you. They did this because he didn't perfect the kitchen?"
She bustled over to her cabinet. Rose groaned.
"I despise potions."
"They're the only thing that'll get you better. Well, not quite but you'll kill him if he tries."
They both knew that Harry could heal her if he wanted to, but it would give him the injuries instead. And Rose didn't like to be helped in the first place. So she opted for the potion. She took the goblet Madame Pomfrey offered her and quickly gulped it down. She wrinkled her nose.
"Blech. Dad tried to flavor it, didn't he?"
"Yes, he did, and don't complain. Professor Snape tried his best. And why must you always call him Dad?"
"He's the closest thing I have. I really have two fathers and two mothers. I've got Sirius, Severus, Minerva, and you."
Madame Pomfrey smiled. "Then what does that make Professor Dumbledore?"
"I call him Grandpa. But not to his face. And the first time I called any of my parents Mom or Dad, they nearly had a heart attack. I'm glad you got over that."
"Well, you must understand we were all friends of your parents, and it is just slightly surprising to hear your best friends' daughter call you Mom or Dad."
Rose smiled. "I suppose."
*~*~*
Harry was in shock. "So that's why Malfoy's dad hates my guts. It's really obvious. And the hatred was sort of passed down."
Dumbledore looked grave. "Yes, Harry. Lucius Malfoy and his son are bent on getting rid of you. That is why young Draco knows so many curses. His father taught him Dark Magic before Draco was eight. The one reason Draco goes to Hogwarts rather than Durmstrang is that Lucius wants him near you, so he can get to you."
"So he wanted me to be his friend because he wanted to make it easier for his father to get to me."
"Yes."
"Slimy git."
"Harry, think about how much Rose must hate him. She hasn't attacked him. She could kill him if she wanted to. But she hasn't. Do you know why?"
"No."
"Then why don't you go ask her?"
"I think I will." Harry strode down the spiral stairs down to the hospital wing.
*~*~*
He got there just in time to see her gulping down a giant goblet of potion. "Rose," he said, "Dumbledore just told me everything."
She smiled at him. "Not everything. He wants me to tell you who raised me."
"Who?"
"My two sets of godparents."
"Who are they?"
"You'll have a heart attack and Madame Pomfrey will kill me."
"Rose! Who are your godparents?"
"All right! Madame Pomfrey and Sirius Black."
"Who else."
"You'll die of shock. Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape."
"Snape helped raise you?"
"Yes! That's how Dumbledore knew he wasn't a Death Eater anymore. That and the fact that he told Dumbledore it was Lucius Malfoy who tried to kill me and killed Aunt Sarah."
Harry sat down on the side of an empty bed. Rose smirked slightly.
"Bit much to take in, eh?"
"I guess you could say that."
Madame Pomfrey came bustling over. Rose opened her mouth, but Madame Pomfrey interrupted her.
"No! Don't even bother asking! Not yet!"
"But-"
"No!"
"Will you just-"
"No!"
"Let me finish a sentence! I will stay in a wheelchair if it makes you feel better, how's that?"
Madame Pomfrey scowled.
"Fine. Go ahead."
Rose grinned gleefully.