Chapter eight – Detention with Potter!

Two months later, I was starting to get used to life at Hogwarts. Samantha had finally opened up to me and told me who she was crushing on, and Rebecca had become a very close friend. Kate spoke to me, but only because I liked books. The professors were all nice to me, and so were the other students. Sam had stopped flirting with me at every opportunity he got, and he was now one of my best friends. And then there was James. None of us had still gotten over the whole "soul-mate" thing, but we were coping well. People had started calling me, Sam and James "The New Golden Trio" (A/N: one Weasley, one Potter and one Granger). I liked being part of the special group. The only thing that bothered my mind was the letter I had gotten from Mom the first day of term.

Rose,

I need you to understand that what Ron said yesterday was all completely true. Yes, you and James are soul-mates, but that doesn't mean you have to be together. Don't wait for him; go out with some other boys. I want you to be happy Rosie. I know how hard this past year has been for you, but now you can relax. You are away from all of that and you have started a new life at Hogwarts. I tried to push you and James together when you were younger, and again when we moved over here. I regret that now. You need to find true love yourself. Please forgive me? Ron is very caught up in what he said. He has written a letter to Jason to apologise. Maybe you can forgive him too? I hope you can.

Hugo says hi and he is already missing you. I love you darling, and I hope you do the right thing.

Love, Mom x

I read that letter every night before going to sleep. I didn't tell James about the letter or the soul mate thing. I tried to forget about being his soul mate and took my mother's advice and flirted with other boys. I helped them with homework during the late evenings in the common room, under the protective eyes of James. As the mild autumn months turned into the crisp winter, more announcements about the Forget-Me-Not Ball were put up once every two weeks, reminding students that the train will be leaving after the Ball at midnight, Madam Malkin's Hogsmeade branch was having a sale for students and most importantly, dance lessons would be taking place every Wednesday evening in the Great Hall! We had four lessons already but no one was getting near perfect enough for the opening dance. I had been partnered up with Sam, a Hufflepuff boy named Evan, Matthew Corner in Ravenclaw and, unfortunately, Scorpius from Slytherin. How I detested that boy! When I was dancing with him, he didn't pay attention to me and kept trying to chat up the other girls whenever they were in close proximity. He wasn't even good at it! But, of course, he had a date to the Ball, unlike me. I had been asked by five guys already, but I didn't feel a connection with them. Rebecca was going with Fred Weasley (the second), Samantha was still waiting on her crush to ask her, Sam was too chicken to ask anyone and even Kate had a date with a Ravenclaw! James had no one and would only go with the hottest girl that asked him! Can you believe that? I wanted to know why he just didn't ask someone. I found my answer one day in Defence.

"Because that just seems like I'm desperate for a date! Now stop going on about it before you get us into trouble!" We were practicing non verbal spells on each other, but Professor Potter didn't like it when we spoke during class, even practical classes such as this one. I was annoyed with how James was treating the situation. If he wanted to go with a certain girl then he should just ask her. That was the next thing I said to him.

"I said drop it Rosie!" Harry was on his way over to us to see how we were getting on.

"Well guys, how is everything?" He was smiling at us hoping that things were perfect. James went first and he nearly got it (my wand jerked and he told us that he was trying to disarm me). Harry was very pleased with his son and was hoping for the same thing from me. I ended up saying the spell quietly under my breath, but Harry caught me. "And for homework Miss Davis," he was walking to the top of the class now, "practice!"

"I told you to shut up during class!" James said to me during dinner.

"In your own words James," I stared at him, "drop it!" Sam, Rebecca and Samantha roared with laughter. James avoided my gaze for the rest of the evening as we did our homework in the common room. It was midnight by the time I remembered that I had to practice non-verbal spells for Defence. I was too tired and I saw that James and I were the only ones left in the common room; everyone else was gone to bed.

"Well James, that's me done. I'm off to bed now. Goodnight," I said as I gathered up my things and walked towards the girls' staircase.

"You didn't do your Defence homework," was all he said.

"Well James, they're called non-verbal spells. So obviously, you didn't hear me practice them, but I did! So, drop it and say goodnight," I smiled at him. He laughed. Things were back to normal!

"OK Rose, Let's see how you got on last night with your homework," Harry said to me the next day in class. I was so nervous because, of course, I didn't practice.

"Sure thing Professor," I said, trying to sound confident. I raised my wand, pointed it at James and thought "Expelliarmus" in my head. Nothing happened at first so I whispered the incantation out of the corner of my mouth, but once again I was caught.

"Detention Miss Davis. 8 o'clock tonight. My office," he said as he walked to the top of the room. Man, I was gonna be in so much trouble with Mom.

At ten to eight that night, I left James and Sam in the common room and headed towards Harry's office on the fifth floor where I would serve my time for "not listening to James!" I got there five minutes early, hoping that my punctuality would soften the Professor up a bit. I knocked on the door and stepped inside silently.

"Evening Miss Davis. Please take a seat," he motioned for me to take the seat across from him. I sat down nervously. "This isn't a punishment Rose; it's a chance for us to talk. I'm sorry I had to embarrass you in class like that. Tell me, how are you getting on at Hogwarts?"

"Well, I'm having a great time really. It's starting to feel like a home away from home to be honest. But something has been bothering me since the Sorting. The hat said that I was the most difficult person to sort since, well, you. What does that mean?"

"I wasn't expecting that question Rose, but I will answer to put your mind at rest. During my Sorting, there was a few seconds when the hat considered putting me into Slytherin. It also wanted to keep me away from Gryffindor by putting me into Hufflepuff, but it couldn't see that I would do well there and it knew I wasn't clever enough to be in Ravenclaw. In the end, I asked to be in Gryffindor, and it took my choice into consideration and put me in Gryffindor. I was one difficult student alright!" He laughed as if he was remembering an old friend. "Is there anything else bothering you Rose?"

"I got a letter from my Mom the day after the Sorting. It was about the train station and Ron. She told me that everything about me and James is true. Can you confirm that?" He ruffled his hair like James did when he was nervous.

"Yeah, I suppose I can. When Hermione and I were fifteen, we heard our Divination teacher, Professor Trelawny, make a real prophecy. "The daughter of brains and the son of courage will unite on the fifteenth year." We didn't realise at the time it meant my son and her daughter because we were busy with our lives in fifth year. But after Voldemort was defeated and everything was normal, Hermione cornered me and made me recite the prophecy I knew I'd never forget. She told me how she had been researching soul mates and had come to the conclusion that the prophecy was about me and her. When James was born, Hermione was pregnant. Two months after James, you came along and Hermione and I were forcing you together to prove the prophecy right, or wrong. Your dad was disgusted with our childish behavior and brought you and Hermione to America and away from here. We never found out if the prophecy was true or not because you weren't here. When Hermione brought you back, it was our chance. Seeing you and James together over the past few months has been amazing. I really believe that the prophecy is true and will come into action on your fifteenth birthday." I took in everything he said. So it was true but James would only realise it on my fifteenth birthday.

"Are you going to tell James any of this?"

"No. I think I'll let him figure it out for himself. Well, Rose, I think it's time you went back to the Tower, unless there's anything else you want to ask me?" I thought for a moment.

"No, I think I'm ok. Thanks Harry. Goodnight."

"Night Rose."

It took me forever to get to sleep that night. I thought about my Mom's letter; I thought about Harry's story; I thought about James. My birthday was two months away, right after New Year. Would James realise before then that we're meant to be together? Or will he pick up some random chick and go off with her? Yeah, it took me forever to get to sleep after detention with Potter.