A/N: Sorry! I know it's been longer than a few days, unfortunately I've had technical issues and not had access to the internet for a while but luckily it's all sorted now.

To my reviewers:

lovergirl099: I'm glad you're enjoying it! Please let me know what you think of this chapter!

LambdaOfTheDead: I'm glad you're still with me! Thanks for your support!

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Chapter 6, A crucial discovery

Monday 2nd November

11:02

"Phew, thank goodness that's over, eh Harry," Rose said in relief as she walked into the town's mother and baby shop. "I can't believe the nerve of those women. I couldn't stand them a minute longer," she added, shaking her head and tutting slightly.

Harry mimicked her.

"Aw you sure know how to lighten the atmosphere don't you little man," Rose said, laughing, seemingly forgetting everything that just happened and focusing on the task at hand. "We'd best get some things for you now. What to get first? I'm thinking a pram so I can put you down - my arms could do with a rest!"

Rose wandered over to the prams and spent a few minutes looking at them. Suddenly her concentration was broken:

"Hello, my name is Caroline, can I help you with anything?" a friendly looking shop assistant asked.

"Yes please," Rose responded, changing Harry to her other side - who knew one year olds were so heavy! "I need to buy all the daily essentials for Harry here, he's 15 months old."

"Ok, not a problem, we have a list of all the products we recommend for children at 15 months old, I can get one for you if you'd like?"

"Yes please, that sounds like just what I need."

10 minutes later and Caroline had explained the differences between all the available prams. Rose decided on a black one as it would be suitable for all future children she may have (whether boys or girls), as unlikely as that may seem now. But then again, she hardly expected to be the full time carer of a one year old when she had just turned 19, so who knows what the future may hold, she thought to herself.

The trio carried on around the shop, ticking things off the list.

Changing table

Nappies

Baby clothes

When they got to the high chair section, Rose asked Harry which one he preferred, the one on the right or the left. She wasn't really expecting a proper response, seeing as Harry had yet to say one word, but thought she'd try anyway. Truth be told, she was considering if they needed to visit a speech and language therapist. She didn't think it was normal for a one year old to be silent the entire time. But then again what did she know about babies? Her worse fears were that he'd been profoundly affected by all the trauma he had experience within the last couple of days. There had obviously been some sort of attack on Harry, judging by that nasty looking scar. She knew that Lily would have mentioned it in one of her letters else, so Rose deduced there must have been an attack that gave it to him. In addition, he had suffered physical and mental trauma at the Dursleys, including severe neglect. So Rose was really rather concerned about Harry and his health. However she decided the best thing to do at the moment was to do what she could to care for Harry. And in the present that meant deciding on which high chair she should buy.

So she was really rather shocked when Harry did respond to her. Although it was not a response she was expecting. At. All.

"Mama?" questioned Harry.

Rose just stared at Harry in shock while her brain whirred away.

How could he think I'm his mother? I'm not Lily! Does he not know what happened to her?

All of a sudden logic seemed to entered Rose's mind.

Of course he doesn't know what happened, you daft fool. You can't have expected Petunia to tell him, can you now? And besides, have you looked at yourself in a mirror lately? You do look rather like Lily. The straight ginger hair of a similar length, you're only 4 inches shorter than Lily is, err...was, and she was slim just like you too. You really can't expect a one year old boy to tell you apart, come on now.

"Mama?" Harry questioned again, obviously not too sure why his 'mama' was staring at him and not responding.

Rose realised that sometime during her mental conversation she'd started crying, over the loss of Lily and James and how unfair it was that Harry wouldn't even remember them. It was at that moment that she vowed to herself to give Harry the best upbringing possible and to shower him in as much love as she could, despite her young age. She would do anything for him to be happy.

"Oh it's so lovely when your child says their first word isn't it. It's such an important milestone!" Caroline practically bounced up and down, "I'm sure you'd like a moment to yourselves, I'll go and get some tissues for you."

I forgot she was still here! And now she thinks I'm getting emotional over his first word! Great. Not.

"No Harry darling, I'm Aunty Rose, can you say that for me?"

"An-ny R-o?" Harry tried.

"Yes that's it, well done Harry!"

"Where Mama and Dada?"

"Mama and Dada had to go away but I'm here for you Harry"

"They back soon?" Harry asked, looking up at Rose with those gorgeous green eyes, heartbreakingly reminding her of Lily.

"Oh darling, they've gone away for a long time"

"But they leave me? Mama and Dada not luv me?" Harry's bottom lip trembled.

Hearing this breaks Rose's heart and she forgets trying to hide her tears now. "Oh Harry darling, they love you so so much but they had to go away. They didn't want to leave you but they had to. They'll always be watching us though."

Harry looks around, as though expecting Lily and James to jump out from behind the shelves, like a game of hide and seek.

"But they not here?"

"No Harry, they've gone to live in up the sky, in a place called Heaven, so they can see us but we can't see them."

"Oh" Harry says with a puzzled look on his face. "S-eye is pwetty, me go to pwetty s-eye?"

"You've got to stay with me for now sweetheart, but one day you'll go and live in the sky like Mama and Dada." Harry seemed to accept this, at least for now and Rose hugged him close to her chest.

"Here you are Rose," Caroline said.

"Thank you," Rose sniffed.

"Are you alright?" Caroline asked tentatively, "I heard you say his parents are in Heaven. That must be extremely tough on both of you. I'm presuming you're his new carer?"

"Yes I am, and it's so difficult to come to terms with. I only found out yesterday that they'd... that they'd died - they were only 21! And I only got Harry an hour ago. I have no idea how to look after a child for a day, let alone a lifetime!"

"Oh my goodness, that sounds dreadful," Caroline replied, bringing Rose in for a hug. "You poor dear. Do you know what happened to them?"

"No idea" Rose bluntly responded.

"Oh?" Caroline questioned.

Rose sighed deeply, "I've no idea. You see, my... well what do I call him... my great-uncle - of sorts - somehow discovered what happened to poor James and Lily - that's my sister and her husband - and obviously found Harry alive. Now I found out yesterday, by total chance, what happened and wondered why I'd not been informed. So I did the only thing I could think of - today I went to my other sister Petunia's house, to see if she knew anything. Oh and let's remember here that Lily and Petunia haven't spoken in nearly 3 years. That's 3 YEARS, because of a deep family argument, and I find that Dumbledore, that's my great-uncle, had dropped Harry on her doorstep, with only a letter for explanation! And the bastard hadn't even bothered to inform me at all! It turns out that Petunia is incapable of letting go of her grudge against Lily, and she and her husband punished sweet little Harry because of it. I mean, who makes a baby sleep on a mattress in the cupboard under the stairs and then slaps them when they cry because they're in a strange place with strange people, and they've just lost their parents??!! And they have a toddler son themselves - they know how to care for a child! I couldn't let them get away with abusing Harry even more. So I just took him and left. And came straight here to buy supplies for him. So in answer to your question, I have no idea, but I'm going to give that twat Dumbledore a piece of my mind!"

"You can't be serious? They actually treated a child that way? That's horrific, you ought to report them to the police you know. What if they turn on their own son?"

"I'd not thought of that with everything going on. Although I doubt they'd turn on their precious Dudley."

"You really should consider it, that's despicable behaviour, they ought to be punished."

"You're probably right. I don't know if I can deal with that at the moment though, what with looking after Harry, dealing with Dumbledore, finding out what happened to James and Lily, planning their funeral, contacting their friends. You know I can't believe Sirius still hasn't replied, why on earth wouldn't he...

OH MY GOSH THAT'S IT! Lily said... the Fidelius... Peter their secret keeper. That nasty piece of... he's sold them to Voldemort! It's all his fault!," Rose's tears were now streaming down her face, "Oh no! That's even worse... Sirius the decoy... Noooo they will have arrested him and he's innocent and I'm the only one who knows! Now, how on earth do I get into the Ministry of Magic? Hmm"

"Rose?"

Oh no! Don't tell me I just said the Ministry of Magic out loud - TO A MUGGLE?! What on earth have you got yourself into now Rose you idiot!"

"Yes"

"Did you just say the Ministry of Magic?"

Rose made an odd sort of grunting noise.

"Are you feeling alright? I know you've had a lot of distressing news to take in recently, why don't you take a seat and I'll hold Harry for you. It must be so hard for you right now, trying to figure everything out. Shall I pick out the rest of the products on the list while you stay here?"

"No, no I could do with something normal to focus on, I can't just sit here with everything mulling around my mind feeling useless. Picking products should take my mind off of things. Thank you though."

"Not a problem, so did you want to go with this high chair? It's very good for..."

The trio continued to make their way around the shop, deciding on all the products that Rose would need for Harry. They got to the till and Rose was utterly gobsmacked at the price - who knew babies were so expensive? But she knew she needed it all for Harry. She thanked the gods for the relatively recent invention of credit cards, because she sure didn't have that much in cash! The cash she had on her would only have bought the two baby blankets, the small brown teddy bear and three packets of disposable nappies and as Rose quickly learnt a one year old needs much more than that!

Once Rose had purchased everything, her and Caroline loaded up the new pram and managed to make almost everything fit in the storage compartment at the bottom. Caroline closed the shop for a short while to help Rose carry her purchases to the bus stop and they detoured en route to the toilets, where Caroline taught Rose how to change Harry's nappy. She told Rose how she was well practiced from babysitting her sister's two young children and then they changed Harry into clean clothes, rather than the rags Petunia had left him in.

Once at the bus stop Rose thanked Caroline for all of her help and they arranged to meet up for a chat and coffee at Rose's house the following week.

All in all, Rose thought, that wasn't a bad shopping trip at all (despite my meltdown, of course). I'm really glad I met Caroline, she's so kind and caring, and knowledgable about young children. I reckon we could quite possibly become fast friends.

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A/N: What did you think? Please review and let me know!

Next chapter: Rose deals with Dumbledore!