I plucked at the lint clinging to the red sweater Mrs. Weasley had knitted for me last Christmas, my fingernail snagging on the thick wool. I stood over my trunk, which I'd deposited unceremoniously onto my four-poster bed, with clothes and books strewn among the tangled blankets and sheets.

I sighed as I made a lame attempt at folding and organizing my possessions into some semblance of order, tossing books I would need to return to the library into the corner of the room. I paused as I pulled a soft green hoodie from my wardrobe, wrinkled and unwashed. Cedric had given it to me after I'd started shivering one evening as we strolled to the Hogwart's owlery, a letter for Sirius clutched in my wind-chapped hand. Cedric and I had started spending more time together by then, having become fast friends after the Malfoy choking incident and his resulting hint about how to open the golden egg, which we'd both somehow managed to do successfully, and months before the second task to boot. Not that I had figured out how to breathe underwater yet, though I'm sure Cedric already had.

I'd thanked him as he passed his hoodie to me, quickly pulling it over my head, his body heat still clinging to the fabric and seeping into my frozen body. It had smelled of pine and musk, and a faint spice I placed as cinnamon. I'd been embarrassed about forgetting my own jacket in my hast to send a letter off to Sirius so he would know how I had fared in the first task, smiling to myself as I recounted the numerous close-calls I had had with the Hungarian Horntail. I knew it would entertain my godfather and hoped it would cheer him wherever he was hiding out at the moment. I'd flown from the common room after I'd finished writing it, having not realized how long it'd taken me to finish it but seeing that the sun was close to setting. Cedric had been returning from the Quidditch pitch with players I recognized from last years' Hufflepuff team, but asked if he could join me when I'd told him where I was headed. I hadn't told Cedric the truth about Sirius or Peter Pettigrew yet, hoping he wouldn't question why the letter had to be sent in such a hurry.

"So, did McGonagall teach you all to dance in your assembly like Sprout did with all of us today?"

I laughed, "Did she ever. She used Ron as a partner in the demonstration no less! Though she switched him out with Neville after Ron tread on her toes for the third time!"

Cedric chuckled, "Well, I won't lie, he never gave off the impression of being a natural at the waltz. Plus he probably deserves all of the teasing and embarrassment that might come his way after how he's behaved."

"Oh stop," I'd smacked him lightly on his chest in admonishment "He's apologized to me now, let bygones be bygones. Even best friends can be bloody prats at times."

"True. I suppose he's lucky that you are so loyal and forgiving, I'm not so sure I would be with a friend who didn't support me."

"Should I be concerned for our newfound friendship if I beat you in the second task then? That wouldn't be very supportive of me" I'd teased him, trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh please, you hardly stand a chance." He'd shoved me lightly to the side with his left shoulder, then I, in turn, pushed him with my right shoulder as we laughed and continued to tease one another.

Snow had begun to fall in full, fluffy flakes that lazily swirled through the twilight sky before landing on the frosty grass as we continued to walk, eventually climbing the stairs to the owlery.

Hedwig had flown down from her perch high up in the owlery tower once I'd called to her, allowing me to attach the letter for Sirius while Cedric petted her and fed her treats. She'd flown off almost as soon as I'd finished, perhaps sensing my impatience for Sirius to receive the letter, and we'd begun the trek back to the castle in the near-dark.

It was a full moon, which always made me worry for poor Remus, but it served us well so we could see where we were going. The thin layer of snow that now coated the grounds was reflecting the moonlight back up, creating a dim glow that also seemed to cushion sound, generating an impossibly quiet atmosphere. Cedric walked with me all the way back to the Gryffindor common room, putting his hand on my shoulder to stop me just as I had bid him goodnight and was about to climb through the portrait hole.

"Rose wait, I wanted to ask you something"

"What is it?" I'd answered, becoming concerned as I studied his face and hazel eyes which had suddenly become so serious.

"I wondered if you'd like to go to the ball with me?" The words had speedily tumbled out of his mouth, giving away his nervousness as he gazed earnestly at me.

"Oh" I replied, feeling genuine surprise. I had figured he'd ask Cho Chang who I'd seen him with most recently, or some other beautiful and popular girl in his year. "Are you sure?"

"Am I…?" He'd broken off, shaking his head in disbelief. "Of course I'm sure Rose! I thought it would've been obvious, but clearly I haven't expressed this well enough."

He'd tentatively reached a hand up to my neck, drawing me closer to him.

"I think I'm falling in love with you, Rose. You're the bravest, funniest and smartest person I know, and I don't know how it's taken me this long to work up the courage to get to know you. I've admired you for so long, for what you did when the Chamber of Secrets was opened and competing with you on the Quidditch pitch, but for so much more than all of that too, and I —" he'd broken off, breaking eye contact with me for the first time since he'd initially asked me out "I would love it if you came to the ball with me. And, I promise, I'm a much better dancer than Ron."

I'd wanted to quip back to him with something clever, as was our usual banter, but I'd never seen Cedric look so vulnerable and thought better of that impulse. While I'd grown to care for him deeply, it had only been in the last few days that I'd felt a shift in our friendship towards something more serious. Moments when I'd wanted to take his hand, or hold him close in an embrace. I'd thought that my feelings had begun to move beyond just friendship, but it had all happened so quickly. Nonetheless, I didn't hesitate once I'd made up my mind.

"Okay." I replied simply, smiling.

"Yes!? Oh, thank Merlin." His shoulders sagged in relief as our foreheads drew together and we giggled to dispel the awkwardness that had hung heavy in the air moments before.

We had stayed like that for awhile, resting in each other's arms before Cedric drew back and I lifted my chin to gaze up at him. I could see his intentions right before he slowly lowered his lips to mine, giving me time to pull away if I wanted to. I hadn't, instead rising on my toes to meet him halfway. When our lips came together, bodies pressed close, my heart had squeezed tight with happiness. Cedric was the last person I'd imagined being with less than a month ago, but now our conversations and walks about the castle had quickly become the highlight of my days. And now, the kissing would be a big highlight too, I knew.

A lump was lodged in my throat at the memory of our first kiss, tears beginning to prick at my eyes. I blinked rapidly to dispel the moisture when I heard the dormitory door open behind me, turning to see who it was.

'Professor Dumbledore?" I questioned in surprise, never having seen him in the Gryffindor common room let alone the girls dormitory. "What are you doing in here?"

"Oh, not to worry Rose, Professor Snape wanted me to give you these to pack before you leave tomorrow."

He glided towards me, depositing half a dozen potion vials and a jar of cream into my hands. "He thought you might need more Dreamless Sleep at some point this summer, and the cream is for the wound on your arm."

I awkwardly tried to hold onto all the medicines before giving up and dumping them into my trunk when it became a losing battle, the small glass vials bulging out between my fingers.

"Well tell him thank you from me, will you?" I said awkwardly.

"Yes, I will do, Miss Potter. He'll appreciate your gratitude I'm sure."

I nodded in reply, not entirely believing him.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at that, and he gazed softly at me, inquiring how I was feeling.

"I've been better…I would be much better if I could only visit Sirius and Tonks."

"As much as I wish I could grant you that reunion, I'm afraid they are both too weak for a visit at the moment. They're out of danger thanks to Madame Pomfrey and Severus though, so I can't imagine that it will be too much longer before they're back on their feet again."

I always cringed internally at Dumbledore's use of Snape's first name, hating the blind trust Dumbledore seemed to have for the Potions Master. But I nodded my head, incredibly disappointed as Sirius was the one I wanted to see more than anyone else at this point. I wanted to cry and be comforted, to know that I was safe and that I would be protected. I needed to break down, to mourn, but I wanted someone that I could trust nearby if I was to give into this overwhelming grief so that I could move on from it. If I was on my own at the Dursley's, I was worried that I would drown in it instead of recovering.

"Rose, there are a few things I think you should know before you leave for summer holidays. Your explanation of what happened to you in the graveyard was incredibly thorough, commendably so. It will help us to know how to defeat Voldemort and his followers now that he's risen once again."

We sat down and Dumbledore explained again the protection that my mother had passed onto me by sacrificing herself, that by taking my blood to be used in his resurrection Voldemort now had a part of that protection too, which is why he could touch me unlike before when Professor Quirrell had turned to stone beneath my palms. I felt nauseous at the thought of Voldemort and I sharing anything or having any semblance of a bodily connection; imagining my blood pumping in his veins and heart and keeping him alive. He continued to explain the priori incantatem effect and why I had seen the ghosts of those Voldemort had killed, though he couldn't offer an exact explanation as to how my parents and Cedric and others from my dreams, like the old gardener I'd seen murdered, had communicated with me and given me precious time to race back to Cedric's body and the Triwizard Cup.

He went silent for awhile, gazing at me to gauge my reaction before reaching up to gently caress my cheek, pushing my new bangs aside for a moment.

"Never forget who you are Rose. You are so brave and strong. It seems impossible now, I know, but this grief will pass. With time, your heart will let him go and heal." He reassured me so genuinely I knew that it came from his own personal experience of loss.

"But I don't think he knew what the consequences would be. I don't think he knew he was going to die. He would've fought, sure, but death? That was my fault." My lip quivered, but I continued "I told him to take the cup with me, a triumphant win for Hogwarts." I explained sarcastically. "Even if I move past the grief, this weight of - of - of guilt is crushing me" I spluttered out, a wave of emotion threatening to take over.

Dumbledore took my hand then, holding it tight between both of his own.

"You forget that Cedric was better prepared than you were for this tournament Rose. He was in his last year here, he knew the danger before he entered, he wasn't blind to it. He accepted the risks and moved forward, and like you he was gifted in Defense. Even if Lord Voldemort wasn't involved behind the scenes, there was still great danger to life and limb. He might not've known he would lose his life in the graveyard, but he always knew it was a possibility inherent to the tournament itself. And I think you know he would've done whatever was necessary to protect you, his ghost reappearing is evidence enough of that. Even in death, he wanted you to survive, no matter the cost."

I knew what he was saying made sense, and I might find it helpful to reflect on at some later point, but at the minute I was still blinded by rage and guilt at Cedric being taken from me. And the agony of having another sacrificial soul on my conscience beyond those of my parents was nearly bringing me to my knees.

"And Rose, it's I who should apologize — I never should've allowed you to compete in the first place. While, per usual, you performed above and beyond what could've been expected of you, with more than a little help from Fred and George Weasley I hear, it was still a reckless chance for me to take. Severus was right, we should've stopped all of this from the very beginning."

I was surprised, "Snape didn't want me to compete?"

"No, and his intuition was right. It was careless to put you in so much danger. I won't diverge from his opinion again when it comes to your safety."

I was not reassured by that statement, in fact, the opposite. If Snape was calling the shots then I was definitely doomed. Dumbledore didn't elaborate any further, but said that he would be in touch about my visiting Grimmauld Place soon. With one final squeeze of my hands, he rose to leave and I turned my back to finish packing.

—

As I got to my feet and made to exit the dormitory, I gave Rose's hand a final squeeze for good measure. It had been Severus's idea to put a tracing charm on the bracelet she had worn since beginning at Hogwarts, and in fact she'd probably worn the piece of jewelry for much longer than that. It was a delicate gold chain, with her birthstone, a small Ruby, attached to it. Neither Snape nor I knew where she had procured the bracelet from, but it seemed that she never took it off which is what counted in this matter. I'd transferred the charm to her bracelet successfully without her knowing, which had been my aim in taking her hands in mine to offer what little comfort I could.

Severus would be the recipient of the duplicated charm, a gold ring, that would allow him to tap into her emotional state to check how she fared throughout the summer. And the ring would flare and burn the wearer if she was in any danger. The arrangement would give us both some peace of mind once the girl returned to her Aunt and Uncle's for the summer, even though I would also be stationing Order members around the spotless home on Privet Drive in case Voldemort decided to try anything. I had a feeling that Severus would refuse to ever take the ring off once it was placed on his finger, shaken as he was by this year's turn of events. I prayed Rose would find some peace once she was away from Hogwarts, my heart breaking for the child that had endured so much, and wishing I was a better shield to protect her from what was still to come.