They collected the bike without Rose the next morning from a very hungover looking David who handed them back the keys. They drove it back to the Merrick house and with a brief goodbye to Rose they took off back to James' house.

Rose didn't see them again until the first of September as they were getting on the train.

"Rosemary!"

Rose looked round and saw James waving madly at her from where he stood with his parents and Sirius.

She followed Sirius' gaze to his family, they stood cold and proud with their younger son a way off down past the Potters.

Rose waved back to James with a smile,

"Take care this term, love; let us know if you need anything." Her mum said kindly,

"We will be sending the first care package on the fourteenth." Her dad said adjusting his robes.

"Write to me." Victoria said sadly hugging her little sister.

Rose got on the train and quickly found her friends. Lilly Evans, Marlene McKinnon, Diana Jefferies and Mary MacDonald.

They talked about their summers and the people that they surprisingly missed.

"I had a visit from Potter and Black." Rose said quietly.

The compartment went quiet.

"You did?" Lilly asked her voice showing a little hurt.

"Yeah, Black got a bike and it broke down in my village, they stayed the night as it was fixed."

"Oh god. Not by Creepy Davie?" Marlene asked with a grimace.

"Yeah, by David, on the condition that I go to the pub."

"Christ." Lilly swore. Rose had previously told them all about the unease that she had around David, dubbed 'Creepy Davie' from then on. As well as the various horror stories from the pub that she had been dragged to repeatedly by her sister and then by her 'friends'.

"I asked James and he volunteered them both to come with me, he didn't leave my side the whole time. It was quite sweet actually."

"What else happened? We all know something else happened Rosemary, there is no getting out of telling us this." Mary said succinctly.

"Well Sirius got hit on by Debbie." Rose said pulling a 'yeah that happened face' her jaw dropping without her lips parting and her eyes widening.

Diana burst out laughing, and soon they all followed,

"I would have paid money to see that!" Lilly said, "That girl was horrendous to me at your party last year. I wish I could have seen you dig into the cow."

Rose blushed and pushed her hair back from her face falling back on the prim training she had received growing up.

"Yes well." Rose said primly sparking a chorus of laughter.

"Ugh I've got to go and be a prefect now." Lilly pouted heaving herself up from her seat.

"Yeah, go on with you." Marlene giggled slapping Lilly's arse as she shimfed by.

"Oi!" The redhead exclaimed and aimed a hit back at Marlene who just scooted away laughing.

Lilly walked into the corridor of the train letting the door rattle shut behind her.

The rest of the journey passed slowly with the girls just chatting about their summers and the drawbacks of living with their now increasingly backward parents. Rose kept quiet at this because her parents were still quite up to date with the trends of the day and open minded to the theories being discussed.

When the train stopped at Hogsmede station and the girls got off and headed towards the carriages. Rose didn't tell anyone but she could see the big black Thestrals that pulled the carriages.

"Oi Rosemary!" Potter shouted from somewhere behind her, Rose turned to see the Marauders as they called themselves hurrying along the platform towards them.

Rose waved to them the action catching her red haired friend's eye.

Lilly made a sound of disgust,

"Come on; let's get a carriage before they get here." She grabbed at Rose's arm and pulled her towards the line of coaches by the station.

"I still don't understand why they started to call you Rosemary by the way." Lilly grumbled as she slammed the door shut.

Rose shrugged and pushed her hair back,

"I think Peter misheard my name once years ago and it stuck."

"Rose Merrick sounds nothing like Rosemary." Diana said frowning. Marlene barked a laugh,

"It does if you say it in a stupid voice as if you're taking the piss." Her soft Scottish accent coming through.

Rose smiled relaxing into the seat. It lurched forward suddenly throwing Rose forward; she let out a rather embarrassing yelp sparking another round of laughter.

Sirius eyed the line of first years at the other end of the hall,

"I hope they don't have any more hatstalls this year."

"Ugh, same." Remus groaned, "It was bad enough with Peter but that Harding boy last year was damn near painful." He was slumped over the table with his right fist supporting his head at his temple.

"I just wish they could get on with it already." James grumbled looking wistfully at the gleaming empty platters in front of him.

"Well I want to hear more about your adventure to Merrick's house. Was it horrid? Was there lace everywhere?" Peter squeaked. Sirius rolled his eyes and leant back looking down the table. He spotted Rose not too far off down the table and smirked, she was laughing with Marlene and Diana while Lilly turned red.

"Relax Wormtail it was fine, local mechanic fixed the bike and we were off straight away." James said in a bored voice. Remus caught his eye from where he sat next to Peter and raised an eyebrow, his green eyes flickered to Sirius and James smirked.

"Although Padfoot had a nicer time than me I think." James said alluding to something more. Sirius hadn't heard him and didn't have a chance to reply before McGonagall marched out and set up the hat and stool.

The hall fell silent in anticipation of the Hat's song.

Long ago when first I was enchanted

To divide you all in four,

I heard a warning once incanted,

By a voice of calm assurance,

Should the houses pull apart the seams will fray and burst,

All hopes at endurance,

Of the legacy of the first,

May seem surely lost.

So in these times of great divergence

Pull together despite the cost.

A pause followed the final note before Dumbledore stood and politely applauded.

"Well that was pointed." Remus said quietly.

The boys nodded in agreement.

Thankfully for the older students the feat was prompt as the first years were sorted quickly. Little John Fawley being sorted into Ravenclaw house, he seemed to be happy about that but still kept looking for his elder cousin.

"I'm thinking, James, that we ditch Moony with Lilly and try to catch up with Rose and Marlene. What do you recon?" Peter just watched the interaction with rapt attention as Remus smirked tiredly next to him,

"Sounds like a plan Pads, you sure you're up for that?" James mocked, "You don't usually do those."

"You're not getting all serious on us are you?" Remus asked,

Sirius curled his lip at Remus making a stupid noise back at him in reply to his bad joke.

"Don't take it personally Moony, he's been horrendous all summer. 'But she's just brilliant Prongs, you wouldn't understand.'" James teased.

Remus laughed at Sirius blushing,

"Oh right like you've not got a crush on anyone? A certain flower perhaps?" Sirius prodded back. James got very quiet very fast.

"Yeah, I thought so." Sirius grumbled. They were all tired, and thankfully the feast was near its end, they were all ready to go to bed. Things had changed however after the incident with Severus and the Whomping Willow last year.

Rose breathed a sigh of relief when Dumbledore stood before the golden podium. It had been an awfully long day.

"Welcome to all our new faces, and welcome back to all our old faces, it is good to see you all back with us of another year of education and learning, now more than ever it is needed to know as much as you can. But what is learning without rest to absorb it. So, off to bed." He announced swiftly followed by a clattering of feet and scraping of benches.

Rose stood lazily with Marlene, Diana and Mary. Lilly had run off to corral the first years and lead them to the common room.

"Thank god that's over." Sirius said slightly startling Rose at his sudden proximity. "Cor fortium is the password if you were wondering."

"Thanks, I wasn't." Rose said flatly. "What do you want?" She asked as they shuffled out of the hall onto the main staircase.

"Peter take Diana, Marlene and Mary to the common room would you? We'll meet you there." James directed.

Marlene rolled her eyes and linked her arms with Diana and Mary,

"We can find our own way there thanks, big bad witches we." She said tartly pulling the other girls forward with Peter trailing behind them under James' order looking distinctly displeased.

Rose was a little concerned now but followed Sirius down a quiet corridor with James following behind her. When they had guided her behind a large tapestry into a secret corridor they stopped. Sirius looked a little like he wanted to be anywhere else but here and James looked guilty.

"What's going on?" Rose demanded.

"Well…" James began carefully.

"The truth, unabridged." Rose snapped.

"I went back home to pick up some stuff for school, books and that, and my mother came home."

"Show her." James said with a lifting gesture, his jaw tightening with displeasure.

Sirius lifted his shirt and jumper. A huge black bruise overlaid his ribs and abs.

"Fuckin' hell!" Rose exclaimed, her well-spoken voice adding a new edge to the expletive.

"Hurts like the devil too." Sirius winced.

"What did the cow do to you?" Rose demanded.

"It is acting like Cicatrix would." James reasoned. Rose nodded and gently ran her fingers over the affected skin. She was so engrossed in looking over the damage that she missed Sirius take a big lung full of air taking in as much of her scent as he could.

"Yes I think you may be right James. I'll see what I can do." She pulled her wand from her robe pocket inching closer to the slightly taller boy.

"Sana livore." She whispered. The darkness of the mark lessened but it didn't fully disappear.

"How's the pain?" Rose asked seeking assurance that her new charge was fine. Sirius nodded encouragingly.

"Okay, I've got a spell for the pain and then I think after that you'll need some of my bruise salve."

"My mum already put some salve on him, it just made it darker." James said worriedly. Rose smiled at Sirius who looked a little worried now.

"Well that's because she wasn't using the Merrick family recipe, its powerful stuff. Top secret." She winked at Sirius. He smirked and lowered his top slightly,

Rose caught his hand and pulled it back up levelling her wand threateningly.

"Finem doloris." She said tapping the dark mark sharply. Sirius gasped as if he had been winded.

"What did you do?" James demanded. Sirius took a deep breath waving him off.

"It's fine." He blinked rapidly. After a tense moment he straightened and lowered his top. "Thanks Rosemary." He smiled at her.

"No problem." Rose shrugged primly. James ran his hand through his already messy hair and sighed.

"Could we press you for another favour?" He asked guiltily.

"Please don't go shouting it that I'm living with James now. It's nobody else's business." Sirius said seriously.

Rose shrugged,

"Sure, it's your news anyway." Both boys seemed to relax,

"It's not like it's a secret but…"

"It's still not a nice thing to spread about, I get it. Besides the way I see it, I owe you two for the pub incident over the summer." Rose smiled. James smiled back,

"Yeah, I suppose you do." He reasoned with a laugh, "Should have given Debbie your picture Pads, she'd never have left you alone then."

"Could you imagine? 'Look mother, a trashy muggle is your first born son's wife.' She'd really do me in then." Sirius barked a laugh. Rose giggled quietly,

"How do we get back to the common room now? Lilly will probably think you are hanging me upside down outside by now." Rose asked looking about herself confused.

"Oh it's this way." Sirius said starting off down the corridor that had steps up at certain intervals.

"Lilly really doesn't like us does she?" James asked as they started to head back. Rose grimaced,

"No, not really. She thinks you're brash and Black is crass. Personally I think she's not got a leg to stand on with her relationship to Snivilius but that's just me." Rose answered sneering the last bit.

"He hangs about that creep Mulciber and the other freaks, he deserves everything he gets." Sirius said determinedly from in front of them, the corridor wasn't wide enough to have all three walk side by side.

Rose nodded once in agreement.

"What could I do say, if, hypothetically, I wanted to get on her good side?" James asked.

"Why?"

"He's in love with her." "I'm quidditch captain this year." Sirius said at the same time as James latterly.

"Well congrats on the Captaincy, My liege." Rose mocked bowing to James,

"Oh stop, that's the first thing to go. Johnson was a dick about that crap and I'm not bringing that back, you're still beater if you want to be." He waved off rolling his eyes.

Rose laughed,

"I'll help you get close to Lilly if you want?" She taunted. Sirius looked over his shoulder at the pretty girl,

"What about that pure blood mantra that as one of the sacred twenty eight you should be maintaining?" Sirius prompted mockingly,

"Who am I to stand in the way of true love Black? I don't see you tearing apart the match either as another of the sacred twenty eight." Rose replied laying her hand over her considerable left breast. She wasn't the biggest in the school but she was on the curvier side.

"Well the hat did say not to fray the seams." Sirius flirted back. James rolled his eyes and shoved his mate on the shoulders.

"This is true." Rose agreed with a sweet smile. "Hmm, first thing you could do is ask her for help with Potions. Feed her ego a little, you know?"

"Actually that's not half bad." James said slightly surprised.

They arrived at the end of the corridor, it was one floor below the portrait hole, Rose could barely contain her shock at the new found short cut.

"What else did you come up with?" She asked distractedly.

"Well, there was sending her flowers." He shrugged. Sirius laughed under his breath,

"It's a good shortcut isn't it?" He said cheekily at her wonderment. Rose smiled at him,

"I am using that tomorrow." She nodded. Sirius seemed to grow an inch with his pride.

Rose switched her attention back to James,

"He that has once done you a Kindness will be more ready to do you another, than he whom you yourself have obliged." Rose quoted. Sirius and James frowned at her.

"Who was it that said that?" James demanded.

Rose shrugged noncommittally, "Some American Muggle, I don't know it's an old one."

"Well Princess Pureblood is well read Padfoot; however will you deal with this?" James nudged his friend lightly.

"Why would he have to deal with it?" Rose frowned confused. Sirius shoved James,

"I don't, I wouldn't have." Sirius fumbled. Rose shook her head missing the hard look Sirius shot at James' grinning face.

The walked up the stairs to the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Hey, thanks again Rosemary." Sirius said quietly.

"Let me know if I can do anything else. Seriously." She said,

Sirius groaned at her bad joke causing Rose to erupt in a fit of laughter.

"Cor fortium." James said clearly over the giggles, the stairway empty but for them.

Together they entered the Gryffindor common room, Lilly stood from the closest table, she looked furious.

"What were you doing?! Where have you been?" She demanded. Rose sighed,

"Relax Lilly, James was asking me how to get you to help him with Potions this year. He had a look over the book over summer and panicked, he was a bit intimidated by you to ask straight off." Rose waved the other girls concern off.

Lilly looked dubious at the story,

"Really Potter? Is this true?" She demanded crossing her arms,

"Lilly. Just one day. Just once, just relax." Rose insisted tiredly walking past her to the girls' staircase.

"It is true, I do need the help." James floundered. Sirius was busy looking after Rose as she walked away in her shorter than regulation skirt.

"Fine, I'll help you. But only because we need the house points this year." Lilly said testily. "And Sirius put your tongue back in your mouth; Rose is far too good for you." Lilly rolled her eyes; she then sat back down on the seat at the table she had been in before.

Both boys toughly chastised quickly spotted Remus and Peter by the fire and sloped off to sit with them.

They sat in silence until Rose appeared back in the room by the sofa that Sirius was sat on.

She was holding a large tub of white cream in her left hand; cursive writing covered the lid,

Merrick Anti Bruise salve.

"Is that it?" Sirius asked pointing to it,

"Yes it is, but there is a catch I'm afraid. It has to be one of the family that applies it or it doesn't work."

"How much tie magic does your family enact Rosemary?!" James hissed shocked. Sirius just rubbed his face and nodded.

"Fine, let's get this over with." He stood and headed to the boys stairs. Luckily there were not many people in the common room, just the older years, so the only people that noticed that Rose Merrick followed Sirius up the stairs were the other Marauders and Lilly.

Sirius pulled his jumper off roughly before starting on in his tie and shirt buttons. Rose to her credit didn't stand idle like a lump but instead focused on removing the lid from the tub.

"Whenever you're ready Rosie." Sirius said.

Rose looked up. She had only ever seen David without his shirt on and that plain expanse of skin did nothing for her at the time and to see her father without his shirt was mildly traumatising so when she looked up to the toned torso of Sirius Black bare before her she needed a second. She barely managed to keep a hold of the salve tub.

"Er, right, yes." She said flustered. She awkwardly moved closer and scooping a blob of the salve out of the tub she gently set her hand on his ribs and applied the medicine.

Rose was touching him. Sure it was for medical reasons and she promised that this would work so it didn't mean as much but still, she was touching him.

He breathed deeply trying to keep them regular and not freak out.

While he had a reputation as a rebel and a womaniser he had never gone further with a girl than some kissing and mild over the shirt touching. This in itself was, in a way, further then he had ever gotten with Maria Yates a Hufflepuff that had taken a shine to him the year before.

"Right, it works pretty fast so that should be pretty much clear by tomorrow." Rose declared standing before him.

"You used that a lot then?" Sirius asked, Rose rocked her head from side to side,

"I'm the Beater so… yes, I have." She smiled kindly at him.

"Go to Hogsmede with me." He blurted.

"Sure, not been with a friend in ages, could do with getting my sisters birthday present too." Rose countered. Sirius nodded franticly,

"Sounds great." He said with a false brightness.

"Well, goodnight then." She said fixing the lid on the tub and walking confidently from the dorm room.

No sooner had the door shut did Sirius groan loudly and flop back on him bed pulling his pillow over his head.

James watched Rose waved goodnight to them as she walked away towards the girls dorms. His mind raced and he sprinted to the dorm.

"Pads!" He exclaimed bursting into the room.

Sirius groaned again.

"What happened?" Remus asked coming to the door following after James,

"I asked her out." Sirius said lifting the pillow off his face.

Peter burst out laughing.

"Yeah and I bet she rejected you. Everyone knows Rose was basically claimed as Theodore Martin's girl and he is the Ravenclaw captain and in the year above. Padfoot's got no chance."

Sirius sat up, his legs hanging over the end of the bed,

"Did she Sirius?" Remus asked sympathetically.

"No actually. She said she'd not been with a friend in ages and that she could do with getting her sister's birthday present." Sirius said tartly.

"That's good. Oh." James said, his eyes widening then grimacing.

"What?" Sirius demanded.

"What if she didn't say no as a kind of thank you for the situation over the summer." James theorised.

Sirius threw himself back onto the bed.

"God damn it." He exclaimed angrily.

"Don't think about it now Padfoot. Let's just all get to bed, it's late." Remus said ever the level headed one.

"Besides, they're just friends." Peter jibed but fell silent with a sharp look from James.