Rose looked over her timetable approvingly. The Great Hall buzzed with life around them as people discussed their new timetables that the heads of houses had just handed out. Rose's day was as follows;
1st Potions W/ Prof Slughorn
2ndPotions W/ Prof Slughorn
Break
3rd Defence Against the Dark Arts
Lunch
4th Ancient Runes
5th Herbology
6th Transfiguration
"Oh you have double potions with me this year Rose." Lilly beamed. Rose smiled back at her a little less enthusiastically, it always took Rose a little longer to wake up than the red haired girl, maybe that was because life was less exciting to a Witch who had been brought up within the magical world but maybe it was just that Rose was tired still and Lilly was not.
"Brilliant." Rose said distractedly, she looked down the table to the large oak doors, accidentally locking eyes with Theo Martin. He focused on her immediately and headed her way.
Internally Rose groaned, they had been on a couple of dates together but nothing serious, however Theo was from a wizarding family and Rose suspected that he was being encouraged to make ties with Rose due to the Merrick family standing and the fortune that went along with it.
Lilly looked up and blushed when she saw who was coming to their table, she had always liked Theo, and his boyish good looks making her feel pretty when he spoke to her. Unfortunately for Rose she just felt like she was always explaining everything all the time.
Rose felt a shadow loom over her while a long fingered hand pulled her timetable from her hands.
"Good morning Rosemary, I see you have Potions with me today, oh and Defence, and Ancient Runes and Transfiguration, how interesting. Oi Pads you seen this? It looks like our dear Rosemary will be spending an awful lot of time with us this year." James Potter said confidently his voice holding a teasing lilt to it. Sirius barely looked up from where he sat further along the table.
Rose breathed out in relief that it wasn't Snape back to try and get Lilly to talk to him. She looked again down the table and although Theo was still heading their way his confidence seemed to have faltered a little.
"Go. Away. Potter." Lilly ground out looking to Rose to back her up, Rose refused to look anywhere but her cereal preferring to let the drama that was about to play out pass over her head.
James swung his leg over the bench straddling it and lent on the table facing Rose.
"Now why would I want to do that when the Ravenclaw captain is headed this way?" James asked slowly his eyes widening with interest. "I would rather like to see what his interest with my favourite Beater is, wouldn't you?"
Rose rolled her eyes.
"Hiya Ros." Theo greeted awkwardly standing a little way off, he knew not to get too close to James Potter or become the target of one of their pranks.
"Hiya Theo." She replied kindly. "Congrats on getting the Captaincy again." She pointed to the blue badge he proudly wore.
Theo perked up a bit at that,
"Oh, yeah, thanks. Got to see if we can get a three year streak this time."
"You won't." James countered from behind Rose.
Theo's eyes shot to James and took in his proximity.
"Right, well. I was, erm, I was wondering if you would like to go to Hogs-"
"She would love to." "I can't." "She's going with Sirius." Lilly, Rose and James all said at once.
"What?" Theo blurted confused.
"She would love to, wouldn't you Rose?" Lilly said widening her eyes at Rose.
"I would love to Theo, however I have already said yes to someone else." Rose said with a sympathetic smile.
"You have?!" Lilly demanded, James smirked at her,
"She has." He winked.
"But the first weekend is not for a month, who has she said yes to already?" Lilly demanded of James. Rose and Theo were watching the exchange closely. James hadn't changed his posture from where he was straddling the bench and leaning with his left elbow on the table, his right hand holding his left over his chest.
"My good friend Sirius Black asked her last night." James confirmed looking smugly up at Theo.
"Oh when she followed him up to your dorm. What were you doing there Rose?"
"She was giving him some of her bruise cream." James answered for Rose conspiratorially. Lilly looked dubious but seemed to accept the answer as she lifted her orange juice to her lips.
"Really Ros?" Theo demanded looking hurt. "You would rather go with Black than me? I didn't think you even liked Black?!"
"Well he did help me out over the summer so I guess you could say that we were friends." Rose shrugged looking back at James who nodded with a smirk. Theo scoffed calling her attention back to him again.
"And I've told you about the Ros thing, I don't like it. My name is Rose." She said confidently, she turned back to her bowl and muttered, "Ros sounds common."
James was the only one who heard her and had to suppress a laugh. This was the star beater of the Gryffindor team who on the pitch had the best aim, best swing and best sense of where the game was moving, totally un afraid of wind, rain and mud but put her on dry land and she was the prissiest girl he knew.
"Yeah well you let everyone else call your Rosemary." Theo groused clearly getting quite upset with the direction of the conversation.
"That is because Rosemary is a nice plant, very hardy and elegant, just like our Rosemary here. Now Martin why don't you pop off and get yourself some breakfast leave my team mates alone." James said his voice hardening with an underlying threat.
Theo paled and scarpered quickly.
"Remind me again why you like that guy?" James asked Rose quietly ignoring Lilly's astounded face.
"Why would you do that Potter? You could quite clearly see that he was trying to get her to go out with him!" Lilly demanded.
Rose shrugged,
"He was older." James shot her a confused look,
"But your birthday is in August, everyone is older than you." He shot back then looked to Lilly,
"Can't have inter team relationships Lilly my darling, it always ends up messy." He assured her with a confident nod.
"Alright name me one inter house quidditch player relationship that hasn't fallen apart and ended horridly?" He countered. Lilly began to reply but Rose didn't hear it because she quietly gathered her bag and slipped away leaving them to their slightly bickering conversation.
She entered the hallway and had to stop for a second to remember how to get to the part of the dungeons that she needed to be in for potions.
"You've forgotten where to go haven't you?" Remus' deep voice rumbled clearly from just behind her. Rose didn't say anything just grimaced back at the much taller boy.
"Where are you going?" He asked calmly his face less pale and drawn than she had seen before but he still looked tired.
"Potions." She answered succinctly. Remus nodded and pulled her off a small alcove down a quiet corridor.
Rose frowned at him as he pulled from his bag a large blank piece of parchment. He set his wand on it and muttered,
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
Remus watched Rose's face as the ink began to emerge on the parchment and it swiftly took the form of the Marauders map.
"This should help you to remember." He said cheekily. "We had a chat last night before bed and we think that we can trust you."
"I'm honoured." Rose said sarcastically her eyes never leaving the page. "I think I remember now where I am supposed to go, thank you." She said after a long moment of looking the map over.
"Don't-"
"Tell anyone." She finished, "I know, with you lot it's all secrets and hushed voices. I wouldn't be surprised if there was much more that you weren't telling me."
"You have no idea." Remus smirked at her. Rose smiled and shook her head, she wasn't surprised anymore, and after fourth year she had just decided to go with it.
"What have you got later?" Rose asked stepping out of the alcove.
"I've History of Magic first and second and then, Ancient Runes, Care of magical creatures and Transfiguration." Remus listed following her back to the main corridor.
"Oh, you have Ancient Runes and Transfiguration with me then." Rose said brightly, she liked that he took Ancient Runes with her as it gave her a person to sit with.
Remus smiled back and nodded,
"Well I'll see you later, I won't say a word." Rose said and swanned off to her Potions lesion just as the bell went to end breakfast.
"Good morning everyone." Slughorn greeted happily as his N.E.W.T level students filed into his classroom. "Gather round the first bench if you would please."
Dutifully they all shuffled over to the lab table covered already with different potions bubbling away.
"Now I want to see who has done some reading over summer." He looked cheekily at the blank faces gazing back at him. "What are these potions?"
Rose looked them all over, she knew what they were but she hated the looks that the Slytherin and Ravenclaw students gave her whenever she raised her hand so she kept quiet.
"Oh come now. One of you must know." Slughorn deflated a little, "Miss Evans?" He prompted hopefully.
Lilly leant closer and looked them all over,
"Erm, Polyjuice, Draught of living death and Amortenia sir." She replied quickly.
"Fantastic, twenty points to Gryffindor."
"Can anyone tell me anything else about Amortenia?" He looked to Rose pointedly then; Lilly nudged her with her elbow.
"It smells differently to everyone that smells it." Slughorn nodded raising his eyebrows, 'go on' he seemed to say. Rose looked over it, the mother of pearl potion lying before her in the closest cauldron.
"Well, I smell," She took a large nose full of the steam, "Broom polish and leather and whiskey and something else that I can't name. But Lilly may smell…"
"Fresh cut grass and clean linen, vanilla and old books." Lilly finished off. Rose smirked at her shoes; she knew exactly who Lilly smelt even if Lilly didn't. James. He always wore a fresh shirt and had a vanilla soap by his bed, the fresh cut grass was when he had just come off the pitch and the old books was when they were looking for a spell for a prank. Rose had an idea already as to where the year was going to go with those two but couldn't say for sure.
"Of course it's never real love that the potion creates but, infatuation, obsession." Slughorn said, Rose's eyes flickered to Severus who seemed to alternate between staring at the potion and at Lilly. "It can be dangerous, so be careful."
The spell seemed to have broken then, all of the students snapping back into the room.
"Now this session I would like you to make a love potion antidote. The pair that makes the antidote the best will win this small bottle of memory enhancer, very useful for revision. We will be testing the potions on one of the pair that volunteer." Slughorn said and the crowd murmured their approval.
"Now before you go pairing yourselves up I have devised a seating plan to avoid any of last year's hijinks."
The crowd groaned. Rose was alright with whoever she was partnered with, so long as it wasn't Snape she was confident that she could just get on with the potion herself.
"Now, Mr Abbott please go with Miss Tubult." He began, Rose tuned out only listening for her name and Lilly's,
"Mr Black with Miss Evans, Miss Merrick with Mr Potter."
"Rose looked over to the two boys, they seemed less displeased than pleased and dutifully left each other's side to take their places on the two tables.
Rose walked over to her Captain and seated herself; she looked back at the desk behind to see Lilly place her bag down with a sigh.
"At least it's you Rosemary; don't think I would have lasted the year next to Snivilius." James said resignedly.
Rose smiled and shrugged,
"I'm just glad that I am not with Katie." She said pulling out her copy of advanced potions making.
"Who?" James demanded,
"Her." Rose pointed subtly to the wild-eyed girl with an unnerving grin and frizzy straight mousy brown hair.
"Oh wow." James laughed, "That's just unfortunate."
"She has a huge crush on Theo Martin and guess who he likes?" Rose said sarcastically about the Ravenclaw girl.
"You. Oh the poor man. He has to have that in his common room. Imagine looking round and seeing her. I think I'd shit myself." James said more to himself than to Rose.
Rose snickered, and James realised she was still listening.
"I mean it's alright for us, we look round the common room and there is some decent girl art but wow."
Rose's eyebrows rose at his comment.
"Decent girl art? I'm sorry but what?" She shook her head, "That might be the single most misogynistic thing I've heard you say since I picked up my beaters bat."
James burst out laughing,
"Oh come on, you know what I mean! Besides it goes both ways you lot have me and Sirius to look at." James stroked his chest playfully sparking another laugh from Rose as he wiggled his eyebrows over his circular glasses.
Behind them Sirius sat watching his best mate forlornly as he spoke happily to the girl that was beginning to take a hold of Sirius' heart.
"You're not even listening are you?" Lilly demanded snatching the boy's attention.
"No. Sorry." Sirius said softly with a smirk at Lilly.
"I was saying, it was pretty quick work booking Rose for the first Hogsmede weekend. Theo Martin came to our table this morning to ask her thinking he would be the first."
"Martin was mistaken on that front then." Sirius said looking over the bottles of ingredients that Slughorn had prepared for them on the table.
"Rose said that you helped her out over the summer but I can't imagine anything as big as to warrant a Hogsmede date to repay it." Lilly prompted, she already knew everything that had happened because Rose had told them all, and she just wanted to see if Sirius would tell her or not.
"It's more a me thanking her thing really; she helped get my bike fixed." Sirius said flipping through the text book to the right page then.
"Oh really?" Lilly said, Sirius nodded looking over the page of the book that detailed love potions and their antidotes.
Rose's laughter filled the air and Sirius' gaze shot up; his eyes lingered on the shortness of her skirt and the expanse of leg on display. Not for the first time he wondered what that skin would feel like below his hand. He had smelt her perfume in the potion as he walked past it, he was sure of it; it was a unique fancy French make that she had bought over her annual holiday to France during the summer.
Lilly watched Sirius' eyes as he looked over her friend and smirked to herself, she knew Rose would never consider the possibility of Sirius and that it would be a fun year to see the two circle each other.
The more that Lilly thought about it as she was making the antidote, the more it made sense in her mind. Nobody was able to keep up with her like James and Sirius were, nobody knew her to be kind and giving under her pureblood upbringing like Sirius and other boys just saw her pretty face and attractive body not bothering with the person behind it. Rose herself had said it was deeply disappointing when she liked a guy and got asked out by him only to have them make inappropriate advances on her or that they turned out to be stupid.
"So Rosemary, while we have a few minutes watching this boil I was wondering if you would be up for telling me about the worst date you've ever had. Just so that as a male I can put a stop to the cycle of really bad dates." James asked imperiously his eyes not straying from the purple liquid.
"Malcom Garner." Rose said instantly.
"Isn't he the Hufflepuff heartthrob though?" James countered, "How many guys have you dated Rose?"
Rose sighed,
"Malcom is indeed the Hufflepuff heartthrob, like you say, but alas he is thick as pig shit." She said sadly, "We spent an hour in that tea shop and I never want to step foot in there again."
"That bad?" James prompted. Rose hummed next to him.
"I have dated ten guys James, none of whom have ever amounted to much more than a mild disappointment, you see I think I talk myself into things and then when I get there I kind of wonder what it was all for." Rose explained. James this time hummed next to her in understanding.
"I know what you mean. I dated a few to get over," He stopped himself, "but it didn't work." James blushed a little. Rose smiled softly,
"Yes, well, it seems I am doomed to be the picky pureblood princess as Marlene says." James breathed a laugh,
"Bet that sounds great in her accent."
"It does rather." Rose agreed throwing in the Gurdyroot so the liquid turned green. Their moment over they returned to the serious business of potions making.
"You will sit where I have put you, I will hear no protestations, silence as you sit down."
Professor Augustine was a man sporting many scars presumably obtained from his tenure in the Auror office of the Ministry. He was also a man with whom everything had to be perfect, he didn't believe in a jovial atmosphere of learning, it had been Dumbledore that he had as his Defence teacher and it was the fun carefree attitude to the Dark Arts that he believed had led to the rise of yet another dark wizard.
He terrified Rose.
"I think you're with me." Remus said quietly. He gripped her elbow and led her to a desk in the middle of the classroom.
"Do not leave me here alone." Rose hissed, her cool façade slipping just a little.
Remus said nothing but together they took their seats. Augustine had clearly spoken to the other teachers because no single Marauder was sat near to each other or by a Slytherin.
"Look to the person sitting next to you. Would you trust them with your life?" Augustine called as he made his way towards the blackboard that was already writing the date and lesson title on itself.
"This is what you have to consider every day with the practical applications of these lessons. Would you willingly entrust your life to the person sitting beside you?" He continued reaching the board that now read.
"Duels, what happens when they go wrong."
Rose swallowed heavily, she hated Defence lessons, in fact the only reason that she chose it was because everyone else had done and she needed to fill a slot. She never predicted that a man like Augustine would be their teacher.
"Look at the material that is coming round now. I want you to take notes on this so that the seriousness does not escape you."
Rose watched as the booklets got delivered magically to each desk. Then she saw what was on them and felt sick.
"These are some of the injuries that are permanent from miscast, crossfired and particularly nasty spells. St Mungos currently has no idea how to treat these people and nor will they, they do not know the circumstances of the spells cast nor do they know the particular mix of spells cast."
Augustine stood fully before the class and smiled, it set Rose's teeth on edge.
"You see when you are in a dual properly, you are not able to watch and know each spell that is cast, and usually there are too many being flung in rapid succession. So. The person next to you has the job of making sure that nothing hits them and that nothing hits you. The same applies in reverse. That person could be the only thing standing between you and certain death." He announced seriously.
A sombre mood had overtaken the class as they looked over the grotesque images of limbs twisted and engorged, people fighting to be free of those restraining them a wild look in their eyes and scars, scars of a werewolf attack.
Remus gasped and paled.
"A werewolf. I know its terrifying isn't it." Rose whispered comfortingly. Remus absently nodded.
"You." Augustine pointed to Rose, "Stand up."
Rose shakily got to her feet.
"Since you are so eager to talk in this class perhaps you could give some examples."
Rose nodded.
"Good. Name the properties of an Obscurial." Augustine demanded his cold beady eyes trained on Rose, his large figure now leaning on his desk an air of imperial control surrounding him.
"They are usually children under ten who through suppressing their magical ability plays host to an Obscurus which when the Obscurial is placed under sufficient stress will manifest as a destructive windlike force." Rose answered in her cool detached voice; it was a practiced art that she had learnt as a child. Her grandmother would not tolerate blubbering children so she had instilled in Rose and Victoria a sense of dignity that emerged under times of stress.
"Correct." He said without any sort of encouragement or warmth, "Tell me, are you a pureblood?"
Rose frowned her eyes flickering to Sirius who had turned from where he sat to the front left of the class to look at her.
"Don't look at him, look at me!" Augustine shouted. Rose started and maintained her focus on her teacher. His scared face twisted and angry now.
"Well?" He demanded loudly.
"Yes, sir. Scared twenty eight, sir." Rose answered flustered.
"Merrick isn't one of the twenty eight names is it?" Augustine sneered. "Are you lying to me?"
"No sir, I am of the Fawley line." Rose said. Anger was bubbling inside of her, how dare this man make her feel so small and weak.
"Very well then." He said waving his hand. Rose took this as a sign to sit down and began to do so.
"Did I tell you to sit?" He demanded seeing what Rose was doing.
"No, sir." She answered straightening herself again.
"Well then remain standing." He said coldly. "Talk in my lessons again and you will regret it, am I clear Merrick?"
"Crystal." Rose said tightly. Augustine raised an eyebrow,
"Sir." Rose said quickly with a tight smile.
Augustine nodded once and continued on with the rest of the lesson leaving Rose to stand her face burning with embarrassment and her gut boiling with hatred.
Sirius looked back at the girl standing up. He suspected that Augustine had other reasons to keep Rose stood up for the lesson than just her talking. He had no proof but he suspected a grudge but could not prove it.
Rose had not stood up for quite so long since the week she and her sister had spent with her grandmother. Retha Merrick was not a cruel woman but she was one that demanded excellence and had the two girls stand in the garden for hours with large books balanced on their heads in the effort to give them both patience and good posture.
Still Rose nearly cried when the bell rang for change of period. As fast as she could she scooped up her possessions and hurried from the class room. Lilly watched her go sympathetically, the other girl wanted to comfort her friend but she did feel torn towards the side of the Professor who was trying to in her mind maintain discipline in his class room.
She absolutely failed to notice the two boys tearing after her into the corridor.
Remus quietly materialised next to her desk,
"Could you give Rose your notes for today? She didn't write a single word." Remus asked kindly and Lilly nodded. He smiled back at her and left Lilly behind wondering how such horrid things could happen to such a good person.
Rose felt the cool stone beneath her splayed hand and breathed deeply in and out trying to fight back tears. She was in the hidden corridor that Sirius had shown her the other night as she tried desperately to calm down.
"Prongs, I've found her." Sirius said quietly and the two of them slipped behind the tapestry into the quiet environment.
Rose felt one of them rest a hand on her left shoulder and she let them.
"He needs to be taken down a peg or two." James said soundly. Sirius made noises of agreement.
"All that crap about are you a pure blood? Who cares, it's not a black and white world." He said, Rose was fairly sure that it was his hand on her shoulder.
She nodded and pushed off of the wall discretely whipping her right eye as it watered.
"So how are we going to take him down a peg or two. That bastards probably paranoid from being in the Auror office so long." He had told them in the lesson about his previous career. "He will expect an immediate attack so I suggest that we wait. There is the possibility that he will make me stand until Christmas but I'll just have to get a quotes quill then." Rose said fury burning in her eyes.
"You're kinda hot when you're angry." Sirius said stupidly.
"Then I'm about to become fucking beautiful." Rose growled. James smirked,
"Don't worry about it dearest Rosemary. From this day forth a hit will be out on Augustine's head, just you wait and see." He slung his arm around Rose's shoulders and guided her out of the hidden corridor.
The two walked her to the Great Hall avoiding the general populous by taking what they called 'the back way' through their network of small corridors and hidden passageways.
"I should go in alone." Rose said as they reached the doors. "If I go in with you and the bastard sees it looks like I'm a weak little girl who can't stand up for herself."
"Really? Because it could look like you have support from your peers." Sirius countered, Rose shook her head.
"No, no I have to do this alone. Thank you." She pulled her bag up her shoulder, squared her shoulders and entered the great hall.
Sirius watched her go.
"Now that, it one unique woman Prongs. I will not hear a word against her." He said to James.
James just nodded and followed after her at a measured distance.
Rose strode confidently down the gap between the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables staring straight ahead until she reached her friends where she took her seat and acted like nothing had happened.
McGonagall watched the girl as she walked with a poise and dignity that could rival any of age Witch or Wizard and wondered why she was falling back onto her prior education that she had received from Retha Merrick. Especially after having seen the girl relax so much from that starting point at eleven.
"That's the one I was just telling you about Bowin. I had her stand for the entire hour. I will not have talking in my lessons." Augustine boasted from to seats down. McGonagall pursed her lips, so that was the reason,
"You should be careful Professor Augustine, she is one of the best students in my house. And I think you will find that she is also very well-liked by the others, I would hate for the curse of your position to continue due to a disagreement with the students." She warned leaning round Professor Bowin the Care Of Magical Creatures teacher.
"I will bare that in mind Professor, however when you have been in a position such as mine for so long, control of mere children is hardly difficult."
"We shall see." She replied leaning back in her seat and resuming her meal.
The rest of the day ran smoothly, she excelled in her Ancient Runes class as well as Herbology, Transfiguration as well passed without incident. The only thing that really got to her was the looks, everyone knew of the incident by the afternoon and Rose was beginning to feel it. So much so that when the bell rang for the end of her day she got changed and headed off to the Quidditch pitch.
Nobody had booked the field and she didn't intend to get on her broom. She was going to run around the pitch until she felt good and tired, then she was going to head back to her dorm, shower and change, have a late dinner from the kitchens, write a letter home and go to bed. If she stuck to that plan then she wouldn't encounter another soul until she was ready in the morning. By that time she would have been able to remember the training that she had been given by her grandmother and would be able to face the questioning glances of the rest of the school.
So that is what she did. However she did notice the captain of the Gryffindor team sitting in the stands. He didn't say anything, not even when she got on her broom and flew evasion drills, ducking and weaving around imaginary obstacles.
He skipped dinner with her and then followed her back to the tower. He waited for her to get showered and changed and he watched her head out of the common room. He waited and waited for her to return. Everyone else had gone to bed but he held the map and waited.
When Rose finally made it back to the common room she didn't expect anyone to be there, but sat in front of the dying fire by the far side of the room, was James Potter.
"You didn't have to you know." Rose said taking the seat next to him. He slung his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his side.
"My dear Rosemary. I do not know what you mean." He said quietly squeezing her side.
When they were both yawning she stood and with a murmured goodnight they both parted for bed.
"Rose." Lilly whispered, she was stood in the doorway peering out clearly she too had been waiting for her friend. Rose said nothing but pushed the door open, all of them were sat on the ends of their beds looking worried.
"Thank you. I'm fine." Rose said stiffly. After five years of living together they all knew what she meant by this and piled forward to hug the brown haired girl. Rose buried herself in the warmth of her friends and when they were sure that she was alright they let her go to bed after all it was very late.