No beta.
5.
"Sorry, you wanna run that by me again?" Okay, so maybe she had been a bit too blunt.
"My name is Rosalie Potter." Rose repeated, still looking at Sookie's now incredulous face. "We're cousins.. or something like that. My grandfather, er, my mother's father, is your great-uncle. Though I don't know if it's from your mother or fathers' side." She said the last part a bit apologetically, she hadn't thought to ask at the time, and Dillon never made a return appearance.
Sookie sat back in her chair. "You said you're a witch." Her tone was still completely disbelieving, Rose didn't blame her. She hadn't even believed Hagrid when he told her on her eleventh birthday. And she had done accidental magic on many occasions before then.
"Can I show you?" She wasn't going to just start throwing spells around in her house, but it was the best and quickest way to get the blonde to believe her.
"You ain't gonna do nothing' to me are you?" Her cousin's blue eyes narrowed.
"I wont." Rose agreed, only slightly offended, she was a stranger after all.
"Alright then, if you're a witch do a spell."
Flicking her right wrist, her holly wand fell into her hand, and she smirked over at Sookie who exclaimed in surprise, 'Is that a magic wand?!' Her green eyes ran over the coffee table, looking for something to use. A vase with a small bouquet of flowers grabbed her attention.
Pointing her wand she made a circling motion over the flowers. The petals separated from the bud and stem, fluttering up into the air, suddenly transforming into dozens of brilliantly colored butterflies. They flew circles around both cousins, in a beautiful display of magic, before going to land back on the buds, and becoming whole flowers once again.
Looking over at Sookie, Rose couldn't keep the smile off her face. The elder of the two had her mouth hanging open in a perfect O shape. Her blue eyes were wide, staring at the flowers, in complete awe.
She wondered if this was how all the Hogwarts teachers felt the first time they went to tell a muggle-born about the magical world. It was a giddy feeling, seeing someone so utterly enchanted at witnessing magic for the first time. It made her feel incredibly nostalgic; it had been a long time since she looked at magic with such innocence.
It was hard to remember how wondrous and whimsical magic could be, should be, when you've seen it used in the vilest of ways.
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!" Sookie exclaimed, having gotten her wits back. Jumping to her feet, and pointing at Rose frantically. "You're a witch! Holy fucking' shit, you're really a witch!"
"I am."
Rose answered carefully, flicking her wrist again, her holly wand disappearing back into its holster. Making sure to keep her hands in the others view the whole time, to show she wasn't going to hurt her. She wasn't sure if this was a good reaction or not, but she didn't want to scare her, if she hadn't already.
"But- I mean- but.." The elders mouth worked silently for a second before she got a hold of herself, in a rather impressive amount of time honestly. "Okay."
"Okay?" This time it was Rose who was surprised. That couldn't be it, no one takes the knowledge of magic existing so easily.
"Okay." Sookie repeated, seating herself back in the overstuffed armchair across from her, and smoothing out her black trousers with her palms. She got the impression the blonde was speaking just as much to herself as she was to Rose. "I guess with vamps running' around, and what I can do." She tapped her temple. "Being' a witch is just a hop, skip, and a jump away really. And I'm sorry for pointing', it was rude and my gran raised me better than that."
Rose continued to stare at her for a long moment. Nothing was ever that easy. Something always went horribly wrong. It was something she had been preparing herself for. This almost instant acceptance was something she had not even considered, it almost unnerved her.
Maybe she should have considered it though.
After seeing Hagrid give Dudley pigs tail, she was convinced too, she thought there was a mistake. Because surely, she couldn't be a witch, she was just Rose, just Rosalie Potter. But she accepted magic itself almost at once when shown proof. It seemed Sookie was the same. That would be very helpful, if true, but maybe the blonde was just in shock?
"So, will you tell me more? About magic?" Sookie sat forward, almost at the very edge of her seat, her knees touching the coffee table between them. There was curiosity in her eyes, and an almost childish excitement, but also a spark of intelligence buried in the blue depths. "I want to know everything'."
"Yeah.." Rose smiled widely, feeling herself relax for the first time since waking up that morning. "First you should know about the most magical place in the world, well, as far as I'm concerned. Hogwarts..."
Talking about Hogwarts was easy, and it distracted her from the feeling that she was on some sort of bizarre blind date. Sookie was a good audience, listening to every word the green eyed girl said, with avid interest. Interrupting here and there to ask a question, or for more information on something she found particularly fascinating.
As far as blind dates went, Rose thought this one was going quite well.
Not that she'd know.
Rose had gone on one date, ever, with Cedric in sixth year to Madam Puddifoot's, and the older boy spent the whole thing half in tears over Cho's death.
The raven begged off early, going to find Hermione and give her interview with Luna about Tom's return.
Anyway..
She knew her love for the castle could be clearly heard in every word she said. Hogwarts had been her first home. In many ways, her only home. Even after the war Grimmauld had always been Sirius' in her mind. And as much as she loved the Burrow, it wasn't her home, it was Ron's.
Maybe Hogwarts would always be her home. Rose wasn't sure if the idea bothered her or not. But she didn't think much on that as she told Sookie all the most wonderful parts.
She spoke of the Hogwarts Express, and taking the boats over the Black Lake. How calm and clear the water had been. Reflecting the night sky so it looked like they were sailing among the stars, instead of through water. Seeing the castle for the first time up on the hilltop, how it had stolen her breath away, and everyone else's.
Rose's smile got wider and wider as she went on. Explaining the Great Hall, with candles floating in the air, and the ceiling enchanted to resemble the sky. How beautiful it was at sunrise and sunset, or when storms raged, and you felt like you were standing in the eye of your own personal hurricane.
Her hands waved dramatically as she told Sookie about the moving staircases, trick steps, and doors that only opened if you tickled them or answered a riddle. The talking portraits moving from frame to frame, and the grumpy old caretaker and his evil cat, Mrs. Norris. She laughed with the blonde as she explained the clunky suits of armor singing Christmas carols in the winter and Peeves the mischievous poltergeist.
Going on to tell her about the rest of the ghosts. And of the hidden tunnels, and rooms that few people ever found, or at least they hardly ever found them twice. The Prefects bath, which was the size of a swimming pool, with all the enchanted taps for different types of magical bubbles. And the view from the Astronomy Tower.
Rose told the wide-eyed blonde about the Forbidden Forest. How countless magical beings called it home. Sookie actually covered her mouth with her hand and gasped when she told her about the acromantula, spiders that could grow as large as elephants, and speak human languages. She spoke of thestrals, and pixies, and nifflers. The centaurs and merpeople, the latter of which were actually in the Lake, obviously.
She told her cousin about the purest and most magical animals in creation, unicorns and phoenixes.
How the foals were born bright shimmering gold, which turned to shining silver when they were colts, and the purest white when they reached adulthood. Rose explained watching Fawkes burn, and then seeing him reborn in his own ashes. How his feathers shone like fire. And phoenix song, which was beyond beautiful, and touching in a way that was indescribable.
When she was finished talking both girls had slightly dreamy looks on their faces. Rose knew she had barely touched the surface, but she felt like it was enough for the other to see how.. magical Hogwarts was. She knew everything else she had to tell Sookie that day would be far less pleasant, but she wanted the blonde to understand that magic could be, a thing of wonder, not just a tool for pain and war.
"Wow, that sounds amazing'!" The blond laughed a bit breathlessly. "You almost got me wishing' I was a witch. But I'm guessing' this magical world of yours ain't all unicorns and pixies?" She rose a golden brow in question.
"No." Rose cleared her throat. "It's definitely not."
"'Course not." She shook her head, her ponytail swaying with the move. "Well, lets go into the kitchen and you could tell me about it. I bet you could use that drink now. After all that explaining' you had to do."
Rose nodded, standing to follow her older cousin.
"You sure are adorable." Rose scowled at the taller girl.
"My grandfather, Dillon Brigant your great-half-uncle, he came and told me about you a few weeks ago. He thought maybe I could help you."
"Hold on." Sookie waved her hands between them, sitting forward in her chair. "How could that be? Magic? You're so much younger than me, shouldn't be the other way 'round? Shouldn't I be looking' out for you?" The blonde cocked a disbelieving brow, and Rose scowled.
"You're only seven years older than me." She defended herself, but she could see Sookie's point.
She continued, ignoring the older girls surprise at hearing her age. The whole town knew by then that she lived alone, it stood to reason that she was of age by muggle laws too, and yet they were still surprised.
"And mostly books. I have some in my pockets for you."
"For me?" Sookie questioned as she led the way to the kitchen.
"Yeah. To help with your.. ah.. gift." She said the last word a bit uncertainly, unsure if Sookie saw it as a gift.
"What do you mean?" That avid interest was back in her blue eyes as she paused beside the fridge, looking over her shoulder at the shorter raven haired girl, with a bit of desperation in her gaze.
Suddenly Rose was happy that she came. Not just to Sookie's house that morning, but to Bon Temps in general, maybe she could help her after all.
"There are two main branches of mind magics. Occlumency, and Legilimency. Occlumency is... a way to defend your mind from outside forces." She explained as she sat at the table. "It should help you strengthen your shields. I'm assuming you already have some type of shields, or you probably would have gone mad by now..?" When Sookie nodded her agreement she continued. "Legilimency is.. er.. well pretty much the opposite really, attacking another persons mind."
"So you think this.. Occlumency will help me block everybody out." She nodded thoughtfully. "Well, sure I hope you're right, Lord knows I need it."
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