Chapter 2

It was a perfectly fine day-not much homework, happiness in the schedule arrangements-but the one thing that lacked jubilance in that day-was Rose's stormy mood.

"Rose! Hey Rose! Roh-ose! ROSE WEASLEY!"

Rose turned to find a slightly disheveled Albus Potter halt at his heels, panting slightly.

"Rose, this whole day I've been trying to get your attention, and I know something's wrong. What is it?" Albus looked questioningly at her dark features, and turned a firm glare back.

Rose sighed, tugging at her cap. She normally didn't wear one, but today was not a normal day. The soft black, checkered fabric slipped through her fingers as Albus motioned her towards a corner, looking at her expectantly.

"I had some hair issues. That's all." She said quickly, as Albus snorted disbelievingly.

"Ok…if that's what you say…" Albus prodded at her, then, realizing it wasn't working, gave a small huff of failure and rushed off to his next class.

Rose sighed, and tromped off to Potions. As she reached the classroom, she realized she was 5 minutes early. Starting to busy herself unpacking her materials and organizing them, she didn't notice someone else coming in.

"Early again?" an amused voice floated towards Rose and she looked up to see a smirking Slytherin standing beside her. Her heart pounded for one weird reason, and she mentally willed it to stop-it didn't.

"Yes. Nothing bad about getting a head start." She retorted, and dropped down into her seat, eliciting a muffled thunk from beneath her bottom.

He turned and headed towards his seat, but not before muttering something barely audible to himself. "Not like you need one." She could of sworn he smiled slightly. She shook her head. She was probably imagining it. Malfoys are not nice people. One couldn't have ever smiled at her, let alone complimented her! Her father believed that, so why shouldn't she?

Students quickly filed in as the bell rang loudly, leaving Rose sitting next to Lily. She let out a whoosh of relief, but then quickly turned it into a cough.

"Who would like to tell me what these potions are?" Professor Slughorn asked the class.

Rose felt a thrill run up her spine, and forced her hand to rise up slowly, trying to look inconspicuous. It didn't work. Professor Slughorn looked relieved to see her fiery red head, and immediately called on her.

"Rose?"

"Well, that one's the Velsrink potion- it's a very powerful shrinking potion that shrinks you to half your normal size for a full six hours…" Rose trailed off, staring at the other. "And that potion is Amortentia, the most powerful love potion in the world-very dangerous." Rose's voice became soft at the end. She sat down abruptly.

"Thank you, Ms. Weasley. Now, I will sort you into partners, and you will proceed to brew one of the two potions-you choose." He cleared his throat. "Lily Potter and Asheline Darfsthow, Melina Smith and Andrew Wallington, Scorpious Malfoy and Rose Weasley,…" Professor Slughorn continued to pair off people.

Shock enveloped, or rather shot, her in the heart. Malfoy? Scorpious?...Scorpious Malfoy? Her head was spinning, and she couldn't move. What would she do? Rose decided to keep quiet. After all, this isn't some socializing talk session.

An electric thrill ran through her shoulder as a finger tapped it. Rose turned to find a pale haired boy standing in front of my desk.

"Excuse me-we're supposed to be partners….And I'd rather do Amortentia, if you'd like. Much more of a challenge to brew, especially due to the fact that we have to stir in limp, salted tulip roots for ten and a quarter rounds before adding in the other ingredients…" he trailed off, his deep gray eyes leaving her in a trance.

"Yeah, I suppose." Rose answered back nonchalantly, and started to chop up the tulip roots. What was wrong with her?

At the end, their potion was exactly like as described in the textbook- soft blue with tinges of purple.

Rose absentmindedly tipped her head over the cooling potion in the cauldron to inspect its' color once again. Her nose caught a whiff of something, and she froze. It smelled like new houses, Grandma's homemade pumpkin pie, and…..something else only described as fresh picked oranges with a hint of lime and mint. Rose shook her mahogany colored , frizzy hair as she tried to pull back a memory. She recognized the last scent…it was almost like she had smelled it before- but she couldn't quite remember when or on what. She turned her head away quickly, and found Scorpious sniffing the potion too, with a dumbstruck look on his face. Rose snorted and started to pack up. He was probably witnessing the smell of "Kissers Kandy", the signature perfume of Darfsthow. It was artificial, like plastic fruit. Asheline thought it smelt like a "first kiss". Rose gagged in her head. She thought it smelled like cow pie covered in artificial bubble gum.

As Rose made a move to get up, someone toppled her books to the floor right after she had just finished shoving them all into her satchel. Probably with magic. Rose didn't know what to think- so she simply shrugged it off. Leave Asheline with the guilt-leave her guilty and feeling like trash. Feeling like how she treated Rose every day. Let her stay and wallow in her malicious thoughts. It wouldn't affect me, Rose thought-I think. Just as another lightning bolt was beginning to crack, Rose threw her books into her bag and pounded down the corridor to her next class. Why couldn't Asheline just leave her alone? There was only one thing Rose could have done to her- and that was years ago! She had apologized, really, and she didn't get what was so bad about it! Rose's mind floated back to her first train ride to Hogwarts.

Her mum was crying, Rose was smiling- it was going to be the best day ever. Or so she thought. She had gotten into a compartment with Hugo and her cousins, and they were all chatting about what they thought Hogwarts was going to be like. Suddenly, the door to their compartment swished open and they all stared at who had opened it so suddenly, without saying a word. Thin, tall, and pale, with a very curved nose and petite pink lips. Her cobalt blue eyes swept the compartment, full of coldness, and she sat down without invitation. She rummaged around in her purse, sweeping blush across her cheeks and painting her lips with gloss. Everyone continued to stare at her, until Dominique broke the awkward silence.

"Who the heck are you?" Dominique questioned rudely, but it was highly necessary.

The pretty, intimidating girl looked up from her purse and looked at her with annoyance. "You don't know? Wow- who wouldn't?" she commented nastily. A hand went up from everyone in the compartment, not including her.

She looked amused, and chuckled. It wasn't a chuckle really, but a short, cold, high pitched barking session. "I am Asheline Darfsthow, the most beautiful girl in the world." She stated. Everyone looked at her like she was joking-her face showed that she was not.

Dominique chuckled. "Says your mom."

Everyone started hooting at that, and so did Rose. Asheline looked ready to murder. She clenched her fist around a perfume bottle labeled "Kissers Kandy", and started to spray the vile liquid around in the air. Everyone started to cough, and Asheline looked highly offended.

"What is that?" Albus coughed once again, and tried to refrain from pinching his nostrils shut.

Asheline smirked. "It's a perfume- I think it smells like someone perfect- like moi!" she squealed, and giggled again. Her giggle was cold, fake, and hard. Not like the warm, soft, and real ones Roxanne let out.

"I think it smells like the excretion of a bubble gum cow." Rose muttered to herself. She looked up, surprised that everyone was looking at her, and joined in to the newfound laughter. She was the only one that noticed when Asheline got up, glared at her, and walked away. But not before whispering something in her ear.

"You wait, Rooster. I'm gonna get you so good you won't know what hit you." She hissed into Rose's ear, and Rose turned red in anger.

"You do that!" she called after her, and fumed for five whole minutes before calming down.

Rose sighed, now back to the present mind. It turns out Asheline was right- well, at least for now.