A/N Thank you all so much for your kind words, favorite and follows! Everything you recognize is JKR's.

Sorry about the long delay! I had half of this written and then got sick! I worked on it a little while I was down so it may not be the best…

Chapter 6

Autumn turned into winter, the trees bare and icy. Rosie found peace in walking the perimeter of the Black Lake every evening, a path she had first taken with Minerva a few days after that night in the dungeons. Everyday she reminisced, about her childhood, her mother, she thought about all the things she wanted, things that could never be. Tonight, she thought back to the conversation with Minerva, going over each word with precision.

"Are you feeling better my dear?" Minerva asked, pulling her cloak around her to block the cold, November air.

"Oh yes, thank you," Rosie replied nervously, watching her breath smoke out in front of her.

"Is there anything you wanted to talk about?"

"No, not that I can think of."

"What are your plans for Christmas, are you staying at the castle, visiting family?"

"I'll be spending it with my dad. He's been terrible lonely since my mom passed away two years ago."

"I'm sorry, may I ask how?"

"Death Eaters. Killed off my whole family, save me and my dad."

"How-"

"How did we get away? Ha. I suppose that's where all my troubles lie."

The two had stopped and Minerva looked at her quizzically.

"Well, I'll have to start at the beginning. I met Lysander Rothschild in my fifth year. He was a seventh year Slytherin; star of the Quidditch team, handsome, everything a fifteen-year-old girl would want. Or think she wanted. He was charming, nice, treated me like a princess. I mean, I was just some nerdy, stargazing, incredibly awkward girl, but he wanted me.

Everything was good at first, and it stayed that way for a while. It all started to go downhill once he made it on the Wasps. There were so many parties and, formal events. I was never good at that. Soon, I was messing up his perfectly formulated world. The woman he'd bragged about didn't match the one at his side; I was inhibiting his desire for social superiority. But, I owe him my life," Rosie sighed, "When the Death Eaters started searching out my family in 1980, we all scattered, hiding wherever we could. I, of course, hid with Lysander. They knew that. They came to his home; I thought I was done for, dead at the age of 18. But, he lied. And he lied so well. They left, and they never came back. He'd told them he hadn't seen in me in months, that I had gone to live in France, to hide from them. They believed him, and they never found me. He saved my life and, I'm forever in his debt.

I can't push myself to leave him, no matter how bad things are. He's cheated on me, and I still stay. I'm such a fool. But he doesn't want to end things, says they were just momentary lapses in judgment, that I'm still who he wants."

"Now, it may not be my business, but what worth does life hold if you don't see it being worth living?"

Rosie had been pondering Minerva's question for six weeks but she had yet to discover the answer. Every time she came close, more thoughts flooded her mind. One thing was certain, she did not love Lysander, but she couldn't pull herself to do what needed to be done. As she wound her way back to the castle she cleared her head, preparing for the task ahead of her. Tonight, Venus was at it's most visible and with her new telescope she would be able to detail her current mappings.

She reached the highest tower at half past ten-o'clock. She prepared her telescope with extreme caution, putting each tiny piece meticulously in place. She leaped up onto the wall of the tower, taking in the view before her. The grounds glistened white, contrasting beautifully with the black of night, the moonlight shimmering off of the snow. She watched Hagrid trudge back into his hut, carrying a bundle of firewood in one arm, Fang trailing faithfully behind him.

"No! Get down from there Rosie," the level, baritone of Severus unnerved by what she interpreted as concern.

Rosie turned around, her mouth hanging open in confusion.

"What, are, you thinking?" he added, his eyes wide with fear.

"Um, well, I, Venus is at it's most visible this evening and this is a great place to see it from," Rosie explained, confused.

Severus' face went from worried, to disappointed, before returning to its stone cold mask, giving him a striking resemblance to the ice she had just been admiring. He straightened his posture and crossed his arms over his chest, his breath forming a cloud of smoke around his face.

"You shouldn't stand up there," he huffed as he turned to leave, his thick wool cloak swirling out around him.

"Would you like to look? At Venus?" she shouted out nervously, blurting out the first thing she could think of to get him to stay.

He stopped dead in his tracks, turning his head slowly to face her. He looked almost menacing.

"No," he drawled, staring a hole straight into her soul.

"Oh, well all right. Happy Christmas then, I'm sure I won't see you before I leave for holiday," Rosie replied, trying to hide the sadness in her voice.

"Pity," he taunted before turning away.

She sighed, turning back to her telescope. She placed her icy blue eye to the cold metal circle of the lens and turned her new instrument to the dark abyss above.

Christmas break came quickly and Rosie was preparing to leave the grounds for her father's home in Framlingham, Suffolk. As she exited the gate she took one last look at the castle, it's tall spires covered in snow, bird flying carelessly above. She smiled, looking forward to her return in the New Year.

She popped in front of her father's home in and froze. She felt her stomach drop to the ground as she stared at the rubble before her eyes. The small cottage that had housed her childhood had been reduced to rubble. The flowers aligning the walkway had been burned; she could see the ruined remains of the furniture that had filled the rooms. Her cheeks grew hot as the tears started streaming down her face, her ragged breathing the only audible sound. She saw a shape emerging from the forest behind the pile of wood and stone before she crumpled to the ground.

"Where did you find her, Severus?"

"Framlingham in Suffolk, Headmaster. She was on the ground, unconscious, when I reached her."

"What happened?"

"From what I could tell, she went to visit family and found the house destroyed. It must have been too, overwhelming, for her to process."

"I see. Have you discovered anymore information?"

"Nothing definitive. It appears as if McNair and Goyle were attempting to, finish a job. I'm unsure of what that task was."

"And her family?"

"There was no one."

Rosie heard the muffled voices of Severus and Albus as she fought with her eyes to open. The world started coming back to her. She could feel the crisp, cool sheets surrounding her bare legs. The sounds were becoming clearer, no longer sounding as if she were underwater. She began to smell lavender and cleaning solution, making it obvious to her she was in the hospital wing at Hogwarts. Her eyes began to respond to her demands and slowly opened. The sun was pouring in through the windows surrounding her, a large fire roaring in the woodstove in the middle of the room. She looked around slowly, her head aching. The room was empty. She could have sworn she heard the men talking only moments ago, but they were now nowhere to be found. She sat up, the movement increasing the pressure in her head, and swung her legs around to the edge of the bed. Her feet lowered slowly to the cold, hard floor, shivers shaking through her spine, the frigid December air sent up goose bumps to her entire body. She stood up cautiously, dizzy, grabbing the night table beside her bed for stability. She began walking towards the door, her legs shaky, but was quickly stopped by the matronly figure of Madam Pomfrey.

"No no, Professor, return to bed at once! You need your rest," she shooed, grabbing Rosie by the arm and leading her back to bed.

"But, I must speak to Professor Dumbledore, and Severus, They were just here…" Rosie responding, turning her head back to the doorway, hoping one of them would emerge through it.

"There has been no one here for days dear, back to bed."

Rosie looked at her confused as she followed the nurse's urging and sat back on her bed.

"Would you be able to get one of the for me? I'd really like to speak to them."

"Both are gone. They left 3 days ago."

"Where did they go?'

"Well for goodness sake's Professor I don't know, away for holiday I'm sure. Now, back into bed before you catch a cold!"

Rosie crawled back into bed reluctantly, enjoying the warmth of the blankets around her.

"Here, drink this," Madam Pomfrey instructed, handing her a small cup of liquid.

Rosie sipped the cup, feeling tired immediately. She laid her head back on the pillow and drifted back to sleep.