CHAPTER 3

Rose double-checked her appearance in the mirror. She hated the glamour charm she had applied, but since she couldn't get away with wearing her sunglasses in school she had little choice. An unfortunate side-effect of glamour charms, specifically over eyes, was that it affected ones vision. Since most magicals had normal eyes, there really was no change, as the glamour mimicked their normal eyes. But for her, and she suspected others with enhanced eyesight like her, whose eyes didn't match a normal persons circular pupil design, it forced her vision back to normal standards.

Granted, her eyes were still good, but no better than a normal person with perfect eye-sight. It was a far cry from what her eyes were normally capable of, what she had gotten used to since Fawkes burned her with him.

Sighing, she turned away from the mirror and looked over at Hedwig, who was watching her with interest.

Smiling, Rose did a little turn, showing off her black low-rise jeans and red halter-top, a thin strip of skin above her jeans was exposed and the jeans hugged her muscular, shapely legs, while the shirt was just tight enough to not be indecent. Her black hair (she still called it hair despite it being more similar to feathers) fell, as usual, freely down her back. Her feet were left uncovered in a pair of red and black sandals, with a short two-inch heel. And her nails, both on her feet and hands were painted a fiery red. Diamond stud earrings, 1.13 carats and flawless, rested on the lobes of her ears.

And of course the ever present signet ring signifying that she was Lady Potter, head of House Potter, rested upon her left ring finger.

"What do you think girl?" she asked the owl.

Hedwig gave Rose a look that seemed to say, 'I'm an owl. What the hell do I know about fashion?'

Rose sighed.

Grabbing her sunglasses and backpack, she made her way out of the store.

"See you when I get back," she called back over her shoulder at Hedwig.

The snowy owl tilted her head, before flying over to the false window Rose had put in so that she could go hunting. Just because Rose was capable of defending herself, didn't mean that she still didn't need watching.

Besides, Hedwig was interested in how Rose would interact with that Rogue girl outside of the shop.

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Rogue decided to drive the scooter she had to school, rather than to walk or ride with the others. Kitty had been lamenting the dating problems she'd been having with Lance. What she saw in him, Rogue had no idea, but when Kitty had complained, for thirty minutes, Rogue had snapped.

The tongue lashing she gave her roommate about being able to date had drawn the attention of the entire mansion, and she had reminded the entire mansion that there were somethings that they all took for granted.

Everyone but her.

What she wouldn't give, just for the chance, to be able to make the mistakes Kitty complained about. To have to make the decision of weather or not to break up with someone, to debate whether or not to sleep with with someone, to kiss, to hold hands, to be told to get a room.

And hearing Kitty complaining that she never should have even kissed Lance had just been too damn much.

So, on the first day of her Junior year, she wanted to be away from her teammates.

She was early, arriving to the school, but she had gotten up to eat and leave early just so she could avoid Kitty and the others. As much as she loathed that they took such simple things for granted, she hated the pity in there looks and their words meant to comfort when they could never understand even more.

At Rose wouldn't give her those looks, those words. Her new friend didn't have any idea about what she was capable of. And she intended to keep it that way.

She was surprised, when after parking and putting a lock on her scooter, she saw Rose, lounging on the ground against a tree. Her ever present sunglasses covered her eyes, and Rogue couldn't tell weather the other girl was awake or asleep.

Rogue walked in Rose's direction, she was five-feet away when Rose spoke.

"Good morning Rogue," Rose said happily. She turned her head and lowered her glasses, revealing her emerald-green eyes to Rogue for the first time. "You're a bit early, aren't you?"

Rogue smirked as she looked down at Rose, despite the brief pang of regret that she couldn't, or rather shouldn't, wear such revealing clothes as Rose did. The amount of skin showing wasn't indecent, but it was far more than Rogue dared show safely.

Though she had to admit that Rose had beautiful skin. And perhaps it was due to the thoughts lingering from last night night, but Rogue wondered what Rose's skin would feel like, taste like. If she would be a good kisser, a good lover. Whoever Rose did end up dating would sure be lucky.

And that thought, if anything, made her feel worse for some reason, though she didn't let it show.

"Ah wanted tah get away from the institute," Rogue explained. "Ah love them there like mah own family, but they get on mah nerves sometimes."

"Institute?" Rose asked. "Xavier's?"

"Yeah."

"I don't mean to intrude, but what exactly do you do at the institute? I mean, isn't an institute supposed to be a school itself?"

Rogue smiled. "It's ah home for those that don't have one. Some of us that live there don't really have anywhere else tah go," she explained.

Rose was silent as she thought for a moment. "You got anywhere else?"

Rogue shook her head. "No."

"I'm sorry," the black-haired girl said after a moment. "I know how it feels," she said looking down sadly. At Rogue's confused look, Rose explained, "I'm an orphan, and the relatives I do have would rather I was dead. They...didn't treat me to well. What's worse, is that there was a time I thought that I did have somewhere, someone to go to. It would have been better to have never had that hope in the first place, than to have it torn away."

The mutant gave her companion a sympathetic look. "Ahm Sorry."

Rose smiled up at Rogue. "Don't be, if I had someplace else to go, I never would have came to Bayville and met you."

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Kitty was still feeling guilty as she arrived at school. Last night, even though she was complaining about her relationship with Lance, she had managed to rub into Rogue's face the fact that she could do things that Rogue couldn't. It was something she'd never meant to do, especially since Rogue was, despite their sometimes antagonistic relationship, her best friend.

So when she saw Rogue smiling, and talking a black-haired girl she didn't recognize, Kitty wondered whether she should approach and apologize to Rogue. But she decided to wait until later that day, as she didn't want to remind Rogue of last night when it seemed she was in a happy mood. So with a sigh, she walked into the school earning a sympathetic glance from Kurt, who had walked with her.

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Kurt watched sadly as Kitty walked into the school. He wished he could help her, as it was clear that Rogue's furious reaction last night, however justified, had hurt her.

Looking over to his foster sister, and noticing that she was talking to a girl he didn't recognize, and a pretty one at that, he decided that he'd try and talk to her. And simultaneously introduce himself to the new girl.

Walking over he called, "Rogue," drawing the attention of both girls.

When Rogue's smile faded, he realized she was still in a upset and sighed. "Kurt. What do yah want?"

Kurt smiled sadly. "I was wondering if you were still upset about last night?"

The goth mutant's eyes narrowed. "Maybe."

With a sigh, he said, "Kitty really is sorry about what she said. She's been trying to figure out how to apologize all morning."

At his sisters sigh, Kurt knew she'd forgive Kitty. "Ah know," she said.

Kurt smiled, and turned to the other girl. "Where are my manners, I am Kurt Wagner," he introduced himself.

"He's mah foster brother," Rogue explained. "And pretty much the only real family Ah got."

"Rogue...," Kurt began, only to be cut off by Rogue.

"Ah don't wanna hear it today Kurt," she said sharply.

Rogue sighed. "Of course. I'm sorry I brought it up," he apologized. Mystique was still on Rogues bad side after what she had put the girl through. But he still had hope for their mother, even though she was an enemy of theirs as X-men.

"Rose Potter," the girl introduced herself, giving Kurt and Rogue curious, and somewhat worried looks.

"Glad to meet you," Kurt said, before turning back to Rogue. "I better get going."

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Once Kurt was gone, Rose asked, "What was that about?"

"Mah foster mother, Kurt's birth mother, isn't exactly mother of the year," Rogue explained. "Kurt still has some hope that she'll change her ways, ah don't."

"He has a different accent than you?"

Rogue smiled. "He grew up in Germany. Come on, we gotta get tah class."

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I'm sorry that I didn't try and write Kurt's accent. The truth is that I have no idea how.