CHAPTER 4
Fawkes watched as Albus Dumbledore sat thinking of another way to track down Rose Potter.
For a little over a year, ever since Rose's disappearance was discovered, Albus had been trying to track down the girl, as well as counter Voldemort. He had even tried to get the phoenix to take him to her, but her hadn't counted on one important detail, ever since he had taken her through a burning with him, Fawkes had developed a strong bond with the girl. It wasn't a familiar bond, like he had with the Headmaster. Rather, the bond was like the bond between an older brother and his younger sister, or perhaps even a father and daughter.
Being responsible for what Rose had become, Fawkes had felt a sense of duty to support her as she adjusted to the changes in her body. And he had actually spent much of the summer after Rose's second year with Rose at Privet Drive. And while they couldn't communicate conventionally, Rose proved that she was easily, definitely much easier than even Albus was, able to detect the changes in the pitch of his voice that reflected his emotions. And over the next two school years, he visited her frequently.
And at the end of her fourth year, when Albus had forbidden Rose's friends from writing her, he had tried to inform the Headmaster that it was a bad idea. But, as Albus had begun to do more frequently throughout the years, Dumbledore had ignored the feelings sent through their familiar bond.
So when Rose ran off, he refused to help the Headmaster find her. That's not to say he didn't keep an eye on her, that would be against his own, unique bond with her. And he had observed her from a distance on many of her world travels, though he was sure that every now and then she had at least sensed he was around, as she would turn and look in his general direction. But as long as she was happy and, mostly safe (not in any danger she didn't willingly put herself in), he would continue to help her evade Albus.
The older wizard hadn't yet realized that Fawkes had deliberately interfered with many of his attempt to find Rose, such as as removing tracking charm and portkey spells from the mail he frequently had delivered by owl (since Fawkes refused to carry the letters himself). Fawkes doubted he had even thought about it.
And in the phoenix's mind, it was the least Dumbledore deserved for ignoring his council.
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Rogue, unfortunately, didn't have all of her classes with Rose. But Rose did agree to sit with her at lunch, even if that meant sitting with Rogues other friends.
So the witch waited for her new friend outside the cafeteria. When Rogue showed up, the two of the waited in line together, before Rogue led them to a table outside, already occupied by a boy she recognized as Kurt, a brown-haired girl, and an older boy wearing red-sunglasses.
"Guys," Rogue introduced, "this is Rose. She's new."
Rose raised an eyebrow at the brief introduction, and said, as flatly as she could, "Hi."
"Hello," the older boy said with a smile. "I'm Scott, and this is Kitty," he gestured to the other girl, "and..."
"Kurt," Rose finished. "We met this morning."
"Ja," Kurt said with a smile. "How are you enjoying Bayville so far?"
Rose smiled, "It's nice. A lot different from where I come from, but that's a plus, even if my store doesn't get too many customers." She turned to Rogue. "In fact you and a woman named Ororo Munroe have been my only customers."
"You own a store?" Kitty asked. "But you're so young."
"What do you sell?" Scott asked.
Rose smiled and explained her store to the three others, before she explained, "As for why I own a store, I'm an emancipated minor. The store is how I primarily support myself, though I don't need it. Thanks to my late parents, I'm, set for a few years at least."
Scot was about to ask another question when a black-skinned boy with blond hair joined the group. "hey guys," he said as he sat down. Then he noticed Rose. "Who's the new girl?"
"The new girl is Rose," Rose said coldly, not likening how this boy spoke as if she wasn't there. "And you are?"
"Sorry," he apologized. "I'm Evan."
"You might want to be a little more polite," Scott teased the boy. "Apparently your aunt shops at Rose's store."
"You know Auntie O?" Evan asked, suddenly afraid.
"Ororo Munroe,?" Rose asked. At Evan's nod she said, "Kinda, she stopped by my store once."
Once more Rose explained about the store, and Kitty spoke up. "Wait a minute, That's why you haven't been racing me to the bath?" she accused Rogue.
The southern girl smirked. "Guilty. Her oils really are a miracle."
"Are you open after school?" Kitty asked.
Rose nodded. "Yes, until eight."
"Then perhaps we may stop by and purchase some or your remedies," Kurt said with a smile. "What do you think Scott?...Scott!"
"What?" The bespectacled boy said, looking back at his friends. "Sorry?"
"We know yah don't like Duncan , but Jean does. If she wants tah sit with the loser that's her problem," Rogue chastised him.
With a sigh, Scott said, "Your right."
"Excuse me," Rose said as she stood up. "I'll be right back, but I need to get another milk."
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As soon as Rose was gone, Kitty said, "I'm really sorry about last night Rogue. I didn't mean too..."
Rogue held up her hand. "It's all right. Ah shouldn't have snapped at yah," she admitted. "But y'all take so many thing's for granted , it irks me sometimes."
the two smiled at each other, glad that their friendship was still intact, then Rose asked, "So what do y'all think of Rose?" she asked.
"Seems nice," Kitty admitted.
"And not to bad on the eyes either," Evan said, earning him a swat in the back of the head from Rogue.
"Watch it porcupine, that's mah friend yer ogglein'."
"So are we going to stop in at her store later?" Kurt asked.
Scott shrugged. "I don't see any problem with it. Kurt, you have Art with Jean, see if she'd like to go as well."
"Sure," Kurt said with a smile.
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Rose had just paid for her extra milk, and was on her way back out to Rogue and her friends, when she was interrupted by a skinny boy with a hunched back and poor hygiene.
"Hey baby," he greeted, in what Rose assumed was meant to be a suave voice, "how'd you like to hang with a handsome guy such as myself?"
"I'd sooner kiss a toad," she told him coolly.
For some reason he smiled at that, "I can be a toad if you'd like."
Clearly this guy couldn't take a hint. Choosing a tune, Rose began to hum, pushing the magic of her vocal chords into it, specifically the power of fear, and leveled a glare at the boy.
It was such a shame she couldn't petrify the boy, it would make things so much easier.
Rose watched as fear entered the boy's eyes, before he quickly fled over to his friends, or who she assumed where his friends.
Ceasing her song, Rose continued out the door.
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"That chick is scary yo," Todd Tolansky, otherwise known as Toad, said as he joined her friends.
"I thought she looked pretty hot myself," Pietro said with a smirk. "She probably just intimidated you. What she needs is a real man."
"Like you?" Pietro's sister, Wanda, asked dubiously.
"Exactly," he said with a smirk.
"Twenty bucks says she turns you down," Lance Alvers, Kitty's questionable boyfriend, said with a smirk.
"You're on."
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After school, Rose immediately put on her sunglasses and passed her hand in front of her eyes, removing the glamour charm. Sighing in relief as her normal vision returned to her, she walked out of the school to meet with Rogue and the other girls friends.
She liked Rogue's friend, so far, and they were definitely good people. She did wonder how Scott got away with wearing sunglasses in school, but she figured it was still to early for her to ask why politely. Maybe after she'd known him for a few more days.
Ah well, in the meantime, she had a store to run. And her possible new friends, along with her only friend in Bayville so far, Rogue, were waiting.
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Also, Please take a look at my One-Shot Story Bloodhound. It's about Mystique and an original character I've made, there is a challenge after the story for any interested.