9 September 1977
Roseberry was napping under the shade of a beech tree near the lake when she was awoken by the sound of angry voices and the loss of her pillow. Sirius had been stirred by the voices as well and had pulled his arm out from under her head to get a better look.
"Sorry, love," he kissed in her ear as she sat up, yawning.
"Snivelly and his little friends are getting out of hand!" growled James as he threw himself down next to them. Remus and Peter sat down across from the couple, looking rather pale.
"What's happened?" asked Sirius, picking pieces of grass out of Roseberry's hair. She purred happily and leaned back against his chest.
"Mary MacDonald's cat," replied James. "Lily and Alice are consoling Mary now. Those Slytherin bastards used the cruciatus curse on him in front of her before killing him."
"No!" gasped Roseberry. "Surely not!"
"Believe it," said Remus.
Sirius's mood darkened. "What are we going to do about this, James? They can't get away with this. I know, Remus. You want us to uphold our rocky truce with them, but this is crossing the line."
"I know," said Remus. "I'm not disagreeing. They are out of hand. And—and something needs to be done. Whatever you are planning, I'll help."
"I think I'll go up to the castle…see if Mary needs anything," said Roseberry.
"I'll go with you. I'm starting to think it's not safe," replied Sirius, getting to his feet.
Roseberry waved him down, "I'll manage. You boys talk." She started to walk away, then paused and turned around, "Sometimes I don't know whether this back-and-forth retaliation does more harm or good, but I'm starting to think that you boys are the only ones who stand between Hogwarts' little gang of Death Eaters and everyone else."
As Roseberry made her way up the hill toward Hogwarts castle, she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. Perhaps I should have taken Sirius up on his offer, she thought, pulling her cloak tighter around herself. She shivered, whether the result of the approaching evening or the distinct feeling of being watched, she couldn't tell. I'm just being silly. I'm fine. And Sirius has important business to address. Far more important than walking his silly spooked girlfriend around protected castle grounds. She shook her head and continued on her way.
A few paces later, she stopped and turned, certain that she had heard leaves rustling. Only the wind. She took three more steps before stopping again. No denying that, she thought, her heart racing. Footsteps. Belonging to several people.
"Who's there?" she called out, her voice steady and her face forced into a haughtily placid expression. More footsteps. In the dimming twilight, she saw a figure step forward. "Lumos!" she muttered, pointing her wand at the figure. The tiny beam of light illuminated the snarl of none other than Henry Mulciber.
"Well, well," he smirked, approaching her. "I believe we've caught one. Another Gryffindor princess."
"Stand back, Mulciber," ordered Roseberry, jaw set and eyes blazing. More figures appeared behind him. Evan Rosier. Gregory Wilkes. Severus Snape. "Leave me be. I don't want to fight, but I will!"
"No, you won't," growled a deep voice from behind her as Charles Avery's massive hands clasped her wrists.
"Might be more fun if she does," laughed Mulciber, approaching the girl. "Get the wand, Severus."
Severus Snape hesitated, then wrenched the wand from her grasp and tucked it in his cloak.
Avery's hands moved up her arms without losing his grip. He lowered his face into her hair and inhaled deeply. Roseberry shuddered, and then threw back her head, making contact. She broke free and began to run, but he grabbed her ankle and pulled her back toward him.
"You bitch," he screamed as blood flowed from his nose. "You'll pay, Gryffindor whore!"
Rosier and Wilkes grabbed her by the shoulders and hoisted her back on her feet. Snape leaned over Avery, healing the broken nose and cleaning the blood with his wand.
"Nice try. You've got fight in you after all, with or without your wand," sneered Mulciber. He grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled back her head. He kissed her neck and put his lips to her ears. "Good. I like a little fight."
"What are you doing? What do you want from me?" growled Roseberry, panic starting to invade her voice. She struggled to keep her composure.
"What does any boy our age want from an exquisite specimen of the female form such as yourself?" replied Mulciber, unfastening her cloak.
Roseberry began to scream, but Snape was quick to jinx her into silence. Mulciber pushed her cloak off her shoulders. He fingered the neckline of her low-cut blouse. "Impeccably dressed, as always." His fingers slowly unbuttoned the top button.
"Let me at her," said Avery, elbowing Mulciber aside. He grabbed her blouse and ripped it opened. Roseberry heaved silent sobs as tears streamed down her face. She fought against her captors, but Rosier and Wilkes had learned from Avery's mistake. Snape stood watch, his wand at the ready.
"Get back, Avery," said Mulciber menacingly. "I want to savor this." Mulciber pushed the remnants of her blouse off her frame and placed his hands on her waist. He kissed her shoulders as he fumbled with the fastenings of her skirt. Rosier and Wilkes snickered. Mulciber let the skirt drop to the ground as he forced her head up to look at him again. He pressed his lips on her fighting ones. He bit her hard on the lip, causing her to gasp. He took advantage of her parted lips to penetrate deeper into her mouth. He pulled back just as she snapped her jaws shut with a click of her teeth. Mulciber laughed. He stepped aside and motioned to Avery.
Avery lumbered toward her from where he had been glowering at a distance. He tore her small clothes off of her with little ceremony and tossed them aside.
"I don't know why you're crying. You should be excited, Gryffinwhore. You'll be able to tell all your little Gryffinwhore friends what a real man is like."
Rosier and Wilkes helped Avery wrestle the hysterical girl to the ground. Mulciber noticed Snape diverting his gaze nervously.
"Not craven, are you, Severus?" he snarled. "I thought you wanted to join the Dark Lord. Am I mistaken?"
"No," replied Severus. "Not craven. You are not mistaken."
"Good," replied Mulciber, grasping him by his arm. "Avery, get up. I think Severus ought to have the first go."
A flash of light sent Avery sprawling to the ground. Snape and Mulciber whirled around, wands drawn. James and Sirius led the charge, followed closely by Remus, Peter, Lily, and Alice. Rosier and Wilkes released their hold on Roseberry as they leapt to their feet. She grabbed her cloak and pulled it around her naked body.
Mulciber waved his wand, sending a curse hurling toward Sirius. "Afraid your pretty little girlfriend is going to develop a taste for Slytherin men, are you?" he taunted.
Sirius easily deflected the curse and launched one of his own, which sent Mulciber flying backwards with a grunt. "What Slytherin men?"
Several minutes and many frenzied curses later, the Slytherins retreated back to the castle, throwing curses over their shoulders. Sirius ran to his still-silent Rose.
"Are you alright?" asked Sirius, gathering her in his arms. Roseberry continued to heave silently.
"Finite Incantatem," said Remus, waving his wand at her.
"Sirius," Roseberry cried. "Oh, Sirius. How did you find me? Oh thank gods you arrived when you did. Just a moment later and –" She burst into hysterical sobs.
"Let's get you inside," said Sirius gently as he lifted her off the ground. The group made their way back to the castle.
Outside the Gryffindor passageway stood a tall, gangly, greasy teenager.
James brandished his wand, "What do you want, Snivellus?"
Snape tossed Roseberry's wand toward him. James caught it and glared. As the group filed through the passageway into the Gryffindor common room, Snape held out a hand, "Lily, I—"
Lily glared at him, "Despicable. Despicable and pathetic…even for you." She allowed herself to be steered into the passage by James as he slammed the portrait shut in Severus's face.
Inside the common room, Sirius had bundled Roseberry into a thick blanket by a roaring fireplace. Remus and Peter slipped down to the kitchens to fetch a pot of tea. He stroked her hair gently, "Lily and Alice came down to the lake to find us. When we realized that you'd never made it to the castle, we knew that something must have happened, so we came searching for you."
Roseberry shivered as she huddled under the blanket. "I feel so violated, Sirius. I—I feel so ashamed."
Sirius dropped to one knee in front of her, "Look at me. You have no reason to feel ashamed, understand? You did nothing wrong. It was them. Those Slytherins. They did this to you. And they will pay. I give you my word."
"Will it ever end, Sirius?" said Roseberry in an odd, rather detached voice. "When will they stop? When will they ever stop?"