Chapter 21

On the thirty-first of August Rose attended the traditional annual Weasley family party to see the younger members off to Hogwarts. She could hardly believe it had been three years since she had left school herself and today would be the last time she had to see her brother Hugo off to school along with five of her other cousins. Only Louis, her Aunt Fleur and Uncle Bill's son, Molly and Lucy, Uncle Percy and Aunty Audrey's daughters and Roxanne and Fred, Uncle George and Aunt Angelina's children were off to Hogwarts this year. However everyone was in attendance as always even her Uncle Charlie who they rarely saw at any other event of the year. Still an eternal bachelor he could be found regaling the younger men with his tales of the single life at the bottom of the garden where Grandma Molly could not hear him.

However there weren't many young men in the family actually living the single life this year and so most of them didn't appear to be as interested in his frolics as they usually were. Only she and Dominique were in fact still single this year and almost all the other cousins seemed to have brought their respective halves along with them, something which her Grandmother absolutely loved. As a happily married woman with children who were nearly all as happily married she liked nothing more than to see young people happy and in love and Rose was already staying out of her way in the hopes of avoiding the conversation that started with, 'Why aren't you seeing a lovely young man Rose?' Because he's having a baby with another woman she thought to herself as she headed to the end of the garden where the old rope swing still hung battered and worn but strong enough to hold any weight.

Dropping onto the swing she relaxed and watched the different members of her family milling around the different areas of the Burrow's vast grounds. There were no little children around anymore, save Victorie and Teddy's son, Remus, who was only a few months old, and most of the teenagers were down at the river enjoying a last splash in the water while it was still warm enough to do so. The Potter boys were sat with Uncle Charlie while their respective partners sat together at another table most probably disturbed by the topic of conversation. Aunt Ginny was sat with the girls too while Uncle Harry sat with the boys wistfully watching his youngest child and only daughter who was lazing under a willow tree near the edge of the water.

Lily had finished school in the summer and was about to start an internship in the department of mysteries where she had always wanted to work, having achieved outstanding in all of her NEWTs the Ministry had taken her on almost without an interview. She was nearly nineteen now and living at home again with her parents but Rose could see her Uncle Harry wished that she was still a little girl living at home before she started school and not after. Her boyfriend, Raulph, was living with them too and at Lily's insistence, and Ginny's persuasion, Harry had finally agreed to let them share a room together as they were no longer children at school. She could see that her Uncle still struggled to accept the fact that his daughter was sexually active and it made her feel ever more relieved that she had moved out of home almost as soon as school was over as she had had a decent paying job. Not only would her father have struggled with the same concept when she brought men home with her, he also had a distinct knack of walking in at the most inopportune moments, as she had been subjected to barely two weeks ago when he had interrupted her and Salamander.

She had not seen or heard from him since then and she knew he was staying out of her way on purpose. He usually attended the annual gathering with his parents and sister as part of the extended family but this year he had stayed away and she knew it was to make it easier for her. Consuella had called in for an hour earlier and Neville was sat with her father at the opposite end of the garden while Luna worked on a double shift at St Mungos. Rose didn't blame Salamander for rejecting her, she knew he had done it with the best of intentions and that it had been hard for him to say no, she respected the fact that he was thinking of her reputation even though it did not stop her from longing for him. She had told no one what he had told her about the paternity test and as nobody had mentioned it to her she assumed he was keeping it quiet from everyone else too. It was not her secret to divulge so she did not gossip about it with her friends or family.

After leaving his parent's home that day and flooing back to her own she had seen a tiny glimmer of hope for Salamander and knew it would not be long now until they knew the absolute truth. She had promised to move on and not wait for him but it had been harder than even she had first imagined. She tried not to get her own hopes up that he might be free in a few short weeks, it was not certain and as a child was involved she felt bad about wishing that it wasn't Sal's, however she could not help keeping the thought on a back burner in her mind. At night she would often lay awake and think about the reaction her blood and his had had, it was so pretty that it seemed to have been telling them that they were meant to be even though she knew just because it was meant to be that didn't mean it would be.

Watching her warm and loving family for a while Rose began to swing back and forth gently enjoying the feel of the soft breeze in her hair until a voice from the kitchen doorway notified everyone that the feast was ready. By the time she had jumped off the swing and headed up to the house her Uncle Charlie had caught up with her, "Now that's what I like to see," he said cheekily while dropping into step beside her, "that there're still some single Weasley's out there!" He had made it sound as if she had chosen to still be single but she shrugged off the comment and continued walking. "There's plenty of time to be caught up in a relationship like this lot," he went on gesturing to her Potter cousins, "keep life easy for the time being! Stay young!"

"Is that what you are?" Uncle Harry chuckled digging James in the ribs and smiling, "Young? I think you're a bit older than you remember Charlie!"

"My dear brother in law, you are only as old as the woman you feel!" he laughed heartily, "And at the moment I'm twenty eight!" he added under his breath so only the boys could hear it. "So what's the secret Rosie?" he asked turning his attention back to her, "You must be beating them off with a stick, pretty young girl like you, how do you manage not to give in to one of them?"

She saw James grimace from her other side but she kept the smile on her face as she replied, sounding haughty like her mother, "They have to go back to their pregnant exes!" then with a quick step she skipped ahead of them and left her Uncle staring after her in shock.

"Bad joke," James said seriously when his Uncle turned to look at him with a bemused expression. He had thought he was only having a bit of witty banter with his niece but realised instantly that as he spent so much time away from the family he missed a lot of their lives, something bad had happened to Rose and he felt instantaneously guilty. When they entered the kitchen she had seated herself between her brother and Dominique at the end of the table and as the feast got under way Charlie had little opportunity to apologise to her.

It was much later in the day before he managed to seek her out alone and offer an apology for offending her, the sweet girl smiled at him and shook her head to say it didn't matter but he knew he had hit a sore spot and wanted to make it up to her. He didn't see his nieces and nephews very often and liked to play the joking older Uncle when he did but he had crossed a line with Rose this time. "Why don't you and Dom join us at the Cauldron tonight? I've managed to persuade James to come along but the other two Potters are tied down to their girlfriends now. I can't believe how much they have changed in a year, I mean I know Alby was never into the whole drinking and chatting up girls bit but Vernon was and in the end it did take me a while to talk James into it. I told him to bring old Salamander along," her heart skipped a beat at the mention of his name, "but he made out that Gloria had him under the thumb now too!" Rose nodded her head and tried not to betray with her face that he was the boy she had referred to, "So what do you say? Let me buy you a few firewhiskies and we'll see if we can't find you a nice young man to talk to? I'll vet them first and make sure they're not going to break your heart!"

He put on puppy dog eyes at the end of his request and Rose found herself smiling and saying, "If Dom's up for it then yes," she did like her Uncle Charlie and knew he liked to feel young by hanging around with her generation of Weasleys, they were after all the only ones living the same life he still was.

"Settled then, I'll talk Dominique into it!"

"And butterbeer will do," she shouted after him as he turned to leave.

"Oh dear, bad night on the firewhiskey?" he asked when he saw the look on her face. Just a couple, she thought to herself as she smiled back at him.

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By the forth butterbeer Rose was relaxing more and enjoying being part of her Uncle's 'lads' night as it usually was. He had managed to hold back on the raunchy stories she knew he usually shared and talked about his work instead which he loved just as much as his single life. He was also buying all of the drinks which nobody refused as he earned more than them and had less to shell out for, he made a few more digs about the 'under the thumb boys', including Salamander, but Rose did not betray her feelings about him at all, even under the gaze of everyone else who knew. She had owled Holly to join them for a few drinks before leaving the Burrow and now she, Rose and Dom were hugging bottles of butterbeer while Charlie and James sat opposite attacking a fresh bottle of firewhiskey. "Sure I can't tempt you?" Charlie asked around eleven o clock and while Dominique and Holly accepted Rose still refused, preferring to keep a clear head. "I'll get another round of butterbeers then," he added rising from his seat and heading to the bar.

"Not for me," Dominique chirped, "I'm in work early tomorrow morning. Need to call it a night I think!" Charlie pouted at her but she smiled and nudged his shoulder, "We're not all like you Uncle Charlie, some of us need our beauty sleep you know!"

"Okay," he sighed rolling his eyes at her, "well it's been nice to have a few drinks with you anyway, next year make sure you have a day off and we'll make a proper night of it!"

"You're on," she chuckled leaning in to kiss his cheek and giving him a quick hug, "goodnight girls," she called looking at Rose and Holly then she apparated away.

"Sorry Uncle Charlie," James said after she had gone, "but I'm out on surveillance tomorrow and need a clear head too, think I'd better follow Dominique's example and hit the hay! Catch you next time," he went on holding out his hand to shake his Uncle's.

"Lightweight!" Charlie chuckled as he shook the proffered hand and glared at him warily, "I just think that Annemarie's got you on a timer, 'You'd better be in by half past eleven'!" he imitated wagging his finger and using an unnaturally high voice.

"Not likely," James laughed, "I'm banished to the flat tonight!" he went on, "That'll be fun for..." he croaked stopping mid sentence as he saw Rose look away, "...me," he coughed looking back to his Uncle, "anyway, thanks for the drinks and call around soon! Rose, Holly," he nodded at each of them in turn before turning on the spot and popping out of view.

"So old Salamander and Gloria a good pair to live with then?" Charlie directed at Rose chuckling, "He doesn't seem too happy about going back there."

"A...apparently," Rose stuttered.

"Loved up to the eyeballs are they?"

Rose gulped so Holly piped up before Charlie had chance to notice, "Going through a rough patch I think."

"Oh," Charlie mimed, "so you two are not going to abandon me at this early hour are you?" he asked putting on his pouting face again, "James used to be up until the wee hours with me after the family feast, let's show him that the girls can do it too!" Then without waiting for a reply he headed back to the bar and ordered another round of butterbeers.

While he was at the bar Holly and Rose engaged themselves in conversation and didn't realise how long he had been gone until he returned with a couple of friends in tow. "Rose, Holly allow me to introduce a couple of new friends," he said wiggling his eyebrows at the girls as the tall, brown haired men with him smiled. "This is Roman and this is Goran," he continued pointing to them in turn and the boys held out their hands to the girls who shook them politely. Rose could see exactly what her Uncle was doing but could see no way out that would not offend either them or him. "Take a seat boys," he said and they smiled as they sat down, Goran opposite Holly and Roman opposite Rose, "I'll be back soon," Charlie went on, "I spotted a few old friends at the other side of the bar, good chance to catch up, I'm sure these two will keep you entertained!" And without waiting for another response he practically ran out of sight abandoning the girls with the two new acquaintances.

"Hi, Rose? Is that right?" Roman asked interrupting her thoughts as she followed her Uncle across the room with her glare.

"Yes, hi," she replied politely glancing quickly at her friend who was already deep in conversation with his companion and wearing her usual flirty gaze.

"That's a pretty name."

"Thank you."

"So that's your Uncle?" he asked nodding in the direction of the ginger haired man who was looking back at them.

"Yeah, Uncle Charlie," she sighed.

"Not too happy that he brought us over are you?" the man asked and she looked at him apologetically.

"What? Oh sorry, no I didn't mean to be...I mean he means well I...I just don't usually talk to men that I don't know in bars," 'anymore' she added in her head.

"Your friend doesn't appear to have the same problem," he chuckled glancing over at them, she was already dropping her hand on top of his demurely as they spoke and he could see that Goran was soaking up every touch. "I don't usually talk to girls that I don't know in bars either," he went on, "I usually leave that to Goran! He was the one who wanted to chat to...Holly, is it?" he explained and Rose nodded. "I always end up tagging along with him. Oh not that...not that I didn't want to talk to you," he added quickly realising that he might have offended her with the remark, "I just...I'm usually not that...that talkative."

"I understand," Rose smiled, "it's alright, I'm usually the tag along too!" 'Now', she added in her head.

"So," he returned relaxing a little, "what do you do?" he asked and they entered into an easy conversation with each other. It was surprisingly comfortable for both of them and an hour passed without them even realising it. Roman was charming but shy and did not try too hard to impress her, he was obviously happy to just talk to someone and she was relieved about that. Holly and Goran had moved to another booth during the hour and were now completely wrapped up in each other, kissing in front of the whole bar and caring not one bit about who saw them. Rose grimaced as she remembered that not so long ago she would have been doing exactly the same thing and felt relieved again that the young man opposite her did not seem eager to copy the engrossed pair.

Shortly after one o clock Charlie came back over to their table, "Looks like Holly's enjoying herself," he chuckled nodding at her and Goran.

"As always," Rose chuckled in reply.

"Well my dear niece I am afraid my old bones are requesting a soft bed for the night, perhaps I am getting too old to be partying all night long, better leave it to the young ones like you two!" he laughed and Roman smiled politely. "It's been good to share a few rounds with you," he went on, "and I hope to see you soon, don't stay up too late now!" he chuckled and with a quick peck on her cheek and a sly smile he twisted on the spot and popped out of sight.

Moments after he had left a sound like a plunger in a sink escaped from the two love birds in the next booth and within minutes they were back at the table, Goran sitting with his friend and Holly bouncing over to Rose, "We're leaving," she giggled furiously. "I'm taking Goran back to the house, keep your ear muffs on when you get in!" she added before jumping back to her feet and reaching out for Goran's hand. He took it willingly and Rose managed to catch a swift annoyed glare on Roman's face before they darted into the fireplace together and flooed out of sight. She looked sympathetically at him but he had dropped the glare and was smiling back at her.

"Everything alright?" she asked, "It's great getting dumped all the time isn't it?" She glanced around the room then and saw that the pub was almost empty, Tom was cleaning up the bar with a raggy cloth and the few customers still sat at it were finishing their dregs. The Leaky Cauldron didn't have an exact closing time, Tom would keep it open until the last customer left but Rose could see he was aching for the last few to hurry up.

"Yeah," he sighed, "especially when I've got nowhere to stay now!"

"How come?" she questioned.

"Well I'm sort of between homes at the minute and living with Goran and his parents, the only thing is I can't get into the house without him as it's protected and his Mum and Dad will have been tucked up in bed since nine o clock."

"Oh," she replied.

"Guess I'd better see if there's a room going here tonight," he went on.

"Between homes?" she asked.

"I was living with a girl," he explained quietly, "and we split up."

"I'm sorry," she said knowing his pain.

"No, don't be, it was mutual, we'd grown apart and we both knew it, we decided to split and sell the house, she went back to live with her parents but I couldn't stay with mine so Goran said I could stay at his."

"I see."

"But like I said, it's protected so I need him to get in. This is the third time he's done this to me while I've been there! I wouldn't mind but he never even offers to pay half towards a room!" Roman sighed again getting up from his seat and approaching the bar.

"Wait," Rose blurted, "you...you could always come back...come back with me." The dark eyed man turned back to look at her, "I mean...well Holly and I live together so Goran is there, you could always stay on the sofa until morning. It would save you having to pay for a room," she went on as she saw a look of gratitude cross him face, "then you can just go home with him in the morning."

"I...I suppose," he replied, "If...if you really don't mind?"

"Not at all," she replied jumping to her feet, "come on, I think Tom's wants us out soon anyway!" she continued heading towards the fireplace, "I'll make us a coffee and we'll wait until it's all quiet above before I shimmy off to bed!" He chuckled at her joke and jumped into the fire beside her, he was close and she felt nervous about it, she had not been this close to another man aside from Salamander and Mike in a long time and she shivered a little but he didn't notice. Throwing floo powder into the air she called out her address and together they whirled out of view appearing moments later in her own clean and tidy grate.