- A/N -

I can't tell you how thrilled I am with the results that this fanfiction is getting. Out of everything I've published so far, it is the most popular, based on favourites and followers, and also encourages me in that it was the right thing to do, deciding to publish it. At first, I considered that it might either be too early or too presumptuous to start writing a Harry Potter and the Cursed Child fanfiction, especially seeing as not everyone would've had a chance to read the original work, but I'm definitely glad that I did. The responses to the first two chapters were excellent, and I can only hope that the third chapter is up to par with expectations as well. (And for those of you who actually support Lily being sorted into Ravenclaw, I must say that I'm pleasantly surprised, and happy that you approve.)

For anyone who's reading my other weekly-updated fanfiction, The Secret Heart, then you already know this, but for those who don't, this is going to be a tough month for updates. Recently, seeing as I've just been on vacation, there were a lot of things waiting for me to do once I got back, and now, I'm in the process of sorting everything out. As a result, fanfiction-wise I will be late in posting, for the most part, and may even be posting chapters that are shorter than usual. I ask your understanding in this, as it shouldn't last for a long time, and I am going to try my best to get material out there to you.

Other than that, all I can say is thank you to everyone who continues to support this fanfiction, and I hope you will continue to do so in the future. As always, reviews, follows, and favourites are all appreciated.

3 - Just A Meeting

Rose paced up and down the halls during her first night of patrolling, inwardly fuming, and yet at the same time keeping a calm exterior. How Lily Potter had ended up in Ravenclaw of all places was beyond her, and while it made her feel awkward and bitterly disappointed in the younger girl, she knew that Lily herself wasn't to blame—or so it seemed. The Sorting Hat, she knew, could be a bit eccentric in its decisions at times, with Albus being the first prime example that she had witnessed; and yet, at the same time, she couldn't find anything to back up its decision this time. Honestly, what qualities did Lily Luna Potter possess that made her compatible with the house she had been sorted in?!

Well, if it's only a question of intellect, then there's no reason why Ravenclaw wouldn't have been a fine choice, but then I would have been put there too! No, it must be something that she's missing that would otherwise qualify her for Gryffindor, not vice-versa. But what?

Admittedly, these thoughts and contemplations regarding her youngest cousin were more than a little distracting, almost to the point that Rose passed by James Potter in the hallways without noticing him. Almost. Stopping in her tracks, she turned around, shooting him a glare as she caught sight of him, with a candy apple in his mouth and a few suspicious-looking firecrackers in his left hand and pocket. James, while being extremely intelligent, the best in his class, and the Gryffindor Quidditch captain, somehow or other hadn't been made a prefect himself. Rose suspected that this was because he was an incurable troublemaker, and thus Headmistress McGonagall and Professor Longbottom, head of Gryffindor House, couldn't trust him with such authority, but that didn't stop him from acting as though he had the same rights regardless.

Honestly, wandering through the hallways past curfew, Rose thought. Not that she was surprised or anything, but she didn't want to be the one to get him in trouble. If not for his intellect, his popularity, and the fact that he was Harry Potter's son (or so Rose suspected), he might've been expelled long ago. Given that he was in his seventh year now, Rose especially didn't want to mess things up for him and get a headache from her family because of it, but at the same time, the duties of her new position also mattered, so...

"Isn't it a bit early in the year to start this—shouldn't you be on probation or something?" she asked, eyeing the firecrackers in his hand. Well, might as well figure out what he was up to before she decided on whether she was going to report it or not.

James gave a shrug and then took the candy apple out of his mouth with his free hand. "Beats me. I would've finished up earlier, except that it took forever to convince Peeves to team up with me. Do you know that he's gotten himself a girlfriend over the summer? Apparently, once a poltergeist has a love life, the old chums from before just don't matter." He sniffed. "It's insulting, actually."

Rose barely suppressed an eye roll. She wasn't at all interested in hearing about the love life of Hogwarts' famous poltergeist—although, how a poltergeist went about committing to a relationship was beyond her, in any case—or about how James would've been finished by now either. Currently, her main concern was to finish dealing with him as soon as possible and have him back in the Gryffindor common room while she finished her rounds. At midnight, after a teacher came to take over the patrol, she planned on going back herself and, if James was still up, talk to him about the sorting results for Lily that day. No doubt he was just as disappointed as she was, although she hadn't really taken note of his reaction in the great hall, too caught up herself in what had happened.

"Well, regardless of what you have planned, you'll have to cancel, and—"

Suddenly, Rose stopped as she noticed James, with quicker reflexes and accuracy than she thought him capable of, take out his wand and point it directly between her eyes. Narrowing them, she continued to glare at him, but made no move to reach for her own wand. Obviously, she was at a disadvantage, but refused to back down regardless. She already knew that she didn't intimidate James in the least, but this...this was way out of line, and he was crazy if he thought she'd let it go!

"I don't like to mess up a pretty face like yours, but if you stand in my way, I'll have no choice," James threatened, although from Rose's standpoint, he was really only making things worse for himself. "This is my last year, and I've got to make an impact. Not only is it expected of me, but I plan to leave behind a legacy at Hogwarts. And I won't have that stopped by anyone, not even you."

It was hard to tell whether he was being serious or not, but Rose took it to be the latter and said, through gritted teeth, "Put. It. Down."

To her slight surprise, James conceded and did what she said, but not without giving her a cocky smirk first. "Bet you didn't expect that, did you?" he asked, chuckling.

"Even as a joke, it wasn't funny."

James shrugged. "Fine then, don't take it that way. But I was serious in part of what I said, Rose—I do plan to leave behind a legacy, and I'm not letting anyone get in my way."

Rose crossed her arms, standing her ground, though inwardly wondering why she had bothered to address James for such a long time anyway, and hadn't just called for help or something. After all, her partner, Lenny Brackwort, surely would have heard her, being only one hallway away. Was it because she was used to always handling things herself and wanted to be taken seriously in her new position as a prefect, or was it because she knew that no one in the school, particularly not a fifth year, could stand up against James and have a hope of winning? Sometimes, she liked to think that she was close to his level, but every time he did something unexpected, like perform an advanced spell, do a dangerous Quidditch stunt, or even get away with one of his crazy pranks, she realized how far below him she really was. But, of course, that didn't stop her from trying at every opportunity to prove just how good she was as well; her competitive nature wouldn't have it any other way. That being said, it was perhaps the biggest reason why she didn't try to involve others in her face-offs with James: it was a challenge, and she couldn't help but gravitate towards it.

"Your legacy will have to wait. Now, unless you really want me to report you, get back to the common room and wait for me there."

James stiffened. "And if I refuse?"

Rose shrugged. "I'll call McGonagall. Or I can have another prefect do it. Nothing's stopping me." True, she was really pushing him right now, but, if her wager was right, James wouldn't want the Headmistress involved this early in the year—it might really put him on probation, and he couldn't stand to have anyone watching him at every turn.

Tucking his wand away, he took another bite of his candy apple, chewing thoughtfully before saying, "Something tells me you want to talk to me. Why bother to have me wait and not just send me to bed like a good little boy?"

Nodding, Rose averted eye contact, feeling embarrassed, as always, when he used that tone of voice with her—the tone of voice that reminded her that she was the one who was younger, she was the one who was under his authority (particularly in Quidditch), and that she was the one that he could toy with, sometimes without her ever realizing it. It was irritating, to say the least, but most of all, it was embarrassing, and always caused a rather childish reaction out of the otherwise hard-as-steel, stone-faced, ambitious and competitive Gryffindor.

James grinned, clearly pleased at her reaction. "Alright. I'll see you there." As he turned to leave though, Rose reached out and pulled him back by his arm.

"The firecrackers," she said, holding out her hand.

James shrugged out of her grip. "Not a chance," he said, not teasing this time. "I promise I won't use them tonight, but I make no guarantees for the future—these were expensive, you know!" And then, without another word or retaliation from Rose, he headed back to the common room, leaving his younger cousin feeling both foolish and uncomfortable.

- End Note -

Just in case this might come up (although I'm not sure if it will), I'd like to address right now what some people may consider a shift in Rose's personality. I'd like to point out right now that I'm still keeping her in character, in a way, except that I don't think that she'd be completely as perfect as Harry Potter and the Cursed Child presented her to be. Yes, in many ways she's just like Hermione and, on the outside, would seem like the perfect Gryffindor lioness, but then, in some interactions, I think it's only fair to give her a disadvantage. I chose James to be superior to her in a sense because of several reasons:

1) Because he's older, and, especially as her older cousin, it's natural that she feel inferior to him, having grown up always two years behind him in experience.

2) Because, as it stated in the book, everything "just came so easily" to him, by which I'm assuming that he'd also be intelligent as well as popular. As for making him Quidditch captain, it's because, in Gryffindor in particular, popularity often comes with Quidditch involvement, and I see him as being a strong captain. Only, unlike Harry Potter, don't worry, I'm not making him the Seeker. Any guesses for what his Quidditch position actually is? (You can include this in a review, if you'd like.)

3) Because, seeing as he's a jokester, Rose wouldn't know how to deal with him. Ordinarily, I'd see her as having no tolerance for troublemakers at all, and while this holds true, she wouldn't be able to treat James like just anyone, and this would put her in the awkward position of having to come up with new ways in which to confront him.

All of these things, I think, make for a more interesting story and parallel between characters, so even if some readers may find moments like this awkward to Rose's personality, I'm stating right now that I won't change it. On the other hand though, this won't affect her interactions with characters like Albus or Scorpius any differently, so it's not anything to worry about.

Regarding the length of this chapter, I've already apologized and explained that chapters will be shorter, so I hope that no one's too put off by it. The next chapter will delve deeper into the conversation that Rose and James should have, as well as get us better acquainted with Lily's circumstances in Ravenclaw. I hope that's enough to look forward to.

In the meantime, reviews, follows, and favourite are all appreciated, so thank you to those who show their support! Until the next chapter, then!