(The previous chapter was re-written, so please read it before continuing! Thanks :))

Chapter 30 - Ingenuous

The Quaffle came flying towards me, and I snatched it into my arms, swerving around Liz McLaggen and hurling the wooden ball through the highest hoop, just out of Evelyn Wood's grasp.

"Rosalie delivers another 10 points to Slytherin!" Siobhan's voice boomed. "Gryffindor and Slytherin are now tied at 30-30!"

Sweat dripped down my flushed cheeks. Fingers clutching the shaft of my broom, my cloaks billowed behind me as I spun around and started heading back towards our side of the pitch, searching for the Quaffle.

With a deafening crack, I watched as James batted a Bludger towards Vandevort. Eliott Guff was quick, though, and deflected the enchanted ball, sending it away from Corrin, who swooped down to intercept a pass between Johnathon Thomas and McLaggen.

"It's going to be a close one," Siobhan observed from the stands. "They're both going to fight until they're bleeding and numb."

Her words rang with truth. It was a nasty game; it seemed as though Wood was sporting a sprained ankle, Scorpius' pallid skin was bruised in several different places, and Goforth had tried to take out our keeper, and was almost successful. Cadmus Galloway was trying to stay strong, but the Bludger had hit him in the shoulder with alarming speed and force.

Corrin tossed me the Quaffle and I quickly passed it back, barely missing a head-on collision with Thomas. She dropped it down to Scorpius, who flung it at the middle hoop. Wood caught it before it soared through the goal and threw it to Weasel, who took off with it.

I cursed loudly as he scored 10 more points for Gryffindor.

"Flint has some very rude things to say about that goal. Sorry McGonagall. Fred Weasley hits home, scoring 10 points!"

Scowling at Siobhan, I tried to find Albus. I watched as Roxanne Weasley dove, her hand outstretched, chasing the Golden Snitch, while Albus remained hot on her tail, barely five centimeters behind her.

A Bludger came flying at me, and I flew out of the way, but it rebounded off of the stands and clipped my shoulder. I winced, but I didn't dwell on the pain for too long. I started after McLaggen, who was clutching the Quaffle to her chest, trying to pressure her into passing the ball. It worked, and she tried to hand it off to Weasley, but Malfoy soared between them, intercepting it and diving beneath the pair.

Zipping the other way, he deviated around Thomas and, with a strong thrust, threw the Quaffle through the center hoop. There was a satisfying ding as we scored ten points.

It went back and forth for a very long time. On more than several occasions, both teams dealt out penalties. It was getting nasty, and the sheer determination rolled off of each and every player. It was in their fluid movements, the sweat glistening on their skin, the force between each pass and shot, their grips on the shaft of their brooms. Every muscle was tense, every breath was heavy, every face was contorted with concentration and frustration.

I was going to go mad soon.

The score was at a nail-biting tie; every time someone scored, the other team would bounce back and even it again. We really were equal, one team no better than the other. Two hours in, and I was still buzzing and on edge, but another part of me was strained and entirely exhausted.

The crowd was in a frenzy; arguments were breaking out, and the cheering had risen to angry chanting. People were anxious and aggressive. The enmity between the houses was stronger than ever.

Every little detail was distracting. My eyes were flickering from the Quaffle to the Seekers to Siobhan sitting her booth. My fingers were quivering with anticipation. Every time the Quaffle entered my possession, I thought I was going to go into hyper drive.

My eyes found James, and I could just tell, he was feeling the exact same way.

The game was just killing everyone.

Vandevort rushed forward and pitched it through the higher Gryffindor hoop.

"10 points for Slytherin." The enthusiasm had escaped Siobhan's tone by now, her commentary almost dreary.

Wood retrieved the Quaffle tiredly, slinging it at Weasel, who carried it to the midpoint of the pitch, before dropping it to Liz.

Realization rang through me as I noticed something. Until the pattern was broken, we weren't going to go anywhere.

We had to be the ones to break it.

With a sudden burst of energy, I stole the Quaffle from McLaggen and steered underneath an oncoming Gryffindor beater, their face blurred from the adrenaline. I hurled it into the lowest hoop, missing Wood's open palm and extended fingers by centimeters.

"Flint scores again, Slytherin taking the lead by twenty points now! They've broken the streak!" Zeal laced her voice as Siobhan stood up, peering from her booth.

And the game became alive again.

Within a matter of minutes, the unbelievable words echoed throughout the entire arena. Siobhan roared, "Albus Potter has caught the Snitch! Slytherin has won the House Cup!"

The words bounced around in my head. We had done it. We'd won the Cup. I thought I was going to explode from the nerves, my stomach clenching with ecstasy. Slytherin had won the House Cup.

I landed on the grass, and, all rivalries set aside, my entire team pounced on me. There were shouts of joy, and claps on the back, and sloppy embraces, and boisterous laughter. The crowds of students, who'd watched the game from the stands, filled the field and came to congratulate and celebrate with the players.

My heart fell for a moment though, as I remembered what winning meant: James losing. My eyes darted around, searching for him, but I couldn't find his tall and sturdy frame anywhere in the mobs of people.

Until I felt a tap on my shoulder.

Turning on my heel, I came face to face with the Gryffindor captain. I was at a loss of words, for a moment. Students pressed into my back as they tried to maneuver around us.

Clearing his throat, he stuck out his hand. "Good game, Flint."

"You too, Potter." I shook it gently.

"You... you were amazing, and your team did a fantastic job."

I let a smirk creep onto my lips, no matter how hard I tried to suppress it. "It's killing you to say this, isn't it?"

He took a deep breath, and then grinned. "Yes. Yes it is."

"You don't have to. Anyway, you guys were equally good, you know."

"I know."

I laughed.

"Come on, Flint! Stop making goo goo eyes at Potter!" Vandevort yelled to me. "Victory party in the common room! And you aren't allowed to be anti-social and skip!"

Her fingers curled around my forearm, not harshly but not too gently either, and she started to tug me away. And before I could get in another word, my entire team had lifted me off of the ground, and they were actually carrying me to the party.

"Flint! Flint! Flint!" People cheered around me.

Cheeks flushing red, unused to the positive attention, I screamed, "PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT! VANDEVORT! ROLAND! YOU IDIOTS!"

"Flint! Flint! Flint!"

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

"You're parents are sure?"

"Yes, Rosalie."

"And Albus and Lily-."

"Oh, bloody hell, Rose, just get off the train."

With an indignant huff, I stepped off of the Hogwarts Express and tentatively looked around the platform. I didn't see Harry and Ginny Potter, but James was certain that they were here somewhere.

James followed close behind me, both mine and his trunks in his hands. We had fought over who'd carry mine for an entire five minutes.

"You two already fight like an old married couple," Albus had muttered as he'd passed us.

"Neither of us asked for your opinion!" I'd sipped. But once I'd realized that James wasn't going to budge, I'd grudgingly, thanked him, and he'd given me that victorious beam.

"I see them!" he cheered, eyes targeting a couple. I matched his gaze and spotted the pair, who waved at him enthusiastically and made their way over to us.

"James!" Harry said, hugging James tightly. "Good to see you, son."

Ginny kissed him affectionately on the forehead and hugged him tightly.

"Miss Flint, it's a pleasure to see you again." Harry stuck out his hand for me to shake.

I obliged hesitantly. "You too, Mr. Potter."

"Oh, I'll have none of that. Please, call me Harry."

Biting my lip, I said, "Alright, Harry."

Very rarely had I ever addressed an adult by their first name before. The greeting was unfamiliar on my tongue, and foreign to me. But, it filled me with a sense of friendship, and though it was peculiar, it felt nice.

Ginny wrapped her arms around me, tugging me into a hug. "Good to see you, Rosalie!"

I stiffened, before lightly returning the embrace. "You too, Mrs.-"

"Ginny."

"Ginny," I repeated.

She withdrew from the hug and turned to welcome Lily into her arms, who had run up to us from the train, trunk being tugged along behind her. Harry went to retrieve it with a smile.

Albus jumped out from the crowd and the cycle was repeated. A pat on the back from Harry, and then a kiss and a hug from Ginny.

"Come on, then," Harry gestured towards us. "Let's be going."

I trailed behind the Potter family with James by my side, a silly smile on his face. "This is going to be awesome," he said, nodding his head.

My lips twitched, before breaking out into my own grin. "Yeah, I think it will be. Just, one question: Where are we going?"

"To the parking lot?" He noticed my pause, and, after a moment, asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Why are we going to the parking lot?"

"To get in a car..." He gave me a look.

"Like... an automobile?"

James let out a loud chortle. "Yes, an automobile. Do you have a problem with automobiles?"

"Now you're just making fun of me." A thoughtful expression had filled my face and I turned to peer in front of us. "I've never been in a muggle car before. I've never really seen one up close."

Glancing at me, James replied, "Really? You've never been in a car? That's so weird!"

"No, it's not," I said defensively.

"Well, you have absolutely nothing to worry about."

The truth was, I didn't know much about the muggle world, much less anything about cars. Of course, I'd read about them in newspapers and books, but I'd never actually seen one up close before. The concept was strange to me.

As I walked by rows and rows of these cars, my eyes were wide and keen with apprehension. Albus gave me a questioning look, to which James replied with, "She's never seen a car before."

Albus started laughing, but I couldn't be bothered to pay attention to him.

Harry pried a set of keys from his coat pocket and tapped a button. The car we were standing in front of honked and, shocked and taken by surprise, I leapt back and yelped.

The Potters all stopped what they were doing, and then broke into laughter.

"Don't worry, Rosalie, I felt the same way about magical objects when I started at Hogwarts," Harry said with a chuckle. He popped open the back on his vehicle and they started piling the suitcases into the back. "Everyone in."

Lily and Albus clambered into the back, and James took the seat behind Harry, while I was positioned behind Ginny.

"Oh, by the way Rosalie, congratulations on winning the House Cup," Ginny said happily. "I heard it was a fierce game!"

"Well, we couldn't have done it without our fantastic seeker."

"I'm blushing," Albus snorted from behind me.

"They only beat us by this much," James inserted, pinching his fingers to emphasize how close the game was.

"But we still beat you, nonetheless," Albus chirped.

James scowled.

The Potter's house wasn't what I had expected it to be.

With the Potters' standing in the Wizarding World and their monstrous wealth, I had just assumed that they lived in an expensive and luxurious home, in a notorious wizarding community, much like my old home had been.

As I stepped out of the car (which had been a tremendous experience - very different compared magical transportation), my eyes ran over the medium-sized, quaint cottage, the front well hidden behind a carefully tended rose bed. It was picturesque, like an illustration from a storybook.

Turning around slowly, I examined their street: narrow but nicely paved. Houses lined up on either side of the road, perfectly positioned so they were not too close to their neighbors. The houses were all similar styles to the Potters', and most had fences framing their lawns. At the end of the drive was a culdesac, and several children were out playing, enjoying the cool spring air.

"What d'you think?" James questioned, nudging me with his elbow.

"It's beautiful," I said, my eyebrows knit together.

He beamed. "I thought you'd like it."

"By the time you all get your things upstairs and get settled in, I'll have lunch on the table," Ginny said with a smile. "Rosalie, you'll be rooming with Lily Luna. She has bunk beds in her room. If that's not a problem."

"No, of course not."

With a nod, Ginny used a key to unlock her front door and disappeared into her home.

Harry popped open the back of his car again, and retrieved our trunks, handing them out one by one. "So, Rosalie, how was your first car ride?"

"Really... interesting."

He grinned, his eyes crinkling. "Here's your trunk. Lils, why don't you show her to your room?"

The little ginger girl's eyes brightened, and she waved her hand at me. "Come, I'll show you my bedroom!"

I hadn't spoken with Lily Potter often, not since the whole incident with Antonin Dolohov. But she acted as if I were her best friend as she led me into her house and up a flight of stairs.

"There's the loo," she chattered, pointing to a door on the left. "That's James' room, Albus' room, Mum and Dad's room, and my room!" She threw her door open and revealed a tidy and small bedroom, the walls painted a light pink color and decorated with many posters, mostly related to Quidditch. "I always sleep on the top bunk, so you'll be sleeping on the bottom bunk."

"Thank you," I said, lifting my small trunk and putting it on my temporary bed. "How old are you, Lily?"

"Twelve," she answered, and then added, with some thought, "But I'll be thirteen next September."

"Officially a teenager," I said with a tentative smile.

Lily nodded enthusiastically. "I know! I can't wait. How old are you?"

"Sixteen," I replied, sitting gently on the bed.

She jumped into her desk chair. "Cool, like James."

"Yes, I guess."

Lily began to mindlessly babble, and I did my best to keep up. Really, I didn't have much experience with younger kids. As I watched the bright-eyed girl, I realized how precious children were. She was bubbling with naivety and innocence, full of light and imagination. It was sweet and relieving.

The door opened and James' head popped in. "Lily, honestly, stop chewing Rosie's ear off."

"Don't you dare call me Rosie."

"Anyway, lunch in on the table."

As we both stood, Lily said cheerfully, "I'm glad you're hear, Rosalie. It'll be cool sharing a room with you. Just like sisters or something!"

Grinning fondly at her, I said, "Yeah. Just like sisters."

The contrast between the Potters and the Flints went deep. Even just eating a meal with the Potters was drastically different than sharing a meal with my family. The atmosphere was so alive and so happy. No one wore a frown or a grim expression; they were all glowing with happiness and cheerfulness, sharing stories from their previous year at Hogwarts.

"And get this: McGonagall said she'd teach me how to become an Animagus, if I get an O in Clidona's class!" James announced happily.

"Awesome!" Harry cheered supportively.

"No fair!" Lily pouted.

I watched the conversation bounce back and forth between the family members, pleasantly comfortable with just listening.

It stung, a little bit, realizing what I had missed, growing up. I vaguely wondered how different I would be if my parents had been as kind and encouraging as Harry and Ginny. If they had been more open and relaxed and genuine.

Would I have turned out to be like little Lily, cheery and ingenuous?

Guess I would never know.

But things had turned out well for me, in the end, although fate had used an interesting way of bringing that future upon me. As I sat at the table with the Potters, I realized that all of the hell I'd been through that past year didn't matter anymore. Because now I was happy.

And that was what mattered.

"Thanks for making lunch," I began. "Mrs.-"

She gave me a pointed look.

"Thanks for lunch, Ginny."

She smiled. "You're welcome, Rosalie."

I folded my hands mindlessly. "And thank you guys. For letting me stay here. It's terribly kind of you to do so."

Harry waved a hand dismissively. "I know what it's like, not having a home to go back to for the holidays. During my time at Hogwarts, I spent most Christmas and Easter holidays at the Burrow. It's our pleasure, Rosalie."

The sun was setting, and the horizon had faded into a light, airy red. On the other side of the sky, I could see the ivory moon as it began to show its pallid face. The air was cool and nipped lightly at the tip of my nose and ears, blowing my hair over my shoulders and forcing me to bury my face in my coat collar.

James had decided to take me on a walk and show me his community. I had discovered from Lily that they lived in a muggle neighborhood, and the new bit of knowledge had piqued my interest. My eyes raked over every detail, curiosity rolling off of me in waves.

"It's not much," James said, after a moment of silence. "But Dad really wanted to live in a quiet neighborhood, separated from the Wizarding World."

"I can understand that," I said. "And I like it. It's so peaceful and... still."

"So, what do you think of the old Ma and Pops?"

"They're so happy. It's weird."

James gave me a look.

"No, it's not a bad thing!" I reiterated. "Not at all. I'm just not used to it. It's actually very pleasant. It makes me happy."

"I see." He chewed his lower lip absently, and noted, "The sun set's pretty."

Humming in agreement, my eyes studied the skyline and the delicate pastel colors. I could feel his gaze on me and, cracking a small smile, I turned to face him as we continued to shuffle along. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

He shrugged. "No reason."

"Come on. Tell me. Do I have something on my face or something?"

"No it's not that," he answered with a chortle. "Has anyone told you how beautiful you are?"

My breath suddenly stolen from me, I said to him, "Uh, no."

"Well, you're the most beautiful girl I know." Then, he added with a pause and a grin, "Well, after Mum."

"Oh."

"Aaaand," he continued, dragging out the 'and'. "I think you should be my girlfriend, though girlfriend doesn't seem to be the right word. After everything we've been through this year... I feel like you're more. But it's never been established, and I think that we should. Establish it."

We had now come to a complete stop, and were standing opposite of each other on the sidewalk. I looked at him curiously, eyes wide and keen. "You want me to be your girlfriend? Me?"

"Well, yeah." James scratched the back of his neck. "Is that weird?"

I mulled over that question for a moment. Was it weird? James, my boyfriend?

"No, it's normal," I eventually told him, inching closer to him and him towards me as we began to fill in the gap between us. "And, you know what? I think I could use a little bit of normalcy in my life right now."

His long, spindly fingers reached out to touch my cheek. The small contact sent tremors though my body, driving my senses into a frenzy. Breathlessly, I allowed him to cup my cheek and kiss me softly.

It was the third kiss we'd shared, yet it was still just as powerful as the first. I felt as light as air as I wrapped myself around him, breaking from the kiss and molding myself into him.

"Oh and yes. I think I want to be your girlfriend."

I felt him smile at my choice of words.

A/N: Okay, so I'm thinking of just maybe making this the last chapter, and then closing the story with an epilogue. Honestly, I loved writing this story, but I think it's time for it to come to a close. Leave a review! Tell me what you thought of the chapter. Was it boring or too fluffy? And how did I write the Quidditch scene? I'm HORRIBLE when it comes to writing Quidditch, so I was concerned with that.