A.N

Sorry for the long wait, no excuses I hope u enjoy this chapter, please review after :D

I do not own anything besides my characters. I don't own the quotes I have used and the slight edit I made to it.

I sat on the bed after Snap left surveying my new surroundings. A silent tear escaped from my eye. There was no point in wiping it away. Snow hooted from her cage by the window. I walked over to her and opened her cage, then the window. She didn't wait a second before flying into the cool night. I went and got into my new bed still in my uniform. I lay there staring at the wall for what felt like hours. I barely acknowledge Lucia come in to tell me dinner is ready. She stands there awkwardly as I continue to stare into the distance.

"Miss?" She squeaks, a tone of worry in her voice. I don't reply, the only movement is me closing my eyes. I hear the familiar pop of her apparating. The exhaustion of the last few days fly's at me and I finally fall asleep.

*Flint walks round behind me. He then puts a cork from a wine bottle in my mouth.

"You will need this." He whispers. The first crack comes. Searing pain is going down my back. The fourth comes and tears are streaming down my face. The seventh and I now can't notice the blood pouring down my back. The twelfth is almost painless but I know can't hold the cork in my mouth and it drops to the ground. He gets to twenty and I'm close to passing out.*

I wake up suddenly. Mixture of sweat and tears are dripping all over me. I hear my bedroom door slam open and in comes Snape still in his normal clothes even though it's now pretty late. He runs to me and takes me in his arms.

"I heard you screaming." I can't reply because I'm now sobbing.

"Get some rest we'll talk about this in the morning." He gets up and leaves just as quickly as he arrived. I lie back down in a foetal position. I don't want to sleep but I can't stay awake any longer.

The day after my nightmare Snape said he had business to attend to at Hogwarts and will have to stay there till the end of the school year. It's been a few weeks now and I haven't heard from him. I stay in my room, lying in bed staring at the same piece of wall. Lucia comes in often to check that I'm still alive and try's (and fails) to get me to eat. I know the elf will panic if I don't eat soon but I don't care. I lose track of time quickly as I lie here and I soon start to think that Snape has abandoned me. I then find out it must be around June when I hear him arrive back at the house, this means I've been here for about a month now I think. I hear him bumble around his own home as I just lie here. I feel my eyes role. Typical male, thinking I have to be tiptoed around. I watch the sun rise from the same spot as every morning and it's just the same as the last 29 mornings. My door bangs behind me and the hairs on my back flick up at the sudden cold air.

"Lucia tells me you haven't been eating?" He booms at me. I can feel him over me. He doesn't wait for me to say anything.

"And by the looks of it you haven't." I turn to him, still in bed, fury written all over my face.

"What is the point in me eating when I'm dead when I get back anyway?" I shout up to him. It must look like a pretty awkward argument. Snape in his usual surly tone pointedly says

"Flint's father didn't want him at Hogwarts anymore so he moved him. Probably to that far off boy's school." He said this with a sigh so I almost didn't believe him. I just give a little nod up at him trying to take this in.

"Now hurry up and get dressed so you can have breakfast." And with that he storms off again slamming my door.

"Fine daddy dearest." I say to myself getting up slowly. I find my favourite pair of jeans and a shirt, doing a quick fitting charm on them to make it fit before going downstairs to the dining room. The dining room is just off the living room with a small four seated table. Lucia is popping everywhere finally having people to serve. Snape is sitting at one side of the table with the Daily Prophet and a coffee. I sit across from him as quietly as I can and grab some toast that's on the table. He sets down the Daily Prophet and looks at me.

"What?" I don't bother to hide the annoyance in my voice and the amusement shows on his.

"I'm surprised something fit after your hunger strike." He takes a sip from his coffee and I half wish he will choke.

I look down at my hands. "It won't stop you know."

"What?"

"All of it. Just because one person is gone doesn't mean all evil in the world is gone like that." I'll have to remember to write that down later. I look deep at his face to try and guess what he's thinking. He's just too good at his own game though.

"Have you taken into account what Draco said at the end of last term?" I'm very shocked. How did he know?

"He said that he had to keep me in check or line or something." He leans on the table towards me.

"You need to listen to him Rose." I let out a snort. I couldn't believe this.

"You have got to be kidding me! Listen to him?"

"You need to start acting like a Slytherin and start looking like a Slytherin. No other house wants you because you are one and your own house doesn't want you because you don't fit in." I look at him hard; I really want to throw something.

"Thanks for the moral support."

"Just do what he says and you won't get hurt, well from most of the guys anyway." I can't believe this. I storm to my room and fall on my bed sleeping all day yet again. Thankfully I'm left alone.

It's halfway into August and I finally got contact from the outside world. Snow did not appreciate the extra company. It was an old batty owl that flew into most of my things before landing and then I finally received my letter which was from George. He wrote:

Hey Rose,

Sorry this has taken so long but well I'm such an idiot for telling you who you can date. I just don't trust him but I miss us being friends.

I heard about what happened with Flint and his friends from Percy and if he was still at school I would beat the living day lights out of him. I'm just glad he's gone.

Well you missed a good end of year prank up with Fred and me. We got the leavers good with dung bombs. Oh Slytherin won the house cup! Just kidding you did and then we Gryffindors stole it from you.

Well I hope you well and you better reply or Fred and I will hunt you down with our flying car and kidnap you from wherever you are.

George

He always knows how to make me laugh, even in a letter. I write a quick reply and send their demented owl on its way. I'm not allowed to mention to anyone that Snape is now my guardian because of his 'reputation' as he puts it but I think there's something else going on and I'm going to find out what it is.

One week goes by and I feel the idea of school coming closer and closer. It's the 24th of August exactly eight days till we have to be at the train station for Hogwarts. I'm not excited I'm beyond nervous. Snape calls me into the lounge where he spends most of his time. He's sitting in his normal seat in the corner of the room with the Daily Prophet as usual. I stand there awkwardly waiting for him to hurry up. He sets down the paper and looks at me.

"Rose on Monday I want you to travel to Diagon alley and spend the week at the Leaky Cauldron." he puts his hand up because he knows I'm going to object.

"I have to go to Hogwarts early and you can't come with me nor will I let you stay here by yourself with that elf. Your parents left you a fair amount of money at Gringotts so I want you to get suitable clothes that a Slytherin would wear." He picks up the paper and goes back to reading.

I let out a moan and stomp to my room, slamming several doors along the way. I can't believe this, yes it was a little freedom out of the stupid house but shopping. I hate shopping and Slytherins wear prissy, skirts. At least they wear dark clothes though, that I can live with.

The dreaded day arrived where I was to be off for my little freedom. I packed all my belongings for the school year in my trunk and got Snow ready in her cage. I made sure I had the supply list for next year. I had received it last week via owl and it was chock full of Gilderoy Lockhart's crap of nonsense. He was a load of bull, a story writer that everyone wanted to believe in. I drag my things down the narrow stairs to the fireplace. Snape looks to have left a note on the top of the fireplace. It says:

Rose

Don't get into trouble and do not mess with the Malfoys. Enjoy the shopping. I will talk with you next week.

Your legal guardian

Snape

Knowing him he'll probably have someone following me the whole time. I shake my head before scrunching up the note and stuffing it into my back jean pocket. I manage to shove everything into the fireplace for travel. I'm pretty sure there was an easier way to get all my things there but hey no one's told me so I'm stuck with a cramped floo ride. I grab a handful of floo powder and throw in at my feet shouting "Diagon Alley", I hate the wizard transport system.

I arrive at a very dingy pub but slightly cosy all the same. The land lord comes over to me wiping his dirty hands on his even dirtier apron.

"Room?" He grunts. I nod quickly because he towers over me. He grabs my trunk and starts to walk up a flight of stairs. We walk to the first floor and stop at room 11. He drops my trunk, takes out a key, hands it to me while taking my coins for payment and then walks off again. I put down Snows cage and unlock my room. It's not a bad room. It had a bed in the middle, a fireplace, and a window. Bigger then my room at 'home' but it looks like it would fall apart at any moment. I grab Snow and my trunk, placing both of them by the window. Snow immediately craves for the outdoors and freedom so I let her outside into the London air. I go to my bed which is a queen and lie down facing the ceiling. It's comfy even if I do feel like even the slightest breath will make it collapse right underneath me. Well I've had enough of the indoors for the past few months it's time for this shopping to get started and finished. I head to Diagon Alley and its bustling, the colours are everywhere. People are talking, moving, laughing, and its music to my ears. I head to Gringotts to get out my moolah. In my vault I find that I have both wizard and muggle money, well the goblins probably think I'm a freak as well. I take out enough to buy a battleship in both muggle and wizard money and I then hit the streets to find a decent clothes store. I find Madam Malkin Robes for All Occasions store but it seems to be lacking in the Slytherin style that I seem to have to wear. I exit politely and walk further down the street finally getting to a classy looking clothes store called Twilfitt and Tattings. The store is very stylish on the inside and a witch in her early thirties comes at me like I was prey.

"Welcome!" She booms at me taking me by the arm and pushing me onto a stand for measuring. "What can we do for you?" She already had her tape measure out and ready in one hand and a notepad in the other.

"I need clothes in a style that will be suitable for a Slytherin." I say looking at my figure in the giant mirror before me. She starts measuring me all over.

"Ah yes we have a lot of regular customers from that house. The Malfoy family being one of them." I can't help but roll my eyes. Just great.

Three hours later and I had several outfits that would please people enough to leave me alone. I take them back to my room before collapsing onto my bed. Day one down. I stay in my room for the next day but on Wednesday I decide to finish this horrible deed of shopping. Only problem is that I now have to wear these clothes. I look at my trunk and the new clothes. I hadn't left my room just so I didn't have to walk the streets in these clothes or the stupid shoes. I decide on a black cashmere jumper sweater thing. It's comfy though. With it I wear a Scottish tartan pinkie skirt which has really cool buckles on the side so at least I feel slightly like my old self. Shoes were the hardest to choose I got stick with the black and grey checkered sued ankle boots. I'm going to kill myself with these. I finally get the boots on when I forget to put on the stockings. I groan but take then off and start again. I leave my hair down and I leave my face the way it is. I'm not changing all in one day. I finish my shopping in a few muggle stores in London and then I head to Diagon Alley. So far I haven't caused too many looks, mostly from wizards and witches. I step into the Alley looking at the bustle. I see a lot of Hogwarts students as it's so close to school time. I awkwardly pull on my skirt to try to get it longer. I walk down the street and weirdly enough I see Hagrid the games keeper at Hogwarts. It isn't hard to miss him because he's so huge so I don't miss the fact he's with Harry Potter and they came out of Knockturn Alley, which is very strange. I didn't want them to see me so I stayed looking at a store window for a few minutes till they had walked off.

"We'll if it isn't Rose Grey back from the dead." I could distinguish that cold icy tone anywhere. I turn to the slightly taller blonde haired boy and plaster a smile on my face.

"Well Draco this is a surprise. Fancy seeing you here." He almost seems shocked by my response but he just nods. He's wearing a black tailored suit that makes him look even whiter then he already was.

"You look very different." He looks me up and down which makes my skin crawl.

"We'll I'm taking your advice and trying to fit into the house I was placed in." He just nods looking confused. A man walks over which just looks like an older Draco. He walks with standard and has this weird cane with him.

"Draco who is your friend." Draco looks awkward, like he doesn't want to be here.

"Father this is Rose Grey from school, she's in my year in Slytherin house. Rose this is my Father, Lucius Malfoy." He's dripping with formality that it makes me want to be sick but I smile politely anyway. It's what Snape wants. Lucius looks shocked at my name.

"Rose Grey, well I thought your family was tragically killed by Fenrir Grayback you along with them. Such a surprise to see you here." He smiles down at but I know I'm not falling for this fool.

"Yes alive and healthy." My nails are digging into my skin. Draco doesn't know what to make of this exchange. Lucius starts walking off.

"Come along Draco. We can't be seen in public socializing with..." He looks back at my down his nose as if I was dirt but I stand my ground. "...blood traitors." With a swish of his cloak the Malfoys are off down the street to do who's know what. I didn't realise how stiff I was standing and so now my feet are killing me. I hobble down the street awkwardly and look in at Quality Quidditch Supplies, I need a broom if I want to make the team this year and seeing as I was made to 'shop' I can afford to buy I nice broom. I buy the Nimbus 2000, I don't buy the Nimbus 2001 because I'm trying to blend in and most of the team have really crappy brooms anyway. They deliver it to my room so I walk further down the street towards Flourish and Blotts. Before I can get there though I'm attacked in a hug by two ginger people.

"Fred! George! Get off me!" They finally do looking happy. I tidy myself up. Fred looks awkwardly around and says something about seeing Lee Jordan from school leaving just me and George. He looks me up and down which seems to happen a lot from guys.

"What are you wearing?" He asks jokingly.

"Clothes, those things people wear every day for modesty." I retort.

"Ok ok was just asking. You look different that's all." He says crossing his arms and looking around the street.

"I was told to fit in and that's what I'm doing. You look different to, taller, fatter." I laugh at the last part bringing a smile to his face.

"You never needed to fit in Rose. You were fine before. And well me my mum is an amazing cook, you should try it sometime." I blush at his comment and don't look at his face.

"I need to get my books for school today so I better go."

"My mother is there getting all our books so I'll go with you." I don't stop him but it feels awkward. We into Flourish and Blotts to see the Malfoys there and the Weasley's. We were standing behind Lucius with Draco on his left.

"And you must be Miss Granger. Yes, Draco's told me all about you. And your parents. Muggles, aren't they? Let me see. Red hair... vacant expressions... tatty second hand book... you must be the Weasleys." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. George starts to move forward but I grab his hand and put my other hand on his chest to stop him.

"Don't you'll just make a fool of yourself." I say to him. He calms down and squeezes my hand; I squeeze back and go to his side still holding his hand waiting for the argument to finish. Arthur Weasley puts out his opinion.

"We have a very different idea about what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy."

"Clearly. Associating with muggles and other sort. And I thought your family could sink no lower." Lucius looks at me when he says this as well to which Draco laughs. I manage to hold George back as they sweep out of the store. I quickly let go of his hand feeling my face blush and looking at George he is red in the cheek too. He introduces me to his parents and I say a hello to everyone before they have to go off.

"I'll see you next week." I say to his retreating form. He turns and smiles at me.

"Yea, ill save you a seat on the train." And with that he's gone. It was good to have had those familiar laughs that we used to have. I purchase my books, sidestepping Lockhart. The week flys by and before I know it its September the first.

so thanks for the wait, ill try to be quick on the next chapter.

this is the link for the outfit she wears in Diagon Alley if you want to check it out, let me know if the link doesnt work, you need to put it in google and it comes up with it :D

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