AN
Ok so I know that this might be a confusing chapter but Rose has a lot of confusing relationships at the moment. Her and Draco are like frenemys, it depends on Draco's mood and situation. Her and George are kind of like Hermione and Ron they are friends but fight a lot and they both like each other (well she doesn't realise it yet). Rose and Cedric well their just going out and it shouldn't last too long.
So I love to hear your opinions so flick me a review and I'll try and add all the things you want to see :D
I do not own harry potter only my character and her owl, I do not take any credit for the quotes I have used from the books or movies.
It was finally the first Saturday of the year. I had made it a week of Lockhart and his continual deceiving but I kept my promise and so did Snape. I was placed on the team as the new Chaser and because Snape put me forward the captain didn't bother with trials. The captain was Adrian Pucey; he was a fifth year I think or sixth year and had really left me alone so I didn't really know him much. He didn't like the fact I was a girl or the fact I was a halfblood on his team but he didn't outright complain either. So today was the first day we would practice as a team and we were expected on the Quidditch pitch at the break of dawn. I got up early and had a quick breakfast rushing to the pitch; I sat in the freezing cold waiting for everyone to arrive for practice. It's a little awkward being the only girl but I did live in an orphanage with a whole bunch of other guys so I guess I'll have to manage. Adrian sits us down for a run through of the practice and then we head out to get started. The only problem was that the Gryffindor team was on the pitch as well, I had been dreading this because I had figured they hadn't been told by Snape that we had 'stolen' their practice time. Their captain fly's down to us as we stop in a line, all the boys tensing up.
"This is our practice time! We got up specially! You can clear off now!" Shouts the captain, he seems very cocky to me. Adrian is larger than their captain and so he towers over him flexing his muscles.
"Plenty of room for all of us, Wood." Adrian says with a smirk. Oh that's right their captain was the over competitive Oliver Wood. The rest of the Gryffindor team fly's over and thankfully Fred and George haven't noticed me as inch to the back.
"But I booked the pitch!" Wood shouts at him. "I booked it."
"Ah, but I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape.
I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch pitch owing to the need to train their new seeker and chaser." I can tell he's trying not to brag so I can't help roll my eyes which cause me to get an elbow from the sixth year beater who had noticed.
"You've got a new seeker and chaser? Where?" Woods so oblivious. I tense up because this is pretty much my undoing. Draco steps forward and everyone looks shocked and then the beater shoves me forward as well. You can only guess the reaction I got from everyone especially the twins. George and I just look at each other and it's like we're stuck there. I snap out of it when George starts talking.
"Why doesn't Rose have a Nimbus Two Thousand and One as well?" The team look slightly awkward but I just stand there bravely. Everyone on the team had been given the latest model except for me. Draco speaks up though which makes me want to stab him even more.
"My father didn't want to waste money on her kind." He says. George looks like he's going to kill him; he's red in the face with Fred standing ready.
"Oh look, a pitch invasion." Said Adrian. I look up to see Hermione and Ron walking or should I say storming over to us, this can't be good.
Ron turns to Harry. "What's happening? Why aren't you playing? And what's HE doing here?" Ron glares at Draco. He then notices me, giving me the same look.
"I'm the new Slytherin seeker, Weasley. Everyone's just been admiring the brooms my father's bought the team. Well most of us." He says this a little too proudly and Ron can only gaze at the broomsticks.
"Good, aren't they? But perhaps the Gryffindor team will be able to raise some gold and get new brooms too. You could raffle off those Cleansweep Fives; I expect a museum would bid for them." Draco smoothly says this and the team collapse in laughter. I can only shake my head at him which he notices causing him to lose his grin.
"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to BUY their way in; THEY got in on pure talent." Hermione says sharply. It hurts me too making me blush because really I used my power to get on the team not talent. Draco seemed to have felt the same way as me as his grin faded.
"No one asked you opinion, you filthy little Mudblood." He spits at her. This causes uproar. Adrian runs in front of Draco to stop Fred and George ripping at him. I run at Draco too not in a bad way but to stop anyone from causing more damage. Ron however shouting and cursing takes out his very broken wand and points it at Draco from under Adrian and my arms. A loud bang goes off stopping all the commotion for a minute to see what's happened. Ron's spell had back fired and he was now throwing up slugs. I looked away in disgust but everyone else on the Slytherin team was pissing themselves, some were on the ground rolling around in laughter. I could only shake my head in disgust. Harry and Hermione rush him off to who knows where. I turn to everyone on the ground.
"Well shouldn't we all get practicing? "I say a little forcefully which gets the captain out of his laughing to send us to get ready. I go to follow.
"You're choosing them?" I hear behind me. Everyone stops to watch as I turn to face George who had caused his team to stop as well.
"There're my team and my house George. Who else should I choose?" I'm beyond angry.
"Us, we're better than them. Then him." He says pointing at Draco.
"They're who I am; I can't just leave what I am." I'm shouting at him now because we have about five feet between us. I feel my team tensing. They may not like me; well scratch that, they may hate me and disown me but I am one of them and try will defend one of their own. It's a messed up world as a Slytherin, I'll go back to the dorm and probably get beaten up by the same people.
George is staring at me, fumes waving off him.
"It's not the house that defines who you are, Rose it's you who defines who you are." I take a step forward but I feel someone grab my forearm to stop me. I leave it though and just turn to follow the team. Adrian doesn't look pleased at what took place though; he'll probably just work me extra hard for it. We practice for a good three hours before hitting the showers. In the practice the rest of the team kept their distance from me probably because of who I am so it was hard for me to practice. No one says much after and we all make our separate ways towards lunch. Adrian lets us know that he'll contact us through owl for the next practice if he doesn't see us first; I know ill get an owl because he wouldn't be caught dead talking to me in public. I start the slow walk to the Great hall for lunch.
"Hey wait up." I hear behind me. I recognise the voice so I just continue to walk. Draco catches up anyway.
"Good practice, aye?" He asks cheerfully. I look at him and then nod.
"Your actually good, no wonder you're on the team." He says half to himself. I stop and turn to him.
"I talked to Snape and he put in a word for me to get on the team. I didn't get on the team any better than you did." I turn back and continue to walk. He catches up quickly.
He puffs out "Don't worry about Granger. She only reads books and flying a broomstick is more practical than that so we must be doing something right." I laugh, not in a mean way, an actual genuine laugh that felt good. It brought a smile to his face as well I noticed which made me remember who I was actually talking to. We enter the Great hall and I sit down at my usual spot, Draco doesn't hesitate to sit down either.
"Why do you do this Draco?" I say grabbing some shepherd's pie. He does the same.
"Well my father always said keep your friends close and your enemy's closer."
"Well that does sound like a Malfoy thing to say but I'm pretty sure a lot of people say that." He's shovelling the pie in his mouth that it almost puts me off my food but I'm so hungry that I eat up.
"No I'm pretty sure my father said it first." He's grabbing for more food so I quickly finish and mumble something about studying as I run off out of the hall. The rest of my Saturday I spend studying in a corner of the library where I know no Slytherins would venture.
October finally arrived and so did the rain. It was wet all the time and it didn't stop Adrian working us hard at Quidditch. We practiced all the time for the first match. With the rain it was harder to see when flying around the pitch. Adrian was continually shouting at us and the beaters had gotten in the habit of hitting the bludgers at me. One practice it got particularly bad. I was flying towards the south goals and I could hear it coming. I heard Adrian shout for a beater to line up a defence on me but no one came, I only just manage to miss it by pulling up slightly on my broom. I heard laughter over the now light splatter of rain. I turn to Lucian Bole, one of our beaters, "why didn't you stop it?"
"I don't know what you're talking about? It was hard to see in this weather." He says with half a smirk. Adrian fly's over to sort us out.
"Ok guys everyone is fine, let's just get back to practicing." He gives us both a look. I just shake my head before flying back into position and we get started again. We started our tactic again and it was going good. This time though I didn't hear the bludger I just saw Lucian hit it towards me with all his strength. It's like everything went in slow motion after that. I couldn't stop looking at the anger in his face as he hit it. A thought flickered through my head as I sat there and the shouts around me were exploding that I should move. I try to move my broomstick fast enough out of the way but the bludger hits me right it the thigh flipping me off my broomstick and to the ground below. Thankfully I wasn't too high up so the fall didn't hurt as much as it could have. I land with a thump on my back and I see everyone coming to crowd around me. I get up not wanting to show any weakness even though I'm in a lot of pain. I turn to Lucian furious now.
"You did that on purpose." I shout as I storm up to him. Everyone's quiet because they want to see how this is going to turn out. He smirks.
"I don't know what you're talking about." He crosses his muscley arms across his broad chest as if in triumph.
"You're a real ass you know that." I shout up at him, he's about six feet tall so he naturally towers over my 5 feet and 6 inches. His smile wavers.
"You stupid blood traitor, don't talk to me like that." He spits at me. Well at least I hit a nerve. I shove him in the chest and this doesn't sit well with him because the other beater has to rush over and grab him as Lucian try's to run at me. Adrian grabs my by the waist and pulls me to one side.
"Now go sort out your two boyfriends over there because they're spying on us." He says pointing to Fred and George who were slowly walking towards us. "I'll sort out this lot and also calm that temper of yours before next practice, for your sake." I nod to him and walk towards the twins. Instead of stopping to talk to them I just walk straight past them, I couldn't be bothered getting into another fight.
"Wait up Rose." They call. They casually catch up and we walk in silence out of the pitch. I stop and turn to both of them.
"Ah ill just be leaving." Fred says awkwardly and then he runs off into the bushes, I can't help but laugh at his running figure.
"I'm sorry." George blurts. I look up at his brown eyes and then look away quickly.
"I'm sorry too." I mumble, I hated apologising.
"No, you shouldn't have to apologise. You were right about it all." I look back up at him. Man he just won't stop staring at me. I nod and look away again looking at my shoes. I then remember what Adrian said and look at his eyes so I can tell if he's lying.
"Why were you two spying on us?" He goes pink and finally looks away from me.
"Well the truth is that Fred and I were checking out the new brooms." I feel slightly embarrassed because I know their team can't afford brand spanking new gear all the time and have to stick with the older brands.
"You guys are a great team with a lot of talent. You don't need new gear to beat us." He looks at me with a smile on his face, I then realise how tall he is. He must be about five feet and eleven inches.
"You're pretty good too. We were watching before that prick knocked you off your broom."
"Thanks but I didn't try out." He looks confused so I tell him everything about using Snape to get in.
"Well your still really good ok no matter what anyone says and after I beat up Lucian Bole I'm going to beat up anyone else who says that to you." I laugh which caused the corners of his mouth to crinkle into a grin. It starts to spit and we run all the way the hall together. We end up getting soaked to our socks. I turn to him in my drenched up uniform.
"I better go get changed before I come down with a cold." He nods and smiles.
"Yea...yea same, I better do that too." He said pointing in the direction the Gryffindor common room was. I nod and we part, I do turn to see that he has a slight skip in his step even if he was as drenched as me. I rush to get changed trying not to slip on the floor and then head to dinner for some nice warm stew.
My next few Quidditch practices weren't that bad, Draco helped me out a little but he was a seeker so he couldn't do much. With the two beaters trying to hit me 'accidentally' the whole time it gave me a lot of practice at dodging the bludgers but it did make me want to punch both of them as well.
Halloween arrived in colours of orange and black, with Hagrid's giant pumpkins and other gloomy decorations. I was also excited for the feast, it was one of my favourite times of the year. Probably because it was my birthday but no one knew that except for Cedric and Snape, Snape only knew because he had my birth certificate. I woke early that morning so I didn't have to listen to Pansy's morning moan about how Draco sits with me and not her though I would prefer it if he would sit with her. I rush to breakfast with the hope of a quiet one but I find Draco sitting in my spot.
"Morning," he says half eating eggs and half reading the daily prophet.
"Mails arrived I see?" I ask sitting down across from him. He looks up, folding the paper and putting it away.
"Yes and you have a lot of it. Who died?" He asks with half a laugh not knowing if he should be serious. He points at my pile of mail which consists of a two parcels.
"No one, just a few admirers." I chuckle at that opening the first one which is from Snape. It's a leather bound journal. Draco just sits, watching, having no idea what's going on. I open the next one which is from Cedric. He had sent me a silver bird locket. I couldn't help go all girly on him; I couldn't wait to find him. Draco just tuts. He then loses curiosity and grabs the note from Snape's present and reads it, thankfully Snape didn't sign it with his name.
"It your birthday? Why didn't you tell anyone about this like last year?" He asks in a flurry. I just shrug my shoulders.
"Like you would have cared Draco, and anyway I hate celebrating birthdays." He seemed hurt by my comment so he gets up and storms from the room leaving me very confused.