I was sent back to my dorm later that day, Madam Pomfrey said something about needing the bed for all the petrified students. I walk slowly in the direction of the Slytherin Common room, giving my muscles a break after not being used for two weeks. I spot Fred and George talking to Lee Jordan on the Grand staircase. I try to blend into the wall, pretending like I haven't spotted them. The last thing I want to do is talk to either of them, loneliness and solitude was what I wanted at this point.
"Rose!" Fred and George yell in unison, trying to get my attention.
I pretend like I didn't hear them but they quickly run to me on the maze like stairs and corner me.
"Everyone heard what happened with the duelling club," says Fred excitingly.
George punches him and gives him a 'look' trying to shut him up.
"You changed everything, we had another duelling club and they've put the year groups together for it now, I heard Harry got a bit messed up at it while facing Malfoy," says George.
"I hit Lucian with a tickling charm; I got him so good that he wet himself. You should have seen his face," says Fred.
"Well isn't it great then," I retort sarcastically turning to them, "I changed the course of nations because of what happened to me."
They look shocked, both going as red as the beetroot I used to be force feed at the orphanage.
"We didn't mean it like that," mumbles Fred.
I just roll my eyes and walk off leaving them on the stairs. It's not long before I hear them quietly arguing at each other as they walk to the Gryffindor common room. Walking down to the damp, dark dungeon I notice how quiet it is. My footprints echo the corridor and the torches flicker as I glide past. Striding round the corner, I slam into the back of someone. I let out a huge sigh when I spot the bright red hair of Percy Weasley.
"What are you doing out of your common room?" asks Percy turning round. I catch the eyes of Crabbe and Goyle who he must have been interrogating before I came into view
"I…ah…," I stammer.
"Crabbe, Goyle, where have you too been?" shouts Malfoy striding down the corridor towards us. "Pigging out in the Great Hall all this time?"
The pompous git has that grin that I just want to punch off his face; one day I just might. He notices me standing behind Percy when he takes his normal place in between his two buddies.
"Were you with Grey as well?" Draco asks them causing them to nod vigorously. Why would they lie, they love getting me in trouble to anyone.
Draco shrugs but narrows his eyes at Goyle.
"Why are you wearing glasses?"
"Some people actually value their education and study Draco," I say mockingly.
"I didn't ask you, you half-breed," He sneers at me. "And what are you doing here Weasley."
"I don't like you attitude," retorts Percy going bright red.
Malfoy laughs and walks off towards the common room with Crabbe and Goyle in tow and I not having anywhere else to go follow as well. We walk to the door which was just a blank piece of wall so no one could find it.
"What's the password again?" Draco asks.
"For you its slimy git," I mutter to myself. Crabbe laughs silently at it which is not like him, maybe it's all the sugar going to his head.
"Pure-blood," Draco says conjuring the door. We walk in to the empty common room, who knows where everyone is. I sit down on a chair, taking out my Transfiguration book to study. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle all sit down too.
"Don't look so down Rose. It's not your father who made a fool of himself, well you don't have one do you."
"Point being?" I ask.
"Look at this," Draco says pulling out a Newspaper clipping. "It's hilarious; Arthur Weasley made a fool of the Ministry, I wouldn't be surprised if he got fired."
"I'm not looking at it," I say pushing it away. I notice Crabbe has gone bright red, what is wrong with those two.
"What's wrong with you, Crabbe?" he snaps.
"Stomach ache." He mumbles. Draco lets it go.
"Saint Potter, and people actually think that he's the heir to Slytherin," Draco says. "I wish I knew who it is. I could help them."
I can't believe I'm stuck in the same room while he is having one of his tangents. I zone out at this point, trying to do some work.
"Grey! ... Rose!" Draco shouts.
"What?" I ask not looking up.
"I was just about to tell them what my father said his letter to me." He says.
"I'm surprised you could even read it." I retort making him blush.
"He says that the school needs ridding of all the Mudblood filth, he mentioned your name," he laughs making it my turn to blush now. "My guesses are that Granger will be next."
Crabbe and Goyle jump up at this causing me to jump in my chair. They look at each other in shock while Draco is distracted. I notice Crabbe's hair going red and then it clicks when I notice Goyle has got a lightning bolt scar on his forehead. They rush from the room in a hurry.
"I'll see what their up to," I say collecting my things and rushing after them but Draco doesn't seem to notice or care.
I follow them all the way to the first floor and it ends when they go into a bathroom. Running up to the door, I notice that it's the girl's bathroom. Why would two boys go into a girl's bathroom? I push the door open slowly so they don't hear me and walk in. I find them talking to a cubical door but it's not Crabbe or Goyle that I find, its Harry and Ron. As I walk in the door they turn abruptly at the sound, wand at the ready. They lower them when they realise it's me looking relieved which is an improvement from disgust, anger, and pity.
"Who is it?" shouts from the cubical.
"Hermione?" I ask. "What are you doing in there?"
"She's been in there since we left," says Ron.
I then remember the true reason of following them.
"Do you know how many school rules you have broken?" I shout. "It was so stupid and impulsive and so many things could have gone wrong."
They both look at me in shock; I have never said a lot to them before so this was a record for me. The door opens and Hermione walks out though it doesn't look like her. She was fully covered in fur, she even had a tail and pointed ears, I'm now looking in shock with my mouth hanging open.
"It was cat hair!" she cried. "Millicent Bulstrode must have a cat!"
"Yea she does," I say trying to calm her down. "It's a vile fat one."
"Is ok, Hermione," Harry says quickly. "We'll take you to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey never asks too many questions."
"Wait till everyone hears that you have a tail!" says Ron.
It took us half an hour to get her out of the bathroom and to the hospital wing. She stayed there for several weeks and when everyone got back from their Christmas holiday they thought she had been attacked. I helped Harry and Ron with retrieving homework for her so she could stay on top. I never went and visited, I thought it would be too awkward with Harry and Ron there. Hermione left the hospital wing in early February and I had managed to pull myself up the ranks in several classes in her absence. All my studying in Transfiguration paid off making Professor McGonagall praise me when I finally turned my bird into a goblet and not a plate. I even manage to sit through Professor Lockhart's class; some was cringe worthy when he would get Harry up front to help him teach.
I sat down on a bench at the Slytherin table with my potions book to study. I was finding it very hard with all the distracting pink flowers, and giggling girls walking round. The food was even pink, pink pancakes in the shapes of hearts with strawberries and pink chocolate on top; there were even pink smoothies. I lost my appetite, I hated the colour pink. Just to add to my morning, Professor Lockhart was wearing a bright pink robe. He quietened down the hall for an announcement.
"Happy Valentine's Day!" he shouted. "And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all – and it doesn't end here!"
He clapped his hands and dwarfs walk in not looking happy, probably because of the harps they had and the yellow wigs they were wearing. Oh blimey, it had better not get any worse than this. I got back to reading about the sleeping draught that we are going to be making.
"Not eating Rose?"
"Go away Dra-," I start as a look up from studying but I to my surprise its Fred and George not Draco. I go back to my book trying to ignore them both but then they both snatch it out from me.
"What do you both want?" I demand.
"We just wanted-," said George.
"To sit with our best friend," finished Fred.
"I thought Lee was your best friend?" I scoffed going back to my book.
"Oh no he is, but you're our lady friend," said Fred.
I laughed, "Ok then."
"So not eating?" queried George. "It all looks so good."
"It looks like a unicorn has barfed onto the table," I say. "I want to be sick just looking at it."
The mail starts to come through the windows of the Great Hall, I notice my owl flying through amongst the masses. Fred and George quickly excuse themselves leaving the Great Hall in a fast pace, she drops a letter and a single rose onto my empty plate. I feel my face go red at the idea of receiving something but luckily everyone else has received something so I am forgotten. I open the letter and read:
Roses are red,
Violets are Blue,
Love never crossed my mind
Until the day I met you.
It isn't signed to give me any idea of who sent it making me feel embarrassed, I won't think anything of it, and it was probably one of the Slytherin boys trying to make a fool of me. I hurry off to the library to hide away from everyone, on the way all around me is singing dwarfs making me hurry even faster. Adrian approached me later that day looking slightly worn out as he walked up to my table in the library.
"To what do I owe the pleasure Adrian?" I ask.
"Stop with the smart mouth Grey," he snaps. "The match against Ravenclaw is coming up in the third week of this month and we aren't going to win if you're out of shape."
"Hey, I am perfectly healthy and fit thank you," I say.
"I'll see you tomorrow for practice then," he says walking away. I sigh and go back to my studying.
Adrian works us hard and long up to the game, we are so tired that none of us have time to have a go at each other. It was quiet clear that I was unfit after the first practice; I was hit several times by the quaffle and by the bludgers. On the day of the match I wake up way too early, my nerves already getting to me. I get changed into my Quidditch uniform and rush to breakfast. Surprisingly I'm not the only one up, eager fans of the game are chatting away at the house tables. There are a few Slytherins up, Adrian being one of them.
"Calm nerves today Grey," he calls to me as I sit in my usual spot. "I don't want you fumbling the Quaffle."
I grab some hot coco, my hands shaking as I hold the mug. The warm liquid calms the nerves before they could bubble to the surface. People start to wander in for some breakfast, Draco being one of them. He sits in front of me, the same smirk that annoys the heck out of me.
"You look nervous Rose," he points out. "A little green if I might say and it's not just the uniform."
"I'm fine, just out of practice that's all."
The time flies and we head to the pitch. Lucian comments that if we lose it's because of me not practicing. As we reach the tent and everyone goes inside, I throw up all the contents of my stomach, leaving a burning sensation in my mouth.
"You're not looking so good." George says as he walks up to me, wearing a red homemade sweater with a giant 'G' on it.
"Nerves that's all." I reply looking up at him.
He pulls me into a hug which surprises me; my face goes bright red blending with his sweater. He feels like a bear, warm and comforting. My chin just reaches his shoulder, but I am on tip toes. I could feel his heart racing against me as we stood there.
"Don't fall off, ok?" he murmurs.
"I'll try not to," I say. "I have a bad habit of making a fool out of myself."
"Um I have to go…a match and all," I stammer after a few more minutes.
"Yea…yea the match," he says just as red as me looking at the floor.
Adrian gives us a quick rundown of the layout for today; he looked tired and agitated which made me just as nervous. We all then parade out to the pitch, all of us with our Nimbus 2001's hoping they will come to our benefit for the game. Butterflies go off in my stomach as I take my position, restless on my broom. Adrian gives me a look, him being another Chaser he then expected a lot from me. I look over to the Chaser on the Ravenclaw team. Adrian had teamed each of us Chasers to one of theirs and I had been placed with Roger Davies. A tall, brown head that was much known for his array of girlfriends so naturally Adrian thought it was a strategic move, I guess I should take it as a complement. The game starts and the madness begins. I get control of a Quaffle causing me to become a target. I shoot towards the keeper and the goals trying to dodge Bludgers in the mix. I throw it to Adrian who then scores a goal; the first one in the match. That is how the game goes for about two hours seeing as the Seekers still haven't found the snitch. Adrian then calls for timeout so which he used to shout at us, mainly at Draco, for not having the snitch already. Another hour and a half later and finally the snitch is caught. To my surprise Draco caught it though the snitch probably just flew into his hand. Every one heads to the changing room bruised and so exhausted that the team don't try and pick a fight with me. A flush of pride goes through me at helping win the match.