A.N Sorry that this has taken agggeeesss :( I hope you enjoy and leave any ideas or feedback please.
The rest of the week flew past but not fast enough. Snape and I were still not talking which meant a very quiet house and very awkward meal times. When at last Friday arrives, after a quick lunch I had my luggage packed and ready at the bottom of the stairs waiting. I hear Snape come bustling down in his usual attire making me roll my eyes which causes me to get slapped round the head. Before I have time to rub my sore head he grabs my arm and we apparate to the Leaky Cauldron entrance. On arrival he storms off to talk to Tom the Bartender, most likely to pay for my room. He isn't gone for long and hands me a key and some money.
"Room 12," He says. "Lucia had delivered your things. Don't go spending that all at once. Don't forget to buy your school supplies. Don't talk to strangers. And don't go down Knockturn alley."
"I'll be fine," I quickly reassure him. I could tell he was a little worried. "Don't worry."
He nods his head gazing down at me. For a split second I thought he was going to hug me and then he sweeps out the door with a faint pop following behind him. Typical stubborn, over bearing father. I trudge up to my room I spot a black mop of hair racing ahead of me.
"Harry?" I call. "Harry Potter?"
I catch up to him fumbling to unlocking his room. He glances at me, not too happily, as I move to my door next to his.
"Room 11, aye?" I laugh trying to ease the tension. "Occupant in room 10 isn't very quiet at night. I still haven't figured out what the person does in there, but anyway."
"Look Rose, you don't have to talk to me," he says glaring at me. "We aren't friends so don't pretend to be."
I open my door trying to hide my red face.
"Why were you with Snape?" Harry calls out just as I was closing the door.
"Umm…" I say trying to come up with some excuse; I mentally bang my face against the door. "He was helping me with some extramural potions work."
I hear his door close; I guess he accepted my answer and will now leave me alone. I find my trunk at the end of my four-poster bed. The room was the same from number 10 next door with the one window and the same home-made quilt on the bed. I collapsed on the bed staring at the molded ceiling.
A few days go past and I manage to avoid Harry all together as I did my school shopping. We still had a whole week to go before the Weasley's arrived back from their trip. The new of the Firebolt release had been greatly received and the Quidditch store was always bustling with kids hoping to gaze upon it. I thought I might look at it, just once before the streets got really busy. As I stood there looking at it through the window, I felt the presence of another next to me. I glance over to find that Harry was there gazing as well upon the glory of such a broomstick.
"You're avoiding me?" He states as if it was that obvious.
"Depends, were you looking for my company?" I ask not letting my guard down.
A moment silence is stuck between us.
"I hear Florean does some amazing ice cream," I say as a suggestion.
"Ok." Was all Harry replied as he started walking off towards the ice cream parlor.
I followed behind him awkwardly and he orders us some ice cream. He gets chocolate and raspberry and I order strawberry and peanut butter. The silence that followed as we ate was painful.
"So you grew up with muggles?" I ask trying to start a conversation.
"Yea I know I live with muggles," He says heatedly. "So what? It doesn't make me any less of a person."
I'm left speechless and embarrassed at the people walking past giving me dirty looks. I probably did look like a Pureblood with the way I dressed. I had thrown on a pair of black jeans, along with a black shirt, black blazer, and black ankle books. Some would think that I would fry in this but I just love black. My hair was also in a messy pony tail to get out of the way. I hadn't gone for a classy, stuck up, look; I was just trying to dress how I want to before school started back and dad goes all psychotic on me.
"Ok before you go all mental at me again, I was just asking because my mum was a muggle," I try to hold onto my anger as he comes to realization. "Not all Slytherins are dicks you know."
"Sorry," he mumbles. "Why don't you take Muggle Studies?"
"Don't even go there," I say. "That is one conversation that is going to take a while."
We spent a lot of our time together at Florean's Ice Cream Parlour, whether it was just talking or doing homework together. I taught him some basic skills for potions because let's be honest he isn't the most skillful at that area, and Harry taught me some theory work for Defense against the Dark Arts. One day we decided to take a break and get all the rest of our school shopping done which was just the books so we headed to Flourish and Blotts with the list in our hand and money jingling in our pockets.
Once inside the manager bustled towards us flustered with the amount of customers he had, either that or he saw Harry Potter.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" he asks rather impatiently.
"Yes," said Harry, looking down at his book list. "We need Unfogging the Future, by Cassandra Vablatsky.
I let out a groan at the thought of wasting my money and time on a crack pot living in the walls of Hogwarts. The manager storms off into a corner leaving us to wander the store looking at all the wonders. He comes back, handing us both a rather dusty copy.
"Anything else?" he said.
"Yes," said Harry.
He listed off the other two books we both needed but I wasn't listening as I glared at the bloody book in my hands. 10 minutes later, we emerged from Flourish and Blotts with our new books and made our way to the Leaky Cauldron.
Days slipped by and I noticed Harry looking out for any sign of Ron or Hermione. Hogwarts students started to drift into Diagon Alley as the term got closer. Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, Gryffindors in the same year, spotted us talking together and gave us dirty looks. I then spotted then having a heated discussion with Harry later on in the evening. At least I know that nothing has changed over the break with Slytherins and Gryffindors. I knew Harry was missing his friends a lot even though we spent a lot of time together. The day before we would board the Hogwarts Express, Harry and I decided to make one last trip to Florean's Ice-Cream Parlour. Once arriving, we spotted Ron and Hermione sitting at a table and they called out to Harry with beaming faces.
"I'll ...ah… catch you later Harry," I say starting to slink away.
"No," he says grabbing my hand. "You can come hang out with us. Hermionie is your friend as well."
Ron did not look too happy when I sat down with them but Hermionie gave me a reassuring smile. As they chatted together I tried to keep a look out for Fred and George. After a few minutes I spotted their brightly colored hair down the street talking to Lee.
"Rose?" Harry said drawing my attention back to the others. I felt my cheeks go red as the group draw their attention to where I was looking.
"Hermionie wants to have a look at Eeylopes Owl Emporium," he says. "But you don't have to come if you would rather hang out with them."
"No, I'll come with you three. George and I aren't exactly talking at the moment."
"Rose!" exclaims Hermionie. "You have to make up with them. I have never seen you happier when you are with them."
We walk up to the pet store and I stand outside as they go to have a look.
I spot Cedric about to walk past with a list in his hand that he was looking at very hard.
"You would think that by being a seeker you would actually be able to find your way to the right store," I say causing him to look up at me with a beaming smile.
"Rose, its so good to see you," he says bringing me into a hug.
"It's good to see you too Ced." I reply hugging him back. "How was your holiday."
"Not so great, we had the whole family over and I had to share my room with my great aunt and uncle who are not quiet... ever!"
Cedric waits with me while the others were in the store. A small part of me missed him and the time we had together but it didn't feel right inside when we dated. Once the others finally made it out with an exceptionally ugly cat in Hermionie's arms, we said goodbye. We headed back to the Leaky Cauldron where we found Mr Weasley reading the Daily Prophet.
"They still haven't caught him yet?" Harry asked.
"No," said Mr Weasley gravely. "They've pulled us all off regular work at the Ministry to help find him."
Ron joined in the conversation, the doors then opened to the Leaky Cauldron and in walked Fred and George, Mrs Weasley, Percy, and Ginny. They all had bags full of books and equipment for the new school year. Percy strides up to Harry and takes his hand, shoving me out of the way in the process. This doesn't go unnoticed by Fred and George who both run up to Harry also.
"Harry!" Fred says, elbowing Percy out of the way and then bowing deeply. "Simply splendid to see you, old boy-"
"Marvelous," says George seizing Harry's hand. "Absolutely spiffing."
"That's enough," growls Mrs Weasley. "You must be Rose," she says turning to me.
I let her bring me into an awkward embrace. "Fred and George have told me all about you."
I glance over at them, Fred was beaming while George looked slightly mortified.
"Right Mum, that's enough embarrassing her," Fred says coming to my rescue as he throws his arm over my shoulders and dragging me off. He drags me off up the stairs, with George trailing behind, to where they must be staying for the night.
"I … um... have to go help Ron with his stuff," Fred says leaving before George or I could stop him.
I look awkwardly around the room, which had two matching single beds and both their trunks were layed on them.
"So how's Lucian?" George asks.
"Really George," I reply. "The first thing you have to ask me and it had to be about him."
"Look I'm sorry!" he says angrily. "I was just trying to make conversation."
"Well how was Egypt?" I ask.
"Great," George says sarcastically as he collapses on his bed. He looks up at me with anger in his eyes. "If he hits you again, I will put him in the Hospital Wing for a week."
"You're unbelievable George," I say as I slam the door behind me.
I walk down the hall way towards the bar when I saw Harry standing outside the parlor door.
"Pst...Harry what are you doing?" I ask quietly so Fred could find me and drag me back to his room where a seething George would be.
Harry puts his finger to his lips and then pulls me up to the door. I look at him confused but then he taps his ear to the door.
"But Harry mustn't do that this year!" says an angry Mr Weasley through the door. "When I think of what could have happened to him that night he ran away from home! If the night bus hadn't picked him up, I'm prepared to bet he would have been dead before the Ministry found him."
"But he's not dead, he's fine, so what's the point-" says an equally angry Mrs Weasley.
"Molly, they say Sirius Black's mad, and maybe he is, but he was clever enough to escape from Azkaban, and that's supposed to be impossible. It's been three weeks, and no one's seen him, and I don't care what Fudge has been telling the Daily Prophet."
"But Harry will be perfectly safe at Hogwarts, and no one is really sure that Black's after Harry."
I had heard enough and I creep away from the door, leaving Harry who was so transfixed on the door that he didn't even notice me leave. I went straight back to my room and locked the door so no one would suddenly barge in, not that I was think of two mischievous twins who would do that. I then slept with the excitement that I would be back at Hogwarts again.
I woke the next morning as two heavy bodies fell on top of me.
"Urg go away," I said from under the blankets. "How did you even get in?"
"You didn't think a basic lock would stop us," laughed Fred. "Anyway-"
"-You wouldn't want to miss the train would you?" finished George.
They leave me to get changed and pack. Two hours later and we were standing before the red train on platform 9¾. It was just as beautiful and glossy as last year. The excitement rushes back to me at the thought of another year. As I say goodbye to Mrs Weasley, I hurry onto the train before any Slytherins can catch me. I slide into a compartment with Harry, Ron, and Hermionie, determined to spend more time with my new friends before I would have to pretend other wise for the rest of the school year. In the compartment however was a shaggy looking man asleep against the window. I sat next to Hermionie worried about this stranger.
"Who do you recon he is?"hissed Ron as he sat down.
"Professor R.J. Lupin," whispered Hermionie.
"How do you know that?"
"It's on his case Ron," she whispered back annoyed.
"Wonder what he teaches?" wondered Ron aloud.
"Defense against the Dark Arts," I state looking out the window. "Its the only vacant position."
I left them to talk amongst themselves as Harry talked about his holiday with his awful relatives and what we over heard Mr and Mrs Weasley arguing about last night. I didn't even bother to listen when they talked about Sirius Black or Hogsmead, which I still needed Dad to sign my permission slip. I had a feeling that that was going to be a mission and a half. The compartment door opened and I was half expecting the trolley lady or Fred and George but to my disgust it was Draco and his cronies.
"Well look who it is," said Draco in his usual drawl. "Potter and the Weasel. Oh and the Slytherin traitor too." I hold his grey eyed gaze before he moved back to Ron.
"I heard your father finally got some gold this summer, Weasley," said Draco. "I bet your mother died of shock? Well that's one more thing you have in common with Potter, a dead parent." Ron stood up so fast that I thought he would pounce on him. Professor Lupin gave a snort against the seat.
"Who's that?" asked Draco as he took a step back.
"New teacher," said Harry as he stood up to meet Ron. "What were you saying, Malfoy?"
He wasn't fooled though as his grey eyes became slits of steel.
"C'mon," he said to Crabb and Goyle. "Oh and Grey, Lucian was just asking where you were. It will be a pleasure to tell him what scum you'r sitting with."
"I can't wait," I say confidently, even though my insides were freezing on the inside, as they slide the door close.
No one says anything as the silent settles as the train starts to slow.
"We must be nearly there," says Ron walking to the door.
"We can't be," Hermionie says checking her watch.
"So why are we stopping?" I ask aloud.
The train continues to slow and then it stops with a clang. Harry sticks his head out the door before the lights go out. We all sit in our seats, our cold breath shining in the moonlight. The door opens to display a flying, cloaked figure with no face. Hand protruded from the black cloak reaching for Harry.I felt wind erupt for my stomach as the figure looked at me. Distant screaming erupted the compartment. before I could do anything Professor Lupin jumped out of his seat and a ghost like wolf sprouted from his wand, charging at the cloaked figure who then disappeared. The lights turned back on and the train started moving again. Harry was on the ground with Ron and Hermionie surrounding him. Professor Lupin kneeled in front of me, the scars on his face apparent in the lighting.
"Rose, are you all right?" he asked in a hoarse voice.
I nod still processing what had happened and wondering how he knew my name. He breaks a piece of chocolate and shoves it in my hand, he then walks over to Harry and does the same.
"What was that?" Harry asks.
"That was a Dementor from Azkaban," replies Professor Lupin. "Eat, it will help. I must go and talk to the driver."
We all sit solemnly until we arrive at Hogwarts after then riding in those awful carriages. I then walk quickly away from the Gryffindors, hoping no one saw me, and I sit at the Slytherin table ready for the feast. Dumbledore talks briefly about the Dementors now guarding the castle from Hogwarts and introducing Professor Lupin which caused a few snickers down the table when he stood up. As the food appeared on the table, my stomach grumbled, and I realized how hungry I was. I ate my fill of pie, tart, and roast till I was sick of eating. I follow the flow of the Slytherins down to the dungeons were I go to my usual room and sleep.