Later turned out to be that night, after the potions had been stirred and the rest of the girls in the dorm had fallen asleep.

Ellie sat on Rose's bed and braided her hair in a fancy knot, just for the sake of giving her hands something to do while Rose talked. It was just about the only thing that Ellie could do to stop herself from interrupting. Because she really, really wanted to hear the story. The other girls, tragically wouldn't have the chance to. There was a silencing charm keeping them from hearing, even if they weren't already asleep. But, it was really lovely tale. And it was building. Ellie could tell that the plot was thickening, that it was all rising to a boiling point, how it turned out that Sirius had set the whole evening up, action still slowly rising, waiting for the climax...

"... And then, he kissed me, Ellie. It was perfect. The best dinner I've ever had."

"He kissed you?!" Ellie squealed, shocked.

"Yeah," Rose replied, like it was no big deal. Liar.

"Rose! Was that your first kiss?" Ellie asked, already knowing the answer.

"And it was a damn good one," Rose replied, still feeling the excited flutter when she thought of him. She giggled. The only person who she ever did that in front of was Ellie.

"Well, what was it like?!" Ellie asked, deeply curious.

"It was..." She trailed off, looking for the right words. It took her a good minute, whilst Ellie moved, and Rose flopped down, laying down on her back and looking at the canopy.

"Satisfying, I suppose. But at the same time, too short. It felt... I dunno, comfortable, almost. It's weird to describe something like that." She had finished talking, letting her thoughts wander around more.

"Would you kiss him again?" Ellie asked, hanging on to every word.

"Yeah." Rose answered,like she was lost in dreams, but Ellie knew a little better than that.

It wasn't dreams, it was worry. They both knew that boys could be... Boys. What if it was more than a kiss next time? Sirius Black did have a bit of a reputation. Well, much more than just a bit, actually.

"Yeah, I would definitely do that again," Rose said, seeming to come back to the present. "It was just so romantic, Ellie, you would love it. And hell, I'm just gland he's not really that bad at potions. I can't imagine going a whole year with that," Rose finished, smiling.

"Well, I doubt that anything that I can do will top the day that you've had, but you still haven't gotten my present," Ellie prompted, turning the conversation back towards the gift.

Rose grinned. She and Ellie had been exchanging gifts for years. She had already received several necklaces, books, clothes, scarves, and even a ring with her name in it. Their multi-annual gift exchange was something that both of them adored, and would surely bring something amazing. Ellie was clearly anticipating this moment as well. She looked anxious as she handed Rose a square wrapped package about the right size to fit in her lap.

Rose raised an eyebrow. It felt like a book.

She tore open the paper.

It was a book.

A large scrapbook, made of a rich red leather, maybe even dragonhide.

Inside, were dozens and dozens of photographs, all moving and smiling and waving, of Rose and Ellie, and their families and some of Rose and her other friends. Also present were ticket stubs from when they had snuck in to the muggle tube, or gone to watch muggle movies, and from the time that they hitched a ride on the knight bus. There was a whole section of concert tickets from shows that they had already seen together, as well as ribbons from junior broom-racing competitions, tickets to all three world cups they'd been to, and old postcards that they had sent each other (even though they lived across the street). There were also several plants, beautiful flowers pressed flat between the pages, accompanied by strongly smelling herbs that made the book feel all the more magical.

"Oh Merlin," Rose breathed, absolutely amazed beyond any reason.

"Do you like it?" Ellie asked, nervously.

Rose continued to page through it.

"Ellie, I don't even know what to say," Rose complimented.

She got to the back, where there was a letter written by Ellie stuck into one of the pages, followed by a good section of empty ones.

It read:

Hey, Rose.
I really had to think this year about what to get you. Really, really had to think. Because, you've already got it all. Good looks, talent, smarts, everything. Well, maybe except for your singing voice. That could still use a little work. Hey, I'm just kidding. Point is, I'm absolutely the luckiest person I know, because I have you. So I thought that it would be a nice idea to give you this book, just sort of to commemorate the journey so far. And then I left some pages blank. (Yes, that was on purpose. I'm not that lazy.) Those are for all the new adventures to come. I hope you had a good birthday.
Your best friend,
Ellie.

Normally, the gift exchange was enough to practically bring one of them to tears, but this time, both of them, (and perhaps this was because it was so late at night) were practically bawling.

Rose hugged Ellie, and they stayed that way for awhile, feeling the comfort of having someone who really, truly understood them.

Someone warm and safe and there no matter what. Their friendship had been put to the test time and time again, but they had come through.

And they still would.

Eventually, Ellie wandered back over to her bed, one to the left, just past the window, socks making a quiet noise on the cold floor.

She tucked herself in.

"G'night Roo," she said, already half asleep.

"G'night Els," came the reply, already too soft to hear.

Their eyes closed to the light of the full moon coming through the window, the night still and peaceful and quiet.

Neither of them were awake for the howl that followed.

XXXXXX

This is a short chapter, but I really enjoyed writing the friendship between Rose and Ellie. Also, I'm looking for some names to use, so if you'd like me to use yours or one you like, just let me know (as well as whether you'd like them to be a good person or a horrible one). Thanks for reading, and Don't let the muggles get you down!

XXxxx

post edit: heyo here's the next edit yo. I like this chapter. It reminds me of my friends. Thanks for reading and reviewing!