Oliver
My mouth drops open, and my mind races. Rose looks at me expectantly, and I try to gather my thoughts to say something, but the words aren't coming. Finally, I land on, "Wow. That's… wow," and mentally cover my face with my hand because of how stupid I sound.
"Well, it makes sense. Your mum was a Muggle-born. It's too bad we can't ask her why she gave you up."
Rose nods. Just then, Harry and Ron come down the stairs and I glance at him. Now that I know my girlfriend's little brother is Harry Potter, I feel an odd sense of protectiveness over him as well.
Rose and I walk into the Great Hall and find ourselves sitting next to Fred, George, Ron, and Harry. Percy is also nearby, but far enough away to avoid the twin's antics.
Rose takes this time to start talking to Harry and I see the immediate connection between the two of them. We enjoy the Christmas morning feast, then go outside to a snowball fight where Harry and Rose team up against Ron and myself, totally schooling us. After getting some hot cocoa from the Great Hall, we make our way up to the Gryffindor Common Room, and I'm pleased to see my friends welcome Rose into the common room with open arms. We spend the rest of the day together, talking, laughing, and Rose spends most of the day getting to know her little brother. I wonder when she'll tell him.
The next couple months pass without incident. Rose and Harry get closer and she lets me in on their suspicions of Snape trying to get to the Sorcerer's Stone. Rose doesn't believe that it's Snape, but she believes it's someone in the castle. Valentine's Day comes and goes and Rose and I spend it in Hogsmeade, drinking warm butterbeer and buying each other presents.
It's getting close to O.W.L.s, which means I'm spending more and more time studying and less time with Rose. She's trying to be understanding but I can tell she's getting frustrated. It's the Sunday after my birthday that it all comes to a breaking point.
We were supposed to have a Hogsmeade date that night, but I got caught up in studying and planning Quidditch strategies. By the time I looked up and saw it was dark outside, it was already too late. I curse under my breath, shoving my books and parchment into my school bag carelessly, then run down towards the Great Hall, cursing all the way.
I messed up, I keep thinking, then stop as I see Rose in our alcove, with a tear-stained face. However, she doesn't look sad, she's seething. Her face is blushed, her eyebrows drawn, and her mouth forms a thin line as she stares me down.
I swallow, hard, as I walk towards her. Even though she's angry at me, she's still the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Even though the expression on her face terrifies me, I also just want to kiss her right then and there.
"Rose." I start, but she holds her hand up to cut me off.
"Don't, Oliver." Her voice is clipped. "One night. All I asked for was one night. A night for you to ignore your studies and be present. With me. Heaven knows you've studied and strategized enough. You could use a break. But instead, you ignore me and you lock yourself in the library. You don't even let me help you anymore."
"Rose, let me explain-"I try again, but Rose holds her hand up again.
"I'm not done yet," she says. "Oliver, when you first started talking to me, I thought it was a joke. A way to get revenge on me for hitting you at the beginning of the term, or to pull a prank on the poor Slytherin Muggle-Born, or something-"
"Rose, I would never-" I interrupt but Rose glares at me and I immediately clam up.
"I'm not done," Rose seethes through clenched teeth. "Stop interrupting me.
"I thought it was a joke. But then we got closer, and I started falling for you. I didn't tell you how I felt because I was terrified that I would lose you and all my friends. Then you pulled away. I supported you. I brought you food when you didn't want to stop studying and strategizing. I even quizzed you. All without so much as a thank you. You were too focused on your studies to see that you were pulling away from me, and I was okay with that, because I knew as soon as the O.W.L.s passed and the last game of the Quidditch season passed, you'd focus back on us.
"But, Oliver, I asked you for one night. And it was a night to celebrate you and your birthday. Did you know I reserved all of The Three Broomsticks for us? That wasn't easy, Oliver. But that wasn't even the issue. The issue is that I was sitting there, while Madam Rosmerta kept refilling my butterbeer and just staring at me with a sympathetic look. You stood me up. For your own birthday surprise." Rose laughs sarcastically, and is quiet, her chest heaving in anger as she glares at me again. I open my mouth to respond, but then Rose starts up again, and I shut it to show her I'm going to let her get everything out.
"I would much rather be lonely than embarrassed like that. Oliver, you couldn't even tear yourself away for a few hours with your girlfriend who you claim to care for. Maybe I'm not as important to you as I thought."
My mouth drops open. Rose's hand is resting on the necklace I gave her. She stares me straight in the eyes and pulls down, breaking the dainty chain in one snap.
"We're done, Oliver. If this means I don't have any more friends at school, fine. At least I'm not getting ignored when I try to do something nice for your birthday."
Rose takes my hand harshly. It hurts, and sends shivers up my arm. Rose slaps the necklace into my hand, gems down. I wince, the prongs holding the gems pressing into my palm, and stare at Rose, my heart sinking. I open my mouth to try to convince her to stay, and she shakes her head.
"Don't. My mind was made up after the second hour you didn't show. I've been sitting here for the last hour waiting for you to realize what you'd done, and come find me, so I could end it." Rose states at me for one more second, and I see her angry façade start to crack. She turns away before I can see anything else though, and walks towards the Slytherin common room without so much as a glance back.
I watch the hallway where she disappeared to and I don't move for a long time. Not until my stomach rumbles and I glance towards the Great Hall. I debate going to get some food, but decide against it. I press my wand to the necklace's chain, mutter reparo, and then make my way up the stairs to Gryffindor Tower.
When I get there, I wave half-heartedly to those who greet me, muttering some excuse about being tired, and make it to my room. I've barely cast a muffling charm on my bed curtains before I burst into tears.
That night, I sleep fitfully, waking often after dreams of seeing Rose and me in that mirror, but then Mirror Rose takes a hammer and smashes the mirror from inside, right on my heart. It's always the same dream.
The next day dawns cold, bright, and warm, and I groan. "Let me go back to bed," I complain, but I know if I stay in bed, I'll miss important lessons preparing me for my exams, and hurting my chances of a good Quidditch career after Hogwarts. I sigh, forcing myself to sit up and get dressed. Even though it feels like the end of the world, its not, and I can't ruin my future because of a break up due to my mistakes.
When I get down to the Great Hall, Rose is already inside. She's sitting at the far end of the table, and she looks about as bad as I feel. She glances up when I walk in, stares at me, then looks away. I shake my head, a surge of anger filling me but I immediately squash that. She has every right to be angry and to break up with me. She was right, I had been neglecting our relationship, and all she had done was be supportive.
I sit down next to Ron, Harry, and Hermione. "Oliver, you don't look so good," Hermione remarks and I chuckle sardonically.
"It was a rough night," I say, and Harry nods.
"You and Rose broke up, huh?" he asks, and I stare at him.
"How did you know?" I ask and he snorts.
"Rose was telling me about this dinner she planned for your birthday. She was super excited for it. But she also doubted you'd show up. She told me if you didn't show up, it would be over because she wasn't going to play second fiddle to Quidditch. Oh, and she told me when I walked in."
I nod. I'm screwed. There's no way I can fix this.
The next month passes in a blur. The few classes I have with Rose, she either avoids me or regards me with a cold indifference. Her mask from the first day of term is back. I just never expected her to use it on me.