warrior | sirius black

fourteen

fourteen

-

Rosie was relieved. 

Since OWLs were over, avoiding the Marauders was incredibly easy. With only one day left of the term, all she had to do was stay inside her dorm room, pretending that they didn't exist. Unfortunately, that also meant that talking to Severus was virtually impossible. Although Rosie already had a bad feeling that he wouldn't want to talk to her any time soon.

With not much left to do, Rosie spent her day comforting Lily, who was still heartbroken over what Severus called her. After everything that she had done for him -- standing up for him, shutting down bullies, defending his honor. 

Rosie was shattered as well. After five years of friendship and helping him stay on the right path, he had become the very thing they said they hated. She vividly remembered when Lily, in tears, had come to the two of them when a boy called her a mudblood, and Severus insisted that it wasn't true. Now, four years later, the same word that he condemned had left his lips, directed right at Lily.

And Remus. Remus, her best friend and the kindest boy she knew, who just stood there and watched. Remus, who just allowed his friends to torment another person and break the rules. 

Rosie's disappointment in all five boys was immeasurable.

Soon enough, she was back home and ready to spend some much needed time with her parents.

Elizabeth and Alexander were still incredibly cautious around their daughter, despite her pleads not to be, and were incredibly wary of leaving her alone. Luckily, Rosie loved going to St. Mungos with her mum and didn't have too many friends to hang out with.

And that's how her days were spent. Home, St. Mungos, and then back home. She found herself in a daily routing of waking up, reading the apology letters sent from Severus and the Marauders, eating breakfast, going to St. Mungos, then going back home for supper and sleep.

On this day in particular, she was extraordinarily paranoid because Remus had told her that he and the boys would be spending the day in London (near St. Mungo's) and hoped that they would run into each other. Rosie, on the other hand, was praying for the exact opposite as she wasn't mentally ready to see any of them yet.

After an unsuccessful attempt to stay at home, Rosie reluctantly accompanied Eliza to London, where she couldn't have ran faster to the entrance of St. Mungo's. Unfortunately for Rosie, they happened to run into one of Eliza's friends just as she was about to walk into the hospital. Small world, isn't it?

"Hello Augusta! This is my daughter Rosaline," said Elizabeth as she introduced Rosie to Mrs. Longbottom, Frank's mum. 

"Why hello dear, it's nice to meet you, Frank and Alice speak very highly of you," Mrs. Longbottom smiled fondly, bringing her hand out to shake Rosie's.

Rosie gave her a strangled smile, practically inching towards the magical entrance to St. Mungo's. "Thank you," the teen girl managed to breathe out, anxiously looking around the street for any painfully familiar heads. 

"I'm Mrs. Longbottom, but you can call me Augusta if you'd like," Augusta smiled kindly.

"She just finished her 5th year and OWLs, she did amazing, only one E, the rest were O's!" Eliza boasted proudly, shaking Rosie's shoulders slightly. Mrs. Longbottom looked extremely impressed as she nodded her head approvingly at the young witch.

Rosie burned light pink in embarrassment as she briefly glared at her mother. "It's not that great, really," she dismissed.

"Please, that's amazing! I wish I could've done half as good when I took my OWLs!" Augusta joked lightly, Eliza joining in. As the two women laughed, Rosie awkwardly joined in with feigned laughter, still inching closer and closer to the St. Mungo's entrance.