The Hidden One

Christmas eve

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Well, other than having her insides twisted, she'll be fine."

"I didn't mean to-"

"We know you didn't mean to let this happen, Harry, but you just had to play hero. If you had done what we told you to do and drop the Draco is a Death Eater thing and watch Rose instead, she wouldn't have been cursed."

"I'm sorry. I-"

"I don't want your apologies."

Rose groaned at the harsh tone as she reached out and grabbed the nearest person she could find and pulled them to lay down with her. Rose didn't open her eyes, but she recognized the familiar scent as her father.

"How are you doing, Rosie?" Sirius asked softly as he moved so that Rose was curled into his side with her head on his chest.

"Sleepy," Rose murmered.

"We knew you would be," Sirius said softly. Rose murmered something random before sitting up, wincing slightly as she stretched. She opened her eyes and saw Harry anxiously looking at her. Rose sent him a sleepy smile and his shoulders relaxed some. Rose looked around and saw that she was in Ginny's room and there was a bed for her and Hermione. Rose was now wearing a t shirt she knew belonged to her dad and some sweat pants. She could tell that her face was cleaned and didn't have any makeup on it anymore, and her straightened hair was starting to curl up again.

"How grounded is he?" Rose asked Sirius as he sat up too. Harry blushed and looked at the ground.

"Oh, so grounded. Lily and James yelled at him for an hour and Dumbledore lectured him for nearly two hours," Sirius said with a small smile. "No quidditch during Christmas break and Hermione is going to be with you two at all times for a month."

"Are Lily and James here?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, Molly invited all of us," Sirius said. "She cried for over an hour when she saw Lily and James and then it started again when Reggie and Cedric showed up and she doesn't even like Reggie."

"What happened to Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle?" Rose asked.

"They're still going to be at Hogwarts," Sirius said. "Dumbledore thinks it would be too suspicious if they suddenly left, but they're in detention for the rest of the year and they're going to be watched more so that they won't attack you again."

"Stupid," Harry muttered angrily. Rose agreed with him, but she knew there was little that they could do.

"What time is it?" Rose asked.

"Umm...10 am," Sirius answered.

"I'm hungry," Rose said. "Do you mind bringing me up some food?"

"Sure," Sirius said, knowing that Rose was just trying to get rid of him so she could talk to Harry. Sirius sent the teenage boy a warning glare as he left the room, making sure to leave the door open. Harry hesitated for a second before sitting on the bed. Rose opened her arms and let Harry fall into her chest as she started petting his hair.

"It's not your fault," Rose whispered.

"It is my fault," Harry said, his voice cracking as tears came into his eyes. "It was my job to keep you safe and I failed."

"It's not our fault. You have a lot on your shoulders right now. I'm okay," Rose told him as she made him sit up. She grabbed his cheeks in her hands and wiped away the tears that had fallen down his face.

"They could've taken you," Harry said, his voice muffled because of how Rose was holding his face. Rose giggled at his voice and Harry grinned some.

"They would've had a lot of trouble getting me out of the castle. No one ever said they were very smart," Rose joked. Harry allowed himself to smile for real as he grabbed Rose in a hug.