Aunt Rose

10.

After classes the next day, Rose and Lily begrudgingly got ready for their dinner with Slughorn. They knew what it would entail and weren't excited.

"Ugh, do we really have to do this?" Rose whined, finishing her hair, deciding to put it in a ponytail.

"Yes. If we want to stay on his good side I think it's the best thing to do. Besides, it can't be that bad, right?" Lily reasoned, leaving the dorm.

When the two arrived and knocked on the door, Professor Slughorn opened it and smiled at the girls.

"Ah, my two favourite Evans!" Slughorn laughed heartily as he invited them in.

"Who else do you know here?" Lily asked, looking at all of the unfamiliar faces.

"No one, aside from... him." Rose responded, sending daggers toward Theodore Nott. He spent his time tormenting Muggleborns and learning dark magic. If he hadn't joined You-Know-Who yet, he would.

The boy had said his fair share of foul things to Lily and Rose, though they took to ignoring the boy.

The Evans took a seat at the table as Slughorn introduced them. "Welcome, everybody! A special welcome to our two newest members, Lily and Rose Evans!" The girls looked around awkwardly.

"Oh, how could I forget! Thank you for coming, Mr. Black!" Professor Slughorn said after a moment. Rose looked up curiously to see Regulus, Sirius's brother.

"Thank you, Professor," the boy said cooly, looking around the table.

"A shame your brother couldn't join us," Slughorn commented, taking his own seat.

"I wouldn't worry, Professor," Regulus said coldly, taking a seat next to Nott.

Their food magically appeared in front of them and all of the wizards began eating. Though Rose and Lily weren't very hungry, the whole room was quiet.

"So, Lily, Rose, what do you parents do, hm?" Slughorn asked the two, looking at them curiously.

"Well... Mums a physician and Dad's a... manager," Lily told the man. The pure bloods looked unimpressed.

"A physician you say? And a manager?" Slughorn inquired.

"A physician is like a healer but for... Muggles. And a manager manages workers, he's in charge of them. But they don't work as much as they used to," Rose explained, picking at her food.

"And why is that?" The professor asked.

"Well they aren't exactly as young as they used to be," Lily said quietly. Both girls were rudely reminded of the fact that their parents were likely going to go too soon.

The conversation moved along to some of the others in the room, about their magical parents and where they worked. All of their connections.

Eventually the girls left the dinner.

"That was terrible," Rose said, rubbing her eyes.

"Yes, yes it was," Lily replied, laughing.

"Lily-flower! How was the party?" James asked immediately as the two entered the common room.