The Bug Collector | marauders

I Fársa

Rose didn't have to miss Sirius for long, because on her first night back at Hogwarts after Christmas break she ended up somewhere she probably shouldn't have.

Sleeping soundly next to Sirius in the Marauders' dorm room.

"Rose" Sirius' voice was soft, and deep with sleepiness.

"Mmhm?" She'd answered, as she nuzzled into him, warm under the covers.

"Rose, I need you to wake up, okay? I need to talk to you." He whispered, she made another sleepy noise, but her eyes fluttered open to meet his.

"There you are." He said, with a smile forming, he brushed some stray hairs out of her face, before speaking even quieter.

"You're the prettiest girl I've ever seen."

"You don't mean that." She said, but the smile was already there on her face, she'd tried to hide it, but it was there.

"I really do." He said, and she hugged him as tightly as she could, smile pressing against his bare chest.

"Hey, I still need to talk to you." He said, practically prying her from him, she sat back and nodded, letting him know she was listening.

He ran his hands through her hair, then held her cheek before he started to speak, Rose leaned her head over slightly to kiss his hand, it seemed to relax him, he'd obviously had quite a few things on his mind recently.

"Rose, I need to know that you're gonna to stick around through....a lot of really fucked up shit." He said, looking deep into her eyes for a moment, Rose had the feeling he was going to do something awful, and yet—

"Of course."  She said, and she meant it.

And he kissed her, deeply for a moment, before she pulled away to ask something that had been on her mind.

"I swear, I saw you chatting with Severus on the train, are you sure you're feeling alright, Siri?"

"Perfectly fine, Love." He said, placing little kisses along her cheek, making her smile.

"Okay." She said, finally able to hug him again.

—

She returned to her own dorm right before the sun came up, and when she did she was met by Ode and Stephone, who were already awake and getting ready.

"Godric, Rose, what happened to you?" Stephone asked, Rose looked back at her with confusion.

"You want us to help you cover those up?" Odette added, pointing towards Rose's neck.

Oh

"Is is really that bad?" She asked as she took a peek at herself in the nearest mirror.

"Oh it is." Rose said as she looked at the plethora of small bruises along her neck and collarbone. Results of earlier that night with Sirius, much before their talk.

"Yeah, come here." Stephone said in a annoyed, and almost mothering tone. She then brought out her wand and whispered a charm to help conceal the marks before giving Rose a disapproving look.

"Thanks." Rose said gratefully as she began to prepare for the day.  

—

Days in preparation for a full moon were always different.

The boys were usually preoccupied, but this time was different all on it's own.

Rose felt on edge all day, an uncertainty was creeping through her every time Sirius smiled at her from across the table or in the halls.  When classes were over for the day, and it turned dark out she could barely sit still.

The boys and Moony were already gone, through their passage to the shrieking shack, the old dilapidated building were Remus spent his transformations, his lads at his side, in their animagus forms.

They still didn't allow Rose to join, no matter how many times she'd asked over the year.

She'd tried to sneak out there with them once, she transformed before they left and curled around James' wand in his pocket, her plan was blown when he reached for his wand. James screamed like a little kid when he felt the scaly creature that was Rose in his pocket, he lifted his wand out and she tried to make an innocent little face, hissing quietly.

It didn't work, James sat her down and told her to go back to the castle, and she did.

She'd considered working in the greenhouses to ease her mind, but you could hear Remus' howls from there. Her stomach turned and as the darkness deepened outside. Unable to shake this sense of doom, she practically ran to the Marauders' dorm, searching hastily for the map as he tried to ignore the moonlight shining through the window, mocking her now as it mocked Remus always.

She found the map and grabbed for her wand, tapping it to the blank parchment.

"I solemnly swear, I am up to no good." She said, and it opened, displaying the whole of the Hogwarts grounds, even the surrounding areas she had added herself.

She checked for the boys, past the angry looking willow tree in a shabbily drawn shack, and there they were, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin.

They were not alone.

Another name continued making it's way closer and closer to the boys, crossing the yard, making it's way to the whomping willow.

Severus Snape.

"Mischief managed." She said quickly, stuffing the map in her pocket before grabbing the invisibility cloak from it's usual place and running out of the room under it.

She ran through the empty corridors, the sound of rain on the roof echoed throughout the castle like ghosts, the reflection of water on the walls haunting. She ran out of the castle, ran until she heard howling, through the passage under the willow and down to the shack where she finally saw Severus standing there.

"What are you doing here?!" She asked, pulling him to a far corner of the entrance, knowing Moony was in one of those rooms, and the other marauders would be close by, perhaps even outside.

"Black told m—" He began but Rose cut him off, afraid of what he might say if he finished.

"Oh never mind that, let's just go." She said, throwing the cloak over the two of them.

That's when she heard it, the snarling of a starving animal that had just seen something weak enough for it to take down.

She'd quickly looked around the room when they entered, but not behind them.

Why hadn't she checked behind them?

She felt a sensation that was usually a bit ticklish, but not frightening, something behind her that felt like an animal sniffing them.

She closed eyes tightly, and clung to Severus next to her, damp hair sticking to her face, raindrops from their clothes making small dots on the ground. She's never known he smoked until then, but being that close, she smelled the familiar scent of smoke all over him.

She tried to suppress her breathing and shaking as the snarling continued.

Then the sound of what appeared to be hooves clomping loudly from another room got the attention of the werewolf.

Thank you, James Potter.

The large creature, that Rose had to remember was really her dear friend, made it's way across the room. Rose covered Severus' mouth before taking the map out of her pocket and shoving it to his chest.

"Take this, and the cloak and run." She commanded in the lowest whisper she could manage.

"What about you?" He asked just as quietly.

"Just go. Run. I'll meet you in the castle later." She said as she pushed him towards the exit, he left safely.

Rose breathed out a sigh before transforming into her snake form, plopping to the ground, and slithering towards the noises she could hear, a dogs angry bark, and the shuffling of stag hooves. 

He did this.