cigarettes & invisible string || golden trio era

𝐄𝐂𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐘 & 𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐅

(ps. rose is about to become very questionable but i will not stand for the slander this time—let her grieve how she wishes)

(also: i know there's a lot of new readers and I would just like to preface this is where the book starts slowly turning dark so if you need to, go back and check the TW'S at the beginning to make sure this book won't trigger you because there would be a million TW at the top of each chapter if I had to do it every time<3)

third person pov

The Hogwarts express moved quickly through the woodlands of Cambridge, the ride starting not long ago at all. In a certain Slytherin compartment sat the boys, Theodore Nott absentmindedly pulling at the sleeves of his beige sweater while watching Rose stand by the window.

He couldn't quite explain how she so visibly expressed herself through fashion, whether she was sad or happy, he could always tell. The chunky docs on her feet and the sheer tights, the oversized leather jacket and the black dress. Her long dark hair was pinned up lazily with a large clip and Theo found himself stuck in an daze of admiring her, recalling the same outfit when she played bass during second year down in the basement at Alberforth's.

But she did look different, the usual makeup loving girl wore her skin bare and appeared as if she had spent five weeks sick in a hospital from the purple bags under her eyes to the way her cheekbones abnormally jutted out. There was a new addition as well, one she had gotten at the shops in Wizarding London while drunk. Now a curve barbell was piercing in the high arch of her left brow and although Rose was often impulsive it worried Theo that there was a chance of her entering a manic state, making rash decisions.

Even as a ghost of herself though, even with hallow eyes, Theo still looked at her as if she would always be the most beautiful girl he'd ever see.

Rose kept her back to the boys as she reached into the inner pocket of the leather jacket, slipping a blue ecstasy pill into her mouth.

"What did you just take?" Whitman asks suddenly.

"My medication—forgot to take it this morning" Rose answers simply with a swallow, not hearing the exhales of relief behind her as she looked to Blaise who held out a blunt. "Thank Merlin" she muttered and placed the rolled paper in her mouth before presuming to slam her elbow into the window.

"Woah! Woah!" Draco straightens up, "We agreed ten minutes ago after you almost broke your arm that the bloody window wasn't opening"

"Just give me a fucking minute," Rose snapped and paused her hitting of glass to pull out a lighter, tuning out Whitman's voice as she lit the weed—the tobacco leaf crackling as she took a long exaggerated inhale.

"Fuck this" Rose groaned as she kept the blunt in her mouth, dragging her finger down the middle of the glass and making it glimmer as she used magic to slice it in half.

Suddenly the glass crumbled into dust and the boys all jumped slightly as high speed wind flew into the cart. Rose breathed in the fresh air as if it was her savior, turning and slumping against the half of the window still in place, her head painfully lulling back as the hair clip dug into her scalp and eyes screwed close—taking another hit of the plant.

The compartment door slung open, Hermione Granger standing with wide eyes. "There you are! Why haven't you answered any of my letters?! I've been worried sick!"