𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒔 ☆ 𝑅𝑜𝑠𝑎𝑙𝑦𝑛 𝑃𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟

𝑌𝐸𝐴𝑅 𝑆𝐼𝑋 ☆ 8

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

Rosalyn tapped the Marauder's Map and watched as it transformed from an old, raggedy piece of parchment into a brilliant map, showing everything and everyone.

She was in the dormitory, having no desire to watch Neville and Hannah cuddling all night.

She sighed, scanning the dots on the map, watching the ones labelled Ginny Weasley and Dean Thomas get very close, the same with Neville Longbottom and Hannah Abbott.

She rolled her eyes to no one, then simply watched Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini in the Slytherin common room. But where was-

He was on the seventh floor. Malfoy. Rosalyn saw him walking along the corridor and then... then he disappeared.

Completely. Off the map. She didn't know what that meant, but she was going to find out. She was just about to got and ask her best friend about it when she came to her with a different subject to discuss.

"Thought I'd find you up here, skulking."

Hermione stood in the doorway. She walked in. "What did you, Fred and George do today, in Hogsmeade?"

"What?" Rosalyn asked, trying to not let her find out.

"Don't play dumb, Rosie, you three were gone for about ten minutes in total, and though Harry and Ron were oblivious, stocking up on hiccough sweets and dungbombs, I certainly wasn't. What were you three doing?"

Rosalyn sighed, knowing that she couldn't hide any secrets from her best friend. She explained everything.

After she was finished, Hermione looked at her in her eyes and told her the truth. "You're gonna expect me to laugh, to say that you're completely right and they're completely wrong. But I'm going to say it, and it's going to be the only time you hear this pass my lips. Fred and George are right."

Rosalyn looked up. "No, they're not, Neville likes another girl now. Loves, even."

Hermione laughed bitterly. "Rosie, he doesn't. Can't you see? He's doing this to make you jealous! Because he found out that you kissed that French boy, Tristan."

"But I don't like Tristan now- I like him!" Rosalyn finally told her.

Hermione smiled, tears (for some reason) in her eyes. "I'm so, so, sorry Rosie, but your story isn't over. Neville has already fallen for you, and now, you've fallen for him. And I promise, that none of that will go to waste."

Rosalyn sighed, getting up and hugging her best friend. "Thank you," she told her, "thank you so much."

The two of them chatted, and even when Parvati and Lavender came into the dorm, they continued to chat, just the two of them, finding a way to escape reality with the other by their friendship.

☆☆☆

A little invitation had come for Rosalyn, Hermione and Harry in the mail that morning. It spoke of a dinner party for the 'Slug Club' that night.

Ron jealously watched them as they went off to the dinner. Rosalyn said to him in an undertone. "Sorry... you know, about this."

"S'fine," Ron said in an offhand tone. Rosie got the feeling it wasn't fine but she didn't think much of it.

The party was boring, basically, with Slughorn just ranting on about everyone's parents and relatives. Neville was there, Rosalyn saw, and, with a jerk of her heart, she saw that he had brought Hannah.