The Hidden One (2)

babies

"I thought you weren't coming until noon!" Rose said brightly as she squeezed her friend.

"I told Ron that I would be apparating instead. I guess he didn't tell you," Hermione said. Rose pulled away to slap Ron's arm, allowing Hermione to say hi to Harry.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Rose asked, pausing between each word to slap Ron's arm.

"Stop hitting me!" Ron said as he moved away. Rose narrowed her eyes as she stopped hitting her friend. "And I was going to tell you, but you two were too busy this morning."

"We weren't busy," Harry said with a roll of his eyes.

"Then why was your door closed?" Ron asked. "You didn't even let Tillie sleep in your room."

"Because we were talking last night and we didn't want you to hear," Rose said truthfully, but Ron scoffed, not believing her.

"Anyways," Harry said loudly. "How is Hogwarts, Hermione?"

"It's strange still, but almost normal," Hermione answered as she sat at the table, everyone following suit. "It's strange to not have you three there, and it's extra strange to have the same classes as Cedric, Ginny and Luna."

"Is the castle finally fully repaired?" Ron asked as he grabbed Rose's abandoned bowl of cereal and started eating it.

"Yeah, they finished about a week ago," Hermione answered. "Some of the teachers and students drew a mural of everyone who died in the war on the wall. That way we can always remember the war and what the castle used to look like."

"Aly says that we should go visit," Rose said softly. "But I don't think I'm ready."

"I'm not," Harry said. "That's part of the reason I postponed auror training. I'm just not ready."

"Me too," Ron admitted. "I did one week of training and broke down, so I have a hear to decide if I want to keep training or find another career."

Rose frowned as she remembered the week that Ron had trained. He always come home with a haunted look in his eyes, and he barely talked to her or Harry. At the end of the week, he went into a rage, crying and screaming. Harry had to stun Ron after he tried to punch a window, and they all decided that he needed a break.

"Seamus had to go home for a week earlier in the semester," Hermione said. "He walked into the DADA room one day and froze before walking right back out, crying and freaking out. Dean was barely able to console him, so he left for a week."

"Are they finally together?" Ron asked, referring to Dean and Seamus.

"We're not sure," Hermione said with a shrug. "They hold hands, and Neville says that they typically sleep in the same bed, but they haven't told any of us if they're official."

"Oh, so like you two," Rose said as she sipped some of Harry's coffee. "Never officially going out."

"Actually, we've been dating since before Hermione went to school," Ron admitted. Rose choked on her coffee, causing Harry to slap her on the back.

"You're what?" Rose croaked out as she wiped her mouth and coughed.

"We decided not to tell anyone just in case, but I asked her out before she went on the train," Ron said.

"Great timing, mate," Harry joked, looking ecstatic for his friends.

"Please don't be upset," Hermione said, seeing Rose's frown. "You two didn't tell us you were dating at first either."

"Yeah, but that was for a few days, not a few months," Rose said harshly, trying to hold back her tears.

"Rose, we're sorry," Hermione apologized as Rose stood up and went upstairs. Rose could hear hurried footsteps behind her, and she knew they belonged to Hermione. Rose left her door open as she climbed into her bed and cuddled under her covers. Hermione softly closed the door before sitting on the bed.