House Pride

Chapter One

September

Boarding the Hogwarts Express, Rose Prichard felt an overwhelming sense of dread. This was not because of the upcoming school year, or the fact that Hogwarts was once again getting a new professor to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts, and not even the rumor that Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban. No, Rose was sick with dread because she had promised her twin brother John that she would ride to school with him and his friends.

"You really should be more friendly with them, Ro," he'd said. "They don't hate you, they just don't know you."

"They don't hate me," Rose quipped. "How charitable of them."

John's friends, Lee Jordan and the dreadful Weasley twins, absolutely did hate her, but their hatred towards Rose was in an arms race with Rose's hatred of them.

"They like you!"

"Like tormenting me."

It wasn't necessarily uncommon for members of the same family to be sorted into different houses. Padma and Pavarti Patil were in Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, respectively. However, a set of twins being sorted into Slytherin and Gryffindor had proved itself difficult, to say the least.

John was outgoing, loveable, and a little bit dumb. A perfect Gryffindor. Though quite kind and outgoing herself, Rose looked like a somber rainy day next to her brother's sunny disposition.

Another issue Rose found with being a Slytherin sister to a Gryffindor twin brother, was that the rivalry between the houses did not cease when the twins Prichard were sorted. For a noble house, Gryffindors were certainly not above glaring angrily at any Slytherin that dared be near them. The direct family of one of their own not excluded.

Rose takes one look at John's pout and relents. John wears his emotions right up front, and Rose can't stand to make him upset.

"I'll sit with you, sure, but I'm not promising friendly if they're not friendly first."

And that was that. All the way from her home to the platform and boarding the train, Rose felt her stomach sink at the thought of an eight-hour journey filled with the howling laughter of Fred and George Weasley. Laughter that is likely to be at her expense.

"There he is!" Likely Fred, though possibly George exclaims as he rises to greet John on the train.

"How have you been, Johnnyboy?" Likely George, though possibly Fred asks, still seated.

Maybe Fred claps John on the back before reclaiming his seat next to Maybe George.

Rose's face remains in a straight line, seconds dragging on as her brother and the two ginger menaces catch each other up on their summer apart. John takes a seat across the table from his friends, leaving his sister alone in the doorway.

Just as Rose has absentmindedly begun to play with the hem of her dark green cardigan, she hears John blessedly bring her into the circle.

"Do you mind if Ro rides with us?"

Before either of the Weasleys have a chance to answer, Rose pipes in.

"It's completely fine if you don't want me to, I do have friends of my own, you know."

Maybe Fred laughs, "Suuuure you do."

John clears his throat pointedly, though Rose is unsure whether it is directed at her for trying to back out of her promise or at Maybe Fred for his retort.

"Please," Maybe George says gently, "Stay. You probably don't have a choice now. Train's full up." He nods towards the doors closing behind what looks to be the last group of students.

Lee Jordan is among them, quickly approaching, and Rose is suddenly occupied with a new worry. Where will she sit?

John has already taken the window seat across from the Weasley twins, even though he knows that Rose is prone to motion sickness. The only other window seat available is cozy to the right of Maybe George.

Quickly, Rose thinks over her options, a cunning Slytherin with the singular goal of avoiding motion-sickness in front of her brother's friends. The best route, she decides, is to suck it up and sit next to a Weasley.

"Do you mind if I sit next to you?" She asks Maybe George. "I'd prefer the window seat if you don't mind."

The twin nods.

"Thank you," Rose hesitates, kicking herself for even starting to address the mystery twin by name.

The twin laughs, "Fred." Not missing a beat.

"He's lying," John says, pitying his sister just a bit. "That's George."

Rose huffs, "Thank you, George." but her words are drowned out by Lee Jordan's entrance to their car, and Rose has once again become invisible.