• • •
She's just a kid,
she's not supposed to be a hero.
• • •
"Wake up, Rose!" A scream sounded through the girl's dormitory the day after Rose had woke up. After she had lunch with Adrian, she returned back to the common room and slept the rest of the day.
Rose jumped out of her bed, her eyes searching the screamer's voice. Rose's eyes landed on Angelina, who had a big grin on her face. Angelina ripped the covers from Rose.
"Up you get, Rose!" Angelina shouted. "We've got a big game today and if we're late Oliver's gonna kill us!"
Angelina darted out of the room.
Rose stood up from her bed and in through their bathroom, her back still ached and her eyes were heavy, but she knew she had to be on the quidditch pitch as soon as possible. She also had to talk to the twins and Lee since she hadn't talked to them since she woke up and she reckoned they would be worried.
She trotted down the stairs with Adrian's jumper on her hand, she had forgotten to give it back the day before.
The common room was full, the quidditch team was huddled up near the dead fire-place, probably receiving a pep-talk from Oliver. Every Gryffindor in the room were dressed in their usual scarlet red from head to toe, it was too hot for scarfs but some people had tied their school ties over their foreheads, some girls had used their own ties as hair-tie or a necklace.
Oliver was the first to notice Rose when she staggered towards her team. His eyes were filled with excitement so much that Rose thought he might burst soon.
"Rose! Blimey, thank Godric!" Oliver shrieked as he pulled the girl towards them from her free arm.
"Rose!" Fred yelled the instant he caught sight of her. He hugged her tightly, not noticing the jumper on Rose's arm. George soon joined the hug, letting out sighs of relief as he did so.
"Alright, you two, let her go!" Oliver insisted, releasing Rose out of the twin's arms. Oliver gasped suddenly, he pointed at the green and silver jumper that was hanging from Rose's arm. "What is that?!"
Suddenly the whole team had their attention on the jumper, Rose felt her eyes shift to magenta and her cheeks grow faintly red.
"A friend of mines lended it to me after I left the hospital wing yesterday," she mumbled, not making eye-contact with the twins. "I was gonna give it back before the game."
"Who's the friend?" Fred questioned, she was forced to look at him.
Before she could reply, Oliver out his hand up.
"That's not important," He said. "Make sure you have breakfast quick before you go down the pitch, you have twenty minutes."
That said, Oliver, Alicia, and Angelina left the common room, Fred and George stayed behind, eyeing their friends curiously.
"What?!" She snapped, not intending to sound that rude.
"Nothing!" Fred defended instantly, George was staying quiet. "You gave a scare yesterday, that's all. Madam Pomfrey said no one could visit."
"Oh," Rose mumbled, she felt guilty about not telling her best friends about Adrian, but Rose knew that they'd go into a right state if she did.
George, sensing the awkward silence they had entered, spoke, "Would you like us to come with you for breakfast, Rose? We don't mind."
"No, that's alright." Rose replied, fidgeting with Adrian's jumper. "Go to the pitch with Oliver, i'll catch up there."
"Sure?" Fred asked, his eyes wary. Rose nodded and both boys were out of the common room in a flash.
She cracked her neck to the side to see if Ron or Hermione were in the common room, but instead she saw Amara walking towards her. Amara's eyes were dark as usual, but there was a small grin plastered on her face. Rose raised up her eyebrow to the Morgenstern girl, but Amara simply stood beside Rose.
"Lucky save," Amara said casually, nodding in the direction Fred and George had gone through. "You wouldn't want Weasley to know you were with lover-boy, would you?"
Amara's tone was a teasing one, Rose knew Amara didn't intent to hurt her feelings.
"How'd you know I was with Adrian?" Rose questioned, walking off to the Great Hall with Amara by her side.
"I saw you when he came to drop you off yesterday, besides you've got his jumper on your arm." Amara shrugged, staring straight ahead of her.
"Hmm," Rose nodded.
"Have you read the letter mum sent?" Amara asked.
"No," Rose replied shortly, she had forgotten all about the letter since she had buried it deep inside her trunk. "I haven't."
"You should," Amara recommended. "Mother has some things she needs to speak to you about in that letter, and it concerns next holidays so I suggest you read it and reply as soon as you can."
"If it's so important then why don't you just tell me what the letter is about?" Rose snapped at her cousin, who still had a calm expression on her face.
"That's not how things are supposed to you, young cousin." Tutted Amara. "We've got to bring you back into society the right way."
"I still don't understand what that means," Rose muttered angrily.
"Don't you worry," Amara sighed as they reached the Great Hall. "You will."
Rose pulled a face at her, but said nothing. Both Gryffindors sat down at their table, it was still full with food.
Rose sat at her usual seat, but not with her usual people. Amara took a seat next to her, piling food on her own plate as she did so. No one around them seem to found them sitting together odd, they were both Gryffindors either way.
"You know," Amara said half-way through breakfast. "Avalon says you're good at quidditch, like your dad."
"How'd you know about my dad?" Rose asked seriously, her eyes hard as stone.
"Mother talks about him sometimes," Amara shrugged.
"Why?"
"Mum plans on telling you over the holidays, that's why you need to read the letter." Amara replied cheekly.
Rose huffed and stood from the table.
"Fine!" She snapped again. "I'll read the bloody letter right after the game but for the love of Godric, Amara, give me a break!"
The red-head walked away towards the pitch, she was tired, her head and her legs hurt, but she had to be in the game. After all Oliver had already lost Harry since he was still in the Hospital Wing. Adrian's jumper was now on her, she had decided that the morning was a little chill.
Rose stalked towards the corridors, her now mid-back length red hair resting in an always mess of curls, was flying around the faster she walked. The students who were walking around her towards the pitch sprung out of her way as they saw the determined and cold look that reflected inside her blood red eyes.
"Rose!" A shout filled the corridor, her eyes shifted to a navy blue colour.
She turned around quickly and smiled at her favourite Slytherin.
"Alright, Pucey?" She smirked, waiting for him to catch up on her step.
"Alright," Adrian replied, walking besides her. "Is that my jumper?" He pointed at what she was wearing.
Rose looked down instinctively and felt a familiar crimson colour rising up her cheeks. "Erm, yeah. I promise I had the intention to give it back but it got cold inside the Great Hall, would you like me to give it back now?"
"Nah, you keep it!" Adrian waved off, smiling at Rose as he did so. "You off to the pitch?"
"Yeah," Rose replied, tying up her messy hair in a high pony. "We'll smash Ravenclaw, for sure."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Lightbourn." Adrian teased. "Ravenclaw's been upping their game for some time."
"So have we," Rose shot back, cracking her neck and rounding her shoulders a couple of times to stretch before the match.
"You haven't got Potter now," Adrian continued to tease.
"We'll manage," Rose assured the Slytherin, she went to straighten her right arm but she felt a pain shot just below her shoulder near her ribcage. She gasped loudly and she dropped her arm immediately, clutching her sore spot and freezing in the spot.
"Rose?" Adrian had stooped walking too and was eyeing Rose's hand above her ribcage. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know," Rose breathed, she turned her head behind her to make sure no one was around. She took a deep breath and liften the side of her jumper, just above her ribcage, and revealed a horrible spreading big yellow purplish bruise snaking its way down her torso.
"Bloody hell," Adrian gasped as he hurried to examine Rose's horridius bruise. His dark eyes were frenetic and Rose knew what he was about to say. "We have to get you to Madam Pomfrey, clearly she didn't see this bruise!"
"No!" Rose interjected instantly, pulling down her jumper. "It's fine, I can still play."
"Are you mad?!" Adrian shrieked. "That bloody thing is covering your whole side, Lightbourn!"
"I said it's fine!" Rose bellowed, but Adrian could see the faintest glister of tears on her red eyes.
"It is not 'fine', Rose, I am taking you to Madam Pomfrey whether you like it or not!" Adrian insisted, hardening his eyes.
"I'll go after the match!" Rose tried to convince him as they began to walk again.
"Of course you bloody won't, you lunatic!" Adrian countered.
"Leave it, Adrian!" Rose grumbled as she walked away. "You can't make me go!"
"You wanna bet?" Adrian called as he got ahold of Rose's slender wrist, pulling her back to him by her good arm.
"You wouldn't dare," Rose whispered, eyes hard as ice.
"Oh, yes I would!" Adrian stated, gripping Rose's wrist tighter the more that she tried to pull away.
"Let me go, Adrian, I promise that I'll go straight after the match." Rose insisted softly.
"What if you get hurt during the match?" Adrian inquired, loosening his grip on her wrist.
"I won't," Rose assured him, flashing him her most charming smile.
"Rose-"
"Do you trust me?" Rose interrupted.
"You know I do, Lightbourn." Adrian sighed. "But-"
"Then trust that I will be fine," Rose added. "You can walk me to the Hospital Wing after the match if you're so worried."
"Fine," Adrian gave in. "But if I see you so much as wince I'm telling McGonagall to take you out the game!"
"Deal," Rose grinned, leaning forward and pressing a peck on the Slytherin's cheek. She pulled back, smiled, and walked away.
"Wish me luck!" She yelled as she walked off to the changing rooms.
"Good luck!" Adrian yelled back, a silly grin on his face.
"I don't need it!" She countered, turning her head for a split second to pull a face at the boy before entering the changing rooms.
• • •
"It's a beautiful day for Quidditch today, lads!" Lee Jordan yelled from his commentator stand. "The players are already in the pitch, Gryffindor Captain, Oliver Wood, is shaking hands with Ravenclaw Captain, Michelle Mcconnell!" dew
"Nice clean game, you know the rules!" Madam Hooch said as she blew her whistle and the players were off.
"There goes the quaffle with Chaser Johnson from Gryffindor, closely followed by Chaser Bradley from Ravenclaw!" Lee screamed into his microphone. "Today, Katie Bell is playing as seeker for the Gryffindor team since one of our star players, Harry Potter, was injured trying to save the school, how brilliant is that?!"
Cheers erupted from the stands, but Rose's only focus was on keeping any bludgers away from her.
"Did you know that our star chaser, Rose Lightbourn, helped Harry Potter in the events—"
Rose stopped listening after that, the pain on her torso had become almost unbearable, her head was spinning but she had a strong grip on her broom, making sure she wouldn't let go by accident.
Ravenclaw caught the snitch shortly after that, twenty minutes into the match to be exact. The team was lowering their brooms with their heads hung low, but Rose couldn't meet their eyes. Her only focus was on getting to Adrian, who was patiently waiting for her in the exit of the pitch.
No one spared him a glance as they walked past him, but Rose fell right into his arms, letting her broom fall on her feet. Adrian hung her arm over his shoulder and slid an arm around her waist, holding her up.
Oliver Wood was the first one to catch a glimpse of them, he stalked over to the pair and folded his arms over his chest.
"You didn't even try, Rose!" Oliver scold, even if Rose could only hear bits and pieces of what he was saying. "Angelina passed the quaffle to you at least five times but you only threw it right back at her!"
"Oliver," Rose breathed, laying her head on Adrian's shoulder, his jumper tightly wrapped around her again.
"Look, mate, leave her alone, alright?" Adrian interfered, glaring at Oliver. "She's not feeling well."
Adrian didn't waste a second more before he dragged Rose up the the Hospital Wing, her hair fell over her head but she kept muttering two words.
"I'm fine, i'm fine," Rose mumbled breathlessly, she was walking but all her weight was on Adrian.