• • •
and then my soul saw
you and it kind of went
"oh, there you are. I've
been looking for you."
• • •
Rose was highly amused by how much impressed Harry seemed to be at The Burrow. She saw the surprised look on Harry's pale face when a mirror yelled 'Tuck your skin in, scruffy!' Or how he heard the ghoul up in the attic and Harry jumped three feet up in the air. Rose was even more amused by the way that Ginny got clumsier the minute that Harry stepped on the room.
One morning, the day they received the Hogwarts letters, Ginny had knocked her porridge bowl. Harry always pretended that he hadn't noticed, which would result in Fred and George wiggling their eyebrows at Ginny.
"Letters from school," said Arthur, passing Harry and Ron identical envelopes of yellowish parchment, addressed in green ink. "Dumbledore already knows you're here, Harry – doesn't miss a trick, that man. You three've got them, too," he added, as Fred and George ambled in, still in their pyjamas. He handed one letter to Rose and the other two letters to the twins.
As Rose read the letter, she was impressed to see that she needed to purchase the whole Gilderoy Lockhart collection. She scrunched up her nose as she saw Fred peer over to Harry's letter.
"You've been told to get all Lockhart's books, too!" he said. "The new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher must be a fan – bet it's a witch."
At this point, Fred caught his mother's eye and quickly busied himself with the marmalade.
"That lot won't come cheap," said George, with a quick look at his parents. "Lockhart's books are really expensive ..."
"Well, we'll manage," said Mrs Weasley, but she looked worried. "I expect we'll be able to pick up a lot of Ginny's things second-hand."
At this point, Rose had gotten an idea.
"Oh, are you starting at Hogwarts this year?" Harry asked Ginny.
She nodded, blushing to the roots of her flaming hair, and put her elbow in the butter dish.
"Oh, Molly, Ginny can have my first year books," Rose said as she threw a quick glance at Ginny. "They're in a perfectly good condition and I bet she can fit in my robes, too."
"Oh, Rose, you don't have to-"
"But I want to!" Rose insisted. "You lot have done everything for me since I was eleven and Ginny and I are practically sisters! Half the time I wake up using her pyjamas and the other time Gin wakes up with my socks! Remus has got all my first year things in a box at his place, Ginny can have everything in there. I'm certain I've still got some spare quills and ink-wells inside that box."
"Oh, alright," Molly replied, placing a kiss on the top of Rose's head. As Rose went to respond, Percy walked in. He was already dressed, his Hogwarts Prefect badge pinned to his knitted tank top.
"Morning, all," said Percy briskly. "Lovely day."
He sat down in the only remaining chair but leapt up again almost immediately, pulling from underneath him a moulting, grey feather duster- Errol!
"Errol!" said Ron, taking the limp owl from Percy and extracting a letter from under its wing. "Finally – he's got Hermione's answer. I wrote to her saying we were going to try and rescue you from the Dursleys."
He carried Errol to a perch just inside the back door and tried to stand him on it, but Errol flopped straight off again so Ron laid him on the draining board instead, muttering, "Pathetic." Then he ripped open Hermione's letter and read it out loud:
Dear Ron, and Harry if you're there,
I hope everything went all right and that Harry is OK and that you didn't do anything illegal to get him out, Ron, because that would get Harry into trouble, too. I've been really worried and if Harry is all right, will you please let me know at once, but perhaps it would be better if you used a different owl, because I think another delivery might finish your one off.
I'm very busy with school work, of course – "How can she be?" said Ron in horror. "We're on holiday!" – and we're going to London next Wednesday to buy my new books. Why don't we meet in Diagon Alley?
Let me know what's happening as soon as you can, love from Hermione.
"Well, that fits nicely, we can go and get all your things then, too," said Molly, starting to clear the table. "What're you all up to today?"
"Ginny and I were thinking of going to the muggle village to see some of the shops down there," Rose said, winking at Ginny. "If that's alright with you, Molly?"
"Aren't you playing quidditch with us?" Harry asked, surprised.
"Sorry, brother, I promised Gin I would spend the day with her," Rose said, giving Ginny a side hug, Ginny flushed crimson as Harry turned his eyes to her.
"Oh, of course, as long as Percy takes you!" Molly said cheerily.
Percy instantly picked up his head.
"But, Mother!" He began indignantly. "I have very important things to be finished with!"
"Oh, come one, Percy!" Rose begged. "It'll be fun! Please?"
Ginny and Rose both turned to Percy with a bug pout in their lips, to which Percy sighed and gave in.
• • •
"So, Percy, tell us, who have you been oweling non stop?" Rose asked that afternoon as they walked back from the village. They had only bought sweets which Ginny was happily eating.
"I don't know what you're talking about," said Percy as he turned his nose up in the air.
"Oh, cut it out, Perce!" Ginny huffed. "Who do you think we are? Fred and George? We know you've been talking to someone!"
"I don't want to talk about it!" Percy stomped his feet and walked faster. Ginny and Rose shared a look before bursting into laughter.
"Have you talked to lover-boy recently?" Ginny asked, chewing on her chocolate.
"I owled him earlier today, told him we would be in Diagon Alley in Wednesday." Rose shrugged.
"Will he meet us there?"
"Perhaps," Rose responded. "I'll have to wait for his letter."
• • •
Molly Weasley woke everyone early the following Wednesday. After breakfast, they pulled on their coats and Molly took a flowerpot off the kitchen mantelpiece and peered inside.
"We're running low, Arthur," she sighed. "We'll have to buy some more today ... ah well, guests first! After you, Harry dear!"
Molly handed Harry the flowerpot put he looked as confused as Rose had been the first time she learned about floo.
"W-what am I supposed to do?" he stammered.
"He's never travelled by Floo powder,'' said Ron suddenly. "Sorry, Harry, I forgot."
"I'm sorry, Harry," Rose apologized. "It slipped my mind."
"Never?" said Mr Weasley. "But how did you get to Diagon Alley to buy your school things last year?"
"I went on the Underground –"
"Really?" said Mr Weasley eagerly. "Were there escapators? How exactly –"
"Not now, Arthur," said Mrs Weasley. "Floo powder's a lot quicker, dear, but goodness me, if you've never used it before –"
"He'll be all right, Mum," said Fred. "Harry, watch us first."
He took a pinch of glittering powder out of the flowerpot, stepped up to the fire and threw the powder into the flames.
With a roar, the fire turned emerald green and rose higher than Fred, who stepped right into it, shouted, "Diagon Alley!" and vanished.
George and Rose went next, the latter nodding at Harry encouragingly before disappearing into the fireplace.
George extended his hand to help Rose out of the fireplace, she smiled gratefully at him, took his hand, and waited until Harry bursted out of the fireplace. But it wasn't him who came out. It was Ron!
"RON?!" Fred, George and Rose screeched at the sight.
"What's wrong with you lot? Why do you scream like that?" Then Ron made a quick head-count. "Where's Harry?"
"What do you mean, 'where's Harry'?!" Rose asked, her hands shaking. "He already went through?!"
"He went before me!" Ron explained. "He must've gotten lost."
Rose saw red. Her baby brother was lost, she had no idea where he was.
"I need— find Harry— could be in danger!" Rose couldn't form coherent sentences as she tried to walk away but was instantly pulled back by Fred.
"Rose— Rosie, listen to me," Fred whispered in her ear.
Percy had now come through and George was explaining what had happened. Ron was muttering something along the lines of 'This is bad!' whilst running his hands through his hair.
"If you run off now, then you'll get lost too," Fred said as held her tight against his chest. "We need to wait for mum, she shouldn't be long, but you need to breathe, Rose."
Rose's eyes were switching so violently that it was evident that she was terrified. She didn't think she could breathe correctly, but she heard George's and Ron's voices from besides her counting to three and guiding her breaths.
By the time Rose could focus again, Molly was already there, a frenetic look on her chocolate eyes.
"Arthur! You take the boys and Rose," Molly said. "We'll be right behind you."
The Weasley men and Rose ran into the crowded street of Diagon Alley, all their eyes wide opened. Rose kept passing a hand through her hair in frustration, there was too many people in the street. Rose was about to start a fire to make everyone scatter, when she saw a glimpse of messy black hair and green eyes down the street.
"There!" She shouted, starling the people besides her. "He's over there!"
They sprinted over to him, Harry turned around just before they reached him.
"Harry!" Rose exclaimed as she drew the smaller boys in her arms, she hugged him tightly. "Don't you ever do that again! You scared me!"
"Sorry," Harry mumbled as Rose let him go, but she still kept a grip on his face.
"My Merlin, Harry, you look a mess!" She said. His glasses were broken and there was ash all over his face.
"Harry," Arthur panted. "We hoped you'd only gone one grate too far ..." He mopped his glistening bald patch. Only then did Rose notice that Hermione and Hagrid were with Harry. "Molly's frantic – she's coming now."
"Where did you come out?" Ron asked.
"Knockturn Alley,'' said Hagrid grimly.
"Brilliant!" said Fred and George together.
"We've never been allowed in," said Ron enviously.
"I should ruddy well think not," growled Hagrid.
Molly now came galloping into view, her handbag swinging wildly in one hand, Ginny just clinging onto the other.
"Oh, Harry – oh, my dear – you could have been anywhere –"
After Harry allowed Molly and Rose to fret over him, The Potters, The Weasleys and The Grangers headed over t0 the bank. Rose felt stupid for not getting money out for Harry when she had been in Gringotts before in the summer, because Harry looked deeply embarrassed as he opened his vault in front of The Weasleys. Rose rejected eye contact with the twins, as she busied herself on helping Harry estimate the amount of money that he would need.
"Rose," Harry began as the were walking back to the entrance of the bank "Do you get your money from the same vault?"
"Yeah," Rose said, but then she bent to whisper something that Seraphina Morgenstern had told her. "But once we turn seventeen we'll get access to other vaults, not only the Potter family one."
"What do you mean?"
"Yeah, there's a vault inside Gringotts with the name Rose Potter etched on the door. There's one for you too, dad had one too when he was a child." Rose informed her brother.
"You mean more money?" Harry asked, feeling horrified.
"Don't worry too much about it, Harry, the Potter family earned that money," Rose said. "It's ours by law."
Harry didn't respond, but soon enough Rose had spotted Lee Jordan strolling around the streets. They agreed to meet at Flourish and Blotts before Fred and George dragged Rose over to Lee.
"Lee!" Rose cheered as she threw her arms around him.
"Alright, Rainbow-eyes?" Lee hugged Rose as tight as she had. After they finished greeting Lee they began to walk around Diagon Alley.
"Can we go have ice-cream before we start doing anything else?" Rose chirped as she dragged the boys over to the ice-cream parlour.
"Well you aren't giving us much of an option, are you?" George joked, getting a glare from Rose. Lee got strawberry flavoured, George got chocolate, Fred got Toffy Pudding, and Rose got butterbeer flavoured.
"You have an awful addiction to butterbeer," Lee told Rose as Florean handed Rose her ice-cream. Rose stuck out her tongue at Lee and licked her ice-cream.
"Who's turn is it to pay?" George asked as he dug into his pocket for spare change.
"Mine!" Rose said instantly, placing the needed amount over the parlour.
"You sure?" Fred asked.
"Yup!" Rose said as they began to walk away. "Lee paid last time."
The four walked a little further until they spotted Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop.
"Come one!" Fred and George yelled as Fred grabbed onto Rose's hand and George grabbed onto Lee's hand and dragged them all the way to the entrance.
"We have to stock up on fireworks!" George laughed.
Rose stopped on the outside of the shop.
"You lot go," She said. "I want to see the new robes in the shop next door."
"Ugh, witches!" Fred scrunched up his nose as a joke. His dementour then changed. "We'll meet you here in twenty minutes, yeah?"
"Alright, go on," Rose waved at them, but got a hold of Lee before he could go too far. "Oi! Lee, wait."
Lee cocked up an eyebrow at her. She handed him a galleon broken into sickles.
"Slip this into Fred and George's pockets, will you?" Rose asked. Lee rolled his eyes but took the money.
"You do know that they'll be pissed off once they realize that you do this, right?" Lee asked.
"I know, Lee, but i've been doing it for years!" Rose said. "Besides, I've got way too much money to last me three lifetimes, what good will it do if I can not share it with the people who house me yearly?"
"If you insist!" With that, Lee went into the shop too. Rose began to wander to the store, but she caught sight of three pairs of dark eyes staring at her. Rose instantly recognized them and she ran full speed to them, crashing into her cousin's arms.
"Amara!" Rose's voice muffled since she was still hugging her cousin.
"Don't I get a hug too?" An familiar amused voice said from Rose's left side. She let go from Amara to stare at a boy with aristocrat features and piercing brown eyes.
"Nope!" Rose beamed. "Because you get a kiss!"
"Fine with me!" Laughed Adrian before swiping Rose off her feet and diving to kiss her full on the lips.
"OK, you two, not in front of me!" Avalon said, separating the young couple.
"Wimp," Adrian muttered in Rose's ear, the latter giggling.
"I heard that!" Avalon said pointley. He then turned to Rose and kissed her cheek affectionately. "Good to see you again, cousin."
"I didn't think you'd come!" Rose told the Slytherins and Amara after shooting a quick look to make sure the twins weren't watching her from the inside of the shop.
"Mum let us drop by for a few minutes," Amara shrugged. "She said, and I quote, 'You lot are far too miserable without your little fire to brighten your day.' "
"So I take it you missed me?" Rose joked.
"A little too much," sighed Adrian as he wrapped one arm around Rose.
"What I am more interested in is asking, what are you doing here, Rose?" Avalon asked.
"I'm here with my brother," Rose explained, moving her head to see if she managed to spot him but she had no luck. "He's here somewhere with two of his friends from Hogwarts."
After some more chatter, Avalon and Amara had to drag Adrian away from Rose since they had to be back home before Seraphina sent Aurors to look for her children.
Rose laughed to herself as she watched Adrian waving her off dramatically. She took a minute to compose herself before going back into the shop, keeping her secret all over again.