Being part of the Weasley family, Rose was no stranger to humiliation. Matching Christmas sweaters, helicopter cousins, and prank wars left and right. There were many times throughout her life when Rose couldn't hide her red cheeks and flustered state. In those moments, the humiliation was never planned. It was spontaneous and unavoidable. Completely unlike this situation which was both planned and avoidable.
When Rose woke up that morning she felt ready. It only took a few mental pep talks and a little bit of practice in the mirror, before she felt prepared enough to leave her flat. It started fine. She got to the ministry easily enough. Nobody questioned her as she rode the elevator down. Besides a few extra whispers about her poisoned drink, everything was normal.
It wasn't until Rose stood in front of her supervisor, Helene Montague, that the plan began to crumble.
Helene was a kind older woman in her late forties. She was normally soft-spoken and worked hard to build professional relationships with everyone in the office. Her graying hair, hung like a curtain down her neck, framing her pink eyes. Her pink eyes, watched Rose expectantly as she entered the office.
Helene leaned back in her chair. She knew what was coming. That should have made it easier. Somehow it made things worse.
Acting was not one of her strong suits. Natural emotions were permanently etched on her face. To disguise them with fake ones was unlikely. Emotions were complicated enough to deal with. Trying to convincingly replicate them was even more complicated.
"Ms. Granger-Weasley, what can I do for you today?" Helene flicked her fingers, opening the door wide enough for curious eyes to sneak a peek.
Rose took a few seconds to let her eyes wander the office, giving her nerves time to build up. The mahogany desk was piled high with unassigned cases. Shelves and storage cabinets were neatly arranged behind the desk. The office was left without any hints of Helene's personal life, which Rose couldn't understand. Her own office was filled with family photos and quirky gifts she'd received over the years. If she had to spend most of her life trapped in the office, why not make it feel a little more like home?
Helene leaned forward in her chair, "Rose?"
Rose jumped and shook her head. She could do this. She could do this.
"I'm done," Rose shouted, throwing her arms out in a dramatic fashion. Files and quills cluttered to the ground behind her and all friendly chatter stopped. It wasn't out of the ordinary for Rose to yell. Her office had a permanent silencing charm placed on it, to not disturb her co-workers. It was, however, extremely unusual for her to be yelling at a superior. At least she now had everyone's attention. Just as they planned.
"Rose, please. I can understand why you are upset." Helene began.
"UPSET? Someone just tried to murder me yesterday and you think I'm upset? I'm livid, Helene. This is the seventh time an attempt has been made on my life all because of this blasted case."
"I know and I get why this is scary for you." Helene stood from her chair, reaching forward to place a comforting hand on Rose's shoulder.
Rose aggressively jerked out of her reach. Gasps erupted from behind them. Rose didn't pay them any mind. "Scary? Scary! How would you feel encountering death threats daily? And what have you done to prevent it? That bottle got through our security measures without so much as a red flag. If I hadn't been so precautious, I'd be dead right now!" Rose added a little extra growl in her voice, hoping it sounded more convincing.
"We are working on tightening security protocols now. No items, unless authorized by you, will make it into these offices."
"How long will that work before someone figures out a way to get through? I'm not okay sitting here and acting as bait." Tears gathered in Rose's eyes and she did nothing to stop them from flowing. Maybe all the death threats were finally catching up with her. She'd never say it out loud, but she'd been terrified these last few months. Living in constant fear. Always wondering who was watching her. Waiting for someone to strike at any moment. It was exhausting being on high alert all the time. Admittedly, it felt good to let the tears fall.
Sucking in a deep breath, Rose hoped Helene could see the apology in her eyes. "I QUIT!" To add to the flare, Rose flicked her wanding sending all the parchment from Helene's desk onto the floor. "Have fun finding a new wonker to take this case."
Swirling on her heels, Rose ignored the shocked expression of her co-workers. The gossiping drifted into her ears and the obvious stares heated into her back. Rose refused to acknowledge them. Instead, she focused on slowing down her breathing. One deep breath in. One deep breath out. Repeat. One deep breath in. One deep breath out. Repeat.
By the time Rose managed to shut herself behind her office door and away from prying eyes, she was near hyperventilation. Grabbing at her chest, she leaned against the door for support. She stared at the ceiling, blinking away the remaining tears and focusing on the tic of the clock.
Tick. Tok. Tick. Tok.
Minutes passed, and her breathing slowly returned to normal. Knowing there was business to be done, Rose counted to 60, giving herself one minute to break down.
When the minute passed, Rose wiped away the last of her tears and sent Harry a Patronus informing him to meet her at her flat.
Once that was taken care of, she turned toward her desk. Conjuring up a box, she began manually packing away her belongings.
Her office was a lot smaller than Helene's. It contained a single shelf and a small desk. The space was over-filled with all of her stuff. Books she'd collected over the years, empty boxes of candy she munched on during the day, her Dad's old Deluminator, a remembrall, and so many photos of friends and family that the paint wasn't visible anymore.
She'd been pushing for a bigger office for months now and hopefully, after this whole nightmare was over she'd have her pick.
Pushing up the sleeves of her robe, Rose got to work.
Twenty minutes later the box was full. It was almost depressing to see such a big part of her life fit into such a small box. The files she was currently working on for the Pious case were secretly stashed at the bottom of the box and magically disguised to the untrained eye. If anyone were to look in the box they'd see parchment covered in spilled ink.
Hiking the box on her hip, Rose took one last look at the office and wondered about the next time she'd see it. The positive side of her brain told her a few weeks. The realistic side however knew that it'd be months before she stepped foot in the ministry again.
"One step at a time," Rose whispered, before opening the office door. Like she anticipated the common area outside her office was filled with her co-workers all frozen in place, as if they were statues. As soon as they saw her, the office roared back to life. People cleared out of the area, scurrying back to their respective work areas or trying to make it appear that they were busy. Rose paid them no mind, as she walked out of the office, doing her best to appear angry and frightened.
As Rose passed Helene's office, she caught her eye. The kind woman offered Rose an encouraging nod in solidarity. Neither one of them wanted to be in this predicament. Yet, fate had a different plan set. There was nothing they could do to change it, so it was time to familiarize themselves with the paths and create a plan to conquer them.
Rose nodded in return and exited the ministry. As soon as she smelled the fresh morning air, she apparated back to the front step of her flat. The familiarity of her home wrapped her in a comforting hug. Even after yesterday's catastrophic events, her home still felt like an escape. Not many people were allowed to enter her flat, due to the excessive amount of case files she brought home.
Setting the box down on the kitchen table, Rose took a seat, resting her head in her hands, which suddenly felt too heavy to hold up anymore.
Being one of the top lawyers in the country, Rose was used to long days. Nights spent with only parchment and the glow of a candle to keep her company. She was used to the pressure building in her head and the expectations weighing down her shoulders. It was part of her daily routine and most of the time she'd handle it without a sweat. There was only so much a witch could take before she crumbled.
Maybe it was a blessing to be trapped in the safe house. At least this way she wouldn't have to face her co-workers for a long time or any more assassination attempts. She could focus on her work without any distractions. Besides a highly annoying Auror who was surely going to test her patience (not that she wasn't used to that). Minus that no distractions.
Malfoy loved nothing more than to annoy her. Whether it be tossing wadded-up balls of parchment at her head or hexing her 'atrocious' hair a more 'bearable' color. Whatever it was, as long as it ruined her day, Malfoy was all for it. Rose learned a long time ago the best method to avoid his stupid pranks was to ignore him. Unfortunately, the Weasley temper didn't often allow for that. Her temper caused her to fire back in unpredictable ways. Albus got a kick out of their bickering matches.
Rose remained at the table, trying hard to not think about the nuisance that was Scorpius Malfoy until a light tapping on the door forced her to get up.
Grabbing her wand, Rose moved to the door. Pressing her ear against it, she whispered, "When I was eight years old, I broke my arm after falling out of a tree in your yard. What was the first thing I said to you after you picked me up."
"If you make me drink Skel-a-Grow, Uncle George is going to be my favorite."
Smiling, Rose opened the door to her grinning Uncle Harry.
"You know when you told me that, I tried not to give you Skel-a-Grow. Ginny wouldn't let me."
"It's okay. I forgave you eventually. Besides, with all the pranks Uncle George has pulled on me, you've earned your spot as my favorite."
Harry chuckled, stepping into the flat. Making sure the door was securely locked he pulled his favorite niece into a hug. "Helene owled me. Said you did well. The office completely bought it. This is the most they've had to gossip about in a while."
"You mean since yesterday when a poisoned bottle was sent to my office?" Rose pulled back from her Uncle, leading him down the hall where all her stuff was piled up, ready to go.
"That was twenty-four hours ago, Rose. That's practically old news."
"Thank Merlin they bought it." Rose sighed, changing the topic. "I thought I gave it away when I threw all her files across the room."
"You threw her files?"
Rose cringed, "It wasn't thinking straight. I saw them stacked on her desk and thought it'd be convincing."
Uncle Harry burst out laughing, holding his midsection to control the chuckles. "I would have paid to see Helene's face when you sent that stack of paperwork to the floor."
"She didn't look very impressed," Rose admitted, sheepishly tucking her long red hair behind her ear.
They ceased talking after that, using their energy to grab the rest of Rose's things. They didn't have much time until their portkey was due to leave. Since the ministry could track apparations they were going to use an unregistered portkey, after Rose's 'stunt double' met them at the flat.
Rose and Uncle Harry grabbed her trunk, pulling it over by the front door. It was full of useless items. Old clothes and robes that she no longer wore. The trunk was mainly to play along with the ruse. Everything else she needed was taken by Malfoy and Al after they left last night. Malfoy groaned and complained about all the stuff she packed, which led to another heated argument. Albus was forced to break them up after Rose nearly hexed Malfoy's ears off.
Uncle Harry checked his watch, cursing quietly. "Your brother should have been here five minutes ago. We need to get to Kings Cross for the train."
Right on cue, a knock sounded at the door. Uncle Harry pulled out his wand, approaching the door cautiously. Leaning his ear against it, he whispered something Rose couldn't hear. A muffled response came in return and soon the door opened to reveal Hugo's goofy grin.
Grandma Weasley says Hugo reminds her of a young Bill. With shaggy hair, tattoo sleeves, and a jagged scar running across his chin, he was practically Uncle Bill's twin. It drove her Mum crazy to see his hair looking so disheveled. It was part of the reason Hugo kept it like that.
While his appearance resembled Uncle Bill, his personality was the perfect combination of Uncle George and Grandad Weasley. Hugo lived for the pranks. He was the ringleader behind every practical joke or silly prank. While he never missed a chance to make someone laugh, his passion lay with Muggles. Since graduating from Hogwarts he'd been working as a mechanic in their muggle grandparent's community. He even recently started dating a sweet Muggle girl he met at a coffee shop.
He bounced into the flat and pulled Rose straight into a hug. His shoulder-length red hair tickled her nose.
"This is new," Rose pointed to a lion running around on his bicep. It stopped at her touch, turning to roar at her. "How exactly do you hide this at work?
"Got it last week. Still waiting for it to settle down a bit." Hugo looked down, shrugging at the new addition. "I found this spell that temporarily freezes the tattoos. It'll work until it learns to stop moving."
"Mum's going to freak when she sees you got another tattoo."
"What Mum doesn't know will not hurt her." Hugo smirked, "If she does see it, I can let her know about the one you got on yo-"
Uncle Harry stepped between them, "Sorry to break up the reunion, but we've got to go and I'm not going to be the one to tell Hermione you got another one of those tattoos." He plucked a handful of Hugo and Rose's hair and dropped them into two separate bottles he pulled out of his robes.
Rose's stomach rolled. The one time she had to take a polyjuice potion it did not go well. Her stomach still hadn't forgotten the chunky texture of the drink.
Hesitantly, Rose reached for the cup. The liquid looked smoother than last time. The color was an icy blue, similar to the skin of a pixie. This didn't help Rose relax at all.
Hugo's nose scrunched in disgust, as he raised the glass to his nose. "Don't take offense Rosie, but you smell terrible."
Rose stuck her tongue out at her brother. "Like you're much better."
Uncle Harry rolled his eyes, making a big show of tapping his watch. They were very late.
Rose took in a big breath and brought the cup to her nose. Before she could talk herself out of it, she downed every last drop. The liquid burned her throat, leaving it raw.
The cup tipped out of her hand, tumbling loudly against the hardwood floors. Rose doubled over, clutching her stomach and coughing. Her arms bubbled. Her freckled skin disappeared only to be replaced with Hugo's tattoos.
As each second passed, a part of her melted away, as she morphed into her younger brother. She could feel her spine stretching and her toes lengthening. Every bit of her felt odd and not her own.
The burning stopped. Slowly, Rose stood up and met her blue eyes. If Rose wasn't so used to magic she would be freaked out. It is as if a mirror was placed in front of her. Was that really what her hair looked like from behind? After this case was over the first thing she was going to do was get a haircut.
Hugo glanced down at his hands and back at Rose, "This is freaky." He reached for her trunk, pulling it securely behind him.
Rose could only nod in agreement before Uncle Harry grabbed both of their arms, wheeling them to the front door. "We don't have time for this. The train you're supposed to be on is leaving in 30 minutes and our portkey soon after that. We need to go now."
Rose attempted to take one more sentimental look around her flat, but Uncle Harry yanked at her arm pulling her out the door and toward what was sure to be the worst few months of her life.
***
The smoke billowed overhead, as the train began chugging down the tracks. Hugo stuck his head out the window, offering another shy wave before disappearing back into the train. He had about an hour's journey ahead before his portkey would take him to Bulgaria. Where Viktor and Dimitar would be waiting to bring Hugo to their house. Hugo planned to stay out of sight for a few days, before sneaking back to the Burrow.
"Are you ready?" Uncle Harry leaned over.
Rose nodded. Without a word, they turned and exited Platform 9 3/4. The train station was unusually empty for a Friday afternoon. It made Rose's skin itch. She had to mentally remind herself to not check over her shoulders.
Stares lingered on them or more accurately on Uncle Harry's forehead. Thirty-one years later, the stories surrounding her family had not dulled. If anything they'd only grown. While Uncle Harry grew his hair out long enough to cover his scar, everyone knew it was still there. Eyes followed him everywhere he went. He was used to it by now. Rose was as well, but given the circumstances the extra stares set her on edge.
"Where are we going?"
Uncle Harry ignored her and kept pushing through the crowd. "We will be there soon. Just act natural and keep going."
They made small chit-chat, trying to look normal. Rose asked about his weekend plans. Uncle Harry asked about hers. Which sadly consisted of unpacking, avoiding the Ferret, and working.
They left Kings Cross going into the heart of Muggle London. The sun shined, reflecting brightly off the double-decker bus that passed by. The late spring weather brought along a nice breeze, almost like it knew Rose wouldn't be able to go outside for a long while. It was cruel and unusual punishment.
They walked for a few miles or long enough that Rose's feet began to ache. Turning and doubling back in case anyone was following them. When they reached Westminister Abbey, they stopped and ducked into an alley across the street.
"I think we are in the clear." Uncle Harry checked over his shoulder once more, before bending down to point out an empty pill bottle.
Rose scrunched her nose, "Classy."
"Unsuspecting, isn't it? We've been working on being more discreet about our portkeys."
"It's discreet alright. Not to mention unsanitary." Rose mumbled.
Uncle Harry ignored her, checking his watch one more time. "We have 15 seconds, better grab on."
Holding in her gag, Rose used two fingers to hold onto the bottle, making sure to leave enough room for her Uncle.
"3...2...1"
The wind whipped in her ears and suddenly it was like being in the middle of a tornado. The world came out of focus. Vertigo kicked in and Rose had to shut her eyes to stop the spinning. It felt like forever before there was solid ground beneath her feet.
The first thing she noticed was the smell. The sea air stuck into her nose, the moisture clinging to her sweaty skin.
She opened her eyes and gasped. They were on a shaky dock. The wood was rotten and ready to fall apart. Next to it was a small fishing boat. It rocked in rhythm with the angry sea, water sloshing through the sides. Rose had a sneaking suspicion the only reason it was still floating was because of magic.
"What is this place?" She yelled over the howling wind. She configured Hugo's muggle clothes back into robes, using them for extra warmth.
"Somewhere nobody would ever think to look." Almost gleefully, Uncle Harry hopped into the boat. He looked back at Rose and motioned for her to join him.
She hesitated before forcing herself to sit calmly in the death contraption. Water immediately soaked the bottom of her shoes. "Is this safe?" She demanded, holding onto her hair. The polyjuice potion was finally starting to fade. Her hair was getting thicker and her legs were getting shorter.
Uncle Harry pulled out his wand and tapped the side of the boat. Without warning, the rickety boat shot off into the darkening sky. Rose flew backward, barely managing not to fall into the water.
The boat slapped against the sea, throwing Uncle Harry and Rose with each bump. Rose kept her eyes peeled on the horizon, looking for any source of land.
Normally, Rose loved the water. She spent the best part of her summers at Aunt Fleur and Uncle Bill's cottage, where she would spend hours playing in the water. Her Dad used to call her his Little Mermaid. Even as an adult, Rose never missed an opportunity to be in the water. She'd much rather have swum to the safe house than deal with this.
"Are we almost there?"
"A few more minutes!"
Rose groaned, her knuckles tightening around the boat.
"This is for you." Uncle Harry pulled out a piece of parchment and handed it to her. "Destroy it when you're done."
Rose took it and read the messy handwriting.
Here at the Hut-on-the-Rock located in The Sea is the safe house reserved for the protection of Rose Granger-Weasley.
A Fidelius Charm. Brilliant.
Sucking up her courage, Rose stuck the parchment into the sea, letting the paper turn to mush and wash away with the waves.
She looked up and suddenly there was land. In the distance, Rose spotted what looked like an abandoned house on a rocky island. The jagged black rocks poked out of the sea like urchins. As they got closer, the giant hole in the side of the house and sagging roof became apparent.
Merlin, don't let this be where I'm staying, Rose thought miserably.
As luck would have it, Uncle Harry bypassed the island. For a second Rose's heart lifted, only to sink back down, as Uncle Harry maneuvered the boat back around to a dock hidden between the shadows of two large rocks.
Uncle Harry docked the boat easily. He offered Rose a hand and helped her out of the boat. Rose desperately wanted to ask questions, but the idea of a warm room called to her more.
As they walked, a magical set of steps appeared at their feet, offering an easy ascent to the house.
"When are Al and Malfoy getting here?"
Uncle Harry glanced back at her. "If things are still going according to plan, they'll be here within the hour. Since they've already been to the safe house they'll be able to apparate to the rocks without having to use the boat."
They climbed the steps, avoiding the slippery patches. By the time they reached the house, Rose was angry, annoyed, and would kill for a cup of coffee.
Reaching the door, Uncle Harry used his wand to tap the doorknob. The doorknob shrunk, disappearing completely. For a second nothing happened. Then the door began sizzling before it split straight down the middle, revealing an unexpected space.
Rose's jaw dropped. From the outside, the house looked abandoned and ready to collapse. On the inside, it was the complete opposite.
All negative thoughts left Rose's mind as she stepped through the door.
A small sitting room, with a cozy couch and a burning chimney, greeted her, wrapping her in warmth. The brown tones had a calming effect and instantly lifted her mood. A little bookcase was tucked into the corner and already filled with most of her law books. Rose ran over to it, her fingers lingering on the spines.
A staircase stood off to her right and a large doorway to her left. Through the doorway, she could see the makings of a kitchen. Abandoning her Uncle, Rose ran into the kitchen and nearly cried when she saw the coffee machine plugged in and ready to go.
The cupboards were completely stocked with her favorite foods and some unfamiliar items. She could only assume they were things that Malfoy liked. The kitchen was hardly big enough for one person, let alone two. It was going to be a pain to share the space with Malfoy. They were going to have to work on a kitchen schedule.
Straight off of the kitchen was her office. It was smaller than the one at the Ministry. With no windows and a single desk, the space was sad. Rose would need to spice it up. She'd never be able to work in such an uninspired room.
Going back into the sitting room, Rose headed up the stairs. The hallway had three doors, which she could only assume were the bedrooms and bathroom. After some investigating, Rose's hunches were spot on.
The bedroom right across the bathroom was hers. It was a simple room with pale purple walls and two bookshelves. The bed was pushed into the corner, her trunk placed neatly at the end. Rose dropped to her knees and pushed open the trunk.
Needing to keep her hands busy, Rose started unpacking her stuff. If she was going to be here a while, she would have some organization in her life.
"I see you're already getting settled in." Uncle Harry said, leaning against her doorway.
Rose smirked at him, setting her clothes into a dresser. "I'm going to be here a while, figured I'd make myself comfortable."
Uncle Harry walked into the room and sat down on the bed. "Look, Rose, I know this isn't ideal."
She didn't bother holding in her snort.
"But we aren't doing this as your paranoid family," Uncle Harry pushed on. "We are doing this because, in my professional opinion, I sincerely believe that this is the best option."
Sighing, Rose dropped down next to her Uncle. "As much as I hate this, I know it's necessary."
"What you are doing here, Rose is important. When this is all over you're going to make a big impact on people's lives." Uncle Harry wrapped an arm around her shoulder, "You're a fighter, just like your parents, and you are going to get through all of this."
For the first time that day, Rose smiled. She laid her head on his shoulders, feeling significantly more relaxed.
Rose loved all of her Aunts and Uncles dearly, but the relationship she had with Uncle Harry was something special.
Uncle Harry was quiet and awkward. So was Rose. She loved that they could sit in silence together. She loved that they didn't need to speak to have a conversation. She loved the special bond she had with her godfather and she was going to miss him severely over these next few months.
"You know Dad's going to try and make you slip up. I bet he'll figure out where I am by the end of the summer."
"I've been friends with your Dad for over thirty years, I know how to handle him."
Rose glanced at her Godfather, "Have you ever kept a secret from him?"
Uncle Harry grimaced, "Not successfully. First time for everything, isn't there?"
"Guess we are going to f-"
Rose stopped as a door slammed and Albus' voice rang throughout the house. "Uh, guys we have a little problem."
Rose and Uncle Harry glanced at each other in a panic, before dashing back toward the living room. Rose stopped at the foot of the stairs, her breath leaving her.
Al's wild hair was messier than usual. A streak of blood was splashed across his face and his shoulders rose and fell rapidly like he had run a mile. That wasn't why Rose was concerned, because leaning against Al's other shoulder was a bloody and injured Malfoy.
His hazy grey eyes glanced up, locking with Rose's. She held his gaze, momentarily frozen in shock.
Suddenly the weight was too much for Al and Scorpius Malfoy went tumbling to the floor with a pool of blood already surrounding him.