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september 2002
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There was one year when Rosemary didn't want to celebrate her birthday.
She had just learned the truth of childbirth and the risks it might hold. She has known from a young age that her biological mother had died in childbirth but Rose never truly processed it until she was fourteen and her sex health teacher explained the risks.
She was just some days from turning fifteen, and Rose didn't want to celebrate it. She has never had a relationship or any feelings towards the woman who brought her to this world since she never got to know her but that birthday, she felt guilty.
Funnily enough, it was also the year Rose met Theodore.
The guilt Rose held inside her however left as fast as it had come. Her mothers explained her that nothing about what had happened was her fault and she shouldn't, under no circumstances, blame herself.
Getting to know Theo also had a big impact on forgetting about her guilt. It was only three days of knowing each other and Theo told her about how his mother got ill after giving birth to him and died some time later.
In 2002, Rose wanted to celebrate her twenty-first birthday with a blast. She had everything planned out; she would wake up, have a phone call with her mothers, eat breakfast, pack and head to the station with Theo since their train to London was going to leave at two in the afternoon.
"Hello?" Said a very sleepy Rose on the phone.
"Happy birthday Rosie!" Mimi Ellen and Mima May cried over the phone, making Rose nearly jump.
Rose had woken up just a few minutes ago when the smell of fresh coffee wakened her senses. She didn't even have enough time to realize it was her birthday until the phone rang and Theo called her to answer.
Rose blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the light and loud voices coming over the phone. She loved her mothers but they can be loud from time to time. Worst times are always in the mornings; they nearly caused Rose some headaches.
"Thank you," sighed Rose once she had recovered from her mothers' well-wishes.
"We miss you terribly," sighed May.
Rose smiled at the words. "I miss you too but Christmas is just around the corner. We will see then."
The phone call lasted an hour and by then, Theo had managed to pack his bags for their trip to London. He was terrified and knew that if he would tell Rose that he didn't sleep at all last night because of the trip ― she would probably cancel it. Theo didn't want that so he swallowed his feelings ― it's not like this was the first time he has done that.
Showing emotions or having feelings were strictly forbidden in the house of Nott. Theo's father would hit him with a belt if Theo was to show any emotions.
An exhausted Rose dragged her feet against the hard floor as she found her way to the kitchen table. She sat down, a coffee mug in her hands, sparkle in her eyes.
"When does the train leave?" She asked grinning like a little child.
Theo chuckled a little, running his fingers through his hair. "In two hours."
Rose's smiled widened and she reached for Theo's hand. She caressed his palm with her thumb. "I know that going there isn't easy to you, so I am really grateful that you are doing it. I appreciate it."
"I know you do," said Theo with a small smile. "And you are right, London is a big city. I'm sure I won't run into anyone I used to know."
"Exactly. And if you do, I can flip them the finger and make them go away," smirked Rose.
The image of Rosemary Venice flipping a finger to his old friends was a very amusing image. His friends weren't the ones Theo wanted to avoid so badly ― or they were but they weren't as bad as his father but the worst imaginable people Theo could run into were the Malfoys.
While Theo's father was a bad one to run into, and the man would most likely just curse Theo's existence while the Malfoys would be happy to see him ― but hurt and disappointed. Theo didn't like to disappoint his best friend's family. And he will since he was dating a muggle and had ran off all those years ago.
"I would really appreciate that," said Theo with a smile.
The blonde grinned before leaning to give her boyfriend a kiss on his lips.
"I have to pack the rest of my stuff," she muttered against his lips.
Rose packed several books ― she figured she needs them for all the reading she was going to do on the way to London. She as going to miss a few days of school but she had decided not to care too much. She has never missed school, not even when she's been sick. That much of a perfectionist she was.
When she was around thirteen, her mother's were slightly worried about her need to perfect in everything. Rose saw a therapist briefly who came to the conclusion that because Rose's biological father didn't care to have her ― she needed to prove she was worth it.
Rose denied this but subconsciously she knew it was true from some parts.
Theo locked the door of their apartment and dropped the keys to Inez's before leaving the building.
The breezy October air felt fresh against Rose's face as she and Theo headed to the train station to catch their train. Since it was a Sunday, the station was filled with people who had spent their weekend somewhere else than Cambridge and were now heading to their weekly lives. Rose and Theo however were going to take a little break from their reality and were going to spend the next three days in London in honor of Rose's twenty-first birthday.
Rose had her hands full with her bags and the extra cup of coffee she had just bought from the little café around the corner. The amount of coffee Rose Venice drinks is unhealthy.
They looked for their train for about ten minutes before noticing it.
Theo's heart skipped a beat when he thought he saw a scarlet red train with a steam engine but when he blinked his eyes a few times, he only saw a normal train instead of the Hogwarts Express.
With some guidance provided to them by Rose ― the couple found their places and put their belongings on the hat track just above them.
Once settling on their seats, Rose took out her favorite book, Anna Karenina.
Theo had tried to read it once to understand why she loves that book but didn't make it even to the hundredth page before giving up. He thought the writing was odd, the words were poorly chosen (Rose thought they were well chosen) and he didn't really care too much for romances, in books that is.
"You have read that book about a hundred times," said Theo who was settling for a crossword. "I would think that you want to read something new."
Rose rolled her eyes before focusing back to her book. "I do read other books as well. This one just happens to be my favorite and I will continue reading this until I'm old and gray and the book is all worn out," she stated. "Anna Karenina is staying."
"I never said she shouldn't," smirked Theo, earning a careful kick on his shin. "Hey!"
"You offend Anna Karenina, you get a bruise," said Rose.
The train took off and soon the sight of the train station changed into one of buildings and soon the landscape was filled with meadows. Rose didn't really pay any attention to the landscape since her nose was buried to her book but Theo did look at the meadows and fields.
It soothed him and he needed it.
His past nights have been sleepless. Every time he closed his eyes in the depth of the night ― he could see three blondes standing close enough for him to touch them. Every time he extends his hand to hold his best friend's, they disappear and he wakes up.
Theo knew that his own disappearance wasn't fair towards his best friend's family but he had no choice.
His father wasn't going to fight for him the way Lucius Malfoy fought for his son.
Theo didn't have a mother who looked after him the way Narcissa Malfoy looked after for her son. Narcissa did care for Theo and was a mother figure to him but it was still different than to have his own mother with him. He didn't even remember her.
"A word Archimedes invented..." muttered Theo while he scratched his scalp with his pencil.
Rose arched her brow and glanced at Theo through her glasses.
Theo felt slightly stupid in this new world of his, although he has been there for a few years now. In Hogwarts, they didn't teach any skills of normal survival but the ones magic provides. Theo's education focused on how to brew a potion or how to learn to levitate things with a flick of his wand.
Swish and flick ― he remembers Professor Flitwick instructing him on his first year of Hogwarts.
That seemed like a lifetime ago.
"'Eureka," said Rose and Theo's eyes left the crossword he was trying so hard to finish. "That's the word Archimedes invented," she continued.
Theo gave her a grateful smile. "How are you so smart?"
"Overachiever," smirked Rose.
"I know that," said Theo grinning. "But why?"
Rose shrugged. "I like knowledge, I guess. If someone asks me something, I like to know the answer. It makes me feel powerful. Like I have some power."
Also Rose thought that if her brain was so full of knowledge, the magic that pulses in her veins would finally fade away. So far that hasn't happened but a girl can hope.
"Besides I wasn't homeschooled by some oaf," said Rose.
The subject of Theo's education has come up a few times and since Theo couldn't just tell Rose that he had attended a magic school ― he told her that he was homeschooled.
The train ride didn't last too long and soon the couple had reached King's Cross Station. While Rose was squealing of excitement ― the realization of actually being in London hit Theo like a bus. He followed Rose out of the train and into the platform seven which wasn't too far away from that one platform he had visited a few times in his life.
Rose led them inside the station and away from the platforms which comforted Theo a little but it still didn't erase the memories of his past.
They left the station once getting directions to their hotel. While Theo wanted to take a taxi straight to their hotel ― Rose insisted on going by an underground. She was going to make this trip as touristy as possible.
"But I don't know which one to take," said Theo.
He and Rose were staring at a big map on the wall of different underground lines. Rose was slightly surprised to hear Theo say this ― he has after all spent a lot of time in London when he was a child but then again he didn't even know how to clean a table when he first arrived to Fjällbacka.
Rose never asked too much about his inability to do simple chores and just thought he was so spoiled and grew up among many riches that his family had servants and help.
It took them nearly an hour but they made it to their hotel which was located at the veery heart of London. They couldn't had afford it if it wasn't for Mimi Ellen and Mima May who insisted of paying their accommodation because it was Rose's birthday after all.
They checked in and took an elevator from the lobby to the sixth floor. The elevator was playing some jazzy piano music and you could see the front lobby from the elevator as the glass walls showed everything around it. Once they got to their floor, they headed straight to their room and Rose crashed on the king sized bed.
"I love London," she sighed dreamily.
Theo rolled his eyes and sat on the bed. "You only saw the station and an underground."
"Yes but I still love it," smirked Rose.
Rose has been in London a couple of times ― one being the time she was born. As a child, she visited London to see her doctor because she used to be ill. It all was a outcome of her being born too early and for not receiving proper medical care right away because her biological mother gave birth to her in a hostel room without anyone else than Mr Kane who was not a member of medical staff.
"It's good to make new memories of this city," said Rose and laid her head on top of Theo's chest. "For the both of us. I don't have to remember this city as a hospital and you can have new good memories instead of ones that make you wake up in the middle of the night."
"That would be great," admitted Theo.
"Perfect!" Exclaimed Rose and sat up. "Where should we go first? Oh, I would love to visit Big Ben, obviously and then perhaps...."
Theo laughed at Rose's enthusiasm.
"What?" Frowned Rose and stopped her long list of to-do and to-see things in London.
"Nothing, you're just really adorable when you are all excited," said Theo.
Rose rolled her eyes. "Don't call me adorable."
"Fine, scary."
"Well, that's better than adorable."
Theo shook his head at Rose's words, a smile gracing his face. He doesn't recall ever smiling as much as he does whenever he's around Rose. She was sun and the moon, the light and sometimes the darkness.
Rose headed to the bathroom to freshen up while Theo found a nice spot from an armchair which was facing the busy streets of London. He looked outside, not really giving his past any thoughts since the odds were really against him.
There was no way he would run into anyone he used to know ― especially in muggle London.
The only person who he might run into there was Hermione Granger whom he went to school with. He was never her friend ― she was a muggle.
He kept looking outside and like a flash of light ― he thought he saw someone. A head full of blonde hair and a black suit.
Theo shook his head with closed eyes and as he looked outside again to see if this person was still there, he wasn't.
this story isn't my number one priority at the moment
but hopefully once i get one of my stories finished, i can start focusing on this one