• • •
the idea you had of me,
who was she?
• • •
As the middle of October approached, Hogwarts got even more and more scary. Enchanted bats flew by the ceiling of the Great Wall and the knights on the walls would spring out of their place and scare passing students. Which meant that the Hogsmeade visit was getting closer and closer, only two days from then.
Rose was excited about it, even if Amara had told her that she would be asked out, it seemed like her cousin was mistaken since they were days away from the trip and the only plans she had so far was to go with her friends.
All lead to Rose walking alone in the dark corridors of Hogwarts after her rounds. She and Adrian had departed in the Great Hall, leaving the redhead to walk a world of stairs on her way to her own common room.
As Rose approached her common room, she saw a tall slim figure leaning against the wall. It was so dark, Rose couldn't figure out who it was. She took her wand out of her pocket, pointing it at the figure.
"Rose?" The voice spoke, making Rose let out a sigh and put down her wand.
"Merlin, Cedric, you gave me a fright," Rose breathed, muttering 'Lumos' under her breath, lighting the tip of both their wands.
"Sorry," Cedric chuckled. "Didn't mean to."
"What are you doing here?" Rose asked, leaning back into the wall.
"Well, I have something to ask you," Cedric began nervously.
"Oh, is it about trading quidditch practice hours?" Rose wondered. "Because I could talk to Oliver about it, but you'll have to be the one to ask."
"No, Rose, that's not what I wanted to ask," Cedric said, smiling at her.
"Go on then," Rose laughed lightly, adjusting herself on the wall.
"Rose, I don't think it's a secret that i've had quite the fancy on you, and I reckon that if we try, we'd make a good couple." Cedric confessed, making Rose gasp. "So, Rose Potter, will you go on a date with me to Hogsmeade?"
"Cedric, I-"
"Rose, just think about it, yeah?" Cedric asked. "You can tell me tomorrow."
The Hufflepuff then smiled genuinely at her and turned on his heel. However, Rose extended her arms towards him, Amara's words playing loud in her head. 'Just try it out.'
"Cedric, wait!" Rose called, causing the golden boy in Hogwarts to turn to her and smile hopefully. "I'll go on a date with you."
"You will?"
"Yes, I will," Rose agreed, smiling as Cedric hugged her tightly. She smiled into his shoulder before he pulled away, kissing her cheek.
"I'll see you on Saturday then?"
"Of course," Rose smiled. "Mid day?"
"Sounds perfect," Cedric nodded. "See you then."
With that he walked away, leaving the Gryffindor on her own. Rose smiled to herself. She knew she did not fancy Cedric, if she were to be completely honest, she had far worse problems than figuring out if she had taken a fancy in someone from her class. However, with a smile, she walked into the filled up Gryffindor common room.
It was a Thursday, but that did not bring down the Gryffindor spirit. Everyone, from third year up, were having a pre-Hogsmeade celebration. To be honest, the lions did not need an excuse to laugh around and drink butterbeer, but they still took every single chance they had.
Rose Potter was quite surprised to find the twins weren't dancing around with the rest of the fifth years, instead, they were both huddled in the corner. She assumed they must be working on some of their new inventions, which is why she joined Lee, who was sipping a butterbeer as the fifth years listened to Kenneth Towlers complain of his prefect duties without having Percy hear him.
"Honestly, one would think Weasley wants us to quit!" Kenneth was saying as Rose took her sit, a butter beer on her hand.
"Rose, brilliant, you're here," Kenneth smiled as he saw her, including her into the conversation. "Don't you think Percy's driving us mad."
"He sure wants us dead, Towlers," Rose laughed, recalling last week when Percy had kept them both up all night finishing up on signing detention forms.
"Rose, there you are!" Fred's voice rang from behind the group, making them all turn their heads towards the ginger twins. They both joined the fifth years, sitting on either side of the elemental.
"We were looking for you," George began.
"Because we need you to help us try out our new product," Fred finished.
"Merlin, boys, you'll be the death of me," Rose sighed, mumbling as she was picked up by her arms by the twins. The trio settled on the corner were Rose first saw them huddled up when she came inside the common room. There were three loveseats, were the trio each took their seats.
"Right," Fred chuckled as he dug something out of his pocket. "Try this!"
"Fred, you must've gone mad if you think i'll put that anywhere near my mouth without knowing what it is," Rose warned, pointing at the brown, chocolate-looking candy in the eldest twin's hand.
"It's a fainting fantasy," George presented, flourishing his hands.
"Makes me faint, I reckon," Rose observed.
"In that you're right, Rosie-Posie," Fred inquired.
"Here goes nothing." Rose raised the fainting fantasy from Fred's hand and took a bite out of it. "How long before it takes effect?"
"Couple of minutes," George shrugged. "About ten, I reckon."
"Cheers."
"I'll fetch our notes," George declared before patting Fred on the back, giving him a subtle wink, that Rose caught, and strutted along.
"What was that?" Rose asked, laughing lightly.
"Nothing, nothing," Fred insisted, adjusting himself on his chair and speaking again, "Rose, there's actually something I've been meaning to ask you. Well since George and Annie are going on a date to Hogsmeade, perhaps it's time some others go as well."
Rose, who had been happily finishing off her sweet, froze in her seat. She felt what was coming. Rose did not want her friendship with Fred to end, but she had to tell him about Cedric.
"Fred-"
"Rose, please let me finish," Fred begged nervously, fiddling with his hands.
"No, Fred," Rose intervened. "Let me speak first."
"Alright," Fred agreed, looking at her in alarm. "What is it?"
"Fred, Cedric asked me out to Hogsmeade," she blurted out, watching in pity as Fred's face contoured. "And I said yes."
"Oh," Fred breathed, his eyes darted around the room before they went back to Rose, a bright smile on his face. "Blimey, Rose, I'm happy for you. I-I actually was gonna tell you that I asked Angelina to Hogsmeade."
"You- You asked Angelina to Hogsmeade?"
Unknown to her, Rose's eyes turned a shade of stormy grey, however, Fred did not mention it. Before anything else could be said between them, everything in Rose's vision went black, she felt dizzy and she went tumbling to the ground.
"For fuck's sakes!" Fred cursed, bending down and pulling Rose up to her chair.
"Merlin, Freddie, was she that impressed that she fainted before she had to?" George joked as he came back and sat besides Fred. "Between six and eight minutes, record, I must say."
"Didn't do much asking," Fred murmured angrily as he adjusted Rose.
"How come?" George asked chirpily. "You had your whole ask planned."
"Yes, well, Hufflepuff's golden boy beat me to it," Fred said, going back to his seat after making sure Rose's neck wasn't going to be hurt when she woke up.
"Golden-boy Diggory?" George, who had taken a sip form his drink, chocked.
"That one," Fred grunted.
"Bloody hell, I'm sorry, Fred," George said honestly.
"It's alright," Fred shrugged. "I'm taking Angelina."
"You are?" George asked incredulously. "When did you ask her?"
"I haven't," Fred confessed, leaning back in his chair. "But she'll say yes."
George sent a questioning glare his brother's way, but said nothing, instead kept sipping at his drink.
"Reckon we should take her up to her dorm, shouldn't we?" Fred said, approaching Rose.
"We can't get up there," George commented.
"I'll take her up to out dorm them," Fred declared, rolling his eyes when his brother glared at him. "Relax, there, Georgie, i'll sleep down here or i'll bunk with Ron. Won't sleep at the same bed as her anymore, we're not little kids."