It was Monday now and Rosemary still had a pounding headache that no amount of vitamins or water could cure. She was currently sitting beside Hermione in the Great Hall whilst awaiting breakfast. Despite the fact that it was 6:00 in the morning and Rose was not a morning person, she was still on the look out for a certain Gryffindor.
"Rosemary, I told you he's not coming to breakfast today; he was up late last night working on his project for Potions." Hermione giggled, "He was trying to make a serum that will transform him into Dumbledore so that he can fire Snape, but Ronald thought it was candy and ate it before it was done. You should have seen him, Rose. He blew up like a beta fish. Of course, I had to fix him, which was annoying, but I let it go on for longer than I should have."
The Stevens girl laughed lightly at the absurdity of Hermione's story, but continued to look around the dining hall frantically, to which Hermione sighed.
"Gods, Rose, I told you that you do not have to worry. Harry will not be coming to —" A certain someone interrupted her thoughts.
Strutting in through the dining hall doors came Harry fucking Potter in all his morning glory with his gang of blabbering idiots in stride. The bespectacled boy appeared particularly confident today as he made his way to the Gryffindor table. But when he scanned the Hufflepuff's and did not find a certain blonde, he furrowed his brows in discontent. Where was his little Badger?
To answer that question, Rosemary Stevens was currently hiding underneath the table beside Hermione Granger's feet.
"Act natural, Hermione!" demanded Rose in a quiet but serious tone, her voice just above a whisper.
In response, the brunette kicked the blonde beauty in the side, the searing pain in her ribs causing the girl to groan and smack the Granger girl in the shin.
Nevertheless, as Harry approached Hermione, she tried to keep a straight face. "Hello, Harry!" she said.
Back straightening, Harry reached across the table for Hermione's plate and popped a strawberry into his mouth. "Hello, Hermione. Fine day, isn't it?" he said cheerfully — perhaps too cheerfully.
She grinned nervously. Voice an octave too high, she squeaked, "Just lovely!"
Harry's eyes twinkled evilly with mischief. "Oh yes, it is. You know what would make it even lovelier?" Hermione looked at him unsurely and Rose was tugging at the girl's socks in tense anticipation. Nevertheless, Harry continued, "If I knew where my lovely Rosebud was."
A disgruntled noise resounded from under the table. In a futile attempt to distract him from the sound, Hermione coughed, "I haven't seen her all day."
"Oh, really? His lips stretched even wider. "Well, that's funny, considering she is hiding right under you at this very moment." Ducking his head below the table, he waved at Rose and offered her a hand: "Hello, my love, would you like to join us?"
Rosemary's face flushed a deep red. Damn him. Embarrassed, she tried to remedy the situation. "I was just — um just — picking up my fork that I dropped." Her eyes surveyed the floors for utensils but none were to be found. "I couldn't find it," she added quickly.
Raising an eyebrow in amusement, Harry chuckled, "It's alright, darling. No need to be embarrassed. We're all friends here." The boy looked to Hermione for support, but she had already completely disengaged from the conversation, her having turned her attention to a disgruntled Ronald in avoidance of involving herself in one of Harry and Rose's lover quarrels — if one could even call it that.
Gritting her teeth, Rose spat, "We are not friends."
"You're right, my Rosebud. We are so much more than that." He slung an arm around her shoulders, but she shoved him off not a second later. Unfazed, the Potter boy admired the blonde's figure and thanked the Hogwarts administration for requiring girls to wear skirts. He truly did consider Rosemary to be a gift from the gods sent down for mankind to honor and worship at her altar.
But Rose did not appreciate his "gratitude," as he called it, for her existence. "Go to hell, Potter."
"Why would I, when I'm already in heaven with you, darling?" Harry noticed the girl eyeing the treacle tart on his plate that he had scooped up before the rest of his table finished up the rest and subtly pushed the dish over to her.
Unable to resist, she grabbed a clean fork and dug into the dessert. However, there was no way in hell she was thanking him after that comment. "You really are something else," she muttered as she quietly moaned at the sweet hint of golden syrup on her tongue.
Needless to say, Harry nearly melted at the sound. Swallowing down a noise all of his own, he set aside his less than respectable thoughts that would make Severus Snape pink in the face. Harry had more important matters to attend to at the moment. Pouting his lips, he pleaded, "See, you think I'm special! So go to Hogsmeade with me next weekend?"
Rose rolled her eyes and just ignored his begging, the girl continuing to shove food down her throat.
"Roseeee," he whined, but she would not budge. "Come on, please!!" he implored. His pleas were met with radio silence.
"Yeah, come on, Stevens," Ron intervened. "Put us all out of our misery and just give the poor lad a chance, yeah?" He was sampling all the decadent dishes lining the table, including those on his mates' plates, thus prompting Hermione to swat his hand away when he tried to steal a crisp from her.
In spite of their incessant whining, Rosemary refused to give into their childish behavior. "I'll go out with you, Potter," she said flatly as she rose from her seat and began to make her way toward the Hufflepuff table. While Hermione and Ron's jaws dropped to the floor in shock, Harry pumped his fist in the air and prepared to whoop and holler immediately after she left earshot. But the blonde called out over her shoulder with a wicked expression on her face: "When hell freezes over."
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Weeks flew by and the Christmas holidays were quickly nearing. The grounds of Hogwarts transformed into a winter wonderland, with a blanket of snow covering the expansive lawns and towering trees. The crisp air was filled with the scent of pine, and the lake shimmered like a sheet of glass, reflecting the pale winter sun. Students bundled up in scarves and mittens could be seen building snowmen or engaging in friendly snowball fights, adding a festive cheer to the already magical atmosphere.
Rosemary was now heading up the grand staircase to the Owlery platform overlooking the grounds of Hogwarts to send a letter to her little brother Ollie. As she reached the top, she paused to take in the breathtaking view: the snow-capped towers of the castle, the twinkling lights lining the pathways, and the distant silhouette of the Forbidden Forest dusted with snow. The air was crisp and invigorating, carrying the promise of the holiday season. With a smile, Rosemary penned her message to Ollie, her beloved baby brother.
There were few people in this world whom Rosemary loved unconditionally, but Ollie Stevens was certainly one of them. In her adolescence, Rose grew accustomed to the feeling of being alone. Her mother passed away when she was just seven years old, and her father was well and alive but always cold and distant. She did not expect nor receive gifts or even cards from her dad. It was not as though he did not love her; he certainly did. But ever since her mother's passing from cancer, he had been an empty shell of himself, cool and removed. He spent most of his time on the sofa watching television or reading the newspaper without so much as glancing up to look at his children for more than a mere second. And Rose loved him, she did, but she had a little brother, only three years younger to care for.
Ollie Stevens was a peculiar child. He was rather shy, unlike his older sister, and he did not have many friends. But Rose loved him dearly. She would protect him at any and all costs. If someone at school were bothering him, she would be the first to throw a punch (despite her small stature). He was everything to her: a beam of light in the eternal darkness that was her home life.
When around the time of his wedding anniversary their father got so drunk he could not even speak coherently, it was Rose who whipped up a meal for her little brother. When Ollie had a mother-son dance and all his classmates teased him for having no one to go with him, it was Rose who used all of her savings to purchase a dress just to waltz with her little brother. When the young boy fell off his bike and scraped his knee, it was Rose who kissed his wound and bandaged up her little brother. Rosemary Stevens was like the mother Ollie never had — the mother he never had the opportunity to know.
Ollie discovered later in his youth that he, too, possessed powers like Rosemary's, but he still had years to go at the time before he would attend Hogwarts with her. The both of them were devastated when Rose had to leave for school, but they promised to write each other as much as possible.
And so, currently standing in the Owlery in the blistering cold, Rosemary began scribbling a letter:
Dear Ollie,
How is all at home? Are the boys at school being nice to you?
Hogwarts has been insane this year. I'm sorry I haven't been able to write to you as much this year. There's this boy, Harry Potter, who won't leave me alone. He's a right tosser, really, and I've had it up to here with him but he won't take no for an answer.
However, aside from him and his annoying antics, I've had a pretty good year. DADA is kicking my ass, as always, but my friends have all been great. I even made a new one: Hermione Granger. You'd like her; she's a lot like me, always studying and whatnot.
Still, I miss you more than words can say, and I am so excited for you to come to Hogwarts next year with me! I just know you're going to love it here. I wish you could see it, Ollie. Everything looks like it has been sprinkled with fairy dust. But don't get too jealous; next year we will build plenty of snowmen together.
I also was asked to extend an invitation to you. Draco requested that we join him and his family for the Christmas holidays! I know his father can be a little bit of a wanker sometimes, but I think it would be a really good opportunity for you to get out of the house. Let me know your thoughts.
Get back to me soon, please!! I miss you and love you. Take care of yourself. I can't wait to see you in just a few weeks.
Love always,
Rose
(PS: Candace and Amanda say hi and want you to bring them some of your muggle treats, particularly KitKats and "those hard chewy things" — whatever those are — that they like.)
Dipping her quill back in her ink, she summoned her owl, Charlotte, to deliver the letter. As she stood at the edge of the tower, she watched as Charlotte flew through the wind, right past the turrets of Hogwarts, her wings gracefully slicing through the cold air. With a sense of longing and hope, Rosemary whispered a silent prayer for her little brother's happiness and safety.
Although Rose loved Hogwarts more than words could describe, being away from Ollie sometimes felt like torture. Not knowing where he was, what he was doing, and if he was just OK felt grueling to her. But she just had to trust that he would be alright on his own sometimes, even if it killed her inside. Just the thought of Ollie in this moment brought tears to her eyes.
"Hey, Rose," Amanda grinned. "Sending a letter to Ollie?" She and Candace often heard Rose talking about her adorable little brother, and they were well aware of just how much she missed him, even if they themselves had never met him in person before.
"Yeah, you?" Rose tried to cover her red eyes and brush away any traitorous tears.
"Just writing to my parents," Amanda answered, noticing Rose's attempt to mask her emotions. Concern creased her brow as she studied Rosemary's face. "Are you alright, Rose?"
The blonde tried to brighten her eyes and widen her smile, but it only made her face strain. The weight of all her stressors and longing for her little brother felt heavier than ever, and in that moment, she could not bear it.
"I'm okay," Rose replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "Just missing him a bit more than usual, I guess."
Amanda nodded understandingly, her expression softening. "I get it. He's your family. But don't worry; he'll be here next year with you. Look forward to that!"
Rose rubbed her eyes. "I am, but sometimes I just feel bad for having left him all alone at home in the first place." She sighed, "He's just a kid."
Looking at her knowingly, Amanda patted her arm and reminded her, "So are you, Rose. I know you, and I know you like to play parent a lot, but you are also a kid. And you deserve to have a childhood. Don't feel guilty for living in it."
"I know," Rose said shakily. "But if it comes to the point where I have to choose between my childhood and Ollie's, you know I'll always choose his."
As if appearing out of thin air, Candace came out from behind Amanda and joined her on the other side of Rose. Nodding her head in understanding, Candace said, "We know you will, and that's what we are here for. Because we have the luxury of choosing yours, even if you don't."
Smiling gratefully at her two best friends, Rose embraced them each with one arm in a group hug. "What would I do without you two?"
"Let's hope you never have to find out," Candace laughed, Rose and Amanda shortly thereafter joining in.
They always did know how to cheer her up.