"You mistake my choice not to feel as a reflection of my not caring. Well, I assure you, the truth is precisely the opposite." -Mr Spock, Star Trek Into Darkness
At 9:12 am:
-----------------> "ROSE... What... What is going on with you?" Marvolo asked, his face a mixture of concern and confusion as he walked into her room to ask her why she hadn't been down for breakfast.
The Potter heiress was sitting in the middle of her bedroom, surrounded by books, parchments, quills, chocolate and the occasional fried chips or two.
Rose Potter shushed him absentmindedly, her golden hair in a messy bun and her eyes wide and focused on the books in front of her, as she made small notes on the parchment.
"Draco is giving me a test soon after lunch, a combination of five different subjects. He said if I do not get an O in it, he was going to put a spell on me so that any chocolate I eat tastes like cinnamon. You know I hate cinnamon." She muttered to herself, her eyes not diverting from the book.
Marvolo raised a perfect eyebrow, "And Draco Malfoy told you about the test when?"
"Last week."
"And you started studying..."
"Ten hours ago, give or take." She replied. "I was asleep and my dream had a paper with the letter 'T' written on it. And if that isn't an efficient way to remind somebody about a test, I don't know what is..."
"Which subjects?" Marvolo asked.
"Transfiguration, Charms, Defence, Potions and Arithmancy," she replied.
Marvolo sighed. "Rose, you should have started at least four days ago."
"You should have given me that advice four days ago." Rose retorted.
Marvolo glared at her. "You are impossible."
"And proud of it," Rose added.
"You also look awful," Marvolo noted.
"Wow, Marvolo! You really know how to charm a girl." Rose replied sarcastically.
Marvolo smiled. "It's called being honest."
"No, it's called being rude," Rose countered. "Why are you here anyway? Don't you have plans to make for world optimisation?"
"Call it what it is, Rose -it's world domination," Marvolo smirked. "As for why I am here, it's my house. I don't need to have a reason to roam, but I graciously came to remind you that Bellatrix will be coming tomorrow to babysit you-"
"-I don't need to be babysat!"
"-and your dragon is scaring the House Elves again. Handle it, or I will handle it for you."
"Gosh Marvolo, you are such a gentleman," Rose said dryly. "I'm sure that you are the first man to figure out that the way to a girl's heart is by threatening to kill her pet."
"It's not a threat. It's a promise."
"Even better," Rose muttered, looking back into her parchment.
"Look who is being rude now," Marvolo said pointedly. "I gave you a room in my house with the goodness of my heart," Marvolo said ignoring Rose's snort. "and here you are being utterly ungrateful."
"I'm sorry," Rose said sincerely. "I suppose I should say nice things about you, but my parents taught me that lying is bad." She said before promptly ignoring his presence and concentrating on her work.
Marvolo rolled his eyes before turning around to leave, but of course, he had to have the last word.
"Try not to look in the mirror. I would rather it not shatter due to the trauma you would no doubt give it from seeing you in this state." He said in a slightly teasing tone.
------> 0o0 <------
5 minutes later:
"I don't look that bad, do I?" Rose thought aloud, before shaking her head. "Of course not. Marvolo must be exaggerating as always does. Stupid Marvolo."
------> 0o0 <------
7 more minutes later:
"Ugh!" Rose yelled. "Why was he so rude! It's not like I ever told him he looks like a cross between a troll and a goblin!"
------> 0o0 <------
3 minutes later:
"But he doesn't look like a troblin." Rose sighed. "He looks like the love child of Aphrodite and Adonis. Why does he have to look so pretty! Stupid Marvolo who never lets me win an argument." Rose grumbled.
------> 0o0 <------
15 minutes later:
"You look horrible Rose." Rose imitated a shrill, horrible impression of Marvolo. "Don't jump from the stairs. The carpets are new and blood is hard to get out. A proper lady doesn't curse Rose." Rose smiled prettily and batted her eyelashes in fakeness. "Oh of course Marvolo, I live to please you. Would you like me to massage your head while you sleep? I would love nothing more than to strangle you with your pillow." Rose muttered angrily. "Stupid Marvolo and his stupid rules."
------> 0o0 <------
13 minutes later:
"Do I honestly look that bad!" Rose exclaimed tiredly, arms falling in exasperation.
'Screw this.' She thought. 'Why do I care what he thinks?' Rose paused. 'Oh, who am I kidding? Of course, I care what he thinks. His words are practically my bible.'
Call her vain, but ever since Marvolo commented on her looks roughly about forty-three minutes ago, that was all she could think about and she had hence, been unable to study.
So perhaps if she just looks into the mirror and identifies the truth -or lack of, therefore- of his statement, she was sure that she would be able to concentrate on her headache again (read: test).
So she stepped away from her the mess of her bed and then looked into a mirror.
There were dark circles beneath her eyes, and tiredness was evident on her face. But she looked exactly as she always did.
Screw you Marvolo!
Stupid Marvolo who always makes her doubt everything she knows. She was bloody perfect and she knew it and the next time he mentioned anything negative about her looks, she was going to stab him in the heart with her pointy, expensive, six-inch-high heels. Getting killed by an angry Aunt Cissa later would be totally worth it.
She honestly didn't think she looked that bad, but when she looked at herself hard enough, she supposes there was a slight resemblance between her and a... raccoon.
She wondered if there was a checklist to know for sure?
ARE YOU A RACCOON?
Do you have dark circles beneath your eyes?
Do you eat a lot of junk food?
Do you stay up all night?
Are you cute, but will fight?
Are you small and chubby?
Rose was pretty sure she had filled all the requirements to be a raccoon. She wasn't small and chubby now, but she had been when she was little.
Rose sighed.
"Stupid Marvolo with his stupid smile and stupid words." She muttered before once again concentrating on her work.
------> 0o0 <------
"Favourite colour?" Rose asked, popping a grape into her mouth.
She had finished writing her test and Draco said that he would correct it tomorrow. So with two hours left before Draco had to leave, they had decided to play a game.
"Green, of course," Draco replied.
Rose looked surprised. "Really? I thought your favourite colour would have been a bright, neon red?"
Draco glared at her. "Hilarious." He said dryly.
Rose smiled. "I know. Your turn."
"Favourite flower?" He asked.
"Chocolate Cosmos." She replied.
Draco snorted. "That doesn't exist."
"They do actually." Rose laughed. "They are native to Mexico and smell exactly like chocolate."
Draco rolled his eyes. "Your turn to ask."
Rose put on her thinking expression. "Um... Let me think. Aha! Most embarrassing memory in school?"
Draco scowled. "I was turned into a ferret."
Rose burst out laughing, her eyes sparkling with mirth. "What happened?"
Draco stiffened. "I believe that it is my turn to ask a question now." He said. "Most humiliating incident?"
Rose grimaced. "I glued my primary teacher to her chair."
"That sounds nice, but I said humiliating, Rose," Draco said.
"I know. I'm still getting to it." Rose said. "So anyway, when she stood up, I had used super glue, so a part of her skirt got stuck and we could all see her underwear."
Draco raised an eyebrow. "Still not hearing the part where you get humiliated."
"Yeah. So I was laughing really hard. So hard that I peed in front of my entire class, including my first ever crush." Rose said with a grimace. "And the worst part was that I was supposed to play Peter Pan in the play that night, so everybody started calling me 'Peed-her-Pants' instead, for an entire month. It only stopped when I came first in a singing competition. On another note, Dudley also received twelve detentions that month for trying to 'protect his sister's honour'- his words, not mine. Anyway, my turn, and don't worry, I won't ask you about the ferret incident." Rose teased.
"My hero," Draco said dryly.
Rose looked thoughtful. "What do you hate- like what are you afraid of? Not exactly a boggart, just what do you fear?"
Draco was quiet for about half a minute. "I hate being alone." He finally confessed in a whisper. "Sometimes, -most times- people only talk to me because of my title, power, influence or wealth. Others are afraid to talk to me for the same reason..." Draco trailed off, now looking uncomfortable.
Rose's eyes softened and her cheeks dimpled. "That's their fault. They are missing out on getting to know an amazing person. If they don't want to talk to you, then that is their loss. At the risk of sounding like Marvolo, people have always been intimidated by their superiors."
Draco gave her a small smile.
"You matter, Draco," Rose said firmly before cracking out a smile. "Unless you multiply yourself by the speed of light... Then you energy."
Draco looked at her as if she had just confessed her love to a hippogriff. He honestly looked more confused than a chameleon in a bag of skittles.
"Besides," Rose began. "Any time you feel alone, just remember that twenty-five billion antibodies are flowing through your veins, who would die in order to protect you."
Draco frowned his brows. "That is oddly comforting."
Rose smiled. "I know."
"My turn," Draco said, lightly clearing his voice. "Same question you asked."
"I suppose I was afraid of snakes." Rose started. "But no- Not really... Isn't it weird that when people ask you what you fear, you usually say clowns, or heights, or claustrophobia or something? But honestly, I'm afraid of anagapesis."
Draco's face twisted into one of confusion. "Anago- what?"
Rose sighed. "When- when I was in middle school -thirteen years old-, I attended a psychology seminar called 'Relationships for Life' and I learnt that most people fall out of love for the same reason they fell in it. That their lovers once endearing stubbornness is now refusal to compromise and their once track mind has now become immaturity, their quirky bad habits that you once deeply adored is now just money down the drain and their once spontaneity has now become reckless and irresponsible." Rose said with a sad smile, looking directly into his mercury eyes. "Nothing scares me more than the thought that I can become ugly to someone who once thought that I carried the stars in my eyes."
Anagapesis (n.) no longer feeling any affection for someone you once loved.
Disclaimer- The bit about (lovers once endearing... stars in my eyes) is something I read on Pinterest with the wordings changed a little