Rose and Harry silently agreed to not talk about the kiss they had shared. Hermione and Ron both acted as if they hadn't seen anything, although Ron almost gave it away at least 10 times during the day. Rose or Harry would stare at each other, specifically the other person's lips, and they would zone out completely. Ron would open his mouth to tease them but Hermione would kick him before he could. Neither wanted Harry or Rose to know that they had not only watched their kiss but that they levitated the mistletoe.
"Ok, Harry, Rose, tell me honestly," Hermione started to speak, causing Harry to jump and stop staring at Rose's hair. It was Thursday, meaning Rose and Harry had Harry acting like love sick children for 5 days. "Have you figured out the egg? You keep telling everyone you have but you won't tell us anything."
Harry and Rose shared a look, both knowing they had no clue.
"Completely honest..." Rose started.
"We have no clue," Harry finished her sentence for her. Hermione stared at them in shock.
"No clue! I thought you would know something!" Hermione shrieked. Ron covered his ears as he was sitting next to her. They were all at dinner and they were waiting for the desserts.
"Actually, we know that the egg will give us a clue. That's something!" Rose said proudly.
"The whole school knows that," Ron snorted. Rose deflated, knowing that he was right.
"Look, Cedric told me to take a bath with egg so I'm assuming you have to listen to it underwater. Rose and I are gonna go to the prefects bathroom tonight to listen," Harry assured Hermione.
"Are you sure that's all you'll be doing?" Ron muttered under his breath. Rose and Harry both heard him and narrowed their eyes at him.
"Hey, Ron. Is there something you need to tell us?" Rose asked, her voice sounding super sweet. Ron gulped.
"Of course not," Ron replied, his voice coming out high pitched.
Harry and Rose both glared at him for a while until Hermione was able to distract them by handing Rose her favorite dessert, chocolate chip cookies.
"Cookies!" Rose gasped and quickly grabbed the plate out of Hermione's hands.
"You're cute," Harry told her, a dreamy smile on his face. Rose looked up at him with wide eyes and cookie crumbs all over her face. Her cheeks were filled with cookie. She held up her pointer finger and finished chewing.
"Not as cute as you," Rose told Harry, who gave her a bright smile as she leaned closer to him. They had talked long enough to agree that they were serious about not wanting to date yet, but they couldn't help from making cute comments every once in a while. Ron found it disgusting while Hermione found it sweet.
"Gross," Ron scoffed as he reached forward for one of the cookies in front of Rose. Ron left that night with antlers and Rose with a detention.
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"Good luck," Ron muttered to Rose and Harry. He had opened the portrait door for them to leave, as they were under Harry's invisibility cloak. It was slightly awkward because they had to stand very close to make sure that the cloak covered all of them and the egg. Harry also brought the Maurader's Map with him to make sure they wouldn't be caught.
Rose made sure to watch where they were going. Harry stopped in front of a statue of a wizard and muttered 'pine Fresh'. The door opened and they walked into the room. Both of their mouths dropped open as they took in the bathroom. Everything was made from white marble, including the tub that looked to be the size of a small swimming pool. There were piles of fluffy white towels that Rose knew would be super soft. The only decoration was a portrait of a mermaid, who was sleeping and hadn't woken up when Rose and Harry entered the room.
"So...you ready?" Harry asked. Rose grinned at him.
"Am I?! What scent do you want? I'm thinking lavendar...ooooh, or Rose."
"Ummm...why not both?" Harry responded, although he looked very awkward. Rose let out a small squeal and turned on the taps. The smells somehow blended together into a scent that Harry immediately recognized as Rose's smell.
"I love lavendar and Rose. I use rose shampoo and conditioner and lavendar lotion," Rose explained. She had a soft smile on her face as she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.
"It um...it's nice," Harry told her.
"I agree. Umm...ready to get in?" Rose asked. Harry nodded and they turned around as they stripped off their normal clothes. Both had agreed to wear a swimsuit but they hurried under the bubbles as if they were naked.
"This is nice," Rose sighed as she sunk under the bubbles until only her head was above the water. She had tied her hair into a messy bun, but some strands had escaped and were already wet.
"It's just a bath," Harry pointed out.
"Well...at Moony's house we didn't take baths. We barely had hot water so we took really quick showers," Rose explained.
"Why didn't he just use magic to heat up the water?" Harry asked. Rose snorted as she remembered the event.
"I asked him why one day and he said he never thought of it. So one day he decided to try and he ran a bath and heated up the water with his wand. Well, he heated up the water to the point where it was boiling and it wouldn't stop. We had boiling water in our tub for a week and the tub was hot to the touch for a month. It was a really long month of only taking sponge baths," Rose explained. Harry laughed at her story and thought about how different their lives were. Harry might not be loved at home, but at least he had access to a hot bath.
"So you've never had a real bath before?" Harry asked.
"In the dorm I have but not for a long time. I live with three other girls and there's only one mirror in the room. Anytime I try to take a bath someone knocks on the door. I always just shower," Rose explained. Both of their cheeks were slightly pink as she explained. They were basically as far apart as they could be.
"Oh, that's...sad," Harry mumbled. Rose just shrugged. "Do you want to try the egg?"
"Oh, right...the egg. Sure," Rose sighed. Harry nodded and leaned over to grab the egg. Rose looked away when part of his chest was exposed.
Harry opened the egg above the water and a horrible screeching sound came out of the egg. Harry quickly slammed it shut.
"I'd try putting it under the water, if I were you."
Both Harry and Rose jumped and swallowed a considerable amount of water. They had been sitting on the step that went around the perimeter of the tub so they surprising new voice made them fall off. Rose quickly panicked and jumped back onto the step, as she had never learned how to swim.
"Myrtle! We're not wearing clothes!" Harry yelled. Rose quickly deduced that this was the infamous Moaning Myrtle.
"We are wearing clothes, Harry. Swimsuits are still clothes," Rose reminded him, still coughing up some water.
"I closed my eyes," Myrtle replied to Harry. She seemed to be ignoring Rose. "You haven't been to see me in ages."
"Yeah, well, you live in a girl's bathroom. I'm not exactly supposed to go in there," Harry said, sounding slightly angry.
"You didn't used to care," Myrtle whined. "You used to be in there all the time."
"Wow, Harry. What a creep," Rose joked. Harry sent her a small glare but his cheeks were turning pink.
"I got told off for going in there," Harry justified, turning back to Myrtle. "I figured I better not go back."
"Hmm...I see. You should put it underwater like that other boy did," Myrtle suggested.
"Have you been spying on him too?" Rose gasped. She enjoyed the thought of getting to tell Cedric that a ghost had seen him bathing. He would be very embarrassed.
"Sometimes...but I've only come out to speak to Harry," Myrtle giggled.
"I'm honored," Rose replied sarcastically. Myrtle rolled her eyes at Rose.
"So...we just open it underwater?" Harry questioned.
"And put your head under," Myrtle said with a nod. Rose and Harry scooted closer to each other and nodded before putting their head under the water and opening the egg.
Come seek us where our voices sound, we cannot sing above the ground, and while you're searching, ponder this: we've taken what you'll sorely miss, an hour long you'll have to look, and to recover what we took, but past an hour-the prospect's black, too late, it's gone, it won't come back.
Rose and Harry lifted their heads up from the water, Rose taking big breaths.
"Hear it?" Myrtle inquired. Harry and Rose nodded.
"I need to hear again," Harry mumbled. Rose sighed but agreed and the two of them put their heads under to listen.
"Ok, so they're taking something of ours...but what?" Harry pondered once they surfaced.
"Something we value," Rose said simply. "But where are they taking it?"
"You're slow aren't you?" Myrtle asked. She looked absolutely gleeful. Rose groaned and looked around the room. Her eyes fell on the portrait of the mermaid.
"Myrtle...are there merpeople in the Black Lake?" Rose whispered.
"Oh, yes. I don't go out there much myself because they can be quite rude," Myrtle replied.
"Harry, I think we have to get our thing back from the merpeople...in the Black Lake!" Rose gasped. Myrtle clapped.
"You two got it much quicker that the Diggory boy...all the bubbles were almost gone by the time he figured it out..." Myrtle sighed. Rose sent her a disgusted look.
"How...how are we supposed to breath?" Harry gasped. Rose blanched at the thought.
"Tactless!" Myrtle excalimed.
"What is tactless?" Harry asked.
"Talking about breathing in front of me!" Myrtle whined.
"Oh, go away!" Rose groaned and splashed some water at the ghost. Myrtle gasped and quickly exited the bathroom, moaning at the top of her lungs.
"So, I'm assuming the merpeople are going to hold something we value at the bottom of the lake. We'll have to get said thing in an hour," Harry concluded. Rose slowly nodded.
"Hey, Har?"
"What, Ro?" Harry replied kindly. Rose had to fight back a smile at the nickname.
"I can't...I can't swim," Rose admitted.
"I'm not great at it either," Harry sighed. "Just...kick your legs and move your arms."
"How very helpful," Rose told him, sarcasm clear in her voice.
"Look, how about we figure that out later? I'm really tired," Harry suggested. Rose nodded and both teens got out of their tub and quickly dried off and put their clothes over their swimsuits. The pair exited the bathroom with the cloak on and Harry watched the map.
"Harry? What is Crouch doing in Snape's office?" Rose whispered, pointing to the map. Harry looked and saw that she was right.
"Percy said he was ill," Harry remembered outloud. With one shared look the teens turned the opposite way and started slowly walking towards Snape's office.
They were almost there with no problem until Harry stepped into the trick step that prevents you from moving. The egg slipped out of his hands and fell down the steps, the sound echoing off the walls. The Maurader's Map also fel down the steps when Harry reached to grab the egg.
"You idiot," Rose hissed and tried to help Harry out of the step. He was knee deep in the step already and Rose was having trouble lifting him enough for him to escape.
"PEEVES!" The unmistakable voice of Filch echoed throughout the corridor. Rose and Harry shared a panicked look and stood still. They stood frozen as Filch walked over and saw the egg.
"What is-Mrs. Norris! This is an egg from the tournament. This belongs to a champion!" Filch gasped. His cat slipped between his legs and started looking around.
"PEEVES! You've been stealing!" Filch announced. He started looking around the landing where the egg had fallen before going up the steps. Rose grasped Harry's hand. With a few more steps Filch could see the map and bump into them.
"What are you doing?" Snape drawled, stepping around the corner.
"It's Peeves, sir. He's been stealing," Filch replied, showing Snape the egg.
"Peeves?" Snape asked softly as he came up the steps to stand next to Filch. "But he couldn't get into my office..."
Snape and Filch then started arguing about the egg and Snape's office, but Rose barely noticed. She was more focused on staying still. Her heart was practically beating out of her chest. Rose's heart leaped into her throat when the familiar clunk of Moody's wooden leg announced his arrival.
"Pajama party, boys?" Moody's gruff voice asked.
"Professor Snape and I heard noises. Peeves stole this egg and then Professor Snape's office was broken into-" Filch started to explain.
"Shut up!" Snape hissed. Moody took a step forward and Rose noticed that his magical eye was focused on where she knew she was standing. She suddenly remembered that he could see under invisibility cloaks. Rose could barely hear the tense conversation between Snape and Moody due to the pounding in her ears.
Rose only paid attention to the conversation when Harry stuck his arm out and pointed down on the map. Snape was reaching towards it and Rose assumed that Harry was trying to stop that from happening. Moody said the summoning spell and the map flew into his hand.
"My mistake," Moody explained when Snape glared at him. "It's mine...must've dropped it earlier."
"Potter and Black..." Snape suddenly remembered.
"Excuse me?" Moody growled.
"The parchment...the egg...it's them! They're under the invisibility cloak!" Snape yelled. He suddenly started to grab at the air. His fingers came within millimeters of the cloak.
There's nothing there!" Moody yelled. Snape stopped feeling the air and turned fo glare at the man. "I'll be sure to tell Dumbledore how quick you turned to Black and Potter!"
"Harry, we have to go," Rose whispered. Snape and Moody were in such a tense argument that neither noticed. Harry nodded and tried to move his leg out of the step. He only managed to sink further. A slamming of a door alerted Rose and Harry that Moody was the only adult there.
"Close shave," Moody said as he walked over and pulled off the cloak. Harry was picked up out of the step.
"Er-yeah. Thanks," Harry muttered as Moody gave him back the egg.
"What is this thing?" Moody asked as he examined the map.
"Umm...a map of Hogwarts. It shows where everyone is," Rose explained. Moody's one eye widened.
"Did you see anything on it tonight?" Moody growled. Rose could sense a bit of worry in her voice.
"Yeah! Barty Crouch!" Harry exclaimed. Rose discreetly elbowed his ribs and shook her head no at him.
"Barty Crouch, you say?" Moody growled.
"Er-well...maybe not. It is pretty late," Harry said quickly. Moody narrowed his eye at Harry.
"Well, I'll be keeping this map. Strange things are happening here and I need to keep an eye out for them," Moody told Harry. He opened his mouth to argue but Rose beat him to it.
"Of course, professor. We're very tired so we're off to bed. Thank you," Rose rushed out as she pulled Harry with all her might. Harry quickly followed after her as Moody watched them. Neither talked until they were in the common room.
"What was that about?" Harry exclaimed. "You let him take the map!"
"Something...something isn't right. I know my dad told us to stick close to Moody but...I don't think so. I think we need to stay away from him," Rose explained slowly. Harry furrowed his eyebrows but nodded.
"Well...goodnight, Harry. Sleep well," Rose whispered. Harry repeated the sentiments before the pair went up to their own rooms, both repeating the night they had in their minds, time and time again.