Chapter Text
On Saturday morning, Rose changed her clothes four times while getting ready to meet with the Malfoys for lunch and combed her hair several times in an attempt to get it to look nice. She was nervous and excited at the same time. Harry had already left their room for the day by the time she finished getting ready; he was still annoyed with her for accepting Draco's invitation to lunch, so she pulled on her shoes and headed downstairs alone. Draco and his parents were waiting for her when she reached the bottom of the wooden staircase. Mrs Malfoy gave her a small smile.
"Are you ready, then?" Draco asked. Rose nodded.
"We will go out to the entrance to Diagon Alley and apparate." Mrs Malfoy explained.
They weren't going somewhere in Diagon Alley? Rose looked questioningly back up at Mrs Malfoy who just smiled again. "Not to worry, dear, Lucius received permission from the minister himself to take you today." She said, which made Rose feel a little bit better- if the Minister of Magic himself was okay with her going with the Malfoys, then what could Harry possibly have to worry about?
When they reached the brick wall behind the Leaky Cauldron, Mrs Malfoy put a hand on her arm.
"Have you ever apparated before?" she asked and Rose shook her head, suddenly feeling nervous. She knew that apparition was a form of magical transportation that involved essentially disappearing from one location and reappearing in another. She also knew it was disastrous to get wrong.
"That's quite alright. You'll be doing a side-along apparition with myself, Draco will go alongside Lucius."
Mr Malfoy held out his arm for Draco, who took it and grinned at Rose.
"See you there." He said before he and Mr Malfoy disappeared with a CRACK.
Mrs Malfoy turned toward Rose. "Ready, dear?" Rose swallowed thickly and nodded, and Mrs Malfoy offered her thin, pale hand for Rose to take. "Just hold my hand. I'll do the rest." Rose took her hand gratefully and Mrs Malfoy squeezed reassuringly.
Rose felt Mrs Malfoy's arm twist away from her so she tightened her grip: the next thing she knew everything went black; she was pressed very hard from all directions; she could not breathe, there were iron bands tightening around her chest; her eyeballs were being forced back into her head; her eardrums were being pushed deeper into her skull, and then the pressure stopped abruptly and Rose stumbled forward in the bright sunlight that suddenly flooded her vision. Mrs Malfoy held her hand tightly until she had regained her balance, before letting go. They were standing outside a quaint looking building that seemed out of place among the modern buildings surrounding them.
"One of the best restaurants in Wales." Draco explained. "Run by our kind." Rose glanced at Mr Malfoy, who gave her an encouraging nod and led the way inside. The interior of the restaurant looked like something from a Victorian era painting, with elegant tables and chairs arranged throughout the room.
"Mr and Mrs Malfoy, welcome back!" greeted a young woman behind the hostess stand. "Your table is ready, right this way." She led them through the dining room and through a doorway that opened up onto a small patio area that overlooked some beautiful gardens. Rose followed after them as they made their way to a large table on the far end of the patio that had a reservation card embossed with an intricate letter M written in gold ink. Mrs Malfoy sat at the end of the table closest to the door and motioned for Rose to sit beside her. Rose did, and Draco and Mr Malfoy took up places across the table.
"You may order whatever you like, Miss Potter." Mr Malfoy said
The waitress came over, set down their menus, and filled crystal goblets with wine for the adults and bubbly pumpkin juice for Rose and Draco.
"Why can't I have wine, too?" Draco lamented but his mother silenced him with a stern look.
The food was delicious and Rose managed to eat almost her entire meal. She felt full and relaxed as she listened to the lively conversation between Draco and his father about Quidditch and Hogwarts. Shortly after their desserts arrived Mrs Malfoy asked Rose where she had gotten her hair done at, so Rose pulled out her notebook and wrote down the name of the parlor Harry had taken her to. She also wrote that she actually didn't even like her hair, which made Mrs Malfoy purse her lips and nod sympathetically
"Most of those shops in Diagon Alley will employ anyone, darling. If you want real talent, you have to search it out and pay for it." She replied haughtily, before suggesting that once they finished eating they should all go shopping.
"Can we go to Quality Quidditch Supplies?" Draco asked eagerly, and his mother frowned.
"Haven't you gone and stared at that broom enough already this summer?" She asked, which almost made Rose laugh because that was probably exactly what her brother was doing right now. But she kept it to herself since she didn't want to offend his family. Draco looked crestfallen and sulked until Mr Malfoy spoke up.
"Why don't I take Draco while you two go?" He offered, making Draco perk up again and give his mother a pleading look.
"Very well. But we are still not buying that broomstick." Mrs Malfoy conceded.
Once they were outside, Mr Malfoy disapparated away with Draco in tow while Mrs Malfoy reached for Rose's hand. Her grip was strong and warm, and Rose found she liked the feel of her hand in hers. It was reassuring. It was...nice. It was like a mother's touch, or as close to one as Rose could ever recall feeling. With a crack, they disapparated, and the feeling of being squeezed through a narrow tube was just as unpleasant the second time around, but once again Mrs Malfoy held her hand until she had steadied herself enough to open her eyes and look around. It wasn't Diagon Alley, though it looked somewhat similar. The streets were smoother, the storefronts looked more expensive, and there weren't as many people walking about as there often was in Diagon Alley.
Mrs Malfoy led her down the street to a large beauty parlor that looked like something straight out of a magazine. She led Rose inside and introduced her to a short blonde witch who had an impressive set of cheekbones and piercing blue eyes. Mrs Malfoy explained that they wanted a cut and style that would better suit Rose's features, and the woman smiled, saying "Of course, Madame Malfoy!"
It took quite some time for the woman to decide what she wanted to do with Rose's hair but in the end she chose a shaggy bob cut that framed her face nicely. Then she gave Rose a conspiratorial wink and used a color charm to turn the ends of her hair to an emerald green that matched her eyes. When she had finished her hair, the young witch -whose name was Lexi- moved on to applying a bit of makeup to Rose's face as well as taking the time to teach Rose how to apply it herself. It was overwhelming but the fact that Mrs Malfoy was there for every step, even offering her own advice, was comforting. Once Lexi was finished with her makeup she took a step back, telling Rose how pretty she looked. Pretty ? It certainly wasn't a word that she would have ever used to describe herself but sitting there looking at herself in the mirror made her think about her mother's photograph in the locker around her neck. She could almost see it now- the similarities between her mother's face and her own.
As they walked out the door back onto the street, Rose had a bag full of various cosmetics in a few different shades that Mrs Malfoy had staunchly refused to let her pay for herself, insisting that the entire afternoon was on her account. Rose smiled gratefully at her as they headed to a clothing shop that Rose would have never visited by herself. Mrs Malfoy talked animatedly about what colors and fabrics were the best and Rose listened as best as she could, nodding along politely. As it turned out, Mrs Malfoy knew the whole shop backwards and forwards, and seemed to have a knack for picking out what clothes would fit Rose's small frame. They left with several new outfits for Rose. All her size, all bought just for her. No one had ever done anything like that for her before; no one had cared enough.
She clutched her bags tightly to her chest as she walked alongside Mrs Malfoy, letting her lead the way as the summer sun warmed her face. She was still getting used to this whole feeling of freedom that was so unfamiliar, but was very welcome nonetheless. Mrs Malfoy kept up a steady stream of words, pointing out buildings, people, and things as they made their way down the road to the apparition point. They arrived back in Diagon Alley as the sun was beginning to sink, its rays casting long shadows over the streets and storefronts. They found Draco and Mr Malfoy sitting outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, where Draco was eating a large chocolate ice cream cone while Mr Malfoy sat across from him sipping his drink.
"Took you long enough," Draco teased as Rose and Mrs Malfoy took the empty seats beside them. Rose blushed slightly, but Mr Malfoy gave a small chuckle.
"For as long as your mother has been longing for a teenage girl to shop with, I'm quite honestly surprised they are back so soon." He spoke in his usual smooth, clipped tone but his eyes betrayed his amusement as he looked from Rose, to the bags she was carrying, over to his wife, then back to Rose.
"I like your hair like this." Draco said approvingly as he reached up to touch the emerald green ends of her hair. She didn't mean to flinch away but she did anyway.
"Right, sorry." He muttered as he pulled his hand away. "It suits you, though." She shrugged shyly as she looked away from him and fiddled nervously with her mother's locket around her neck.
As the sky began to grow dark, the Malfoys escorted her safely back to the Leaky Cauldron. They bid her goodnight and she carried her bags inside and up the stairs to the room, where Harry was waiting for her with an anxious expression on his face. She could tell that he had been sitting there waiting for her to come back.
"How'd it go?" He asked, trying to sound casual as she set her bags down on her bed. "You got your hair redone? I like it!" Rose flushed bright red at the compliment and nodded shyly. "Are you wearing makeup?" He asked curiously, looking her over. She nodded her head.
Do you like it ? She signed.
"You look brilliant. Like all grown up." He assured her with a smile.
He sat on the edge of her bed while she pulled the clothes that Mrs Malfoy had bought for her out of the bags to show him. He ooh-ed and aah-ed at each piece that she showed him, even though she wasn't sure if he actually liked any of them or if he was just being polite.
The last week of summer passed quickly for the twins and before they knew it, the last day of the holidays had arrived. Rose spent the morning repacking and reorganizing her trunk before heading off to find Harry, who wanted to have lunch with her one last time before school started. They were in the process of deciding where they wanted to eat when Granger and Weasley called out to him.
"Harry! HARRY!" they yelled, calling him over to where they were sitting outside Florean Fortescue's, and Rose begrudgingly followed him over.
“Finally!" Weasley said, grinning. "We went to the Leaky Cauldron, but they said you’d left, and we went to Flourish and Blotts, and Madam Malkin’s, and —”
“We got all our school stuff last week,” Harry explained. “And how come you knew we were staying at the Leaky Cauldron?”
“Dad,” Weasley replied.
“Did you really blow up your aunt, Harry?” Granger asked in a very serious voice.
“I didn’t mean to,” said Harry, while Weasley roared with laughter. “I just — lost control.”
“It’s not funny, Ron,” said Granger sharply. “Honestly, I’m amazed Harry wasn’t expelled.”
“So am I,” admitted Harry. “Forget being expelled, I thought I was going to be arrested. Your dad doesn’t know why Fudge let me off, does he?”
“Probably ’cause it’s you, isn’t it?” shrugged Weasley. “Famous Harry Potter and all that. I’d hate to see what the Ministry’d do to me if I blew up an aunt. Mind you, they’d have to dig me up first, because Mum would’ve killed me. Anyway, you can ask Dad yourself this evening. We’re staying at the Leaky Cauldron tonight too! So you can come to King’s Cross with us tomorrow! Hermione’s there as well!”
“Mum and Dad dropped me off this morning with all my Hogwarts things.” Granger replied happily.
“Excellent!” said Harry. “So, have you got all your new books and stuff?”
“Look at this,” said Weasley, pulling a long thin box out of a bag and opening it. “Brand-new wand. Fourteen inches, willow, containing one unicorn tail-hair. And we’ve got all our books —” He pointed at a large bag under his chair. “What about those Monster Books, eh? The assistant nearly cried when we said we wanted two.”
Rose felt her stomach clench at the thought of the damned Monster Book, and what it had done.
“What’s all that, Hermione?” Harry asked, pointing at not one but three bulging bags in the chair next to her.
“Well, I’m taking more new subjects than you, aren’t I?” Granger replied. “Those are my books for Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, Study of Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies —”
“What are you doing Muggle Studies for?” Weasley asked “You’re Muggle-born! Your mum and dad are Muggles! You already know all about Muggles!”
“But it’ll be fascinating to study them from the Wizarding point of view,” said Granger earnestly. Rose didn't see any point in studying Muggles. She knew enough about them already...
“Are you planning to eat or sleep at all this year, Hermione?” asked Harry.
“I’ve still got ten Galleons,” she said, checking her purse. “It’s my birthday in September, and Mum and Dad gave me some money to get myself an early birthday present.”
“How about a nice book?” offered Weasley
“No, I don’t think so. I really want an owl. I mean, Harry’s got Hedwig and you’ve got Errol —”
“I haven’t. Errol’s a family owl. All I’ve got is Scabbers.” He pulled his pet rat out of his pocket. “And I want to get him checked over,” he added, placing Scabbers on the table in front of them. “I don’t think Egypt agreed with him.”
“There’s a magical creature shop just over there,” said Harry, pointing over to the Magical Menagerie. “You could see if they’ve got anything for Scabbers, and Hermione can get her owl.”
Rose didn't want to tag along with them so she signed to Harry that she'd see him later and slipped away, trying to not get bumped and jostled as she pushed through the throngs of students and families milling around Diagon Alley. She was almost back to the Leaky Cauldron when somebody grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around, making her stumble slightly but the hand gripping her arm stayed firm to keep her steady.
"Easy, Rose," Bletchley chuckled and she breathed a quick sigh of relief as he released his hold on her arm. "I tried calling to you but you didn't hear me." He explained, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry if I frightened you."
She shrugged at him, trying to convey that she was alright, as she looked up at him. "Come on, Amber, Warrington and Montague are over here!" he said, gesturing back in the direction that they had come from, and her heart gave an excited little flutter in her chest- she missed Amber very much. She nodded her head and allowed Bletchley to lead her back to where their friends were waiting.
"ROSIE!" Amber squealed, jumping up and down before wrapping her arms tightly around the shorter girl. She squeezed her tight for several moments and then pulled away, grinning widely at her. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you!" Amber said, causing Rose to smile back at her in return.
"Merlin's pants, look at you! New haircut, some makeup... You really are the prettiest girl in Slytherin now." Warrington teased lightly, which made Rose blush considerably and avert her eyes away from him as the small group began walking again. Amber linked arms with her and smiled fondly at her while Montague, Bletchley, and Warrington debated about racing brooms. She listened halfheartedly, still not a fan of Quidditch but grateful to be a part of the little group anyways.
*
Dinner that night was a very loud, somewhat chaotic affair. Tom the innkeeper put three tables together in the parlor, and the seven Weasleys, Harry, Rose, and Hermione ate their way through five delicious courses.
“How’re we getting to King’s Cross tomorrow, Dad?” asked Fred as they dug into a sumptuous chocolate pudding.
“The Ministry’s providing a couple of cars,” said Mr. Weasley.
“Why?” said Percy curiously.
“It’s because of you, Perce,” said George seriously. “And there’ll be little flags on the hoods, with HB on them —”
“— for Humongous Bighead,” said Fred. Everyone except Percy and Mrs. Weasley snorted into their pudding.
“Why are the Ministry providing cars, Father?” Percy asked again, in a dignified voice.
“Well, as we haven’t got one anymore,” said Mr. Weasley, “— and as I work there, they’re doing me a favor —”
“Good thing, too,” said Mrs. Weasley briskly. “Do you realize how much luggage you’ve all got between you? A nice sight you’d be on the Muggle Underground. . . . You are all packed, aren’t you?”
Rose and Harry both nodded their heads. They'd been packed for a couple days.
“Ron hasn’t put all his new things in his trunk yet,” said Percy, in a long-suffering voice. “He’s dumped them on my bed.”
“You’d better go and pack properly, Ron, because we won’t have much time in the morning,” Mrs. Weasley called down the table.
Once they had all finished eating, Mrs Weasley sent them all up to double check their belongings and get ready for bed. Ron and Percy were arguing loudly from their room next door so Harry went over to help; apparently Percy's Head Boy badge was missing, along with Ron's bottle of rat tonic. Harry headed downstairs in search of the rat tonic, and Rose closed the door to their room to muffle the angry voices. When he returned a short while later, he quickly shut the door behind him and sank onto his bed, rubbing his hands over his face. Rose watched him silently for a moment; studying his face and body language closely before moving to sit beside him on his bed.
"It all makes sense now." He said quietly. Rose frowned at his words and tilted her head slightly. "Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban to find me. He blames me for Voldemort's downfall, and now he's loose. And he's after me. That's why Fudge didn't expel me after we ran away. That's why we were told to stay here in Diagon Alley where we could be watched. That's why the Ministry is sending cars to take us to King’s Cross tomorrow. But once we get back to Hogwarts tomorrow we'll be safe, Rose. There's nowhere safer than Hogwarts. The safest place on earth is wherever Albus Dumbledore is. Don't people always say that Dumbledore was the only person Lord Voldemort had ever been afraid of? Surely Black, as Voldemort’s right-hand man, would be just as frightened of him? And then there are these Azkaban guards everyone keeps talking about. They seem to scare most people senseless, and if they're stationed all around the school, Black’s chances of getting inside seem very small."
Rose nodded, frowning and biting her lip nervously as she considered Harry’s words. So the deranged murderer that escaped an inescapable prison was after Harry for revenge? She wondered if there would ever be a time in their lives that he didn't seem to have a massive target painted on his back. He seemed rather convinced that Hogwarts was the safest place for him to be with Black on the loose, but twice now her only sibling had almost died getting mixed up in dark and dangerous situations there... She just hoped Dumbledore could do a better job protecting Harry this year than the previous years.
*
The next morning was rushed and chaotic as Rose, Harry, Granger and the Weasleys all had a quick breakfast and then began dragging trunks and cages down the narrow staircase. A small wickerwork basket stood beside the heap of trunks, spitting loudly.
“It’s all right, Crookshanks,” Granger cooed through the wickerwork. “I’ll let you out on the train.”
“You won’t,” snapped Weasley. “What about poor Scabbers, eh?” He pointed at his chest, where a large lump indicated that Scabbers was curled up in his pocket. Personally, Rose kind of thought that he should just let the cat eat the decrepit rodent and put it out of its misery. Mr. Weasley, who had been outside waiting for the Ministry cars, stuck his head inside.
“They’re here,” he said. “Harry, come on.” Mr. Weasley marched Harry across the short stretch of pavement toward the first of two old-fashioned dark green cars, each of which was driven by a furtive-looking wizard wearing a suit of emerald velvet.
“In you get, Harry,” said Mr. Weasley, glancing up and down the crowded street. Harry got into the back of the car with Rose and they were soon joined by Granger, Weasley, and Percy. Rose didn't see how they would all possibly fit but found the car to be much more spacious on the inside than it appeared from the outside. The journey to King’s Cross was very uneventful compared with their trip on the Knight Bus. The Ministry of Magic cars seemed almost ordinary, though Harry noticed that they could slide through gaps that Uncle Vernon’s new company car certainly couldn’t have managed. They reached King’s Cross with twenty minutes to spare; the Ministry drivers found them trolleys, unloaded their trunks, touched their hats in salute to Mr. Weasley, and drove away, somehow managing to jump to the head of an unmoving line at the traffic lights.
Mr. Weasley kept close to Harry’s elbow all the way into the station, as if he were determined to personally ensure that Harry made it to the train.
“Right then,” he said, glancing around them. “Let’s do this in pairs, as there are so many of us. I’ll go through first with Harry.”
Mr Weasley and Harry both casually leaned against the wall between platforms 9 and 10 before disappearing through the barrier. Rose followed behind Granger, slipping through the barrier and stepping out onto platform 9 3/4, where the massive scarlet red steam engine was waiting. Mrs Weasley hugged each of her children, then Granger and Harry. Rose scooted away before she decided to try to hug her, quickly finding Amber and Bletchley and taking a compartment with them.
By mid-afternoon it had begun to rain heavily, blurring the view of the countryside rushing past the window. Warrington and Bletchley's antics kept them all entertained as the journey stretched on and the sky outside slowly darkened as evening fell. It had reached near total darkness outside when the train began to lose speed, slowly rolling to a stop with a jolt as the wind and rain howled outside the window.
"Why have we stopped?" Amber asked.
"Dunno." Montague grunted. "Not there yet. Reckon the train broke down?"
Before anyone could answer him though, all the lamps in the compartments and corridors went out, plunging the train into complete darkness. Rose huddled against Amber's side; Montague had pulled out his wand and illuminated the compartment, but it felt like the air was growing colder by the second. Dread and despair began rising through the pit of Rose's stomach and threatening to choke her as the door to their compartment slid open to reveal a tall, dark hooded figure that was taking deep, rattling breaths that crystalized into white puffs of mist in the frigid air. She felt hopelessness overwhelm her and she closed her eyes, willing herself not to panic, but she was getting colder and colder, unable to move her limbs.
Blue eyes. Blue eyes and a bright white smile.
It hurt. She couldn't move, couldn't escape. She felt everything as he destroyed her mind, her body, her soul. Over and over, again and again. She wanted to scream but she couldn't even cry.
All she could see was blue eyes.
When she opened her eyes again she was laying on the seat in the compartment. The lights were back on and the train was moving again. She looked around wildly, searching for the dark hooded figure but Amber put her hand on Rose's arm.
"You're safe- the dementor is gone now." She whispered gently, but Rose didn't feel safe. She felt cold. Empty. Worthless. Disgusting. Broken. Unlovable. And she hated it. She hated every part of herself. She was a freak.
She pushed herself to her feet. Her legs shook violently as she took three or four unsteady steps, swaying precariously and Amber reached for her to steady her but Rose turned away. She slid the compartment door open, ignoring the protests from Amber and Bletchley as she stumbled out into the corridor. Her hands and legs still shook, and she tried to find the nearest bathroom but she couldn’t concentrate long enough to make it across the hall without falling. Finally, in exhaustion and utter terror, Rose sank to the floor and sat hugging her knees tightly to her chest while tears streamed silently down her cheeks. Everything inside of her wanted to die. There was nothing left of her. Nothing except fear and hatred and disgust. No hope for redemption, no forgiveness, no salvation. There was only pain, loneliness, anger, sorrow, loneliness… The whole world was as dark, empty, and meaningless as she was.
Suddenly, a large hand landed softly on Rose’s shoulder. “Are you alright?” asked a male voice that she didn't recognize. She looked up into the stranger's face. There were scars on his face but his warm brown eyes looked down at her with kindness and concern. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a chocolate bar, peeling off the wrapper and holding a large piece out to her but she shook her head. She knew if she acknowledged him, if she accepted this kind gesture, she would begin to cry. And she wasn't going to show this stranger any more weakness than she already had. So she wrapped her arms around her legs and stared at the floor.
"I promise it will help, Rose." He said kindly and she looked up at him sharply. This stranger knew her name? But how? How could he know her? And why did he care? If he knew who she was then he should know she wasn't worth caring about.
Amber appeared at her side and crouched beside her. She took one of Rose's shaking hands in hers and held it tight. "Come on. Let me take you back." She whispered, squeezing Rose's fingers as they stood up. She guided Rose back to the compartment with the annoying stranger tagging along behind them, but Rose refused to look at him again, instead focusing her gaze on Amber's hand wrapped tightly around her own.