Rosabella Black |Daughter Of Sirius Black| (Book 5)

Career Advice

Rosabella's Point of View:
    "But why haven't you got Occlumency lessons any more?" Hermione said frowning as the train departed.
The trio and I were sitting in a compartment. There weren't many people on the train as a lot of people stayed for Easter holidays. We usually would but we all couldn't wait to meet my niece so we're going home this time. Usually most people revise for exams in holidays and we will, just at Grimmauld Place and Lucas would make sure we do. Winter waited for us at Hogsmeade Station and was thrilled to see us all, especially me.
    "I've told you. Snape reckons I can carry on by myself now I've got the basics." Harry muttered.
I knew it was a lie. But Harry and I agreed not to tell anyone about what he saw. I felt bad for Snape and I didn't like it. Life is so much easier when I can just hate him. My father has some explaining to do. Harry hadn't left out a single detail so I could easily visualise what he saw.
    "So you've stopped having funny dreams?" Hermione said sceptically.
   "Pretty much." Harry said, not looking at her.
   "Well, I don't think Snape should stop until you're absolutely sure you can control them! Harry, I think you should go back to him and ask–" Hermione said indignantly.
    "No." said Harry forcefully.
    "Just drop it, Hermione, OK?" I asked.
It had been a few days since Roseanna was born and it was the first day of the Easter holidays. Hermione, as was her custom, spent a large part of the train journey drawing up revision timetables for the four of us. Harry and Ron had let her do it. It was easier than arguing with her.
Ron was startled to discover there were only six weeks left until our exams.
   "How can that come as a shock?" Hermione demanded, as she tapped each little square on Ron's timetable with her wand so that it flashed a different colour according to its subject.
    "I dunno, there's been a lot going on." Ron said.
   "Well, there you are, if you follow that you should do fine." Hermione said, handing him his timetable.
Ron looked down it gloomily, but then brightened.
   "You've given me an evening off every week!" Ron said cheerfully.
    "That's for Quidditch practice with Ro and her brothers." Hermione said.
The smile faded from Ron's face.
    "What's the point? We've got about as much chance of winning the Quidditch Cup this year as Dad's got of becoming Minister for Magic." Ron said dully.
     "Your being to harsh. We both know you've gotten better not just with your technique but with your nerves as well." I said defianitely.
In our one on one Quidditch practice I had used an illusion charm to make it look like that stands were full and when Ron got used to the faje crowd that would scream, cheer and boo, I enchanted it to sing Weasley Is Our King. This threw Ron off but lately he's managed to ignore it.
Hermione said nothing, she was looking at Harry, who was staring blankly at the opposite wall of the common room while Crookshanks pawed at his hand, trying to get his ears scratched.
    "What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked.
    "What? Nothing." Harry said quickly.
Harry seized his copy of Defensive Magical Theory and pretended to be looking something up in the index. Crookshanks gave him up as a bad job and slunk away under Hermione's chair.
    "I saw Cho earlier. She looked really miserable . . . have you two had a row or something?" Hermione said tentatively, glancing at me.
Hermione was confused when I smirked instead of scowled at the mention of Cho.
    "Wha—oh, yeah, we have." Harry said, and subconsciously he put his arm around me.
I moved closer to him so I was tucked into his side.
    "What about?" Hermione asked.
    "That sneak friend of hers, Marietta." I said.
    "Yeah, well, I don't blame you! If it hadn't been for her . . ." Ron said angrily, setting down his revision timetable.
Ron went into a rant about Marietta Edgecombe for the rest of the journey. The rest of the Weasleys and my brothers came into our compartment when we were five minutes away from the train station. We were all buzzing with excitement, no one more then my brothers and I.
When we got off Remus, Tonks and Lucas were waiting for us. Lucas looked happy but tired. The first thing we all did was congratulate Lucas.
    "You look like a Zombie, Lu." I said as I hugged him in greeting.
     "Well since Fiona just gave birth, I've been doing the night time feeds for the past few days." Lu replied with a yawn.
     "How is Fiona and Roseanna?" Ginny asked enthusiastically.
     "Let's get moving and you can see for yourself." Lucas said with a smile and with that we left the train station and got on the Knight Bus with our luggage.
     "I honestly don't know how you all coped with me as a baby when you had NEWTs to revise for." Lucas said tiredly to Remus.
     "Well there was ten of us so we took it turns." Remus replied.
We arrived at Grimmauld Place and we all practically ran inside while dragging our luggage with us.
Lucas chuckled as he opened the door and went in first. We left out luggage in the hall as we quickly entered the living room. Fiona was curled up on the sofa holding a bundle of pink blankets and inside the blanket was a newborn baby with soft, thin blonde hairs. Dad was standing close to Fiona, looking down at the baby with brightest smile I had ever seen. Fiona beamed at us as we entered. I was the first one to reach her and I nearly cried at the sight in front of me. My niece slept soundly in Fiona's arms.
     "Want to hold her?" Fiona asked kindly.
     "Please." I said, smiling.
I held my arms out and Fiona gently placed Roseanna in my arms. I cradled the small baby. Roseanna stirred but stayed sleeping. I couldn't help but look at Harry and he was smiling happily at me. Harry came over to stand next to me and he looked down at the baby with big smile.
     "Don't get any ideas, unless you want Trelawney’s prediction to come true." Fred said with a teasing smile.
Harry and I blushed.
   "What prediction?" Dad asked, raising an eyebrow.
Oh god.
     "Trelawney said Harry would have twelve kids." George said casually.
Lucas, Remus and Dad's eyes bulged.
Oh god.
      "They're right, don't get any ideas!" Lucas said sternly.
Harry and I frantically nodded. I held Roseanna for about twenty minutes before I was forced to hand her over to Michael. We all took turns holding her.
Fiona said she would be going back to work in two weeks and Lucas was also taking two weeks off. Over the next few days Remus helped us study and actually demonstrated some of the spells we had been learning with Umbridge. Lucas was also helping us revise for our exams. Winter constantly stayed by Roseanna and was acting a bit like a garden dog. Fiona found it adorable and told Lucas they should get one.
Dad had definitely noticed something was off with Harry and I, since we were barely looking at him. Harry didn't want to bring it up and ruin the blissful happiness that has been around after Roseanna was born.
   "It's been a few days, we can do it now if you want." I whispered softly to Harry.
Harry looked extremely reluctant.
     "Stalling is just going to make it worse."I insisted.
Harry hesitated and then nodded. He went to grab Dad when I went to get Remus and we all went upstairs and went into one of the studies.
    "What is it? Are you all right? Do you need help?" Dad said, urgently.
    "No, it's nothing like that . . . I just wanted to talk . . . about my dad." Harry said and then looked at me for support.
Dad and Remus exchanged a look of great surprise. I looked at Dad and Remus with an insolent glare.
     "You made us feel sorry for Snape! You achieved the impossible! Well done! Go ahead, Harry." I said to the confusion and shock of my dad and uncle.    
Harry plunged immediately into the story of what he had seen in the Pensieve.
When he had finished, neither Dad nor Remus spoke for a moment.
   "I wouldn't like you to judge your father on what you saw there, Harry. He was only fifteen—"Remus eventually said, quietly.
    "I'm fifteen." Harry said heatedly.
    "Well, Harry we're not exactly normal teenagers." I said softly and Harry rounded on me.
     "We both lost people at a very young age. We both had to grow up quickly, you more so then me. You dad didn't have that, a lot of kids haven't. I'm not excusing it, just saying comparing him to us may not be the best comparison." I explained but Harry still didn't seem convinced.
    "Look, Harry, James and Snape hated each other from the moment they set eyes on each other. It was just one of those things, you can understand that, can't you? I think James was everything Snape wanted to be. He was popular, he was good at Quidditch, good at pretty much everything. And Snape was just this little oddball who was up to his eyes in the Dark Arts, and James – whatever else he may have appeared to you, Harry – always hated the Dark Arts." Dad said placatingly
    "Yeah, but he just attacked Snape for no good reason, just because —well . . ." Harry said, with a slightly apologetic note in his voice.
    "Just because you said you were bored." I finished for him.
   "I'm not proud of it." Dad said quickly.
Remus looked sideways at Dad.
    "Look, Harry, what you've got to understand is that your father and Sirius were the best in the school at whatever they did. Everyone thought they were the height of cool, if they sometimes got a bit carried away –" Remus said.
    "If we were sometimes arrogant little berks, you mean." Dad said.
Remus smiled.
    "He kept messing up his hair." Harry said in a pained voice.
I took his hand in mine and squeezed it.
Dad and Remus laughed.
    "I'd forgotten he used to do that." Dad said affectionately.
    "Was he playing with the Snitch?" Remus said eagerly.
    "Yeah. Well . . . I thought he was a bit of an idiot." Harry said, watching uncomprehendingly as Dad and Remus beamed reminiscently
   "Of course he was a bit of an idiot! We were all idiots! Well – not Moony so much." Dad said fairly, looking at Lupin.
But Remus shook his head.
    "Did I ever tell you to lay off Snape? Did I ever have the guts to tell you I thought you were out of order?" Remus said.
  "Yeah, well, you made us feel ashamed of ourselves sometimes . . . that was something . . ." Dad said.
   "And he kept looking over at the girls by the lake, hoping they were watching him!" Harry said doggedly, determined to say everything that was on his mind now he was here.
    "Oh, well, he always made a fool of himself whenever Lily was around. He couldn't stop himself showing off whenever he got near her." Dad said, shrugging.
    "How come she married him? She hated him!" Harry asked miserably.
    "Nah, she didn't." Sirius said.
    "She started going out with him in seventh year. Actually, I think it was a few weeks after we all find out you and Rose were expecting. I think that was the first time Lily saw James be mature and how he'd do anythingfor those he cared about. And he did Harry. He wasn't perfect but you couldn't of asked for a better friend. He asked his parentsto let Sirius live with them when he was disowned, he gave me monthly money to live on when we left Hogwarts becauseI couldn'tget a good job and he stopped Slytherins hexing the younger years because James would never of hexed people he knew wouldn't stand a chance against him. The gang of Slytherins Snape was in would hex any muggle borns with Dark magic, regardless of their year." Remus said.
   "Once James had deflated his head a bit, basically. At least that's how Rose stated it." Dad said.
   "And stopped hexing people just for the fun of it." Remus said.
   "Even Snape?" Harry said.
   "Well, Snape was a special case. I mean, he never lost an opportunity to curse James so you couldn't really expect James to take that lying down, could you?" Remus said slowly.
   "And my mum was OK with that?" Harry asked.
   "She didn't know too much about it, to tell you the truth. I mean, James didn't take Snape on dates with her and jinx him in front of her, did he?" Dad said.
Dad frowned at Harry, who was still looking unconvinced.
   "Look, your father was the best friend I ever had and he was a good person. A lot of people are idiots at the age of fifteen. He grew out of it." Dad said.
Harry looked at me as if to see what I think.
    "We spent a month in the past, you saw what he was like around people he liked. There's two sides to every story, Harry." I said thoughtfully.
     "When did you become so wise?" Remus asked, teasingly.
     "The moment I became an aunt." I replied and Remus chuckled and shook his head.
We all then looked back at Harry, who looked deep in thought.
    "Yeah, OK. I just never thought I'd feel sorry for Snape." Harry said, heavily.
    "Now you mention it, how did Snape react when he found you'd seen all this?" Remus said, a faint crease between his eyebrows.
   "He told me he'd never teach me Occlumency again." Harry said indifferently.
  "Like that's a big disappoint –" I started to say.
   "He WHAT?" Dad shouted, causing Harry and I to jump.
   "Are you serious, Harry? He's stopped giving you lessons?" Remus said quickly
   "Yeah. But it's OK, I don't care, it's a bit of a relief to tell you the–" Harry said, surprised.
   "I'm going up there to have a word with Snape!" Dad said forcefully, and he actually made to leave, but Remus wrenched him back.
   "If anyone's going to tell Snape it will be me! But Harry, first of all, you're to go back to Snape and tell him that on no account is he to stop giving you lessons – when Dumbledore hears –" Remus said, firmly.
   "I can't tell him that, he'd kill me! You didn't see him when we got out of the Pensieve." Harry said outraged.
    "Only do that if you have a death wish." I agreed.
   "Harry there is nothing so important as you learning Occlumency! Do you understand me? Nothing!" Remus said, sternly.
    "OK, OK.' Harry said, thoroughly discomposed, not to mention annoyed.     
    "I'll . . . I'll try and say something to him . . . but it won't be pleasant. I don't even need it, Ro keeps the dreams away when —" Harry said and I stamped on his foot.
Harry let out a yelp and looked at me accusingly intill horror came across his face and we both slowly turned to look at my uncle and Dad.
They both looked suspiciously between us.
     "What do you mean?" Dad pressed.
     "Nothing!" Harry and I said quickly.
Oh I'm so dead!
      "Rosabella?" Remus said sternly.
      "Well, um, on the first night Harry stayed here Winter heard him having one of those nightmares. She woke me up and I followed her to Harry's room and well . . ." I said and lost my nerve at harsh and scolding glare of my Dad and Uncle.
      "We discovered when Ro touched me the dreams stopped and I was snapped out of it. That worked for a while but they seemed to grow stronger so now Ro has to sing in order for the dreams to stop." Harry finished.
Dad's face softened but he still looked between us suspiciously.
      "And how exactly do you do that?" Dad pressed.
Harry and I looked at each other hesitantly before I sighed in defeat.
      "I've . . . I've been sneaking into Harry's room all year." I said and braced myself.
     "WHAT?" Remus yelled very loudly.
     "Nothing has happened! I swear!" I said quickly.
     "I just sleep while she sings!" Harry said quickly coming to my defense.
     "How do I know your not lying?" Remus demanded.
I held up one finger and quickly left the room. Harry gave me a 'Don't leave me!"  I went to get what was left of my stash wakefulness potion. I showed it to Remus.
     "Wakefulness potion?" Dad said.
I nodded.
     "How does no one in Harry's dorm know you're there?" Remus asked his anger lessening.
      "The Muffliato charm." I answered nervously.
      "How am I angry and impressed at the same time?" Dad said in disbelief.
      "Join the club." Remus mumbled.
      "How does this even work? Why dies Ro stop the dreams?" Dad said, perplexed.
       "I don't know. We'll have to see if Dumbledore knows." Remus said.
I breathed a sigh of relief that the yelling seemed to have ended.
     "Moony, I actually have an educational question." I said hesitantly.
Remus looked at me to show he was listening, you could see he was still annoyed.
      "Well, as you know my Animagus form is a wolf but during the last D.A meeting Harfy was teaching us the Patronus charm, but my patronus is a Doe. Do you know why that could be?" I asked and Harry and I both waited expectedly for the answer.
Remus and Dad's jaws dropped. They looked at each other in disbelief and then looked back Harry and I.
     "Merlin, Harry, your patronus is a stag right?" Dad clarified.
Harry nodded, confused.
      "Moony . . ." Dad said and looked at Renus.
      "I know, Padfoot." Remus said, looking at me and Harry.
   "What?" I demanded, getting annoyed.
Remus and Dad smiled at each other.
    "Well, you see . . . it is possible for your patronus to change." Dad said, grinning.
     "Why?" I pressed.
   "Your patronus can sometimes change to match the love of your life patronus is." Remus said, smiling.
Harry and mine's jaws dropped open and we looked at each other.
Remus and Dad chuckled. No one said anything for a while and we all eventually went downstairs.
The first week of the Easter holidays past and all of is still in school revised most of the time. Fred and George pretended to revise but they were actually devising plans for Umbridge.
Winter was getting restless being locked up in the house when she had bow gotten used to being outside all the time.
    "Can I take Winter for a walk? She'll go insane if she's coped up any longer." I asked my Dad and Remus.
Dad was holding Roseanna while Fiona was napping upstairs. Remus and Dad looked at each other hesitantly.
     "Alright but take an order member with you. Kingsley, would you mind?" Remus said.
      "Not at all." Kingsley said, standing up.
I whistled for Winter and we left. I enjoyed walking with Kingsley and he happily told me all about the life of an Auror and what I should consider before deciding to be one. He believed I had a strong chance at being one of the first people to be taken on by the Aurors in the past three years. Tonks was one of the last to be taken on. I smiled happily at that. We were just walking past an alley, when I saw something move in the shadows. Before I could react a pale white hand reached put to grab my arm. Winter lunged and clenched her teeth onto the arm before it could touch me. We heard a scream of pain. Kingsley pushed me behind him, wand raised. Winter released the arm and stood protectively in front of me. The hand and the sream definitely belonged to a female.
Out if the shadows stepped the last person I expected to see. Bellatrix Lestrange. My breath caught in my throat as I backed away on instinct. In the next moment, spells clashed in the air as Kingsley and Bellatrix began to duel.
    "Rosabella, run! Now! Go! Go get the others!" Kingsley yelled urgently.
I snapped out of it and started to run back to Grimmauld Place with Winter close by my side. Out if the corner of my eye I saw Bellatrix desperately try to seize me but was prevented by Kingsley. I ran as fast as I could to Grimmauld Place. When I go their I ran into the living room where everyone was.
    "Phsyco bitch is fighting Kingsley around the corner! I'm coming!" I said loudly.
    "Wait what?" Dad said as Remus and Lucas jumped to their feet.
     "Translation, Bellatrix is fighting Kingsley and Ro wants to come. The answer is no by the way!" Lucas said and all the adults jumped to their feet. Dad passed Roseanna to Mrs Weasley.
      "It wasn’t a request!" I said and I started to run back towards the door.
Lucas used the trip jinx on me and I grabbed the banister of the stairs for support. Lucas then summoned robes to tie my wrist to the banister.
     "All of you stay here, Molly, Sirius stay with the kids." Remus said.
     "Remus this is Bellatrix we're talking about! She killed my wife! I'm not staying here —!" Dad protested loudly.
Fiona then came running down the stairs and she took Roseanna of Molly and held her close.
     "Sirius, she was apart of the Black family and she was here multiple times. The Fedelius charm should keep her out but just incase we should leave people here." Remus reasoned.
      "We don't have time to argue! Let's go." Lucas said and he was first out the door followed by Tonks.
Remus was about to leave.
      "Remus . . ." Sirius said and stared after Lucas.
      "I won't let anything happen to him. Bellatrix already killed my sister, I'll be dawned if she gets my nephew as well." Remus assured Dad and proceeded to leave.
     "Don't tug so hard, Ro. You'll get rope burn." Remus said as he left.
I let out a string of curse words as I tugged with all my strength against the rope.
     "I HAVE A BABY TRYING TO SLEEP!" Fiona yelled from the second landing after half an hour.
I immediately stopped yelling and accepted defeat. Dad finally untied me from the banister and I joined the others in the living room. About ten minutes later they returned, no one looking badly hurt.
      "All of you should go upstairs. We need to have an order meeting." Kingsley said.
We didn't go quietly and we were mainly distracting so Fred and George could get the Extendable Ears. We could hear more or less everything they said.
     "It was strange, Minerva. She seemed very reluctant to kill Lucas,or Rosabella for that matter. It looked as if she was trying to grap them." Kingsley said.
     "But why? Why would she be after them?" Someone asked but I wasn't sure who.
      "Because she wants to 'restore' the Black family. Me, my children and now Roseanna are the only ones left with the Black name." I heard Dad say with hatred dripping from every word.
All of us looked at each other. My brothers and I exchanged anxious looks. The rest of the meeting was security suggestions. Looks like Harry isn't the only one who's going to be followed from now on.
The rest of the Easter holidays past quickly. I really didn't want to leave as I was having so much fun helping taking care of Roseanna. Turns out I have a talent for taking care of babies. But we had to go back to Hogwarts and Winter returned to the Forbidden Forest. As soon as we got back, the trio and I found ourselves face with the question of our future.