Tempest // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 51

Rosie was five minutes late to dinner.

Her father was angry.

"First night back and you're late." He said, his voice gruff and quite intimidating.

"Sorry..." Rosie mumbled, taking her seat at the table.

A feast of various pastas and sides were placed on the table and the smell overwhelmed Rosie's nostrils. She had forgotten what these sorts of foods tasted like, having spent the past 12 months feasting on roasts at Hogwarts.

Isabelle threw daggers towards Rosie as she served herself food, almost identical to the ones her father was throwing her.

"So, how was it?" Her mother asked, taking a sip of wine as she tried to diffuse the tension at the table.

Rosie hesitated for a moment, glancing at her father's stern expression as they all awaited her answer. "It was... good. You know, the usual Hogwarts stuff."

Her mother raised an eyebrow, sensing there was more to Rosie's experience than she was letting on. "Just good? You were away for a whole year, Ro. We want to hear everything."

"She did her N.E.W.Ts there." Isabelle interrupted.

"What?" Her father barked, "You did them there?! You were supposed to be discreet! Come back here and continue where you left off! I knew it was strange when you were gone for an entire year! You were just living your life there!"

"James... please..." Rosie's mum sighed, slamming her glass down on the table, "Can we please not do this now? It's her first dinner back..."

"No, Vera, I'll do it whenever I like. So, what did you get?" Her father yelled back, drawing his attention back to Rosie, hands slamming on the table.

"E's and O's. One A."

"An acceptable? In what?"

"Charms..."

Rosie's father huffed, clearly disappointed. "Charms? The sort of subject we've had you girls being tutored in since you were toddlers?"

"Well, at least she didn't fail. It's better than I expected." Isabelle added with a smug look, though Rosie felt like she was trying to ease the pressure on her a little.

"Shut it, Isabelle," their father yelled, "We won't talk about your results. I'm shocked they allowed you in the Auror programme at all! So, what are you going to do now, Primrose?"

Rosie's eyes flickered between her parents then to Isabelle, noticing the forlorn look on her face, "I... I was considering curse-breaking..."

"You? A curse-breaker?" Her father laughed, "Not a chance. How can you settle down and marry and have children when you're gallivanting around the world? I'll get you an appointment at work and find you something there."

"No, dad–"

"Don't argue with me, Primrose. You're on thin ice already."

A thick silence enveloped the table as Rosie tried to think of what to say, but the words never came.

"I'm... I'm not hungry." She finally replied, slamming down her knife and fork and leaving the table quickly.

Rosie left the dining room fast and made her way back to her room when she was stopped in her tracks by their tiny house elf.

"Miss Rosie?"

"Tilpy? Ah, sorry. I'm tired, I'm going to head to bed." Rosie said, trying to brush off the elf.

"Be careful, Miss Rosie. There's a boy in your room."

Rosie's face paled and she began to stutter, "Uh... y–yeah, I know."