A Tale as Old as Time (Harry James Potter x OC)

Chapter 9...When Hell Freezes Over

It was Monday now and Rosemary still had a pounding headache that no amount of vitamins or water could cure. She was currently sitting beside Hermione in the Great Hall whilst awaiting breakfast. Despite the fact that it was 6:00 in the morning and Rose was not a morning person, she was still on the look out for a certain Gryffindor.

"Rosemary, I told you he's not coming to breakfast today; he was up late last night working on his project for Potions." Hermione giggled, "He was trying to make a serum that will transform him into Dumbledore so that he can fire Snape, but Ronald thought it was candy and ate it before it was done. You should have seen him, Rose. He blew up like a beta fish. Of course, I had to fix him, which was annoying, but I let it go on for longer than I should have."

The Stevens girl laughed lightly at the absurdity of Hermione's story, but continued to look around the dining hall frantically, to which Hermione sighed.

"Gods, Rose, I told you that you do not have to worry. Harry will not be coming to —" A certain someone interrupted her thoughts.

Strutting in through the dining hall doors came Harry fucking Potter in all his morning glory with his gang of blabbering idiots in stride. The bespectacled boy appeared particularly confident today as he made his way to the Gryffindor table. But when he scanned the Hufflepuff's and did not find a certain blonde, he furrowed his brows in discontent. Where was his little Badger?

To answer that question, Rosemary Stevens was currently hiding underneath the table beside Hermione Granger's feet.

"Act natural, Hermione!" demanded Rose in a quiet but serious tone, her voice just above a whisper.

In response, the brunette kicked the blonde beauty in the side, the searing pain in her ribs causing the girl to groan and smack the Granger girl in the shin.

Nevertheless, as Harry approached Hermione, she tried to keep a straight face. "Hello, Harry!" she said.

Back straightening, Harry reached across the table for Hermione's plate and popped a strawberry into his mouth. "Hello, Hermione. Fine day, isn't it?" he said cheerfully — perhaps too cheerfully.

She grinned nervously. Voice an octave too high, she squeaked, "Just lovely!"

Harry's eyes twinkled evilly with mischief. "Oh yes, it is. You know what would make it even lovelier?" Hermione looked at him unsurely and Rose was tugging at the girl's socks in tense anticipation. Nevertheless, Harry continued, "If I knew where my lovely Rosebud was."

A disgruntled noise resounded from under the table. In a futile attempt to distract him from the sound, Hermione coughed, "I haven't seen her all day."

"Oh, really? His lips stretched even wider. "Well, that's funny, considering she is hiding right under you at this very moment." Ducking his head below the table, he waved at Rose and offered her a hand: "Hello, my love, would you like to join us?"

Rosemary's face flushed a deep red. Damn him. Embarrassed, she tried to remedy the situation. "I was just — um just — picking up my fork that I dropped." Her eyes surveyed the floors for utensils but none were to be found. "I couldn't find it," she added quickly.

Raising an eyebrow in amusement, Harry chuckled, "It's alright, darling. No need to be embarrassed. We're all friends here." The boy looked to Hermione for support, but she had already completely disengaged from the conversation, her having turned her attention to a disgruntled Ronald in avoidance of involving herself in one of Harry and Rose's lover quarrels — if one could even call it that.

Gritting her teeth, Rose spat, "We are not friends."

"You're right, my Rosebud. We are so much more than that." He slung an arm around her shoulders, but she shoved him off not a second later. Unfazed, the Potter boy admired the blonde's figure and thanked the Hogwarts administration for requiring girls to wear skirts. He truly did consider Rosemary to be a gift from the gods sent down for mankind to honor and worship at her altar.