A Single Rose

Chapter Four

A/N: Hey guys I know it's been a hot minute since I updated but I graduated from high school so now I have a bunch of free time (except for working and the upcoming of college), but yay!

Fred and George successfully managed to lightly drag me to the ice cream shop, which is owned by a very sweet, middle aged man. He gave me an extra scoop for free. I got pumpkin ice cream, just for a change. George got strawberry - which is my favorite - and Fred got rocky road. At least the ice cream flavors are the same in the wizard world. Well, minus pumpkin, which I had never heard of before. Fred just left a couple of minutes ago, he spotted one of his friends from school. George stayed behind with me though, which was nice. We are both still eating our ice cream.

"So how come I've never seen you at school?"

"Um-"

"You've got to be around my age. How old are you anyway?"

"Would you believe me if I said ten?" No response. "No? Oh well okay fine, I'm fourteen. How about you?"

"Fifteen. So you'll be going into fourth year at Hogwarts right?"

"Um actually, I go to a normal school." He just looks at me, confused. "A muggle school?" I clarify.

"But you're magic, so why don't you go to a wizarding school?"

"Well actually..."

"Hey, Rose, Fred. Here Rose, I'd like you to meet Lee. Lee, this is Rose. Rose, this is Lee, me and George's friend from school."

"Hey," Lee says, giving a slight wave.

"Hello, nice to meet you," I respond, smiling.

"You too. Anyway, I gotta go stalk up on supplies, you three wanna come?"

"I'll come," Fred answers. "Rose? George?"

"I think I'll just finish my ice cream."

"I'll stay with her," says George. I turn to him, confused by his answer.

"You don't have to stay with me, I'm alright."

"I want to."

"Oh. Okay." George and I say goodbye to Fred and Lee and then he turns back to me.

"So, what did you mean before? Before Fred and Lee came by." I give him a questioning look. "About why you don't go to Hogwarts..." he prompts. I freeze. I'm not exactly sure if I should tell him the truth. What if he kicks me out and tries to do something like the woman in the antiques shop did? What if I lose him and Fred as my new friends? What if- "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I'm just curious." Him saying that makes me want to tell him. Ugh. Fine. The truth.

"Just- just don't tell anyone please."

"Alright."

"At all."

"Okay."

"Not even Fred."

"I know. I won't."

"Okay well, I'm not muggleborn. I'm not magic at all. I'm a muggle." His eyes widen and he opens his mouth as if he's about to say something. "Before you say anything, would you like me to tell you or not?" He nods. "Okay so basically..." I tell him everything. Starting with the train ride here, continuing into my interaction with the woman in the antiques store, escaping into The Leaky Cauldron, trying gillywater, seeing him and Fred with their mother earlier, my lack of money and store owners generosity, and finish my explanation when I first met him and Fred not too long ago."Now you may say something."