The Golden Group

Rose

The next few days flew by in a blur. Suddenly my fight with Scorpius seemed decades ago. Exams were here before I knew it. Alice and I spent almost all our time in the library studying like crazy.
"You are going to have to talk to Scorpius sometime," Alice tells me as we study for Charms.
"What's there to talk about?" I ask Alice.
"Rose, listen to yourself. What's there to talk about? Everything! What happened between you? What happened to the Golden Group?" Alice rants on the verge of tears.
"Alice-"
"Don't Alice me! Our groups friendship has unraveled ever since- ever since Allison showed up." Alice says and stands up and starts to pace.
"Maybe we weren't meant to be friends with th-"
"Think about it! Angus having too much interest in you. Phoebe pretending to change to break apart you and Scorpius. Jane turning Albus into some sort of puppet. Think about it Rose it all leads back to her. We've seen her talk to all of them at some point, she's after us," Alice explains.
"You're right! We have to tell them... only we can't, can we. Scorpius and Albus won't believe us much less listen to us," I say and frown.
"But maybe we should tell them!" Alice pleads.
"We shouldn't tell them, Alice. What's the point? We'll just make more enemies by telling them," I realize and sigh then go back to studying. Alice huffs and closes her book.
"I'm going to go," Alice mumbles and promptly leaves the library.

I toss and turn in bed that night. My small fight with Alice has been bothering me constantly. I know they wouldn't listen to us. Malfoy would just run off with Krum and Albus would hide behind his puppet master, Jane. I was silly to think Malfoy could ever be my friend.
"I need some fresh air," I mumble and crawl out of bed. Silently I slip on trainers, grab my wand, and sneak out of the dorm. I walk up to the astronomy tower and go to the top that over looks the school grounds.
"A good place to think," I say and put my hands on the edge of the tower.
"Lovely view isn't it," a voice says and I turn around where someone's wand lights up the night.
"Scor-Malfoy what are you doing here?" I question.
"Same as you I needed a place to think and relax. I've been cramming in studying like crazy," Malfoy explains.
"Oh," I say," Well please don't interrupt me."
"Wasn't planning on it Weasley," he says and stands but the side and put his head in his hands. I close my eyes and try to relax.
"Have you noticed something about Albus and Jane?" Malfoy asks me and I open my eyes.
"How Albus is Jane's puppet? Yep," I tell him," My cousin is in danger with that girl."
"I hardly see Al any more because Jane insists he's with her 24/7. And she's been talking to Allison and you know that's dangerous," Malfoy says.
"Wait she's been talking to Allison?" I ask and he nods," Oh you've got to be kidding me. That numpty! How come I didn't firgured this out earlier!"
"Weasley explain," Malfoy orders.
"You back a long time ago when I snuck into the Slytherin common room. I saw something with all our names on it. She's plotting against us Scorpius. She wants to break up the Golden Group. She knows something we don't," I explain to him pacing back and forth. I hear a creak and suddenly forget what we were talking about.
"Wait what were we talking about?" Malfoy asks me.
"We weren't. I said don't interrupt me," I scold and walk back over to the edge. That's strange I feel like I was in the middle of telling Malfoy something. It's probably nothing, I tell myself.

After minutes of silence and thinking I decide to go back to my dorm.
"Night Weasley," Malfoy says and I nod. Swiftly I make my way back to my dorm making sure I'm not caught. I slip back into bed and fall quickly asleep.

"Rose wake up," Alice says and shakes me awake.
"Alice listen I'm so sorry. I was being unreasonable and should have listened to you," I apologize and Alice nods then hugs me.
"I forgive you. It was just a silly fight," Alice reassures and we change into our robes.
"First couple of exams are today. Are you ready?" I ask.
"You know I am," Alice says as we walk down to the Great Hall," I'm sorry you've recently been a third wheel with James and me. It wasn't like that with Albus but you had Scorpius so-"
"Really it's fine Alice," I reassure her and she nods.
"Thank you for being so understanding," Alice says and we sit down at the Gryffindor table for breakfast. I pile some bacon, eggs, and toast on my plate and eat it. Soon James shows up and he and Alice start talking. I eat silently listening to them. Soon I get bored with listening and I start studying.
"Hey I'm going to head my first exam I'll see you around James," I tell them and head to Transfirguation.

Soon it's Thursday and as I finish up my last exam, Divination. It was easy I just made up something I "saw" in the crystal ball. Professor Trelawney loved it. I look back on the school year. It's been crazy. The whole thing with Malfoy, Allison, the supposed Golden Group, Honorary Yule Ball, Quidditch, and everything along those lines. Just thinking about it hurts my head. So many things have gone wrong, Allison, Jane, Angus, Phoebe, my many fights with Scorpius and the few with Albus. But so many things have gone right at the same time, the Yule Ball, becoming animaguses, the end of Valentine's Day, Halloween. Maybe Malfoy and I aren't meant to be friends or anything more. It didn't work out this year and kind of the same with Alice and Albus, they were just meant to be friends.

Alice and I walk out of the classroom at the end of everyone's exam.
"Blimey the year is almost over," Alice says in shock.
"You've got that right," I say grimly.
"This year has been something," Alice says and I nod in agreement.
"I was just thinking about that after my exam," I tell her and she giggles.
"This is why we're best friends," Alice says and I smile.
"Thank you for being there for me this whole year," I tell her and she smiles.
"You too," she says and we hug.
"I couldn't ask for a better friend," I tell her and we smile.
"Come on that's get out of the robes for the rest of the year," Alice says and we make our way to our dorm.
"Technically we still wear them at closing feast and when we board the train," I correct Alice.
"Oh you know what I mean," I say and we laugh. I wouldn't have survived this year without Alice, she is my best mate, partner in crime, follow Gryffindor, and I couldn't ask for a better best friend.