The Empty Chamber (Harry Potter Next Generation Fanfiction)

Chapter Fourteen: Rose

Rose was glowing so brightly in the days after the game that she could feel it. Ella had forgiven her - and she had friends. I have friends, I have friends, I have friends. Now, Rose was impatient, anxious even, to speak to Al and Lydia. She wanted to just talk to them - a necessity she had deprived herself of over the past three months - and make things normal again. And now, after talking to Ella, she was just starting to see how that was possible.

Roxanne was glowing too - a week after the Hufflepuff match, Gryffindor had their first game, and it was against Slytherin. Not only did Gryffindor win, but Roxanne, a Chaser, had scored 20 points against an impossible Keeper, an achievement she was proud of. After what had been a rough beginning to the year, life at Hogwarts was improving.

The problem was that just over a week had passed since Rose and Ella had made up, and Rose still hadn't talked to the Slytherins. She knew that if she waited too long she would lose the motivation to act at all, but the Slytherins were avoiding her. Maybe not intentionally, but nonetheless, as soon as classes were over, they ran out. They gave the impression that they were up to something important, and Rose knew, because of their brief appearance at the Gryffindor table to talk to Roxanne several weeks ago, that they were trying to figure out the kidnappings. And she wanted to join them.

After another week of being too slow to catch them on the way out of class, or not noticing them in the halls until they were disappearing around a corner, Rose made up her mind that she would talk to the Slytherins during the Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson on Friday regardless of what stood in her way. She would chase them out of class all the way to the Owlrey if she had to, but she was going to apologize. Never in her life had Rose wanted to say sorry so badly, as it was usually a difficult word to get out.

Rose told Roxanne about this plan, and she didn't react as enthusiastically as Rose hoped she would. Of course, there was no real reason to expect excitement, because Roxanne wasn't friends with Al and Lydia like Rose was, and Roxanne was hardly an enthusiastic person to begin with, but her response was disappointing nonetheless.

"I'm going to talk to them during DADA," Rose said firmly to Roxanne in the common room Thursday night. On the other side of the room, someone screamed as Fred accidentally set a house plant on fire. "And I won't let them escape. I'll follow them wherever they go if I have to, but by this time tomorrow, we'll be friends again."

"That's nice," Roxanne said, not looking up from her parchment, where she was starting to draw something Rose couldn't yet make out. James was now warming his hand over the flaming plant, and a Prefect, Molly Weasley (daughter of Rose's uncle Percy), was running over to yell at the two boys.

"Nice?" Rose huffed. "This is a really big deal for me!"

"I don't even know Lydia," Roxanne replied calmly, "and I barely know Al, if we're being honest."

"He's our cousin!" Rose protested. "You have to care a little."

"Okay, okay," Roxanne measured out about an inch between her pointer finger and thumb, "I care this much, but only because it will make you stop talking."

"Oh," Rose rolled her eyes, "you're terrible, Roxanne."

Roxanne giggled, looking up for the first time and, without really meaning to, Rose smiled. "Don't laugh at me," Rose whined. Whatever it was Rose said, the fact of the matter was that she didn't really mind, and Roxanne could tell. "Okay, but you will help me talk to them, right?"

"I guess," Roxanne shrugged. "I'd feel awkward leaving DADA alone anyways."

"Thanks! I knew you'd say yes -"

"I won't actually say anything to them, I'll just stand there -"

"Yes, I know that too. I wouldn't expect anything less of you." Roxanne gave a satisfied nod and returned to drawing, and Rose was left in silence to think about what she would say when she finally met the Slytherins. Rose thought about this all night, rehearsing phrases and wondering what expression Lydia will wear when she finally says it. This hypothetical pondering continued into the next morning, and all the way up to Defense Against the Dark Arts.