Snowflakes in a Storm - [Scorose]

Chapter 10: Fireworks and Smoke

New Year's Eve... it was New Year's Eve. On this day for the last few years I had met up with some of my Slytherin friends in Hogsmeade and we had set off fireworks and there was no doubt that they would be doing that this year again but without me. I was stuck in the school, spending my new years with a bunch of teachers and students I didn't know... and Rose.

It had been a few days since mine and Rose's unfortunate encounter with Peeves and things had been... well, they'd been quite awkward to say the least. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to say to her and it was obvious that she felt the same. I couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if Peeves had not interrupted us. Would we have ended up kissing? Maybe it would have turned into something more, I would never know; I didn't have a time-turner, I couldn't go back and somehow distract Peeves so I could find out what would have happened – but then that would create a paradox. If I were to go back in time and distract Peeves to stop him from interrupting Rose and I then something might have happened and I would not therefore need to go back in time to distract Peeves. I may have been overthinking things but I was confused.

I had given her back her hoodie and her book that she had forgotten when running out of the common room the day after, but that was it really. We hadn't spoken and she had gone back to the Gryffindor common room and stayed there for the following few days, only coming out for dinner and even then she would sit away from me at the table. Was she embarrassed? I didn't know, but it was really bothering me. I missed her, and I didn't like it.

For breakfast, I sat with the other Slytherin students as they discussed chess and Quidditch and their OWL exams, occasionally I would give a few tips about how to get through their exams productively but otherwise I stayed quiet. The Professors sat at their table at the head of the hall discussing the evening's festivities, which I could not hear any specifics about. Professor Vector, the Arithmancy teacher stood up when all the students were present and walked over to the phoenix podium that stood tall over rest of the hall.

"Students..." He started. "We understand that for most of you, New Year's at school is not your idea of fun, but tonight at 6pm there will be a feast for us all, followed by fireworks in the courtyard to celebrate." He explained. "On behalf of all of us professors, we wish you a very happy new year." Professor Vector finished and then sat back down beside the rest of the teachers. I couldn't stop myself from looking over at Rose throughout the whole of breakfast, and I saw her occasionally glance up to look at me too. I'd smile and she would smile, but that would be it.

After spending my day in the common room, studying and writing to my father regarding my mother's funeral and wishing him a happy new year, I got dressed into some smart casual attire; a silvery-grey sweater and a white shirt and my favourite pair of ripped jeans. I headed down to the Great Hall to join the rest of the left-behinds (which I had decided to now call them for the rest of the holidays) and the Professors for the feast. This time, I was about half an hour early and the only people there were the Professors and the only Ravenclaw who had stayed at school. Merlin knows what she had been doing in that common room all alone all this time – probably studying like the rest of us... or singing at the top of her lungs.

Gradually the rest of the students filtered in to join us for the feast. When Rose and her brother walked in, I waved my hand and after a brief mumble to her brother, she walked over to me and sat opposite me at the table whilst Hugo sat with the Hufflepuff girls. The feast began with a mighty wave of Professor Flitwick's wand and all the food appeared in front of us – far too much for everyone but nevertheless, I wasn't going to complain. Taking some food onto my plate, I started to eat, looking up at Rose occasionally.

"So..." I said, mentally slapping myself for the pathetic attempt at conversation-making.

"So..." She mimicked, taking a bite out of her food.