Rose Weasley and the Wizard's Sacrifice

Chapter 1 | September of Sixth Year

The Slytherins and Gryffindors crossed on different sides of the hallway.

Several years ago, when a violent duel broke out between the two Houses and resulted in several deaths, the school decided it was best to separate them. They arranged their schedules so there was minimal contact between them; they walked down different hallways, took classes on different floors, and each had a preordained library time. The only exception was if you had a family member from the opposite House.

If anybody broke these rules and tried to "fraternize" with members of the opposite House, they were expelled.

But for some reason, this interaction was impossible to avoid. So, under heavy supervision, they crossed this hallway at precisely 3:14 PM every day after classes ended.

Somebody a few paces in front of her slammed their shoulder into a Slytherin. The Slytherin whipped around.

A Professor was already there. "Move along!" he snapped, a hint of nervousness in his voice as he stepped between the two students.

Everybody in the hall seemed to hold their breath until the Slytherin, jaw clenched, moved on.

"Asshole," her cousin, Albus, muttered. The Slytherins were already rounding the corner, out of sight. Neither of them wanted to spend more time in the presence of the other House than they had to.

Rose turned to him. "The Gryffindor?" she questioned, cautiously. Albus was very outspoken about his dislike for the Slytherins.

For a good reason, she supposed.

A Slytherin had killed his father, after all.

Albus raised his eyebrows. "The Slytherin! Sulking around like that - if Professor Devoux wasn't there, who knows what he could've done!" 

Rose stayed silent, fiddling with the sleeve of her robe. In truth, she thought the Gryffindor was the one in the wrong; trying to pick a fight, get a rise out of the Slytherin to get them expelled. There wasn't any need to.

But she could never say anything defensive about the Slytherins in front of Albus, because he would shut that down immediately.

"I suppose," she said offhandedly. "Hey, do you want to go to the library with me and Noah? I have a lot of studying to do."

"You always say that," Albus said, rolling his eyes. But it worked; he smiled, the hateful expression on his face completely evaporating. "Anyway, I wouldn't want to interrupt your love-fest with Finch."

"For the last time, Noah is just a friend," sighed Rose. Noah and Rose had a lot of the same classes, so they studied together a lot. It was nice to have somebody that shared her love for learning, but Albus had been nagging her about it ever since he found out.

If she were being really, truly honest, she kind of liked Noah. He was cute, and smart, and, okay, not much in the humor department, but nice. But she wasn't sure whether she was willing to put their friendship on the line for a stupid crush.

Reagan Lockhart, a fellow Gryffindor and Rose's friend, skipped up to them and linked her elbow through Rose's, clucking her tongue at Albus. "What has your panties in a twist now, Al?" she asked, flipping her shiny blonde hair over a shoulder.

Albus rolled his eyes. "Good to see you too, Reagan."

Reagan stuck her tongue out at him before tugging Rose along. Rose, almost tripping, was dragged away.

"Where are you two off too?" questioned Albus. 

"Girl stuff!" Reagan shouted back at him, prompting several Gryffindors around them to turn. Rose was caught between the urge to groan and the urge to laugh.