𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐒𝐀𝐖 | d. malfoy

seventeen | romantic reformation

WALKING DOWN THE CORRIDOR, Rosie reminisced the times when her parents would always be there after she got hurt badly; when she first scraped her knee, they were there to comfort her and heal her. When she grew sick for the first time, (which ended up being a common occurrence given the abnormality of her existence,) her parents were there to nurse her back to health. When she had first duelled with Magic, her parents were there to laugh and comfort her about her failures, and also to reverse the many jinxes Magic had managed to pull Rosie into. Her parents were always there, and she couldn't help but feel bitter that they weren't there when she had basically died. Sure, Mortie was there and Mortie was as close to her as she was with her parents, but it wasn't the same. Her papa wasn't there to hold her close in a warm hug, and her mum wasn't there to ask if she wanted to kick Bellatrix Lestrange in the arse together (though she would refuse profusely that she ever used such a word in front of her daughter). For the first time in stepping into the mortal world, Rosie truly felt alone. She no longer could fill the gaps of her parents and loved ones with her friends; especially not with friends who seemed to think she was an evil sorceress plotting to kill everyone.

--

Bitter, Rosie returned to school. She greeted her friends; thankfully they seemed to be aware that she was in no mood to talk and asked no questions, but she could hear for the next couple days, the whispers around her, especially that of Dumbledore's Army's shock in seeing her alive. Another mood diminisher was that the Order Would. Not. Leave. Her. Alone. Ever. Molly was constantly on her back to get more rest, Sirius bothered her with at least five letters a day, each about something different, Snape would find excuses to speak to her alone under the pretenses that she had failed her OWLs, which had only reinstated the gossiping around her, and Moody kept sending her creepy, cheesy cards with pop ups like, "Good Work!" or "Stay Strong!" always laced with curses and jinxes she alone would know how to release, just in case of any unwanted interceptions.

About half a month after the battle, as the members of the Ghost Guard were relaxing in the Slytherin common room, Rosie couldn't take the silence anymore. She didn't like being depressed, she didn't like being the topic of everyone's conversations, she especially didn't like that almost half of the school hated that she was still alive, though she couldn't blame them, for she had seemingly done some nasty things to them under Umbridge's command. Especially Harry. Harry hated her the most, and that's what gutted her the deepest. To have your crush utterly despise you, not in a friendly way but as actual enemies? The worst thing to ever be a thing.

"Everyone hates me," Rosie whispered hoarsely. Her friends looked up from what they were doing. "I wouldn't even be surprised if you all hated me."

Daphne's face morphed into one of shock and apprehension. Quickly, she denied, "No! No, we love you very much Rosie!" Theo screwed up his nose in disgust at the mention of love, but agreed nonetheless.

"If this is about Saint Potter, Rosie you should let it go." Draco said. Blaise nodded solemnly. "You can't go around chasing someone like that. Get a grip, Rosie. Potter clearly doesn't even deserve half of you."

If that was meant as consolation, it didn't work. Rosie's small, quiet tears turned into sobs. "I just don't- understand- why! He kissed me last year- " She broke down for a moment and those around her exchanged worried glances, that of Draco's being the most pained. "And now he hates me! Of course, he completely deserves to hate me. Look at me! I've become a horrible person," by now Rosie's face was red and splotchy, a look her friends had never seen her wear. "Why did I do this? Why did I agree to be a spy? He was cheering, Harry was cheering when I died!"

"Honey, you need to get over him- "

"No!" Rosie cut Daphne off. "I can feel it in my blood! We were meant to be- "