Roses | Female Ron Weasley x Draco Malfoy

f o u r t e e n

"We'll bring you lots of sweets back from Honeydukes," said Hermione, looking desperately sorry for him.

"Yeah, loads," said Rose. She and Hermione had finally forgotten their squabble about Crookshanks in the face of Harry's difficulties.

"Don't worry about me," said Harry, in what he hoped was at, offhand voice, "I'll see you at the feast. Have a good time."

"Staying here, Potter?" shouted Malfoy, who was standing in line with Crabbe and Goyle. "Scared of passing the Dementors?"

Rose had a certain finger at the ready.

"Come on, Rose." Hermione sighed.

"This is so beautiful!" Hermione said, as they walked to the Three Broomsticks.

"Wow." was all Rose could manage.

They sat down at Three Broomsticks.

"What should we get?" Hermione asked, excitedly.

"Two Butterbeers please. I've heard they're really good!" Rose said.

As soon as they received their Butterbeers, and went through several compliments, they talked.

"You know, you really shouldn't let Malfoy get to you." Hermione said.

"He doesn't get to me." Rose said, eyes wide.

"He-he has a soft spot for you." Hermione said, "I can see it in his eyes."

"Soft spot? He talks crap about my family all the time. I don't know what you mean by soft spot, Hermione."

"I'm quite smart, Rosie. He only does it to hide the soft spot." Hermione said, smiling slightly.

"Can we stop with the words 'soft spot'?" Rose said, indignantly.

"You like him." Hermione sang.

This was something Rose had considered, but denied.

"No Hermione. Topic closed." Rose said, irritably.

Hermione dragged Rose to Honeydukes, where they bought tons of candy, which cheered up Rose. Then they went to Dervish and Banges, then pretty much everywhere.

...

"There you go," said Rose. "We got as much as we could carry."

A shower of brilliantly colored sweets fell into Harry's lap. It was dusk, and Ron and Hermione had just turned up in the common room, pink-faced from the cold wind and looking as though they'd had the time of their lives.

"Thanks," said Harry, picking up a packet of tiny black Pepper Imps. "What's Hogsmeade like? Where did you go?"

"The post office, Harry! About two hundred owls, all sitting on shelves, all color-coded depending on how fast you want your letter to get there!"

"Honeydukes has got a new kind of fudge; they were giving out free samples, there's a bit, look —"

"We think we saw an ogre, honestly, they get all sorts at the Three Broomsticks —" "Wish we could have brought you some butterbeer, really warms you up —"

"What did you do?" said Hermione, looking anxious. "Did you get any work done?" "No," said Harry. "Lupin made me a cup of tea in his office. And then Snape came in..." He told them all about the goblet. Rose's mouth fell open.

"Lupin drank it?" she gasped. "Is he mad?" Hermione checked her watch.

"We'd better go down, you know, the feast'll be starting in five minutes." They hurried through the portrait hole and into the crowd, still discussing Snape.