third person pov

' glass shattered on the white cloth
everybody moved on, I stayed there '

That next morning, Rose woke with the feeling of warmth and supreme rest, despite the pounding headache from the inhumane amount of alcohol consumed last night.

She stretched her legs out, ready to gloat to Draco and Whitman that they didn't have to wake her or Theo up today.

That is, until she brought her head up out of Theo's warm chest, beginning to smile happily at his peaceful face until realizing there was an extra arm wrapped tightly around her waist, and a burning body pressed up against her back.

And then, she remembers she's in the hospital wing.

And that extra arm and body is, in fact, Draco Malfoy.

Rose goes to get up with urgency, finding it impossible as Draco and Theo's grip turns into an escape trap—both tightening their hold.

Considering I'm top of our class, I don't seem very smart right now, Rose thought.

The curtains were ripped back by a wide-eyed Poppy, bringing Rose out of her own mind, and she gave the mediwitch the same look of blown pupils. The sound of a gasp makes Draco and Theo shift enough for Rose to shimmy out of their arms, rolling over Theo's body and onto the floor with a thud.

"Dear me! What are you doing on the floor, Miss Black?!"

Rose huffed while scrambling up, "Did you not see me tumble?!"

Pomprey goes to offer a hand that Rose only swats away as she stands and yanks her school bag off the ground, before pointing a finger at the mediwitch and whispering with urgency, "You best not tell Minnie."

Pomprey attempts to hide her horror, but fails miserably. "Oh...I'm telling Minevera."

But the woman is not smiling.

She looks petrified.

Rose scowls like the Mediwitch had cursed her.

Pomprey shook her head while dropping the hand down, something akin to realization coating her features as she glanced at the boys. "What were you thinking? Malfoy? Really, dear?"

Something like a metaphorical blade cut through her. Of course Pomprey was horrified. Theodore Nott was one thing, but the boy never spoke much to do enough damage. Sure, he was quick tempered and a grenade waiting to implode on itself, but he was not cruel in ever such a way to Rose specifically. Draco Malfoy though, he was a completely different story. He was awful and heinous, the worst kind of cold, calculated, and callous person.

"The things he has said to you," Pomprey muttered. "The things he has done to you, and others...What about how he has treated your friends?"

"I know, Pomprey," Rose hissed, making the woman flinch in surprise.

Pomprey collected herself quickly, tucking her hands into her white-ruffled apron. Her head shook, just once, before she stepped closer to Rose.

"You are far above such things," she whispered. "Do not...get angry with me. I only care about your wellbeing. He is just a...well, a cruel boy. Much like his father in that sense, only worse it seems. Lucius Malfoy was much kinder at his age."

The comparison made Rose's skin itch.

The reply was almost a snarl on her lips, "I know what kind man Draco Malfoy is."

"Do you? Or have you let grief blind you?"

Rose must have opened her mouth at least four times, but not a sound could come out.

"You are not your family, Rose."

The mediwitch was overstepping, positively so. But Rose had not yet heard someone mention the death of Orion so directly to her yet.

It made her recoil into herself.

Theo began muttering her name like a solemn prayer, hands grasping at the sheets.

Rose forced herself to swallow the bile that wanted to rise up out of her, and adjusted the bag on her shoulder, brushing past Pomprey with such quiet words of, "I'll be off, Pomprey. Thank you for yesterday."

"Miss Black..."

But the call after was useless.

Rose was gone, pushing through the doors and sinking against the stone cold walls of the corridor until she was sat on the ground. With shaky hands she reached into her bag, pulling out a skinny vial of dark blue and twisting off the cap. She would not let herself think about Orion, she certainly would not stop acting as normal as she did before his passing—the potions Walburga gave her would make sure of that.

Be quiet, she told her mind. Please, give me silence.

It will take minutes before she feels euphoria again, before she can focus on the present.

Of how Theo had nearly brushed his lips against her own, how Draco had touched her—filth and all—again.

Orion's death will not feel so real by then.

*

        When the potion kicked in, Rose had struggled to stand up, and even more so when she began walking down the corridor.

Her head was swimming.

At some point she had to stop, grasping at the wall for balance—clutching her forehead.

I definitely shouldn't have drunk half a bottle of fire whiskey.

When's the last time I ate an actual meal?

Why is my throat so dry?

Get yourself together.

On the count of three move,

One.

Two.

Three.

Rose pushed herself off the stone wall she leaned on before lifting her chin, forcing herself to walk steadily.

Her fast pace didn't stop as she glided down the corridor, into the dungeons, and then her shared dorm with the four boys.

Luckily, it was around six in the morning—meaning Whitman nor Blaise would be awake.

With thankfulness, Rose hopped into the shower, lazily dragging on her uniform and chunky boots instead of the Mary Janes. Frankly, she didn't have the time or care to dry her hair, leading to her tying back the wet mess of curls with her wand before tip-toeing to Blaise's bed.

He looked so peaceful.

She was sure to break it.

"Blaise," she whisper yelled.

He did not move.

She settled on shaking him to death.

It took precisely forty-five seconds for his eyes to snap open.

He sat up in a rush, looking around confusedly.

"What?!" He practically screamed.

Rose slapped her hand over his mouth, and his eyes grew wide.

"Why are you yelling?!" she whispered, full of annoyance, and kept her hand over his mouth. "Get dressed and meet me in the courtyard."

She did not wait for a reply.

Instead, she tip-toed over to Whitman's bed and took a moment to smile at the sight of him cuddling Nyx to his chest.

Rose bent down after shoving the ache in her lungs down, peeling a slowly awakening Nyx away from him and brushing his hair back.

Whitman grasped onto her wrist without opening his eyes, speaking gruff from sleep, "Ro?"

Her eyes went wide before she yanked herself away, beginning to rush out of the dorm and swiping her bag back up as she passed by the foot of Theo's bed.

She didn't stop walking until reaching the open doors of the empty Great Hall, listening to Nyx complain over and over again about Rose not coming for her.

She stopped by the right door, leaning her back against it as she tried to soothe her dry throat, the only source of water that had entered her since waking up was from brushing her teeth.

She had, in fact, sent two letters to Luna and Hermione before leaving the dorm—demanding they wake up and meet her immediately, or the possibility of dying was far too close.

Consequently, this led to Luna Lovegood skipping down the long corridor, the large funky pink glasses used for finding wrackspurts on her head of white hair as she spotted Rose holding Nyx close to her face.

Rose jumped as Luna stopped beside her, speaking in an airy voice, "Are you alright, Rose?"

In the afterlife Regulus Black stood across the corridor with Pandora Lovegood, watching Rose squeal after placing the snake around her neck and beginning to pick up Luna with cheers of being reunited.

"Gods, sometimes I think me and Rosie are alike until she makes that awful noise," Regulus said, nudging Pandora's shoulder.

"More alike than you can imagine." Pandora smiled softly at the two girls as Rose began to grab Luna's face and check her over. "A Black and a Lovegood taking on the world today...Deja vu, huh?"

A smile worked on Regulus's face. "As well, a Black defending their Lovegood's honour amongst the scum of Hogwarts? Now, that is real deja vu."

Rose released Luna's cheeks at the sound of Hermione Granger running from the opposite side of the hall at full speed, shouting frantically.

"Are you alright?! What's happened?!"

Luna smiled and tucked her hands in front of herself, beginning to sway as Rose shouted back.

"Quite well, Granger!"

Hermione halted to a stop, skidding on the stone floor directly in front of them. "You told me you were on the verge of dying!"

"I am!" Rose said, placing her hand over her heart and stumbling back into Luna as if she was fainting. "I am in dire need of my women!"

Regulus blinked at the dramatics of his niece, "Now that....that she gets from her father."

Pandora scoffed with a sly smirk. "Excuse me? You are worse than Sirius himself! You fainted on a chair when I told you I was getting married!"

Hermione yanked Rose up straight with the help of Luna, "My goodness! You'll give me a heart attack before the age of thirty!"

Rose chuckled with a genuine sort of happiness that made Hermione's eyes grow before she latched onto both girls arms, beginning to drag them towards the main courtyard.

Hermione started protesting, demanding to be told what was happening, and 'if her best friend was on drugs', as Luna happily went along. But Rose didn't explain or speak, besides laughing, until she had forced both girls down onto a stone picnic table, placing herself on the other side before clearing her throat dramatically.

"I have news," Rose said with a lifted chin, sliding toward the center of the stone bench.

"Ooo!" Luna cheered with a small smile. "Tell me everything."

Hermione glanced at Luna before her lips purse. "Did something happen with Theo?"

Rose, being Rose, scoffed at the mention of Theo.

Hermione knew how devoted Theodore Nott was to Rosalie Black, there was no doubt about that. And she knew, although Rose would never admit it, how in love her friend was with him. But it made her nervous to think about what those feelings would lead to. Hermione Granger was sure, that in every piece of media she has ever consumed—from books, to movies, and even real life people, no two people had ever been so deeply devoted to each other.

She often felt like watching Theodore Nott and Rosalie Black together was equivalent to witnessing a religion. It was as if they were both each other's only God, the only God they believed in.

Hermione eyed Rose for a second, but only just. "Did you stay in the hospital wing overnight?"

"Yes," Rose muttered hesitantly. "Why?"

"Oh my God," Hermione hissed. "Was it Draco?"

"Draco, no—that's disgusting! Why would you even say that?!" Rose hissed back, before leaning forward on the table, "But Theo..."

Luna squealed excitedly.

"Tell us right now!"

Rose smiled before dropping her reddening face into her hands and mumbling, "Oh my gods, I can't even say it..."

Luna's brows furrowed as she slid her pink glasses off of her head, "What has he done to you? I've never seen you in such a mess!"

"Did you kiss?" asked Hermione.

The comment made Rose's smile drop, before slowly lifting her head up, "No, but way to ruin my mood..."

"Here," Luna began to stand, accidentally using a lot of force to shove her pink glasses onto Rose's face. "Now, be happy again!"

Rose blinked, trying to adjust her eyes to the way the glasses made everything appear as if she was looking through colorful fisheye lenses. Once adjusted, she smiled in shock. "That was some arm strength you have, Luna."

Luna smiled dreamily. "Oh yes, I've been doing that workout you told me about."

Hermione burst out into laughter. "A workout? Rose working out?"

"Oi! It's dagger throwing and very good for each woman's upper body strength!"

The Gryffindors humor faded to a gasp. "You have Luna throwing daggers?!"

Unbeknownst to Rose, Pandora and Regulus sat on either side of her, high fiving at his niece teaching Pandora's daughter self defense in the most Black family way.

"Oh yes," Luna began, "She even gifted me a dagger covered in beautiful crystals! Purples and blues!"

Rose winked at Luna through the goggles while fishing around her Slytherin robes for a pack of cigarettes, Hermione rambling on with her laughter resuming.

"What have you done?!" Hermione wrapped an arm around Luna protectively. "You'll make her a weapon!"

"Yeah, yeah," Rose rolled her eyes, placing the unlit rolled tobacco in between her lips. "Now listen!"

Hermione glared as Rose lit the tip with her finger, taking a long hit of the cigarette before blowing it directly in her face. She swatted her hands in the air, "Keep your crippling addiction away and spill! You will not get out of this!"

Rose's face returned to red, the entire sight of her smoking with the large goggles and flushed cheeks driving Hermione in Luna into another fit of laughter.

"What if Theo's in love with me too?"

Hermione scoffed.

"What?" Rose asked.

"It's just—" Hermione broke off, shaking her head. "Nothing. It's fine. You can do whatever you want."

Rose recoiled, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm not your mother."

"Okay?"

Hermione sighed heavily, like Rose was some frustrating child in her eyes.

"Whatever you have to say, Hermione, just say it."

"I don't think he's good for you!" Hermione snapped. "He's bad news! Theo's just like the rest of them! He wouldn't be friends with Draco if he wasn't! And he's dangerous, okay?! He's dangerous to this freaking world and to your mental health! He's an angry person, just like—"

"Just like who, Granger?" came the voice of Blaise Zabini, standing directly behind Rose.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she tipped her head back to him.

"You okay, little Rose?"

She nodded.

He gave a tight smile and grabbed the cigarette from her hand.

"As you were saying, Granger." He kept his hand on her shoulder, and took a puff of the cigarette, before waving it around. "Go on, tell me, instead of Rose, why Theo is such an awful human being."

Hermione sat up straight, steeled her spine. "I am not saying he's an awful person. I just think Rose is better than him, and she doesn't deserve someone who is—well, like their family. She has a good heart, good morals, and she should be with someone like that, okay?!"

"Who then?" Blaise laughed. "Harry Potter? The Lord and Savior himself?"

"That's not what I'm saying!"

Suddenly, Blaise hissed, "Then what are you even saying?!"

"I just want her to be able to get out!"

"Of what?!"

"Her life!" shouted Hermione, coming to stand, and placing all of her attention on Rose. "Don't you want that? To be free from what you're trapped in? Him and you—" She nodded at Blaise, "And all of them, are just a way to keep you tied to your life, to your family! I want you to be able to get away without a second thought!"

Rose pushed the pink glasses up into her hair, she felt silly and childish and idiotic. Her hands twisted together nervously on the table, and she didn't dare to look anywhere but at her freshly polished nails.

"I love you," Hermione told her, "That's the only reason I care."

Then she was gone, and it was Luna circling the bench and sitting next to Rose, laying her hand on the girl's shoulder, all before Blaise sat down on her other side.

"I still want to hear the story," Luna murmured, putting a hand over Rose's.

"Me too," Blaise said, grabbing hold of the pink glasses atop Rose's head and pressing them back onto her face. Grinning, he added, "Let us hear all about it."

*

        When eight thirty came around, Rose ushered the two others into the Great Hall to force them to breakfast as she slipped away and down the corridor again before she could be stopped.

Rose had her reasons.

She took to the first floor, where there was a stained glass window, one with the smallest crack at the bottom to let out air, smoking once again as she laid on a long windowsill—letting Nyx rest on her chest as she told the snake every detail of not only Theo's actions, but Draco's as well.

Nyx was the one being she did not have to lie to.

Rose's parseltongue became silenced as Theo's towering presence settled above her, his voice firm.

"When's the last time you ate?"

Rose grinned as her eyes focused on his elegant face and messy tie without sitting up.

"You greet every lover that way?"

"I have one lover for your information," Theo started, bending down to her level with a raised brow that communicated he was serious. "And I need to know if she ate today or not."

Rose could attempt to lie to him, but would fail miserably—he knew each quirk and shift of her gaze when she did.

"No..." Rose grumbled, averting her eyes up to the ceiling by the stained glass window.

"Up," Theo demanded, reaching out for Nyx and slipping her onto his neck. "I brought you something."

She narrowed her eyes as she sat up with a defiant look, and Theo placed his hands over the black tights covering her knees with a lazy smirk.

"Oh come on, baby." Theo soothes her skin. "You know I gotta take care of you or you won't do it."

That's all it takes for Rose's lips to twitch. "I'm perfectly capable, Mister Nott."

Which prompted a dramatic eye roll from Theo.

"Mhm, and I'm the minister of magic," Theo deadpanned before his smirk returned. "You are capable of anything, but will you do it?"

She forced down the laugh that wished to slip out at his joke before muttering, "I don't feel like it."

"But that's okay because I'm here." Theo pressed his lips down onto her left knee before taking one hand off to reach into the bag over his shoulder, "Brought you something."

"Yeah?" Rose asked softly, melting her tough exterior away with his gentleness.

Theo hummed, pulling a small, thin cardboard box out before smiling. "Look—I made a box for you."

Rose smiled painfully wide with a giggle as her fingers brushed over the silver watch on his wrist, "You made me a box?"

"Mhm."

"In the Great Hall?"

"Transfigured it."

"For my food?"

"Can't have you being treated like an animal with it wrapped in a napkin."

Her giggles grew, chest warming. "Oh Teddy, you're adorable."

Theo looked offended as he placed the box on her lap, "I am not adorable."

"Then what are you?" Rose asked, raising a brow of inquisition.

He lifted his chin, the cocky smirk coming back. "I'm the most beautiful specimen, that happens to be obsessed with an even more beautiful woman."

"And who might this lucky woman be?"

Theo leaned up slightly from his squat in front of her legs, "I can't even bear to look at anyone but her."

"Really?" Rose asked suggestively, leaning forward to him.

"My eyes only see you, love." Theo grasped her chin, switching his flirty tone, "Now, be good for me and eat."

*

        As Rose and Theo entered the DADA class, the first noticeable thing about the bricked walled classroom was the shaking wardrobe in the dead center. They began to push their way closer to the front, settling on the left side where Whitman stood with Draco and Blaise.

Whitman scowled at Rose before stepping forward to throw his arm around her shoulders and pull her into his side, "You're still in trouble young lady."

Rose shot a fake kiss up to him, "You'll forgive me when you realize my protective instincts stretch beyond just you."

Whitman's lips quirk as she glanced back at Draco, being met with a death-glare that made Rose roll her eyes before looking away.

Blaise nudged Draco as she did, whispering lowly, "You know what happens to guys like you when you act as your usual dick self?"

Draco ignored him, leaning on the wall with his arm in a sling. But Blaise continued on by his ear, "Them two—," He nodded at Theo and Whitman both standing protectively around Rose with sharp stares at anyone stepping too close. "They get the girl. While you, my dear, end up alone and grumpy because you're too much of a cunt to drop this act."

Draco's gut dropped, and the way his throat bobbed made Blaise satisfied enough to lean away with a smirk as Remus John Lupin trailed down from the upper stairs of the room.

"Intriguing, isn't it?" Professor Lupin started. "Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what is inside?"

Rose leaned her head back towards Blaise, "What's up with them giving us a young Professor?"

Blaise's smirk twists into a grin as he looks the professor up and down, "I don't know but I'm enjoying him being under eighty in that horrid cardigan."

"Cardigans are not horrid," Whitman muttered back.

Draco patted his back. "They are disastrous, Whit. Even on you."

As the class stayed silent at the question, Rose casually blurted out the answer with her heart rate picking up at the realization, "A boggart, professor."

Remus's gaze drifted over to the spitting image of his once true love in female form, the student he had been avoiding glancing at since arriving at Hogwarts yesterday.

It hurt him deeply to see her standing tall with a blank face Sirius once used as a defense mechanism, everything from the shoes on her feet to the wand tucked into her curls making him have flashbacks.

It feels like fighting a war by just simply looking at her.

But that's not what truly does him in. It's the vibrant eyes that Rose had gotten from her mother staring into his own, the ones that once did as a newly born baby.

A year of his life after the death of her mother, the year Remus had spent helping Sirius take care of Rose.

The girl who once was attempting to call him the baby version of the word 'dad' was now staring at him like a stranger, with a bit of scrutiny in her gaze he is sure Walburga Black taught her.

Bem, one of the Gryffindors, called out to him. "Um...Professor?"

Remus cleared his throat. "Very good Miss—"

"Black," Rose filled in his cut sentence, making the assumption he didn't know.

Of course Remus knew, he just couldn't quite bring himself to say it right then.

Rose began to get lost in her mind as the professor turned his attention back upon the class, her thoughts running rampant.

I can't stand in front of that boggart.

I can't let everyone see my biggest fear put on a pedestal.

'Never show your weakness, in friendship or in love, it will be your downfall...' Walburga would be telling her now, and it was one of the few times she actually believed her words.

Rose was brought back to reality by Hermione explaining what a boggart is with an intense pompous attitude.

"No one knows, sir. Boggarts are shape-shifters. They take the shape of what a particular person fears the most. That's what makes them so—"

"Terrifying, yes, yes, yes," Lupin finished off for her. "Luckily, a very simple charm exists to repel a boggart." The wardrobe started to shake violently again. "Let us practice the charm! Without wands please!"

"Now repeat after me, 'Riddikulus'!"

"Riddikulus," The whole class repeated, besides a certain group of Slytherins who were simply blinking.

"Very well! Now one more time...loud and clear....Riddikulus."

"Riddikulus!"

"This class is ridiculous," Draco spat with an eye roll.

Theo glanced back at Draco with a nod of agreement.

Rose scoffed at them both, "You are both ridiculous."

Theo leaned down to whisper, "Not all of us are entertained right now, my dear Ro."

She elbowed him harshly in the ribs, Theo only grunting with a smirk before tapping her chin at her need to cause pain.

Draco sneered from behind them, "Why don't you two get a room?"

"Why don't you get a life?" Rose shot back.

"At least I'm not slumming it with my best friend."

Theo's normal lazy stance instantly shifted as he whipped his head around. "I don't know what crawled up your arse today, Draco, but you're not going to talk to her that way."

Draco scoffed, looking them up and down as Whitman turned with a pleading gaze—begging Draco to not take everything to a physical point.

"Oh yeah? And what will you do if I keep going?"

Rose's eyes grow with sudden worry, knowing Theo would lose it if they began to fight. He turned into a different person when angry, and it was quite scary for anyone around.

Theo shoved Draco off the wall before getting in his face, beginning to speak but being cut off by Remus's yell.

"Mister Nott! Mister Malfoy!"

Both their heads snapped towards the front of the room as the Professor continued, "What is the meaning of your behavior?"

They stay silent and turn their eyes onto Rose, making Rose curse under breath as Whitman pushed her forward—signaling she was breaking this one up.

"Sorry Professor, Malfoy was being a cunt," Rose said, while grabbing Theo's arm away from Draco and pulling him back, shooting the Nott and Malfoy boy sharp glares that made them freeze.

Remus had to force himself to keep a straight face. "Did you just say what I think you said, Miss Black?"

"Yes sir, I have a hard time censoring myself when it comes to the likes of Malfoy."

"Filthy little blood-traitor," Draco grumbled behind her, making Theo lurch out of her grip.

"Enough!" Remus shouted, Whitman and Blaise stepping up to push Theo away from Draco with force. "All five of you see me tonight for detention!"

Rose harshly yanked Theo away this time, giving him a look that a scolding mother would before glancing at the Professor. "Gladly, but do be sure to stick Malfoy with the worst job for his bigoted opinions."

Remus gets another wave of deja vu, muttering under his breath before resuming the explanation.

"As I was saying, the incantation is not enough...What really finishes a boggart is laughter. You need to force it to assume a shape that you find truly amusing!"

"Neville! Let me explain; come forward my boy! Don't be shy!"

Neville wearily went to the front, standing by professor Lupin with hands shaking.

"Now, what are you the most scared of?"

Neville started to mumble incoherent words with unsteady breaths, his answer completely inaudible.

"Sorry Neville, I can't hear you."

"Pro...Professor Snape."

The class began to laugh, but Rose couldn't bring herself to. Snape had always treated Neville with such hate, such animosity that it was awful to witness. Rose couldn't imagine why a grown man would treat a boy who radiated only sunshine and warmth in such a cruel way, it reminded her of the tortment people used to put Luna under.

"Professor Snape?" Lupin asked, a smile spreading across his face as looks off into the distance, wondering if James Potter was listening and laughing. "Yes, frightens us all."

James Potter was in fact listening but not laughing. He was scowling with Regulus Black in the corner of the room at the impact Snape had to have had on a child's life to become their boggart.

"And I believe you live with your grandma?"

"Yes sir, but I don't want that boggart to turn into her either!"

Remus shook his head in understanding, "It won't, but I need you to picture her clothes though...Only her clothes. Very clearly in your mind."

"Well, she carries a red handbag—"

"We don't need to hear it, as long as you see it, we'll see it."

"Uh, okay..."

"Now, when I open this wardrobe here's what I want you to do," Lupin paused halfway through his words, leaning down into Neville's ear to whisper something before standing back up straight. "Can you do that?"

"I—I think so."

"Wand at the ready!"

The wardrobe knob clicked, turning slowly before a hand pops out—Severus Snape busting into the room with his black robes.

Neville shouted, "Riddikulus!"

In a flash, Snape spinned, his clothes changing into a green pantsuit and a big frilly hat with a reddish bird atop.

"Oh, very well done, Neville! Now, everyone form a line!" Lupin announced, walking to the left of the room to turn on a record player with jumpy music beats.

Draco, Blaise, Goyle, and Crabbe go to push everyone to the front—assuring they don't have to go. No one can blame them, who wants the world to know your biggest fear?

"Rosier!" A random Slytherin boy with mousy hair calls, Whitman sliding his arm off of Rose before walking over to the line.

Each classmate's fears start to be revealed quickly, Rose and Theo simply hanging to the side in amusement with no plans of going anywhere near the boggart.

When Ron Weasley stepped up, the boggart shifted into Aragog, and Rose was unable to keep herself from laughing at his inability to get over what the enormous spider did to him.

Many more went, fears ranging from mummy's to sickly eyeballs and so on. Rose began to turn her chin up to Theo, preparing to mock Parvati Patil, who was the third person to have a mummy as her fear.

But Theo sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes not usually meeting her like always. Rose followed his gaze because of it, finding it was Whitman's turn.

Oh no.

Whitman stepped forward, the mummy shifting into an exact replica of Theo with angry tears profusely running down as he yelled. "You killed her! You killed her and it's all your fault! You're a monster!"

A thick silence fell over the classroom. A pin could have dropped, and it would've been loud from the pause of breaths and words all stopping at once.

The boggart version of Theo side-steps, revealing a bloody Rose laying on the floor. She was covered in bite marks, scratched, and completely mangled.

Terrified, boggart Theo pointed down at her. "I told Ro! I told her all along what would happen to her in the end! You're just a filthy—"

In a quick instant, Rose became aware of his lycanthropy about to be exposed, and jumped in front of a frozen Whitman.

She let out a breath of relief, turning to face Whitman. "Go on."

His face is contorted in horror, lips parting on a trembling breath.

"Go," She whispered fiercely, grabbing the sides of his neck with her hands. "Go."

Whitman nodded, forcing himself to swallow the bile that wanted to come up as he began to turn. But then he stopped suddenly, as multiple gasps rang out.

Oh no.

Is it who I think it is?

Rose slowly began to turn back around to the front, coming face to face with her grandmother.

Yeah.

It's exactly who I thought.

Walburga Black stood in all her glory, a sneer on her face as she pointed her wand at Rose. "Don't worry, this will help you not become like your disgraceful father!" She raised her wand after, yelling the all too familiar curse. "Crucio!"

The silence became even thicker as Rose felt Whitman's hand slide onto her shoulder, closing her eyes while willing the boggart to change into a different fear.

Then she opens her eyes, welcoming a face she missed too much to be considered sane.

And she had no idea why it was him.

Why was Draco Malfoy standing in front of her?

He was there, taller as always, white hair sitting perfect, a black suit on, and a death glare far worse than any he had ever given her—even after their worst fights.

"Does it make you feel good," the distorted version of Draco spat, "That I finally see you as worthless as you see yourself?"

She took a shaky breath and looked across the room, where the real Draco stood. He was staring directly at the boggart version of himself, with a hand pressing into his chest, his mouth opening between shaky breaths.

When Whitman tried to round on her, Professor Lupin stopped him, and murmured, "Say the spell, Miss Black."

She closed her eyes, and fished into her robe pocket for her wand, but when she reopened her eyes, it was no longer Draco before her.

Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Handsome as the day she met him in the chamber.

Tom stepped forward, placing a hand on Rose's cheek. "They all left you like you knew they would. Look how I punished them."

Rose's head reluctantly looked down to his right side, her breath catching at every single person she's ever cared about dead—stacked up into a gruesome pile.

She could feel the water beginning to run down her face, but didn't know when the tears began.

"Accept it, Rosalie. No one will ever care about you like I did."

With a few shallow breaths, Rose whispered. "You...tricked me..."

She forgets where she is, that this is not real.

Tom appeared offended at the assumption, wiping her tears off as if he were truly present. "Tricked you? No, I saved you."

She shook her head as Tom held her cheeks, unable to move or breath properly with his eyes piercing into her own once again.

Collecting himself, Remus jumped in between them, knocking Tom back.

"Riddikulus!" He shouted, sending the boggart into the wardrobe with a loud bang.

The silence of the room rang in Rose's ears, Remus turning to her with an expression she cannot place.

It was one of pity, sorrow, confusion.

Using everything Walburga had ever taught her, Remus watched an action that mimicked her fathers. Rose lifted her chin with a wobbly lip and a face of defiance, wiping off her cheeks roughly before turning to walk out with her chin lifted as if nothing happened.

As soon as the classroom door closed though, Rose began to quickly walk in an attempt to avoid everyone, the tears flooding down again.

Then she could hear her name being called, only making her pace speed up into a slight run.

_________________________________

A/N: hello angels <3

—oh boy here we GOOOOOO

MEMES JUST BECAUSE:

draco seeing himself as her boggart:

xx bri