CHAPTER ELEVEN

HOW THINGS TURN

Rosie was glad that they didn't have to worry about Scarlet. But it was curious to think that because of her mother and aunts going back in time, a whole new person existed that didn't before. It was weird to think about. Like, what other people existed today purely because of them going back in time? It hurt her head to give it too much thought though.

Rosie was studying alone in the library when she heard, "Is this seat taken?"

She looked up to see Dean Thomas standing over her. She shook her head slowly and said, "No."

He took the seat across from her and laid a book down. He smiled at her, "How are you this fine day?"

Rosie looked back up from her book, "Fine, I guess, thank you. And you?"

"I'm good," Dean mumbled. He looked like he wanted to say something else, make conversation. But Rosie was studying hard for a big potions exam. One that he needed to study for as well.

Almost an hour later Rosie let out a groan and slammed her book shut. Dean looked at her, startled, and said, "Are you alright?"

Rosie nodded slightly, "Just this potions exam. It's very stressful."

Dean agreed with her, "I know what you mean. Snape is a git with all this work he's been assigning."

Rosie shrugged, "He just enjoys torturing students – by making their heads explode."

"Right," Dean chuckled.

Rosie sighed, "I can't study anymore. I'm going to head back to the common room. I'll see you later."

Dead shot up as she started gathering her things, "I'll walk you!"

Rosie looked up at him with a risen eyebrow, "But don't you have more studying to do?"

Dean did what could be called blushing but it was hard to see with his dark skin. He muttered, "That's okay. I'll get to it later."

Rosie hesitated for a second before nodding and saying, "Sure then."

They chatted amiably while walking to the common room. Mostly about sports, as that was what Dean knew most about. He asked about her too. But Rosie liked that he didn't ask how she was or anything. He treated her like just another girl instead of suicide watch.

When they arrived to the common room, Harry, Scarlet and Ron were sitting around the fire. Ron waved them over, momentarily taking his eyes off the chess game he was beating Harry in. He grinned when he saw Dean with her.

Rosie sat by Scarlet and started asking her about potions. Dean, blushing again, took a seat to her other side and pretended to watch Harry and Ron play chess.

Harry smirked at Dean, "Any luck, mate?"

Dean grimaced, "She has no idea how nervous she makes me. Let me walk her back here though."

"Good enough for now," Ron commented, his eyes trailing to the girl in question to make sure she didn't hear what they were saying. "Why haven't you asked her out yet?"

Dean shrugged, "With everything she's gone through... I don't think she's interested."

Harry made his move on the chess board and then said, "You may be right. But for now... just be her friend, yeah?"

"Yeah," Dean agreed.

"So," Draco started, "I hear you're with that Thomas."

He and Rosie were in the library, Rosie immersed in her text book and Draco pretending to be in the same position. Rosie barely looked up at him before saying, "It's just a rumor. You know how Hogwarts is with gossip."

"But he does fancy you," Draco stated rather than asked.

Rosie shrugged, "True. But we're just friends. It's not like I'm ready to be with anyone right now..." she trailed off and got quiet again, squinting at her book.

Draco didn't say anything and pretended to study again. But then he heard the library door slam open. The librarian shushed whoever it was loudly. Draco looked over and saw Blaise and Pansy walking inside. They hadn't seen him yet. He panicked and stood up.

Rosie looked up at him curiously with confusion in her eyebrows, "What-"

"Uh – I have to go," he stuttered and glanced behind him at Blaise and Pansy, "Over there.." And he stalked away.

Rosie glanced to where he was looking and saw the two Slytherins. They noticed her and scowled as they stalked by. Suddenly, understanding overcame her. She quietly stood up and gathered her things, leaving the library. She'd study in the common room.

Ron barged into the common room and saw it empty except for Rosie in front of the fire. He walked over, scowling to himself. Rosie noticed him and asked, "How was detention?"

Ron crashed onto the sofa and cursed, "Had to clean every bloody cauldron without magic!"

Rosie smirked briefly and put her quill down, "Sorry to hear it. But good thing it's over with, yeah?"

Ron mumbled, "Yeah, sure."

Rosie had gone back to studying before Ron shifted in his seat beside her, huffing to himself in thought. She idly considered just asking him what was wrong but decided against it. Instead she waited for him to inevitably-

"Hey, Rosie?" There you go, "You're a girl."

"Really?" She asked sarcastically, "I hadn't noticed."

Ron got flustered, "I mean—you know other girls. What they like?"

Rosie straightened in her seat and looked at him, "Is there a certain girl you had in mind?"

Ron's face was slowly matching the color of his hair as he wrung his hands in his lap, not answering.

Rosie smirked, "Is it a certain brilliant witch with curly brown hair and a penchant for studying?"

Ron was full-on red in the face by now, "How'd you know?"

She rolled her eyes, "You're not very sly, Ronald. I'm sure Hermione is oblivious just as you are to her feelings for you, but everybody else knows."

"She likes me?" Ron breathed with a dizzy smile.

"Of course that's all you heard," Rosie shook her head in disbelief, "Seriously, just ask her out already."

"Yeah..." Ron breathed before standing up to go to bed.

He listened. The next day, Ronald Weasley asked Hermione Granger to go to the first Hogsmede weekend coming up. Harry had asked Scarlet to go with him and asked Rosie if she wanted to tag along.

Rosie shook her head over her plate of pumpkin porridge, "I do not want to be a third wheel, Harry."

Harry sighed, casting a glance at his girlfriend down the table sitting and laughing with her friends, before looking back at his best friend, "You won't be. You and Scarlet are friends too."

Rosie nodded, "Yeah, but she's your girlfriend and this is your first date as a couple. I'm not going to date crash. Besides—I don't even think I'm going to go."

"Not go?" Ginny asked from beside her, just catching onto their conversation, "But you have to go!"

"Why?" Rosie narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her ginger friend, "Why do I have to go?"

Ginny didn't have a real reason to offer and reluctantly kept her mouth shut, not knowing what to say. So she huffed indignantly prompting Rosie to smirk triumphantly. They had all gone back to their food for a bit until Dean and Seamus finally joined them.

"What took you lot so long to come down?" Ron asked. "You both have an appetite that could rival mine."

"Seamus asked Parvarti to go to Hogsmede with him," Dean answered as he took a seat next to Rosie, giving her a shy smile.

She smiled back, "Were you two busy licking his wounds, then?"

Seamus glared a bit as the crowd chuckled, "No, we have not."

"She said yes," Dean revealed with a grin, proceeding to fill his plate with food.

"Are you serious?" Harry couldn't help but ask, a bit shocked.

Dean grinned, still a little impressed by his mate, "Yeah, she sure did. He was a bit shocked too."

"Wow, good for you," Rosie smiled.

Seamus slowly started grinning too, slightly puffing out his chest as he began to eat. Soon the whole group of Gryffindors were chatting about the upcoming weekend away from school. Dean slightly lowered his voice as he attempted to talk to Rosie without the others around them hearing, "What do you think you're going to do first when we all get out there?"

Rosie looked over at him and shrugged, "I'm probably going to stick around here, get ahead on my work and such."

"You're not going at all?" Dean asked, seeming put out. "But it's our only chance to really relax."

"Everyone's paired up," Rosie told him. "I don't feel like getting in the middle of all that."

"Well why don't you hang out with me?" Dean suggested, trying to stamp down his nervous tone. "I usually make trouble with Seamus but I don't feel like crashing his date."

Rosie felt a small lump in her throat. And if she were totally honest with herself, she felt like Cedric was sitting right beside her, a ghostly ball in chain that made her not want to say yes – to run away from Dean as fast as she could, to avoid any sign that she was truly moving on. But she forced herself to think about Cedric's words, in her dream. He was devastated to see how depressed she'd been, how alone she made herself. He wanted her to be happy, to feel love. She owed it to him to try, albeit with baby steps.

So she nodded a bit slowly, seeing how Dean's face had gone a bit defeated with how long it took her to respond, and said, "Sure." His smile was almost worth the risk.

Some rapid steps had caught their attention as they looked over to see Colin Creevy, sans his camera for once, racing towards them. He was still panting a bit as he slapped a newspaper on the table and wedged himself in between Hermione and Ginny, "There's been a mass breakout at Azkaban!"

"What?" Hermione nearly shrieked, grasping the newspaper in her hands to look over the words herself. "He's right. Many former Deatheaters have been freed by another former inmate who escaped last year."

"Last year?" Rosie asked, suspicious. "Azkaban is inescapable. If someone broke out just last year, why haven't we heard about it."

"Fudge probably hushed it all up to avoid panic," Dean suggested. "But he couldn't keep this huge breakout quiet."

"Who broke out last year?" Rosie asked.

Hermione's eyes searched the page for the name until she finally said, "Bellatrix Lestrange – former Deatheater as well."

"Is that really what it said?" Harry asked, his face going pale.

Rosie gave him a look as she took his wrist in her hand, "What is it?"

Harry chewed silently, shaking his head at her.

"In light of recent events," Hermione read out loud, "certain all-magic areas and towns have been put on lock down as the best Auros search for the Deatheaters who have escaped. Such places as Diagonally, Knockturn Ally, Hogsmede..." she trailed off at the last name, looking a bit forlorn. "That means there won't be anymore Hogsmede weekends until the lock-down is lifted."

"What?" Ginny frowned. "That's not fair."

"It's not safe out there right now, Gin," Rosie consoled her. "I'm sure the Aurors will just sweep the place and lift the lock-down. Maybe there'll just be patrols or something."

There was a throat clearing at the front of the Great Hall, all heads turned to see Dumbledore standing up, looking solemn, "By now I'm sure most of you have heard the news about Azkaban, and the lock-downs being implemented as a result. I regret to inform you that this does mean that weekend visits to Hogsmede will be canceled until further notice."

The students began to bellyache loudly, the Great Hall erupting in murmurs and moans of discontent. Rosie sighed, pushing her plate away, "I wonder what this will mean for Hogwarts."

"Dumbeldore will keep Hogwarts safe, always," Hermione swore.

"I hope so," Rosie breathed.

I know I let this story slide a bit compared to my others, I'm sorry! But let me know what you think while I try to dedicate more time to this story.

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RegalGirl94