Summary: As if dealing with a madman who has been out to get her since she was born wasn't enough, Rose must also contend with participating in a tournament she had no desire to enter, dealing with jealous friends, all while trying to beat back the tide of emotions threatening to drown her when she goes anywhere near one Cedric Diggory. Rated for safety.

Author's notes: So, to start, I am going to apologize now, for the fact that this is probably pretty rough. I don't have a beta, and I'm only human, so mistakes are most likely running rampant. I'm sorry! This is my first attempt at writing fan fiction, though I've been reading it for a wicked long time now.

So, a few notes, Harry, who will from here on be called Rosalie (or any of the shorter versions) will be different from cannon. Starting first and foremost with the obvious, she's a girl. Second, she's going to be 15 in her fourth year, because 14 is far too young to be doing M rated things. ^_^ Also, she's going to be good in school, and take it seriously. I'll offer an explanation why a little later. Ron (Rebekah) is also a girl, and Hermione (Henry) is a boy. Krum, and Fleur will obviously have to switch as well, and Ginny is nonexistent. I think that is about it for now. Please no flames. If you don't like it, that's fine, tell me that, but please don't be rude about it.

Blanket disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I'm just playing in her garden, so to speak...

Rosalie Potter

Chapter One

In a normal house, on a normal street, in a dreadfully normal suburb, lived a most abnormal girl, though, she didn't look it. Rosalie Lillian Potter stood in front of the floor length mirror hanging on her aunt and uncles' bedroom door, frowning over her apparently new body and came to only one plausible conclusion. "Puberty blows..." Her voice is soft like velvet, a little deeper and huskier than normal for a girl, though not at all unpleasantly so. Over the summer, she had blossomed into a beautiful young woman. Though, much to her dismay, she hadn't grown much at all. Standing at exactly 5 feet tall, she turned first left, then right, a slight frown tugging at full pink lips, and pulling her elegantly arched eyebrows together, burning emerald eyes raked over her new body from behind rectangular framed glasses; trying to get used to the changes that seemed to have occurred over night.

Starting from her feet, she moved onto trim ankles, and firm well defined legs – gained from years of running away from her boulder of a cousin and her lackeys- wide hips, and a rounded bum, to her tiny waist and flat stomach. She stopped to stare a bit longer at her new…accessories…cupped in simple black cotton. She had been most displeased when her breasts had come in, mainly because once they had started growing, they didn't seem to stop until a few weeks ago. Aunt Petunia had been furious when they had to go to the thrift store almost every week to buy her new bras, she would have left her to the uncomfortable pinching, and tightness of the smaller ones, if they hadn't as her aunt had said 'made her look like a trollop.' Aunt Petunia, always one for appearances, couldn't have that. So off they had gone, until her body had adjusted, and settled on a small C-cup.

Wrinkling her nose in distaste, she moved on, following pale skin up, past dainty collar bones, and along a graceful neck, Rose stared at her face. It had also changed over the summer, gone was the baby fat that had once clung to her cheeks, giving her an innocent childish beauty. Leaving instead, full, pouty lips forever stained a rosy pink. High cheek bones, a button nose, and – by far her favorite feature- beautiful emerald green eyes, surrounded by long, thick black lashes, giving them a somewhat dreamy cast. Set under arched brows, they moved on, past her forehead, to the mass of heavy, wavy black silk she called hair. She had been letting it grow out for some time, and it now fell past her shoulders to her bum in a mass of chaotic waves, parted on the right, with bangs cut diagonally to the left, to hide her ever present, and wholly unasked for, lightning bolt scar.

Sighing heavily, she lifted the brush in her delicate hand and ran it through her hair one last time; she let it settle about her in a slightly more tame mess, before stalking through the empty house back to the smallest room. Pulling on clothes that actually fit- she had taken up sewing, so that she no longer had to swim in Delilah's cast offs. She settled on a jean skirt, she had made from a pair of old jeans that she wouldn't have been able to fit into, even if she had tried, and a tank top in a lovely shade of blue-green, she had cut down to size, pulling the slack in the straps together to form a racer back. Pulling her hair out of the neck line, and smoothing out any wrinkles, she nodded decisively, before turning once to make sure everything she would need had been packed. Closing her trunk after making one last sweep of her room, she settled her snowy owl, Hedwigs' cage on top, grabbed the black flip flops she had set aside and went down stairs to wait for whatever transportation the Weasleys had secured for her.

Deciding that it would most likely be the ministry cars from her third year, she settled herself on the window seat. Only to be surprised moments later, by her aunt and uncles' electric fire place exploding. Drawing her wand and diving behind the couch, coughing in the ensuing cloud of soot and mortar dust, she peeks out around the couch arm. Just to fall over, her bell like laughter pealing throughout the room at the sight of Arthur Weasley, his twin sons Fred and George, and her best friend Rebekah standing in the ruins of the fireplace, covered in soot, and looking as if they had been hit by more than a few confundus curses.

Broken from their almost trance like state, Mr. Weasley quickly cleans them up with a quick almost absent, flick of his wand as he turns to look at the remains of the fireplace.

"Oh, bother…I don't understand what went wrong."

Still laughing, though she has managed to stand herself up, and wiped the tears from her cheeks, she smiles widely at Mr. Weasley and her friends.

"It wasn't an actual fireplace sir. It ran on electricity." "Elek-tri-sty you say..? How very interesting."

Surprised out of her conversation with Mr. Weasley by a set of arms wrapping around her waist and being spun around, only to be passed off and spun again, all to the twins raucous shouts of "Rosie-Posie, how we've missed you!" She laughs with them, only to continue laughing once they set her down and finally get a look at what changes the summer has wrought.

"Bloody hell poppet-What happened to you?" Fred began, only for George to finish. They both circle her like wolves, or vultures, turning her first this way, and then that way, getting a good look at her, before they both nod and begin muttering to each other.

"Right George, this one is going to take more work than normal." "Right you are Fred, loads more work indeed. I think we'll be up to it though."

Cocking her head to the side, a confused frown tugging at her lips, she looks from the boys, still conspiring together, to her best friend, standing off to the side looking back and forth between her brothers and Rose. Sidling closer to Rebekah, she steps up onto her toes to get closer to her ear, though the redhead still needs to bend her head down a little. In whispers they talk, while the twins go up stairs to grab Roses' things.

"What on earth were they talking about Beka?"

Rebekah looks down at her diminutive friend, pushing her flaming red hair out of her face and behind her ear, blue eyes also taking in the changes.

"Well, you're family you know? And as the wonder twins told me earlier this summer, when I started changing, it's their duty as big brothers to scare away anyone unfit for their little sisters. Really I think it's just their excuse to trick people with their 'Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes'. They've spent all summer up in their rooms, and we heard the bangs and explosions, but didn't really pay them any mind. It is the twins after all.

Mum found out about them when they tricked Diggory into eating one. A ton-tongue toffee I think. It was brilliant really; his tongue grew and swelled, until you thought it might explode! They said it was payback for the quidditch game last year. You know how they are though; they would have done it just to do it."

Rebekah nods, once again pushing fly away strands of her hair back behind her ears, huffing in frustration when it only falls back around her face.

"Anyway, mum found that they were planning to sell them while at Hogwarts, and burned all of their order forms, which resulted in a huge row. Everyone cleared the house while they went at it. "

Rosalie frowned; looking her friend over, wrinkling her nose as she first notices the height difference. Rebekah is a pretty girl, standing at 5 feet 6 inches, with the same red hair as the rest of her family, which she wears, cut off at her shoulder blades. She resembles a giraffe, in that she is all knobby joints and long limbs. She's skinny, with pale skin, and a dusting of freckles over her nose and cheeks. Her eyes are a beautiful crystal blue, beneath reddish-gold brows, surrounded by gold lashes.

"So, let me make sure I understand… They think they'll need to keep people away from me? And they've been doing so for a while now? And supposedly it will be harder this year than any before? Am I right so far?" Her black head tilts to the left, her lip catching between her teeth as she bites it gently, and looks up at her friend through thick black lashes. Only to jump in fright at the sound of her trunk hitting the floor, Hedwig's surprised screeching, and the twins raised voices.

"Bugger it Rose, you can't do that!" "Keep your lip out from between your teeth, and for all that you hold dear don't look at anyone like that!" "What? What did I do? What's wrong with the way I was looking at Beka, your sister, my best mate?"

Fred or George-she isn't sure which- smacks his palm to his head, shaking it slightly, while the other tries to right her owls' cage, earning a bite to the finger for his trouble.

"What's wrong? What's wrong she asks…Bloody hell, if you look at a boy like that, we'll either be scraping him off the floor, or beating him for trying to molest you where you stand!" Both boys nearly screamed, their voices cracking as they rose in incredulity. Rolling sparkling emerald eyes behind her small, rectangular framed glasses, she runs a hand through her hair.

"Really, guys, I think you're going a little over board, don't you? I mean, seriously… I'm a scrawny, tiny little thing." "Your size only adds to your appeal poppet, you're like a tiny little pixie, and all the men-folk will see you and want to take care of you for it." Fred says as her wraps an arm around her shoulders. "Amongst other things" George mutters darkly, his face pinching together in a frown.

"Alright children, I think we should be going. I'm sure that your mother has just about worried herself sick by now. " With that, Arthur gestured for the twins to pick up the trunk and cage and step up to the fireplace. Holding out a pouch of shimmering green powder he nods, "Go on boys, your first."

Both of the twins take a small handful, before throwing it into the fire Mr. Weasley had lit with his wand moments before. After stepping in and shouting their destination, the twins vanished in a roaring plume of green flames. Gesturing to Rosalie, he smiles "Come along now Rose, Molly will want to feed you up before we sit down for supper."

Smiling at the thought of Mrs. Weasleys' fantastic cooking, though at this point, even Hagrid's rock cakes would be better than the celery and grapefruit Aunt Petunia had been force feeding the family for the sake of Delilah, the brunette grasps a bit of the floo powder before tossing it in and enunciating very clearly "The Burrow"-for she did not want a repeat of her first attempt at travel by floo- and off she went, feeling like a much abused top, before tumbling out of the fireplace and into a hard something; sending them both to the floor in a tangle of limbs.

Sitting up slightly, she rakes a hand through her even more chaotic black tresses, pulling the mass of heavy silk out of her face and righting her glasses on her nose, she glances down to see what broke her fall. Flushing a brilliant scarlet, Rosalie pushes herself completely upright-which really only makes things worse- and ends up straddling the slender hips, with her bum resting on the muscled thighs of none other than Cedric Diggory. Hufflepuff Prefect, quidditch team captain, and seeker, and all around walking Adonis. A startled gasp breaks past rosy lips, while green eyes widen –almost comically- behind thin black frames. She forgets to breathe as she looks down on him. He's tall-when he's upright- standing at just over 6 feet, with wiry muscles, broad shoulders and chest. His hands are large, and warm against her hips-she dimly notes his thumbs rubbing circles against the sliver of skin between her skirt and top- his neck is long, his jaw is strong, angular, leading to slightly full, pink lips, an aristocratic nose, high cheek bones, and startling blue-gray eyes, slightly obscured by his mess of golden-bronze hair. Currently they are half lidded, and watching her as she takes him in, since it's the first time they have been so close- that's not to say that Rosalie hasn't been watching him from afar in school whenever it is at all possible. Have you seen the boy on a broom? Swoon-All of him, is covered in smooth skin tanned a light gold.

Her teeth click shut as she blinks herself out of whatever trance she managed to fall into, taking a quick gasping breath when he squeezes her hips gently, his lips pulling up in a crooked grin.

"Well, I must say, this is a most pleasant surprise darling, but I think you should get up now, before the boys over there decide to tear me apart."

Blinking again, the startled brunette raises her head to look around the room, only for her face to burn an even more vivid shade of red. Standing behind her, Rebekah is biting her lip to stifle her laughter as she leans against her father trying to keep standing. Mr. Weasely has his hand over his mouth, and seems to be attempting to fake a cough. Mrs. Weasely is standing in front of the sink, a plate of finger sandwiches in hand, eyes wide and mouth gaping slightly, while Henry is standing beside her, his face contorted in some strange mixture of surprise, laughter, and disbelief. And standing slightly off to the side, both twins are being held back by the two eldest Weasley boys, though they don't look any happier about the position their honorary little sister has found herself in. Bill with his dragon-tail, and fang-earring, looks to be attempting to burn Mr. Diggory with only his very blue eyes. Charlie, clean shaven, leanly muscled Charlie is attempting to reach his wand, while still holding either Fred, or George, for they can't tell which, back from committing murder in their mothers' kitchen.

With a startled squeak, Rosalie jumps up, moving quickly, yet gracefully away from the downed boy. Her bottom lip finding its place between her teeth as she worries it, her head bowed toward the floor slightly, while glancing around the room shyly from beneath her lashes. She finally comes to a stop as she crashes into Rebekah, who continues to snicker behind her. She attempts to straighten her clothing, brushing out the wrinkles in her shirt, and pulling her skirt further down from where it had ridden up her thighs.

"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't see you…spinning…top...dizzy…lost balance…Accident! It was an accident, are you alright?" Rosalie finally looks at Cedric, her cheeks still burning, her explanation a jumbled mess of words.

Cedric offers her an easy smile, as he starts to lift himself off the floor, his blue-grey eyes traveling over her body gently, almost like a physical caress. He dusts himself off pretending not to notice the fact that the twins saw him checking her out, before speaking. "I actually think I'm quite well after that rather…enthusiastic greeting." His smooth voice trails off, while his smile widens to something almost cheeky, showcasing the dimple in his left cheek. Winking at the still shell-shocked Rose, he turns back to Mrs. Weasely, smiling politely.

"I just wanted to thank you again for letting me stay with you until the Cup. Dad's just been so busy; I didn't want him to have to worry about me on top of everything else."

"Think nothing of it dear, we're happy to have you. The more the merrier and such I say." Mrs. Weasleys lips turn up in a small smile as she places the nearly forgotten plate on the table, "Sandwich dear?" Here she turns to Rose, "Come along sweetheart, I know you must be hungry, Rebekah has told us all about that horrid diet your Aunt has you all on. Honestly, how they can expect a growing girl to survive on celery and fruit is beyond me. Fred, George, taker her things up to Rebekah's' room, quickly now. "

Here she turns to flutter her hands in a shooing motion at the twins, who are still trying to murder Cedric with only their minds. Though they go in a huff, keeping their eyes on the boy at their table until it gets to the point that if they bend any further down, they'll tumble from the staircase.

"Come now Rosie, darling, sit, sit and eat, I know you must be hungry dear." Molly grabs a hold of Rose's arm and gently leads her to the table, into the seat right next to Cedric, rather conveniently. Pulling a plate before her she heaps it with food from the central plate, before patting her head gently and moving away. Rose glances at Cedric from the corner of her eye, her cheeks, which had previously gone back to their normal porcelain, gained a light pink dusting as she caught him staring at her.

When she speaks, it's little more than a whisper, "I really am sorry, I never meant to…attack you like that. I just...I get so dizzy, and well, I'm not the most graceful stepping out of the fireplace." She offers him a shy smile, before picking up a finger sandwich and begins nibbling at it.

Cedric smiles at her, his blue-grey eyes flashing with laughter. Reaching over, he lets his fingers trail along her cheek lightly, before grabbing one of the sandwiches from her plate. "It really was nothing to worry about, to be honest, it was one of the more pleasurable experiences I've had in quite some time." With that he winked at her again, and tucks into his food, smiling when her skin flushes again.

Rebekah, finally able to get a hold of herself, grabs a sandwich from the plate, and one of Rose's hands, before towing the smaller girl out of her chair, and out of the room, giggling the entire time. Rose looks back at Cedric sitting at the table, looking slightly pole-axed, and shrugs, grabbing a hold of Henry as they pass. "I guess I'll see you around then Cedric? I'm sorry again, for jumping you like that!"

With a muffled squawk-because men do not squeal-from the poor boy acting as a tote, the trio is out the door, Beka dragging them along, out past the garden, and the pond, to the field where the family plays quidditch. Reaching the center she flops down on her back, dragging the others down with her in an ungainly pile. Once she's managed to get over her fit of giggles, she turns a sly smile on her best friend.

"I think you've got some explaining to do Short-stack." Rose glares at the redhead, even as she feels her cheeks heating slightly. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?" Beka waves her off, "I'll stop, when you grow, simple as that. Now, stop trying to change the subject, what's going on between you and Diggory? Last I checked, you hadn't said more than five words to each other, then I floo in and see you straddling the poor bloke in front of mum and all! I didn't know you had it in you."

Rose buries her face in her hands, drawing her knees up to her chest. "That was an accident. Honest, you know how I get so turned about when I use the floo network. Well, I came out of the fireplace all jumbled up, and crashed into him. I didn't even know it was a person I'd taken to the floor with me until I sat up! Oh Merlin it was mortifying! I mean, he's just! And I was..! And now..!" She breaks off to hit herself in the forehead with one of her fists, repeatedly muttering "stupid, stupid, stupid..." until Henry reaches over and grasps her wrist, tightly, though still gentle.

"Oh Rose, stop that, if you're not careful, you'll lose brain cells and end up like Beka here." Ignoring the indignant shout, and dodging the swat to his head, he smiles when he hears a quiet chuckle. "That's it, and, just so you know, from an objective view, I don't think he minded you landing on him at all, not with the way he was looking at you. I think he was quite taken with you." "Or the fact that your bust was in his face, because let's face it, as wonderful as Mr. Prefect is, he is still a boy, and a teenage boy at that. And we all know what they think about, constantly." Beka mutters, ignoring the scandalized look on her friends face before continuing. "And you were basically spilling out in front of him."

At Rosalie's horrified squeak, ad her slack jawed look, the friends decide to change the subject, putting the Cedric business out of their heads for at least a little while. Henry asks about their progress on the summer homework. Rebekah mumbles something along the lines of "s'mostly done" while Rose shakes her head, black hair, gleaming red in the afternoon sun whipping around her shoulders at the predictable answer.

"I got it all done in the first few weeks of summer, including that extra work from Professor Flitwick, on the theory behind the summoning spell. I can't wait to get back to Hogwarts to get to the practical use." Henry nods, and begins asking questions about certain parts of their summer work. He doesn't get very far when Beka interrupts- for she knows how the two can go on and on about work- "Why do you bother to try so hard, Rosie? You know those muggles aren't ever going to offer you a kind word for anything you do. It's never quite good enough."

At the hurt look clouding the brunettes face, the redhead frowns, and begins backtracking, "I mean, not that it's a bad thing, of course, and you're wicked smart, and deserve so much more…I should shut up now, shouldn't I?" She asks the group at large, though watching Henry for help.

"It's alright, Beka, I know what you meant. And I guess when I was little, that was why I tried so hard. I decided that I had to be the very best, and only then would they like me. So I studied, and I read, and I did all of the homework, and any bit of extra credit I could get my hands on. When it didn't work, I just assumed that I wasn't doing enough, so I tried harder, and now, it's just…I don't know, ingrained in me? You know? It's like you do something for so long that it just becomes second nature to you. And on top of that, I enjoy it. I love the smell of books, and the quiet of the library. I love learning about magic, and all the things I can do with it. I guess it's kind of like your dad and his love of muggle things. They're new and interesting because he didn't grow up with them. That's how I think of magic, it's all a great big adventure while I'm trying to learn a new spell, or brew a new potion. And when you get it just right, and it all goes off without a hitch, well, it's as exhilarating as flying is. It's just…right." A dreamy smile tugs at her lips, as she glances at her friends, "Do you understand what I mean?" Henry just nods, and she knows that he feels something like that too. Beka however looks skeptical, and then shrugs. "I don't think I completely understand, but whatever floats your boat I suppose." She smiles.

They stay out there, just talking and catching up, talking about everything and nothing, like good friends can. And when they run out of words, they just lay back in the grass watching the clouds, enjoying the silence, and company.