the worst of it | rosie

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

MID 2022 - SIXTH YEAR

THE LIBRARY AT HOGWARTS WAS A FAMILIAR refuge for Albus. It was large enough to lose oneself in, and it always smelled of dusty old books. Better than his potion's classroom, that was for sure. And, as always, four rows in, two tables back, Rosie Williams sat in the second seat in. He'd known Rosie since his very first year, and their familiar routine was a comfort for Albus.

Rushing to close the space between them, Albus was breathing a little heavy as he tossed his bag on to the table and fell in to his seat opposite Rosie. "So..." He said hurriedly, licking his dry lips and shaking his head. "You'll never guess what just happened." He leaned forward in his seat, his robes unkempt and hair flattened at the front. "A girl just asked me to pass a note on to James."

With wide, incredulous eyes, Albus waited for Rosie's reaction. "It was... a love note." He added reluctantly, the 'love' part making him want to shrivel up in to a prune and die under somebody's shoe. James had always been something of a 'popular' guy while at Hogwarts. But the fact that his legacy still went on almost a year after he'd graduated was quite ridiculous. "Like I'm going to owl off some love sick letter to my brother." He crossed his arms in agitation, shaking his head the gall of the strange student. "It smelled like daisies..." 

rose harriet granger-weasley

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Rosie was one of those people who had a good number of friends, but when asked, she’d say she wasn’t popular. And she wasn’t popular in the standard sense of the word. She wasn’t preppy, she didn’t go to parties or sneak out, for the most part, Rosie was the most Hufflepuff, Hufflepuff that she had ever met, and she loved that about herself, thank you very much. Rosie tried her best in her classes, which meant she spent a lot of time in the library. She couldn’t study in her common room, she tried, but just couldn’t. It was too cozy and she tended to fall asleep. So, she walked into the library and sat down in her normal seat at her normal table, which, thankfully, was often free. She had been there for about an hour now, reading the same paragraph of a potions textbook over and over again, wondering why it didn’t make sense to her.

The brunette looked up quickly when she saw a figure rushing towards her, it was almost frightening before she saw who it was. Rosie was easily frightened, she wanted to work on that about herself. He explained the situation that he had just been in while leaning forward in his seat and Rosie felt her mouth fall open as he spoke, then she gave a giggle and shook her head. “That’s incredible. Did you take the note? Can I read it?” she asked eagerly. Rosie was not a mean person, nor would she ever judge a person, especially if they were acting within a crush, but, she did like to laugh, and, she especially liked to do so at James’ expense, something about him just rubbed her the wrong way - maybe it was all the time spent with Albus.

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

ALBUS LIKED TO THINK HE WAS THE TYPE THAT would turn their nose up, and tell the love sick girl how he really felt about her request. "I... didn't take it..." He said to Rosie, sitting back and ducking his head. Like a liar. Yes, he wished he were the type that was brave enough to speak up and refuse. But, he'd taken the letter out of shock. She'd practically shoved it in to his hands, after all. Not like he'd had much of a choice. However, the idea of reading it hadn't occurred to him immediately. He was just going to trash it. 

"Okay, I definitely took it." Albus admitted reluctantly, reaching in to the pocket of his robe and retrieving the envelope. It was pink. The ink was a slightly darker shade of pink. And even as Albus pushed it across the table, he could smell the cloying scent of daisies. "We... shouldn't..." He told himself weakly, but the seal was pressed so neatly, right under their noses. "But... I suppose James will never know." He was already convincing himself. Rosie didn't seem to need any at all. She was practically out of her seat. "I'm not even going to deliver it."

Albus let the letter stop over at Rosie's side. He didn't want to be the first one to break the wax seal. At least if it was Rosie, it reflected less badly on him. He was just the messenger then, right? If he happened to get out of his seat, round the table, and peer over Rosie's shoulder, it was all simple a coincidence. Totally accidental. "Go on then," He said after a minute, bobbing on the balls of his feet as he grabbed the wooden back of Rosie's chair.

"I bet there's a picture. I just know there's a picture." James had played a lot of Quidditch while at Hogwarts, and so was the subject of many a student's notebook shrine, moving action shots mid-game with his arms in the air. Triumphant on his broom. He'd always looked so much like their grandpa in them, it was unsettling. Like an echo of a ghost in black and white ink. 

rose harriet granger-weasley

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Albus said he hadn’t taken it and Rosie was a little disappointed but thought it was probably for the best, she didn’t need to read it and possibly make fun of the girl, who had probably spilled her heart out in hopes that this older guy would fancy her. She knew the odds of James actually fancying the girl weren’t high, but maybe that wasn’t their call to make. But then he lit up and admitted that he had taken the note and possibly the biggest smile that the Hufflepuff had ever smiled creeped up on her face. She took it as Albus slid it across the table. It was pink, “How old was this girl? I don’t think I’ve owned pink stationary since I was a year 2.” Rosie said with a giggle. It might have been a slightly lie, she liked to write in her journal with a pink pen, but that was beside the point and was for her eyes only. As Rosie picked up the letter, Albus got up and hurried around to hover behind her. She laughed and after thinking for a moment, broke the seal. The girl would never know, and James would never know, And Rosie, who had never dated, nor, she thought, had a crush, was interested to read the letter. She had absolutely no experience with these things.

As Rosie read it over, quietly to herself, confident in Albus’s ability to read it on his own, and not wanting to cause too much attention in the library, she started to get a slightly sick feeling in her stomach. “I’m not sure I feel right about this anymore.” Rosie admitted about halfway through the letter, which seemed to be all about the fact that this girl had fallen head over heels for the graduated Quidditch player and hoped he he returned any feelings for her. “Does your brother even know who this girl is?” she asked, it was almost ridiculous.

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

THE BEST PART ABOUT BEING THE POTTER 'message boy', and there wasn't very much to be pleased about, was definitely being able to rant about it with Rosie. The moment he pushed it across the table and she laid waste to it, her face delighted by the display of the pink, smelly envelope, he felt better. Though Albus couldn't help but drop his head in to his hands, snickering under his breath as he shook his head and let out a long and laborious groan from over her shoulder.

"Like... six maybe?" I said, long suffering, but unable to wipe the slight smile off his face from the sheer glee in Rosie's voice. He supposed it was worth it for how well she could lighten the mood. She was always good at that, thought Albus. Making him forget about how horrible a situation was just by being funny. "I dunno, I could barely look her in the eye..." Lifting his head he shook his head and snorted.

By then she had opened the seal, carefully unfolding the paper inside and was reading it quietly. Albus began doing the same over her shoulder. There was a lot of alliteration and even some song lyrics in the margins. All written in a dark pink ink. She dotted her 'i's with hearts and when he got to the end, skimming it quickly as to avoid the many detailed descriptions of his brother's face and hands and whatever else, her signature winked at him. The 'c' a sideways smiley with eyes that blinked and blew a kiss.

Rosie seemed quite finished long before him and he knew exactly what she was thinking. It had been a funny idea, but fleshed out it was just... sad. "I don't think she does," Albus muttered, a frown on his face as he reached over and carefully pulled the letter from her lax grip. "She kept talking about how much she wished she could talk to him." Folding it back in to its shape, Albus placed it back in its envelope with the tips of his fingers, as if it were somehow tainted.

Albus dropped the letter back on the table between them, slumping in to the chair beside Rosie. He  glared at the paper as if it had personally attacked him. "Well, I definitely can't give him it now." He grumbled, rubbing his eyes and sighing as he slouched forward and turned his head to look at Rosie. "We should set it on fire." He said seriously, reaching for his wand which was tucked in a pocket at the breast of his robes. "Just... get rid of it." He pulled his wand out and pointed the tip at the envelope, the paper flap facing up, swaying with incrimination. "It's cursed." He shook his head, staring wide eyed at a young girls heart, placed delicately in a letter that was too pink and smelled of fake peonies. 

rose harriet granger-weasley

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Rosie almost regretted asking him questions about the girl who wrote the note because it made her seem more human and thus, it made it seem even worse than they were invading her privacy by reading this in the library. It was one thing, she thought, to be doing this to James, because he would never know and honestly was barely even involved, it wasn’t like Albus was actually going to give it him anyway. But she felt weird about disappointing the girl. She’d never know though. Rosie didn’t expect her to approach Albus again and ask if the note got to James safely so there really was no harm, but it still made butterflies swarm in the Hufflepuffs stomach to think about. Albus took the note back from her and then folded it and set it on the table in front of them. He said that they couldn’t give the note to James now and Rosie nodded, it was obvious that it had been tampered with. They should burn it, he suggested. Rosie nodded but then looked around as Albus drew out his wand. “In the library?” she questioned, cocking her eyebrow.

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

AS IT TURNED OUT, THE FUN OF SNOOPING IN TO his brothers business lasted no more than five minutes. Albus had only caved to make himself feel better, he'd always hated being the go-between for his old brother's lingering popularity. Even after he was gone. So, when Rosie began to withdraw so did Albus, reminded of his own lack of humility by her frowning face alone.

"Why not?" He shrugged, despite the fact that he knew exactly why not. They might get caught, they might have to explain themselves, someone might find out about their crime. He was pretty sure it was illegal to open somebody else's post. "We can contain it..." Despite the sureness in Albus's tone, he wasn't entirely convinced of his own abilities. "I just... I don't wanna touch it again?" He looked at Rosie like she might get what he meant. That he didn't want to feel guilty any more, and he thought that by destroying it he might be able to let it go.

"I mean, you got a better idea?"

rose harriet granger-weasley

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Albus seemed fairly confident about his decision to ignite the letter in the library. At least they weren’t sitting in the middle. There were people around, but they were at least at a table alone, so the odds that they could keep it quiet were fairly good, or so she wanted to believe. Rosie was a goodie goodie, a teacher's pet, someone who never got in trouble, but someone who never told on others either. This wasn’t something she could say she had done before, but she understood her friends reasoning for wanting to burn the note. She didn’t want the evidence of their invasion of privacy remaining in existence either. When he asked if she had a better idea, she looked up at him and shrugged while also allowing her head to give a little shake from side to side. “You’d better do it then, we both know better than to let me handle fire.” or any magic really… Rosie was a klutz at the best of time, anything involving magic made her even worse. She was getting better at charms, but she still wasn’t at all confident in herself or her abilities.

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

ALBUS HAD ALREADY BEEN THINKING OF HOW he'd do it. The letter pinned in his vision as he thought about the method, the concealment and how much better he'd feel with it gone. But, he waited for Rosie's cue. Her opinion mattered and if they were caught, he didn't want it to be because he did it without her approval. Then a professor and his best friend would be mad at him. So, when she agreed, Albus quickly went to work.

First, he turned and unscrewed the frosted glass shade from a light fixed to the table for viewing. It was round and bulbous and perfect for hiding a tiny little fire. He placed it with the largest opening facing down, before very reluctantly plucking the letter up and rolling it in to a little tube, which he popped in to the small, round opening at the top. The pink paper could vaguely be seen unfurling along the frosted dimensions of the space, where it eventually stilled.

Then, Albus gingerly picked up his wand and placed the tip just inside the opening. He felt himself huddling around the scene with Rosie, like two engrossed onlookers concealing a crime with their frames. Once more, he shot Rosie a hesitant look, like he thought she he might finally change her mind. But, his blood was pumping and he felt thrilled by the thought of it. With a firm nod, he turned back and gently, so as not to incite a great jet of flames, Albus said, "Incendio..."

There was a flicker of orange inside the glass, and Albus spun his wand tip as if he were guiding a ribbon along the circumference. It was only little flame, but he could hear the crackle of the paper as it burned satisfyingly. The scent snaking out of the top with a little grey plume of smoke. Albus dropped his wand and looked at Rosie with a shot of panic. He hadn't considered the smoke's escape or the smell. "Sh*t," He cursed, leaning forward to snatch a book from Rosie's pile and slamming it on top of the opening. And just then, as Albus looked over his shoulder guiltily, the librarian could be seen patrolling past. 

rose harriet granger-weasley  
halp the boi, rosie. xD

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

One of the reasons that Rosie had always known she’d be a Hufflepuff was that she was incredibly loyal, even through the bad ideas. Not that she entirely thought that this was a bad idea, but it wasn’t something that she thought was particularly smart either. Lighting a fire in the library seemed like a detention waiting to happen, but, she was 100% supportive of Albus, even if she was skeptical of the outcome. So she watched him as she undid the glass shade and set it on the table with the letter rolled up inside it. She held her breath as he list the flame with the charm and she watched, her eyes wide, as it flickered. When the smoke started to escape the top, he quickly grabbed one of her books and set it on top of the opening. “A fire will go out if it doesn’t get air…” she whispered to him, lifting the book slightly in one corner. She could already see a scorch mark on the back over and she gave a small pout about that. How on Earth would she explain a scorch mark on her potions book to the professor. “How long do you think it needs to burn for?” she asked, wondering about it leaving a scorch mark on the wooden table… or worse.

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

WHILE HE'D DONE A FAIR BIT OF THINKING ON how he'd execute getting rid of the love letter, Albus hadn't really considered how he'd proceed afterwards. Which is exactly why he began panicking the moment they might be discovered. The book was his first thought, and he looked wildly at Rosie, hoping she'd know what to do next. Her soft tone of voice shared none of Albus's harried expression and he felt a stab of frustration. She had a way of keeping her cool, always.

"I know that," He snapped, though she didn't deserve that and he felt immediately guilty. That had been while he'd grabbed the book. It beat removing the shade and trying to flatten it with his robes. Somebody would surely notice if he had a great burn on his clothing. "I... didn't really think that far ahead." He admitted with a scowl, he was pretty smart, but sometimes he made very 'Gryffindor' decisions. Looking over his shoulder, Albus tried to bend his entire body over the mess, feigning as if he were reaching for a book across the table. There was a slight fizz as the flames eventually died, but the smokey smell remained.

Albus didn't move back until the smoke stopped fogging up the frosted glass. He left it stacked, leaning his head on the table with a groan, adrenaline fading. "Why didn't you stop me?" He asked, turning his head to look at Rosie from where he lay slumped across the table. The librarian, thankfully, had dismissed them in favour of a pair of rowdy students near the back of the room, but they'd best put things back as they were before she returned. The smell they could only hope would dissipate with time. "That was a terrible decision." 

rose harriet granger-weasley  

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Rosie held her face in her hands when the fire stopped and he slumped over the desk. He was right, it hadn’t been a good or a very well thought through idea. But the sigh that escaped her lips wasn’t because of the scorch mark on the table and the book, but rather because he asked her why she had let him do it. “I tried to talk you out of it.” she said with another accompanying sigh. She was a Hufflepuff. It was literally her job to think smartly about things that were dangerous and could possibly result in her own detention. She had at least tried to talk him out of doing it in the library. But here they were, it was definitely too late to turn back now, the deed was done. There was no way to go back in time and change it.

“Maybe we can say that we were practicing charms and it got out of hand so we tried to cover it.” she suggested. Or, a better idea in her mind, was for the two of them to just run away before the librarian even saw the mess on the table. Maybe they wouldn’t be able to trace it back to them. But, wanting to actually do that made Rosie’s stomach gurgle. She didn’t want to run away without admitting to the mistake. "Or maybe we can clean it up." she suggested. That would be even better.

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

THOUGH ROSIE HAD TRIED TO TALK HIM OUT OF it a little bit, he didn't think about that as regret began nipping the back of his neck. He begrudgingly replaced the lampshade, the inside a smoky black, screwing it tight and turning his back on it before anyone noticed what he was doing. "Not hard enough," He mumbled, but he wasn't really blaming her. He cleaned up the ashy scraps by scraping them in to a little pile and pressing his hand down on them. They flattened to a pulp and he placed a book over what little remained for the moment.

"There," He said, forcing a thin smile on his face. "Never happened." He was already itching to leave now that they'd done what they had done. Or, rather, what he had done. Rosie was a somewhat unwilling participant, but she often was in his little schemes and plans. Along for the ride, really. "It's wasn't your mess." He grumbled under his breath, the smell of smoke lingering in the air. "I say we just make a run for it." He side-eyed her, lifting his brows expectantly as he wondered whether or not she'd have the guts. "What'd you say?" He was already pushing out his chair, looping his back over one shoulder as he edged away from the table. 

rose harriet granger-weasley        
maybe end on the next one? i figure we can do a present next, if you'd like? 

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

She rolled her eyes when he insisted that she hadn’t tried to talk him out of it hard enough. “Well what do you expect? You know I have the backbone of a slug.” She was a Hufflepuff for a reason, she couldn’t stand up for anything, even if it was partly by her own impulse that she found herself in this situation. He cleaned up the ashes and then insisted that it never happened, a smile spreading back across his face. A thin smile, but still a smile, even forced. He suggested that they forgot about it and just leave, or, make a run for it. Rosie sighed, she wasn’t good at that sort of thing, she was never good at getting herself out of trouble. “Yeah let’s do it. I think if we just walk out now no one will question anything.” it wasn’t like they were caught, or like anyone had seen them. This couldn’t have been the first time that someone did something stupid in the library. They’d be fine, she was sure. Rosie Williams shoved her books back into her bag and stood up, leading the way out.

Albus Severus Potter

the end