be yourself when you're holding on [rosie]

[Deleted]

february 5, 2025

One of the first places Cecelia had to visit upon her return to Britain was, of course, the blood bank. She had been feeding while in France, but not in her preferred manner; some of the French vampires were more... old-fashioned in their blood consumption, and when in Paris, Cece had to do as the Parisians did. She was relieved to be back in a place where she knew her blood was responsibly sourced. The blood bank still had her paperwork on file from before she had taken her trip to France, which was useful to Cecelia; she didn't have as long to wait.

Cece mostly kept to herself when she was in the blood bank - it was easier that way. When the door opened to admit another vampire, though, Cecelia's first reflex was to check who came in; she couldn't keep herself safe if she wasn't aware of where everyone was at all times. What faced Cecelia, though, was not an enemy. It was... a former classmate? "Rosie?" Cecelia knew the girl's name, of course, since they had gone to school together for four years, but she couldn't recall ever having an in-depth conversation with her. Cecelia definitely would've remembered if Rosie was a vampire, though. When had that happened?

rose harriet granger-weasley

[Deleted]

Rosie couldn’t even begin to tell you what happened to Cece Rousseau after Hogwarts ended for them. She couldn’t say she had even thought about her before she walked into the blood bank that day and saw her already standing at the counter. That almost made this worse. Rosie hated that she even had to come her and still felt embarrassed about her new affliction. She was starting to feel less afraid of herself and more confident, but it still wasn’t ideal.

“Hi there, Cece.” Rosie greeted, forcing a friendly smile on her face. “I uh, haven’t seen you in a while. How are you?” they had been in the same year so they had shared many classes together, but she couldn’t say they were friends. Rosie had forgotten that she was a vampire actually.

@cecelia

[Deleted]

Rosie smiled, and thanks to her months among vampires (and, of course, being one herself) Cece didn’t stare at the fangs that peeked out. “I’ve been in France the past six months or so,” Cecelia answered when Rosie commented they hadn’t seen each other in a while. “My family is from there,” she added, in case Rosie had forgotten Cecelia and her sisters had transferred from Beauxbatons at the beginning of their fourth year. Cece doubted she would’ve seen much of Rosie even if she had been in England, by virtue of her job and her inability to go out during the day time, but it was easier to excuse it based on geographic differences.

“I’ve been well, thank you,” Cecelia answered. Some parts of being raised in pureblood society she wasn’t sure she’d ever shake, like the constant need to be unflinchingly polite (and, of course, to lie about her own state so as not to make others uncomfortable). “Yourself?” She doubted Rosie had been well, if she had somehow become a vampire, but Rosie probably thought the same of Cecelia, so they were even.

rose harriet granger-weasley

[Deleted]

Cece was being the model of politeness and Rosie kind of appreciated it, but small talk in a blood bank seemed even worse than small talk on the street. Cece admitted that she had been in France and Rosie nodded, stupidly. Of course. Rosie knew she was French and had transferred in halfway through her education. It made sense that she had gone back there. “That’s great. France is beautiful.” she had only been there once a s a child and then to cover a pre season match since then, but she always liked it.

Cece said she’d been well and then asked about Rosie. She looked around and then shrugged. “I’ve been better but I’m trying to make the best of it.” she really was. Now. It had been impossible at first. But she was slowly getting used to her new lifestyle. At least she was able to hold onto a lot of normalcy.

@cecelia

[Deleted]

Rosie said that France was beautiful, and Cecelia nodded stiffly. It was a beautiful place, but it was hard to see it the same way now as she had when she was a child. Part of that was the innocence of youth, of course, but part of it was growing past her family’s old-fashioned ideals and her own bigotry. Her parents didn’t even know she was a vampire. If they did, they’d probably disown her.

Cece wasn’t surprised Rosie had been better. “If I may ask, when did you turn?” Cecelia had been turned immediately after leaving Hogwarts, and maybe Rosie had been the same. “Obviously I haven’t been in England, but I haven’t seen you in the bank before.” Last Cecelia had heard Rosie was also dating someone, though, so perhaps he had been giving her blood donations to sustain her.

rose harriet granger-weasley

[Deleted]

Cece asked Rosie about when she had become a vampire and Rosie felt her body freeze a little. She still hated thinking about what happened, mostly because she really couldn’t remember enough of it to explain. She had told the daily prophet all she knew, which was less than helpful of course. “um, about 3 weeks ago…” it sounded like a while ago, but at the same time it barely felt like yesterday. “there was an incident in Russia while I was there for work.” she clarified. She didn’t think Cece would have seen the article since she had been in France until recently, so she probably wouldn’t put together that the anonymous woman attacked and dumped was her.

“when, um, were you?” Rosie’s stuttering had gotten a lot better since her transformation, but it still came out when she talked about it. 3 weeks had done wonders for her. But her affliction still terrified her.

@cecelia

[Deleted]

Cece’s eyebrow ticked up when Rosie said it had only been three weeks since she had been turned. It was strange to think how quickly everyone adjusted to being a vampire – it was a major life change, but it was permanent and it wasn’t like there was anything they could do after they were turned. Cecelia had reached acceptance of her condition quickly, and it seemed Rosie had, too. She swallowed hard when Rosie mentioned the incident had happened away from home, but Cece was relieved it was in Russia and not on the Continent; the closer the vampires were to Britain, the higher the chance Cecelia knew who had committed the act.

“Right after I returned from Hogwarts. It was… a graduation gift.” Cecelia only hoped Rosie remembered how screwed up the Rousseau family had been, otherwise that declaration would have made exactly zero sense.

rose harriet granger-weasley

[Deleted]

Rosie’s mind rushed. Cece had been turned just a few months before she had. She had so many questions but she didn’t want to be rude. Rosie was never one to ask strangers personal questions unless it came up in conversation. But here they were, in a blood bank, it didn’t get much more personal that this. “how did you handle the transition? I may seem unbothered on the outside but I feel like my stomach is eating itself at all times. And how do you turn off being able to smell people’s blood?! It’s making it so hard to be at work…” she blushed. “sorry. You don’t have to answer all that. Ignore me.” she finally stepped up to the counter and handed her card to the woman, who went back to fill her order.

@cecelia

[Deleted]

As soon as Cecelia admitted she had been turned right after Hogwarts, Rosie began asking questions. Cece had to admit she much preferred the questioning to abject horror that her turning had been a gift of any sort, and she took a minute to consider her answers before beginning to speak. “I’m not sure I would say I handled it, exactly. But it was my reality, and I couldn’t change it, so I accepted it.” It seemed useless to waste her precious time worrying over things she couldn’t change – Cece had done too much of that in her life. “Letting people help you is good, too.” Cece doubted Rosie had as much trouble with that as she did, but the Gryffindor never would have made it through the change without her group of friends, however small, at her time.

“It’s a matter of time, really. It fades into the background eventually.” Cecelia never stopped smelling the blood, but it was easier not to let it be her focus after a while. “If you get too distracted, you can try putting perfume or something under your nose.” That had been a trick she had been taught in her Potions class at Beauxbatons when the ingredients were making her feel ill. The perfume couldn’t mask the scent entirely, but it made it less gag-inducing.

rose harriet granger-weasley

[Deleted]

Cece didn’t seem annoyed in the slightest at Rosies outburst of questions and Rosie was fairly thankful for that. Her answers were kind of what she expected them to be, helpful, but also not really. There were no tips and tricks to get over being a vampire. It was her reality now and Cece was right, it couldn’t be changed, it just needed to be accepted. “I’ve been trying not to be too closed off…” she had Jess and Brandon to talk to about it, and neither of them hated her or were afraid of her, Which was nice. The perfume tip actually was helpful. She had done the same in potions class, and creatures class, and sometimes herbology too. Rosie never had a strong stomach. “I’ll definitely use that, thanks for reminding me.” She nodded. The witch behind the counter brought out Rosie’s order in a closed paper bag and Rosie took it by the handles, she always felt extremely awkward walking around with a bag filled with smaller blood bags on her arm, but it was what it was. Which she supposed was the whole thing Cece was talking about. “Do you have any friends who are like us?” Rosie couldn’t say she had any vampire friends. She knew Ceces family were, or at least she assumed after being told it was a gift, but she wasn’t sure Cece counted them as friends.

@cecelia

[Deleted]

Cecelia nodded when Rosie said she was trying not to be too closed off. It was probably easier for the Hufflepuff, who had more friends than Cecelia to begin with. Rosie received her order from the blood bank, and Cecelia blinked once, wondering where her own order was. Probably still processing, since she had just gotten back and they’d need to make sure everything was in order for her.

Rosie’s question about having friends like them gave Cece pause. She didn’t know how to answer it. She certainly had acquaintances who were vampires – and Rosie was on that list now – but friends? She pondered it a moment more, before inclining her chin slightly in the barest of nods. “One. In France.” Whether or not that friendship was mutual was something Cecelia didn’t particularly care to explore. She was fairly certain said friend wouldn’t be in France for much longer, but Cecelia wasn’t going to share that tidbit. “And you?” Cece assumed the answer was no, otherwise Rosie wouldn’t have opened herself up so completely to someone barely more than a stranger, but she had been surprised before.

rose harriet granger-weasley

[Deleted]

Rosie fiddled with the handle on the paper bag filled with her sustenance while she waited for Cece to answer the rather invasive question she asked. She shouldn’t have asked. She didn’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable. She already felt uncomfortable enough. Cece admitted that she had one friend in France and turned the question back on the new change. Rosie but her Lip and shook her head. “I don’t really know anyone like us.” she admitted. Her best friend was a werewolf. Her boyfriend was a human. She had never gotten to know many vampires, not on purpose, but there just weren’t many in Hufflepuff house, and as friendly as Rosie was, most of her closest friends with in her own house. Except Albus. He was an exception, she supposed.

@cecelia

[Deleted]

Rosie said she didn’t know anyone like them, and Cecelia’s heart tugged. Cece was the kind of person who could strike out on her own, who was happy to be alone, even. Being alone was easier than making yourself beholden to people, and giving them the chance to betray you. Of course, that was a relatively new sentiment borne from her sister’s betrayal, but she wasn’t going into philosophy with Rosie. Cece was fine on her own, but Rosie obviously wasn’t, and maybe… maybe this was Cece’s chance to do some good amidst all the bad she was putting into the world just by staying with Elaine. “I would be happy to see you again sometime,” Cece offered hesitantly. Maybe happy was an overstatement, but she doubted Rosie would be pleased with ambivalence.

rose harriet granger-weasley