Friends with the Monster | Rosie & Albus

[Deleted]

Early February 2025

Rosie had invited Albus over to her flat that night to finally tell him what happened. He was already there waiting as she walked home after work. She had been a vampire for a little over a month, but in that time she had only drunk blood from Brandon, or, from the stock she accumulated from the blood bank. But something had snapped in her tonight. She had stayed late at work and was on her way home now, walking in the dark, which used to terrify her, but now, she was the night. Okay, that was dramatic. She felt like Batman or something. However, she saw something small and furry skamper across the walk ahead of her and across the street towards a park. And something instinctively inside of her followed the creature. A bunny. Normally, she’d think it was cute, maybe make a few adorable comments, and continue on her day. But something changed, a switch was flicked. And all she could think about was how thirsty she was.

15 minutes later, she ran up the steps to her flat and quickly opened the door, stepped in, and shut the door all in one fluid motion. Her breath was heavy and her eyes were tear stained. She had just killed a bunny. A small, innocent creature. Rosie had murdered it. And with all of that, she had forgotten Albus would already be there. But when she turned around, there he was. She felt her breathing catch in her chest. This made it all the more hard. Not only was she a vampire, now she was a murderer.

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

ROSIE'S FLAT HAD QUICKLY BECOME A REFUGE for Albus. It had always been a safe space for him before, but with his father back he had no sooner taken advantage of her kindness. Rosie had the space, and she lived in London. And Albus, well he just needed any reason not to sleep at home. Oftentimes he'd arrive at her flat before she would, letting himself in and curling up on her sofa to wait like a stray cat, but waking the next morning, groggy and safe. He was at peace there, content. He was quick to realise that it was the only place he was able to get a sound sleep at. Home was not home any more.

However, Albus's continuous appearance at Rosie's had not gone amiss. A few times, he had thought her to be sick of him. Her pale, drawn expression. How, when they did have the time to speak, she said very little. And so, Albus had done all that he could. He had not gone home. Instead, he'd spent more time there when he was off, making a point of leaving before she awoke and arriving home before she did. Making himself small, unassuming. He stopped eating her food and brought his own. Anything so that she might forgive his imposition and let him stay. His mother was asking questions, but he had no concrete answer. The truth felt too harsh.

And though this worked for a good week, soon enough Albus began to realise that Rosie's mood had not changed. She had something to tell him, he'd known it for a long time. His own ego made it about him, but he was coming to realise that it was bigger. Big enough that it filled the space between them, stealing air from the room. He couldn't stand it any more. He'd come home early from training and made a point of opening his eyes for once. The flat was in disarray. Whether from his haphazard appearance, or her own preoccupations. The cupboards were bare, through no fault of his own. All that remained were his crumpled sheets on the sofa, the lights dim, the shutters forever closed.

Upon closer inspection, Albus found other mismatched things. Things that did not fit with the image he had of his friend. And soon enough, his curiosity led him to the freezer full of blood bags. It stopped him dead, mouth hanging open, his hands reaching in to fondle the frozen bags as if they might turn out to be something else. Something different, and suddenly the pieces snicked together neatly and a full image was displayed. He waited for Rosie at the small dining table, a bag of blood thawing in his hands. His glasses were perched on the end of his nose, his work shirt rolled to the elbows. What was he going to say? He didn't know, but the longer he waited the angrier he become.

When the door finally opened, Albus laid the half-thawed bag out, his eyes ringed with dark circles, mouth terse. "Hey, Rosie." He greeted her in the dim lighting, his voice a little hoarse from lack of use. He didn't acknowledge the bag, simply let her find him with it, his shoulders tense, his eyes searching through his thick frames. He hadn't thought about how he looked. An awful lot like his father. No, he simply stared, eerily silent. In the long shadows of the low lighting, Albus did not realise his friend was crying until it was too late. 

rose harriet granger-weasley

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Rosie hadn’t been expecting to come home to a mostly dark house, now was she expecting to see Albus, sitting in the dim main room, holding something in his hand. She couldn’t tell what was in his hand, or what he was doing. But he said hi when she walked in, and it didn’t seem like he could see the tears on her cheeks or the fear on her face. Maybe she could sneak past and go to bed without having to explain anything. “Hey, it’s late I’m just gonna go to be…” she walked quickly through the house but stopped when she passed him and the scent hit her nose. Blood. She looked over and saw the blood bag in his hand. Oh no. “Um, whatcha got there, Al?” she asked, trying to wipe the tears out of her eyes before she came into the light enough for him to see her. This was far from how she expected this conversation to go.

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

ROSIE'S ATTEMPT AT A HASTY RETREAT HAD become something of the norm. Just another reason he had grown suspicious. Usually, they would have something to say to one and other. Not that it was necessary, but it happened more than it didn't in those days. Albus knew something was wrong, and the blood bag proved it. He didn't know what to say, or how to react, he simply sat and waited. For the first time in a long time, Albus wanted to be proved wrong.

"It's yours isn't it?" He said quietly, severely. But, when she stepped forward and he seen that she was crying, Albus stood up so quickly that the chair toppled behind him. The blood bag was forgotten on the table, congealing after being so long out of the freezer she kept them in. "Are you crying?" He asked, rounding the table to get a better look at her in the dim lighting. To prove his point, he pointed a finger above them and the bulb flickered to life. Tears stained her cheeks, old and new, and Albus's throat contracted in kind. "Why're you crying, Rosie?" He asked her plainly, his queries forgotten for the moment.

rose harriet granger-weasley

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Albus asked if the blood bag belonged to her and she didn’t want to answer. She had planned to tell him. She knew she couldn’t keep it from him now that he was basically living with her, and she didn’t want to keep it from him either. But a part of her, a very small part, but still a part, thought that he might run away. That he wouldn’t want to be friends with her anymore. She wouldn’t blame him. She wasn’t sure she could be friends with someone who killed a bunny in a park and drank its blood either. He stood up and approached her, leaving the blood bag on the table, and asked if she was crying. He had seen the tears. She just asked. He asked again why she was crying, turning the overhead light on with magic. “Because I’m a monster.” she answered him, kind of dramatically, but she really felt it in her soul. “I’m dangerous… I’m awful…” Rosie had never been particularly self deprecating, but she had never killed anything before either.

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

THE SIGHT OF ROSIE'S TEAR STAINED CHEEKS wiped any accusation from Albus's mind. He just wanted to know why she was hurting, but he didn't expect the spewing confession from her. His heart thudding as he realised that she was crying for the same reason he was sitting in the dark, with a blood bag clotting in front of him. "Wh-" He screwed his eyes shut, considering how to approach her. He made up his mind quickly, closing the space between them and grabbing her upper arms.

"Rosie, if you were a monster, would be crying?" He asked fiercely. Al wasn't the hugging type but he looked at her deeply and he considered it, because he couldn't stand to see her expression of pure anguish. If only to hide her face from him. He rubbed her upper arms instead, steeling himself as he drew in a deep breath.

"You're not dangerous, Rosie." He assured her, releasing his grip with one hand to grab her chin and make her look him in the eye, which was hard as they continued to spill over furiously. "You're not a monster, you're a vampire." He said, as if to tell himself more than her. "Now, why are you crying?" This he needed to know, because she wasn't crying because of a blood bag, a fissure of concern opened in his chest. 

rose harriet granger-weasley

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Albus quickly made his way to her and grabbed her arms. She looked down, feeling entirely embarrassed to be having this confrontation right now with one of the people who meant the most to her in the world. And she had been lying to him for weeks. He said that if she was a monster she wouldn’t be crying and then proceeded to tell her that she wasn’t dangerous and asked why she was trying. She shook her head, “Al, you don’t get it. I just killed a helpless animal that was minding its own business just existing. Because the smell of it’s blood was impossible for me to ignore.” she spoke through her teeth, still able to taste residue from the blood on her fangs. It was delicious and sickening. “I’m not myself anymore. I’m…” she threw her hands up in defeat. “Whatever this is. The type of person who lies to her best friend and blows off her family. And kills Bunnies!” she sighed.

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

ROSIE WAS RIGHT, AL DID NOT 'GET IT'. BUT HE still wanted to argue with her about it anyways. "And I had chicken for lunch!" He exclaimed, gripping her tightly in case she tried to pull away from him. She was verging on hysterical and Albus had never been good with crying, girls or otherwise. "You're a vampire..." He mumbled, his brows pulled together in confusion. "It happens, I see it all the time." He didn't, but he wanted her to feel better. Albus knew that the Ministry kept a strict eye on creatures and their habits, a dead bunny wouldn't even warrant a red flag.

He'd been determined to argue with Rosie before she'd even walked through the door. But, not in her defence. Albus wanted to be mad that she'd lied and kept something so serious from him. But, seeing the turmoil splashed clean over her face, he couldn't bear to bring it up again as he focused on calming her down instead. He was weak, he thought. One sobbing fit and he lost all nerve. It was a good thing he never took debate.

"Hey- hey, stop bloody crying!" He shook her gently, his mouth pursed in what could have been anger. "Look, Rosie..." He pulled her in for a hug, mostly because it seemed appropriate, his arms squeezing around her briefly before he let go. Reaching up to curl a sweaty strand of hair from her face. "I don't know what happened- I don't know how you..." He sighed, his teeth grinding. He'd never been good at this type of thing, he was better at being sour and quiet. But, Rosie needed him.

"Do you want me to call your mum?" He wrinkled his nose, his thumb gently brushing against the exposed crook of her neck. "Or... Brandon?" This was said with a bit of an edge, the perfect magazine cut out boyfriend a source of undeserved tension for Albus. He'd never had a reason to dislike, he just did anyway. Rosie was his best friend, he was allowed to be a bit miffed when she pulled away from him for a guy who probably didn't deserve her. "Cuppa tea?" He added in a fit of desperation, one shoulder lifting up to meet his ear awkwardly. 

rose harriet granger-weasley

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Albus nearly blew up, saying that he had chicken for lunch. In a way, she could see what he meant. It wasn’t as if she was vegetarian in her normal life either, but something about this just felt different. “It wasn’t the fact that I did it, it was the fact that I couldn’t stop myself if i tried…” she wouldn’t admit that out of control feeling to most people, she wasn’t sure it was something she’d ever want to tell Brandon, but she knew Albus would get it. She wasn’t sure how, but she knew he would. Or he at least wouldn’t judge her for it.

Albus was at a loss for words and she couldn’t blame him. He didn’t know what she knew, he didn’t know about the attack. He might have read the article in the prophet regarding the wizard held hostage by a vampire in Russia in January but he had no reason to believe that it was her. She had asked them to keep her name and information out of the report. “No, don’t call anyone.” she shook her head quickly. She wasn’t the closest with her mother anymore, and she didn’t want to bother Brandon with this, she already felt almost like a burden on him. “Sure, tea is good.” she agreed between deep breaths. She wiped her eyes and blinked away what tears she could before she sat down at the table, looking at the soggy blood bag. She never should have kept it from him. “Did you read that report in the prophet of the wizard attacked by the vampire and held hostage in Russia?” she asked, that would be the easiest way to explain her story.

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

AL'S BROW PULLED DOWN AT ROSIE'S PANICKED confession. He understood that vampires had to feed, but it hadn't occurred to him that Rosie might be struggling with the ability to control that desire. He couldn't patch that up, no matter how much he wanted to. "There's- I mean, I'm sure there are elixirs for that." Albus said, frowning in thought as he considered every potion and draught he knew by heart. He'd never made something for a vampire before. "And- and if there isn't, I'll invent one myself." He said confidently, shrugging with a thin, reassuring smile on his face. Rosie was his best friend, he'd do anything for her.

He didn't call any one because she asked him not to, but he was tempted. Al felt out of his depth. All this new information and he couldn't process it. Not without hurting her feelings. He was a pragmatic at heart. Rosie needed something softer then, a bit of sympathy and kindness. Albus couldn't promise her that. So, he made a cup of tea instead. Just the way she liked it, and had to remind himself more than once that she could still enjoy it as she did, despite this new species development.

With a mug for himself and one for her, he took it back to the table where she sat quietly. The tear tracks still evident down both cheeks. "I remember." He said, placing the mug in front of her and taking the seat to her left, angling himself so that he could see her face, even if she couldn't look at him. "Is that- I mean, has it been that long?" He felt an ache in his chest, cradling the mug in both hands until they burned. "I thought... nobody said they were local." As if to make himself feel better. It didn't. 

rose harriet granger-weasley

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

The vampire let herself slouch down into a dining chair that was tilted slightly away from the table, making it convenient to sit down without having to move the chair. She felt so hopeless. Albus insisted that there had to be a potion for her lack of control, and stated that if there wasn’t then he would invent one himself. She looked up at him and her whole face softened. He was a ray of sunshine, which she had to admit, she couldn’t say often when it came to Albus. As much as she adored the man, he was usually closer to a pain in her neck than a ray of sunshine. But here he was, trying to make things better for her while knowing that he had been lied to for the past few months. He was so good, she didn’t deserve his kindness. “Okay.” she wanted to make some smart remark about him letting her know when he’d mastered the potion, but now wasn’t the time. She could barely speak without stuttering. She couldn’t handle sass.

He brought the mug to her and set it down, stating that he remembered the article but that it hadn’t mentioned it was anyone local. She hung her head when he asked if it had been that long. “honestly a part of me thought it would go away. I know that’s not how it works. But, it just didn’t feel real for a long time. And when it finally set in that it was real, I had hidden it for so long that it got even harder to tell people…” it wasn’t an excuse, but it was the best she had. “And I was afraid of how they would treat me… what they would think of me…” she admitted.

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

TEA COULD SOLVE ALMOST ANYTHING, BUT NOT this. This wound was one Albus struggled with. Fighting with guilt as he realised how long such a thing had gone on right under his nose. They had once confided in each other about almost everything. Confidants and juries for each of their ambitions and mistakes. This was a wound he could not fix, but merely acknowledge. He sipped gingerly, burning his lips. It beat saying something unhelpful and ignorant - he was prone to both.

"I don't think less of you, Rosie." Albus said, looking down in to his mug. He felt a fizz of offence begin to sour his face. Shaking his head, he dislodged it and looked up. "I could never-" Once upon a time, Albus Potter would have laid himself down and let Rosie Williams walk all over the top of him. Little had changed, but they were adults now. He loved her differently, but no less intensely. "You're still the same to me." And she was. Though still tear stained and slouched, she looked just as she always did. Just as human. "I'm- I got your back." He sighed, leaning back in to his seat with a short, tentative smile, the mug held close to his chest.

[END AL?]

rose harriet granger-weasley
on to ill fated hook up?

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Rosie couldn’t be more assured than she was right now. Albus told her that he could never think less of her and that he had her back. Even though Brandon had said the same thing when he found out what had happened, it was different hearing it from Albus. She wasn’t sure why. Maybe because he had known her longer and knew her better than anyone, she’d say anyone, even Brandon, probably, just because he had known her forever. He had always been there. So getting that affirmation from him that he wasn’t just going to abandon her because of her new lifestyle was comforting, to say the least. Even if a part of her brain was trying to tell her that he didn’t mean it. “Good. Thank you.” she wasn’t sure what else to say. She was already so emotional, she couldn’t tell him how appreciative she was for him or how much she loved him. But she did feel a pang of something shoot through her stomach when she thought about how much she loved him. Guilt, maybe? She just couldn’t imagine her life without him and for a moment tonight, she thought maybe she would have to… She was thankful for how wrong she was.

Albus Severus Potter
The end