Hurricane

Scorpius turned around, seeing a girl he’d vaguely recognized standing behind him. “The Lake is pretty at night. I also don’t get disturbed here - until you came around.” Scorpius shrugged. “I could ask you the same thing.” 

❧ Ro sighs and rolls her eyes. “It’s not like I was intentionally here just to bother you. I have better things to do with my time, believe me. But as for my reason for being here- couldn’t sleep.”

“Uh.. Guess you could call it cabin fever?” he said with a laugh. “I don’t like being cooped up in my room so.. Anyway, are you all right?”

❧  “Ah.. I think so. Just a case of the nightmares is all. Happens often. I thought I’d but a spell on my bed but I think I forgot.”

Bear chuckled along with her. “Yeah, thinking isn’t exactly on the top of my list of favorites, either,” he agreed, nodding earnestly. “I go on walks at night to clear my head, not to fill it up more.”

❧ “It’s kind of ridiculous how your brain makes you think about things you want to forget so badly right? Sometime’s I just wanna tell it to let it go.”

“Even my baby brother is taller than me.”

❧ “I’m sure there’s a potion for that y’know.”

“I was doing some late night work in the library. I’m heading back to my room now.”

❧ “I see, a night worker. I commend you for your dedication to homework.”

“I must be.”

❧ “Well I wish you the best in your endeavors. Though I’d watch out for Filch if I were you.”

“Sort of everything,” Molly sighed. “Basically my cousin is a jackass.” 

❧ “Which cousin? I can’t say I know the feeling as I have no family here but I can imagine things are tough for you.”

Molly startled at the interruption. She was so sure she was alone, and the thought of anyone seeing her break down was humiliating. She was Molly freaking Weasley, after all, Head Girl Extraordinaire, Hogwarts’ Sweetheart, and friend to all. She didn’t have off days, she didn’t crack under the pressure. Still, she didn’t quite have it in her to put up the front right now; Albus had smashed it into a million pieces. 

She rubbed her eyes quickly, but knew it was no use. She was found out. “Rosalie, hi,” she smiled sadly, cursing the quiver in her voice. “I was just-” she tapered off, no possible excuse for her actions. 

❧ Ro could see she wasn’t exactly meant to walk in on the girl, but she stayed anyways. “It’s okay. You don’t have to explain yourself. It’s okay to not be put together all the time. Now.. what’s got you so worked up?” Leaning against the wall beside her, she crosses her arms over her chest.

“I’ve got your number, Blackwell.”

“He’s taken to Mrs Norris the second rather well but he has a bit of a smell that hands around him nowadays that makes me feel a little bit like he should be placed in some kind of home.”

❧ She laughs and shakes her head. “Uh huh.”

“I never do” Freya winks back at the girl.

❧ “The you must be an extensive night walker like myself, yeah?”

“Wouldn’t you just enjoy that? Probably the only reason you were out this late, am I right?” Milo sunk into the playful banter like stepping into a warm bath. “Though that’s an awful risk to take considering they haven’t been able to sack Filch or send the evil old codger off into retirement yet.”

❧ Don’t you know it. I’m just a sucker for that kinky shit.” She snorts, nudging his shoulder with her own.”

“Uh, the whole Head Boy thing… Like, you know, sending students back to bed who are out after curfew.”

❧  Ro rolls her eyes. “Oh, what are you gonna do? Spank me?” She taunts, hopping down smoothly beside him.

“On the contrary. To be out now is the right time for me because no one else is.”

❧ “I guess that’s one way to look at it. Hope you don’t get caught though.”

“Suppose that makes me a novice, then,” he replied easily, grinning at her. Bear watched her leap down from the window, his eyes widening slightly, bracing himself to catch her if she were to fall–but she landed squarely on her feet, and he relaxed. “Huh? Oh, of course–I prefer to have company.”

❧  Don’t worry, I shall teach you the ways of being a troublemaker. I learned from the best.” She laughs. “Good, we’re alike in that way. Alone time means thinking and that is something I’m not a fan of.”

It was far too early in the term for emotional breakdowns in abandoned corridors, but here she was. It had been a late, emotional night, the weight of Bear’s secret pain another burden to add to the pile. She was glad he had told her and felt privileged that he trusted her with the secret, but Molly had always internalized the problems of others, and the load kept growing. Add to that her concern for Freya, her Head Girl duties, and her nearly impossible work load? It was a miracle she wasn’t suffocating. 

The final straw had been her fight with Albus. Family had always been the one thing she thought she could count on - the one thing that kept her fighting and striving for more. And now it turned out that Albus didn’t even care enough to muster the obligatory familial concern. He didn’t love her; he didn’t even respect her. To him, she was nothing, and she felt like it. In this moment, she allowed it all to crumble and she became nothing. Not Head Girl. Not Hogwart’s Sweetheart.  In this moment, she was everything he thought she was: she was nothing… 

❧ Rosalie had always had a calling to help, or.. take care of those who needed it most in times when they found themselves lost. It was a known fact to most and she prided herself on it. She loved people, she loved knowing them and getting to see how they grew from time to time. When she saw a figure,seemingly distraught it caught her attention of course, but her eyes deepened with worry when she saw who lingered behind the tears. 

“Molly.. Hey..” She calls sweetly, taking a few steps forward toward the stricken female.

“you know what’s just the worst…? rounding up thestrals. i mean, i can see them and all… but, bless them, they can be so creepy, passing through the fog in such a charming and ghostly manner — i love them, but they’re such a handful.”

He smiled a bit at her reaction. “Yeah, ‘course you can join me,” he invited, running a hand through his hair. “Aren’t we already breaking the rules by being out when we shouldn’t be?”

❧ “Ah, please, this is like.. novice rule breaking.” Ro responds, hoping down from her perch in one of the windows, landing beside him easily. “Thank you for letting me tag along.”