in which hollis rosier falls asleep in the wrong compartment
or the right one, depending on who you ask
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part one of two
editing closed, logged off wattpad (sorry only like half of it is edited, but its obviously still all good)
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#...
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"appoline"
When November 3rd came around, Sirius Black made sure that every student knew that it was his birthday.
Obviously.
"I'm turning 16, bitches!" yelled a triumphant Sirius as he shoved himself between James and Peter at their usual section of the Gryffindor table.
At least two dozen whoops and shouts went through the hall, fueling Black's grin even further.
Dumbledore watched the boys with amused mirth as McGonagall shook her head with a deep sigh. Alice looked at the boys for a few moments, realized they weren't going to shut up, and moved to the Hufflepuff table. Sirius just wrapped an arm around James and messed up his hair.
"Little brother."
"I'm four months younger than you!"
"Still the oldest of the group."
"Certainly not the wisest."
Hollis watched with a small smile as the four boys bickered, making as much of a scene as possible. Sirius was having a party tonight, as was to be expected, and had insisted on her coming.
You have to come! he had wined on October's full moon. What else are you going to be doing, sulking or whatever Slytherins do with your good old chumps the Lestranges and Malfoy? No. The answer to that question, Hol, is no.
Hollis intended on making it. She wasn't about to turn down an opportunity to get away from the boys around her, even if only for a night. Lily and Marlene would be there as well, and she was looking forward to seeing them without Nott holding her back.
Just don't get caught, she thought. Rebellion against fear is no good if it only ends in more causes for that same fear.
From a hatch in the sky blue ceiling, a swarm of owls began to deliver mail. Hollis watched as packages dropped all around her, students eagerly tearing open letters and gifts from home. She just continued with her breakfast. She wasn't expecting anything.
"Shit," she muttered.
So why had a black envelope just landed in front of her?
Hollis never got mail, ever. All the energy her parents spend was on Evan, not his younger, disappointing sister.
All of the positive energy, at least.
She reached up and caught the letter a second before it landed in a pitcher of milk. The front was blank except for the thick, heavy ink strokes with her full name in her mother's handwriting. With a loud rip, she broke the wax seal with a single dragon embossed on it and started to read with dread.
Appoline Hollis Rosier,
It was reported to us by Profesor Kettleburn that you disarmed Theodore Nott in front of all of the Slytherins and Gryffindors in your year.
Hollis thought that her stomach couldn't plummet any lower.
This behavior is absolutely unacceptable. You disappoint me and your father immensely with your foolish, unladylike antics. For a young woman to disarm her superior is embarrassing to the Rosier name, and should be embarrassing to you as well if you had half a sense of pride as your brother does. You are becoming a woman, Appoline. You will be betrothed soon, and you cannot expect to find a decent match with this kind of shameful activity across your record. When you come home for Christmas break, your father and I will speak to you.
She was wrong.
To amend your actions, we will be hosting a Christmas ball with the Notts as top priority guests. You will dance with Theodore as an apology, and whatever else he may want from you to clear this embarrassing mark from your ledger. I want you on your best behavior then, and if I hear that you have been out of line, you will regret it more than you did after eavesdropping this summer.
And don't, for the love of Merlin, keep talking to those Gryffindors from last year.
Vindia Rosier
With a loud scoot, a bench from the Slytherin table was pushed away from the food, and Hollis Rosier walked out of the Great Hall as quickly as she could without looking suspicious.
But Lily and Marlene knew their best friend, and they were done with letting her be scared of those pricks of boys a second longer. The Marauders watched as the two Gryffindors exited quickly behind her, curious at the rush.
"Hollis!" shouted Marlene, chasing after her obviously panicked friend down the hallway. Hollis hadn't noticed the black letter fall out of her pocket in her panic, and neither did Marlene and Lily.
The redhead followed the echo of Rosier's footsteps to the bathroom, throwing open the door after her. Marlene cried out as Hollis threw up over the toilet, a sob shaking her body.
Lily ran to her kneeling friend, helping her up as quickly as she could. Without a word spoken, the trio of girls hugged tightly, reunited after the weeks of silence. Neither Marlene nor Lily asked what was going on yet, something Hollis was grateful for more than they would ever know.
After a few moments, Marlene pulled away and held the Slytherin at shoulder's length.
"Are you sick, or is there something else going on here?" Lily whispered softly, stroking the back of Hollis's green sweater.
A million thoughts went through her mind.
I'm just sick, nothing to be worried about.
My father might actually kill me.
What's going to happen at that ball?
How do I hide Sirius's party from whoever is telling my parents these things?
What if Theodore wants more than a dance?
I'm just sick.
The letter made me throw up.
Just lie.
A small smile went on Hollis's face, reassuringly looking up at her friends.
"I'm fine, I promise. Marmalade must have been spoiled."
James watched as Lily Evans and Marlene Mckinnon, girls he had known since he was eleven, whisper more nervously than he had ever seen them. Something was very wrong with Hollis, and this time he wouldn't believe whatever bullshit excuse she gave him. She had helped them too many times for her issues to be set aside.
Remus looked on as his best friend got up hastily, muttering that he just had to use the restroom. People stared curiously as James walked out of the Great Hall, no joking expression on his face this time.
James's hurried steps made him careless as he walked downstairs to the girls' bathroom, and his foot got caught on a slip of paper. He cursed as the wax stuck to the sole, ripping it off. Right as James was about to toss it aside, he got a glimpse of the name through his glasses.
Appoline Hollis Rosier.
I shouldn't open it. This is her business. Not mine. But what if she's in trouble?
A few moments later, James felt like he could kill Vindia Rosier.
