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⊱ ────── {.⋅ ♫ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN !
— rosalie
❝ 𝑦𝑜𝑢'𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑢𝑚𝑏 ❞
Rose had never been part of a stranger group. Crookshanks led the way down the stairs; Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron went next, looking like entrants in a six-legged race. Next came Professor Snape, drifting creepily along, his toes hitting each stair as they descended, held up by his own wand, which was being pointed at him by Sirius. Rose, Harry ,and Hermione brought up the rear.
Getting back into the tunnel was difficult. Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron had to turn sideways to manage it; Lupin still had Pettigrew covered with his wand. Harry could see them edging awkwardly along the tunnel in single file. Crookshanks was still in the lead. Harry went right after Sirius, who was still making Snape drift along ahead of them; he kept bumping his lolling head on the low ceiling. Rose had the impression Sirius was making no effort to prevent this.
"You know what this means?" Sirius said abruptly to Harry as they made their slow progress along the tunnel. "Turning Pettigrew in?"
Rose figured this was a more personal kind of talk, and stayed back, falling in line with Hermione. "Hello,"
"You're dumb."
Rosalie's eyes widened at Hermione's words. Hermione seemed to realise what she said and immediately started to over-apologise to her best friend, causing Rose to start chuckling and Hermione to fall silent.
"I didn't mean it like that," Hermione started over. Rose giggled, and mouthed 'I know', before letting Hermione speak again. "I meant it like that was really dumb, what you did back there at the Whomping Willow. Throwing yourself like that in situations you know you can't handle on your own? That's really dumb. And reckless. Brave, but dumb."
"Yeah, I know," Rose sighed. "It's just that Ron got dragged in there, and we didn't know Sirius Black is innocent nor that he was an Animagus. We thought it's just a stray, wild, dog that might kill Ron. And I guess I just threw myself out there blindly. I thought it might happen something with Ron and I just couldn't live with myself I guess?" Rose spoke in a great hurry, Hermione was surprised she caught everything the redhead was saying. "I mean, I know I always say I hate Ron and all those things, but he's still family, y'know? I thought he might die and I just didn't let myself think rationally before rushing in the same way. And I know that sound very cliche, but I guess it's the truth?"
