The Bug Collector | marauders

1978

There was something curious about the way Rose missed Sirius. Pretending a wound is fine doesn't cease necrosis, in fact it worsens it.

Rose was worsening, silently.

December 19th 1977

Sunbeams shined through the glass of the Herbology greenhouse. Lily and Rose sat together in the floor, Dorcas(with a single pink tulip tucked behind her ear) leaned against a table beside Xenophilius who's company she'd come to enjoy.

Earlier, they'd all prepared each of the the three greenhouses to be left alone through the holidays. Conversations flowed freely as the group worked in such close proximity. All the while, Xeno had a record playing ambient music, humming to himself as he fidgeted with the variety of necklaces around his neck, his long platinum hair swaying with each bop of his head.

The greenhouse itself was more alive than it had been in weeks, usually Rose stayed there alone, in a silent space, a miniature library of books floating around her and the foliage as she filled her time with work and reading.

Among them an old leather bound journal with pressed rose petals peeking from it's pages.

Regulus had grown far busier and far more reclusive again, and so Rose found herself in the company of friends-of-friends on the occasion she chose to have company at all.

This was one of those times, the air was light.

"So." Dorcas began, pointing a hand towards Lily and Rose.

"From what I've gathered, your dad was like, a hippie then?" She asked rather jokingly, the girls shared a look before nodding in unison.

"I suppose he was free spirit of sorts. The kind that abandons your family." Lily said.

"You think if he WAS a hippie he'd look like me?" Xeno asked with a light-hearted chuckle.

Lily rolled her eyes, but answered anyway.

"Probably. Different hair though." She half-joked, Dorcas looked over at her again.

"Lils, I think everyone has hair different than this lad. Well, maybe not that one Malfoy prefect, you remember him? Such a prat."

Rose tapped Lily's leg, a memory coming back to her.

"I remember that guy! I bumped into him literally on my first ride to Hogwarts and he just glared down at me. I hated it." Rose said with a small sting of laughter.

"Speaking of you hating situations..." Lily began, looking over at Rose pleadingly.

"Lily, I know what you're going to ask and I think it's an awful idea." She responded.

"James invited BOTH of us over for New Years, okay? It's one night." Lily continued to plead, this had obviously been a going discussion between the two of them.

Rose sighed helplessly.

"Lils, you know I'm going. I just don't want to." She explained, this led Dorcas to yet another line of conversation.

"You know Sirius told us about him and Remus right? I mean we all kinda figured there was something going on there, and he wasn't super specific about it, but he mentioned that you knew, no judgement. I'm just asking...where does that put you two?" Dorcas asked, Rose simply shook her head in response.

"As for Sirius, I'll guess we'll see on New Years, but Remus and I are still cool, he leaves me chocolate with little notes on it sometimes. Granted the notes usually just say "eat" or "feel better", but I miss him a lot. I hope I've not hurt him." She said, Lily awed sadly, and Dorcas nodded.