The Bug Collector | marauders

You Were Promised A Rose Garden

Rose glanced, dazed around a maze of towering rose bushes in the dead of night.

Beneath her, deep emerald leaves had been trampled to a plup. A sharp, green scent rose from the stone below to meet her nose.

A voice called out to her from the starry sky above. It whispered to her, like it was reaching out from behind the moon.

Rose

It beckoned.

Rose

The voice grew louder, clearer.

"Thorns!" Rose finally heard, opening her eyes to face its owner as she leaned up in bed.

"Yes?" She asked aloud as she took note of her less rosey scented surroundings and rubbed her eyes.

"It's the 1st. We've got to get you and the kids to the Hogwarts express." Remus reminded, tapping the duvet lightly.

He made his way to the door then, looking over his shoulder at her before speaking.

"And me. We've got to get me to the Hogwarts Express." He said, straightening his sweater with a very small, but hopeful grin on his face.

"Unlike you, they've not got any idea what to expect from me. Even if I'm just a ghost's assistant, I'd rather not be late." He added, finally taking his leave from the bedroom.

Oh, yeah.

She thought.

Oh, shit!

She hooped out of bed without another moments notice.

After becoming presentable as quickly as humanly possible, Rose climbed the stairs of her childhood home as the muffled sounds of Psycho Killer by Talking Heads played from her son's bedroom.

She banged on the door with one hand, and cast a spell to silence the music with the other.

"Al? Are you ready? I made us late. Come out of ther—" She began as a hand tapped gently on her shoulder.

"I'm right here mum, came to turn the music off. Lupin says I can't leave it on. He's being a real buzzkill about it." Rose's thirteen year old son stated with a quick roll of his grey eyes.

"Oh" Rose said, dropping her hand from the door.

"Well, I handled that then. Let's head downstairs with your father." She added, Allerus frowned. 

"He's not my dad." He grumbled, folding his leather clad arms over his chest and looking up at Rose with defiant eyes.

Rose shook her head at his words, and straightened the green tie that sat neatly around her son's shirt collar.

"That's what it says on your birth certificate." She chirped, Al moved her hand away with a face of disgust.

"Yeah, that's not all that's wrong with my birth certificate." Al grumbled, tugging at his tie.

"How's the new uniform?" Rose asked, in softer, more sincere voice.

Allerus averted his eyes, but answered his mother's question.

"It's better. Much better. I never want to see a skirt again." He said, soft cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

"Listen." Rose said, quieter as she leaned down to be at eye level with the lad.

"I know things are going to be different this year. New dorm, new roommates, new uniform." She said, motioning to his robes and trousers.

"But, you're going to be fine. Both me and your..uh..Remus are going to be there. If you need anything or if anyone says anything to you, please tell us about it okay? If you have any trouble with Lucius Malfoy's little pest this year I'll duel that bleach blond jerk myself." Rose exclaimed in a genuine, but rushed manner.