Flora And Fawna [HARRY POTTER]

18

Penny was truly a genius. Dudley didn't like the moving picture as much as he liked the real Rosie, understandably, but he did accept it. For the next few days before Rosie went to school, every time Dudley began to fuss Petunia or Vernon would give Dudley the moving picture to hold and the baby would calm right down. Not only did this give Rosie several uninterrupted hours to pack, but it also assured the new parents that Rosie's time away wouldn't be absolute hell for them.

The last day of summer, August thirtieth, found Dudley nestling into Rosie's neck, sucking contently on the collar of her shirt. Petunia and Vernon were spending some much needed alone time together before they were left alone to fend for themselves as new parents, and Penny was helping Mrs. Figg brew an especially difficult potion. Penny had good grades all around, of course she did because she was a ravenclaw and there was a multitude of available tutors in their house. But the one class Penny really thrived in was Potions.

Some time during last year Rosie could remember Penny telling her about her mother, and helping her mother cook extremely complicated meals. Of course that had been before Penny's mother and father had been killed in a drunk driving accident, but Rosie imagined the complicated science of potions making reminded Penny a lot of her mother, and that's why she loved it so much. Regardless, everyone in the house was happy and healthy, all relaxing before they had to face the excitement of King's Crossing the next day.

The calm before the storm, though no one realized it yet.

*******

September first was just as hectic as it had been last year, except this time the Evans-Dursley clan was accompanied by Mrs. Figg, Penny, and Sebastian. That itself wasn't the problem exactly, the problem was the screaming baby. Sometime in the rush to get to the station on time and getting there, the moving picture of Rosie was misplaced and Dudley was not pleased. Petunia looked about ready to cry as a screaming baby hit her over the head with his baby fists, as Vernon kept as far away from the ruckus as he could, and as Rosie was too preoccupied making sure Penny didn't wander off to do anything. Mrs. Figg and Sebastian stood back, watching the scene with looks of equal bewilderment and amusement.

The group stumbled through the barrier and unto the platform, and Rosie left Penny alone long enough to take her nephew from his mother's shaking arms. Dudley quieted immediately.

"Now," Rosie spoke to the infant sternly. "That will be enough of that. I will not have you wailing like a banshee."

Dudley looked up at Rosie with adoration in his blue eyes. Nothing like the demonic little monster who had been terrorizing his mother since they had left the house.

"I'm going away to school now, but I'll be back at Christmas. If your mummy writes me and tells me you were misbehaving while I was gone there will be no cuddles for you when I get back. Do you understand?" Rosie speaking to a baby like it was a rational creature that could understand every word she said drew several curious eyes, but Rosie paid them no mind. Rosie's green eyes didn't leave Dudley's blue ones for a long moment, then she handed the baby back to it's mother.

Dudley didn't make a sound.

*******

"Bye," the adults on the platform waved as the two girls disappeared into the distance, waving back. Off to the side a tall woman with an aristocratic silhouette watched the Dursley-Figg-Jefferson entourage as they waved off the second years. The figure remembered when her own sons went off to their second years, one after the other. Her eldest hadn't even attempted to wave at her like the two girls were doing to their group. But that was to be expected. Her youngest, who was only a year behind his brother had done more than wave. He had almost leapt off the train with the intensity of his goodbyes. The woman's lips tilted upwards to one side as she watched the scene, before she disappeared with a pop.

*******

Rosie's second year of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was extremely uneventful, which Rosie found herself being extremely grateful for. This year, Petunia and Rosie wrote each other often with the help of Rosie's owl, Hera. Furthermore, Rosie had been able to take another picture of herself to send home so Dudley would stop being so fussy. Petunia had reported that Rosie's little talk with the child had calmed him down, but he was still difficult at times and the moving picture was very helpful.

Before any of them knew it it was Christmas again and Rosie was trying very hard not to let herself remember what last Christmas was like. How she had spent it and how her break had ended. This year Rosie had paid one of the fourth year Ravenclaw students to go into Hogsmeade for her and pick up some magical presents for everyone at home. She just knew her sister was going to love the magical games they had heard Lily talking about so much when they were growing up. And she had gotten Dudley a stuffed plushie that she enchanted to sing to him whenever he got upset. She hadn't gotten anything magical for Vernon, the muggle man being a lot more cut and dry than her sister and nephew. Instead she planned to get him a nice tie, one that he could wear into work with a smile on his face.

Rosie had been on the train, trying to keep her thoughts away from the date that was coming up, when she had gotten the owl. Her own owl, Hera, had hooted at her to alert her of the grey bird flapping outside the window of the train, somehow making its tiny body keep up with the swiftly moving vehicle. Rosie had gone and opened the window, and the owl had flopped into the compartment. There was a letter clutched in it's tiny beak.

"Who do you belong to?" Rosie mused as she took the letter out of the owl's grasp. Penny, who had fallen asleep a few minutes into the train ride snored through the development, much to Rosie's amusement. Rosie looked at the letter, at the delicate cursive on the front that had her name on the front. Then she flipped the letter around to open it and froze.

Rosie's mind took her back to the first day of school last year, how she had helped a wounded Regulus Black and how she had seen his house symbol sewn into his ruined shirt. There, pressed into a cooled drop of green wax, was the Black house seal. Rosie tore the letter open.

"To Miss. Rose Evans, it is my pleasure to inform you that you have been invited to the Black family Christmas party which will be held on December twenty-fifth, beginning at noon. The dress code is formal, and dinner will be served at five. Please send information by owl if there are any developments that would keep you from attending. Best Wishes, Walburga and Orion Black."

The letter- invitation- was short enough that it only took Rosie a few seconds to scan over it and figure out what it was. After she had though, her stomach dropped. Rosie had been spending the month leading up to her Christmas break refusing to think about what had happened to Regulus when they had gone home the last time. She had been avoiding the great hall and the Library like they might give her the plague. And now she was invited to his house, to dine with his family, and to see his awful mother once again.