Flora And Fawna [HARRY POTTER]

37

Walburga had managed to find Lee a wonderful home in less time than Rosie had thought, a wizard and his muggle wife- the couple was named Jordan- were only too happy to take Lee under their wing and raise him as theirs. So Rosie was able to go back to school reassured that Lee wouldn't be ostracized any further. 

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"So..." Bill trails off as he, Rosie and Penny sit by the Black Lake one day after classes. Normally the three of them would be in the library but Rosie had decided for all of them that the weather was too nice to spend all day inside, especially as they all knew winter would be fast approaching. "Do either of you have dates to the dance?"

Penny shot Bill a sharp look which the gryffindor expertly ignored.

Rosie, who had been reading a book on defending oneself against dark curses, looked up with a bemused smile but shook her head all the same. The night before, Headmaster Dumbledore had stood up during dinner and announced that Hogwarts would be reinstating an old tradition for the year. A Christmas ball that would happen right before the students went home for break. 

"Angelo Santiago asked me to go with him, but I told him no. Honestly, I was planning on working on some of our Christmas homework," Rosie told them and Bill's smile faltered slightly, but he seemed determined to get out whatever he was going to say.

"That's too bad. Angelo is a good looking bloke," It was clear in the tone that Bill used that he did not want Rosie to think that Angelo was good looking. He adjusted his collar a bit and cleared his throat. "It's too bad you already have plans because I was kind of thinking that we could go together."

Rosie, who had gone back to her book, jerked her head up and pinned Bill with a surprised look. Of course, Penny suggested that Bill might ask Rosie at one point or another, but Rosie had easily brushed it off. They were friends, and Bill would no more ask Rosie than he would Penny. Or that's what Rosie had thought anyway.

Rosie's eyes darted over to Penny to see that the girl had her nose buried in her potions book, but her shoulders were shaking in silent laughter.

"Like as a group?" Rosie asked hesitantly, though believing she already knew the answer. Penny made a wheezing sound that got her a look from Bill.

"Uh... no. I was thinking that you and I could go and Penny could get her own date," Bill glared at the still laughing Penny, whose face had gone an alarming shade of purple by that point, before turning his full, unwavering attention to Rosie. There was a light in his eyes that Rosie hadn't seen on before. One that she recognized from seeing it in the eyes of other students and one she didn't particularly enjoy being directed at her.

Rosie's face went red and she looked away, suddenly finding the black lake to be extremely interesting. Bill's expression remained hopeful.

"I don't even have dress robes," Rosie tried, hopelessly. She really had intended to stay in her dorms, reading. Penny had been hoping a Pretty hufflepuff boy would ask her to the dance so Rosie had been assuming that Penny would tell her all about it in great detail, and she would be perfectly happy to leave it at that. Now apparently she was facing a choice.

It hadn't been hard to turn down Angelo.

Bill rolled his eyes and looked at Rosie like he expected better from her. Perhaps he did, the way the boy looked up at her like she was the most genius person on the planet. 

"There's a robes shop in Hogsmeade, Rosie, and we have a trip scheduled there before the ball."

Rosie's shoulders slumped and she took a long moment, frantically trying to think of another excuse that wouldn't make her seem like a horrible monster. She didn't feel that way about Bill. She didn't really feel that way about anyone. In fact, Rosie and Penny had begun to think that perhaps Rosie couldn't feel that way. But Bill was grinning at her like she was an angel and he was so hopeful, Rosie's mouth was moving before she even realized what it was she was saying.