Flora And Fawna [HARRY POTTER]

47

A year later, Roses was a blinding success, just as Penny had envisioned. It was an upscale establishment frequented by wizards and muggles alike, and the infamy that it had established so quickly was why the girls were out to celebrate. Bill, who was home and looking for a job in London as he had just graduated Hogwarts, had been more than happy to watch Harry while the two girls hit the town.

As such both girls had ensured they wouldn't be needed until well into the next day and they had plans to get well and truly drunk. Rosie had mostly stopped drinking, but that didn't mean the urge was gone. As much as she hated to admit it, the drink was her own form of self-medicating.

As such, she was really looking forward to the night on the town.

"Where do you want to go first?" Rosie asked as she put a startling shade of red lipstick on her lips, something she knew would contrast wonderfully with her pale skin and green eyes.

Penny, who had been combing her hair while standing behind Rosie, sharing Rosie's mirror, paused long enough to give her friend a wicked smile.

"I just got my liquor license at Roses and I was hoping you'd try out the bar with me before we go anywhere. I want to make sure you approve with what I've done with your money."

Of course, Penny knew that Rosie would adore anything she had done at Roses, if for no other reason than that she had done it. But Penny had spent the days immediately before then to set up Roses new bar just perfect. She desperately wanted Rosie to see her hard work paying off.

"That sounds fabulous, Penny. Of course, I trust that you've done a wonderful job with Roses, but I'd still like to take a look."

Penny and Rosie grinned at one another before Penny put her brush aside and Rosie set her lipstick down. Rosie stood up and took hold of her friend's hand.

"After you, M'Lady," Rosie mock curtsied. The two girls dissolved into giggles before they disapparated with a loud pop.

Bill stuck his head in a second later, Harry firmly attached to his favorite uncle's shoulders as the ginger gave him a piggyback ride, and Bill shook his head.

"They didn't even say goodbye," he told Harry, the little boy smiling. And with that the two males back out of the room and resume their playing.

*******

One thing neither Rosie nor Penny anticipated when going to Roses was how extremely busy it would be. Both women had assumed that a Wednesday night would be rather tame, but as they walked into the newly opened bar they were enveloped in a tightly packed crowd.

Despite this- and despite the fact that Rosie could barely see over the sea of people, even in her dangerously tall heels- Rosie took the chance to glance around and admire the scenery. All around, the walls were painted a crisp white and the decorator had installed beautiful Grecian columns that ran from the floor to the ceiling. Between each set of pillars was a bar table with a vase of beautiful white roses. Even above the smell of sweaty people, one could smell the sweet scent of roses.

Rosie turned to Penny and grinned brilliantly.

"This is so beautiful, Penny," Rosie leaned up and over to say in her friend's ear. Earlier in the night, the bar had been playing the music softly, but since guests had begun to pack the dance floor the DJ had made the executive decision to turn the music up loud enough to shake the foundation. And people were loving it.

Penny had matured beautifully since Hogwarts, though the change was not always so obvious as Penny spent a lot of her time bundled up in a white chefs coat, barking orders at the other chefs in the kitchen of Roses. But gone was the chef's coat and in its place was a particularly slinky dress that she had borrowed out of Rosie's closet- it had been something Petunia had gotten her the summer before in a vain attempt to get her out of the house to meet someone. When Penny had found it nearly a year later, it still had the price tag on it.