Winter's Rose ▫️T. Lupin

▫️ Twenty-Four

Spending the holidays with Teddy's family along with Bill and Thomas had definitely been fun, and Rose returned to Hogwarts feeling a lot better. Seeing Beatrice, Brenda and Angela didn't put a damper in her mood, as she first thought it would, and she realised it didn't even bother her all that much anymore. She spent as much time as she could with the boys and everything seemed to be fine. She started studying once more with Teddy and a week afterwards, it seemed as if nothing had ever changed.

Dressed in her usual pair of black leggings with a light blue shirt that left her shoulders uncovered, her hair loose and wild, a smile on her lips, she was almost skipping down the corridor as she walked in the direction of the courtyard. The weather was warm now, warm enough for her to wear a light shirt on without being cold, and the previous day during Herbology she had made plans with the three Hufflepuff boys she usually spent her way around to hang out in the courtyard. At the prospect of spending more time with them, she couldn't hide her happiness.

She walked in the corridors of the castle without exchanging a look with the students walking beside her, and a while later, she had reached the courtyard. Getting outside, her smile only widened as she felt the sun against her skin, warming her up. She took a vague look around the courtyard, locating her friends sitting in a corner, close to each other and laughing. She didn't hesitate to walk over.

"What is this?" she asked as she got near and finally came to a stop beside Thomas. "Are you having a party without me?"

Teddy and Bill sitting down opposite her looked up with identical smiles, and she only raised an eyebrow before turning to Thomas expectantly.

"There's nothing you should be worried about," he shrugged before pointing with his head at a company of the girls on their right. "The blonde hasn't stopped looking at Bill ever since we got here."

She discreetly looked over before turning to Bill with raised eyebrows. "She's a Ravenclaw sixth year, isn't she? She's rather pretty."

"I know," he grinned as Rose stole yet another look at her. "I'm thinking of making a move if she keeps looking at me."

"You really should," Teddy bumped his shoulder against his with a wide smile before leaning back, running a hand through his hair that today was a soft blond. "And then you can introduce them to Thomas so he gets a girl for himself."

Bill only laughed as Thomas shot Teddy, who seemed incredibly amused, a sharp look. Rose didn't join in in their laughter as she took a step closer to the sitting boys and spoke up once more.

"Guys, she's not looking at Bill."

"What?" Bill exclaimed as he snapped his head in the company's direction. She barely had the time to stop Thomas from doing the same while Teddy actually was sensible and didn't turn to look.

"What do you mean she isn't looking at Bill?" Thomas whisper-yelled as he turned to Rose, bright green eyes wide in disbelief. "She's looking this way, there's no one else she could be looking at."

"Yes, there is," she insisted, successfully succeeding in not showing her disappointment as she glanced at Bill and Teddy. "Bill isn't sitting alone."

Instantly, all of them turned to Teddy as his eyes widened and he started shaking his head vigorously. "No, that's not true-"

"Why not?" she cut in, her eyebrows raising and once more, she forced herself to not show her disappointment as she smiled at him. "You should make a move, Teddy."

"No," Thomas instantly spoke up, his eyes widening as Rose blinked at him in surprise. He cleared his throat as he stole a look at Teddy and took in his wide eyes before he chose his next words carefully. "Teddy doesn't want to have a relationship now, NEWTs are his priority."