SEPTEMBER 17th, 1996

   Potions class did not meet on Thursday, and would not for the rest of the year with Slughorn declaring they would only have to attend Monday's classes, the rest of the week, Thursdays especially, being used for people needing his classroom for their projects. Draco nor Theodore had shown up on Monday, something Rosalie had been thankful for. Although they were in almost every other class with her, spare a few, and she never once allowed herself to look at them, much less acknowledge their existence.

But she could feel them, every day, burning holes through her skin as they tracked her every move.

"So," Blaise Zabini cleared his throat, sitting across from her in a corner of the library. "How do you want to go about this?"

Rosalie flipped her journal open, and tapped her quill on the empty parchment before meeting his eye. There was scrutiny on her face, half of it reflected on his own.

But when Zabini went to grab his ink out of his bag, realizing the bottle held zero of the inky liquid, Rosalie slid an untouched bottle over without looking up.

"Oh, uh, thank you."

"Mhm." She tapped the end of the feather quill to her chin, gaze roaming over his face. "I think we can start with three questions today? I recommend we write them normally, and when we are done we can transcribe them with the runes in our own time."

Zabini appeared startled at her immediately jumping in when he had barely pulled out his own journal. "Okay," he said, "That works with me."

"Great." She flashed him a pearly smile and leaned back into her seat with arms crossed. "I'll go first, ask me your starting points, that way your notes will go in order." He blinked, and she nodded. "It'll be easier for you that way is what I mean."

"Okay." He laid a forearm on the table while dipping his quill into the ink. "What is your full name?"

She sucked on her teeth and averted her eyes, fear on her face that made him freeze. "I," she paused, their eyes colliding. "I'm afraid that is just a bit too personal for me to answer."

He did not realize it, but a smile slipped out, and she reciprocated it with a small laugh leaving her lungs. Once realizing though, he did not make the grin go away, simply shook his head instead.

"Okay Black, hit me with it."

"Rosalie Aries Black."

"Aries?"

"Mhm, my moon sign is in Aries." she answered, partly sighing out her next words, "My father says thats why, but I think he secretly wanted to honor his brother by giving me the same initials."

Now this Zabini could speak about, and he lost any part of heistance left on his face as he stared at her, a little ways unnerved by her unblinking eyes. "Regulus Black, right? I've heard about him."

"Sure you have, he became a right hand to Voldemort at seventeen...Pretty infamous name, yeah?"

Zabini nodded curtly, scribbling down her full name before the topic could be explored further.

When he looked back up, she was still staring at him, waiting patiently.

"What about your parents? Is it just your dad's? Or, is your mother involved?"

"Zabini," she deadpanned. "My mother died. Surely you know that, she was one of your people."

Zabini shook his head. "I know, I'm sorry, I just,"

"It's fine," she cut in.

"I guess what I'm trying to ask is how? And how was your family dynamic growing up?"

Rosalie rolled her shoulders back, narrowing her eyes to see if this was something he would genuinely use, or if it was a reach at knowing secrets. Either way, he has been pleasant so far. Therefore she would not protest such questions.

"Well, my mother died giving birth to me," she spoke plainly, but her stomach hallowed out. "I grew up with both of my dad's. It was nice, fine, or whatever. But as you know, Sirius is my only biological father."

"Off the record," Zabini began, "What was it like growing up with two gay dads?"

Rosalie cocked an eyebrow before smirking at his curiosity. "What? You think we had pride flags pinned to every corner of our home?"

"No, no, I just,"

"Zabini," she breathed out, reaching her hand across and touching his own. "I need you to breathe and stop taking me so seriously."

He swallowed thickly, eyes falling down to where she touched him with icy hands.

"Sorry," she muttered, yanking her hand away. "Anyways," her throat cleared. "What do you want to know about it? 'Off the record', of course."

Zabini let out a breathy laugh and ran a hand over his face. "I guess I just want to know what that's like?"

"They fell in love at Hogwarts, but things ended during their sixth year. My father, Sirius, had me with my mom, but when she died he and Remus came back together. Remus was only wanting to help raise me at first, but," she trailed off, "I guess it never felt weird having them both or seeing them be in love because it was all I knew. I call Sirius father, and Remus dad, and I don't know...it was fine."

"Okay," Zabini sent her a half smile that he normally never had on his lips, "They seem like an interesting pair."

Rosalie nodded her head, muttering about how he had no idea. And the moment continued on, only to become cut short by a third year Gryffindor running up to their table with a camera swinging from around his neck.

Colin Creevey slammed his hands on the table, making both elders turn to him disturbed. "It's Harry!" he shouted, "He needs you!"

"What happened?" Rosalie asked, her voice bored.

"He said something about a vision!"

Rosalie groaned and tipped her head back. "I'm going to jump off a cliff," she muttered before turning her chin to Creevey. "Breathe for me, okay? He's not dying."

Creevy nodded furiously, shuffling closer to her side and further from Zabini.

She begrudgingly stood up and closed her journal. "Sorry," she said, glancing at Zabini, "We have a few weeks, so we can spread out our meetings."

"Don't worry about it, Black," he said, leaning back into the seat with a smirk. "Go on and baby Potter."

She rolled her eyes. "That's the last thing I'll ever do,"

*

At the echo of demanding pounding on her dorm door, Rosalie jumped up before yanking the door open with anger already bubbling her chest at whoever dared such preposterous actions.

The sight before her forced her into a halt though.

Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott, dressed from head to toe in black, and staring down at her with cold masks full of malice. Their off-putting aura made her spine straighten and shoulders roll back.

She placed her hand on her hip while gripping the door handle, and then craned her neck up in question. "Did you not read the sign?"

Their eyes, in sync, flicked to the bright pink sign that hung from the door with large lettering of, 'NO BOYS ALLOWED!'

"Only women, so..." She went to slam the door, but Draco's hand smacked against it with much more force than she had, and the door flew all the way open. Her gaze turned stony, filled with fire instantly. "What do you two want?!" she hissed.

"There's the little monster beneath," Theodore smirked, his eyes glinting with sadistic pleasure of riling her up.

She bit her tongue, drawing blood as she stayed still, imagining how beautifully artistic her dagger would be inside of his neck as the image of sweet justice.

But the two boys, again in sync, both had their looks of malice replaced by confusion, and their eyes began ever so slowly trailing down the victorian nightgown which had long flowy sleeves, laces untied in the front, and a blanket of white down to her ankles where they were met with bunny slippers.

Draco and Theodore's eyes met, and then they stared right back at the gown.

"Is there a reason it looks as if you traveled from the Victorian era?" Draco asked.

"What?" She crossed her arms, sass in her voice, "I quite enjoy my nightgowns, thank you very much."

"And the bunny slippers are what? To add some spice?" Theo asked, glaring in genuine disturbance at the slippers.

"Have you two loosened up one single time in your life?" she snapped.

"No," the two deadpanned in sync.

"Yeah," She looked them up and down as if they were a disease from another world, "Pretty obvious." After, Rosalie narrowed her eyes, taking hold of the door handle in preparation to slam it in their faces. "Now, tell me what you came for or leave."

Draco adjusted his suit jacket pompously, allowing his eyes to roam everywhere but her gaze. "We need to plan what times we will be meeting." he said, a slight curl of disgust on his lips.

"I'll go change." she said, turning away from them and heading deep into her dorm.

The two boys were welcomed by an extremely dark room, which had been surprising considering it was only eight at night. The windows were covered with fabric, and the only semblance of light came from an altar between two beds, an extravagant one at that; covered in crystals of all color, gilded candle holders that had wax dripping down, images, pendulums, incense, miniature statues of differents Gods.

And that was when they noticed the floor pillows below, the imprint of knees still pressed into a purple one.

"Been praying, Black?" Draco called out, a mocking laugh escaping.

"Yes, actually."

Her muffled voice turned both of their heads to the shut bathroom, where light slipped out beneath the wood.

"To what exactly? Those silly little greek–"

"You know, half of the wizarding world worships them, and it is not just greek." her snappy voice kept coming from the bathroom, "They are called by different names by every different culture us witches have, but they mean the same."

Before he could retort, the bathroom door swung open and so did her mouth, "It is a good thing you do not believe, I don't think any God could accept someone as dreadful as you."

But her comment fell on deaf ears, their eyes narrowing at the muggle shirt around her body.

"No." Draco spat, and she swore his eye twitched. "I am not being seen with you in those filthy muggle clothes."

"Good." She walked past them as if they were ghosts, and threw the door open. "Stay three paces behind," she called over her shoulder, "I don't need your energy near me."

Rosalie suspected a fight, and definitely heard Theo mutter something about murder, but within mere moments she heard their heavy footsteps following her down the staircase.

The few students lounging within the common room spared them a glance, and then did a double take at the sight of the two boys following in her footsteps.

Again, what a scandal.

But Rosalie hoped the distance between them would make it seem as if they were simply walking the same path, and she was sure the two behind her wished the same.

The sight must have been more than alarming though, because when she stepped out into the dungeons and Professor Mcgongall stepped out of Snape's classroom, the professor came to a complete halt at the two tall and shadowy figures trailing behind the witch.

Mcgonagall clasped her hands, waiting and waiting in the corridor until Rosalie was left with nothing to do but stop in front of her, the two behind stopping with a respectable foot between themselves and the Black.

"Miss Black," Mcgonagall greeted, skepticism on her face as she lifted her chin high. "Are these two young men bothering you?"

Draco and Theodore both scoffed.

"Well," Rosalie said, shifting on her heels, "We are going to discuss a project."

Mcgonagall raised a brow. "Together?"

Rosalie nodded. "We were paired up by Professor Slughorn, sadly so."

Mcgonagll's eyes narrowed at the two wizards before focusing on Rosalie. "Hm. Come with me, Miss Black. I was actually coming to get you, I need your help in my office with a few things," she said, "I am sure, Mister Nott and Mister Malfoy, can wait until another day."

A tired smile of relief busted out onto Rosalie's lips, and Mcgongall shot her a wink in return.

But she thinks to protest, go ahead and get the planning over with now.

It wasn't that Rosalie was necessarily scared of them, she was scared of the idea of them. Of what they have done. Of what they would do. Of what they could do. She knew nothing about them, had no way to decipher their brains, and the rumors, and energy, was enough to make her skin crawl.

So maybe if she pushed off being alone with them for a little longer, she could do what she needed to do in order to figure out the details of them. Have a way of plotting against them, of knowing their every move, of knowing what their instinctive decisions would be.

Mcgongall held out her arm, urging the witch to take it as an escape.

"Sounds perfect," Rosalie said, slipping her arm into the professor's and letting herself be guided away. She refused to look back and see their reactions, but a tug at her gut told her they were nothing short of fuming.

Good.

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A/N: okay so these chapters were short and quick, but i hoped you enjoy the smallest bit of jokes bc the next five chapters are UNHINGED....like genuinely unhinged im so excited

—thank you guys for so much love on this book already <3

—so now we know why she is burning with hatred for the boys....

—Sirius Black 🤝🏻 the Black family madness

—listen the Victorian nightgown made me wheeze but i swear it's going to come up later nothing is written without purpose lol

xx bri