Rose sat in a windowsill in an abandoned corridor, her sketch pad perched on her lap, quill in hand. She tapped the end of the quill against her chin in thought, her mind coming up blank.

It was easier to think of something to draw when she was around other people and once she started something, she could finish it alone. But alas, she had been avoiding those she considered friends for days now because all they wanted to do was talk about James and she did not want to talk about him.

Even though it was cleared up with Lily and the involved parties had come to an understanding, nobody would stop talking about it. Rose just wished that something more eventful would happen so she wouldn't have to hear about how horrible of a person she was for sleeping with her sister's boyfriend. Of course, there wasn't a single word about James.

Rose let out a groan as she pulled out her wand and waved it over her belongings, sending it back to her bed in her room. She was art blocked.

"Rose," someone spoke up and she turned in surprise to find Severus Snape approaching her. She shifted positions so that her legs were dangling over the edge of the windowsill and she was facing him. "We need to talk."

"We do?" Rose inquired with a raised eyebrow.

Calling the two acquaintances was pushing it. They merely tolerated each other for Lily's sake but Lily and Snape hadn't been friends since he called her mudblood. Rose was unbothered by the comment because she heard him talk in such a manner all the time but Lily was appalled. It was as though she truthfully couldn't see that Severus Snape had never been a good person.

"How could you do that to her?" he demanded, any neutrality that had been present on his face had been thrown out the window. To put it simply, he was livid.

She huffed, hopping off the ledge, "Do what, exactly?"

"Treat her like that," he spat, gesturing with his hands in a wild manner. "After everything she's done for-"

She put her hand up, cutting him off, "You're going to lecture me on how I've been treating my sister. You?"

"I've apologized. She-"

"Apologies mean nothing when you do nothing to fix your behavior," Rose reminded him. "I know how you treat the other muggleborns at this school. Lily does too."

"That's not-"

"Forgive me," she cut him off with a wave of her hand. "I have things to do." She began to walk away but quickly spun around, producing a Protego charm just in time to send whatever hex or jinx he was aiming at her back his way. "You couldn't have possibly thought that would have worked?"

He shot another spell her way but she easily blocked it, "Come on, Snivellus, you can do better than that." He scowled before sending another, more powerful spell her way. Only not powerful enough. "The Dark Lord would be so disappointed."

There had been talk around school about Lord Voldemort and his recent endeavors. Most people only knew what the Daily Prophet talks about but any Slytherin knows more than the Ministry is telling. Half of them are in on it.

Rose sent her first offensive spell his way, hitting him in the arm. He moved to send another one her way but someone called out from behind her. "Rose! Stop it!" She turned around to see her sister running her way, James a few steps behind.

James's eyes widened as he reached into his pocket for his wand. "Watch out!" he tried but he hadn't been quick enough and neither had she. She turned around in time for whatever hex or jinx he had used to hit her square in the chest. "Rose!" she could hear James shout and the scream from her sister rang in her ears.

Rose barely had time to process what he had even sent her way as it felt as though her entire body was being engulfed in fire. Cuts in different shapes in sizes appeared on her body and the impact of the spell sent her collapsing to the floor.

James was the first at her side. At least she was pretty sure it was him because she could just make out his hazel eyes scanning over her figure frantically. "What the hell did you do to her, Snape?" he demanded as he turned to the boy, more hate on his face than he had ever regarded the Slytherin with. Snape shook his head before taking off down the hall, "Get back here, you coward!"

"James," Lily gasped and he turned to see her frantically trying to help her sister. "I don't - It won't stop." He looked down at Rose to see her eyes fluttering shut as her blood pooled around her.

"Hey, stay awake," he suggested quietly, lifting her chin slightly with his hand. "You can't fall asleep yet." He looked up at Lily, "Go get a teacher." She stared at him, her mouth opened in shock. "Lily, go!"

She snapped out of whatever trance she had been in, getting to her feet quickly, her hands covered in her sister's blood before running off for help.

James focused his attention on the bleeding and trembling girl. "Rose," he tried, taking her hand in his own. There was no spell that he knew of to stop the bleeding or the cuts from opening. He had to just hope Lily would be back with help in time. He placed his other hand on the side of her neck, not bothered by the blood that was now covering them. "Hey, hey, I need you to keep your eyes open."

"I-" she began but it was clear even the one syllable word caused her pain.

"Shh," he suggested, brushing her hair behind her ear. She nodded slowly and he shook his head slightly, observing her, "Save your energy." Her eyes flickered closed again but he squeezed her hand, "Eyes up here, Rosie. Eyes up here."

"My dear," McGonagall muttered as she immediately fell at the girl's side. "What happened?"

"Um, Snape and her got into a duel. The nasty git cast the spell when she was distracted. I'm going to kill him. I-"

"Potter," she interrupted. "Did you hear the spell?"

"I, uh..."

"It sounded like he said Sectumsempra," Lily admitted. She moved nibble on her nails as she tended to do when she was nervous but stopped upon seeing the blood stained on her hands. "I've never heard of it before. I could have misheard him. Can you help her, Professor?"

McGonagall said nothing as she pulled out her wand and waved it over the girl. James was taken aback as the blood that had grown into a rather large puddle was absorbed back into her body. The Professor repeated whatever incantation she had been saying and the wounds closed. Another and they sealed shut.

"Is she...?" Lily began but she couldn't get the words out. James understood. He had no idea what he would do if Rose was dead.

"She'll be fine," McGonagall breathed out. "We just need to get her to the infirmary." She moved to wave her wand again but James beat her to it. He placed his arms under her arms and legs and lifted her up with minimal effort.

He immediately made his way to the hospital wing. He was aware that he possibly looked crazy but he didn't care. All that mattered was that Rose would be okay. She mumbled something against his chest and he almost stopped but remembered he needed to get her to Pomfrey for help.

"James..." she managed to get out and his heart leapt in his chest for reasons unknown to him. Maybe it was because he knew she was alive and well. Or as well as she could be.

"What is it, love?" he replied.

Her voice was quiet and faint but he understood her just fine, "I give you full permission to prank the grease ball into oblivion."

"I would have done it without permission," he explained as he carefully placed her on a bed in the infirmary.

He moved to step back but she quickly latched onto his arm. He looked down at her to find her eyes closed, "Don't leave me."

He flashed a smile even though she couldn't see it, "Wouldn't dream of it.

She smiled in content, releasing her grip on him. Pomfrey approached the girl, a container of some substance in hand before she set to work on placing it on the visible scars. The worst one that James could see was the one that went right across her face.

Despite James's protests, Pomfrey closed off the area, leaving him behind a barrier. He hadn't wanted to leave her side but knew that she needed privacy as well.

"She'll be okay," Lily said and it was then that James remembered she was there. Her voice was hoarse, no doubt from crying.

"I know," he replied. His voice came out stiffer than intended. He knew he should have been comforting her, after all, she was his girlfriend. But a small part of her couldn't help but blame her for this. It didn't take a genius to figure out Snape and Rose had been fighting over Lily.

"Um, I'm going to go write to my parents," Lily explained after a rather uncomfortable silence had fallen over the couple. "I'll fill your friends in on what happened so they know where you are."

James merely nodded, not saying another word to the girl. She audibly sighed, a frown crossing face. She glanced over at where her sister rested behind the curtain before walking out, leaving James to his never ending thoughts.