Tainted Roses

Tell me we can make it. Tell me we can last.

When the train arrived at Hogwarts, Rose was already in her school robes. They were black and they were plain, but at least Rose felt like everyone else now. She would surely be able to see her cousins at school and she could forget about Tristan. Just thinking about even possibly being friends with him was too impossible. Rose didn't know what house she would be in once she did get sorted, but she knew that she couldn't be in Slytherin.

As Rose exited the train with her luggage, she heard someone yelling for all the first years to go to the boats. Well, that was her all right. Rose followed the rest of the younger students towards the boats, while the rest of the students went in the horseless carriages. At least she would be somewhere without Tristan and his friends.

Rose got into a boat with a pale, blonde girl with thin, messy hair and a plump boy with short, clean cut brown hair. They both looked nervous to be going to Hogwarts, just like Rose. Well, it looked like she was in the same boat as them. Rose suppressed a chuckle at this thought. Her humour was too lame sometimes. Of course she was in the same boat as them.

As they travelled across the lake, Rose wondered why they couldn't take the carriages. May be it was a part of the experience, though, and Rose enjoyed it while she could.

The lake was rather huge, but soon enough, they reached the shore again and were a lot closer to Hogwarts than before. Rose looked up, seeing the lights that were on inside the castle. It looked to be so warm inside and Rose couldn't wait to get into the Great Hall. Well, she thought that was where they were going, at least. And afterwards, she would be able to go up to her room. Yes, she would have a room! The thought was exciting for Rose as she was used to her little brother bugging her most of the time when she was in her room. But Rose at least hoped that her dorm-mates wouldn't be rude with her. They probably wanted as much privacy as she did.

As Rose and the two other students walked up to the castle, she wondered if she would see them again. They might get sorted into different houses and never talk again. Rose didn't know them very well and she didn't have any friends at Hogwarts except for her older cousins, who would probably ignore her most times, and possibly Tristan. But Tristan was a big no-no. He couldn't be her friend.

Rose cleared her throat before speaking, since it felt dry from being silent and pensive for all that time since talking to Tristan. "So... What're your names?" she asked the two as she walked towards Hogwarts with them.

The boy spoke first. "Trevor," he said simply. "What's yours?"

"Rose." Rose smiled at him, but it was more gentle than the smiles Tristan had given her before. She then turned towards the blonde girl, hoping that she wasn't too shy to speak.

The girl apparently noticed that Rose was looking at her, so she finally answered the question. "Ma-Matilda."

Just then, they reached the entrance to Hogwarts. Rose could already hear some people inside. She wondered if the rest of the students were already inside eating their food.

When the first years entered Hogwarts, though, a professor was there to meet them. She didn't look too old and she had a smile on her face. "Welcome to Hogwarts, everyone. Please follow me." The woman then walked through the Entrance Hall, with a trail of eleven year olds behind her, and entered a side chamber. "Please wait here for a few moments." Then, she left.

Rose looked around her at the other first years. There were many of them, including Trevor and Matilda. Rose was about to stand closer to them when she noticed two of her cousins: Albus and Roxanne. "Hey!" she exclaimed as she made her way over to them. Apparently they had found each other on the train or the boats because they were both chatting to each other. They turned when they heard Rose, though, and greeted her with two wide smiles.

"There you are!" Roxanne exclaimed. "We wondered where you were and if you were even on the train."

" I didn't know where you guys were," Rose explained. "How long do you think we have to wait in here?"

Albus opened his mouth to speak, but then the woman entered the room again. "Please follow me."

Albus and Rose both shrugged and Roxanne giggled when she saw them do it at the same time. However, as the students followed the woman outside of the room and across the Entrance Hall once more, it was silent. Either everyone was too scared to talk or they were observing their new surroundings, but no one spoke another word.

As the woman opened a large pair of doors, Rose could see students behind her, sitting at long tables. But when Rose entered the room, she couldn't keep her eyes on the tables. She looked up to see the night sky above her. At first, she thought that there was no roof, but then she realized that this was the room she had read about in Hogwarts: A History. It was a book that explained a lot of things about Hogwarts. Rose didn't find it all that interesting, but her mother had insisted that she read it before going to school, so Rose did. But once was definitely enough.

Rose wondered if Tristan was already there, but she attempted to dismiss any thoughts about him once more. He might have been there or might have not, but Rose decided not to care anymore. She was about to get sorted, probably, so she had other things on her mind. She doubted that she would get put into Slytherin, but Rose wondered what of the other three houses the Sorting Hat would think would be best for her. Rose thought that it could be Gryffindor, because most of her family was in Gryffindor, but Ravenclaw was also an option. Her older cousin, Lucy, was in Ravenclaw and there was no shame in that house.

The woman spoke again, though, taking Rose out of her thoughts. "When I call your name, you will step forward and come and sit on this stool. Then, I will place the Sorting Hat on your head-" She held up the Sorting Hat in front of her to show the students what it looked like. "-and you will be sorted." The woman then placed the hat back on the stool and took out a piece of parchment from the right pocket of her robes. She unfolded it and straightened it out so she could read it properly. "Alex Cunningham!" she exclaimed.

A young boy then walked towards the stool nervously. The woman picked up the hat, allowing him to sit down on the stool. When he did, she placed the hat on his head, covering his eyes and half of his head. It was far too big for him. After a few moments, the Sorting Hat pronounced the right house for Alex. "Gryffindor!"

Everyone cheered, but Rose could hear more cheering from a certain table in the Great Hall. It was probably the Gryffindor table.

After Alex, there were many more students to be called before it was Rose's turn. She watched each of them walk forward and get sorted, awaiting her turn patiently with her two cousins.

"Claire Danvers."

"Slytherin!"

Rose watched Claire Danvers as she joined the Slytherins at their table. She thought she caught a glimpse of Tristan cheering too, but she couldn't' be sure if it was him. He was pretty far down the table and Rose wasn't close enough to see if it was indeed Tristan.

"Matilda Edgecombe."

"Ravenclaw."

Rose sighed, hoping that she would be in Ravenclaw with Matilda. After all, she was one of the first friends Rose made at Hogwarts, even if Matilda was a little shy.

"Bianca Fairchild."

"Slytherin!"

Rose decided not to watch Bianca as she nearly pranced over to the Slytherin table. She knew that she would be too tempted to look for Tristan and Rose just wanted to forget about him. We can never be friends. It would never work out, she told herself, but that blasted 'hope' kept creeping up on her. Why were humans given hope anyway? It only ever led to disappointment.

"Trevor Knight."

"Hufflepuff!"

Rose had hoped that Trevor and Matilda could have at least been in the same house, but now all Rose could do was hope that she was in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. Even if her cousins were in Gryffindor, at least Rose would have a friend in one of the other houses.

"Albus Potter."

"Gryffindor!"

Well, of course, Rose thought. She knew that Albus would be in Gryffindor more than anyone else. It was a given, especially with the way he acted.

There were a few more students called, but Rose didn't pay attention to them. She was getting too anxious for her own turn, the closer it got to the end of the list.

Finally, it was Rose's turn. "Rose Weasley!" the woman called. Rose quickly walked up towards the stool and sat down. The hat fell down on her face, just like it did on Alex, and Rose was completely in the dark. She wanted to take the hat off and throw it beside her, but she knew that this was a part of getting sorted. She closed her eyes for a moment as she listened to the voice that seemed to be in her head. It was arguing about where to put her and seemed to be stuck between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Rose didn't care before where she was placed, but she suddenly had a feeling that she didn't want to be in Ravenclaw. Gryffindor... Please be Gryffindor... she found herself thinking. Just then, her own thoughts were echoed in a louder voice. "Gryffindor!" The hat was taken off her head quicker than Rose could open her eyes and the woman smiled at her before gesturing that she should join the other Gryffindors at their table.

Rose got up and walked quickly towards the table, finding a seat beside Albus. Albus had found the rest of their cousins, James, Fred and Molly, who were sitting across from them. "Hey," Rose greeted, but everyone was watching the next person get sorted. Before Rose could look up to see who it was, Roxanne joined them on Albus' other side. There were only two other students who got sorted before the Headmaster announced the beginning of the feast.

Food appeared on their empty plates as Rose looked around at the other Gryffindors at the table. She was with family again, but at least Rose knew that it was where she belonged. Even though she was friends with Trevor and Matilda, she knew that she didn't belong in their houses, and she definitely didn't belong at the Slytherin table with Tristan. No, this was where she belonged. This was where Rose felt at home.