Kiss From a Rose

Chapter 2

After the girls received directions from Mr. Weasley on how to get to Diagon Alley, they headed out to a small, walled courtyard with a few weeds growing here and there and two trashcans with the lids askew. Emerald dug in her pockets for their lists of supplies while Odayaka counted the bricks.

"Ichi... ni... san... ichi... ni..." she tapped the bricks in time with her voice. Just as Emerald unearthed the lists from her pockets, Odayaka tapped the last brick three times and the wall parted. They were now standing in front of a large doorway leading to a cobbled street that was twisted and turned until it was out of sight. The girls stepped through and jumped when the doorway shrunk back into a wall.

Odayaka's head swam with all the noises and bustle. It was as if everyone in the alley were talking into her ears as loud as they can. She tried her hardest and finally was able to concentrate on making it all a mere background noise. The smells and sights were a different thing. New scents reached her nose and her brain began picking apart every smell. New books... wood polish... monkshood... She held her nose as they passed the apothecary. There were too many distasteful smells in there for her and she was getting a headache. She hoped the shopping would be over soon.

Emerald, on the other hand seemed to be thoroughly enjoying all the sights and sounds. She couldn't get enough. She pointed every store out to Odayaka, even if Odayaka had already spotted it. They finally decided on starting out at the robes shop. They walked a bit further until they came upon Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. They walked inside and a small bell rang to let Madam Malkin know they were there. A small old witch dressed in mauve came into view.

"Hogwarts, dears?" she asked kindly. The girls nodded. Madam Malkin lead the girls to the back of the shop and had them stand up on footstools. The old witch busied herself, throwing fabric over the girls' heads and pinning it to the right length. "You girls are new to me. First years?"

"No," said a disgruntled Odayaka.

"Transfer," Emerald said quickly, before Odayaka had a chance to be sarcastic.

"That's nice." She finished pinning and waved her wand. The robes cut themselves and the extra pieces flew to the nearby bin. "All finished. You'll be wanting three sets then?" The woman didn't wait for an answer, but took the robes over the girls' heads and heading to another room.

*Well, that was an experience,* Odayaka said, fixing her hair. No sooner had Odayaka finished her sentence that the old woman returned, holding their robes in brown packages. The girls paid their money and were off to the next store.

~*~

After they had finished their shopping, the girls had a lot of money left over. They decided they would go and get a pet. Odayaka had always wanted a cat, and Emerald decided it would be enterprising to get an owl. Odayaka took a deep breath in and held her breath as they entered the Magical Menagerie. The girls approached the wizard standing behind the counter.

"Good afternoon, ladies. How can I help you?" the man asked.

"Cat," Odayaka said quietly. The man pointed to a wall full of cats in cages. Cats of every size, shape, and color were there. She looked for a moment and then found a brown and black tiger striped cat laying in his cage staring at her. She stared right back and pointed at the cage. "This one," she said simply. The man came around the counter and picked up the cage.

"Just got this one in. Still a kitten, so you can still name 'im." He lifted the cat out of the cage. If it was a kitten, it sure didn't look like it. It was the size of a full-grown cat. It's tail was about as long as it's body. The wizard handed the cat to her. "See how you like him."

She cradled the cat in her arms, looking down at it as if it were a child. The cat just stared back at her with his wide golden eyes. He lifted his paw up and placed it on her chin, his small black paw pads warm against her cold skin. She handed the cat back to the man and nodded. He put the cat in a basket for her and handed it back. Emerald had picked out a small owl with large blue eyes. It's feathers had a slight green tinge to it and it sat calmly on her hand. Emerald coo-ed to it and pet it gently.

"This owl!" she chirped. The owl clicked it's beak happily as the man put it in a cage for her. The girls paid the man and left with their new pets.

~*~

(A/N: This is an alternate universe. The whole thing will be explained later, but for now, we'll say Lord Voldemort was defeated long ago, and Harry's parents aren't dead. ^_^;)

The girls put their things in their room and joined the Weasleys in the pub for dinner. Mrs. Weasley insisted on buying the girls' dinner, but they wouldn't have it (even after the animals and the food, they still had a lot of money left). Odayaka kept glaring icily at the twins. Emerald had struck up a conversation with the youngest Weasley boy, Ron, and his friends Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. They were staying at the Leaky Cauldron as well, Hermione's parents being muggles, and Harry's parents being out of town. They were staying with the Weasleys as well.

After dinner was over, the girls sleepily headed back to their room and fed their new pets before climbing into bed. Emerald fell right to sleep, but Odayaka laid awake for a while, thinking and petting her new cat, she'd appropriately named Neko (meaning cat). She finally decided she'd go and get a drink to help her sleep. She stood up and quietly opened her door, careful not to wake her sleeping sister. She stepped lightly on the hard wood floor so as to not let the wood settle under her. She made her way out to the pub and sat at the counter. The toothless old wizard, Tom made his way out and smiled at her.

"Little late for you to be up?" he asked kindly.

"No. I is.. ah.. " she searched desperately for the word, then sighed, silently admitting defeat. "Drink, please?" she asked quietly.

"No problem." He disappeared under the counter and Odayaka could hear glasses being moved around. He immerged with a glass of clear liquid. Odayaka smelled it suspiciously. The old wizard chuckled. "It's only water." She took a sip and tasting nothing except the water, she drank the rest in one gulp. Tom laughed. "You don't take kindly to people, do ya?"

"No," she answered simply. She set the glass back on the bar top and stood up. "Thank you." She headed back down the narrow hallway. She saw a light on in the room across from hers and she muttered quietly to herself. She didn't hear anything in there except the soft breathing of-one person? Weren't there twins in there? She shrugged off this fleeting thought and opened her door. She snorted as she pushed open the door and saw one of the twins wearing all black and a large, ugly mask.

"Graaaaaaah," the twin said, rather unconvincingly. Odayaka reached up and pulled the mask off, more annoyed with the twins that ever. "So... I didn't scare you?" the twin, apparently Fred (she had taken note of differences between the twins during dinner), said, disappointed. Odayaka shook her head and pointed out her door.

"You out, now." Her icy eyes narrowed. Fred held his hand out for his mask back and Odayaka shook her head. "Go," she said curtly. Fred left only to find his twin outside the door, sniggering.

"Did it work?" he asked. "I didn't hear a scream."

Odayaka poked her head out the door and threw the mask at George. "Does that answer your question?" Fred asked, unamused. Odayaka slammed the door and threw herself back on her bed Just then, a quiet pop came from overhead and confetti showered down on her. She snorted as she brushed the tiny pieces of paper to the floor. She heard a larger piece hit the floor and she reached down to pick it up. It was a note, folded in half sloppily. She opened it up, and there, in chicken-scratch handwriting was a simple message:

Sorry about trying to kiss you earlier.

~F

~*~

"Say again?" Emerald asked, standing next to Odayaka in the busy Kings Cross Station staring at the wall between platforms nine and ten. The rest of the Weasleys had already disappeared behind the barrier and left the girls with the twins. Fred sighed, growing tired of explaining the concept over and over.

"Just run at the wall!" George said with zeal. They're almost as enthusiastic as we are about our first day, Odayaka thought. They're still both nuts, telling us to run at the wall?

"Fred-kun and George-kun are... crazy," Odayaka said, looking at the wall with much skepticism.

Fred began pushing his brother at the wall. "Here, George will demonstrate. When he gets to the other side, he'll bring you both through, one at a time."

"Hey! Who volunteered me?!" he asked, being forced toward the wall. The girls just watched in awe as George fell right through the wall. Emerald went over to the wall where he'd fallen through to inspect the wall. A disembodied hand reached through the platform and grabbed her by her arm, dragging her though, and she disappeared. Fred looked at Odayaka.

"After you?" he said curtly. Odayaka scowled at him and leaned against the wall, expecting it to be solid but rather, fell right through. Fred being satisfied with this, walked casually at the wall before disappearing himself.

The group found themselves facing a large scarlet train. A sign overhead read "Platform Nine and Three-Quarters." Smoke billowed from the stack and children and adults of all ages swarmed here and there; parents saying goodbye to children, children preparing to board the train. Odayaka distantly wondered how Taiki and Atsuko were doing back at home. She was suddenly snapped from her thoughts by Emerald tugging on her blouse.

*Come on, Odie! The boys are already heading over!* Odayaka nodded and followed her sister over to the Weasley group, easily distinguished by their red hair. The oldest boy there was strutting around with a badge on his chest that read "HB." The girls had no idea what this meant, but they guessed he was important. Ron, Harry, and Hermione said goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and got on the train. The twins were making inane remarks and rude comments at their older brother, apparently Percy.

"Oh, are you Head Boy, Percy?" Fred said with an air of surprise. "You should've told us, we had no idea!"

"Hold on, I do remember him saying something about it once--"

"Or twice--"

"A minute--"

"All summer."

"That's enough boys. Why don't you show the girls to the train and help them with their things?" Mrs. Weasley suggested. She smiled sweetly at the girls. "You girls have a good time." Odayaka bowed politely and headed off for the train, twins following.

"Sank you," Emerald said, bowing. She ran off after Odayaka and the twins. "Oo~die! Matte, kudasai!" Odayaka stopped in mid-step and waited for her sister to catch up. *I'm going off to find the other three, I'll see you later.*

*Alright, stay out of trouble.*

*Yes, mother,* Emerald replied, sticking her tongue out. Odayaka and the twins found an empty compartment and sat down. She sat near a window so she could look out. The twins dug into their trunks and started talking in whispers to each other, and every now-and-then they'd look at Odayaka. Of course, she could hear what they were talking about, and it wasn't her. Something about... Ton-Tongue Toffee... she thought to herself. She didn't care to translate what they were talking about. She was a loner by nature and never talked much to people unless it benefited her. She stared out the window, resting her chin on the palm of her hand.

A loud whistle was heard, signaling that the train was preparing to leave. A new life... no one here knows what I am, who I am. They don't care and they shouldn't. I can make a whole new life here. She smiled to herself.

"Would you look at that, George," said Fred in awe.

"She's smiling!"

"I think she'd sick, check her temperature!" The boys were suddenly on her side of the compartment feeling her forehead. She let out with a short burst of laughter and wriggled out of their reach.

"Well, no fever," said George.

No more whispers in the halls... maybe I can make it here.

"Did we miss something?" Fred whispered to his twin.

"I think it's an Asian thing..." whispered George.