Dragon Heartstrings

‘ARRGH,’ Rose sputtered, choking on the cold water.

‘You rotten ghoul,’ Frankie said, standing over her, holding her wand.

Rose looked around bewilderedly and blinked, taking a moment to get her bearings. She was curled up behind the door, still wearing her dress and boots. Her makeup felt sticky on her face. The window’s curtains were wide open, leaving daylight streaming into the room.

‘Shit. I must have fallen asleep,’ she said, rubbing her eyes.

‘Mmmm, you think?’ Frankie said, holding out a hand to help Rose up.

Rose stretched, holding her arms above her head and twisting her neck carefully. She winced.

‘Fuck sake, my neck hurts. I think I slept in the worst position ever,’ Rose said, massaging her neck. ‘Oi, why did you Aquamenti me?’

‘You had the door locked all night?’

‘Ever heard of Alohomora?’

‘Well I-’ Frankie started, then stopped, staring at Rose. ‘Are you okay?’

Rose said nothing. Frankie’s face softened, she pulled her close and rubbed her back. Rose could feel tears prickle her eyes again, and she pulled away. 

‘Please explain,’ Frankie said, leading Rose to the bathroom and handing her a cloth.

Rose sighed and turned on the tap, wiping away the mascara stains running down her face. 

‘I had a fight with mum, the usual. Came up here to cry. Locked the door. Must have fallen asleep. Sorry, shouldn't have locked it. I just didn’t want random people wandering in. Why didn’t you just unlock it though? I expected you would,’

‘Well I thought you were busy,’ Frankie said, looking sheepish.

‘Busy?’ Rose turned to look at her, while brushing her teeth.

‘Well, the last time I saw you was when you left the garden with Scorpius. Then I couldn’t find either of ye so I went upstairs and the door was locked so I just,’ she paused, ‘assumed?’

Rose nearly choked on her toothpaste. Frankie grinned at her.

‘So I said I’d leave you to it,’ she continued, ‘but then I saw Scorpius at breakfast this morning, and came up here and the door was still locked. Then I asked Al did Scorpius sleep in his room last night. He said he was already in bed when he got there. Meaning -,’

‘Scorpius left early?’

‘Eh yeah he must have, meaning I was wrong and nothing had happened. Hence the barging in and Aquamenti, apologies. I was just pissed that I had to go and third-wheel Roxanne and Sandy for nothing,’ she took a deep breath.

‘Oh shit, were they annoyed?’ Rose said, attempting to drag a brush through her hair.

‘They tried not to show it to be fair to them, but they did probably want to be alone. Especially as tomorrow, they’re back to sharing with us again,’ said Frankie, sitting at the edge of the bathtub.

‘I’m really sorry, I should have told you where I went. I went to find my mum, then got stuck with Red, then Scorpius intervened, then we talked, then fought mum, and fell asleep behind my door,’ Rose replied, sighing, putting the brush back in the drawer.

‘Well any encounter with Redmond already makes it a bad night, so don’t worry about it. You’re forgiven,’ Frankie said kindly.

‘I’ll make it up to you,’ 

‘Can it involve food?’

‘Dinner tonight at Rum and Crab?’

‘I’m sold,’

‘Should I ask Sandy and Roxie, extend my apologies to them?’

‘Definitely, then it can also be our final meal before final year. Our last year of being roomies,’

‘Adorable,’ Rose smiled. 

‘Are you all packed?’ Frankie asked innocently.

Rose stuck out her tongue.

‘Shock, right that’s our plan so,’ Frankie replied, getting up and opening Rose’s wardrobe.

‘Hmm?’ Rose asked, mouth full of mouthwash.

‘I assume you want to spend today avoiding your parents and since it’s now half twelve, we are gonna pack all your school shit so there’s no stress in the morning. plan?’

‘Plan,’ Rose replied, after spitting out her mouthwash.

‘Okay, grab your trunk, I’ll be back, gonna go tell Roxie about tonight. I saved you a croissant from breakfast by the way, it’s on your nightstand,’ her friend said, already halfway out the door.

                                          *

Four hours later Rose and Frankie had successfully packed up all her clothes and school supplies for her final year at Hogwarts. Thankfully, while she was away, Hugo and her dad had picked up her books, equipment and ingredients she needed for seventh year. Saving her the hassle of going into London. 

‘So nothing happened?’ Roxanne asked Rose. She was sitting cross legged on the floor, flipping through Rose’s record collection as Sandy braided her hair. 

‘No! We just talked, you can even ask James. He saw Scorpius leave,’ Rose said, as she rifled through her wardrobe. 

‘Interesting ye are talking to each other though, ye used to just shout,’ Sandy said smirking. 

‘Yeah but that was just sexual tension though,’ Roxanne replied, winking at Rose. She slipped ABBA: The Visitors from its sleeve and flicked the record player on.

‘It was not!’ Rose protested, though she knew it was no use, Sandy and Roxanne had been on her about Scorpius since fourth year. 

‘Guys grab the cups quickly before I drop them!’ Frankie said as she entered Rose’s room. She was holding her wand upwards, levitating four cups of tea in the air. Rose and Roxanne grabbed them before Frankie put down her wand. 

‘Maybe get a tray next time?’ Roxanne said, handing one of the cups to Sandy as she took a drink from her own. 

‘Have you seen my dungarees?’ Rose asked Frankie, her tea already half drank. 

‘Yeah we packed them away,’ she replied, sitting down in front of the mirror with her makeup bag.

Rose swore. She had packed away most of her nice clothes for school and now she was stuck with the reject pile for dinner tonight. 

‘What about this?’ Sandy was holding up a dark blue, satin nightie, with a lace neckline.

‘Behave yourself please, where did you even find that?’ Rose replied, giggling as she swept the nightie away and stuffed it in a cupboard.

‘No no bring it! It might be handy for late night visits to the Slytherin dungeons,’ Sandy replied slyly.

Frankie giggled, and Rose narrowed her eyes at both of them.

‘Could go raid Ginny’s closet, she has tons of clothes,’ Rose mused.

Frankie shook her head, ‘she’s downstairs with your mum, so unless you fancy joining that conversation’.

‘Nope,’ she replied quickly. Rose had made a conscious effort today to avoid her parents. Her dad was in London for the day at his and her uncle’s shop, but her mother had been at home, purposely hanging around in the kitchen hoping to catch her daughter alone. But Rose had enlisted Frankie and Hugo to help. Hugo had brought her up food whenever his mother wasn’t looking, and Frankie had been up and down, making them cups of tea. 

‘Shove over, let me find something,’ Sandy said, nudging Rose away from the wardrobe. Sandy was all ready, punctual as ever. She was wearing her black strappy sandals, and a long, tight, black dress, with a white shirt worn open over it. She had her blonde bob dead straight as usual, and used her sunglasses to keep it out of her face.

‘You look like young Cameron Diaz,’ Frankie told her, midway through applying a thin line of bright blue eyeliner.

‘Who?’ 

‘Sandy you know her, I always say you look like her, remember the movie I showed you last Christmas?’ insisted Frankie.

‘You showed us a lot of movies at Christmas Frances,’ Sandy remarked.

‘The one where they swap houses?’ Roxanne asked.

‘Ohhh the one where she can’t cry?’ Sandy called, from deep inside the closet, voice muffled.

‘That’s the one,’ Frankie said, picking up her wand and pointing it at her hair. ‘Crinus Muto,’ she murmured, and her hair went from gelled and spiky, to soft, and blown-out.

‘Ooooh you look like Meg Ryan,’ Rose exclaimed.

‘In which movie?’ she replied, whizzing around.

‘Where she owns a bookshop,’

‘That’s the one with the mail? Except instead of owls it’s a tellyvision?’ Sandy said, now opening Rose’s cupboards.

‘Yes but it’s called a computer Sandy, and it’s television not tellyvision,’ Rose smiled, ‘don’t you do muggle studies?’ she laughed.

‘Just about, I got a D in my O.W.L’s,’

‘At least it wasn’t a T,’ Roxanne put in, buttoning up her shirt. She was wearing a purple linen shirt, with a light brown skirt. She twirled and it flowed outwards.

‘You look cool,’ Rose nodded, ‘is that my skirt?’ she added.

‘Yup,’ Roxanne grinned, ‘it’s ours now. Don’t worry, I’ll pack it in my trunk and bring it with us,’ she said, pulling on a pair of black boots.

‘Right, I’ve found you something,’ Sandy handed Rose a bundle containing a wrinkly white skirt, a crumpled white vest.

‘Where did this come from?’

‘Dunno, but wear it,’

‘Have you got an iron?’ Frankie remarked, biting her lip.

Sandy pointed her wand at the clothes. The clothes lifted and fell again in Rose’s hands, feeling softer and lighter. She held up the clothes, now wrinkle free, impressed.

‘You need to teach me that one,’ Frankie said in awe. ‘Do mine please,’ she passed her own dress over. 

Sandy obliged, ‘where did you get that?’ she said, handing it back to Frankie.

‘Camden. It was too long though, so my mum altered it,’ she replied, holding up the dress for the girls to see. Coming down to just above Frankie’s knees, the dress had large trumpet sleeves, a v-neckline, and a floral print all over.

‘Okay we really must go guys,’ Sandy said impatiently, glancing at her watch.

‘Wait!’ Rose pulled her top over her head as she hopped around the room, searching for her left boot.

Sandy pulled it from under Rose’s bed, holding it out, shaking her head. ‘Cowboy boots don’t go with everything Rosie, I shouldn’t allow this,’

‘Rose believes cowboy boots go with every outfit Sandy,’ Roxanne replied, taking the boot and passing it to Rose.

‘You should know this by now, she’s got a pair in every colour,’ Frankie said, ‘we had to extend her trunk to fit them all in,’ she added.

‘I don’t have one in every colour,’ Rose protested.

‘Not yet but you should. You can never have too many shoes,’ Roxanne told her.

‘Yes you can. It’s not like you can wear more than one pair at a time? Why would you need loads,’ Sandy replied.

‘True, our sustainable queen,’ 

‘What would we do without our Sandy?’ Rose said teasingly.

‘We’d be lost without you hunny,’ Frankie said, grabbing Sandy’s hands and twirling her.

‘Enough, I’m hungry,’ she pouted, pulling away from Frankie’s grasp.

‘Sandy this top is see through!’ Rose complained.

‘Great we’ll get free drinks,’ Sandy replied drily.

Under Attack began playing. Sandy groaned while the other girls cheered.

‘Yessss,’ Roxanne laughed, jumping up on the bed.

‘Mandatory dance party Sandy, sorry hun,’ Rose said smiling, pointing her wand at the record player, increasing the volume.

The girls were in fits of laughter as they danced around the room, singing loudly and acting out the lyrics.

After much protesting, by the end of the song, Sandy had joined in, grudgingly swaying her hips and clapping her hands. They twirled and jumped and cheered, landing in a heap in the middle of the room.

‘That’s one of my favourites,’ Rose wheezed, trying to catch her breath. 

‘Mine too,’ Frankie replied.

‘Nah Does your mother know is better,’ Sandy put in. 

‘It’s up for debate,’ Frankie said, getting up and turning off the record player.

‘Ye are all wrong, the best is obviously Voulez-Vous,’ Roxanne said, waving her wand and tidying the clothes on the floor back into cupboards. 

‘Incorrect,’ Sandy stood, placing her hands on her hips.

‘Okay guys I think we need to leave in ten seconds become Sandy curses us,’

‘Five actually,’

                                                                   *

Twenty minutes later the girls had nearly finished the walk to The Rum and Crab Shack  in St. Ives. Ever since their third year, the girls would visit Rose in Cornwall at the end of summer, and at some point have dinner in Rum and Crab. 

‘We should have invited Al and the lads,’ Frankie said, as they strolled along Wharf road.

‘Noah’s working in Wales though, Al told me he couldn’t get the time off before school,’ Rose replied, looking out across the bay.

‘What about Louis?’

‘They were down for the party last night but Hugo said they left around one, something about a family dinner I think’. Rose’s cousin Louis was the youngest of Bill’s children. He had attended Beauxbatons Academy until fourth year, and when he moved to Hogwarts he was sorted into Slytherin. Rose thought that anyone who knew him would agree that the house suited him perfectly. He had a sort of sly arrogance to him, but was funny and charming enough to get away with it and still be well liked. Louis had inherited his father’s height and his mother’s features. His buzzed hair was so blonde it was nearly white. It was different from Scorpius’s, who had dirty blonde hair, thanks to his mother. Louis had joined Albus, Scorpius and Noah’s dorm and they had all formed a strong bond since. 

Rose turned to her and smirked. 

‘You just wanna see Al don’t you?’ she asked, raising her eyebrows.

Frankie blushed. ‘We were talking last night,’ she replied, shrugging her shoulders. ‘I felt like something was going to happen. But then your cousins came over to chat and well. They wouldn't leave’.

‘Oh I’m confident something will happen Frankie. Like very confident. I think he’s nervous,’

‘Nervous? Of what?’

‘Hmmm a five foot ten blonde who happens to look like Meg Ryan in the nineties and also has impeccable clothing style?’

‘Impeccable is debatable, I overheard Clara tell Maria my pants were questionable last night,’

‘Ya questionable as in could she ever pull them off, which by the way, she couldn’t,’ 

‘Behave,’

‘She’s also probably jealous. I know she used to like Al back in third year and she probably still does,’

‘Hmm well there’s not much to be jealous of right now. But thank you, really,’

‘Just give it time,’

‘And what about you and Scorpius?’

‘What about him?’

‘Well, I thought you might want to see him. You know, after last night?’

‘When I cried myself to sleep?’

‘Before that,’

‘Let’s not talk about it,’

‘You’re avoiding it,’

‘I know,’

Frankie turned to Rose. She reached for her arm and gave it a quick squeeze. 

‘Well, when you want to talk. You can,’ she said kindly.

Rose opened her mouth to reply but Sandy and Roxanne called back from in front of them.

‘Here we are ladies,’ Sandy said, her arm looped between Roxanne’s. 'Finally. We could have apparated, no one would have seen us,' she added.

‘I don't know if you’ve heard but I think Sandy’s hungry?’ Roxanne said, rolling her eyes, but smiling all the same.

They headed into the restaurant. Frankie held Rose’s arm and whispered, ‘whatever you decide, I’m rooting for ye’. She hugged her and followed the other girls through the doorway.

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