August 8, 2026

This was it. This was absolutely, positively the last straw. Rose Weasley stormed to the house soaking wet with a wrench still in her hand. She had been up to her knees in mud trying to fix the water pipe that was leaking under the ground in the backyard. Then the pipe burst and all the frustration and anger that had been building up the past few months came together at once and she snapped. All the logical reasoning left her brain and rage consumed her.

She tore open the door and slammed it shut behind her. She could hear the faint sound of a television in the living room and she gave a small scream in anger. She didn't even kick off her muddy shoes; she walked through the house caked in mud, stomping her way to the room.

"YOU!" she yelled, "YOU. . . YOU CAN'T. . . STOP. . . TV. . . NEVER. . . LAZY. . . ARRGGHHH!" She gave another scream and put her hands to her head. The man on the couch looked up at her in surprise through her outburst. Once upon a time that man was very special to her. Now she couldn't even remember what she even saw in him.

"Rosie, why are you all wet? You are getting mud everywhere; you better clean that up cupcake. And move, you're blocking the TV."

Rose flared her nostrils with each thing he said. "NO! NOT ROSIE DUMBASS! AND ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? She dramatically pointed to the television with the wrench.

"Swear jar. That's two dollars my beautiful cauliflower."

"DO NOT CALL ME BLOODY, STUPID PETNAMES!" She waved her hands fanatically in the air. "I'M OUT. FUCK I'M LEAVING. . . BLOODY. . . RIDICULOUS!" She couldn't even form a complete sentence.

"Another two dollars. And pick me up some beers before you come back."

Keep calm, a soft, soothing voice said and Rose deflated a bit, trying to keep her rage under check. Logical reasoning came back to one itty bitty corner of her brain.

"Okay. No, Danny. I - I'm serious this time. There's only so much of this I can take, and I've reached my limit - over it really. I'm leaving and not coming back, oh and I quit that fucking job also. You are a lazy son of a bitch who does nothing. Ever. Don't try to contact me in any way, don't talk to my family, and don't ever come looking for me."

Danny finally looked up in her in surprise. "Well, leave then. I always knew you would Rosie. I told you. I told you you wouldn't stay with me, even after everything we've been through."

She flared her nostrils again and she was pretty sure her ears twitched too. He did not. How dare he!

Peacefully, then leave, a different-weirdly-female voice said.

"My name is NOT Rosie!" She pointed the wrench at him. "Now, I'm going to pack my bags and you stay right-bloody-there. In front of that damn televised crap, like always."

He didn't take notice of what she said and instead regarded her moodily. "Why do you have a wrench in your hand, peanut?"

No freakin' way. There went the logical reasoning.

Rose's mouth opened and closed without sound. He was enormously senseless! She had bloody well told him that he should fix the water pipe, but nooooo, he didn't want to get his arse off the couch. Never did.

She saw red and her somewhat calmed mind instantly disappeared; it was in attack mode now.

The TV. Aim for the TV, a third-weirdly-male voice said.

She held her wrench up higher and walked over to the TV. It was all this stupid things fault.

Do it, the voice said again.

Ignoring Danny's yells from the couch on what the hell she was doing, she let the wrench fall to the screen. Hard. A big dent appeared. Again and again her wrench went down and cracks appeared on the screen. Satisfaction ran through her with each hit. She smashed it one last time before Danny got there.

He wrapped his arms around her and violently picked her up to pull her away; she dropped the wrench to the floor. Rose kicked fiercely and struggled to get out.

"MY TV. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING YOU PSYCHO BITCH!"

"YOU DESERVE IT ASSHOLE. LET. . . GO OF ME!"

Rose struggled to get his arms off of her. She finally got one well aimed kick to his crotch and he practically threw her to the wall as he went down.

Rose thumped against the wall and felt her wrist twinge under her weight. She turned back around to face Danny who was on the ground, breathing hard. The red was slowly starting to clear from her eyes and she stared in shock. If only I had my wand, she thought. Damn I'm a bloody idiot.

She raced to her's and Danny's room and grabbed a backpack from under the bed. There were a few things in the bottom but she had no time to dump it out. She started throwing everything she could see in it: clothes, shampoo, toothbrush, raincoat, some sandals. She was randomly grabbing things in her efforts to be quick. She couldn't recall if there was anything important she was forgetting.

After the backpack was almost full she zipped it up and peeked out the door, trying to see if Danny was up yet. The hallway was empty but she couldn't hear any whimpers or swears from the living room anymore. It was extremely silent; she could hear the clock ticking in the kitchen. She was on edge as she swung the backpack over she shoulders. Rose cautiously took some steps into the hallway, walking close to the wall so the floor wouldn't squeak under her. She tried to control her breathing.

Get out of the house as fast as you can, the female voice said.

No. Find him one more time and give him a good lump on his head. Pick that lamp up, the male voice said.

Rose shook her head as though talking to someone, but her focus was entirely on walking quietly down the hallway. She still couldn't hear any noises anywhere. Her heart was beating faster and faster. She was almost at the end of the hallway now. She didn't know – should she do the front door or the back door? But Danny jumped in the opening before she could decide. He had a crazed look on his face. He wasn't expecting her to be so close and froze up for a moment.

Damn it! Next time decide quicker, no more element of surprise now, she thought.

The two stared at each other in silence before Danny broke the peace and let out a war cry. He swung his fist at her and she ducked. His fist hit the wall and broke through; making a large hole in the drywall. Two pictures fell from the wall farther down the hallway and cracked against the floor. Rose darted to the side of him, hoping to slip past while he was occupied with his fist still in the wall, but his body reacted quicker than she thought. He body-checked her just as she was passing and she slammed into the wall, her face hitting the corner. She fell to the floor but rolled away from him, sitting back up in a crouching position so she would be ready to move fast. She had heard a crack in her rib area and there were sharp pains in her side and face that she couldn't worry about right now. Danny was facing her again.

"That was my TV, bitch. MY TV. You don't have the right to hurt my baby," he said in an almost sob.

Rose stared at him, amazed, with all her nerves on end and gave a stunned laugh, "I don't know if it's sadder that you care more about a TV than a real person, or the fact that I have been with you for almost two years. I'm disgusted with myself, really."

Move NOW, the soothing-first-voice said.

Rose dove to the side as Danny came charging and he missed her; his large body not quick enough to pivot with her. She crawled to the door quickly and opened it. She was just about outside when she felt him grab her foot and pull backwards.

"You are not leaving. You will buy me a new TV and work to make this up to me. You can't quit your job, because we need the money. Fucking see some sense Rose," Danny said, gripping her foot.

"Let go of me," growled Rose, ignoring the vile coming from his mouth. She held the doorframe in one hand and was desperately trying not to let it go as Danny attempted to pull her into the house. Her arms were straining and her fingers were losing grip. Desperately she lifted her other leg in a weird angle and brought it smashing down hard onto Danny's nose. He let go with a cry as his hands went to his face and her legs dropped to the floor. She was free. She kicked off her half pulled off shoe and stood up, racing out the door into the sun.

She took her first left and then right. She cut across a park and a few schoolyards, still sprinting. She stepped on countless rocks and her bare foot felt bruised and cut, but she kept going.

She didn't stop running until she felt she was so far away that she was on another continent. Only then did she halt and allow herself to catch her breath. Her hands were on her knees and her breath was deep and raggedy as she looked around at her surroundings.

It was a very beautiful day in the summer. She was in a park she had never been to before and she looked rapidly around her trying to get her bearings. There were families on picnics, playing Frisbee and soccer, dogs running, and kids laughing. She felt a bit out of place.

She noticed the people who walked past her look at her funny. Yes, I should expect that, she thought. She had one shoe missing, her jeans and shirt were muddy and even better, she had on her old ratty Cookie Monster t-shirt with the sleeves cut off. She was a mess, simply put, not to mention the bruise that was probably forming on her face.

However, in spite of her external looks, she felt decidedly amazing on the inside. Rose felt relieved, shocked, happy - everything. Even a tad guilty, unfortunately. She finally dumped her boyfriend's sorry arse for good, quit her useless job, and left. It was something she should have done months ago, but didn't. She was riding high on cloud nine, at least for the moment. She felt like she could do a happy dance.

Finally having caught her breath, she stretched her arms up and tried to inhale deeply but then promptly collapsed on herself when she felt a sharp pain in her side. Right, her ribs. She needed to get them looked after.

She could go to a Muggle hospital for it would be closer, but they would do practically nothing, not to mention ask questions she didn't want to answer. Or, she could go to her cousins' flat where all three of them were in training to be Healers and get instant relief. But she also needed her wand too, and Albus unfortunately had that way on the other side of town.

Regardless of what she needed to do she still didn't know where she was so she started limping towards the road she saw in the distance. Before she could get very far, two old ladies, one with a cane, came up to her and started talking to her.

"No vagrants allowed in the park. Young lady, this is a family area and you are a disgrace right now, especially to the proper women here. We will call the police if you don't leave immediately," screeched one of the ladies, who was missing a few teeth.

"Pardon? I'm not a vagrant."

"That's what your generation says, but we know differently," the other lady wheezed.

"Scram now!" said the first lady. She picked up her cane and gave Rose a good whack in the shins.

"Ouch, geezus. I'm going, I'm going. Don't lose your wigs now," Rose said scathingly and left the old ladies muttering about the new generation of young adults and how impolite they were.

She reached the road without any further incident and luckily there was a map of London there for tourists. She frowned at the distance she would have to walk to her cousin's flat. With no wand or wizard money, she couldn't get to her cousins place by apparition or the Knight Bus. She checked her backpack for her muggle things: her wallet and her cellphone, and cursed. She would forget them. Definitely no chance for the muggle hospital now and Rose sure as hell wasn't going back to an angry ex-boyfriend to retrieve them. She would just have to walk to her cousins. She still had about nine hours before sundown so it was doable.

Rose rolled up her muddy pants a few times and put on the pair of hiking sandals she randomly had thrown in the backpack. The lone shoe went to the garbage. She wouldn't need it. The empty water bottle in her backpack was filled with water at the fountain and then she found a ponytail and put her frizzy red hair up. As she started walking, she almost laughed. She couldn't walk, not really. She was hobbling along, her foot almost too sore to bear her weight. But there wasn't anything else she could do so she set out, aiming north.

You should steal that skateboard, it will be quicker, a voice said in her mind and she blinked in surprise.

"What?" Rose said out loud, looking around her and then seeing the skateboard on the ground by her feet she jumped in surprise.

Don't listen to the fool. Just walk to the flat nice and peaceful like, another voice said.

"What the hell?" Rose said again but quieter this time.

Sorry, we forgot to introduce ourselves. My name is Marta and the other unfortunate soul is Greg. Don't listen to him though. He is bad news bears, the same voice said again.

Oh my god, I'm going crazy, thought Rose as she walked past the skateboard and up the street.

There was a loud cough in her mind and the male sounding voice said, not at all sweetheart, we are your guiders, or your instincts if you please.

We are not your instincts, that is a different voice. He only talks to you in times of need or when you need specific guidance. No, we are you. We are both different sides of you however, like your consciences. You could, metaphorically speaking, think of me as your guardian angel, and Greg as your guardian devil.

I am not a devil, an outraged Greg shouted in her mind.

Keep trying to convince yourself of that, Marta said to Greg and then said to Rose, he would be the one to tell you to pop the bicycle tires on a kids bike. He's that sort.

She's not some pre-pubescent moody teenager! I wouldn't ever say that to her. . . But sweetheart if you wanted to, I wouldn't stop you.

"I think. . . I've heard your voices before. . . back when we were at the house," Rose said hesitantly, sure she was losing her mind and talking out loud would only be confirming it.

Damn rights you did. Told you you should have grabbed that lamp, Greg said indignantly.

Like that would have helped her, she finally decides to leave for good and you try to make her stay longer? Not smart advice I'd say.

Of course you would say that. You're Miss Goody-Two Shoes. Rose needs some spice in her life, it's who she is.

Marta sighed. I know, that is why I have to deal with you right now. Anyway Rose, we will be here for you for however long we are. Who really knows the whims of witches? But there is nothing else to say right now, so have a good walk, don't pop any bicycle tires, and don't make rash decisions.

You could kick some cats though, or grumpy old ladies, Greg whispered and then everything was silent.

"Holy fuuuuck. I am going crazy. Walk Rose, walk," she whispered to herself and didn't think anything more of it as she limped through London. She had the map mentally in her mind of where to go and didn't let stray thoughts of going crazy, Danny, or all the weird looks she was getting deter her.

She made surprisingly good time. It was just after supper when she came up to the apartment where Dominique, Molly, and Lucy lived. She was sweaty and hot; her backpack that was light at first felt like it weighed a tonne now; her cheek, foot, wrist, and side were throbbing; and she was seeing double and tripping over her feet from exhaustion.

She walked into the foyer and over to the phone. The building was a hotel in the lower floors, but there were apartments on the upper floors for residents. It was rather high end, especially for students. The receptionist looked like she was about to call security with the way she stared openly at Rose.

She pressed the number to her cousin's apartment on the phone and ignored everyone else in the foyer. She heard the other end get picked up but then nobody said anything, she only heard a voice in the background say: "No Lorcan. Don't you dare say anything! You are not supposed to answer the - no, give it. Give it. Don't-"

A male voice then came over the line, "Weasley Residence, how may I help you?"

"Uhh, Hey. . . Lorcan. . . can you buzz me up?" Rose heard more noises that sounded like a scuffle and then her cousin's voice came on.

"Hello, uhh sorry about that. Who. . . is this?"

"Rose. Buzz me up!"

"Hmmm oh Rose. I don't know any Rose's. Sorry."

"Your bloody cousin, Lucy! Buzz me up!"

"Holy Mother of Merlin can you not get my name right? Can anybody get my name right? Just because me and Lucy are identical twins does not mean that we sound the same! Honestly, her voice is way lower than mine."

Rose cracked a small smile at that even though it hurt her cheek. She heard in the background a shout from Lucy of 'not even Molls.'

Rose continued, "okay sorry Molly but-"

"Oh no big deal, besides sometimes I even forget who is who. Anyways how are things? Hope you didn't bring Danny with you this time, I'm cleaning dishes with my wand right now - and oh shit, that slipped, please say he is not here cause I don't want to obliviate him again. Oh bloody hell I can't keep my mouth shut, sorry Rose I-"

"Molly, he isn't with me! Can you please buzz-"

"Oh thank goodness! I was really worried there for a moment. Please say my parents aren't with you either!"

"Your parents-? Fuck Molly, no, just-"

"Oh good. Gosh I feel like my heart is beating like a hummingbirds', crazy. See my parents don't know about Lorcan yet and sometimes they stop by randomly. Oh and the reason why I didn't acknowledge your name at the start was because I thought it was Rose Daphne, you know, that annoying old lady from down yonder who always forgets her keys-"

Rose sighed and pretended to bang her head against the wall a few times. Of course Molly would be the one to pick up.

"-and you usually telephone us before you come to warn and all. Just to be more muggle, cause Danny doesn't know anything. But I guess you are practically muggle anyways now since you started dating him a billion years ago. So I mnmnmnh-"

Molly got cut off and a new voice came on the line, the voice of Dominique. "Wow that girl doesn't shut up and Lucy is too busy laughing her arse off to save you. Sorry I just flooed in, are you on your way over?"

"No, I'm in the bloody foyer right now. Buzz me up, please!"

"Damn sailor, swear jar didn't work? And you are buzzed in righhhhhht now. We'll chat when you get up here. Ciao."

Rose hung up the phone and the door opened to the stairs. About bloody time.

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A/N: Folks, this is the harshest language will be. No other chapters will have as much either.