Just for old time's sake.

My first Mistake: Allowing Leah to fake sick and skive off potions so she could hang out with that Hufflepuff fifth year she's always talking about. This was foolish of me for two reasons. ONE the boy is nothing but trouble and I shouldn't encourage her to waste her time with the lousy sod .And TWO it meant that I was going to have to be potions partners with my lovely cousin Albus . Normally this wouldn't be a problem, today however Albus was a wee bit upset.

That was mistake number two. Trusting Albus to compartmentalize and focus on the potion instead of the row he had quite obviously had with Malfoy and the Slytherin stooges. Young Mr. potter could do no such thing and spent the entirety of the period mumbling to himself and throwing ingredients into the cauldron in such a reckless way that the group next to us flinched every time he moved. They had good reason too, because as many of you can probably guess, the overall carelessness and stupidity Al was exhibiting was bound to lead to one thing.

An Explosion.

And I ,being the stupid and yet supportive cousin that failed to tell him to get the hell away from the potion, was blasted across the room and showered with large chunks of what used to be my cauldron. Luckily I wasn't totally knocked out and I had a pretty decent idea of where I was. I even remembered to kick Al when he came to see if I was ok. Of course I wasn't ok though. That was a stupid question really. I had bits of concrete embedded into my skull. I could feel the warmness of the blood on the back of my head.

"Al I need the hospital wing." I said, closing my eyes as they began to water.

"Ok well stand up and we'll see if there's anything wrong with you."

"Albus I'm telling you there's something wrong with me. We don't need to see anything. YOU blew up a cauldron and launched me across the room, so I'd appreciate it if you took my word for it and allow me to seek medical attention so I can make sure that my brain wasn't turned to jelly!"

"If your brain was turned to jelly then you wouldn't be acting like such a smart ass."

"Just help me the bloody hell up!" I said swinging my arm blindly and hoping to hit him.

"Alright, Merlin."

I tried to stand as he pulled me up, it felt like I was being held under water for a second . Everything went black and my head started to spin.

"Too fast!" I said, grabbing onto his arm for support.

" Ms Weasley , are you alright?" I heard Slughorn ask.

I couldn't answer , the pounding in my head made it impossible for me to even think.

" I'm gonna take her to the hospital wing sir ." Al said

It went black from there and all I really remember is Al standing next to my bed in the hospital wing telling me goodbye with a big smile on his face.

As if I was taking a leisurely nap and he had done me a favor!

Madame Pomfrey cleaned me up and in between cursing the immaturity of my cousin said that there was no real damage. And so about two hours after the actual explosion I was permitted to return to my day as usual.

HAH!

I don't think I can remember ever being angrier than I was as I walked out of the hospital wing. Albus nearly fractured my skull, because he was too much of a little girl to handle a snarky comment from Sod-head Malfoy. Now I'm going to be behind on my notes in my afternoon classes because I guarantee no one thought to take notes for me since Corbin was sick. If they did it would be Al's chicken scratch or a few half-ass sentences surrounded by little hearts with the initials of all the boy's Leah is in love with.

This was the worst day ever! I felt like crying. I was frustrated, hungry, filthy, and so so SO annoyed. I was going to tear Albus a new one. I really think he thought it was funny, he thought I was going to LAUGH! Even Madam Pomfrey said he was an animal (although admittedly she's become less tactful with age) I could have been seriously injured! It was only by luck that my brain didn't turn to soup!

"Rose!" I turned and saw my boyfriend Jonathon rushing towards me "Are you okay?! Al told us that the Slytherins jinxed your cauldron_"

"That is NOT what happened!" I said, gritting my teeth and feeling my face flood with absolute rage.

He stopped and grabbed both of my hands "Calm down will you? At least you're alright." He smiled brightly at me, there was a bit of poppy seed between his teeth but I wasn't going to tell him that. No I was too angry, far too angry.

"I will not calm down!" I said, shaking him off and starting to walk away. The corridors were starting to crowd as classes had just been dismissed and the chaos of it all wasn't doing much to improve my mood.

"Rose please, he's your cousin." Jonathon reasoned as he attempted to follow me through the sea of students.

"Whether or not he's my cousin is irrelevant, he's as good as dead! He nearly killed me! And then he laughed about it! Just dropped me off in the hospital as if nothing happened! Do you know what he said to me? He said "See you at Dinner Rosie!" He didn't care, he didn't care at all. He LAUGHED. Everything is a damn joke to him. Our cousinly relationship is Hippogriff shit. I was bleeding! IN THE BLOODY HEAD!"

Steam had to have been coming out of my ears. Jonathon was offering me what he thought was consoling advice, but I have no desire to listen to him I'm way too_

Suddenly I looked up and everything slowed down just enough for me to take a few deep breaths. James and Jordan were walking by. They were laughing, probably at one of James "imitations" for some reason Jordan always found those amusing (especially the one of Mr. Filch) Once they had started to pass I think James called out to me, but I could only focus on Jordan and his incredible, laughing smile that seemed to lift a weight off of my chest. I'd forgotten how green his eyes were. In my head I was no longer in a crowded corridor at Hogwarts, but standing outside in the pouring rain with those eyes and that smile and Jordan Wood kissing me so deeply that my feet lift off the ground.

It was his actual eyes meeting mine that brought me back to where I really was. He didn't stop smiling and maybe I smiled back, but as soon as they passed everything sped right back up. And I felt calm.

"_ and there's really no reason to physically hurt him you know?" Jonathon was saying.

I looked at him blankly "Who?"

"Al? You said you were going to kill Al."

"I'm not going to kill Al." I sighed. He looked both confused and relieved. "Let's just go to the Great hall, grab some food, and relax yeah?"

He nodded and smiled as the crowd swept us towards the hall

. . .

I have always hated Herbology. Something about studying plants just seems unnatural to me. I suppose its alright for some especially those ( like Longbottom) that have little to no confidence in front of people. It amazes me that he was able to take on Voldemort and a castle full of death eaters but the idea of teenage witches and wizards makes him twitch. James thinks I'm too critical of him, but I think he has that backwards. Longbottom has issued me more punishments than any other teacher here. He tells me it's because I need to learn to balance quidditch and school and he's "not going to be the one to give me a break" I think he and Harry had a conversation behind my back and decided that they knew what was best for me. Maybe one day I will appreciate the extra attention but right now I most certainly DO NOT.

"I'm not doing it." I finally say, laying my head down on the book in front of me. "There is NO way anyone could write three feet about carnivorous plants!"

"Jordan people have written entire books on carnivorous plants, you're currently trying to suffocate yourself in one." Lily said smartly

"And you have to do it Wood, if not he'll get McGonagall to bar you from the quidditch team. " Hugo added.

"He has used that threat on me way too many times!" I said "He gets angry that I don't put forth enough effort in his class, but he is making me hate the subject by assigning me all these bleeding disciplinary essays!"

"He's obviously trying to make a point to you_" Lily began, although she was interrupted by my girlfriend Amy, who popped her gum in her ear.

"He's just jealous Jordan. He wasn't the most popular bloke when he was in school so he's trying to take you down a notch."

"He was a war hero Amy he didn't need to be popular." I said with a twinge of annoyance. Only I could bash professor Longbottom, anyone else's insults would only be counterproductive. " I have so many assignments due this week AND the quidditch final is next month, why do I have to waste my time with this?! I don't know what else to write, I really truly don't!"

I felt frustration knotting in my chest. I was falling behind in school, I was slacking off on the pitch. I was trying so hard to care about anything that I was about to just give up on it all. This was stupid, and a waste of time, and it made me feel like a total thickhead. I felt like screaming all the time. All I have been doing is preparing for OWLS and trying to be picked as captain for next season and it feels like I'm doing a shitty job at both because I have to focus on other ridiculous things like this. To everyone else this was just a stupid essay, but to me it was proof that I couldn't handle it.

I couldn't remember ever feeling so hopeless. I was going to fail Herbology. I was going to disappoint everyone and lose us the quidditch match, and end up a lonely drunk all because I couldn't manage to write three sodding feet about carnivorous plants! I slammed the book shut and Lily jumped.

"Jordan, you need to calm down." She said, to no avail.

"Yeah I wouldn't worry, Longbottom is probably bluffing anyway." Amy added.

"That isn't the point!" I said " I'm just done! I have half a mind to just drop out of school and see if George will give me a job scrubbing the windows at one of his stores_"

"Jordan really_" Someone began, they were talking although I couldn't really distinguish their voice. My attention had been drawn across the room, to a small little table, covered with books, and occupied by two people. One of them was laughing, the sound of it twinkling around like some kind of bell. Her eyes, although dark brown , always seemed to shine when she laughed. It was something I could never figure out, even in the darkest room I swear I'd see a spark whenever she was smiling. As I watched her I felt the fog in my brain start to clear and as she brushed some hair away from her face I was no longer sitting in Hogwarts library. I was in the meadow behind the burrow with those eyes and that smile and Rose Weasley kissing me with such enthusiasm that I would begin to feel lightheaded.

It was her lips meeting her boyfriends that brought me back to where I really was.

"Jordan?! Helloooo?" I looked around and saw Lily snapping her fingers in front of my face. "Did you even listen to a word I said?"

"Sorry Lil," I said gathering my things due to a desire to be as far away from the library as possible "I'm gonna go try to tackle this essay in the common room."

"I though you weren't going to do it at all? You were going to drop out and be a stockboy_" Hugo asked.

"It's just an essay Hugo, no need to be so dramatic." I replied "I'll see you lot later."

As quickly as I could I set off towards Gryffindor tower. I just need to get away. I need to be somewhere where I can think about something other than how bad it hurts to see her kissing that kid. I remembered the essay in my hand and shook my head. I still had no idea what I was going to write, or how I was going to get it done by tomorrow afternoon without skipping quidditch. I would have to trap myself in the common room for hours and read Longbottom's bloody book over and over until I could bullshit the rest of the essay. My brain was going to melt and ooze out of my ears.

Al passed by me as I walked through the portrait hole. He was talking to Corbin who seemed to have finally made it out of bed. They waved to me and I caught the tail end of their conversation.

"So she just made me apologize over and over for the cauldron thing, but I'm sure that won't be the end of it. You know how Rose is. She's been hinting that she wants me to be the one to end it with that goofball guy she's dating because it would be too awkward for her or something. I can't really stand the bloke so I'm all for it, kill two birds with one stone."

Suddenly everything seemed just a little bit easier. I can do this.