Chapter 19

Sitting outside the Headmistresses office was something Rose could image she would be doing in the middle of a Tuesday afternoon. In fact, if someone had told her a week ago that she would be there, she would have told them they were completely bonkers. Not only that, but the fact that she knew she was there to get her Head Girl badge taken away made her feel even worse.

She had been in her first class this morning, Potions, when she had gotten the note. It had been her first class since last Friday and all that had occurred during the weekend. It had been tough, with all the stares, to get there. But she had and was determined not to let the whispering bother her. After a few minutes with it, though, Rose had had enough and was ready to escape. Luckily, her escape came in the form of a letter. Rose was just about to start brewing the potion she had been assigned to when a second year came in with a note from Professor McGonagall asking Rose to come to her office immediately. So Rose did what any person would do in that position, she dropped everything and went the Professor McGonagall's office.

When she got there, however, Professor McGonagall was nowhere to be seen. So, instead of going back to the whispers voices of her classmates, Rose decided to wait for her Professor. There was no use going back to a class she didn't want to be in. Besides, Professor McGonagall had said to come immediately. Rose knew what was coming, and not being there wouldn't make a difference. Her hands clenched around a piece of parchment that she had in her pocket.

Wondering slightly as to why she had put the letter from Luna in her school clothes, Rose unfolded it. Already, the parchment showed wear and tear, even though it had just been delivered last night. Lily and she had spent hours pouring over every little detail in the letter: looking for spells on it or secret notes. Sadly, they had found nothing.

"This isn't fair. Why do things have to be so difficult?" Lily had said in a huff as she threw the letter down on a table in the common room, Rose recalled. After her roommates had wanted to come into their dorm to go to sleep, Rose and Lily relocated to the common room. For privacy reasons, they set up a safe space in a corner. By the time they were finished discussing the letter, it was well after midnight.

"We have to be missing something," Rose had replied, just as tired and as frustrated as Lily was. "Why could something be easy for once?" she had asked to no one in particular.

"Because we're bloody Weasleys and Potters, that's why," Lily had responded with a slight grin. "Nothing will ever be easy."

Silence fell over the girls as they both landed into a deep thought. Rose had broken the silence by asking, "Do you really think it's Lorcan?"

"I'm not sure what to think," Lily said, and picked up the letter again. "On one hand, we have solid evidence against Lorcan. But my mum seemed interested in Lysander as well. Lysander doesn't really know us, though. And I can't figure out a motive."

"Not all killers have motives," Rose said, thinking about a case her dad had worked on. "Some people just kill to kill and don't care what they do. Those are the scary ones."

"But not in this case," Lily replied. "This was one specific murder."

"That's why you don't think it's Lysander," Rose mused. "Because he doesn't have a clear motive."

Lily nodded. "He doesn't. And look what Luna said in her letter. Lorcan has a violent temper that comes out of nowhere. When he gets like that, there is no telling what he would do. So maybe, he just finally had enough and decided to get even with the Malfoys."

"But that doesn't explain everything," Rose countered. "Like the murder weapon. A poison that only the Malfoy's knew. And how would he have gotten to the Malfoy Manor. Does he ever know where it is? Any do we even know that your mum knows who's blackmailing her? Or that it has any connection to the Malfoy murder? And how do we know that Scorpius is just behind everything? And where is he anyways? Is he hiding for safety or kidnapped by the real killer? There are just too many variables."

"You're not giving up are you?" Lily asked, looking up to her cousin with tears in her eyes. "I'm too young to go to Azkaban."

"No one is going to go to Azkaban, Lily," Rose said, pulling her into a fierce hug. "Not on my watch. Now go and get some sleep. We have more investigating to do tomorrow."

"Okay," Lily said and gave the letter back to Rose. "I know you won't let me down."

Rose's hand clenched around the letter again. How could her cousin have such blind faith in her? Not everything she did was good. If it was, why would she be sitting outside Professor McGonagall's office? But Rose knew why. It was because even after all of the crazy stuff she did, Lily was family. And no one messed with Rose's family.

"Oh, thank Merlin you are here, Ms. Weasley," Professor McGonagall said, startling Rose out of her stupor. "I suppose you got my note, then?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Rose replied, wondering why McGonagall seemed so happy to see her. If she was just going to take away her badge, Rose wished she would just do it and not prolong the inevitable.

"Good, good," was all Professor McGonagall said. "Let's step into my office, shall we?"

Rose followed her Professor into her office and sat down across the desk. Rose had been there at the beginning of the year, but not since. And never had she been there when she was in trouble.

"Now Ms. Weasley," Professor McGonagall began, "I have been wanting to have a little chat with you since the weekend. Seeing how you were in school yesterday, I found it prudent to send you a note."

Rose wished she could just get it over with. Skip the pleasantries and get to the matter at hand. Still, she had to be polite. "I understand, Professor," she said. "I wasn't feeling very well yesterday and last night. I didn't want to get anyone else sick." It was a weak excuse, but Rose knew no matter what she said wouldn't change Professor McGonagall's mind.

McGonagall's eyes narrowed at the excuse. "I see," she replied, her lips growing thin. "I trust you're feeling better?"

Rose knew what she was really asking. Was she going to lash out in a class from all the attention and go crazy? She didn't know, but it's not like she would tell her Professor that. "I'm feeling a lot better, thank you."

"Well then, should we continue?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

Professor McGonagall looked down at papers in front of her. "Since the Head Boy has gone missing this past weekend and is now facing murder charges, I'm afraid I have no choice but to take away his badge. When he is proven innocent or guilty, I, along with the school governors, will review his case. If convicted, an automatic expulsion for the school will happen. If the charges are dropped, he will most likely be able to attend, but may be under review for the rest of the year. Do you understand?" Professor McGonagall asked, for the first time looking up from her papers.

Looking confused, Rose nodded her head. Why did this matter to her? It wasn't like she was going to be Head Girl anymore.

"The reason I'm telling you this, Ms. Weasley, is because you are going to have a lot more on your plate the next few weeks. With Mr. Malfoy gone, all the Head duties will fall to you."

"What?" Rose cried out in amazement. "You mean I get to keep my badge?"

Professor McGonagall looked puzzled. "Why on earth wouldn't you get to keep your badge? This school couldn't survive without at least one Head."

"I just thought with everything that has happened…" Rose trailed off, blushing slightly. How could she had convinced herself that McGonagall was mad at her? She didn't do anything wrong in a school sense.

"Ms. Weasley," Professor McGonagall said, looking over her small wiry glasses. Her tone was quieter, almost a whisper. "What has happened was not your fault. You had no way of knowing how things would get out of hand. I think you handled yourself with the upmost dignity."

"Thank you, Professor."

"Now what class do you have?" Professor McGonagall said, the moment of quietness gone. "I will have to write you a pass."

[-**-]

"Hey, Rose. Can I talk to you?" a quiet voice from a broom closet said behind her. After leaving Professor McGonagall's office feeling slightly better, Rose started her way back down towards the Potions classroom. She still had fifteen minutes left of class, and she didn't want to waste them. This voice, however, made her steps falter.

"No," she replied. Her steps went back to as they were before. She didn't even bother to turn around, knowing who is was by the wariness of his voice.

"Please, Rose?" he begged, stepping out into the fully lit corridor behind Rose. "I would really like to talk now."

"Stay away from me," Rose said, willing her steps to walk a little faster. She had no idea if he was actually behind the murders and the blackmailing, but she wasn't taking a chance.

"Rose," Lorcan growled and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't touch me," Rose screamed as her body jerked away. "I don't want to talk to you. Not now, not ever. Why can't you get that?"

Lorcan removed his hand and stopped walking. "I just wanted to apologize."

"Apology not accepted." She continued walking.

"I heard Scorpius lost his Head Badge," Lorcan said in a last ditch attempt to get Rose to talk to him.

It worked. "How dare you speak his name!" Rose yelled, turning around to face him. "How dare you talk about him in front of me!" Oh, she was mad. Ballistic, even. All her anger she had concealed from all the whispers and gossip was beginning to come out. "Don't you dare say anything to me. Not now, and not ever! Not after what you did."

"What?" A confused look settled upon Lorcan's face as though put there by a charm. "What do you mean? After what I did? What did I do that would warrant this screaming?"

"You don't know what you did? That's rich," Rose yelled, blinded by her rage to see that Lorcan was utterly confused. "You don't think after what you did to Scorpius, and his family, and the Potters you don't deserve this?"

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Lorcan asked. "I'm not really following this conversation."

This calmed Rose down enough to look at him. Rose studied his face. He honestly looked like he had no idea what she was saying. Realization dawned on her. "You have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about, do you?" she asked him, her eyes growing wide.

"And what gives you that impression?" he asked sarcastically. "Only that I'm standing in the middle of the corridor looking like a complete idiot while you are screaming at me? No, Rose. I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

"But it doesn't make sense," Rose said. Her head was starting to hurt. It felt as if a million bricks were pounding into her head at once. Her thoughts were swirling. It didn't make sense for Lorcan not to be involved. He was the only one who had a motive. Unless Ginny didn't know who was blackmailing her, and Lily and Rose were just on a wild goose chase. It all just seemed very strange to her.

"What doesn't," Lorcan asked politely as Rose slid to the floor. "Whoa! Are you alright?" He sat down next to her and put his hand out.

"I'm fine," Rose said, waving his hand out of her face. "I just… everything doesn't make any sense."

"I'm trying to follow this conversation, but if you keep having one side of it in your head, I don't see how I can keep up," Lorcan said with a slight grin.

Rose turned her head sharply towards him. "Are you flirting with me?" She hoped he wasn't. She didn't want to have to reject him again. And just when they had gotten back to speaking terms.

"Merlin, no," Lorcan said quickly. "I understand how you feel." He ran his hand through his hair. "It's just that, well, I really liked you, and at the time, it seemed like you were betraying me."

Rose opened her mouth, but Lorcan silenced her. "I don't think that now, of course. But there at the restaurant, it just seemed like you wanted me, so I made a move. Granted, I shouldn't had been as forceful as I was, but, shit Rose. I still like you, even after you treated me like crap."

"I am sorry for what I did," Rose found herself saying. And she truly meant it. She never wanted him or anybody to get hurt. Rose could see how she had strung him along, even after she realized she wasn't over Scorpius yet. "I just," Rose couldn't finish her sentence. She discovered that her throat was closing up.

"I just wanted to apologize for earlier," Lorcan continued as if Rose didn't say anything. He didn't acknowledge her uncompleted statement, either out of pity or for the sake of forgiveness. "I wasn't thinking straight. In the common room, I mean."

"I don't think I was thinking clearly then too," Rose said dryly, referring to how she thought Lorcan was the murderer. She didn't know why she was swayed so much as to believe the worst of her friend from one perspective. She should have gone into the interview with a clear mind, not already convinced he was guilty.

"But I'm still sorry," Lorcan protested. "I should have shouted those things to you."

"You're right. You shouldn't have."

"No," Lorcan said, his head hanging lower now. "Do you think you could ever forgive me?"

"Of course I will be able to forgive you, but just not right now," Rose said sadly. "With all this stuff going on, I need some time to think."

"Okay," Lorcan replied. They sat in silence. "Sorry about biting you head of about what I was working on too. I should have just let you help."

"It's fine. What was the project anyways?" Though Rose had eliminated Lorcan from being the murderer, it didn't stop him for being an accomplice. The project he was working on looked important. If she could just get him to talk about it, everything might work out.

"It wasn't for school. I wasn't lying about that part, "Lorcan began. "Lysander asked me to do it."

"Lysander?" Rose asked, her voice going pitches up. This didn't make any sense. What did Lysander have to do with this? He wasn't a suspect anymore.

"Yeah. He asked me, I don't know why, but to research all the newspaper articles about the Malfoy family murder and the Potter divorce." Lorcan stopped at glanced back at her, not knowing if he should continue. Rose nodded her head, giving him the go ahead. "He wanted to see if there were any connection between to two. I asked him why, but he just said he was curious. And well, he's my brother, so I did."

"Did you find anything?" Rose asked. So Lysander wasn't the murderer after all. HE was just interested to see if there was a case there.

"No," Lorcan said plainly. "And that's what I told Lysander. "I thought he would have been mad, but he looked pleased. I'm still a little confused about what he wanted me to find."

Their conversation drew to a close as students streamed out into the corridor. Lorcan and Rose jumped up, realizing that they had missed the last part of their first class. Awkwardly, they stood next to each other in the crowed corridor.

"Well, I better be going," Rose said, wanting to go think about what Lorcan said. None of it made sense.

"Just please think about what I said," Lorcan said, grabbing Rose's hand for a split second. He gazed into her eyes. Then, he let go and walked away, leaving Rose standing in the hallway.