be my ride or die

[Rose Kelly]

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i can get you real high with sugar on my lips

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It was late, but not so late that everyone had gone to bed. Rose lounged on the couch in Gryffindor tower, her fingers twirling in her hair as she watched the flames flicker in front of her. Many of her housemates were still up, sitting around and playing Exploding Snap or Gobstones. Some were trying to study, but the Gryffindor common room was always loud. She didn’t understand why they even bothered. Rosie let out a bored huff of air, her eyes rolling in the back of her head as a few lions cheered at whatever game they were playing. The noise put her on edge when all she wanted to do was relax. Normally she’d go hunt down Bo or Callum for a little fun, but she didn’t quite feel like doing that tonight. No, she was itching for a different kind of relief. Making up her mind, she stood quickly from the couch and ducked into her dorm room for her broom. A little night ride was all she needed.[break][break]

Rose swiftly made her way to the pitch, knowing that she’d have to sneak back inside if she wanted to avoid the Prefects and Filch. It didn’t matter to her, that was part of the fun. When she got close enough to the pitch she mounted her broom and kicked off, flying toward the far rings. It was chilly, but the wind biting at her face felt good. A giddy laugh flowed out of her as she made her laps around the pitch. It was so freeing to just fly by yourself. She dipped and dove, rolled and flipped, until she was out of breath. Her heart was pounding steadily in her chest and everything felt right in the world. Merlin, she loved flying. Rose made her way to the ground, hopping off her broom and setting it aside before plopping down on the turf. She rested her elbows on her knees and just looked up at the night sky, basking in the exhilarating feeling she got from flying. It was such a beautiful night; she was glad she came out. Now, if only Callum were here. A girl could dream, couldn’t she? A little company would be nice right about now - she didn’t really care who it was.

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[Danica Barlowe]

Dinner had come and gone and Danica had spent the majority of the evening locked away in her office reading over the reports her fourth years had submitted. Most of them were perfectly adequate. A few, she had made notes and marks to follow up with...these were children who seemed unable to see or grasp their potential. It was Dani's job to get them there and she knew they could do it. She very much had a "no child left behind" attitude about her. Then there were a handful of essays that required no notes. The students who grasped their potential and then rose higher than it in a quest to seek higher understanding.

But after hours of reading regurgitated information in different formats, Dani stood with a sigh before crossing the room to the french doors leading to a small balconette. She smiled as she breathed in the night air. The sky was clear, littered with stars. The wind was calm. It was a perfect night to stretch her wings.

It took only a few moments for the slender, statuesque woman to take the form of a rather large, black buzzard. And with that, she took flight. Soaring above the grounds was a bit of a peaceful refuge for the professor. She smiled inwardly as she dove toward the lake, flitting about and playing with the squid for a few minutes as it raised its tentacles above the surface...playfully swatting at her.

After a bit, she watched as the squid retreated back into the depths of the lake and she continued on her way. She circled over the forest for a bit...watching as many creatures tucked away for the night and as the nocturnal ones came out to play. For a moment, she debated flying lower to play with a couple young arachnids but something else caught her gaze.

By the Quidditch Pitch...

Wings flapping and carrying her where he beak pointed, Dani watched as the figure lowered to the ground and touched down before flopping onto the grass. Getting closer...she recognized the head of red hair and smiled softly. Young Miss Kelly. Circling above her for a moment, Dani finally touched down just a few feet from the student, watching her a moment. She didn't often flaunt her animagus form in front of her students...but she was registered...so it was really hit or miss on whether or not Rose would make the connection.

[Rose Kelly]

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Danica Barlowe

i can get you real high with sugar on my lips

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She thought of her sister who started Hogwarts this year. Amelia was sorted into Huffllepuff like their mother. It suited her, she thought. So far, the younger Kelly was loving school. Rose tried to check in with her every week which, unfortunately, was in the greenhouses. Amy adored plants and potions, gushing over them like Rose did about Quidditch. Good for her, honestly. Rosaline despised Herbology. She wasn’t fond of potions either, but at least she was a decent potion maker. Rose was cursed with a black thumb and killed every plant she tried to grow. It just wasn’t in the cards for her and, honestly, she was cool with it. Just give her a good Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson or even Charms and she’d be okay.[break][break]

Just as she was thinking about heading back inside the castle, some weird looking bird flew down and sat right in front of her. Was this the universe’s idea of company? Rose tilted her head a little, gazing at the bird. It seemed to watch her intently, glaring down deep into her soul. There was intelligence in its eyes which led her to believe this wasn’t an ordinary bird. Something tugged at the back of her brain, some memory that was trying to resurface, but Rose couldn’t quite grasp it. “I know you,” she told the bird curiously, her head tilting further. “I can’t place it, but I recognize you.” If anyone else was around they might have thought she was crazy talking to a bird. Or maybe not. Animagi existed, after all, and this clearly had to be one. A lightbulb lit up in her mind and she gasped. “Professor Barlowe?” Great. Here she was out past curfew and one of her teachers just happened upon her. Why couldn’t it have been Callum? Rosie let out a weary sigh, leaning back on her hands, returning her gaze to the stars. “If you’re gonna give me detention anyways, I might as well enjoy the rest of the night.”

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[Danica Barlowe]

Danica watched the faint recognition flashing in her student’s eyes. And when it finally set in, she chuckled softly…an action that came out like the crowing of the buzzard. Rose leaned back and gazed upwards, her final comment pulling at the once adventurous heart of a younger Danica Barlowe.

It didn’t take her long to shift back into her natural form…and in pure Dani style, everything looked flawless. Her dress was perfectly pressed, her hair was perfectly pinned…and it was hard to believe that just moments ago, she was a flesh eating bird.

”Why so quick to believe I would give you detention, Miss Kelly?” she asked with an amused grin. She grabbed her wand and summoned a chair from the side of the pitch before sitting in it.

She folded her hands in her lap and watched her student carefully. Perhaps this moment could end well for them. If Dani could somehow turn this into a learning moment, she could justify not giving Rose detention.

[Rose Kelly]

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Danica Barlowe

i can get you real high with sugar on my lips

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Professor Barlowe transformed back smoothly in her perfect self and Rose had to admit she was impressed. Being an Animagus was something she’d definitely thought of before, but the thought of trying to keep a mandrake leaf in her mouth for an entire month just didn’t appeal. She watched as the Professor summoned a chair, settling herself on it before folding her hands in her lap. Barlowe seemed a little amused at the idea of detention. Rosie leaned forward, crossing her legs as she sat up. She shrugged, her hands falling into her lap. “I am breaking curfew. Seems a logical step from there.” Rosaline watched her teacher curiously, her mind wondering why she didn’t seem to be willing to. Honestly, this entire thing was weird. She wasn’t the one to study for hours at a time so she didn’t have the best scores and she’s definitely not the type to be buddy buddy with a professor. It was hard for her to even guess at what her motivation is. [break][break]

“I don’t know what you want from me,” she said with a frown. “I’m not your best student.” She knew that Professor Barlowe took a student or two under her wing and helped them become Animagi. They were usually pretty good at something. Rose was just good at DADA and Quidditch. Not the most amazing student in her year.

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[Danica Barlowe]

Danica smiled at Rose's words. The girl had a point. Curfew had passed...and yet here she was. Out and about. By all rights, Dani had the grounds to issue her detention. But what would that do? Rose wouldn't take anything away from that.

So when Rose spoke again, Dani just smiled softly.

"Top marks doesn't make the best student," she explained. Her mind drifted to Jay and Luke Park. Jay received some of the top marks in his year...but as far as being a model student? He was far from it. Luke however...his marks were a bit lower but he was probably the best student Dani had in his year.

"Take a look at the stars, Miss Kelly," she began simply. "Tell me what you see."

[Rose Kelly]

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Danica Barlowe

i can get you real high with sugar on my lips

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“Top marks doesn’t make the best student.”[break][break]

Rose raised an eyebrow at that, but she didn’t say anything in reply. She didn’t see how she could be a contender for ‘best student’ if she didn’t get the best scores. Transfiguration in particular? Rosaline didn’t think she had ever successfully transfigured something in her life. Charms, she could do. Hexes, she could do. But the fine and artful spellwork of something serious like Transfiguration? Yeah, good luck. Her eyebrow seemed to raise even further when she asked her to look at the stars. A low sigh flowed out of her, but she reluctantly looked up at the stars.[break][break]

“Tell me what you see.”[break][break]

She let out a breath of air between her lips. “Er - stars?” Probably not the right response. She looked closer, watching the way the stars twinkled in the deep, dark blue of the night sky. If she looked further, she could see whole star systems in the distance. How small she felt at that moment. The vast expanse of space was just out there, so much larger than she could ever comprehend, and here she was worried about a little detention. Her head tilted as she gazed. “The universe,” she amended her answer. “A great darkness that we’re just a miniscule speck of.” Rose looked back to Professor Barlowe with wonder. “I guess I should stop worrying about that Potions essay.”

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[Danica Barlowe]

…stars?

Dani smiled softly, not even having to tell the Gryffindor to look further. She watched her student as she peered into the expanse…taking it all in. The realization settled on Rose’s face and Danica nodded softly as the girl spoke.

”You should always take your learning and education seriously…but you should never worry about it. “ her warm gaze rested on Rose as she smiled softly.

”One day…it won’t matter how many times you snuck out of the castle. It won’t matter who was sneaking around with who. The universe will keep moving after we are gone. But the things we do during our time will define how the universe remembers us.”

She paused a moment, her eyes lifting to the heavens. Memories of her time as an Auror…memories of years past in teaching. All of it. None of which she would have been able to do without the marks she had achieved in school.

”How would you like to be remembered, Miss Kelly?”

[Rose Kelly]

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Danica Barlowe

i can get you real high with sugar on my lips

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No, she understood now how insignificant she was in the grand scheme of things. Who cared if she skipped Herbology to snog under the bleachers? What did it matter if she snuck out after curfew to fly around on her broom? The last sentence Professor Barlowe spoke rang in her ears. How the universe remembers us… She looked back to the skies as her teacher did, watching as a star shot across the night sky. What did they say about shooting stars? They could grant wishes, right? Rose breathed out her nose and closed her eyes, taking a moment to figure out her wish.[break][break]

“How would you like to be remembered, Miss Kelly?”[break][break]

Rosie slowly opened her eyes again, blinking at the stars a few times before her gaze fell back on her teacher. She knew she didn’t want to be remembered as the lazy student who couldn’t be bothered with her studies, but she didn’t know if her studies mattered that much. She didn’t want a career at the Ministry or St. Mungos, she didn’t care for the idea of a shop. There was only one thing she wanted. “A Quidditch star,” she answered at last. “I don’t just want to be on a Quidditch team; I want to be the best.” Rose pulled her legs up so she could hug her knees to her chest, her chin resting on top of them. “Did you always want to be a Professor?”

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[Danica Barlowe]

A quidditch star.

Ah how many times Danica had heard that response. So many of her kids wanted to be superstars in the sports world. So few actually succeeded. In fact, in her years as a professor, this past year had been the most successful for students entering the quidditch league. There had been a fair amount that had retired...leaving room for the youngers to join.

Rose went on a bit and Dani couldn't help but admire that drive of hers. But as she turned the question on Dani, the professor shook her head slowly.

"I was an auror before this," she explained, smiling fondly as she recalled her days in law enforcement. But after the war...after the Battle of Hogwarts...

She had known she needed to stay in the castle. Whether it was for herself...or Harry...she still wasn't sure. Her heart lurched in her chest as she thought of her sweet baby brother and his ghost that still floated through the halls...his left arm completely missing.

"Applying yourself in any situation is what opens us up to success in the fields we want to thrive in. I worked my entire school life with the desire to join the auror's department...and now...I teach transfiguration. A completely different world. But I'm happy."

Her gaze fell from the night sky to Rose and she smiled warmly. Rose, like so many of Dani's students, was overflowing with potential. She just needed to see it.