Elaine Ackerly was a terrible influence. It was her fault that Rose was marching across the Great Hall headed directly for Slytherin’s table. She’d gotten Rose fired up with talk of rumors. It was all gossip, Rose knew this, yet, she didn’t care. She had a score to settle. Maybe it was because she was sixteen. Maybe it was because she was a bossy blonde. Either way it was, she was miffed and her target was Timothy Greengrass.

Rose made it to the sixth years and rather rudely jabbed Tim in the shoulder several times with a well manicured finger. He dropped his fork immediately and turned around with a bewildered look to see Rose with her arms crossed over her chest and a huffy look on her face.

“Oooo, Greengrass,” Madeline Dodderidge chirped. “You’ve ticked off the princess.”

Rose shot a scowl toward the other girl, who happened to be one of her best friends, but she knew Madge couldn’t pass up a good ribbing when it presented itself.

Tim stirred in disbelief. “What did I do?”

“You’ve been calling me the ‘Huffypuffy Twit!’” she snapped before narrowing her scowl at him. “And I’ll have your head if you keep doing so, don’t think I won’t!”

Tim’s hands flapped in the air as he tried to form a sentence. “I don’t know—Okay,” he babbled as he stared at her in bewilderment.

There were a few catcalls from the rest of the Slytherin table, chiding Tim for taking heat from a tiny, Hufflepuff brat. Honestly, Rose had expected him to put up more of a fight and at least deny the rumors.

“Okay?” she echoed in a miffed tone. “That’s all you have to say for yourself?”

Tim sighed and stood up. He was lanky and towered over Rose by several inches. She took a step back to retain her personal space.

“Can we take this elsewhere?” he beseeched her, gesturing to the audience they had.

Rose scoffed and upturned her nose. “The only place I will see you, Timothy, is in Charms. You’re lucky that I don’t practice them on you right this moment.”

She then turned on her heel and marched back to her seat across from Elaine, who was grinning impishly. Rose kept her face ducked as she finished her tea. He cheeks were flaring red and her hands shook. She was proud of herself, but that had taken a lot out of her. Stupid boy and his pretty, innocent eyes were almost convincing that he had no idea what she was talking about. Rose knew better, though. Elaine would never lie to her. She tried not to let on how much it upset her. Tim had always been a nice boy. She’d hoped he would ask her to the winter ball. Those hopes were dashed now, though. Maybe one of the Gryffindor boys would be willing? She could only hope.