Summer Sleepover Closed

Mermaids. Now, there were mermaids that were in the Lake at Hogwarts and then there were the cliché muggle mermaids, the beautiful ones. "Usually," Rose pointed out. "This sleepover has already been amazing, so nothing really, except for something drastic, I mean, could really ruin it or make it look (quote-unquote) ametur." Rose really believed it, too- she was having the time of her life here.
It was a wonder how well this had gone already.
Alina had spent a whole week with Clive, apparently. "Aww, that's so sweet," Rose said, listening to her recounting of her visit with Clive and sweet little compliments.
Balances me out.
You are really lucky to find someone who balances you out perfectly, who is always in the back of your mind, Evey second of every day, and you in theirs. Someone you trust with all your heart and mind and soul, and someone that understands you and sees you.
So lucky. And Rose really did feel lucky to have someone like Eyre in her life, so present. And Rose also knew that it didn't have to be someone you were dating, or even your spouse- it could be your best friend or your sibling or... Anyone. But you felt like the luckiest person in the world, and maybe you were. Her gaze was thoughtful as she murmured, "I know exactly what you mean." Rose would rather talk about Eyre where not all of Alina's servants and such could eavesdrop in.
"You just wait- when we go back to Hogwarts, you and him will be spending crazy amounts of time together."
Rose felt really bad for Alina, how Bella was going to Beauxbatons and wouldn't swim in the lake with her anymore.
She knew that even though Alina had brushed it off, she was probably crushed that Bella was leaving for Beauxbatons. "I'm sorry about that."

Alina had caught her.
Not that Rose didn't want to tell her about Eyre, but she had not really thought about how it was going to be.
She could feel her face heat up, turning the same color as her hair.
Rose got up and followed Alina, drying off next to her and sitting across from her.
Spill.
And Rose did just that.
Rose looked around to check if anyone was around that would be in earshot. She trusted Alina, but these were random adults she didn't know. She opened her mouth and closed it again- how to start? Then, she turned her head on its side and started, "I met someone at summer camp- his name is Eyre. Eyre Reeves. He is actually the same guy who got sunburnt and I "saved his life,"" Rose added the quotation marks with her hands. Rose lowered her voice a little bit. "I actually had a crush on him, though I denied it to even myself. I don't know, he was just so sweet, such a gentleman. And," Rose melted a little at the thought- he was sooooo sweet, he was certainly a keeper. Rose paused for dramatic effect before she continued. "He invited me to his manor, and we really got to know each other, and I guess, we just... clicked." Rose was tempted to tell her about the water snake, but then that would lead to telling her that Eyre was a Parselmouth, and Rose certainly wasn't one to tell that- Alina didn't even know Eyre, and she didn't need to go around being afraid of him or whatever, or spreading the news. Rose doubted Alina would ever tell anyone, short of Clifton, but Clifton, he might tell, you never knew with boys, especially boys you didn't know. "And so he told me there that he really liked me, and it just all came spilling out."
She had left out some important details she knew Alina would want to know. "He's a Gryff and a second year," she added. An idea popped in her head and she said, "Maybe we could go on a double date sometime. I wonder if they've ever met."
Rose turned her gaze on Alina. "Mkay, your turn. When did he ask you out? Why do you like him?"
And, once Alina was done explaining, and Rose had done her awwws, Rose's smile turned sly and she said the question she was dying to know- "Has he kissed you yet?"

So they had kissed. Awww.
"Awww," she said to Alina thoughtfully. Alina had tried to heaily imply that they weren't doing-
that-
which Rose was glad of. She probably wouldn't have taken it that way, but it did put her mind to rest a little.
Her everything. And they had said, "I love you." Rose really was happy for Alina that she had someone like that. The hard part, she knew, was that eventually, you would have to part with that everything. Whether it was tommorrow or a hundred years from now, something was going to tear them apart, but that would only bring them closer. Rose had been trying not to make Eyre her everything, but he was slowly growing in that. Mostly because she was scared of loosing him, if he became her everything. If he became her everything and she somehow lost him... Gosh, they had only been dating for maybe a week or two officially, mostly writing to each other, but oh, her life got better every letter that he wrote her. Every time she woke up, her head would snap up to her desk to see if there was a letter. Every time she went into her room, she rushed over to her desk to check, and every once in a while, she would just peek in there to check.
"Yes," there was a little voice inside her that said they weren't going to get along- that her and Alina would have to deal with that- and that did scare her, quite a lot. But she pushed it down. "Or at least meet each other's," she suggested. Rose had seen Clive around, but she had never said hi- that would be awkward. "Hi, I'm best friends with your girlfriend, how have you been doing lately?" "And if they don't like each other," Rose added scarcastically with a little laugh, "We'll just force them to."
By then, both girls' bodies had dried off decently enough, though their hair was still dripping water. Rose rubbed her braid with her towel, trying to make it stop a little.

I know, I've kind of been thread stalking you and Clive- You're just so sweet! Argh, and It's so sad he's leaving her! We should do a thread where Rose comforts Alina through that.

"Thank you, I'm happy for you too," she smiled fondly at her friend, genuinely glad to her core that her friend was happy.
"Yes, that sounds like a great idea," Rose loved sugar and sweets, as long as they weren't so overpoweringly sweet that Rose had to decline another bite, making the much-too-used excuse that she was already full. But oh well, she was with Alina, and she was sure she would understand. Alina always understood. Plus, Alina promised that the food would be amazing, as their cook was that amazing. Rose undid her braid to brush through her hair, glad to find that it was not tangled too much. "No, that's okay," Rose replied.
Honestly? She would rather have done this than go out and do something exciting- Rose often found it better to catch up than do something that would make it difficult to tell someone about something. Plus, for an introvert like Rose, some big outing and a sleepover could possibly be too much. Rose had noticed how much milder her and her reactions were now after the music festival. Not that she didn't enjoy the music festival, it was the most fun she had had all week, but in the background, it was draining. "Yeah, they really were amazing," Rose laughed, and then repeated, "And the tacos- especially the tacos. I would guess you don't get many tacos around here?" Rose could be wrong, but she doubted the amazing cooks would make tacos often, except for when Alina would request them. She pondered it for a moment and then said, "Thank you, by the way. This whole sleepover has been amazing and it isn't even over yet. Thank you for letting me come to your house, sorry, I mean, your castle," she laughed. "It is so ginormous! How come you aren't obnoxious, and high-and-mighty?" Rose shook her head. Her little sister, Jessica, already thought so much of herself, and she didn't live in a castle. If she lived here... Let's just say Rose's life would be much much harder than it already was. "Probably because you're just that amazing." Rose wondered if Bella had that mindset, that she was better than everyone else, but Rose doubted it. "I'm sorry Bella is moving away, by the way. I mean, there's the whole English Channel between you once she leaves. If she's anything like you, she'll figure this whole thing out eventually." Why would someone want to leave Hogwarts? Maybe Bella just needed a chance to start over.

"Mm," Rose replied to Alina's confession. Alina and Bella were more than just sisters- they were twins. Identical twins. With a father that was gone a lot. Rose realized she still hadn't met Alina's father, and before, she was kind of dreading it because of what she had heard about him, but now, she was looking forward to meeting him.
But everyone in the house was happy right now.
Rose knew everyone being happy was something that didn't last. It was as her mother said- all good things must come to an end. She would usually say that at the end of playdates when Rose and her siblings were younger, but Rose knew it applied to pretty much anything.
In the eye of a hurricane, there is quiet. For just a moment. A yellow sky.
But she didn't say that to Alina. Alina needed to savor
Rose opened her mouth in a mock-offended manner. Grabbing the pillow that Alina had thrown at her, Rose threw another one at her stomach. Pillows didn't even hurt if they hit you, that was probably why pillow fights happened so often.
Plus, a sleepover wasn't a sleepover without a pillow fight.
The girls threw Alina's expensive pillows at each other and hit each other with the pillows until they were on the floor and couldn't breathe from laughing.
That was another thing about pillow fights- there was no winner. Unless you were really competitive and had to win at everything, which Rose was not.
Once it had died down, Rose stretched and yawned really big. She was tired, but she could stay up all night with enough sugar. "Juliette- how young were you when she was your governess? And what do you mean by rekindling?" Rose had never really had a "governess," though her great-aunt looked after her and her siblings until they were barely old enough to look after each other. Her mom really was stubborn with pride, and almost always turned down help or money from others. But they had turned out okay, and Alina had turned out really good, even though they were both a little parent-deprived.