(A/N: rose is mean to Draco
but just deal it's what has to happen)

ROSE POV

Her fingers fiddle with the two braids laid across both shoulders before pulling on the sides of the flowy black silk dress. The world feels smaller today. Even on the front porch. She sucks in a long rush of chilled air, memorizing the soft windchimes as a melody and closes her eyelids.

The solitude is disturbed as Sirius and Regulus walk out of the propped open front door, encasing Rose on either side in their proper outfits. They mimic her actions almost jokingly, taking long exaggerated inhales.

"Your father is not coming. He already alerted the officials." says Walburga Black as she steps out and slams the door shut. "Look at me"

All three children turn around to their mother with matching sharp features.

"If any of your names get pulled you will win and do right by your family. Understood?"

"Yes mother."

The reaping always took place in the town square as it did in every district. Although Rose's was much nicer, two-story shops creating a rectangle of sorts and none of the dirty alleyways could be seen. Everything had been covered in steel to represent the masonry work. Despite the futuristic feel of the buildings surrounding the three young Black children as they huddle into a line for their usual sign-in, a certain gloom hangs over the sky and in their hearts. It's not the same for the others, all too excited for the games. That's what happens in a Career district.

Regulus and Sirius exchange quick noted words with her as each finish giving their bloody fingerprints, separating off onto different sides. With all the siblings being so close in age though, they are shoved to the front as the younger children are placed in the back. Rose sticks to the edge of the twenty year old women in clumps, assuring herself to be near the path because something inside tells her to be prepared.

Your brain will lie to you, your gut won't.

She learned that at a young age.

Every one is packed together tightly, hip to hip. The center of their district was massive, huge enough to make one feel like an ant, even more so with hoards of people placed together. Families line around the edges of towering buildings to watch on and the ones who can't fit into the square gather off side streets to watch the Reaping on holographic screens.

Her focus turns upon the temporary stage that is set up before the Justice Building. It holds three chairs, a podium, and one large shimmering bowl—spelled to mix the names fairly. Unlike other districts, this one had a price to pay and the President still held a grudge. All other eleven tributes would be pulled from a girl bowl of names and a boy bowl. Not here.

Another consequence for the actions of one rebellion taking place in the most trusted district. Fools burned down the old Justice building and now there could be two girl tributes or two boys or one boy and one girl.

Amazing, right?

Rose zoomed her eyes in on the ball. Fifty of them have her name. Some extras added from her bar fight. An accident she payed gravely for.

Two of the three chairs fill with Mayor Burke a short, stocky woman, and Sybil Trelawney. District Two's escort. She had been plucked straight from the Capitol with blonde wringlets, pieces of neon blue and pink streaking through and a dress covered in blinding diamonds, colorful Gypsy fabric around her waist. The goggles on Sybil's painted face had to be her most noticeable quality, which said a lot. They were so thick that the glass made her eyes appear the size of a fist. The two women whisper while looking at an empty seat.

The town clock strikes and signals the time to start. Mayor Burke rises up and begins to read from a stack of enchanted parchment. The same annoying story. She tells of the history of Panem, the country that rose up out of the ashes of a place that was once called the United Kingdom and North America. She tells of the disasters, the droughts, the storms, the fires, the encroaching seas that swallowed up so much of the land and the brutal wizarding war for whatever had been left.

The result was Panem, a shining Capitol ringed by thirteen districts, which brought peace and prosperity to it's citizens. Then came the Dark Days, the uprising of the districts against the Capitol. Twelve were defeated despite showing credible magical abilities, the thirteenth destroyed. The Treaty of Treason gave them new laws to guarantee peace and as a yearly reminder that the Dark Days must never be repeated, it gave them the Hunger Games.

The rules of the Hunger Games are simple. In punishment for the uprising, each of the twelve districts must provide one girl and one boy, unless a rare case, called tributes to participate. The twenty-four tributes will be imprisoned in a vast outdoor arena that could hold anything from a burning desert to a frozen wasteland filled full of dangerous creatures. Over a period of several weeks, the competitors must fight to the death. The last tribute standing wins.

Mayor Burke starts to read off the all the previous Victor's and Rose can feel eyes linger onto her for a moment. There's a certain air of silence as Draco Malfoy's name is read because he's nowhere to be seen. He is supposed to be on that stage. In a futile attempt to stop the wandering gazes, the mayor introduces Sybil Trewlaney.

She had a certain airy way to herself, also known as a famous Seerer whose abilities had been taken away by the President. Sybil could notoriously be spotted in clothes that took a whole different turn than the Capitol's usual obnoxious clothing choices. It felt as if she had tried to mix the Capitol style with a free-spirited witch, only making her outfit more insane and like a slap across the face to all the members of District Two.

Did she really need the diamond dress and ruby covered gloves?

Sybil taps the microphone and it lets out an awful sound, but she shows her pearly white teeth in return and clears her throat. "Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor!"

At the preposterous sentence Rose tunes out the woman and turns to look over at Regulus. She shakes her head slightly, a signal of nerves. He gives her a small discreet nod that means everything will be okay in their sibling language. After, Regulus lifts his chin and focuses ahead. Rose knows he's calm at the idea of being chosen, he would undoubtedly win. Regulus was different than Sirius, abiding by rules but also a certain darkness looming under the surface.

Sirius is in an opposite state of mind and Rose can see it although he tries to stay still. His jaw twitches, eyes unblinking ahead. Much like her, he had caused enough trouble to have his name put in more times than usual.

"Now! Time for the first drawing!" Sybil shouts excitedly, pulling Rose's attention back toward the front to see the woman's ruby crusted gloves reach into the large glimmering bowl.

Everyone seems to stop breathing. Not even a shoe scuffs the ground.

Who will it be? Rose wonders. It was hard to have a prediction when the possibilities were endless. A girl and a girl? A boy and a boy? A girl and a boy?

But then Sybil is circling back around the podium and unfolding the small slip of paper, the last name Rose ever expects falling off her tongue.

"Sirius Black!"

The ability to breath leaves Rose and she turns to look over, seeing even Regulus's hard exterior has cracked as the crowd of boys part, all eyes turning onto their older brother.

Sirius's throat bobs and he walks forward but so does Rose automatically because there is not a single thought in her brain and the only thing she can hear is a high-pitch ringing.

He steps out onto the cobblestone path leading to the stage at the same time Rose does and four Aurors in white suits with faces covered start to circle him.

Rose catches the hem of his suit jacket and yanks him backwards as the ringing inside her ears turns shrill. Sirius's face is pale and his lips are parted, two Aurors swarm to her but stop as the words leave her lowly and she grips her brothers arms.

"It's okay. I'll go in your place."

"No no no..." Sirius murmurs distantly as he tries to come back to earth, reality of what she was trying to do hitting him. Just as he starts to raise his voice and yell "No!" Rose looks up to the stage.

She shouts but it's calm and collected, only those lining the path can see the slight shake of her limbs. "I volunteer as tribute!"

"A volunteer..." Sybil begins happily but her voice becomes overshadowed by Sirius.

"No! You can't!" He yells and starts to grab onto Rose, turning to look at the Aurors and Sybil for help. "She—she can't! You can't let her!" But the Aurors stay still along with the crowd.

"No no no." Water fills his gaze and he cups her face up frantically, "I won't let you—"

"It's fine Sirius." says Rose in a relaxed manner, forcing a tight-lipped smile. "Go to Regulus—"

"No!" He screams so loudly her eyes fall close. He goes to shove her backwards but the Aurors take hold of him and his screams turn so powerful they unlock awful memories, sounding like shattering glass. "No!"

Regulus comes up and wraps his arms around Sirius's waist, pulling the boy from the Aurors. The screaming doesn't stop. Neither does his fighting as Regulus carries him down the opposite way of the path.

Two Aurors take hold of her arms and Rose tries to control her breathing as three more Aurors block the back of her. She can't see Sirius anymore but she can surely hear his gut-wrenching screams still.

Rose cannot cry.

She cannot appear weak.

Each reaping will be showed to the other districts tonight.

Instead she yanks her arms free and screws her jaw shut, climbing up the steps to the stage.

"Wondrous thing!" Sybil shouts with glee as Rose comes to stand next to her. "Your name dear?"

"Rosalie Black" she mutters. Rose quickly spots Sirius now by their mother on the permitter, his face buried into Regulus's shoulder. Walburga seems to forget his existence and smirks wickedly at her daughter on stage.

Proud for once.

"Oh! Your brother then! Couldn't have him taking the family honor, could we?! Everyone give a round of applause to our newest tribute!" Sybil tosses the paper down onto the podium and starts to clap. Unlike usual the people of District Two do not roar with applause but there is clapping, only they seem hesitant. Probably scarred from the meltdown all just witnessed.

Rose feels an aching deep in her chest that would come as a child when Sirius didn't arrive back from his walks on time and she knew he would be cruelly punished. She hadn't realized she was starting to breath quicker until her eyes met her mothers once more.

Walburga places two leather clad fingers by her temple and points forward, a distinction only Rose could understand.

The youngest Black releases her clenched fist, starting to count mentally to ease the sudden migraine. Listening to the mother and appearing at ease very suddenly.

All that matters is Sirius would be safe at home in the Victor's Village.

Rose realized quickly she wouldn't be making it back. Was she talented? Yes. Did she believe surviving against twenty-three other tributes was possible? No.

"Time for the another!" Sybil cheers as the applause dies down. With hips swaying, she reaches back into the glimmering ball and fished around with a giggle that pisses Rose off in an astronomical way.

Quickly, Sybil moves back to the podium and Rose can only hope it's not Regulus's name that comes out.

"Theodore Nott!"

Theodore Nott?!

The sharp eyes of Rose snap downward as he parts through the crowd and onto the path with no help needed. He's beyond tall, and still carries a head full of extremely light-brown curls, arms bigger than she can recall. Rose took note of how there is no way that he could not snap her neck with his bare hands.

She'd never met him but once while being dragged out of pub he blocked the doorway, frozen as she fought in the grip of Aurors. She did know this father though. Theodore Nott Sr. had garnered a notorious reputation for being one of the most sadistic to hold the Auror position. This left her with a bad impression of his son. To have a father that cruel, you'd have to be cruel to survive.

Rose was honestly shocked the senior Nott hadn't started jumping up and down with joy like the sadist he is.

The mayor takes Sybil's spot in between the two tributes and begins to read the Treaty of Treason but Rose focuses on the boy at hand.

From the corner of her eye she can see he looks nonchalantly relaxed in the dark blue dress shirt but his lips are parted, the bottom one shaking as he sucks in shallow breaths only the most observant would notice. There's a few freckles decorating his cheeks too but she refuses to linger on that fact.

Theo tilts his chin in her direction and gets a slight nod. It confuses him. What does the nod mean? Can't wait to kill you? It's fine? Good luck?

But to her she's offering reassurance, attempting to tell him everything will be okay.

Until she has to kill him, of course.

Rose must come back to Sirius and Regulus.

When the ceremony concludes they are taken into custody and guided into the Justice building. The Aurors are not tense or holding onto her, maybe it's because no one would believe the daughter of Victor and top Auror would attempt escaping. Much less a volunteer.

Theo is guided toward one hall and she's taken down the other, left in a room covered with fine silk curtains and plush bench seats. Rose isn't too impressed, for she had been in the justice building one to many times alongside Walburga.

At least the ringing in her ears has calmed down.

She sits on the velvety bench by the window that provides light but no view of anything other than an office across. Rose takes to calming herself in the only way she knows, popping her fingers relentlessly.

The doors open, Walburga Black gliding in with a pleased smile. The conversation is quick and curt as suspected.

Walburga hooks her leather clad fingers under Rose's chin, "You will be fine Rosalie. Your father won these games with ease and I've spent your whole life training you for this. You know everything about wildlife, weaponry, and strategy."

Rose says nothing.

"Be brutal and give them a show. It's all they want in the Capitol." Walburga leans down slightly to whisper, "And whatever you do...refuse to show weakness. I do not care if you have to hold a lifeless child in your arms. Don't cry. Don't scream. Don't form attachments. Don't let anyone see your weak spots. Don't you dare piss off the president."

Rose stands up with a firm nod, "Okay."

"Very well." Walburga's eyes trek over her daughter from head to toe, thumb swiping across the girl's cheek. "You are beautiful dear, they'll love you."

With that she turns to leave and Rose stammers.

"Wait!"

Walburga looks over her shoulder expectantly but gets nothing except a shake of a her daughters head.

Rose wanted to say I love you.

But she was sure that isn't what Walburga wants to hear right now.

"Please come home to me." Walburga's icy front breaks for a moment, taking a swift exit after and the next thing Rose knows Regulus is stepping inside.

Every muscle in her body relaxes at once. Regulus rushes forward as their mother closes the door from outside. He halts with two feet between them, internally battling himself before throwing his arms around her shoulders and forcing her head into his neck.

As her fingers go up the back of his suit she tries to remember how the slick materials feels, breath in his peppermint smell for memory sake.

"Stupid thing you did up there," Regulus breathes out and pulls back to cup her cheeks, anxious eyes trailing over each sharp edge of her face. "We don't have much time"

"I know" Her voice cracks, shaking hands covering his own. "Reg, I need you to make sure Sirius stays out of trouble and—"

"Stop!" He commands harshly, muttering an apology after. "Listen to me, you can win this. All you need is a small knife and you can win."

Rose blinks in shock, "Did you...seriously just say a small knife? You think I can win this with my knives?!"

"Yes! I've seen you train my whole life, you haven't missed a target in ten years!" Regulus squeezed her cheeks tightly, "Don't let your humility get in the way. Think of who you're leaving behind when you hesitate to kill because it doesn't matter who you murder, just come home. I need you here—"

His words are interrupted by the doors flinging open and Sirius barreling in with an Auror attempting to pull him back out.

Everything is happening too quick and her heart skips an awful beat at seeing Sirius be thrown around.

"It's fine!" She shouts. The Auror releases Sirius at once, roughly shoving him forward.

Regulus takes in a long breath when Sirius collapses into Rose, a slight tremor to his hands as their brothers sobbing voice echos.

"You can't! I won't let you do this for me!" Sirius pleads, desperately holding onto her. She tightens her jaw, attempting to keep the water dam back. "I—It should be me!"

"I love you Sirius." says Rose simply, nodding to the four Aurors walking in with their white armor shinning.

"No!" He screams as they attempt to pull him off, his nails digging into her neck accidentally, getting completely ripped away.

The Aurors take hold of Regulus next and he trips over his leather shoes as he's yanked backward, only getting to shout "I love you!" Before the doors close once more and Rose is stuck with one Auror blocking her path.

Sirius is still screaming on the other side, leaving the young girl to trying count again for relief.

The ride to the train station was short but uncomfortable with a car full of Aurors on each side of herself. Rose had been in a moving vechile a few times to ride with her mother somewhere, but the train would be a whole different story. Walburga never wanted any of the children riding trains, claiming as kids of a Victor they needed to stay close for safety.

She finds relief in the fact there are no tears staining her cheeks because the station is swarmed with reporters. Aurors part the crowd and Rose spots Theo getting out from the car in front of the one she came in. Flashing lights begin going off, small peculiar cameras shoved in her face as Sybil places a hand on both tributes backs and guide them forward.

Rose catches a glimpse of her own face on a holographic screen and scoffs, the truth of how shit everything was reigning in her mind.

Neither she nor Theo stop as they step inside the train, Sybil gasping at their actions and scrambling in behind.

The sudden speed knocks Rose back slightly and Theo grabs her arm to provide balance, getting a scowl in return.

"To the left dears!" Sybil shouts happily.

Rose yanks free and walks down the narrow hall, halting in front of door that slides open so quickly she jumps. Sybil starts to show off every part of the train. Now this actually would impress Rose if it wasn't for the fact she knew this was how the Captiol pampered you before handing over a death sentence.

It is much nicer than the Justice building though. Both tributes get their own private quarters and bathroom. There's all types of clothes delicately crafted from silk in the bedroom drawers and Sybil rambles onto them about the 'luxurious' water pressure before quickly guiding the two into another small hall.

She takes Rose and Theo to a wide opened room where a dinning table sits with a full buffet, floors lined with sparkling marble. Both tributes seem to have the same sickened look at the idea of eating.

"Very well then" Sybil hums in offense but it's hard to take her seriously with how airy her voice is. "We can watch the other reapings first. Draco Malfoy, winner of the seventy-third Hunger Games will be your mentor! I'll find him after!"

They take seats on plush velvet chairs set up in a square of obnoxiously bright blue and Sybil sits at a ninety-degree angle by Theo. Her lips pull into a frown as she reaches onto a glass table for the steel remote, "You really should eat before we—"

"Excuse us for not starving ten minutes after finding out about our nearing deaths." Rose cuts in dryly, leaning up to shorten the distance between herself and the Reaper.

Theo's eyes were always heavy but right now they turned wide at truly hearing her voice for the first time and how spiteful it was. He can't help but study her face because she's never been this close as she is sitting next to him and he quickly realizes there's so many sharp edges it's almost jarring.

In a good way.

"Oh....I never meant such harm" Sybil murmurs softly, scooting back in the seat and letting out a quick breath as Rose moves away. "You can very well win these games! You are from District Two after all!"

What a load of lies. Sybil meant the harm, she probably even enjoyed it. Rose saw and heard her giggle during the ceremony, just as every other Reaper the woman clearly enjoys these games.

Rose's eyes roll, a tight fist coming up to cover her mouth as she looks to the polished walls. When there is just utter silence she snaps, "Aren't you supposed to be playing a video?!"

"That attitude will garner you no sponsors young lady!" Sybil speaks to her in a sing-song voice and Theo watches as Rose takes a deep breath, clearly on the verge of plummeting the woman into the train floor.

Sybil hums and points the odd looking remote at the wall across from them and one by one the other reapings start to play out. There is a surprising mash-up of older kids competing this year but a few stick out like sore thumbs to Rose. First is district one, a fourteen year old boy who will be mentored by his father. A tragic fate and something that makes Rose hope whoever gets their hands on the child will make his death quick because she certainly wouldn't kill him. District Five had two volunteers, a girl with long brunette hair who went upon the stage with a sickening smile and a boy with arms bigger than Rose's skull.

When District Ten comes up though a teenage girl with blonde curly hair gets called and she's in a mess of tears the minute the name of her male counterpart is announced. This ginger boy runs onto the stage and wraps her up in his arms uncaringly about the audience. Rose doesn't question if it's some prepared plan to trick the on-watchers at the Capitol. It is so very clear that the two tributes are either best friends or madly in love. Either way, Rose feels pity.

The broadcast is cut short as an Auror walks in and Sybil presses a button to make a large pause symbol come onto the holographic screen. The Auror leans into her ear to whisper something through his helmet and she sighs heavily before giving an apologetic smile.

"I'll be right back with Draco, your mentor."

A thick silence fills the cart upon Sybil's absence. To avoid conversation Rose looks out of the windows where the Rocky Mountains appear as a snowy blur and she thinks back to the first time she ever stepped onto a train.

It was right after she turned sixteen. Sirius and Regulus planned a full day of them sneaking out in the early morning. They rode all the way to near end of their district and climbed up on a mountain. It took all day which should've been no surprise. The view would forever be the most incredible thing she'd see and for the first time in her life she felt free. Their vast district suddenly seemed like a small pond, the air wasn't so thick, and the world was light years away.

They never made it home that night. Instead formed a small camp and accepted the punishments that would come later. From dusk to dawn each told spooky stories to scare the other and huddled together for warmth. Rose ended up chasing Sirius with a burning stick, almost setting the forest on fire until Regulus tackled them both to the ground. He started to scold his siblings until they teamed up and started chasing him instead, the adventure ending in a fit of laughter.

Up on that mountain the universe faded. It was only Rose, Sirius, and Regulus. No last name Black or Hunger Games or Victor children. Just them together—just them being kids.

They were all she ever had and a deep welling of anxiety started to bubble in her stomach at the thought of never seeing them again, of leaving them alone. That wasn't a home she would be abandoning them inside, it was only a house.

But then Theodore Nott speaks to the back of her inky black hair and his voice is nothing like she assumed. It's deep and hoarse and silky all at once.

"Did you ever meet Draco?"

Rose looks to him displeased, her lips pursed and his breath hitches as her hazy blue eyes stare unblinking into his own.

She offers nothing, no words or even an indication of a reply.

"In Victor's Village?" Theo asks and his lips pull up slightly, "I thought you would—being neighbors and all"

She narrows her gaze at him like he's the prey and she's the hunter, "Why are you smiling?"

He laughs nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Am I not supposed to?"

"Stop that."

He laughs even more anxious this time, "Stop?"

She blinks, not knowing what to make of his behavior. Rose came here with a clear image of how he would be in her mind and he was quickly disputing that.

"Stop," She gestures to his whole body uncomfortably, "I don't know? Stop being so...happy?"

Theo shifts upward and his thick, dark eyebrows pinch together. "I'm not happy"

"Then why are you acting like it?"

He shrugs causally, "I always act this way"

"Fuck sake...." Rose grumbles quietly before rubbing her temple, "I'm stuck with pinkie pie"

"Excuse me?" Theo cuts in defensively, turning fully toward her. "Did you just call me...pinkie pie?" The phrase doesn't sound right coming off his tongue and he says it as if mortified.

"Yes." She deadpans and leans closer to inspect him, wondering now if it's just an act. "The fact you grinned while we are riding to the Captiol disturbs me deeply"

His features perk up, a smirk she's never seen on a man crossing his cheeks. "Do I disturb you in a good way or a bad way?"

"Is there any such thing as disturbing someone in a good way?" She bites back.

"You disturb me," He begins before the smirk grows, "In a very good way of course"

Rose stammers backwards and her eyes direct ahead, voice turning ice-cold. "You don't know me"

Don't I though? Theo wants to say. He spent the last seven years watching her. She's the girl who unknowingly had become apart of his daily routine. The one always running to the tracks. The one feeding and befriending the stranglers. He almost dares to call Rose out and proclaim he has a feeling he knows her better than most people do because he didn't just see the show her family forced her to put up, he saw her when she thought no one was watching. Isn't that what really counts? Isn't that when our true colors show?

His saving grace from making an awful mistake is the door across from them, to the left, opening up. For the first time they get a real look at Draco Malfoy. Their eyes move from his leather covered feet up the black slacks and to the white button down that is popped open messily—his skin almost as pale as the dress shirt. He's so very tall and there's so many rings on his fingers it's hard to count. He's just as jarring to look at as Rose, his face crafted with sharp edges and hair as blinding as snow.

Unlike her though his features are all blissfully bright and hers are all almost shockingly dark.

It's almost impossible to take in his appearance because he's stumbling in with a half-empty glass of brown liquor and a full sized baguette in the other.

Rose grimaces with shock and distaste as he stumbles his way into the chair across from her, crashing down and spreading his legs out while taking a hefty bite of the baguette. Theo raises an eyebrow of worry when Draco groans and tips his head back, lulling to the side slightly from being intoxicated. Whatever Theo expected from a reigning Victor it was not the mess of Draco Malfoy.

"Man," Draco's voice is gruff and the word he speaks is slurred. He brings the glass to his lips, taking the rest of the liquor down in one swig. Then, as if he hasn't disturbed them enough, Draco sloppily points the baguette between the two tributes. "You need to enjoy this Captiol food while you can. Even—even the bread is like honey" He trips over the sentence.

Theo stared blankly back, unknowing what to do or say. Rose on the other hand rolls her eyes. She had one drunk Victor at home, she didn't need another. Of course though with her luck, she'd be stuck with a mentor who couldn't even properly open his grey eyes.

"Bread?" Draco leans forward with a hand on one knee, gesturing for Rose to take the baguette. She scoffs and smacks the offer away. The bread almost falls but Theo catches it, placing the food back in the frowning Victor's hand.

"You..." Draco spits with what Rose assumed is supposed to be a narrowed gaze that fails because he's already so drunk his eyelids are barely open. "So you volunteered? Happy to go to the games? Ready to keep the family legacy alive?" He laughs dryly and reclines back into the chair.

Rose decided immediately she hates this man, "You have no clue why I volunteered."

Sudden anger flashes over him, "I know enough—"

"Are you really that daft or has your isolation cost you brain cells?!" Rose hisses, pure disgust in her tone. "Tell me Draco, did the games make you mentally deficient?"

A work of horror flicks inside his gaze before he snarls, muscles underneath the dress shirt flexing. "Don't talk about those games."

"Why?" She asks innocently, a maliciously smile working onto her face. "Have the nightmares came yet? Does the faces of those children haunt you? No no—shut up." His opening mouth zips close and Rose continues on, "The alcoholism and isolation has already started. So, that's why I wonder if the other things have too. Classic Victor headcase really, disappointing as well I must say."

Draco's fingers dig into the bread, chest beginning to heave as he stares at the girl before himself. "You bitch!"

"Ooo" Rose smiles but it doesn't reach her eyes, angered beyond belief by him. She leans forward and nods sympathetically, speaking as if he's a child. "This why we don't throw stones at glass houses"

Draco looks like he's either about to pounce on her or throw his glass at her face and Theo realizes something has to be done to stop their sudden duel of words.

"So how do we do this whole thing?" Theo asks. Draco and Rose's head both snap to him. She takes a deep breath, sitting back. In a state of drunkenness Draco appears to forget what just happened and pull a flask from his slacks pocket.

He begins to fill the empty whiskey glass, a dry laugh coming out. "Why so eager? Your death will come soon enough"

"Definitely mentally deficient. You could just answer his question." Rose huffs, unknowingly gripping the armrest. "Or do you plan on being a failure of a mentor?"

Draco speaks directly to Theo as he tosses the flask onto the glass side table, "You think you can win against her? She's been training her whole life for this" He turns to Rose, "Or maybe she hasn't" His lips twist into a cruel smirk and he leans forward on his knees, "Tell me princess, have you just been sitting in daddy's palace with everything you could ever want while the world rots?"

"Become aware of the fact I have no problem ripping out someone's throat, that includes your own." Having had enough Rose stands, becoming increasingly annoyed as he starts to chug from the glass dismissively. Without another thought she takes the glass from him and chunks it at the wall.

Draco and Theo both jump as the glass shatters, falling to the ground with an echo.

"Got your attention now?!" Rose asks manically and weaves her fingers through Draco's hair, yanking his head back to stare up at her. "You look utterly pathetic—sober up."

The way in which she releases him is by shoving his head forward, taking a quick leave through the automatic door. Draco stares at where she disappears from. There's a snarl on his face and he's grumbling loudly, jaw twitching to go ring her neck.

"Mmm," Theo smiles happily and relaxes into the seat, eyes darting from the broken glass to the mentor. "I like her"

"You won't when she's quote on quote," Draco turns to him, face still pruned by anger. "Ripping your throat out"

The opposite door of where Rose left slides open. Sybil searches for the cause of noise before gasping at the heap of shattered glass, "What has happened in here?!"

Draco grumbles again, yanking the flask off the table. "We've got an intolerable woman on board that's what"

Theo looks over his shoulder to the reaper, "He technically asked for it"

Draco's eyes snap to Theo with a deadly glare, "I'm going to kill that girl, Sybil."

"Draco Malfoy!" Sybil scolds, pushing a ruby covered hand through her neon hair. "You cannot kill your tribute!"

"Oh I'm going to." Draco peers off into the distance, using the bread and flask to brings his fingers together. "I'm going to ring her little neck then—"

"Stop!" Sybil shouts, completely horrified.

*

The distance between District Two and the Capitol is short, given it's in the name. The lower the district number, the closer to the Capitol.

Rose eventually resurfaced on her own accord to pick at treckle tart. Now everyone sat where they were before. Draco had taken to drinking more copious amounts and currently stayed busying glaring into Rose as she mindlessly picked at her nails. Sybil was sitting prim and proper, complaining to Theo about there not being a lot of younger tributes. She talked about how much better the games were with the children involved, always giving a grand story because of the sympathy it garnered when they died.

It was easily the most insensitive conversation Theo had ever heard but he listened for the reaper's sake.

Rose felt two pairs of eyes piercing into her and looked up to be met with Draco leaned back, his long fingers gripping tightly onto the glass as he watched her with distaste.

Before she could even manage to speak a bright white light filled the train and his gaze hallowed upon looking out the window. Rose didn't have to turn to know what he was seeing. It became clear from the way his breath picked up and throat bobbed that they arrived at the Capitol, ruling city of Panem. There's a ghost of a smile on his face and he shifts backward, head swimming with memories.

The train slows and Theo lets out a long sigh, grateful to be released from the conversation with Sybil. Suddenly he's grabbing Rose's arm and yanking her over the window with him so quickly she can only blink in the amount of time it takes to cross over.

Although they've only see the Capitol on televised screens, both quickly realize the broadcasts never did the city justice. The buildings appear as skyscrapers, decorating the sky in a rainbow hue. Down the streets are pristine cars with wacky embellishments and people with insane hair and painted skin walk by, clearly never having starved a day in their lives. All the colors seem unreal from the purples being too lively, the greens too blinding, the yellows colored as the sun.

The Capitol people begin shouting and pointing up eagerly at the tribute train gliding in. Rose flips around almost instantly, pressing her back into the window and becoming disturbed as Theo smiles back to the on-lookers.

Rose crosses her arms with the utmost exhaustion, "They're watching us like pigs to the slaughter...why would you encourage that?"

Draco cuts in, "Sponsors eat that stuff up. You can't act like the arena is a bad thing." Her eyes trial to him, an agitated glare held inside. "You have to seem grateful for this opportunity"

Sybil hums along, bright ringlets bouncing. "They don't know any different, Rosalie."

"You never played into the act" Rose dares to taunt, head tilting as Draco huffs. "What happened to the whole fuck the Captiol attitude?"

"Language!" Sybil scolds.

For the first time a full smile takes over Draco and he tips his glass toward Rose, "So you payed attention to me then?"

"I'm going to kill him." She mutters before turning to Theo, "I'm going to murder our mentor."

"You could try princess" Draco laughs dryly, using the nickname to demean her. "I don't remember the thirteen faces I've killed, but I bet you do. Set a record I believe"

_________________________________

A/N: this is so weird leaving an authors note because it's not my usual fic with my all readers who feel like a little family lol

— Draco and his baguette had me wheezing

— rose and draco = enemies to lovers in the making...

— i just want to hug Theo he's so precious

— no one's allowed to be angry at rose being bitchy because you would too if you were tossed into a death sentence 🤺🤺

— we get to meet Luna and Miss Zabini next chapter!

— okay so things are going to start picking up here and get quicker i pinky. as some of you know i usually write really long chapters and those will start coming in either the next one or the one after that <3

xx bri