Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or anything else that may be referenced in this chapter.
A/N: Huge thank you to you all for reading, reviewing, following and favouring, and I hope you all enjoy this chapter! :)
Chapter 2
The spell hit the two before him, just as they flickered to a small figure with Lily's red hair curled on the floor their eyes wide and empty, a pair of 1950's style thin black square frames beside them. The figure exploded with a loud bang and Severus let out a choked and halfhearted chuckle before it shot into the shadows.
As it did so Severus sank to the ground, his head in his hands, tears trickling from beneath his fingers. "I know," he whispered. "Lily.Lily. I lost her, I left her, Iknow."
"Severus?"
Rose approached him tentatively.
"Severus, are you alright?"
It was rather a stupid question, she knew. Draco, despite his shakiness, raised an eyebrow at her.
However Severus had drawn a deep, chocked breath and was looking up at them. When he spoke, his voice possessed the tone of the classroom, crisp and composed.
"I'm fine, thank you." he looked at their surroundings with distain. "Let's get out of this shed and go home."
Rose and Draco exchanged a glance but said nothing, knowing better than to press Severus when he used his 'teaching voice.'
They passed out of the shed's door and were immediately accosted by a brown haired robust woman wearing a flowery apron over a tweed suit. Peter Smithe followed, looking sulky.
"Oh, Mr Snape!" The woman sounded relieved as she beamed at Severus, who looked momentarily startled at being greeted so enthusiastically. "I do hope you, Rose and-"
"Draconis." Draco supplied. It was Rose's turn to raise an eyebrow; Draco hated his full name. Then she realised that the woman was most likely a Muggle and the extra emphasis Draco had placed upon his name was probably some sort of Pureblood 'Muggles-must-respect-us' thing.
"What on earth were your parents thinking?" the woman covered her mouth seemingly horrified as she realised what she'd said. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean-"
"To say that out loud?" Draco finished, glaring at her. "Go back to your sty, Muggle."
Wordlessly, Severus jerked his head towards the garden gate and swept away. Rose and Draco followed, ignoring the woman's incoherent sputters.
"Sty?" Rose murmured as they followed Severus down the lane.
"She resembled a pig from an angle."
"If you say so."
Upon their arrival at the house, Severus unlocked the front door and passed immediately into the kitchen. Rose and Draco collapsed onto the living room's sofas and looked at one another, the clash of pots echoing from the kitchen.
"What'd you reckon that thing was, in the shed?" Rose asked.
Draco shrugged. "Dunno. Nothing Muggle. Should we-?"
"No. Not yet. If he wants to tell us, he will."
"I don't know if I can wait. My parents- they were there. It was like I dreamt it- like it was real."
"Well it wasn't," Rose spoke firmly, though she felt as unnerved as Draco looked. "But, how about, if he doesn't tell us by this time tomorrow, we ask?"
"Deal."
They did not have to wait that long, however. After dinner, the occupants of 89 Spinners End found themselves in the living room. Rose and Draco were sprawled on the hearthrug facing each other, a large jar containing an enormous spider and a small vial of acid green potion between them.
"I will crush you into a thousand pieces and spit on the remains." Draco snarled.
Rose snorted. "You wish."
Severus peered at them from the sofa, a tall glass of Elderflower wine in his hand. "This is ridiculous."
"No it's not," Rose frowned over at him. "It's very logical."
"No, it's stupid," Draco countered.
"Was that a volunteer?" Rose questioned loudly, staring around.
"No!" Draco said hastily. He repositioned his determined expression. "Let's do this. Severus!"
Severus sighed flicked his wand. The Jaws theme song echoed around the room, causing Miss Marple, who had been curled at Severus's feet, to wake with a jump. She leapt from the sofa and cured up in Rose's lap, watching the spider scuttle around the jar.
Daa-da. Daa-da.
Daa-da. Daa-da.
"Scissors, paper, rock!" Rose and Draco chanted, shaking their hands at each other.
"Scissors, paper, rock!"
"Scissors, paper, rock!"
"VICTORY!" Rose cried. "Rock beats scissors! VICTORY!"
Draco, looking disgruntled, unscrewed the lid of the jar and reached for the spider. "Let's get this over with."
Rose picked up the vial, smirking. "Okay."
As Draco dangled the spider over the mouth of the jar, Rose uncorked the shrinking solution they had brewed and poured it over the spider. Pleasingly, it shrunk rapidly.
"Excellent." Rose smiled. "Toss it over there," she jerked her head to a corner. "Miss Marple will get it."
Draco flung the spider into the corner and Miss Maple pounced from Rose's lap; her paw catching the spider before it could scurry away.
Severus cleared his throat as Rose and Draco bent their heads over two pieces of parchment respectively and began to write the essay he had assigned their class to complete over the holidays on shrinking solutions.
"The thing in the shed was what is known as a Boggart." Rose and Draco looked up interestedly. Severus stared determinedly at Miss Marple as she devoured the spider, and continued:
"No-one knows what a Boggart looks like when it is alone as they are shape shifters; when a person faces them, they change into whatever it may be that the person fears above anything else. If the person has more than one thing that truly terrifies them, the Boggart will alternate between the two. There's only one thing that can defeat a Boggart- laughter, though willpower helps."
"What if you don't know what your worst fear is?" Rose asked, chewing her lip.
Severus tore his eyes away from Miss Marple, as the spiders last leg disappeared. "If you don't know what your worst fear is when you face a Boggart…" he trailed off, shuddering slightly. "I would hate to be you."
"BOO!" Draco shouted suddenly. Rose jumped violently. "There you go, Rose; I'm your worst fear."
Rose laughed. "Assuredly."
Severus smirked, reaching for the remote control. He flicked the TV on and blanched.
"What?" Rose asked turning to face the TV.
A picture of a man with mattered elbow length black hair and a pale, hollow looking face filled the screen. The headline eclipsing the image read; SIRIUS BLACK: DANGEROUS ESCAPEE.
"I-I have to go," Severus drained the last of his wine and stood up. "Get a house-elf Draco, and have it pack yours and Rose's possessions. Then you two are to go to the Zabini's- don't worry about the house or Mrs. Smill, I'll take care of it. Tell Giselle Black's escaped- she'll know. Lupin would've seen; he'll have sent Potter to the Weasley's; but you need to stay on our side. I need to go…" He swept his hair from his face and kissed Rose's forehead. "I love you- let me know when you're at the Zabini's."
"I will, but why-"
"Later." There was a loud pop and a large bat hovered where Severus had stood. It circled the room, as though to stretch its wings, then shot through the open window and out into the night.
Rose turned to Draco.
"Did he just-?"
"He did. Did you-?"
"No."
"Me neither."
"What do we do now?"
"What Sev said, I guess. Trinks!"
Pop!
"Yes, Master Draco?"
"Pack mine and Rose's trunks and Rose's cat and send them to the Zabini's, please."
"Yes, sir." Trinks scooped up Miss Marple and disapperated, Rose and Draco's homework vanishing not long after.
Rose shut the living room window, drew the curtains and switched off the TV. "Let's go."
The two crossed the room and approached the fireplace. Draco grabbed a fist full of floo power and gave some to Rose. As one, they flung the powder into the flames and stepped into the fireplace.
"Zabini Manor!" Draco cried.
They spun through the floo network, their combined mass making them spin faster and faster, though the stomach churning motion was nothing compared to the questions that whirled through their minds, each as unanswerable as the last.
A/N: Please review! :)
