Chapter 28: The Wedding
"What do you think she sees in him?" Cora Rosamond whispered to her husband, Matthew.
Rose's parents stood just beyond the living room entrance, peering around the corner at their daughter nestled between Ephraim Fayden and Severus Snape. Her head was resting on Severus's shoulder and she looked extraordinarily peaceful.
"I don't know," Matthew muttered back, eyeing how this brooding wizard was wrapped around his daughter. In Severus's sleep, he clung to Rose as if for safety. He was turned towards her with his arms tightly clinging to her body and one leg over both of hers. Presumably, he had moved this way in his sleep. Mathew Rosamond could not imagine that Severus Snape would consciously contour himself in such a vulnerable position.
As if sensing eyes on his sleeping form, Severus began to stir.
Cora and Matthew threw a quick glance at each other and then ducked out of the room.
Crisp winter sunshine spilled across Severus's face. He opened his eyes, blinking several times against the gentle brightness. He carefully straightened himself, moving his stiff neck from side to side.
Rose too was pulled from sleep. Her eyes flit open and she looked up at Severus with half open eyes, a light smile touching her lips. "Good morning, Darling," Rose hummed.
A smirk formed of Severus's mouth. "Darling?" he questioned teasingly.
Rose grinned and threw a quick glance at Ephraim, who was still fast asleep at her side. "Well you are," she replied in a hushed tone.
"I assure you," Severus hissed back, "you are the only one of that opinion." His declaration was not cynical but playful. It was his wedding day. 'His!' Severus Snape was getting married and he couldn't help but feel lighthearted with the sun against his face and Rose's warm, gentle form beside him.
"Well you better not be anyone else's darling," Rose teased. "Otherwise you would have much to explain, Severus Snape."
Something sparked behind Severus's black eyes. He glanced at Ephraim to make sure he was still asleep before kissing Rose gently, relishing the fact that her lips were his to kiss anytime it struck his fancy. Rose's lips parted, deepening their embrace. She began inching her hand up Severus's thigh, feeling a pressure building within her core.
Severus caught her wrist and pulled back from her. He looked at her with arched brows. "Perhaps," Severus said, "not in your parents' sitting room beside one of my sleeping students."
Rose smirked, "perhaps," she replied before craning her neck to steal a final quick kiss.
Severus smiled one of his rare truly formed smiles, momentarily erasing years of torment away from his face.
Every time Rose saw him like this she wanted to cry. "I love you," she told him.
"And I you," Severus replied.
Ephraim shifted in his sleep.
Both Severus and Rose turned their attention towards him.
"He's really out," Rose remarked.
"Yes," Severus agreed.
Rose smiled at the boy and lightly stroked his cheek with one finger. She glanced back at Severus. "He looks peaceful."
"He does," Severus said. He was glad of it. It was certainly Rose's presence. Ephraim had probably not slept so well in years.
"Do you think we could get him to bed without waking him?" Rose whispered. "My family will be down soon, and I would love for him to sleep more if he could."
Severus stood. He pointed his wand at Ephraim and he levitated, cradled in thin air. Severus then put his arms under the boy and held his light weight. For a boy of eleven, Ephraim still was quite light.
Rose stood too. Her heart swelled at the sight of Ephraim in Severus's arms, his head resting against his shoulder.
Severus saw that look in Rose's eyes. "I will take him to bed," he told her, hurriedly quitting the room.
At Severus's departure, Rose's parents came into the room too quick as to not be suspicious.
"Good you're up," her mother said. There was a tight looked to her mother's smile.
Rose pressed her lips together. "Yep," she said.
Her father stood slightly behind her mother, a weary look in his eyes.
"Everything is set," Cora told Rose. "We will meet everyone at church at 4 pm. Then we can do an early dinner with the family after."
"I didn't realize it would be more than just the wedding ceremony," Rose said. Severus was going to 'love' this.
"Well you can't just get married and leave," Cora said. "That would be extremely rude."
"I really didn't want to make a big deal about it," Rose said.
"It is a big deal, Rose," Cora explained. "Preferably, you will only have one wedding day your whole life."
Something darkened in Rose's eyes. "Right," she said distantly.
Cora looked skeptically at he daughter. Something was clearly wrong and this whole 'Severus Snape' situation left a bad taste in her mouth. "I got out my wedding dress for you to wear," Cora said.
Rose shook her head at once. "I don't want to wear a wedding dress," she said firmly.
"What else would you wear?" Cora pressed.
Rose shrugged. "Something clean."
Cora sighed. "You always used to tell me that you wanted to wear my wedding dress when you got married. What's changed?"
'Everything,' Rose thought. She bit the inside of her cheek. "Because I'm not a virgin," she told her parents in a blunt tone.
Cora rolled her eyes and Matthew groaned.
At that moment, Severus walked in.
Matthew glanced over his shoulder at Severus and grimaced.
Severus threw a questioning looked at Rose. The light atmosphere they had just had together became suddenly thick and tense in his brief absence.
"Rose look," Cora said, rushing from the room and quickly returning with a long white veil.
Before Rose could do anything to stop it. Cora placed the veil on her head. The comb knotted in her morning tangled hair. Cora flipped the fabric, so it draped over Rose's face.
A decorative mirror hung over the mantle. Rose caught her reflection in it, the sheer fabric covering her face made her look like a ghost, a ghost of someone long dead. Rose squeezed her eyes tight, her hands beginning to shake at her side.
When her lids flit open again, she no longer saw her reflection. Instead, as if he was standing in front of her, she saw that tall, gangly wizard with wispy white hair and a pointed thin face with edges too sharp, cutting the onlooker. He was clad in faded black robes and he wore a pitying expression as he gazed down at Rose from his long, pointed nose.
"I don't think he's coming, dearie," the wizard said in an icy voice.
Rose stared up at him with wide eyes before disapparating on the spot.
The night was dark and cold outside Malfoy Manor. The wind rushed in Rose's ringing ears. Rose stood just beyond the protection charm of the great iron gates.
People were leaving the house and moving towards the gates, aurors. They were holding someone, someone who was putting up a fight. Rose could sense cries and shouts coming from the house, but she could not hear anything but the still ringing of her world dissolving before her.
From a distance, she could see figures standing in the doorway of the manor, watching the progression of the aurors and the struggling figure.
It was Karis Malfoy in the aurors grasp, her hands bound behind her in magically glowing shackles.
The aurors passed Rose unnoticed. It was Karis who stopped her fighting and stilled just long enough to give Rose a cold malicious grin before the aurors pushed her away.
The ringing in Rose's ears became louder, so loud that it hurt.
A gurney floated out the front door.
This time Rose heard somebody's anguished cries, a mother, the only sound that could possibly cut through the hemorrhaging pitch in her ears.
Rose could not cry out or move. She was frozen in time. She thought she would spend her days watching this body levitating above the front steps.
The wizard suspending the gurney with his wand was doing a poor job. The stretcher tipped and shook with his careless magic. The body progressed forward, shrouded and rocking on the air.
The yelling and sobbing continued. Rose saw a mid-aged woman try to rush towards the lifeless figure, but someone's arm caught her, holding her back. Rose pitied the woman, how horrible to lose your child.
Still from a distance, this had nothing to do with Rose, standing on the dark road in her wedding dress.
"Rose did you hear what I said?" Cora asked.
Rose was peering into the mirror again, paralyzed by the haunting reflection in front of her. Rose slid her wide eyes over to her mother.
Severus watched Rose cautiously.
"I said that I made appointments for you to get your hair and makeup done," she said. "You need to get ready to go, your sister and the men will meet us at the church later."
What her mother said was not making sense to Rose at first. She internally replayed her mother's words. She wanted her to leave Severus.
Rose's breathing suddenly became raged. She clenched her eyes shut, trying to block out the sight of that lifeless form floating closer and closer to her. Rose was stuck watching and waiting, her heart pounding against her ribcage. The gurney tipped slightly, and the lifeless left arm of the shrouded figure rolled out, revealing Tiberius Malfoy's dark mark.
"Rose," Cora said in a panicked voice. "What's happening." She placed both hands on Rose's cheeks.
Rose's eyes flung open and she stepped away from her mother. "No," she managed in a heavily shaking voice. "No." Rose caught sight of herself in the mirror again. With her hands violently trembling, Rose pulled at the veil on her head, but it was knotted in her hair. Her sharp breathing began more rapid as she desperately tried to take the veil off.
"Rose," Severus said firmly, stepping in front of her.
At the sound of Severus's voice, Rose stilled yet her chest still heaved, and tears still poured from her eyes.
Severus reached for the veil and carefully disentangled it from Rose's head and let it float to the floor.
Freed, Rose let herself take in a long draft of air before Severus engulfed her tightly again his chest. She clung to him. She turned her face towards her mother with her cheek pressed into Severus's night shirt. "I can't be away from Severus," Rose sobbed.
Matthew and Cora both looked horrified.
Matthew stepped forward in long strides. "What is your hold over her?" he asked Severus in a disgusted tone.
Severus scowled at Rose's father. "This is not my doing," he replied in a menacing hiss.
"Why is she behaving like this?" Cora asked desperately.
Severus ignored the question. He pulled away slightly so that he could see Rose's face. Rose struggled to keep herself as close to him as possible. "Rose," Severus said gently. "Rose, look at me." Rose tilted her chin towards him, her breathing slowing. Severus took her face in his hands and bent slightly so that they were at eye level. "Would I ever leave you?" he asked her in a low voice. "Could I possibly?" Rose let out an agonized sob and fell forward onto Severus's chest again. He held her closely to him.
Severus was very aware of Core and Matthew Rosamond's eyes. He tore his eyes away from Rose and focused on her parents.
Matthew moved closer and pulled on Rose's shoulder. "Come away from him," he said roughly. He had never seen his daughter in such a state and he felt certain that it had everything to do with Severus Snape.
Rose flinched at her Father's touch but allowed herself to be reoriented to her surroundings. Still clinging to Severus, Rose looked questioningly at her father through her watery eyes.
"Come away, Rose," Matthew pressed, his hand still tightly on her shoulder.
Severus did not loosen his hold on her but glared down at Matthew Rosamond's grip and cursed what he was insinuating.
Shaking, Rose disentangled herself from Severus but remained at his side. "You don't understand," Rose told her parents in a quivering voice.
"What don't we understand?" Matthew asked.
Rose pressed her lips together and whipped her eyes quickly in an attempt to be strong. "This has nothing to do with Severus," Rose assured, her voice still broken. She turned to Severus. "I'm sorry."
Severus kept his face unreadable, blocking the world and this moment out.
"What then, Rose?" Cora begged.
"Its just," Rose began breathily. She struggled to keep her sobs at bay. "Last time…"
"You do not have to tell them anything," Severus interjected, "not to protect me."
"Like hell she doesn't," Matthew replied sharply.
Rose clenched her fists, feeling her fingernails digging into her palms. "Last time on my wedding day…" Rose took in a sharp breath. She looked to Severus, her eyes begging for his help.
Severus moved forward, snatching Rose from his side and drawing her to his chest again. "Rose was engaged before. The man was murdered before they could wed." Severus got the words out as quickly as possible as if that would make hearing them better somehow.
The air was sucked from the room, Rose's ears were ringing again, she pressed her faces tighter against Severus's chest, forcing herself to focus on his rapidly beating heart.
There was a long pause as Rose's parents processed what was being said.
"Why weren't we told?" Matthew asked, his voice no more than a whisper.
"Who was this man?" Cora questioned with a bit more conviction.
"Rose?" Severus said looking down at her, not sure what else she wanted him to convey. This was not his story to tell.
"Tiberius," Rose whispered. "His name was Tiberius. And he died because…" Rose shook her head. She couldn't continue. Rose looked up at Severus with wide wet eyes and nodded once.
Severus sighed and turned his attention back to Rose's parents, holding his palm against Rose's head as if shielding her from the past. "Tiberius Malfoy was a deatheater," Severus explained coldly. He looked at the Rosamonds with raised brows. "Do you know what that means?"
Cora narrowed her eyes at him, feeling insulted by Severus's tone. "Voldemort's followers," she said sternly.
"But Rose," Matthew said, "she's…"
"Yes," Severus's returned bitterly. "She's muggle-born."
"Muggle?" Matthew questioned.
"Born to non-magical parents," Severus replied.
"But deatheaters and this Voldemort," Cora continued. Severus suppressed an eye roll. "They are against people like us and like Rose."
"So, you see where the issue arose," Severus said bluntly.
"How could you, Rose?" Cora said pointedly. Rose looked at her mother with disbelief. "You told us all those horrible things deatheaters have done. How could you possibly want to marry one?"
Rose pulled away from Severus, her pain suddenly replaced with rage. Severus bit down on his tongue.
"Don't' you dare judge him," Rose told her parents in a carrying voice. She was not just talking about Tiberius now. "Not everything is so black and white."
"Rose," Cora said in a tone of forced reason, "you told us all about this group of people, how they torture nonmagical people for sport. You told us how they are against witches and wizards born of nonmagical parents. 'You' told us what dangerous killers they 'all' are, branded on their arms by their leader, ready to do his biding at any time." Cora Rosamond's eyes widened slightly, she stared in front of her intently as if she was looking at puzzle pieces coming together. She shot her attention towards Severus. "You," she accused. "Your arm. Yesterday when I tried to pull up your sleeves."
Rose stepped in front of Severus with her arms held out as if afraid her mother would pounce on him.
"He is a deatheater," Cora said.
Severus scowled behind Rose. "Clearly you were never informed of the ideocracy of a deatheater accusation," Severus said in a low hiss. "Incriminating the wrong person is a sure way to end up dead."
Rose watched as her parents' faces drained of color. Rose rolled her eyes, bringing her hand to her temple. "That last comment was not necessary," she mumbled before looking up again.
"So, it's true," Matthew said with horror.
Furiously, Severus rolled up the left sleeve of his nightshirt, revealing the remains of his dark mark. The skin was grayed and scaly. It had the dead look of a snake's abandoned skin. As faded as it was, the outline was still clearly visible, it always would be a horrible reminder of past mistakes and torment. "There," Severus said roughly.
Rose's parents stared at the mark, fear on their faces, yet they were too displaced from the wizarding world to know how scary the mark should have been to them.
"Severus," Rose groaned.
At that moment, Ephraim and Rachel descended the stairs, drawn in by the commotion.
Ephraim stared at his professor with wide eyes. Severus quickly covered his arm again.
Professor Snape's past was common knowledge at Hogwarts, but Ephraim could easily forget what was hidden beneath his teacher's sleeve. Ephraim's eyes shifted from his professor to Rose's family, wearing looks of fear and disgusted and then Rose standing defensively between them.
Ephraim rushed the rest of the way down the stairs and placed himself at Professor Snape's side, his arms crossed in front of him. He stared defiantly at Rose's family.
"What's happening?" Rachel asked meekly as she joined the group.
Severus looked at Rose and Ephraim standing around him, standing with him. Miraculously, Severus felt his anger leaving him.
"Explain," Cora half shouted at Rose. "Now!"
Rose opened her mouth to speak, but Severus cut across her. "Once branded with the dark mark," Severus began, "there is no way out." Severus stepped forward and rested his hands on Rose's shoulders. Rose's body instantly relaxed at his touch, her defensive stance dissolved. "Even if you realized how wrong you were it would be too late." Severus's voice became less severe. He glanced at Ephraim and gave him a small nod. Ephraim uncrossed his arms. "Rose has a talent for helping others realize the good in their selves. Tiberius Malfoy was no exception."
"And you?" Cora threw back at Severus.
"Severus was a spy," Rose told her parents defensively. "He played a crucial part in ending the wizarding war. He's a hero." Rose glanced back at Severus who was scowling at her last comment.
"War?" Cora asked. "What war?"
Severus gave Rose a raised brow look. "They are ill informed," he said.
Matthew frowned and Cora let out an errant noise. They were both intelligent doctors; ill informed was not something that sat well with them, and to miss a whole 'war' was quite a bit of miss information indeed.
"Its not their fault," Rose said guiltily.
"No," Severus returned.
Rose looked towards her parents and sister. "It's passed due that I tell you all everything.
The Rosamonds, Ephraim, and Severus sat down for a story of the last two years. Tales of Severus's past were kept generic and short. Rose, however, told her past minute by minute it seemed. She felt a weight be lifted off her and by the end of the long and tearful conversation she felt as though she was levitating in her seat.
Ephraim had grabbed her hand sometime around the explanation of her first meeting with Tiberius. Severus sat quietly beside her, listening intently, hearing information for the first time. He did not touch Rose until after she told her final story not wanting to intrude upon her space with Tiberius.
"I think you are all caught up," Rose finished some what lamely.
In a rare display of public affection, Severus leaned to the side and placed a lingering kiss on Rose's forehead, telling her, silently, how brave she was.
Ephraim looked away as if Rose and Professor Snape were snogging in front of him.
In a daze, the last questions were asked and answered. The group separated only long enough to shower and dress.
Rose emerged a little while later wearing a midnight blue dress that she had borrowed from Rachel. It billowed around her when she walked and hit her right at the knee, exposing her soft pale legs.
Severus couldn't believe his luck. A smile spread across his face.
Feeling lighthearted, Rose laughed. "Will I do?" she teased.
Severus rolled his eyes at her. "I suppose," he told her with a smirk. He took her hands and pulled her towards him for a kiss.
Someone cleared their throat.
They pulled apart. Severus pressed his lips together in annoyance to see Rose's family and Ephraim standing behind them, ready to leave.
When Severus would look back on his wedding day, he would not think about the cramped car ride to the church or the crude whispers behind Rose's relatives' hands.
Severus would only think of Rose, standing before him at the alter, staring up at him, looking thrilled to be there, though Severus would never understand why.
Tears brimmed her eyes as her officiant cousin ask, "Do you, Rose, take Severus to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer as long as you both shall live?"
Rose beamed at Severus. She was so beautiful and good and she was his.
"I do," Rose said.
THANK YOU FOR READING.
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More to come soon.
Sincerely,
Thora Jane
