Authors note: Thank you suzga!
Petra was sure she had not stopped blushing for days. Anytime she even thought of Severus -it was Severus now when he was her fiance, and Snape as her teacher- she grew embarrassed, and uncharacteristically giddy. It was getting her noticed. One of her dorm mates that had stayed behind, Katey, she was sure she was called, had mentioned that Petra was simply glowing, and looked almost approachable these last couple days.
Petra had decided to make friends with the girl. She still had a day before she left for Grimmauld place, and decided to invite Katey -she hoped that was the girls name- to lunch with her in the great hall. They joked and talked the whole hour, and after took a walk by the black lake.
The morning after Petra was escorted down the path to the gate by Severus, but on the other side Molly Weasley was waiting to apparate her there. She gave a polite goodbye to her intended, who gave a small bow before turning around and taking the walk back up much faster than they had descended. Molly pulled her into a hug before the familiar tug in her navel and they were on the doorstep of a muggle townhouse.
The door was yanked open by Fred, and George was waiting off to the side to try and scare her, but she was expecting it, and threw a freezing charm at him, and he was frozen making a silly face. Fred couldn't stop laughing and Petras normal half smile was in its rare full smile form.
Christmas was wonderful. Molly made her a soft, light yellow sweater, and the twins gave her plenty of their new defensive products from their store. Dumbledore sent over the presents that had appeared at Hogwarts for her, including a present from her brother. It was titled: for Christmas and your birthday, and was 4 movie tickets for two nights from then to see the last showing of 101 dalmatians. He said that Alice would not be able to make it either but that Petra should see it for all of them, and to make sure to take a picture for him.
She was glad to have heard from him, and made sure to write a letter to her sister later that night after dinner. Christmas dinner with the various inhabitants of the house was interesting, to say the least. It was a grand affair in a very ordinary sort of way, not regal but big and full of happiness. She met the other Weasleys, and Sirius Black, who at first scared her but after being informed of his situation, was a rather amazing kind of man. His unruly nature and generous laughter was inviting, and more than once she found herself seeking his conversation. He told her stories of his time at Hogwarts, and his brief time as an auror. His godson, Harry Potter, clung to every word he said, and the more time Petra spent in the boy's presence the more she saw that he was a victim of his fame, and not a seeker of it.
Harry and his two best friends, the youngest Weasley son, Ron, and a bushy haired girl named Hermoine, all stared at Petra in curiosity and apprehension. She tried to remain friendly but did not like their scrutiny. It wasn't until Molly mentioned her approaching marriage that the three even bothered to talk to her, but the bushy haired Hermoine immediately interrupted her conversation with the Weasley matriarch.
"And who will you be marrying, Petra?" she asked.
"Severus Snape. It's an arranged marriage that Dumbledore himself facilitated, and it's not supposed to be common knowledge." Her cheeks were red and she was not enjoying the fact that the table had dropped into silence to listen to this bit of personal information.
"I am so sorry, dear,"Molly offered, looked rather embarrassed to have brought it up, "I wasn't meaning to put you on the spot at all, I forgot that you were keeping that under wraps until you graduated."
Molly turned to each of the children at the table in turn while saying "None of you are to repeat this to anyone outside of this room. This is Petras' life and it is not for your mouths to repeat."
"But how can she be marrying that greasy git?! It's repulsive." It was the only Weasley girl who said this, Ginny, and Petra could feel her temper rising.
"I believe your mother has made it clear that it is a private matter, and not one you need to be worrying yourself about. Molly, may I be excused?" Molly nodded her head at Petra, and mouthed sorry once more before Petra climbed the stairs two at a time before storming into her room. She had already cleaned it at least three times but in her rage sent another scourgify just for good measure, before collapsing on her bed and letting her pent up tears escape.
A little while later a soft knock hit the door, and with a flick of her wand she opened it to find George and Fred standing behind it.
"Come in then, and shut the door behind you." Her voice cracked a little as she said this, and it didn't go unnoticed by her best friends.
"Petra, she is young, you have to understand that." said George.
"And besides, were you ever intending on letting us know?" Fred said, while closing the door and plopping himself down on the bed next to her.
"I was going to tell you tomorrow, once Christmas was over and I was sure I could tell you two privately." She was defeated, and told them all she had been holding back for the last day.
"Woah, I knew your family was itching to marry you off but I had no idea they would be sending you to the arms of a professor, and Snape no less." George was inspecting pictures on the wall as he said this, and Fred was pulling at strands of her hair.
"Anyways, do you think your mom will let us go to a movie in two days? I have tickets from my brother and wanted to take you two with me."
"Like a muggle movie? Mum might not go for it, but if you have an extra ticket I'm sure dad would be thrilled to experience a muggle theater." Petra had forgotten Arthurs love of all things muggle, and it seemed like a solid plan to ask him first, especially because she did have a fourth ticket for him.
"That sounds perfect! Should I ask him tonight or in the morning?"
"Tonight, he works in the morning. And besides, the longer he has to wear down mum the better chances we have." Fred wiggled his eyebrows at her and George was smiling evilly.
"Now, we should go downstairs for dessert before you make mum feel truly awful. Shall we take the stairs, or would you like to apparate into the dining room and give the family a fright?" George obviously preferred the later, but Petra didn't want to make an even bigger scene then she already had.
"I will be taking the stairs, thank you, and I believe I deserve an escort after this emotional affair." She was using her extra arrogant voice with them and knew that they would find it even more satisfying to whisk her down like a princess.
Her first order meeting was boring, but she got to sit by Severus during it so at least it wasn't a total waste. He seemed oblivious to her presence, at least until he was leaving, when he sought her out to say goodbye, and left with a "Pleasure as always." Her face was warm afterwards and she scurried up the stairs before anyone could notice.
Later in bed, a vision, clear as day, struck her.
She could see Severus, laying on the ground. He was writhing in pain, although he was silent, and obviously occluding. His eyes were closed, and his face was screwed up as tremors wracked his body, but not a sound left him, and it was unnerving. Above him stood Voldemort, with no expression on his face as he hurt Severus over and over again with the crucio curse.
"Do you betray me, Severusss?" His voice was a mixture of honey and gravel, reeling her in and sending her into a fit of anxiety at the same time. Each time the curse hit him he moved inhumanly, trying to get away from the curse and unable to do so. Petras' heart was breaking watching this but there was nothing she could do.
Finally Voldemort let up, and Severus finally gasped, as tremors slowly shook him loose from his position on the ground.
"N-no my L-lord, I have done as you a-asked. The old f-fool suspects nothing of my position."
"Good, Severus. Next time I ask you a simple question, you should remember that I am your lord and hold all the power. Go to him. Tell him I mean to attack a village tomorrow night, in Manchester. He will like the chance to be a hero, I think. What he will find there will make him regret trifling with the like of me. Go."
Voldemort swept out of the room on bare feet, leaving Severus trembling on the floor, covered in sweat. After the footsteps grew distant and all that could be heard was his heavy breathing, he crawled onto his hands and knees, then onto his legs, and slowly limped down to the end of the drive of Malfoy Manor, and apparated away.
When Petra was finally released from her vision, she was covered in sweat and panting like she had just run a marathon. She had scratch marks on her arms that were burning. She knew it was the middle of the night but she ran downstairs anyways.
Something made her feel so sure that it wasn't a vision of the future or past, but of the present, and she needed to tell someone, anyone. She knew he must be hurting and had to be sure someone would find him and help him. She felt not 17 but about 6 years old at that moment, helpless and weak and needing adult help. As she scaled the last stair she almost ran right into Sirius, who was staring at a lump of black on the ground she quickly recognized as Severus Snape.
"Sirius, call Dumbledore through the floo. He needs help!" she yelled at the man standing immobile at the bottom of the stairs. Whatever trance he was in was broken at once.
"Why should I listen to you, girl, and help Snivellus here by calling for Dumbledore?"
She could hardly believe her ears. Earlier today she had started to like Sirius, but that was broken by his words and the cold tone behind them. So she ran into the library herself, threw in a handful of floo powder and called Dumbledore.
He stepped through the fireplace at once without a word and followed her back through the house to Severus's crumpled form on the ground. Dumbledore lifted him up with his wand and floated him back into the library and through. A few minutes later, while Petra waited anxiously for him to return, he stepped through, and motioned for her to sit down on a soft looking chair near a sofa.
She sat down, never taking her eyes off of the old headmaster, who sighed and sat on the sofa next to her. Sirius popped his head in but left again without a word.
"So, you have not witnessed what happens to Severus on the other side."
"Yes, sir, but I experienced a vision of it happening and ran down to tell someone when I found him. Why was Sirius acting so harshly toward him? I told him to get help and he told me no." She realized that a few tears were escaping her eyes, and quickly wiped them away with her sleeve.
Dumbledore took a deep breath before answering.
"Well, Sirius and Severus have a complicated history that is thick with misery and hate. Sirius and his friends were very cruel to him in school and neither of them have gotten over it in the least. The only reason either was civil during the meeting was because of my presence, and even then sometimes they can not help themselves. I am very glad that you found him as quick as you did and were quick witted enough to call for help. It is regrettable that you had to witness that but something tells me it won't be the last time you do, especially once you are married.
"Now, it is rather late and I would like to check on him and then return to bed. I would ask that you do the same, and try to have a peaceful day tomorrow. I hear you are going to the theater. Please be safe, and try and enjoy yourself, Miss Strider. Goodnight."
With that he went back through the floo and Petra slowly drug herself back upstairs. She slept very little that night.
The movie was amazing, and Arthur Weasley arguably had more fun then the twins did, seeing a movie and eating buttered popcorn that came from a mechanical machine. She remembered seeing her first movie and finding the whole thing extraordinary, and entirely overwhelming. So to see similar feelings flashing on their faces was a treat, and an amazing birthday present. Arthur took a picture outside of the theater of Fred and George holding her sideways in their arms, and Petra framed a copy of it later to stand on the shelf in her dorm.
The rest of Christmas break went by, and the whole time Petra could think of nothing but her fiance writhing on the ground under a dark master who felt nothing.
She wished the war would be over soon.