Chapter Title from "Rhiannon" by Fleetwood Mac
The next few months became a welcome routine of classes, grading, and studying. Rhiannon suffered through occasional conferences with Umbridge to further gain the woman's confidence— especially after Umbridge became increasingly suspicious about what she called "ilicit student activities." Snape warned her that they needed to maintain utmost freedom and therefore must stay in Umbridge's good graces. Rhiannon found that she had a way of calming the woman when she would go on a tangent— buying Harry (she assumed) more time, whatever he was doing. If Dumbledore and Snape knew, they weren't telling her.
Harry's Occlumency lessons continued each Monday night, and tensions were high. Rhiannon heard them both shouting throughout in agony, frustration, and hatred. She often wondered if she should intervene, but she knew the importance of the lessons, and that Snape would be murderous if she jeopardized them.
A part of her wondered though, if Snape's actions during the lessons were completely above-board. She remembered her father's instructions to coerce Harry to the Ministry at some point. Was Snape planting seeds? He was a double agent. If he was, Rhiannon was sure he had told Dumbledore and that the two had a plan. And a backup plan and another. Severus always did.
Rhiannon saw her father twice more in the months following their initial meeting. Voldemort liked to lay eyes on her and assess her energy, more than anything else, needing to convince himself that her divine spark was still dedicated to his side. Snape found it laughable (and fortunate) that he took what was truly a recognition of father-daughter connection— magical family ties— and interpreted it as a divine magical energy instead. The presence of his own blood in her was so strong, so powerful, he could only interpret it as coming from the heavens.
But the more the Dark Lord belabored the point, the more Rhiannon started to wonder. She spent more and more of her free time with her birds— studying them, reading all the stories she could get her hands on regarding the mythical Rhiannon— the beautiful horse goddess with a betrothed and a beloved whose magical birds had the power to put the living to sleep and to raise the dead to wakefulness. Maybe it was more than just her mother liking a song...
Overall it was a comfortable rhythm she fell into, in spite of the undercurrent of fear that seemed to escalate through the castle as the months wore on. She felt like she was in control of herself and that Severus was a stalwart presence for her whenever she had doubts. He always had an answer for her; she had never known anyone so capable, but she knew a lifetime of constant threat and disappointment had led him to be that way. For her part she kept it simple— she was a place for him to lay his weary head, a body where he could release frustrations, a listening ear for the rare instances where he would open up, and a light-hearted joke or game to lift his spirits when he was willing to let go.
"I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to continue like this if you left me," Snape confessed one night. He laid low in the bed, his head resting on the soft skin of her stomach with his knees curled up in fetal position, his whole body in a rare state of vulnerability.
"I told you before I won't fly away, Severus. Nothing has changed. We're in this together until the universe pries us apart."
"I'll burn it down first."
And Rhiannon believed he would.
April brought with it a slow, subtle warmth tinged with dreary rain. She and the other staff had started to drive home the importance of these next few weeks with the fifth and seventh years, as O.W.L.S. and N.E. were quickly approaching. It had been decided that "Practical Magic" would not have final examinations this year, since it had only begun second term, so Rhiannon was tasked with acting as a tutor and counselor during the fifth and seventh year classes, offering extra support. Given her tutoring background in New Orleans, she was a natural at the task.
Rhiannon sat in Umbridge's office for an after-dinner tea, figuring the night would progress in its usual fashion of Dolores unleashing a string of paranoia and Rhiannon delicately acknowledging its validity while simultaneously diminishing its effects. But tonight was not going to be routine.
"I hate to rush you dear, but you must drink quickly. You see, we will be going on a bit of an adventure tonight." Umbridge spoke to her as if she were a toddler and they were about to go buy cotton candy at a theme park.
An uneasy feeling formed in Rhiannon's stomach. She instantly knew Harry was involved somehow. Despite he and his friends' rather mischievous treatment of her, she had grown fond of the boy, largely due to witnessing Sirius's affection for him, and conversely Snape's dislike. It was a hard position to be in, having two grown men work out their own shit, for lack of a better term, while you were in the middle. Rhiannon felt she could empathize well with both that and his internal battle with his connection to Lord Voldemort. Whatever Umbridge had planned for tonight, Rhiannon hope Harry somehow had fair warning.
"Excellent job, Draco!"
They had arrived to the seventh floor to see Malfoy cornering Harry, who raised nervous eyes to Rhiannon. Umbridge quickly ushered Harry and Rhiannon to Dumbledore's office, where a large group had assembled. They weren't normal Hogwarts faces, aside from Albus and Minerva, though she did recognize the Minister of Magic from photos in the Daily Prophet and of course Kingsley Shacklebolt from Order meetings at Grimmauld Place. There was a red haired older teen who had the unmistakable look of a Weasley— this must be their runaway son.
Rhiannon watched the events unfold and soon learned of gatherings of a group that called themselves "Dumbledore's Army" — designed to teach students practical application of Defense Against the Dark Arts. The Ministry had obviously been developing a case against Harry for awhile with the intent of having him expelled, but in Dumbledore's masterful way, he twisted it to take the blame himself with a simple game of semantics— it was called 'Dumbledore's Army' after all.
Panic started to rise within Rhiannon — they were threatening Azkaban— but Dumbledore was remarkably calm, the twinkle in his eyes ever bright. Minerva came to his defense; Albus immediately shut her down, telling her the school would need her.
Should I fight for him? Rhiannon's mind was racing. Snape would never forgive her if she sacrificed their position with Umbridge. But Albus was the closest thing she had ever had to a father— she couldn't watch him be carted off to Azkaban to suffer like Sirius had all those years.
When she returned her gaze to him, his was fixed on hers. A barely imperceptible shake of his head...Rhiannon allowed herself to enter his mind.
Don't do anything. Let me go. I won't be going to Azkaban, but I won't see you for quite sometime. Trust Severus.
What happened next was quite the scene- silver streaks of light, the very floor trembling beneath them, shattered glass, absolute panic among the portraits on the wall. The Ministry officials and Umbridge were prone on the floor, obviously the victims of some hex Dumbledore had managed to send in a ricochet around the room. Dumbledore gave a final warning to Harry to continue with Occlumency lessons and to also obey Professor Snape. Then a graceful, fiery red Phoenix flew to join him, and in a pop of fire they were gone.
Thus began the tenure of Dolores Umbridge as Headmistress of Hogwarts. Between the stress of final exams and the iron fist with which she seemed to run the school, it was a dreary time. Rhiannon tried to be a source of light and encouragement to the students, and it seemed to work in her favor, because the pranks against her stopped. They had more important targets now.
Two days later, Harry's Occlumency lessons came to an abrupt end. Snape roared into the dungeons like a storm, heading straight for the firewhisky.
"Potter be damned. Fuck it all," he muttered.
Rhiannon waited patiently for him to expound upon that statement.
"He saw everything— his blasted father, that gloating Sirius Black. Me, humiliated. Lily..."
"You let him into your mind?" Rhiannon couldn't believe he would let his defenses down like that with Harry.
"He STOLE them," Snape seethed. "They were protected inside the pensieve and he violated me by viewing them the minute my back was turned. Zero respect. Arrogance. I am finished with this whole farce."
"Harry needs those lessons, Severus. It's not just about protecting him— it's about protecting information that he knows. Information about us, Dumbledore, the Order..."
"I don't care, Rhiannon. At some point I have to protect my integrity. I cannot suffer being made to look like a fool."
"Perhaps it made you appear more human," Rhiannon suggested gently. "I bet if anything he feels more understanding for you now. If you just apologize for flying off the handle with him, which I'm sure you did, I bet you'll work together more effectively now, and..."
"You think I want his understanding? His pity? You think he would side with me over his sainted father? Over his hero, Black?"
Rhiannon sighed and chose to let it go, once again realizing that Severus's past with the Marauders, and how it impacted Harry, was an area where she would always have to tread lightly. It wasn't worth alienating him.
The last day of exams arrived toward the end of June, and Rhiannon and Snape had decided to forgo dinner in the Great Hall that evening, both rather tired and in need of some time alone now that the exam preparation was done. They had Olwen bring their supper to the dungeons a bit early instead, dining privately as in the first few months of their time together. It was nearing one year since she and Severus had met that fateful night at Grimmauld Place, and Rhiannon couldn't think of any way she'd rather spend the evening than tangled up with him.
Dolores had other plans.
Severus answered an abrupt knock at the door. "What do you want, Mr. Malfoy?"
"The Headmistress is requesting your presence sir. Potter was caught trying to communicate with someone in the fire. I think she wants him interrogated."
Rhiannon could hear the smirk in the young Slytherin's voice. She immediately stood, abandoning the delightful plates of pasta Olwen had prepared for their candlelight dinner. There must be an urgent reason Harry was attempting to use the Floo Network.
"I'm coming with you, Severus."
Snape glanced at Malfoy. "Yes. I need to keep an eye on you, since you haven't been feeling well." It was one of the most awkward lies she had ever heard come out of his mouth, but she decided to play along and try to make it more believable.
"What, are you pregnant?" Malfoy laughed.
"And what if she is?" Snape sneered.
"Don't you think the Dark Lord should know?" Draco lowered his voice to a whisper.
"No need, Draco. Severus was just trying not to embarrass me. Apparently Fred and George Weasley left some Puking Pastilles behind when they left, and the Gryffindors tricked me into eating one in my last class today. They are still taking their revenge on me for dating Professor Snape," Rhiannon explained.
"You wanted to see me, Headmistress?" Snape asked promptly once they'd arrived to Umbridge's office. Rhiannon's eyes widened. Harry sat under Umbridge's watchful eye, and the woman herself looked positively unglued— hair frayed, eyes blazing, nearly breathless. Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood were all being restrained by Slytherin students who seemed to be high on the power Umbridge had granted to them.
"Severus, I need another bottle of Veritaserum. Now. Professor Aspenfell, why are you here?"
"She's not feeling well, Headmistress. I had decided to stay in with her this evening and look after her."
"Hmm. Very well. But the Veritaserum, Professor Snape. Potter was trying to communicate with someone in my floo and I need to know WHO!"
"I'm afraid you've used up all my stores, Headmistress, in your previous interrogations. I can have a new supply to you within a month. It does take a full moon cycle to prepare."
"I cannot wait a month! I need the truth about who Potter was trying to contact!"
"Unless you wish to poison Potter, and I assure you you'd have my utmost sympathy if you did, I simply cannot help you," Snape replied silkily.
"You're on probation, Snape!" Umbridge hissed. "For being deliberately unhelpful!"
Snape responded with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. "Come, Rhiannon." She took his arm uneasily, casting Harry a quick look. She'd never tried legilimency on one of her students before, but perhaps...
"He's got PADFOOT!" Harry bellowed. "He's got Padfoot in the place where it's hidden!"
Rhiannon's stomach dropped like she was on a No-Maj rollercoaster. As if her little white lie had come back to haunt her, she truly felt like she would vomit.
"What's a Padfoot? What does he mean, Professor Snape?" Umbridge demanded.
Snape shrugged. "No idea." He pulled Rhiannon promptly into the hallway, and Rhiannon took off running.
"And just where do you think you are going?"
"You know where I'm going."
Snape's long legs caught up with her in no time. "You most certainly are not. That place will be crawling with Death Eaters, and you will not betray our position by marching in there as a white knight to save Sirius Black."
Rhiannon rounded on him, eyes ablaze. "What have I been training for, Severus, if not this? Who am I to save, if not him? After you, no one else on this earth means more to me. I will not let him die when I could have done something about it."
"And let your father think your 'divine loyalty' has shifted to Dumbledore and his army? Are you mad, girl? You'll have us both tortured and killed!"
"Then so be it, Severus. You can't stop me." But she knew he could. She knew he'd taken out his wand before she even saw it, but she blocked his jinx immediately. They continued on the downward trek to the dungeon in that fashion, him casting jinxes to immobilize her, to weaken her, and Rhiannon deflecting them at every turn. She was motivated by something greater than herself, and the power it gave her surprised even her.
She reached the entrance to their quarters before Snape did, and she slammed the door shut behind her and proceeded straight toward her birds, slipping the travel cover over their cage. Snape was furious as he opened the door, wand raised—
"Expliarmus!" Rhiannon shouted before the door had even opened all the way. She sent his wand flying her direction with a quick second spell, leaving his mouth gaping open.
"Rhiannon, stop. You're not thinking. You're letting your emotions..."
"Emotions are not without purpose, Severus. Sometimes they are the motivation we need to do the right thing when it seems too difficult or impossible. I am going to Sirius. I will find a spot to hide. I will make sure my presence is not known. And if I can't help him without betraying you, I won't. But I have to at least try. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't."
"And I can't live with myself if something happens to you!" Severus's voice rose in anguish. "I cannot go with you — there is no explanation I could possibly give that would satisfy the Dark Lord."
"I know, my love. I know." Rhiannon kissed his cheek. "It's time to let me fly — just for a bit. I will be back, I promise."
"You don't know that."
"I do," she said firmly. "This is bigger than me, Severus. I can feel it. Let me go." She handed him his wand slowly, trusting him to the right thing. His black eyes bore into her with so much feeling it almost made her shudder.
"I love you," she whispered, clutching his face in her hands. "You have to alert the Order now, all right?"
Snape nodded, waving her away quickly, before he could change his mind.