Chapter 16 The Wizard of Ahs
As Severus approached the retiring rooms, he saw a woman in a dark green abaya trimmed with silver, a matching shayla wrapped about her head and veiling her mouth. Underneath, the hammered silver bells or her dancing silks softly jingled.
"I believe this is yours," he said, handing her the scarf. "Pray do not lead my Headmaster's supervisor astray; he is a very married man and I am his minder for the evening." She accepted the scarf, turned without saying anything, and returned to the dance floor. Severus followed. "I fear I have done wrong, but if you would forgive me long enough for one dance, I will then bundle up Arthur and go home with our tails between our feet." She turned to look at him, head cocked to one side. "Your dancing was exquisite, and made a very favorable impression on him."
She uncovered her face so Severus could see the smile. "Did you like it?"
He held out his arms and she stepped into place for the waltz. "I was stunned. I never knew you could dance like that. I never knew anyone could dance like that."
"I keep forgetting how little you know, Russ. I see I was correct in guessing that you are or were in religious orders. You wore your old cassock for your costume. Is it impermissible for defrocked priests to wear the crucifix or beads? The outfit looks incomplete without them."
"I am not a priest nor was I ever. I am dressed as a wizard: specifically, Mordred, son of Arthur Pendragon."
Rose was silent as they continued dancing, her eyes fixed mainly on the floor on her right. "I never thought of Mordred being a wizard, but I suppose that is true, if his mother was a witch. And since he was an evil man, I suppose black would be the logical choice for him. But you truly look like a priest in that outfit."
"I like you better as a blonde, Rose, but you make a passable brunette."
"It is the makeup that does it. If one's skin color agrees with one's wig, then the effect is quite natural."
"If you had changed perfumes to jasmine, I might never have recognized you."
"I will remember that next time I go incognito." She smiled as she looked him in the face again. The music ended, and Severus led her to the buffet where Arthur stood chatting with Fanny.
"Arthur, may I present Rose Mallorn, my dancing instructor? Rose, this is Arthur Weasley, my boss' boss. He's come down to see the sights this weekend."
"Thank you for the performance, Miss Mallorn. I enjoyed it thoroughly." Arthur reluctantly released her hand. "Fanny has been telling me all about your houses. I should like to see them. I am thinking of building a new house, for my dear wife is quite worn out caring for our present home. You know these older dwellings, always something to mend. May I help you find something from the buffet? You must be starving." They drifted down the tables, plates in hand, while Severus and Fanny watched them go.
"Mr. Weasley is a charming fellow, Russ. A bit impractical, perhaps?" Fanny was regarding Severus with an ironic look in her eye. "I see you have patched things over with Rose."
"If I did, it was without having the slightest idea what offense I had given. Would you be willing to enlighten me?" Severus pulled up a chair for her, and then another for himself.
"Thank you, dear boy. This costume weighs a ton. I am not quite sure what you have done to offend Rose, and it may be that she is not certain, either. What are your intentions for this relationship between you? Are you lovers, friends, or just acquaintances? You ask so many questions, yet reveal so few answers. Are you in trouble? Are you in hiding? Rose has no one close, but she needs closeness. If you have no intention of developing any, then you had best find someone who needs their space, as the young men say." She beckoned to her husband, who grabbed another chair and sat by her side.
Severus was stunned once again. These Muggle women are so complex! He didn't recall any witch ever being this much trouble. But then again, he never spent this much time with any particular one. He spent very little time with anyone, male or female. Severus was beginning to see what Albus had been telling him all these years. He needed to get out more, develop some ease in society. He was a wizard geek, like those computer geeks Hermione described once. He had been aping Mordred, but he didn't really like it. He needed a new role model. He could function in a hierarchy, in academia, but in the civilian world he was totally at sea. Worse yet, even if he could chart himself a new course, there was still the great divide between the Muggle and the Magical to cross. He doubted that Rose would accept him as an acquaintance, let alone a friend, if she knew he was a wizard.
"I have lived a very solitary life, Fanny," he began. "This dancing class was my first attempt to join the human race outside of the academic world. I thought I was making progress, but perhaps I have gone as far as I can right now. You have given me a great deal to consider. Thank you for the advice. I shall have to think out what to do next."
"What do you want to do, Russ? Once you have the right question, the answer becomes obvious." Fanny sighed. "The old are so impatient. We want to see the endings before we die. We want to know if our predictions come true. We want to leave everyone living happily ever after, blessed with our wisdom, spared our worst pain by benefit of learning from our painful experiences." She reached out to Aidan and took his hand. "There is so little time, after all; don't waste it."
"If I were you, my young friend," added Aidan. "I'd decide right now if I wanted to kiss the girl. And then I would, just because the window of opportunity is closing fast." He stood, and Fanny joined him. Severus stood, as well. "And as for us, it's time we toddled off to bed. Coming, my dear? Tempus fugit!" He winked at Severus, and took his wife home to bed.
Severus felt a cold trickle of panic at being suddenly abandoned, which contrasted with the excessive heat from the dance floor. He felt wrapped in a cloud of shadow, and stripped naked in the spotlight. He felt dizzy with the sudden revision of all he thought he knew. He turned and searched for the Minister and Rose.
When her plate was sufficiently full, Rose thanked Arthur Weasley and asked him to sit with her and talk. "Russ says you and he work together. Have you known him long?"
Arthur was a study in consternation, "Severus said that? Well, since the end of the war I have moved into government, but we fought together against the foe. I've known Severus nearly 25 years now, I guess. We attended the same school, though our educations did not overlap. And he's taught all seven of my children, of course. He's a hard taskmaster, but he gets results. His temper is legendary, though. You are generous to put up with him."
Rose looked up through her lashes. "I suppose your wives are good friends, too?"
"Oh, Severus hasn't any wife. I don't think he's ever had a steady girlfriend, even. There simply wasn't time. A double agent doesn't want any hostages to fortune, you know."
Rose was feeling more and more perplexed. What kind of mare's nest was this? At a loss as to how to continue the interrogation, she instead decided to switch subjects.
"Are you a dancer, Arthur? I would be glad to substitute for your wife if you wished to take a turn on the floor."
"That's very kind of you, Miss Rose, but I promised my wife I wouldn't dance; don't want to hurt the Muggles, you know. Oh, there you are, Severus! Do you want your dancing partner back already?"
Severus considered Arthur, his fingers twitching, itching to grab his wand and Obliviate them both. His carefully constructed identity was in shreds. He now knew where the younger Weasleys had got their most irritating characteristics, and it wasn't Molly.
On the other hand, when he looked at Rose, she was smiling a straightforward, non-ironic, happy-to-see-you kind of smile. Perhaps he should rescue her from the Minister.
"If the lady wishes to dance, I am at her service." He bowed slightly.
Rose stood. "Yes, the lady does wish to dance, Severus," she purred, and she took his arm and followed him into a polka. As the polka is a fast and energetic sort of dance, there was no chance of conversation, which suited Severus just fine. Instead, he tried to gauge his partner's state of mind. As he stared into her eyes, he found her staring into his. Her powers of Occlumency were much better than Potter's, and he felt as if she were reading him like a book, all the time with that cat-got-the-cream smile. Severus was the first to drop his eyes, but as the abaya was cut to reveal quite a bit of cleavage at that angle, he found no relief. Fortunately, the music concluded, and the dancers clapped their thanks and moved off the floor for rest and refreshment.
"Rose, I have to take Arthur home tonight, but I should like to have dinner with you tomorrow. I think we should talk." Damage control at this late stage was better than no control at all. If the worst occurred, he always had the option to Obliviate. Being a wizard meant never having to say you're sorry, unless you wanted to, or couldn't cast the spell fast enough.
"I am not available for dinner tomorrow; I have been invited to a soiree at my best friend's house. But you can come with me. I have been asked to bring you along. You can broaden your circle of acquaintances. They are a very nice bunch of people: smart, accomplished, educated in divers fields. And they talk with authority about anything and everything. You'll love it! Shall I come by and pick you up, say sevenish?"
Severus considered her expression. Looking down from his advantage of roughly 9 inches, he saw nothing amiss. She seemed friendly, excited, and warmer than she had ever been before toward him. He found this encouraging, though he was at a loss to understand why he was so suddenly regarded with favour. "Very well. I will watch from the lobby so you do not have to park, starting at 7 pm. What is the dress code for this soiree?"
"Ordinary dress will do," she replied. "Until tomorrow, then?" and she sashayed to the cloakroom and left for home.
As Severus approached the retiring rooms, he saw a woman in a dark green abaya trimmed with silver, a matching shayla wrapped about her head and veiling her mouth. Underneath, the hammered silver bells or her dancing silks softly jingled.
"I believe this is yours," he said, handing her the scarf. "Pray do not lead my Headmaster's supervisor astray; he is a very married man and I am his minder for the evening." She accepted the scarf, turned without saying anything, and returned to the dance floor. Severus followed. "I fear I have done wrong, but if you would forgive me long enough for one dance, I will then bundle up Arthur and go home with our tails between our feet." She turned to look at him, head cocked to one side. "Your dancing was exquisite, and made a very favorable impression on him."
She uncovered her face so Severus could see the smile. "Did you like it?"
He held out his arms and she stepped into place for the waltz. "I was stunned. I never knew you could dance like that. I never knew anyone could dance like that."
"I keep forgetting how little you know, Russ. I see I was correct in guessing that you are or were in religious orders. You wore your old cassock for your costume. Is it impermissible for defrocked priests to wear the crucifix or beads? The outfit looks incomplete without them."
"I am not a priest nor was I ever. I am dressed as a wizard: specifically, Mordred, son of Arthur Pendragon."
Rose was silent as they continued dancing, her eyes fixed mainly on the floor on her right. "I never thought of Mordred being a wizard, but I suppose that is true, if his mother was a witch. And since he was an evil man, I suppose black would be the logical choice for him. But you truly look like a priest in that outfit."
"I like you better as a blonde, Rose, but you make a passable brunette."
"It is the makeup that does it. If one's skin color agrees with one's wig, then the effect is quite natural."
"If you had changed perfumes to jasmine, I might never have recognized you."
"I will remember that next time I go incognito." She smiled as she looked him in the face again. The music ended, and Severus led her to the buffet where Arthur stood chatting with Fanny.
"Arthur, may I present Rose Mallorn, my dancing instructor? Rose, this is Arthur Weasley, my boss' boss. He's come down to see the sights this weekend."
"Thank you for the performance, Miss Mallorn. I enjoyed it thoroughly." Arthur reluctantly released her hand. "Fanny has been telling me all about your houses. I should like to see them. I am thinking of building a new house, for my dear wife is quite worn out caring for our present home. You know these older dwellings, always something to mend. May I help you find something from the buffet? You must be starving." They drifted down the tables, plates in hand, while Severus and Fanny watched them go.
"Mr. Weasley is a charming fellow, Russ. A bit impractical, perhaps?" Fanny was regarding Severus with an ironic look in her eye. "I see you have patched things over with Rose."
"If I did, it was without having the slightest idea what offense I had given. Would you be willing to enlighten me?" Severus pulled up a chair for her, and then another for himself.
"Thank you, dear boy. This costume weighs a ton. I am not quite sure what you have done to offend Rose, and it may be that she is not certain, either. What are your intentions for this relationship between you? Are you lovers, friends, or just acquaintances? You ask so many questions, yet reveal so few answers. Are you in trouble? Are you in hiding? Rose has no one close, but she needs closeness. If you have no intention of developing any, then you had best find someone who needs their space, as the young men say." She beckoned to her husband, who grabbed another chair and sat by her side.
Severus was stunned once again. These Muggle women are so complex! He didn't recall any witch ever being this much trouble. But then again, he never spent this much time with any particular one. He spent very little time with anyone, male or female. Severus was beginning to see what Albus had been telling him all these years. He needed to get out more, develop some ease in society. He was a wizard geek, like those computer geeks Hermione described once. He had been aping Mordred, but he didn't really like it. He needed a new role model. He could function in a hierarchy, in academia, but in the civilian world he was totally at sea. Worse yet, even if he could chart himself a new course, there was still the great divide between the Muggle and the Magical to cross. He doubted that Rose would accept him as an acquaintance, let alone a friend, if she knew he was a wizard.
"I have lived a very solitary life, Fanny," he began. "This dancing class was my first attempt to join the human race outside of the academic world. I thought I was making progress, but perhaps I have gone as far as I can right now. You have given me a great deal to consider. Thank you for the advice. I shall have to think out what to do next."
"What do you want to do, Russ? Once you have the right question, the answer becomes obvious." Fanny sighed. "The old are so impatient. We want to see the endings before we die. We want to know if our predictions come true. We want to leave everyone living happily ever after, blessed with our wisdom, spared our worst pain by benefit of learning from our painful experiences." She reached out to Aidan and took his hand. "There is so little time, after all; don't waste it."
"If I were you, my young friend," added Aidan. "I'd decide right now if I wanted to kiss the girl. And then I would, just because the window of opportunity is closing fast." He stood, and Fanny joined him. Severus stood, as well. "And as for us, it's time we toddled off to bed. Coming, my dear? Tempus fugit!" He winked at Severus, and took his wife home to bed.
Severus felt a cold trickle of panic at being suddenly abandoned, which contrasted with the excessive heat from the dance floor. He felt wrapped in a cloud of shadow, and stripped naked in the spotlight. He felt dizzy with the sudden revision of all he thought he knew. He turned and searched for the Minister and Rose.
When her plate was sufficiently full, Rose thanked Arthur Weasley and asked him to sit with her and talk. "Russ says you and he work together. Have you known him long?"
Arthur was a study in consternation, "Severus said that? Well, since the end of the war I have moved into government, but we fought together against the foe. I've known Severus nearly 25 years now, I guess. We attended the same school, though our educations did not overlap. And he's taught all seven of my children, of course. He's a hard taskmaster, but he gets results. His temper is legendary, though. You are generous to put up with him."
Rose looked up through her lashes. "I suppose your wives are good friends, too?"
"Oh, Severus hasn't any wife. I don't think he's ever had a steady girlfriend, even. There simply wasn't time. A double agent doesn't want any hostages to fortune, you know."
Rose was feeling more and more perplexed. What kind of mare's nest was this? At a loss as to how to continue the interrogation, she instead decided to switch subjects.
"Are you a dancer, Arthur? I would be glad to substitute for your wife if you wished to take a turn on the floor."
"That's very kind of you, Miss Rose, but I promised my wife I wouldn't dance; don't want to hurt the Muggles, you know. Oh, there you are, Severus! Do you want your dancing partner back already?"
Severus considered Arthur, his fingers twitching, itching to grab his wand and Obliviate them both. His carefully constructed identity was in shreds. He now knew where the younger Weasleys had got their most irritating characteristics, and it wasn't Molly.
On the other hand, when he looked at Rose, she was smiling a straightforward, non-ironic, happy-to-see-you kind of smile. Perhaps he should rescue her from the Minister.
"If the lady wishes to dance, I am at her service." He bowed slightly.
Rose stood. "Yes, the lady does wish to dance, Severus," she purred, and she took his arm and followed him into a polka. As the polka is a fast and energetic sort of dance, there was no chance of conversation, which suited Severus just fine. Instead, he tried to gauge his partner's state of mind. As he stared into her eyes, he found her staring into his. Her powers of Occlumency were much better than Potter's, and he felt as if she were reading him like a book, all the time with that cat-got-the-cream smile. Severus was the first to drop his eyes, but as the abaya was cut to reveal quite a bit of cleavage at that angle, he found no relief. Fortunately, the music concluded, and the dancers clapped their thanks and moved off the floor for rest and refreshment.
"Rose, I have to take Arthur home tonight, but I should like to have dinner with you tomorrow. I think we should talk." Damage control at this late stage was better than no control at all. If the worst occurred, he always had the option to Obliviate. Being a wizard meant never having to say you're sorry, unless you wanted to, or couldn't cast the spell fast enough.
"I am not available for dinner tomorrow; I have been invited to a soiree at my best friend's house. But you can come with me. I have been asked to bring you along. You can broaden your circle of acquaintances. They are a very nice bunch of people: smart, accomplished, educated in divers fields. And they talk with authority about anything and everything. You'll love it! Shall I come by and pick you up, say sevenish?"
Severus considered her expression. Looking down from his advantage of roughly 9 inches, he saw nothing amiss. She seemed friendly, excited, and warmer than she had ever been before toward him. He found this encouraging, though he was at a loss to understand why he was so suddenly regarded with favour. "Very well. I will watch from the lobby so you do not have to park, starting at 7 pm. What is the dress code for this soiree?"
"Ordinary dress will do," she replied. "Until tomorrow, then?" and she sashayed to the cloakroom and left for home.