Chapter 17: Man is the Only Creature That Constructs an Alternate Reality,
or Needs To!
Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin, Potions Master Deluxe, turned to the Minister of Magic and said, "Arthur, what did you say to Rose Mallorn? Aside from my full first name, that is?"
"Oh, I told her you had no wife or girlfriend." Arthur was still schmoozing from the buffet. Molly would be busy later treating an upset stomach.
"I see. Anything else?" Could this information alone account for Rose's sunny disposition?
"Just what we discussed, how we worked together and knew each other, and about you teaching my children, that sort of thing. She is quite a dancer. I was watching you two go at it, and I was impressed. I didn't know you had it in you! Of course, having a good partner makes all the difference."
Severus scrutinized his companion. Well, the cat was among the pixies now. "Come along, Arthur, time you went home and told Molly about your excursion in Muggleland."
Arthur Weasley looked distressed. "Severus, could you refrain from telling Molly about my improvised role in tonight's entertainment? She might take it amiss."
"I will carry your secret to the grave, Minister." With the bright dawning of a new day all of last night's doubts and worries faded away. Severus considered that he had passed another milestone; Exceeded Expectations on another test in his course on Muggle Studies. He made himself breakfast, Muggle style, and set out for the library. There was a public lecture on the latest research in autism, and he thought he might learn something useful that he could pass onto Rose later.
The lecture hall was half full, perhaps fifty people in all, when Severus arrived. He took a seat near the back, where there was plenty of open space. Just before the lecture started, a rather dashing redhead of the female persuasion, whose skirt was rather immodest, and whose jasmine fragrance sent his head spinning, sat down right next to him. He pulled a small notepad and a pen out of his jacket, intent on taking notes if there was anything noteworthy, or on just admiring the view on his left, if not. The redhead took a notebook and a pen out of her large handbag, and then she grabbed a large book of music, opened it and began to tap her foot and hum. The tune sounded very familiar. He glanced over and saw it was the opening piece to Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana".
O Fortuna
velut luna
statu variabilis,
semper crescis
aut decrescis;
vita detestabilis
nunc obdurate
et tunc curat
ludo mentis aciem,
egestatem,
potestatem
dissolvit ut glaciem.
O Fortune,
like the moon
you are changeable,
ever waxing
and waning;
hateful life
first oppresses
and then soothes
as fancy takes it;
poverty
and power
it melts them like ice.
Lyrics and translations (© Schott Musik International, Mainz). . When the lecture began, Severus was relieved that the humming and foot- tapping stopped. He glanced at his seatmate, but her hair concealed her face. At least she didn't resemble any Weasley he knew. He relaxed and concentrated on the speaker, and idly marveled at the Muggle methods of projecting the speaker's voice as well as displaying large pictures and graphs on the wall.
In truth, Severus Snape took copious notes, but that did not stop him from enjoying the sideshow. He noticed that the woman beside him had shoes of the same style as he'd seen Rose wear. Thinking of her, remembering their last meeting, their conversation about wigs and perfume, his mentioning jasmine; suddenly, Severus knew he'd been had. The tension in his whole body betrayed his suspicion. But at that point, the speaker finished, the audience clapped, and the redhead gracefully stood, scooped up her belongings, and left the hall. Severus turned, but saw only her gracefully swaying walk, so similar to the display he watched the night before, and on the seat beside him, a rosebud with two-colored petals: the inner surfaces were all yellow, the outer a tangerine orange.
If his suspicions were correct, he'd just sat next to Rose for two hours without noticing. He hoped that his suspicions were wrong.
When 7 o'clock rolled around, Severus was waiting impatiently in the lobby of his building, watching for Rose and her vehicle. She promptly appeared and pulled the car to the curb in front of the door. He came out bearing a bottle of wine for the hostess, and sat in the passenger seat.
"That was a lovely thought, Severus, Melanie will appreciate the wine. She's an American, too, fell in love with a Brit and emigrated. We've been best friends since the age of 12, went to the same University even. She invited me over when I felt the need to get out of town, and I've come to like England very much."
"Do you ever go back to America?" he asked, more because he felt it was expected of him than because he wanted to know.
"I haven't yet; perhaps someday I'll wear out my welcome, or get homesick, or get my heart broken, and then think of moving on or moving back. Probably moving on; there's nothing and no one back home for me anymore. Oh, there's the perfect parking spot!" Rose competently parallel- parked the Taurus, and led the way to a row of older homes, set rather close together but fenced about, with modest front gardens and deeper back ones. "I think we're a bit early; I don't see anyone else's cars about."
They walked up the garden path to the front door. Severus stopped to contemplate a rosebush in glorious bloom, covered with roses with two-toned petals while Rose rang the doorbell. "Aunt Rose! You're here!" That was a very familiar female voice. Severus looked up at the front door in disbelief. Then another woman spoke.
"Come on in Rose! Did you come alone? Where is your Martian?" the porch light blinked on, and there in front of him stood Hermione Granger, a woman who must be her mother, and the woman he was going to strangle at the first opportunity.
Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin, Potions Master Deluxe, turned to the Minister of Magic and said, "Arthur, what did you say to Rose Mallorn? Aside from my full first name, that is?"
"Oh, I told her you had no wife or girlfriend." Arthur was still schmoozing from the buffet. Molly would be busy later treating an upset stomach.
"I see. Anything else?" Could this information alone account for Rose's sunny disposition?
"Just what we discussed, how we worked together and knew each other, and about you teaching my children, that sort of thing. She is quite a dancer. I was watching you two go at it, and I was impressed. I didn't know you had it in you! Of course, having a good partner makes all the difference."
Severus scrutinized his companion. Well, the cat was among the pixies now. "Come along, Arthur, time you went home and told Molly about your excursion in Muggleland."
Arthur Weasley looked distressed. "Severus, could you refrain from telling Molly about my improvised role in tonight's entertainment? She might take it amiss."
"I will carry your secret to the grave, Minister." With the bright dawning of a new day all of last night's doubts and worries faded away. Severus considered that he had passed another milestone; Exceeded Expectations on another test in his course on Muggle Studies. He made himself breakfast, Muggle style, and set out for the library. There was a public lecture on the latest research in autism, and he thought he might learn something useful that he could pass onto Rose later.
The lecture hall was half full, perhaps fifty people in all, when Severus arrived. He took a seat near the back, where there was plenty of open space. Just before the lecture started, a rather dashing redhead of the female persuasion, whose skirt was rather immodest, and whose jasmine fragrance sent his head spinning, sat down right next to him. He pulled a small notepad and a pen out of his jacket, intent on taking notes if there was anything noteworthy, or on just admiring the view on his left, if not. The redhead took a notebook and a pen out of her large handbag, and then she grabbed a large book of music, opened it and began to tap her foot and hum. The tune sounded very familiar. He glanced over and saw it was the opening piece to Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana".
O Fortuna
velut luna
statu variabilis,
semper crescis
aut decrescis;
vita detestabilis
nunc obdurate
et tunc curat
ludo mentis aciem,
egestatem,
potestatem
dissolvit ut glaciem.
O Fortune,
like the moon
you are changeable,
ever waxing
and waning;
hateful life
first oppresses
and then soothes
as fancy takes it;
poverty
and power
it melts them like ice.
Lyrics and translations (© Schott Musik International, Mainz). . When the lecture began, Severus was relieved that the humming and foot- tapping stopped. He glanced at his seatmate, but her hair concealed her face. At least she didn't resemble any Weasley he knew. He relaxed and concentrated on the speaker, and idly marveled at the Muggle methods of projecting the speaker's voice as well as displaying large pictures and graphs on the wall.
In truth, Severus Snape took copious notes, but that did not stop him from enjoying the sideshow. He noticed that the woman beside him had shoes of the same style as he'd seen Rose wear. Thinking of her, remembering their last meeting, their conversation about wigs and perfume, his mentioning jasmine; suddenly, Severus knew he'd been had. The tension in his whole body betrayed his suspicion. But at that point, the speaker finished, the audience clapped, and the redhead gracefully stood, scooped up her belongings, and left the hall. Severus turned, but saw only her gracefully swaying walk, so similar to the display he watched the night before, and on the seat beside him, a rosebud with two-colored petals: the inner surfaces were all yellow, the outer a tangerine orange.
If his suspicions were correct, he'd just sat next to Rose for two hours without noticing. He hoped that his suspicions were wrong.
When 7 o'clock rolled around, Severus was waiting impatiently in the lobby of his building, watching for Rose and her vehicle. She promptly appeared and pulled the car to the curb in front of the door. He came out bearing a bottle of wine for the hostess, and sat in the passenger seat.
"That was a lovely thought, Severus, Melanie will appreciate the wine. She's an American, too, fell in love with a Brit and emigrated. We've been best friends since the age of 12, went to the same University even. She invited me over when I felt the need to get out of town, and I've come to like England very much."
"Do you ever go back to America?" he asked, more because he felt it was expected of him than because he wanted to know.
"I haven't yet; perhaps someday I'll wear out my welcome, or get homesick, or get my heart broken, and then think of moving on or moving back. Probably moving on; there's nothing and no one back home for me anymore. Oh, there's the perfect parking spot!" Rose competently parallel- parked the Taurus, and led the way to a row of older homes, set rather close together but fenced about, with modest front gardens and deeper back ones. "I think we're a bit early; I don't see anyone else's cars about."
They walked up the garden path to the front door. Severus stopped to contemplate a rosebush in glorious bloom, covered with roses with two-toned petals while Rose rang the doorbell. "Aunt Rose! You're here!" That was a very familiar female voice. Severus looked up at the front door in disbelief. Then another woman spoke.
"Come on in Rose! Did you come alone? Where is your Martian?" the porch light blinked on, and there in front of him stood Hermione Granger, a woman who must be her mother, and the woman he was going to strangle at the first opportunity.