13. Mozart
Evangeline awoke early the next morning. Not wanting to lose a moment, she dressed hurriedly in her jeans and yet another t-shirt, this one as blue as the sky. Then she gathered her long hair into a high ponytail to keep it out of her way. As she looked into her mirror, she was pleased to see that the cut on her forehead and the bruise on her cheek had completely healed. Her green eyes were sparkling with determination, and she felt completely ready to tackle the monumental task ahead. Today she would begin work on the paintings. There was nothing like starting a new and interesting task to make everything seem brighter. A fresh start was always so exhilarating.
Anxious to get started, she headed down to the dungeon before breakfast to check on her animating potion. When she looked into the cauldron, she found it was thicker and clearer than last night; in fact, it seemed to be coming along very well. Hopefully it would turn out to be an excellent batch. She stirred it carefully, and adjusted the heat again, then she straightened up and turned around.
She almost jumped out of her skin to find Severus standing so closely behind her that she could have touched him just by leaning back a bit. Equally startled by her abrupt movement, he grabbed her by the shoulders to steady her, as she jumped, and yelled at him in annoyance. "Severus! Don't sneak up on me like that! I nearly had a heart attack."
The dark wizard looked only slightly repentant as he released his grip on her shoulders. "I'm sorry, Evangeline. I thought you would have heard me."
"Heard you? You'd need the ears of a bat to hear you. You move absolutely silently, or weren't you aware of that?" she grumbled in annoyance.
He smiled darkly. "I do try to cultivate silent movements. It makes it easier to catch students out when they're up to no good."
Holding a hand to her still rapidly beating heart, she groused, "I'm sure you're very good at that. You must be the bane of the student body. At least the part of it that's hoping to cause mischief."
Conceding her point, he nodded in satisfaction. "I do try to keep order. The little miscreants don't make it easy for me, though. How is the potion this morning?"
"It seems to be coming along nicely. It should be ready tomorrow afternoon right on schedule. Have you had breakfast yet? I was just on my way up now that I've checked on the potion."
"No, I haven't eaten. I was also on my way up to breakfast when I saw you in here. Shall we?" He gestured politely for her to precede him out of the room, and they climbed the stairs up to the entrance hall together. The Great Hall was deserted when they entered and sat down next to each other, but they were joined quickly by Dumbledore and McGonagall.
As he took his seat at the table Dumbledore told Evangeline that he had had fun bowling with her last night. "It was such a pleasure to have company for once," he said with a smile. Then he looked innocently over at Severus and said, "You really should try it sometime, Severus. I do think you would enjoy it."
Evangeline suppressed a smile with her hand, and looked at Snape, who sighed loudly, and stated blandly in return, "I did try it last night, Albus, as I believe, you already suspect. And although, I am loathe to admit it, you're right. It's a moderately enjoyable pursuit."
Evangeline smiled at Dumbledore and McGonagall and said, "He did very well for a first try, too. After some practice, he'll be ready to give you some competition, Albus. He's already better than I am."
Dumbledore beamed at Snape. "Excellent news. I shall look forward to that, indeed." The Headmaster winked at Evangeline in response to Severus' look of horror.
Evangeline winked back and then turned to Minerva and said, "Well, Minerva would you be willing to try bowling with me? As Severus can attest, I'm not very intimidating. Frightfully easy to beat, actually. We can turn off the music if you wish. It was a bit loud."
Minerva looked a bit flustered, as if she wasn't sure how to respond. Evangeline saw her exchange a look of perfect communion with Snape. "Um…we'll see, dear. Maybe one of these evenings, when I'm not too busy." Evangeline didn't push it.
After breakfast, she asked Severus if she could collect his paintings and take them to her room to begin her work. "That way you'll get them back before term begins," she said with a smile. He agreed and helped her carry them up to her chambers.
They placed the paintings on the large table in her sitting room, and she examined them closely in the daylight that shown brightly through her windows. "These really shouldn't take more than a day or two to clean and restore, Severus, if I get right to work. Which one should I begin with?"
His eyes flicked from one painting to the next but lingered longest on the concert painting. She smiled up at him again. "Okay, I'll start with your lovely chanteuse. Maybe I can even discover what song she's singing for you."
He snorted shortly in amusement. "That would be a good trick, wouldn't it?"
"Severus, I'm crushed. You don't believe me. Here take my hand." She held out her left hand to him. With a look of surprise he stared at it as if she'd taken leave of her senses. "Go on." She urged. "I don't bite…much."
At that he frowned at her and reached over and took her hand in his. She smiled up at him, and then turned to the painting, and placed her right hand over the figure of the singer. Holding her hand just millimeters from the surface of the canvas, she closed her eyes. They stood like that for a full minute, then suddenly Snape thought that he heard something; just a snatch of music from far away, like listening to something through water. It was there for an instant. Then it was gone. He looked over at Evangeline, and saw her slowly remove her hand from over the painting, and open her eyes. She turned to him with a look of satisfaction and said one word. "Mozart."
Now it was Snape's turn to feel a shiver go up his spine. The Potions Master stared at her as if he'd never seen her before then he swallowed and whispered quietly, "What did you do?"
She looked back down at the painting. "Sometimes I can get sensory images, sounds, smells, feelings, from unanimated paintings. As if I can get an inkling of what the artist intended. If I've had occasion to animate the painting afterwards, I've always been right. It's not something I really understand, but I've learned to trust my feelings on this matter. Of course, it's totally up to you whether or not you believe me. Without animating the painting, I can't prove it to you, after all, but I believe it."
Her words held a quiet sincerity and Snape found that he wanted to believe her…did believe her. "Mozart?" he questioned softly. She nodded solemnly, and the two of them just stood there quietly looking down at the painting, holding hands, until a throat quietly being cleared behind them caused them both to jump and break apart.
Minerva McGonagall stood in the open doorway looking at them with a questioning smile. However, she must have decided not to indulge her curiosity as to what they were doing, because she stepped briskly into the room, clasped her hands together, and addressed Snape. "Severus, Albus has asked me to pass on some information to you so that you will be prepared. Remus Lupin will be joining us by dinnertime, and he's not coming alone."
Evangeline looked quickly at Snape, who had gone even more deathly pale than usual. Then his face flushed bright red and a nervous tic began to jump next to his left eye. He clenched his hands and gritted his teeth. Evangeline was afraid he was going to explode into little pieces all over her sitting room. Then, just as suddenly, he seemed to pull himself together. His color returned to normal, and he made a purposeful effort to unclench his hands.
"Thank you for the warning, Minerva. You may inform Albus, that I will behave as he would wish, toward his trained dogs," he snapped sharply.
Evangeline could see that he was making an effort to appear calm, but the tic was still hopping away next to his eye. McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that's the message you want passed on, Severus?"
"You want more from me than I can give you at the moment, Minerva!" snarled Snape at his nastiest. "Albus should be reassured that I will be on my best behavior at dinner, and in public, henceforth, but my private feelings on this matter remain unchanged." With that pronouncement, he swept angrily out of the room. Leaving the two women to stare anxiously after him.