AN: Same disclaimers apply... BTW, Ghost Potion was the product of my own insanity, just ask if you want to borrow it... Personally I love the line "You killed me!" Oh and well, Belldani rocks. My horrible pictures don't do her justice... maybe one day I'll get really bored and *animate* this whole thing as like, a music video. Or two or three. ... yeah.

Ch 5: The rug from beneath my feet

She caught up with Percy in the foyer, he was looking lost.

"You were in my flat," he finally spoke as she managed to knock the pot of Floo powder down.

"Yes," she snapped, "I was guarding you, Dumbledore's orders. Name's Belldani, by the way." She blew some of the powder into the fire, causing it to glow green. He was still staring at her and she sighed, grabbing his arm, and pulled him into the fire.

"Diagon Alley!" she called and they spun in the flames, falling out of the grate of the Leaky Cauldron. The patrons all turned and stared; it wasn't often that ghosts appeared traveling by Floo.

"You killed me!" Percy glared, "How was that his orders?" Belldani threw up her hands.

"It was a bloody potion!" she screamed back at him, "I saved your life from Voldemort! You should be kissing my feet! You don't know who I left behind!"

"I believe the only person I saw that you would have left behind would have been Severus Snape, who is a Death Eater and no one worth missing." Percy sniffed.

Most people don't realize this, but ghosts can interact with each other.

Belldani slapped Percy across the face.

"He was my husband." Belldani snarled, and floated towards the street side of the pub. Breaking out of his shock, Percy floated after her, grabbing her arm.

"It might not be the best idea to go ghosting down the street," he said flatly. She turned and raised an eyebrow.

"Fine," she brushed his arm away and went towards Diagon Alley instead. The street was empty. Belldani hovered over the steps of the Leaky Cauldron.

"I didn't know Snape was married," Percy sank down next to her, trying to sound apologetic.

"It's alright, we weren't married long," Belldani's eyes were staring ahead and every so often she would blink hard, obviously trying not to cry.

"How long…?" Percy asked softly. She looked quite young, he guessed about a year or two.

"A week," she laughed bitterly, "Albus sent him to France with Hagrid… he hadn't snuck back into the country since. We went to a Muggle courthouse. Got the liscence signed, then he had to leave again… This was the first time I'd seen him since." Belldani sounded hollow.

"You loved him?" Percy knew it was a stupid question.

"He was my first kiss… that was about a fortnight ago. Yes, I did," she spoke quietly. "He gave his life to protect me. If he hadn't come back tonight… you and I would both be dead." A lone tear trickled down her cheek.

Percy couldn't comprehend being able to love Snape, though he figure'd that since he was straight that was expected.

"I know sort of how you feel," he tried to not sound like a bloke, "My girlfriend Penny broke up with me when I didn't believe Harry Potter last summer. Said I should know what that meant to a Muggle-born, You-Know-Who being back… She ran off with some American wizard here on a vacation."

Belldani stared.

"She's alive, somewhere in the world," Bell muttered thickly, "Severus is gone. He… he told me me to be happy again, that this was his destiny."

"That was a potion?" Percy asked, changing the subject.

"An invention of Sev's," Belldani sighed, pulling her skirt up. Percy stared as she took her wand out of the strap around her thigh. "He was the only one who knew the formula. It's lost to history now."

Belldani grabbed his arm again and they Disapparated.

"Oh-" Dumbledore started as two ghosts appeared in front of him, "I take it you had to use the potion, Belldani?"

"Yes," Belldani sighed, and sniffled, "He's dead, Albus."

"Who?" Albus wrinkled his brow, confused. Now Molly entered the room.

"Severus!" Belldani wailed, collapsing to the floor.

"Percy!" Molly shrieked at the same time, her eyes rolling back at the sight of her son, for all appearances, a ghost.

Percy rushed to her side as Belldani gradually became solid again. A few moments later, he also became solid once more.

As Molly regained conciousness, Belldani was rocking back and forth sitting besides Albus on the sofa, relating the tale of the past evening.

"Percy?" Molly reached up to touch him.

"It's alright, Mum," he said with a false smile, "It was just a potion we used." Dumbledore was helping Belldani leave the room and turned back to Percy, pressing a finger to his lips and then they were gone.

"One of Snape's?" Molly sat up slowly, and Percy acknowleged that it was.

"I'll kill him, I will," Molly swore, and Percy's eyes darted up, sighing with relief when he realized that Belldani was out of earshot.

"There's no need to, Voldemort did it for you," he said softly. Molly squeaked. Percy helped his mother to the sofa and once again the tale was repeated; he left out the part about Belldani being Snape's wife, however.

Dumbledore agreed to write the necessary letter; Belldani insisted to leave as soon as possible to assume the job of babysitting Harry. She took a set of Severus' spare robes and altered them to fit herself, appearing in Dumbledore's study soon after.

"Are you sure that you want to do this?" he asked, knowing that nothing would stop her. He felt for the poor girl, ever since leaving Hogwarts her life was one mess after the other.

"No one will be bothering me there." She said darkly, looking much like a female Severus, eyes flashing.

"As you wish.." Dumbledore held the quill above the parchment, ready to sign his name on the letter for Harry's aunt and uncle. He paused, "Belldani- This may be too sudden to ask you, but with our sudden loss - your N.E.W.T. scores in Potions were perfect, you realize, - I would be happy to offer you the position of Potions master at Hogwarts for the fall term."

Belldani's eyes widened.

"Does that include being Head of House?" she gasped, horrified.

"I'm afraid not, one of the older staff members will assume that responsibility," he smiled, knowing she would not have accepted that position.

"Yes," she said, chewing her lip. It was a rash decision, but she would have work, something she would have difficulty finding elsewhere.

Dumbledore signed the letter he had in front of him and handed it to his new Potions Mistress.

"Shall I include mention of our new teacher in the letters, Professor Cira-" he began, but she held up her hand.

"No need, because it's Professor Snape." Belldani indicated the ring she had kept hidden thus far to Albus, whose eyes widened in shock. With a pop she was gone. He pressed his hands to his head.

"Young people," Albus sighed, deciding it was best to halt the knowledge of Severus' death beyond those in the Order, and to talk with Percy Weasley.

Harry brought the mail to the breakfast table, handing it to his Uncle Vernon. He realized that Uncle Vernon wasn't taking it from him and, looking up, Harry realized why.

A figure in long black robes, a hood over its face, was standing beside Aunt Petunia. She was reading a letter.

"This is Professor Snape," she told her family and Harry shakily, "Your …Headmaster has sent her to stay with us for the rest of the summer, until term starts."

Harry started at the figure.

"Professor Snape is a man." He finally said, and the figure pulled back her hood.

"I am Professor Snape, Potter," she snapped, "And I am a woman, you nitwit. Now show me to this guest room. Don't ask questions, you burden all of us enough without opening your mouth."

Harry nodded mutely and led her up to stairs, the Dursleys smiling approvingly at anyone who treated Harry in such a manner. As they started up the stairs, Snape thrust a small black bag into Harry's chest, nearly knocking him over with the force of her swing. She held a slightly larger one in her arms, Harry noticed.

"Are you really Professor Snape?" he asked again, setting the bag down on the guest bed.

"I am indeed; Potions Mistress of Hogwarts," Snape scowled at him, "Belldani Athena Snape." She withdrew another set of black robes from the bag he had set on the bed and hung them in the wardrobe. She then sat on the bed and lifted a long black cloak from the bag she herself had carried; watching her inhale its scent deeply, Harry thought perhaps she forgot that he was in the room.

"So are you related to… Severus Snape?" Harry asked, and she immediately dropped her hands, and the cloak, to her lap. Taking that as a sort of sign, he ventured on. "Was he your uncle? Or father?"

Belldani shot him a look of pure venom.

"He. Was. My. Husband." She did her best to loom over him, being no taller than Harry himself. Harry backed away quickly, apologizing. Belldani collapsed on the bed again, laying her head back.

"Not your fault, Potter," she sighed, "It was just so sudden… I don't even know if he's dead."

"You shouldn't give up hope," Harry offered, part of him incredulous knowing he was cheering up Mrs. Snape. Next she'd be showing him wedding pictures, or maybe the kids… No, if there were kids, they would be with her, Harry figured.

She laughed bitterly.

"When I left him… He was in the hands of Voldemort. I highly doubt that he's alive still."

"You left him?" Harry had thought that she was sort of devoted to, maybe even loved, Snape.

"It wasn't my choice. He sacrificed himself for me…" she pounded a fist against the mattress, "I tried to get him to leave with me; he said he had to stay, that it was fate…" her voice choked, the tears she'd been fighting were coming, and sleep was beginning to sound inviting.

"Potter, leave now, I haven't slept since… 36 hours is how long I've been awake." She finally sighed, sounding very young suddenly. Harry wondered how old she really was.

"At least get under the covers," Harry felt like Mrs. Weasley, taking the cloak from her and covering her with it as she laid her head on the pillow.

"This is his cloak you know…" Belldani wasn't really awake anymore, "His clothes are the only thing I have left… and a key to his rooms at school. Nothing to bury…" she turned her head to sob into the pillow, and Harry closed the door slowly. Turning, he saw Dudley waiting for him.

"Is she loopy or something?" he smirked, "Your kind all are."

"No," Harry wondered if it was hunger that was making him do strange things. first comforting Snape's wife, now defending her, "Her husband's missing, the evil wizard who killed my parents has him. She's upset."

Dudley scoffed at the floor and headed back downstairs. Harry went to his room to write a letter to Ron.

Harry was sitting in his room, waiting for Aunt Petunia to yell for dinner, when there was a knock at his door. It was Belldani.

"How are you feeling, Professor?" Harry asked, quickly hiding the letter he was still working on. She noticed the paper, and held out her hand.

"I'm fine, Potter, let me see whatever it is you're doing a shoddy job of hiding." He pretended to ignore that, and she withdrew her wand.

"Accio paper," she said boredly, and the letters to Hermione and Ron flew out from under his pillow to her hand. She glanced them over.

"Don't know how Snape managed it, but he's got one fox of a wife and she's staying with me for the rest of the summer I guess… she said Voldemort got him, wonder what Dumbledore will do now…" she read outloud, and Harry felt his ears burning. She didn't bother to read the letter to Hermione, which was a good thing, as it asked about how things were with Ron.

She tapped the papers with her wand and they dissolved in flames.

"I'm flattered by your opinion of my looks, Potter," she smirked, "But you'll do well to keep the fact that I am here, and whose wife I am a secret. If that owl were intercepted… you don't know what would happen, do you? Death Eaters would be knocking at the door for me, you realize. You too, of course… " she leaned against the doorway, staring into space.

"I don't know if they'll even want me anymore… I was just a toy, something to lure Sev to them, and then they got him… I suppose that was the whole reason I was engaged to Tom anyway…" she turned, shaking her head.

"You were engaged?" Harry speculated at what other secrets she was hiding. "Do you have some grudge against my parents, by any chance?"

"I never met your parents, Potter, that was after my time," she sank to the floor, leaning against the doorframe. "Yes, I was engaged… Tom. Tom Riddle. My parents are Death Eaters… they arranged it."

"So how did you get out of it, if you married Snape?" it was unbelievable what her history was, though Harry wasn't really the person to comment.

"Sev helped me fake my death, they had a funeral and the whole bit… Buried me in the family crypt, in the hideous wedding dress they wanted me to wear even. He rescued me… like Romeo and Juliet when their plans worked out, I guess. Then… well that part's not important, for you anyway."

Harry nodded, then asked, "So when was that?"

"About a month ago now," she answered nonchalantly. She was silent for a few moments, Dudley waddled by, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. Harry shoed him on.

"Potter, do you have an invisibility cloak?" she asked suddenly.

"Yes," Harry said after a pause, "It was my father's…" Just then Petunia called for dinner.

"Talk about this later," Belldani whispered conspiratorially.

At the table, everyone sat silently munching the salad Mrs. Dursley had prepared.

"So, Professor, what is it you teach?" Dudley asked after a long uneasy quiet.

"Potions," she answered, "But it'll be my first year teaching. I'm taking over my husband's position."

"That's unusual," Aunt Petunia remarked and added more salad dressing.

"Yes, isn't it?" Mrs. Snape smiled unkindly. "However, the circumstances being what they are, I felt there was no other option. It's a way to be close to him, teaching his subject." She stabbed viciously at an innocent shred of lettuce.

"What are these… circumstances?" Vernon asked nervously. From the look in her eye, Belldani had noticed his nervousness.

"Right now I have no idea whether he is alive or dead," she answered coldly. "He's in the hands of the same madman who killed James and Lily Potter, helped my parents become evil murderers, and is the reason I'm here intruding in your lovely home."

There was no further discussion.

Harry resumed his usual activities of weeding the garden, mowing the lawn, and cleaning the house. Mrs. Snape followed him around, sitting outside with a black lace parasol and watching as he worked.

For several days she made no friendly talk with him again. On the fifth day of her stay, she spoke as he stood and washed Uncle Vernon's company car.

"About your cloak, Potter," she asked, "Where is it?"

"Trunk under the stairs," he grunted, scrubbing hard to make the stupid car shine. He wouldn't have worked so hard if he didn't know he'd have to wash it over if the auto didn't stand out like a jewel on the driveway.

"Can I borrow it tonight?" she asked softly. Harry turned.

"I thought you had to stay here and protect me," he tried to sound needy, as if he did rely on her.

"You'll be fine one night by yourself," she waved a hand absently. "Remus will be here until I get back anyway, I just need it to retrieve my cloak."

"Where's yours?" Harry asked as he resumed the car washing. Belldani smirked at his back.

"My parents' house, where Tom has taken up residence, to my knowledge."

"Then he won't be there tonight?" Harry thought perhaps she was going to commit suicide.

"Nonsense, tonight's my cousin Draco's 16th birthday. Uncle Lucius is throwing him a party; boys become Death Eaters on their 16th anyway," Belldani explained.

"Draco's going to be a Death Eater?" Harry stared at her, "He's your cousin?"

"Second cousin, really. Lucius and my father are cousins, but it was easier to just call them Uncle and Cousin," Belldani clarified. "Can I borrow it or not Harry?"

"Yes, you'll have to get Uncle Vernon to unlock the cupboard under the stairs." Harry sighed as she went into the house, wand in hand.

"I really ought to ask her for lessons in girls," he said to the air, and then started rinsing.

Belldani wrapped the cloak around her and Dissapparated, appearing in the kitchen of her old home. Squeaky was sitting by the fire, weeping into one of her old robes.

"Squeaky it's me," she said softly, kneeling at the side of the little elf, "It's Belldani." Squeaky turned towards the sound of her voice.

"Squeaky don't believe her ears! She can't see her Bell none!" she quaked.

"I've got a cloak, Squeaky, its alright, you can't see me but I'm here," Belldani's eyes darted around.

"Where is everyone?" she asked, praying that she would not walk into a trap.

"They is at the Malfoy's for a party, even the Lord of my masters and his wife!" Squeaky told her. This was not against a house-elf's rules, Belldani was part of the family, after all.

"Good," Belldani pulled back the hood a bit, so she was a face floating in midair, "Squeaky did they ever make you clean up the downstairs part? Where all the stone is, and the cells?"

"Squeaky has been taking care of a man in one of those cells!"