Red Lion Green Snake
Koori
Chapter 2: Visitors and Realizations
Amaris and Kingsley stepped though the fireplace at the Ministry, glad to be leaving the frenzy of work behind them, to find themselves in a hectic parlor. A woman with brown hair, presumably Mrs. Granger, was seated on the couch seeming to be in the middle of a fit. Her blouse was stained with what appeared to be tea. A brown haired girl, Hermione Granger, was trying to calm the woman down, while a blonde man, Mr. Granger, was staring at Amaris and Kingsley. Molly came rushing into the room, followed by Ron and Ginny. Molly handed the shaking woman a cup of tea, before rushing out of the room again. Severus came into the room for a moment before turning and leaving again.
"What is going on?" Amaris asked attempting to keep the exasperation she felt out of her voice.
"That thing attacked me," Mrs. Granger said pointing towards where Twink was hiding behind a chair.
"No, she didn't, Mum," Hermione said. "She was just trying to clean the tea off of you." The girl turned towards Amaris. "The elf tripped over my foot and caused Mum to spill her tea."
Amaris nodded before turning towards Twink, smiling reassuringly. "Go help Dobby with dinner." Twink nodded and quickly left the room. "I'm sorry about Twinkle, she is normally so sure on her feet. You must be Mrs. Granger. I'm Amaris Drayce, this is my home."
"This is a home?" Mr. Granger asked. "There are an awful lot of people here."
Amaris turned to Hermione. "Have you explained nothing to your parents?"
"I have told them a little," Hermione said before turning to her parents. "Do you remember me telling you about the Order of the Phoenix? Well, the group is headquartered here now."
Dumbledore came into the room and said, "Mr. and Mrs. Granger, my name is Albus Dumbledore, I am Headmaster of Hogwarts."
"Headmaster," said Mr. Granger, as he held out his hand.
Dumbledore shook it. "It has been a pleasure having your daughter at our school."
Amaris looked over at Hermione who was blushing.
"Oh, good you got everything calmed down," said Molly. She had come back into the room this time followed by Alastor and Remus.
"If no one minds," Kingsley said. "I'm going to go see if I can get some of this paperwork done before dinner. Amaris may I use the study?"
"Of course," Amaris replied wishing she could come up with an excuse to leave as well.
He left the room stepping around Severus as he did so. Amaris noticed the exchange of the three teenagers as Severus came into the room and walked over to Amaris.
"Will anymore be joining us for dinner?"
"Well, McGonagall said yesterday that she was going to go visit Claudius so she won't be here. Tonks is on an assignment," said Amaris, as she tried to think of anyone else who might be joining them. "The Weasley twins will probably be here and I'm not sure about Percy."
"Lovely," Severus replied.
"Oh, stop sulking."
"I am not sulking,"
"Yes you are," Amaris snapped back at him. "Now, be sociable and introduce yourself to the Grangers."
Severus seemed to contemplate this for a moment before squaring his shoulders and going over to the Grangers. "I am Severus Snape, Hogwarts Potions Master." He held his hand out.
Mr. Granger glanced at Hermione for a moment before shaking Severus's hand. Amaris suddenly found herself wondering what Hermione, a Gryffindor, had told her parents about Severus. It was not likely pleasant. Amaris had heard a little of Severus attitude towards the Gryffindor students from Mrs. Longbottom. Frank had been at school with Amaris and she had gotten to know him even better during their training as Aurors. Amaris had kept in touch with Mrs. Longbottom after Frank and his wife were institutionalized and had learned that Neville had a very bad time with potions, though Mrs. Longbottom blamed Severus more then her grandson.
Not long afterwards, the group sat around the dining table enjoying their meal. Arthur kept asking the Grangers questions about a variety of Muggle things, while Molly glared at him every few minutes in a vain attempt to quiet him. Fred and George were busy telling Hermione all about the improvements they had made to their store. Dumbledore and Alastor were engaged in a discussion of some new book they had both read, though Amaris had trouble seeing Alastor sit still long enough to read a book. Only her end of the table was quiet. She, Severus, and Remus had barely said a word since sitting down to eat. There was a gasp from the other end of the table. Mrs. Granger was cringing away from Dobby who was lifting dessert onto the table. Luckily Mrs. Granger kept her wits enough to not knock over the dish, which would have most likely landed in Dumbledore's lap. Once the dessert was safely on the table, everyone went back to their conversations.
"I have no idea why Albus agreed to allow those Muggles to stay for dinner," Severus whispered.
"Those Muggles are a guest in this house," Amaris replied equally softly, "You will treat them as such. At least have the decency to not talk about them at the table."
"Still," Severus said, "we're lucky they haven't caused a bigger scene then they already have."
"I hardly think that was a scene," Amaris retorted. "We all knew ahead that there might be problems with them staying the afternoon. They are more firmly integrated into our culture then some Muggle parents of wizards."
"Miss Drayce."
Amaris looked down at the end of the table to find Mr. Granger watching her. "Yes, Mr. Granger?"
"What is it exactly that you do?" Mr. Granger asked.
"I am an Auror," Amaris replied before offering a further explanation, "I investigate and capture Dark Wizards. I am of the rank of captain. Normally there are five Auror Squad Leaders reporting to me on the activities of ten Aurors each, however since I will be teaching at Hogwarts this year my squad leaders have been assigned to a different captain."
"Are there many Aurors?" Mrs. Granger spoke up.
"A good deal," Amaris said. "It is a very popular vocation; however the training program weeds out those who apply that aren't up to the task. The training program takes roughly three years."
"Sounds very dangerous," Mr. Granger replied.
"It can be at times," Amaris answered. "However the training is very complete, leaving those who finish it prepared for just about everything. Instincts kick in."
"We were simply wondering what kinds of jobs there would be for Hermione when she gets finished with school," Mrs. Granger said.
"You need not worry about that," Dumbledore said. "We prepare the students for a great deal of jobs. Placement is rarely a problem, especially for those as bright as your daughter."
Hermione blushed again. When dinner was over, the kids went upstairs to help Hermione unpack while the adults talked in the parlor. Eventually the Grangers asked if they could see more of the house. It was amusing to watch the Grangers jump every time one of the pictures greeted them. They seemed to be getting the feel of the place though and when they reached the study they didn't even flinch when the portrait of Amaris's grandfather greeted them. Mr. Granger was immediately drawn towards the potion supplies cabinet while Mrs. Granger wandered over to the bookshelves. It was while Amaris was observing Mrs. Granger that it happened.
Mr. Granger had picked up one of the vials that were on top of the cabinet. The protection spell on the vial kicked in a little late and when the vial asked not to be touched, Mr. Granger dropped it. The room began filling with purple smoke. Soon the smoke had engulfed Mr. Granger who was yelling for help. The smoke became so thick that Amaris physically couldn't get through it. Unfortunately the potion to get rid of the smoke was also on top of the cabinet. By this time, Dumbledore and the others had come into the room. The purple smoke showed no sign of dissipating anytime soon. Severus reached into his pouch and produced a potions vial. He threw it at the ground near the smoke. It was the clear up potion. A blue smoke whirled around the purple and they both vanished.
Amaris went towards Mr. Granger. "I am so sorry. I hadn't realized the protection spell was beginning wear off."
"That's quite alright," Mr. Granger said. "I think it is time we return home."
The Grangers said their goodbyes to their daughter and were soon out to door.
Late that night, after everyone else had gone to bed and the house itself seemed to be relieved that quiet had finally come after what had been a noisy afternoon and evening, Amaris walked through the darkness, her way lit by her wand to discover who was in her study. Well, that wasn't entirely true, she had a fairly good idea as to whom, she simply wondered why. She stopped at the doorway to the study. Severus had set the waist high table which had been moved to a corner back to its normal place near the cabinet which contained the items necessary for potions making. A cast iron cauldron sat on the table, bubbling with the contents of whatever it was he was making. He was standing over the cutting board, meticulously chopping something. His hair hung in around his face, blocking her view of him, and his view of her. Years of experience at school had taught her better then to sneak up on him while he was working, so she made as much noise as possible while walking towards him.
"It's a Wolfsbane potion," Severus answered her unasked question.
"For Remus," Amaris smiled, "it's good of you to do this for him."
"I'm not doing it for him," said Severus, looking at her, "I'm doing it because Albus asked me to." He put whatever it was he had been chopping into the cauldron before stirring it. "I'll be finished with this batch in an hour. It should last him six months. Any larger and it goes bad before it can all be used. I was surprised that your cupboard had all the ingredients, its very well stocked."
"Twink insists on keeping it that way," Amaris replied moving a stool to sit across from him. "She says that one never knows when I may have to brew something, although I keep telling her I'm not very good at potion making."
"I believe you could brew whatever you might need," Severus replied still stirring. "And if not, you can always contact me."
"You, who are always looking for a chance to stand over a simmering cauldron."
"So I like what I do," Severus said sitting on the stool behind him.
"And there is no harm in that," Amaris replied. "I like what I do, for the most part."
"Only for the most part?"
"I like the job but not the boss."
"Family issues?" Severus asked with a smirk on his face.
"Not Dad, Fudge," Amaris said. "He is insufferable. If Voldemort," Severus flinched, "had not actually been spotted inside the Ministry then who knows when Fudge would have admitted to his resurrection. He cares only for keeping himself in power, and not for the lives of the people he is supposed to be serving. At the rate he is currently going, he'll be lucky if the entire Department of Magical Law Enforcement doesn't up and quit. There is already talk of it going around the office. We're being sent on ridiculous search missions that led to nothing. Fudge and his advisors obviously have no idea what Voldemort is up too or of anyway to figure it out."
"Would you please not say the Dark Lord's name," Severus said through gritted teeth.
"Will you please stop referring to him as the Dark Lord; you're not a Death Eater anymore."
"Once a month I am still a Death Eater," he snapped back at her
"You mean he actually bought that preposterous story that you'd taken a job at the school to keep an eye on Dumbledore?" Amaris was stunned. "And that the only reason you didn't return that first night was that Dumbledore was watching you. Well, if he's that gullible why don't myself and a couple of Auror squads go with you to the next meeting, convince him we're switching sides and then capture him and all his followers when they least expect it."
"No, Amaris, he didn't buy it," Severus replied snidely. "He's using me for his own amusement. During meetings, while he's discussing things with the others, I'm kept locked up in a room, forced to brew a potion he requires to stay alive, which I can't even poison, because he makes me drink some of it first. I then spend the next hour retching it up. I don't get any information out of him, and he seems to see through the false information I give him."
"Well, in that case, why continue to go?" Amaris threw her hands up in disgust, "he obviously needs you; otherwise you'd be dead. Since you're not getting any information, don't go. I doubt there is anyone else there who could possibly brew that potion."
"He would undoubtedly live long enough to come after me. Not that anyone would care what happens to me. The students would simply be glad to have a thorn out of their sides. And Albus could stop worrying about me and focus instead on his dear Mr. Potter."
"Leave Harry out of this," Amaris glared at Severus, not caring that her anger was starting to get the better of her.
"Oh, yes, I forgot," Severus sneered back, "there will be one more person at Hogwarts this year that'll let Potter do whatever he wants. You'll be no better an influence over him then Black was. He had no qualms letting Potter run around acting the hero."
Amaris's hands curled up into fists. "You have no right to talk about Sirius that way, Snape."
"Oh, so I'm Snape again am I?" Severus stood up, "Going to call me Snivellus for old time's sake?"
"I apologized for every word I said to you around the boys."
"Oh, yes," Severus scoffed, "the Four Gryffindor trouble makers and their little tag along tomboy, Drayce. What was it that Lucius said to you that one time, oh yes, 'maybe if your mother had lived long enough to teach you to act like girl they might have thought of you as one'."
Amaris stared at him in shocked horror as she suddenly found herself facing the choices she'd faced when Malfoy had said those words back in sixth year when she'd found herself cornered by Malfoys group of Slytherins, which had include a hanging back Severus, outside of the Charms room after she'd helped Professor Flitwick rearrange the room. She'd not been able to decide then between running away and crying or busting Malfoy across the face. Luckily for her, Flitwick had heard the commotion and broken the group up, but that wasn't going to happen now. She'd just about decided to slug Severus when his expression softened.
"I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that," Severus closed his eyes, "it's just easier for me to deal with people when they hate me."
Amaris's anger at him melted away as he walked from the table to the cabinet to retrieve a bottle. What had happened to him in those years, so long ago, when he'd been in the service of Voldemort? She had seen evidence of some of the crimes the Death Eaters had committed but what about those people who'd gone missing that they hadn't found. What horrific crimes had been committed that now plagued his dreams and left him with the desire to be seen as source of hatred to everyone around him? What had he done to deserve a life such as that which he now led? And why hadn't she noticed sooner? During that meeting in the Shack she'd sensed fear in him, though never had she devised the source of that fear. Perhaps he had been afraid of himself. Afraid of the things he had discovered himself capable of doing. And then later, when she'd returned to Hogwarts and learned the fate of her friends, she'd been cruel to him. Not considered that he had said that he needed her, and thrown him out on the selfish notion that she wouldn't let him break her heart again. She had done something far worse that day then just break his heart; she'd helped leave him a broken man. Had she not thrown him out, had she really listened to him, she might have been able to help the boy he'd been return to the man he had become. It might be too late now.
"Severus." She reached her hand towards him as he began spooning the contents of the cauldron into the bottle.
"No, Amaris," he said. He looked at her, his eyes so full of coldness that she quickly pulled her hand back. "I will not explain to you why I live my life the way I do. You couldn't understand then nor will you be able to now."
"You're right, I couldn't understand then because I was afraid," she retorted, standing up and walking around the table so that she stood only a step away from him. "I was afraid of the pull you had over me, but I'm not afraid anymore. All I want is to be your friend again, but if you aren't willing then I won't force myself upon you. Goodnight, Severus," she said, and she turned and walked towards the door.
"Wait."
She turned towards him, hopeful. "Yes?"
"I would like us to be friends again," Severus said, "although I'm not quite sure if I remember how to be anyone's friend."
Amaris smiled at him softly, and said, "You'll do fine."
He almost managed to smile back at her. "Goodnight, Amaris."
"Goodnight, Severus."