Chapter Twenty-Nine

Dumbledore Steps In

Jennifer was aware of a warm hand touching hers and opened her eyes, looking around to see the smile of the wizard whose voice she had always recognized.

"Albus!"

"Good morning, Jennifer. It is good to see you with your eyes open again. I would hate for you to have to miss the start of Yule," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Doctor Sagittari will be right back, I expect. He went to check and make sure Severus took the potion he brought for his nerves. I dare say, I think you scared the wits out of him with the stunt you pulled last night."

"Last night?" Jennifer said, putting a hand to her head and sitting up. "Have I been out that long? Ow, my head."

"Have a cup of tea, Jennifer, it'll help clear your head a bit," Dumbledore suggested. She looked on her stand to see a tray sitting there, along with the sketch who was watching her with concern.

"I'm all right," she told the sketch when she saw his face. "At least, I think I am."

"How many of them do you remember?" Dumbledore asked, and Jennifer glanced to the other side where the empty Pensieve still sat.

"All of them, but they're all garbled and fuzzy," Jennifer admitted, holding her head again until she had to put it down to accept the cup that Dumbledore was holding out to her.

"It's really not all that surprising. Some of those memories are well over fifteen years old," he said.

"And not even close to being complete," Jennifer sighed. "I want to know what happened after each of those. And between… and what led up to them… and how I'm still here… and why did all of them happen? Why do so many people seem to want me hurt or dead?"

"Those are definitely a lot of very good questions," Dumbledore nodded.

"And you're not going to help me answer any of them, are you?" Jennifer frowned at him. Dumbledore smiled gently at her.

"No, Jennifer. I suspect that in most of the instances that were in that Pensieve that I was not there, or at the very least, a third party."

"Come to think of it, a lot of them ended with you showing up," Jennifer said with a frown.

"You see? Then perhaps I'm not the best to explain it to you, and besides, that's not really the reason I'm here."

"I suppose that Severus called you and Sagittari here," Jennifer said.

"Well, he did come to fetch Sagittari. I just happened to tag along for support," Dumbledore said, looking at her thoughtfully. "Jennifer, I was wondering if I could ask you a favor."

"Of course, Albus," Jennifer said, blinking a bit in surprise.

"It is about Severus. I am very worried about him right now," Dumbledore admitted quietly. "As you can imagine, he's under a very great deal of pressure with everything that's been going on. His life has been turned upside down in so many ways, Jennifer. He's had to juggle pressure at work and the children as well as his loyalty to you, and he is in a very tough position at the moment. So all that I ask is if you would be a bit more careful around him. Especially now before the holidays."

Jennifer instantly felt a little guilty about what had happened in the Pensieve, not that she thought she had made the wrong decision, but she had acted out of defiance when she was sure that he was merely trying to save her from pain. Had she been pushing him too hard? She thought over her endless demands for questions and attempts to get close to him and realized that she had. Of course, she was hardly trying to get her memories back for herself… or was she? Jennifer wasn't quite sure anymore, thinking of their argument again. Why was she so unwilling to listen when he knew what was going on more than she did? Perhaps that was it, Jennifer mused. Perhaps in a way she was taking it out on him that she didn't remember.

"You're right," Jennifer said at last, putting down her cup. "I've been behaving like a complete idiot." Dumbledore smiled sympathetically.

"Do not be too hard on yourself, Jennifer. We all have our moments, and you have definitely been facing a lot of pressure on your own. And I'm afraid it will still be some time yet before this little crisis is over, I think," he said.

"Then you believe I'll get my memories back?" she asked, studying his face with such intensity that Dumbledore smiled.

"I may have wondered and worried about that when I first heard of this, Jennifer, but I don't any longer. The fact that you chose the worst rather than nothing proves that. I have no idea how, or when, but between your determination and the love of Severus and your family, I am confident that there can be no other possible outcome." Jennifer leaned over and hugged him, getting a gentle pat on the back in return. "That's better. Everything will turn out all right. After all, just as you pointed out before, you are still here, despite those instances now in your memory. I hardly think this setback will keep you at bay for too long," he assured her, getting up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I had better let Sagittari know you are awake so he can instruct you on some potions he'd like you to take so he can get back to the castle. It's a lovely cottage, Jennifer. But it wasn't exactly built with centaurs in mind, it seems."

Jennifer chuckled at that and nodded in agreement, attempting to imagine Sagittari trying to use any of the narrow stairs in the house. It was a good thing their bedroom was on the main floor.

Dumbledore slipped out the door and peered into the front living room where Severus was pacing around Sagittari, who was standing near the center of the room so not to bump into anything. They both looked up when Dumbledore came in with expectant faces.

"She's awake and ready to see you, Sagittari," Dumbledore said.

"Is she all right?" Severus asked impatiently.

"Of course, Severus. But might I speak with you a moment before you go in?" Severus squinted at Dumbledore warily. "I merely want to ask you a favor." Severus let out a long sigh and reluctantly took a seat at Dumbledore's insistence, but the look in his eyes was the look of someone who was still mentally pacing the floor. "It is about Jennifer, of course. I am very worried about how she's adjusting."

"Yes? And I'm not?" Severus said irritably.

"I know you are, Severus, although you can't blame me especially for being concerned about this latest event. It was an act of pure desperation, and not, I think, so much an attempt to get back her memories. No, what she truly longs for is the relationship she once had with you, and I dare think the desperation is caused by the fact that she doesn't feel as if she's ever going to get it back. And I know you have been trying very hard to do what's best for her right now. I only ask that you be a bit more careful around her. Especially right now before the holidays."

Severus stared at him, almost in disbelief. He had been anything but distant to her… in some ways, he was certain that he had been more open to her now than he ever had been before. Of course they hadn't been too physically intimate, but that was different, and hardly what Dumbledore was talking about. He had been grieving… no, tormenting himself… so constantly over what he had lost. It was a grief he had faced alone, convinced that she would not be troubled by something when she had no idea what she lost. But she did have some idea, he realized now, whether through his own eyes or something inside her… she knew exactly the depth of what was gone, and he had been forcing her to face it alone as well. Severus rubbed his head, attempt at keeping the heavy wave of emotion hitting him at bay.

"I've been acting like a fool again, haven't I?" he said at last.

"Oh, no more than usual," Dumbledore said with a teasing smile. "Really, Severus. You are anything but a fool. In fact, in many ways I think you're probably wiser than I am." Severus snorted at that. "And definitely a great deal braver to take on such a strong commitment to your work, and Jennifer, and your family. I passed up a few opportunities myself to be married to Hogwarts. And you know for a while there I was afraid you were going to get into that line of thought as well, until Jennifer came along and turned everything around for all of us. Of course, none of us are perfect, and I'm not sure you still quite trust yourself completely, Severus."

"How can I, when I can't even see the obvious?" Severus murmured.

"Goodness, Severus. We all make mistakes. You trust me, and I have been known to make a few on occasion. You trust Jennifer too, I think, and as perfect as she is for you, she is hardly perfect either or she wouldn't have jumped feet first in that mess last night. She is going to need your support now, more than ever, to try and sort those memories out, you know," Dumbledore said. Severus nodded slowly. "But whatever happens, just try to remember that you're not the only one this is affecting. Which reminds me, I need to go down and speak with your children for a few moments if you don't mind, and that'll get me out of your hair long enough to talk with Jennifer," he added with a smile.

Downstairs, Corey had dragged out the Christmas boxes and a bundle of fresh garland and was busy decorating, while reciting A Christmas Carol to his siblings. The four Snapes were sitting at the game table as they listened, painting small wooden figures that apparently went with a short street of model houses that were attached to a wooden board in front of them. Spying Dumbledore coming down the stairs, Corey cut short the recitation, causing the rest of them to look up curiously.

"I'm terribly sorry. I hope I didn't make you lose your place," Dumbledore smiled.

"Not at all. Just trying to lighten the mood," Corey said. "Happy Yule, Professor."

"Thank you, Corey. My, that's an impressive model set. Why, that's main street in Hogsmeade, isn't it?"

"It's a game. Andrew invented it," Alicia explained as Dumbledore came nearer, showing him the dragon she was touching up.

"Really?" Dumbledore said, smiling at Andrew.

"It's called Stop the Dragon," Andrew said, finishing his figure. "The object of the game is to stop the dragon from destroying the town, and whichever figure stops the dragon fastest, wins."

"It sounds exciting. Who's winning?" the wizard asked politely.

"The dragon," all four of them said at once.

"My figure keeps disappearing," Andrew complained.

"Mine just runs into Pyther's shop to hide," Alicia muttered.

"Mine keeps getting scorched every time she tries to talk to it," Alex sighs.

"At least he doesn't keep eating yours," Aurelius glowered. "The dragon doesn't like the straight forward approach."

"Might I try?" Dumbledore asked, and Andrew handed him one of the small figures, which started out as a simply carved sphere on top of a rectangle.

"I have got to see this," Corey said, setting aside the garland and coming over to grab a figure of his own. He painted a quick smiley face on it and put the brush down.

"What? That's all you're going to do to it?" Aurelius asked.

"Don't think it looks like me?" Corey said.

"No," Aurelius said. "Even though he seems to have more personality than you do."

"Nice. Well, let's see then, shall we?" Corey said, putting the figure in the exact center of the road.

"All right! Alicia, send out the dragon!" Andrew grinned, and she nodded and wound it up, raising it into the air and letting it go.

The figure suddenly raised wooden arms that appeared out of the block and flashed a little light at the descending dragon then took out a splinter for a sword. But the as the dragon descended, it snapped the sword in two and pushed the figure down, smashing it to bits with its tail as it flew over him, taking out one of the buildings at the end of town as well.

"Dragon 5, us zero," Alex said glumly. Aurelius merely snickered, while Andrew solemnly got out another model to replace the one that had been broken.

"Care to go next, Professor?" Alicia grinned after catching the dragon again.

"Thank you," Dumbledore said, setting down his figure. The five others peered in amazement at the figure, which, among other things, had on the same gold robe that Dumbledore was wearing down to a tiny pair of spectacles hanging on its pointed nose. The miniature Dumbledore was reading a book, as if completely unconcerned about the problem at hand. "Very well, I think he is prepared," Dumbledore said.

Alicia grinned evilly and wound up the dragon again and everyone else took a healthy step backward, not quite sure how explosive this was going to get. Finally the dragon was let go and it spiraled down towards the town, everyone watching intently, waiting for Dumbledore to put down his book. Finally at the last second a wand hidden by the book suddenly flashed out and aimed at the dragon. Then there was poofing noise as a large purple cloud appeared around it. But as the cloud quickly dissipated, they all looked to see a clockwork rabbit sitting on the street where the dragon had been descending towards a moment before.

The Dumbledore figurine turned the page.

"Professor, I never realized before how much of a showoff you are," Corey said almost accusingly. Dumbledore was about protest, when suddenly the rabbit sneezed, a burst of flame coming out and singing the figurine's beard.

"Hm, not enough twist in a wooden wrist, I think," Dumbledore mused as the figure reluctantly abandoned his book. The rest couldn't help but chuckle at the figure's appearance. "Might I keep it?" Dumbledore asked, and after Andrew nodded, he put his figure in his pocket.

"So, how is Mum doing? Is she going to be all right?" Alex asked.

"Yes, I do believe so," Dumbledore smiled, sitting down. "And I think it's been wonderful how supportive and understanding you have been through all of this. I know it hasn't been easy."

"Corey told us about what the Pensieve was," Alicia said. "And I was wondering since she has those memories now, is she going to remember us?"

"Your mother only kept her most terrible memories in the Pensieve, Alicia," Dumbledore told her. "In fact, nearly all of the incidents occurred before you were born, so no, I do not think she will."

"What makes you so sure? Have you seen them?" Aurelius challenged him. Dumbledore paused, looking at Aurelius thoughtfully.

"If you are asking if I know exactly what memories she has put in there over time, no I do not, although I do know something of her personal trials over the years. And I also know how proud your mother was of all of you, and I do mean all," Dumbledore said, looking at Aurelius over the rim of his glasses. "Exasperated sometimes, yes. But that is merely part of being a parent," he added sounding slightly amused. "She is also very proud of you just as she is now. I think that much is quite evident."

"Yes, it's really strange. Mum seems so much happier now than she was then," Alex said quietly.

"Happier? No, that's not the word I would use," Dumbledore said. "It is true that she doesn't have the burden she used to have before she lost her memory, but with the struggle of life there can be some very rich, very deep rewards from overcoming adversity. Now she has taken that burden back in attempt to regain those rewards, but it won't be easy for her."

"So what should we do to help?" Alicia asked.

"Just be yourselves," Dumbledore smiled. "Do as you have already been doing and get to know her as she is now. I think she appreciates that more than you may realize. And do enjoy your holiday. Think of all the fun things you might be able to show her that she may not remember. It'll be like doing them for the first time."

"We should get the biggest Yule log at Dagda's Market!" Andrew said enthusiastically.

"Oh, no! Dad was positively annoyed when he saw the one we picked out last year," Alicia said with a grin.

"Does that mean the rest of you are going to stop being scrooges and help me hang up the rest of these decorations before tonight?" Corey hinted. "We're going to have a bit of a crowd here, I'd say. Are you coming as well, Professor?"

"Thank you, Corey, I have already made plans. But I will see you all again soon enough. I'm sure I'll be dropping by on Christmas for a cup of cocoa or two," Dumbledore promised them, getting up. Aurelius got up as well, walking him to the stairs.

"Professor, could you explain something for me?" Aurelius said in a low voice, glancing back to make sure none of the others heard. But the others all seemed to be more interested in the fire-breathing rabbit.

"If I can, I shall," Dumbledore said quietly back with a smile.

"Her dreams before were all about her close calls with death, so weren't most of them in the Pensieve?"

"I am not sure, Aurelius. I'm afraid you would have to ask her that, although I think you should be careful on how you ask," Dumbledore advised.

"I only ask because I still don't understand why I was in them. I'm afraid I don't quite believe you, sir, when you say we weren't there in the memories at all. Don't you even have a guess at why it was me she dreamed of?" Aurelius asked.

"What I said was that most of them occurred before you or the others were born, Aurelius," Dumbledore said gently. "As to why you, to be perfectly honest, I am still puzzling over that idea myself. But I will make a deal with you; if I find out, you will be the first to know, and in turn, if you find out, then I can be the… well, fifth to know I suppose," Dumbledore chuckled knowingly. "Because I must admit that right now I'm just as curious to find the answer as you are."