Chapter 3: Memories
When Rose woke at last the storm was over, and Severus was relieved to see her restored. "Are you feeling quite the thing, love?" he worried. "I shouldn't have pushed you past your limits at the apothecary."
Rose stretched and yawned. "I feel a bit tired mentally, but I cannot sleep any longer. What did you plan for tonight's entertainment?"
They decided to go to the city of Papeete, the capital of the 118 islands that constituted French Polynesia, and explore some of the non-magical part of the islands. They visited Le Musee de la Perle, devoted to the glorious pearls of Tahiti, which came in a variety of shades: the green variety, called pistachio, lavender, the red variety called cherry, pale yellow champagne, silver, various shades of gray: pigeon, moon, orient; Tahitian gold, and peacock: the fabled black pearls, which had an iridescent sheen predominately green but subtle. They toured shops and purchased enough items of tropical clothing to meet their needs for the rest of their stay, and then tried a small restaurant featuring a nightly tamaraa, the traditional feast, for dinner. They saw the sights within 5 miles of the capital, then Apparated back to the wizard resort and sat on the black velvety beach. "Could I have the pendant for a bit, Rose?" Severus asked as they gazed at the southern constellations. Rose handed over the emerald on the chain.
Severus held it tightly in his wand hand, asking questions first silently, then out loud. No answers came to his queries. "Put your hand on top of the pendant while it lies in my hand, Rose," he tried next. She laid her left hand on top of his right, with the emerald sandwiched between them. "I will ask a question, and then I will ask you to tell me the answer. I wore that pendant 30 years or more, and not once did it do any of the things for me that it does for you. Why does this pendant not operate for me?" He closed his eyes, vainly trying to receive an answer to his question. "Well, Rose, what is the answer?"
"All the memory stones respond only to women descended from the Mothers, and the strength of the response is determined by the proportion of Mothers to Outsiders in the woman's ancestry," Rose recited in a soft, detached manner. "Your mother was but one quarter descended. I am over three quarters descended."
"What caused the dreams we had that night?" Severus spoke abruptly.
"The mating dream spell is built into the stone, and the trigger is very basic: if a Daughter spends the night in the company of a Son, they are urged to produce children so that the stone might pass to another Daughter. Your mother personalized the dream for you and any potential partner."
He contemplated her silently, while she gazed at some unseen vision between the lagoon and the stars. "How many memory stones are there?" he continued.
"This stone is called the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, a reference to the Biblical book of Genesis and the carving on its face. At the time this stone was started, around 500 BC, there were only two other stones in existence. The Mothers would bespell additional stones as Daughters were sent off to other lands to form new Families. This stone was created for Sorcha, a Celt who went to Hibernia to settle. It has remained in Britain ever since, and has never been duplicated, nor has any Daughter stone been created from it. Sorcha's line was not prolific, but it was strong enough to last 2500 years and to survive multiple invasions from the Continent of Europe. Your name and your nose come from a Daughter's liaison in 209 AD to Lucius Septimus Severus, the Roman emperor who ended his days at York in 211 AD, which produced a daughter, Julia."
Severus broke the contact between Rose and the pendant. Rose shook her head, breathing deeply, while Severus hung the pendant about her neck again, then pulled her close. "Well, now we know whence the dreams came. How do you feel, love?" he asked, as she shivered in the breeze.
"A bit shaky. The memory stone floods me with information every time, more than anyone might want or need to know. The stone records everything the wearer sees, hears, thinks, feels, smells, touches and does, and unless one can narrow the question down precisely, the information is overwhelming." Rose laid her head on his shoulder. "Imagine wearing the Library of Congress, all the Smithsonian Institute collections, and the British Museum about one's neck. It would take several lifetimes just to skim through it all."
"Does that mean my life has been recorded, also?" Severus asked sharply. Rose reached for the pendant again, but he took her hand before she touched it. "Never mind the question. You have done enough research for one day. You are still trembling." He kissed her hand, then picked her up and carried her back to their rooms and put her into a hot bath. He then brought her a hearty snack to replenish her strength. As he washed and tucked her into bed, Severus fretted. "Rose, while you are pregnant you had best limit the amount of research you do with this pendant. I don't want you to become ill. You must promise me that you will only consult the stone while I am with you, so that I can monitor you for your safety and that of the children."
"I promise, Russ," Rose replied. She quickly drifted off to sleep. Severus summoned the House Elf.
"Kiki, how might I get a message to England from here?"
"Master could write his message, and the Management can deliver it by Portkey courier, or by aeroplane, boat, or fax to Great Britain Central, where it would continue by Muggle Post, Floo or by Owl. Master could also use email up at the resort office. Many guests used the telegraph until recently, but now satellite telephone has made long distance communications faster and much less expensive."
"May I have pen and paper, please?" Severus felt that his report to Dumbledore would take more careful wording than he could manage through a telephone conversation or an email. His news was rather more than would fit on a typical tourist's postcard. Far into the night, Severus composed a report and spelled it so that only Dumbledore could open and read it. He then lay down next to Rose, to spend the night contemplating the possibilities.
The next morning Raymond the apothecary called on them at breakfast. After Severus sent off his report to Dumbledore, the three set out to hike the island, foraging among the lush tropical rainforest flora for magical plants, animals and minerals. Several brilliantly coloured birds ranged through the trees, especially lorikeets and many kinds of fruit doves. Severus and Raymond would stop and secure samples of likely looking plants, while Rose picked blossoms to weave into leis. They stopped at a small waterfall to rest and splash, ate the picnic lunch Kiki had provided, and then the newlyweds bid Raymond adieu and Apparated back to the villa for siesta.
That evening they went out on the water in a traditional native outrigger, watched canoe races and spear fishing, and learned about celestial navigation, Polynesian style. After moonrise they boarded a small cruise ship, where they danced and dined with a mostly Muggle crowd. Severus refrained from pursuing the many questions he still had about the pendant, preferring to provide diversion and amusement for his wife. Rose was too curious to let the topic rest, however.
"Russ, you haven't once mentioned the Tree of Knowledge today. Are you upset by the information it yielded?"
"Why would you think I am upset, Rose? I assure you I am not," Severus reached over to take her hand. He was reluctant to discuss the stone itself, but he wanted no strains in his marriage because of it.
"When an educated and intelligent person with a strong sense of curiosity doesn't talk about something as momentous as discovering 2500 years of recorded, first person, personal family history, I suspect that something is wrong," Rose responded rather tartly. "Heaven knows I am curious, even though it isn't my family, and if it weren't so tiring, I would spend all my time in research, and probably try to get it all down on paper, besides." She looked into his face, tears shining in the corners of her eyes. "Are you angry that you and I were manipulated into marriage?"
"We were not manipulated into marriage. Neither spells nor a hunk of Aluminum Beryllium Silicate are responsible for our actions. Rose, you bewitched me; and you will always be the reason why I proposed marriage. With you I find lost dreams coming true. Any incidental benefits, such as the archive in that pendant, are merely an unexpected bonus. Since we're on our honeymoon, the research can wait a bit," and he led her out on the dance floor for a tango. "Don't tell me you married me for my family tree," he whispered, as they danced barely an inch apart.
"No, of course not. Nor did I marry you for your family jewels." Rose tossed her head and clung to him. "I needed a dancing partner, and you happened to fit the requirements," Rose hissed in his ear.
He gave her an evil, lascivious grin. "Then I think it's time we went back for more of that dancing," and he led her into a small empty cabin, closed the door, and Apparated them back to the villa. After a small meal and a warm bath, they cuddled in bed.