Chapter 4: Pillow Talk
"Would you like to go diving, Rose?" Severus asked.
"I have no experience diving. I've never snorkeled, nor learned SCUBA diving."
"I don't intend to use Muggle methods," Severus replied. "Those fellows I met at the exhibits, Alain and Toby, will take us out to the coral reef and keep us out of trouble. I purchased some gillyweed from Raymond the other day, so you can be a mermaid for an hour. You're early enough into pregnancy that neither you nor the babes will be adversely affected." He saw Rose touch the pendant briefly, no doubt to discover what gillyweed was. "Nox," he muttered, and concluded the evening's program to the satisfaction of both.
Another tropical storm system assaulted the island the next day, and was expected to last for several more. The newlyweds took full advantage of the inclement weather, but even honeymooners need an occasional diversion. They taught each other various card games, and at Severus' request, Rose tried to play chess, but she had no gift for strategy.
Rose spent several hours reporting history from the memory stone, and Severus attempted to instruct Rose in the use of her magical power. He demonstrated simple spells, suitable for wandless magic: Accio, Lumos, Nox. Rose soon managed to perform these spells, sometimes using the pendant as a focus of power, sometimes manifesting the glow which had appeared around her as the Cloaking Spell cast upon her in infancy by her great-grandmothers the Babas was lifted. Severus gave her his wand to try, but the results were uneven. "You obviously need a different type of wand, love," he said, after her attempt to Summon with his wand proved less effective than her attempts without. "Ollivander will sort you out properly. We'll call on his shop the week after the twins are born." They then made magic with another kind of wand, at Rose's insistence.
Severus watched, eyes half closed, as Rose picked out a shift and headed for the bath. He felt nearly boneless: relaxed, content, and replete. This marriage business wasn't a bad arrangement. It certainly was more rewarding than serving the Dark Lord, or Albus P. W. B. Dumbledore. Of course, he had to give credit for the pleasantness of this partnership to Rose. She generated an atmosphere of serenity, one of the first things he had noticed about her, and this serenity penetrated into his bones, his heart, and his very soul. Minor irritations melted away in her presence without her lifting a finger or saying a word; long lasting injuries healed under her beneficence. This was a different kind of magic, and he was reminded that his mother, before her illness, had the same capacity to make a person feel healthy and whole just by her presence.
Rose returned, fresh from the shower. He grabbed her wrist as she reached for the bedcovers. "I thought you were asleep, Russ," she smiled. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"I was thinking," he brooded. "Why did you ever decide to take up with a disreputable wizard like me?" His warm hand held hers firmly while his thumb stroked her wrist; his black eyes studied her expressive face. He wasn't letting go until she gave a satisfactory answer. Rose sat on the edge of the bed, tucking her legs under her. She cocked her head to one side and examined him minutely, then smiled slightly.
"First of all, I didn't know you were disreputable. You were a complete stranger. Francesca Oldham introduced us one hour after she met you, so you started off with no history to speak of." Rose stroked his coal black hair with her free hand. In leaning over to reach him, her hair brushed his chest and shoulders, and he reached up to push her hair behind her ear. "I like your black hair. Perhaps it's because my grandfather Jozef, my mother's father, had black hair until he was eighty. His father was from the Hungarian region of Central Europe. Grandpa Joe was my favorite relation," she added, "and a bit testy, so I was accustomed to that in a man. Your gentle courtesy is very attractive by contrast." She leaned in at his surprised expression to kiss his cheek. "So, I was physically comfortable with you. You looked good, smelled good, talked well, moved well, and had old-world manners. You didn't push into my personal space or grab. You seemed familiar and safe, predictable and dependable." Severus snorted.
"No one in the history of the planet has ever called me safe, predictable, good-looking or well-mannered. You risk a lifetime in St. Mungo's if you ever repeat this preposterous description to anyone," he growled.
"And yet you do not deny any of my description," she teased.
"Far be it from me to disillusion my wife," he smirked.
She paused. "Your hair has gotten a lot longer. Do you plan to keep it long? This length suits you."
"Thank you, Rose," Severus replied. "I'll be sure to inform Hermione and Potter. Cutting my hair was their prescription to blend in with the Muggles. So, you felt physically safe and comfortable in my predictable, attractive presence. Continue."
"After you and I had spent some time together, talking and exploring London, I began to feel intellectually comfortable with you," Rose went on. "We were able to have thoughtful conversations and build some understanding between us. We shared a lot of interests and traits. I needed that kind of companionship; it is so rare and hard to find."
Rose stopped. Her eyes glistened with unexpected tears. "And then you went to the autism lecture for my sake; that was a thoughtful kindness no man has ever given me before. My emotions were suddenly engaged, and the discrepancies in your background story really began to alarm me. I didn't want to repeat my mistakes and get involved with a man who wasn't honest, who was putting up a false front to take advantage of my good nature. I really hadn't recovered from the last time that happened."
Rose wiped her eyes with her free hand, which Severus caught and kissed on the back and the palm. He then kissed her other hand. Rose's response was somewhere between a sob and a chuckle. "Fortunately Arthur Weasley filled in the gaps. When I knew that I was dealing with a wizard in disguise, everything suddenly made sense. I was honored that someone from the Magical world would deign to spend time with a Muggle like me. Being friends with a wizard sounded like a great adventure, and that would be sufficient satisfaction for me. And then you kissed me," she sighed, "and nothing has been the same since."
"Not for me, either," Severus solemnly replied.
"Severus, have you given any thought to names for the twins?" Rose looked at him, doubt in her eyes. She wasn't yet convinced that he really was happy to be expecting. Her experiences before meeting Severus Snape had taught her that men didn't want to grow up and be fathers, but wanted to always be little boys and to have fun. "I would like to name our daughter after your mother," she added. "But what about your son?"
"Well, I am not going to name him after my father," Severus replied with a snort. "What about your father?"
"I named my son John after his grandfather already," Rose replied. "Two Johns in the same family would be too much, I think."
"We can look through the family tree for a name for our son," Severus said. "But our daughter shall be named Elizabeth Rose. I do believe the rain is stopping," he added.
He was correct. The couple stepped outside to find that three days of monsoon storms had finally ended with a spectacular evening rainbow and a meteorite shower. Severus sent word to the wizard Alain that they would like to hire his services to explore the reefs at his first opportunity, using a myna bird. Wizards had introduced this species to the island to provide a form of Myna Post services, since owls were not native to Polynesia and not suited for a tropical climate. Alain sent word by return myna that he would be willing to take them out the next morning, if they were ready. The couple were willing and the plan was set.
The next morning dawned clear, with a fresh breeze blowing from the ocean. "What does one wear to dive with gillyweed?" Rose asked.
"Anything you like," her husband replied. "I'm wearing swim trunks. It's best not to wear dangling clothing. You don't want to get hooked on the coral." They ate a hearty breakfast, and Rose asked Kiki to put her hair in a tight French braid to keep it out of the way while diving. Rose then packed a change of clothes for après diving and declared herself ready.
They met Captain Alain after breakfast on the beach. Alain had a 40 ft. sailboat equipped for most surprises on the Pacific He wore a red and white striped piratical shirt, knee-length white canvas breeches, and a wand lashed to his right wrist. He physically resembled the actor Errol Flynn, being as tall and wiry as Severus, but with wavy, longish blond hair, a neatly trimmed mustache, and a solitary, small gold hoop earring. He had something of that late actor's roguish character, as well. His skin showed the weathering of an outdoorsman. "A pleasure to meet you, Madame," he said, with a distinct French accent, as Severus introduced his wife. "Please make yourselves comfortable while I get underway. Feel free to explore the Bella Donna." He introduced Toby, his diving guide. Toby was English, blond and rosy-cheeked, snub-nosed, barrel-chested, and a bit younger and shorter than Severus and Alain. Rose watched how Alain got the Bella Donna underway, and then followed Toby as he pointed out points of interest on the ship.
In the cabin, Toby pointed out the GPS system, the radio and sonar. Everything looked untouched. "Don't you use this equipment?" Rose asked.
"Alain doesn't need it. He sails by the seat of his pants using native techniques of navigation. If we run into difficulties, a few passes with the old wand, and we're back on target." Toby spoke behind one hand, "Besides, we don't know how to use these Muggle things."
"Do you mind if I turn them on and play with them? I've never tried out a GPS system," Rose asked.
"Be my guest! The directions are in this drawer," Toby pointed. "No need to rush, either. It will take us about 45 minutes to reach Wizards Reef."
Alain let the breeze take them out. He always preferred sails to motors. The ocean's song was his favorite music; the grinding whine of an engine, a distasteful but occasional necessity. He watched his passengers poke about the ship. The lady was graceful, but something about her was off. Was she Muggle, or magical? There wasn't any place to conceal a wand in that swimsuit, and aside from her necklace and rings, she was unencumbered. The emeralds were large and spectacular, both the cat's-eye set in the ring on her right hand, and the intaglio pendant.
The wizard Snape had his wand in a sheath under his tunic sleeve. He seemed powerfully protective of his lady. Alain would have to be the perfect hired servant today, just as Raymond had warned him. Too bad, he thought. He had worn out his welcome with the local lovelies, and boredom mixed with frustration grated on his nerves.
Rose and Severus settled in chairs in the cabin. Rose flipped through the manuals and turned on the GPS, radio and sonar and started to play with them. "You don't suffer from mal-de-mere, I hope?" Severus inquired, as he tried to read the GPS manual.
"Only in very rough seas," Rose smiled. "I'm so glad we can do without the engines. I hate the sound and smell and vibration. How far out is the reef?"
"Tahiti is surrounded by reefs, but we are going to one set aside by its inaccessibility and a few well-placed Muggle Repellers. Because it is protected and relatively untouched, it is said to be the most beautiful reef in French Polynesia."
Rose showed Severus how the GPS system worked, explaining the scientific principles and theory behind it, the satellites in the heavens that gave the data and the Doppler analysis that located their position on the charts. She found the local radio bands and they listened to the other ships in the area. Then she got the sonar to scan the ocean depths. "How do you know all this?" Severus asked, fascinated. Toby was quietly watching the lady moving assuredly about the equipment.
"I am an engineer, Russ. Technology is all related, and the manuals are here. These manuals are written for anybody to understand. It's a shame that Alain and Toby don't know how to use this equipment." Rose checked the battery levels. "They even have solar cells charging the batteries. This is a very ritzy ship; very option is included."
She looked beyond the communications and navigation station. "Over there are the engines and steering mechanism. There's the automatic anchor control. I expect one person could operate the whole ship from here with the engines, given enough practice and training, except for docking. Of course, if one were using the sails, it would be more complicated. I have no experience operating a sailboat or any boat, but I have studied the theory. The one thing you want to watch out for is the boom. " She pointed out the window to Alain, who was tacking upwind. "You don't want to be in the way when the boom is moving, or you could get knocked out or off."
Severus watched Alain at work, adjusting his sails with a wave of his wand, and then contemplated his wife. "Rose, I wonder if bringing you into the Magical world is a good thing. You will be a fish out of water, so to speak."
"The fish had to grow and change to come out of the water to colonize the land millions of years ago. Those that were willing and able did so," Rose smiled. "I'm feeling amphibious. I will let you know if I am getting in over my head, if you don't mind mixed metaphors. We can continue your Muggle education in technology while I learn about magic. Besides, someone has to access the memory stone. We cannot let its history be forgotten." Rose paused, and then added, "The English scientist and author of speculative fiction, Arthur C. Clarke, once commented that any technology sufficiently advanced was equivalent to magic. Think how powerful the synthesis of Muggle science and Wizard science would be!"
Toby came close to see what Rose was doing. She explained as much of the operation of the equipment as he would tolerate, and then asked how the wizards operated the ship. Time passed so quickly, they were startled when Captain Alain announced their arrival at Wizard's Reef. Toby released the anchor and handed out illuminated diving watches. Severus handed out gillyweed. Alain would stay aboard while the others visited the reef. Toby roped the three of them together, Rose in the middle.
Rose watched the wizards eat the gillyweed, then reluctantly followed suit. It wasn't any more disgusting than octopus, which was not her favorite dish, but since she had eaten that before, she managed to get the gillyweed down. They entered the ocean, waited for the gills and webbing on their hands and feet to develop, then dove under the waves to explore the beauties of Neptune's realm.
Rose marveled at how comfortable, even familiar, it felt to be aquatic. Her body felt sleeker, more powerful, completely at home in the buoyant waters of the South Pacific. If anything, the water seemed a bit too warm and too salty, but since she had never swum in an ocean before, and certainly not with gills, Rose could not account for the feeling. Her exposure to the oceans off the New England and California coasts consisted of plunging up to the ankles until the frigid waters triggered foot cramps. Rose grew up swimming in the comparatively warm Great Lakes, other, smaller bodies of fresh water in America, the ubiquitous heated pools of city and suburbia, and the vast commercial water parks spawned in the Eighties.
Rose found she had to reduce her exertions or she would outswim both men. Toby had asked that she stay between them, since she was wandless, so that they could protect her from an encounter with a shark or ray or other predatory threat. "It isn't likely that we should be attacked by anything," Toby had said, "but it's not unheard of, either."
The freedom from breathing, the vastly improved vision underwater (nearly 20 feet, by her estimate) that resulted from the gillyweed transformation, and the added speed from her webbed feet and hands led Rose to suspect that perhaps the fish were foolish to evolve into land creatures. She was delighted to find that neither her sinuses, nor her eyes, nor her ears were hurting in the slightest. She was snatching glances at Severus behind her, and feeling lust at the sight of his lean form cutting gracefully through the depths. There would be no water play this trip. Rose had no desire to give Toby an eyeful.
To Rose's eyes, Toby resembled a lumbering turtle more than any fish, but perhaps she was just prejudiced. He moved erratically through water, a roly-poly, graceless figure. He suddenly stopped and gestured ahead.
Before them stretched a mountain range of delicately coloured, fantastically twisted and knobby corals. Anemones bloomed in flowerbed clusters, and kelp forests waved in the rippling currents. Clownfish in their orange and white stripes wove between, dodging the blue spotted parrotfish. Sunlight passed through the clear blue waters, revealing the colors of Neptune's treasures. The sheer abundance of life, the schools of fish from the tiniest minnows to man-sized specimens, circulated among them without fear. The three humans followed the reef, but did not disturb the structure, since coral is famous for its fragility and lethality.
Their diving watches started to flash at last; the gillyweed effect was coming to an end in 15 minutes. With a last look at Neptune's riches, the three returned to the Bella Donna and the world above water.
Alain was waiting at the diving platform to give each a hand up into the ship. "How was your dive, Madame?" he smiled.
"Just fantastic!" Rose staggered aboard. "I've never seen or done anything so amazing in my life." She felt exhausted and exhilarated simultaneously. It took some effort to remember to breathe in the air.
"You will wish to shower in the head before the salt water dries your skin," Alain remarked, as he assisted Severus aboard. "And there is food ready in the galley. We do not depart for another hour or so. We will troll for fish on the way back to dock, if you do not mind." Alain hauled Toby aboard, then started to stow the diving platform. Supporting each other, laughing at each other and trading observations, Rose and Severus tottered off, while Toby lay in the sun, catching his breath.
After sluicing off and stuffing themselves with a proper English high tea, Severus and Rose reclined under the awning over the bow for a bit of rest. Rose quickly slipped into a well-earned doze, while Severus fondly guarded her sleep. Toby and Alain were talking in a desultory fashion on the aft deck, stowing diving gear, eating, cleaning the galley, and preparing the fishing tackle. Eventually, Severus drifted aft to observe their activities.
"Is it not true, Monsieur, that gillyweed has no effect on Muggles?" remarked Alain, as he baited and cast out several feet of line.
"You are correct, Monsieur," Severus replied gravely.
"Then Madame is a witch as well as an American," Alain continued, casting out the second long line.
"Obviously," Severus was curt. He gave the captain a challenging glare.
"And yet Madame has no wand," Alain remarked even more casually, as he cast the third line.
"An American prejudice," Severus remarked. "The colonials have some very medieval notions about magic."
"Madame is quite knowledgeable about Muggle machinery," Alain prodded, having never heard the Hogwarts motto: Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus.
"Americans are famous for their technological proclivities and willingness to use machines," Severus Snape sniffed. He was trying to restrain his temper, if only because he did not know how to sail a boat. "I am sure Madame would gladly show you how to operate the equipment in the cabin, if you wish to learn. There are some useful features that even wizards might appreciate." Alain made a slight bow to acknowledge the offer, and then continued:
"I know a wand maker on Bora Bora, if Monsieur wishes to purchase a quality wand for Madame. The witch is a friend of mine. She uses local hardwoods such as miki miki and aito, and tail feathers from native birds, including the koel and the monarchs." Alain had finally reached the point of his invasive conversation, and Severus relaxed.
"Madame is enceinte. She will select a wand after the twins are born." Severus was grateful that he would be able to end this conversation. The captain was too cheeky for his taste.
"You are on your honeymoon, hein? How long have you been married, Monsieur?" The Frenchman was doggedly continuing the interrogation.
"Nearly five weeks," Severus replied. Alain was silent for quite a while.
"I salute you, Monsieur!" Alain closed and stowed the tackle box, bowed and departed for the captain's cabin. Severus turned to face the ocean, lips twisting in a smirk that lasted for minutes. To earn a fellow wizard's approval for one's demonstrated virility and familial tendencies was a novel experience for the ex-Death Eater. He sauntered back to the awning, where Rose was stretching as she awoke.