Rose Among The Thorns: The Third Evans Sister
By Jedi Blu, Lady at Large
Disclaimer: I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts…deedle-de-dee…. And that's about it.
Notice: I'm back and had a wonderful two weeks off. Enjoy what I have dubbed Filler Material. And don't worry, I plan on another update within the week.
'Denotes Thoughts'
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CHAPTER ELEVEN: The Second Year - 1974
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Rose rolled her eyes and tried to concentrate more on her Potions book as Petunia ranted just outside the bedroom. Apparently, her mother had decided Petty was too young to date and wouldn't let her have a boyfriend. Their father was in agreement, and Petunia was raving about how unfair everything was and how much she hated her life.
The door slammed. Petunia had entered the bedroom.
Fuming and huffing like an angry mare she began pacing the room. "It's not fair! I'm thirteen years old, all my friends have boyfriends, and I've never even been kissed!"
Lily, from across the room, shot a warning look at Rose.
Rose didn't heed it. "Gee, Petunia, I wonder why? Could it be that your family is holding you back - or that boys simply aren't interested in a high-maintenance whiner?"
Petunia stopped dead in her tracks and turned her hard glare on her younger sister. "It's my family! Everyone knows how weird we are! Everyone wonders why my sisters go to a 'special school' while I go to normal, public schools."
"Tell them it's because we inherited all the brains in the family," Rose responded blithely, turning back to her book. "They'll believe it."
Summer was almost over, and Rose was sick and tired of listening to her sister. She had told Lily she couldn't take it anymore, and now she was biting back just enough to make herself feel better and Petunia more angry.
"Freaks," Petunia muttered, throwing herself onto her bed as dramatically as possible. "I'm in a family of freaks!"
"Petunia, you know Mum doesn't even let me date yet," Lily reminded her, trying to minimize the argument back to what it had originally been. "Fifteen is the magic age."
The dreaded M-word set Petunia off. "Don't talk to me about magic! I'm sick to death of it! I wish you'd both just go back to that freak show school so I can have some peace!"
"Aw, you know you miss us, Petty," Rose said lightly, sitting up and stretching her arms above her head. "Without us there's no one for you to grouse at."
Petunia stiffened considerably. "I don't miss either of you at all. I wish you'd just stay at that school forever."
To the surprise of the other two, Lily began to giggle! "Oh, Petunia." She stood and went to her sister's bed, sitting next to the disgruntled girl. "I'm sorry this is all so hard on you. I wish you could be at Hogwarts with us, I truly do, so we could all be together. But, as is, we're stuck the way we are. I'm going to miss you when we go back."
The youngest Evans sister hesitated only a moment before going to sit on the other side of Petunia. "Things were more fun when we all went to the same school," she agreed. "For a lot of reasons. I'm sorry I was so nasty to you, Petunia." She tried on a sweet smile, and found it worked. "So...who's the boy you're so interested in? There must be someone special if you're pushing Mum and Dad so hard."
Despite herself, Petunia softened. With the other two double-teaming her, and seeming so sincere, she calmed down a great deal. "Well, his name is Edward. Everyone calls him Eddie, though, and he's actually a year older than me. But he's so cute, and nice, and I've caught him looking at me before. He's got a really nice smile."
The rest of that afternoon was spent soothing Petunia's feelings and having 'girl-talk' about boys and such - magic and the coming school year wasn't brought up again.
""
Rose had been heading with her sister towards the compartment on the train they had shared the year before when she first caught sight of Severus Snape. He was standing on the opposite end of the platform and entering the rear-most car. It didn't take her more than an instant to change her course and follow after him. Lily would be seated all ready with her friends and would assume Rose was sitting elsewhere with friends when she didn't show up immediately. It was a long train ride, she could find Lily later.
The rear car was filled with students she recognized from Slytherin, and it was obvious that this was Serpent Territory. Rose almost rolled her eyes at the ridiculousness of it but instead began peering into different compartments looking for Severus. It wasn't until she came to the very back that she found one of the doors closed - the rest had been open as Slytherin students walked back and forth to speak to one another and exchange summer stories. "...my Father took me to Italy over the summer..." "...I went Paris..." "...This is a real matador hat from Spain..."
She knew Severus was in there - it seemed like him to close himself off from even his own house members. She knocked lightly on the door but pushed it open before there could be an answer. As she had predicted, Severus was slouched down in his seat with his feet propped up on the cushions across from him. A textbook was open in his lap, and he looked up at her ready to snap out a scathing remark.
It died on his lips when he recognized her. "Evans." He turned back to his book.
"Hello, Severus." She waited, but he said nothing further. Something prickled the back of her consciousness. "May I sit down?"
He didn't even glance up. "I don't care."
She shut the door behind her and sat across from him on the seat his feet weren't resting on. "What're you reading?"
"'The Art of Potion Brewing,'" he responded.
"Oh."
Silence.
Rose was studying him carefully, narrowing her eyes slightly. The cabin wasn't well lit, and it was gloomy enough outside so that there was no sun to shine through. But his right eye--that couldn't be a shadow she saw. She suddenly knelt on the ground to get a better view of what she knew now was the problem. "Severus! Who did that to you?" She put a hand up to touch the swelling around his eye and across his cheek.
Severus jerked away, almost reflexively. "Don't touch me," he hissed out.
Her hand fell into her lap, her eyes were wide. "Severus, who did that?" He didn't answer, but turned slightly away and was looking into his book again. She could see the red creeping into his cheeks from either anger or embarrassment. She didn't care that she was treading over rough ground, especially when she found a conclusion she thought likely. "The Gryffindors! Did they do this? I'm reporting it to their Head of House. I'll make sure whoever it is knows what sort of idiots there are in that stupid tower. I -"
Severus now turned his face to her, his eyes narrowed. "You will say nothing."
"I will so!" she responded, coming to her feet. "I don't care about your pride; they're being unfair and they're getting away with -"
"It wasn't Potter!" he interrupted, snarling at her. "Or Black or any other student." He tipped his head up, glaring at her. "No student did this."
"Then who did?" she countered, not at all intimidated. "I'm still reporting it - students shouldn't be beaten up."
For a moment something flickered through his dark eyes - fear? - before he turned away. "No one."
"So you've taken to clubbing yourself in the face?" she asked, folding her arms and turning her own glare on him. "I'm sorry, Severus, but I know you're smarter than that and so does everyone else."
He ran a hand through his long, unkempt hair and looked out the window fearfully.
Fearfully? Again? Was that it? Was he really afraid?
"I won't tell if you give me a good reason not to," she said at last, softly. "Who did that?"
He glanced at her and then back towards the window. His shoulders were rigid; he slowly slid so that he was sitting completely straight with both feet planted on the ground. The scenery outside was flying by. At last he sighed, then looked back up at her. "If you tell anyone I will make sure you pay for it," he said at last, his voice low.
"I won't tell anyone, Severus, if there's a good reason not to. I swear it." She sat down across from him, letting her concern show in her expression. His threat did not concern her. "Who?"
He sighed, a hand ran through his lank hair again. "My...my father. I got in his way, so he...he got me out of it." His eyes hardened. "And that's all. And you're not telling anyone."
She shook her head. "I won't tell." He relaxed slightly, until her next question, "How long has he been hitting you?"
He looked away. "It doesn't matter. Now leave me alone, I'm busy." He turned back to his book.
Rose looked down at her hands, folded in her lap, then summoned her own book - another novel suggested by Petunia - to read for the duration of the trip.
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Rose followed Severus from the Great Hall back to Slytherin Dungeon, her face a mask of resignation. She was being encouraged - 'Forced is more like it' - by Severus to be an active member of the Dueling Club.
It had been their second meeting, and the first-timers were allowed to duel.
Severus hadn't offered her a word of advice or suggestion, but merely sat and watched her do a fair job of defending herself. She hadn't been much of an aggressor, though, and he had shown some distaste for that.
Rose wished Severus would have a little more conversation with her about it all.
As a second year Slytherin she had a few more rights and privileges in her House, and more of the other students would speak to her. Sometimes it would be to ask for help with assignments, sometimes it would be to try and con her into something. She was wary of the other Slytherins but knew that things could only really get better.
A few Ravenclaws were on speaking terms with her, and that was flattering. Some had invited her to study groups. Hufflepuffs generally ignored all Slytherins, knowing that it was probably best left that way. The animosity between those two houses wasn't as visible as Gryffindor and Slytherin, but it was still there. It was all rather childish if you asked Rose.
She almost missed pre-Hogwarts days.
Rose was so busy reminiscing that she did not notice when Severus stopped and so walked right into his back. "Ouch!" She rubbed her nose and glared at his shoulders - he hadn't even turned around. She glanced over his shoulder, standing on tip-toe, and her eyes narrowed immediately.
"Black," she growled when she saw the young Gryffindor standing, calmly, before them. He was blocking off the stairs to the dungeons.
"Back off, Evans, this hasn't anything to do with you," Sirius advised, gripping his wand tightly. "I just need a word with your sniveling boyfriend."
Rose saw Severus bristle and she knew what would be coming. She stepped quickly out from behind Severus to stand in front of him. "Only if you put away your wand."
Black gave her a small, disdainful glare but made no move to obey her. "If it comes to wands I won't care much that you're in my way."
There was a growl from behind her, and Rose didn't have the chance to turn around before Severus shoved her aside so hard she nearly fell. As it was she must have looked ridiculous trying to regain her balance as she stumbled into a wall.
"Now, now, Snivellus, that's no way to treat your girlfriend." Sirius smirked and raised his wand. "STUPIFY!"
Severus froze in place, his eyes wide with surprise. He was, of course, unable to protect himself should Black wish to toy with him.
Sirius Black came forward, slowly, until he stood directly in front of Severus. Rose was leaning against the wall, watching in silence, quietly drawing her own wand in case it was needed.
"Stop following us, Snake," Black whispered. "Stop meddling. We're all tired of you and your conniving and I swear that if you don't back off you will come to regret it." Then, without another word, he shoved the frozen form of Severus towards the ground -
"Wingardium leviosa!" was shouted before Black could even think of gloating, and Severus's still form levitated for a moment.
Black whirled to glare at the girl, her full concentration on protecting her only friend from a nasty fall. She did not look up until she had carefully lowered Severus to the ground, then she glared back at the Gryffindor. "You've had your word, you great ogre, now get out of here!" she hissed.
He raised one eyebrow at her, clearly not intimidated. "It's a good thing you're related to a Gryffindor, or else I might make you regret interfering."
Rose tipped her chin up. "More like it's a good thing my sister is top of her class, 'cause she could curse you into next week if you so much as looked at me wrong." She smirked. "Run along, Black, back to your little friends." How she had the gall to call his bluff she would never quite be sure, but the Gryffindor only spared her one more scathing glance before striding down the hall and out of sight.
Severus was glaring up at her from the floor, and the first words out of his mouth after she released him from the curse were, "Bloody hell, mind your own bloody business!"
Rose nodded contritely and followed the fuming Slytherin into their lair, making a mental note to help Severus fight his battles rather than fighting them for him. She also decided it would be best not to ask what that whole scene had been about.
This chapter posted for Loraliant Angelisa Snape, hope I got this out for you in time, miss!
To My Readers:
Stonecoldfox: Surly Snape, surly Snape! Yes! One of the reasons I love him so much is his complexities and attitude. For one: how on earth did he ever become such an expert at being a mind-reader? The technical term escapes me at the moment but I was just reading about it at the Harry Potter Lexicon. Great place.
Elvesmagic010: Save the Dragons is your slogan, eh? I use that one all the time over at FictionPress.Com. I think we should start a movement. We just need a really good acronym. Like SPEW. Sevvy and Rose have quite a lot of growing to do before they get to the point I need them at to REALLY unravel the story. I'm glad you enjoyed my filler material and hope this chapter is equally well written.
Loraliant Angelisa Snape: Weird dream. Very symbolic, though. It actually mirrors something that's been playing through my mind about this story. Thanks for sharing. :-) I hope this chapter reaches you before you leave, I know what agony such things can cause. I must say I'm flattered that you like this story so much. At least I've gotten one avid fan, right? I'll be checking out some of your work later, I'm still curious about the name.
Floria: What is up with this? All the new folks reviewed within hours of each other! I feel loved! Thank you for the high praise and compliments, and I'm glad you think my Rose's name fits her. The Rose is such a symbolic plant, so many meanings, so many reasons for giving and receiving them.
Carebear11488: I am not evil, and that wasn't even much of a cliff-hanger! Certainly nothing to go all nuts about, right? ;-) Hope this update was soon enough for you.
Now you'll all have to wait a bit for the next chapter. :-) I've got a few surprises coming up.
Read and Review, or the Dragons will EAT YOU!
-JB-