Rose Among the Thorns: The Third Evans Sister
By Jedi Blu, Lady at Large
Standard Disclaimer Found Here: I don't own any and all things/people/creatures/candy/ghosts/etc that you recognize from J.K. Rowling's world-renown series of books. Nor do I own any rights to the book/movie The Princess Bride, which belongs to the esteemed S. Morgenstern (who is really William Goldman).
Now, About The Princess Bride. This title was published in 1971, I believe, and was immediately a very popular book. It was said to have been written by an S. Morgenstern years earlier and then only translated, edited, and abridged by William Goldman. This, my friends, was a clever little stunt pulled by Goldman merely to make us laugh and wonder when we get to certain comedic parts of the book. In the '80's Goldman wrote the screenplay for The Princess Bride to be made into a movie. It's quite a cute movie, too. It's a classic around my house. Cary Ewles (sp?) plays the dashing Wesley. The characters in this movie are tried and true, and forever when I think of heroes in fairy tales I include Fezzik the Giant, Inigo the Spaniard, and the Dread Pirate Roberts. If you can find this book, I suggest you do. Or, if you're one of those terrible people who don't like reading the original first, go get the movie. Trust me, there will be a rental store in your area that carries it. Thank you for reading!
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CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Confrontations
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Rose, finding herself almost glued to Severus's side, was very much impressed by the amount of work that had gone into the ball. There were dozens of giant Jack-O-Lanterns, a few games set up such as bobbing for candied apples, catching chocolate frogs, et cetera. It was, all in all, very well done. The ceiling of the Great Hall had been magicked to portray the night sky in an orange-ish light, bats flew freely above, and sparkling spider webs stretched from one wall to another to complete the decor.
"It's incredible," Rose murmured up to Severus, who was still clutching her arm to himself possessively...or was it nervously? "I'm glad the Headmaster went through with this idea."
Severus made an indifferent noise. "It all seems like a waste of time to me."
"That's because you've got the disposition of a funeral director," Rose responded lightly, a mischievous smirk in her place.
His eyes darted down to catch hers, he was frowning. "What?"
Rose rolled her eyes. "I'm teasing you, Severus. Honestly, you need to learn to lighten up a little. My parents think I'm stuffy and too serious! I wonder what they'd say about you. I suppose it's nothing that a good bit of fun wouldn't cure." She gave him the smile that reminded him of a cat, then began to tug him towards the center of the hall, where couples were learning how to waltz curtsy of the Bloody Baron and Gray Lady.
Severus's eyes widened in horror. "Where are we going?"
"To dance. You don't come to a masquerade ball to walk around the edges of the room." She had brought him to the edge of the dance floor, but he had his heels nearly dug into the marble floor.
"I don't know how to dance," he admitted between clenched teeth.
"Good, then we can learn together!" And with one final tug she had him trapped in the midst of swirling, stumbling, dancing students. For one so much smaller than he she had quite a bit of strength and spirit.
For a moment it looked like Severus, eyes wide and mouth slight ajar, would bolt off the floor and into the air rather than attempt to take another step on the floor. Rose, though, was still beaming up at him, her green eyes glittered with excitement. Before he could form a protest she had one hand on his shoulder, had maneuvered one of his to rest on her waist, and joined their free hands. They were in the right stance now, and Severus looked around for an escape.
"You won't get away from me, Severus," Rose said softly, and his eyes snapped down to her with some measure of horror in them. "It's not that bad, you know. Think of it like you do dueling, just the coordination of movement. Watch, here comes the Bloody Baron."
Indeed, here came the ghost with his own ghostly partner, dancing through students and faculty alike instead of around them - such was the benefit of being a ghost, Rose supposed. The Baron had seen that there was a couple practically frozen on the ball room floor and it was disrupting the dance, so once he was near enough to the two young Slytherins that his partner's gown brushed right through Rose he gave them both a withering glare. "What is the meaning of this hold up?"
"We're unsure how to continue," Rose admitted, watching Severus flush out of the corner of her eye. "Would you mind instructing us?"
The Gray Lady laughed, and yet the sound was almost sad. "There's nothing like a first ball. Come, Baron, let's show them how it's done."
The Baron sighed, then swept himself and his partner right INTO Severus and Rose.
And Severus started, his eyes wide, before relaxing. Hr adjusted his hand to rest on the small of Rose's back and held their joined hands closer and more confidently. He began to step, guiding her across the floor with an ease that made it seem like he had been dancing all his young life. Rose was able to follow without a hitch, and she possessed an other-worldly grace.
The Baron's voice, coming from the direction of Severus, said, "There, you see? It's not that complicated."
The Gray Lady's silvery laugh came from Rose's small form. "Think you can handle this on your own, now?"
Rose answered, "I-I think so."
Severus nodded.
The ghostly couple swept out of the Slytherins and into the air to dance above the students, with their fluid and magical movements easily showing up everyone else in the room.
Rose watched them with awe, and then looked up at Severus with a smile. He was still dancing with her, leading her easily across the floor now, and there was something about his black eyes that hinted at his enjoyment. "I didn't know they could do that," Rose said, looking awed. "That was incredible. It was as if I –"
Severus interrupted her, "I know. It was strange, but beneficial." His lips turned upward slightly. "He was right, it's not that complicated."
"See? This is fun, isn't it?"
"I suppose it is," he responded, an actual smile finally beginning to show. "It isn't all that bad; I-"
Suddenly his legs flew out from under him, causing him to slide down to the floor with his cape twisting around him and his sword to spin off and into the crowd, causing a few more students to stumble. He had still held Rose, so that she slipped as well and landed - dress flying up to reveal a bit more than she would have liked - atop and across him.
Those around them stopped to look, and when it was obvious that the blushing Slytherin couple wasn't injured it was possible for the others to snicker or laugh outright at the spectacle they made.
Severus, turning red, hissed between his teeth, "Get off of me. Now."
"I'm doing the best I can," she growled back, trying to get her skirts in order so that she could rise to her feet. Severus jumped up the moment he was able and sent a glare around those that were still snickering at them, but it did little to remove the amusement of others. "Severus, what happened?" Rose asked, doing her best to ignore the few rude comments directed her way by others.
Lily appeared at their side. "Rose! What happened? Are you all right? Severus?"
Grinding his teeth together, Severus's answer was hard to make out, but Lily and Rose understood. "I was pushed."
Lily's eyes darted quickly around the room, trying to pick out the guilty face in the crowd while Rose's eyes snapped straight behind Severus and her gaze collided with -
The stag, and he was grinning smugly, winked at her, and then faded back into the crowd.
"Prongs."
Severus looked at her as if she were crazy. "What? Prongs?"
But the elder Evans sighed with some embarrassment. "James Potter. It's his nickname. I'm sorry, Severus, he's such a - "
Severus interjected with a word that made both Evans girls blink and gasp a bit, and then he stormed away, pushing through the dancing couples and ignoring all angry shouts, glares and protests.
"Looks like I lost my escort," Rose mumbled and looked at her sister with a bitter smile. "James Potter just loves to ruin our lives, doesn't he?"
Markus was now standing next to Lily and had caught Rose's last few words. "Potter?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "That Chaser? Royally arrogant bloke, isn't he? What's he done now?"
"Nothing. Excuse us for a moment, would you Markus?" Lily took Rose's arm and steered her out of the crowds to stand behind one of the very large pumpkins. They had some small measure of privacy there. "James is really taking this little game of his too far," Lily said, her emerald green eyes flashing with annoyance. "I can't believe he's starting to include you in his bullying. I won't stand for it, Rose."
"What about Severus?" Rose asked, her eyes meeting her sister's with anger directed at Potter. "James needs to be stopped, Lily."
"Severus can take care of himself," Lily answered. "And besides that, he's done his own fair share of bullying at times."
"Only when provoked," Rose argued. "You don't know him very well, Lily. He's too bookish to look for trouble unless it finds him first. He doesn't go looking for it." Inwardly, Rose winced at the half-truth as she thought of their night excursion into the Forbidden Forest, and his admitted night and holiday wanderings for what he called 'projects.' But still, she had never seen him act so much as react to Potter, Black, and company.
Lily rolled her eyes. "Rose, even you admit you don't understand Severus. His father is a dark wizard with dark dealings; Severus has been brought up in an atmosphere that radiates trouble and danger. He's used to dealing with far worse than James Potter."
"I'm convinced that Gryffindor House is full of nothing but bullies sometimes," Rose responded. "A mixture of a little brain and a lot of brawn. I can't believe you're picking on Severus even moments after he was the victim of a cruel prank. Think of how embarrassing that was for him Lily! Because of the Gryffindors no one takes Severus seriously. He's just doing his best to get ahead in school so he can get ahead in life. It's not as if he's proud of his heritage." Rose realized she was being defensive on behalf of the older Slytherin but found she didn't care - someone needed to defend him or he'd spend his whole life seeking revenge and retribution on all those who visited him with shame. "It's not his fault his father's abusive."
The older sister set her jaw and shrugged, carelessly almost. "He's your friend, not mine, so perhaps you do know him better. But be careful who you support, Rose. Severus isn't exactly an angel."
"Nor is Potter," Rose responded. "And he had better stay away from Severus."
"Or what?" Lily asked, with faint amusement. "James is fairly powerful for our age. Rose, just leave it alone and let them fight things out themselves."
"I won't stand by and watch a friend of mine constantly bullied!" Rose's temper was flaring; she couldn't believe Lily was dismissing the whole event so easily. "Lily, he's been picked on and abused by nearly everyone in his life."
"You can't be his avenging angel, Rose," Lily argued, her expression softening. "It's not your place."
"Whose place is it then?" Rose asked, dropping her eyes to the floor, hoping Lily didn't see the shine of tell-tale tears. "He was happy for a minute, Lily. He was enjoying himself, he was smiling! And James ruined it." Rose leaned back against the pumpkin and took off her silvery mask with a little sigh. "I think I'm going to go to bed now. This isn't fun any more."
"Don't let one incident ruin your whole night, Rose," Lily countered. "You can still have fun."
Rose fiddled with the mask. "Not when my only real friend has had his whole night ruined. I may not be his avenging angel, but I am his friend. I'm going to go find Severus." She stood and began to walk towards the exit, with Lily watching.
Lily shook her head and turned to find her own date for the night, so she missed someone intercepting Rose at the door.
"Have a dance, Rose?" Sirius Black asked, smiling his most charming smile. He hadn't taken part in the prank this time, but had most certainly enjoyed the outcome of it.
Rose bristled. "After what your ringleader just did? I think not. Get out of my way, Black." She attempted to go around him.
Sirius easily moved to block her way again. "Come on, Rose, it's not like he hurt Snivellus or anything. Just one dance, c'mon." He reached for her hand, which she snatched away. The glare she bestowed on him caused him to hesitate momentarily before smirking. "You really like that greasy git, don't you? Why would that be, little Evans?" Black wasn't getting his way, which could mean only one thing for him. He'd get his revenge. "Like him? Have a bit of a crush on the snake-boy?" He walked slowly around her, grinning even as her temper began to boil again. "Really, I'd expect someone as bright as you to have a little more taste in boyfriends."
"You're making me angry, Black," she whispered, clutching her wand in a small pocket of her gown. "Leave me alone."
"Or you'll what?" he asked, leaning so close his face was mere inches from hers. "Go ahead. What can you do to me?"
Abruptly she released her wand, brought her hand flying out of the pocket, and the resounding slap across his left cheek was loud enough to attract some attention from the buffet table. Sirius Black's face had a lovely hand imprint on it for the next twenty minutes, and Rose was able to storm out of the Great Hall without any more trouble.
Pettigrew came up beside Black, watching as the taller boy gently felt the side of his face to determine the damage done. Peter was beside himself with giggles. "She showed you, Padfoot." He continued to snicker. "How're you getting her back? Watcha gonna do to her?" His small, piggish eyes gleamed with humor.
"Nothing, you idiot!" Black hissed back. "She's not even worth my time." He stormed away, and a few moments later was cornered by Remus Lupin.
"What's going on, Padfoot? Rumor has it that you had a run in with the little Evans girl." He grinned and leaned forward to look at the red welt on Black's face. "It seems my sources were correct."
If it was one thing Sirius Black hated, it was how fast gossip spread. He sighed and shoved Remus away, then grinned. "She's got spunk. I wonder why she's not in Gryffindor?"
Lupin shrugged. "Doesn't really matter, she obviously knows how she feels about you. Why d'you like her so much anyway? You don't even know the girl."
Sirius Black shrugged, then went to find his date for the evening, hoping the red mark across his face had died down by that time.
Going out of town for a week. Expect more around Thursday or Friday of next week. Maybe Wednesday, if I feel like it after my trip. ;-) Thanks!
To My Wonderful Reviewers:
Stonecoldfox: Happy Independence Day works just fine. :-) Thank you for the praise and merry comments. You've stuck with me for some time now, and I'm very glad for it. This latest installment is one which really makes my blood boil when I think about James. Gerr….
Miria: The note at the beginning of this story was for you, but I thought other readers might appreciate it. Do review again and let me know if it was helpful. Thank you for reading and (finally) reviewing. I know a lot of good fanfic authors who get depressed when they aren't reviewed by many people, or are flamed unnecessarily.
Elvesmagic010: What I promised you was coming hasn't yet occurred, but the time draws closer. What exactly is the extent of Severus Snape's relationship to the young, still innocent Rose Evans? Hm. I wonder. Doesn't this chapter just make you want to sock it to James? Sirius was innocent this time, but I doubt he'll be too happy with Rose's little display. I'm glad you liked the costumes, and their sources. The Princess Bride is one of my all time favorite books and movies. Thank you!
Rae Roberts: In the process of writing you a 'confidential,' just so you know. I agree with you on the 'rather' and 'slightly.' I hadn't realized I was using those words so very often. I actually removed quite a few from this chapter and changed words around to make Rose and Severus sound more confident. Then again, this is probably the chapter where Severus should be very unconfident. Don't worry, I'm working on it. Thank you for the praise and kind reviews. I can't say I always deserve them. SHAMELESS PLUG: Go Read Rae Roberts' The Portrait. It's quite an excellent Severus Snape Story.
Loraliant Angelisa Snape: The costume seems to have been generally appreciated, and I'm happy it was such a success. Thank you, but really the credit should go to Rose, who is a fan of William Goldman just as I am. Enamored-ness? Hm. I promised it was coming, didn't I? You'll catch more and more glimpses of it from now on. Promise.
Sarah: Severus is NOT EASY at all to write. Any GOOD fanfic author who's tried him will tell you that. I'm just happy I've been able to accomplish this much. Thank you so much for reviewing, it does my heart (and writing) good to hear from 'fans.'
Egad: Thank you! The million dollars now, please. ;-) Hope you enjoyed this.
Thank you all very much for reading! Hope this chapter was enjoyable. I'm out of town now until next week. Hang on until then, I promise what comes next is excellent!
-JB-