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.
ITALICS: The large portion of this chapter in italics is a dreamscape. 'Nough said.
On with the show!
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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Of Bad Dreams and Other Things
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Lily was distraught and found it hard to concentrate during her last few days of class. She hadn't been permitted to see Rose in two days, nor had anyone else outside infirmary staff other than the Head of Slytherin, the Headmaster, and Severus Snape. It didn't help that her parents wrote constantly, demanding updates and answers.
"I can't help it if I don't know anything," Lily muttered as she wandered aimlessly down the corridors towards the Hospital Wing. She was tired, and her feet had grown used to carrying her to where her sister lay unconscious still, from all accounts. The Fever had a terrible hold.
Lily had read every book she could find in the library to determine what exactly Hemitertian Fever was, but was astounded to find so few references to it. What she did find was discouraging. The disease occurred when there was a lapse of some gene, or a weakness in the blood, inside a wizard. It wasn't nearly as harmful in those with larger bodies and great magical experience, but young witches and wizards who fell to it—there were ten cases in the last two hundred years—had quite a time fighting it off. About one third of the time they died.
It struck as a virus would and gnawed away at the immune system; after the disease went its course any number of secondary illnesses could finish the job.
That meant several things. It meant Rose could not be moved from the Infirmary at the risk of coming into contact with other germs in her weakened state, that Lily—who shared her blood—could not see her, and that it could be some time before Rose was able to do anything other than lay in bed.
She stood in the shadows of the hall, gazing at the Infirmary doors with a longing in her eyes. Her little sister was inside, sleeping, with no idea what was going on around her or inside of her.
Lily stifled a little sob and turned away, ready to go back to the tower and pack for home—home without Rose.
Severus Snape stood in the hall in front of her, carrying a rather large book, and looked startled to see her there.
Without really thinking, Lily rushed towards him. "Severus! How is Rose? What's going on? Any change?"
To her surprise, Severus quickly took several steps away from her. "I'm contaminated, Evans," he growled, holding the book up like a shield. "And you're probably the most susceptible person in the school. Get away from me!"
And with that, Lily Evans did burst into tears. "She's my sister! I don't want her to die!" She dropped her eyes and covered them with her hands, beginning to sob. "Rose doesn't deserve this. Why? Why did it happen to her?"
"I don't know," Severus answered stiffly, not moving towards her. "But she has a good chance of recovery."
Lily's eyes snapped up to meet his. "How do you know?"
"She's resting easier, not calling out or screaming in her sleep any more," he said, voice soft in the shadows. "She smiled in her sleep last night. She's not in pain, Madame Pomfrey says, but now gathering strength before becoming conscious. It could still be a day or two, but she could be past the worse."
"How often are you with her?" Lily asked, eyes sad, resenting his place.
Severus shrugged. "Every moment of the day. I was sent to get a book from the library; it's the first I've left the room. Pomfrey said I needed some air."
The intelligent, quick-witted red-head hadn't become top of her class for nothing and she had caught something in Severus's tone she paid close attention to. "You really care about her, don't you?"
There was no response, but he averted his eyes.
"I'm glad."
His eyes flashed up to meet hers.
"Someone who cares about her should be there when she wakes up, all alone for Christmas." Lily shrugged. "Thank you, Severus. I don't feel quite so miserable about leaving her anymore."
"Excuse me," he said gruffly, walking quickly past her and to the Infirmary door.
"Severus!" Lily quietly called. "If she's awake for Christmas, give her this for me?" She reached into the pocket of her jacket and brought out a small box, which she tossed to him
With the ease of a Seeker he caught it, and then nodded. "Fine."
His back had turned, he had almost shut the door behind him when he heard whispered from the hallway, "Happy Christmas, Severus Snape."
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It had been four days since his vigil had begun, and it had taken nearly as long for the fever to finally break. It was a strange disease, and very odd that Rose had managed to contract it just by playing in the snow. Severus had been steadily at work reading all the medical books the Hospital Wing held and had found precious little about the Hemitertian Fever. There were vague references to the Book of Solomon, ancient curses, and the like. It was thought to be a disease only taken in by someone with the correct - or rather incorrect - type of genes and blood. But that it should be made manifest in a Muggle-born witch was very strange. Rose was the first case known - which he could find - of a non-pureblood being subject to the Hemitertian.
It was odd and inconsistent, which was something that Severus Snape could never quite stand. Mysterious occurrences were not high on his list of enjoyments. He had been a part of too many of those himself even though he was very young.
"Something's off, here," he muttered to himself as he closed the latest medical book he had brought back.
He hadn't told the complete truth to Lily Evans. He had said Madame Pomfrey sent him out of the Infirmary, but in reality he had asked to go and get some reading material from the library, a medical book that one of hers had referenced. He hadn't lied about staying by Rose's side; Severus had never walked more than ten feet away from her up until that point, and this was why Pomfrey allowed him to leave for a short time.
Severus climbed into the hospital bed nearest to Rose and settled himself in for the night, but left a table-side candle lit. He found that when he slept with a candle glowing he slept lightly, and so would wake up quickly should Rose stir or make a sound.
The first few nights in the Hospital Wing had been terrible. Poppy Pomfrey had hovered around consistently and administered medicines and cold cloths to the unconscious girl while Severus sat, wide-eyed and dreadfully awake, in a chair next to the bed.
He didn't believe, as some foolish people did, that the unconscious patient would be able to hear him should he speak to her, and so his days had been spent in silence. He felt something like a monk, perusing an old text, keeping vigil over the infirmed, and all in complete silence.
A monk. Now that was actually a bit funny.
There was a smile on his face when he fell to sleep, still puzzling over the illness of his classmate.
Severus dreamed that night. It wouldn't have been an odd occurrence except that, well, he never had dreams any more. One of the first things Severus had taught himself upon coming to Hogwarts was how to brew a potion he could take that would deprive him of his nightmares. As a child he had been plagued with them, waking up screaming or crying in the night only then to be cursed or beaten by a father woken from a drunken or drugged stupor. He took this potion once at the beginning of each week, and so escaped the wraiths of his mind.
But tonight he dreamed. Why, he would never be quite sure. Perhaps there had been a faulty ingredient in the last potion, perhaps he had been in too much of a hurry when he took it—the night Evans became so ill—so that he left more than usual in the vial he snuck up every night from Potions Lab.
Perhaps.
The dream was more like a nightmare.
He walked quietly through the woods, holding a cloak tightly himself, looking around as if waiting for something to pounce on him. He heard laughter, and quickened his pace to arrive in a stand of trees on the edge of a clearing. There was a hospital bed in the middle of the clearing and there was a man standing over the bed. Severus walked slowly towards the strange sight and realized the man was cloaked and hooded. He looked down at the bed and -
Rose Evans lay there, unmoving and very pale in the moonlight; her body didn't even move to take in a breath. Her long auburn hair was fanned out on the pillow, her lips were blue, her cheeks were sunken in.
"Is she...?" Severus began to ask, putting a hand out to touch the cold face of his House-mate, and his...his friend.
There was a cackle from the man, and Severus looked up, eyes wide with surprise, as the cloak and hood melted away to reveal the man standing before him. Sarpedon Snape, his father, stood above him and above the young, silent girl. "Not yet," he hissed. He took out a corked bottle and waved it before the boy. "But she will be." It was a dagger. "You've all ready poisoned her, making my job simple."
Before he was aware of it, Severus had launched himself across the hospital bed wielding his wand and coming at his father with a vengeance.
He rammed into Sarpedon and they tumbled, rolling, fighting for possession of Severus's wand. The large, pale, scarred hand of Sarpedon closed tightly around Severus's fist and grasped hard, crushing his son's hand until Severus cried out in pain and his hand grew limp. The elder Snape jerked the wand away, sneering as he rose and kicked his son hard in the gut. "That the best you can do, Snivellus?" he hissed, but his voice was different now.
Sirius Black laughed, his quick, annoying, bark of laughter. He kicked Severus again, harder. "Pathetic!"
James Potter materialized next to him, laughing as well, running a hand coolly through his wind-blown hair. "Did he really think he'd win?" Potter asked, mockingly. "Snivellus with his snotty nose, beating Gryffindors?" He sauntered towards Rose's bed. "And getting an Evans?"
Sirius Black went to Rose as well and lifted one of her pale, still hands as he studied her face. "He doesn't even know her, not really."
Severus tried to get up, but stumbled. "Leave her alone!"
"Why? We're rescuing her, Snivellus!" Potter shot back, coolly raising his wand and training it on the Slytherin. "After all, it's all your fault she's dead."
Severus froze, halfway to his feet, and looked at the faces of the Gryffindors - both were disgusted with him, both had their wands trained on him. "That's not true! I wouldn't...wouldn't...." He looked at Rose's pale face, horror rising within him. "No!" He tried to run towards them.
"Crucio!" was shouted by the two Gryffindors, Snape fell, writhing in pain. It was his father's favorite curse.
"You killed her, Snivellus," Black hissed. "You killed her."
"NO!" Severus shouted again. "LIAR!"
"Why would we lie, Severus?" James asked, kneeling next to the Slytherin. "She's dead and it's all your fault. You poisoned her."
"Poisoned her with your sick, perverted friendship," Sirius added.
"Killed her with your lies," James added. "Destroyed her innocence."
"NO! I didn't!" Severus struggled, slowly, to his feet. He had no wand and the Gryffindors stood between him and his cold, pale young friend. "I didn't hurt her! I never did! I wouldn't—"
"Wouldn't you? Use her, manipulate her, lie to her, hurt her...you did it all. It's your nature. You're cold blooded; you're a snake."
The Gryffindors trained their wands on him, identical expressions of hate on their faces. "She should've been a Gryffindor. A life for a life, Severus Snape," Black said, a small smirk forming.
He heard sobbing, crying, drifting through the air. He looked but couldn't find the source. But it sounded like....
"Rose!" Severus shouted, his eyes going to the still form. The crying continued, but Rose did not move. "I—"
"It's too late, Snivellus," Potter said. "You're as good as dead. Just. Like. Rose."
Green light formed around him, he saw the lips of the Gryffindors' moving but could not hear their words. Pain cut into him from all directions. Severus howled in agony.
They were laughing.
Laughing.
"Severus......"
Pain.
"SEVERUS!"
Tears fell from his eyes.
"SEVERUS!!!! WAKE UP!"
Hands were grasping his arms, tugging on him, but weakly.
"Severus, please! You're scaring me!"
His eyes snapped open. The room was quiet. He was in the infirmary, staring up at the ceiling, only a lone candle lighting the darkness. He blinked, making sure it was all real and he was safe. But the hands on his arms were still there. He turned his head, slowly, and met the face of Rose Evans, tears in her eyes, her face pale and thin. She was leaning all her weight against his bed, her hands were on his arms, and she was trembling from cold and lack of strength.
"Rose?" he asked, his voice hoarse, not quite meaning to use her given name rather than the usual, formal 'Evans.' He moved, quickly, pulling her up onto the bed. "You're awake! What are you doing out of bed? Want to kill yourself?" he demanded, glaring at her even as he pulled his own blankets over her. Pomfrey would have a fit if she saw what was going on, but Severus didn't care. Rose was awake, and more importantly, she was alive. Besides, he was dressed underneath the blankets and she was wearing a long, entirely appropriate, nightgown that could've passed for white school robes...almost.
She was trembling. "You were crying and calling out in your sleep. You woke me up and I was worried. I couldn't get you to open your eyes so I had to come and shake you and—"
Severus put a hand to his cheek and, indeed, found a wet trail that meant he had been crying. It had been a long time since he'd cried, and a longer time since he'd had such a terrible nightmare.
To his surprise, Rose wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his shoulder, her smaller form still shaking. "I was scared for you."
It took a moment for that statement to sink in. Here Rose had nearly died, subjected to a terrible illness and fever, unconscious for days, and the only thing that had awoken her and stirred her to move was the anguished cries of the undeserving Severus Snape. She was still very weak; she needed more rest and wouldn't be able to leave the infirmary for some time. How she had stumbled out of her bed and to his was a mystery. But she was falling asleep again now, holding on to him, as if to shield him from his nightmare.
Severus stiffened, his eyes wide. What was he to do with a thirteen year old girl clinging to him in her sleep? He sighed and tried to move away, but her arms were unyielding. At last he gave up and let his head rest back against his pillow. "Pomfrey's going to hate this."
It was some time before he fell asleep again.
Aw…warm fuzzies to all reading! ;-) Things are progressing, are they not? It's time for Severus and Rose to become much better friends, if you ask me, and the time draws closer still for them to be MORE than friends. You'll like it, don't worry. And to those who are wondering when I'll switch back to the "current" Severus and Rose, I can't exactly say. I will be bringing the story back to them, but only after I build the story up to Rose disappearing shortly before the death of Lily and James.
To My Reviewers:
Loraliant Angelisa Snape: Emotions. sigh. What confusing things. Severus has experienced, through his dreaming, guilt, loss, and the unnerving realization that Rose IS his friend. I realize he said as much to Madame Pomfrey, but he didn't know he actually meant it before. I've had nightmares like this before, where things morph and meld together until you're not sure what exactly is going on. I hope this is well-received. And I appreciate you staying with me, through thick and thin. :-) Thank you.
Elvesmagic010: Thank you for your enthusiastic review. :-) I'm glad my plot bunny (cuddly little thing, isn't he?) was well received. Cliché, eh? Best not accuse me of being original too soon, because you never know what the next chapter may bring, though I am doing my best to throw in a few random events. Like this dream. I'm really quite nervous about how it fits in this story. Yes, Rose will try to kill Sirius, but can you blame her?
Illume: As a very wise friend of mine once said, better to ask forgiveness than permission. :-) Thank you for your commitment to read.
SilverWingPhoenix: Yes, my poor Rose. Nothing ever comes easy to main characters, they're always being beat up and abused. Thank you for getting me closer to my 100 mark!
Toth8: If I've said it once I'll say it 100 times (hehe…I've got 100 reviews!), Severus Snape is a TERRIBLY DIFFICULT CHARACTER TO WRITE! Stick around and critique me about him later. About four chapters from this one the poor Slytherin boy is going to have a very rough time of things.
Rae Roberts: Ah-ha! You liked my little play on words. It's not much, but Severus really doesn't have much of a sense of humor. He's very dry about things like that. A young Madame Pomfrey is fun to write. I realize that she was at Hogwarts during Remus's first year, but I'm playing with the time-line. Besides, she may have been apprenticing at Hogwarts then, too. This is what fanfic is for, after all. Let me know what you thought of this chapter.
Stonecoldfox: As I said above (somewhere), I will return to present day and the story WILL continue on after that. I can't just get back to the grown-ups and end with a 'happily ever after,' can I? Of course, none of you can see what's going through my head, but as Severus and Rose get older (up until the point she disappears) things are going to get more complicated. Don't worry, while Severus Snape will suffer he will not be doomed to a life of loneliness and heart-ache…I hope.
Nabenabe: Thank you for enjoying the slight cliff-hanger. I hope this is satisfactory and that I've brought the two young Slytherins 'close' enough…they ARE in the same bed, after all. Now, more importantly, you were my 100th reviewer. I tried to contact you through email but have yet to receive a response. Should you wish to receive your reward, a sneak peak of the next chapter, let me know in the next seven days (by the twentieth) and I'll be happy to send it to you. If you're not interested and would like to be kept in suspense as long as the rest of my readers, that's fine too. :-) Thank you for your review!
Well now, things are going well, aren't they? Let's hope Severus and Rose are prepared for the rough times ahead. We all know they're coming.
Note: I'm purposefully leaving out a great deal of what's going on in the Wizarding World because I believe the students of Hogwarts would have been shielded from a great deal of it, or would have discussed what was happening in private.
Thank you all!
-JB-