Rose Among the Thorns: The Third Evans Sister

By Jedi Blu, Lady at Large

Standard Disclaimer Found Here: I do not own anything that is not mine. Including a great deal of this chapter which was (sadly) lifted a great deal from OotP. Rose is mine, though. Leave her alone.

Italics are thoughts, emphasized words, or letters. Thank you!

NOTE: I'm about to go out of town for a week and I won't have access to a computer. Sad, yes?

AHEM: As I said before, there could be many reasons why Severus Snape kept this particular memory away from Harry…it might not have been his 'worst' memory, just something he didn't need Harry gloating about…or perhaps he didn't want Harry to know about Rose. Maybe.

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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: Snape's Worst Memory...Or Was It?

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The O.W.L.'s testing time had come, and it was all ready a grueling week. Never in his life had Severus been so nervous, and it was taking an obvious toll on him. Rose sat with him in the common room, waiting to leave for her first class and the time he would have to leave for his Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L., and she was doing her best to calm him down. He was nervous, afraid he would somehow mess-up, fail even, and make the Headmaster realize how truly worthless a wizard he was. And if he failed, the Headmaster would most likely stop tutoring him, wouldn't care to be his guardian any more, et cetera. He was, of course, worrying unnecessarily.

One result of Severus's nervousness was his sudden lack of care in personal hygiene. Rose wanted to say something about it - it didn't look as if he'd washed his hair or bathed in days - but she remained silent, knowing all he needed at the moment was a sympathetic ear, not a mothering tone of voice.

She walked him to the Great Hall, he was there a few minutes earlier than the other students, but she would be late for class if she didn't hurry. "You'll be fine, Severus! You know all of this stuff, from top to bottom, and will get the highest score of anyone in that room today. Heavens, you probably know too much!"

He nodded, absently, muttering to himself a few words of a spell he was afraid to forget.

"Severus?"

He was concentrating.

"Have you heard a word I said?"

Unfortunately he hadn't.

"Fine. Good luck, then." She took a step away, then inspiration hit her. Rose Evans whirled back to face Severus, threw her arms around him in a warm hug, and managed to get his attention. "You'll do wonderfully, Severus!" she whispered in his ear, then stood on tip-toe to give him a small kiss on the cheek, before hurrying down the corridors to make it to her class.

Severus stood, dumbstruck, for several moments. Had she really just...? Well, she had hugged him before. But did she...? Yes, he was fairly certain she had. But...? No, she hadn't meant anything by it, she was just wishing me good luck.

He sighed, ran a hand through his greasy hair, and winced slightly when he pulled it away. First thing I'm doing after this bloody test, he told himself, is taking a nice long shower.

With no further ado, he entered the Great Hall.

Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black had been standing in the corridor, and had caught most of the exchange between Rose and Severus.

"I believe she fancies him," Peter whispered to Black as they made their own way into the Great Hall.

"No! Really?" Sirius asked, sarcasm dripping from every syllable. "I couldn't have guessed." He took his seat, slightly behind and to the side of Severus.

At last everyone was present, and the tests could be handed out. Never in his life had Severus felt more under pressure, and this was made evident by his bent form over the parchment; he looked as if he actually carried a heavy weight on his shoulders. He was frightened, and it had been a while since he had felt that way. This test could determine what would happen to his future, if he even had one.

"Five more minutes!" Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, called out. Severus cursed inwardly and did his best to tie up the lengthy essay he was writing to answer the last question. He had just put the last dot on the last 'I' when -

"Quills down, please!" the professor squeaked. "That means you too, Stebbins! Please remain seated while I collect your parchment! Accio!"

Rolls of parchment went soaring through the air and into the professor's outstretched arms and Severus winced as he watched Flitwick fly backwards off his feet. There was laughter, and then the usual helpful people, Hufflepuffs, carefully helped him up. "Thank you...thank you," the minute professor said with a little bow. "Very well, everybody, you're free to go!"

Severus snatched up the examination paper and began to re-look at the questions, mentally going over his answers to make sure they were satisfactory. His hair swung into his face as he walked, and he reminded himself to get it cut soon. He was particularly pleased, though, with his answer to question ten. 'Give five signs that identify the werewolf,' was easy enough, especially after all his extra studying of the matter.

He went outside and carefully settled himself in the shadows of a clump of bushes, still reading over the questions and making certain he had understood them all. He simply had to get top marks for this test if he were to get anywhere in the world. This was very, very important to him.

What he didn't know was that, across the lawn, someone was carefully planning an attack. Sirius Black had been aware of Severus the entire time of the O.W.L.'s and even now was watching the Slytherin with something akin to loathing. "I'm bored," he said at last. "Wish it was full moon."

"You might," Lupin answered, glaring. He offered to have Sirius test him on Transfiguration.

Sirius rolled his eyes and snorted. "I don't need to look at that rubbish, I know it all." He couldn't hear the conceit in his tone, and certainly not the underlying malice. He saw James glance in the direction Severus Snape had been sitting and knew it wouldn't be long now.

"This'll liven you up, Padfoot," James said softly. "Look who it is...."

Sirius's head turned to see Severus and he grew still, waiting to pounce. "Snivellus." He didn't succeed in looking surprised or very pleased.

Severus, for his part, wasn't completely unaware of the Gryffindors. He had felt eyes on him and it didn't take much to deduce which direction the rude stare was coming from. He stood, quietly, and shoved his O.W.L. paper into his book bag. He hoped to avoid a scene, knowing it would get back to the Headmaster if he did anything to provoke the Gryffindors. Severus did not need to get into a duel with the Gryffindors...again. Especially not now, he was tense enough without it. Still, he remained aware of them, his every sense tuned into them.

Sure enough, they started it. James Potter suddenly shouted, "All right, Snivellus?"

Severus reacted quickly, dropping his bag and pulling his wand halfway into the air but -

"Expelliarmus!" James shouted.

He felt the wind being knocked out of him, and heard his wand hit the ground hard behind him. He hoped no damage had been done to it, for he could never afford another wand. This one had been a gift to him from his mother, and he had never been sure how she had found the money for it.

Potter and Black were coming closer, wands drawn, while their other friends were still under the beach tree. Potter addressed him first, "How'd the exam go, Snivelly?"

"I was watching him," Black admitted, sounding vicious and angry, "his nose was touching the parchment. There'll be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word."

Severus, in his struggle to break from the spell, only barely heard people laughing at him and he cursed them in his mind for being the immature, idiot little trolls they were. "You - wait," he managed to get out, glaring at Potter with all the hate and malice he could. "You - wait...."

Black leaned closer to him, an arrogant smirk on his face. "Wait for what?" he asked. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"

That brought his hatred bubbling up quick enough. Before he knew it every word associated with anger and hate, both hexes and curses, was pouring out of his mouth so quickly some of them were unintelligible.

"Wash out your mouth," James Potter suddenly said, his eyes flashing with his idea. "Scourgify!"

Severus began to choke, and gag, and it was hard to breath as pink sudsy bubbles started to fill his mouth. He couldn't...breath....

"Leave him ALONE!" a lone voice shouted over the giggles of the fifth years standing around.

There was a pause, and then Potter changed his tone of voice, "All right, Evans?"

For a moment Severus was horrified - was Rose out here? But, no, he caught a glimpse of the girl and realized it was Lily Evans being addressed.

"Leave him alone," she repeated, glaring angrily at Potter. "What's he done to you?" For in her mind she realized, horribly, that Rose was right. It had been a very long time since Severus had started up anything between himself and the Gryffindors.

"Well," James said, looking thoughtful and decidedly arrogant, "it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean...."

There was more laughter, but Lily Evans looked as if she was about to commit murder.

This wasn't good at all. The last thing Severus wanted was to get the Evans sisters involved, particularly Lily. He had the feeling she harbored some respect for him, and here it was all going down the toilet as she tried to rescue him. It was humiliating and Severus wished she'd just go away and let him handle things. Of course, his temper was rising with each moment as well.

"You think you're funny," Lily was saying, still looking as if she'd like to throttle Potter. "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone."

What he said next obviously shocked her.

"I will if you go out with me, Evans." The way he jumped on the opening was pathetic. "Go on....Go out with me, and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."

Snape could feel the Impediment Jinx wearing off, and he began to crawl towards his wand. If he could just stop this whole thing....

"I wouldn't go out with you," said the enraged and shocked Evans, "if it was a choice between you and the giant squid!"

Black chuckled. "Bad luck, Prongs." He glanced over his shoulder and saw Severus, but it was too late. "OY!"

The bubbles tampered with Severus's pronunciation, and what he meant for a charm to momentarily stupefy and give a little electric shock to Potter didn't turn out right. There was a flash of light and Severus realized he was in for it when he saw the gash and blood on Potter's face.

James Potter didn't lose a moment to react, and Severus found himself dangling upside down in the air, his pants flying off and his robe falling over his head. His vision was impaired and he felt the wind in places he wasn't accustomed to feeling it.

There was cheering, there was laughter, and at that moment Severus never hated the world more. He would love to get his hands on any of the little prigs who could be so cruel, so stupid....

"Let him down!" was shouted again by Lily Evans, and Severus felt his blood boil. He didn't need her help, he didn't want her help.

"Certainly," James responded.

Before he could react he found himself in a heap on the ground, and he rose quickly with a spell which would knock everyone within ten feet of him to the ground, but his own fall had somewhat addled him and he was too slow.

"Locomotor mortis!" Black shouted, and Severus fell. Sirius Black would not let Severus get away so easily, and the sneer on his face made this point clear.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily thundered, and Severus watched her pull her own wand out.

Rose wouldn't ever forgive him if he let Lily into the fight against her own housemates. Besides that, he really didn't want her interfering. Who did she think she was to come barging into his business and making him look like a fool? He needed no one, lease of all a Gryffindor girl, to save him.

"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," James said, looking slightly confused. He couldn't begin to fathom why Lily was bothering with a Slytherin jerk, he had no idea what was going on inside her head…but he wanted to know.

"Take the curse off him, then!" she insisted.

James sighed and rolled his eyes, then turned to Snape and said the counter curse. "There you go," he said as Severus tried to stand. "You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus -"

And that was the final straw. "I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!" he shouted, and immediately regretted it. Not so much for the words, but for what happened next.

Lily blinked, and only Severus, who was looking directly at her, saw the hurt that was there for an instant. "Fine," she said at last. "I won't bother in future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus." She was clearly upset, because Lily Evans, if she was anything like Rose, would never stoop to Potter's level. However, the use of his hated nick-name clearly seemed to give Potter and company a reason to snicker, and perhaps even permission to carry on. James didn't let this pass him by.

"Apologize to Evans!" Potter was suddenly shouting, raising his wand threateningly. Severus opened his mouth to offer a scathing retort, but -

"I don't want you to make him apologize!" Lily was shouting. "You're as bad as he is...."

"What?" Potter was clearly shocked. "I'd NEVER call you a - you-know-what!"

Severus knew that was probably true, but he had been called plenty of worse things by James Potter and wasn't fooled by the innocent act. He had to get out of there before the scene became worse….

"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can - I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK." Lily whirled and began to storm away, not knowing or realizing that a lone Slytherin silently cheered her on, and was relieved she had gone at last.

"Evans!" the oblivious, self-absorbed Potter shouted. "Hey, EVANS!" She didn't even look back. "What is it with her?" he muttered, decidedly upset and disappointed.

"Reading between the lines," Black said, sounding haughty and impatient, "I'd say she thinks you're a bit conceited, mate." Sirius wanted to get back to business.

"Right," Potter growled out, glaring at Snape with murder in his eyes. "Right -"

And before Severus knew what was happening he was hanging upside down in the air, his vision obscured by his robes. But he had retained his wand this time.

"Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?" James shouted to the crowd that had gathered, which now consisted of more than fifth years as other classes had let out.

But before Potter could say the charm to do it, Severus lashed out at him with a hex he had never tried but had only just heard of by some bragging git in Slytherin.

And James Potter staggered, looking suddenly nauseas.

Severus grabbed the chance he had, got himself to the ground, and took off like a shot, shoving through the crowd, as Potter's worried friends bent over him only to watch....

As James Potter vomited very large, very slimy slugs onto the lawn.

Severus broke from the crowd and a moment later felt a hand on his robes. He turned, sharply, pulling his wand out to defend himself when -

"What's going on?" Rose shouted over the laughter of the other students. "What happened?"

He was entirely humiliated to see her holding his pants. However, after snatching them away from her and briefly thanking his fates that school uniforms were incredibly long and modest, he decided to ignore the fact he was wandering around without pants on. "C'mon," Severus growled, grabbing her hand and dragging her with him towards the castle, but he took a right and headed for some of the gardens instead of entering the place. "I'll explain when we get somewhere quiet." He was still flushed red, with anger and embarrassment, and his grip on her hand was a hard one.

Rose followed him, despite the sinking feeling in her stomach. This was not going to be good. And how on earth had his pants come flying off? A patch on the left knee had given away who they belonged to, she had seen that worn patch numerous times and often wondered whether his mother put it there or he did. She felt her anger towards the Gryffindors boiling up again. How dare they treat any human this way? Especially one who was all ready lacking in comfort and caring.

Boys were all arrogant louts, but still…did they ever develop any sense?

See you guys in a week! ;-)

To My Reviewers! My Wonderful Reviewers!

Elz: Thank you for finally reviewing. It is balm to a writer's tortured soul…. Hehe. Review again and I'll give you a chocolate frog, 'k? And you're welcome for the story. It's fun to write.

Illume: There's a REASON Severus looked terrible the day of his DADA test. Poor guy. Haven't you ever made yourself sick with worry and nerves? Hehe. But, yes, he'll do fine. Sirius…I want to write a REAL romance for him. Perhaps I will, after this story is complete. He's a good guy, he just has some growing up to do. Thank you for the review, and the well-wishes!

Rae Roberts: Flip out all you want, just let me know when I use completely useless words. Thanks for reviewing. ;-) Dumbledore's tutoring explains how Severus learned to 'mind-read.' Dumbledore DID say he could teach the skill, after all. See ya!

Loraliant Angelisa Snape: He's not so much trying to help Werewolves as he's trying to experiment with something that's decidedly advanced. It's a complex subject, and it interests him. He's no philanthropist. Glad you're having a grand ol' time reading. I'll be back with more for you soon!

Stonecoldfox: I had to make Severus and his father different. How would Severus feel to look exactly like the man he hates beyond all reason? His mother was the only person he ever cared for, so I gave him her genes. As I've said, Sirius has some growing up to do before he becomes the man we all adore (and drool over in private). People change, with time, and Sirius was never any sort of angel. I like him this way, too. The whole bad-boy image. Hm. Plot bunnies are sprouting…. Thank you for the JKR compliment. That's high praise indeed.

Moriann: Hm…studying a coffin. Novel idea. Thanks for pointing the SP error. I'll fix it when I revise (which will be soon). I'll update in a week, so you don't have to anxiously check for author alerts from me for a bit. ;-) Don't miss me too much!

PREVIEW: When I return you will receive "Summer Doldrums," in which Petunia and a Rubix cube will make an appearance. After that comes "Mischief Begun," which features the infamous Marauders' Map. And then…hehe…romance really begins to show signs of itself in "Detention Occurrences." Trust me. You'll all like that one.

See you all in a week! Stay true to Jedi Blu, 'k? I won't be gone long!

-JB-