Rose Among the Thorns: The Third Evans Sister
By Jedi Blu, Lady at Large
Standard Disclaimer Found In Previous Chapters
Italics are thoughts, emphasized words, or letters.
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CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: Mawwiage, Mawwiage Is What Bwings Us Togever...Today
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Rose stood with Severus in front of a counter in Gringotts Wizarding Bank, where he was finishing a transaction to pull some money from his account. Apparently, the marriage license and paying for the services of the Justice of the Peace had cost what he had in his coin purse at the time. Severus and the goblin carried on their conversation quietly, and Rose allowed her eyes to wander across the counters to see goblins measuring gems, gold pieces, even jewelry. They were, in a word, impressive.
Severus took her hand when he had finished, tucking a bag of coins into his cloak as they made their way outside. It was cloudy out, though not raining as it had been in Scotland.
"Now," Severus told her, smiling almost wolfishly, "I have a bit of business to take care of while we're here and then I'll take you out to our honeymoon destination."
Rose nodded, allowing him to lead her in the direction of Knockturn Alley. He still held a position with the apothecary there and was allowed to use the premises for his own business as well. He paid a small, ten percent fee to the owner of the apothecary for that use.
Severus stopped, however, a few shops down from the apothecary and turned to Rose, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Rose, do you need anything while we're here? From Diagon Alley or anything? Clothes, toiletries, books, anything?"
"I...don't think so," she responded, tipping her head to one side, regarding him carefully as a new look came into his eyes...one of eagerness.
"There must be something," Severus said quickly, reaching into his cloak to bring out the bag of coins from before. "What about in London? Anything?"
"I suppose I should transfer my funds, what little there is, over to Gringotts but otherwise—"
He shook his head, narrowing his eyes. "That will be easy enough, but it's not what I meant. Isn't there anything you want? You just got married, there must be something you want!" He looked as if he was growing impatient. He said a quick charm and the bag he was holding became two, filled equally with the money inside. "Here, take this, and I'll meet up with you in two hours time at Flourish and Blotts. Spend every last knut in there," he added with a sudden grin. "Get new clothes, or books, or buy a load of frogs, but spend it however you wish to."
She thought of protesting, indeed her denial was on the tip of her tongue, when she looked directly in his eyes and realized something that surprised her. Severus Snape, she knew, had been poor through-out his life and suddenly he had money, and someone to share it with. Imparting it to her, so freely and generously, was a very kind gift from him. He wanted her to feel spoiled today, he meant every word about spending down to the last knut of what he gave her.
"Oh, Severus, thank you!" She accepted the gift graciously and was rewarded with a grin, warm and happy, from the young man before her…an expression she wasn't sure she had seen him use before, or thought him capable of. She stood on tip-toe, giving him a kiss on the cheek, before waving him off to his business. "Two hours!" she called, waving once more as he disappeared into the apothecary.
Then she looked down at the bag of coins in her hand and sighed. "Two hours to spend all this. How many special potions did he have to make to get this much money?" She shrugged to herself, weighing the bag in her hand, and was ready to return to Diagon Alley when she spotted a shop out of the corner of her eye.
Helena's Salacious Salon, which exhibited some scantily clad manikins in the window, and a brilliant red door for an entrance.
Her lips twitched slightly and she felt herself blushing as she studied the outside of the shop. She felt the weight of the coin purse in her hand then shrugged to herself. 'Why not?' And before she could talk herself out of it, Rose entered the shop.
The entryway was painted almost entirely black, except for a brilliant red door to one side and a counter where a white cat relaxed. There was a bell on the counter and Rose, after waiting a moment to see if anyone came, gave it a ring.
Bustling from the red doorway came a witch perhaps in her early thirties, wearing a straight gown with a very tight bodice of black cloth and red lace that only just covered what was important. She had a hard look about her, and wore her shining blonde hair in a half-bun while the rest trailed down her back. She was beautiful, but it was a cold beauty. However, after she took in Rose's modest clothing and blushing cheeks she changed her expression (and her character) entirely. "Can I help you, dear?" she asked, adopting a motherly-manner—she knew a first-time customer, of such goods as she sold, when she saw one.
Rose shrugged, and her hands trembled a little where they rested on the counter. "I hope so. I have no idea what I'm doing," she confessed at once. "But I...I'm newly married and I haven't anything...um...anything...." She left the sentence hanging, wondering why she had entered the shop in the first place. Her cheeks were aflame with heat, and all she really wanted at that moment was for the ground to simply swallow her up. She had heard of this 'salon,' and she knew exactly what was sold here. But why, oh why did she think herself bold enough to venture inside?
Helena, for it was the proprietress herself that stood before the young witch, smiled what she knew was a gentle and reassuring smile. "You've just married and you don't have anything quite as, hmm, exciting as you'd like?"
The young woman nodded, twirling the ring she wore around her finger.
Judging from the ring, Helena was certain the girl had married into some money or at least a good family. Judging from the way she continued to blush, she wasn't familiar with men or what sort of things she should buy. Well, there was one thing Helena prided herself on and that was giving her customers exactly what they needed, so as to keep their patronage.
"May I have your name?" she asked, causing a notepad to appear with a wave of her hand.
"Rose Evans...er. Sorry. Rose Snape."
At this Helena's eyes widened slightly and she looked at the girl standing across from her more carefully. "Wife of Severus Snape? The lad who works across from here in Old Denmark's place?"
Rose nodded, blushing still more. By now she guessed her face was redder than the door she had entered from. "Yes, ma'am."
"Call me Helena," the other witch said at once, nodding her head slightly. "Young Mister Snape is a very...ambitious person. I'm pleased to see he has a woman just as daring as he. Now, if you'll follow me I'll take you to a private dressing room and get your measurements, then we can better discuss what you need today, Mrs. Snape."
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Severus tied up a few loose ends of business, putting everything on hold for a couple of weeks so he could slip away with Rose for a time. Then he went to pick up a few odds and ends, supplies really, to have sent out to the country. He had a marvelous surprise waiting for Rose, and he was not sure yet how to present it. He had all ready taken her to his small flat in Knockturn, leaving her trunk and Oberon there. Rose hadn't even bat an eye at the cheapness or ugliness of the flat, she had cheerfully discarded her things, looped her arm through his, and asked how soon they could marry.
It hadn't actually been a test, to see her reaction to the flat, but he had been curious as to what she might say. That she had accepted it without a word and married him less than an hour later…. Yes, Rose was the same as ever.
He wasn't the least bit sorry, so far, for his plan.
Rose Evans Snape was now his wife, and Severus could hardly contain the pride he felt as he tried to grasp reality. She had married him, she had committed herself to him. Rose, perhaps the only person living who cared one bit about him, was his.
It was with elation that he went about his business that day, and after the two hours was up he found Rose in Flourish and Blotts pouring over a copy of Mediwizard Magic Magazine.
When she caught sight of him coming towards her in the aisle, Rose grinned and pointed triumphantly to several store bags and parcels sitting beside her. Apparently she had done a tidy job at spending his money, because she had just enough left to purchase the magazine. She levitated the bags, charming them to follow her, as she and Severus headed back to the flat.
He eyed the parcels with a bemused expression. "What exactly did you buy?" Everything was unmarked, so he wasn't even sure what stores she had gone to.
"Not telling, it's a surprise," she responded blithely, beaming up at him.
In no time they had dropped it all back at the flat and went to a small side-walk shop called Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. It was an old establishment, one with bistro chairs set outside underneath umbrella tables. Severus treated Rose to a banana split with peanut butter, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream. They enjoyed eating the ice-cream, despite the gloomy weather, and talked a bit about Severus's business.
After a brief silence, in which they had both stared down at the ice cream, unsure of what to say next, Rose brought about a new topic after fidgeting with the edge of her cloak. "When should I tell Lily and Petunia about our marriage?" she asked, looking somewhat worried about the prospect.
Severus shrugged, twirling his spoon in the melted leftovers. "When, and how, do you want to tell them?"
Rose shook her head, becoming tense. "I'm not sure. Petunia won't care much, last I heard from her she asked me to stop sending her owls—they make Vernon nervous. She also told me that since I couldn't use owls I may as well not write at all. But Lily...." She grimaced. "Lily will be hurt I didn't tell her anything and possibly upset about it. She...doesn't like you that much, Severus."
"That's an understatement," Severus chuckled wryly. "All right. Muggle post to Petunia whenever you feel like it, then. But I'm not sure how best you should handle Lily. In school she was always so…so bloody innocent about everything."
Rose was about to respond, frowning, when a sudden shout drew their attention to a person across the street.
"Oy, Evans!" was shouted by a tall, thin young man with light brown hair and a patched cloak. Remus Lupin came quickly across the street, beaming at her. When he stood at the table he nodded politely to Severus but then turned his full attention to the witch seated with him. "We've been looking all over for you!"
She blinked up at him. "You have?"
"We?" Severus repeated, glaring at the werewolf.
He nodded, grinning. "Prongs and Lily were late to getting to the station, and their excuses don't match up. My guess is they were too wrapped up in themselves at the moment to notice much else. They just now got a bit of a break from work and haven't spent a moment apart. Anyway, when you weren't still at the station they thought you might've come to Diagon Alley. We also found out the train got in earlier than expected. We split up, Wormtail and Padfoot are around here too, and started looking for you. The others will probably find us soon enough. But you've been off the train for what, five hours now? You must be tired. Lucky you ran into Severus. Where is everyone, I wonder?" He looked towards the busy street, scanning the crowds, oblivious to the shocked look on the faces of the other Hogwarts alumni.
To the werewolf's surprise, Rose suddenly groaned and buried her face in her hands. "No, no, no."
Remus glanced over to Severus to see the dark young man now appearing distinctly amused by Rose. Yet when Severus looked up at Remus there was nothing but annoyance and disdain in his expression. "This isn't the best time for her to be cornered by the Gryffindor Idiocy Club, Lupin," he said softly, but in a voice that had clear marks of danger in it. Should Remus put one foot out of line....
"What?" Remus, though confused, still smiled. He sat down at the table, not waiting for an invitation to do so, and gave his full attention to Snape. "Why? What's going on? Is something wrong?"
"Not exactly," Severus answered lazily, confidently turning his black, cool eyes back to Rose. "Show him, Rose."
Without further preamble, and keeping her face in the palm of her right hand, Rose held her left hand—and her ring—up for Remus Lupin to see. The young man whistled, then sat back. "I see. Engaged?" he asked, gently and without approval or disappointment. Lupin was a master at understanding how best to handle awkward situations.
"Married," Rose responded, looking up at him. "Married for three of the five hours you lot of simpletons have been looking for me," she told him bluntly.
Remus Lupin was also a very level-headed sort with the tendency to under-react to things. He stayed true to this tendency at that moment. "Well, congratulations Mrs....Snape, I'm assuming?" He held his hand out to Severus, but the other wizard only looked at it, frowning, then studied the designs of the table they sat at.
Rose rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks Lupin. Oh, Severus, now what am I going to do?" she asked.
Severus put one of his hands over hers where it rested on the table, running one finger across the jaws of the dragon on her ring. "We can wait for Lily to show up so you can tell her, let Lupin—" his lip curled in distaste "—do the dirty work, or swear him to secrecy and tell your sister some other time."
"Tell me what?" a vibrant, cheerful voice asked from right behind Severus. The three at the table looked up to see Lily and James Potter standing over them.
Marriage agreed with Lily, because she had never looked prettier than she did on the arm of her husband, beaming as if all was right with the world. Her husband looked handsomer than ever, and just as cocky as he had as a conniving fifth year. Still, with Lily at his side he had every right too feel as if he were a cut above the rest.
James quickly grabbed two chairs from another table and had Lily seated next to Rose before a word could be said.
"I'm glad you found Severus, Rose! I felt terrible when I realized we'd missed picking you up, and I apologize," Lily began in a rush, noticing that Severus's hand covered that of her sister's, and trying to ignore the scathing look the former Slytherin was giving her. "Marriage seems to affect my way of thinking, because I'm not at all as organized as I used to be."
Her husband was sitting next to her by then and immediately put a possessive arm around her, returning Snape's glare evenly and not saying a word. James loved his wife with all his heart, and for the life of him he couldn't understand how her sister could be an all together a different personality. Why Rose Evans hung around with Snivellus he would never understand.
Rose looked slightly pained as she met the eyes of her sister, then the eyes of Severus. He still held her hand, covering the ring, and his black eyes met hers with an expression that was questioning. If she asked him too, his expression said, he would keep it a secret. He would allow her to go home with Lily, he would allow her to wait to tell them what was going on.
But Rose would not allow that. She was not ashamed of her marriage, and this she would make perfectly clear. After taking a deep breath, and holding Severus's gaze a moment longer to give her strength, she pulled her hand from his grasp and held it out to Lily. "I'm married," she said, every bit as bluntly as she had spoken to Remus. "I'm Rose Snape now."
There was a sharp intake of breath from Lily, and James Potter's jaw dropped.
The only noise came from the chattering people who passed by on the sidewalk. Severus was the first to do anything, rising from his chair and moving to stand behind his bride, putting a hand possessively and supportively on her shoulder.
Remus moved next, standing quickly. "I think this is a family matter, and I'm not really needed for this discussion. Good luck to you all." Then he slipped away, into the crowd.
"I don't know what to say," Lily whispered, staring at the ring on her sister's finger with shock written all over her features. "When did this happen?"
"A few hours ago," Rose answered, moving one hand to where Severus's rested on her shoulder. "And I'm happy with it, Lily. I'm glad." She looked up at Severus to find he was still glaring murderously at James Potter. She found that James was giving the same dark look...but to her. "Tell your husband to stop looking at me that way," Rose suddenly hissed, anger rising up within her as well as defensiveness on Severus's behalf. Old habits die hard. "He has no right to judge me."
Lily jumped a bit, surprised by the harsh words of her sister, and then turned to pick up James's hand and give it a squeeze. "You're not helping, James," she whispered, and he immediately lowered his eyes to the table. Lily gave her full attention to her baby sister, who had somehow managed to grow up without attracting any attention to the fact. "You're right, Rose. No one has the right to judge you or say anything about the choice you've made. It was yours to make. I wish I could've been there for you, though." She put a hand out and touched the Mythril ring. "It's a beautiful ring."
"It was Severus's mother's," Rose answered in a whisper, feeling guilty for snapping at her sister, Lily had a way of making her feel like nothing more than a child throwing a temper-tantrum.
Lily nodded, and Rose was surprised to see tears in Lily's eyes. But the elder sister managed a wobbly smile despite that. "Mother would've...would've loved it, too. Antiques and heirlooms were her passion." Lily sighed, then looked over to James. "I would like to speak to Rose alone for a little while, James. I'll come and find you when I'm finished, in Quality Quidditch Supplies okay? At least an hour, James."
James nodded, gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek, shot one last scowl in Severus's direction, and then disappeared into the small that cluttered the streets of Diagon Alley.
Severus crossed his arms and his eyes dared Lily to dismiss him so easily.
But Rose beat her sister to it. "I'll meet you back at the flat, Severus," she said softly, looking up to him with a smile. "I won't be long."
He frowned, then shrugged. "I've got plans today, so it had better not." And away he went.
The two sisters faced each other, with just a few inches between them, but a whole world of thought and opinion apart.
SNEAK PREVIEW: Chapter Thirty-Five is Sisterly Advice, so called because Mrs. Lily Potter has an interesting talk with Mrs. Rose Snape. And the last teaser I shall give you is for chapter Thirty-Six…entitled The Honeymoon. I've decided to give a mix of the cut and uncut chapter so that I can keep my PG13 rating. Nothing too…explicit. And finally, For Better, Or For Worse? In which Rose runs into Sirius Black and Severus reveals to her his allegiance to the Dark Lord Voldemort. Now what has Rose gotten herself into?
To My Reviewers:
Midnight Lilly: The answer to your question will soon come, until then I ask that you stick around a while.
Evil Duckie of the Black Lagoon: Thanks for the continued compliments and fun reviews. ;-) You make my day.
Justanotherreader: I am flattered by your praise for my characterization of Severus Snape. He is only human, he has good points and bad. We've just got to remember that we don't really know him yet. JKR is very secretive about the man.
Lysaandi: The chat is coming up, and Lily shows her true colors. :-) Yup, we all learn why so many people loved her.
Maya)-sleepy: Interesting name. Thank you for the great review and praise of my OC. Rose is far from perfect and you'll see what I mean. Like Lily she's a regular witch with extraordinary interests. That's all. ;-)
Rinny Z: Darling, you ain't seen nothing yet. And stop tackling the computer—you'd hate for it to be damaged before the next chapter, wouldn't you? Be NICE to the computer. Computers are our friends…. Of course what most people don't know is that the computers are planning to take over our minds by infiltrating the air-waves and sucking our brains out…. Just a theory.
Spyked: Present time is coming every-quicker. As you may have noticed I'm trying to rush through the timeline at the moment and only give you the important bits. Phew. Not easy.
Loraliant Angelisa Snape: What exactly does Adhara mean? I'm actually working on a story and have a character with a similar name. Her last name is Drakon, which is Greek for Dragon. Pretty, isn't it? Haven't had a chance to check our your Christmas story yet. Is it posted and ready for reviews?
Lydia: I wish FF.N had a chat room, I'd love to debate Snape-isms with you. We'd have fun. Check out the HP-Lexicon if you ever get the chance, they have nearly EVERY JKR-given fact there. Snape has a lovely page to himself. As to the sexual experience…originally I needed him to be that experienced, but now it looks as if I could've left that alone…. I dunno. This story is subject to revision later.
Rae Roberts: Warped? Snape? What gave you THAT idea? Besides him always wearing black and swooping down upon helpless Hufflepuffs? Thank ye, Rae!
Illume: Great analogy. Pebbles and stones. Hehe. Romance is on the way, never fear, but with the usual Snape twist.
Nabenabe: My head is inflating with ego. Thank you for the praise and the continued reviews, you make it much easier to write. :-) Stick around, the best is yet to come.
Moriann: Your first language isn't English?! Goodness, could've fooled me. And as to those pesky pink bunnies…who told you I was involved?! It was supposed to be a secret! And Severus does have his work cut out for him when it comes to convincing Rose to join up with He-Who-Has-A-Stupid-Name.
Later my friends!
-JB-