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.
. : ; ' " j e d i b l u " ' ; : .
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO: "Talk To Me," 1995
. : ; ' " j e d i b l u " ' ; : .
Rose turned over in bed, unwilling to give way to consciousness just yet. She had spent the majority of the night dreaming memories and would wake either smiling or in tears only to fall back into that sweet torment that was sleep.
She sighed. Her eyelashes trembled as she debated...at last she gave in and opened her eyes to stare over at the curtained window.
'Got to let it in some time,' she thought, smirking slightly. She reached for her wand, where it was resting under her pillow, and with one quick motion she had the curtains flying open and late-morning sunlight filtering into her room.
'About ten-thirty,' she predicted and was right on the mark. 'Sunday.'
Her muscles only briefly protested when she began to stretch, and she slid quickly out of bed. More stretching.
The witch then went towards her private bathroom and took in her appearance from the mirror. There were dark circles under red eyes, she was somewhat paler than usual, and her hair stood on end some places and was knotted up others. "Beautiful," she muttered.
"It could be worse, dearie," the mirror replied cheerfully. "You just need to clean up a bit."
Ignoring the talking glass, Rose stripped out of her clothing—she had slept in the previous day's dress which could account for some of her night's discomfort; but she doubted it. In moments she was standing in a hot shower, eyes closed, trying hard not to think of anything.
Of course, Rose was an intelligent individual with a very active mind and thoughts came to her without her permission.
'He kissed me,' she thought, smiling wryly. 'And I kissed him back. We're still married. We're old married. Sixteen years. How's that for irony?'
After her shower she was brushing her hair, her mind still humming with activity. 'No regrets, I told him. I meant it. He's different now. Sadder, older, not-quite-repentant. I'm different. Sadder, older, less innocent. Where does that leave us? Holding a grudge is ridiculous, we were both so young when we made those mistakes.'
She knew they couldn't just pick up where they had left off. They were complicated people with a complicated history and it wasn't going to be easy.
The warning letter Severus had received was proof enough that they were still surrounded by enemies and dark times.
'Or a stupid little Dark Arts brat. Maybe even a girl with a crush on her potion's teacher.' She smirked and pulled a forest green sweater over her head. It was new, as she hadn't had much call for sweaters in the marshes and forests of the Everglades.
Florida.... Rose would still insist the place wasn't meant for human habitation. Swamps everywhere, hurricanes, and mosquitoes that she knew were left over from some prehistoric era.
Rose made her way down the corridors of Hogwarts in black slacks, the sweater, and Doc Martin black boots. Her auburn hair was in its customary bun and she wore her spectacles which made her look about ten years older than she really was. She was still very thin, her journey to Hogwarts hadn't been easy on her and life scrambling about swamps hadn't allowed meat to stay on her bones long. The young witch from sixteen years previous had almost vanished to leave a lean, bitter woman with an 'evil eye' that would freeze a Slytherin Beater in his steps.
Still, she knew she was an attractive woman and she still enjoyed the small bite of power that could give her. That was the only reason her hips swayed, slightly, when she entered the Great Hall and marched towards the table of the Professors. It was noon now; people were filtering in and out for lunch.
Rose took her customary seat, where normally McGonagall was on one side and Charlie Weasley on the other. Neither were there eating, but a few seats further down Professor Flitwick was happily carrying on a conversation with Professor Sinistra, and on the other side of Sinistra...Severus wasn't there.
Frowning, Rose glanced towards Albus Dumbledore's chair and found him all ready staring her way, a slight smile curving his lips upward. He nodded politely to her and gestured to the empty seat beside him. Rose moved, quietly, to take the offered chair. "Good morning, Headmaster," she said softly, puzzled at the knowing glance he cast her.
"Good afternoon, my dear. The morning is come and gone now. Please, call me Albus, you're an adult now you know."
"I don't think I can," she returned, smirking. "You're far too intimidating, Headmaster."
His snowy eyebrows shot up. "I? Intimidating? Tsk." He shook his head. "I'll have to work on that. Normally I try to be comforting."
"I'm sure you do, sir. Have I need for comfort this morning?" she asked, pushing her spectacles back further on her nose.
"Aren't you a little young for those glasses, Rose? I don't recall you ever wearing them before." Dumbledore observed keenly. "I didn't wear my own until I was eighty."
Rose sighed. "They make me look older and I like them, sir."
Albus Dumbledore nodded. "Sometimes putting on such a simple thing as spectacles makes us look older to others and gives us the illusion that we are old enough to have earned the wisdom and years associated with such an item."
The young witch cocked her head to one side. "And sometimes we just like glasses."
"Sometimes," he responded, though something about his smile and tone suggested he did not believe that the case for her. "How have you enjoyed your time back at Hogwarts?" the Headmaster asked, folding his arms and leaning back slightly in his chair, appearing relaxed. His plate had all ready been cleared, indicating he had eaten all ready and was now taking a bit of time just to converse with her.
"It's been a little stressful, but I think I'm handling it well," she replied. "Next week I cover vampires with the fifth years and boggarts with the third years. I understand that when Professor Lupin did that lesson he and the students had a world of fun."
"Combination fifth year Slytherins and Gryffindors giving you any trouble?" Albus asked lightly. "We don't normally combine the Defense class, but because we've put so much more on the syllabus this year...."
"I understand. I think I'm doing fine, and so far no one's tested my authority or tried to prove my stupidity." Rose chuckled and tapped her gold plate, which then immediately filled with food. Caesar Salad, chicken sandwich, and a goblet of ice water. Light and easy to get down. "Sir, I wish you would tell me what it is you feel I should know."
He feigned innocence. "Pardon me, my dear?"
"Headmaster, I have been reading letters from you for over a decade and I know by now when you have something to tell me the sort of things you say. You hedge around the subject, asking polite questions, until I inadvertently stumble upon whatever it is you need me to know. Such as the rising of the Dark Lord again, such as the fact you wanted me to fill a teaching position here and didn't say a word about which one, such as your letters where you sneakily would insert something about your new potions teacher until I realized it was Severus Snape you were talking about." Rose paused, smirking at her mentor even as he chuckled and tilted his hat further sideways, putting it at a jaunty angle.
"My dear Rose, unlike so many you have outwitted me at my own game. I congratulate you." He held up his hand as she began to protest. "Very well, I'll 'come clean' as they say. It's about your nephew."
That was surprising, and Rose's expression clearly reflected that surprise. She had been waiting for something about Severus, but then...he had been on her mind a lot lately.... "What about Harry?"
. : ; ' " j e d i b l u " ' ; : .
Severus Snape was seated in his office Sunday evening, grading papers in an agitated manner. He wasn't in the best of moods, so far he hadn't allowed anyone top grades for the fourth year assignment on poison antidotes. The only reasonable essay so far was one written by one of the confounded Weasleys and he was certain it had been lifted from the essay Hermione Granger had written the year before (in reality, Hermione had only given Ginny her references).
A rat-tat-tat on his office door snapped him out of his thoughts and he barely looked up to growl, "Go away. I'm too busy."
"No. I'm too stubborn," came the answer.
His head came up and he looked at the door in surprise. "Come in, Rose."
The door opened and in she came, offering him a tentative smile. "Good evening, Severus."
"Is it?" He gestured to the mountain of work. "I've got all this to grade by tomorrow."
"Can I help?" she asked, moving to the stiff-backed, highly uncomfortable, wooden chair in front of his desk that was a clear sign to most visitors that Snape didn't like them staying long. She picked up an essay from the ungraded stack. "Uh oh. Lovegood reproduced. I haven't had her in a class yet."
"Harmless. Strange theories. Luna Lovegood is easily handled." He made a dismissive motion with his hand. "What are you doing down here?"
"I came to see you." She had picked up one of his self-inking red quills and was all ready going over the essay. "I'm not going to let you run off and hide in your dungeon after yesterday."
He smirked and turned back to the essay he had been grading. Surprisingly, Colin Creevey passed. "What would you suggest I do instead?"
"Talk to me," she answered, reaching for another essay. She knew potions almost as well as he did, but she was still surprised he was letting her meddle so freely. "We barely broke the ice yesterday, Severus. All we did was determine there are no longer any hard feelings between us. We've still been apart these past fifteen years."
"So we have." Another lucky student made a fair grade. "I thought you were dead."
"I was. Sort of. I wasn't Rose Snape in Florida. There I was Primrose Malloy, and everyone called me Prims. Most annoying, actually." She sighed. "I thought we were divorced. I'm surprised you've remained single all these years."
"Are you? There aren't many who would put up with me," he acknowledged. "Not anyone, in fact. I'm a greasy-haired git, I hear, with the tendency to bat-like activity and an incurable meanness of spirit."
"Sounds like you haven't changed a bit," she teased, darting him a quick glance from the parchment she held. "But then, only people who didn't really know you said all that in the past."
"Maybe. But if that's the case, then you were the only one who knew me."
She put down the parchment and looked up at him. "I thought I knew you very well, but those last few months...." She shrugged. "What went wrong, Severus?"
He didn't even hesitate before answering, so often had he thought about it over the years. "We started keeping secrets from each other." He sighed, ran a hand through his hair...a habit she found amusing and somewhat endearing. "I started keeping secrets from you."
"Agreed. That started it. Now what should we do, Severus? We're still married, and...I must admit, despite your taking to torturing students and living in dungeons I still find you attractive. You're brilliant, of course, and...I can't really explain it." She shrugged, her smile faded. "Despite myself I've missed you, but I'm still wary of our relationship."
"I know what you mean." Severus opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a small, square paper. He handed it to her, his expression unreadable but his eyes strangely...soft. "Things were easier when we were students."
She took the photograph paper and looked down, issuing a little gasp of surprise. "I'd forgotten about this."
The photograph was a picture of she and Severus during her fifth year at school, the two of them bent over a book in the library. Lily had been wandering by and snapped the picture, giving it later to Rose and Rose in turn giving it to Severus. Their figures in the photograph were huddled close, Severus talking and young Rose occasionally nodding as she listened. Then Rose raised her hand to move a strand of hair from her face and when it came up...it was easily seen that the two Slytherins were holding hands.
Rose laughed. "We actually looked like a cute couple, Severus."
He smiled his usual self-satisfied, smug smile and leaned back in his chair, shrugging. "I found that the other day. I was...well, I was at the cottage digging through the junk in the attic and I found a lot of stuff like that."
"I can't believe you kept that cottage," Rose said, still looking at the photograph. "Whatever have you done with it?"
"Hired on someone in the closest village to go in and clean it out ever-so-often. Sometimes I spend part of the summer there in the lab, doing research. Nothing much." He suddenly leaned forward, his eyes intense. "You've heard of the Wolfsbane potion?" he asked, his tone hushed and his words fast.
"I have," she said, rolling her eyes slightly. "And you were right all along about it. I laughed when I read the news a couple of years ago, with that high-and-mighty Doctor Mistro Venebol. He went on and on for pages about how many years it took him to figure out the potion and I was very tempted to send him copies of our old notebook with our research and potion formula. I wonder how humiliating it would be to learn that two students of magic knew the secret you've been searching for your whole life and just hadn't had the money to make it." Of course, she knew exactly what he wanted to hear and she leaned forward and gave his hand a pat. "You're brilliant, Severus."
"Thank you." His self-satisfied grin was one she knew very well.
Rose began to grade the parchment she had laid down again.
They worked in companionable silence for a time, and the students who would receive the work back would, for the most part, be surprised Snape was so lenient with them.
Severus glanced up at her occasionally and carefully so she wouldn't catch him watching. She was right about one thing...he was still strongly attracted to her. Her hair was lighter than it had been, or his memory was playing tricks on him. Her eyes...still beautiful, glittering green orbs of fire. She was probably thinner than she should be...but she still had the soft curves where they counted. Alluring, that's what she was.... Still clever, still with a potential for power and prestige. She was, simply, too good for him. Then he had a thought that, strangely enough, bothered him. Enough for him to venture, "You said you thought we were divorced?"
"Yes." She didn't look up, she was busy marking up a paragraph on the parchment she was working on. Fifth year Neville Longbottom wasn't doing very well in potions.
"So did you...?" He hesitated. "I have no right to ask this, but were there ever any...men in your life?"
Her eyebrows came up, though she didn't raise her eyes from the parchment she graded. Her expression, however, was easily read to be one of amusement. "Why? Would it bother you if there were?"
"As I said, I have no right to ask. Forget I did ask." He waved the matter away with his hand, the way one might brush away a troublesome fly. "Would you be interested in the meeting I attended last night?"
"The one which so urgently pulled you away from our tête-à-tête? Yes, I would," she confessed, surprised he would offer her that information.
In detail, continuing to grade the parchments, Severus quietly told her of the Death Eater meeting he had attended the night before in which he was assigned to keep a close eye on Rose Evans Snape.
"What an interesting assignment," Rose mused after he had finished speaking. "They aren't sure what to think of me, are they?"
"You're a wild card," Severus told her, glancing up to smirk at her. "They don't know where you've been, what you know, whose side you're on, or how powerful you are. You could either turn out to be their worst enemy after the Headmaster and Potter, or their best agent. Or somewhere in between."
Rose tipped her head to one side and grinned at him. "I trust you'll take this assignment, as you do all your work, as seriously as possible." He shrugged nonchalantly. "It wasn't a Death Eater that sent you that silly warning note then, was it?"
"It could've been. I really don't know." Severus shrugged. "But you're right...I may have been over-reacting at the time."
Rose sighed and nodded, appearing thoughtful. "Maybe."
"Maybe not," he added, smirking. "Always this indecisive?"
"When it comes to anything involving you, Severus, I can be."
Thank you for reading, now I beg you to drop by a review!
To My Reviewers (Whew…this list is getting long!):
Evil Duckie: You're insane. Maybe that's why we get along so well. :-) Thank you so much for the continued reviews! I really appreciate them.
Maya)-sleepy: Urm…thanks?
Rinny Z: The flash-back is over! And what is yet to come…remains a mystery….
Carosu: Welcome to my fic! I do hope I keep you interested enough to stick around—though making it through 41 chapters in such a short time says I may have hooked you well enough all ready. :-)
Rae Roberts: Albus Dumbledore IS great, but as we all know from Book5…he isn't infallible. Thanks for your review. :-) Oh…I didn't tie together ALL the threads…yet. But maybe I'm the only one who remembers every detail of all my chapters. We shall see.
Nabenabe: Yes, we're back in the 'present,' Harry Potter's fifth year at Hogwarts, with no sign of Dolores Umbridge to reck EVERYTHING…yet. Angst…don't you love it?
Illume: Thank you for your praise! The last two chapters were very hard to write, and I am stunned by their success. I assure you, more is coming! Look out!
Lydia: I hope this isn't disappointing you yet. It's entirely too much fun to write, I'd be heartbroken if a loyal reader such as yourself got bored with me. :-D And thank you for picking up on the wedding-ring thing. Of course, it'll be important later on.
Montana: I'm enjoying your fic. I hope you get my review. I am very pleased to have you reading my story and I do hope it remains entertaining! Thank you for dropping a line!
See you all REAL soon.
-JB-