Chapter 8: Decisions.
Then. August 1979.
Rose walked faster and faster towards her office in St.Mungo's hospital. Still walking, she unbuttoned her white robe and took it off. She released her brown hair from the tight bun and it spread around her shoulders creating an enchanting aura around her pale face.
She was horribly late.
She was going to meet Remus and the others at the 'Three Broomsticks' a half an hour ago but an emergency case showed up and the healer that was supposed to cover for her was late. She got to her office and grabbed her cloak and purse. She was about to leave when she heard a knock on her door.
"No!" She hissed. "I'm not here anymore! What ever it is talk to Mary, I just saw her walking in."
"Miss Haunter?" A black haired man entered her office.
"I'm sorry, sir, but I'm very late and if you just…" She stopped talking when she recognized the man that stood in front of her.
His robes were black and they clashed horribly with his pale face. He had an expression of discomfort on his face and looked like all he wanted was to run away from her office.
"Severus Snape." She stated, offering him her hand. "What can I do for you?"
"They told me to talk with you about the potions master job." He shook her hand and smiled faintly.
"Oh…alright…just leave me your resume and I'll look it up tomorrow. It's not really my decision to make. The board members select the right applicant for the job."
"Right." He handed her a long parchment and she placed it together with other similar resumes. There were quite many of them but Severus wasn't worried. He knew that Lucius Malfoy had great influence among the board members. And if the dark lord wanted him to work there…he will surely make it happen.
"Is there anything more I can do for you?" Rose asked, looking at her watch.
"Can I buy you some coffee?" He blurted, flushing hard.
"I'm sorry…I'm running late. Parhaps some other time?"
"You're still seeing him? Lupin?"
"Yes, I'm still seeing Remus."
"Right then, I'll see you around then." He turned and left her office. It was amazing how the boys he hated so much at school had it all. He liked Rose Haunter from the moment he saw her and was quite sure that she would end up in Slytherin with him. Severus's father knew her father very well and told him everything about the little girl who cried wolf…
And now look at her! Severus groaned with frustration as he walked along the corridors of the hospital. She is dating a monster who can kill her with his own hands from a strike of hunger or lust or god knows what. Why date a half breed monster when she could date him?
Rose Haunter stared at his retreating back and frowned for a moment. He was too sure of himself, wasn't he? He actually told her that he would see her soon. And what was that with the coffee? She picked her purse again and left her office. She headed towards the doors that led to the muggle street when she heard someone calling her name.
"I'm not here!" She shouted.
"Rose!" Mary, the other head healer ran after her. "Rose! There's been an attack at the 'Three Broomsticks'!"
Rose stopped moving and then turned around and ran back inside, her heart sinking.
Today.
She still didn't eat anything and was growing thinner and paler everyday. Remus watched her…she was sleeping. It wasn't his normal day of visiting but he needed to see how she was doing.
He didn't like what he saw.
He saw a young woman starving herself to death and she couldn't even tell him why she did this. Why now? Why now after all the progress she's done? She was still a mystery for him and no wonder; after all, he was married to her less then a year.
He sighed when Annie approached him. "Remus, I got you the forms you need to sign."
"Tell me again what I am signing on." He took the parchments and looked at them, can't really read them.
"We want your approval to run a series of tests to determine a possibility of some kind of a muggle or wizard disease and also your approval to force feed her. She barely ate anything for three days now. If her body won't get food…" she stopped talking when he grabbed the quill and signed the parchments, looking quite angry and ashamed with himself.
He handed her the parchments and sighed. "Just don't hurt her, okay?"
"You did the right thing, Remus." She patted his shoulder and he sighed again.
Rose woke up after an hour and seemed surprised to see him. She smiled warmly at him and he sat next to her on the bed. "How are you?" he asked softly.
She nodded and closed her eyes. Remus's stomach gave a sound of nausea, he could smell it…there was something so very wrong with her. Was that the scent of death? He shuddered and called for Annie.
The nurse walked inside carrying a few potions and some food. Rose, if possible, paled even more at the sight of her. Remus grabbed some bread and held it in front of her face. "Eat." He ordered and she shook her head. "Rose, eat…please." He tried to look stern and powerful but it didn't work, she still refused.
"Rose…EAT THE FOOD! EAT ALREADY!" He screamed, almost pushing the bread into her mouth.
She slapped him.
And then started screaming.
She screamed hard, not really forming any words, but she still caught him by surprise. Two wizards entered the room. They both managed to hold her and Remus nodded to their unasked question.
"If you have to tie her to the bed then do it. I don't care what you do as long as she eats." His voice was cold and hard and distant but he couldn't ignore her eyes.
They pleaded him, they asked him and when he didn't comply they hated him and turned cold and refuse to look at him.
He turned away from her and left the room. Sitting on one of the plastic chairs, he allowed himself to cry. Oblivious to his surroundings, not caring that people saw him and heard him sobbing.
Not even seeing Severus Snape entering the room.
Then. August 1979.
Half of the tables were upside down and were used as shelters from the spells that hit almost every corner of the room. Only now, a few minutes after everything stopped, people started coming out from their shelters.
Many others didn't leave their shelters, they were dead. Hit by the killing curse that stole their life within a second.
Many others were injured. Some from the curses it self, some from objects that hit them during the battle.
Everything was quiet for a while. Until a woman started screaming and all hell broke loose. The death eaters appeared out of no where and attacked anyone on sight, not caring if they were hitting a pure blood, a half blood, a mud blood or some bottles of butterbeer, they killed and injured as much as they could, demonstrating the Dark Lord's power.
Behind a round table, James Potter hugged his fiancé Lily Evans in his arms, fully aware to the fact that they just barely managed to escape one of the green rays that filled the room. Their eyes met and Lily's eyes were full with tears. James removed his broken glasses and sighed. "Are you alright?" he asked shakily.
"Yeah, you?" she caressed his cheek.
"I bumped my head on the floor but other then that…I'm fine."
They slowly got up and looked around them, looking for Sirius, Remus and Peter. They noticed Peter first, looking quite shocked but other then that, unharmed. They hurried to him and they all looked for Remus and Sirius.
A loud groan got their attention and they looked down to see. Sirius was bleeding really hard from several places in his body and Remus kneeling beside him, trying to stop his friend's bleeding and completely ignoring the horrible bleeding gush that covered his forehead.
"What happened?" James exclaimed.
"Someone put him under the Cruciatous curse. He was under it for a long time." Remus said urgently. "You have to help me stop the bleeding!"
"Remus, you need to sit down, you're bleeding…" Lily tried to move him but he refused.
"No, I need to make sure he's alright…"
Peter looked at the scene in front of him and a new surprising thought invaded his mind. They were his friends, right…but…could he ever give his life for them? Could he suffer like Remus suffers right now in order to try and save Sirius?
He was shaken from his thoughts by the sound of apparating and they were immediately surrounded with healers. They helped get everyone out from the pub and started to evacuate them to the hospital.
"Remus!" A loud cry startled them and they saw Rose running towards them, her white robe stained with dirt and blood. "Are you guys alright?"
"Rose! You have to help Sirius!" Remus begged, he was beginning to feel dizzy.
"Remus…you're bleeding…" She reached out for him but he stopped her.
"No, you have to take care of Sirius; he was under the Cruciatous curse…please help him…"
Rose looked from him to Sirius who was unconscious. "Mary!" She screamed and the healed ran to her. "Help him." She motioned towards Remus. "I'll deal with this one."
She kneeled next to Sirius and started healing his wounds. Mary guided Remus into one of the chairs and healed the cut on his forehead. Remus thanked her and looked at Rose who still worked on Sirius. After a while they moved him to St. Mungo's.
Remus sighed with relief…everyone are going to be alright…