MARRYING SNAPE- mypseudonym
All the usual disclaimers apply, you guys know the drill
AN: We've reached the point where my pre-written chapters are at an end. I've only got rough notes from here to the end, so you may see a longer delay in new chapters. They take a little longer when they aren't written in the first place. In my original plan though, there was another Hermione-Alex chapter before this one, but when I reworked the story, I decided this puts the story in the right tone for the rest of the war.
Chapter 10: Lavender's Interlude
In true form, Lavender Brown skipped her classes on Friday so that she could primp and prepare to meet her future husband. She figured that if someone as brainy and awkward as Hermione could catch a man as handsome as Alex Snape, then she, poised and lovely as she was, could do far beyond her wildest dreams.
Lavender spent hours getting her hair and make-up just right before changing into her nicest set of dress robes. Hermione approached her fiancé as a nervous Muggle; Lavender planned to meet hers as everything a Pureblood wizard could hope for in a mate.
When she was finished getting ready, Lavender gracefully took her small bag from her bed and headed down to the main entrance while looking as poised, graceful, and mature as she could. One of the horseless carriages was there to take her to meet the carriage of her new family at the front gate. Just because the loony old Headmaster wouldn't allow the MacDougall guest carriage to meet her at the door didn't mean she should have to diminish herself and dirty her robes and shoes by walking outdoors. After all, she was on the way to meet the love of her life.
The ornate MacDougall carriage rode steadily before stopping in front of a huge gothic estate- the MacDougall estate. The driver helped her out of the carriage and took her bag. Lavender walked up to the front door and composed herself quickly before knocking lightly at the door. Obviously, her fiancé was too involved in some important business matter to meet her at the door; Lavender decided that she didn't mind. A house elf opened the door, took her cloak, and led her to a room full of chairs.
"The Master will be here shortly, Miss. I'll inform him of your arrival." The elf stammered. She sat uncomfortably in one chair. She sat, ready and waiting for her knight it shining armor to take her away from the dark, damp, and dirty place and take her to a beautiful manor where they would really live. A few minutes later, a man approaching middle age stepped into the room
"Miss Brown?" he asked.
"Yes." She answered, surveying the man. He was a bit older than she would have preferred, but he wasn't all that bad. He looked healthy other than the signs of obvious stress. He wasn't entirely unattractive. Lavender decided that he would do.
"My name is Rudolphus MacDougall, and I am the Master in this house. How old are you?" he asked.
"18" she answered, fibbing slightly. She wouldn't really be 18 until May, but that was close enough.
"Well, you're far older than I had expected, but I suppose we'll have to make the best of it. Come; I'll take you to meet your betrothed." The man ordered. Lavender rose from her seat and followed him out the door. They walked through the house for some time before Rudolphus finally stopped at a door. He opened it quietly.
"Timothy? Your fiancée is here." He said. A boy on the bed whipped around. Rudolphus pushed her into the room and shut the door firmly.
"Come here." The boy ordered, sounding like a complete brat. Lavender reluctantly crossed the room. She gasped when she saw the boy on the bed. He was even younger than she had though.
"Timothy, how old are you?" Lavender asked curiously.
"10." He answered. "Now that I've indulged you, you must come and lay down with me, it's my nap time. Lavender looked disgusted.
"If you don't obey me, you'll have to be punished." He said gravely. Lavender hesitated before moving to sit on the bed.
"No no, dear wife. You must take off our fancy robes to get into this bed." He said, kicking her lightly.
"No, I refuse." She answered.
"Then I shall have to call father and have him lock you away until you learn." The boy taunted.
"You wouldn't. He wouldn't." she stammered. Rudolphus was strict, but not that strict. Surely he wouldn't lock her away for refusing to pacify his son.
"Do you care to test that?" the boy sneered, patting the bed beside him. Lavender looked at him carefully before turning away and removing her dress robes. She perched tensely on her side, facing away from Timothy.
"There now, I'm in the bed. Now go to sleep." She said tersely, planning to get up and redress as soon as she could be sure he was asleep. Suddenly, Lavender felt a small arm wrap around her and try to touch…..inappropriate places. She smacked his hand away.
"FATHER!"the boy yelled, as loud as she could.
"What is it Timothy? Are you enjoying your new toy?" Rudolphus asked from the door.
"No Father! She won't play." Timothy whined. "Put her in time out." He demanded. Rudolphus clenched his fists, grabbed her, and drug her down several flights of stairs into a dark, damp cell. He left her there.
"Let me out! I want to leave! You people are sick!"she yelled, as Rudolphus left.
"It will do you no good. You're stuck here until he decides to let you out. You'll be lucky if he remembers you're here." A quiet voice said. "I think he's all but forgotten about me."
"Who-who are you?" Lavender said, turning to see a pale young woman in the next cell with a threadbare blanket wrapped around her.
"Long ago, I was Madam MacDougall. Now, if I have a name at all, it's just Tabitha." She answered.
"You mean, you are Timothy's mother?" Lavender asked,
"'I'm sad to say that I did, child. Rudolphus and I disagreed about everything when it came to raising that child. One day, he just got fed up with it and left me down here. I've been here for 7 years now." She said, "He's forgotten about me, of that I'm sure. The house elves take care of me as best they can, but they can only sneak so much without his noticing. If you're lucky, you won't be stuck here as I have been."
"I'll get out. I'm only supposed to be here for the weekend. If I don't return, someone will come looking for me, and they know exactly where to find me." Lavender said, with guarded confidence.
"Consider yourself lucky then. I broke off all my relationships with people when I married Rudolphus. Anyone who has even noticed I'm missing probably just thinks I'm dead." She said, sadly.
"If I can, I'll get you out of here, Tabitha, I swear. You shouldn't have to be here, it's just not right." Lavender said.
"You're a sweet girl. It would be wonderful to be free from this cell, but don't you do anything for me that jeopardizes your own safety. I've been here for 7 years, I figure I can be here for longer than that." She said, lying down to rest. Lavender felt herself growing weary from being in the cell. She slept for some time. When she awoke, she heard the sound of a door banging open, somewhere nearby. Rudolphus came into the room. He opened the door to Lavender's cell with a key on the other side of the room and drug her back upstairs to Timothy's room. After two hours of lying in the boy's bed rigidly, Lavender grabbed her dress robes and snuck out. She crept hurriedly back to the room where the cells were. She had paid close attention when Rudolphus took her back to be sure she would know how to get back there to save Tabitha. She finally reached the room and unlocked the door. Tabitha was so excited when Lavender woke her up. The two crept back upstairs. Tabitha was helpful because she knew the safest way to the nearest fireplace. They Flooed out of the house using the grate in the kitchen. The two arrived in the Hogwarts Infirmary. They collapsed into two beds, resting quietly until Poppy Pomfrey found them the next morning. Lavender relayed her tale to the Headmaster, as did Tabitha, who turned out to be Tabitha MacDougall nee Weasley. Lavender thought that provided explanation for her dulled brassy hair. Albus offered them both a safe haven from the world. Tabitha Weasley was employed; Albus would decide what she could do later. Lavender would continuously fail her 7th year until the law had been appealed.
Lavender stood outside Saturday afternoon, looking up at the sky above Hogwarts.
"I vow that I will do everything in my power to see the end of this ridiculous marriage law so that no girl has to go through anything like that ever again. I vow to spend my life fighting until there are no more women like Tabitha Weasley left, imprisoned within their own houses." She yelled, shaking her fist at the sky to solidify the deal.
AN: That's Lavender's Interlude. That should make it up to you for killing two characters last chapter. I've added two secondary characters instead of two tertiary characters. Next chapter, we go back to Alex and Hermione and see how they passed the same weekend at Snape Manor.