Chapter three

Rose made sure to steer clear of the town of Hogsmeade on the weekends when students from Hogwarts would be visiting. But she did get a lot of older students visiting her shop. She had been surprised by a few older students asking for certain potions. Once Rose established they were over seventeen, she was able to get them the potion to stop them falling pregnant. Some of the others were embarrassed to go see the matron, even for simple things like boils or pimples. One young man, highly embarrassed stuttered through his explanation on how he was losing his hair. Rose smiled kindly then gave him a potion that promised would grow his hair back and make it nice and thick, not to mention healthy.

When Rose worked on potions she always had her hair tied back and a bandana tied over her hair, it was so the fumes would not damage her hair too much. But she had been fortunate, working on how certain muggle shampoos worked for damaged hair, she was able to make one for herself and was able to make it smell of lavenders, one of her favourite scents.

She heard the bell which told her she had a customer, she wiped her hands and went into the front of the shop.

'Severus?'

'Rose, I'm glad I caught you, I was not sure you would be here.'

'I was working on a new potion.'

'Oh, can you share or would you rather keep that to yourself?'

'it's fine since I do know you are a potions master. But I was thinking about polyjuice potion and how it changes you completely for an hour. I worked it so it can change just certain parts of you that I'm hoping will last for a full twenty four hours.'

'sounds very interesting Rose. I admit I do miss brewing potions, I just don't get time right now. But as to why I am here, I'm hoping you might have a potion that will alter certain parts of a male body that normally can't be altered or hidden?'

'I have worked on a few potions for that. I studied muggle medicine and that helped me work these potions. Which parts were you interested in changing?'

'My adams apple, it's overly large, but I had an accident a few years ago which still causes a problem over that area. I spoke with a healer she said the pain is caused by old scaring and the size of my adams apple.'

'I keep those in the back, but it's a potion you have to take forever, once a week.'

'Yes, I realise it would be ongoing. Would you mind if I see your work room?'

'Um, sure, if you like,' Rose turned, closing her eyes and walked away but she could feel Severus behind her and it was doing things to her body, things she never experienced before.

'Very nice.'

Rose whirled around, she thought he was saying very nice about her, but now she saw he was looking around her potions room.

'I mix a lot of potions at once, so I set it out so it's easy to get from one to another.'

'With a space for all your ingredients so they do not get mixed up. Your knives are all in separate slots, timers for each one, not to mention your cauldrons are some of the best I have ever seen.'

'I figured if I was going to be making very complicated and possibly dangerous potions, I would need the best. I did not want anyone being hurt just because my cauldron's were not up to scratch.'

'Yes, that is something I used to tell my students, sadly, most were not interested in the ancient art of potions. I noticed your large green houses, so you grow most of your own ingredients.'

'Yes, I realise it would be much easier than having to keep buying what I needed. But gardening was something that I did enjoy when I was young,' Rose went to her store cupboard and found the potion Severus asked for, 'I use the best crystal for these potions since all you have to do is come back to get it refilled. By the time I worked on cost, it would be less for the customer to pay in the long run than having to buy a whole new bottle every six months.'

'Yes, it would. So this will last six months, but how long before the pain and size start to reduce?'

'Two days, but it will take two weeks before your adams apple is reduced right down. Now you never mentioned if you wanted it so he couldn't be seen at all. I do have another potion that will just make it slightly smaller.'

'No, this will be perfect. It's only the old scaring that is causing the problem otherwise I would not need it. But you have a wonderful set up Rose, well thought out and looked after. It's not easy to get the students to understand that keeping everything clean and dry helps in the process of potion brewing.'

'Yes, I remember that from when I was young. There was a young man who didn't clean his cauldron properly, so naturally the new potion reacted and the whole class ended up covered in this red thick substance that smelled terrible. It took about two weeks before any of us could get rid of that smell. I also have potions for that as well, bad body odour.'

'Ah yes, you do get some people that just can't help that. You do not have to answer, but do you get visited by students from the school?'

'I do and just so you don't think I am doing anything wrong, the students asking for certain potions are checked to make sure they are of age.'

'I knew you would not sell those potions to underage students. Why I asked is that it seems to be an increase of students being caught in compromising positions. Before, they were worried if they went to far then they would end up with an unwanted pregnancy.'

'Yes, that potion is very popular amongst the older students. Even though it is not allowed by students, I would assume it is the same here as overseas. But you can never get young men and woman to stop, not if they really wanted to. Do you think it should be easier for the of age students to acquire this potion?'

'It should, but as we, the teachers are guardians of all students during their years here, we have to abide by the laws, even if those laws are extremely old. Most parents do not want their children involved in sexual activities, so again, we have to follow the way parents wish their children brought up. Nothing can stop hormonal seventeen year old's, no matter what a parent will say.'

'No, it won't. Do you have children Severus?'

'No, I dedicated my life to fighting dark wizards and teaching. I must admit I wish I had a family, but circumstances way beyond my control decided how my life would be, sad to say. What about you Rose, are you married?'

'No, like you I dedicated to learning my craft, to help others that could not help themselves. As you said earlier, some students either can't or won't take the time to learn this ancient craft and everyone needs potions somewhere in their lives. But I admit I would like a family, it will never happen though, due to an incident a few years back I am unable to conceive.'

'I'm very sorry to hear that. Well I should not take up more of your time,' Severus pulled some galleons out of his pocket, Rose took only what the amount for the potion was, then watched as Severus Snape left her shop. She hated to admit it even to herself, but her body kept coming alive whenever she saw Severus or heard his slow deep voice.

Rose was serving customers, students from the school, 'You do realise that I have a teacher enquire about students buying this potion.'

'You didn't tell them it was us, did you Miss Vanes?'

'No and he didn't ask. He realised you were of age, so I was not doing anything illegal by selling this to you. It might be wise if you are more careful though.'

The girl blushed brightly, 'We will, thank you again Miss Vanes.'

'You're welcome,' Rose smiled then watched the young couple leave her shop. She turned to check her shelves when the bell rang again. When Rose saw the woman that stepped in, she instantly froze, but after a couple of deep breaths she got herself under control. She reminded herself that no one knew who she really was, 'Can I help you ma'am?'

'Are you Miss Vanes?'

'I am.'

'I was told that you just might be able to help me. I have a delicate problem, healers cannot help, so I am hoping maybe one of your potions will.'

'I'm very discrete.'

'I have been trying to get pregnant for two years. So I finally went to see a specialist and was told due to some very severe injures when I was a teenager, that I will have a lot of trouble conceiving. They are not even sure if I will ever be able to conceive.'

'I do have a potion that you will need to take for sixth months, then an additional potion that must be taken an hour before intercourse. These two potions so far has never failed, but like with all healing, sometimes it comes down to the individual on how well you can be healed. I will just be a minute, ma'am.'

'It's Hermione, Hermione Weasley, Mrs.'

'Mrs. Weasley,' Rose smiled nervously then went into the back to her store cupboard, 'Oh Hermione, I'm so sorry,' Rose took a couple of calming breaths, grabbed the two potions then went back to the shop. She reached under the counter and pulled out a small measuring vial, 'You take this amount of potion every morning until the bottle is gone. The red potion you take in one go, but not until you finished the first. And like I said, you take it an hour before you have intercourse. Now do you have a preference in flavour?'

'Um, yes, I love strawberry, but that is a strange question.'

'Ah,' Rose smiled then added four drops to the larger potion and one drop to the other, 'Now you will only taste strawberry.'

'Oh thank you, I do hate the taste of potions.'

'Yes, I did as well and had to take them quite often, so while I studied, I worked out how to make them taste nicer,' Rose put the purchases in a bag and even though she would have liked to give them to Hermione, she thought it might be suspicious, 'That's seventy three galleons, two knuts.'

Hermione opened her purse and paid for her potions, 'If this works and I have a daughter, then she might ended up being called Rose.'

'Oh, that is very kind of you, but I'm sure your husband and family would prefer to help chose a name.'

'We'll see, my husband would be just overjoyed if this works. All his brothers and his sister have children, he sees them and thinks about being a father himself.'

'Then you should have no problem when you tell him that it will happen in sixth months time.'

'Thank you, but do you mind if I ask you something?'

'Not at all Mrs. Weasley.'

'Hermione, please.'

'Rose,' Rose smiled.

'Your name and your eyes, it reminds me of someone I have not seen in a long time, a friend who suffered, so he left after our war. You don't know of a man named Harry Potter do you?'

'I have heard the name, naturally, the-boy-who-lived and I heard he defeated a dark wizard, but no, I do not know him. You are the second person to enquire about my looks, he asked about a woman who died a long time ago.'

'Yes, Harry's mother, you do resemble her. He had her eyes, the same colour and shape as yours,' Hermione realised she was staring, 'The man, would that be Professor Snape, from the school?'

'It was, he must have been one of your teachers.'

'He was, but he was so different the last time we saw him. He was in love with Lily Evans, before she married James Potter. Maybe he still is and you reminded him of those feelings. Anyway, I'm taking up your time, I just feel like I know you. I do not have many female friends, so it's nice to speak with someone close to my age.'

'If you don't mind me asking, why don't you have many friends?'

'After harry left, I just couldn't seem to keep in contact with anyone from my old life, apart from my husband who was my boyfriend at the time. He has a sister, she was deeply in love with Harry. She seemed to think it was my fault he left, so we don't talk anymore. I have work friends, then my husbands work colleagues, but I am not close to them.'

'I am sorry, but I do know how you feel, I'm pretty much alone.'

'Do you think we could have dinner together, my husband works a lot of nights, it does get lonely?'

'Is that why you want children?' Rose asked sadly but then realise that question was far too personal, 'I'm sorry, that is none of my business.'

'It's fine, but I do want children, not just because I get lonely. I spend a lot of time with this young boy, Harry's godson, we're very close. So even with how I feel about Teddy, it reminds me of what I would love, my own child.'

'That potion will not fail Hermione, I'm very good at what I do.'

'I trust you, I'm not sure why, but I do. My question though, you never answered me.'

'I would be pleased to dine with you Hermione.'

'Then I will owl you,' Hermione held out her hand and shook Rose's, but she could not understand why she felt close to this woman she had just met. She smiled then left the shop with her purchases and was really anxious to see Rose again.

Rose kept staring at the door, her heart ached for her friend, 'Could I tell her? Hermione might be fine, but Ron, no he wouldn't be,' Rose sighed, 'Maybe it's time for Harry to write to his friends. I want to put him to rest, if I write it means he will be there and not me,' Rose sighed again then went into the back of the shop to check on her potions she had placed under a stasis charm.

Severus Snape couldn't sit still, he's thoughts kept going over Rose Vanes, 'Why, what is it about that woman? Is it just the fact she reminds me of Lily?' He hurried to his desk and pulled out a stack of pictures, 'She looks like you Lily. Who is she, another child no one knew about?' He flicked through every picture until he found one of Harry, taken during the triwizard tournament.

Something bothered him about Harry, about why he left and not one person has heard from him in nearly seven years. Where did you go? Did you find out you had a sister, did the stress of everything finally get too much for you, like Albus said? I promise to protect you, now you're gone and I don't know if you are alive or not. Now this woman shows up. Rose, Rose Vanes, so much like Lily Evans,' Severus kept staring down at the picture, then it was like some bright light going off inside his brain.

He sat at his desk and wrote Rose Vanes, 'Lily Evans, Rose Vanes, E.v.a.n.s, V.a.n.e.s. Rose for a flower, Vanes is an anagram of Evans. That is too much of a coincidence, she has to be related, Lily's daughter,' Severus had no idea if it was true and if it was, how would he approach Rose about this when she had already said she didn't know Lily Evans. Could he ask her, should he ask her? One thing that concerned Severus, was his feelings for Rose. In two meetings he knew he was attracted to her, but if she was Lily's daughter, then that would not be right. He realised he had a lot of thinking to do before he decided on a course of action. All he knew right now was, he had to find out exactly who Rose Vanes was.