Chapter 37: The Stranger
Rose apparated behind a thicket of trees. It was broad daylight and the park, in which she appeared, was full of children playing loudly. No one would give the pop of apparition a second thought, perhaps thinking that it was just a distant car back firing.
Rose stepped out in full view of the playground. She had just gotten off her shift at St. Mungo's and went home briefly to change out of her purple robes into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that would not draw attention in the non-magical world.
Rose scanned her surroundings. Her eyes first fell upon Ephraim. He was days away from entering his fourth year at Hogwarts. At 14 years old, he was the tallest child on the playground. He was ducking behind the slide and popping out to the delight of a little black-haired toddler.
Esme watched with amazement each time her big brother would appear again. She laughed each time. Ephraim and Esme could play peek-a-boo games for hours without tiring.
A grin spread across Rose's face as she watched her children unnoticed by them.
Ephraim lifted Esme and sat her atop the slide.
"Go down," Esme cried.
Ephraim knelt at the bottom of the slide. "Esme go down?" he asked her.
Esme wiggled her little body closer to the edge. "Catch," she said pointedly to Ephraim.
"I will catch you," Ephraim promised.
Esme smiled at her brother and let herself slide down into his arms. Esme let out a cry of delight and clapped her hands. "Again down," she said.
Ephraim placed her on the top of the slide again.
"Papa," Esme called out, "Papa, watch."
Rose's eyes trailed in the direction of her daughter's exclamation.
Severus was sitting on a park bench, book in hand. He was wearing a pair of black trousers and a white button down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing his pale forearms to the August sunshine.
Severus looked up from his book towards Esme.
"Papa, watch," Esme demanded.
Severus smirked. "I'm watching," he assured her.
Esme gave her father a lingering glance to make sure his eyes were truly on her before sliding into Ephraim's arms once more.
"See?" Esme asked Severus proudly.
Severus smiled. "Well done," he told her.
Ephraim looked up from his sister and his eyes fell on Rose. "Mum," he called out to her.
Rose grinned and waved at her son. Severus and Esme looked up too.
"Mama," Esme yelled excitedly waving at her mother for a short moment before turning her attention back to Severus and running towards him as fast as her toddler legs would carry her.
Severus gave Rose a smuggle little look from his seat as he pulled Esme into his lap.
"She was happy to see me for a whole 5 seconds," Rose teased as she reached the bench and sat down beside Severus.
"Well," Severus said in a low hum, "I'm happy to see you."
Rose smiled appreciatively at her husband before reaching out to run her fingers though Esme's silken hair. "She just loves her papa," Rose said, looking at Severus. "I get it."
Severus leaned forward and kissed Rose lightly on the lips. It felt easier somehow to be public with his affection in the muggle world. For when people stared, it was not because of his dark past. People stared because they saw a beautiful woman not even thirty kissing a man who was a hard 43 and visibly the luckiest man alive.
"I missed you today," Rose whispered resting her hand on his knee. Something sparked behind Severus's black eyes and his face appeared years younger.
"Hi Mum," Ephraim said as he approached.
"And you," Rose added playfully, pulling on Ephraim's arm so he dropped onto the bench beside her.
"And me what?" Ephraim asked.
"I missed you," Rose told him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and planting a kiss in his hair. Ephraim had sprouted up about a foot and Rose no longer had to duck down to do this. He would exceed her height in no time.
"I missed you too, Esme," Rose said, releasing Ephraim and turning towards her daughter. "Did you miss me at all?"
Esme had lost all interest in the interactions of her family. Her back was pressed into Severus and she reached back with one of her little fists knotted in her father's long black hair. Her eyes were following a group of children playing tag.
Severus leaned forward and whispered something in his daughter's ear. Esme shot around and sprang into Rose's arms. "Mama," she said, wrapping her arms around Rose's neck.
Rose snuggled her little child against her and closed her eyes enjoying every second. Rose began to give Esme kiss after Kiss on her cheeks and forehead and neck, making her giggle. Her little girl's laugh was contagious. Rose gave Esme a final squeeze before releasing her back onto the playground where she took off running.
"Raim play," Esme called back to her brother.
Ephraim let out a dramatic sigh of exhaustion but then beamed at his sister and allowed her to lead him around again.
"Come closer, will you?" Severus said to Rose as he reached his arm around her.
Rose slid on the bench so that her legs were tightly pressed against her husbands. She grinned up at him. "Esme messed up your hair," she said, brushing her fingers through Severus's dark locks.
"Thank you," Severus told her. She was gazing up at him with wide brown eyes. Severus was always so transfixed when she stared directly at him. He guessed that his wife would never cease to bewitch him so thoroughly.
"You're welcome," Rose returned, her heart racing. Her love for Severus had only multiplied with the length of their marriage. Seeing him as a father to their children and watching him overcome the trials of his past had only made him dearer in Rose's eyes. She had always admired his bravery and intelligence, but as Severus became a much happier man, Rose learned to love the quieter sides of him. She found his patience and deepest kindness.
"How was your day," Severus asked her gently.
"Busy," she told him. "I had three young wizards come in from a bad batch of Felix Felicis. They substituted ingredients and basically brewed a poison. It took me all day to figure out how to make them stop vomiting something that looked like sour milk mixed with cat fur."
Severus cringed. "Sounds eventful."
"Oh, it was," Rose confirmed ironically. "How was your day?"
"You're looking at it," Severus told her. "It consisted of Esme dragging Ephraim around the house to play for several hours and then this." He gestured towards the playground. "I was thinking I should probably go up to the school tonight and prepare for the start of term."
"Only if we can go with you," Rose said. "I know Ephraim wanted to work on his potion making and could practice in your classroom. And I could amuse Esme for a few hours while you're there or maybe I could help."
Severus unconsciously played with a lock of Rose's hair between his fingers. "You want to sit around and wait for me while I work?" he asked.
"Well when you put it like that it just sounds pathetic," Rose said.
Severus shook his head once. "I would like your company," he confirmed, tucking her hair behind her ears.
"Good," Rose said. "I'm glad you haven't gotten bored of me yet."
"Never," Severus hissed in her ear before discretely nipping her lobe with his teeth.
"Perhaps, Professor Snape," Rose began in a low voice, "You can work tomorrow night instead."
Severus grinned. "Perhaps," he replied. "You have missed me, Rose?"
"Very much." She smiled back at him. "And have you missed me?"
"What do you think?" Severus teased lightly, slowly leaning in for another kiss that promised to be more intense than the last.
Rose suddenly pulled away, her eyes falling on something just beyond Severus's left ear.
Severus turned to follow the line of her gaze. Instantly his face became stony.
"Who is that man, Severus?" Rose questioned. A man with shaggy white hair, whom had been passing by the playground, froze in place and shamelessly stared towards them.
"No idea," Severus said, taking up his book again. "Look away from him," he hissed at Rose. "He is no doubt some confused vagrant."
Rose knew her husband better than that. Severus was a very convincing actor, but she could recognize the change around him, how he sat up a little straighter, more alert, how his rate of breathing became less frequent and sharper.
"I said look away, Rose," Severus told her sharply.
Rose eased her back against the bench yet kept her peripheral view on the staring man. The man took several steps towards them. Severus closed his book rather forcefully. "Ephraim," he called as he stood up. Ephraim looked up at his father. "Get your sister," Severus instructed. "We're leaving."
Ephraim too sensed something off. He quickly scooped up Esme, who squirmed in his arms, and took quick strides towards his parents.
"What is it, Severus?" Rose asked firmly.
"Nothing," Severus said coolly. "I want to leave. We've been here long enough." Severus grabbed Ephraim's shoulder and began marching him towards the brush so they could safely disapparate.
Rose did not move. She was focused on the white-haired man. There was something about him that was familiar to her, like she had seen him before. Then she realized that the set of his eyes and the shape of his hooked nose looked exactly like Severus's. Rose's eyes widened as she stared at the man, but the man did not stare back at her. His eyes followed Severus's progression.
Severus halted when he realized that Rose was not following him and the children. "Rose," he snapped at her. Several of the adults around them turned away from supervising their children to stare at the man yelling towards his young wife. Severus grimaced.
Rose was not listening to her husband, however. She was working something out. "Tobias," she cried out to the strange man. "Tobias Snape."
Recognition appeared on the man's face and his attention snapped towards Rose. Rose moved towards him too. As she approached, she could see the glaze in the man's black eyes. He was confunded or bewitched in some way.
"Don't move," Severus told Ephraim sharply. "Watch your sister." He took quick, long strides to reach Rose. He grabbed her by the arm. "Let's go," he demanded furiously, "Now."
The man was only feet away from them. Severus was not looking towards the eyes that matched his own.
Rose did not make any motion to move. "Tobias Snape," she said again. The man moved towards the sound of the name quicker as if involuntarily. He had a limp; his impeded movement was almost comical as he hurried to them "Is his memory modified?" Rose wondered aloud.
"Rose," Severus said roughly.
"Severus?" Rose said questionably. "Is he?"
"Please." Severus gave up his fearsome tone for a final plea, but it was too late.
The man was right in front of them now. "Severus," he said. The man's head twitched from side to side as if there were conflicting thoughts buzzing around his skull. The counterparts seemed to be causing the man pain. He reached his hand to his forehead and began hitting himself several time hard as if trying to crush an insect crawling inside him.
Rose looked horrified back at Severus. "He's enchanted."
"Clearly not well enough," Severus said darkly and without sympathy.
Rose ripped her arm away from Severus and pulled the abusing fist away from the vagrant man. The man stared at Rose, his eyes suddenly crazed. He lifted his free hand towards her, it shook violently as if it took too much effort to do this.
Severus caught the man's wrist before he could strike and yanked Rose out of his reach.
Rose's breath was knocked out of her by the force of Severus's pull not because the stranger was posing to hit her. The man looked incredibly frail and sickly. Even if he managed to strike her, Rose was sure it wouldn't have left a mark.
Severus practically carried Rose away, moving so quickly her feet seemed to be off the ground. Severus grabbed Ephraim as well, herding him and Esme with Rose behind a thicket of trees. Then they diapparated without a backwards glance at the man.
They reappeared in the sitting room of their cottage.
Rose turned all her attention towards Severus. The children quietly watched their parents with caution. Even Esme knew to be still.
Severus did not meet anyone's eyes and he was motionless, his hands still gripping his family from the apparition. His mind was feverously processing. He released his hold and walked out of the room without a word or look back.
Rose heard their bedroom door close quietly. Slamming things was not Severus's style.
Ephraim placed Esme down on the floor. "What happened?" he asked his mother. "Who was that man?"
Esme, knowing something was wrong, began to cry and reached to Rose to be picked up. Rose brought her daughter up into her arms. "It's okay," she soothed. "Papa's okay." Rose's eyes stared the direction Severus had left and then back at Ephraim.
Ephraim looked close to tears himself. The radiating hurt that wafted off Severus's very skin was all too visible to Ephraim. He was too familiar with it for comfort.
Rose balanced Esme on her hip and gave Ephraim a tight one-armed hug. "He'll be okay," she whispered to her son, not answering his questions just yet. Rose waited until the children were calm and then left them to play quietly together. Rose gently tapped on their bedroom door. "Severus?" she said as she eased the door open and slowly peeked inside the room.
Severus was sitting on the bed staring intently at the far wall. He turned to Rose as she entered and shut the door behind her. Severus's expression was empty of all emotion. Rose knew he did this when he was trying to spare her from something or to spare himself. The last time he looked at her with his open eyes closed doors, it was months ago after he had had a nightmare. His hands had made fist in his sleep and his breathing was labored. Rose had shaken him awake. His eyes flung open, wild and bewildered, but the moment he realized where he actually was his eyes filled with emptiness as he sunk deep within himself, keeping her out. He had assured Rose that he was fine, his tone straight and dead. Rose had curled into him, held him close, willing her warmth to fill him too. Then Severus's resolve finally broke. He explained it all to her in a single name. "Dumbledore," he had told her.
Rose thought it was her special power to ease Severus's pain. Anytime she could see him falling into the depths of the past, she wrapped her arms around him and imagined herself absorbing his demons. She imagined pulling them away from Severus, trapping them away somewhere deep inside herself where they could not hurt him again. He had so many demons and she knew that he did not want her to share his burdens. That is why she would never tell him about this power that she fancied for herself. But like she rid him of his dark mark, Rose believed that she could rid him of his invisible marks as well.
"Sweetheart," Rose said gently, sitting down beside him.
Severus gave her a raised brow look as if nothing was amiss.
"That was your father," Rose said flatly.
Severus immediately dropped the pretense and returned to his emotionless expression. "The children?"
"They know you're upset," Rose pointed out. "They're just worried about their father."
"There is no reason to worry," Severus assured.
"That must have come as quite a shock to see him after all these years," Rose pointed out, "and under an enchantment. Although you seemed less surprised about that part."
Severus chewed the insides of his cheeks and then gave Rose an exasperated look. "What is it that you want me to say?" After being together for four years, Severus had never opened up about his father, not really, just a few vague comments here and there that led Rose to believe the very worse about Tobias Snape.
"I want you to just talk to me, Severus," Rose said.
"You should have listened to me when I told you that it was time to leave," Severus told her.
"So, you're angry with me?" Rose asked with raised brows.
"Yes," Severus immediately answered. He stared into Rose's eyes and sighed. "No," he amended.
"Do you want to talk about how you modified his memory?" Rose said.
Severus's eyes darken. "Perceptive as always I see," he said bitterly.
Rose looked sadly at him. "I know my husband," Rose told him.
Severus shook his head slightly. "When I became a deatheater," he began in a dead tone. "It was expected of those with muggle families to," he dropped eye contact with Rose, "prune away the impurities in their bloodline."
Rose swallowed hard. She hated the images that sprung forth with perfect clarity, her husband, masked and hooded, knelt at Lord Voldemort's feet, vowing to do his bidding.
Severus dared a look at his wife. Her face clearly showed her disgust. Severus looked away again.
"But you didn't do it," Rose reminded them both.
"No," Severus agree, but there was a bitterness to how he said it. "I couldn't go through with it." He sounded regretful.
"Because you're a good person." Rose pressed.
Severus let out an errant noise.
"Severus," Rose pleaded. She stroked at his hair and tucked strands back behind his ears.
Severus turned towards her slightly, without quite meeting her eyes. "He raised his hand to you," he said in a cutting tone.
"He looked so weak and sick," Rose said, chilled by Severus's concern. She couldn't help but wonder how often Severus had seen Tobias strike his mother or how often Severus was at the receiving end of Tobias's raised hand. "Even if he did hit me, I'm sure it wouldn't have hurt me."
"That's not the point," Severus retorted roughly.
"I was a stranger who grabbed him, and he was very confused," Rose tried to brush off. "I was-"
"Don't you dare finish that statement," Severus interjected. "That was not your fault."
Rose cast her eyes down. "I didn't mean-"
"I know," Severus said, his voice losing some of its edge.
"What should we do about it?" Rose asked. "The enchantment is half worn off. He is disorientated. He could be a danger to himself or others."
Severus gave Rose a stern look. "'We' are not going to do anything," he told her. "I don't want you or the children anywhere near that man again. I will have to modify his memory once more." The mere idea of seeing his father again drained Severus of the little color he had.
"Severus," Rose said softly, placing her hand over his. "He has no power over us. He can't hurt us."
"Of course, he can't," Severus said defensively.
"Let me go," Rose suggested. "I will send him somewhere far away where you will never have to set eyes on him again."
"Did I not just make myself perfectly plain?" Severus said sharply. "Absolutely not."
"I just don't want you to have to face him alone," Rose told him.
"I can handle myself," Severus said shortly.
Rose pressed her lips together. "I know you can," she started, "I just-"
"I am no such coward," Severus exclaimed fiercely, "where I require my wife to go forth in my stead."
Rose gazed at her husband with large eyes. "Of course, you're not a coward," she returned, "But-"
"I will deal with it all tomorrow," Severus said with a finality to his tone.
Rose sighed. Maybe she wasn't as good at healing Severus as she thought. She stood and briefly cupped her palm against his face. Severus did not respond to her touch or look up at her. His mind was far away. "I will go check on the children," she said and left the room.
Esme and Ephraim looked up as Rose reentered the room. There were both sitting cross-legged playing with Morgana. Toddler Esme was able to become distracted by the cat. Ephraim, however, looked bothered and grave. Rose did not need to tell Ephraim who the man in the park was. Ephraim knew at once.
"Papa?" Esme asked.
"Papa is resting right now baby," Rose told her
Ephraim gave his mother a skeptical look.
"We will give him some time," Rose told her son.
Rose made dinner.
"Ephraim and Esme," Rose instructed, "Go tell your father dinner is ready."
"Papa!" Esme yelled as she ran towards her parent's bedroom.
Ephraim followed his sister. He knocked on the door. "Dad?" He peeked inside the room. Severus was laying on his back atop the covers, his wand in hand. He was pointing it up at the ceiling where a terrified fat fly buzzed around. Severus shot a burst of red light from his wand and the fly dropped onto the bed stunned. After a couple seconds, its wings twitched and it took to the air again.
Ephraim's eyes widened at his father. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing," Severus told his son, not looking towards him. "Bored I guess."
"Well mum says dinner is ready," Ephraim informed.
"Papa," Esme said from beside the bed. Her eyes followed the progression of the dizzy fly. "Don't hurt bug."
Severus pressed his lips together. He pointed his wand at the window and it flew opened. Then he pointed his wand at the fly; it zoomed forcefully outside and the window shut firmly behind it. "It's free now," he told his daughter drily.
Esme looked incredulously up at her father before backing away from him towards Ephraim.
"Are you coming?" Ephraim asked firmly.
"No," Severus told him. "I'm not hungry at the moment."
Ephraim nodded and took Esme away by the hand.
Hours later Rose gently pushed open the door. The sun was down. Esme and Ephraim were tucked into bed. "Severus," Rose said softly. The room was dark. The light that streamed in from the open door shun light over Severus's stoic face. He squinted at Rose from where he laid on the bed.
Rose walked into the room and closed the door behind her. she sat herself on the edge of the bed. "Have you been asleep?"
Severus's brows knit together. "No," he said. "I just wanted quiet." The past suddenly seemed so loud. It was screaming at him. Seeing his father again reminded Severus where it all began, his hatred towards muggles, his wish for horrible things to happen to his father…and not just to his father, his work to eliminate those he believed to be inferior, and the nightmarish consequences of his actions.
Rose ran her eyes down the length of her husband's body. He hadn't even bothered to remove his shoes. Rose wordlessly stood and began unlacing Severus's shoes, removed them, and tucked them under the bed. Severus did not move to stop her but eyed her from down his body. He couldn't help but wonder what Rose would have thought of him as a young man. What would she have done if she had heard how he spoke in whispers to the other Slytherins or how he laid awake at night dreaming of the destruction of other and the glory it would bring him. Rose had said on more than one occasion that she was meant to be his. But surely, if she had known him in the prime of his youth, she would have looked upon him with the same disgusted expression that Lily had worn after he had called her 'Mudblood.'
Rose laid beside him. Severus's body tensed.
"Is this okay?" she asked him.
"It is your bed too," Severus said drily.
"Would you like me to leave you alone, Severus?" Rose said trying to keep the hurt from her tone.
Severus considered continuing to lay alone with his thoughts. "No," he said. "Stay." He paused. "Please."
Rose was still. She laid on her back beside him and stared up at the black ceiling. "I-" she didn't know how to start. "I've been trying to come up with something to say to you to make things better," Rose said, still staring straight up. "But the truth is, I have no idea how to help you sometimes. I don't know what it's like to have your experiences. I can't imagine. Healing the snake bites were the easiest wounds I ever attempted to fix on you, Severus." Tears filled her eyes and rolled down the sides of her face into her hair. "I just so desperately want to make thing easier on you."
Severus let out a heavy breath. He rolled towards her and masked by the dark, allowed himself a rare display of vulnerability. He rested his head on her chest. Lulling himself with the sound of her beating heart. He wrapped his form around her frame, clinging to her. "There are somethings that don't heal," he told her. "Not even the most accomplished healer can fix everything."
"But I can try," Rose said desperately.
Severus squeezed his eyes shut and held onto Rose tighter.
Rose tried with all her strength to will Severus's burdens onto herself, but they were to heavy to move. She would have to think of another way.
"I love you," she whispered into the dark.
Severus did not answer. He had fallen asleep wrapped around her.
Rose tilted her chin down and planted a kiss into Severus's black hair. Then slowly and skillfully she eased herself out of his grasp. Miraculously she was able to step out of the bed without waking him. She tiptoed out of the bedroom and into the bathroom. She grabbed Severus's comb and plucked a single strand of his hair left in it.
She then moved quickly and quietly into the kitchen and pulled out a small cauldron. She lit a small flame under the pewter. She threw caraway seeds into the cauldron. The seeds burned and smoked at the bottom of the dry basin. Rose then added the strand of Severus's hair. When the seeds and hair were burnt to ash, Rose added seven drops of water to the cauldron. She mumbled an incantation under her voice, willing herself to see the form of Tobias Snape, Steam rose from the cauldron in purple wafts. Rose looked into the raising clouds and she saw where to find Severus's father. She looked at the clock over their fireplace. It was only 11 o'clock. She could be back before anyone relieved she was gone. Rose stepped out the door and jogged away from the house so no one could hear her disapparate. Then with a pop, she was gone.