Magic Envy?
When they re-entered the kitchen after Severus had rested, Zelda was greeted by the sound of glass breaking in her living room. She looked questioningly at Severus - who looked exhausted, though more at peace than she had seen him before.
He simply smiled and said, "See for yourself, my girl."
Zelda's eyes grew wide in wonder as they walked to the living room. Severus had neglected to mention that the room was magically enlarged, and as they entered, Hermione was repairing the TV screen - which had been shattered by a spell. Zelda's laughter made them aware that they were no longer alone, and they all turned around, looking so guilty that Zelda could only laugh harder.
"We're fixing everything!" Ron explained hurriedly - which made Zelda collapse on the couch, laughing so hard now that she could not stand upright.
"I wonder if this is why Muggles shouldn't know about magic," she gasped as soon as she could properly speak. "You think we'll all freak out if things get broken!"
"Actually, Zelda, Ron's dad once demolished half of the Dursley's living room, when he tried to use Floo Powder in the blocked off fireplace." Harry said with a grin. "If they hated magic before… well, they never forgot that day. Fred and George gave Dudley the Ton-Tongue Toffee that day too!" He and Ron laughed proudly at the Weasley family's ability to offend Harry's family.
"Goddess, Sev, so many questions, so little time," Zelda said, her eyes sparkling with delight. She held out her hand to him and drew him down to sit next to her. "This is so wonderful, and so dreadful too. I can't imagine what Hogwarts must be like with hundreds of kids, all able to do magic, concentrated in one location. How do staff members keep from having nervous breakdowns? Don't students maim each other? Why haven't they destroyed the entire place?"
After the shattering experience of exposing his guilt to Zelda and Potter, Severus felt nearly normal in the face of what he realized was Zelda's carefully crafted absurdity. The rush of appreciation he felt for her gave him strength. Calmly he said, "The hospital wing is a frequent destination for students. The castle, on the other hand, has withstood a thousand years of abuse from students and is fine."
"Zelda," Hermione asked suddenly, "What do you do for a living?"
A guilty smile appeared on her face. "I was hoping no one would think to ask," she said ironically. "I'm a sixth grade teacher." Her mouth twitched as she waited for their response.
Hermione nodded to herself, as though she had expected this answer. Harry and Ron stared at each other, completely surprised. They obviously had not associated Zelda with any teacher they had experienced. Severus… She finally looked guiltily at him and his black eyes were gleaming with amusement.
"I'm sure you are a better teacher than I am," he said ironically. Remembering something, he added, "Shall we really discuss educational theory, dear girl? I have no doubt that you know far more of it than I do."
Zelda chuckled, remembering that she had indeed mentioned educational theory to him. She said, "You don't need theory when you have a wand. I imagine you have no trouble with classroom management, my boy."
Severus now smiled, his dark despair lightening in the face of that absurd statement. "It is not that simple," he said.
"Nothing ever is that easy, is it?" she responded lightly, kissing his cheek. "And do you have more than your share of idiots for colleagues? Eternally boring staff meetings? Frequent communications from parents concerned that you don't appreciate the innate superiority of their special child? Or is Hogwarts like a little piece of education heaven?"
"I have experienced all of those, dear girl, but I must say Hogwarts is… quite wonderful." As he spoke, Severus felt a deep pang, wishing he could return, wishing once again to undo that horrible moment in the Astronomy Tower.
Harry was watching Snape, and he was learning to be better able to read his subtle changes of expression. He saw his sorrow and he was moved to help Zelda distract him from that mood.
"This explains something, Zelda," Harry said to her shrewdly. "Like why you remind me a bit of Professor McGonagall."
All eyes turned to him, and Ron and Hermione were startled. Zelda looked curious, but Snape only smirked and said, "I have noticed a resemblance, Potter."
Zelda tossed her head a bit irritably. "Never mind that now, since I don't imagine it's the least bit complimentary." She continued, in a mock-pouting voice, "Severus, you promised to attack these children for my amusement and you haven't done anything. I'm starting to be very disappointed."
He rose, feeling now that perhaps he could rejoin the living - as long as he could have her with him. Rising to his feet, he pulled out his wand, saying; "Anything to amuse you. I will even warn them, this time. Five seconds… and go!"
Severus cast spells at each of them in turn, so rapidly that his wand was a blur. All of them had mastered the Shield Charm, he noted approvingly. He changed up, randomly firing Jinxes. Harry was the first to go down to another Tickling Charm, and then a Leg-Locker Curse hit Hermione. Ron was the last one standing, but when he realized it, he became distracted enough to be hit by a Jelly-Legs Jinx. Severus stopped immediately, said "Finite Incantatem," allowing the three a moment to recover. All of them looked toward Zelda to see her reaction.
Zelda sat motionless, eyes wide. A few seconds later she remembered to pull her mouth shut and looked from one to the other of them, staring at last at Severus. A gradual smile spread across her face and she shook her head slowly, refusing to say anything.
"Well?" queried Severus.
"Perhaps you should go about your business. I don't feel qualified to evaluate this," Zelda said, her mouth twitching with suppressed laughter. "Will it bother you if I sit here quietly and try to overcome my sudden case of magic-envy?"
Severus sat down again next to her, ignoring the others, and said, "Magic-envy?"
"Okay, well, I do have some questions." she said, pausing before she continued. "I imagine what you just did isn't as easy as you made it look… Right?"
"That is right…" Severus responded, wondering where she was headed with this train of thought.
She turned to lie down with her hands behind her head, putting her legs across his lap. He put his hands on her knees and waited.
"What were those spells?" Zelda asked.
"Potter succumbed to Rictusempra, a Tickling Charm," Severus told her.
"I had the Leg-Locker Curse," said Hermione, eager to see what Zelda thought of the spells. "And Ron got the Jelly-Legs Jinx."
"So each spell incapacitates, but does no lasting harm," Zelda mused thoughtfully. "I imagine there are huge numbers of spells, and people sit around inventing new ones just for fun."
"Essentially true," Severus replied evenly.
"Then there are the really horrid ones, Unforgivable Curses. I imagine that there are ones worse than the Jelly-Legs Jinx and all that," Zelda mused, her voice sounding dreamy.
Hermione, Ron and Harry all came and sat in front of the couch listening curiously. Even Hermione had not given serious thought to what a newly enlightened Muggle's perspective on magic might be.
"Potions too…" Zelda continued, vaguely. "I haven't given much thought to this, since I never knew it could be real…I suppose there are good and useful ones, and really horrid ones…"
Witch and wizards all looked intently at Zelda, wondering where all this talk would lead. She lay still, staring abstractedly at the ceiling
Suddenly she gave a carefree smile, sat up and said, "Okay! I'm fine now. Carry on, my dear magical people; get back to your business. Hex away!"
"Not yet," Severus answered for all of them. "You must tell us what you think."
"Must?" she replied, looking quizzically at them.
"Zelda!" Harry said. "Please tell us what you were thinking."
She shrugged, saying "Really? Okay then… better you all than me!"
They all stared. Hermione said disbelievingly "Can you really say you wouldn't love to be able to do magic, Zelda?"
Zelda tried bravely to suppress her amusement. She looked at Severus mischievously and he responded by taking her hand and kissing it.
Harry cleared his throat loudly, so she turned around and said to him; "What I thought was my better-than-average mother radar, turns out to be a magical thing I can do, hasn't it?" She noted, "It does come in handy, but I frankly wouldn't want the responsibility of doing all that wand stuff."
Severus smiled, and Zelda saw that he was the only one who really understood what she had meant.
"You're too smart for your own good, Sev," she said, leaning her head against his shoulder and smiling at the others.
"My dear young people, do you use this amazing talent wisely?" She asked, "Have you ever seriously harmed anyone, or been harmed because of a decision that you made with your magic?" Zelda looked closely at them, and even Ron now saw the resemblance to McGonagall in her penetrating gaze.
"I suppose I may change my mind, upon giving it more thought," she explained, "but the reason I'm not consumed with jealousy of the amazing things you can do, is the same reason I've chosen not to own a gun. Both may be useful, cool and fun too… but I'd hate to risk doing irreparable harm to someone." She finished, giving the others time for what she had said to fully sink in.
Her words did make them think, as she had hoped, and there were no more questions. They all sat quietly, feeling self-conscious as they remembered times when they had used magic without really thinking of the consequences.
"If there's not required coursework on "Magical Ethics" at Hogwarts, perhaps one of you should suggest it," Zelda said ironically to Severus.
"We are at war, Zelda," Severus pointed out. "This is all necessary."
Zelda looked at the teenagers, and then looked sadly at him. "I do realize that, Sev." She said, "Given the circumstances, I suppose I'd pick up a wand and do what I could, in their place. But to me it isn't something done lightly. I think I'm probably a self-indulgent coward, willing to let someone else do the dirty work to keep me safe." She reclined back again and stared thoughtfully at the ceiling.
Severus shook his head, looking cynically at Zelda. "Do not be ridiculous, my girl. You are no coward," he said. "However, we do not have time to debate absurdities."
"Potter, are you still determined to return to Hogwarts tonight?" he asked, turning from Zelda to Harry. "I will defer to you, if you believe it necessary. But we must go soon."
"We should go," said Harry. "But we'll come back here, and I think Hermione and Ron should stay with Zelda until we get back."
"Harry, no!" Hermione said. "You need us. We have to go along."
"We'll only be gone a short time, but we can't all go," Harry said. "I've thought about this and I need to go - with Professor Snape."
"If you are certain, Potter…" Severus said, aware that none of them really trusted him.
"I'm certain, Sir," replied Harry firmly.
"Then study the map and see who is stirring," Severus said, "and where we will find Professor McGonagall. I'll change clothes and we will leave in ten minutes." He gently moved Zelda's legs from his lap and left the room.
Harry brought out the Marauder's Map. Tapping it, he said, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."
The lines of the map revealed themselves and they all studied it.
"It's really empty. I can't see anyone," Ron said, startled.
"The ghosts are still there and the Heads of Houses," Harry said. "I hope we don't meet Peeves."
"Does Professor Snape know he's been replaced as Head of Slytherin?" Hermione asked Harry, who shrugged.
"I think he knows it's unavoidable, Hermione, but I think he hates it too," Zelda said. She had some idea how painful the situation was to Severus, but she also knew he would not complain about what was inevitable.
"Hermione, will you and Ron stay until they return?" Zelda asked, striving to keep her voice level, but not quite succeeding. "I'd appreciate the company."
Hermione and Ron looked at each other. They did not understand why Harry suddenly seemed to have complete confidence in Snape, even to the point of showing him how the Marauder's Map worked. But it seemed that Harry would go alone.
Severus entered the room again. He was dressed in the completely black clothes they had bought the day before. They students all looked at Zelda to see her reaction to the partial return of the Snape persona. He looked far more familiar to his former students, and when he put on the leather jacket that Zelda had found for him, he looked dangerous.
Zelda eyed him appraisingly and met his enquiring gaze. "You know, I actually think the Hawaiian shirt looked good on you, dear boy. But you seem much more comfortable now, and I think you look adorable."
Ron and Harry were obviously trying not to laugh, since 'adorable' was the last word they would have used to describe Snape, but Severus curled his lip… resignedly.
"You are disastrous for my reputation, Zelda," he quipped. "We will return very soon, if all goes well."
"I know," said Zelda. "Is there anything useful we can do here while you are gone?"
"Miss Granger," Severus said, "do you know how to place wards around this house? If you do, please do so, leaving us a place to Apparate to and from safely. Also, when we return, I will make this house Unplottable."
He held out his hand to Zelda, and they followed Harry out to the back yard, arms around each other.
"Zelda…" Severus began.
"Shhhh. Do you hear that sound?" whispered Zelda.
Severus looked at her, eyebrow raised.
"That would be me, grinding my teeth together to keep stupidly obvious words like be careful from escaping me," she said, her mouth twitching.
Severus turned and hugged her. "It is remarkable to know that you care whether I survive, my girl. I'll be back soon."
Zelda stood on tiptoe to kiss him, then with an effort let go of him, maintaining eye contact. "I love you, Severus," she said in his mind. "See you soon."
"Side-Along Apparition, Potter. I don't wish to be melded with you upon arriving in Hogsmeade," Severus snapped, as he and Harry stepped into the most secluded part of the back garden.
He took one more look around Zelda's yard, and then pointed to a spot, saying, "A Growth Charm on those two shrubs is advisable," before joining Harry, who was waiting for him.
"Now, like this, Potter," Severus said, holding out his hands. He clasped Harry's forearms firmly and, a moment later, the two wizards vanished with a 'pop.'