In which the seventh-years graduate, Snape pushes Rose's buttons, and the silly girl gets sucked right in. Warning: A few book 4 spoilers, blah blah blah. Only a hint of romance here, but more to come! As always, the great Joanne K. Rowling owns the original Harry Potter characters, although she kindly lets me play with them sometimes. Though they make only a brief appearance here, Gred and Forge are the best playmates of the lot -- but Snape's coming along. I think.
Rose met with the Diggorys the next morning in one of the castle's smaller, little-used parlours. The meeting, like so many things dreaded ahead of time, wasn't as bad as she'd feared, though it was certainly bad enough. Mr and Mrs Diggory didn't seem to blame her for their son's death, but their attitude was so subdued her heart was wrung. She made the most of every detail of Cedric's generosity and bravery.
"He was ... a true Hufflepuff," Rose concluded, aware that Cedric's father Amos had shared his House. "He was faithful to the very end. When the Portkey took us to the cemetery, he was ready to protect me -- but he never got the chance...." Her voice finally gave way. Mrs Diggory took Rose's hand, then folded Rose in her arms and held her for several moments.
Amos cleared his throat as Rose and his wife finally pulled apart, wiping their eyes. "Professor Dumbledore said you wanted to give us the entire purse of prize money," he said gruffly. "But you should take it, Miss Potter. Cedric would have -- "
Rose wouldn't let him finish. "If you don't want to take it, and I surely don't, I've been thinking -- could we perhaps start a fund in Cedric's memory? Maybe to help students in need of a bit extra for their books and uniforms?" Tilly could certainly have used a helping hand once or twice.
Mrs Diggory smiled, though her eyes were still wet. "That's a lovely idea, dear. Let's say ... we make awards every year based on the results of -- an essay contest, or something else, so the poorer students won't feel it's just a charity of some type."
Rose gratefully agreed, and the couple took their leave. She thought she had gotten through it well until Mrs Diggory turned at the door to thank her for returning Cedric's body to them.
Half an hour later, a shadow fell across Rose's lap where she sat with her head propped on her hand, watching the dying fire that had been lit almost ceremonially in the disused fireplace. "So, this space is occupied," a familiar voice said.
Rose started and quickly looked up. "You certainly do have a way of snea-- er, moving silently." She turned her gaze back to the fireplace, hoping the redness in her eyes wasn't still noticeable. She hated to be caught crying.
To her great surprise, Snape seated himself in the chair opposite hers. She felt his gaze on her face. "Did you -- want something?" she asked, a bit uncomfortably.
"Not at all. I merely come here sometimes to -- gather my thoughts. I find it a pleasant change from the dungeons," he said.
Rose gave the ghost of a smile. "I should imagine." She glanced at his sallow face, which clearly never saw prolonged sunlight, and once more she felt the curiosity she had always felt about him. The more miserably he treated everyone, the more she wondered why. What was the saying? The toughest nuts were hardest to crack, but sweetest once you got inside. No, definitely not apropos. She almost chuckled.
"What is it, Miss Potter?"
"Just thinking ... sorry, Professor, I'm not very good company today," Rose murmured soberly as her mind returned to Cedric's parents.
"I saw the Diggorys leaving. You talked with them, didn't you." It was not a question, but she answered. Her "yes" was a bit hoarse. She cleared her throat.
"You aren't still blaming yourself."
"How can I not?" She was suddenly angry, doing her best to remain civil. "My head says no, of course I didn't kill the Diggorys' only son and the hero of Hufflepuff House, but the rest of me will take a lot more convincing. It's a fact that if I hadn't been in the Tournament, if I hadn't been at Hogwarts, Cedric would still -- " She gulped, realising she was close to shouting. "I'm sorry, I didn't -- "
But for once, Snape didn't seem offended. "Don't apologise, Rose," he said, not appearing to notice his own use of the familiar address. "Stay angry. Anger gives strength in a way that nothing else can." Perhaps feeling he'd said too much, he fell silent, staring into the embers.
"Well...." Rose stood, surreptitiously wiping her eyes. "I'll -- be going." She felt awkward leaving so abruptly, but Snape seemed to take no further notice of her.
Yes, anger gave strength ... he had more cause to know that than most. After Mum and Dad ... after Miranda ... and then Rose and her -- He shook his head, willing his thoughts away from their morbid path. He didn't normally allow himself to dwell on the past, it was years since he'd really needed the anger to sustain him, but it had become a habit. Perhaps he'd done Rose a disservice by not cautioning her against the dark side of such a tricky emotion. But he sensed she would never become what he knew himself to be -- embittered, even empty.
Good lord, he really was getting morbid. He glanced out the window to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Some time in the cool woods, maybe a visit to Firenze, that was what he wanted....
Rose sighed as she put on her best green dress robes that afternoon. Tilly, busy at the mirror with a handful of hairpins, turned to look at her friend. "Not looking forward to this much, are you?" she said softly.
"Not really," Rose said listlessly. "I mean, I'm glad we're graduating, I just wish it were over." Between this and the Leaving Feast, she dreaded hearing more about Cedric.
Rose and Tilly made their way down to the Common Room, where Parvati and Lavender waited. "You two took forever," Parvati scolded. "Oh, you just want to get there early so you can get a seat next to Seamus," Tilly teased, and Parvati blushed. The foursome climbed through the portrait hole and exited the castle for the Quidditch field, where their commencement ceremonies would be held. Rose shuddered a bit as she noticed the outlines of the Tournament maze, showing clearly where the hedges had been cut down.
Parvati and Lavender were walking ahead of them. Rose looked up at the high stands filled with spectators, many more than usual for a Hogwarts graduation -- from what Rose had overheard at breakfast, the recent tragedies were drawing many from the magical community to their alma mater for the occasion. Some, she knew, were there in support of their old teachers and friends, but others were just gawkers, eager to witness a bit of the drama firsthand. Some would even be covering the event for the Daily Prophet and the other wizarding news outlets. She shivered, looking up at all the faces.
"Tilly," she muttered, tugging on her friend's robes.
"Hmm?" Tilly turned around.
Rose said thickly, "I ... forgot something -- be back in a bit -- " She started back the way she'd come, barely hearing Tilly's puzzled, "Well I'll save you a seat then."
Rose exited the field, feeling an exquisite relief. She didn't stop until she reached Hagrid's hut, where she heard Fang barking inside. But of course Hagrid wasn't home, he would be taking his place amongst the teachers. Rose collapsed on a bench at the edge of his garden and closed her eyes, letting the sun soak into her skin. It was so peaceful ... so quiet ....
"Why aren't you down at the Quidditch grounds, Miss Potter?"
Rose jumped about a foot as her eyes flew open. "Do you have to sneak up on people?" she snapped, then clapped a hand to her mouth, aghast. "I mean -- I didn't mean -- "
"A bit late for me to be taking points from Gryffindor," Snape said dryly, "or you'd certainly have lost your House quite a few." But amazingly, he didn't seem as angry as she would have expected. Rose silently counted her blessings.
"Well? I asked you a question, Miss Potter."
"I'm not going." Again, it wasn't something she'd intended to say. She hadn't even made the decision until that moment.
"And why not?" Snape folded his arms.
"I couldn't stand it. All those eyes staring, just because there's been a tragedy and they want to feel part of something important. They don't need me there, anyway. I'm not even top of my class, that's Tilly."
"You're part of the class. Is famous Rose Potter a coward?" he goaded her softly.
Her cheeks reddened. "Famous Rose Potter! Is that what you think this is about? That I don't want to show my face because I'm afraid? Well fine, think whatever you want!" She leapt up from the bench, much as she'd leapt up in his classroom the day he'd taunted Neville, and strode off.
He fell in step beside her, matching her stride easily. "Now where are you going, Miss Potter?" he asked in that same needling tone. She longed to deck him.
"To the commencement ceremony, of course," she said tersely. "Same as you, I expect."
"I told you, anger strengthens," was his parting shot, as they reached the Quidditch field and she took her place amongst the students without another glance at him. Tilly looked at her heated face curiously, but said nothing.
Rose never remembered much of the ceremony afterwards. Her mind was too full of rage, out of all proportion (as a small, logical corner of her brain dimly recognised) to the actual exchange between her and Snape. Why on earth did he have to behave like that? She'd have changed her mind on her own; of course she would have. She wouldn't have left Tilly wondering what was wrong, or Dumbledore peering over his half-moon spectacles, fruitlessly seeking her when the time came to hand her the diploma.
Speaking of her diploma ... Tilly was nudging her, and as she stood with her classmates and moved down the row of seats, Rose heard the applause from the watching audience swell as her name was called. Her ears were ringing. She walked blindly to Dumbledore where he stood smiling, and shook his hand mechanically as he proffered the official roll of parchment, neatly tied with a red ribbon. The applause went on and on as she returned to her seat, abating only as the next name was called.
Dumbledore's final speech was of Cedric, and Rose purposely closed her ears to most of it. When people began turning around to look at her, smiling rather gravely as they applauded, she was puzzled at first, until Tilly nudged her and hissed, "He's telling them how you brought Cedric back." Rose composed her expression and stared straight ahead, her face becoming hotter and hotter until the applause finally died. She let out her breath. Tilly turned to her and murmured, "Are you all right, Rose? I've never seen you zone out quite like that."
"It's hard to listen to anything about Cedric," Rose whispered back. "I feel silly having to ask -- but did he mention Voldemort's return?"
"You-Know-Who!" muttered Tilly, who could never get used to hearing Rose's casual use of the Dark Lord's name. "No. He sort of hinted around it, but after what you told me about the Minister's reaction, I don't think he wants to be that open with so many strangers in the crowd here. He just said Cedric died heroically, as a tragic result of his participation in the Tournament." Which was true.
But Pansy Parkinson in the row of Slytherins just below had turned around to glare at their whispering, so Rose and Tilly fell silent.
As the recessional music began, the students stood to exit the grounds. Rose and Tilly once more fell into line behind their fellow Gryffindors. Mr and Mrs Weasley were waiting for them, with assorted Weasley siblings in tow.
"Tilly! Rose! We're so proud of you both!" Molly Weasley hugged each of them, then Arthur took his turn. "Rose!" he said as he pecked her on the cheek. "How are you? Molly told me a bit about what happened the other day," he added in a low voice.
"Oh ... I'm fine, Mr Weasley, " Rose said a bit awkwardly.
He looked searchingly into her face. "I hope so." Ginny stepped forward to offer her congratulations, then Fred and George came round, finished with tormenting Tilly. "Rose! You're beautiful! Why didn't I ever see it?" George said dramatically. "How would you like to date a young up-and-coming entrepreneur?" asked Fred, elbowing George out of the way.
Rose gave a laugh that for once felt perfectly natural. "Oh stop it, you two. The day one of you asks me out is the day I enter a convent." While Fred clutched his wounded heart and George let out a groan, she asked, "So the joke shop is really doing well, Tilly says?"
The pair beamed. "Weasley's Wheezes is all the rage in Diagon Alley, " said Fred. "After our success at the outdoor stall, it was just a short step to renting a disused space between the Potions store and that old musty used bookshop." "Took forever to clean it up, even with Mrs. Skower's help, but now the place looks like new," George added.
"Wonderful! But now of course, I'll never be able to eat anything you offer me again. Or even open a book, unwrap a present, let's see, what else...."
"Basically life is now unlivable around these two," said Ginny with a huge sigh. "Boys and their toys."
"Too true," George nodded solemnly. Rose could see they were having the time of their lives.
Rose and the Weasley family headed off to the buffet tables set up under the trees. Rose suddenly realized how hungry she was, having skipped lunch earlier; her session with the Diggorys had killed her appetite. But now she loaded a plate with her favorite things and went to join Tilly and her family at a rickety table in the cool shade of an elm.
Snape watched the distant cluster of red heads surrounding the one raven-haired head. Even from here he fancied he could make out Rose's laugh. She certainly was smiling, colour back in her face as the Weasley twins continued to tease her. Arthur Weasley leaned over to say something sternly to them, and he saw Rose put a hand on his arm, grinning as she shook her head. He imagined her saying something like, They're incorrigible but harmless, Mr Weasley. Don't worry, I'm not offended.
Suddenly he felt he'd had enough roast beef and potato. He got to his feet, and Dumbledore looked at him closely. "Care for some peppermint humbugs, Severus?"
"No thank you, Headmaster, I'm off," he said tonelessly. Dumbledore didn't try to argue him out of going, but looked thoughtfully from him to the Weasleys, where Rose sat at the center of the group with Matilda. Snape strode away in the other direction, back toward the castle.
A/N: Thanks for the review, Unicorn Lady! I'm so tickled that you live not too far away from me (I'm on the other side of the river). I love Princeton -- it's such a beautiful town. One of my fondest memories is the time I witnessed a good friend get married in the university chapel ... And thanks for your review, Clary - sorry about the Xing mixup! Your identity came up as "Xing" for a while (some ff.net glitch) and here I was thinking the head honcho of ff.net was a fan! :) I really am glad you remember my story so fondly after all this time. I hope you continue to enjoy it ... One final note: as I said at the end of chapter 2, we have a graduation ceremony here. I have learned since writing the original story that British schools don't have "graduations" the way American schools do -- but since I've already built one into my story, it stays! Stay tuned for chapter 4, in which Dumbledore presides over the Leaving Feast and a secret romance is revealed. No, not the romance you're thinking of, but that one is coming along, I swear.