In which Rose gets an unexpected birthday present, Voldemort unveils a horrible new scheme, and Snape washes his hair (finally!) and is goaded into showing some feelings (also finally!). This chapter will be darker and rather different from those before, so be warned. Rated PG-13 for "adult themes," nothing explicit. Please note, to suit this story I've changed a bit of the Potterverse with regard to a certain magical creature. No need to tell me this wasn't how JKR did it, I already know; actually my version is a bit more traditional. And as always, the Potterverse and all therein are the sole property of our Good Witch of the West, J.K. Rowling.
He'd been attending these gatherings of the Dark Lord for over a month, but he still wasn't sure he was completely accepted -- either by Voldemort or by his followers. However, acceptance would come with time. He was no actor, but his natural stillness and watchfulness should pass for the deference any Death Eater owed his master. And he had always made a habit of masking his thoughts.
But the questions still came, as now. Voldemort was patrolling the circle of his disciples as he generally did at the beginning of a meeting; he seemed to thrive on interrogating them without warning. Now he stopped. "Severus," he said softly in that high voice which managed to sound malevolent even in the most casual speech, "can I truly rely on you, I wonder?"
"You know you can, Master," Snape said evenly, looking into those terrible red eyes that burned like coals in the gloom of dusk.
"Because I have an important task for you," Voldemort continued. "A task none but you can now perform. You, who live in Dumbledore's stronghold and have his full confidence ... if I am to believe you...."
"Master, you know I cannot lie to you," Snape said calmly. "In the years you were gone, I awaited your return, learning from Dumbledore the foolishness of choosing to serve Muggles and Mudbloods. I remained with him these past years, studying all I could, so when your Death Eaters brought you back at last I could give you the most important help of all -- information about your worst enemy."
"Yet still you have not found a way for me to gain entrance to the castle." Voldemort's reptilian eyes narrowed dangerously, six inches from Snape's.
"I am striving to do so, my lord."
"Very well. As you strive, you can undertake one other little task for me. I need the Potter witch."
Snape felt his head spin for a second, and fought to show no reaction. This was no surprise, not really, yet -- "Do you wish me to bring her here, Master?"
Voldemort was looking closely at him. "This girl. She was your student, I believe?"
"Yes," he said woodenly. "I teach every student who comes to Hogwarts."
"And what is your opinion of her?" Voldemort queried softly.
Snape thought of Rose as he had last seen her that morning at breakfast, deep in conversation with Arabella Figg over some point of her evolving Muggle Studies curriculum. She had looked up briefly, noticing him at the other end of the head table and smiling quite genuinely. He had only lately begun to get such a smile from her. It made him feel --
He shook himself mentally. "I found her a passable student ... and one who has been extraordinarily lucky."
"Yes," said the Dark Lord, as though appeased. He resumed pacing the circle. "Extraordinarily lucky," he repeated. "Far too lucky." He turned to face Snape once more. "Do you know what I have done, Severus?"
"What, my lord?"
"I have given the luck of Rose Potter a great deal of thought. I have studied the ancient writings and prophecies. And what have I found? The reason she has always escaped me, the reason I could never destroy her. It would have been against my best interests to do so. Once again Fate favours me.
"Are you familiar with the writings of our ancestor Salazar Slytherin?" Voldemort looked around the circle, but the crimson eyes came to rest yet again on Snape.
"I have read some few of the scrolls, Master," Snape said cautiously.
"Then you may not know he had one genuine soothsayer among his followers, whose name is lost to us. This unknown wizard divined the future greatness of the House of Slytherin and made a number of prophecies. But the most striking of them is the most mysterious, and the final one of all:
Then enemy no longer shall enemy call, then shall the Darkness fall.
"Have you heard these couplets before, Severus?"
"No, my lord." He could feel the blood draining from his face. Voldemort could not possibly mean --
"Then let me interpret," said the Dark Lord. "I now know why the witch was spared. She is the last to carry in her veins the blood of Gryffindor, I have made certain of it in my researches. And I, the last heir of Slytherin, need her. To found a dynasty of Dark wizards and witches -- who, as my own children, will never betray or forget me." His gaze was grim as he looked around the circle of Death Eaters, some of whom shifted uncomfortably; their Master had never forgotten nor forgiven their years of neglect.
"When Gryffindor to Slytherin is bound," Voldemort continued, "I will succeed and the Darkness will indeed fall. At long last." He gave a dreadful smile. "You will bring the witch here, I shall perform the ancient Binding ritual -- with or without the aid of the Imperius Curse -- and then I will make her my consort. But there is one thing I need to know first, Severus ... one condition which must be fulfilled ...."
Snape struggled to remain calm, black eyes level with red.
"Is the Potter girl ... untouched?" the Dark Lord asked softly.
"I -- couldn't say, Master," Snape said, his voice seeming to come from far away.
"It is requisite," Voldemort continued, "always, in magic of this kind, that there have been no others. I must know. How will you find out for me? Does Hogwarts, perhaps, keep medical records?"
For one wild moment Snape considered the idea of asking Poppy Pomfrey for such information -- and imagined the furious scolding he would get. He controlled his insane urge to laugh and thought crazily about talking to Rose ... talking to Dumbledore....
"Of course, you could simply bring her here and let me find out -- for myself," Voldemort said almost in a whisper, again mere inches from Snape's face.
It was all he could do not to recoil in horror, to roar with fury. Through the miasma before his eyes, half gathering dusk and half raw emotion, he saw the Dark Lord's slash of a mouth curl, the slitted nostrils widen, the snake's eyes narrow -- he had to think of something that would sound workable -- anything --
"Unicorns," he heard himself say. "In the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts, there are unicorns. One could be caught and the Potter girl brought to it. A unicorn always knows."
Voldemort looked pleased. "Indeed," he said. "An excellent solution. I leave it to you, Severus. I will give you until our next gathering, which is set for ... one week from this night." He looked around at the group. None dared question this new plan. "Until then, my faithful ones," he said in a tone of soft mockery, and Disapparated.
There were low murmurs as the circle disbanded, but nobody seemed to want to approach Snape. He quickly Apparated to Hogsmeade, glad to have avoided any conversations with his fellow Death Eaters. He needed a period to calm himself and reflect.
"It's monstrous, Albus!" Snape paced the Headmaster's office.
"It is indeed." Dumbledore's expression was graver than Snape had ever seen it. Not even after Diggory's death had he looked like this.
"What can we do?" Snape turned once more on the hearthrug, striding back to Dumbledore's desk, hands behind his back.
"To begin with, you can seat yourself, Severus," Dumbledore said gently. "You're making me dizzy." Snape threw himself into the armchair opposite the headmaster.
"Where could she possibly be safer than here? And yet, he took her from under our noses just two months ago," Snape mused, staring into the fire.
Dumbledore looked at him keenly. "I think," he said slowly, "first, you will have to do as Voldemort has asked." Snape started, staring at him. "Don't misunderstand me," Dumbledore said, "we certainly will not deliver Rose to the Dark Lord. But you will need to make the test he asked for."
"Why?" asked Snape in astonishment. "That was merely a device to stall him, I never intended to follow through."
"Voldemort has spies in places we can't imagine, Severus," Dumbledore reminded him quietly. "Do you think if you make no effort to snare a unicorn and use it as you have promised, that your disobedience will go unnoticed? The Forbidden Forest is home to unicorns, but also to many creatures of evil. And the Dark Lord certainly will not trust you enough to leave you unsupervised."
It was a dreadful thought. But as usual, the headmaster was right.
"Then ... how are we to prevent any such spy from witnessing the -- test itself? I don't imagine we're in much doubt as to the outcome," Snape finished rather hurriedly. He felt his face growing warm: a very odd feeling.
Dumbledore appeared not to notice his discomfort. "Yes, we must keep the truth from Voldemort," he said, nodding. "That would be the best solution -- to make the test and if you can, mislead the Dark Lord about the result."
"Just one more deception to follow all the others," Snape said, trying to speak lightly. "If he hasn't seen through my other lies, he won't see through this one."
Dumbledore considered. "I think I know how we can manage this, Severus. Tomorrow towards evening will be the best time, it is far too late tonight. I would like you to have some cover of darkness, especially as the test is made -- for Rose's sake not least of all. Voldemort may keep his spies, but we don't have to make it too easy for them."
He went to the tall cabinet by the desk and rummaged in one drawer after another, finally abstracting a crystal phial holding a clear liquid. "Castitaserum," he said, handing it to Snape. "The essence of purity. Just before going to the Forest, you will need to add three drops to your bath, washing well with unscented soap and shampoo, and then drink three drops in a glass of pure water. Use no lotions or other scented products thereafter. For some little time -- perhaps two hours -- you will be rendered acceptable to a unicorn. I can tell you how to find one. If you follow my instructions it will be perfectly docile, and you will be able to tether it easily. After that...."
Morning. Something different about this morning. Rose blinked sleepily as she put back the bed curtains and saw sunlight streaming across the floor. Then she remembered: today was her birthday. Her heart felt a bit lighter, even as she wished Tilly were here.
She stepped onto the woollen rug by her bed, looking around her suite with satisfaction. What a change from the dormitory she had shared with the other Gryffindors! Now she had two large rooms to herself, with hangings on the walls, thick rugs on the floor, and beautiful cherrywood furniture. Last week Winky had taken her to the castle's storage rooms, where spare furnishings, linens, and other items were kept, and told her she was to have her choice. A nice little side benefit of her new job -- no rent or housing worries.
She washed, dressed, and made her way downstairs to the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall was munching on some toast and looked up to smile a brief greeting (how long till she could address her as Minerva without stammering?), and Arabella was stirring sugar into her porridge. Arabella too smiled.
"Early bird, I see," she said cheerfully, pouring Rose a cup of tea.
"Is it that early? I just felt like I should be up," Rose said as she took her seat.
"I'll bet I know why," Arabella grinned. She nodded in the direction of the doorway, where several owls were hovering with a good-sized package. They looked quite tired as they carried it to the table and deposited it before Rose. Eagerly she looked it over; no note appeared to be attached. She tore off the paper to find a box inside, marked simply Enchanté in flowing script. Not the famous Parisian designer? Couture for the wizarding set, and hauteur to match, she'd heard.
Awestruck, she opened the box and drew forth seemingly endless yards of emerald silk. The butter-soft material flowed through her fingers like water and the tiny slubs caught the light, reflecting it like stardust. She stood and held the dress up against herself; it seemed to be just the right size. "Wow," she breathed.
"Happy birthday, sweetheart," Arabella said quietly.
"It was you?" Rose bent to give her godmother a kiss. "Arabella, thank you, this is gorgeous! You shouldn't have done it, it must have cost --"
"Never you mind," Arabella said sternly, suddenly looking much more like elderly Mrs Figg of the cats and cabbages. "Every woman deserves one really stunning dress, and this celebrates a very important year for you. Anyway I haven't been able to give you anything before, so count this as eighteen years' worth of gifts, Rose."
"So you're eighteen, Rose? Congratulations," said Minerva McGonagall, inspecting the dress with a keen eye. "A beautiful colour there. Happy birthday."
"Happy birthday, Rose," said Filius Flitwick, who had just joined the table. Rose stammered a bit as she thanked them, folding her precious gown and placing it tenderly back in its box.
"I was hoping you might wear that tonight when we meet Sirius and Remus for dinner," Arabella murmured so nobody else could hear.
"Oh, they're meeting us, fantastic!" Rose said in a low voice, smiling. "But where can we go that Sirius won't be seen?"
"I have it all worked out," her godmother said. Rose had to be content with that. But soon she was distracted as other parcels arrived: a lacy white shawl from the Weasleys, with a kind note from Molly and a pair of silver earrings tucked inside a funny card from Tilly -- they were all off visiting Charlie in Romania; a box of Honeydukes' finest candies from Hagrid, which especially touched Rose since she knew he must have ordered its delivery well over a month before -- he was now presumably far away in the wilds with the giants and his dear Madame Maxime; and last of all, a small brown-paper parcel from which a rainbow of colours fell into her lap --
"From Dobby!" Rose said merrily, holding up a handful of socks, each a different hue and no two alike. She and Arabella chuckled.
Rose looked around and saw that the Head Table was full, or as full as it ever got over the summer. Arabella's place was set there as she was a guest, but the only others present were those teachers not away on holiday. There was Professor Sprout, who smiled and wished her a happy birthday from two seats down; there was Professor Sinistra, absentmindedly stirring salt into her coffee as she read the Daily Prophet; and --
Snape was looking much paler than usual and had tired circles under his eyes. Rose wondered what could be wrong. He seemed lost in thought, sitting with a cup of strong black tea before him and nothing else. Suddenly he looked up and met her gaze. There was something positively haunted in his face. He looked from her to the boxes and paper wrappings that surrounded her, and she had an odd impulse to shove everything away, to hide it all, as if it wasn't fair that he wasn't part of the celebration too. He looked away again, staring fixedly out the windows where the glorious summer sun shone.
I will never figure that man out, Rose thought, suddenly sober. In the interest of becoming more comfortable as his colleague, for days she had been following a new strategy of smiling when she caught his eye, but today her smile had withered before it even began. She thought she was making progress; sometimes she could almost feel him responding, though he had yet to actually smile back. It had become like a game for her: what would it take to make Severus Snape smile? She couldn't begin to imagine.
He left the Hall where she was still chatting happily with Arabella, birthday gifts all around her. Only eighteen, dear God ... He went back to the dungeons. Maybe before tonight's -- ordeal, he could get the sleep he hadn't gotten last night.
Rose smiled as she paced the corridor back to her rooms. Dinner with Sirius, Remus, and Arabella had been the best birthday celebration she'd ever had. Around her neck was the lovely pearl pendant Sirius had given her at dinner. She was still wearing the emerald silk dress, fashioned in the way of the newer witches' robes with an empire waist and snug-fitting, three-quarter length sleeves, and she felt more beautiful than she had ever felt in her life. The love and pride in her friends' faces as they caught sight of her in the new dress had made her feel a bit shy, even in their secluded lakeside picnic spot where Arabella had arranged for Dobby and Winky to serve them a truly gourmet meal.
"Has Hogwarts added French cooking to the curriculum?" Rose had asked Dobby teasingly. "No, Miss Rose," he said quite seriously, "we does the food as we is asked. Miss Figg asks for core-done-bloo, that is what we cooks. She wants that we waits table like in a fancy French place, so we waits table."
"And you've done very well," Rose said with a smile. "Oh, and thank you for the socks you gave me too, Dobby, they're lovely."
"Miss is welcome," said Dobby a bit shyly, grinning. Winky poked him. "Time we clear away," she said. Rose and her companions lazily watched as the two House-elves wove in and out of one another's paths, nimbly whisking away the soiled dishes and leftover food.
Sirius cleared his throat. "Rose, you look every bit as lovely as Lily was at eighteen. In fact, except for having your father's hair, you're her very image. And I never knew a more beautiful woman." He raised his glass. The tears in her eyes threatened to spill over as Remus added, "Nor I. Happy birthday, Rose." Arabella too raised her glass, and they drank silently.
They sat talking for many long minutes, enjoying the last remnants of summer sunshine and the fresh breeze from the lake. Finally Remus looked ruefully at the setting sun. "Full moon tonight," he said, "I need to Apparate back to Uncle Tell's soon."
"I'll go with you, Moony old friend," said Sirius. "I've been wanting to visit that uncle of yours. Think he'd prefer me as dog or human?"
"Dog, definitely," Remus answered. "Anyone would."
Sirius growled as they laughed, then he hugged Rose fiercely and kissed her on the forehead, saying "I'll see you again soon, I promise." Remus pecked her on the cheek, and Arabella also took her leave.
"What, do you want to visit Uncle Telemachus too?" Rose asked innocently. Arabella chuckled. "Not at all. Just heading to Hogsmeade, and why not with these two." But the way her eyes lingered on Sirius, Rose wondered whether that was her whole motive.
I'm glad, she thought in satisfaction as she watched the trio start down the path to the village. I hope something good can come out of all this. Sirius and Arabella ... ? Maybe. She laughed inwardly at her propensity for matchmaking, all based on a look she thought one of her friends had given another. Oh well, she mused cheerfully as she entered the castle, I was wrong about Tilly and Justin, better not be too quick to pair anyone else off.
Deep in thought, she was a bit startled to see Dumbledore approaching in the opposite direction. He smiled when he saw her. "Rose, you're just the person I need," he said. "Would you mind saving an old man's legs? I have an errand to run."
"Why, of course."
"Hagrid has a valuable book in his possession that I need to consult, and I don't like to ask a House-elf to enter his cabin without his permission. But you're a friend of his and he wouldn't mind you being there. I have a key...." he fished in his pocket. "I'd go myself, but --"
"It's no trouble at all," Rose said swiftly, pocketing the key. "What was the book?"
"The Divine Dragon: Care, Breeding, Habits, and Lore. I think it's a green volume with gold lettering," he said.
"The Divine -- don't tell me we've had sightings. Or has Hagrid got hold of a Horntail's egg, and you're babysitting it?" Rose said, smiling. Hagrid's desire for a pet dragon was common knowledge.
"No, no, nothing so bad as that," Dumbledore said. He chuckled, but Rose thought he looked a bit worried. Maybe there really had been sightings.
She headed back the way she'd come, pulling the new white shawl more closely about her shoulders; the sky was starting to turn a velvety blue-black, and the air was rapidly cooling. But it was a lovely evening to be out. The summer stars were beginning to burn fiercely above, and Venus glowed bright in the west. The moon had not yet cleared the hilltops opposite, but it would be showing itself very soon.
She found her way into Hagrid's hut and lit her wand, hunting the shelves and quickly locating the book. Tucking it under her arm, she locked the door behind her and turned to go -- but --
What was that noise? It sounded like a rustling. There ... now a heavy, scraping sort of sound, coming from the shed next to Hagrid's cabin. Whatever was making that noise, it sounded big. It couldn't be Fang: Hagrid had farmed him out to friends before leaving for giant country. Had some animal taken shelter in the now-abandoned shed -- or worse, some vagabond?
Rose set the book quietly down on the doorstep and held her wand at the ready. She crept up to the shed, finding the door open just a crack. She put one eye to the opening -- and gasped.
The most beautiful animal she had ever seen stood there, scraping one hoof against the wooden floor, then nickering softly. Its coat gleamed bright white even in the pale starlight filtering through the windowpanes. A silver horn stood proudly out from its forehead.
A unicorn ... she'd heard there were unicorns in the Forest, but then to hear some people tell it every magical creature that existed lived in the Forest, so she'd learned to be sceptical about the rumours. But here it was, a real unicorn --
She just had to have a better look. She pushed the door open and went inside. Then she noticed a dark band around its neck -- why, it was tied to a post in the corner. She quickly looked around: no one was near. But one thing was certain -- nobody, but nobody, kept a unicorn on a leash like a dog unless they had some evil intent. She would have to tell Dumbledore about this, just as soon as she returned.
"Are you okay, boy? Who left you here?" she asked softly. The animal reached its long neck forward, its nostrils dilating as she approached cautiously. It finally gave a little whinny and thrust its nose into her outstretched hand.
"Whoa there," she said in a low voice, laughing a bit as she ducked the horn. "Watch where you wave that thing." Rose reached carefully around the animal's neck, moving just close enough to untie the tether. She stepped back, pushing open the door of the shed so the animal could go free.
But the unicorn wouldn't move. It stood before her, pawing the ground again with one mighty hoof. Then it slowly bent its head and its forelegs. It was kneeling before her. But why?
Ah, of course. She blushed a bit in the dark, grinning. Yes, she certainly still had the power to attract a unicorn. She reached out and stroked the fine white mane. "Aren't you a beauty, then ... but we have to get you out of here before --"
"Miss Potter." Rose jumped in horror, her hand flying to her throat as a man stepped out of the shadows. Good God -- not Snape? But what did he want with --
He'd watched her, impossibly lovely in that dress, heard her murmuring to the creature. Torn between a fervent hope that the beast would rear at the first sight of her and an insane wish that it would fall at her feet, he'd waited, feeling an agony and indecision he'd rarely known.
When the unicorn finally knelt his first feeling, incredibly, was an overwhelming relief -- quickly followed by a raging fury. How dare Dumbledore send her here on this errand? How dare she wander about like this at night as though it were Hogsmeade at noon? And how dare he spy on her like this --
"Miss Potter." She jumped, looking terrified, as well she might. "What are you doing here?" He knew, of course, but couldn't she see the danger?
"Dumbledore just -- he wanted -- a book," she said breathlessly.
"And he had to send you? When it's dark, and anything could happen out here on the edge of the Forest? What makes you think you can just wander around the grounds at night?" He wanted to shake the life out of her -- he wanted --
All traces of the wonder and joy he had seen in her face as she was stroking the unicorn were gone. "Hogwarts is the safest place I could be," she said, her chin high. "I've got Dumbledore, I've got --"
"How do you know you're safe here now?" Snape snarled. He seized her by the shoulders, shaking her a little. "He couldn't save you before."
Her face changed as though he'd slapped her. Her hands went to his wrists and tugged. "Please -- you're hurting -- " He looked into her face and saw bewilderment -- and then saw nothing as his mouth came down on hers.
Ah, God -- it was fire, it was heaven, it was all he'd dreamed -- all he wouldn't let himself dream ... her knees buckled, he actually felt them buckle against his legs, and she fell into him, her hands sliding up his arms and around his neck, and he pushed her up against the door of the shed and pressed himself tightly to her. He tasted starlight, and honey, and tears --
Tears?
He slowly pulled back, his breathing ragged, and looked into her sweet face. What he saw there made him draw in a deep breath. She was trembling, as he was too, and her eyes were wide and shocked as the tears slid slowly from them, but there was a new knowledge in her face -- and something of what he had seen when she was with the unicorn.
She reached up again and slid her fingers over his lips and jaw. Her hand lingered there, learning the contours of his face as she pressed herself against him. His hands began to slide against the silk of her gown, searching for the fastenings as if of their own volition ... oh, God --
He pushed himself away, freeing her. "Go," he said, his voice hoarse and harsh. "Go now."
But she clung to him yet as he glared down at her.
Finally she turned away. He ran his hands through his hair, watching her shaky retreat.
A/N: Thanks for your lovely reviews, Unicorn Lady, Suzine, and Elyse! I really appreciate them.