Chapter Four
Rose woke at her usual time of eight in the morning. She gathered her clothes and her potions and made her way to the shower. She had a quick shower in the bathroom that had been modified a little, there were now half a dozen bars around the bathroom for her to lean on to help her get around with out her cane.
She dried off, plied her potions to her scars that she could reach and pulled on her under ware, before massaging the relaxant cream into her injured leg after she was sure that the scar fader had soaked in enough. She then pulled on her shorts that she had chosen for the day and the open back holter neck shirt so some one could apply her cream to her back. Brushed her hair and pulled it back into a bun and brushed her teeth, grabbed her cane and slipped the Pain Potion into her pocket and made her way to the dinning room for breakfast.
Her usual tea, toast and eggs were waiting for her by the time she sat down. The rooms were very quiet, she guessed that Uncle Severus had already left and Draco was still sleeping. Finishing her meal she started on her second cup of tea while thinking of what she wanted to do for the day.
She could start a carving project or do a painting if an image was willing to form for her or she could limp down to the lab and brew a few potions. She didn't think that she could honestly do any carving for at least a week, when her leg was a little better.
Her best choices were Brewing or painting as she could sit for both and she was slowly leaning towards painting. She looked up as she heard some one entered the room and nodded in greeting as her Uncle walked into the room dressed for his outing and picked up a large mug of tea that appeared as he sat down.
"I wasn't expecting any one up this early." He commented a little surprised. "Draco doesn't rise until nine during the holidays."
"I'm usually up at seven whether on holidays or not no matter when I went to bed." She shrugged. "This last week I have been rising at eight on the dot." She smiled slightly. "So I guess I have been sleeping in lately."
"Do you need me to do your back?" He asked nodding to the jar on the table.
"Please." She nodded. "It's become a part of the breakfast ritual, wake, shower, massage leg, dress, eat toast and eggs, two cups of tea, get some one to do back continue on with normal day." She chuckled a little as he stood up and deftly dabbed the cream on her six long scars across her back. "How do they look?" She asked glancing over her shoulder.
"They aren't as thick as they used to be or as red, I think in another week they will be like the scar on your cheek." He offered his opinion as he quickly rubbed the cream in before capping the jar and moving to the kitchen to wash his hands. "I should be out for most of the day, I'll be back for dinner. Just stay out of trouble and don't destroy the rooms." He smirked at her before he finished his tea and left their quarters.
She shook her head with a faint chuckle and wrote out a quick note for Draco, that she was painting, Uncle had left and would be back for dinner.
She made her way to her work rooms and set a medium size canvas on the easel and uncapped her paints before sitting down. She cleared her mind like she had been taught and found an image quickly appearing obliging her.
Her brush moved in quick sure strokes from paint to canvas and back again, drop the brush in the cleaning solution and change brush size and continue on, half an hour in she paused to drink down her Pain Potion before continuing.
Finally done she leaned back and dropped her brush in the cleaning pot and stared at the painting and chuckled.
It was of the headmaster sitting in an overly large cushioned single chair in front of a fire reading a book and on his feet were thick bright blue woolly socks, one hand was raised towards his mouth with what looked like a piece of yellow candy. In the background of the room was a window where snow was gently coming down during the night. To his left was a phoenix, preening near the fire.
She shook her head in amusement and started the preliminary spells for the portrait to be animated if so wished and set it on the drying rack with the other two. She paused before picking up the first portrait of the animals playing and set it down on the easel to see if anything needed fixing or repaired. Nodding in satisfaction she cast a few more spells on the painting and took a deep breath to centre herself and cast the final spell and watched as the animals began moving around, playing around happily, with the faint gentle sounds of the dog barking, the wolf howling every now and again and the Stag stomping his hooves or bobbing his head down at the other two playfully.
She looked at the painting thoughtfully before moving in to her carving room and pulled out several lengths of dark maple wood out of a pile and using an old cast off piece of wood transfigured into a table in the middle of the room and used another piece to transfigure a chair before focusing on the four piece of wood.
It took careful wand work to cut the wood into proper lengths and then focusing on the carving design she wanted and casting the spell moving her wand very slowly down each length of wood watching as the design appeared in the form of vines but in each corner there was something different. In top left was a large lily, top righ was antlers, bottom left was a grim and bottom right was what looked like a little wolf cub.
She cast a soft sanding spell over the wood to take away any sharp edges, then was the clear varnish spell which also instantly dried which is one reason she loved the spell at times when she was in a hurry to get something finished. Then was the polishing spell, protections spells and long life.
It took a further half hour to mould the frame she had created to the painting with out damaging either one, the more protection spells on both so it couldn't be damaged and then hung it up on the wall until she knew who to give it to.
She then started again on four more pieces of wood at a slightly slower rate knowing the painting wouldn't be ready for the frame until morning. She wasn't sure how long later it was when she finally finished the frame, full of flaming Phoenixes and the strange yellow candy shapes. Shaking her head she set it aside after vanishing and polishing it ready for the painting in the morning.
All she had to do was figure out what to do with the second painting she had done yesterday before Draco had interrupted her.
She picked it up to look it over carefully as she didn't recognise the boy dancing in the rain with a happy smile on his face, his black hair was plastered to his head, his cloak flapping in the wind as he danced around. Nothing came to her for a frame so she set the painting back down and picked up her cane from where it was leaning against the shelf and limped out of her rooms to the bathroom to clean up before looking for a clock to find that she was just in time for a late lunch as it was close to two in the afternoon.
She settled for a fruit salad and glanced at the parchment she had left for Draco and found that he had left his own note that he was going to be in the potions lab. She finished up her meal and added to the note that she would be in her room reading and made her way to her room, picked up a jar of relaxant cream and massaged her leg that was beginning ache and took another Pain potion before settling down with a potions book to read in front of the fire.
0000
Then next day Rose spent the day in her work rooms with Binky sorting out everything that her Uncle had bought from her long list. He had gotten everything on her Need and Want list and a few on her Wish, mainly extra bits and pieces. It took Binky four hours to put everything away in it's own place with Rose transfiguring a few shelves.
She wrapped up the painting of the Headmaster in plain brown paper she had found before also wrapping up the three animals playing and balanced them both very carefully in her good arm and headed out towards the sitting room suddenly glad that she had left her door open for once. She spotted Draco in his study working on his home work muttering to himself as she passed by.
Her Uncle was in the sitting room with guests. The two very people that she wanted to speak to.
"Do you need something Rose?" Severus inquired a little surprised to see her out of her rooms.
"I'm sorry for interrupting you, but I have a gift for the Headmaster and Remus." She nodded her head slightly towards the wrapped paintings. "I'm guessing the Hogwarts really likes you two, she was very insistent that I paint these for you."
"Hogwarts?" The headmaster inquired looking over his half moon glasses, motioning for her to come in to the room.
"Rose is a Master Portrait Maker and Carver, Albus." Severus informed him as he rose and lifted the wrapped paintings out of her arms.
"Top one is for Remus, the bottom is the Headmaster." Rose informed him. "Yes, Hogwarts, she is a very old magical building, I am surprised that I am not being overwhelmed by images that she thinks are important enough to be animated."
"I've always thought that Hogwarts is semi aware of what goes on in her walls, it is possible that she is being careful not to overwhelm you and probably shielding you." The Headmaster said thoughtfully as he carefully unwrapped his portrait and beamed at her, even as his old hands traced over the carved frame. "This is very detailed work Rose, how long did it take you to do both?"
"About eight hours at a guess." She shrugged. "Eighteen if you include drying time."
"Thank you my dear." He continued to look over the painting. "You didn't animate it?" He asked.
"I wasn't sure if you wanted it animated just yet but everything is in place for it to be done." She shook her head and then looked sharply at Remus as she heard a choked back sob as he stared at his own. "Remus?" She asked hesitantly, wondering if maybe this hadn't been the right moment to give him his.
"It's lovely Rose." He assured her in a voice thick with tears. "It's just been awhile since I have seen any of them."
"Actually I was wondering if I showed you another if any of you would be able to recognise him, I know I don't but Hogwarts was very insistent that I paint it." She asked looking down at her hands clasped on her cane.
"We would do our best my dear." The Headmaster agreed with a smile and called a house elf and handed his painting over asking for it to hung up in his office and Remus requested the same.
"Have your Masters returned yet Rose?" Severus asked as they all followed her down to her work room.
"No sir, it's been nearly three days. If they aren't back in a week I'll call them back." She shook her head and limped her way to the drying rack and awkwardly picked up the painting and set it on the second easel that was set up for them all to look at. "Usually when I finish a painting and it is ready to hung or given to some one I get an image of the frame that I created and attach to the painting and that usual helps me pin point who to give it to, but this one I get nothing…"
"Well who ever it is they certainly are happy." Remus chuckled and shook his head. "Have you tried animating it to find out?"
"Well that's the other thing about this painting…it feels incomplete but I don't know why." She sighed in frustration.
"Maybe in time it will come to you." Severus said quietly.
"It would be easier to identify him if we could see his eyes." The Headmaster murmured leaning in to get a slightly better look.
"Rose I was wondering, if you can animate a painting can you undo those spells?" Remus asked suddenly looking up at her. "Even if you weren't the ones to cast them?"
"Yes it's a part of the training." She nodded. "But there usually has to be a good reason for it especially if it is the only portrait of that person."
"I inherited a house from an old friend and his mother's portrait is in the main entry way and she is for ever screaming obscenities at everyone. We've tried everything to silence her and remove her from the wall but nothing has worked." Remus explained and she felt the Headmaster watching her in interest as well.
"It is possible, I would have to look over the portrait to see what spells are cast on it, depending on the spells I should be able to unanimate it enough to be moved to another section of the house or it will destroy it." She shrugged.
"You would also have to get permission from Poppy for her to leave or go through the floo." Severus added with a slight scowl. "Providing you can find her."
"I will speak to her." The headmaster nodded in understanding.
"If you do find her let her know that I would like a word." He scowled.
"I must be going." The Headmaster looked at a watch he pulled out of his pocket and then quickly disappeared out the door.
"Albus!" Severus shouted after him before following. "We haven't finished with that other topic yet!"
Remus just chuckled and shook his head. "Thank you Rose for the painting, it means the world to me."
"You're welcome." She flushed a little.
"You should get back to you paintings." He gestured to the large canvas sitting on the easel before turning and leaving the room, closing the door behind him.
Rose sighed glancing at the dancing boy for a long moment before returning to her seat in front of the large canvas and picked up from where she had left off painting a room in a home she had never seen, wonder just who her newest guest would be.
0000
Rose was just putting the last touches on the unoccupied room when some one banged on her door startling her, causing her brush to streak across a good three inches of the painting.
She just stared at the blob of green paint in the middle of her painting uncomprehendingly for a few moments before her temper rose. She dropped the brush in the cleaning pot, grabbed her cane and stormed to the door yanking it open and glared at Draco who just scowled at her.
"Your twenty minutes late for dinner." He grumbled at her.
"What part of don't interrupt me when my door is shut don't you remember, you stupid unmannered boy?" She shouted, clutching the door and her cane tightly. "Six hours of work down the bloody drain!"
"Dinner is mandatory." He reminded her growling.
"I don't care! I was not to be interrupted when working!" She yelled and then slammed the door in his face and cast three locking charms at the door before limping back to her painting and stared at the blob marring her work. "Stupid spoiled brat." She muttered as she carefully picked up a thin brush and a little vial of clear fluid and dipped the brush in it and carefully applied it to the blob, before picking up a foam brush and dabbed it with extreme care over it.
She ignored the knocking on her door as she continued to carefully remove the mistake until she was sure that she could no longer see a hint of the streak of green before carefully patching it up.
She dropped her brushes in the cleaning pot and got up and unlocked her door and moved to the bathroom to clean up before moving to the dinning room stiffly to find only her Uncle waiting for her sitting at the table looking over a letter.
"You are two hours late." He said with out looking up.
"I would have only been a few moments late if he hadn't startled me and cause me to jerk a streak of paint through a painting as I was just finishing up." She replied stiffly still standing in the door way. "It took me two hours of very careful delicate work to repair it."
"Was it necessary to lock your door afterwards?" He inquired with a raised eyebrow.
"It had to be removed before it dried or it would have become a part of the painting. I didn't want any distractions while I fixed it."
"Sit, I had dinner kept for you." He pointed firmly to her seat. "He has been confined to his room for the rest of the night as he was told not to interrupt you while your door was shut and he was also late to dinner."
She sat down and slowly picked at her roast beef dinner.
"We will have another guest tomorrow staying with us until school starts. I'll warn you that he and Draco are…adversaries of a kind they do not get on well." He informed her as she finished up. "I will be confiscating their wands so they can't hex each other in these rooms, so any shouting you hear from them should be ignored, they need to learn to get along."
"Yes sir." She nodded slightly as she placed her fork on her plate.
"I also finally got a reply from Master Jacob Collins at lunch, with your results from your mastery. He informs me that he has only recently been released from the hospital a few days ago and wishes you to know that he is back to full health." He continued. "He also regrets to inform you that Master Hendricks lost an arm and severely injured his other and will no longer be able to carve."
"Oh…" She looked down at the table. "They were a partnership in work and life. Master Jacob painted and Master Hendricks made up the frames, he also created many pieces of furniture for the community." A tear slid down her cheek. "He must be devastated, he loved creating images out of the wood."
"He also says that their shop was destroyed in the explosion along with the portraits you made for them and if they have not returned to you by the time you are told this then it will be necessary for you to call them back." He added as he continued reading. "I must admit reading through their commentary on your mastery is quite flattering and they were ecstatic to be able to train a image receiver, the first in fifty years in that region." He paused to take a sip of tea. "They state you are welcome to write to them and send their condolences for the loss of your family and hope you are settling in well here." He glanced up at her. "Will be continuing with your work tonight?"
"Yes sir." She nodded. "There is a strong pull with this one, I won't be able to stop for long periods of time until it is done."
"Very well, at least I will have a warning you are going to be grumpy from being tired." He nodded with a slight chuckle. "How many Pain potions have you had today?" He asked as she rose with a grimace.
"Two, I will probably need the rest of my allotment to get through this painting." She sighed, flexing her leg carefully. "It probably won't be finished for another day or so, I won't know for sure until morning."
"If you truly need a pepper up let me know I'll leave one with Binky for tonight only." He informed her as he turned back to his paperwork.
"Thank you Uncle." She gave him a smile and returned to her rooms and sat back down at her stool and downed a Pain Potion before looking over the painted room carefully. She had a feeling that this wasn't going to be the usual traditional paintings she usual did.
It had the feeling of a Conclave portal painting that she had only ever done once as apart of her testing. It was basically a painted room spelled to be open to all portraits or the original owner of the said painted room.
She wasn't sure which one this was going to be at the moment but picked up her thin brushes and began adding little details. A tea set with cups, milk, sugar, lemon and what not were added to the coffee table. Spines of books were placed on a empty book shelf, papers were scattered on a desk in the far corner with ink and quill. A tray of sandwiches and sweets were added to the table.
Hours later she slowly sat back while cleaning off her brushes and once again looked over the painting still feeling there was something missing, the was a void on the wall above the fire place and another above the desk.
She closed her eyes while her right hand absently massaged her leg and cleared out her mind leaving only the image of the desk and the blank wall above it in her mind. Slowly a family crest formed and she studied it as it came into focus and began painting it. It looked similar to the Hogwarts crest but had been modified with several family crests, made into personal crests.
Finishing she washed out her brushes downed another Pain Potion and began on the main Crest that was to hang above the fire place.
Pausing after finished the second crest she absently scratched her nose, leaving a few smears of paint on her face.
"Binky" She called as she stood and moved the dancing boy back to the shelf and sat back down.
"Yes Mistress Rose?" Binky asked as she popped into the room.
"I need another large canvas on the second easel and a cup of tea," She requested as she mixed up another set of paints and turned to the empty easel, that was quickly filled with another large canvas and her right hand was quickly painting again and her left was filled with a warm cup of tea that she absently sipped at as she painted.
"Anything else Mistress Rose?" Binky asked.
"I need eight pieces of wood cut down to size for these two paintings, make it dark Jarrah wood or Maple." She replied her complete focus on her work.
She didn't notice when she finished her tea and the cup was removed, or that Binky finished up cleaning her brushes and dried them to be reused, cleaning out the cleaning pot and refreshing the cleaning solution.
She paused to refresh the paints on her pallet and cast a few spells on the first painting before tucking her wand back behind her ear.
Slowly brush stroke by brush stroke a lake, grass, tress, a few rocks and picnic area began to appear during a nice sunny day. Another cup of tea absently drunk and four people sitting around the picnic began to appear, dress in old fashioned robes of good quality, they were talking, laughing and eating the picnic.
A jaw cracking yawn caught her off guard as she was in the middle of changing brushes and she shook her head to clear her eyes.
"Mistress Rose want Pepper up?" Binky inquired softly from her side.
"Yes please, Binky, only a few more little details, a few spells cast and it will be done." Rose nodded tiredly, as Binky pulled a Pepper up out of her shirt and handed it over. Rose downed it quickly, grimacing at the taste and felt the steam burst out of her ears before focusing back on the painting. She heard faint grumbling and glanced between her paintings to her open door and spotted Draco stager into the bathroom in his pyjama's. "Is it breakfast time Binky?" She asked turning her attention back to her painting.
"It is just after eight Mistress Rose." Binky nodded, her large ears flapping.
"It's been awhile since we've done an all night painting session hasn't it?" Rose smiled at her energetic house elf who just beamed at her. "Another cup of tea please Binky, and close the door I don't want to be interrupted just yet."
"Yes Mistress Rose." Rose heard the door close and another cup of tea was pressed into her left hand and she began sipping at it as she added a few little details before sitting back and looking over the painting carefully to see if she had missed something.
Satisfied that it was finished she turned back to the Conclave and looked it over once more before nodding and put her brushed in the cleaning pot, still sipping at her tea. "Place them on the drying rack for now Binky, I'll do the frames up tonight after I've slept." She requested as she slowly stood, her tea cup changed hands and her cane was gripped in her left and lent heavily on it to get to the dinning room for breakfast and slid into her seat.
"You are still covered in paint Rose." Severus chuckled quietly.
"Yes Uncle." She mumbled finishing off her tea and poured a second before picking up her toast and nibbling at it.
"Have you slept yet?" He asked watching her carefully.
"No, I just finished." She shook head tiredly. "I thought I would come out and eat, cast the last few spells on the paintings and then fall into bed." She covered her mouth as another yawn caught her. "Maybe just spells and bed is better." She muttered as she slowly got back up.
"Would you like a quick leg massage so your leg doesn't seize in your sleep." He offered watching as she limped heavily.
"Be nice." Came the mumbled reply as she left the room.
She made it to her drying paintings and cast the last few preparing spells on them, thought the Conclave would need a few more once she had gotten some sleep.
Severus met her in the hall and helped her to her bed and transfigured her clothes into a warm top and silk boxers and gently cleaned the paint off her hands and face. He set her cane against the bedside table and helped her slid into bed and massaged her leg gently, wincing a little himself as he felt how tight some of the knots were in her muscles.
Rose mumbled a sleepy thanks as she drifted off to sleep unable to stay awake and enjoy the loosening of her muscles.
0000
Rose woke to shouting coming from the hallway and groaned as she recognised Draco's voice throwing a tantrum as if he was three. She sat up slowly and pulled on her dressing gown, gathered up her cane and clothes for after her shower and made her way slowly to her door, glancing at the clock on the mantel as she passed.
One O'clock.
She'd gotten five hours sleep after doing nineteen hours of work. She got her door open , just as Draco spun and kicked the hallway wall. His hair was in disarray, his face was red with anger and his clothes were out of place.
Rose just blinked at him her face blank and then at her Uncle who was standing near Draco's bedroom with a similar blank look on his face.
"You are how old again?" Rose inquired as she closed her door behind her and moved for the bathroom door. "One would think you were three not sixteen with all the noise you are making out here." She looked at her uncle. "He acts like a child, treat him like one. Make him stand in a corner for a time out." She suggested before closing the bathroom door behind her and focused on getting clean.
She doctored her scars that she could reach and her leg before pulling on a backless shirt of green silk, and loose legged pants so they could be rolled up with ease. She ran her brush through her hair and pulled it up into a tight bun, and slipped her jars into her pocket before heading for the dinning room for a late lunch.
She had to smirk as she passed the sitting room to find Draco standing in a corner staring at the wall muttering to himself. She joined her uncle at the table and immediately snatched up her tea cup and sipped it a few times before digging into a roast pork and salad sandwich.
"So what caused him to be three?" She asked quietly between bites.
"I wouldn't let him out to fly on his broom." Severus shook his head. "After he had already snuck out this morning while I was in the lab to fly for three hours before sneaking back in."
"Ah, if he had asked he would have been able to?" She asked as she set the jars on the table beside her plate as she finished her lunch in a few quick bites.
"Precisely." Severus nodded. "How is your leg?" He asked as he stood and opened the grey jar and doctored her back for her.
"It feels great, it's the loosest it has been since the accident, I can actually walk with out it twinging all the time." She glanced at him. "You tinkered with the massage balm?"
"I did, but you will have to be more careful moving about for a few days as it is a more concentrated version of the relaxant you have been using, mixed with a slight pain killer." He nodded as he recapped the lid and then washed his hands. "It should only be applied before you go to bed. Other wise keep using the other in the morning, between the two of them they should help you move about better and let you leg heal a bit." He returned to his seat. "Poppy will want to rescan your leg in a few days to see if the new balm is actually helping or just masking it."
"Good idea." She nodded as she finished off her tea. "I'll be finishing off the paintings today, mainly the frames so I'll be in the back if you need me." She added as she rose, cane already in hand.
"I thought you were only working on one?" He asked as she walked.
"Second one hit just as I was finishing the first around eleven last night." She shrugged. "Not the first time that has happened, probably won't be the last." She looked over her shoulder. "When is our guest arriving?"
"Soon, you will probably meet him at dinner." Severus sneered slightly.
Rose just nodded and made her way to her carving room and sat down at the table at the eight pieces of wood Binky had already prepared for her and began casting spells.
Two hours later she ended up with one set that was covered in Snakes, Lions, Ravens and Badgers, she guessed that was for the picnic painting and the other was a pattern of crossed wands and a violin in the middle surrounded by vines.
She cast the clear varnish spell and polishing spell and then called Binky in to bring in the paintings.
Rose carefully stuck the frames together around each picture and cast the fusion spell with adhered the frame together and to the painting. She then cast a few spells on the picnic painting and told Binky to hang it up in the other room, all it need was the final animation spell and turned her attention to the common room painting.
It only need two more spells. One to make it open to those on the crests and any other they wished to invite, which was a rather tricky and powerful spell. It all depended on how she cast it to how soon she would be able to animate it. This spell was a little strange as it was never cast the same way twice by the same person. None of the masters could really explain why, it was just the way it was.
She took a deep breath and centred herself and cast the spell and watched the painting carefully for any changes. Because if it had been cast wrong it would change the painting and ruin it, and the caster only had fifteen minutes in which to remove it and try again, before the spell became a part of the painting.
Giving a slight nod to herself she then cast the protection spells and then the animation spell and gave Binky the painting to hang up in the other room. If she had done it correctly, any portrait connect to the that room or crests would feel it and come to investigate in a few hours.
She returned to her paintings and looked over the two empty ones and cast the spell to recall them from where ever they had gotten too, and hoped that they hadn't gotten damaged in their time away.
She looked over the picnic scene and cast the animation spell, knowing that it could some times take hours for the people in such a scene to realise that there was some one watching them.
"How soon until dinner Binky?" She asked as she turned her gaze to her family who were still frozen in time.
"Three hours Mistress Rose." The elf replied looking up from scrubbing a few paint spills on the floor.
"I'll be in my room if any one needs me." She murmured as she left her work rooms and slipped into her bedroom with out anyone noticing and sat down in front of the fire and stared up at the portrait fiddling with her wand for awhile before closing her eyes briefly and cast the animation spell but didn't look up as she heard them shift a little, just continued to stare into the fire.
"Rose…where are we?" Her father's voice asked and she felt a tear slip down her cheek. "This isn't any of the rooms in the manor."
"Honey?" Her mother called for her attention and another tear fell.
She slowly raised her face so she could look at them and she found her mother hugging Lucas tightly with a worried look on her face.
"Mama" Rose whispered as the tears slowly fell faster, she raised a hand to cover her mouth to smother a sob.
"Where are we Rose? Why aren't we at the Manor?" Her father asked in confusion.
"We…" She choked out and stopped and closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths and tried again. "We are at Hogwarts in Scotland." Another slow deep breath. "I am staying with Uncle Severus, I've been here just over two weeks."
"And the scars?" Her mother asked softly, watching her daughter closely.
"There was an attack on Murdock Alley a few days after school was let out for the summer." She raised her hand a little more and wiped away the tears. "It was Lucas's birthday and a late celebration for me completing my Mastery… we'd only been there a little while and there was an explosion as I was running to catch up with you…I woke up in pain in the hospital, no one knew what happened to you." Her voice cracked and she grabbed the nearest pillow and hugged it to her chest. "I fell into a coma for two weeks before I woke up, a few hours later I was told you hadn't survived and I was being transferred to Saint Mungo's in London where Uncle Severus would pick me up and take me in."
"You don't know what happened?" Her father asked quietly. "What caused it or…"
"No, no one has told me anything. The Ministry here in London is telling everyone that while there was an Attack in LA no one died." She sniffled and moved on the couch so her legs were laid out and she could lean against the high arm. "Uncle Severus and the Headmaster are still trying to get information on what happened, a month later." She looked up at her parents her eyes red and puffy, still leaking tears. "Why did you never tell me about Uncle Severus?"
"He made a bad mistake and we had to leave England because of it to stay safe. It was safe for him and you if you didn't know at the time." Her father sighed. "But you are right I should have told you when you were older." He shrugged a little. "I can't change how things worked out, no one can."
"I know."
"Why'd it take you so long to activate us then?" Lucas demanded in his little four year old voice stomping his foot. "It been a month!"
"I was in a coma for two weeks Lucas and after I got here…" She trailed off and dashed away the tears again. "I couldn't face it just yet, I'm still not sure I am ready to really believe that you won't be here." She bit back a sob and she heard a faint knock.
"Rose?" Severus's voice called out just before her room opened a little and he slipped into the room and froze at the sight on the moving portrait. "Sean, Jean." He nodded to them both and moved to sit beside Rose and pulled her gently away from her pillow and wrapped his arms around her and let her cry.
"Severus, she isn't ready for this." Sean told him softly. "You will either have to get her to remove the animation spell or take us out until she is ready."
"Hiding you away isn't going to help her Sean" He shook his head. "She just needs to cry, she's been through a lot, and to be honest I haven't been here for her, I had a friend look after her while I took care of everything." He rubbed her back carefully. "I've only been back a few days. It took longer then I thought to go through all your paper work." He glared up at his brother. "You sure do know how to leave surprised don't you?"
"What do you mean?" Sean frowned.
"I mean the vault you got from Potter when they died." Severus growled.
"James is dead?" Sean stared at him in stunned shock.
"It was Wizard wide news when the Potters died nearly sixteen years ago Sean." Severus snapped at him. "When the Dark Lord first fell, it was too their son."
"No, I got a letter from him every month, he said that it was a ploy to the Death Eaters wouldn't find him and Lily." Sean shook his head.
"Believe me Sean they are very, very Dead." Severus sighed. "It seems some one has been forging his letters…who knew about your friend ship?"
"Severus listen to me." Sean shook his head. "It was his signature, magical and his ring sealed into the parchment. No one can fake that!" Sean snapped.
"It can be." Rose sniffled as she slowly pulled back out of her Uncles arms. "If a house elf does it." She informed them all, accepting the handkerchief to wipe her eyes and blow her nose. "If he has a portrait he would write the letter with a quill he spelled to dictate for him, have an elf seal it with his ring and send it off. When a return came just have the elf read it to him." She looked up at her father. "Remember it happened with that scandal with Lord Jerimah eight years ago?" She reminded her father.
"Then why would he say it was a ploy that they were dead?" He rubbed his face in frustration.
"Well technically he's not, he is a living portrait." Rose replied slowly. "And with old family magic some one has to believe that the head of the family is still alive to keep the manor defences in place if the Heir is too young to take control. It is self protection, to stay hidden, keep some one believing that he was still alive to keep the defences of Potter Manor alive…" She trailed off and her eyes went a little wide. "Papa do you feel a Conclave room open to you?" She asked quickly. "It will feel like a tug when you get near the edge of the portrait?" She watched as her father moved towards the edge and nodded. "Go there, I'll meet you at the other painting." She scrambled to get up and nearly fell until Severus caught her.
"Slow down." He told her in a sharp tone, "You will only injure yourself more." He picked up her cane from where she had knocked over and helped her to her work room.
Standing there in the middle of the Conclave painting was her father and she grinned.
"I was right!"
"Explain for those of us who have no idea, please darling." Sean asked with a fond smile.
"Don't you recognise the crest above the fire?" She asked with a small smile.
"That's the Potter Crest!" Severus sneered.
"This is what I was working on when Draco interrupted me, it's not actual Portrait but a link between many Portraits keyed in through individual crests that are added into the painting by the artist. It becomes a common meeting ground for portraits to meet up, gossip and catch up, but only those who are keyed in can enter. They care called Conclaves, they are actually a lot hard to do then a normal Portrait because it is such complicated magic." She explained as sat down on her stool. "Better yet it also connects in to ancient family magic as a last resort to keep a family line, history and magic alive." She looked at them and saw that they were both confused but still following her. "The old families had a defence written into their Wards centuries ago, so that if an Heir was ever orphaned and knows nothing of their family history and magics, the wards reach out and urge a Master Portrait Maker to make a Conclave so the Family Portraits could gather and teach the Heir what they need to know before their seventeenth birthday and they take over the Family as the Head." She looked at the painting. "But because it has become such a rare gift many Heirs have to learn from family friends and their Godparents."
"Alright I think I am following." Sean nodded. "When you painted this you had the urge to add the crests when normally this painting would have been finished once the actual people were added, but because it is a Conclave, the people weren't added but the crests were so those people could come from their own Portraits else where to gather here when they are needed. Right?'
"Right." Rose nodded.
"But that still doesn't explain James's letters" Sean pointed out to her.
"Belief is a very strong thing, father." Rose shook her head. "You believe strongly enough, especially with magic the stronger the magic is."
"Yes okay I get that." He nodded slowly.
"Your belief probably gave James just enough power to keep the wards around the Manor going all these years, he only needed one person to believe it enough to give him the power to keep everything stable." She explained. "We do magic because we believe we can and do so with confidence. Those with out that firm belief and confidence don't do so well."
"True, I have seen it in some of the students here." Severus nodded in understanding.
"James needed just one person to believe that he was alive and holding the wards on his Manor so they WOULD hold until his Heir was of age to take over." Rose replied with a small shake of her head. "Like I said it is very complicated magics."
"And confusing." Sean sighed. "So how long will it be before they start gathering?" He asked looking about the room.
"Well I only activated it two hours ago, so it could be anytime really." She shrugged. "Just how old is the Heir?"
"Sixteen, he turns Seventeen in two weeks." Severus replied.
"I hope it's enough time for him to learn the basics to take on the wards." Rose grimaced.
"Can some one else take them on until he is ready?" Sean asked with a frown, "That's what I arranged if anything happened to me before you were ready, Severus holds the wards for Prince Manor in LA."
"That's only possible if he has magical family left and they know what they are doing." She shook her head. "Does he have a godfather?"
"Not anymore." Severus shook his head. "He died just over a year ago."
"Well then no, no one else can take it from him. He'll need to start learning and fast as soon as they are all gathered." She shook her head again.
"He doesn't even understand half of what happens in the magical world or why." Severus growled.
"Then that was his Magical Guardians fault for not teaching him what he needed to know when he turned seventeen." Rose snapped. "Or even his teachers for not making sure that he learnt it." She sighed. "It going to take everyone gathering and some one real to teach him who also learnt it, to make sure that he does it right."
"That rules out Lupin then." Severus muttered. "I just bet Albus is going to make me do it." He sighed. "The Heir is our second Guest, Harry Potter."
"Well at least he won't have to go far to learn." Rose sighed. "I'll put the Conclave Painting in the Library so he can access it anytime, Papa can let me know when the other's arrive"
"Sure thing, darling." Sean nodded.
Severus called a house elf and had him move it to the library near a desk.
"It's time for dinner." Severus sighed. "Clean up and head to the dining room while collect the other two."
"Yes sir." She nodded and did as she was told. She was already seated when Draco stalked in to the room and sat down looking very annoyed. She just raised an eyebrow at him.
"I was napping." He grumbled with a slight flush to his cheeks. "I'm sorry about this morning."
"It's fine we all have bad days." She gave him a small smile as Severus stalked in with a sullen teenager just behind him.
"Rose this is Potter, Potter this is my niece Rose." He growled as he sat down and the meal arrived.
Rose nodded to him, which he returned. The meal we eaten in silence.
"Sir may I go to the lab and brew a few potions after dinner?" Draco asked as their plates vanished and pudding arrived.
"You may, just remember to clean any mess you make in there," He glared at him. "You forgot yesterday."
"Yes sir." Draco nodded.
"May I use the library to finish my homework?" Harry asked quietly.
"You may, I'll need to talk to you later as well." Severus nodded. "Rose, Poppy will be down at seven thirty to check you over again, so please don't get lost in a painting."
"Yes sir." She nodded. "I might browse the library for a bit."
"Just don't walk around too long." He nodded. "I have to go and meet the Headmaster, I'll be back soon." He rose and left.
"Poppy's coming down?" Draco asked with a small frown.
"It's time for my four day check up." She shrugged. "If I am lucky they will become weekly, instead of every four days." She grimaced as she stood and made her way down to the library for the first time. It easily held thousands of books, it also had a little study area with desks and chairs and another area by a fire with couches and chairs for reading.
She browsed a few shelves before she picked up a book on defence against the dark arts and settled down in a comfy chair near the fire to read.
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