Saying Goodbye
They entered a sunlit classroom and once again, a room fell silent. Severus found himself facing the piercing eyes of a mass of young children. As young as first years, the age at which he normally instilled a healthy terror in the creatures that sometimes lasted a full seven years. Around the room there were several women, as well as the young teacher, Theresa.
Zelda glanced encouragingly at him and then turned her attention to the young faces all staring at her.
"So quiet, my cherubs? This looks not like a party. I thought there'd be cake. Please tell me there's cake."
They began quietly murmuring and several heads nodded.
"By the way, this is my new husband, Professor Snape. As of the end of school today my new name will be Mrs. Snape."
They all focused on him then, and it was all Severus could do to stand there as they stared intently at him.
Zelda smiled at Theresa, who seemed surprised at the subdued reaction of the class. She rolled her desk chair out in front of her desk and sat down on their level, in discussion mode.
Theresa smiled and gestured to Severus, offering him a chair slightly off to the side, so he could watch.
"So, who's in charge of what?" asked Zelda.
"Our table organized the food," said a tall girl with shining brown hair.
"Is it good?" asked Zelda.
"Yep. Table three brought drinks," she said.
Zelda looked at another group and asked, "Are the drinks all under control?"
A small bright-eyed boy said, "We have soda, but Zoë forgot the cups."
"How can you solve that setback?" she asked.
A heavyset girl with black hair said, "Cups in the second cupboard, top shelf."
"Do it," said Zelda. "Who's in charge of music?"
"Table five," said another voice.
"This does seem weird right now, but I think you have things under control. Let's get started, okay?"
As though released from an immobilizing spell they all sprang into action and Zelda beckoned to the women standing near the door.
Severus noticed the young teacher standing by the wall nearby. When she saw his gaze she came closer.
"She thinks I can do this, but I'll never be as good as she is," the young woman confessed.
"Zelda's very confident in your abilities," he replied. "I was young when I began teaching and it can be very daunting. But time and experience will teach you what you need to know."
Suddenly, pop music blared from a black machine on the counter and Severus saw Zelda smile ruefully in his direction.
"Would you like to see the food?" the tall girl who had spoken earlier to Zelda asked him.
"Yes, thank you," he replied stiffly. He followed the girl to a buffet being laid out by children. He discovered piles of biscuits, a smaller bowl of what looked like multicolored pills, and a large bowl of brilliant orange things that resembled fat, crisp worms.
"What are those?" he asked, rather appalled.
"Cheetos," she said, looking at him as though he'd come from another galaxy. "Cheese that goes crunch. Don't you have Cheetos where you come from?"
"Er, no. I actually enjoy real cheese. Are they safe? Actual food isn't that color," he said, his lip curling slightly.
"I forgot, you live in Scotland," she said. "You must eat gray stuff like haggis and oatmeal."
Severus glanced around and discovered that a crowd of children were hovering nearby and listening to them.
"Actually, we don't eat much haggis," he replied mockingly. "But perhaps if we color it bilious orange and make it crunchy, students will request it."
Several of them laughed at that.
"You should try Cheetos before you say anything," said a tiny blond girl. "It's not nice to insult our American cuisine."
"Cuisine?" he asked, fascinated by their boldness. "Is it haute cuisine?"
"My last project was on French cooking, so I know what that means," said a tall, black haired boy.
Severus studied their buffet. There were some small, oblong cake-like things, eerily uniform in size, on a shining plastic platter.
"What are those?" he asked.
"Twinkies. Don't you have those either?" asked another child.
"No. And what's wrong with those Cheetos?" he asked, pointing to another bowl farther down on the counter. "They seem shrunken and their color is wrong. Blood flavored?"
"Those are Flamin' Hot Cheetos," explained another child patiently.
Zelda looked for her beloved and discovered fully two thirds of her students were surrounding him, with more drifting that way.
"Your husband is certainly popular with kids," said one of the mothers who'd come to the party.
"He's gorgeous, if you don't mind me saying so," said another. "You're a lucky one, Zelda."
"I am," she agreed, studying the situation apprehensively. "I wonder if he needs rescuing."
"He's fine, Zel," said Theresa, joining them. "He looks so imposing, but he's discussing American snack cuisine with them. They're hoping he'll try Cheetos and Twinkies for their amusement."
Zelda laughed. "They don't know him, but at times, when he's been here and I've been swamped, he's helped check their homework. He knows them through their work."
Indeed, Severus found these brats quite well mannered. Having survived horrors in his past, he found their innocent interest in forcing him to taste American snack foods rather funny.
"What is that horrible, so-called music?" he asked irritably. "Don't you have anything that sounds less annoying?"
Several of them looked disappointed, but one boy said wisely, "Old people like old fashioned music. Ms. Larsson likes the Beatles, is that better?"
"Definitely," he replied, relieved that he actually knew of the Beatles.
Several children headed for the music device and he mused that it wasn't only magical children that traveled in packs. A moment later he was suddenly transported back in his mind to his childhood and a small record player. His mother had loved the Beatles, and the opening chords of In My Life shocked him with their familiarity.
"Are you going to eat some Cheetos?" asked the tiny blond girl.
"Ms. Larsson would say you should try a little of everything," the tall girl said sententiously.
"I would indeed," said his beloved, who had come to see the fun. "Have you tried Twinkies?"
He rolled his eyes, picked up one of the identical golden cake things and took a bite.
One eyebrow rose, as he tasted the white filling. He set the remainder on a paper plate and pushed it away.
"What is that?" he asked, swallowing it hastily. "Not a natural substance."
"No, but they need no refrigeration," she replied calmly. "Wash it down with some nice, salty Cheetos and Orange Crush."
She took one of the fat orange worm things and popped it in her mouth with a smile.
"Not cheese, but not bad," she said. "Now, who's going to cut that lovely cake? John?"
Blushing, a small boy stepped forward and picked up a plastic knife and paused over a large sheet cake.
"How many are we altogether?" he asked.
Half a dozen students began walking around, counting in a haphazard manner, making Zelda chuckle.
"Twenty eight of you, seven adults, Mrs. Bergman and the secretaries down in the office," she said briskly.
"Thirty eight, so I'll go for forty pieces," he said promptly. "Eight pieces one way, five the other."
Carefully he bisected the cake and began cutting it into smaller sections. Two girls began pouring soda from large bottles into paper cups.
Zelda stepped over to Severus and reached for his hand, squeezing it.
"You look amazing. Wherever did you get the Muggle finery?" she asked softly.
"Kingsley and Michael," he replied softly. "They told me it would please you. Were they right?"
"I love it," she murmured. "Does it feel weird, wearing it?"
"it's extremely comfortable. I have a great appreciation for Armani," he admitted. "This suit is a work of genius."
"It's time for cake," proclaimed John.
All the students began moving and sat down at their tables.
"Table three," called a bright-eyed black girl.
Six students lined up in an orderly fashion to receive their piece of cake, supplemented with piles of snack food.
"Impressive," murmured Severus. "They seem competent."
"If you set the expectation, they'll achieve it, with mistakes, of course, and with the mistakes come learning moments. They're good kids."
The students returned to their tables with food and began talking in low voices.
"I'll miss them," she told Theresa, who came over to join them. "But we can't let them party all afternoon or things will disintegrate. They can snack for a little while and then we'll do a last dance contest before I head out."
"Zelda," said the younger woman. "If I write my woes to you, will you hold my hand?"
Zelda hugged her and said, "Of course. But you'll be a great teacher. Just give it time and when you screw up, because you will, forgive yourself and keep on going. Talk to Sarah, she knows everything."
"I will. But come and sit down again, okay?"
So Zelda sat down once more and several students brought out the class gift. She opened it slowly, hoping it wouldn't make her cry. It was about three feet square and flat and when the wrapping was removed she recognized the assistance of the school art teacher. A piece of white fabric was stretched tight on a frame and there was a colorful combination of stitching and bright crayon ironed onto it. It was a springtime scene of the playground outside, complete with sunshine, trees, swing set and children. Every student's name was on it somewhere, yet it wasn't cluttered, it was cheery and delightful. So of course her eyes filled with tears.
"It's beautiful and I'll always treasure it," she said, gazing on her last sixth grade class and hoping her heart wouldn't break.
"Finish eating in the next ten minutes and then we'll have one more dance contest, okay?" she said.
She turned to the mothers who had watched all of this.
"I'll miss them all," she said. "Stick around and help Theresa, okay? She's the best possible person to teach them for the rest of the year, but she's scared. You all know the ropes."
The three obviously knew Zelda well. One brought out a pretty gift bag and handed it to her.
"We can never thank you enough for all that you've given our kids over the years," said the tall, red-haired woman. "Have fun and be happy, Zelda. This is from about sixty of us."
There was a bottle of lotion, specially formulated to ease stretched pregnancy skin, which made Zelda smile with gratitude. A small jeweler's box was next, and she opened it to discover a pair of gleaming sapphire earrings that matched her necklace.
"It's too much!" she said, staring in surprise at them.
"No it's not," the oldest of them said sternly. "We got a bargain price because my uncle's a jeweler. Besides, Marcus is doing well now, thanks to you. I don't know if he'll manage the public high school, but he's far beyond anyone's expectations. It's because you believed in him and in all of them. I could never have paid someone to do what you did for him."
There was one more thing; a small scrapbook filled with notes and messages, far more than she could count. Tucked inside was a copy of the school directory, with all the names and addresses in it.
"Some are just emails, printed out, but we all want you to know how much you mean to us," said the third woman. "Stay in touch and let us know how you're doing."
"I will," promised Zelda. "Now, it's time for the dance contest and then Theresa can take them out for a nice long, afternoon recess. It's her show, starting on Monday."
Severus watched as the students began pushing tables to the sides of the room and Zelda picked up the grade book.
"What's the music today?" she asked.
"Jock Jam!" several boys shouted in unison.
She rolled her eyes and laughed, saying, "Okay, do it, then."
"What are they doing?" Severus asked Theresa.
"Letting off steam. This group all loves music, so she gives extra credit to anyone she catches dancing. She's good at letting them have a little fun, but she works them harder than anyone too."
Loud, pounding music filled the room, and suddenly students began dancing.
Mrs. Bergman appeared in the doorway and when she saw what was happening she slipped in and joined Severus.
"The gifts are in her van," she said, handing him Zelda's key ring. "Where are you off to next?"
"We're going to spend the weekend with her children," he said.
"Wonderful. Give them both my regards. I taught Lily's fourth grade class in my last year of teaching. They're great kids."
Zelda was moving cautiously through the writhing mass of child bodies, making check marks and beaming at her students' clever moves.
When the song ended she called out, "Extra credit's finished. Now, YMCA!"
A new song came on and Severus watched as the dancers all moved in unison, laughing happily. He saw Zelda hand the grade book to Theresa, say a few words and then slowly move toward the corner where he stood with the principal.
"This is it," she said, her lower lip quivering slightly. "When the song ends, I'll say goodbye and then Theresa's going to let them party a few minutes longer after we leave."
"You never leave anything to chance, do you?" asked Sarah.
"In teaching, improvising is dangerous," she said, sharing a familiar refrain one last time.
As the song ended, she said, "It's time for my afternoon nap, so we're heading out. Be good to your new teacher and have fun."
All the students flooded toward her, but with a teary chuckle she said, "Line up!"
Immediately they did it and one by one got a personal goodbye. After the students came the mothers and finally Theresa and Sarah.
Severus took her hand as they left the classroom and headed for the parking lot.
Two men in khaki uniforms came out of a room at the end of the corridor.
"I hope you weren't leaving without saying goodbye to us," chided the gray haired one.
"Oh, Don. I'm glad you're here. We've had some times, haven't we?" she said. "This is Severus, my husband. Severus this is Don and Dave, our custodians and my occasional partners in crime. They've let me bend the rules for years."
Severus shook hands with the men, who seemed very fond of her.
"It's been a long day and I have to go, but you two take care," she said, hugging each one.
Finally they were outside and she fumbled in her purse blankly.
"Here," he said, clumsily unlocking the doors and handing her the keys.
On the driver's seat was a small gift. Zelda recognized the handwriting on the envelope.
"It's from Sarah, and I won't open it now or I'll cry so hard I won't be able to drive."
She did drive, however, and was greeted happily by the animals when they went into the house.
"Change clothes and sit down," he ordered. "I'll bring your gifts in."
She went to the bedroom, took off her clothes and slipped on her robe, feeling shocked and drained. She sank down on the bed and stared blankly into space.
When Severus had taken care of everything else, he came looking for her.
"Zelda?" he exclaimed, instantly worried.
"I'm okay," she said wearily. "I just need to sleep."
"Take a nap then and we'll go to the cabin after you wake up. Here, you'll be more comfortable like this."
He undid her robe and tucked her under the covers naked.
She smiled tenderly and murmured, "Thank you for going along with all of it. You were perfectly wonderful."
He kissed her softly, left the bedroom door open on purpose and after a moment, Apparated away.
&&&&&&&&&
When she woke, several hours later, Zelda was completely disoriented. It wasn't night, Severus wasn't with her, but Rowena was on the bed, sprawled full length and snoring. Marshmallow was curled up next to her head, wheezing slightly. She saw Muffy and Shadow sharing the chair, curled up on top of the dress she'd carelessly discarded.
Memory returned slowly and she realized she was no longer employed as a teacher. She put her face into her pillow and let tears fall silently. It had been a wonderful day, but her life was no longer predictable. She faced a future in a strange world and it was terrifying. A small sob escaped her.
"Mom?"
Lily's voice startled her and she hastily wiped away her tears.
"Lils! What are you doing here?" she asked, sitting up.
Realizing she was wearing nothing, she held the covers up to her shoulder and peered at her daughter, seated in the armchair that was behind her with a book in her hands.
"Severus came to get me. He thought you might need cheering up," replied Lily. "Do you need to rest more?"
"No, I need to pee and I'll come out. What are all these animals doing here?"
"When he came to get me, he didn't want you to wake up alone, so he left the door open. Aren't they all cute?"
Zelda laughed at her daughter's ridiculousness and said, "Freaking adorable. Call Rowena so I can move, please."
Once they had left the bedroom, she reached for her robe and headed for the bathroom. She still felt weak and tired, chilled to the core, and the panic of having given up her work was still there.
She peeked into the living room and saw Severus staring out the window. He was wearing black jeans and an old black shirt with the sleeves rolled up, exposing his forearms. Such a thing would have been inconceivable when he had the Dark Mark on his arm, but now all that remained there was puckered scar tissue. He turned and saw her there.
"Zelda, how are you?" he asked, frowning and anxious.
"Better than before," she replied.
They went quickly toward each other and held each other tightly.
"That was terribly difficult, saying goodbye," she whispered. "Thank you for being so wonderful."
"I liked them very much and loved seeing how they respect and care for you. I'm lucky to be married to such a clever wife."
"Ah, it was so hard, even though I know it's the right thing. I feel suddenly set adrift in a wide ocean. I'm sorry if I cling to you."
"No, sweetheart. You cared for me when I had nothing, and I'll take care of you until you feel stronger again."
Zelda pressed her face against his warm neck and let his heart beat against her cheek.
"What time is it?" she asked. "Are the others waiting at the cabin?"
"Probably they are now," he said. "Are you ready to face them?"
She looked up at him and took a deep breath.
"If I collapse into a heap now I won't get up again. So I'll keep going forward, following the plan. It made sense before, so when I feel better it'll make sense again."
He kissed her forehead gently and said, "I'll be here with you, my girl. All you need to do is get dressed. Lily and I have everything ready."
"Okay," she said. "Give me ten minutes."