Snape's song
Part 10
The oddly talented Miss Rose
Disclaimer: Not all mine

After her final year at Hogwarts, Rose found herself putting more work into the order of the Phoenix. This meant spending more and more time at the Weasley's. The family treated Rose very well, especially the twins who if it were possible fancied her even more, for trying to protect their siblings,

"You are almost as bad as Harry! Older and better wizards have surrendered to Lucius Malfoy in the past. You are lucky Alistair helped you out," said Arthur.

"I know. I'm just not used to people begging me for anything. It was a shock but I suppose I'll have to get used to it and not crumble," agreed Rose.

Meanwhile, Molly was fussing over dinner. She was intent on cooking even for those who didn't want anything. Rose knew that Snape wouldn't thank her for it and she soon found out that Molly knew it also,

"Might as well only cook for a few of us. Severus never eats anything anyway, not without force feeding him, which I am sure my boys would love to see," she said.

Without thinking one way or the other, Rose lept to Snape's defence,

"Perhaps he has his own routine," she said.

Molly smiled at her and Arthur raised an eyebrow. Rose looked as innocent and confused as possible, but couldn't help but feel she had given the game away,

"From my children, I gather he doesn't like Gryffindors but favours his own house. How does he treat the other houses?" asked Molly.

"Well I wouldn't say he was prince charming, but we did get help when needed but with the odd harsh word here and there. Ravenclaws pretty much the same, they usually got more points though. Smarter you see," replied Rose.

"You got a high mark for NEWT potions, the highest I believe. I bet he was pleased with that," said Molly.

"He hasn't said either way. Why would he?" asked Rose.

Molly said nothing and Arthur hid behind the Daily Prophet. Rose looked out of the window in time to see people arriving. She looked out fondly at them all, every person who came forward had praised her for her actions that summer. When black robes and dark hair appeared, she turned away from the window and started to help Molly with the food. Snape calmly walked into the Burrow and took a seat and watched as Rose sent food over to the table, from the other side of the room. Arthur saw this and looked twice from Snape to Rose and shook his own head, convinced he was imagining things. For her to admire him was one thing, but for him to admire her was another and surely impossible as far as Arthur was concerned.

Finally Professor Dumbledore arrived. Rose got up and let him in, knowing that he was at a disadvantage due to his hand. The old man smiled at her and Rose tried to do the same, but her heart wasn't in it. She knew that he wasn't a well man and finally saw him for his age. Thoughts that he would even out-live her grand-children vanished as he went to his chair at the head of the table, were everyone stood out of respect for him. Rose returned to her chair next to Remus and Professor McGonagall. She was diagonally opposite Snape, who nodded at her in acknowledgement before they both turned their attentions to Professor Dumbledore,

"First of all! If I catch one more person look at me like I am a gravestone...there will be trouble! Yes? Good! Honestly...it's like having a dozen mothers! Right! So this evening..." began Dumbledore.

Snape stood up and excused himself. Dumbledore nodded and others exchanged concerned glances. Rose looked at the door a little longer than some before turning back to the old man, but found it hard to concentrate on what he was saying, through worrying about Snape. It hadn't got any less worrying no matter how many times he left to go to Voldemort. Rose always expected the worst, that Voldemort would some how find out whose side he was really on. Then. She could see Dumbledore shaking his head and apologizing to her, as on a bed in the hospital wing, lay Snape's cold, dead body. It wouldn't have surprised her. So many people had already been killed because of Voldemort that she had known, that it wouldn't have surprised her if Voldemort took another man from her side. If he did, she didn't know how she would react. To loose one was unlucky, but two and she would think Voldemort had it in for her.

At the end of the meeting, Rose's owl arrived. She was a grey creature but quite young and a fast flier. Rose had called her, Lepoda due to her speed. Lepoda had a letter attached to her foot, Rose gently released it and Lepoda flew away, not the most affectionate of owls. Rose
recognized her mother's writing instantly and read the letter which read,

Dear Rose,

Please come home soon. We're so worried about you! We know about the war in your world. Plus that paper we get told us about what you and some others did a few weeks ago! We need to see you to make sure that you are alright. What if it had been you who died that day? Please come home and see us, even just for a few hours. Me and your dad miss you terribly,

love Mum xxx

Rose sighed. Molly looked at her with concern as the young witch looked at the clock and then at the letter,

"What is it dear?" she asked.

"My mum. She wants me home ASAP. She's read the paper. She knows about the ministry and the war. Trouble is I don't want them involved. If the death-eaters follow me there, they'll be killed out of revenge for Lucius. I'd rather let them think I don't care, than see them dead," replied Rose.

Molly smiled at her sadly,

"Not easy being muggle-born is it?" she asked.

"Not easy being a hated muggle-born by Voldemort and his death-eaters. At least the feeling is mutual. I could have written back, but a certain smart Alec owl has decided to go for dinner," replied Rose.

"You're always welcome here Rose...you seem to put a spark into Fred and George when you're here. I've never seen them so helpful," said Molly.

They laughed. Molly knew Rose didn't think of her boys in the same way they did her and Rose knew that she knew this. She left the Burrow for her own little house, that Snape had helped her pay for.

On her bedside table was a picture of parents Alice and Jack Hunter. Out of shame and heart-break, she placed the picture face down and then opened a photo album of some of her Hogwarts days. Rose was totally lost in thought, when she heard a noise downstairs in her living room. She left the album open on her bed and ran down the stairs, her hand was grasped around her wand, regardless of the fact that the house was protected. Snape got up from the foot of the fireplace and shook his head at her,

"Who did you think it was?" he asked.

"So I'm paranoid! What do you expected since the Prophet told everyone 'this muggle born is against death-eaters!' And painted a huge sign on me that reads something like: Point wand here and make green light. I had a letter from my parents tonight, they want to see me. How can I do that without putting them in danger?" asked Rose.

Snape smirked at her and put his arms around her. He then whispered in her ear something she was very interested in,

"I happen to know, that a certain Gryffindor, who owes you quite a bit... owns an invisibility cloak. How can anyone follow you, if they can't even see you?" asked Snape.

Rose looked at him with astonishment. Of course. It sounded so simple to her now. However she knew that she would have to wait until Harry was at the Burrow. All Order members were forbidden to contact him at Privet Drive, no matter how old they were. They were but to guard the family until they were moved.

Snape went downstairs one morning, to find his breakfast on the table and Rose putting on her travelling cloak,

"You know he'll still be there later on?" he asked.

"I want to get this over with. You haven't met my mother. She'll want me to stay there, out of the way and never leave the house. More chance of flying to Jupiter on a comet one hundred," replied Rose.

"I'll come with you if you like..." began Snape.

"I'd rather you didn't...don't look at me like that! I'm not ashamed of you, they'll be bad enough as it is over the war, without giving them something else to nag me over," replied Rose.

"Am I not worth the ear ache?" asked Snape.

"Don't start..." began Rose.

"Well if this is how it is going to be..." he began.

Rose rolled her eyes,

"Alright! But don't blame me if you get hurt. Just because my dad's a muggle, doesn't mean he can't cause pain," she said.

"I'll risk it. I'm fed up of lying to everyone. I at least want your family to know about us. You're eighteen now, even they recognize you as an adult," said Snape.

Rose went to the Burrow, she couldn't help but roll her eyes at the Weasley twins as one minute they were transfixed by Fleur and the next grinning at her. Molly smiled at her as she walked towards her,

"Can I see Harry for a moment?" she asked.

"Of course! Go right up..." replied Molly.

Rose went up the stairs and knocked on the door, from which she heard people talking. She heard someone answer the call and opened it. Hermione looked the most pleased to see her,

"Rose!" she cried.

"Hi you three. I wondered if I might borrow your cloak Harry? I want to see my parents but I don't want death-eaters following me. I'm really in trouble after that ministry article actually printing my name," said Rose.

Harry looked confused and frowned slightly,

"How do you know about the cloak?" he asked.

Rose hadn't thought of that. She could hardly tell them the truth and hated herself for the lie she told, but she had to say something,

"Sirius told me. Please. I wouldn't ask but they wrote to me," she replied.

Harry gave her the cloak. Rose smiled and left the room quickly due to her guilt of using a dead man's name to hide what she was up to. She looked up and even apologized to Sirius' memory silently, as she went home and collected Snape,

"Are you sure about this?" she asked.

"You have the cloak and I have over ten excuses for my travels. It's best to face the music now. We've been together almost a year," replied Snape.

Rose nodded as it dawned on her. In two months time they would be together for a year. Her longest relationship thus far but it didn't seem like it. They were about to leave when Lepoda gave her another letter, which she read aloud,

"Tom wants me at the happy hour tonight...there's an excuse to escape," she said.

"Rose it can't be that bad," assured Snape.

"You're not there yet Severus. They are going to have hippogriffs. First over the fact I'm staying in the war and Voldemort can come and have...sorry Severus, ago if he thinks he's hard enough and second, I'm with my old teacher. I don't know which they're going to hate the most," said Rose.

Snape looked at her sternly,

"Cloak on and I'll follow you. You're not getting out of this," he said.

"Do you ever get tired of ordering me around?" asked Rose.

"Never. You give in so easily," he replied.