Chapter Eight – Rose

A Lesson in Remembrance

I woke up the next morning to stare at the ceiling that I had woken up to every morning for the second half of my seventh year here at Hogwarts. At first, I smiled happily, but then I felt a pang, remembering…

I was thirty-two years of age, not seventeen. I didn't need to be thinking like this; I didn't need to be waking up every morning miserable, just because I couldn't forget a stupid mistake that I had made, so many years ago.

But why did it have to be a mistake? my heart screamed at me. It wasn't a mistake; you were happy! You loved each other, even though things ended badly.

I sighed and tried to ignore the screaming of my heart. Instead, I stood up and moved from the bed that I had slept in with my – back then – fiancé and into the shower. By the time I was up, dressed and ready for breakfast, I had managed to dispel the memories of Sirius and just look forward to starting my new life with my family – the family I had been neglecting for far too long.

"I can't do this," I muttered under my breath as I left the room (which was hidden behind a portrait of the four founders playing cards). "I can't do it…"

"Yes, you can, Rose," a voice said from behind me. I spun around and stared at McGonagall, completely and utterly shocked to see her there.

"Professor-"

"Minerva," she corrected me with a stern glare, but she smiled and I smiled back.

"Very well," I agreed, glancing away from her for a moment, before adding, "And, yes, of course, Minerva; you are quite correct. I was just…"

"To use the modern phrase, 'freaking out'?" she asked, and I couldn't help myself but grin.

"When did you get so wise?" I asked her as we walked, side by side, down the hallway, towards the stairs that would lead us to the Great Hall.

"It's a prerequisite of being a teacher her," she replied, and winked jauntily. I had to stop myself from gasping in shock; I had never seen this side of my strict professor before. I had to admit, I quite liked it. "You have your first lessons today?"

"Mm," I agreed, turning my mind to the subject at hand. "Yes, I do. I have a healing class with the sixth and seventh years this morning, and then I have an advanced defence course this afternoon, with the fifth years."

"Are you looking forward to it?" she asked me.

"Other than being terrified I will screw up, yes," I said honestly. "I mean, I've written the courses for both, and I just hope they'll work out."

"Rose, if there is one thing I learnt from the year you spent as a student here," Minerva started as we walked through the doors to breakfast, "it's to never count you out. You've managed amazing things in your life; I don't doubt that you can teach well enough, too."

I smiled at her and glanced over at her table, where Harry, Hermione and Ron had just sat down next to the Weasley twins and Will. Further down the table sat James and Dan, and a little further along where Lily and Ginny and another boy. Over at the Ravenclaw table, Beth sat chatting with several girls and I asked Minerva quietly, "Who are the girls that Beth is sat with?"

She glanced over and straightened her glasses. "I believe Miss Lupin is sat with Cho Chang and Marietta Edgecombe."

I smiled. "And let me guess, they are both fourth years and very intelligent."

She smiled back, "Of course. Would you expect anything less from dear Filius' house?"

"Merlin, no," I told her, grinning widely. "Wit beyond measure is-"

"Man's greatest treasure," a small girl chimed behind me. I turned to see a girl who looked about the same age as Lily, with bright blonde hair and Ravenclaw robes. I smiled politely at her.

"Hello," I greeted. "I'm Professor Black. And you are?"

"My name is Luna Lovegood," she said with an absent smile. "Watch out for the wrackspurts; they seem to quite like you." With that, she drifted off to the Ravenclaw table and left me behind, staring after her in confusion. I glanced across at Minerva to see her struggling not to laugh.

"Oh, dear," she gasped. "That girl…"

"What are wrackspurts?" I asked her, really confused. "I've never heard of them before."

Minerva just chuckled and said, "Neither have I."

Okay, so that cleared up everything. Not. But I forgot about it as Lizzie came into the hall, on her own, wearing Slytherin colours. She glanced over at the Slytherin table and then walked over to her twin, and slid in beside him. Will glanced up and grinned at her, whereas the Weasley twins looked at her questioningly. I was close enough to hear her answer.

"Just because I wear green and silver – which, by the way, suit me way better than red and gold so – doesn't mean that I'm not still your sister, and your friend."

I smiled and thought that's my girl.

"Shall we?" Minerva asked, bringing me back to the present, and we ascended the steps up to the teacher's table. She hurried round it and I took the seat left for me, between two empty chairs (I assumed for my sister and Remus) and Severus, who looked up and nodded to me.

"Cheer up, Severus," I told him with a smile, "Every day like this means one closer to the summer, when you can get rid of all the students."

He snorted, a very Snape-like sound, and muttered, "Yes, but I don't have to be cheerful while they are still here."

"It might make them leave quicker," I suggested to him. He gave me a brief smile (I nearly had a heart attack) as Remus and Cara joined us.

I glanced at my sister, who looked happy but vaguely absent, and asked, "Cara? What's the matter?"

She glanced at me and blinked, bringing herself back from wherever the hell she had been. "Oh, I'm just so happy to be back here. I mean, Romania was a dream come true…"

"But this is our home," Remus said quietly from her side.

"If you two start being sappy, Severus and I will vomit on you," I warned them. At my side, Severus snorted again, and shot a nasty look at Remus. I smiled. "Ah, you two. Enemies unto last breath, right?"

Remus laughed, but Severus just rolled his eyes. I took a bite of my breakfast sanguinely and then put my fork down as I lifted the front page of the paper that had just been dropped in front of me by Dumbledore.

"Thought you might like to see this, Rose," he murmured, then strode away. The headline screamed: SIRIUS AND ROSE BLACK – WERE THEY EVER MARRIED?

Feeling sick, I read on.

"Sirius and Rose Black were married on August 9th back in 1978, writes Rita Skeeter, vivacious reporter for the Daily Prophet. But although they were married in front of witnesses, was their marriage ever valid?

Research has revealed that Rose Black – née White – was, in fact, married previously to her marriage with notorious serial killer, Sirius Black. In fact, witnesses state that Mrs Black (or perhaps it should be Miss White) admits to have been married to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named before her marriage to Black.

As is well known in the wizarding world, most magical marriages – marriages where a binding spell is used or an oath is sworn – are marriages for life, and cannot be undone. Does this mean that Miss White was never married to Sirius Black, simply because her first husband was still alive at the time?

This story is continued on page 4…

I looked up from the article, feeling strangely sick. No. It was wrong. They could take my husband away, they could brand him a criminal, but they could not make our marriage mean nothing.

Cara took the paper and smoothed it out (I had clutched it quite tightly and actually screwed it up), reading with a blank face. When she was done – and Remus was, who had read over her shoulder – she handed it over to Severus, who read it with no expression at all.

I glared at the paper, angry.

"Rose," she said softly, "Rita Skeeter can hypothesise all she likes, but your marriage was valid. You know that, as does everyone who was there. Your marriage with Tom ended that night in the church."

I looked away and sighed. "I know it was, Ca, but I hate it that that woman has the ability to question the most binding commitment that I've ever made. Damn her."

Cara grinned. "Well, why don't you cause as much scandal as possible to get over it?" Then she looked over at Hagrid and said, "I'd better dash; I have a lesson to set up for. Cheerio!"

She darted off, and Remus stood, smiled apologetically, and left too. I was left sitting with the Potions Master.

"Well," he said softly, "I wouldn't be too worried. Miss Skeeter writes an awful lot of rubbish that no one believes."

I sighed and grimaced. "I know. But some will."

"And it is the people around you who matter, not the fools who believe her."

"When did you get so wise, Severus?" I asked him, turning my head.

He smiled briefly and said, "It is something that surprised me, too."

I threw my head back and laughed, surprising the table and the hall. Severus allowed himself another brief smile, and I laughed harder. Where had this Severus Snape sprung from? He wasn't at all how I remembered him.

When I finally managed to stop laughing, I grinned at him. "I see I should have made friends with you way back when we were in school."

He shuddered. "I would never have made friends with a filthy Gryffindor. Blood traitor," he added with a smirk. I could have taken offence, but I realised it was a joke.

"Filthy half-blood," I shot back. We grinned at each other and I stood. "I'll come and bother you later. Adios, my friend." I stood and hurried from the table, towards my new classroom.

It was a small classroom, up on the first floor – opposite my office – and it was quite sparse. That I could change. I lifted my wand and, with just a wave, the plain walls grew posters, half depicting the human body and injuries and potions, and the other half showing a lot of defensive (and some offensive) magic. The desks I moved to make a horseshoe shape – I had never really like lines – and I shoved mine over to the corner, so I could stand at the front of the class. I went over to the cupboard to look through supplies…

I had decided to start my healing classes with simply healing spells, and later move them on to healing potions (which I would have to ask Severus to collaborate with me to teach as they were more his area of expertise), but today would be learning about everyone's abilities.

With a small smile, I stepped up to the chalkboard – oh yes, chalkboards. I had my own chalkboard – and wrote my name.

Then I stepped away and opened the door, ushering the mixture of sixth and seventh years inside.

"Take a seat wherever," I told them. I counted them quickly and reached the count of twenty with a smile. Ten seventh years – four Ravenclaws, a Hufflepuff, three Gryffindors and two Slytherins – and ten sixth years – three Ravenclaws, three Slytherins, three Gryffindors and a Hufflepuff – came inside and sat, according to year group and house. I smiled.

"And now I want you all to stand up again," I said. Grumbling and looking wary, they did so. "Now, I know this will not make me popular, but I want you to go and partner up with someone who isn't in your house or year. Every Seventh year must partner with a sixth year, alright?" When no one moved I sighed and said, "Do I have to pair you up myself?" They moved quickly, and I noticed that the Slytherins still stood in a group on their own. I rolled my eyes. "Okay, stop, stop! You," I said, pointing at the older Slytherins, "Come here." They did. "You and, you, you and you, and you and you," I said, pairing them up. Soon enough, everyone was sat in pairs that weren't house and year group exclusive.

"Okay," I said, sitting on my desk and staring at them, "I want to get this one thing straight. While you are in my classroom, you are not part of a house, or a year. I will give house points, but I don't want you to work just for those. While you are in here, you are here to learn how to save lives. You understand?"

They all nodded and I smiled. "Good. Now, my name is Professor Black but, since we're all going to be friends, call me Rose. I'm not going to demand that your classroom etiquette is perfect, but I do want you to respect everyone in this room. Now, let's start by going around the room and introducing ourselves."

We went round the room and the all said their names. I nodded at them and smiled. I recognised Percy Weasley and his girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater, and I hoped I would get to know the others soon.

"Brilliant. Okay, now we all know each other, let's talk about what you guys know about healing."

When no one said anything, I smiled and said, "Percy, why don't you tell us something."

He smiled and puffed out his chest importantly, instantly drawing our eyes to the head boy badge there. It was all I could do to not laugh, but I listened as he explained that he knew how to heal broken bones like noses and toes, and seal cuts.

"Good!" I exclaimed. "That's brilliant – that is exactly what we're going to be studying the rest of this week. Who else can do things like that?"

A couple of people nervously raised their hands and I grinned. "Who wants to give us a demonstration?"

"On what?" one of the older Slytherins asked rudely. I think his name was Jonathan. "Are you going to cut yourself?"

"If I have to," I told him with a charming smile. "Now, since you so kindly volunteered, come on up here." He looked at his partner – a sixth year Ravenclaw, Ian Drake – but stood up and came over. "Now, you know the incantation?"

He nodded, and I raised my arm and wand. In one slicing motion, I cut down my forearm and, holding in a wince from the pain, I said, "Heal me."

The blood was pouring out of my arm at an alarming rate and the Slytherin looked pale. He seemed to waver, and I reached out and grasped him under his elbow. "Mr Dray," I said quietly, "Please heal me. This hurts a rather large amount."

He lifted his wand and chanted the incantation as he waved the wand down the cut. The wound healed. It wasn't perfect, and left a rather large red line, but it was no longer spewing blood.

"Very good, Mr Dray! 15 points to Slytherin House!" I said with a smile. "Please, take your seat again." I cleaned the blood from the floor and summoned my chair, sitting at the head of the class, but part of the almost circle. "Now, everyone take a good look. Who can tell me why this isn't perfectly healed?"

The sixth year Hufflepuff – Norman Day – put his hand up and I called on him. He cleared his throat nervously and said, "Well, the incantation is normally used for smaller wounds, and is not particularly powerful."

"Take 10 points for Hufflepuff House, Mr Day," I said with a smile. "Now, watch this." I lifted my wand and said clearly and loudly, "Sanare Iniuria." The rest of the wound sealed over and left nothing but a small pink line. "Now, that is also a quite basic spell, but is used for a deeper cut or laceration. It takes a lot more effort, too, and you have to concentrate with it, but it is one of the most useful spells in a Healer's arsenal. The scar will eventually fade, and the skin will be left unblemished." The bell rang and I stood, smiling. "We'll be working on this spell next lesson. Class dismissed."

As they left the classroom, I smiled, suddenly feeling good about myself. That had been… well, not easy exactly, but fun. I liked lessons like that. The door to the classroom opened and Dumbledore poked his head in. I smiled at him.

"Albus," I greeted warmly.

"Rose, dear," he said, smiling widely. "How did your first class go?"

"I think it went well," I told him and glanced around the classroom. "I'm going to have to get a dummy, since I can't keep cutting myself. I'll talk to one of the healers at St Mungo's about it."

Dumbledore shook his head at me. "You cut yourself?"

I shrugged. "It was necessary for the demonstration… and it helped in another way too." When he said nothing, I explained, "Well, me being able to take pain is going to make them respect me a bit more – some of them, at least. It means they will take me seriously."

He smiled at me and said, "Shall we go and have a cup of tea in my office? That is your only lesson for this morning, right?"

"Yes," I agreed with a smile. "But only if I can have one of your sherbet lemons."

He laughed and said, "I may be able to stretch to giving you one."