Chapter 18

Catalysis

"I wish you had owled me last night. I've been so worried about you. Elspeth was so sure that he would kill you when he heard about Bobby that she almost asked her father to find out if you were safe."

"Oh no, she didn't! Does she know how much trouble she could get Severus into with an inquiry from the Ministry?"

Eva grimaced and said, "She was not thinking about that. She was worried about you. Sarah and I persuaded her not to do anything silly, but that doesn't mean we weren't all afraid for you."

Patience tossed another square of leather chew to Biter before she bent over for her scissors and said, "Well, he believes me. No more restrictions. Nothing has changed."

"That's it? He just said he believes you and nothing else happened?"

"Nothing else. He was angry at first, but he gave me a chance to explain and he believed me. He did ask me to wear the necklace in the future, since it will protect me, and he says he is going to get me better protection than Rem."

Patience could see Eva was utterly gobsmacked for a few moments before she replied slowly, "That doesn't sound like Professor Snape, Patience. That sounds almost normal and reasonable. My father would have done worse."

"I know."

"What else did he say?"

"Not much else. I don't think that he wanted to stay. He was so angry and jealous and he looked just like I was expecting when he came in, but when he left I think he was hurt and sad."

"Sad because of Bobby and you?"

First pushing her sewing needle into the fabric and touching her wand to its tip, Patience then tilted her head and thought for a moment. "I don't know. He was not hurt as if he thought I had betrayed him, because then he would have still been jealous and all that. No, more like he was miserably unhappy."

Eva shook her head and said, "No Patty, you have to hold the wand up, like this. Then the stitches will come through evenly. Watch."

Patience mimicked her friend's wand strokes, smoothed out the hem of the dress, and started again.

As she kept one eye on her friend's wand work, Eva returned to their conversation, "You think that he is unhappy for some reason other than the incident with Bobby?"

"I know he is. The night that…Christmas night I mean…well, he had been drinking. He was drinking to forget something. He had drunk more than a half bottle of Black Aquavit."

"Really?"

"Yes. I think something is making him very unhappy, Eva. I do not think that it is worrying about something so much as hurting over something. Though I don't have any reason for thinking so, it is more of a feeling I have."

Eva reached across, pulled the fabric of Patience's hem taut across the frame, and tapped her wand on the edge of the wooden apparatus. "There, it should stay now."

"How did you do that spell?"

"Let's focus on getting the Simple Thread Embroidery Spell right. Once we get that then I'll tell you how to get the cloth to pull through the frame, so you can leave the sewing to the charm and free your hands for something else."

"You think I can?"

"Oh yes darling, easily. Just focus. It isn't half as hard as petit point and you can do that."

Patience smiled at the joke, but admitted, "I was rather bored at the time and petit point is not done with magical stitchery."

"Yes, it…" Eva changed her mind and decided that there was no point in correcting Patience, "Yes, well just you concentrate. Once you get the first one, then you won't forget how."

After Patience had tried once more and achieved a somewhat lopsided fleur-de-lis, Eva said, "Right, that is brilliant dear, you only just want to remember that last round drop with the wand. Do you have any idea why he's unhappy?"

"I do not know. I don't really know much about him or his life. It could be anything really. Perhaps he hates being a teacher."

Eva nodded and waved her wand over Patience's needlework to correct the fleur-de-lis pattern. "He might. I certainly would. Imagine having to mark first year essays."

Patience looked up from her work with a surprised expression. "I hadn't ever thought of all the marking he must do. All four houses from the firsties to the seventh-years!"

"Right, as well as preparation for class and lectures, school events such as Quidditch, and since he is Head of Slytherin there are those responsibilities."

"You are right. It must be awfully dreary. No wonder he was always in a horrid mood."

Eva, however, smiled and added, "Yes, but Professor Sprout had all of that to do and she was never so curmudgeonly."

Patience thought for a few moments and then replied, "Well, erm, I suppose not. I think she despaired of me a little, but she was rather nice when I had trouble. But he has other things to do in addition to Hogwarts, so he is awfully busy."

Eva did not look up from where she was starting a green thread to sew itself into a twisting vine of ivy along the bottom of the robe, as she said, "Is he really? What does he do?"

Patience was silent for a moment and then coughed before she spoke in a slightly strangled voice, "Research I think. He does not talk of it, but he is very busy. He reads a lot when he is here."

Eva turned an appraising glance upon her friend and wondered why Patience had just so obviously protected her husband's secrets for the second time in a few days. "I'm sure he does, Patience. Sarah has made me promise to ask you something, so I am just going to ask. Tell me, do you have laxorica root or blodwyn powder?"

"What are those?"

Eva cried exasperatedly, "Honestly, Patience."

"Oh! Oh, no, I do not. I hadn't even thought of it."

"I thought as much. Well I have you some laxorica. It is the easiest to take. It is flavourless and it dissolves nicely into tea or anything hot."

Patience's face was bright pink as she took the bottle from Eva's extended hand. "Thank you. How did you get it?"

Eva waved her hand dismissively. "Oh that was simple. I told Mummy why you needed it and she bought some. She also sent you some shortbread and two pairs of those fluffy pink socks."

"That was so kind of her! But laxorica, are you sure?"

Eva nodded fervently, "I want you to have the choice, Patience. If you want to have Professor Snape's child then you may do as you like. But I don't want you to be trapped into motherhood because your husband was too selfish to think of it and you didn't know how to ask for help."

Eva could see that her friend was unconvinced as she stammered, "He…he might want a child. I mean, he probably does, don't you think? Do you not think that is what is expected of me?"

"Well, who bleeding well cares? You ought to do what you want. You are only 18 and you do not love your husband, who also does not love you. That isn't an ideal environment for a child and it would be an awful situation for you to be trying to raise one. There is no reason he need know that you are taking laxorica if you're worried."

"I suppose not."

Eva could sense Patience's reluctance, but could not suss what the problem was. "I'm not telling you to take it, Patience. You make your own decision."

"Well, I think I just wish that I didn't have to make this decision."

Eva's face showed real sympathy, "I know. I know you don't, dear. But if you are not going to tell him no, then you have to be prepared."

Eva reached her arm round her friend's shoulders as Patience began to sob gently mumbling, "How am I supposed to do that? I can't. We are married."

Eva patted her friend lightly and said soothingly, "Yes, I know. I understand you are afraid."

"But I don't have any choice, do I?"

Eva thought of all the things that she would have done in the same situation, but could not honestly say that one could reasonably expect Patience to do any of them. Patience had not been taught to take care of herself or to believe that modern witches had choices and rights. Her family had raised her to obey instead of think and even Patience's friends could not honestly say that she had much success at thinking when she tried. Rightly or wrongly, Patience was meant to be ruled by someone stronger. Eva and Sarah had been benevolent dictators of sorts, but Severus Snape was nothing of the kind.

Both girls were surprised by the knock on the door. Patience sat up and hastily wiped her face with a handkerchief, whereas Eva looked at the small jasperware clock on the mantelpiece, which declared 'Teatime' in a light cream script.

Patience called out, "Come in."

The housekeeper, who Eva loathed and who was wearing a stiff white apron over her dark grey robe, opened the door. "Tea time, Madame. Master and his guest are below."

Patience looked at Rem and asked with surprise, "Luther is still here? Severus promised me that he would not make me see Luther today. He wouldn't have him stay to tea."

Rem bowed stiffly and said, "Not Mr. Kent, Madame. Mr Prince is staying to tea."

"Mr Prince? Oh Eva, I think that must be the cousin who witnessed for the wedding. I wish I'd known, so I could have worn the blue spangled robes instead of these old green ones."

"Patty you look perfect, do be quiet so we can go eat. I'm famished."

As the two young women followed the housekeeper down the stairs, Eva whispered, "Why was Luther here?"

"I don't know. Severus only said that he had business with my brother and that he would talk with me tonight about it. I wonder if it is about Govan being ill."

"What's wrong with Govan?"

"I will tell you later."

Rem bowed again before Patience and opened the door to the drawing room. The two wizards, who had clearly been conversing angrily, both stood to greet Patience and Eva. Patience could feel the dislike that both men had for each other and wondered why either of the two men would feel such antipathy for his own cousin.

"Shall we go in to tea, Patience?"

"Y-yes, I think so."

Patience remembered clearly all the times that her mother had drilled her on formal manners and practised with her what a witch should do in all important social situations. She could see by her husband's formal words and how he moved to stand at her side and placed his hand on her elbow, that he considered this a 'formal tea with non-familial guests'.

Therefore, she allowed herself to be led to the door as it opened before them by his wand stroke, then remained in the corridor as Gideon escorted Eva for the three steps across the corridor where Rem was waiting to open the door for them all. Patience was seated by her husband at the foot of the table, whilst Eva was very stiffly seated on Snape's right by Gideon Prince. As all this occurred, Patience could see that Eva was very uncomfortable, so she smiled at her encouragingly. For the next twenty minutes, only the most inane and superficial conversation was had, as Gideon and Patience awkwardly exchanged the appropriate teatime pleasantries with only the occasional statement by Snape or a monosyllabic answer from Eva. Patience considered this one of the most uncomfortable teas that she had experienced in her life. As soon as she saw her husband nod to her, she stood and led Eva from the room.

Eva was unusually silent as they walked back up the stairs to Patience's room, whilst Patience was wondering why her husband had wanted her to act in the stiffest, most stuffy manner possible with his own cousin and her best friend. As soon as they entered her bedroom, Biter pounced on Patience, making known his displeasure at having been abandoned.

When Patience bent down to pick up her Crup, she asked, "What was wrong downstairs, Eva? I've never seen you act like that before."

"Are you asking other than the fact that you, Professor Snape, and his cousin were acting like you were at tea with the Minister himself? I have never seen such formal manners at home. He doesn't act like that at every meal, does he?"

Patience settled on the end of the bed next to Eva and shook her head vehemently, "No. I have no idea why he was so formal. But Elspeth's family is always like that, so that really can't have been what upset you, Eva."

Patience could see her friend was avoiding looking at her, so she repeated, "Tell me. Did I say something to offend you? What is wrong?"

"No, no. You didn't do anything wrong. I just realised something that rather surprised me, that is all."

"What do you mean?"

"I think maybe I should talk to someone else about it first. I want some time to think it over."

"I do not understand. Are you sure I didn't do something wrong?"

Eva groaned, "No, Patience. You know me well enough. I would tell you off if that were the case. Now then, what is wrong with Govan?"

"Oh, well, he's dying actually. His liver catalysed last week and this week it is his kidneys."

"Patience, I had no idea. I am so sorry. What is wrong with him? Can they do anything?"

Patience scratched her Crup behind the ear as she answered quietly, "No, nothing. It is the sap."

Patience saw her friend's face express understanding as Eva replied awkwardly, "Oh, yes, it would be. I had hoped he had not really got in that deep, despite what you and I had feared. I really am sorry, Patience. I know he was not kind to you, but he is your brother."

"I haven't had much time to really digest it. Severus only told me this morning."

"How did he know if you didn't?"

Patience pushed her Crup off her lap and leant back against the bedpost. "He won't let Mother write me since Mother says such awful things, so I don't know anything about my family really. He found out from someone else yesterday. It was in the Daily Prophet actually, although they didn't mention Govan's name, saying that a case of yggdrasilsap poisoning had been admitted to St. Mungo's."

Eva briefly clapped her hand over her mouth and then said, "Oh I read that. That was Govan?"

"Yes."

Eva touched her friend's arm as she asked, "How are you feeling about it, Patience?"

Patience looked away from Eva, as she answered slowly, "I don't know. I think I am fine, actually. Maybe I should be sadder, but I am not. The morning of the wedding he kicked me down the stairs when no one was looking."

"What? Why would he do that?"

"Because he said that if I didn't get married then Mummy wouldn't be giving away all that money, and I couldn't get married if I had broken my neck."

"Oh, Patience! I don't know what to say."

Patience shook her head, "There isn't anything to say. I do not think he would have said that if Luther were there though. I had not realised it before, but since this morning, I have been thinking more about it. Govan never did any of the truly horrid things when Luther was there."

Eva looked sceptical. "Luther didn't much care either, Patience."

"No, Luther didn't like or dislike me. I just bored him, so he preferred not to notice me."

Eva shrugged her shoulders slightly and asked, "Do you know why Professor Snape had Luther here?"

"No, I really don't. He said that we will talk about it tonight. I can't imagine any reason that he would bring Luther here, can you?"

"No. It doesn't make sense, but I suppose you'll find out soon."