Chapter 19: Prejudice

Snape stalked directly to Rose's rooms. He was in no mood to encounter anyone. Anger rolled off of him like waves off rocky cliffs.

"Master Snape, sir, welcome to Ms. Rose's rooms. Let me announce your presence sir!" The little elf in the portrait squeaked.

"Be quick about it!" How he hated that she had changed the wards and put in a portrait. He should have access to her. He growled inwardly at the ludicrous nature of his standing outside her door. "Master Sape, sir, Ms. Rose is sleeping. Can you come back tomorrow, sir?" The elf squeaked again."

" I will not! Let me in before I blast your portrait to smithereens!"

The elf disappeared again. Snape contemplated how he could possibly break into Rose's apartments when the portrait opened before him.

"It's about time." He growled to himself. He stepped in and walked up the stairs to Rose's living area.

"Severus Snape, how dare you bully my portrait!" Rose snapped at him.

"Don't start with me! It has been a bad enough day without you starting in on me!" He growled.

"Severus, don't take it out on me. What in Merlin's name has you so wound up?" Rose asked quietly, trying to pacify her dark visitor.

"Someone has been stealing from my stores. Gillyweed, boomslang skin, lacewing flies and other such articles. Someone is brewing polyjuice potion and something tells me your nephew is mixed up in it. Igor comes to me telling me about his dark mark and to boot your nephew was spying on us." Severus ranted.

"I know Harry took gillyweed this afternoon to get through the task. It was given to him by the elf Dobby. I don't know about the polyjuice but I am sure he is not involved with it. He is too young to brew it!"

"He and his friends brewed it when they were in their second year. I would not be surprised to see them do it again."

"But why Severus? He has no use for it now."

"I don't know, he is exactly like his father Rose! He has no regard for the rules, does not care for authority. I wouldn't be surprised to hear he has done the same things his darling father did!" Severus snarled.

"You are dangerously close to overstepping Severus! Harry is not like his father. If you gave him half a chance you would see that he has more Lily than James in him!"

The air between them began to crackle as Rose's anger gave way to her magick.

"You are not going to take it out on me witch!" Severus warned.

"I won't be you leave the Marauders out of my nephew's temperament!"

"I don't want to fight you." Severus said tiredly. "It has just been a bad day all around and your nephew listening on mine and Igor's conversation simply made it worse."

"Severus, what is going on with Karkaroff?"

Severus turned towards her and turned up the sleeve of his left arm. I mark, that had once faded was beginning to darken once more. Rose gasped.

"He is coming back, Rose. I don't know how or when, but he is coming back." Severus answered. "I've warned Dumbledore, both of us are keeping watch over Karkaroff and over other Death Eaters but who knows what lies in store this time around."

"I'll fight this time around. They do not know what I can do and that will help. I'll keep Harry safe."

Severus pulled Rose to him and hugged her fiercely. "If only she knew," he thought desperately.

He held her until he heard her fall asleep, carried her to bed where he lay, holding her in his arms as he fell into a sleep filled with snakes and the evil shadows of the past.