Rose swallowed. She stared down at Snape's empty bed. Now where's he gone?
She glance at the side table, half hoping for a note. Only the Professor's wand laid on the roughened wood. Taking it, she got out of the room, not worried about making noise.
Standing in the corridor, she wondered where to start from when an idea struck her. "EXPECTO PATRONUS"
From the tip of Snape's wand, burst the silver doe. It ran down the corridor. This can find him faster.
Rose looked out from the nearest window, enjoying the warm spring breeze. She looked up at the moon, and remembered how the cold the night was during the second wizardry war. It still send shivers down her spine as she nearly died twice that night.
She felt the corridor brightened for a moment. Her patronus returned. It looked into her eyes for a second and sprinted the direction it came from. She ran after the doe.
It stepped onto the ground and vanished as soon as its master saw it turn towards lake.
She saw nothing for a moment, doubting if her patronus was mistaken or something. But then she noticed a dark shadow sitting by the lake.
Tiptoeing all her way, she realized that it Severus who sneaked his way out of the wing. He was busy staring at the giant squid's tentacles as they lazily waved about the water. She understood how boring it was to be holed up a bed, not even getting off it to walk around. She put his wand in her pocket.
"Enjoying yourself." She said, standing merely few feet behind him.
Snape started and turned immediately. "Oh, it's you. Did Pomfrey send you?" It was clear that he didn't appreciate her presence, especially when he managed to find some time for himself after being under a nurse's watch.
"No, thankfully." Rose walked around and sat beside him. She pulled her legs closer, wrapping her arms around them and resting her chin onto her knees.
Both sat, staring the mucky lake. Uncomfortable silence settled between the two, until the witch broke it.
"How are you feeling, Severus?"
Snape felt a breath stuck in his throat before he spoke. "Never better."
"Potter send me a letter, telling all about your memories and what help you offered Dumbledore as a double agent. He also thanked me for saving you."
He took a deep breath and sighed. "Typical adolescent boy. He would have titled me and you war heroes."
Both smiled. A smile on Snape's face was rarer than someone robbing Gringotts and escaping successfully.
"You know, I don't understand one thing." She said, getting to the point. "I used the Life Transfer to give you a chance to live. Yet both of us are alive."
He chuckled softly, giving a hint of sarcasm. "Isn't that clear? When your life came to me, I spilt it and sent a part back to you."
"Because of which both live and that curse of mine broke which made me invisible to some witches and wizards and also gave power to cast spells with my hands and mind without any wand." She said without a pause.
Snape sighed again. "Yes, exactly."
"So you are my…" Rose trailed, expecting the elder witch to respond.
"…Horcrux" he mumbled, shoddily. "You can't die unless I do."
The younger witch took a deep breath. The late spring had set in and atmosphere was laced with every kind of flower's fragrance. She looked behind the lake and saw many trees already blooming. She missed it so much.
"Can I ask you something?" Severus asked.
"Please do."
Shifting nervously, a low voice came out of his throat. "Why did you save me?"
Rose became rigid. There was no exact reason to that. It was just a promise she gave to Dumbledore. But somewhere deep inside her, she felt he shouldn't die. Was it because she couldn't let anyone lose their life when she could save them or was it because of some other feeling she had for him?
"Well…" she started without even figuring which reason to give. "Dumbledore asked for it."
"That does answer my doubt."
"But that leaves me with two questions." She turned towards Severus. Gazing at her from corner of his eye, he swallowed.
"Which two?"
"Why did you SAVE ME and why did Dumbledore wanted YOU to live?"
"Dumbledore didn't tell you?" he questioned, confused.
Rose tilted her head sideway. There was something between the former headmaster and Snape regarding her. They were pushing the job to each other to inform her about it. "No, he didn't."
He turned her head away from her, mumbling something under his breath.
"Severus, I don't have whole night. Answer my questions." She said, keeping her anger under control.
He turned back looking, straight into Rose's eyes. For first time, she realized that he had pitch black eyes. "It's about your family. Or more or less, what's left of your family."
There was total silence around. Slow breeze blew into their hair, scattering it across their faces.
Something told Rose that it was not something she wanted to hear about. But she gathered enough courage to hear it. Somehow, she felt it was futile to pretend being strong when the words escaped Snape's throat.
"I am your father."