章 1120: Tisane Ⅳ
Returning to the present, a pained expression appears on Severus's face as he imagines a life without his twin sister. "I would still be living at Spinner's End," he heaved a sigh. "Mother would have never left father. She would have been much too prideful to reach out to her grandfather. We would have instead remained living in poverty and squander."
"Once Hogwarts began, I would have wanted to please Mother and would have gladly been sorted into Slytherin for all the wrong reasons," Severus clenched his fist in old indignation when remembering their treatment at their old muggle primary school.
"I can easily imagine how a greasy-haired, poor, half-blood without any backing would have been treated in Slytherin. I would have automatically been excluded by the pureblood factions."
Severus reached up to rub his tense brow. "And as much as it pains me to admit, I would have been incapable of making a friend other than Lily. I barely managed to become friends with Terry and Sirius and that was mostly sheer luck and trying to prove you wrong. Any miraculous offers of friendships I would have viewed with contempt or suspicion. I am certain after the first time; my peers would not have had any interest in me except for Lily."
Seeing Rowan's expression Severus shook his head at twin sister. "Don't argue otherwise, Rowan, I am perfectly capable of recognizing my own faults. I am far from flawless."
"Under these circumstances, I can easily see my fixation with revenge enveloping me," Severus frankly confessed. "The cruel treatment suffered at the hands of our father and during primary school would have only further fueled my hatred towards muggles. I am sure my innate passion for the Dark Arts would have grown imprudently leading me even further down a dark path."
"I would have been easy prey and would have been willing and accepted the offer of recruitment by the Death Eaters," Severus thoughtfully mused. "I would have done everything in my power to prove myself. Knowing my temper, I would have gotten closer to the extreme traditionalist(s) further pushing Lily away. I can only imagine that the friendship between Lily and I would become impossible or be destroyed by these outer pressures or maybe even at my own hands. It isn't though I lack a temper," he ruefully admitted.
Something in Rowan's face must have given her thoughts away because a bitter smile appears on Severus's face. "So, my temper got the best of me," his gaze dropped down to his hands. "The Snape temperament is a bloody inconvenient to inherit."
"Actually, I believe that would be Godric Gryffindor's fault," Rowan said in an attempt to lighten the mood.
The attempt failed as Severus read far more in Rowan's move to change the subject. "I-," Severus' voice broke as he gazed down at his clenched fist. "I looked broken. As though I had lost everything worth living for." He felt he already knew the answer, but he still had to ask. "Lily dies because of me, doesn't she?"
Rowan doesn't respond but Severus can see the truth in her face.
Severus closes his eyes feeling a jagged pain in his chest making it impossible for him to breathe. Just trying to imagine Lily being gone and worse because of him. How could he not go mad!
Seeing Severus so shaken, Rowan carefully says, "No matter how broken Severus Snape was, he did everything in his power to atone. Severus Snape might not have been a good or even a likable man, but he was undeniably brave even until the end."
"How can you be so certain, Rowan?" Severus's voice rasped in skepticism.
"I know so," Rowan sincerely answered.
For it is true. If anyone had the right to judge Severus Snape it would be Potter. The Potter boy had said so when asked by his youngest son, "You were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew."
A shaky breath of relief is exhaled by Severus. "I don't know if to be flattered or worried by your confidence in me." A thin smile appeared on his face.
Indeed, the past will never repeat itself. The question rather is if the future will.
The parlor falls silent as Rowan permits Severus several minutes to collect himself. The clock ticks by slowly until Severus is calm. Somewhat embarrassed by his display of emotions, Severus prudently changes the subject.
"So how did it go?"
"With what?"
Severus rolled his eyes in exasperation. "With Peter and Quyen?"
"Well, they were permitted to be married."
"But what?"
"There were several conditions extended including Peter and Quyen leaving Hogwarts."
"What!" Severus sat up in shock. "But they only have their O.W.L.'s!"
"Mm, but that will be enough," Rowan steadfastly said. "I already spoke to Aunt Georgine, and she is interested in Peter's Animagus ability. He will have to register his ability with the Ministry, before being employed at the London Information House."
Severus thoughtfully rubbed his chin. "Yes, I can see how Peter's ability would be useful." He paused to eye his twin sister. "You were already expecting this weren't you?"
"It was only a possibility, but I thought to be prepared in either case," Rowan frankly confessed. "I am to be the infant's godmother; I can't just have Peter and Quyen starving on the streets."
Severus knowingly smirked at Rowan who sent a fierce scowl at him. "Still, I must admit I am surprised that they chose you in the first place."
"Why is that?" Rowan crossly huffed.
"You're not very good with children," Severus deadpanned. "And we both know it."
Rowan merely sniffed indignantly in the air as Severus continued, "Though I think Remus being chosen as godfather is an excellent choice."
"You're not peeved that you weren't chosen?" Rowan curiously asked.
Severus shook his head, "After Rodrigo, I understand that children are a handful. And besides, Remus is the most patient out of all of us. That and he just had a new baby brother. So out of all of us, I would argue he is the best."
"I don't know about that that is if we honestly consider Terry's expertise."
Severus visibly shuddered. "As much as I am friends with Terry, Rowan, we both know Terry's tendencies."
Rowan also shivered in thought. "You're right, it's best Terry does not get involved. There is no telling what he might teach the poor kid."
The two of them shiver with dread imagining another miniature version of Terry running around Hogwarts. Then again, there probably would be at some point when Terry reproduced. Poor Sylvia, may Merlin have mercy upon her soul…
"Still, I must admit, I am surprised the wedding wasn't canceled," Severus pursed his lips.
"It hasn't," Rowan retorted, "just that the guests have been requested not to attend out of respect for the dead. The funerals are to be held starting today."
Severus quietly nodded his head in understanding. "Still, it isn't as though the wedding party will be small since all the immediate family of both bride and groom are in attendance. Considering Terry's family branch, there will be countless cousins in attendance including those from Europe."
"My point exactly," Rowan said before frowning slightly with some disappointment. "I had been rather looking forward to seeing Jean. He was supposed to have been invited alongside his wife, Apolline since Apolline is Terry's cousin via their Veela grandmothers."
Severus blinked only once as that is not surprising news at all.
"Still, I wanted to give them my gift in person," Rowan sighed.
"Oh?" Severus raised his brow.
"Not long after our presentation ball, they conceived," Rowan's lips twitched in a faint, but sincere smile for her friend. "They are expecting a daughter in late September or early October." And she knew for a fact that Fleur Isabelle Delacour would be born October 1st.
Severus makes a wry face. "It seems everyone is starting to have kids."
"Well wizards and witches do marry young, it is a rather natural byproduct," Rowan drily remarked.
Severus made an even more wry expression. "On that subject apparently Terry's sisters are all pregnant with boys finally. They will all be born at the end of the year."
"As long as they don't take after Terry, it will be fine," Rowan barely suppressed a shiver of dread. There will be four versions of Terry running around Hogwarts 11 years from now. They would surely burn Hogwarts to the ground!
Not wanting to discuss the subject any further Severus asks a question he has been dying to ask. "The Chamber of Secrets, Rowan."
"What about it?"
"How could you not say anything!?"
"It's moist, smelly, unpleasantly damp filled with moss."
Seeing that his tactic is not working, Severus tries a different route. "In that instance when did you discover the Chamber?"
"In our second year."
Severus froze as he recalled Rowan's appearance at the end of their second year. His mind abruptly paired with the destruction in Rowan's aura. His onyx-colored eyes visibly widen and narrow. "Rowan, did you kill Professor Adric?"
Rowan gives Severus an assessing glance. She is suitably impressed Severus deducted that from such few bits of information. Clearly, grandfather's lessons are paying off already. "In a manner of speaking, but yes."
There is a sore temptation to ask, but Severus does not. If he had learned one thing over the course of the year to trust Rowan. He would not further pry into the subject. If Rowan felt she should know, she would tell him so.
Astonishment flashed across Rowan's face. She did not expect Severus to be capable of holding himself back. And yet he had.
Severus's lips tilt slightly upward in satisfaction at having stumped Rowan. "So, was there a monster after all?" He curiously asked.
"No," Rowan lied with a blank face.
"Uh huh," Severus looked rather unconvinced but changed the subject. "In that case, can I see the goblin armlet?"
"It's in my bedroom," Rowan honestly replied.
Severus intently peers at Rowan but can see she is being truthful. Convinced, he mutters under his breath, "So Helga Hufflepuff was a goblin huh."
"Half-goblin to be precise."
"Who would have thought Dad's side of the family would have so many family skeletons."
"Yup, they got around."
Severus sends a sharp look at Rowan, who acts as if she hasn't noticed. "Well, I can't exactly argue with that," he reluctantly acknowledged. "Still, I want to see Godric's sword, so hurry up and show me."
"Fine," Rowan rolled her eyes as the two of them rose to their feet.
Chatting, the two of them depart for Rowan's bedroom. Still, there is a lighter air between them having cleared the air. There is still plenty left unsaid between them, but there is time left to speak more on the subject. It is the summer holidays after all.
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