It is late in the evening. I wake up from a bad dream, one where Mummy is sword fighting with Pansy Parkinson over Daddy, who is too busy killing my Albus Dumbledore Chocolate Frog Card to notice, and Harry is crying on the side and Luna is saying, "There, there, I'll help you, don't worry, everything will be fine." Hermione is holding a baby, and it seems to be my reality all packed into one crazy dream. But it was scary, and I don't like scary things.
I hear voices down the hall, distracting me from my dream. I slip on my slippers and leave my room as quietly as I can. The hall is scary and dark. But down the hall, I see the door to Mummy's work room closed almost all the way, yet a strip of light is leaving it. The voices are coming from over there! I go to the door as quietly as I can. When I get there, I realize that I can't look in 'cause the little bit that the door is open isn't enough for me to see, but I can hear. I press my ear against the door and listen to the conversation that's going on inside.
"I can't believe it. I just can't believe it. Him?! You're asking me to do him a favor?!" a male voice says.
"It's not for him, it's for me!"
I identify the voices. Harry is the first to talk, and he's talking to Mummy.
"Come on, Harry, you've got to help me!" Mummy begs.
"I don't really 'got' to do anything, do I?" I hear Harry's voice snap back bitterly.
"If it was anybody else, you'd forgive--"
"Exactly! If it was anybody else! But it's not anybody else, is it? It's him."
"Look... Harry... this is for me. I know you can't stand the thought of helping--"
"So stop trying to make me help him! Do you think this is fair for me? Asking me to help one of my worst enemies, and then asking me to help the man who the woman I love loves more than me?"
There is silence for a moment. I press my ear closer to the door, hoping that they're still talking.
"Harry... I'm sorry, I really am, but..." Mummy's voice trails off. There is silence again. And then, she says, "But you're doing it again."
"Doing what?!"
"That 'feel sorry for me' thing. That 'look at me, I've got it so awful' thing."
"What?!"
"You're being self-absorbed, again. Jesus, Harry, we've had this conversation before! If it was the first time you had shown this kind of behavior--"
"Stop treating me like your seven-year-old daughter, Ginny," snaps Harry. "And again, I'm going to say the same thing. You want to repeat this conversation for the eightieth time? Fine. Here is goes."
"Oh, Harry--"
He explodes, "Self-absorbed? You call risking my life to save the Wizarding World self-absorbed?"
"That's not what I mean, and you know it!"
"You're being incredibly inconsiderate, Ginny, and that's beyond self-absorbed. That's cruel. What you're doing to me is just plain bloody cruel. You really don't get it, do you? Do you?!"
"Stop it!" I yell, entering the room. "Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it! Stop yelling at each other!"
Everyone turns to me. Mummy says, "My God, Rose, you startled me." Harry adjusts his glasses. And the man sitting in Mommy's armchair in the corner smirks.
I don't know who he is, but I don't like him immediately. His face is very pale, and his nose is awkward and slimy looking. His eyes are dark and look like a vampire's, and his hair is long, dark, and greasy, like his voice, which I hear as he says, "Hello there, Rose."
"Rose, this is Severus Snape," says Mummy, motioning to the man. "He's going to... well, I'm hoping that..."
She doesn't finish her sentence, because she can see I'm barely paying attention to her. "I recognize you," I say. "I recognize you from the list of Wizards who are dangerous and wanted for crime, that I saw on a list in the Ministry once."
Harry smirks, and Mr. Snape's lips just curl in amusement. Mummy nods.
"Tell me, girl," says Mr. Snape slowly, motioning me over. I walk over with a little bit of hesitation. "Do you want to meet your father?"
"More than anything in the world," I answer quietly. Up close, I can see dark circles under his eyes, his face so pale I can see his veins... he's not a very nice-looking guy, and I'm pretty scared.
"I rest my case," he says, pulling his slimy hand up and running through my hair (I notice how Mummy flinches when he does that), and then he turns back to Harry and Mummy. "Now, Potter, don't you think that should be enough reason to forgive me? This poor girl has been without a father her entire life. With my help, we can return him to her and she can have a fairytale ending, isn't that what you want for the girl?"
Harry looks down, pushing his glasses down his nose and rubbing his eyes.
"I don't get it," I say. But nobody hears.
"Please, Harry. For Rose," Mummy says quietly. "If you forgive Snape, everyone else will, too, and then he can help us find Draco--" Harry flinches, and Mummy stops. "If not for Rose... then for me. As... as a wedding gift."
"Wedding?!" I exclaim, though once again go unnoticed. Harry is looking startled at Mummy, and Mr. Snape is too busy laughing (rather insanely, if I do say so myself). I notice he let go of my hair (which is now tingling in an odd sort of gross, icky way), and I hurry back over to Mommy and Harry.
"You're accepting my proposal?" Harry says uncertainly.
"What is with Potters and red-haired women?" mutters Mr. Snape, with a hint of amusement at his own joke through his laughter. No one else seems to hear his odd comment, though.
"Proposal? Mummy, you're going to marry Harry?" I say, running over and tugging on Mummy's arm.
"Yes, Harry," Mummy says, a tear streaming down the side of her cheek. "Am I too late?"
"But Mummy, what about Daddy? We're going to find him, aren't we? We're going to find him and live happily ever after!" I might be crying, maybe that's why I'm out of breath and shaking.
"Hush, Rose," Mummy says.
"No, you're not too late," says Harry quietly, looking down. "But I don't want to marry you just because you want my help." He stands, and everyone looks at him. Even Mr. Snape is silent. "I forgive you, Snape," he says, looking at him as he says it. "Go. Find Draco Malfoy." He walks over to Mummy and extends his hand. But she doesn't take it. She stands, hugs him tightly, in tears.
"Thank you, Harry. Thank you, so much," she whispers, kissing his cheek and stepping back. He just nods slowly, and leaves.
Mr. Snape stands, brushing dirt off his robes. "Well, that was amusing."
"Oh, shut up," snaps Mummy, glaring. There is silence for a second, and Mummy breaks under Mr. Snape's cold gaze.
"I'll find the boy, Weasley, and contact you when I do."
"Thank you," Mummy whispers.
Mr. Snape scowls at her. I don't really know why. Maybe he wanted a hug and a kiss, too. But he leaves without a fuss.
"Go to your room, Rose. I want to be alone for a moment."
I nod, and leave her there, suddenly with a lot to think about.
I hear voices down the hall, distracting me from my dream. I slip on my slippers and leave my room as quietly as I can. The hall is scary and dark. But down the hall, I see the door to Mummy's work room closed almost all the way, yet a strip of light is leaving it. The voices are coming from over there! I go to the door as quietly as I can. When I get there, I realize that I can't look in 'cause the little bit that the door is open isn't enough for me to see, but I can hear. I press my ear against the door and listen to the conversation that's going on inside.
"I can't believe it. I just can't believe it. Him?! You're asking me to do him a favor?!" a male voice says.
"It's not for him, it's for me!"
I identify the voices. Harry is the first to talk, and he's talking to Mummy.
"Come on, Harry, you've got to help me!" Mummy begs.
"I don't really 'got' to do anything, do I?" I hear Harry's voice snap back bitterly.
"If it was anybody else, you'd forgive--"
"Exactly! If it was anybody else! But it's not anybody else, is it? It's him."
"Look... Harry... this is for me. I know you can't stand the thought of helping--"
"So stop trying to make me help him! Do you think this is fair for me? Asking me to help one of my worst enemies, and then asking me to help the man who the woman I love loves more than me?"
There is silence for a moment. I press my ear closer to the door, hoping that they're still talking.
"Harry... I'm sorry, I really am, but..." Mummy's voice trails off. There is silence again. And then, she says, "But you're doing it again."
"Doing what?!"
"That 'feel sorry for me' thing. That 'look at me, I've got it so awful' thing."
"What?!"
"You're being self-absorbed, again. Jesus, Harry, we've had this conversation before! If it was the first time you had shown this kind of behavior--"
"Stop treating me like your seven-year-old daughter, Ginny," snaps Harry. "And again, I'm going to say the same thing. You want to repeat this conversation for the eightieth time? Fine. Here is goes."
"Oh, Harry--"
He explodes, "Self-absorbed? You call risking my life to save the Wizarding World self-absorbed?"
"That's not what I mean, and you know it!"
"You're being incredibly inconsiderate, Ginny, and that's beyond self-absorbed. That's cruel. What you're doing to me is just plain bloody cruel. You really don't get it, do you? Do you?!"
"Stop it!" I yell, entering the room. "Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it! Stop yelling at each other!"
Everyone turns to me. Mummy says, "My God, Rose, you startled me." Harry adjusts his glasses. And the man sitting in Mommy's armchair in the corner smirks.
I don't know who he is, but I don't like him immediately. His face is very pale, and his nose is awkward and slimy looking. His eyes are dark and look like a vampire's, and his hair is long, dark, and greasy, like his voice, which I hear as he says, "Hello there, Rose."
"Rose, this is Severus Snape," says Mummy, motioning to the man. "He's going to... well, I'm hoping that..."
She doesn't finish her sentence, because she can see I'm barely paying attention to her. "I recognize you," I say. "I recognize you from the list of Wizards who are dangerous and wanted for crime, that I saw on a list in the Ministry once."
Harry smirks, and Mr. Snape's lips just curl in amusement. Mummy nods.
"Tell me, girl," says Mr. Snape slowly, motioning me over. I walk over with a little bit of hesitation. "Do you want to meet your father?"
"More than anything in the world," I answer quietly. Up close, I can see dark circles under his eyes, his face so pale I can see his veins... he's not a very nice-looking guy, and I'm pretty scared.
"I rest my case," he says, pulling his slimy hand up and running through my hair (I notice how Mummy flinches when he does that), and then he turns back to Harry and Mummy. "Now, Potter, don't you think that should be enough reason to forgive me? This poor girl has been without a father her entire life. With my help, we can return him to her and she can have a fairytale ending, isn't that what you want for the girl?"
Harry looks down, pushing his glasses down his nose and rubbing his eyes.
"I don't get it," I say. But nobody hears.
"Please, Harry. For Rose," Mummy says quietly. "If you forgive Snape, everyone else will, too, and then he can help us find Draco--" Harry flinches, and Mummy stops. "If not for Rose... then for me. As... as a wedding gift."
"Wedding?!" I exclaim, though once again go unnoticed. Harry is looking startled at Mummy, and Mr. Snape is too busy laughing (rather insanely, if I do say so myself). I notice he let go of my hair (which is now tingling in an odd sort of gross, icky way), and I hurry back over to Mommy and Harry.
"You're accepting my proposal?" Harry says uncertainly.
"What is with Potters and red-haired women?" mutters Mr. Snape, with a hint of amusement at his own joke through his laughter. No one else seems to hear his odd comment, though.
"Proposal? Mummy, you're going to marry Harry?" I say, running over and tugging on Mummy's arm.
"Yes, Harry," Mummy says, a tear streaming down the side of her cheek. "Am I too late?"
"But Mummy, what about Daddy? We're going to find him, aren't we? We're going to find him and live happily ever after!" I might be crying, maybe that's why I'm out of breath and shaking.
"Hush, Rose," Mummy says.
"No, you're not too late," says Harry quietly, looking down. "But I don't want to marry you just because you want my help." He stands, and everyone looks at him. Even Mr. Snape is silent. "I forgive you, Snape," he says, looking at him as he says it. "Go. Find Draco Malfoy." He walks over to Mummy and extends his hand. But she doesn't take it. She stands, hugs him tightly, in tears.
"Thank you, Harry. Thank you, so much," she whispers, kissing his cheek and stepping back. He just nods slowly, and leaves.
Mr. Snape stands, brushing dirt off his robes. "Well, that was amusing."
"Oh, shut up," snaps Mummy, glaring. There is silence for a second, and Mummy breaks under Mr. Snape's cold gaze.
"I'll find the boy, Weasley, and contact you when I do."
"Thank you," Mummy whispers.
Mr. Snape scowls at her. I don't really know why. Maybe he wanted a hug and a kiss, too. But he leaves without a fuss.
"Go to your room, Rose. I want to be alone for a moment."
I nod, and leave her there, suddenly with a lot to think about.
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