| The Soul of a Hufflepuff Epilogue ~*~ A/N: Thanks to Yolanda, Juliane, J.K. Rose and Night Zephyr for all your help. ~*~ Veronica awoke and sat bolt upright in bed. She was momentarily disoriented in the still darkness, but then she heard Severus' rhythmic snoring and remembered that she was safely ensconced in his dungeon room. Her body was stiff and sore; even the soft fabric of Severus' flannel nightshirt chafed against the deep scratches on her back that were just beginning to heal. It had been past two in the morning when Severus carried her back to his room after her frightening out-of-body experience and Balin's final destruction. Devi had tended to her injuries, thankfully saving Veronica from having to go to the hospital wing. The nagging pressure in her bladder forced Veronica to reluctantly throw off the covers and creep silently to the bathroom. She was careful not to wake poor Severus, who had banished himself to the sofa that was a foot too short for his tall frame. By the light of a single candle, Veronica gazed at the mendhi on her hands and feet, feeling a bit light-headed as her consciousness was drawn into the designs for a moment. She could almost feel the tingling warmth and power of the threads, reminding her of how Severus and Devi had not only saved her soul, but had forced her to embrace the darkness inside of her. Since Balin had first abused her, Veronica had hoped to one day feel whole again. She suddenly realized that until her strange adventure last night, she had never been whole in the first place. Hufflepuffs were not supposed to have a dark side - emotions like ambition, bravado and pride were reserved for Slytherins and Gryffindors. Even Ravenclaws were guilty of a quiet sort of arrogance cultivated along with their dedication to learning. Every Hufflepuff she knew led a safe, dull life; they would never have experiences that would evoke such 'negative' emotions. She at once pitied others who would never discover the shadow parts of their souls and wished she was still one of them. She had to admit, though, that there was a peculiar feeling of exhilaration in the knowledge that she was capable of great evil as well as great good. For the first time in her life Veronica was truly complete. "Veronica," Severus yawned through the door, "are you all right?" "I just needed to use the loo." Veronica opened the door and found him standing there in his nightshirt. She could feel Severus' uneasiness and shared it. This was the moment that Veronica had dreaded the most. The crisis was over and they were left with the tatters of their relationship. Now she had to think of some way to make it better. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." He shifted from foot to foot, then asked, "How are you feeling?" "A bit shaky, but I'll be all right." She looked past him and squinted, trying to make out the clock. "What time is it?" Severus yawned again and stretched, his neck tilting to one side, no doubt from the uncomfortable position he had had to sleep in. "Half-past five." Veronica turned and looked at the high round window of the dungeon room with a black curtain drawn over it. No wonder it was still pitch dark. "It's Sunday, right?" He nodded curtly. "Well, you should try to get some more sleep." Severus glanced at the sofa with distaste. "I was going to get dressed and do some work in the lab." "Oh," Veronica said, not bothering to hide her disappointment. "I should get back to my room anyway. I believe I left it in a bit of a mess." She looked around for her clothes and found them draped neatly over a chair by the fire. "Running away again?" Severus folded his arms across his chest, his pale lips twisted in a snarl. Veronica spun on him angrily. "You were the one who wanted to do some work in the lab! I thought you wanted me to leave." He lowered his head miserably and sighed. "I don't want you to leave," he mumbled. "I just don't know what to say." "I know," she replied. "But we're going to have to work this out sometime." She gently but firmly took him by the arm and led him to the sofa. She grabbed her wand from the nightstand and brought the dying fire back to life. Severus groaned. "Great gods, we're going to do that talking thing again, aren't we?" "I'm afraid so," she said with a small grin. "But I'll make you some cocoa as consolation." Veronica went into the other room, filled the kettle with water and with a tap of her wand, brought it to a boil. With another tap, she transformed the water to steaming cocoa and filled the two mugs she had taken down from the cupboard. She almost tripped on the hem of the borrowed gray nightshirt as she carried the two mugs into the bedroom. "I should have fetched your own pajamas," Severus said, relieving her of one of the mugs. "You look like you could fit another person in there." "Oh, I don't know." Veronica placed her mug on the table in front of her and prissily pushed up the overlong sleeves, striking a pose. "I think it's quite fashionable." Her silliness had the desired affect. One corner of his mouth curled upward in that sneer-smile she hadn't seen in what seemed like forever. "Well," she said awkwardly after a several moments of uncomfortable silence. "Yes, well," he replied, self-consciously watching his cocoa swirl around in his cup. Veronica looked away and said quietly, "I believe I've done 'I'm sorry' to death." Severus brought his mug of cocoa to his lips half a dozen times, then put it down again without once taking a sip. "Do you want to know what the worst part of it was for me?" Veronica nodded her head apprehensively. "Tell me." With some effort, Severus managed to meet her gaze. "I was convinced that you loved him more than you loved me and that you always would." "Now you know better," she said, taking his hand in hers. "We both do." She smiled slightly. "I never told you this, but ever since you proposed to me, I've been having this reoccurring nightmare. On the day of our wedding, you would run off with a very beautiful and very virginal blonde woman named Cassandra." He rolled his eyes and snorted. "Oh, Veronica." She felt her face flush with embarrassment. "It makes me think that the main reason why I let Balin inside of me was because I thought I wasn't good enough for you." Severus shook his head, annoyance and frustration playing on his gaunt features, his expression made even more severe by the flickering candlelight. "And meanwhile the rest of the world doesn't think I'm good enough for you." "They are so wrong." Veronica put her hand to his cheek, half expecting him to pull away from her. Instead he covered her small hand with his. "You've changed so much since I've known you. I used to look in your eyes and see nothing but bitterness and misery, but when I was floating up there, out of my body, I felt the beauty of your soul and saw the amazing light in your eyes. You saved my life and helped me embrace my dark side, but I've caused you nothing but trouble." "For an intelligent woman you are incredibly thick sometimes," Severus said, somewhat discomfited by her words. "If I've helped you embrace the darkness inside of you it's only because you've help me embrace the light I didn't even know was inside of me. Why do you think I've endured this?" He took her face in his hands and kissed her softly. "I need you." Tears welled in Veronica's eyes. Severus wrapped his arms around her as she buried her face in his chest. "I don't believe you let Balin inside of you because you thought you weren't good enough for me. You let him in because that's the only thing you could have done. Just like when you led the other souls out of the dementor without a thought to what they had done or what they had become. You did it because they were suffering - it's what you do. And in the process of that compassionate act, you destroyed a dementor. I'm continually amazed at the unintentionally remarkable things you do when you're just being yourself." She withdrew from him, still keeping one arm around him, and wiped her eyes on her nightshirt. "You make me sound like a well-intentioned disaster waiting to happen." Severus smirked. "At least you have me around to stop you from inadvertently putting an end to the universe."
"Some of us are capable of enlightened thought in between our grasps for power." When Veronica laughed her light, bubbling laugh, Severus grinned. "To my ears, that is the single sexiest sound in the world. I've missed hearing it." He took her hand and gently stroked the elaborate designs. "It really is quite beautiful, but it's not permanent, is it?" "No, the mendhi will fade in a few weeks," Veronica told him. "See, it's starting to fade already." The patterns that had been jet black a few days ago were beginning to turn a reddish brown. "Vidya told me that brides in India - Muggles and witches - have these designs painted on them before the wedding. The darker the designs turn out, the more the bride will love her husband." Severus retrieved his wand from the nightstand and began tracing the designs on her hands and feet. Everywhere his wand touched, the mendhi turned jet black. "Is that dark enough for you?" Veronica felt a pleasant thrill travel down her spine. "Does this mean you still want to get married?" In reply, Severus pointed his wand at his discarded clothing. "Accio ring!" The engagement ring that she had thrown into his poached eggs yesterday morning floated out of his robe pocket and into his outstretched palm. Veronica held out her left hand and Severus put the ring back on her finger where it belonged. ~*~ "I reckon whatever Snape did, Stanley's forgiven him for it," Fred said during supper on Sunday evening as he shoved a heaping forkful of mashed potatoes into his mouth, dribbling thick brown gravy down his chin. "Yeah, they're all lovey-dovey again," added George, who wiped Fred's chin with his napkin in an irreverent but affectionate imitation of their mother. "Enough to make you sick." "Why do you automatically assume that whatever happened was Snape's fault?" Ron snapped. Fred and George looked first at each other, then at their little brother in confusion. "Because it's Snape, you prat!" they replied in unison. "I can't imagine Professor Stanley calling off the engagement for no reason," Hermione added. "She's so kind and considerate. I hope this means the wedding's on again. She'll be a very good influence on Professor Snape." Ron mumbled something under his breath that even he didn't understand and trained his eyes on his plate. He had just lost his appetite, but mechanically shoveled food in his mouth to distract him from the funny look Harry was giving him. Ron couldn't help but notice that things between Snape and Stanley seemed to have returned to normal even before the twins mentioned it, but was Professor Stanley really back to her old self or was this some sort of ruse to get back into Snape's - and Dumbledore's - good graces? She chatted pleasantly with Snape as well as the other teachers at the staff table with a seemingly sincere smile on her face, but it was Vidya's conduct towards Stanley that convinced Ron that her behavior was genuine. The Indian witch reached over and took Stanley's hand, squeezing it warmly, with no sign of wariness or suspicion in the old woman's kind eyes. Stanley must have noticed Ron staring at her because she turned and met his gaze briefly. Ron's stomach lurched and he turned away from her before he had a chance to read her expression for himself. Ron set his jaw angrily and made a fist with his left hand underneath the table. Back to normal or not, he would never forgive her for what she did to him. With some surprise, he suddenly realized that he hated her. He felt a bit guilty at the vehemence of the emotion that eclipsed even his dislike of Snape and Draco Malfoy; but any guilty feelings melted away when he reminded himself that unlike Stanley, Snape and Malfoy had never pretended to be on his side. ~*~ "Why are you not celebrating the end of term with your friends?" asked Madam Devi. She leaned on her bamboo cane and settled her plump frame on the bench across from Ron. "Not that I am averse to another game of wizard chess." "Oh, hello Vidya." Ron tried to sound nonchalant, as if he had just happened to be in the deserted Great Hall with his chess set, waiting for no one in particular. With Harry and Hermione's help, Ron had managed to make it through O.W.L.s all right, but his animosity towards Stanley not only wouldn't go away, it seemed to be devouring him. He kept replaying the incident in his mind over and over again, even going so far as to imagine what might have happened if she hadn't stopped when she did. He didn't even dare to begin to understand his feelings about that! He was due to leave the school on the Hogwarts Express tomorrow and knew that today might very well be the last time he'd have a chance to speak to the only person he knew who could help him make sense of the tumult of emotions churning inside of him. As he had hoped, Vidya somehow knew he would be here because she had brought her chessmen with her. "I understand you did well on your exams. Congratulations." Ron shrugged. "It'll be a few weeks before I find out for certain, but I think I did well enough. I doubt Mum will be satisfied, though. My older brothers Bill and Percy got twelve O.W.L.s each." "I find it is difficult enough to live up to one's own expectations, let alone anyone else's. I hope you can find some enjoyment in your success." Vidya placed the ornate wooden box on the table and opened the lid. Her beautifully carved, white stone chess pieces leapt out of the box gracefully and arranged themselves on Ron's chessboard. "But there is something else that is bothering you." He nodded anxiously. "You know...her." Vidya put her brown wrinkled hands on the table in front of her, one over the other, and regarded him benevolently. "What about her?" Ron's brown eyes flashed with sudden anger. "She's carrying on with Snape like nothing happened!" "Like nothing happened?" Vidya asked, raising an eyebrow. "She did give me a look the other day, right before the Defense Against the Dark Arts practical exam - like she was trying to apologize." Vidya grinned. "And you are bound and determined not to forgive her." Ron turned away from her knowing gaze, then folded his arms petulantly across his chest. "Maybe she doesn't deserve to be forgiven." "And maybe," Vidya said slowly, "you miss the attention." Ron bolted up off the bench. "I do not! That's - that's twisted!" "Is it?" the old witch replied calmly, motioning for him to sit down. "Let us examine it to see if it is truly twisted, as you say. You are a boy who will soon become a man. An attractive older woman - you do find her attractive, do you not?" Ron looked down and self-consciously rearranged his chess pieces on the board. "Ever since the beginning of the term when she fixed her hair and stopped wearing those horrible yellow robes, I, um, thought she was sort of good-looking - for an older woman." "And this good-looking older woman let you know - very directly - that she wanted you." "And that's not twisted?" he asked, finally managing to meet her eyes. "At the very least, it was dreadfully inappropriate," Vidya said. "She is your teacher; but that does not mean that any pleasant feelings the experience evoked are wrong. Neither of you acted on those feelings - that is the only thing that matters." "I would never - !" Ron stopped himself when Vidya gave him another one of those enigmatic grins that reminded him she could see right through him. "If it makes you feel any better," she said, patting his hand, "Veronica was not quite herself at the time. Professor Balin's life force entered Veronica's body when he was killed and slowly but surely took possession of her, causing her to act a bit...erratically. She is fine now." "Balin!" Ron shivered. It certainly explained a few things, but didn't exactly make him feel any better. Vidya covered her mouth and coughed a few times, then attempted to clear her throat. "Ron, I am feeling a bit parched. Would you mind going to the kitchens and getting us a nice, cold jug of pumpkin juice before we start our game?" Still in a bit of a daze, Ron rose. "Sure. I'll be right back." ~*~ "Please, Dobby, I insist!" Veronica stood in the middle of Hogwarts' gleaming kitchens, holding an ugly, multi-colored scarf out to Dobby. After what had happened last week, she thought it was only right to pay a visit to the house-elf with a peace offering. Dobby, no worse for Veronica's Stunning Spell, held up his hand in refusal. "Professor Vee does not need to give Dobby a present of the most beautiful scarf that Dobby has ever seen." The house-elf then gazed at the scarf with a look of longing in his enormous eyes and reached for it tentatively. "But Dobby will accept Professor Vee's gracious gift so as not to appear rude. Professor Dumbledore explain to Dobby what happened. Dobby will keep Professor Vee's secrets, never fear." Veronica smiled, relieved that she could trust him to do just that. "Thanks Dobby. I really am very sorry about what happened." The house-elf began twisting the scarf in his hands anxiously. "Professor Vee must not apologize to Dobby again or Dobby will be forced to slam his head in the oven door." "No need for that," Veronica said as she inched towards the exit. "I'll just go now." Dobby grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back. "Professor Vee cannot leave the kitchens empty-handed!" As if on cue, half a dozen house-elves dressed in tea-towels stamped with the Hogwarts crest, scurried up to her, holding trays laden with rich deserts. They bowed and curtsied till even the patient Veronica could hardly stand their obsequious manner. Not daring to refuse lest the house-elves start banging their heads against various kitchen appliances, Veronica accepted a tray with a teapot, teacups and a plate of delicious blackberry scones. It was almost time for tea anyway and blackberry scones were Severus' favorite. Veronica turned to leave, but cried out in surprise, upsetting the teapot, rattling the teacups and knocking half the scones onto the floor. "Mr. Weasley!" Ron Weasley, appearing equally surprised, took a few steps back as the house-elves descended upon him, but Veronica knew his attempt at retreat was because of her. Three more elves appeared with a fresh tray for Veronica and scooped up the scones that had fallen on the floor. "What can Dobby get for Harry Potter's Wheezy?" Dobby asked Ron, who continued to regard Veronica warily. "A jug of pumpkin juice, Dobby." The house-elf looked from Veronica to Ron and back again, seeing Veronica's silent plea for privacy in her eyes. With a nod, Dobby ushered the other house-elves to the far end of the kitchens and took an inordinate amount of time getting Ron's pumpkin juice. "Vidya wanted something to drink," Ron explained, then swore under his breath. "She must have known you were here." Veronica placed the tea tray on one of the preparation tables. "I suppose that means she wants us to talk - unless you'd rather not." She paused and forced herself to look into the boy's eyes. "I just hope that you can someday forgive me." Ron gave her a half-hearted smile. "Is it true that Professor Balin's spirit made you do all those things?" ęShe nodded uncomfortably as she brushed some nonexistent crumbs off the front of her robes. "Harry told us about him," Ron said almost gently. "He sounds as scary as You-Know-Who." "Scarier." Veronica was once again reminded that she was one of the very few people alive who could make the comparison. Ron looked away from her and started wringing his hands. "So when you...you know - picked me, was that you - " he swallowed hard looking very distressed. " - or him?" Veronica almost laughed and cried at the same time. "It's difficult to explain, but it was more like he instigated what happened. He didn't choose you - I did." "Oh good!" A look of relief crossed Ron's face; then his ears, followed by his face turned bright red. "But why me?" Veronica naturally wanted to put a comforting arm around the boy, but of course, even such innocent displays of affection were out of the question. "It must be hard for you to feel like you're special, what with six siblings and Harry Potter as a best friend." "Don't forget Hermione - best bloody student in the entire school." He regarded her sheepishly. "Sorry." "What I'm trying to say, Ron, is that you are special. You're a very sweet, decent, funny young man." He was also turning into a very handsome young man, but Veronica didn't think it would be appropriate to tell him so. He shrugged. "So are Fred and George - funny, I mean." "Yes, but you're a solo act," Veronica replied with a kind smile. "It's much harder when you don't have anyone else to play off of. I must admit that more than once I've had to bite my lip in order to stop myself from bursting out into laughter at something you've said in class." Ron puffed out his chest a little with growing pride and grinned broadly. "Really?" She nodded sincerely. "I think a good sense of humor is one of the most attractive things about a person. It's what first drew me to Professor Snape." The boy's eyes grew wide in shock. "Snape has a sense of humor?!" "Oh my, yes, but don't tell anyone I told you so," Veronica said with a wink. "He has that reputation for utter nastiness to protect." "I won't. No one would believe it anyway." Ron paused and looked down at his feet. "I'm just glad you stopped when you did, if you know what I mean." "I do - and so am I. It might be helpful to remind yourself that I'm old enough to be your mother. Or better yet," Veronica said with a wry grin, "pretend that I am your mother." Ron grimaced then laughed. "I think I'd rather think of us as just friends." "That's better still." Veronica picked up the plate of scones off the tea tray. "Have a scone, Mr. Weasley." Ron snatched one off the plate and took a large bite. "'Fanks!" At that moment, Dobby brought Ron a tray with a jug of pumpkin juice, glasses and a plate of biscuits. "See you next year, Professor?" "I'll be here," Veronica replied happily. ~*~ A fortnight after the Hogwarts Express left for London, Severus Snape and Veronica Stanley were married by the school's lake, with the ancient Hogwarts Castle providing a romantically gothic backdrop. There may have been a beautiful blonde woman named Cassandra among the well-wishers, but Severus didn't notice; he was enthralled by a bewitching, dark-haired Hufflepuff alluringly clad in a purple gown, trimmed in green. He was looking quite handsome himself in a black brocade doublet with a billowy white silk shirt peaking out from underneath it. At the wedding reception in the Great Hall, the happy couple danced a lively wedding jig, surprising everyone - especially Dumbledore, who had no idea Severus could dance, or that he would allow himself to be seen doing so in public. While family, friends and colleagues made merry, Severus took Veronica by the hand and led her out a secret door where her Nimbus Two Thousand Two was waiting. It was traditional for the bride and groom to leave the reception astride a broomstick to ensure their future domestic bliss, but Veronica still had no idea where they were going. Every time she asked, he just regarded her slyly and drawled, "It's a surprise." Veronica sat on the broomstick behind Severus, her arms wrapped tightly around his middle. His dips and turns were smooth but exciting as they circled the castle turrets and flew almost lazily over the lake. A pleasantly warm breeze whipped through her hair in the June dusk. Their ride didn't last long, though; Severus landed just outside the school's main gate. "Where to now?" Veronica asked. One corner of his mouth curled as he produced a black scarf from his pocket. He spun Veronica around and put the scarf over her eyes. "I told you," he said placing a soft, sensuous kiss on her neck, "it's a surprise." Veronica sighed and leaned against him. "We could just stay here and snog for a while." She felt Severus turn her around and enfold her in his strong arms. "There will be plenty of time for that when we get to our destination, Mrs. Snape; but I suppose I could kiss you once to tide you over." She could feel the heat of his sweet breath as he leaned in to give her a deep, sultry kiss that lasted for two whole minutes. "That's Mrs. Stanley-Snape to you," Veronica whispered with a mischievous smile when he finally - and reluctantly - withdrew. She heard Severus grunt and could almost see him roll his eyes, but he restrained himself from commenting further. He took Veronica's hand and tapped it with his wand. "Abducto!" Suddenly, their hands were melded together into one. A second later, they Disapparated. When they reappeared, a biting, cold wind blew around her wedding gown, but unfortunately it didn't blow away the blindfold covering her eyes. With another tap of his wand, Severus released her hand and put his arm around her shoulders to both warm her and steer her forward. Veronica heard the creak and groan of metal gate and as she moved forward, she could feel her gown being brushed by overgrown plants. He led her up some stone steps to a porch, then took off the blindfold. "Oh my..." she breathed. They were at the front door of a centuries-old manor house that had obviously been neglected for years. The paint was peeling, shingles were displaced and half hanging off the roof; the grounds were a virtual forest of three-foot-tall weeds, encroaching on the roots of several venerable old oaks that were in desperate need of pruning. Even Professor Sprout would find this gardening challenge daunting. "Welcome to Snape Manor," Severus said, a touch of apprehension in his voice. Veronica turned a few times, then walked down the steps and up again in order to take it all in. "This is your family's estate?" "Such as it is," he said. "It's ours now." "It wonderful!" Joyful tears sprang to her eyes as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. "I love it!" With a wave of his hand, Severus opened the door, the hint of a pleased grin on his face. He swept Veronica into his arms and carried her across the threshold. The foyer's marble floor was covered in a thick layer of dust, but Veronica could tell it would be beautiful again after a bit of scrubbing. Cobwebs were hanging from the vaulted ceilings and the banister of the magnificent mahogany staircase. Covering the walls were forlorn, but proud portraits of Severus' ancestors, who were regarding both of them curiously. Veronica smiled at them brightly and cried, "Hello!" A few of the less stern-looking Snapes smiled back politely. "I haven't been here since I left school - I usually take a room in Hogsmeade over the summer holiday." He sighed and took a long look around, his black eyes clouded over with unpleasant memories of his youth. Veronica took his hand and placed it over her heart. "This has never been much of a home to me, but I knew that you would not only see the beauty of this place that I could never see, but you would finally make it into the home - " Severus stopped and looked away, embarrassed. Veronica hugged him tightly. "Oh, Severus, this will be the home you've always dreamed of, I promise you that. We can start fixing it up first thing tomorrow!" "What about Disneyworld?" he asked, stroking her curls. "I thought you wanted to meet Mickey the Rodent." "About that...we don't have to go if you don't want to." Severus tried to hide the relief in his eyes, but not before Veronica saw it. "I never said I didn't want to go." "You didn't have to. The fact that you insist on calling him Mickey the Rodent gave me my first clue," she said with a wry grin. "But we'll go if you have your heart set on it." "No!" he said a little too quickly. "We can start fixing up the house if you'd rather." Veronica laughed girlishly and ran into room after room with Severus in tow, kicking up great clouds of dust along the way. Every so often, she pulled off a dingy gray sheet to reveal the dilapidated furniture underneath, squealing with delight at each new discovery. "Does it have a dungeon, too?" Severus raised an eyebrow. "What a silly question; of course it does." Veronica grabbed his hands and bounced up and down a few times. "Show it to me, please!" "Later." Severus took his bride into his arms once again and headed for the mahogany staircase. "We have a bedroom to renovate." ~Finis~ |