Sub Rosa

tamargrl - Don\'t worry the ass biting will commence all too soon! heh heh.

Chapter 10 – Earthquakes

Severus had wondered why Kathryn had worn the lovely, but highly impractical gown to the Garden Party, but Narcissa’s expression had been all the answer he had needed. The political planning that was that dress made him grin inwardly, Narcissa looked ready to murder, but she couldn’t sneer. Not to mention the added benefit that Kathryn’s figure was shown off to advantage and compared favorably with Narcissa’s extreme thinness.

The party was everything he had thought it would be, insipid and aggravating. He was high enough among the Death Eaters that no one could snub him completely, but not so high that they had to suck up to him either. So they kept themselves to the bare minimum of courtesy, pretending humor where they meant insult.

Kathryn had a heretofore-unknown capacity for bland small talk; she could do vapid with the best of them. While he used his wit and his voice to delicately flay, she smiled and simply went blank when she didn’t want to discuss something.

Narcissa removed her from his sphere of influence and whisked her away, leaving Severus with a group of ng ong older men who talked politics loudly but to little effect.

He was blandly polite and watched Narcissa and Kathryn from the corner of his eye. She turned slightly at one point and he saw the briefest glimmer of pain. As Narcissa routinely gave him headaches, he had no difficulty in guessing what the problem was. He spilled the Blue Moon tea from a glass brought by a house elf and poured some of his special headache potion into it.

Slipping up beside Kathryn, he handed her the glass and watched her drink without so much as blinking. He wanted to applaud, but knew it would give away the game. He bowed when she thanked him and departed to speak with a couple of people he knew might actually not bore him to death. Occasionally he caught a glimpse of Kathryn and Narcissa, heads together, chattering away like old friends and he wondered what on earth two such dissimilar women could possibly have to talk about for so long.

He noted Narcissa rising form the table and approaching him and gave her a small smile of welcome.

“Severus, you have been the topic of discussion with an old friend. We are concerned for you.” She simpered and Severus felt a chill of fear. The old friend could only be Voldemort, and he knew that he didn’t want Narcissa discussing him with the Dark Lord.

“I always appreciate the concern of my old friends.” He answered neutrally.

“It is important that we purebloods provide heirs for our lines, Severus. You are the last of the Snapes, you know.” She wrapped herself around his arm and batted her lashes at him. He tried to think happy thoughts to combat the creeping horror of her words.

“I am very much aware of my duty in that regard, Narcissa, but with you already married, there is simply no one worthy of the position.” It made him sick to flirt with Narcissa, but he made his voice drop to a purring rumble as he spoke.

“Well, silly boy, we will simply have to find someone…appropriate.” Her e wae was sweet and light, but Severus knew a threat when he heard one. Narcissa released him and wandered off to play grand lady with her other guests.

About an hour later an arm slipped through his and a warm body was pressed against his side. He turned his head in shock to behold McNair’s horsy wife clinging to him like a limpet.

“Severus darling, it has been far too long.” Her voice vibrated with promise and Severus was hard-pressed not to scream and run.

“Not long enough, Dagmar.” He responded coldly, extracting his arm from her clutch. He turned and discovered that three other women were bearing down on him with gazes that could only be described as predatory.

Now, since Severus was always snubbed and insulted at these gatherings and not one of these women had ever shown the slightest interest in him before, he was thrown into some confusion. What on earth was going on here?

He glanced back to where Kathryn was sitting, talking to some very young woman with huge glassy eyes. One of the Malfoy cousins, he thought, he remembered her vaguely from a wedding. Narcissa he spotted whispering to another of the women present while they both glanced at him. Panic seized him as the three women neared him and he evaded speedily and scampered with very little dignity over to where Kathryn was seated.

“Kathryn, I find myself fatigued.” His voice was only a little unsteady, as from the corner of his eye he saw the group of women converging on his position.

“Certainly Severus. Pardon me Marissa, it was lovely seeing you again.” Kathryn rose gracefully and took his arm with a faint smile at her companion. The girl simply nodded and Severus rapidly swept Kathryn from the party, almost forgetting her injury in his haste to depart.


Ten minutes later they were strolling up the drive to the castle. Kathryn limping heavily and Severus feeling a little ashamed at his lack of consideration.

“I am sorry to have dragged you so quickly away, Kathryn.”

“Are you kidding, if I had to stay there another minute I would have starting cursing every last one of those evil bitches back three generation.” Kathryn’s voice, so pleasant at the party was harsh and angry now.

“They were very polite to you, they were dull, but certainly that wasn’t…” She cut him off before he could finish, turning on him suddenly.

“They were horrible to you, Severus! The veiled insults, the catty remarks, it was infuriating! When Narcissa told me how kind I was to tolerate you I could have hexee hae harridan!” She raged and he was shocked.

No one except Albus and Minerva ever defended him at all and neither of them had ever done so with such fury. Her face was flushed, her hands clenched around her cane as though she wanted to beat in someone’s head with it, her eyes flashed fire and he was entranced.

“Thank you.” He said softly. Her anger deflated in an instant and she looked at him in confusion.

“For what?” she was looking at him with those large brown eyes, totally open and trusting, it scared him a little.

“For giving a damn.” She looked at him with eyes that were suddenly too perceptive and he extended his arm again to her, trying to duck back behind his walls. She took it in silence and let him retreat with his dignity.
He was grateful, because he wasn’t at all sure that her honest defense of him wouldn’t bring him to tears.

They ste for forward and the earth began to shake. Kathryn fell to the ground in a heap and Severus saw rocks tumbling down the hillside towards them. They were already inside the anti-apparating wards of the castle, so he grabbed her with one arm and cast a shield spell with the other. She added her casting to his and then they huddled together waiting to see if they would survive the experience.

The world dissolved into noise and chaos, he felt a sharp pain and then everything went black.