Tel\' Lindar (The Bard)

Chapter 14

Shopping with Snape or Snape goes shopping... WHOOSH!

***

The sky was dark, twinkling lights overhead as stars older than the Earth moved in their continuous journey. The Voyeur looked up, recognizing many of the constellations and mildly shocked by them.

The heat of the night caused his stiff shirt collar to itch and irritate the back of his neck. The Voyeur mindlessly pulled at it, tugging it away from dampened skin. As he looked around he realized that this was yet another landscape, another place.

A desert.

Sand everywhere; dunes for miles, brightened by the light of the moon.

Voices.

Voices in the dark...

\"This is no way to raise a child. This cannot continue.\"

Her voice, the Woman\'s, quiet, pleading. Not a tone often heard from her.

\"N\'uma. It cannot.\" The Big Elf\'s voice...

They sat together, near a campfire. Several sleeping Elves, including a small redheaded Elfling lay nearby.

\"He needs other children, Heru. He needs someonsidesides us and dirt and...\" Her voice trailed off.

\"Baraermin. Might I suggest?\"

Sand.

Sand swirling...

The Voyeur\'s temper finally got the best of him.

\"No! That is it! I cannot and will not take any more!\" The Voyeur yanked his hands down and clenched his fists by his side. \"I cannot rest, I cannot be still; smelly stinking drinking establishments, bogs with rotting dead bodies, killing, death -\" he thrust his hand out, \"-naked muddy brats acting as if they rule the world. Marriages, vomit, tears, bloody awful.. Orcs!\" He spun in a circle, looking for the specter that haunted him, knowing the Woman could not hear. \"Uruk- hai! And now sand!\" The Voyeur spat the words, as if they were sharpened spikes. \"My dreams are my own! I will not have you invade them any longer!\"

\"Nay. Your dreams belong to me.\"

The Big Elf.

The Voyeur tucked his hands into the crook of his elbows and drew himself into a tight vise. Glaring, he attempted to stare down the pointy - eared bastard.

\"My dreams...\"

\"Belong to me.\" He gave a half-smile to the Voyeur. \"Do not forget it.\" He turned and motioned to him over his shoulder. \"Come.\"

\"I will not.\"

\"So be it.\" With a quirk of his fingers, the Big Elf jerked the Voyeur forward, propelling him to his side.

The Voyeur\'s lungs filled with scorching air as he inhaled between clenched teeth. \"My dre-\"

The Big Elf calmly reached out and grabbed the Voyeur by the collar. \"Listen to me and listen very carefully. I do not particularly like coming to you in the night, invading your mind, invading your senses. I do not like trying to teach you what was and what will be. I do not like trying to soften your jagged edges nor force down your narrow mind what you could easily accomplish by asking simple questions of her. You will not do it; therefore, I must feed you in a way I find repugnant. \'Tis bad enough I must hand her over to you for the rest of this lifetime and wait until this life spins itself out, but to have that promise hinge on your ability to work with her as a team to retrieve what has been stolen... well -\" the Elf paused, \"I doubt your abilities to comprehend the situation, I doubt your abilities to...\"

\"You doubt me?\" The Voyeur s \"Y \"You doubt my abilities?\" His mouth hung open for just a moment before realizing sand mites did not taste good. \"Your... Valar... saddle me with a tiresome, troublesome chit with misconceived visions of greatness, a diva in the truest sense. She has the mouth of a cesspool, cannot comprehend past her own hand, she does not think, she is worse than... Dobby in a potions storage!\" He looked to the sky, running his hands through his hair, pulling at the locks. \"She has my own house elf thinking I am kind!\" A long, pointed finger thrust itself into the Big Elf\'s face. \"For almost three months, I have had to mop up snot and tears, trying to get her to focus on the task at hand to search for a dropped wand in the forest, a needle in a haystack. She reads endlessly, sings at inappropriate times and yet You. Doubt. Me.\" The Voyeur spun on his heel and stormed off. \"She can find her own damnable Bow. Leave me alone.\"

Only to find himself standing back in front of the Elf. The Elf crossed his arms and smirked.

\"Not so funny when it is done to you, is it?\"

The Voyeur poked at the Elf. \"If you have any insight, why do you not just tell me? Why must I know her life\'s history? Why must I know about where she has been? Quite frankly, I do not need YOUR help!\"

In one second, the Voyeur went from standing tall with his finger in the Big Elf\'s face; the next he was up on the tips of his shoes, the Big Elf\'s hands gripping the Voyeur\'s collar.

\"Think I do this for YOU? Think I drag you from insight to insight for YOU? Nay! You are a bigger dunderhead than any student who has graced your room. I do it to aid HER. To soften HER path. You are her path and if it is lined with glass and sharpened objects, she will be loath to traverse it!\" He pulled the Voyeur up tighter; closer. \"If she does not succeed, I am bound to her for eternity with nothing to show for it. She will be sent to the Halls of her Fathers and I will wait for infinity for a soul who will never return to me.\" The Big Elf thrust the Voyeur away from him to the ground. \"You must succeed.\"

The Voyeur picked himself up and proceeded to brush the sand from his clothing. \"Why should I care if she is returned to you or not? I do not give ong abg about your well-being.\"

The Big Elf was silent.

\"Wait.\" The Voyeur was silent, thoughts churning. \"She will not be returned to you when her bow is found. She is destined to live out her life to its glorious end.\" The Voyeur\'s eyes darted back and forth. \"And I am stuck with her until the end.\"

The Big Elf was glaring, his fists clenching and unclenching in rage.

\"And,\" the Voyeur\'s finger was stabbing the night air, making its point. \" if she is not returned to YOU upon her death, I am stuck with her for eternity!\" The Voyeur could hear the Big Elf breathing heavily, air coming from his nostrils in angry puffs. The Voyeur thought back on what he had said.

Stuck with her for eternity...

\"Oh, kill me now...\" he mumbled.

\"Not until you help her find her bow!\" the Big Elf spat between grinding teeth. \"Then I will gladly end your life!\"

\"Wait...\" The thought occurred to the Voyeur and his smile was venomous, \"I am going to have her!\" He slowly circled the Big Elf, watching with glee the defiant look on his face. \"I am going to have YOUR wife and there is nothing you can do about it!\" He began to laugh, a rusty sound from his throat. \"Nothing! Absolutely nothing you can do but watch---\"

The fist came from nowhere, connecting sharply with the Voyeur\'s nose. It knocked the man back a step or two and his hand immediately went to his nose. The Voyeur pulled his hand from his face, saw the blood pooling in the palm. Continuing to hold his hand in front of his face, he chuckled. \"I\'m still going to have her! What is she like? Perhaps you could tell me her favorite position? Does she howl?\" He saw the Big Elf draw back again and the Voyeur backed up out of reach. \"Now, now, Poncy Elf, I am no good to her a bloody pulp!\"

\"You will not touch her!\" It was a whisper in the wind.

\"Oh, I disagree. I will touch her plenty!\"

The Big Elf began to advance on the Voyeur, the Voyeur backing up just ahead of him.

\"You will not touch her!\"

\"Are her breasts firm? Do they fit well in the mouth...mph...\"

The Big Elf had grabbed him by the collar and was shaking the Voyeur like a limp rag. \"Aye, you will touch her. I know that. I know it well. But you will not touch her until she is ready; until it is her decision to take you to her bed. You will not force her, you will not coerce her. Do I make myself clear?\"

The Voyeur\'s body shook with maniacal jollity. \"You poor delusional creature. Being dead does have its limitations, does it not?\" He found himself thrown to the ground and he quickly picked himself up again. The Voyeur was laughing, \"I will touch her when I damn well please...\"

Again, the fist came from nowhere, slamming the Voyeur backwards, back... back...

Into the pillows of his bed.

Snape sat up, one hand reaching for his wand, the other, for his face. It was damp.

\"Lumos!\"

A low eerie glow lit the bedroom and Severus examined the amount of blood in the cup of his hand. He started to chortle again, until he realized his bed was gritty...

It was full of sand.


***

Severus Snape wove through the light bustle of the before pre-term school shoppers, his customary snarl plainly opening a path for him. He mentally ticked off his shopping list: Andrews Apothecary for supplies, Del\'s book store for student lists and personal. His hands were deep in his pockets. Only one place left...

Robes. Robes for Bronwyn.

He had put her in the care of McGonagall, Hooch, and Sprout. She should be safe with them; cackling women for a woman\'s wardrobe. Almost as much fun as spending serious time in Muggle London. At least, Bronwyn had come up with a reasonable alternative to a weekend crawling with the urban pollution and slime.

***

He had left the Headmaster\'s office to follow Bronwyn\'s ire to her chambers. He strode through the nauseating yellow classroom, chairs and desks still piled next to the walls, windows sparkling with sunshine and... cheer. The door to her private rooms was open and from within, he could hear angry rifts . sc. scales and forced melodic runs from an ancient stringed instrument.

He entered her sunny quarters... bright sunshine in the dungeons - some things should NEVER be all... ... and saw her sitting out on her patio, bent over an antiquated lute in her hands and lap. Fingers accustomed to rhythmic patterns roamed the frets with familiarity. He stepped over Amadeus and came to rest in the open glass doorway, leaning against the door jamb. He noticed the whiteness of her knuckles as the strings squealed in anguish of over-used force. Her face belied pain at the discord of the inharmonic progression.

\"Must it be ugly?\"

She stopped in mid - run, nasty discordant notes hanging in the air.

\"It\'s Hindemith.\" she hissed. \"It\'s not supposed to be pretty.\"

A raven - winged eyebrow arched. \"20th century composer. You are correct. Very ugly.\"

Bronwyn growled, pulled herself from the chaise she was sitting in and attempted to move past the Potions Master. \"And this coming from a man who likes Bartok!\"

His hand shot out and grasped her like a vise as she stalked past. \"A moment, Bronwyn.\"

Her eyes met his, malevolence burning in the depths. He cocked his head to the side, a slight smile on his face. \"Do not hate the messenger. Believe me, I know all too well that it would behoove me to assist you in completing your task to a positive conclusion.\"

The anger dissipated as quickly as it had risen. Air puffed through her cheeks as her shoulders slumped in dejection. \"I handled it rather badly, didn\'t I?\"

Severus shrugged in a noncommittal manner. \"I expected such. Fudge gave the objectives to me, upon his arrival to give to you. I read them, saw what they contained, and knew your reaction. Luckily, Remus was nearby to pass them along to you and I was able to beat that prat to Albus\' office.\" He was very quiet as he perused her from his height, looking down at the bowed head, the dejected set of her shoulders. \"You have a very powerful enemy, madam, and it is not Fudge.\"

\"But he...\"

\"Fudge is a puppet, a mouthpiece for many self interests. He keeps his job, his position, by greasing many palms and appeasing many factions. Some of his more... powerful... backers have tried for many years to gain control of this school. Every attempt has been neatly rebuffed by Albus. Do not think -\" and with this, a single long finger ros fro front of her face, his other hand still gripping her arm \"- for a moment, that Albus is the kindly grandfather who has been so gracious to you. He has a backbone of finely honed steel and he will use it as he sees fit. He is not forthcoming in his plans and one never knows where they fit in HIS plans.\"

There was silence as Snape slowly turned Bronwyn\'s arm loose and she quietly went inside, placing the lute lovingly in a protective case.

\"The lute is new.\"

\"No.\" she smiled. \"The lute is ancient. Older than this school, older than anything I know, except for the harp on the mantle.\" She motioned to her husband\'s harp in a predominant place of importance. \"It is Celeborn\'s and he has loaned it to m-\"

\"That pervert plays? Enjoys?\"

Bronwyn\'s back had been to him and he immediately saw by the sudden stiffening of her shoulders that he had trod on a sensitive issue. She turned slowly.

\"Let me tell you about ‘That Pervert\'. He is perhaps the wisest and most respected of all Elves. He is married to and beloved of the most powerful she-Elf of her time, and to be married to Galadriel, he would HAVE to be something special. His love for her surpasses anything I have ever seen and that includes mine and Haldir\'s!\"

\"He has been the father that I never had. His advice to me, whether or not it was solicited, has ever been sound and just what I needed, whether I wanted to hear it or not. He has been a good and faithful friend, seeing me, seeing Haldir through good and bad times. When my husband turned his back on me, Celeborn explained to me the whys and hows to me. When I married Haldir, he was the one who escorted me to him, took on the role of Ada, the loving father. You see only a flirt, but his heart, his soul is bound tightly to Galadriel. Nothing can change that; nothing will change it. He was the first one to comfort me when Haldir was so cruelly cut down; he was the one who stayed by my side constantly for months, neglecting his duties here. He kept me from killing myself, he kept me intact so I could complete my task.\"

Her shoulders stiffened in ire. \"Celeborn is an Elf. Not just an Elf, but an Elf Lord. And a high ranking Elf Lord at that. He is noble, generous, kind. He has been a friend to me, never a lover. As with his race, he is a lover of music, art, and poetry. Fine wine. That he loaned me an instrument precious to him means a great deal to me. If you wish to think him a pervert, keep that thought to yourself!\"

As quickly as the fire consumed her, it left. \"Severus, I\'m sorry.\" She turned and gently laid a hand at the buttoned collar of his jacket. \"He is dear to me and to hear anyone speak ill of him, it angers me. There is so much more to him than meets the eye.\"

The electricity between the two crackled silently in the air, each aware of it in themselves, but not to the other. Bronwyn stepped back, thumb now nervously caressing the tingling pads of her fingers. \"We...uhm... we have a lot to do in the next few days. Going to Diagon Alley, into London to purchase supplies and to find a computer to do some research on.\"

Severus didn\'t answer her; simply listened. She rambled on, nerves apparent. \"Minerva says I need ‘proper robes\'; I need to either change my book list or just work these ‘objectives\' into what I had planned...\"

\"You have to teach them, Bronwyn. If they are on the objectives list, you cannot ignore them. If the students are questioned during their O.W.L.S.; their N.E.W.T.S... it will go badly if they are unprepared. They will blame you.\"

\"Do you teach things that are... unnecessary?\"

Severus snorted at the question. \"There are several things that are unnecessary, but yes. I know they will be questioned. They are archaic, no one has used them in over a century...\"

\"Like what?\"

Severus looked around the room in thought. \"A motion sickness potion. Apparating has been refined to the point of being non - problematic. Very few have side effects. A few others that haven\'t been used in centuries.\" He looked down at her in pique. \"Why are you questioning me about this? It does not matter. They will be questioned and I will do my best to make sure they pass. As much as I hate to admit it, my abilities as a teacher are rated at the percentage of my students that pass that damn test. It does not matter if they are dunderheads or stupid beyond compare. If an overwhelming amount do not pass the most simplest of potions, I am the one looked closely at.\" Severus pinched his nose and closed his eyes.

A headache. Lovely. Just what he needed.

As he was acknowledging the fact, he felt her unbutton his jacket, sliding the heavy material from his shoulders. \"Sit down, you. Let\'s take care of this before it gets worse and you change the subject.\" Severus sank to the floor as she sat on the chair, putting his shoulders at the perfect height. They had discovered through trial and error that if he allowed her to minister to him early into the onslaught, there was no need for the stripping and oils. Gentle kneading ensued, and Severus felt himself relaxing at her touch. \"Either way, I need to either find materials to cover this added material, or create my own. Minerva says I need wizarding academic robes and an owl of my own. I also need to go into Muggle London to buy harpsichord wire-\"

\"Can it wait?\" Severus body was moving in tandem with her hands, back and forth. He was aware of her beast sitting across from him, watching.

\"The wire? I can\'t play the instrument now. I have broken too many. I have rammed a few jacks where they aren\'t supposed to be, as well. Besides, I thought we had decided to go into the city to do some rese to to find my bow. Some genealogy work. Might as well pick that up while we are there.\"

Severus was quiet as her words sunk in.

\"Severus?\"

\"What?\" It was clipped, te

\"I\'m thinking it will take more than a few hours. It might take a... day or two. Maybe three.\"

Growling. NOT from Amadeus.

\"I\'m thinking we might need to make it an overnight or weekend trip.\"

\"I believe you mentioned that once.\"

\"I might have to do a lot of printing to research deeper, bring it back here with me.\" Silence along with the gentle pressure on his shoulders. \"Severus, have you ever been to Muggle London?\"

\"Yes. I hated it. I am not looking forward to this trip.\"

\"That\'s what I thought.\" A pause. \"I had an idea. I thought I might put it past you.\"

Severus raised his hand to where she could see from her perch, fingers rotating... out with it...

\"My cottage in Wales. It is quiet, remote. No one w exp expect me to... show up for a time... the utilities are paid through my trust account at the bank, so they would be working. I have a computer, plenty of supplies. It would be private, you could read. I am not well-versed on what you can accomplish, but if you could ward or hide the fact that there is movement within the house...\"

\"Are you suggesting that after dealing with things at Diagon Alley and your minor supplies in the shopping dist of of London, we ‘retire\' to your personal home and hide out for a few days? Alone?\"

Her hands lifted from his shoulders. \"If you think it is a bad idea, I understand, I-\"

\"Madam!\" Severus\' voice was tinged with sudden good humor. He turned to look at her. \"That is quite possibly the most intelligent thing I have heard you utter. Keeping our presence hidden for several days should be no problem.\" He caught sight of Amadeus sitting across from him. \"We will be leaving your animal here?\" This was just too, too good to be true.

\"No. I wouldn\'t dream of leaving him if I am going away overnight.\"

Damn!

The wolf grinned.

\"Severus..\"

***

\"Severus! Severus! Are you all right?\"

Snape looked up from his deep musings to the one face he did not want to run into.

Lucius Malfoy.

\"Knut for your thoughts, Severus?\" The tall blonde smiled congenially at Snape; his son, Draco, at his side. Lucius smile remained fixed, as he reached out and dusted unseen dust from Snape\'s collar. \"Did you have a... restful summer?\"

\"My summer was fine.\"

\"I would hope so.\" Lucius continued, his eyes sparkling with malicious glee. \"After the spring you... we all had. And you being such the hero with Harry Potter...\"

\"I am no hero. I did nothing that anyone else would not have done.\" Severus reached across and flicked dandruff from the dark cloak of Malfoy Senior.

\"Ah. You were ever the quiet one; the one no one would have thought to be such a... clever agent for the... victorious side. How different you turned out to be from that skinny lad I took under my wing all those years ago.\"

Severus drew up, his eyes narrowed. \"The only difference between you and Goyle, is Goyle got caught.\"

\"And died for it. Such a sad plight for his family.\" Malfoy sighed under his breath, his son, smirking. \"I have taken it upon myself to make sure his family is taken care of in the proper manner. I am paying for the remainder of his son\'s schooling. Pity. They are near destitute. I have no idea what his mother will do.\"

‘If you are paying for things,\' Severus thought, ‘I have a fair mind what she is doing.\' He recalled Malicea Goyle. Not a bad looking woman in her day. He had often wondered what she had seen in Goyle Senior or if the marriage had been arranged.

\"Regardless, it is done and over. All that unpleasantness put away. So,\" Lucius tapped his cane down on the cobbled stones. \"I hhearheard a worrisome rumor.\"

It was now Severus\' turn to dust imaginary lint from his own clothing. \"If you heard a worrisome rumor, no doubt it is true.\"

Lucius continued as if Severus had said nothing. \"I\'ve heard that the new Muggles Studies Professor is a Muggle.\"

\"Yes. You heard correctly.\"

\"A... Muggle?\" Lucius sounded appalled.

\"A Muggle has no business teaching at...\"

Severus turned on the almost grown child, eyes questioning his right to speak. \"This Muggle is most qualified to teach.\"

\"But, Severus... a... Muggle!\" Lucius made it sound distasteful.

And your point? Severus fought to keep from voicing his thoughts. His hands moved from dusting lint to adjusting the cuffs of his shirt beneath his coat sleeves.

Lucius\' sigh was dramatically heavy. \"Severus. I have heard horrible things about this woman. She is dangerous, she has lived with those nasty Elves from that hidden island. She was married to one, had children, relations with him..\"

\"If she was married to him and had children by him, then I would suspect she had relations with him.\"

Draco began to snicker, only to find his father\'s cane pressed heavily into his chest. \"Draco. Manners.\" He returned his attention back to the Potions Master. \"I understand... love.... but, truly, everything I have read about her...\"

\"I guarantee, the rot you have read by the gossip columnist in The Daily Prophet is just that. Rot.\" Snape finished fussing with his cuffs and gave Lucius Malfoy one hundred percent of his attention. \"Professor Powell is well-educated and experienced in teaching students of all ages from many different backgrounds. I suspect she is a relatively decent choice to teach the position she has been hired to teach and will do a more than adequate job. She is no more dangerous than I am.\"

Lucius touched the tip of his cane to his forehead, the meaning clear.

Touche.

\"Severus, you are not becoming... attached... to her, are you?\" The cane clicked down again to the cobblestones. \"I have heard... rumors... unsettling rumors and I would hate to see you... lower your standards.\"

This conversation was bordering on the ludicrous and Snape couldn\'t help himself. His laugh was a loud, sharp bark. \"Lower my standards? How much lower could I possibly go?\" To be honest with himself, his idea of a romantic evening for the longest time had been five minutes with a handful of unscented oil in the shower.

\"Severus!\" Lucius\' voice was quiet behind a fixed, clenched smile. \"You are the last of a proud, unblemished line. It is your duty to preserve that line.\" Malfoy thumped him on the side of the arm. \"Dally with the chit, if you mustt dot do not lose sight of your priorities.\"

Severus\' smile did not go to his eyes. \"I thank you for your concern for the continuation of my family name. I will keep your... advice close at hand.\"

\"That\'s the spirit!\" Malfoy addressed his son. \"Come, Draco, I have things to do.\" The pair stalked proudly down the sidewalk, brushing the air that Snape had breathed from their clothing.

‘Yes,\' Severus thought, ‘I will keep your advice close at hand so I may dump it into the nearest burning cauldron I see.\'

He continued his quest towards the robery that the witches were taking Bronwyn to. Surely, they would be done by now.

Why was he sensing... anger?

Around the corner from the apparel store, he was nearly knocked down by Russ Sprout. She bounced backwards, surprise in her eyes.

\"Severus, I\'m sorry, I\'m really sorry!\" She brushed nervously at his jacket, much to his consternation.

\"Stop that! Just watch where you are going!\" He picked the short woman up and set her back away from him. \"I take it Bronwyn has finished?\"

\"Finished? Finished? Severus! I am fond of you, truly I am and Bronwyn is lovely gel, she is. But I never wish to go shopping for clothes with that one again!\"

\"She is not finished?\"

Russ\'s jaw flapped. \"Well... she... She is either unhappy with the color, unhappy with the cut... or they don\'t... whoosh.\"

\"Whoosh?\"

\"Yes! Whoosh! That is what I said! You go on with you! You go talk sense into her! She is your charge!\" And with that, the Herbology professor darted around Severus, continuing to mutter to herself.

\"Robes that go... whoosh?\" Severus shook his head and continued on towards the store. Shopping with females. What an infernal waste of... He came to the store and went inside.

The women were towards the back of the establishment and the closer he got to the alcove they had commandeered, the more it looked as if a bomb had gone off. Clothes, hangers lay everywhere...

Amadeus was hiding under a chair, nosing the tails of dragging garments. His green leash was trailing the ground. He actually looked relieved to see Severus.

\"No! N\'uma! N\'uma!\" Bronwyn stalked back and forth in orange robes, \"Who talked me into this?\"

\"I...I... am sorry, madam.\" A very frightened, young salesgirl stammered. \"It is such a pretty color...\"

\"What on earth is going on here?\" Snape\'s voice was harsh, grated and even Hooch stood up. Bronwyn spun around, eyebrows knitted together. She sized up the Potions Master and...

\"Must I wear Wizard Robes? I have plenty of clothing!\"

By Circe! A woman who did not want more clothing? Maybe the Elf was right! A rare treasure indeed!

Severus shook that silly thought from his mind. He was having more and more of them lately and it truly disconcerted him.

\"Bronwyn. What is the problem? You have been here several hours, you should have a trunk load of proper attire sacked up and ready to go!\"

She stalked up to the tall Wizard, mutinous eyes blazing. She thrust her arms out, voluminous sleeves hanging. \"What is taking so long? It is awful, it is too long, it\'s too short, it doesn\'t hang right, it is the wrong color, it isn\'t what I\'m used to wearing...\"

Minerva chimed in. \"Bronwyn, the crimson robe was beautiful...\"

\"The blue and silver one was...\" This from Madam Hooch.

\"Silence!\"

All the women\'s jaws snapped shut.

Bronwyn was grinning evilly.

Severus whipped his wand out from his sleeve. \"Which robe did you like the cut of?\"

\"Well, there was the crimson one, but...\"

\"Put it on!\"

The salesgirl dug through discarded robes, finally pulling a deep red robe from the pile. With a wave of his wand, the robe transformed itself from the salesgirl\'s hands and onto Bronwyn. It was full, touching the ground in deep folds, the sleeve flaring gently below the wrist.

\"Bronwyn, it is beautiful.\" Minerva clasped her hands in glee. \"Of all the robes...\"

\"It is red!\" Severus snapped.

\"Well, tell me something I don\'t know!\"

Severus turned to Minerva. \"If she is going to wear anyone\'s House colors, it will be mine and not yours.\"

Minerva\'s smile was slow, but full. \"I did not think she would get it...\"

Severus\' return snarky grin was slight as he waved his wand yet again and the robe turned to a deep emerald green.

\"I hate to say it Severus, but that color does do her justice.\"

Bronwyn scowled at the two and turned to look in the mirror. The color DID look nice, but...

She turned and stalked around the store.

\"No. They will not do.\"

\"And what, madam, is wrong with them?\"

\"They don\'t go ‘Whoosh\'.\"

The salesgirl rolled her eyes. Here it comes again!

Severus tipped his head. \"They do not what?\" he whispered.

Bronwyn pointed at Severus, but turned her attention to the salesgirl. \"I want robes that go ‘Whoosh\', just like Professor Snape\'s!\"

\"Professor Powell, I do not know if Professor Snape does anything special to his robes, but we do not manufacture...\"

\"You are a magical community! You should be able to manufacture anything I desire. And I desire robes that go ‘Whoosh!\"

She stood firm.

Whoosh!

Snape\'s tongue slid over his teeth, lingering over an eyetooth. \"Bronwyn, I do not enhance my robes to make any sounds.\"

\"Well, you do something, because when you stomp around, your robes fly and go ‘Whoosh\'!\" She crossed her arms and stood in front of him, aping his stance. \"I like it! I want robes that do just that!\"

Severus shook his head angrily and started to walk away, just to put room between himself and the irritating Bard.

\"See? See? Even in that jacket, he goes ‘Whoosh\'!\"

Severus stopped in his tracks. \"She will take that robe in green. Are they any others?\"

\"Well, there was this lovely black dressy dress...\"

A dressy dress...

He turned, wand at the ready. \"Well?\"

Quickly, it was found and was put on in the same manner.

It was black, long, trailing the floor. It was low cut and hugged her curves, showing them off. The sleeve was tight and the skirts flowed out gracefully from her hips.

She was frowning.

\"What is wrong with this one?\"

\"It\'s black.\"

\"Why is that a problem?\"

The salesgirl had stepped back and seemed to be grateful that someone had taken over. The women had been arguing for several hours and apparently her former Potions Master, who obviously didn\'t recognize her, was making headway with this disagreeable woman.

\"Why is it a problem? Practically everything I own is black. Or Elvish!\"

\"What color would you like it?\"

Madam Hooch spoke up. \"Dark blue.\"

\"Anne-Marie... Must I have the same discussion...\"

\"Severus. I like the dark blue.\" Bronwyn\'s voice was quiet. \"Besides, I am getting a robe in your colors. What can one dress in dark blue hurt?\"

An instant later, the dress was a deep blue... almost black.

She turned in front of the mirror again, her hand wandering to the low neckline.

\"I feel decadent. I have so many clothes.\"

Minerva and Anne-Marie maneuvered around the Wizard. \"But you do not have any Wizard clothes, Bronwyn.\" Minerva squeezed her shoulders gently.

\"You are one of us now, Bronwyn.\" Anne-Marie smiled.

Bronwyn\'s eyes met Severus\' in the mirror, deep sadness reflected.

\"No, I\'m not.\" Bronwyn whispered, barely heard. \"I can never be one of you.\"

***

But she\'ll bring out the best
And the worst you can be
Blame it all on yourself
Cause she\'s always a woman to me

Always a Woman to me
Billy Joel


***

In the end, she had gotten the emerald green robe, the dark blue dress, a similar black dress with a scooped neckline and several black scholarly robes. She purchased a small brown owl, which the proprietor agreed to keep until she returned in two nights to pick it up. All of her other purchases were miniaturized and put in one of Severus\' pockets. They took an early dinner at the Leaky Cauldron, gathering stares and whispers from everyone. For the first time in a long time, Bronwyn was self - conscious and simply wanted hide somewhere.

\"What is wrong with you?\" Severus snapped. \"You act as if you have never been the center of attention before!\"

Bronwyn slowly straightened her spine. \"I\'m being stared at. And not nicely.\"

She was right. Curious stares, mostly, but an underlying current of... fear...

And one of ... anger.

\"Amadeus is not helping matters!\" He was right. The wolf sat at her side, growling at anyone who came near. \"Are you about finished, Bronwyn?\" She nodded. \"Put on your coat as it is raining. We will make stops at the music store, where ever else necessary, and a grocer. I do not want to have to pick up supplies once we reach your home.\"

Once in Muggle London, Severus was pleasantly surprised at the efficient quickness in which she conducted her business. Exing ing a diva-like attitude such as he had witnessed at the clothing shop, she made short work of purchasing paper for her computer, specific wire strings and jacks for the harpsichord from the music store. Due to the rarity of the instrument, the jacks would have to be manufactured and shipped. Severus made the arrangements to have the parts sent to an individual - a Squib - who forwarded Muggle merchandise to Hogwarts. Last, they went to a small grocery store and purchased foodstuffs to last a few days. By the time they finished, it was dark. Taking bags and Bronwyn in hand, Severus looked around in the glooming twilight and unobserved, ducked into a darkened side street.

Amadeus stood at Snape\'s side, pressing against him.

\"Give me your hand, Bronwyn.\" Severus reached out. Bronwyn gingerly put her hands into his, only to find herself jerked to his chest. \"This will just be a moment.\" and his arm slid around her waist as he pulled her close.

Two flashes later, they stood in the backyard of her home.

***

TBC

***