Chapter Text
Severus was absolutely fuming with rage as he slammed the door of his office behind him, his robes barely making it through with him. He had just returned from the Headmaster's office. When Dumbledore first called for him, Severus assumed the Headmaster must have found himself in need of some specific potion. To his utmost horror, he could not be more mistaken.
Lupin was to assume the position of the Defence Against the Dark Art teacher. It wasn’t even the fact that Severus wanted the position for himself that pissed him off anymore. At this point, he couldn’t care less if one of Hagrid's Acromantulas took the post. Anyone, or anything, but him. It was hard enough suppressing the memories of Potter strutting around the castle just like his swine of a father did before him.
Severus tried to knock some sense into the old man, questioning the safety of his students to such an extent that even he started to believe his own words. Yes, it was the safety of the students that troubled his heart and most definitely not the burning rage he had been harbouring for the man ever since they were schoolmates. Severus begged, pleaded, and threatened to demolish the Headmaster's office but to no avail.
He will now be forced to look at the face of a man he hated, pretending they are colleagues. To make matters worse– if that was even possible– Dumbledore asked him to brew Wolfsbane Potion for Lupin. In yet another fit of rage, Severus swiped his table clean. Vials hit the ground, shattering, splashing all over the floor of his study.
He would deal with it later. Stepping over the mess, his foot landed on the latest edition of The Potioneer magazine. From the cover, a familiar face smirked proudly. Severus halted, his anger fast dissolving. He picked the magazine up and cleaned off the spilt potion with a swish of his wand. He sat down, magazine in hand, reading the title yet again:
MAGIZOOLOGIST RHEA A. ROSIER PRESENTS A NEW, IMPROVED MEMORY ELIXIR
Severus knew the article by heart. The elixir was deluded Swopping Evil’s venom, combined with translucent moonstone and dittany, said to be able to target and erase the trauma and unwanted memories. His chest swelled with pride when he first read it. Not many Magizoologists could brew and Severus was more than willing to take the partial credit for her abilities.
He was the one who tutored Rosier and he had a strong feeling she based her thesis on one of his own theories. Severus gave a deep sigh.
Rhea Rosier. They used to be friends. Or so he liked to tell himself. Severus graduated a year before her but they kept in touch for a little while. That was until he received his Dark Mark and slowly began to realise he screwed up beyond belief.
Seeing the danger he put his loved ones in, Severus swiftly cut off anyone not already affiliated with the Dark Lord. He never replied to her letters after that. Rhea tried for almost a year before the letters stopped coming. She got an apprenticeship with Newt Scamander soon after graduating. At least one of them got the life they dreamed of as kids.
This brought another part of the conversation with Dumbledore to mind. Severus was told Kettleburn was retiring. And the Headmaster wouldn’t tell him who the new professor was. Could it be...? He wondered briefly. Severus shook his head, forcing a tingle of hope out. Last he heard Rhea Rosier was half a world away, studying some creature in Peru.
He put the magazine away, carefully placing it back on his working desk. Pinching the bridge of his nose until he could properly focus, he shuffled over to his storeroom. Might as well start on that bloody Wolfsbane Potion, he told himself.
~~~~~~~
The first of September came a lot faster than Severus might have wished. By then he had forgotten about his long-lost friend. Severus was never the type to cling to false hope and fleeting emotions.
He had buried her the day he decided to cut off any contact. His mind was occupied by the news of the Dementors guard, Black and Lupin. The latter being the reason for his daily hissy fits. No matter how much he tried (and he truly did, if not for himself, for Dumbledore) he could not forgive or forget what had happened all those years back.
Chill ran down his spine every time he remembered how close to meeting death he came that day. Images of growling fangs soaked in slimy saliva intruded his mind more often as the new semester crept closer. On the morning of the feast, Severus had a persistent knot in his stomach, accompanied by occasional sickness. As the hour approached the anger came back, his whole body resisting the idea of entering the same space Lupin was occupying. With one last fleeting look through his study, his eyes landed once again on the pile where he knew the magazine lay buried. I wish you were here.
Severus dragged himself to the table nonetheless. Not that he had a choice. Dumbledore was already at the staff table along with unusually happy Hagrid, Sinistra and Flitwick.
There were rumours of the Gamekeeper taking the post of the Care of Magical Creatures teacher but why the half-giant was grinning at Severus like a madman, remained unknown.
Severus took the chair the Headmaster pointed to, dreading the moment of Lupin’s arrival. While he waited he counted the chairs at the table. Thirteen. He was pretty sure there was one too many. Binns, being a ghost, never attended the feast and neither did Poppy who usually took that time to prepare the hospital wing for the upcoming year. Last he saw her she was rummaging through his storage room, looking for potions that might come in handy. Lost in his thoughts he flinched as the chair on his left made a scraping noise as it was dragged over the floors. Severus didn’t need to look. Feeling the anger boil inside, he stubbornly turned away.
“Severus." The voice he wanted to erase from his memory completely, spoke. There was no malice but Severus didn't care. His gaze remained stubbornly trained at the massive entrance of the Great Hall. The school year was yet to begin and he was already ready to quit. That must have been some kind of a record.
"Severus, we will be working together, whether we like it or not. I merely wish to–" Lupin tried again.
“I don't. I am, however, amazed you managed to be on time, considering the lunar cycle.” Severus dragged every word maliciously.
If Lupin was to comment further it was cut off by the velvety voice behind them.
“I believe you're in my seat, Lupin.” Remus, who seemed as surprised as Severus, scampered to his feet, with what was supposed to be a polite bow.
Severus felt his blood freeze. He knew that voice. He knew that voice very well.
In what felt like slow motion, he turned his head to take a look at the owner of the said voice. Black eyes were met with icy blue ones. With prominent dark rims around the irises and diamond-shaped crypts, those eyes always reminded Severus of a frozen lake in the dead of a cold winter. The witch stared him down with a devilish smirk.
“Severus Snape.” The tone of her velvety voice was unidentifiable, which irritated Snape a tad.
She had every right to be mad but Severus would much appreciate it if she would let her feelings be known. He always had a hard time reading the witch, much to her amusement. So, trying to keep things neutral, he matched her energy.
“Rhea Rosier.” He kept his voice smooth, devoid of emotions.
“Really Snape?” The witch sneered as she took her seat, holding up her dress to cross her legs underneath it. “You fuck over your best friend and that is how you greet me?”
Straight to the point then. Maybe he should be a tad more polite. Severus winced at her attitude as he was so used to intimidating people just with his presence, he now felt completely out of his element.
In fifteen years he had forgotten why he liked the witch as much as he did. A memory came back to him of one of their early encounters. From back when he didn’t even consider her a friend yet. He was already tutoring her in potions and on that particular day, he found her especially overwhelming. She was all over him with her obnoxious personality that reminded him strongly of a feline who was somehow high on drugs.
Their personalities would often crash, resulting in not-entirely-friendly duels. On that day he had found himself pinned against the wall, with a force he would never believe could come from such a petite witch, and yet there he was. Her wand had found a way under his school robes, pressing firmly against his ribs. That was also the day his respect grew exponentially for the members of the infamous Rosier family.
Brought back to reality by the noises of students slowly filling the hall, Severus discerned he was still staring at Rhea like a common dunderhead. She stared back with a raised brow.
“Where’d you go just now?” Dammit, the woman still knew him well.
“Nowhere.” He finally managed to utter.
“Look, let’s make this easier. Are we on speaking terms? Are you mad at me? I’ll leave you alone if that is your wish.” Severus gave her a bewildered look. He had no idea how to respond. And as more students took their seats he was getting more uncomfortable with the situation.
“Aren’t you pissed at me?” Escaped his mouth before he could stop it. Rhea chuckled under her breath.
“I was fucking with you earlier Sev. It’s all water under the bridge now. Anyhow…do you mind if I slither in? Back into your life, I mean.” Severus had to repress an eye roll. Cheesy. But he had to admit a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders.
“Clever.” He said dryly. “And I don't really have a choice do I?" She gave him a playful nudge under the table, hidden from students’ curious looks.
Severus let his hair fall on each side of his face to hide the tiniest smile of satisfaction on his lips. This was starting to feel more and more like a school reunion, and he just got back up.
They got interrupted by Dumbledore's announcement.
Lupin's takeover of the DADA post came first. Both Severus and Rhea offered the man a death stare, the latter looking even more murderous than the black-haired professor. Lupin was however greeted by an uproarious applause coming from the Gryffindor table.
Once the students had calmed down, Dumbledore continued. Care of Magical Creatures came up next. Severus shot Rhea a questioning look when the subject was announced to be promoted into one of the core ones, meaning it was now mandatory for every student. Judging by the smug smile on the witch's lips, this was her own doing.
Seeing how she was a minor celebrity in certain circles, Severus imagined it was only one of her many demands. He briefly wondered how far Dumbledore let her push.
The Headmaster stole a glance at Hagrid before speaking again.
“One of the changes regarding the subject is that from now on two professors will be sharing their duties. Our beloved gamekeeper, Hagrid, will take over the lectures for our youngest students. He will be sharing his vast knowledge of creatures with first to third years!”
Dumbledore made a pause to let the students cheer the half-giant who almost toppled the staff table over as he stood up.
“The next Professor is, again, one of our own. Excelling her studies as a Hogwarts student, she moved on to become one of the greatest Magizoologists. Our beloved witch worked alongside the great Newt Scamander and we are honoured to welcome her to our team. With the variety of fantastic creatures she brought to our school for you to study and learn from, I can already tell you will have a great time. With no further ado: Rhea Rosier!”
Rhea gracefully stood up and gave a little bow.
Roaring applause could be heard from Slytherins and Hufflepuffs alike. Dumbledore trailed off to warn everybody about the presence of Dementors and escaped Sirius Black. Rhea shot a nasty look at Remus when the name was mentioned before she turned back to Severus.
“Seriously the year I come back they decide to unleash those foul creatures. I’ll send a letter to the Minister. How he thinks this is a good idea is beyond me.”
“You know the Minister?” For a moment Severus forgot Rhea was still a part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight even if she chose a rather unconventional career.
“Please. Fudge is my personal bitch. I and Lucius take bets on who can get him to sign off the most ridiculous law. Just last week I got him to sign the papers that allow me to import a Nundu. The damn thing could kill the entire Ministry with one breath. It did cost me an arm and a leg but it was well worth it.” Rhea told him nonchalantly.
“Good to know.” Something brushed against his leg before he could say anything else. He looked under the table where he was met by a pair of orange eyes.
“Oh don’t mind him. That’s Albireo. He’s mine and he wants that piece of meat on your plate.”
Albireo was a large orange and white, long-haired cat with a bushy tail. He was now aggressively tapping Severus’ leg with his paw. With a sharp whistle, Rhea brought the cat's attention back to her, offering a piece of meat from her own plate, driving him away from Severus.
“Now tell me. Which one is Potter?” Rhea changed the subject as Albireo jumped in her lap, looking very pleased with his haul. It took Severus a second to locate the boy with unruly hair, who was, unsurprisingly, glaring at them. Rhea followed his look.
“You know...the last time a Potter looked at me that way he got hexed into oblivion. Damn, he looks exactly like him.” Severus didn’t need a reminder.
“He also inherited his father’s obnoxious personality. Same arrogance and unwillingness to follow the rules.” Rhea nodded absently, her eyes now scanning the Slytherin table. The rest of the welcoming feast passed in silence. As both professors attempted to leave, they were cut off by the Headmaster.
“Severus, will you be kind enough to show Miss Rosier to her office?” Severus shot a questioning look at him. Dumbledore, for some reason, looked extremely pleased with himself.
“Miss Rosier requested the unused office and classroom in the dungeons.” With a wink, he left them alone.
Rhea attempted to leave through the staff entrance but Severus got her attention by tapping her shoulder lightly.
"The other way. I need to drop these schedules off and then we'll be on our way."
They passed the Slytherin table, overhearing the youngest Malfoy boasting about personally knowing the new teacher. The boy shot up, greeting Rhea with a bow so low, his forehead barely missed the hard table.
Rhea merely smiled at the boy. Matching the brisk pace of the Potions Master was not an easy task.
As they navigated the countless corridors, Severus took his time to look at his childhood friend. He had to admit in the past decade she lived up to her family name.
Rosier women were always known for their beauty. Rhea inherited the famous two-toned hair, similar to those of her cousin, Narcissa Malfoy, the only difference being the top hair on Rhea's head were not black but ashen brown and wavy – after her mother.
The trait was rather rare, always carried through the maternal side and often skipping generations.
To have two females in a span of less than ten years carrying the gene was unheard of, causing a bit of a feud between the families since Narcissa was born Black, not Rosier.
But where Narcissa inherited the Black’s facial features, including the rich, dark brown eyes, Rhea was unmistakably a Rosier. High cheekbones, with a well-defined jawline, full lips and striking, almond-shaped eyes. As a young witch, she used to be skin and bone but in the last decade, her body filled in nicely.
Her personality though, Severus noted, didn’t change much. Once out of students' sight, Rhea dropped her stony demeanour. She danced around him, taking in the beauty of the castle, a wide smile on her lips.
They reached the dungeons, turned the corner when they passed the Slytherin dormitory, onto the deserted corridor that ended in stairs leading up to the Potions classroom and Severus’ quarters.
“How come you wanted the empty study down here?” Severus finally asked.
“These corridors were my home for seven years. It was always my favourite part of the castle.” Rhea answered absently as her hand brushed against the walls, almost lovingly.
“Most professors cannot choose their quarters, much less the classroom. Dumbledore must have really wanted you in our ranks.” Severus commented casually, trying to pry the answer on just how far she was allowed to push.
“Hogwarts needs money and reputation. Castelobruxo has a winning Magizoology program, Durmstrang has Dark Arts and Beauxbatons has Flamel. Albus sought me out the day I returned from Peru.” Rhea answered, understanding the unspoken question. Severus was rather satisfied with her explanation.
“Makes sense. I imagine he lost a lot of support last year with that Lockhart fiasco. And now Lupin.” He almost choked on the name. They stopped at the dusty, web-covered door next to his.
“Indeed. I get the whole 'werewolves are not all bad' propaganda but to employ one in school? Full of kids? The old man had finally lost it if you ask me.” Severus gaped at her in disbelief.
“You know about him?” He was under the impression Lupin’s condition was one of the most guarded secrets. Dumbledore even threatened to expel him if he ever attempted to tell anyone.
“Yup. I figured it out soon after you. And after what Dumbledore did to you I kept my mouth shut. Before you ask; I told my parents, they stormed off to Dumbledore and he told them what happened. Basically he told them he was willing to expel me too. That was the end of it.” She shot him an apologetic look. Severus’ eyes darkened even more as his face twisted in disgust.
“I tried, you know?" Rhea went on. "Even offered to contact some of my colleagues who are by far more experienced in the Dark Arts.”
She continued with a softer tone. “He would do anything to get me back except get rid of Lupin. I got two paddocks, a magical tent not even he has permission to enter, two classrooms, a passage between the two, he promoted my subject to core one,...but Lupin had to stay. I’m sorry Sev. I really did try.”
And there she was. The witch he used to know. Fiery, stubborn and loyal beyond any measure or reason. Feeling like someone had just gutted him with his own knife, Severus unlocked another level of guilt. How, by Merlin's beard, was he supposed to explain what had happened? They never truly discussed his plans of joining the Dark Lord. All he knew was that her parents were staying neutral for political gain.
Once they entered the old office it became obvious Rhea was not thrilled by the state of the place. A thick veil of spider webs coated every piece of old, wooden furniture. The fireplace which remained cold for many years left the stone walls wet, giving the room a musky smell. It took Rhea a good half an hour and several spells to make it liveable, while Severus rummaged through various wooden boxes Rhea had asked him to help sort.
Since he already dropped the schedules off, Severus was free for the evening. He preferred helping Rhea sort her belongings since his other option was staying alone in his study, wallowing in self-pity. The job, however dull it seemed, soon proved to be anything but.
Severus quickly understood why she asked for his assistance. Show-off, he thought as he laid eyes on an impressive collection of potion ingredients. If she wanted to impress she most definitely succeeded.
Each vial was labelled properly, just as Severus thought her. Acromantula, Norwegian Ridgeback, Swooping Evil, Ashwinder; Severus read the labels. It seemed that most of the rarest venoms had found their way into her collection. But the one that intrigued him most was Peruvian Vipertooth's venom, a dragon well known to lust for human flesh. The vial was still warm, letting Severus know it was extremely fresh. He shot her a questioning look.
“Don’t ask questions you don’t want to hear the answer to.” Rhea laughed with a delighted look in her eyes. Severus was willing to let it go until another flask ended up in his hand. Thick, silver substance, staining the glass as he rolled it through his fingers. The vial was not labelled and Severus knew why. Unicorn blood.
"I was under the impression that unicorn blood was strictly forbidden and non-tradable?" He gazed upon the dark swirls as the liquid moved.
"Knowing the right people will get your foot through the door. Money takes you all the way. In other words: you need it, I can supply it." She told him with a wink. Severus made sure to remember it. Thinking of the illegal potions he was currently brewing and the delicate state of their relationship he decided not to push the issue.
They continued their work in silence, slowly transferring the sorted vials to the storeroom, keeping the rarest, including unicorn blood, in her private storage. Her collection of various materials and ingredients was truly something to behold. Hairs, scales and feathers from almost every creature known to the wizarding world. Being a Magizoologist apparently had its perks.
Just as he was placing the jar containing moth wings to the shelf, shaking them slightly in the process so the sparkly dust that covered the wings rose up in spirals, they were disrupted by the noise of excited students crowding the corridors, much to Severus' displeasure.
The orange light protruding through the windows was beginning to fade.
Rhea had shown him the passage to her outdoor classroom and two large paddocks, where Hagrid stood smitten at the sight of winged horses. Two Granians were grazing peacefully, occasionally lifting their heads to sniff the air around them. Surrounded by the cool chill of the passing summer Rhea led them back inside, ignoring Severus's looks towards the tent.
"So why did you come back?" Severus asked once back in his quarters. "You never seemed like the teaching type."
"Look who's talking." Rhea mused back, oblivious to the embarrassment displayed on the wizard's face. She was right. If someone would tell him twenty years ago, he would be teaching Potions at Hogwarts, he would hex them on the spot. But faith, or rather Dumbledore, had other plans. Severus winced at the memory of that fateful night; the night he betrayed the Dark Lord and sold himself into servitude. And for what? It was the question Severus often asked himself in later years.
Rhea seemed to take notice of his discomfort but chose not to comment on it.
"I got bored." She finally told him, snapping Severus out of his thoughts. "Bored of travelling constantly. I just needed a change I guess." She was playing with one of the parchment rolls on Severus's table, determined to avoid his gaze. After a moment of silence, Rhea started pacing his study, suddenly very interested in his potion collection.
"Listen Severus… I need to tell you something." The sound of her voice made him look up. Rhea was fiddling with a piece of the blonde hair she pulled forward; a telltale sign she was nervous.
"Please don't be mad." She whispered quietly. At that moment Severus knew he was going to be beyond pissed.
"I'm a natural Legillimens." For the first time, he saw Rhea being nervous around him. She was slowly backing towards the door. Severus recalled the many times he felt something was off with her. The way she used to look at him– as if she knew what was going on inside. Every time he told himself it was just him being paranoid. Rhea would never lie to him. Or so he wanted to believe.
"I was born Legilimens, there was nothing I could do. By the time we started hanging out, I was trained as much as possible. I could control it. Most of the time." She added quietly.
"Most of the time?" Anger was rising hotly in the pit of his stomach. His voice was strained but Severus kept it controlled. With a tilted head, he awaited her response.
"If a person is in emotional distress I can't control what I intercept. Especially if it's someone I care about. It only happened a few times." She tried.
"Which. Few. Times?" His voice was low, almost resembling a growl. Turning his back to her, his nails dug into the wooden table.
"Severus….."
"WHICH FUCKING TIMES?!?" He roared, face hot with blind fury.
"Fifth year. After the winter break. Your father got drunk and he…– you know. And sixth year. The day you and she had a fallout. Well, there were a few incidents that day. Sev I'm sorry." He refused to turn around.
"Get out." Rhea's breath hitched.
"Severus I swear I wanted to tell you back then. Dumbledore forbade it. I tried! Ask him! I never wanted to lie to you! Never to you, Sev."
He slammed his fists against the table, making her jump.
"GET OUT!"
This time she did. With one last longing look she closed the door behind her.
~~~~~~~
Rhea entered her quarters just as the sound of breaking glass echoed from next door. Wiping the escaped tear with a sleeve of her dress, she slowly scanned the room until her eyes landed on the white and orange fluff she was looking for. Losing her robes on her way over she saw her cat glaring at the fireplace.
"Albireo what are you… – Vic what the fuck?!" In the middle of the flames sat a head with an irritated expression plastered over it.
"I see that went well." A witch in a fireplace said boredly.
"Yeah, well, he didn't hex me so honestly? Better than expected." Rhea tried to hide the pain. "Vicky, what are you doing here?"
"Oh, nothing. Just checking on my best friend WHO FORGOT TO TELL ME SHE WENT BACK TO THAT GODFORSAKEN SCHOOL!!! Annabelle had to tell me! You didn't even have the decency to do so yourself!" The witch hollered.
"Vic, it's complicated. I –"
"Is it Rhea?! I see you're clearly over him."
"I am." Rhea replied quietly, not quite believing the words herself.
"So that's why you're on the verge of crying? Out of sheer happiness of being over him? Don't lie to me. I'm not stupid." Rhea refused to look at her. She did feel guilty for lying to her friend, but what other choice did she have? Vicky would never understand. Her heart was in the right place, which only bothered Rhea more.
"Actually, Vic… I just remembered it's none of your business. I'm going to bed. Write to me when you'll calm down, but do stay away from my fireplace." As she turned around to leave, Victoria called out after her.
"You risked your life for a man who wouldn't even reply to your letters! Don't waste your entire life on him." With that Vicky left, leaving Rhea fuming in anger.
Normally she would grab her coat and Apparate to the first available bar, but tonight she needed some sleep. She had to teach first thing in the morning. With an angry puff, she dragged herself to the bed. The last thing she remembered was something shifting over her head as she fell asleep to the sound of soft purring.