Chapter Eighty: Finding Flowers and Family

Chapter Eighty: Finding Flowers and Family

Sunday, 28 March 1999

"Penny for your thoughts," Violet said, putting aside the letter she'd been writing.

"Hmm?" Poppy looked up at her sister and blinked.

"I said, penny for your thoughts. You've been looking at that crossword puzzle for ten minutes and haven't filled in anything new."

"It's a tough one," Poppy said, setting down her pen.

"Not that hard," Violet replied, pulling the newspaper toward her. "Quoit."

"Quoit?"

"The word down from the 'q' in 'Quidditch.'"

"Ah."

"So, what has you preoccupied?"

"I was thinking about a date I have this evening," Poppy replied.

"With a certain delectable Irishman?" Violet asked, eyes gleaming. "Tall, dark, and wealthy?"

Poppy shook her head. She pulled the newspaper toward her and filled in "quoit."

"Then . . . tall, dark, and moody?" Violet asked.

Poppy looked up. "What?"

"Professor Snape? No, of course not, silly of me," she amended quickly. "Who is the wizard, then?"

"Professor Snape," Poppy said.

"I know, foolish of me to suggest it. So who is your date?"

"Professor Snape," Poppy said. "My date is with Severus."

"Oh!" Violet blinked. "Sorry."

"Why? And why would you have guessed I might have a date with him?"

"Rapid deduction, simple process of elimination. Most of your male colleagues are taken, and I assumed it was someone on staff. And . . . you've spoken rather fondly of him over the last couple years, more than I would expect, considering what I know of the man's character and disposition, and then there's that little grey fellow you picked out for him. But I still wasn't entirely serious when I suggested your date was with him. I'm surprised and not surprised," Violet said. "So is this a first date?"

"No. Yes. No. Not really."

"Why does this ambiguity not surprise me," Violet said with a sigh. "You've been seeing him for a while, then?"

Poppy hesitated. "We were seeing each other for a short time, but it was just a bit of a fling."

"And this bit of a fling has led to more?"

Poppy shrugged "We'll see. I don't know. But we have a date tonight."

"You're looking forward to it? Or not?"

"Both. I don't know what his expectations are."

"And your own?"

"I'm not sure . . . I broke things off with him a couple weeks ago. Things were too confusing, too intense. I thought that once I did that, he'd lose interest."

"But he didn't, it seems. And are things less confusing?" Violet asked.

Poppy shook her head. "No, they aren't. At least not from my perspective."

"And from Professor Snape's?"

"He said he's interested in something more than the fling we had. He has been very sweet, very persistent. He seems to know what he wants."

"But?"

"But I don't know if he really does know, and when he changes his mind . . . I think this could be a big mistake for us both."

"Then why did you accept a date with him for tonight?"

"Because it might not be a mistake, and if I didn't accept, then maybe I would be cheating us both of something special in our lives. I owe it to us both to give this a chance, I think."

"You've had a soft spot for Snape for a while," Violet said. "Are you sure you're not just . . . I hate to put it this way, but are you sure you're not just feeling sorry for him? The kind of life he's led, you've said he's been terribly isolated. Are you just trying to save him?"

"Don't be absurd! Of course, I want to bring some happiness into his life if I can, and obviously, the fact that he's been lonely and isolated...even alienated...touches my heart, but I'd hardly begin a romantic relationship with him because of that. What sort of basis would that be for a future? No . . . In fact, one reason I am leery of pursuing anything with him is that I'm afraid of being hurt myself. That would hardly be a factor if I were just trying to save him. It goes far beyond that. We enjoy being together. We have a connection. There's something there between us."

"You're in love with him?"

"I may be falling," Poppy admitted softly. "I do love him. I feel . . . I feel as though I would do almost anything . . . almost . . . anything to keep him safe, to feel more than safe, to have him feel loved. To be the one who brings him that love, who gives him a sense of security in life, that would make me happy."

"What about your happiness, your needs? Do you think that this is a man who can love? I hate to play devil's advocate, Poppy, but from what I know of him, Snape isn't . . . well, he's not exactly normal. He was a Death Eater, and anyone who could become a Death Eater can't have started out normally, but I haven't heard that he's become a warm and caring wizard filled with the milk of human kindness since then...rather the opposite, in fact. I'm not surprised you're afraid of being hurt. I'm surprised you two ever became involved at all."

"You know of him, Vi, but you don't know him, so I understand why you say what you do, but if you knew him, I think you'd have a different impression of him. Well, not different, but you'd see that that's not a complete picture of who he is. He can be warm and caring. Being with him can be really good. I enjoy his company and look forward to seeing him. He can be very, very sweet, quite funny and smart. If he weren't, I wouldn't have been involved with him at all, and we certainly never would have had a fling. I wouldn't have even responded to his advances."

"I suppose you wouldn't have, but I still don't understand why you're going on a date with him tonight. You had your fling with him. You gave him something already, and it sounds as though you had some fun, too. You don't owe him a date, Poppy. You told me that you had a really good time with Quin. I had hopes that you two would finally get together and I'd finally see my little sister happy in love. You two are so well suited."

"I did have a wonderful time with Quin, and you know that I love him, he's very dear to me, but . . . it's not like it is with Severus. It never would be. Quin is comfortable. With Severus, it feels so different, so much more intense."

"Infatuation is like that, Poppy, which I'm sure you know. And with Snape, it's probably enhanced by his dark and dangerous side, that side of him that isn't so warm and cuddly. It probably makes it all very thrilling. I think you should gently extricate yourself from this budding relationship before your fears come true and you are hurt. Whether you decide to pursue anything with Quin or not, I think you should think very, very carefully before you go anywhere with Snape."

"Violet . . ." Poppy closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. "I have thought about it. Believe me. I have thought about it. And if I were twenty, then your argument about infatuation and his . . . his dangerous side, well, then it might have some merit, but I'm not a girl, Violet. I'm not infatuated with Severus, and I'm not blind to his less positive qualities, nor do I find them exciting or appealing...although his intensity can admittedly be quite attractive. Actually, what causes me the most apprehension is his relative youth combined with the fact that he is only now being able to enjoy his life. I am afraid that I am just a phase for him, that he honestly doesn't realise it and that when he does, when he looks around himself and sees what else is out there, when other witches realise he is a wizard worth their time, when he sees they're there, available and attractive . . ." Poppy shook her head.

"He cheats, then you walk away," Violet said. "It will hurt, but if you don't want to break things off with him now, you'll have to prepare yourself..."

"Severus wouldn't do that. I don't think he would. I think . . . I think he'd break up with me first, either nicely or not-so-nicely. Or, quite possibly, he would feel obligated to stay with me, and he'd become more and more miserable, and make me miserable, too, though not in any deliberate way. He is a man to stay the course. He could view our relationship that way. And then I'd be the one making him miserable instead of happy, and it could break my heart."

"Well, I don't know how to advise you, then."

"I didn't ask for your advice, and I really don't need it."

"When did that ever stop me?" Violet asked with a smile. "All I can say is that if you're afraid of being hurt, you should do your best to keep it light for as long as you can, try not to become too invested in the relationship. And if you can't do that . . . then maybe you should throw yourself into it as fully as your feelings dictate. Don't equivocate, don't be ambivalent. Just go with your heart."

"I don't know as either option is exactly right. Perhaps I should keep it light, but I don't want to lead him on, either. I think I need to be honest and tell him that we should both keep it casual for a while. I don't know if Severus can do 'casual,' though." She sighed. She didn't know if she could do casual, either, not when it came to Severus and her heart.

"So, until I stuck in my oar, what were you thinking about the date?" Violet asked.

"I was thinking . . . about not having high expectations, I suppose. And reminding myself that if we're going to have a relationship of any kind, it's best not to step back into, well, into a pattern that was emerging when we were seeing each other before. Physically."

"Really?" Violet's eyebrows rose. "Snape looks like he's stiff...and not in a good way. It's hard to imagine him being . . . physical. I can't even picture him embracing someone, let alone anything more. Every time I've seen him, he's looked off-putting, to put it kindly."

"You can't judge a book by its cover," Poppy said, "and besides, for years, Severus had to hold everyone at arms' length. He's led a difficult life. Add to that a natural . . . diffidence, and he'd hardly strike anyone as a warm and cuddly Samuel Pickwick. Oh, Samuel!" She pulled a scrap of parchment from her pocket and jotted that down.

"He strikes me more as the Uriah Heep type, but with black hair," Violet said, "though from what you say, maybe he's a Scrooge." She smirked at the thought.

Poppy laughed. "Oh, no, he'd never be a Scrooge! Aside from the fact that Severus wouldn't become the kind of character Scrooge did after his redemption, spirits would hardly frighten him into reform, nor would visions of his past or of a possible painful future...he's well aware of his past without any spirits bringing it to his attention. I also don't think he's particularly materialistic. No, Severus might be a bit more like a Scrooge than a Pickwick or a Uriah Heep...which was a rather cruel comparison on your part, Vi...but Severus changed because of his own very real painful experiences and because of the support of real flesh-and-blood people. Besides, he never thought he would have a future; he had no reason to change, only a reason to . . . to do what he did in the war. Now that Severus does have a future and a reason to change, he is finding his footing, figuring out who he is and what he wants."

"And right now, he wants you," Violet said, a sparkle in her eyes and a poorly suppressed smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

Poppy shrugged one shoulder and smiled wryly. "I suppose you could say that."

"And you're sure . . ." Violet hesitated.

"Sure about what?"

"Sure he's not just . . . well, to be blunt, not just using you? Getting a few nasty kicks?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Poppy said. "I've known him for a long time, remember."

"Mm. I remember." Violet raised her hands in the air in a gesture of submission. "All right, that was the last of the sisterly warnings. I hope you have a good time tonight. Do you know where you're going?"

"We're staying in. I don't know precisely what Severus has planned, but with the recent attacks, he's been advised to minimise his public exposure, so we're meeting in his rooms. I asked him myself to try to avoid returning to the castle after dark."

"He's a target of those nutters? The ones who killed Clematis?"

"It's not certain, but Minerva thinks he is, and so does Alastor Moody."

"Then I'm glad you're not going out with him. Don't go anywhere with him, Poppy." Violet suddenly shivered. "Don't go out in public with him. And don't let anyone know that you harbour warm feelings for him. If those crackpots would kill someone like Clematis Vincent, whose biggest crimes were being Pettigrew's grandmother and being a bit silly, they'd certainly think you were fair game, or at least not care whether you were accidental collateral damage."

"That's a stretch. But we're not likely to be having a lot of public dates. And if we do, we'll be in crowds of people. They don't attack anyone unless they're alone. Don't worry about me!"

"All right, if you say so. So, you say he's been sweet and persistent! Do tell me how the sombre wizard in black has been romancing you! We have twenty minutes before Dylan gets back from the pub...I mean, 'gets back from walking Sully,'" Violet said with a wink.

Poppy laughed.

Severus sat in an armchair and stared expressionlessly at Gareth, who had settled on the couch.

His cousin. He should have expected something like that from McGonagall. McGonagall and his sense of humour. He would find it amusing to introduce him to an unknown relative.

Eoghan Tyree, a cousin. A very distant cousin, certainly. Hardly a real relative. As Gareth had said before, all the families intermarried. He'd never cared about it before. His pureblood relatives had never been interested in him. His Grandfather Drusus had such a miserable disposition, his own family had little to do with him outside of his business, and then his mother had married a Muggle, which practically ostracised her; they certainly wouldn't have cared about her half-blood offspring.

Severus had the impression that his mother had thought of marriage as a way to escape both her father and the pressures of pureblood society, where she hadn't fit in. Marrying a Muggle hadn't helped her, but had only increased her alienation, and she had never been at home in the Muggle world...nor had she ever really wanted to be a part of it, from what Severus had seen. After his father had left home, his mother's cousin Giles Black had become a more frequent visitor, but Giles was only marginally less unpleasant than Drusus. From what Severus knew of the Blacks, there were few in that family who might be worth knowing, and those few had never showed any interest in him. T.J. Lupin would never be calling him "cousin." And he wouldn't want him to.

No, he wanted nothing to do with anyone who considered themselves a relative of his. This boy could scarcely be any more closely related to him than a random stranger passing him on the pavement in Diagon Alley, anyway. But if the boy was related through the Princes, Severus was prepared for him to be as odious as his grandfather had been.

"This boy, Eoghan, when did you learn he was related to me?" Severus demanded.

"I thought he might be, but I wasn't sure, so I asked Aunt Minerva a few weeks ago, after you and I had talked about your relatives. She told me that his Grandma Lydia was a Prince before she married Grandmother Siofre's brother."

"Minerva's known this all this time?"

"Well, of course. But you weren't ever interested in your relatives, and I guess you and Lydia would have been pretty distantly related, anyway, so it didn't occur to her to mention it. Um, you don't look very happy," Gareth added, "so before you begin to think we're deliberately keeping you in the dark or something, I suppose I ought to tell you that you and I are related, and not just through the Blacks on my mother's side as I'd mentioned before, but also somehow through the Longbottoms on Dad's side, Minerva said. I think that Eoghan is related to Longbottoms, too, but I don't know how."

"I am not related to the Longbottoms. I refuse to believe that," Severus said. He shuddered.

Gareth shrugged. "Facts are stubborn things. They merrily go on existing whether we believe them or not. Besides, I thought Neville seemed quite a decent young man, and he certainly performed well in the battle."

"Hmph."

"And he's a member of the Severus Snape Fan Club!" Gareth said with a grin.

Severus's eyes widened. "Please tell me there is no such thing!"

Gareth laughed. "No, not literally...unless you count Snape's Slytherins...but Neville made quite the speech about you at the awards dinner."

Severus relaxed. He looked toward the sitting room door. "What's keeping them?"

"How should I know? Eoghan's library is in the west turret, so if Siofre fetched him herself, she had a bit of a walk."

"The boy has his own library?"

"Mmhm. He outgrew the nursery a few years ago. It's connected to his schoolroom, where he does most of his lessons, usually with Branwen and Renwick's kids. It's a big house."

"I noticed," Severus said drily. "More of a castle than a house."

"You think this looks like a castle, you should see Quin's place."

"I thought he had a flat in London."

"He always keeps a flat in London, or did when he wasn't sick, but his place in Ireland, that's simply indescribable. Not just big, but ancient, and absolutely reeking of magic, much, much more than the Gamp estate, and maybe as much as Hogwarts. It's definitely older."

"But the man lived like a Muggle for twenty-five years," Severus said, puzzled. "How was that possible?"

"He lived with Aine, his daughter. That's an old house, too, but only a few hundred years, nothing like the main family home."

"I thought he'd lived where he'd grown up? I remember Poppy told me that."

"He may have grown up in that house...I think it might have been his mother's family's originally?" Gareth said, puzzling and trying to remember. "Anyway, whenever he has to give Muggles an address in Ireland, that's the one he always gives. Aine's house is on land just adjacent to Quin's place. Alroy and the rest of the family kept up the place, but that's one of the things that's keeping Quin busy, getting the place in shape, taking care of the grounds."

The door opened, and the tall, sandy-haired wizard whom Severus had seen at the Merlin awards stepped in. Severus automatically began to rise, but the wizard waved his hand. "Please, sit, be comfortable."

"Johannes, I'd like you to meet Severus Snape," Gareth said.

Despite the older wizard's words, Severus stood. "It's good to meet you, Professor."

"It is good to meet you, as well. Although I do not visit Hogwarts as often as I once did, I am nonetheless surprised that we haven't met before."

"Indeed."

"Please, sit. Have you had refreshment?" Johannes asked, looking over at Gareth.

"No, Grandmother Siofre is fetching Eoghan to join us," Gareth said.

"Ah." Johannes sat down in one of the armchairs, arranging his deep green robes as he sat. "Have you had lunch? Would you care for a drink? Professor Snape? A drink?"

"No, thank you."

"Maybe later," Gareth said. "We're actually here because I told Severus about your greenhouses. He's looking for some very special flowers for a very special witch for this evening, and I said you might have some that would fill the bill. I thought you might not mind showing us around and perhaps helping him out."

Johannes smiled. "I would enjoy that very much, and I would be very pleased to help you find appropriate flowers for this special witch!"

Severus shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "I had a few specific flowers in mind, but whatever you may have will be fine I am sure . . . You may send your bill to me at Hogwarts."

Johannes waved his hand dismissively. "Consider this one on us, Professor. What did you have in mind?"

"Some decorative arrangements for my sitting room and a bouquet for her. Something that she can, um, something to give her," Severus said.

"We can certainly find some flowers that I think you will be pleased with," Johannes said. "I will also show you our medicinal gardens, if you have the time, and a few of my new hybrids."

Severus nodded. "I would be interested in those."

The door to the sitting room opened again and Siofre stepped in, leaving the door open behind her. "Eoghan will be down in a few minutes."

"He had finished his essay?" Johannes asked.

Siofre gave a slight shake to her head, but said, "He said he had, but it was too short. I have told him to finish it this evening after dinner. He's aye playing at his own fancy and not the lesson of the moment."

"He was unhappy?"

"I told him that if he wants to join Wren, Colm, and Long on holiday next week, he will be happy to do it properly," Siofre said.

"Aye, and I will, Grandmother," Eoghan said, coming through the door. His eyes went to Severus. "I was occupied."

Johannes stood and ruffled the boy's dark hair. "What occupied you this time, since it was not your lesson?"

Eoghan shrugged. "Things." He stepped toward Severus.

Gareth spoke up. "Severus, this is Eoghan Tyree. Eoghan, meet your cousin."

Now that the boy was standing there, face to face with him, Severus remembered the sense of recognition he'd had when he'd seen Eoghan at the Merlin awards dinner. Now he knew where it came from. No matter how distantly related he and Eoghan were, no one would ever see the two together and doubt that they were relatives. The boy gazing back at him looked much as he had when he was eleven. Not a mirror image, precisely, not a twin, but an echo. Black hair, black eyes, shrewd expression, thin, angular face, fair skin. A cousin.

At a loss for what to say to this new-found relative, who was looking at him with serious dark eyes, Severus asked, "You were writing an essay for your grandmother?"

Eoghan nodded. "My Sunday lesson," he said with a sigh, as though that explained everything and the question itself was not only boring but also slightly simple-minded.

"Ah." Severus presumed the boy must write an essay each day. Perhaps he would not be a complete dunderhead, though he sounded undisciplined.

Gareth leaned forward and swatted Eoghan lightly on the arm. "Were you playing with my dad's obsidian seer's glass again instead of doing your lessons? I told Mum you weren't old enough for it yet. Should I take it back with me? Give it to you when you come of age?"

Eoghan looked at Gareth, scrutinizing him for a moment, seeming to assess whether he meant it or not, then he replied seriously, "I don't play with the glass, Gareth. And I wasn't doing any gazing. I was reading my new book and trying out some charms from it when casting my runestones."

Severus smirked. The boy was interested in divination. Definitely a distant relative, regardless of any physical resemblance between them.

"You need to learn to finish your lessons before you play," Gareth said. "In September, you'll have to do that on your own. And there will be consequences to pay if you don't do your work. Isn't that right, Severus?"

"Indeed," Severus agreed with a nod.

"I did the essay. But it was hard." Eoghan shot Siofre a quick glance. "Harder than usual."

"What was it about?" Gareth asked.

"The moneychangers in the Temple," the boy replied with a deep sigh.

"I don't remember that story, so why don't you and I go upstairs, you tell me the story, and maybe when you're explaining it to me, you'll think of more to say about it, hmm?" Gareth suggested.

"But..." Eoghan's whine of protest was cut off before he could complete it.

"You know what I have told you about answering an adult beginning with the word 'but'!" Siofre admonished. "No backtalk!"

Eoghan swallowed and looked embarrassed. "I thought we were having tea, that's all." He looked at Severus. "I only just met my cousin."

"You will have other opportunities to speak with the cousin," Siofre said briskly. "If Gareth would like to help you with your essay, that's fine...and if you finish it 'fore dinner, I'll bring you, Colm, Wren, and Long all to Tiree Beag for your lessons tomorrow." She smiled when Eoghan's eyes brightened. "And perhaps Professor Snape will be able to stay for tea, or come for a longer visit some other time soon."

Eoghan reached out and tugged Gareth's sleeve. "Come on! When we're done, I'll show you this new casting charm I got to work on my runestones." The boy was now all eagerness to write his essay.

"Is that all right with you, Snape?" Gareth asked.

"Fine. Professor Birnbaum and I can take care of our business."

An animated Eoghan chattered away to Gareth as he practically dragged him out of the sitting room into the front hall. Johannes chuckled.

"Come with me, Professor," Johannes said, gesturing toward the still open door. "We will find you your flowers. Will you come with us, Siofre?"

"No, you two boys enjoy yourselves. I still have some correspondence waiting for me. Professor Snape, will you stay for tea?"

Severus hesitated. "I cannot stay late. I need to be back before five."

Siofre nodded. "Good. Kilbeena baked some gusty biscuits and cakes this afternoon. We will have them as soon as you're finished in the greenhouse. Just let her know when you return, Honnie, and have Brantin fetch Eoghan and Gareth."

"I will." Johannes smiled down at her and touched her cheek lightly with his fingertips.

"Get on with you," Siofre said briskly, though her eyes sparkled up at Johannes. "Professor Snape cannot dawdle."

The two wizards left through the main doors, and Johannes led Severus around the house.

"You said you had certain flowers in mind?" Johannes asked.

Severus nodded. "I thought . . ." He cleared his throat. "I thought perhaps some daisies. Or jonquils. Or both. And some decorative arrangements for my sitting room. One or two. Nothing too ostentatious, but elegant."

"I have a few very nice birds-of-paradise that are almost at their peak. They are showy, a bit ostentatious, but they are special. Perhaps you might like a pair of those? Daisies and jonquils . . . The daisies are in the herb gardens, and they won't bloom for a few more weeks. I have some potted jonquils, but they aren't quite ready yet. I do have some daffodils that are ready, though...you could give her a pot of those, and she would have them for a while. They are much like jonquils."

Severus nodded and fingered the card in his pocket. He couldn't remember what the meaning of daffodils was. "I am not sure whether they would be appropriate." He glanced over at the tall wizard beside him. He didn't know the man at all. Explaining why he wanted jonquils seemed impossible, yet necessary. "Do you supply florists?"

"Only to the one in the Clypeum, Glasgow's wizarding district. I grow the flowers for their beauty and for my Siofre," Johannes replied. "They are a hobby, one might say. I like to surround the house with beautiful plants of all kinds for her pleasure...and mine. However, most of the plants we grow for harvest or sale have some practical value. My customers are generally either other Herbologists or apothecaries. I also occasionally provide some to Pomona Sprout for the Hogwarts greenhouses. I did sometimes supply Professor Slughorn with potions ingredients when he was still there, too. We taught together, you know."

Severus nodded. He pulled out the card from his pocket and tried to glance down the list surreptitiously. Daffodils supposedly meant unrequited love. He didn't want to imply that his love was unrequited...or that hers was, if she should harbour such warm feelings for him. He certainly didn't want to sound hopeless at the beginning of their courtship.

"I do not believe daffodils would be appropriate for this evening," Severus said.

"What do you have there?" Johannes asked, looking over at the card. "Ah! The language of flowers. Very romantic. May I see it?"

Severus handed him the card.

"A handy guide, but not . . . full. Not exhaustive. Daffodils can also mean 'chivalrous regard,' I believe, if it is important to you that her flowers bear a positive meaning."

"It is the meaning on this card that is relevant," Severus explained, "as she also has a copy of it."

"I see. Then it is like a common code key between you, and you must have the right flowers to present to her. If you don't mind that the jonquils are not yet quite ready, you may have some potted jonquils. They will look beautiful in just a day or two. Or I could cast some charms and bring them on faster, if you wish. I never feel as though that is quite as satisfying. Or perhaps we could find something else equally acceptable."

"I had preferred a bouquet, too," Severus said, hoping not to sound ungrateful, "rather than potted plants. Those are nice, and they do last longer, but . . ."

"There is something romantic about a bouquet," Johannes agreed.

"Could the jonquils be brought on faster and put into a bouquet?"

"They could . . . but let us see what other flowers are on this list that might be suitable. I do not wish to pry, but would red roses be appropriate?" Johannes asked, handing Severus the card.

Severus hesitated.

"You wish to wait to give her roses," Johannes said with a nod, understanding. "Then would red tulips be out of the question?"

Severus did not need to consult the card. He remembered that one. "No, they would not be out of the question, but I planned to give those to her . . . on a different occasion. Not yet."

"I see . . . then perhaps lilacs? Purple lilacs? I have some in a lovely environmentally Charmed garden. With a freshness charm, they will last quite a while after cutting, and their aroma is delightful."

Severus looked at the card. Purple Lilacs: The First Emotions of Love. He nodded. That wasn't perfect, but he liked lilacs. They were springlike and delicate, and yet they had a robust quality, very much like Poppy. "Lilacs would be fine," he replied.

"Presentation is important. I do not normally supply vases, as I sell directly to the shop. Perhaps I could find something, though..."

"No, that won't be necessary. I'm sure I can find one."

"Come, I will show you the greenhouses and some of the gardens on the way around to my special spring garden," Johannes said. "If you see other flowers you would like, we will make note of it. Or if you would like to gather some potions ingredients while here, we can do that, as well."

As Johannes gave him a brief tour of the greenhouses and the gardens, Severus was impressed, and as they strolled further from the house and along a path lined with yew hedges, he expressed his admiration.

"Thank you," Johannes said. "Much of the layout is based on the original garden plans, although greatly expanded, and we have much more variety, since microclimate charms have become much more sophisticated since the first gardens were planted. These hedges on our left are part of a labyrinth; there was once a hedge maze here, but we decided on a labyrinth, instead. I also try to provide appropriate environments for local birds, animals, insects . . ." He paused and pointed. "Branwen and Renwick live on the other side of that ridge in the old lodge, and Morgan and Fiona are just another half mile beyond that down in the valley. It has been good for Eoghan to have them so close. He is a solitary boy by nature, but his cousins have been good company for him, brought him out of himself. This was important especially after Lydia died. He had already lost his parents the year before. He needed them as much as he needed us."

"If you don't mind my asking, why is he with you and not with them?" Siofre had to be almost as old as Albus, and Johannes was not young, either. It would have made sense for the boy to live with the Douglases, whose children were all around the same age as Eoghan.

"His parents, Liam and Judith, were very close to Lydia, and, by extension, to Siofre and to me. Not a month went by when they didn't visit for at least one weekend, and often they stayed longer. Eoghan was comfortable here, and his parents' wills stipulated that she was to be his guardian if anything happened to them. When Lydia died, there was no question about whether he would stay with us. He is happy here. We love him. We would not uproot him or cause him more confusion by sending him away."

"And if you should, not to pry, or to be morbid, but if you and Siofre should die?" Severus asked.

Johannes chuckled. "Do not be concerned. You will not be saddled with raising a Tyree."

"That hadn't occurred to me," Severus said honestly, though now that he did think about it, he was relieved. "I was merely curious."

"This house, and all of this, will be his then, and if he is not of age, then Connor and Elisabeth, Eoghan's Tyree grandparents, will likely move into the house when he is here...or if not them, then Morgan and Fiona, or some other relatives. Perhaps even young Gareth might do so. But the family will take care of him and help him with the house until he is grown, and then even after, I am sure. But I think we will not die until after he is of age...unless we do not survive his adolescence!" Johannes added with a laugh.

"You have other children?" Severus asked.

Johannes's smile subsided, and he shook his head. "I had a daughter. Clara. She died, my entire family died, killed by Grindelwald in nineteen forty-one. My wife, my baby daughter, my parents, my brother . . . all gone in one day."

"And you survived?"

"Only because I was travelling. I returned that night to find that they were all dead. I was Grindelwald's target, and it was my family who was killed." Johannes swallowed and looked away. He cleared his throat. "It was long ago, but it is still . . . I prefer not to speak of it, you understand."

Severus nodded. "And you and Siofre had no children?"

"Eoghan is our son, as much as he may be. Siofre, as you know, is Minerva's grandmother...Merwyn was her son by her first husband, Collum McGonagall, who died when Merwyn was a baby. She and her second husband, Herbert McKenna, had a daughter, Maisie. He died in nineteen fifty-seven. So Siofre and I had no children together. But we adopted Eoghan as our own."

"Do you know how I'm related to Eoghan?" Severus asked. "I was unaware of him as a relative until today. McGonagall...Gareth, that is...thought it amusing to surprise me with him."

Johannes smiled. "Gareth is much like his father in that way, and like Siofre; he would find it entertaining. Lydia married Siofre's brother Murdoch. Lydia's brother was Bertrand Prince...an old schoolfriend of Albus's, I believe...and Bertrand is related to you. A direct ancestor, although I am not sure how many generations separate you."

"Gareth mentioned the Longbottoms, too," Severus said, making a mental note to speak with Albus about Bertrand Prince, and growing more curious about his mother's family than he'd been in years.

"Ah, yes. Bertrand Tyree, Lydia and Murdoch's son...not to be confused with Bertrand Prince, who was his uncle and namesake...married Sally Longbottom, and his Prince cousin, his Uncle Bertrand's son, married her sister. I know this only, but I was not personally acquainted with the Princes. Siofre might know how many generations there are between Bertrand Prince and you. Bertrand and Sally were Connor Tyree's grandparents, which makes Lydia Eoghan's great-great-grandmother."

So it appeared that he really was related to the Longbottoms...if, indeed, this Bertrand Prince and his son were his direct ancestors...and that he was related to young Eoghan in more than one way. Eoghan, who was like him and yet so unlike him, growing up in a huge house, his own library, private lessons in his own schoolroom, surrounded by a large extended family, many of whom would apparently be willing to take in the boy and love him if he needed them . . . Severus experienced an odd sense of wistfulness.

"What was Lydia like?"

"Bubbly. Sweet. Imaginative. A little . . . absentminded. But very bright. Remembered everything she read. She often seemed a bit silly on the surface, but it was her way of enjoying life. She liked getting a rise out of Siofre, and Siofre enjoyed baiting her. She was a very good friend." Johannes smiled slightly, remembering. "We miss her."

A Prince who was bubbly? And sweet? At least she was also bright.

"Here," Johannes said, gesturing toward an area surrounded by shrubbery and trees. "The lilacs are in this garden. It's full spring in here now. The bushes and trees help with the microclimate charms, and I have a few special Charmed lamps set up to provide longer daylight. We like to come out here and sit . . . Lydia would bring one of her novels and read and snack, sometimes even forgetting to come in for meals. I always think of her when I'm out here working. I sometimes can almost feel her here . . ."

Severus followed Johannes through an opening in the hedge, and he smiled. It was a beautiful garden with a profusion of colour, the scents of various flowers carried on a light breeze and a white gazebo at the other end of the main winding path of small blue and white stones. As accustomed to magic as Severus was, he felt that this garden was magical in a way that he'd never experienced before. He could understand why Lydia had spent so much time here.

Johannes smiled at Severus's reaction. "I chose the flowers, their scents, and their layout very carefully to create a relaxing effect. It is strongest at this time of year, although there are flowers in bloom throughout the summer and into the autumn."

The lilac bushes were clustered on either side of the gazebo, with some flowering fruit trees behind it.

"Will these do for your lady?" Johannes asked, pulling a cluster of blossoms toward himself and breathing in their scent.

Severus nodded. "Indeed. They would be fine."

"Good. And I will do some arrangements for your sitting room...and you would like the birds-of-paradise, as well?"

"My rooms haven't much light. Cut flowers would best. Perhaps some of that lavender?" There were beautiful mounds of lavender interspersed amongst other beds of flowering plants.

"Lavender is an excellent choice. I will add some other flowers from the greenhouse to create full and pleasing bouquets. I can have a couple house-elves deliver them. Where would you like them sent? Do you wish to meet the elves at the gates? Or in the Great Hall or the entry hall?"

Severus hesitated. He did not want the entire castle to know his business. "Can the house-elves bring them to the kitchens?"

"They can."

"Good. I'll tell my elf, Twiskett, to expect them. He will accept delivery. Have your elves ask for Twiskett."

On the walk back up to the house, they stopped in one of the greenhouses so that Johannes could show Severus a few of his latest hybrids.

"And this one," Johannes said, pointing out a bed of a spiny purplish plants covered with tiny star-shaped orange flowers, "is a hybrid that I developed for Murdoch. At this time, I am the only grower and he is the only apothecary whom I supply. It is a key ingredient in the Polyjuice Potion antidote, but he has also created a new muscle relaxant potion that uses it, and he's working on an improved variation of the usual Calming Draught."

Severus fingered one of the spiny purple leaves and looked over at Johannes.

"Go ahead," Johannes said with a nod.

Severus plucked the short, narrow leaf and rolled it between his fingers. It was bright purple, almost magenta, but Severus could now see that it had fine silvery-green stripes running its length. Some gel-like sap oozed from the broken end, feeling cool on Severus's fingertips. He crushed the spiny leaf a bit more and held it to his nose. The fragrance was bright and pungent, a bit like the scent of the Memory Plant, but with a slightly more citric edge to it. He exhaled through his nose then inhaled the scent again. He could detect an underlying fennel-like fragrance. It was pleasantly invigorating.

"Did you hybridize a Memory Plant with some others?" Severus asked. Memory Plants were dark green, although their leaves were spiky, but flatter than these.

"Yes. I call it Commemoratum tyrensis. This plant is the result of more than a decade of careful Charmed breeding of different species, bringing them to the point where I could bring them together and create this new specimen. Its flowers and leaves are both potent sources of certain magical essences, the leaves containing the most after the plant flowers and the leaves have turned from green to purple, as they are now. The timing was fortuitous," Johannes said, "as Murdoch required it to assist Albus and Minerva during that year in which Albus lay as dead in that sarcophagus."

"You knew of that plan?" Severus asked, surprised.

Johannes shook his head. "But Siofre and I suspected that not all was as it seemed, and we were almost unsurprised when Dumbledore appeared with his prisoners on that fateful day when the Dark Wizard was defeated." He took a deep breath, recalling that time, and looked off toward a stand of Brazilian Flurrynut trees, whose tufty tops almost scraped the top of the greenhouse. "Murdoch impressed upon me the urgency of his need, that he required this plant sooner than we had planned . . . I brought all of my energy and magic to the task, and in a few months from his request, I was able to present him with some fully mature specimens. And in the weeks after that, he developed the Polyjuice antidote. I did not know that at the time, of course, although we had spoken of that as one of the possible Potions uses, based on the magical attributes of the earlier specimens. He had already begun working on the antidote, but without this plant, his efforts were of limited success. And then a year later, Dumbledore arrived with a half dozen Death Eaters in tow, and we did our small part by holding them for him."

Clearly, he would need to pay more attention to Herbology publications, Severus thought as he surveyed the purple hybrids. He glanced at his host. Or simply pay more attention to specific Herbologists. No wonder Sprout consulted him, even now after being at Hogwarts for more than four decades herself.

"Would you like one of these, Professor?" Johannes asked.

"One of these? Yes, but Murdoch . . ."

"Speak with Murdoch. Work on some application other than what he is using them for. Or perhaps you might like to collaborate with him. I will send a few clippings with your flowers. And if Murdoch agrees...and I believe he will...I will send a plant or two down to Pomona for you, and you will have a steady supply to work with. I will emphasise to Pomona that they are for your use only."

"Thank you." This was a very generous offer, and Severus had the sense that the Ravenclaw expected nothing in return. He had rarely had time to work on experimental potions, but he had more time now than he had had in many years. Perhaps he might do some new work. The thought was invigorating. He would speak to Murdoch as soon as possible...perhaps the other Potions master would be willing to discuss the magical properties of the plant. It was something to look forward to.

The two wizards began to walk back up to the house.

"You spoke of the prisoners you held here," Severus said. "I had occasion to visit the St. Mungo's secure ward recently, and Hyatt Crabbe is still suffering from the effects of Madam Tyree's curses. He was back for treatment."

Johannes smirked. "He was a nasty one. I cannot feel much pity for the man. I think that if he hadn't hurt Duster, one of our elves, Siofre might have simply disabled him temporarily. But he angered her, and it is unsurprising if the curse is still affecting him."

"Apparently, his testicles disappear at intervals and then regrow. It is most painful, I understand," Severus replied with a smirk of his own. "And knowing what I know of the man, it is his just desserts. Perhaps less than what he deserved, if such a thing can be measured."

"I will have to tell Siofre; she will be interested. The MLE and St. Mungo's tried to get her to reverse the curse, but she said that it could only be reversed by the victim himself, from the inside-out, that he had brought it on himself and only his own intent could cure him." Johannes shrugged. "I do not know how literally to interpret her words, but she would not assist them. She was adamant, and I believe that they were afraid to insist."

Severus chuckled. "I do believe that I will avoid any confrontation with her, myself." He looked over at Johannes speculatively. "You are a brave wizard, to marry such a witch."

"A very, very lucky wizard," Johannes corrected as they approached a set of French doors leading into a conservatory. "And as for brave . . . persistent might be a better adjective. Will you stay for tea and biscuits, Professor?"

Severus withdrew his watch from his pocket and opened it. It was only a little after three. No doubt McGonagall would want to stay, but he could Apparate back to Hogwarts by himself. "I wouldn't wish to impose."

"If Siofre did not wish you to stay for tea, she would not have suggested it. I am sure that Eoghan would enjoy it. He has wanted to meet his famous cousin for some time. He is quite intrigued by you, and he also knows very few relatives from his Grandma Lydia's side of the family. It would be nice for him."

"Very well. I'd like that." He hesitated, then added, "Would you have any Headache Potion? I had a . . . a minor duelling incident this morning. Apparating this afternoon brought the headache back."

Johannes smiled broadly and opened the French doors for them. "We will serve Headache Potion with the cakes. And if Gareth plonks away on the piano with Eoghan, I may help myself to some, as well! Come through, Professor, and make yourself at home."

"I didn't know that Gareth could play the piano."

"He cannot," Johannes replied with a grin, "but do not try to tell him that!"

Severus returned the other wizard's smile and followed him into the house.

NEXT

Chapter Eighty-One: Lighting

Sunday, 28 March 1999

Severus tries to create a romantic atmosphere for his date with Poppy.

Characters: Severus Snape, Filius Flitwick, Poppy Pomfrey, others.

Note: If Siofre and Eoghan's names are causing your eyes to cross and your mental tongue to get tied in knots, the S in Siofre is pronounced like an "sh" (think of other names like "Sean" and "Siobhan"). When you see Eoghan, think Yew-an or Yo-an, and you'll be in good shape. It's a form of "Ewan." And, of course, the J in Johannes is pronounced like the y in "yo-yo."

I've been posting a new fic, Charming the Scottish Garden, which focuses on Siofre and Johannes. Malcolm, Gertrude, Lydia, and others appear, as well.