Love and Potions - Severus Snape x OC

Chapter 54 - Loyalty and Love

Guiding her friend to a chair, Rowan threw Severus, who still had his wand drawn, a small warning glare. A somewhat embarrassed look came across his face as he took a seat a few spaces away from Bellatrix. He continued to silently brood as Rowan turned her attention to her friend. "A tragedy has happened, Rowan," Bellatrix blubbered as fresh tears slide down her face. 

Rowan furrowed her brow as she took a seat right beside Bellatrix. Scanning her slowly, Rowan's confusion only grew. Bellatrix had no injuries, her wand was still intact, and her dark mark remained but a scar on her skin; uncovered and worn as if she was still slightly proud of who she used to be. Looking behind Bellatrix, she could see a small smirk come across Severus' face. 

"Sev- a little help?" Rowan asked as she widened her eyes slightly. Sighing, Severus nodded and looked deeply into the distance. If Rowan had not known better, she would have thought Severus was trying to burn a hole into a bottle of firewhiskey that sat on a shelf behind the bar. Within seconds, Severus turned back to Rowan with wide eyes. "She's in love," Severus blurted in astonishment. Rowan looked back to Bellatrix, who only began to sob louder at Severus' words. 

"Bellatrix, I need you to talk to me," Rowan began as she did her best to hide her newfound excitement at the situation. "Can I know why that would make you so sad?" 

"Don't you see, Rowan?! I can love!" Bellatrix choked in between sobs. "I won't ever be good enough for her!" Bellatrix exclaimed as she thrust herself into Rowan's arms once again. Rowan gasped slightly, looking over to Severus as she rubbed small circles onto Bellatrix's back. "Who?" Rowan mouthed with a proud smile as she did her best to console her friend. 

"Sybil Trelawney," Severus smirked to himself as he turned to Madam Rosmerta and ordered something unintelligible to Rowan. "Bellatrix, only Sybil can decide who is good enough for her. You are both amazing witches," Rowan said as she gently pushed on Bellatrix's shoulders so that they could sit face to face. 

Bellatrix looked down at her forearm and then back at Rowan with clear distress in her eyes. Rowan knew exactly what she had meant- it wasn't the first time she had seen that look in the eyes of someone she loved. "You aren't that person anymore," Rowan whispered quietly, shaking her head. 

"But I was that person. I was that person and worse; I was the dark lord's lover," Bellatrix mumbled so that only Rowan could understand. "She knows, Bellatrix. She may not know the entire story, but you wear that mark openly. Yet, she still chose to stay in my quarters with you on the day of the Quidditch game," Rowan replied sternly. While there was no forgetting the mistakes made by the death eaters, so many of them lived quite happy and evil-less lives now. She herself had fallen for a man with a dark past, and she would do it again; Juniper Montgomery had proven that fact herself. 

Sniffling slightly, Bellatrix met Rowan's eyes. "You're going to make a good mother," she said shakily as she gave a weak smile toward Rowan's growing bump. Rowan smiled, placing a singular hand on her stomach. Taking in a deep breath, Rowan looked over Bellatrix's shoulder as she spoke. "Love is hard, Bellatrix. I remember what you told me about the dark lord, but you cannot let him win. He is dead and there is nothing he can do to you know," She began, catching the attention of Severus. The two locked eyes as Rowan continued to speak. 

"We all have our dark secrets and what matters is what you do with them. I could have stayed the same person as I was when I killed my father, but I didn't. I refused to become anything like the wretched woman who tried to steal my life from me. You have to know who you want to become and the right person will love you and help you to become who you have always wanted to be," Rowan smiled shyly at Severus, who had since grabbed onto his forearm tightly. 

Bellatrix's sobs had finally begun to calm down as she turned to Severus. The two of them had a very complicated past; love had led them astray before. While Rowan knew they did not consider themselves to be friends, it was hard to ignore the bond they had. Severus joined the dark lord because of a love that broke him. Bellatrix joined the dark lord because she wanted to find a love that she was not getting, and what she did because of the love she found will haunt her forever. And yet, here they both were. Their marks nothing but faded scars of the atrocities they had committed and yet, they were such different people than when they first met. Bellatrix understood Severus in a way that Rowan never would, but that way okay. 

"You have changed, Bellatrix. You must not let him hold you back any further," Severus stated as he slowly placed down his glass and made his way over to Bellatrix. Placing a single hand on her forearm, he sighed audibly. "Your loyalty knew no bounds and that is why you did what you had to in order to keep him. Take that loyalty and find a new muse," Severus didn't smile as he finished speaking to Bellatrix, but there was an unspoken weight that seemed to be lifted from the room. Severus found his way over to Rowan and placed his hand around her waist, pulling her as close as he could. 

Bellatrix nodded as she wiped the remaining tears away from her eyes. "I wish loyalty could have been enough then. Things are much different, so perhaps it will be enough now," She shrugged as she pushed her shoulders back. Almost as quickly as she had arrived, Bellatrix began to move toward the door at a fast pace. "Oh- and Rowan?" Bellatrix added, a sly smirk appearing on her face. "I took care of Hyde," She finished and without another word, she was gone. 

"Wait, Bellatrix!" Rowan exclaimed, running out of the doors of The Three Broomsticks. Wildly, she looked around but there was no trace of her friend. "Bellatrix!" Rowan called out, her heart racing. Severus was not too far behind her as he took her hand into his own. "What did she mean, Severus?" Rowan managed to squeak out. The more she thought about that name, and Bellatrix even being around Rowan's mother, the more she felt as if she couldn't breathe. "I saw nothing of it in her mind, my love. Bellatrix is a strange woman," 

"Don't worry yourself about it now, my love. We need to get you back to Hogwarts and most importantly, back to bed," Severus whispered into Rowan's ear as he placed his arm under her legs. With a swift movement, Severus had picked her up and they were back on their way to Hogwarts. 

While Rowan may never know exactly what Bellatrix meant by her words, one thing was for certain; if Evanora Hyde was no longer a problem, maybe everything would be okay. Severus would be able to rest more and that meant the world to Rowan. Perhaps Bellatrix's loyalty did know no bounds as Severus had said. It was something that Rowan admired about her friend who had originally seemed too cold and unloving. 

As Rowan watched The Three Broomsticks fade in the distance, she placed her head against Severus' chest. With the mellifluous sound of Severus' breathing, Rowan found herself being lulled to sleep. Everything was finally as it should be, and they had an entire future ahead of them. She could do nothing but hope the future would be as bright as the fire burning in her heart.