A/N: Sap alert!

Chapter 31: A Modest Proposal

The time passed from the incident in the hospital, and Rosie and Severus found that they had to get back into their normal routine – whatever that was. Severus had returned to Hogwarts, much to his infinite pleasure, and had assured Rosie that he would be returning home at the weekend to see her and to escort his father to his first Alcoholics Anonymous session. It was clear that this dubious joy was not one that Severus relished.

It was currently the Friday afternoon and Rosie had finished work. The plan for today was that she was going to meet her friends in London to have a good old drink and a chin-wag. She stepped out of the front door and looked around the road. It was a warm, fresh day, and Rosie grinned. Her morbid boyfriend tended to prefer the dark, gloomy days of winter, but Rosie loved the warmth that spring and early summer brought. Everything seemed so much better in the sunlight.

The path that Rosie took led her to a secluded area of her road, and, from there, she Apparated to a shop in another secluded district of London. She smiled as she saw her two good friends, Alina and Morven, in the window, and marched into the café.

“Hello, gorgeous!” cried Morven, standing up uneasily. Rosie smiled and looked at the table; sure enough, Morven was surrounded by two large glasses – one empty – and a bottle of red wine. She was sloshed.

“Afternoon, Morv!” said Rosie, kissing her on the cheek. “It’s only twelve thirty, you know!” Morven plonked herself back down again. “Are you sure you couldn’t have waited a little longer before you got yourself drunk?”

Alina, sitting opposite Morven, grinned at Rosie and laughed. The two good friends shared a hug and then Alina said, “She’s only had these whilst we’ve been here – and that’s only five minutes!”

“That’s not true!” Morven broke in. “We’ve been waiting for Rosie for nearly half an hour –”

Rosie laughed, waving her hand dismissively. “That’s no excuse, Morven; you know I’m late everywhere!”

“Doesn’t mean I have to be,” she slurped back. “Hell’s bells, I bought a bottle so that we could share it – Alina has her glass, look.” Morven held up the empty one.

Rosie shook her head, smiling. “You know Alina doesn’t drink!”

“She does now that she’s with that Remus – last time I was at their house there were two empty wine bottles, a cider can and a bottle of sherry in the bin.”

“What were you doing looking in my bin?” asked Alina, sounding amused.

“And why weren’t you recycling those bottles, Alina,” reprimanded Rosie, swatting her hand affectionately. The two laughed at each other.

Alina pretended to think her way out of the situation. “That was my – bottle-bank-bin. They were all going to be dropped down at the bank to be recycled.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Rosie nodded, smiling. “Of course. Anyway,” Rosie glanced at Morven snidely, “now we’re on the subject of Remus…”

Morven clapped her hands together. “Ah, yes. How goes it with Sex-God-Remus?”

Alina frowned. “You know I don’t like talking about that kind of thing,” huffed Alina.

“Oh, Alina!” pouted Rosie. “Don’t be like that again! You can’t not tell us!” At that moment a waiter appeared at Rosie’s side asking if she wanted a drink. “Oh,” said Rosie, flustered. “Just give me – Martini?”

“Just give me Martini!” gasped Morven dramatically, impersonating Rosie. “You were telling me something about the old alcohol…”

Rosie rolled her eyes. “Martini and lemonade?” The waiter nodded. “Great – I’ll have that.” She turned back to her friends. “Don’t you remember that dreadful restaurant where they gave me Martini and tonic?” Morven snorted into her wine glass and Alina looked perplexed.

“Don’t worry, darling,” Morven said, placing her hand over Alina’s, being deliberately condescending. “I’m sure one day you’ll be able to remember a single outing that you went on. No wonder you don’t like to talk about sex with Remus – probably can’t remember it…”

“Ha, ha.”

Rosie giggled merrily, taking her drink from the waiter who had just reappeared.

“Well, I don’t see the point in waiting for Alina dearest to spill the beans,” said Morven whilst Alina poked her tongue out. “We might as well talk to someone who we know won’t be able to keep her mouth shut. Rosie? How goes Severus?”

Rosie smiled. “Severus goes well.”

“Does he now?” Morven asked snidely, raising her glass and silently toasting him. “I thought you looked very chipper today. Glass, Alina?” she added, pouring herself some wine.

“You know I don’t like red wine, Morven!” snapped Alina.

“What’s up with you?”

“I’m waiting for my bloody orange juice!” Alina said. “I ordered it about twenty minutes ago.”

“Well, go and bloody well remind them,” replied Morven. “Oi, waiter!” shouted Morven. “Orange juice required – ordered it a while ago!” The waiter nodded and hurried off. “There,” said Morven to Alina. “No probs!”

“You’re in a good mood,” said Rosie. “Ultra-sardonic today, are we?”

“I have been waiting to discuss both of your exciting boyfriends for the past few months, and now, neither of you will talk about them.”

Rosie smiled and sipped her Martini. “Ask me something then!”

“Fine,” Morven smiled, looking in a better, calmer mood. “How’s it going? Any more – you know – ups and downs?”

Rosie raised an eyebrow. “A couple of problems along the way. It’s been better recently.”

“So, how do you feel about him, then? Still the best you’ve had?”

Rosie moved out of the way as Alina’s orange juice was served and then resumed her story. “Yes, I still think so. Didn’t stop me refusing his proposal a couple of weeks ago.”

There was a brief silence. “You WHAT?” both Alina and Morven cried.

“You’re getting married?” Alina asked.

“Jesus Christ,” Morven sighed, mock-angrily. “Turn up your hearing aid, you old girl – she said she refused him!”

“Why did you do that?”

Sighing, Rosie replied, “Because it wasn’t the right time. It was a bad proposal.”

“Don’t tell me,” Morven interrupted, holding out her hands and closing her eyes, apparently connecting with the recesses of Rosie’s mind. “He told you that it was the logical thing to do.”

“Actually, you know, he did say something about logic.” Rosie smiled. Morven nodded knowingly. “It was all resolved, though.”

Morven’s happy expression fell away. “Oh, Christ, Rosie – I thought we could rely on you of all people for endless gossip!”

Alina leant forward. “Actually, I want to here about this. Come on, Rosie – Severus and his cock-ups – you can’t deny us the womanly joy of laughing at our blokes!”

“I’ll give you some gossip on Roy, if you’re lucky…” hinted Morven.

“There’s nothing much to tell,” said Rosie. “He made a cock-up and that’s really it.”

“But what did he do?” questioned Morven impatiently.

“It’s more what he didn’t do,” said Rosie significantly. “He didn’t even have a ring.” The other two women groaned and leant back in their seats.

“Bad luck, old girl,” Morven said. It was clear that she wasn’t entirely joking.

“Seriously?” asked Alina. “Well – that’s not the end of the world… Did he – substitute it?”

Rosie shook her head. “Nope.” She drank her Martini. “He didn’t even tell me that he loved me. He just – I can’t even remember it properly. He just started asking me if I would leave him – so I said no, naturally. And then he said – something about this hypothetical situation.” She smiled wryly and imitated his words. “‘Hypothetically, this means that you would marry me, if I asked…’”

“He said that?” Morven asked, her face showing her disappointment.

Rosie nodded. “So I – well, I thought he was mucking around. I just assumed that he was being insecure – I didn’t think he was proposing. Anyway,” Rosie swallowed, “he got all peeved that I hadn’t realised what he was doing and we ended up arguing.”

Morven was smiling, but Alina looked more serious. “Why did you think that Severus was mucking around? I mean, the lack of ring is a bit – well, rubbish – but you know he’s not romantic. He wouldn’t just tell you that he wanted to marry you. What if you said no…”

“Saying no doesn’t mean she doesn’t love him,” Morven pointed out. “If he’s not romantic, why didn’t he just discuss it with you?”

“Thing is, he’s not much for that, either. It doesn’t matter now, anyway – though I take your point, Alina,” said Rosie; Alina looked relieved. “I told him that he should have been more romantic.”

“And?” asked Morven.

“And he said –” Rosie snorted “– he said that he thought…because he thought it was strange –” Rosie’s face fell as she fully appreciated the words he’d said.

“Rosie?” Morven said. “We’re on the edge of our seats, here.” She sounded sarcastic, but it appeared that even thick-skinned Morven had noticed a change in the atmosphere.

“He said – that he thought stating – stating his wish to remain with one person for the rest of his life…bound in matrimony was the ordinary thing to do…” Rosie closed her eyes in horror, and put her face in her hands. “Bloody hell…”

“Rosie,” said Alina. “That’s quite – nice.”

Rosie didn’t see, but Morven and Alina shared a knowing glance before patting their friend on the back.

“He really wanted to marry me, didn’t he?” said Rosie, sitting up.

Morven nodded slowly. “I think so.”

“Do you want to marry him?” asked Alina.

Rosie nodded definitely. “Yes, I do.”

Morven regained some of her natural irony. “Just say that when you’re wearing the white veil of purity and you’ll be set.” She smiled. “I’m sure he’ll propose again.” She shrugged. “He really seems to love you.”

“If not,” said Alina, “just propose yourself. It’s not customary – but then you didn’t like normality last time he tried it.”

Rosie looked sadly at Alina; for once, her slightly naïve friend had cracked it in one.

*

Leticia smirked broadly. “She wants you to be a father?”

“I believe she’s thinking along the lines of starting a family, as opposed to my being a father,” replied Severus grimly.

“Ah, I see.” Leticia nodded silently. “How exactly do you feel?”

“Leticia, not here,” snapped Severus. They were, at present, in a dingy corridor outside the Alcoholics Anonymous room. Maximus was inside, hopefully discussing his bad habit and his desire to give it up. What a way to end the school week… he though morosely.

“You brought up the subject, Severus,” came the cool reply. “If you want to say anything, that’s fine.”

“Can you actually see me with children around my feet?” Severus said suddenly.

“I can see them in the cooking pot,” Leticia replied glibly. Severus glared at her. “I suppose you can work out my answer from that.”

“Couldn’t you just tell me?”

Leticia raised an eyebrow. “I’m not Rosie, my darling little brother.”

Severus fell into an angry silence and folded his arms defensively across his chest. He refused to look at her. He wasn’t asking her to be Rosie. All he needed was some advice, some help, some – refuge. Anything to help him find a solution to this problem that he had never foreseen and that seemed not to be going away.

There was no use denying it: Rosie really wanted children.

“So, all this talk of children,” said Leticia, deciding not to tackle the situation head on – she wasn’t entirely sure that her advice on the subject of children – those creatures which she had deemed unworthy of her interest from a very early age – would be very useful. “Is this path taking a conventional route?”

“What are you talking about?” Severus shot back darkly.

Leticia rolled her eyes. “Are you two getting married?”

Severus leant back into his seat and sighed. “That’s an interesting question…”

“Pray, do enlighten me,” Leticia sneered.

“I proposed, a little while ago,” Severus muttered sullenly, and he observed with a hint of amusement that his usually cold sister turned in her chair to face him, and looked distinctly excited for the briefest moment. “Nothing came of it,” he said. “I made an awful hash of it, and she turned me down.”

“What did you do?” his sister asked accusingly.

Severus grimaced in acute embarrassment. “A number of things. I had not acquired a ring, I didn’t get down on one bloody knee, and, apparently, I didn’t offer my heart.”

“No one wants to be able to compare their marriage proposal to a lucrative business deal,” Leticia said smartly, “but…Rosie knows the Snapes are hardly renowned for their overt displays of affection.”

“I understand what she means, though,” Severus said, defeated.

“Severus, for Merlin’s sake, get a grip!” snapped Leticia. “If you didn’t feel comfortable with the idea of bending down on one knee and offering a box of chocolates, a bunch of flowers, and the all-important ring, then it obviously wasn’t the right thing for you to do. Stop whinging, for goodness sake, and propose again!”

Severus looked at her, disbelieving. “No, I won’t.”

“I didn’t mean this instant.”

“It hurt, Leticia, and I am not prepared to make a fool of myself again.”

Leticia merely raised an eyebrow. “It appears that Rosie is looking forward to a very long-term relationship with you, Severus. She will accept your proposal – just buy her a ring, make her feel a little special, and I’m sure all will be well.”

“What an oracle you’ve become.”

“Isn’t that what all little girls dream of?” replied Leticia disdainfully.

Severus smirked. “I never knew you felt this way, Leticia,” he said, laughing internally. “I should be off.” He looked to the door of the counsellor’s office. “It doesn’t look as if he will be getting out soon, does it?”

“I shall tell Maximus that you left. Don’t worry – you escorted him here, didn’t you?” Severus nodded in assent. “Why must you be off?”

“I have some – errands – to run…”

Leticia’s eyes lit up playfully. “I see. Good luck.”

Severus smiled briefly. “Thank you.”

*

Alina looked at Rosie carefully. They were still in the café; Morven had left some minutes previously in order to return to the apparent normality that was her relationship with her partner Roy.

“We’ve got that Order meal tomorrow,” said Alina finally.

“Oh, damn it!” cried Rosie, closing her eyes. “I completely forgot!”

Her friend smiled. “What a surprise…”

“It’s hardly worth going over all the things I’ve failed to remember,” said Rosie. “I bet Severus has forgotten as well – things have been a bit hectic recently.”

“‘Severus’ and ‘hectic’ seem to go well together, I’ve noticed,” said Alina. She looked at her a moment before saying, “How is his father?”

“Well enough,” replied Rosie, somewhat coolly. “Oh!” said Rosie, leaning back in her chair and sighing. “It’s so difficult. I know that Severus really wants to – I don’t know – find some common ground with Maximus, but I’m finding it quite hard to see him as anything other than the man who attacked me and ruined my partner’s childhood.”

“I’m sure Severus hasn’t forgotten it, either,” said Alina frowning.

“I know.”

“He just needs you to be there,” continued Alina. “I don’t think he’s looking for Maximus to be his father – he’s got you –”

Rosie laughed loudly. “He’s got me?” She shook her head. “What a great father-substitute I make!”

“You know what I mean.” She folded her arms. “He loves you, and you’ve given him more support and encouragement than his parents ever seem to have done. I don’t think Maximus could be a father to Severus – not really. He just wants Maximus to accept him. You can understand that, can’t you?”

“Of course I can,” said Rosie. “If I couldn’t, what am I doing with Severus?” Rosie rested her elbows on the table and sighed. “It’s just – complicated.”

“What are you going to do about marriage?”

Rosie frowned curiously. “What do you mean?”

Alina bit her lip. “Do you want to marry him?”

“We’ve already established that I do,” replied Rosie.

“Is Severus likely to propose soon?”

“Well, I don’t know… Probably not.”

Alina pursed her lips slightly. “Then…why don’t you propose?”

Rosie’s jaw dropped slightly. “You were serious?”

“I know it’s not what you imagined – but, well, it would solve a couple of problems!”

“And when am I supposed to do this?”

“Well,” Alina thought briefly, “we’ve got the dinner tomorrow…I want to have some gossip to look forward to!”

Rosie laughed. “Alina, I can’t propose tonight!” She shook her head, smiling. “I haven’t planned anything – I…What do you get a man when you propose?”

“What?”

“Well, I complained that Severus didn’t buy me a ring – but I can hardly buy him one, can I?”

“No,” said Alina. “I suppose you can’t. Flowers?”

“Buy Severus flowers? That’s your best suggestion?” Rosie raised an eyebrow at her friend.

Alina rolled her eyes. “Well, he’s not my boyfriend, is he?” She shook her head. “Get him something like…an antique, or something…that you can reminisce about…”

Rosie thought for a moment. “You know, there’s nothing I can think of that reminds me of Severus.”

“Isn’t there something that you’ve done with him that you haven’t done with any of your other boyfriends?”

Rosie snorted wryly. “Oh, yes.”

“Not like that. Isn’t there anything that reminds you of him? A song?”

“Alina!” Rosie exploded humorously. “No one but you thinks that couples have a favourite song! No one but you makes up ridiculous nicknames for their partners! Will you please drop this insane idea!” Alina had, when they were both in Hogwarts, and Rosie had had a rather strange boyfriend who enjoyed writing her poetry and seeing her in every available moment of the day, asked whether they had a favourite song. Rosie had responded with a snort and a laugh, and ignored the question completely. Little did she know that ignoring a silly idea of Alina’s would have these kinds of consequences…

“Is there nothing?”

“Well…Alan Rickman always reminds me of Severus…”

“Who on Earth is Alan Rickman?”

“He’s an actor…quite famous, good-looking – played Obadiah Slope in the Barchester Chronicles.”

“Was that that boring –”

“If you dare finish that sentence, I will leave this café,” said Rosie. “Yes – that one.”

“The one who mumbles? With the voice that you can’t hear?”

Rosie sighed. “Yes, that would be the one.”

“Oh!” Alina looked at Rosie cheerfully. “Get him a DVD or something, then!”

Rosie looked at her friend incredulously. “You really have no understanding of why Severus’ proposal failed in the first place, do you?”

Alina shook her head merrily.

*

Little did Rosie know that she needn’t worry about thinking up a suitable proposal for Severus. At the present time, Severus was bustling about their house, tidying it, cleaning it and decorating it with church candles.

He sighed and looked out of the window. Dusk was just beginning to fall, and he hoped that Rosie would not return until some time later: he had a house, and a speech, to prepare.

The hallway was dark and empty, and Severus walked out into it and up the stairs, unbuttoning his shirt as he went. After a quick shower, and a careful look at his face in the mirror, he shrugged some freshly-laundered clothes on and descended the stairs again.

The ring that he had bought for Rosie had appeared to him almost as soon as he had entered the shop. It was a white gold band with a diamond in the middle, offset by two small sapphires. Severus had never deemed himself a good judge of jewellery, having not really found an occasion when he needed to buy it, but even he thought that it was beautiful. He just hoped that Rosie felt the same way.

I cannot afford to bugger this up.

He closed the jewellery box, put it into his pocket and moved into the front room. The fire was burning in the grate, casting an orange glow over the room. How he wished Rosie would return home soon. There was only so much time Severus could spend admiring his cleaning skills.

As the evening finally came, and Severus sat alone in the front room listening to the crackles and pops of the logs in the fireplace, there was a clicking sound and he heard Rosie come into the house.

“Severus?” called Rosie. “Are you here?”

“In the front room,” replied Severus.

“Why are the lights off?” asked Rosie; he heard her hang her coat on the coat rack. She moved into the view of the front room, and looked at him happily.

“You’re home!” she said, raising her arms. “You all right?”

“Well enough,” he responded, more gravely than he had intended.

“This room’s tidy,” she stated, looking around in wonder. “You tidied.”

Rosie moved towards him carefully and kissed him gently on the lips. “I did,” he answered.

Severus gazed at her a moment before allowing his lips to descend on hers once more and kiss her sensuously. For a time Severus’ hands trailed down Rosie’s body, resting on the curves of her hips and Rosie toyed with the strands of hair at the nape of Severus’ neck.

“Candles,” said Rosie as Severus moved his attention to her neck and right ear. “Why candles?”

“No reason,” said Severus, sucking the skin of her neck and allowing his hands to roam over her sides and down towards her hips.

Rosie smiled warmly and nudged him gently backwards, urging him to sit on the sofa. When this task was accomplished she moved atop him, pinning him to the sofa, and kissed him hungrily on the lips.

Severus was surprised by her insistence. My God, she’s missed this as much as I have… All thoughts were lost as Rosie began to pull his clothes off his body. As Rosie’s hands drifted towards his trousers, a sudden wave of panic hit him. Trouser pocket! his brain screamed. The wedding ring is in your pocket!

He pushed Rosie back from him and leant up on his elbows, looking at Rosie, feeling slightly breathless.

“What?” asked Rosie, looking forlorn. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” said Severus. And nothing will be wrong, he thought, remembering the last time that she had said that to him on this very sofa.

“Are you sure?”

“Rosie,” said Severus softly, sitting up properly and looking at her. He turned in his seat, leaned over and closed the door into the hall so that the only light in the room was the light from the candles and fire. “Rosie, thank you for – Maximus…” Rosie smiled slightly and Severus kissed her on the lips.

“Think nothing of it.”

His hand found his trouser pocket, and he felt the velvet-covered box within it. “You know that I am fairly incapable of speaking my true feelings adequately,” he intoned softly and Rosie looked perplexed. “But you know me well enough to perhaps allow me this small fault.”

He looked down and swallowed. I will not ruin this. I will not ruin this.

“I do love you, Rosie; I hope you know that, however oddly I sometimes express my feelings.”

Rosie nodded. “I love you, too.”

“I never imagined myself to feel something so profound for another person. My parents made me disbelieve that love existed; they made me question whether marriage was ever something that was born out of emotion as opposed to tradition and politics.” He sighed and glanced at Rosie, who looked surprised at his words. “I had always envisioned that living with another would be – difficult, but…but I…but I want to marry you.”

There was a silence that was tense but excited. Rosie gasped slightly and looked at Severus as if she couldn’t believe what he had just said. “You – what?” she whispered and laughed.

He raised the box in the air and Rosie gazed at it transfixed. She took it with trembling hands and opened it carefully.

“Oh – God,” she muttered shakily, looking at the ring. “Oh…oh, Severus,” she said and he stared at her, waiting for an answer but not wanting to spoil the moment.

“Rosie, will you marry me?”

He looked at her and then felt a stab of fear as her eyes filled with tears. He hadn’t buggered it up again, had he?

“Yes!” she gasped, breaking into a smile, and then she sobbed uncontrollably. “Yes!” She sobbed again, but it was surrounded by laughter. “Yes! Yes! Yes!” She began laughing harder and hugged Severus tightly, kissing him all over his face and finally kissing him soundly on the lips.

“Are you all right?” he asked, genuinely concerned.

“Happy tears,” Rosie assured him. “Happy, happy tears!”

Severus laughed gently. “Would you like to put it on?” She nodded firmly and Severus pulled the ring from the padded confines of the box. Smiling happily, Rosie held out a slightly shaking hand and allowed him to slide the ring onto her finger.

Rosie looked down at the ring, gazing at the diamond and the sparkling sapphires that surrounded it and then looked up at Severus, who looked so amazingly unsure and rumpled. “It’s beautiful, Sev,” she breathed and rubbed his cheek gently. “It’s absolutely beautiful.”

“I love you,” he said in a low voice and kissed her slowly.

“I can’t believe this,” Rosie muttered, shaking her head. “I love you, too,” she added. “Why now?”

He shrugged and frowned. “I’ve always wanted to…”

She looked at him, her eyes brimming with tears again and kissed him hard, sliding her tongue into his mouth and winding her arms around his neck. He groaned softly and allowed his fiancée to push him back down onto the sofa.

Fiancée, he thought as he gazed at the beautiful woman straddling him on his three-piece suite. Fiancée…


A/N: I apologise in advance for a lack of frequent updates in the near future… The summer is approaching, or in fact, is technically here (not that you’d know it), and those dreaded things that begin with an E, end with an S, and have the letters X, A and M in them are nearly upon me. Believe me, I need to do a hell of a lot of work – and it sucks. Thanks to all those who have reviewed, enjoyed, commented, and been generally wonderful beings of good will and loveliness! I shall see you all soon!