Silvanna Snape {Marauders}

Chapter One-Hundred-and-Thirty-Seven

Happy UK Mother's Day! :)

 At two o'clock Silvanna was primed and ready in the Leaky Cauldron, looking nervously around for Marlene. It wasn't like she was sat at a table, but if anyone saw that she was in here, Evelyn would surely have a fit.

 Thankfully Marlene stepped out the fireplace, looking dishevelled because she was late. She looked around, scanning her eyes for Silvanna. They drifted over her and continued searching, disappointment growing on her features. She gave up and bit her lip, just as she reached her. "Hello you!"

 Marlene blinked at her. "Silvanna!" she said, after her mind had buffered for a moment. "Look at you! What have you done to your hair?"

 They walked outside, letting the warm sun be soaked into their skin. Like her, Marlene was getting dark freckles along her nose. "I had it done the other day," she explained. It had grown a lot since she'd last cut it, but Evelyn had decided it still wasn't long enough, and she was banned from cutting it herself. She didn't mind, it was only hair.

 "Looks nice," she said. "And what are you wearing?" Marlene scanned her, eyes narrowed and looking thoughtful. Silvanna looked at her outfit. White blouse, brown skirt, and a thin, caramel cloak with white shoes and a brown hat.

 "Maybe I should've worn darker shoes," she muttered. They were already looking mucky.

 "You just look so...tailored."

 "You mean I look like them."

 "Yes," Marlene admitted. "But it suits you. You look nice."

 She couldn't help but get a heavy feeling in her heart at the way Marlene looked at her. The words she said were happy, pleased ones, but she sounded so sad, so pitiful.

 They had a lovely afternoon, Marlene doing her shopping and Silvanna sheepishly admitting Evelyn had already ordered all of hers for her. It earned raised eyebrows, judgemental ones, but they disappeared when she helped to carry her shopping.

 Once they were done and had reached the Leaky Cauldron again, Marlene turned to her grinning. "Thanks for coming, I've had a great time."

 "Here, I'll grab the door-"

 There was a loud bang, and several squeals of surprise. Silvanna saw Marlene, splattered with blood, too shocked to be horrified. She reached for her wand, but with a jolt realised it was her own blood, pouring from her torn chest and soaking her blouse. She felt numb from the world around her.

 Someone screamed, several people in fact, and both girls dropped their shopping as the Dark Mark appeared in the sky.

 Her knees, like jelly, threatened to give in, and she wanted to know if anyone else was hurt.

 Why had she been cursed, when she was a Prince? Unless they knew she was a spy. Only Regulus knew her true self, and he'd spilled more secrets than he should have. Maybe that was why, to keep her quiet. But Regulus wasn't a Death Eater.

 Had her attacker gone? Were they right behind her? Should she draw her wand or was it too late?

 Her mind cleared as Marlene brought her hands to her mouth in horror, what she'd seen finally sinking in. A camera flashed. She had only one thought.

 She stumbled forward, grabbed Marlene, and disapparated.

 You weren't supposed to apparate if you had heavy external injuries. You also weren't supposed to use side-along apparation unless you were extremely experienced. But she could deal with that on the other side.

*****

 There was a light. It coated her eyelids, bright and prickly, and she opened them to blink it away. The canopy above her bed wasn't there. Instead, it was a plain white ceiling with a shard of sunlight cutting across it. She looked to the source and saw red curtains, slightly parted.

 Her throat was scratchy. She sat up, feeling stiff but no worse, and saw a glass of water next to her bed. It tasted stale, like it had been there overnight. She heard the distant shout of a voice from somewhere in the building, followed by the slam of the door and then quiet again. She looked around, drinking deeply from the glass once more. She wasn't at Whitechapel, that was for sure.

 It flooded back to her, as though some protective dam had just burst. The throb of her wound, the blood on Marlene, the flash of the camera.

 She was in so much trouble.

 The door opened, bringing the ends of a conversation with it. "...press just will not leave us alone, Healer Marsden."

 "And she's still not awake-?" They stopped when they saw her sat up in bed. The one leading was wearing Healer's green, and Mrs McKinnon was hovering in the door behind him. Both of them smiled when they saw her. "Hello Miss Snape," said Healer Marsden, swooping forward and shaking her hand. He placed his briefcase on the table next to her and Mrs McKinnon shut the door. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions, which I hope to answer. I'm a family Healer, and one of the families I take care of are the Princes. 

"So, first of all, your family are aware that you are here, but aside from myself that is all. Miss McKinnon is fine by the way, lightly splinched, that's all."

 He paused, but her brain had already caught up. She stared at him.

 "It's Friday," he said, "How are you feeling?"

 "Fine," she shrugged. She actually just wanted a nap. "Why am I not at Whitechapel? Or St Mungo's?"

 "I didn't see fit to move you and your family requested privacy." What he didn't add was, from the Prophet. "Mrs Prince has asked for you to floo there as soon as you feel well enough."

 Friday...Friday! They were going to France with the Blacks! She slid out of bed, looking around for a set of clothes. Mrs McKinnon picked some off a chair and held them in front of her but didn't hand them over. "Am I not well enough?" she asked, looking to Mr Marsden and then back to Mrs McKinnon. "I just feel a little ropey, that's all."

 "Well, I was hoping you'd stay for some lunch, now you're awake," Mrs McKinnon began.

 "That's all I needed, so I'll see myself out," Healer Marsden interrupted, shaking Silvanna's hand again and nodding to Mrs McKinnon, shutting the door behind him.

 "Thank you for your hospitality-" Silvanna began, but she shook her head.

 "You saved my daughter's life."

 "Not really," she muttered, taking the pile of clothes off her. No doubt Evelyn had sent them over, because it was a neat linen dress and a summer travelling cloak. "Do you know who it was?"

 She shook her head, a small knot creasing between her brows.

"I really have to go, I'm sorry."

 "You had a lot of visitors, that's all." Her gaze drifted to the window and she followed it. Behind the curtains the windowsill was jammed with cards and flowers. "From your schoolfriends. They hoped they could catch you before you go home?" Clearly they'd sold her on the idea, no doubt James's charming persuasion and Mary's hopeful eyes.

 "No thank you, but it's very kind," she said again. She put the clothes down on the chair and waited for Mrs McKinnon to leave. In reality she wanted nothing more than to accept the offer, but she'd already made everyone at Whitechapel wait for her, or panic, or be inconvenienced.

 Mrs McKinnon nodded and left her alone to change. The silence in the room hurt most of all.