Sweet Juliet: Part 2

Chapter 1: An Evening Visitor

(A/N: Sooooo, when I said I'd have this out by March 1st, I totally meant April 24th. What can I say, other that PLEASE FORGIVE ME? Seriously, though, I've been super busy with everything I've got going on, not the least of which being musical. We're doing Sweeney Todd and it eats up a TON of my time. However, our last two shows are this weekend so I'm back! Here I present to you—the sequel to Sweet Juliet! Enjoy and review!)

Rain was so odd to look at. It seemed to have no starting point, and all the tiny, individual droplets collected into one massive sheet of water the second they struck the ground. Little streams ran in smooth rivulets down Juliet's window and she reached out to touch them, pressing the very tips of her fingers to the glass.

It was a lot like people. With the glass as a shield, one could never quite reach those around them, and eventually they all started to blend into one, a nameless mass that stayed in the background, allowing her to watch it from afar. Only precious few were different, sliding silently through the minute crack at the base of her window and gazing up at her from the windowsill. She supposed these were like her friends—Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna…Draco—the only ones who made it past the glass.

Juliet let out a sigh, resting her forehead against the cool surface of the window. It was June 26th—Juliet's fifteenth birthday. She hadn't been away from them for very long, but she missed them desperately already. With only Severus for company—she loved him dearly, but he wasn't particularly entertaining—the longing for people her own age only worsened every day.

She and Draco were to leave for their holiday in a few weeks. Severus would be giving her the final answer on whether she could go or not tonight, after her birthday dinner. She wasn't too hopeful. Unable to lie to her father any more than she had the previous year at Hogwarts, Juliet had told him everything—that Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy would not be there, and that they thought Blaise Zabini was accompanying Draco, not Juliet. She'd had to beg Severus for hours just to get him to consider the idea, and she hadn't dared to mention it since then.

The smell of pasta, Juliet's favorite dish and something she rarely had, drifted up the stairs, making her mouth water. If her father made her wait much longer, she'd bound down there to see what the holdup was.

As it turned out, there was no need for this. Moments later, Severus called his daughter down, his quiet voice echoing strangely through the small house. Juliet blew out the small candle on her nightstand, which had been dimly lighting her room. Juliet took the stairs two at a time, jumping the last five and landing lightly on the balls of her feet. She ran into the kitchen, excitement lighting up her dark eyes, and helped her father carry the last of the plates and silverware to the table.

"Hungry, Juliet?" asked Severus with his usual monotone, but with a small gleam of amusement in his eyes.

"Starving," she replied simply, beginning to shovel food onto her plate.

"Merlin, child," said Severus, obviously suppressing a smile. "Anyone looking in on us right now would think I never feed you." She grinned at her father, folding her hands politely and looking expectantly at him while he made up his own, much smaller plate. He rolled his eyes, knowing she was mocking him. "All right, stop looking at me like that. Eat."

"Thanks, Dad!" Juliet took a bit of her pasta and her eyes immediately widened in delight. "This is delicious!" Her expression suddenly changed to one of suspicion. "You can't cook to save your life… You used magic, didn't you?"

Severus only smirked. "Guilty."

"Well, anyway," said Juliet, spearing some more noodles with her fork, "it's amazing, so I won't complain."

"Ah, miracles really do happen." Juliet glared playfully, momentarily distracted from her longing for her friends and her apprehension at Severus' decision on her holiday with Draco. For the moment, she was content to just sit here and enjoy her father's company, witty banter and all.

For the rest of dinner, they talked about the incoming sixth and seventh year students, the ones who had received an Outstanding on their OWL's in Potions, and who would be taking Advanced Potion Making with Severus come September. He said the group seemed fairly promising, with the obvious exceptions here and there. The class was small, since only a few had performed well enough on their exams to be able to make it through.

Juliet wasn't particularly nervous for the OWL's. Sure, she was a little apprehensive since they could only be taken once, and her scores were final, but her father and the other Professors at Hogwarts had taught her well. She'd had no problem entering the fourth year class after being homeschooled for three years, and had even stayed a bit ahead of some of her peers.

When they had finished eating and cleaning the dishes, Severus sent Juliet into the sitting room, where she would open her gifts from him. He entered the room momentarily with three packages. One was rather small, while the other two were decently sized. She started with the larger ones.

The first was a series of books written by a popular magical author. It was based around the four founders of Hogwarts, a fictional account of their lives, but drawing from wizarding knowledge of what had really happened during their time. She'd had her eye on them since seeing them in Flourish and Blott's at the beginning of the summer.

The second was a new set of silver scales to replace her brass ones. They were beautiful and more sensitive than the ones she had, to make her potion brewing more accurate.

She opened the small box last. Inside it, resting on dark purple velvet, was a beautiful amulet. The chain was pure, gleaming silver, and from it dangled a symbol that Juliet was unfamiliar with. It was a circle, the metal glossed over in deep purple, with three silver petal-like shapes coming to meet in the center of it.

"It's a triquetra," said Severus quietly, gazing at the amulet. "It is meant to symbolize equality of body, mind, and soul and serve as a source of protection for the wearer."

"It's beautiful," Juliet replied. "But…protection from what?"

Severus was silent for a moment, his dark eyes never leaving the symbol in Juliet's hands. "I can't be sure. This amulet belonged to my grandmother, Aralina Prince. She left it to my mother, Eileen, and I kept it when she died. Now it's yours."

Juliet hugged her father tightly. "Thank you, Dad. For everything." A knock at the door broke them apart and Juliet busied herself with putting the amulet around her neck while Severus went to answer it. A man's voice floated in from the hall. It sounded familiar, but Juliet couldn't quite place where she'd heard it.

"Severus," he said, "how nice to see you. I apologize for calling on you so late."

"Come in, Goyle, you'll catch your death in that weather." Severus' voice was monotonous, guarded. The difference from the tone he'd had just minutes previous was striking. It took Juliet a moment to register the name he had called the man. Goyle. He must have been the father of Gregory Goyle, one of Draco's friends.

The two men stepped into the sitting room and Juliet looked up. She recognized the man's face immediately. He'd been there that night in the graveyard, and had been one of the first to remove his mask. This man had laughed mercilessly while the Dark Lord had tortured Harry, and the sight of him made Juliet's breath catch. She fought to keep the bile from rising in her through, to keep her face impassive and her breathing steady, but she could only think of one reason why a Death Eater would come to their house.

The Dark Lord must know I'm not really his servant.

She gazed at the man, looking for any sort of sign that he was here to kill her. He only looked back at her calmly, even nodded his head politely in greeting.

"It's nice to see you again, Miss Snape."

She blinked. "You as well."

"Now, Goyle," said Severus, motioning to a chair and coming over to sit by Juliet on the couch once more, "what business do you have with me?" Goyle sat down, folding his hands.

"Information. I've been told to pass on a message to you from the Dark Lord. He's made contact with several of our companions who are in prison. He won't say how he did it, but then…it's not our place to question. A mass breakout from Azkaban is being planned."

Severus raised his eyebrows. "Oh? And how is this going to be accomplished?"

"Couldn't tell you if I wanted to," said Goyle with a shrug. "Only precious few know that information. I've been told to tell you, in case some of the escapees need to take refuge here. You're one of about five or six who has been notified. Crabbe, Dawlish, and I have been told too, but I'm not sure who else."

Severus nodded slowly, his muscles tensing ever so slightly. Juliet could feel it, but she knew that Goyle would not be able to tell. "Thank you, Goyle. Juliet and I are happy to serve the Dark Lord in any way we can."

The second that Goyle left, Severus rounded on Juliet. She couldn't imagine why he'd be angry at her, but she was wary nonetheless. Her father's temper wasn't exactly mild.

"Juliet—"

"Look, Dad, I—"

"Stop talking, Juliet! You're going on your holiday with the Malfoy boy."