A Bend in Time

Late evening on August 31st, there is a sense of excitement in the air. With great care, Rowan double checks her trunk and packs anything else she might need for Hogwarts. They would be leaving early to arrive at King's Cross.

Reassured that she had packed everything that she might need, Rowan feels bursting with vigor. Knowing that she won't be able to fall asleep in this state, she decides to take a small walk to the grounds and back. She passes by Severus's room, who is rereading one last time the latest letter from Lily. The Evans family would meet them at King's Cross.

The air is a bit chilly and Rowan shivers and tugs the collar of her jumper up. She takes a seat on the edge of the patio on one of the marble benches. Fireflies can be seen in the distance mystically lighting up the woods. Tilting her head back, she gazes in awe at seeing the vast Milky Way.

The rustling of grass and muffled footsteps cause Rowan to peek around the edge of the patio. A dark-haired woman holds a carpetbag in hand. "Mother?" She called out in recognition.

Eileen freezes in recognition of her daughter's voice. Her onyx-colored eyes are filled with guilt and shame. Clutching her bag, she is unable to turn around and face her child. "I-," her voice faltered as she closed her eyes in despair. "I just need to get away for a bit, Rowan. I-, I do not feel well here."

Rowan slowly rises to her feet unable to hide the hurt on her face. Wrapping her arms about herself, with trepidation she asks, "Did you say goodbye to Severus, Mother?"

Eileen's shoulder hunched over even more shaking with emotion. "I thought it best not to put a damper on tomorrow. I am sure, Severus, won't even notice."

"You're not coming back are you," Rowan melancholy said.

Eileen almost turns around at that moment. She almost had the courage to stay. However, the dark voice that whispered that her children would be better off without her insisted that she leaves. What could she possibly have to offer her children? She had failed them at every interval.

Seeing her mother's lack of response, Rowan abruptly turns away. "I saw Fidel on his nightly patrol, I'd stay there until he passes by," she said over her shoulder before running back into the bright manor.

Eileen's eyes fill with moisture her back hunched over shaking with quiet sobs. She did not deserve them. If she stayed, she would only hurt them more.

Up the stairs, Rowan rushed to her bedroom. She pulled open the curtains and frantically peered out into the dark. A tendril of hope begins to rise in her chest, before being ruthlessly extinguished. A dark figure scurries across the grounds carrying a carpetbag before vanishing into the woods forever.

An almost soundless heartfelt cry escapes from Rowan's mouth. She clenched her hands into a fist, before almost violently shutting the curtains shut. Fleeing from the window, she rushes into Severus's room before flopping onto Severus's bed with her back towards Severus.

Deftly folding his letter away from Lily, Severus frowns at seeing Rowan on the far side of his bed. "You have a bed you know?" He huffed flopping onto this bed already in his pajamas.

Failing to hear a response, Severus scowls at being ignored. Poking Rowan in the back, he says, "Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

"It must be," Rowan lied burying her face into the pillow.

Hearing the strange tone from Rowan, Severus instinctively knows there is something wrong. Worry flashed across his face; he is hesitant to ask. He already knew Rowan wouldn't answer him even if did ask.

A determined expression crosses Severus's face as he rises and pulls the covers, Rowan, before climbing into bed on one side. "You better stick to your side, Rowan!"

Rowan does respond remaining still and oh so silent. Unsettled by the silence, Severus debates with himself before giving in. "Are you alright, Rowan?"

"I will be," Rowan replied in a muffled voice. "Go to sleep, Severus, tomorrow will be a long day for us."

"Fine," Severus huffed in exasperation subtly wiggling closer for warmth. They had always done it since they were small. When they were cold or hungry or simply frightened by the shouts and screams. Rowan and Severus would hide under their sheets and snuggle as close as they could until they fell sound asleep. And so, they did, just like all the countless times before.

Bright and early on September 1st, Reginald Prince accompanied the twins to King's Cross with the presence of Eileen Snape most notably missing. The twins obediently follow their grandfather and pass through an enchanted wall leading to platform 9 ¾s. A scarlet engine waits next to a bustling platform full of families and students. Smoke from the engine drifts over the crowd, while the wrought-iron archway reads, Platform Nine and Three Quarters. The first few train carriages are already full of students waving goodbye to their families, or even fighting over seats.

The crowd's babble intermingles with a cat's meow from their carriers, a random toad croak, and owls hoot from their cages. Through the indecipherable babble, Severus somehow manages to spot a familiar flaming redhead, Lily Evans, and her parents. Severus eagerly waves and by some unknown means of telepathy, Lily spots Severus and waves back. Severus rushes over with his trolley, while their grandfather trails behind pushing Rowan's Trolley.

Seeing the difference in excitement and a lack of excitement between the twins, Reginald instantly that Rowan knew. Having a brief moment to themselves, "Eileen-."

"She left us," Rowan coldly interrupted.

Reginald's face twists with sadness, frustration, anger, and disappointment at his daughter's action. "No matter what Eileen had decided, it is not you or your brother's fault. I make no excuses for her actions, but she has always suffered from Melancholia. It blinds her to anyone else's pain but her own."

"Then why did she change our surnames to Prince?" Rowan bitterly asked. "She must have been planning all along to make you and grandmother our guardians from the start!"

Rowan opens and closes his mouth, before pressing his mouth into a line. "I do not know what my daughter was thinking, Rowan, but it was I and your grandmother who suggested the change in surname and guardianship. We thought a new start would be for the two of you. Then there was Eileen's Melancholia to consider, we thought a slow transition would be in everyone's best interest."

Rowan's face becomes blank at the response revealing no further emotion. She turns away and glances at Severus. "Please wait to tell Severus, he doesn't deserve to have this much-awaited day ruined for him."

"It was my initial intent for the both of you," Reginald solemnly answered.

Dissatisfied and venting her turbulent emotions, Rowan abruptly asks, "Do you think that at least she loved him, once?"

"I suspect very much so," Reginald thoughtfully responded. "For the first time in her life, Eileen gained the courage to act for herself. She eloped with Tobias Snape without so much as a goodbye. And though their marriage ended in ruin, I do this much. They loved each other once, and you and Severus were very much born out of love."

Slightly consoled by the response, Rowan gently reaches over to tug on her grandfather's hand. Reginald squeezes her hand back before the train lets out a sharp whistle in warning of the nearing departure. She gives her grandfather a hug much to his shock before he briefly returns the affectionate hug.

"Go on," Reginald gently instructed releasing his granddaughter.

"Take care, Grandfather," Rowan called out to her grandfather before hurrying over to Severus and Lily with her trolley.

"I thought Mum was going to meet us here?" Severus asked with a frown. His onyx-colored eyes intently searched for his mum's figure in the bustling crowd.

Giving Lily personal space to say goodbye to her parents, Rowan pulled Severus aside. "Mum wasn't able to make it. She is taking time for herself." And every word she said was no lie.

Severus's face fell a bit at the response, before trying to be positive, he says, "Maybe that's just what mum needs," before busying himself with Owyn's cage.

Between the two of them, Rowan and Severus begin to push their trunks onto the train. With care, Rowan and Severus maneuver Owny's cage onto the train as Lily hurries over with her school trunk and Nibby's owl cage. Rowan and Severus help Lily board before they finally head towards the back of the train in search of an empty compartment. After a tiring search, they find an empty compartment towards the back. Tired from hauling their trunks through the train, they shove their trunks under their seats, before carefully hanging the owl cages from the overhead hanger.

The train lets out the loudest warning shriek yet as the last of the students rush to board the Hogwarts Express. Through the window, Lily searches for her parents and eagerly waves back to them. Rowan does not join Lily, but Severus does shyly waving goodbye to their grandfather. With one last whistle, the train wheels begin to chur, before surging forward. The platform slowly vanishes from view, before the Hogwarts Express picks up speed on its journey to Hogwarts.