Fic: Alive, Alive-O
Title: Alive, Alive-O
Author: unbroken_halo
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Company belong to JK Rowling. No money was made writing this bit of fiction.
Pairing: Severus/Harry
Rating: PG
Summary: Severus continues searching for a mystery and finally finds one from his childhood.
Warnings: AU
AN: A sort-of follow up to Ghost Story written foraccioslash I hope you enjoy it. The Story of Molly Malone can be found here and I hope I haven't ruined it.
Alive, Alive-O
Harry and Severus walked out of the pub and out on to the dimly lit street, the cool air swirling around them as the gas lamps flickered in the darkness. Harry pulled his cloak around him and shivered slightly.
He looked over at his lover as they walked, scarcely believing all that he had learned tonight. After leaving Hermione's wedding a few months ago, Severus had gone a bit overboard. He poured over Muggle sightings of ghosts and had dragged Harry to numerous sites where occurrences had happened but so far neither one of them had had any other experiences like what had happened in the car that night.
As they walked back to their lodgings in the wee hours Severus hummed a mournful tune and Harry listened to him, snickering when a maid turned the corner and belted out the same lines not a moment later.
The fair maid was pretty and her bosom was shelved high and on display above her corset. It bounced with each step as she pushed her wheelbarrow; her pretty crystal clear voice rang out singing:
"Alive, alive-O. Alive, alive-o. Cockles and mussels, Alive, alive-o."
Harry pointed her out to Severus. "Look at that. It always made me wonder why women tarted themselves up like that. She's peddling fish, for Merlin's sake."
Severus froze and stared at her as she came towards them. He watched almost entranced as her hips swayed enticingly behind the wheelbarrow of shellfish. The crisp scent of crustaceans and brine floated over to them as she neared and stopped, once more calling out about her wares.
Severus turned and looked at Harry, his mouth set in a grim line. "Not wise to speak ill of the dead, Harry. Have some respect. 'Tis Molly Malone there and she's not what you are implying."
Severus cleared his throat and looked over at the girl, smiling at her as she griped the handles of her wheelbarrow and began walking again. Her tinkling voice cried out her call and Severus waved her over. Her face split into a grin as she turned and sauntered their way.
Harry looked up at Severus then back to the girl and gasped as he realized she was nearly transparent. He tugged on Severus's sleeve, "Severus…"
Severus looked down at Harry then shook his head. "Listen." He cleared his throat once more and in a soft mellow baritone sang to the apparition.
"She was a fishmonger
But sure 'twas no wonder
For so were her father and mother before
And they each wheel'd their barrow
Through streets broad and narrow
Crying cockles and mussels alive, alive o!
She died of a fever
And no one could save her
And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone
But her ghost wheels her barrow
Through streets broad and narrow
Crying cockles and mussels alive, alive o!
Molly Malone stopped next to the two men and gestured to the wheelbarrow of shellfish, smiling brightly at the two men. Severus nodded, reached into his pocket and took out several Shillings. She scooped up some shellfish into a ghostly bag and held it out to Severus. He handed her the coins.
Harry watched as the Shillings fell through the small delicate hands and clinked loudly on the cobbled street. He shivered and looked up to see the woman caress Severus's cheek then turn and do the same to him.
Molly picked up the handles of her wheelbarrow and moved on once more crying out 'cockles and mussels' as she walked down the street then she vanished. Harry looked up at Severus to see a satisfied smirk on his thin mouth.
He blinked several times and swallowed. "Oh Merlin."
Severus chuckled and nodded. "I've waited all my life to see her," he whispered softly and began walking again. "Come along, Harry."
Harry stared at him for a moment then hurry to catch up with his lover. "What do you mean 'all your life'?"
Severus grinned and looked at Harry. "I told you, Harry. Dublin is where I grew up. My father spent his time in these pubs and I ran these streets as a child, looking for sweet Molly Malone, to escape his wrath and his fists. But on Sundays. On Sundays he was a right proper soul. In church right where he ought to be."
His speech grew thick as he talked and Harry stared at him as the magical, musical lilt of Ireland came through the dark whiskey voice.
He smiled down at Harry. " 'Tis late and I'm tired." Wrapping an arm around Harry's shoulders he leaned in and nuzzled the younger man,steering him back to their hostel.
The End
Author: unbroken_halo
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Company belong to JK Rowling. No money was made writing this bit of fiction.
Pairing: Severus/Harry
Rating: PG
Summary: Severus continues searching for a mystery and finally finds one from his childhood.
Warnings: AU
AN: A sort-of follow up to Ghost Story written foraccioslash I hope you enjoy it. The Story of Molly Malone can be found here and I hope I haven't ruined it.
Alive, Alive-O
Harry and Severus walked out of the pub and out on to the dimly lit street, the cool air swirling around them as the gas lamps flickered in the darkness. Harry pulled his cloak around him and shivered slightly.
He looked over at his lover as they walked, scarcely believing all that he had learned tonight. After leaving Hermione's wedding a few months ago, Severus had gone a bit overboard. He poured over Muggle sightings of ghosts and had dragged Harry to numerous sites where occurrences had happened but so far neither one of them had had any other experiences like what had happened in the car that night.
As they walked back to their lodgings in the wee hours Severus hummed a mournful tune and Harry listened to him, snickering when a maid turned the corner and belted out the same lines not a moment later.
The fair maid was pretty and her bosom was shelved high and on display above her corset. It bounced with each step as she pushed her wheelbarrow; her pretty crystal clear voice rang out singing:
"Alive, alive-O. Alive, alive-o. Cockles and mussels, Alive, alive-o."
Harry pointed her out to Severus. "Look at that. It always made me wonder why women tarted themselves up like that. She's peddling fish, for Merlin's sake."
Severus froze and stared at her as she came towards them. He watched almost entranced as her hips swayed enticingly behind the wheelbarrow of shellfish. The crisp scent of crustaceans and brine floated over to them as she neared and stopped, once more calling out about her wares.
Severus turned and looked at Harry, his mouth set in a grim line. "Not wise to speak ill of the dead, Harry. Have some respect. 'Tis Molly Malone there and she's not what you are implying."
Severus cleared his throat and looked over at the girl, smiling at her as she griped the handles of her wheelbarrow and began walking again. Her tinkling voice cried out her call and Severus waved her over. Her face split into a grin as she turned and sauntered their way.
Harry looked up at Severus then back to the girl and gasped as he realized she was nearly transparent. He tugged on Severus's sleeve, "Severus…"
Severus looked down at Harry then shook his head. "Listen." He cleared his throat once more and in a soft mellow baritone sang to the apparition.
"She was a fishmonger
But sure 'twas no wonder
For so were her father and mother before
And they each wheel'd their barrow
Through streets broad and narrow
Crying cockles and mussels alive, alive o!
She died of a fever
And no one could save her
And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone
But her ghost wheels her barrow
Through streets broad and narrow
Crying cockles and mussels alive, alive o!
Molly Malone stopped next to the two men and gestured to the wheelbarrow of shellfish, smiling brightly at the two men. Severus nodded, reached into his pocket and took out several Shillings. She scooped up some shellfish into a ghostly bag and held it out to Severus. He handed her the coins.
Harry watched as the Shillings fell through the small delicate hands and clinked loudly on the cobbled street. He shivered and looked up to see the woman caress Severus's cheek then turn and do the same to him.
Molly picked up the handles of her wheelbarrow and moved on once more crying out 'cockles and mussels' as she walked down the street then she vanished. Harry looked up at Severus to see a satisfied smirk on his thin mouth.
He blinked several times and swallowed. "Oh Merlin."
Severus chuckled and nodded. "I've waited all my life to see her," he whispered softly and began walking again. "Come along, Harry."
Harry stared at him for a moment then hurry to catch up with his lover. "What do you mean 'all your life'?"
Severus grinned and looked at Harry. "I told you, Harry. Dublin is where I grew up. My father spent his time in these pubs and I ran these streets as a child, looking for sweet Molly Malone, to escape his wrath and his fists. But on Sundays. On Sundays he was a right proper soul. In church right where he ought to be."
His speech grew thick as he talked and Harry stared at him as the magical, musical lilt of Ireland came through the dark whiskey voice.
He smiled down at Harry. " 'Tis late and I'm tired." Wrapping an arm around Harry's shoulders he leaned in and nuzzled the younger man,steering him back to their hostel.
The End