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The Essence of Susan Jones	By : EllieK Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female Views: 1483 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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The Essence of Susan Jones

What distinguishes one woman from the next? Severus Snape will attempt to
discover the answer. There will be more than just potions brewing in the
dungeons.
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Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

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Prologue: Fall Back In Panic

Time pulls your number,

And you long to forget.

You throw up your arms,

But you feel such regret.

You�ve given up

At the wrong time.

I have their secrets,

But they have mine.

As the dark hours roll on,

How do I confine

The pain that is boundless?

The memories of you

Linger here in my madness

As I go far from true.

***

Susan Jones returned home from work at the usual time. Her job was repetitive; she was neither happy nor sad that the day was over. Susan Jones was twenty-seven, single, and lived by herself in a run-of-the-mill house, which was not in the city or in the country.

She was an average woman, unremarkable in every way. She was not fat, thin, tall or short. Susan Jones was ordinary.

No one noticed her from day to day. She wore her brown hair in a plait at the nape of her neck. She wore glasses that framed her lacklustre brown eyes. Her nose and mouth were commonplace, and her skin was an unblemished, medium tone.

She lived in relative anonymity. She had no friends and she had no enemies. She had no parents, siblings, or cousins; she had no relations of any sort. Susan Jones was simply ordinary--and very much alone.

How could anyone be so ordinary--one might say unnaturally ordinary? The answer, of course, was that Susan Jones did not exist.

***

Staff meetings were an established annoyance Severus Snape had learned to endure each summer holiday shortly before the beginning of term. This meeting was to be no different from the eleven previous ordeals.

Dumbledore began with his usual sickening cheer, but then he launched into a new topic. Perhaps Severus had been too hasty in his judgment. How easy it would have been to forget that the legendary child, Harry Potter, would be entering Hogwarts this year. Yes, Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, son of Lily and James Potter, Gryffindors extraordinaire, would be coming to Hogwarts at last. Snape felt his insides twist with an old bitterness. James Potter had been a cocky prat whom Severus had loathed. Without doubt, the son of James would be no better.

While Dumbledore droned on about lesson plans and sorting ceremonies, Snape's mind wandered. This was his tenth year of teaching Potions at Hogwarts. It had not taken him long to earn the title of Master, but it had been hard work. Studying Potions coupled with his Death Eater duties had not been easy on him, especially when he realised why The Dark Lord was so anxious to have a Potions Master at his disposal.

Originally, Snape had hoped to have the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, even though it was not his learned profession. Snape had wanted to prove his allegiance to Dumbledore by instructing the students how to defend themselves against the likes of Voldemort. Dumbledore, however, had other plans.

Severus Snape would never teach DADA.

The current DADA teacher was Quirrell. Snape glanced at the squirmy professor from across the table, just as Dumbledore announced the end of the meeting.

As the others began leaving the room, Dumbledore signalled to Snape. �Severus, might I have a word?�

�Of course, Headmaster.�

Dumbledore waited until they were alone before he said, �I have a mission of the utmost importance. I need you to set out immediately.�

�What must I do?� replied the Potions Master. What is it this time? Run out of Swiss chocolates, old man?

�I need you to go to America. A young woman there may be in danger. You must find her and bring her to Hogwarts.�

�And the identity of this woman?� Snape asked sourly. Dumbledore�s interest in peculiar types�choosing that wiggly, little fool Quirrell as DADA teacher, for instance�never ceased to annoy Severus. What sort of simpleton would Dumbledore expect him to tolerate next?

�Her name is Susan Jones. Owl post cannot reach her as only I know where she is. After you find her, you must not use magic unless it is absolutely necessary; there must be no magical trail to follow. You may Apparate to her locale but, after that, you must pose as a Muggle,� Dumbledore instructed Snape.

�Am I to understand that this woman is not a witch?� Snape hissed. Idiotic wizards were one thing; idiotic Muggles were unimaginably worse. He could barely stomach Muggles even in small doses.

�Susan Jones is not a witch.�

�This is most inconvenient!� Snape protested. �How will I deal with her?�

�Severus, try not to frighten her. She has been alone for quite some time and will no doubt think you are there to harm her. I want you to give her this.� Dumbledore handed Snape a letter. �Only she will be able to open it.� Dumbledore finished with his instructions, and Snape set off to find this Susan Jones.

***

Severus Snape remained irritated all the way to America. As he popped into the undeniably American town, he muttered darkly, �There is only one thing I despise more than Muggles: American Muggles.�

He began his quest for Jones by searching independently, but was forced at length to question the locals. The town was small. There were many individuals with the same last name. It seemed that they were all interrelated. Still, no one admitted to knowing the woman he sought. That was odd.

It took two full days before Snape finally found a man who knew of Susan Jones.

�Why do you want to know about her?� the man wondered. �She works in my office doing data processing, I think. Don�t know what she does for sure, though.�

�I am trying to locate her, Sir. Is she at work now?� Snape asked impatiently. There was no more time to squander. The task had taken far longer than anticipated and Snape had used up his last bit of patience earlier trying to ferret information from the American Muggle version of the Weasley clan.

The man shrugged. �Work�s over, but some stay a little longer. If you wait outside that building over there you might catch her.�

�Thank you. Good day, then.� Snape did as instructed. After an hour, he noticed a most ordinary woman with dull, brown hair and spectacles. He had nearly overlooked the woman when she exited the building but, on closer inspection, Snape decided that she might be a possibility.

�Are you Miss Susan Jones?� Snape asked. Shock flickered in the woman�s bark-coloured eyes.

Holding herself rigid, Susan shrank inwardly, drawing her thoughts and emotions deeper inside with practiced proficiency. Magical man with the accent of home��Who are you, and why are you looking for Miss Jones?� she countered. She awaited his response, noticing the furrow deepen on his forehead as his scowl intensified.

�Susan Jones may be in danger,� Severus Snape growled.

***

So call the numbers,

Random in your mind.

Will they only remember

The one you left behind?

As it slowly consumed you

And strangled your voice,

Do you recall having

Any other choice?

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A/N: I would like to thank my wonderful Beta for taking the time and energy to assist me in the recreation of Susan Jones. It has been an amazing learning experience. You know who you are, and I thank you graciously.

http://www.livejournal.com/users/elliek_21/

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The Essence of Susan Jones