Chapter Eighteen - Tol Galen

During the following term Snape worked hard on his teaching methods. He let Celeste sit in on a selection of his classes and when she wasn't involved in that, she helped McGonagall with administrative work, and covering some of Madeline Black's Flying Lessons and Quidditch matches. For the hours she worked Celeste was paid at the trainee teacher rate; her attendances at Snape's classes were, naturally, unpaid.

Whenever they had time to spare Snape and Celeste scoured the countryside for a house, but nothing suitable was for sale. They both admired Tol Galen which was a Tudor manor house, three miles beyond Hogsmeade; a timbered structure with a jetted upper storey, herringbone brick infill between the outer timbers, and roof tiles in wonderful shades of warm orange, russet and brown.

"I could make an offer for it" Snape suggested hopefully.

"But it's not for sale" Celeste pointed out.

"Your occasional fondness for stating the obvious ignores the fact that I could still make the owners an offer" he insisted.

"What, just knock on the door and say 'Can I buy your house?' If they're interested they'll really whack the price up, Severus!"

"Now pay attention, Witch!" he said firmly, taking hold of her shoulders. "What if they overprice the house by, say, ten percent? Fifteen even? We can afford it – if we want too. Or we can decline. Nothing would be lost. What is our money for? We have more than enough for our needs. Le me try. Please Celeste." He looked searchingly into her eyes and she could feel herself going weak at the knees – he really wants this, she realised. "Let me see if they'll consider it" he continued. "Anyway, we have yet to view it – we may not like the interior."

Snape made his offer, was invited to view the property, and on the appointed day they stood outside for some minutes, drinking in the tranquillity of its setting.

"I wonder what the name means?" Celeste said.

"It's Tolkienish" Snape replied with relish. "Have you ever read The Lord of the Rings? No? The Hobbit? No? Well, Tol Galen is explained best in The Silmarillion. It was the island in the River Adurant in Ossiriand where Beren and Luthien lived after their great and terrible deeds were accomplished. I think it means Green Place or Green Isle – I'll look it up when we get home. The Silmarillion isn't exactly an easy read, but you should try The Lord of the Rings. In his teens Voldemort was quite a Tolkien fan – he particularly liked the characters Sauron, Morgoth and Saruman. You'll understand why if you read the books."

The house Tol Galen dated from 1598 and various modifications had been made to it over the centuries. It had been the original creation of an eccentric wizard called Adrian Aphazzar who thought it amusing to fashion a traditional English half-timbered house in the Scottish Highlands. It was set on a hillside and had flagstone floors at ground floor level, a wealth of old beams, oak panelling in most rooms, inglenook brick fireplaces, servants' quarters and even a room that was suitable for a potions laboratory – a semi-basement billiards room where the building cut into the hill. It had thirty-four acres of grounds which included a sunny patio sheltered by beds of shrubs, a kitchen and herb garden, and a lot of mixed woodland which reached almost up to the house at one point and sprawled away down the gentle hillside towards the distant River Hogg. The grounds also housed a cesspit and an oil-fired electricity generator, so modern appliances were possible without the need for connections to the mains. They both fell in love with the house and fought very hard not to appear too anxious to acquire it.

"I must say I have reservations about that roof" Celeste remarked in private to Snape. "Those clay tiles are lovely, but they are not that heavy. I'm surprised they stay in place in winter gales."

"Nevertheless the house is still standing" he replied testily. "Are you suggesting we replace the roof?"

"Well, stone tiles would be safer" she said, "providing the trusses are strong enough. If we go ahead we do need a survey."

The owners of Tol Galen said they would have to think over the Snapes' initial offer as they had not contemplated moving. However they were back in touch with Snape and Celeste within a month, quoting an asking price eighteen percent over what Snape and Celeste felt the normal market price should be. With haggling and a lot of difficulty Celeste negotiated the price down to a fourteen percent excess, at which point Snape indicated to her that, subject to a structural survey, he wanted them to accept. He felt the house was ideal and couldn't wait to set up home – his first real home, with his beautiful wife, and the prospect of fatherhood.

The surveyor discovered the roof tiles were laced with spells. He recommended stone tiles but Celeste admitted they were very taken with the appearance of the clay ones.

"Well if you're definitely set on keeping these" he said, "and I agree they are very attractive, you could have the edges secured with steel clips. And definitely have the spells renewed – I'm surprised the roof withstood the 1990 gales."

Because of the state of the roof Celeste negotiated a further price reduction and then, much to Snape's relief, the sale went ahead. Together with six house-elves, they took possession of the house in early February. The house-elves were salaried and wore a uniform of bottle green with the twin serpent SS insignia. They were surprised to find their new wizard family were vegetarians; a fact they checked with Celeste.

"Miss, is it right Miss?" Violet said, "that we is not to serve any meat unless you says so? And we is not to buy toiletries and cleaning things except as you direct?"

"Who told you this?" Celeste enquired, intrigued.

"Master say so, to Basil and Daisy" Violet replied. "But I say we is to double-check because it is unusual. And it is you we have to get say-so from."

Celeste's mind raced. "Well – yes" she decided quickly. "Yes, it is correct. Your meat will come from Hogallen Farm. We may at times eat meat, but we will agree the menus with you in advance, so there will be no mistake. As for cleaning materials, I will give you a list of companies to deal with. Don't worry. It won't be difficult."

She then confronted her husband. "So you're going vegetarian" she said. "You dark horse; you didn't say."

"Yes, well…" Snape mumbled. He looked embarrassed. "I will probably eat meat at school, but I'm giving it up at home. For you. We will bring our children up according to this principle. I will have my way in some things" he assured her hastily, "but I see how important this principle of compassion is to you."

Celeste hugged him. "You're really serious about this, aren't you" she said. He wasn't sure whether she meant giving up meat, starting a family, or simply making their marriage work – in fact she meant it all.

The roof was renovated very promptly. The wizard roofing firm repaired loose tiles, attended to the charms and clipped the roof edges, colouring the steel clips brown so that they were not noticeable. Privately, Snape was surprised at how well it turned out.

The move went quite smoothly. Snape retrieved his furniture from storage and he also took the opportunity to adjust the mirror on his wardrobe door, saying it had been damaged when the contents of the wardrobe were cleared. Celeste was not convinced; she suspected he had simply had the mirror reattached at a normal height. However she never challenged his explanation, on the grounds that if he could now bear to look his reflection in the eye, what was the point of making an issue of it?

Being so far north in Britain it was not possible to recreate the open, breezy, sunshiny feel of Celeste's parents' Scilly Isles home, but they soon managed to make Tol Galen cosy and inviting; much more homely than Hogwarts' dungeon rooms. At last they were able to start to use their wedding presents. Snape decided the mini hi-fi Sirius Black had given them could go in the bedroom, and out of sheer enthusiasm he got up before half-past seven one gloomy Saturday morning, unearthed both the Black's presents, and began to set up the hi-fi even before he had finished dressing. He had brought some CDs from the sitting room where they had been trying them out on the larger hi-fi system Celeste's parents had given them. An odd collection of music now lay scattered on top of a chest of drawers, Elvis Presley's You Are Always on My Mind rubbing shoulders with Vaughan-Williams Greensleeves Fantasia and Ravel's Bolero.

"You are a nut" Celeste said, watching Snape poring over the instructions and trying to work out which lead went where, as he knelt beside the roaring fire he had kindled. "Are you going to wear anything other than just a shirt today? Leave that till later – I'll help you."

However, by the time she had showered and was starting to dress Snape had the hi-fi in operation. He dug out a CD of Chopin's Impromptus and Nocturnes and, still naked except for his neck cord and unbuttoned shirt, he stared out of the window as the fluid piano playing of Dubravka Tomsic filled the room.

"Ah! The black satin sheets!" Celeste exclaimed, spying Madeline's present. Pulling them out of their cellophane, she shook out a sheet and wound it around her, toga fashion. "Beautiful aren't they" she said. "Real satin, too. And monogrammed." An idea occurred to her. "Monogrammed!" she repeated. "Severus, the monogram on these is perfect, exactly right. Exactly right. A carbon copy. How would –? How would Madeline know about the monogram on your sheets? Severus? Severus?"

Snape turned. He looked at Celeste standing there, looking perplexed and suspicious, wound in black satin; the silver SS serpents clearly visible near the sheet's corner she was holding.

"I – I don't know" he said, sounding very uncertain of himself. "She's never been in my bedroom. Celeste, I swear she– I swear she– Honestly, I promise you, I have never–"

But his unconvincing protestations tailed off because Celeste couldn't keep up her look of angry suspicion, and now as she tried to hide her face in the sheet, her shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter.

"I know" she squeaked eventually. "I gave Madeline one of your towels to copy. Aah! Ohrr, sorry! I couldn't resist that; you looked so puzzled, and guilty. I know you have a bit of a yen for Madeline. I don't mind."

"You bitch!" he hissed. "You witch! The torment you can put me through."

In three strides he was in front of her, pulling the sheet gently from her, noticing the way it slid from her skin. He contemplated tearing it from her, but the fact that it was a present made him act with more care.

"I've not seen this before" he remarked, noticing Celeste's new peach satin cami-knickers. He ran his fingers over the smoky grey lace edging.

"Well, I have to keep your interest somehow" Celeste replied.

"Oh, you have my interest" Snape assured her. "Be in no doubt, Madam. Be–in–no–doubt."

Reaching behind her head, he grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled, making her face tilt upwards. Celeste made no protest at this rather harsh gesture; indeed, as he kissed her she shrugged off the thin straps of the cami-knickers, stepped out of the flimsy garment, and folded her arms around him. Snape bent his head to her breast.

Suddenly he stepped away from her and lay back on the bed. "Get on top of me" he ordered. "This, witch, is your punishment for teasing me so much. I trust you approve of it."

Fighting hard to keep himself under control, he watched with greedy delight as Celeste knelt astride him and, with growing abandon, took her pleasure from him again and again.

When they finally went down to breakfast Tansy brought Snape and Celeste their morning post. Snape was surprised to receive anything, and as he opened his letter he realised it was the subscription renewal to his club. Cautiously he glanced across at Celeste. He had never told her he was a member of The Mephistophelean; in fact he hadn't given it much thought for over a year. He explained what the letter was about and said "I suppose there is no point in renewing."

Celeste looked at him and thought it over. "Yes, keep it" she said at last. "Keep your membership going." Seeing his questioning look she added "Severus, you are a very private person. You've lived, in effect, on your own for years. And been an under-cover agent. You need a bolt hole. Hang on to your club membership – I won't mind. If we stay in London together, we have The Leaky Cauldron and The Necromancer. This just gives you a third option if you go there alone. London does get crowded – it's probably worth having that club membership. I bet it's not that easy to re-join if you leave. I've kept my Muggle address haven't I, and my bank account and everything."

He smiled at her. She understood his insecurity and need for private space. "You're not such a bad old witch, sometimes" he acknowledged. "And what is in your post, Milady?"

"Theatre trips she replied. "At Easter. Swan Lake in London and The Magic Flute in Paris. I'd like to go to one of them. What do you think?"

"I have no preference" he said. "I like the music to Swan Lake but I have only seen the ballet once; I don't know it well. Choose whichever you prefer."

"Hmm; I suspect Swan Lake is a bit girly for you" Celeste said, "but no matter, that's what I'm going to book. I always look forward to watching whoever performs as Baron Von Rothbart – I always imagine it's you!"

Snape enjoyed the privacy a house of his own gave them. They lived at the castle during weekdays but went home at weekends. At Tol Galen Snape did not have to worry about sealing his bedchamber against students or being interrupted to deal with some fracas in the common room. During the Easter holiday he arranged for a triple garage to be built because Celeste decided she wanted at least two, and possibly three cars.

"No, I don't need a Rolls Royce" she explained. "But I do want a comfortable saloon car, as – let's face it – most of the year the weather is not very warm! And I'd like us to have a sports car for when we do have fine days – just a little something for the two of us. And since it seems we might have a family, we might need something that can transport a Weasley tribe – we'll know in the fullness of time. So adequate housing for three vehicles is what I want."

"Are you telling me you are pregnant?" Snape said, guarding himself against being too hopeful.

"Mmm. I do believe I am" she replied, smiling smugly at his look of perplexed joy.

The following December Celeste gave birth to twin boys. She was half hoping she could have the twins at school, in the hospital wing, surrounded by Poppy Pomfrey and familiar faces she trusted. But Pomfrey persuaded her to give birth at St Bathild's.

"It's your first confinement" she pointed out, "and it looks like it's going to be twins. What if you need more than we can do for you here?"

Celeste thought it over. "Yes. OK; you're right" she conceded. "I know I'm just being selfish."

"Good. That's settled. Well. That's not my only consideration" Pomfrey admitted. "I just can't face the thought of Severus pacing about out here as an expectant father. He'd be even more impossible than ever!"

Both witches found this mental picture highly amusing.

Their suspicions proved correct – Snape was exceedingly on edge while Celeste was in labour. He made himself so unpopular, he was not allowed into the delivery room for the delivery of the first baby. But Celeste managed the birth very well and asked for Snape to be present as she felt the second birth underway. So he was just in time to see his second son being born. Two days later they were home; all doing very well.

They named the boys Severus Sebastian Salazar and Lucien Alexander Albus. They were fraternal twins and turned out as different as could be! Young Severus, who was always known as Sebastian or Sebby (until the birth of the Snape's first grandson) had black hair, a pale brown complexion and sapphire blue eyes. He had fine, regular features, a delicately curved version of Snape's hooked nose, and he was strikingly handsome even from an early age. He was confident, cunning, ruthless, and charming when it suited him. He'll become a dark haired version of Dieter Brandauer, Celeste realised. At primary school Sebastian tended to bully the other children and a little gang of sycophants formed around him. This caused his parents to worry about him at times. He did well at Hogwarts, particularly in Transfiguration, Defence Against the Dark Arts and Arithmancy, but he was a more than adequate potions maker. He played Chaser for Slytherin and eventually became Hogwarts' Head Boy. Like James Potter and Sirius Black, Sebastian never seemed to work hard yet he habitually got good marks.

Snape envied the adolescent Sebastian's easy self confidence, cruel good looks, effortless success, and success with the girls. He worried about his lack of scruple; realising he had fathered a true Slytherin. When Sebastian left Hogwarts, Bill Weasley offered him a well-paid job as a curse breaker for Gringotts Bank. Sebastian went off to Egypt and they saw little of him for a few years. Snape had never been very close to him – they were in many ways too much alike and Sebastian possessed the good looks and confidence Snape would have loved to have had.

Lucien was a blue-eyed blond, whom Snape always found much easier to get on with than Sebastian. Lucien was also handsome, but quiet and unassuming. He was appropriately named because in appearance he took after his mother and her father, even to the extent of inheriting their straight noses. When the boys were young they often used to fight, and Snape was surprised at how tough Lucien was. He could obviously take care of himself; he just wasn't one for bragging or showing off. He was an intellectual boy who worked with great conscientiousness and application. He went into Ravenclaw House and got excellent examination results, particularly in Arithmancy, History of Magic and Muggle Studies. He had Snape's fussy meticulousness and Celeste's love of discovering how the world functioned, but whereas she applied it to mechanics Young Lucien applied his mind to legislation. A gifted linguist, he became a successful lawyer at The Court of International Magical Law. His grandfather Lucien used to enjoy conversing with him in French. Young Lucien wasn't often persuaded to sing, but he had a fine baritone voice.

At the age of twenty-nine 'Young' Lucien shocked the whole family by marrying a witch some thirteen years his senior – the languorously beautiful Jasmina Lestrange. Jasmina was the daughter of the notorious and now deceased Death Eater couple who had spent many years in Azkaban. Snape remembered them well and he also remembered Jasmina from school; she had been in his House, joining Hogwarts the year Celeste arrived as a trainee. As she matured, Jasmina had become powerful and alluring, but aloof, and in those days she never looked happy. Snape thought her a strange choice for Lucien, but when he voiced his concerns, Celeste reminded him that her mother had had reservations about him.

"We cannot understand the choices of our children" she said. "If she is the one who stirs his soul then no one else will do."

Thirteen months after she had produced the twin boys, Celeste gave birth to fraternal twin girls. She again went to St Bathild's and this time Snape was present at both births. The first baby was delivered easily, but the second was a little larger and a good deal heavier. Celeste had to work extremely hard and was exhausted from the effort. After the birth she spent three weeks in hospital resting and recovering. Snape looked after his infant sons at home; refusing Aurora's offers of help. Fortunately there was only two days to go until the end of term so Dumbledore readily let him have time off. Sirius Black deputised as Slytherin's House Master, for which Snape was very grateful – it saved him from having Aurora under his roof.

The girls were as different from each other as the boys had been. The first born, Eleanor Augusta Camilla was pale skinned, and had black hair and eyes as dark as Snape's. She also had a delicately curved version of his hooked nose. Eleanor turned into a quiet, obedient child, devoted to her father and fanatically hard working; discretely conscientious rather like Lucien. She excelled in Potions and Herbology, and got very good academic results. Snape was exceptionally proud and fond of her, regarding her as a non-bossy version of Hermione Granger. Eleanor became Head Girl the year after Sebastian was Head Boy. The parallels with Hermione were strengthened when on leaving school she trained as a teacher at Beauxbaton. But on completing her training she married – unexpectedly – a Mediwizard by the name of Augustus Cirell. Within eleven months of her marriage she gave birth to a girl, Camilla Celestine Estelle; and a year later she produced a boy Sebastian Augustus Salazar. Snape was always faintly surprised that the Sorting Hat had put Eleanor into Slytherin – she was not noticeably ambitious, nor cunning; perhaps her cleverness lay in being able to conceal a cunning nature. She had grown into a dark beauty, with black hair, black eyes, a slim lovely face, and a reserved nature which concealed a strand of good-humoured fun.

When, in the delivery room, he saw Eleanor's sister emerge, Snape knew Aurora Lavelle had been reborn. They named their second daughter Guinevere Aurora Leander and she was usually known as Guinny. She was golden blonde, but curiously had Snape's dark eyes. Strong, muscular and a great flyer, Guinevere was a natural choice for Beater for the Slytherin Quidditch team. She was a fearless, almost reckless player. Slytherin won the Quidditch cup five years running when Sebastian and Guinevere were in the team. Snape considered her recklessness to be something of a Gryffindor quality but he could see that his second daughter was, like Sebastian, a true Slytherin. She had her mother's physical strength and flying ability taken to excess, and her grand mother Aurora's smug ruthlessness. She also had – although Snape would never admit it – a good deal of his spitefulness. Snape loved her and worried about her, but even Celeste admitted that she was a difficult girl to like.

Before she left Hogwarts, Guinny was approached to play for The Glencarrick Grondhammers. Celeste and Snape were, on balance, relieved when she accepted because Guinny was fairly hopeless academically, and they had no idea what she would do with her life. They had frequent rows with her about her attitude. She was a clever girl who excelled only at sports and putting hexes on people, but had no ability to apply herself to serious study. They were happier when she went on to play Beater for the England International Team – the Grondhammers had a bit of a reputation for dirty tactics.

"What on Earth possessed us to give her the stately name of Guinevere?" Snape said. "We ought to have called her Mathilda or Hildegard. When I see her smashing her way around a Quidditch pitch I know how Wagner must have pictured the Valkyrie."

Two months after the twin girls were born Celeste discovered that she was pregnant again. It wasn't planned, and Snape was furious with himself for letting it happen. He was also very worried, and was even wondering if Celeste should consider undergoing a termination.

"It's too soon after having the girls" he said. "That last pregnancy brought you very low – you still need to build up your strength."

"I'll be alright" she said reassuringly.

But Snape was not reassured. He was guilty that they had resumed intercourse so soon, instead of relying on other methods to please each other. And he was secretly terrified that Celeste might die in labour – his old subconscious fear about losing the important women in his life was resurfacing.

"I was very selfish" he admitted. "I'll never forgive myself if your health suffers."

"It won't. I'll be fine. Anyway, I'm just as much to blame" Celeste reminded him, remembering how much she had longed for their lovemaking to be resumed, and how she had foolishly insisted she could not conceive because she was still breast-feeding.

"Then how about a wet-nurse for the girls?" he suggested. "Yes, I know it's old fashioned, Celeste, but look at that great lump Guinevere you are having to nourish. Be sensible."

But Celeste was adamant – she would certainly not entertain the idea of a termination and she did not want a wet-nurse. Stubborn as ever, she wanted to manage everything herself and wean the girls when she was ready. Snape was beside himself with worry when eight months later she went into labour, even though during her pregnancy he had bolstered her health and strength with every potion he could devise. He insisted she go to St Bathild's again in case there were any complications – he had a very bad feeling about the birth and he wanted all the experts on hand.

The labour went exceptionally smoothly and within quite a short time Celeste gave birth to a single beautiful baby girl. She was of average birth weight; a serene child with a wisp of red hair and large emerald eyes.

"Well, that's it" Celeste said firmly as she cradled the new baby. "No more babies. Five is enough. One more and we'll equal the Weasley's, which you jokingly said you didn't want."

"I honestly don't mind" Snape murmured dreamily as he gazed at his new daughter. "As long as you are well and as long as the babies are healthy, you can have as many children as you please. Providing we leave a sensible gap between them."

They named their third daughter Miranda Fabienne Cassandra. She matured into a strikingly beautiful witch, with dark red hair and arresting green eyes reminiscent of Lily Evans and Snape's mother Miranda. Her willowy grace also reminded Snape of his mother. In moments of self-mockery he used to refer to her eyes as 'Harry Potter eyes'. Snape was as fond of her as he was of Eleanor – Miranda could manipulate him unmercifully if she wished. She was unquestionably a Gryffindor – the Sorting Hat cried out the name before it touched her head, just as it had yelled Slytherin when it approached Sebastian. Young Miranda wasn't exceptionally academic but she had a similarly natural ability for magic as Sebastian exhibited. Charms and Transfiguration were her best subjects, but she didn't have a bad subject. Although she had no obvious gift for divination, Miranda had a mystical quality reminiscent of her great uncle Fabien. She also had a good singing voice – mezzo soprano, like her mother. On leaving Hogwarts, Miranda trained to be a teacher and took up a post as Transfiguration Professor at Sienna.


Author's Note: For an explanation of the name Tol Galen see The Silmarillion by J R R Tolkien.