4
Chapter Twenty-Three
It was a quiet and very private marriage. Only the members of the Order and some of Claire's friends and neighbours were invited. During the ceremony the guests thought they'd never seen two people who were so much in love with each other and so eager to take the marriage vows…
The reception was in full blow in Claire's house. Four read-haired children – two pairs of twins belonging to Bill Weasley and his wife Fleur - , three fair-haired ones belonging to Claire's friends and raven-haired Susanna were running around the house and the garden, laughing and shouting, eating too much cake and drinking too many fizzy drinks and too much pumpkin juice. Of all the adults present the kids had chosen Molly Weasley to join in their play, so the witch was busy having an eye on them – and happy to be surrounded by so many little ones.
Linda Davis had cornered Kingsley Shacklebolt at the drinks table. "Artists! So many artists!" she exclaimed looking around the room with shining eyes.
"Artists?" Shacklebolt tried to look as if he knew what she was talking about.
"Yes, Severus' friends. You are all artists, aren't you, with your wonderful clothes. What do you do? Are you an actor? Or a writer? Or are you a musician like Severus?"
Shacklebolt scratched his chin. Severus – a musician! Hilarious. What was this woman up to? He felt Linda's expectant eyes and decided to play along. Thinking of the many reports he had to write he answered, "You could call me a writer, I suppose."
Linda's enthusiasm grew. "What do you write? Poems? Novels?"
"Uh, not poems, only prose."
Linda nodded and smiled encouragingly, she wanted to know more. Shacklebolt did some rapid thinking. Didn't Muggles have some kind of literature about crime…?
"Detective Stories," he said, searching the room for a way to escape the woman's clutch.
"Detective Stories! Oh, I like detective stories, I must have read hundreds of them. Have you ever read the stories by Ian Rankin? I love them! His inspector Rebus is such an interesting man…"
Shacklebolt closed his eyes, accepting his fate with resignation. At least Linda was asking only rhetorical questions now which required nothing but the occasional affirmative grunt on his part. He sipped his wine and pretended to listen, while trying to imagine Severus Snape as a musician.
Nymphadora Tonks had caught Claire's bouquet of flowers, which had made Remus Lupin blush a very deep shade of pink and announce that the next marriage would be theirs. Now they were sitting in a corner of the patio in a close embrace, oblivious of the world around them and looking very, very happy.
Arthus Weasly and Minerva McGonnagal were on the sofa in the living-room, deep in conversation.
"It didn't look like a happy ending when we first met Claire in this room," the witch remarked, thinking of the crying baby and the mother on the brink of a nervous breakdown. "She's an amazing woman," Arthur answered, "I've never seen Severus like this, so – well, normal and human."
"He deserves it."
"Oh yes, he certainly does. None of us knew what he had to go through as a spy. And honestly, none of us cared. It was his personality – he kept people from getting close, wasn't interested in making friends." He sighed sadly and they watched the other people in the room for a moment. Then Arthur Weasley leaned closer to the witch and continued in a very low voice.
"Now there's this strange business of Dumbledore's pensieve…" He shrugged apologetically. "I doubt if the truth will ever come out. There are rumours that Scrimgeour himself wanted Dumbledore's death, was involved with the Death Eaters and glad to have found a scapegoat like Severus, but no one knows for sure. Our new Minister obviously has decided to let bygones be bygones and not to stir up old problems. It will be forgotten."
Minerva Mc Gonnagal shrugged and smiled. "Severus most certainly will appreciate this, he doesn't want publicity. His name has been cleared officially, the circumstances are not so important. By the way, where is he?"
Severus had run into Harry Potter in the kitchen. They had not spoken since Snape's recovery and were looking at each other in an embarrassed way.
"Potter," Severus finally said with a hint of his former sneer at the pronunciation of the name, "I'm sorry for everything I said and did to you during your time at school."
Harry looked taken aback. "Well, Sir, it's me who has to apologize. You saved my life and if I had not misunderstood the events on the tower that night, you would not have been sent to Azkaban."
"Don't be stupid, Potter, you were meant to misunderstand. It was crucial for the success of this little drama."
He sighed.
"No, I should not have let the old grudge against your father get the better of me. After all, I was a grown-up man and a teacher and not a teenager anymore, I should not have enjoyed making you miserable. I won't pretend that I have grown to like you very much, saving your life just was part of my promise to Albus, but for my behaviour I'm sorry – Harry."
He held out his hand. Harry took it and grinned. "It's OK, Severus."
Claire burst into the kitchen, looking for some clean plates. She stopped and watched the two men. Suddenly the likeness between them struck her. The glasses and the lightning-shaped scars - both men bore the marks of having survived the Dark Lord's deadly curse.
She went over to her husband. "So you have made peace with each other?" she asked, smiling at them.
"Yes," Severus answered, sounding relieved, "and it was about time."
Husband and wife exchanged a look which made Harry feel very much in the way.
"Excuse me," he said quickly and left.
Severus wrapped his arms around his wife and started kissing her passionately.
"Severus, we have guests," Claire managed to admonish him between two kisses.
He shrugged. "I don't think they need us at the moment. Plenty of food and drink. Nobody is going to notice if we vanish for a couple of minutes…"
He kissed her again and this time she responded to his caresses, losing herself in his embrace…
The kitchen door burst open and a crying Susanna came running into the room, followed by the other children and clasping a dead gold-fish in her hand. The little girl threw herself into her mother's arms, sobbing violently.
"What happened, darling?" Claire tried to calm her daughter and to avoid contact with the dead fish at the same time.
"I didn't – want – it – to die!" came the answer.
"Sorry?"
"The fish!" Susanna held the corpus delicti right under Claire's nose.
"Oh!" Claire looked at Severus cluelessly.
"Susanna admired your neighbour's goldfish. She wanted to cuddle them and then one of them came flying out of the pond, right over the hedge into Susana's hand."
Molly Weasley – very much out of breath - had joined the children in the kitchen.
Claire shook her head in bewilderment and looked at Severus, only to find that he was staring at Susanna with a peculiar expression of utter delight on his face.
"Severus!" Claire wanted an explanation.
"She's a witch. She can make things happen with her raw magic," he whispered.
"A witch! Well, this is your area of expertise. Do something about it, she can't make all of Linda's goldfish fly over the hedge!" Claire held her daughter at arm's length. "Go to Daddy, love, he can sort this out."
Severus smiled at Claire. "Yes, come here, Susanna." He turned to Molly. "When did this happen?"
"Just a few minutes ago. They were in the garden…"
"Perhaps we're in time. Susanna, put the fish into the sink."
He filled the sink with water and pointed his wand at the fish. "Ennervate!" Everybody was watching. The animal came alive and started to swim. A collective sigh of relief greeted it.
Claire took a plastic jar from the cupboard and scooped the goldfish up. Then she handed the jar to one of the Weasley-kids. "Here, take it back before anyone notices."
The kids left, followed by Molly.
Claire looked at Severus. "Well?"
He lifted his daughter in his arms and kissed her. "If you feel angry or if you want something very much, tell me, Susanna, will you, before it gets too strong. We don't want any more accidents." The little girl nodded gravely and buried her face on her father's neck.
Claire watched them and suddenly was afraid of what she had got herself into. Wizards all around her!
She felt Severus' arm around her shoulder. "Don't worry, she'll learn to control it. I'm so happy, Claire. She's a witch, she'll go to Hogwarts, I wonder which house she will be sorted in…" He stopped realizing that Claire did not share his enthusiasm.
"What it is?"
"Nothing really. It's just that I'm starting to develop an inferiority complex," she said with a wry smile.
He drew her close and kissed her. "Don't! You are the kindest, most patient, most competent and most beautiful Muggle I've ever met. Yes, Susanna, what is it?"
"Can I go and play with Adeline and Marc again?"
"Yes, dear, of course, but be careful with the fish."
Susanna ran out of the kitchen, leaving the door open. Severus went over and closed it softly, but firmly. Then he returned to his wife and put her arms around her waist. "Where were we? Oh, yes, the most beautiful Muggle. Claire, I love you, I adore you and if you take into consideration that we wizards nearly managed to destroy our world, the idea of having a sensible Muggle in the family is very reassuring."
He drew his wand from his pocket and pointed it at the door, securely locking it. Then he wrapped her in his arms once again and embarked on a long and passionate kiss, which made Claire forget her surroundings, the gurgling of the dishwasher and the laughter of the guests in the next room. She felt longing stir inside herself. There was his warm body under the layers of stiff black cloth. He was still very thin, but had regained most of his former strength and the natural grace of his movements. There were his eyes, black and unfathomable, but also full of tenderness and love. She was happy, so infinitely happy. "Severus, I love you," Claire whispered. "I love you, Claire, my wife," he answered and with a shuddering breath drew her even closer …
Someone tried the door handle. Then knocked. Tried the handle again. And knocked and wouldn't stop.
"Claire, Severus, are you in there?" Linda Davis.
"Damn that woman," Severus muttered and released his wife from his embrace.
Claire kissed him on the cheek. "Let's wait till tonight, when all the guests are gone and Susanna's asleep…"
He sighed and raised his hands in a gesture of defeat.
"We have all the time in the world, dear husband, from now on there will be many nights."
Claire smiled and he smiled back reluctantly.
"You used magic on that door, Severus, so you must unlock it."
He raised a finger to her face and traced her mouth and cheeks, all the promises in the world included in this gesture.
"Tonight then," he whispered.
With a sigh he drew his wand and unlocked the door…
The End
(I think, I'm not quite sure. I have an idea for an epilogue, but I don't know if I'm going to write it.)
Thanks to J.K.Rowling for the inspiring characters