Katrina watched her daughter exit the Floo. It struck her that her daughter had really grown up this summer. Her daughter had always been studious, but now she seemed to be more serious than before. Perhaps Severus was rubbing off on their daughter.
One hand unconsciously fell to her stomach as they walked. She was determined to raise these two boys to be Gryffindors. Two Slytherins in her life were plenty!
They went to the bank first, Katrina waiting with Samantha as Sev went down to their vault. She was amazed by her daughter's ability to accept everything that had changed in her life this summer. Katrina herself was still having trouble coping with everything. There had been a couple of nights where Severus had been forced to wake her from a nightmare where she was still in Voldemort's home, or where she'd been bonded to one of his other Death Eaters. The worst nightmare, the one she didn't tell Severus about, featured Voldemort taking their babies.
Mentally shaking those dark thoughts away, she watched Severus emerge from the room which led to the lower vaults. He had a small sack of coins in one hand which he handed over to Samantha. Their daughter immediately put the coins away in a pocket in her pants.
"Let me see your list," Severus demanded, glancing through it quickly once it was in his hand. He handed it back, "Books first."
Katrina silently walked by his side as Samantha followed them from the bank. Katrina was well aware of the fine line she was walking by accompanying the two of them. To any Death Eaters who may observe them, she had to be the submissive pet of Severus. But to any students they passed, she had to be Professor Smith, Muggle Studies professor. To any neutral party, she had to appear to be Severus' wife.
'Now,' she thought, 'If we can only avoid anyone who might fall into the first and second categories, this might not be a bad day.' Of course, having thought that, they stepped into Flourish & Blott's and discovered Narcissa Malfoy and her son, Draco, already in there. She suppressed a groan as Severus ordered Samantha to gather her books.
Samantha obediently moved off, leaving the four of them alone in a corner of the book shop. Katrina bent her head and directed her gaze to the floor in a submissive manner.
"Narcissa, Draco, what a pleasure to see you both," Severus greeted them smoothly.
"I must say I'm surprised you allow your pet to accompany you," Narcissa said softly.
"She is extremely well trained and most pleasing on the eyes. Why should I shut her away?" he responded. "It amuses me to have people wondering why such a beautiful creature is associated with one such as I."
"And the girl with you, Professor Snape?" Draco asked.
"Ah, yes. That is Samantha Johnston, a transfer student. Her guardians have asked me to help her obtain her supplies for the school year since I am her Head of House."
"She's been Sorted already and she's in Slytherin? Is she pure-blooded?" Draco asked.
"Yes, she has been Sorted and she will be beginning her sixth year with you, Draco. As for the purity of her blood, I am unsure as I don't know her parents. I assume she must be, or very nearly so to have been placed in our house."
Katrina silently scoffed at that, knowing full well that that was merely propaganda. She, Sirius Black, and James Potter were all full-bloods and each had been Sorted into Gryffindor.
"As for my lovely pet here, in order to allow her to remain in the castle I have convinced that fool, Dumbledore, to give her the Muggle Studies position." He paused and chuckled darkly, "She may as well earn her keep. We've also had to convince that old fool that we are married in order to share quarters." He stopped as Samantha approached, her arms weighted down by two heavy-looking bags. "Have you found everything," he asked her.
"Yes, sir," she replied.
"Ms. Johnston, allow me to introduce Draco Malfoy and his mother, Narcissa. Draco is a Slytherin prefect."
"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Samantha said politely.
Katrina had raised her head on Samantha's return and she observed Draco's appraising glance at her daughter.
"If you will excuse us," Severus said, addressing the Malfoys, "I would like to finish escorting Ms. Johnston." He gave a leering glance at Katrina, causing a blush to rise in her cheeks. "I can think of better ways to be spending a summer day."
"Of course, Severus," Narcissa said smoothly, a knowing smile on her lips.
With that, Severus led Katrina and Samantha from the store. Once outside, he shrunk Samantha's bags for her before they continued on to Slug & Jiggers Apothecary. This stop was for both Samantha and Severus as the latter said he needed to place an order to restock his personal lab for the coming school year. Although he would be teaching Defense, he would still be brewing some of the infirmary's potions, as well as those for his family's use.
Samantha took her list and a small basket from beside the door and began collecting her supplies from the shelves and she was soon out of Katrina's sight.
Severus was bickering over prices with the skinny kid behind the counter who looked like he should be buying supplies, not selling them. "Two galleons for a bottle of newt eyes!" he was saying, his tone disgusted. "How dare you try…" Katrina tuned him out, knowing they could be here a very long time. Instead, she decided to look for Maggie – damn, Samantha that is.
She chose an aisle randomly and drifted her way down it. Passing shelves covered in jars – some of which contained rather disgusting ingredients – she exited the aisle and turned left and found herself almost running into a family of redheads. 'Merlin, we may as well be in Hogsmeade what with all this running into people we know!' No one had noticed her and she was about to turn away and return to Sev when she heard an argument break out from the group.
"Ginny! Why did you take that from my basket!" That was Samantha's voice, Katrina realized.
The red head in question sniffed haughtily, "I didn't. I picked it up off the shelf."
"You little liar! I grabbed the last jar of slug slime and now it's mysteriously missing from my basket!"
Katrina decided it was time to intervene, "Ms. Johnston is there a problem?"
Every head turned to look at her and she saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione exiting another aisle and joining the group.
"Yes there is, Professor Smith," Samantha said angrily. "This little bi-"
"I suggest you stop right there, Ms. Johnston," Severus' voice cut across Samantha's from behind Katrina.
"Ginny," Molly Weasley said, glaring down at her youngest child, "Did you take that from Ms. Johnston's basket?"
Ginny shrugged negligently, "So what if I did? She's a Slytherin."
"Ginerva!" Arthur Weasley snapped. "I don't know what has gotten into you, young lady, but you had better stop it. Give that jar back to Samantha this instant!"
Katrina watched as a scarlet-cheeked Ginny narrowed her eyes angrily. She knew exactly what Ginny was going to do, so when Samantha reached for the jar and Ginny dropped it to crash on the floor, she was not surprised. What she was surprised by, however, was the fact that the jar stopped halfway to the ground before rising and floating into Severus' outstretched hand.
"For that stunt, Miss Weasley," Severus said in a soft voice, "Gryffindor will be starting the year in negative numbers." His glare intensified, "And if your behavior continues, I assure you it will remain in negative numbers." He held the jar out to Samantha, "Professor Smith will help you finish collecting your ingredients." Once Samantha had accepted the jar from him, he turned and returned to the counter.
Katrina gave a small smile to Molly and Arthur before placing a hand on Samantha's shoulder and silently steering her away from the group. Once they were tucked down another aisle, Katrina glanced at her daughter, "Has she been that bad all summer?"
Samantha shrugged as she glanced at her list, "It's fine. Leave it."
Katrina sighed, "Do you know why she's treating you that way?"
Samantha grabbed a jar of dried nettles from the shelf and examined it for a minute before adding it to her basket. "It could be our different houses. Or it could be that she likes Harry. Or it could be something else entirely. Honestly, I don't know and I don't bother worrying about it."
"Sam?" Harry's head poked around the aisle and seeing them he approached. "You okay?"
"I'm fine, Harry, thanks," Samantha said, trying to give him a smile but obviously failing.
"Hello Professor," Harry said, glancing at Katrina. "Will you be teaching again this year?"
"Yes, I'll be teaching Muggle Studies again, but at the castle this year. We though it best if-"
"Ms. Johnston, if you are quite finished, we do have other stores to visit," Severus' voice cut across Katrina's.
"Of course, Professor Snape," Samantha said, moving towards the top of the aisle where he stood. She turned to glance back at Harry, "See you later, Harry."
Katrina glanced at Harry, "Enjoy the rest of your summer, Mr. Potter." She turned and headed to join Severus where he was looking over Samantha's selections. Once he had satisfied himself that their daughter's choices were decent, Samantha paid and they left.
Severus collapsed on the couch in his quarters. He leaned his head on the back of the couch, closing his eyes. Why, oh why, couldn't they have had a nice, peaceful shopping trip? Oh no, instead they seemed to bump into people everywhere they went.
In Madam Malkins, they ran into Blaise Zabini and his mother. In the cauldron shop, it was Zacharias Smith and his family. Deciding to have lunch in the Leaky Cauldron, they encountered no fewer than four of his Slytherins, three Gryffindors, five Ravenclaws, and he saw eight Hufflepuffs who, thankfully, were too afraid of him to bother them.
He had hurried his wife and daughter through their lunch so they could return Samantha to the Burrow and he could retreat to his quiet home. Now he remembered why he rarely went out anywhere.
Gentle hands grasped his shoulders, slowly kneading while a kiss was pressed to the crown of his head. He slowly opened his eyes and his gaze locked with the playful hazel eyes above him. Her skilled hands worked out a rather tenacious knot in the back of his neck, drawing a moan from him. He closed his eyes again, allowing her to work her own brand of magic on him.
The hands withdrew and he was about to protest when a warm body straddled his legs. He opened his eyes just as she leaned in to kiss him. "A reward for your patience today," she whispered.
As they slowly made their way to the floor, clothing being discarded as they went, he decided that if this was his reward for going shopping, they may need to go much more often.