A/N: Again, thank you to all of you who reviewed! RB… I'm just going to say this. Wow. Wowwowwow! To answer your questions, just let me say yes. As to what part… we shall have to see! And Guest, I'd have to answer your question with, a little of each.
Please review! I will post another chapter tomorrow.
Chapter 5
The clock in his cellar chimed softly, rousing Severus from the beakers and cauldron in front of him. Judging by the time, lunch was swiftly approaching, and he realised that he still had nothing about in the house to eat. Tinned kippers would only get them so far, he reasoned with a sneer, especially with whatever fancies he was sure his wife was used to eating.
He threw a lazy stasis charm at the cauldron of Pepper-Up, and made his way outside, locking the cellar door behind him. The way to the cellar was through the back yard; slightly inconvenient when it rained (which was always), but at least he didn't run the risk of fumigating his entire house.
"Beatrice," he called as he entered the sitting room. Severus didn't know if he would ever get used to the idea of sharing a home with another person. To his surprise, he found her sitting primly around the stack of books he had left on the couch, carefully not touching anything. Her thread was even stacked on the only part of his coffee table that was not swamped with parchment. She was dwarfed by the chaos around her, and had somehow found a way to avoid disturbing any of it. Damn her.
He was irritated that he had no reason to yell and yanked an old coat off of the coat rack in the corner. "I have to go into town for a few things. Stay here and do not answer the door," he ordered.
Beatrice stood quickly. "Where are you going?"
"Well, unless you've found a way to survive without food…" he drawled.
A frown appeared on her face. "I was simply wondering. Could I go with you?" she asked. I had several items I wished to pick up from my parents' house."
Fearsome Death Eater or not, Severus blanched at the idea of having to run into any of her kin. Hanging up the coat, he strode into the kitchen and pulled out a spare bit of parchment and a quill out of a drawer. "Here," he said, signing a draft letter for his Gringott's account. He was simply going to head into town, but if she wanted to head to London and Diagon Alley, she was welcome to it. "Don't drain the thing dry while you are out. Sorry it's not the bottomless pit that you're accustomed to."
Beatrice didn't appreciate his snide remarks, but she let them gloss over her. "Am I going by myself?" she asked.
Severus gave her a look that he usually reserved for second year Hufflepuffs.
With a sigh, Beatrice finally reached out and took the paper, placing it in her robe pocket. "Is there anything in particular that you wanted?"
Beatrice landed at the apparition point just outside of the Three Broomsticks. She hiked her wicker shopping basket under her arm and entered the main thoroughfare. A thought crossed her mind as she approached the crowds: what if she ran into someone she knew? Did she keep her marriage a secret, or for that matter, would Severus even want anybody to know? The flashes of his temper were volatile enough that she had no desire to see what it was like to really incur his wrath. It's not like she was ashamed or anything… she just had little desire to share the truth. Beatrice could only imagine how the conversation would run:
And how has your weekend been?
Oh, just splendid! I was just married off to a Death Eater.
Really? Was it a nice ceremony?
Certainly, it's not every day a girl is lucky enough to be wed by Voldemort. The eau d'decay led a splendid note to the décor…
She quickly abandoned the idea of sharing the news with anybody.
Severus sat heavily in the spot that his new wife had vacated. To his infinite displeasure, he heard the rumble of books toppling to his feet. Blast! How had she… the books… damn her; she was neater with his own things than he was.
He leaned forward and cradled his head with his hands, carding his fingers through his limp hair, and sighed. It seemed that his days of bachelorhood were forcefully over. He had a wife, in name at least, and he had no clue if he wanted anything else from her. He assumed a physical relationship would be involved somewhere...she was decent to look at, he supposed. Is it what he wanted? What she wanted? He remembered the look of disgust she had directed his way when they had met, and had little desire to face it again. Severus knew he was not much to look at with his cassowary beak for a nose, stringy hair, and pallid features. He wouldn't blame her for not looking twice at him. But then again, did it matter? He had to play the sordid role of a Death Eater, and all of the twisted morals that went with it. Unbidden, the image of his hands on her ankle flashed through his mind. He remembered how smooth and soft the skin of her leg had been, how demurely she had wrapped her skirt about her legs, how delicate she felt to his touch, and he wanted…
He coloured with shame and disgust at his unwanted attraction to this witch. She would never submit to him, and anything less would be unconscionable. He had enough stains on his soul to stomach anymore. Damn her for getting under his skin!
And then there was Lily Evans. He glanced up at the repaired figurine on his mantle and sighed.
Oh, Lily...
The pain of remembering warred with the torture of moving on. He would never be rid of her, nor did he ever think to desire such.
Severus stood and picked up the glass figurine, fingering it lightly before placing back in its place of honour.
There was nothing to gain in being maudlin. He shoved the memories to the back of his mind and sought a distraction with anything else. His mind traveled to thoughts of the Order. He had to owl Dumbledore right away and inform him of his change in circumstances. However, he found himself strangely reluctant to do so. He could only imagine how that series of letters would go:
Headmaster, at the last meeting, I found myself being married off to a pureblood bride. Not sure if it was for political reasons, sinister, or otherwise.
Severus, you finally found you a girl? Congratulations my boy! Where do her loyalties lie?
Headmaster, again it was an arranged marriage. Most certainly loyal to the Dark Lord.
Severus, I must insist on meeting her. Does she like sherbet lemons?
A frisson of disgust ran through him; he would never tell a soul, and certainly not Dumbledore.
Finally, though the judicious use of wizard space and shrinking charms, the last book had found its way back onto a shelf. Severus wiped the dust from his hands and stuck his wand back up his sleeve.
The front door opened. "You've been cleaning!" Severus spun around to see Beatrice come in carrying her basket; it appeared stuffed to the brim with all sorts of foodstuffs. She used her shoulder to push the front door shut, and placed the basket on the coffee table that Severus had just finished clearing.
"How thoughtful," he heard her continue brightly. "You didn't have to do that. I've brought Dippy with me to do all of that for us." She shrugged delicately. "Part of my dowry, you could say."
A house elf... He felt a muscle in his forehead twitch. He hated house elves.
Hated.
The elf in question popped into view. He sneered as he looked down upon it. All elves were the same: bug eyed and twitchy, and his privacy would be hexed to hell with their bony little fingers digging into everything. This one was particularly shabby, what with its patchwork toga looking like bits and pieces of every formal gown her mistress had worn, with a belt that looked like it had been made out of a curtain tie. It had massive bug eyes and disgustingly large floppy ears. Severus was forcibly reminded of a deformed velveteen rabbit. He'd bet his last knut that this one couldn't even keep secrets properly.
"Dippy," Beatrice called, "meet your new master."
The elf stepped forward. "Master Snape, sir." It trembled before him, looking like it very much wanted to cower under its mistress' skirts. The elf bowed low and its floppy ears slapped the ground causing a cloud of dust to swirl around his feet.
Severus peered down at Dippy. She looked familiar to him, now that he thought about it. "Where have I seen you before, elf?"
Dippy grabbed her ears and pulled them tight around her head. "Um... Dippy doesn't—"
Severus took at threatening step forward, and the elf finally gave into the urge and dashed behind Beatrice's skirt.
"Groceries to shelve... Dippy must see to dinner!" With that, Dippy popped out of the room, taking the basket with her.
Severus looked at Beatrice darkly. "Must we have that thing here?"
"Thing? I've had Dippy since I was a little girl." Her eyes narrowed. "And I won't have you harassing my elf."
Severus weighed the consequences of banning the creature from his house entirely. In the interest of domestic peace, he gave in. "Fine. Keep that creature out of my lab!"
A/N: On a side note, do any of you, dear readers, speak French? I need a little assistance with a later chapter.
