The last time she had stood on this platform had been three short months prior, yet the bustle of families buzzing with excitement and anticipation was enough to excite her as well as they whizzed past with full carts rattling with trunks and owl cages. Katherine watched a family rush past, a mother and father excitedly speaking to their daughter as they neared the scarlet steam engine. Katherine smiled as she watched them disappear into the crowd of shouting families, calling their final goodbyes and well wishes as their children boarded the train.
Katherine turned to face Severus, who was rummaging through his bag, taking last minute inventory before he boarded himself. His trunk had already been whisked away to be loaded into the staff carriage. Katherine checked her watch, 10:55am, and swallowed hard, the looming final moments of her summer weighing heavy on her heart. In the past three months since her arrival back in London on that very platform, faced with a decision that she had mulled over during the journey home from Hogwarts that lead her to the professor's home, which had brought her to her childhood home, to her lover's bed, to the comfort of Spinner's End; to the arms of her husband's less that a week ago. She wasn't ready for the ticking minutes to bring the summer to a conclusion, punctuated by the final whistles of the train as it signaled its departure, taking her husband with it.
"Right then, you have everything? Wand, wallet, your house key?" She asked, Severus rolling his eyes as he lifted his head to meet his wife's gaze.
"For the last time, darling, I have everything. I have packed for this trip over a dozen times." He fastened his bag shut, pulling the strap up securely on his shoulder before reaching for her hand and giving it a squeeze, releasing it quickly. They had discussed this morning that they would keep any public displays of affection to a minimum, Severus citing the cause to rumors that may be spread if students who had known Katherine were to see her snogging her former professor. They had said their goodbyes that morning, Severus being sure to show his wife just how much she would be missed, keeping them in bed for an additional hour past their intended start of the day, nearly making them late for the train.
Katherine smoothed her pink sweater, crossing her arms over her chest and offering Severus a watery smile. "Well then, you best be going before you're late."
Severus noticed the sadness in her eyes, returning her smile and reaching for her hand again. She sniffled, quickly wiping away her tears in a failed attempt to hide them from him. He gave her hand another reassuring squeeze, "I will write to you as soon as we arrive at Hogwarts. You can expect my owl tomorrow."
"And you'll write every day?"
He chuckled, recalling the promise he had made to her the night before between her tearful kisses, "Every opportunity I have," he reassured.
The warning whistle of the train pierced through the chaos of the platform, families saying their final goodbyes as their students rushed towards the train. They both looked up to the conductor waving on the students and staff, calling out to all to board the train for departure. Severus turned to his wife, who wiped away tears with her fingertips and sniffled, wiping her hands on her jeans. "You should get on your way," she said, pressing a hand to his chest, Severus wrapping his own hand around it, "Safe travels. I love you."
Severus dipped his head to meet her lips, throwing fears of being seen to the wayside, "I love you, darling."
"Oh! I almost forgot!" She gasped, removing a plainly wrapped package from her purse and tucking it into his bag, "A little something to make sure you don't forget your poor wife."
Katherine pressed a quick second kiss to his lips, watching him turn to board the train. Students moved out of his way, as if some force repelled them from him. Katherine rolled her eyes as he boarded the train, disappearing into the chaos of the train. She waited for a moment on the platform, parents pushing past to exit as the conductor made last calls to board. She watched as students filled the cabins, embracing friends and chatting excitedly, no doubt swapping stories of their summers as she had in the prior years when she had boarded the train herself. She searched the front of the train, watching faculty file into the staff cabins. Severus reappeared, tucking himself into an empty spot and removing his book from his bag. His eyes scanned the platform, his lips twitching into a ghost of a smile when he found where she stood. Katherine smiled, pressing a kiss to her fingers and waving a final time as the train pulled away.
Katherine pushed open the front door of the small home, a bag of groceries tucked in her arm. She reached for the light switch, the quiet home eerie in its silence. The home felt different since their departure that morning, Katherine struggling to determine what felt so different. She kicked off her trainers, and stepped into the kitchen to set the bag onto the kitchen counter. The mugs they had used that morning had been forgotten next to the sink, the Daily Prophet left at his spot at the breakfast nook, ringed on the corner from where he had set his mug down on it. Katherine turned, leaning her hip against the counter. She looked out over the small kitchen, into the living room-made-study.
Somehow, the cozy rooms felt bigger than they had this morning, a certain emptiness making her stomach feel heavy.
She stepped into the living room, plucking the quilt she had snuggled under with her tea that morning off of the sofa and quickly folding it before tossing it over the cushions. She figured a quick tidy would do her some good, distract her mind from the maddening silence. Severus was not a particularly noisy man, yet the lack of the sound of his even breathing and the turning of pages made the quiet home feel like a maloseum. She simply couldn't stand it, nor did she know what she would do to replace that silence until he returned home for Christmas.
She dragged her fingers over the small record collection she had brought to the home with her early that summer, plucking one from the crate and popping it onto the record player, hoping that the music he was always so annoyed by would offer her some reprieve from the silence. She straightened up, perching on the edge of his desk as she listened to the raspy voice of Stevie Nicks fill the room.
She noticed his house coat draped over the back of the chair, no doubt left there in the rush of the morning. The worn flannel was soft in her hands as she folded it, starting towards the stairs to return it to their bathroom. The warm, smoky smell of parchment and leather, the sweetness of tea leaves, stopped her as she took in her husband's faint scent, as if he had brushed past her. She brought the soft fabric to her face, breathing him in before unfolding the house coat and tossing it around her shoulders.
She returned to his desk, lowering herself into his chair, it creaking under her weight as she leaned into it, drawing his house robe around her tightly. She looked over the mess of parchment on his desk; the clutter of a mind at constant work. She sighed, searching the mess for an unused sheet of parchment, pulling it towards her and taking up a quill, dipping it into a pot of ink before taking it to the page.
My Severus,
I miss you already.
Severus stood behind his desk, eyes fixed on the parchment in his hands. He had spent the past several hours after the sorting feast in his personal stores, sorting and taking note of what he would need before classes began and required students to begin brewing. He reviewed his inventory of materials and ingredients in the storages, every so often reaching down to jot the name of an ingredient on the ever growing list on his desk.
"Severus, I have been looking everywhere for you! I am so glad I found you!"
Severus looked up at the familiar voice, Professor McGonagoll stalking into the potions room with the same near silent approach of her feline form, her shoes clicking against the stone floors as she crossed the room to his desk.
"I question why my classroom was not the first place you looked, Minerva."
The older witch rolled her eyes, offering Severus a warm smile. "Dumbledore asked me to collect everyone and remind them of the faculty meeting. We will be starting promptly in 15 minutes."
Severus did not look up from his inventory, "Yes, the agenda we received clearly stated the time. Thank you, Minerva."
Minerva clasped her hands in front of her, standing in front of his desk quietly. Severus looked up from his inventory, raising his eyebrows quizzically. "How was your summer? I trust you found some time to relax and put aside your work for a moment?" Minerva questioned.
Severus forcing back a groan at the notion of entertaining small talk. He returned his attention to his inventory, sighing before responding, "I did nothing of note, Minerva. Is that all?"
"Really, Severus? No plans at all over the past three months? Surely you must have done something! Any travels or plans?"
"If you must know, Minerva, my wife and I enjoyed a quiet summer at home." He replayed cooly, smirking as he anticipated the witch's reacted to his words.
Minerva gasped, her hands clasping over her mouth. She opened her mouth, searching for words as she processed the young wizard's words, finally managing out, "Wife? Who?"
Severus didn't look up, brushing aside the think brown wrappings left discarded on his desk and turning the new frame for Minerva to see. From the frame, Katherine smiled out brightly, dressed in her wedding gown and grasping his arm in front of the judge's desk. The couple moved in their Ministry wedding portrait, turning from smiles to a warm look at one another.
Minerva smiled, clasping her hands together tightly and letting out a happy sound before squeezing his arm. She turned to leave, her robes rustling behind her as she called out, "Fifteen minutes!"