As yet another week had come to an end, neither of the Snape's had exchanged a single word with one another. The atmosphere in their living courters nearly gave both a frostbite. By Friday, Cora was so sick of it that she'd even decided to dine with her classmates in the Dining Hall again.
The last week she'd eaten her meals by herself at the library or in Snape's living room, and hadn't spoken much to anyone while sitting in the back of the classrooms. Both students and professors alike had let her be, especially the Carrows. If she wasn't getting punished for throwing an Unforgivable Curse at a teacher, then she was apparently able to do anything and get away with it.
In the beginning it had felt quiet and peaceful, but now, Cora was beginning to feel rather lonely. So therefore, instead of spending yet another evening in solitude, she'd sat down quietly next to Tracey and Pansy. The latter had found new things to complain about, and saw it as a sign of importance that the Heir of Slytherin would eat with her again.
Cora pretended to listen, while ignoring the long looks and quiet whispers around her. It reminded her of when everyone found out that Voldemort was her father. It had taken months before anyone would treat her like normal again, even Severus.
She hadn't thought it would go back to that. And so, between her frosty marriage, her curiosity about the sword of Gryffindor, feeling anxious about meeting her father again, and missing the quality time she used to have with Draco, Cora would do anything to be distracted.
"I told Daddy that I wanted organza and a tiara, but he wasn't sure if Mr Wilson would approve." Pansy gave Cora and Tracey a melodramatic look. "As if a potion master would care about either!"
"Totally." Cora rolled her eyes, acting like she cared, and buried her spoon in the chocolate fondant. Her potion master hadn't even complimented her on their wedding day. Sometimes she thought it would have been better if she had just gone in her school uniform.
"He should be happy I will be marrying him at all." Pansy waved nonchalantly with her hand. "I mean, he's 15 years older than me, and doesn't have half of my family name."
"He's so lucky, Pansy." Tracey nodded, and served her friend several platitudes about her beauty and maturity.
Cora just offered her former room mate a not-so-well- masked condescending smile.
"Damn right he is!"
Cora blocked her out again and had another bite of the cake. The sweet chocolate flavor tasted delicious, and was usually something that would get her in a good mood. In the corner of her eye, she noticed Draco being quite preoccupied with his fiancé, planning their wedding. Astoria pulled some of her dark blonde hair behind one ear, and Draco noticed every movement of her hand. The fact that their wedding day would be blissful, and knowing that Severus would never look at her like Draco looked at Astoria, made the chocolate taste like dirt in Cora's mouth.
She swallowed the contents down and poured herself a glass of pumpkin juice.
Severus' actions of late, and the way he expressed himself, made her so frustrated and confused. One moment he was caring and considerate, and in the next he proved himself worthy of the Dark Mark.
Maybe that is the way of a murderer.
They would have to sleep together again soon, and Cora just wanted to get it over with. She let out a frustrated breath through her nose, and decided to block Pansy out entirely. Coming here tonight had been a mistake.
She was about to leave when Daphne suddenly sat down next to her. She had spotted Cora, and after a little while managed to loosen herself from Blaise's charming demeanor and her sister's wedding planning.
"Hey you." She smiled brightly. Her cheeks were flushed from all the compliments her fiancée had given her the last couple of minutes. They were to be wed in a fortnight, and despite the incident with the first years, she couldn't have been happier.
"Hey." Cora envied her, but pushed the jealousy away with a small smile. It wasn't Daphne's fault that her own wedding and marriage sucked.
While playing with a strawberry and dipping it in whipped cream, Cora had a thought. Maybe she could ask her father the following day to annul the marriage and make her a Death Eater instead.
"Earth to Cora."
"Oh, sorry." Cora smiled apologetically, and received a concerned look in return. "You were saying?"
"I was wondering if you wanted to catch up? I mean, a lot has happened since your birthday and..."
Daphne was abruptly interrupted by professor MacGonnagal clearing her voice and standing up.
"Attention, please."
All four Slytherins turned their heads towards the teacher's table. The chair in the middle was empty.
Cora's brows furrowed. She wondered when Severus had left the room and why she hadn't noticed. She brushed the thought away quickly and refocused on the Scottish professor. He wasn't her concern at the moment.
"All Quidditch practices and games are hereby suspended, until further notice." Professor MacGonnagal sat down stiffly again and ignored the loud protests coming from her students.
"That's rubbish!" Ginny Weasley shouted, and then locked eyes with Cora for a brief second. As if to say that it was all her fault. For all Cora knew, it maybe was.
She returned the glare from the Gryffindor table with rolling her eyes and putting the strawberry with cream in her mouth. She had her own problems to think about, if she was to care about sports too.
"Aren't you going to do something?" Daphne suddenly whispered. When her friend didn't respond, she leaned forward more intently. "You could ask -"
"Who, Daphne?" Cora raised a disdainful eyebrow. "My husband? My father?" She snorted, but quickly regretted her sudden outburst. Pansy and Tracey exchanged quizzical looks, and Daphne's mouth turned into a thin line at the mention of the Dark Lord. "It's just sports, Daph." She pushed the plate with the chocolate fondant away and swallowed the remains of the pumpkin juice.
"I know you don't care much for it, but at least you could consider what this would mean to Draco."
Cora winced by her accusing tone, but didn't get a chance to respond. Without further ado, Daphne went back to her seat next to Blaise, Astoria and Draco. He didn't look like the news bothered him that much, but Cora knew it was just a mask.
"She's so touchy sometimes," Tracey said mockingly.
"A lot of that going around these days," Pansy huffed, before continuing her story about Mr Wilson. Apparently the two would be sharing a bedroom in Hogsmeade once a week, and during the holidays, and then she would move in with him in London when summer came.
"I have to finish my Transfiguration homework," Cora lied and left the Dining Hall. She'd already finished it, and had been thorough. However, it was time to sleep with her husband.
Cora walked with determination towards their living quarters, prepared to get it over and done with, but found their living room empty.
Walking into the bedroom, she found that empty too.
Sighing, she sat down on the bedside and kicked off her shoes. Then she rolled onto the bed and stared up into the ceiling. An hour went by, without any sign of Severus. And when she was about to go into the living room again and pick up her father's book, he suddenly flued in.
With firm steps he came into the bedroom, and started undressing. Seeing him in such a hurry, unsettled Cora. She raised herself up on her elbows and watched him hang his cloak with a little more force than necessary.
"Is something the matter?"
"You tell me." He gave her a stone cold look and continued to remove his shoes.
Cora sat up straight, confused by his tone. "Sorry?"
"You've refrained from speaking to me for almost a week." He started to unbutton his shirt, cursing under his breath.
"So, let me get this straight," Cora said slowly, feeling her blood begin to boil. "When I ask questions, you don't like it, but when I keep quiet, that's wrong as well?" She crossed her arms. "Is there any way of pleasing you? Or is that impossible too?"
Severus ripped off the two last buttons and tossed his shirt aside. When he started to unbuckle his trousers, without answering, Cora rolled her eyes and laid back down again.
"Just fuck me then, so I can get back to my book." She snapped her fingers so her underwear disappeared and spread her legs.
Without a word he put himself on top of her, arms on both sides of her head. When their eyes met, Cora could see his walls go up inside. Just before he was about to enter her, she saw a small glimpse of sadness.
"Wait." She put one hand on his bare chest, and immediately he stopped, furrowing his brows. His black hair hung down as curtains, almost touching her cheeks.
Cora swallowed, closed her eyes for a moment and slowly opened them again. While searching his eyes for the emotion she'd seen before, her hand remained on his chest.
"Let's talk."
He hung his head, with a sigh, and when he looked up again he seemed more tired than ever. "We don't have much time to do this before the time runs out."
"I know, but don't you think we should be honest with one another? Just for once?"
"I believe you were pretty honest last Sunday."
"And you weren't." Cora's eyes were filling up with tears, but she bit them back.
"There's plenty of things I cannot tell you, Cora."
"I know, but how can I trust you if you won't tell me the truth? When you won't let me in." She hated how painful her voice sounded, but she couldn't help it. When he didn't answer, she let her hand fall and land on her chest.
"I understand." He straightened and put himself by her entrance again. "Will you let me in?" She knew he wasn't just asking for the physical permission.
She nodded quietly, and without another word he was inside her again. She winced a little from the pain, but soon her muscles relaxed.
"I'll be quick about it."
He was true to his word. When he was done he pulled his trousers back on, and sat on the bedside with his back to her. He rested his forehead in his hands, and seemed like he had the whole world on his shoulders.
Cora's eyes grew large.
The scars across his back were many. Most of them were white and looked old. She resisted the urge to trail her finger down them and ask about their origins. For now, she figured it would have to be enough to just see them. However they had gotten there, one thing was true; each scar had been very painful to him.
"I'm going to meet my father at noon tomorrow." Cora pushed her skirt back down again and sat up against the wall. She could see that his muscles tensed at the mention of her father. "He gave me a book for my birthday, you see, and I wanted to talk with him about it. And..." She didn't want to say the rest.
"And...?"
"And... I want to ask him for an annulment." She held her breath, expecting a furious response, but he remained still. A part of her hoped that he would fight for her and refuse, while the other part wanted him to let her go. "It has been done before."
"I'm aware." His voice was calm and emotionless.
"I... I think it's for the best. You and I," she blinked away her tears and fidgeted with her skirt. "are simply too different and want different things."
"If that's how you feel, I will respect that," he said quietly, rose from the bed and walked into the living room. "I'll take the couch."
Cora bit her tongue and waited until he had shut the door, before she let her tears flow freely. She hugged her knees and rested her chin on them. The pitch black night outside of the bedroom window threatened to swallow her whole.
--
Saturday morning was calm and eerie. Cora had cried herself to sleep and her throat felt parched. She summoned a house-elf for some breakfast.
"Yes, mistress?" the little house-elf took a bow and waited patiently by the door for her command.
"I would like some orange juice and a toast with strawberry jam." Cora received a firm nod, but before he could snap his fingers, she continued in a more hushed tone. "Is... is Severus in the living room?"
"No, mistress." The house-elf shook his head so hard that the ears flapped like bat wings. "He's in his office. Should I get him, mistress?"
"No! Ehm.. no, that won't be necessary."
"As you wish." The house-elf made a little bow, disappeared and returned shortly with a breakfast tray.
Cora ate in bed and watched how small sunbeams pushed their way through the grey clouds and playfully danced on the Black Lake. It was beautiful.
When the clock passed 11.30 she had already changed her outfit five times, had a mental breakdown, pulled herself together again, and were now standing by a brick wall outside.
The place where she was going to meet her father, was only a few minutes away, but she didn't want him to wait. For all his skills and brilliance, patience was not one of his virtues.
With firm steps, holding the book close to her chest with both arms, she crossed the dewy-wet grass, and made her way into a clearing in the forest.
Raindrops from the night before were clinging to the pine needles and glittered. A thrush sang beautifully in the distant, and the heavy smell of wood filled her with peace. When everything else was falling to pieces, being in nature, always calmed her down. Walking across the brown carpet of dead pine needles and taking it all in, she didn't notice a pair of red eyes watching her closely.
From the other side of the clearing, Lord Voldemort took in his daughter's figure. In her black cloak, with the green and silver scarf, she resembled a young Bellatrix. Although, her brown hair was less wild, and her green eyes less volatile. She clearly didn't share her parent's bloodlust, but had a childlike faith about her. Still he found her fascinating. She was something new.
"Hello, Cora."
The sound of parseltongue made Cora turn quickly. She watched how the tall figure of her father stepped barefoot out of the shadows. Even in the daylight he looked terrifying - black garments flowing around his toned, pale body, and red eyes that tried to pierce their way into her soul.
"Hello, father." She dared to take a few steps towards him, but kept a safe distance. "Thank you for your present." Despite feeling nervous, her smile was genuine. In her week of solitude, she could honestly say she'd enjoyed reading it and getting her mind off of the rest of her life.
"You're welcome." Cora noticed how his feet barely touched the ground as he walked. Was he actually soaring on his own, or was it just an illusion? He stopped a few feet away from her, and the two of them just studied the other for a little while. "You cursed Alecto."
"Yes." Cora couldn't tell if he was proud of her or disapproved of her actions. "Was I wrong to do so?" She watched him circle around her one time, before stopping even closer and holding out his hand. She gave him the book and watched him flip through some of the pages.
"Try this." He pointed to one of the many spells that only had a name, but no description of what it did. He watched his daughter bite her lip as she read the instructions carefully, swished her wand wordlessly and then looked up at him. "Trust me."
Cora's mind raised faster than the Golden Snitch, but she didn't dare to do other than what he told her. She gave a small, but resolute nod. Her father stepped out of the way, standing next to her. "Go."
"Lumis Woodrem," she spoke clearly and cast the spell ahead of her. A large bolt of light went out of her wand and blasted through the forest, creating a tunnel several yards ahead of them. The round tunnel stood for a couple of seconds before tree after tree came crashing down. "Whoa.."
Cora looked excited up at her father. He was smiling. For a moment he looked almost normal.
"Another?"
"Yes!" Cora didn't have to wait long, before he pointed to another spell. This one was more difficult, and also without a description, but she was intent on managing this one as well.
Wordlessly she waved her wand, but this time he wrapped his hand around hers and corrected her. When he was satisfied he gave her the order to cast it.
"Woodrem Levitate," Cora spoke firmly and cast the spell the way he had shown her. For a moment nothing seemed to happen, but she could feel the force pulling out of her wand. When she lifted it slightly she heard loud cracking. The trees that were still standing after her last spell, now lifted from the ground, as if a giant was picking them up like flowers.
She held them up in the air, and her father continued. "Pina expulsi."
She repeated his words, and the trees immediately turned into razor sharp needles. When she waved her wand to the left, the needles forced their way into the other trees, leaving them looking like pin cushions.
"Creative." Cora smiled impressed. "What else do you got?" Voldemort's eyes glimmered at her blunt question, but he didn't seem to mind. With everybody else cowering at his feet, it was a nice respite to have his daughter show a childlike joy at his invention.
"Plenty, my dear."
The next hour he taught her advanced transfiguration spells, showing her how the simplest thing in nature could be used as a weapon. It wasn't hard to tell that Transfiguration was one of her favorite subjects. The smile on her face, as she excelled further and further into his spells, said more than a library.
"How did you come up with all of these?" Cora was almost out of breath. She wiped the sweat of her forehead, put away her wand and sat down on a tree log. The clearing now looked like a war zone.
"I simply thought - what if." He sat down next to her, and tilted his head slightly to one side. It hadn't taken Cora long to understand that he preferred they spoke in parseltongue. She wondered silently if he was aware of how much his body language resembled a snake's.
"I like that - what if." Cora smiled and looked down on the brown leather book in her lap. Of all the gifts she'd ever received, this was definitely the most interesting one. She flipped through it and landed on a page about her forefather, Salazar Slytherin. "Any family secrets I should know about?" It was meant as a joke, but she hoped he would reveal something new to her.
"Next time, perhaps." His eyes became piercing again. Something about her question hadn't sat right with him, but she couldn't understand why. Perhaps it had something to do with the Sword of Gryffindor.
"Ok." She kept the question to herself, and thought for a second about a way to lighten the mood again. "Perhaps then you could teach me how to pretend like I'm walking above the ground?"
"Who said I'm pretending?" He gave her a mischievous smile.
Cora's eyes widened, as did her smile. So he was flying!
"Before I take my leave of you," he stood from the log and Cora followed him. He walked her back to the end of the forest, where the green grass began. She waited patiently for him to continue. When he did, her vains turned ice cold. "Draco has become a nuance to me. Should he fail me again, neither you nor Severus will be able to save him. Tell him that."
Cora swallowed hard, nodded and then accepted his light kiss on her forehead. The butterfly kiss was the most loving gesture he had given her in the two years they had known each other.
Despite the cold words that came along with it, she would savor the feeling forever. Maybe some part of him was capable of love, after all.
"Try not to torture more of my Death Eaters until the next time we meet."
"I'll try." She chuckled nervously and watched him apparate away from the school grounds. For a moment she remained frozen in her place.
What just happened?
Had she just spent an afternoon with her father, having fun? Was this a weird dream, or did it actually happen?
Shaking her head, trying to put the pieces together, she suddenly remembered that she had completely forgotten to ask about the annulment. Damn it.
How was she supposed to explain it to Severus? That they were going to remain married, for at least another week?
Her stomach growled loudly. Magical practices had never made her so hungry before. Letting the matter of her husband slide, she walked with a newfound confidence back to the castle. She doubted any of her classmates had been taught anything near the advanced magic her father had just taught her.
Because of her good mood, she decided to eat in the Dining Hall, like the day before. She would have a little chat with Draco and see how things were going. That would surely get Daphne off her back, and perhaps get them on friendly terms again.
Feeling her spirits lift by seeing her cousin at the Slytherin table, she was about to walk through the entrance of the Dining Hall, but her way was suddenly blocked.
Severus towered over her like a dark shadow. His jaw was clenched and eyes like the abyss.
"Let's have dinner at home tonight." It wasn't a question, or something to be argued with.
Cora felt an urge to try out one of her new spells on him, for dampening her good mood. When her stomach growled again, however, she decided not to.
"Ok." It was all she managed to get out, before he walked past her and lead the way towards their home. She rolled her eyes at his dramatic flare and hurried to keep up.
Maybe he had finally decided to poison her and get their farce of a marriage over with.
--
Author's Note:
Dear reader,
Thank you for following my story so far. I'm going to take a little break and post less regularly this summer, but the story is by no means abandoned.
Wherever you are - have a great summer time!
Kiss of spring