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It was winter at Hogwarts. Not that anyone could tell down in the dungeons, with it being perpetually dark and gloomy all year round. Plus, professor Snape had spelled some type of heater system into his potions classroom, and the temperature was always at a moderate 18°c. Despite that, the professors glares were infinitely more icy than any snow.
And lucky Longbottom was on the receiving end of yet another one.
The second year Gryffindors and Slytherins had been learning about mallowsweet and Dittany leaves, the latter which they were attempting to brew a concoction of. Their quills scratched feverously against parchment as they wrote down all that left Professor Snapes mouth.
He'd repeatedly cautioned the students to add the horklump juice after the lacewing flies, and in no circumstances should they be added before. But poor Neville, who Snape feared was illiterate, had gone and done what he wasn't meant to. And now his cauldron was bubbling ominously and letting out a rather horrid rotten-egg smell.
Neville screwed his eyes shut as he felt a cold chill envelop him. Then there was the deafening click-clack of steps approaching and stopping on his right.
"Mr Longbottom." Snapes voice was frighteningly soft in a faux-calm sort of way. "What on earth is this?"
"A— a wiggenweld potion." Neville stuttered out. "Sir."
"I would have assumed so since that is what you were supposed to be brewing. However, whatever is in your cauldron is in no way wiggenweld."
"Sorry, sir."
"A sorry is not good enough, Longbottom. I fail to see how you have trouble following the simplest instructions." Snapes voice was laced with anger now, his brows furrowing so hard they looked like a single long strip of hair.
"Any respectable wizard would be able to brew a decent wiggenweld by the time they're seven. And yet you can't manage."
Neville simply remained silent.
"Pray tell, do you have any idea as to what you've done wrong?"
The Slytherins had started snickering behind their backs and Neville's face was burning red at this point. It seemed being verbally lashed was very entertaining for outsiders to watch.
"I—I'm sorry sir. I added the lacewing flies first."
"After I repeatedly said not to?"
Neville nodded solemnly.
Snape tsked as he magicked the potion away. "Start again. If i do not have a finished potion by the end of class you'll be having detention with Filch for the next month."
The potions professor continued on with a sour look on his face. His sneer deepened as a series of knocks came from the heavy doors, followed by the squeak of it opening.
"Come now Severus, don't scare the boy." A voice called out. Snape whirled around. Standing there, in the doorway, was a oddly clad witch with a scowl on her face. Neville gulped. He sure hoped she knew how to use a wand, because it was more likely for Malfoy to grovel and apologise than for Snape to let someone interrupt his class without severe repercussions.
However instead of a hex or god forbid, an unforgivable, snape simply threw the witch a scowl of his own, crossing his arms over his chest in a similar manner to her.
"What are you doing here?" He grumbled out, making his way back towards the desk.
However, the witch, being closer, got there before him and sat herself down on his chair.
A series of gasps rippled through the entire class.
"Would you believe me if I said I missed you?"
Snape simply turned and stood near the desk. Yes, he looked angry, but not any more than normal. In fact he seemed a tad more relaxed. No... that couldn't be. Neville was probably reading his wrong.
Severus didn't respond to her question. Instead he turned to the class, his glare as vicious as ever. "Stop gawking. If any one of you blow your cauldrons up, you'll be joining Longbottom in scrubbing them all!"
The venom-laced threat managed to knock them out their stupor, and the sound of chopping was back. However, it did not in any way exstinguish the flame of curiosity. Every single student had their ears peeled and not a single one of them spoke a word.
"As strict as ever, I see" the mystery lady said.
"They are adamant on being as sharp as a trolls club." Snape said, his lips turning down.
Neville flushed a little.
"Even Dumbledors bound to make a mistake with a damn basilisk breathing down his neck."
"Oh please." Snape rolled his eyes. He sighed deeply. "Kara, why are you really here?"
"I just missed you so so much and I couldn't bear another—"
"Spare me your theatrics." He cut in with a snarl. "Why are you here, in my classroom, while I'm teaching. Its quite unprofessional, and not to mention, highly disruptive."
"Ah," her grin grew. "I was merely checking up on my future students."
Kata giggled at the slack jawed expression on Severus' face.
"It seems your complaints about overworking finally had Dumbledor intervene. Who better to help than another Snape?"
"You cannot be serious."
"Another snape?!" A particularly brave Gryffindor squealed? His face was slightly pale and his lips seemed to be trembling. Neville himself was in a similar state—he couldn't deal with one Snape, whatever would he do with two?!
Severus scoffed out a "Five points from Gryffindor." at the same time the stranger— Kara, as Snape called her— said "Five points to Gryffindor."
"Now, now Severus. This is why they're all doing so horribly. Whatever can they get done when you shut down their curiosity like that?"
"There's a difference between useful curiosity and the rattish reporter snooping."
"Well either way, you did plenty of that when you were a student. Seems a bit hypocritical to me." That got a series of whispers. Whoever this was knew the professor as a student??
All of a sudden, the lady barked out a laugh. "Oh they're salivating. Well, I'm feeling generous, so ask away children!"
The second part was aimed towards them, and almost instantly every hand in the class shot up.
Despite Snape turning his eyes to them, nobody faltered.
The oddly clad lady roved her eyes over the room before landing on a meek doe like girl. "Yes, Miss Lorelai?"
At that, the girl gasped. "You— you know my name?"
"Yes, of course. Sev here, such a darling he is really, constantly speaks of you all. If I recall correctly, he was very impressed by your recent essay on Mandrakes."
The entire class whipped their heads to their Potions professor, who simply stood with his face turned away. He looked angrier than ever, but the red tinge of his ear peeking from behind his hair was unmistakable.
After a few moments of gaping at the odd picture, the girl— Alba Lorelei, 3rd year Gryffindor student— asked her question.
"Uhm. What are we to call you?"
"Well, my dear, I am Katherine Snape," she said cheerfully, "you may call me Mrs Snape."
"A–are you Professor Snapes' sister?" Another student spoke up.
Kara blinked. "No. no, I married into the family."
There were a series of whispers.
"Are you the Professors sister in law?" A gaunt faced Slytherin squeaked, after a few seconds.
"Not quite, no." Kara shook her head.
"A cousin?" Another piped up.
That got a shrill laugh from the woman. Typical of them to completely disregard the fact that Severus could be her spouse. Though, to be fair, it was quite unbelievable. Clearly, they would refuse to accept it unless outright stated.
"I'm married to him" Mrs Snape said, pointing to the Professor who had been rendered mute. If he hadn't thrown insults at Neville when he nearly dropped a jar of Lacewing flies, one might've assumed Polyjuice potion to be involved.
The room was utterly silent.
"What possessed you to do that?" Severus muttered, his previous pink complexion now a stark white, teetering on green. At this point, who even needed Christmas lights.
His words broke the dam and the entire room exploded.
A group of Slytherins, abandoning all manner of decorum, jumped in surprise and managed to spill some of their potions onto the cobbled floor.
"No way—"
"—believe that he's actually—"
"TO HER?!"
"What!?"
Snape closed his eyes for a fraction. "Silence!" He snapped.
Normally, that specific word could render even a mermaid silent. Now though, there were still a few murmurs here and there.
Snape quickly raised his wand to clean up the spill before situating himself more comfortably on the desk. It didn't look like his wife (his wife!!!) was moving anytime soon
Kara leaned closer, lowering her voice so only he could hear. "Look at them all so excited. Isn't it just wonderful!?"
“not at all,” Snape hissed back, barely moving his lips. “they'll just become more infuriating than ever now.”
“you're just mad your reputation as a dark gloomy professor is cracking” she chirped.
"And what if I am. It took years to build it up until I got this level of respect."
"Oh please, they're terrified of you. That's hardly a way to be, and you know it."
Snape merely grumbled, not deigning to respond.
The hands began shooting up again.
Snape turned, clearly intending to spit some hex at them.
Kara, of course, did not. “Yes, you there!” she said, pointing to a Slytherin boy in the front row.
"How long have you been married?"
"That is entirely irrelevant—”
"About six years!" Kara chirped "though we've known each other for forever, it feels like much longer."
Snape sighed as he crossed his legs at the ankles. He might as well let her have her fun. The damage was already done, anyways. Another hand. "Does the Headmaster know?"
"I should hope so— he was at the wedding." Kara said. "He even gave a speech, didn't he?"
"There was a wedding!!?"
It was Severus who replied, whipping his head to face the student, who gulped at the intensity of his glare. "Yes, of course there was a wedding. An uneventful, private one, that is completely and utterly irrelevant to you and your studies. You will find it in your best interest to drop these silly questions, or I—"
"Uneventful!?" Kara placed a hand to her heart. "We had a duel!"
Snapes eyebrows dipped quizzically. "What?"
"Don't try it. You're just mad I won."
"What on earth are you talking about? Have you gone mad?" His face was screwed up in a funny type of way. He seemed genuinely concerned.
"If you want a rematch, just ask."
He scoffed at that. "We both know there's no need."
"Because I'd win."
"You wouldn't."
"Would to."
"I am not doing this. Especially not Infront if these little dunderheads" at that he turned towards the students. "Who should be doing their work. Times nearly up and I don't see a single vial." His lips curled up into a predatory grin. "You know what that means, don't you?"
Neville shivered and like every other student, went straight back to working on his potion. He'd just have to try his best to multitask.
"They were enjoying themselves,” Kara remarked lightly.
“At my expense,” Snape replied, exhaling through his nose. “Katherine, this is a lesson. They are not here to enjoy themselves.”
Kara tilted her head.
“Seems rather dreadful, that.”
Snape simply sighed before raising his brows as he looked over her ridiculous outfit. "What on earth are you wearing?"
It was a totally valid question. Even by magical standards, her outfit was absolutely bizarre.
She wore a long green patchworked dress that ended right at her ankles and a matching leather belt. Decorating her slim fingers were dozens of rings, varying in sizes and style– all mixed up and seemingly put on her hand without care for aesthetics.
The shoes were absolutely horrendous little things, somehow a mix of every colour to ever exist and with heels 4 inches tall. Around her neck was a scarf that looked like a snake-fox hybrid and was enchanted to slither about. The hat was the worst of it all though: It was old, filled with holes and huge–at least half her height, and if the castle hadn't been built as if it were made for trolls, there was no doubt it would hit the ceiling. It curved to the right, sagging with the weight of the blinging tassels attached to the weathered tip. Like her scarf, it seemed to be alive, twisting and turning.
"I thought I should make a lasting impression on the students." She pressed her fingers to her chin in mock-thought. "Plus, you having married a crazy witch seems like a much more invigorating rumour."
"I see." Snape noted dryly as he leaned further into the desk as an attempt to keep their conversation silent.
"Were— were you serious? About coming to teach here?"
"Am I one to joke of such things."
Severus shook his head. "Its just...it seems quite sudden. Are you quite sure you'd like it? I know you really wanted to go to France for—"
"Oh hush. I'm not doing this for you if that's what you're worried about. I mean— it is nice that ill be working with you, but i genuinely want this. Don't think im forcing myself to do this."
Snape huffed. "Silly me. Nobody can make you do something you wouldn't want to."
"Not even you." She grinned.
"No, not even me." His own lips turned up into a smile— a genuine normal smile. one the children had never seen before. And sure enough, it got quite a reaction.
Severus glanced to the clock. It was nearing the end of the lesson. He straightened and called attention to himself with a clearing of his throat. “Your potions will be left on your desks for evaluation. Any student who has deviated from the instructions will receive the appropriate consequences.” His gaze flicked, almost involuntarily, to Neville’s cauldron. Then he took out his wand and writing began appearing on the board.
“You will write a six-inch essay on the properties of mallowsweet infusion, to be handed in at the beginning of next lesson. Any attempt at embellishment will be penalised.”
A collective groan rose, and was immediately cut off by his glare.
“You are dismissed.”
The usual hustle and hustle of packing up followed as the students languidly gathered their things in an unusually slow pace. Many lingered just long enough to steal a couple of glances at the seated witch, a couple even received waves in return.
When the classroom had been emptied, kara leaned forward to press a chaste kiss to her husband's cheek. "That wasn't so bad now, was it?"
Snape groaned. He was dreading the increase in whispers and glances over the next few days, if not weeks. The rumour mill in Hogwarts was quite something. Even the teachers couldn't be trusted to act like adults.
But to Karas question, he just shook his head. "No, not so bad."
"Mhm. Well, would you like to join me for dinner, my dear, sweet husband." Kara stuck here hand out with a sly grin.
"I would love to, dear." Snape placed his palm in hers.
"Great! I made a reservation earlier, so we better hurry up. We need to get there..." she glanced at the clock. "15 minutes! Would you look at that." Typical. Her time management was horrible. Severus feared she'd turn up late to classes more than her students once she started teaching. "Yes, we best get moving. We can clean up later."
"We? But I've just arrived. I've got jet lag."
"You apparated." Snape pointed out.
"Pshh. Be a gentleman."
"I am the epitome of gentleness." Snape harrumphed. He'd gotten up from the desk and together with Kara, they were nearing the door.
"Wait a moment" he said. "Arbt you going to change?"
"Hm?" Kara looked down at herself. "Oh yes. Well, I quite like this look. I've decided to test it out for a little while longer."
Snape smiled as he lead Kara out the door, clicking it shut. "If you say so, dear. If you say so."