Chapter 3
They landed just a few meters from the gates to Hogwarts. Octavia felt the nausea that seemed to wash over her, swayed for a moment and was slow to collect herself. She was gently held by her new husband's hand, but he quickly withdrew it.
Without another word, the two of them walked the narrow path from the apparition gate to the castle. When Hogwarts was visible in all its glory for the first time, Octavia stopped and looked at the castle. Severus watched as his young wife looked at his home for the first time. He could still remember his first glimpse of Hogwarts, it had been an overwhelming feeling and standing next to him had been Lily Evans.
Lily. He had thought of Lily when he had married Octavia Lestrange two hours ago. Deep down he knew it was very unfair to his young wife, but deeper down he still loved Lily Evans and Severus Snape didn't feel that was going to change anytime soon.
When he opened the large entrance portal, Octavia wanted to slip through quickly to escape the cold wind, but suddenly stopped and looked uncertainly at Snape. He quickly realised the cause of her discomfort: voices were coming from the Great Hall. It was the holidays and only a handful of students remained in the castle. They shouldn't come across anyone. He quietly closed the door and motioned for Octavia to follow quietly, hoping that they wouldn't run into any of the teaching staff or students, but before the pair could even take five steps towards the dungeons, Albus Dumbledore was standing in front of them.
‘Congratulations! Such a beautiful bride! Our Severus was really lucky! What's your name, my child?’ the headmaster began to babble and soon the entire teaching staff was standing in front of them. Octavia answered Dumbledore shyly. Clearing his throat, the Potions Master caught the attention of everyone present. He gently took his bride's cold hand in his own and announced in a loud voice: ‘May I present my wife Octavia Snape! Now if you'll excuse us, it's been a busy day!’. He then led his young wife around the group, who all looked at her curiously, as they had not heard of an engagement or anything similar and were accordingly confused when Severus introduced the young girl as his wife.
As soon as the pair reached the stairs to the dungeons, Severus released her hand quickly and it almost gave Octavia a small pang that he was no longer holding her. The corridors were cold and so the young woman shivered in her light dress while Severus explained the key mechanism for the flat and introduced her to Salazar Slytherin's painting, who scrutinised Octavia very insistently. When she finally stepped through the door, she was greeted by a surprisingly cosy flat, with a fire burning in the fireplace of the sitting room and a woollen blanket on the sofa. The walls were covered to the ceiling with shelves of books.
Severus led her through a small kitchen with a comparatively large spice rack and a spacious bathroom with a free-standing bathtub, a piece of furniture she certainly hadn't expected. Then came her room, or as Severus explained the original guest room, which would now be hers. With a brief nod, he pointed to the door opposite and explained, ‘My bedroom'. The potions laboratory was below the flat and Octavia was not allowed to enter it, therefore it was locked. After this sentence, the woman swallowed hard; the laboratory was an elementary component of her plan.
After the tour, Severus Snape left his young wife in her room: ‘You can furnish your room however you like. If you need new or different furniture, we'll take care of it. Everything else concerning our future in this arrangement will be sorted out tomorrow. Good night!’ With these words, he closed the door and disappeared. Octavia looked around the bare and somewhat lovelessly furnished room. With a soft sigh, she unpacked only the essentials and then got ready for bed. Tomorrow was another day. A day to sort out her future.