Fierce Consequences [a main character x Snape/Malfoy fan-fiction]

Chapter 71: An Unfamiliar Home

Songs for this chapter:
Pretty Boy - The Neighbourhood
No. 1 Party Anthem - Arctic Monkeys

Apparition in and out of Hogwarts was easier since the castle had been reduced to abandonment. The wards that once made such a thing a nearly impossible feat were long gone.

Still, Severus and Elora apparated side by side at the edge of the forbidden forest. It gave them a good excuse for some time alone before the inevitable events that would transpire by the end of the evening.

The chill of the air was welcome against Elora's flaming skin, erasing the final effects of her earlier high. She had taken at least three calming potions, only halted when Severus told her she was near the limit of what a witch could take in a day.

She knew that they had a plan, Draco had made that clear during her meeting with the clandestine Golden Trio. Yet, Elora couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go horribly wrong. Her hands ghosted inside the slit in her dress along her thigh, triple checking that both her wand and trusted daggers were strapped in place.

Severus's gentle hand on her back broke her out of her anxious thoughts as he guided her towards the castle. She was surprised to see how altogether normal it looked, almost as if nothing had changed and they hadn't been enduring a war for almost a year.

"Glamour charms," Severus said plainly as she studied their surroundings.

It made sense. Of course Voldemort wouldn't want the place to be in total ruins for their celebration. Bits and pieces of rubble remained, clear evidence of had once occurred, but nothing more. Still, Elora felt her stomach lurch slightly at the small stains of old blood left behind. She concluded that those were left exposed intentionally; a stark reminder of what happens to those who oppose the Dark Lord.

The battle of Hogwarts hadn't repeated itself during the Dark Lord's third rise to power, but that didn't mean that it wasn't used for meetings, ambushes, and as a familiar battleground.

"I want to go somewhere before we make our appearance in the Great Hall," he said.

Elora nodded, letting him guide her through the dusty and derelict corridors. Her heart constricted strangely when she realized they were making their way towards the dungeons. It had been over a year since she had stepped foot in the castle, the place she once so endearing called her home. But thoughts and memories shouted through her consciousness  begging to remind her why she left.

By the time they reached the pathway to Severus's old office, she was waging an internal war between nostalgia and guilt. The door was ajar, the locks blasted off in whatever battle had once occurred there. They slipped inside, the welcoming smell of parchment and ink filling their senses before they made their way into Severus's quarters.

As soon as they were inside, she heard the door shut behind her. She turned, seeing Severus walk towards her slowly with a small smile.

"I thought you could benefit from some familiarity," he said.

Elora noted that everything was exactly as she had remembered. While slightly dusty, the furniture was all in its original positions. It felt inviting and cozy, just like always. She eyed everything with a fresh set of eyes, wanting to take it all in now knowing so much more about life and the man that stood before.

Her gaze landed on a small box set on top of the fireplace mantle. She smirked, thinking of the time she had wandered into the room and found a mysterious photograph her professor had kept.

"May I?" Elora asked, gesturing to the box.

Severus smirked, apparently recalling the same memory she had. He nodded, and she gingerly reached up, taking the box from its home on the shelf. She opened it slowly, as if she was once again feeling as though she was intruding, but she let her eyes gaze over the contents.