Crossing the Continent

Disclaimer: Except for OCs, the characters here and the world they inhabit are the creation and property of JK Rowling.

As Katherine Snape was handed up onto the step of the train at Victoria Station, she had the sense that she was stepping into a different world. It wasn't just the elegant rail carriage she was boarding. It was the feeling of freedom. Once on this train she would be away from London and the troubles that kept her trapped in her apartment. On the Continent she would be able to come and go as she pleased.

Katherine's husband followed his wife's cloaked figure onto the train with a sense of relief. He hated seeing her so sad when he had to leave her at home, and he wearied of the worries he felt about her. They would need to find out about the danger that threatened them, but for now they would simply enjoy a time away from that.

Together the Snapes looked through the carriage for their places and glanced at each other like school children on a holiday. A steward beckoned them to a pair of seats and took their cloaks. They sat and placed their order for brunch, barely noticing as the train slipped out of the station.

"I've never looked so forward to a train journey since my first time on the Hogwarts Express," said Katherine.

"I can't remember being so excited about a trip myself," Severus replied.

The champagne arrived and they toasted each other. Katherine had barely tasted hers when Severus snatched the glass from her hand. "You can't drink that."

She looked at him, affronted, and then giggled. "No, I don't suppose I should."

He put an arm around her. "What am I to do with you?"

"I can think of a great many things," she said helpfully.

"How many of them can we do in a parlor car of a train?" he asked.

"Hm, I see the difficulty," she responded.

Their brunch came. Severus exchanged Katherine's champagne flute for a juice glass and they ate well. Pastries and fruit disappeared until Katherine waved off the waiter. "I can't take any more," she said. She went in search of the Ladies' and came back a few minutes later.

"That was exhausting," she informed her husband.

"How so?"

"Once I got there, I met a woman who was an honorable, or the daughter of one, or some such thing. She proceeded to explain everything about the trip, including the part that goes over the channel. She told me I'm far too frail to be a good sailor."

"I think you'll be fine and if you aren't, I have a potion," said her husband.

"You're too good for me."

"I hope I'm good enough."

They spent several hours reading the Muggle papers and laughing at the odd pictures and stories. Severus read the financial items in the same tone of voice he used to teach Potions, and Katherine pretended to swoon. After a foray to the gift shop, she returned with a European copy of USA Today and proceeded to read stories from the United States using the broadest American accent she could muster, which was difficult due to her giggles.

"I can't account for your behavior," Severus said.

"I can't either," she answered. "This is the happiest I've ever been in my life, I think. I'm just delighted to be here with you, without a care in the world."

He leaned toward her and kissed her then, to the dismay of the honorable or daughter of one, who happened past at that moment. Neither Severus nor Katherine noticed, however. They were too interested in each other to consider the aghast faces that passed by their seats.

It was soon time to cross the English Channel, and after getting settled, Severus pulled his wife close and told her to sleep. She didn't argue long because dinner would be late in the evening.

They stepped onto the rail car in France and entered a different era. They arrived in their cabin and were encouraged to dress for dinner. Katherine was starting to find some of her dress robes to be a bit snug, but had a few for the trip with an empire waistline. The golden robe she wore tonight was snug above the waistline, but the appreciative look in her husband's eyes convinced her that it wasn't uncomfortable. He wore a tuxedo, and she cast some appreciative looks of her own. Their steward directed them to the bar car, where they were shown to a table.

A familiar voice greeted them. "Look who's here!"

Katherine turned and saw her uncle at the next table. She looked in dismay at her husband as Sonny directed the waiter to change them to a table for four. If Katherine was dismayed at first, she was completely floored to see who accompanied him.

"Why, Silvia, I never imagined I would see you, here..." Katherine didn't know what to say. Her only hint to Severus's thoughts were in the stiffness of his lips as he pressed them just over her ear after seating her.

The other witch was at her most charming. "It was the craziest thing. I ran into Sonny at Diagon Alley, and we stopped to have coffee together. I mentioned that I had always longed to take this particular trip, and he asked if I was available this week. I have at least a week due me from the Ministry... so here I am."

"Here we are," said Uncle Sonny, who seemed more smitten than Katherine could imagine. Really, he was acting like an old fool in her opinion. Severus noticed her annoyance and squeezed her hand under the table. He raised an eyebrow and looked at the other pair. Katherine relaxed.

Not much was said during dinner. The meal was prepared by well-trained chefs, but Katherine didn't get as much of it as she would have liked. She took one sip of the wine, but after her husband shook his head at her, she set the glass aside and favored her water. Her shellfish disappeared before she had a chance to eat it, and certain portions of the cheese course were apparently off limits, as well. She was starting to look forward to spending time in their cabin, but she needed to talk privately to Uncle Sonny, first.

When she quietly indicated her intentions to Severus, he replied. "That's fine. I'll just head to our room."

Once alone, Katherine rounded on her uncle. "What are you doing with that woman?"

"Isn't she adorable?" he responded. We've started keeping time together."

"She's just after your money."

"Don't worry, I've got it locked up tight for your children."

"That's not my concern."

"Isn't it?" He took her elbow and led her into the train corridor.

"Uncle Sonny!" she hissed. "You just got out of the hospital. I hate to see you tied up in a miserable situation, again."

"Don't you worry about me," he replied while patting her hand. "I'm just fine."

They stepped from one car to another and then into a corridor. A different conversation was then audible to them.

"Here we are."

"No, I want to go to my cabin. Please hurry."

"This is my cabin. It's much faster."

There was the sound of a door opening and a thud. Katherine and her uncle came around a corner and then to Katherine and Severus's cabin. The door was open, and lying on the floor was Severus. Silvia was straddling him.

"You effing slag..." Katherine's wand was out in an instant. Her Stinging Hex had the force of knocking the other witch into the closet door.

"Katherine!" said Severus. He reached his arms to Silvia.

It had to be either a jinx or a potion. Katherine decided to cast a spell and ask later. A Sleeping Charm hit her husband, and he fell back down on the floor. His jacket was askew and his tie was untied, but he was otherwise in one piece. She rounded on the diminutive Auror. "What did you think you were doing?"

"Really, Katherine, he wanted me to come into your cabin with him. He was most persuasive. Who am I to argue? I thought that perhaps he would like a change."

A sound came from low in Katherine's throat as sparks flew from the tip of her wand. She lifted her arm and pondered various spells. Uncle Sonny chuckled as he grasped Silvia's hand firmly.

"I think you had better get to your cabin, dear. I'll help Katherine get her husband into his bunk."

Sonny watched appreciatively as the witch walked down the corridor. He then chuckled some more as his niece gave him an ear full of invective. She couldn't understand how he and the other witch could be on this particular train and she blamed him. It seemed this trip, on which she had counted for over a week, was ruined.

She didn't spare her husband, either, but muttered her annoyance to him for somehow falling into the other witch's designs. For once he didn't argue, being unconscious. They put him on the lower bunk and removed his shoes and jacket. That left him in his shirt and trousers. Katherine pulled the coverlet over him and took his wand. There was no telling what spell or potion her husband was under, and she wouldn't let him leave the room until she was sure that it was no longer in effect.

Uncle Sonny pulled her into a hug, which she didn't return. "Never mind, dear. It's not so bad. You'll see." He then went out the door and down the corridor in the same direction as Silvia.

She shut the door, locked it, and sealed it magically. Then she looked at her husband and sighed. Finally, she got some pajamas out of her suitcase and prepared for bed. Tears stung her eyes as she creamed her face. She had looked forward to this trip to get her away from London and the troubles that plagued her there, but it seemed that one disagreeable part of London had followed her, at least on the train. Hopefully they would part ways at Santa Lucia Station. She kissed Severus's forehead somewhat ruefully and climbed into the top bunk. This day had started so well, but if it had to end annoyingly, at least it was over, thank the Fates.

Severus spent dinner hoping his wife wouldn't blow up at the other witch. He watched her simmering below the surface, but there was little he could do. As it was, he had difficulty keeping an eye on her plate for foods that posed potential dangers. Frustrated as his over-protectiveness made her, he knew she would be devastated if one of those minor dangers proved truly hazardous in the long run.

He sighed in relief when the end of the meal was in sight. He had lost track of his own meal, but that didn't matter. Silvia handed his glass to him, and he took a drink of the wine. It tasted a bit cloying, but finished sweeter than he remembered. It must be a different variety for the current course. The next glass was delicious. He smiled and looked at the two Katherines. The one on his right was golden, but the green one across from him was interesting in new and different ways.

The golden Katherine asked if he minded that she stay behind and speak with her uncle for a minute or two. That was fine. He needed to be with the green Katherine with the dark hair. That Katherine smiled secretly as she led him to the next train car.

They made their way to his room and she would have taken him further along the corridor, but he wanted to stop. She tugged the sleeve of his jacket, and suddenly he wasn't so sure. They argued as he fumbled with his key, and she tugged again. He pulled back as the door opened, and they fell into the room. The green Katherine fell on top of him, which was somehow all wrong. Yet he wanted her to stay right where she was.

Suddenly, the golden Katherine was there, yelling, while the other smirked from across the room. There was something wrong about this situation, but he couldn't tell what it was. He had never seen anything as entrancing as the golden witch, who glowed with anger for some reason. Yet he couldn't stop being attracted to the green one, and he put his hands out, reaching for her. She smirked in response. Then a wand was pointed at him.

He woke with a raging headache. He swore and reached for his wand but couldn't find it. It was a small space, yet comfortable enough. The rocking sensation reminded him that he was on the train. He got up and made his way to the bathroom. When he re-crossed the room, he saw the sleeping face of Katherine. He got close enough to see that her face was damp with tears.

It came back to him, then. What had Silvia put into that wine, and what would have happened if Katherine had been a bit slower to get to their room? He brushed her hair back from her face and kissed her eyelids. She opened her eyes and looked at him suspiciously.

"I thought we were going to use this bunk to store our suitcases."

She smiled and sat up. He put his hands at her waist to slide her down. He pulled her close and kissed her, holding her tight. The lower bunk was initially a tight fit for them both, but they made the most of it. With the flick of a wand, there was plenty of space for two people who were determined to be as close together as possible.

As they ate their breakfast the next morning, they discussed what to do about the interlopers who had joined them on their trip. Based upon his memories of the wine, he realized that Silvia must have slipped him a potion. He mentioned it to Katherine and was unsurprised to discover she had come to a similar conclusion.

"You spent so much time watching what I ate that she had plenty of opportunity to slip something into your glass. Was it Amortentia, you think?"

"Amortentia wouldn't have worked with you right there. This one made me see you both as Katherine. It made me desire the Katherine who gave me the potion."

"Are you sure it's out of your system?"

"Who was the Katherine with me in the bunk last night?"

She smiled and sipped her orange juice.

"That's what I thought." He smirked. "I'm quite sure."

"I can't imagine why Uncle Sonny would take up with such a money-chasing tramp. Do you think he's that lonely?" Katherine thought for a minute. "I know he's just recently gotten out of the hospital..."

"It's hard to say, but he doesn't strike me as the sort to have let being in the hospital keep him from having companionship if he wanted it."

"Severus!" Her face was surprised horror.

He smirked. "You brought it up, my dear. If he could run his organization from the fourth floor of St. Mungo's, he could probably do pretty much whatever he chose there. Because he's so astute, I'm sure that whatever is happening, he is not being taken in by that woman. Did you notice that you were just far enough behind us that Silvia had a chance to put her plan into action, but not long enough to actually carry it out? We now have certain information we would not have had, otherwise."

Katherine thought about it, but was too miffed to admit it might be the case. "Whatever scheme either or both of them are playing at, I'm not going to participate today."

They decided to stay in their cabin until the steward chased them out to switch it from a bedroom to a sitting room. They went to the boutique car and found gifts for Severus's student assistants. They bought cuff links for the young wizards and a silk scarf for Hermione.

"Do you suppose Fern and Wilbur would like these table linens?" asked Katherine, looking at the gilt monogramming.

"Make sure you get enough for Bonaparte and Josephine."

"Oh, yes."

"There's one more thing..." Severus placed a teddy bear dressed like a cabin steward with their purchases. Katherine looked at him and smiled. Her eyesight became blurry as she looked through her purse for her credit card.

They made their purchases and hid for the rest of the journey in their cabin. As soon as the train reached Venice, they disembarked and ignored the waves of Katherine's uncle. They made their way to a small, old-fashioned hotel near the local magical bureau, and hoped that they had seen the last of anyone they knew.

A/N: Thank you to Trickie Woo for beta reading!