Snape finds part of his family in the kitchen prepairing supper, and the other part sitting in the dining room waiting for him. He is warmly greeted, with kisses and pats on the back, and his appetite is stirred by the aroma of the cooking food. He wasn't hungry when he arrived, but now, he is ravenous. "What is that?" he asks Therion, who is crushing chilies, and the wizard flashes a wicked grin. "I hope you like it hot, Severus. It's Szechuan chicken, Master Han gave Remus the recipe this afternoon." He watches Therion, Malfoy and Layne deftly and gracefully working together, Malfoy cutting the chicken and Layne cutting the vegetables. On the counter out of the way is an unusually-shaped bottle that catches Snape's eye.
He sees no label on it. "That's Shao Xing rice wine," Remus says as he enters the kitchen, "it's from Master Han's private stock. "It's for the sauce," Layne says as he glances back at Snape with a crooked, impish grin. Snape's a little confused; Malfoy greeted him first, with a tender kiss, before anyone else knew he was home, and yet, the fair wizard has not spoken to him. Everyone seems suspiciously happy, as if they're all hiding something, and Elsbet has not come out to see him yet. "Els doesn't like spicy," he says softly and Malfoy nods just slightly. He indicates a dish of sliced chicken and shrimp marinating in a special sauce, as well as her own dish of sliced veggies. Malfoy smiles just a little, but doesn't actually look at Snape.
The Dark wizard thinks he may go slightly mad if he doesn't figure out what is going on soon. "Where is she?" he asks, and Tonks tells him she is in the bath. Quietly, he slips out of the kitchen toward the bathroom, stopping in the doorway. She is in the shallow end of the bath, her lovely hair just brushing the surface of the water. Blossoms from the house tree fall gently down upon her and melt in her damp hair, and on her skin, mingling their perfume with her own natural fragrance. The branches of the tree bend and bounce with the rambunctious play of the ravens, and Snape knows they do most of the silly things they do just to make her laugh.
He rather enjoys watching it himself.
He suddenly realizes there is a third bird in the tree, and it is not one he is acquainted with. It is a small bird, grey in color, and Loki seems quite taken with it, and likewise as well. Snape's Beauty reaches up to the bird, who touches her fingertips with its black beak, almost as if kissing them. He notices something odd about the bird, and just when he's about to say something, Elsbet looks back at him. His breath catches in his throat and his heart skips a beat. She is so very beautiful to him, but then, she always has been. How did he become so fortunate? Elsbet and Malfoy, his treasured lovers; Therion, Layne, Remus and Tonks, his equally treasured friends. The ravens, the Silhouettes, and all of the other remarkable individuals who have, in one way or another, made his life livable.
He honestly wishes he could tell Dumbledore that he was right about him.
His Elf maiden smiles at him and his heart melts, just like the blossoms. She blushes and giggles and he knows she is healed. She is whole. He has the incredible urge to strip down and slip into the bath with her, but the aroma of a magnificent meal is wafting in to the bathroom, and one hunger does battle with another. "That smells exquisite," she says and he feels a thrill rush through him as she steps up out of the bath. It wouldn't take much for him to forget about supper. He accio's a towel for her as she comes to his arms, and as he wraps her in it she wraps her arms around him. "Do you know how much I love you?" she asks him softly, and his lips tremble a bit when he kisses her. "As much as I love you," he tells her, then asks her if he may dress her.
She reaches up and caresses his face and tells him she would be honored. "My love," says he, "the honor is mine." He slips out of the bathroom and is gone but just a moment. When he returns, he has the beautiful blue dress Irene gave her, what seems so long ago. "I have never seen this on you..." he says softly and sits down on the bench. She steps forward and lifts up her arms, and he whispers a spell to dry her hair as he slides the dress down over her head. Even before he laces up the bodice, he can tell it's a stunner; the handwork the seamstress did is simply phenominal. He almost hates to lace it up; he thinks he could sit and gaze at her breasts peeking out of the "V" of the bodice for hours.
Actually, he couldn't, not for more than a few minutes, because he would have to touch. Then taste...
Speaking of taste, he reminds himself, there's Layne, calling them to supper. He sighs as he finally ties up the laces, then sits back on the bench. She fidgets and laughs under the weight of his gaze and he brushes the hair out of her face. She looks back at him and he has a hundred things to ask her, but he limits it to just one; the rest can wait. "So, who is our new little friend?" Elsbet looks back at the birds to find them looking quizzically at her. She extends her hand to them and happily they glide from the tree to the bench, with Loki and Cambion landing beside Snape. The other bird rests in Elsbet's open hands.
She Wisakedjak, Cambion thinks and Elsbet laughs. "No, sweetie," she says, "her name is Whiskey Jack." Snape looks at the bird and finds a familiar brilliance in the black eye she has turned to him. But when she looks to see Layne in the doorway, Snape actually gasps. The side of her head she had at first turned away from him is slightly misshapen. There is no eye, nor any sign that there has ever been one on that side. "What happend to her?" he asks, and Loki thinks, her Ma throw 'way, cat find, bring here. Snape looks down at his little one. "A cat found her and brought her here?" Elsbet nods. "Yes, that's what Rain told me. The Silhouettes tried to create an eye for her, but...all they could do was heal the injuries caused when she hit the ground." Elsbet sits Whiskey Jack on the bench beside Loki, then washes up for their meal and Snape does the same.
Layne asks, "what kind of bird is she? I've never seen one quite like her before." Elsbet grins, drying her hands. "She's a Grey Jay." Snape replaces the towels, brow raised. "That is an American bird," he says, "found commonly in...Arizona..." Layne looks at Elsbet for a moment then says, "where you were born." She shrugs slightly and nods. "Yes," she says quietly as they enter the dining room, "and I can't seem to get a straight answer from anyone how the cat got her here, who the cat was, or where the cat is now." "How about why the cat didn't eat her," Therion chimes in and Elsbet nods. "Or that either," she says as she sits down at the table.
As the dishes are brought out to the table and everyone is seated, Therion and Layne exchange glances. "You know," Layne says, "as I recall, there was a rather disreputable merchant in the Muggle village a few years ago who specialized in foreign-caught animals for her companion trade. Maybe Whiskey Jack's parents were a part of that." Remus nods as he dishes up his meal and says as he hands the platter to Tonks, "perhaps the cat was as well." Elsbet smiles up at Malfoy as he serves her her specially-made meal, then says quietly as she unfolds her napkin, "the cat could have come from there; Felda wasn't the only illegal merchant in Elsewhere." Therion, while portioning out a little of the fish he picked up for the birds, pauses for a moment at the mention of the name. "It's been ages since that name has been used, I think."
Elsbet ignores everyone's questioning looks until Therion feeds their hungry friends and sits down at the table. "Someone I met in the Shaded Court told me that was what they called the Muggle village before..." she looks around at her loved ones and pushes her fork around a bit, then picks it up and says, "well, a long time ago." It's not a topic she wants at the supper table; they're together and safe, it's a lovely meal, and she feels much better than she did earlier, so they should all be happy. "Anyway, if it's alright, Whiskey Jack would like to live with us. She's never had a real family, and when Cambion told her about us, she wanted the same comfort, so we brought her with us."
Snape is not about to turn a bird away without reason. "Of course she can stay. Did you think I would say no?" he asks, and Layne chuckles. "Well, we didn't just want to assume," he says, and Snape eyes him for a moment. There is a flicker of silent communication between them, then Snape says, "if I wanted to be alone, I would be. And if I need private time, I can get it." There's just enough snark in his tone to make Elsbet giggle, and everyone relaxes. "On the topic of birds," Tonks interjects while there's a second, "this afternoon, Master Han took us to meet a wandmaker who says he would be honored to make a wand for Loki." Snape is delighted at the prospect of his Familiar finally learning magic properly, and the fact that Remus will be Loki's teacher is more than just a comfort.
It's an assurance that his precious raven will be taught by someone who will take the time to understand the little bird, and see that all his needs are met.
As they chat about how their day has gone, Snape muses to himself that Layne actually worried that they would be imposing by having another in the house. These few choice individuals are far from an imposition.
He sees no label on it. "That's Shao Xing rice wine," Remus says as he enters the kitchen, "it's from Master Han's private stock. "It's for the sauce," Layne says as he glances back at Snape with a crooked, impish grin. Snape's a little confused; Malfoy greeted him first, with a tender kiss, before anyone else knew he was home, and yet, the fair wizard has not spoken to him. Everyone seems suspiciously happy, as if they're all hiding something, and Elsbet has not come out to see him yet. "Els doesn't like spicy," he says softly and Malfoy nods just slightly. He indicates a dish of sliced chicken and shrimp marinating in a special sauce, as well as her own dish of sliced veggies. Malfoy smiles just a little, but doesn't actually look at Snape.
The Dark wizard thinks he may go slightly mad if he doesn't figure out what is going on soon. "Where is she?" he asks, and Tonks tells him she is in the bath. Quietly, he slips out of the kitchen toward the bathroom, stopping in the doorway. She is in the shallow end of the bath, her lovely hair just brushing the surface of the water. Blossoms from the house tree fall gently down upon her and melt in her damp hair, and on her skin, mingling their perfume with her own natural fragrance. The branches of the tree bend and bounce with the rambunctious play of the ravens, and Snape knows they do most of the silly things they do just to make her laugh.
He rather enjoys watching it himself.
He suddenly realizes there is a third bird in the tree, and it is not one he is acquainted with. It is a small bird, grey in color, and Loki seems quite taken with it, and likewise as well. Snape's Beauty reaches up to the bird, who touches her fingertips with its black beak, almost as if kissing them. He notices something odd about the bird, and just when he's about to say something, Elsbet looks back at him. His breath catches in his throat and his heart skips a beat. She is so very beautiful to him, but then, she always has been. How did he become so fortunate? Elsbet and Malfoy, his treasured lovers; Therion, Layne, Remus and Tonks, his equally treasured friends. The ravens, the Silhouettes, and all of the other remarkable individuals who have, in one way or another, made his life livable.
He honestly wishes he could tell Dumbledore that he was right about him.
His Elf maiden smiles at him and his heart melts, just like the blossoms. She blushes and giggles and he knows she is healed. She is whole. He has the incredible urge to strip down and slip into the bath with her, but the aroma of a magnificent meal is wafting in to the bathroom, and one hunger does battle with another. "That smells exquisite," she says and he feels a thrill rush through him as she steps up out of the bath. It wouldn't take much for him to forget about supper. He accio's a towel for her as she comes to his arms, and as he wraps her in it she wraps her arms around him. "Do you know how much I love you?" she asks him softly, and his lips tremble a bit when he kisses her. "As much as I love you," he tells her, then asks her if he may dress her.
She reaches up and caresses his face and tells him she would be honored. "My love," says he, "the honor is mine." He slips out of the bathroom and is gone but just a moment. When he returns, he has the beautiful blue dress Irene gave her, what seems so long ago. "I have never seen this on you..." he says softly and sits down on the bench. She steps forward and lifts up her arms, and he whispers a spell to dry her hair as he slides the dress down over her head. Even before he laces up the bodice, he can tell it's a stunner; the handwork the seamstress did is simply phenominal. He almost hates to lace it up; he thinks he could sit and gaze at her breasts peeking out of the "V" of the bodice for hours.
Actually, he couldn't, not for more than a few minutes, because he would have to touch. Then taste...
Speaking of taste, he reminds himself, there's Layne, calling them to supper. He sighs as he finally ties up the laces, then sits back on the bench. She fidgets and laughs under the weight of his gaze and he brushes the hair out of her face. She looks back at him and he has a hundred things to ask her, but he limits it to just one; the rest can wait. "So, who is our new little friend?" Elsbet looks back at the birds to find them looking quizzically at her. She extends her hand to them and happily they glide from the tree to the bench, with Loki and Cambion landing beside Snape. The other bird rests in Elsbet's open hands.
She Wisakedjak, Cambion thinks and Elsbet laughs. "No, sweetie," she says, "her name is Whiskey Jack." Snape looks at the bird and finds a familiar brilliance in the black eye she has turned to him. But when she looks to see Layne in the doorway, Snape actually gasps. The side of her head she had at first turned away from him is slightly misshapen. There is no eye, nor any sign that there has ever been one on that side. "What happend to her?" he asks, and Loki thinks, her Ma throw 'way, cat find, bring here. Snape looks down at his little one. "A cat found her and brought her here?" Elsbet nods. "Yes, that's what Rain told me. The Silhouettes tried to create an eye for her, but...all they could do was heal the injuries caused when she hit the ground." Elsbet sits Whiskey Jack on the bench beside Loki, then washes up for their meal and Snape does the same.
Layne asks, "what kind of bird is she? I've never seen one quite like her before." Elsbet grins, drying her hands. "She's a Grey Jay." Snape replaces the towels, brow raised. "That is an American bird," he says, "found commonly in...Arizona..." Layne looks at Elsbet for a moment then says, "where you were born." She shrugs slightly and nods. "Yes," she says quietly as they enter the dining room, "and I can't seem to get a straight answer from anyone how the cat got her here, who the cat was, or where the cat is now." "How about why the cat didn't eat her," Therion chimes in and Elsbet nods. "Or that either," she says as she sits down at the table.
As the dishes are brought out to the table and everyone is seated, Therion and Layne exchange glances. "You know," Layne says, "as I recall, there was a rather disreputable merchant in the Muggle village a few years ago who specialized in foreign-caught animals for her companion trade. Maybe Whiskey Jack's parents were a part of that." Remus nods as he dishes up his meal and says as he hands the platter to Tonks, "perhaps the cat was as well." Elsbet smiles up at Malfoy as he serves her her specially-made meal, then says quietly as she unfolds her napkin, "the cat could have come from there; Felda wasn't the only illegal merchant in Elsewhere." Therion, while portioning out a little of the fish he picked up for the birds, pauses for a moment at the mention of the name. "It's been ages since that name has been used, I think."
Elsbet ignores everyone's questioning looks until Therion feeds their hungry friends and sits down at the table. "Someone I met in the Shaded Court told me that was what they called the Muggle village before..." she looks around at her loved ones and pushes her fork around a bit, then picks it up and says, "well, a long time ago." It's not a topic she wants at the supper table; they're together and safe, it's a lovely meal, and she feels much better than she did earlier, so they should all be happy. "Anyway, if it's alright, Whiskey Jack would like to live with us. She's never had a real family, and when Cambion told her about us, she wanted the same comfort, so we brought her with us."
Snape is not about to turn a bird away without reason. "Of course she can stay. Did you think I would say no?" he asks, and Layne chuckles. "Well, we didn't just want to assume," he says, and Snape eyes him for a moment. There is a flicker of silent communication between them, then Snape says, "if I wanted to be alone, I would be. And if I need private time, I can get it." There's just enough snark in his tone to make Elsbet giggle, and everyone relaxes. "On the topic of birds," Tonks interjects while there's a second, "this afternoon, Master Han took us to meet a wandmaker who says he would be honored to make a wand for Loki." Snape is delighted at the prospect of his Familiar finally learning magic properly, and the fact that Remus will be Loki's teacher is more than just a comfort.
It's an assurance that his precious raven will be taught by someone who will take the time to understand the little bird, and see that all his needs are met.
As they chat about how their day has gone, Snape muses to himself that Layne actually worried that they would be imposing by having another in the house. These few choice individuals are far from an imposition.
Whiskey Jack
