As soon as they leave the Hall of Chronicles, the birds take wing toward the white-stone home of Brother Perdurabo. Except, that is, for Alphion. Snape watches him peel away from the flock and head north. You are not accompanying us to Ironwood? he asks Cambion's brother, and the raven replies, I tell my kin you know now. He feels Elsbet and Malfoy behind him, feels their gentle touches, and watches until the raven disappears from sight.
Severus? Malfoy thinks, resting his hand on Snape's shoulder, and the ebon-haired wizard turns slowly to his partners. There is much more to that bird than one would think, he replies, and Elsbet glances backward. What do you mean? Malfoy asks and after a minute or two of thought, Snape silently expresses doubts about Therion's earlier claim. I do not believe he and Cambion are clutch-brothers. They note that the rest of the family has paused for them to catch up, so Snape guards his thoughts as he shares them. Brothers, yes, but...Alphion posesses something Cambion lacks, something that a difference in skill and experience can not account for. Elsbet smiles at her family and squeezes Snape's hand as she thinks, and Therion does not suspect, does he? Snape sighs and meets his Elf maiden's pretty eyes. No, and neither does Cambion.
He kisses her softly, then turns to Malfoy and kisses him, which makes Therion nudge Layne. Layne looks away, grinning, trying to seem innocent, and Therion nudges him again. When Layne turns back to the copper-maned wizard, Therion kisses him, then chuckles when Layne blushes. "Come on," Remus says, himself chuckling, "before we suddenly decide to do something crazy." Tonks gives her husband a side glance. "Like what?" He shrugs slightly and tells her, "oh, I don't know...like skinny-dipping in the lake." She laughs and looks back at Elsbet, who seems to think it's a wonderful idea, as do Malfoy, Therion and Layne. "No," Snape says, his face firmly set and his mind deep in thought, "we shall not deviate from the day's plan..." he catches himself and lets a tiny smile soften his features, then finishes in a softer tone, "until later."
His brow arches and he pulls his partners closer to him, and they lace their arms around his back. They walk on a little farther, and one of Elsbet's favorite bakers approaches them with a cart filled with what is left of the morning's product. He is so happy to see them that he offers them whatever they like in his cart. Remus is thinking he's had his fill of bread for the day when he notices there are little cream cakes and other lovely items, and he finds his hand is not the only one reaching for the single pumpkin cream cake. Layne differs to him, but he tells his friend to have it. Tonks takes the chocolate one beside it and asks Layne if he likes banana cream. He tells her yes and she says, "Remus does as well. Why don't you just split them? That way you have some of both." Remus smiles and the baker laughs. "You have a smart lady there, Professor Lupin," he says, then asks Snape and Elsbet what they would like.
As Therion takes an eclair, Snape takes the large apple spiced roll and offers Elsbet half. She declines so he splits it with Malfoy, and the baker offers her the onion muffins she loves so much. "Well," she says softly, "I would really like to have the buttered loaf, up top there." She gestures to the beautiful braid of bread hanging from one of the hooks on the side of the sun shade. "It's for a very special bird," she says, looking at Malfoy, then back at the baker. "We've all had some very good bread today, and I would hate for him to miss out." Malfoy's eyes mist up a little and he tells her, "I think he will like that, Ellie. He told me this morning that he wanted some..." The baker gets the feeling that perhaps this bird friend is not well, so he does not ask, but instead wraps up the buttered loaf and places two onion muffins in the bag without Elsbet seeing.
He gives her the bag and touches her cheek, and tells her how good it is to see her again. They thank him for his kindness, and as they go their separate ways, Malfoy asks them where he is taking his cart. "To the Temple," Therion tells him, "most of the vendors and merchants do that, take their surplus to the Temple. The Brothers preserve it and place it in a Community larder, so that in times of need, people don't have to go without." They chat together about the benefits of such things, and how much good one person can do by sharing even a little. "I remember saying I would like a garden, so I could contribute," Malfoy says softly, "and...make up for...things..." Before anyone else can say anything, Remus glances at the lady at Snape's side and says, "you've already done quite a bit of that, Lucius." Malfoy doesn't meet the other wizard's gaze, but glances at Elsbet before closing his eyes tightly for a moment.
"I think Tonks and I...well, all of us, really," Remus looks around at his loved ones, "could do a great deal of good with a garden, one we could all take care of. Dora's father is pretty handy with plants. And her mother," he stops in mid-sentance as they pass under the archway of Ironwood's entrance; the Silhouette pirate Capadocius and her seven partners gaze down at them from between the mighty pillars atop the lofty stairs that lead to the front doors of Perdurabo's grand house. "Well," she says, with Loki perched happily on her shoulder, "it's about damn time ye' got here. They bin here forever," she indicates the chattering birds now hopping down the stairs to meet them. "The Old Man thinks you've gone and done somethin'...crazy..."
Severus? Malfoy thinks, resting his hand on Snape's shoulder, and the ebon-haired wizard turns slowly to his partners. There is much more to that bird than one would think, he replies, and Elsbet glances backward. What do you mean? Malfoy asks and after a minute or two of thought, Snape silently expresses doubts about Therion's earlier claim. I do not believe he and Cambion are clutch-brothers. They note that the rest of the family has paused for them to catch up, so Snape guards his thoughts as he shares them. Brothers, yes, but...Alphion posesses something Cambion lacks, something that a difference in skill and experience can not account for. Elsbet smiles at her family and squeezes Snape's hand as she thinks, and Therion does not suspect, does he? Snape sighs and meets his Elf maiden's pretty eyes. No, and neither does Cambion.
He kisses her softly, then turns to Malfoy and kisses him, which makes Therion nudge Layne. Layne looks away, grinning, trying to seem innocent, and Therion nudges him again. When Layne turns back to the copper-maned wizard, Therion kisses him, then chuckles when Layne blushes. "Come on," Remus says, himself chuckling, "before we suddenly decide to do something crazy." Tonks gives her husband a side glance. "Like what?" He shrugs slightly and tells her, "oh, I don't know...like skinny-dipping in the lake." She laughs and looks back at Elsbet, who seems to think it's a wonderful idea, as do Malfoy, Therion and Layne. "No," Snape says, his face firmly set and his mind deep in thought, "we shall not deviate from the day's plan..." he catches himself and lets a tiny smile soften his features, then finishes in a softer tone, "until later."
His brow arches and he pulls his partners closer to him, and they lace their arms around his back. They walk on a little farther, and one of Elsbet's favorite bakers approaches them with a cart filled with what is left of the morning's product. He is so happy to see them that he offers them whatever they like in his cart. Remus is thinking he's had his fill of bread for the day when he notices there are little cream cakes and other lovely items, and he finds his hand is not the only one reaching for the single pumpkin cream cake. Layne differs to him, but he tells his friend to have it. Tonks takes the chocolate one beside it and asks Layne if he likes banana cream. He tells her yes and she says, "Remus does as well. Why don't you just split them? That way you have some of both." Remus smiles and the baker laughs. "You have a smart lady there, Professor Lupin," he says, then asks Snape and Elsbet what they would like.
As Therion takes an eclair, Snape takes the large apple spiced roll and offers Elsbet half. She declines so he splits it with Malfoy, and the baker offers her the onion muffins she loves so much. "Well," she says softly, "I would really like to have the buttered loaf, up top there." She gestures to the beautiful braid of bread hanging from one of the hooks on the side of the sun shade. "It's for a very special bird," she says, looking at Malfoy, then back at the baker. "We've all had some very good bread today, and I would hate for him to miss out." Malfoy's eyes mist up a little and he tells her, "I think he will like that, Ellie. He told me this morning that he wanted some..." The baker gets the feeling that perhaps this bird friend is not well, so he does not ask, but instead wraps up the buttered loaf and places two onion muffins in the bag without Elsbet seeing.
He gives her the bag and touches her cheek, and tells her how good it is to see her again. They thank him for his kindness, and as they go their separate ways, Malfoy asks them where he is taking his cart. "To the Temple," Therion tells him, "most of the vendors and merchants do that, take their surplus to the Temple. The Brothers preserve it and place it in a Community larder, so that in times of need, people don't have to go without." They chat together about the benefits of such things, and how much good one person can do by sharing even a little. "I remember saying I would like a garden, so I could contribute," Malfoy says softly, "and...make up for...things..." Before anyone else can say anything, Remus glances at the lady at Snape's side and says, "you've already done quite a bit of that, Lucius." Malfoy doesn't meet the other wizard's gaze, but glances at Elsbet before closing his eyes tightly for a moment.
"I think Tonks and I...well, all of us, really," Remus looks around at his loved ones, "could do a great deal of good with a garden, one we could all take care of. Dora's father is pretty handy with plants. And her mother," he stops in mid-sentance as they pass under the archway of Ironwood's entrance; the Silhouette pirate Capadocius and her seven partners gaze down at them from between the mighty pillars atop the lofty stairs that lead to the front doors of Perdurabo's grand house. "Well," she says, with Loki perched happily on her shoulder, "it's about damn time ye' got here. They bin here forever," she indicates the chattering birds now hopping down the stairs to meet them. "The Old Man thinks you've gone and done somethin'...crazy..."