Chapter Two: Hester

It was overcast and gloomy when I appeared on the gravel driveway in front of Miss Sparling's home. I had to close my eyes for a moment to avoid falling over before my sense of balance and orientation caught up with me. Apparition wasn't my favourite method of travel under the best of circumstances and making a jump from written directions, no matter how precise, and a static photograph was definitely not the best of circumstances as far as I was concerned. Although I was certainly glad to arrive in one piece. I'd splinched myself once years ago and never wanted to repeat the experience.

Once I was sure that I'd neither fall over nor lose the meagre contents of my stomach, I opened my eyes and took a good look around. Everything looked very much as it had in the photograph, impressive but not overly inviting. The house was three stories tall with severe angles, topped with an enclosed cupola. It was made of grey stone and the small amount of wood trim it contained was painted a glossy black. The driveway I stood on consisted of a raked gravel bed which snaked in from a dark wood, looped around a grassy patch with an inoperative fountain in the middle, and met itself to disappear back into the woods where wisps of fog hovered among the trees.

The smell of the sea was strong in the cold air and when I walked to a corner where I could look down along the side of the house, I could see that the lawn stretched on a fair ways behind the building before ending abruptly at a cliff with nothing beyond but cold, grey, ocean. On a warm summer day it was probably quite pleasant, but today was bleak and damp and the ocean didn't look particularly inviting beneath its low cover of seething dark clouds.

The property definitely lived up to its name. Everywhere I looked there was little but grey to see. Grey house, grey woods, grey sky and grey sea. With a shiver, I pulled the collar of my cloak a bit higher, picked up my battered suitcases and headed for the door. Hopefully things would be a bit more cheery inside.

A shiny brass knocker in the shape of a sinuous dragon rested quietly in the centre of the front door. When I reached out to grasp it, the coils of the dragon shimmered and its eyelids snapped open, revealing sharp green eyes that examined me warily. Instinctively, I pulled back my hand, afraid for a moment of what this unexpected guardian might do, but when the dragon did nothing more than continue to look at me sombrely, I decided I was being ridiculous. So I grabbed it and rapped it firmly against its metal plate.

The resulting sound had barely faded when the door creaked open and a small, round woman with iron grey hair and bright green eyes, behind wire rimmed spectacles, very much like those of the dragon, peered out at me. She looked me carefully up and down before opening the door a bit wider.

"You must be Mr Lupin, one of the heirs," she said in a low, agreeable voice. "Come in, come in. Don't hang around out there on the stoop. You're letting all the cold air in."

Impatiently she beckoned me into the house and, once inside, she quickly shut the door behind me. After setting down my luggage, I straightened up and looked around. I found myself standing in a spacious entry hall with squares of black and white marble under my feet and a large dimly glowing chandelier overhead. Several closed doors lined the hall on either side, and a narrow corridor led off into the shadowy depths of the house. The only sound to be heard was the ticking of a grandfather clock that stood in the bend of a wide staircase that curved upward, hugging the wall as it went.

I shivered in the chill air. It seemed to me as if the woman's concern about letting cold air into the house was too little, too late, for it didn't feel that much warmer inside than it had outside, though the lack of wind was welcome.

Summoning a friendly smile for my companion, who was watching me closely, I said, "You're right. I'm Remus Lupin. And you are?" I paused hoping she'd fill in her name. It occurred to me as I stood there facing her that Skrym hadn't told us anything at all about the size of the household. Clearly Audra Sparling had money and a house this size didn't run itself. There had to be some sort of staff.

The woman, who came no higher than the middle of my chest, nevertheless seemed to exude a slightly intimidating air. A keen intelligence sparkled in her green eyes, and I had the feeling that she probably ran a very efficient household.

"My name is Hester Grant. I've worked for Miss Audra and her family since I was young. If you bothered to read her will, then you should already know that I have life tenancy here at Greycliffs if I choose to serve you and Mr Snape. I figured I'd wait and see what I'd have to put up with from the two of you before deciding."

I nodded. "Very sensible of you."

Now that she mentioned it, I vaguely remembered reading something about her bequest in the will, but I'd only skimmed the sections which detailed the bequests to others and had concentrated on the parts that applied to me. Those sections I read several times over, in an effort to convince myself that the whole thing was real and not simply some sort of vivid dream.

She grunted in reply. "When will Mr Snape be arriving? Do you know? I'm sure you'll both want a tour of the place, and I'd prefer to only have to do that once."

"I'm not sure when Severus will be arriving, but I imagine he'll be along soon. We're supposed to meet Mr Skyrm here at 10:30 this morning. He's going to officially hand over the house keys and give us our first monthly allowances."

Hester snorted shortly. "Old scrimp and save is handling the purse strings, is he? That man hates to part with a knut if he can avoid it. If you want my advice, you'll count anything he gives you very carefully." She glanced at the clock as it chimed the quarter hour. "Since they both should be here fairly soon, I think we can hold off on that tour for now. Would you like some tea while you wait?"

"Tea sounds wonderful," I said honestly. I'd had to skip breakfast for what I hoped was the last time, at least for the next year. It would be rather pleasant to have some money of my own once more. I'd still have preferred to earn it rather than have it given to me, but I knew that wasn't likely to happen any time soon. I hadn't had much luck finding work in quite awhile.

"You can hang your cloak over there."

Hester gestured to a coat rack standing in a corner by the front door, and then she crossed the hall and opened the door to one of the rooms. I did as she suggested and then followed her into a rather gloomy parlour filled with horsehair stuffed furniture and lots of dark wood. The room had an unused feeling to it and, although I wouldn't have thought it possible, was even chillier than the hall. The large fireplace that occupied the far wall had wood laid in it ready to burn but was unlit.

"This is the morning room, though it hasn't been used in quite some time. Miss Audra almost never sat in here, she said it was depressing. It seems to me that she was right about that. It does tend to be damp and rather gloomy, but it's good enough for Skyrm. I laid a fire here this morning and took off the dust sheets. You can light it now if you wish while I go and get the tea. Make yourself as comfortable as you can. It'll take me a bit of time to get everything together. I don't move as fast as I used to."

"Don't you have any help?" I asked.

She looked at me in surprise. "Like who? Surely you weren't expecting an army of house-elves to see to your every wish?" She looked faintly amused at the notion. "It's been just me and Miss Audra here for years. There's a gardener who comes irregularly, more often when the weather is warmer, who tends to the gardens and lawn, but here in the house, I'm all the help there is. Miss Audra didn't want house-elves around. When the old master died and the house came to her, she freed all the house-elves whether they wanted to be freed or not, and some of them were quite upset about it, let me tell you. But Miss Audra insisted. She said she wouldn't be a party to slavery. So off they went and that was that."

Hester waved toward the fireplace. "I'll go and fetch the tea now. You really should light the fire. It's colder than I thought in here." With that parting comment, Hester stalked out the door leaving me alone in the cold, gloomy room.

Deciding she was right, I took out my wand and quickly lit the fire. I'd just gotten that stiff feeling out of my fingers by toasting them over the blaze when there was a loud knock at the front door. I waited a moment, but when Hester didn't appear, I went back into the hall and opened the door myself.

Severus stood on the doorstep wrapped warmly in a glossy black cloak. Several expensive dragon-hide suitcases rested on the stones beside him. A smirk crossed his face as he saw who had opened the door for him. He snatched up the smallest of his bags and walked into the house. "I see they've put you to work, Lupin. Excellent! I always thought domestic service would be an ideal occupation for you. You always work so hard at being agreeable to everyone. Since you're being so helpful, bring in the rest of my luggage, won't you?"

Suppressing a sigh, I hefted the remaining suitcases and moved them into the hall depositing them next to my own shabby bags. Arguing with Severus over such a trifle wouldn't be worth the effort, but I wasn't going to allow him to turn me into some sort of houseboy. The will said we were to share equally in Miss Sparling's estate, and despite the fact that Severus was a blood relation and I wasn't, I was determined that sharing equally was what we were going to do.

Severus stood in the middle of the hall and glanced around. "It hasn't changed a bit," he mused thoughtfully.

"You've been here before then?" I asked.

"Yes, once. When I was a child. I came with my mother and my grandmother. I remember being bored silly sitting around with a bunch of women while they talked and drank tea. I wanted to go and play in the garden, or at least explore the house, but it was raining and cold and they made me stay by the fire with them. It was a long, tedious afternoon, and I was glad when it was finally over."

"Is that the only time you came?" I asked, intrigued by this snippet of Snape family history.

"Yes. My mother and grandmother quarrelled rather badly shortly afterward, and I never saw any of her relatives again, including my grandparents. I barely remember Miss Sparling from that visit. She didn't speak to me very much, though she did seem to watch me fairly closely. At the time, I figured she wanted to be sure I didn't break anything, though considering recent developments, I suppose there might have been more to her interest than simply protecting her property from a potentially destructive child."

Severus hung his cloak on the coat rack next to mine then shivered abruptly and rubbed his arms. "Merlin, it's cold in here. Don't they heat the place?"

I beckoned him into the morning room. "I lit the fire in here that should warm you up a bit."

Severus followed me into the room and headed straight for the fireplace. "Why did you light the fire? I'd think that would be a servant's job. There are some around here somewhere, aren't there?"

I stood next to Severus at the fireplace and re-warmed my hands. "Actually, I think we'll both be doing a fair amount of the fetching and carrying around here. There's only one servant in the whole place, and apparently Miss Sparling's will gives her the option of whether or not she wants to work for us."

"Yes, Hester somebody or other. I remember reading that, although I didn't realise she was the only servant. She'll stay," he exclaimed confidently.

"How can you be so sure?" I asked.

"According to the will, she's been here since she was barely out of her childhood. If she doesn't choose to serve us, she'll have to leave. I seriously doubt she'll want to be kicked out of the only home she's ever had at this time of her life even though she inherited a tidy sum of her own. I'm surprised to learn there aren't any other servants, however. Not even a house-elf?"

"Nope. Apparently Miss Sparling thought very little of house-elf enslavement, and when she inherited the place from her father, she set them all free. I guess she felt that one servant was plenty for a woman living alone. Whether Hester decides to stay or not I'm sure we'll manage just fine."

"Oh, really? You do realise that according to the will, we aren't allowed to make any changes to the running of the household during this probationary year. That includes the hiring of more staff. If she does decide to leave, you and I will have to take care of this place all by ourselves. I can't say I find that prospect very attractive." He glanced around the big room with a look of faint distaste.

I shrugged as I followed his gaze. "Oh, I don't know. This house is in far better shape than Grimmauld Place was. I lived there by myself for awhile and did just fine. It won't be a problem no matter what Hester decides, you'll see."

"Yes, I suppose I will. Where is the woman anyway? You've obviously met her. Why wasn't she here to open the door just now?" asked Severus.

"She's getting some tea. I'll bet she didn't hear you knock from back in the kitchen."

Just then Hester pushed open the door and came into the room carrying a heavily laden tray which she set on a low table in front of the sofa next to the fireplace.

"There you are, Mr Snape," she said. "You've changed a bit since I last laid eyes on you."

"You must be Hester. You remember me, do you?"

Hester nodded. "Yes, indeed. You came with Miss Imogene and your mother to have tea with Miss Audra when you were just a child. It was a long time ago, but there's nothing wrong with my memory. For all you've got taller, you haven't changed much otherwise. Dress a bit better, maybe. Do you want some tea? Mr Lupin told me that the two of you were meeting old Skyrm here so I brought enough for everyone."

Before Severus could respond, a knock sounded at the front door just as the clock in the hall chimed the half hour.

"That'll be Skyrm now," said Hester. "You always could set your watch by the man, I'll give him that. I'll just go and let him in."

Hester vanished back into the hall, and was back a moment later with Skyrm, who was bundled up warmly in a fur-lined cloak. With a flourish, he removed the cloak and handed it to Hester, before joining Severus and me by the fire. "You've both arrived; excellent. This shouldn't take long. Have a seat, have a seat..."

Skyrm waved both of us toward the sofa while he himself perched on an overstuffed chair that faced us. Hester clutched Skyrm's cloak and slipped out of the room. I noticed that she didn't bother to shut the door behind her, however, so I imagined she didn't go so far away that she couldn't listen in on the conversation.

"Do you want some tea, Mr Skyrm?"I asked as I lifted the pot and began to pour.

"Yes, thank you. Lemon. No sugar," the small man replied, thanking me politely when I handed him his cup.

As Skyrm helped himself to a biscuit from the plate on the tray, I fixed two more cups of tea and handed one to Severus. "You like a little milk but no sugar, right, Severus?" I smiled as I handed over his cup.

Severus raised an eyebrow, but said only, "Yes, that's right."

I settled back on the sofa with a cup of my own and a biscuit. As the sound of sipping and munching filled the room in lieu of conversation, I watched Severus while trying not to be too obvious about it. I'd clearly surprised the man by knowing how he took his tea. I allowed myself a small smile and took a sip from my cup. Noticing things about Severus had long been an occupation of mine, and he'd no doubt be surprised at all the things I knew about him.

I let my gaze come to rest on his hands as they held his tea cup. I'd always particularly admired those hands. They were strong and sure with long tapering fingers whose elegance not even the small scars and stains of a lifetime of potion making could hide.

Skyrm suddenly set his empty teacup down with a clatter and cleared his throat, and I snapped back to attention with a start. When I looked up, I found Severus considering me with narrowed, speculative eyes, obviously he'd caught me watching him and wasn't sure what to make of it. Skyrm's no nonsense tones quickly turned our attention away from each other and settled it on him where it really belonged at the moment.

"To business, eh, gentlemen? I've made arrangements to settle the household accounts on a regular basis, and I will meet with you on the first Monday of each month to give you your allowances." He withdrew two small black drawstring bags from a pocket and placed them on the table. Each bag made a very satisfying clunk as he set it down.

"Each bag contains 100 Galleons, your monthly allowance," said Skyrm. "Since I'll be handling all the household expenses, Miss Sparling thought this would be an adequate amount for your personal needs. I hope you agree because it's all you're getting."

We both nodded. Privately the idea of having 100 Galleons to do whatever I wanted with every month seemed incredibly extravagant to me and for the first time, I wondered just how much money was in the entire Sparling estate. The will hadn't been specific in regards to worth, which I supposed made sense if most of the money was invested and thus was often in flux.

"Very well. Here are your keys to the house." Skyrm laid a large ornate key next to each of the black bags. "If there's nothing further, I'll be going as I have other appointments today."

We all rose, but before Skyrm could go in search of his cloak, I decided to satisfy my curiosity, who knew when I'd have another chance? "Mr Skyrm, may I ask how much the entire estate is worth? I mean, if Severus and I meet the conditions Miss Sparling laid down, it will all come to us, and I'm curious to know how much money we're talking about."

"Yes," said Severus. "I, too, am curious."

Skyrm frowned slightly. "Well, I suppose there's no harm in telling you, as you say, it may well all be yours soon." His tone seemed to indicate that he had his doubts about that, but nevertheless, he readily drew his wand and a flat object that resembled a child's drawing slate out of a pocket.

The Warlock waved his wand over the slate and several rows of figures appeared, hovering just above the surface. Using his wand to manipulate the slate, he flipped the rows of numbers around, watching as some appeared and others vanished. Occasionally, he'd stop and make a note to a tally at the bottom of the slate. After a few moments, the numbers stopped flashing and vanished completely and Skyrm added up the column of figures he'd accumulated.

"Miss Sparling had many investments whose worth changes from moment to moment, but this should be a pretty close approximation of the estate's current value." Skyrm noted down a final number and turned the slate so we could read it. As I stared at the total, I could feel my jaw drop. The Sparling estate was certainly worth more money than I ever thought I'd have access to in my life. One Hundred Galleons a month was nothing compared to the amount of money coming our way if Severus and I managed to solve Audra Sparling's puzzle.