Disclaimer:
All things not Allosia and Gabriel belong to JKR.
--------
Snape watched Allosia carefully as she entered their quarters for the first time since her trip and her assault at the hands of Lucius Malfoy. Her step was tentative because of more than the limp and she looked around as if she were seeing much of their apartments for the first time. He was tempted to question her about it, but realized he didn't need to. The look was familiar enough, she hadn't known she was going to make it back here and what should have seemed like a few days had because of ugly events grown to seem like a few weeks.
"I had everything sent, from the inn," Snape said, gesturing at the packages and her suitcase sitting in the corner as Allosia sat down in front of Gabriel who was deeply engrossed in a wood puzzle he was somewhat unlikely to solve. Most of the adults he had shown it to could never figure it out either.
"Most of it is for you two," she said, ruffling her boy's black hair as he looked up at her, giggled and went back to trying to bend the inflexible components of the puzzle.
Snape raised an eyebrow at the boy's strategy and then looked at Allosia. "He seems unperturbed by recent events."
"Thank Merlin."
"This is only going to get more complex," Snape said, thinking of how little the boy could be allowed to know about him.
Allosia sighed, but before she could reply, Gabriel looked from her to his father. "You're talking about me," he said with glee and went back to his puzzle.
Snape then raised both eyebrows at Allosia in a silent laugh.
"Well, who else should I talk about?" she asked, poking the boy in the arm.
Gabriel laughed loudly and poked her back.
Indicating the packages Snape asked, "Shall we open them or were you saving them for Christmas?"
"Oh, you may very much open them, but let me sort them out for you all," she said, getting up with some stiffness.
"I already found the candle," he said softly.
"Oh!" she said with surprise.
"I didn't realize you were up to repeating so vile a hangover."
"I think I can handle it."
"I should hope so," and his grin was predatory. "We'll finish that later, Gabriel," he said taking the puzzle from the boy. "Your mother brought you things from her trip."
With that, she sat down in front of him again, and placed some wrapped packages between them. The boy tore into them, revealing a set of toy dinosaurs, that like wizard chess pieces, would assault and attack each other over and over again, only to return to pristine condition after each mock battle. Allosia showed him the different dinosaurs, naming them, and explaining that some would fight with their tails and other were biters, as the toy animals demonstrated on each other. There was also a tree as part of the set, and as she explained that some of the reptiles preferred to eat plants, Snape took out his wand and aimed it at the toy tree, which then quickly slapped an approaching dinosaur out of the way. Gabriel squealed in delight and Allosia looked up at her husband as if he were insane.
"He should know that some trees hit," he said plainly.
"Indeed," she said dryly. "Not all trees do that, Gabriel," she said, but he continued to set the dinosaurs on the tree to watch it beat them back over and over again. She couldn't help but laugh. "Open yours," she said, turning to her husband.
He was more delicate with the paper, taking the time to remove it neatly from the boxes. He smiled gently as he looked through the papers and quills she had purchased.
"So you can start teaching Gabriel," she said as he got to the thick child quills.
He froze for a moment, thinking about his usual teaching demeanor and then nodded.
Finally, he came to the last package. "You should not have gone to Knockturn," he said quietly, without his usual menace.
She looked at him waiting for the argument to start up again.
"I've said my piece," he said, and returned his attention to the package.
From the paper, he lifted out a small velvet box, opening it, he gasped slightly at the delicate antique velvet watch within. Caressing its face, he whispered, "it's very beautiful."
"It's also a bit of a pensieve," she said. "It will record any memory you wish while wearing it. Then you, or whoever else is wearing it may replay the memory and experience the emotions and sensation of it."
He pondered this, and her quirked smile for a moment as the possibilities registered. Not only was the gift beautiful and intriguing, not only could it be put to unusual purpose, but it also showed a keen understanding of his needs. With this watch, he could show her exactly how he felt and she could return the favour.
Smiling down at it again, he muttered, "this is staggeringly thoughtful."
"I'm glad you approve. Be careful with it."
"Yes," he said gasping slightly at all the trouble such a device could create.
Misinterpreting the sound, she added, "Don't worry, I had it cleaned of its former owner."
He nodded, continuing to gaze at its fine silver work, as Gabriel's dinosaurs continued to roar and assault each other.
All things not Allosia and Gabriel belong to JKR.
--------
Snape watched Allosia carefully as she entered their quarters for the first time since her trip and her assault at the hands of Lucius Malfoy. Her step was tentative because of more than the limp and she looked around as if she were seeing much of their apartments for the first time. He was tempted to question her about it, but realized he didn't need to. The look was familiar enough, she hadn't known she was going to make it back here and what should have seemed like a few days had because of ugly events grown to seem like a few weeks.
"I had everything sent, from the inn," Snape said, gesturing at the packages and her suitcase sitting in the corner as Allosia sat down in front of Gabriel who was deeply engrossed in a wood puzzle he was somewhat unlikely to solve. Most of the adults he had shown it to could never figure it out either.
"Most of it is for you two," she said, ruffling her boy's black hair as he looked up at her, giggled and went back to trying to bend the inflexible components of the puzzle.
Snape raised an eyebrow at the boy's strategy and then looked at Allosia. "He seems unperturbed by recent events."
"Thank Merlin."
"This is only going to get more complex," Snape said, thinking of how little the boy could be allowed to know about him.
Allosia sighed, but before she could reply, Gabriel looked from her to his father. "You're talking about me," he said with glee and went back to his puzzle.
Snape then raised both eyebrows at Allosia in a silent laugh.
"Well, who else should I talk about?" she asked, poking the boy in the arm.
Gabriel laughed loudly and poked her back.
Indicating the packages Snape asked, "Shall we open them or were you saving them for Christmas?"
"Oh, you may very much open them, but let me sort them out for you all," she said, getting up with some stiffness.
"I already found the candle," he said softly.
"Oh!" she said with surprise.
"I didn't realize you were up to repeating so vile a hangover."
"I think I can handle it."
"I should hope so," and his grin was predatory. "We'll finish that later, Gabriel," he said taking the puzzle from the boy. "Your mother brought you things from her trip."
With that, she sat down in front of him again, and placed some wrapped packages between them. The boy tore into them, revealing a set of toy dinosaurs, that like wizard chess pieces, would assault and attack each other over and over again, only to return to pristine condition after each mock battle. Allosia showed him the different dinosaurs, naming them, and explaining that some would fight with their tails and other were biters, as the toy animals demonstrated on each other. There was also a tree as part of the set, and as she explained that some of the reptiles preferred to eat plants, Snape took out his wand and aimed it at the toy tree, which then quickly slapped an approaching dinosaur out of the way. Gabriel squealed in delight and Allosia looked up at her husband as if he were insane.
"He should know that some trees hit," he said plainly.
"Indeed," she said dryly. "Not all trees do that, Gabriel," she said, but he continued to set the dinosaurs on the tree to watch it beat them back over and over again. She couldn't help but laugh. "Open yours," she said, turning to her husband.
He was more delicate with the paper, taking the time to remove it neatly from the boxes. He smiled gently as he looked through the papers and quills she had purchased.
"So you can start teaching Gabriel," she said as he got to the thick child quills.
He froze for a moment, thinking about his usual teaching demeanor and then nodded.
Finally, he came to the last package. "You should not have gone to Knockturn," he said quietly, without his usual menace.
She looked at him waiting for the argument to start up again.
"I've said my piece," he said, and returned his attention to the package.
From the paper, he lifted out a small velvet box, opening it, he gasped slightly at the delicate antique velvet watch within. Caressing its face, he whispered, "it's very beautiful."
"It's also a bit of a pensieve," she said. "It will record any memory you wish while wearing it. Then you, or whoever else is wearing it may replay the memory and experience the emotions and sensation of it."
He pondered this, and her quirked smile for a moment as the possibilities registered. Not only was the gift beautiful and intriguing, not only could it be put to unusual purpose, but it also showed a keen understanding of his needs. With this watch, he could show her exactly how he felt and she could return the favour.
Smiling down at it again, he muttered, "this is staggeringly thoughtful."
"I'm glad you approve. Be careful with it."
"Yes," he said gasping slightly at all the trouble such a device could create.
Misinterpreting the sound, she added, "Don't worry, I had it cleaned of its former owner."
He nodded, continuing to gaze at its fine silver work, as Gabriel's dinosaurs continued to roar and assault each other.