Disclaimer:
All things not Allosia and Gabriel belong to JKR.
I have not been to Italy in many many years and am writing this off of my own very visceral memories of the place. Hope it works.
This chapter is just cute and funny, because I was feeling that way.
------
Allosia Hemrand stood with her husband in an alley in a city foreign to her. Shaking the disorientation of the trip off, and looking at monuments she recognized, but not from what she thought was their destination, she glanced at her husband with nervous confusion.
Snape smiled then. "I thought it would be best if we arrived in Florence in style, and since you are well deserving of a vacation more relaxing than watching me rant about potions, I thought perhaps we'd spend a few days in Rome first, and then take the train up," he said. He hoped this would make his wife happy, but the look on her face made him nervous.
She put Gabriel down slowly, still seeming uncertain. Snape set his jaw, preparing to defend his actions or sulk. Allosia however decided to save him the choice and flew into his arms then, knocking him off-balance and almost over. "It's wonderful," she exclaimed, "absolutely wonderful."
He relaxed then and put his arms around her, resting his hands lightly on the small of her back, uncomfortable with the public display of affection. "I'm so glad," he murmured to her, before releasing her. "I thought," he continued, holding out his hand for Gabriel to take, "that we could, after checking in and recovering a bit, do some sightseeing, and perhaps, practice our Latin at the ruins?" With this, he swung Gabriel up into his arms, and groaned at the weight. "You're getting heavy little man," he said, with a weariness that surprised him.
Gabriel laughed, and grabbed at his father's nose. Snape shook his head to free himself, and then fixed the boy with a bemused stare. "There will be none of that, Gabriel."
"Why not?" the boy asked, doing it again.
Snape seemed at a loss for a reply, as he removed his son's hand again.
"Because your father is a very cranky man," Allosia interjected, as they began to walk towards the hotel, their shrunken luggage in hand.
Gabriel was not deterred.
Snape insisted Allosia return their luggage to its normal size before reaching the hotel. When she objected, he suggested a lightening charm, and explained that while in Rome they would be using muggle-style accommodations.
"Why?" Allosia asked, incredulous. This was not even something her mother and her odd fixations had oft subjected her to.
"Because, a muggle hotel with accommodations for hundreds of guests is less likely to be attacked, surprisingly enough, than a small wizarding inn. We will, oddly, be safer there."
"Do you even know how to do this?" Allosia asked.
"My survival has necessitated my ability to move in many worlds. So yes, well enough."
"But –" Allosia gestured as much as she could to all of their attire.
"We're merely eccentric foreigners. Artists if you will. Just don't wear that gods awful hat of yours," he said glaring at the box, "and no one will suspect a thing."
Allosia gave an unconvinced and only slightly amused snort. "You do know I fully intend on wearing to the opening party."
"Sia, dear," he said, making the words drip. "I believe you'd wear that hat to bed and its attendant activities if you thought I'd let you get away with it."
"Don't tempt me," she said.
"The bird hat?" Gabriel asked, from Snape's arms.
"The ugly bird hat," Snape corrected.
"Mommy?" Gabriel asked.
"Yes?" she replied bracing herself for whatever evil her husband had managed to create here.
"I like your ugly bird hat."
Allosia gave her husband a feral smile. He just smirked in response.
All things not Allosia and Gabriel belong to JKR.
I have not been to Italy in many many years and am writing this off of my own very visceral memories of the place. Hope it works.
This chapter is just cute and funny, because I was feeling that way.
------
Allosia Hemrand stood with her husband in an alley in a city foreign to her. Shaking the disorientation of the trip off, and looking at monuments she recognized, but not from what she thought was their destination, she glanced at her husband with nervous confusion.
Snape smiled then. "I thought it would be best if we arrived in Florence in style, and since you are well deserving of a vacation more relaxing than watching me rant about potions, I thought perhaps we'd spend a few days in Rome first, and then take the train up," he said. He hoped this would make his wife happy, but the look on her face made him nervous.
She put Gabriel down slowly, still seeming uncertain. Snape set his jaw, preparing to defend his actions or sulk. Allosia however decided to save him the choice and flew into his arms then, knocking him off-balance and almost over. "It's wonderful," she exclaimed, "absolutely wonderful."
He relaxed then and put his arms around her, resting his hands lightly on the small of her back, uncomfortable with the public display of affection. "I'm so glad," he murmured to her, before releasing her. "I thought," he continued, holding out his hand for Gabriel to take, "that we could, after checking in and recovering a bit, do some sightseeing, and perhaps, practice our Latin at the ruins?" With this, he swung Gabriel up into his arms, and groaned at the weight. "You're getting heavy little man," he said, with a weariness that surprised him.
Gabriel laughed, and grabbed at his father's nose. Snape shook his head to free himself, and then fixed the boy with a bemused stare. "There will be none of that, Gabriel."
"Why not?" the boy asked, doing it again.
Snape seemed at a loss for a reply, as he removed his son's hand again.
"Because your father is a very cranky man," Allosia interjected, as they began to walk towards the hotel, their shrunken luggage in hand.
Gabriel was not deterred.
Snape insisted Allosia return their luggage to its normal size before reaching the hotel. When she objected, he suggested a lightening charm, and explained that while in Rome they would be using muggle-style accommodations.
"Why?" Allosia asked, incredulous. This was not even something her mother and her odd fixations had oft subjected her to.
"Because, a muggle hotel with accommodations for hundreds of guests is less likely to be attacked, surprisingly enough, than a small wizarding inn. We will, oddly, be safer there."
"Do you even know how to do this?" Allosia asked.
"My survival has necessitated my ability to move in many worlds. So yes, well enough."
"But –" Allosia gestured as much as she could to all of their attire.
"We're merely eccentric foreigners. Artists if you will. Just don't wear that gods awful hat of yours," he said glaring at the box, "and no one will suspect a thing."
Allosia gave an unconvinced and only slightly amused snort. "You do know I fully intend on wearing to the opening party."
"Sia, dear," he said, making the words drip. "I believe you'd wear that hat to bed and its attendant activities if you thought I'd let you get away with it."
"Don't tempt me," she said.
"The bird hat?" Gabriel asked, from Snape's arms.
"The ugly bird hat," Snape corrected.
"Mommy?" Gabriel asked.
"Yes?" she replied bracing herself for whatever evil her husband had managed to create here.
"I like your ugly bird hat."
Allosia gave her husband a feral smile. He just smirked in response.