Disclaimer:
It's JKR's world, I just play in it.
This is short, next one will be long and culminate all the stuff that's been building up over the last two chapters.
For people reading aCE and wondering about that, I should be sending my next chapter to the beta tomorrow, so soon.
------------
Snape noticed Lucius was no longer studying his features as they spoke, but was instead looking over his shoulder. Just as he was about to inquire as to the nature of the distraction, Lucius let out a low, pleased chuckle.
"I think our visitor is looking for you," Lucius murmured.
Snape turned his head and shoulders with dread to see Allosia peering at them from the bottom of the staircase. Inwardly, he sighed, but refrained from indulging in the actual gesture, not wanting Lucius to see the inevitable slump of his shoulders at the end of it. Instead, he strode past the other man, intentionally brushing him out of the way with the theatricality of his walk, until he faced his wife. Despite their absurd proximity, Snape made no efforts to keep what he had to say merely between them, and hoped absently, that she would understand this show was not merely for her benefit.
When he placed his hands on her shoulders, she thought for a moment that he was going to kiss her. Instead, he lectured her as if she were one of his students.
"Did I not tell you, you were not to come down here without me? You will go back upstairs right now, you will have a drink, you will relax, you will be pleasant. If I have want of your companionship down here, I will retrieve you myself."
She looked at him, searching his face for an indication of how angry he actually was, but there was none. She tried to come up with a response, a justification or an apology, but he cut her off after just a few incoherent syllables.
"Now, Allosia."
She turned, and stormed up the stairs without a word.
"If you don't mind me saying so," Lucius began, clearly enjoying himself, "she has far too long a leash."
"Better sport, not that you'd understand anything about that," Snape snapped, before heading up the stairs after his wife, who he found to have already disappeared into the crowd.
Banking left, Hooch held onto Gabriel a little tighter, as she inquired as to what was inspiring him to eavesdrop on his parents.
Gabriel shrugged, but Hooch would not let the topic drop. He would soon be running around the castle on his own, younger sibling to the whole school. The wrong thing out of his mouth at the wrong time, could have grave consequences. Of course, if the boy had heard enough, he might already understand that, as much as any child his age could.
"He's always sick, I wanted to know why," Gabriel eventually murmured, his body language changing in a way that made him actually seem as slight and as young as he was.
"And what did you find out?" Hooch asked, trying to sound unconcerned.
"People hurt him because it's his job," he said quizzically. "I don't really know why, but it seems awfully important."
Hooch nodded to herself, lost in thought. Confirm or deny?
By the time she got to the stop of the stairs, it occurred to Allosia that she should stop stamping her feet, be graceful and disappear into the mass of strangers as quickly as possible. She forced herself to accept another drink from a passing house elf, hoping that by the time she finished it she would be calm enough not to just leave the event without her husband.
Merlin's beard, how dare he. He knew she was upset about being there and nothing untoward seemed to be going on downstairs yet. Was civility really that difficult? And was it really her fault that nearly everyone he'd ever known seemed to be completely dreadful? Ugh, she was positively disgusted.
Absently, she realized Lucius Malfoy was probably amused beyond words.
"Lost?" came a voice slightly behind her and to her side.
"Hardly. Although if you could point the way to your terrace, I would be most appreciative, Mr. Malfoy. I need some air," she said, refusing to turn and look at her former student. She repressed a shudder when he placed a hand on the small of her back to steer her through the crowd.
"I'll show you," he said. "This house gets complicated."
"Your father," Hooch said slowly, "is a very important and very private man. He doesn't like too many people to know too much about him. It's easier for him to work that way."
"Do you know everything about him?" he asked.
"I don't think so, Gabriel."
"Does my mum?"
"I'd like to think so," Hooch said, but knew maybe that wasn't the truth. Allosia alluded to some of the necessities of her husband's life as a spy, and once or twice, he had even told her about them directly.
If he had been facing her, Hooch would have seen Gabriel frown in thought.
Snape surveyed the room, looking, somewhat foolishly for a flash of silver and pale skin in a sea of it. He wanted to catch her, to apologize, to say something that would at least be enough to let their mutual fury wait for a more convenient time to exercise itself, especially with the true festivities, he hated to use that word, beginning with in the hour.
And that's when he saw her, Draco's hand at her back, the other placing a glass of wine into her hand, as they strolled out onto the terrace. Allosia was laughing softly. Snape realized how strange and disconcerting he found it to watch her at a distance like this. It hadn't occurred to him that she would seem as radiant in the presence of others, especially when he had just screamed at her. That she was beautiful in this moment was not reassuring to him.
"Jealous?" Came Lucius' voice at his back.
"Of every moment I am denied the pleasure of her company, yes," Snape replied quiet and flat, without turning to look at the other man.
It's JKR's world, I just play in it.
This is short, next one will be long and culminate all the stuff that's been building up over the last two chapters.
For people reading aCE and wondering about that, I should be sending my next chapter to the beta tomorrow, so soon.
------------
Snape noticed Lucius was no longer studying his features as they spoke, but was instead looking over his shoulder. Just as he was about to inquire as to the nature of the distraction, Lucius let out a low, pleased chuckle.
"I think our visitor is looking for you," Lucius murmured.
Snape turned his head and shoulders with dread to see Allosia peering at them from the bottom of the staircase. Inwardly, he sighed, but refrained from indulging in the actual gesture, not wanting Lucius to see the inevitable slump of his shoulders at the end of it. Instead, he strode past the other man, intentionally brushing him out of the way with the theatricality of his walk, until he faced his wife. Despite their absurd proximity, Snape made no efforts to keep what he had to say merely between them, and hoped absently, that she would understand this show was not merely for her benefit.
When he placed his hands on her shoulders, she thought for a moment that he was going to kiss her. Instead, he lectured her as if she were one of his students.
"Did I not tell you, you were not to come down here without me? You will go back upstairs right now, you will have a drink, you will relax, you will be pleasant. If I have want of your companionship down here, I will retrieve you myself."
She looked at him, searching his face for an indication of how angry he actually was, but there was none. She tried to come up with a response, a justification or an apology, but he cut her off after just a few incoherent syllables.
"Now, Allosia."
She turned, and stormed up the stairs without a word.
"If you don't mind me saying so," Lucius began, clearly enjoying himself, "she has far too long a leash."
"Better sport, not that you'd understand anything about that," Snape snapped, before heading up the stairs after his wife, who he found to have already disappeared into the crowd.
Banking left, Hooch held onto Gabriel a little tighter, as she inquired as to what was inspiring him to eavesdrop on his parents.
Gabriel shrugged, but Hooch would not let the topic drop. He would soon be running around the castle on his own, younger sibling to the whole school. The wrong thing out of his mouth at the wrong time, could have grave consequences. Of course, if the boy had heard enough, he might already understand that, as much as any child his age could.
"He's always sick, I wanted to know why," Gabriel eventually murmured, his body language changing in a way that made him actually seem as slight and as young as he was.
"And what did you find out?" Hooch asked, trying to sound unconcerned.
"People hurt him because it's his job," he said quizzically. "I don't really know why, but it seems awfully important."
Hooch nodded to herself, lost in thought. Confirm or deny?
By the time she got to the stop of the stairs, it occurred to Allosia that she should stop stamping her feet, be graceful and disappear into the mass of strangers as quickly as possible. She forced herself to accept another drink from a passing house elf, hoping that by the time she finished it she would be calm enough not to just leave the event without her husband.
Merlin's beard, how dare he. He knew she was upset about being there and nothing untoward seemed to be going on downstairs yet. Was civility really that difficult? And was it really her fault that nearly everyone he'd ever known seemed to be completely dreadful? Ugh, she was positively disgusted.
Absently, she realized Lucius Malfoy was probably amused beyond words.
"Lost?" came a voice slightly behind her and to her side.
"Hardly. Although if you could point the way to your terrace, I would be most appreciative, Mr. Malfoy. I need some air," she said, refusing to turn and look at her former student. She repressed a shudder when he placed a hand on the small of her back to steer her through the crowd.
"I'll show you," he said. "This house gets complicated."
"Your father," Hooch said slowly, "is a very important and very private man. He doesn't like too many people to know too much about him. It's easier for him to work that way."
"Do you know everything about him?" he asked.
"I don't think so, Gabriel."
"Does my mum?"
"I'd like to think so," Hooch said, but knew maybe that wasn't the truth. Allosia alluded to some of the necessities of her husband's life as a spy, and once or twice, he had even told her about them directly.
If he had been facing her, Hooch would have seen Gabriel frown in thought.
Snape surveyed the room, looking, somewhat foolishly for a flash of silver and pale skin in a sea of it. He wanted to catch her, to apologize, to say something that would at least be enough to let their mutual fury wait for a more convenient time to exercise itself, especially with the true festivities, he hated to use that word, beginning with in the hour.
And that's when he saw her, Draco's hand at her back, the other placing a glass of wine into her hand, as they strolled out onto the terrace. Allosia was laughing softly. Snape realized how strange and disconcerting he found it to watch her at a distance like this. It hadn't occurred to him that she would seem as radiant in the presence of others, especially when he had just screamed at her. That she was beautiful in this moment was not reassuring to him.
"Jealous?" Came Lucius' voice at his back.
"Of every moment I am denied the pleasure of her company, yes," Snape replied quiet and flat, without turning to look at the other man.