"...
...
...
Yes. Yes, I'm me. Snape, I mean. I...
...
You must hate this.
...
...
It's just... You've got to understand that it is my fault. She went insane and it is my fault.
...
Yes, it is. You don't know the whole story. Haven't heard everything. I... shouldn't have left them when I knew exactly... was well aware of... I could have refused. Ought to have... refused...
...
...
No, I am not-
...
No, I...
...
...
...
What - you mean a pleasant memory?
...
I... don't think there are many of them, actually... uhm... the mornings were good. And the times when I could go out by myself. Stoll around the woods and fields looking for... searching something. I can't remember what exactly. Guidance, perhaps. Or safety.
...
...
There are some... good things. Everything to do with Mumary was nice, now you mention it. There's one specific evening that came into my mind today.
...
We were sitting in the kitchen. Mumary, Luciana, me and the baby. The baby was quiet, for a change, because Mumary had just fed her. She was giggling and trying to catch Luciana's finger, but Luciana wouldn't let her.
'Mumary,' she said, 'why are you cooking? You ain't no house-elf. Why don't you get a proper job?'
'You are no house-elf,' Mumary corrected kindly, 'or You aren't a house-elf. Ain't isn't a word.'
'Yeah, right,' Luciana replied impatiently, 'I ain't interested in language problems right now. Come on, why-'
'Because I like it,' Mumary interrupted, 'as I must've told you about a hundred times, Luciana. Tell me - where's your mother at the moment?'
'Sleeping, I think,' Luciana replied and shrugged.
I nodded. 'I've seen her go upstairs. She took her wand.'
'I don't like it,' muttered Mumary. 'Perhaps I ought to go and see what she's up to.'
'She'll be angry,' Luciana said shakingly. 'Remember how mad she got last time you left the kitchen?'
'She didn't get mad because I'd left the kitchen but because I'd entered without knocking,' said Mumary, 'and I won't do that this time.'
'Mumary,' said Luciana thoughtfully, 'doesn't she love us just a bit?'
'Your mother has a lot of problems,' Mumary replied thoughtfully, 'and she is trying to get rid of them using the only method she can think of. I do believe she is very ill. But she loves you. Oh yes, I know she does. I helped her give birth to all three of you, I did. And she was damn proud. Each time.' She smiled. 'And so was I.'
'What about father?' I said, well aware that my voice was barely more than a growl. 'He doesn't love us.'
I noticed LUciana's quick glance in my direction and saw her expression change. She drew a deep breath and leaned back, watching the two of us with a hint of suspicion, though seemingly as eager for an answer as I was. For the first time today, though, Mumary did not know what to say.
'Your father is a bit difficult sometimes,' she finally admitted, looking very undecided. 'I do think he needs help, too.'
'Well, why don't you help them?' asked Luciana, sounding more sarcastic than ever.
'All I can do is advise them to get some help,' the cook sighed. 'All I can do is open the door. They'll have to cross the doorstep by themselves.'
'Ploblems,' said the baby and we jumped. Three pairs of eyes were, all of a sudden, staring in Sil's direction. It was the first time she'd ever spoken.
'Ploblems,' she said again and giggled.
Mumary produced a squeak of delight and took the small girl into her arm.
'She speaks!' she said, obviously close to tears, 'I've been so worried.'
'She's only one and a half,' I muttered. 'What need was there to-' But no one listened to me. Luciana stroke the baby's head, called her 'sweety' and 'good girl' and Mumary finally gave in to her tears.
'WHAT IS ALL THIS NOISE ABOUT?' said a sharp voice from the door. All of us turned. Luciana quickly recoiled behind Mumary. The baby squeaked and I took a step backwards. What was he doing down here? He'd never entered the kitchen before. Mumary put the baby back in the high-chair and bowed slightly.
'Welcome home, Master,' she said.
'Severus,' my father said without taking notice of the cook's words, 'come!'
I approached him at a snail's pace, wondering what I could possibly have done this time and watched his expression with extreme caution. But my father wasn't angry for a change.
'You received a letter, Severus,' he said curtly, 'from Hogwarts.'
I gasped. Could it be true? So I was a wizard after all. I would be doing magic. Mumary's eyes filled with tears again, but she didn't say anything out of consideration for Luciana's feelings. My father, on the other hand, didn't bother.
'My son, I hereby declare YOU the heir of this property and everything I possess,' he said bruskly, 'I am... very proud.'
Luciana whimpered. Her eyes filled with tears, too, but these weren't tears of joy. With a sudden jolt of - was it despair? -she rose from her seat and stormed out of the room. My father didn't even try to hold her back.
'The baby spoke today,' I informed him, unable to fight back a broad grin.
'Fascinating,' he replied without looking at her. 'I expect dinner will be ready soon, Mary?'
'Won't be a minute,' she said, bowing her head obediently, 'Ready when you are.'
...
...
...
...
...
You've gone very quiet. I'm not used to people listening like that.
...
...
This must be very boring for you.
...
...
Not? I am surprised.
...
No, honestly. I don't think I would be very interested if you told me all this about yourself.
...
...
...
...
You didn't understand what? The part about my sister? Why, what...
...
Oh.
...
...
Very well, I... I'll tell you. Because I trust you won't-
...
...
She was a squib. Luciana has hever shown any signs of magic."
...
...
Yes. Yes, I'm me. Snape, I mean. I...
...
You must hate this.
...
...
It's just... You've got to understand that it is my fault. She went insane and it is my fault.
...
Yes, it is. You don't know the whole story. Haven't heard everything. I... shouldn't have left them when I knew exactly... was well aware of... I could have refused. Ought to have... refused...
...
...
No, I am not-
...
No, I...
...
...
...
What - you mean a pleasant memory?
...
I... don't think there are many of them, actually... uhm... the mornings were good. And the times when I could go out by myself. Stoll around the woods and fields looking for... searching something. I can't remember what exactly. Guidance, perhaps. Or safety.
...
...
There are some... good things. Everything to do with Mumary was nice, now you mention it. There's one specific evening that came into my mind today.
...
We were sitting in the kitchen. Mumary, Luciana, me and the baby. The baby was quiet, for a change, because Mumary had just fed her. She was giggling and trying to catch Luciana's finger, but Luciana wouldn't let her.
'Mumary,' she said, 'why are you cooking? You ain't no house-elf. Why don't you get a proper job?'
'You are no house-elf,' Mumary corrected kindly, 'or You aren't a house-elf. Ain't isn't a word.'
'Yeah, right,' Luciana replied impatiently, 'I ain't interested in language problems right now. Come on, why-'
'Because I like it,' Mumary interrupted, 'as I must've told you about a hundred times, Luciana. Tell me - where's your mother at the moment?'
'Sleeping, I think,' Luciana replied and shrugged.
I nodded. 'I've seen her go upstairs. She took her wand.'
'I don't like it,' muttered Mumary. 'Perhaps I ought to go and see what she's up to.'
'She'll be angry,' Luciana said shakingly. 'Remember how mad she got last time you left the kitchen?'
'She didn't get mad because I'd left the kitchen but because I'd entered without knocking,' said Mumary, 'and I won't do that this time.'
'Mumary,' said Luciana thoughtfully, 'doesn't she love us just a bit?'
'Your mother has a lot of problems,' Mumary replied thoughtfully, 'and she is trying to get rid of them using the only method she can think of. I do believe she is very ill. But she loves you. Oh yes, I know she does. I helped her give birth to all three of you, I did. And she was damn proud. Each time.' She smiled. 'And so was I.'
'What about father?' I said, well aware that my voice was barely more than a growl. 'He doesn't love us.'
I noticed LUciana's quick glance in my direction and saw her expression change. She drew a deep breath and leaned back, watching the two of us with a hint of suspicion, though seemingly as eager for an answer as I was. For the first time today, though, Mumary did not know what to say.
'Your father is a bit difficult sometimes,' she finally admitted, looking very undecided. 'I do think he needs help, too.'
'Well, why don't you help them?' asked Luciana, sounding more sarcastic than ever.
'All I can do is advise them to get some help,' the cook sighed. 'All I can do is open the door. They'll have to cross the doorstep by themselves.'
'Ploblems,' said the baby and we jumped. Three pairs of eyes were, all of a sudden, staring in Sil's direction. It was the first time she'd ever spoken.
'Ploblems,' she said again and giggled.
Mumary produced a squeak of delight and took the small girl into her arm.
'She speaks!' she said, obviously close to tears, 'I've been so worried.'
'She's only one and a half,' I muttered. 'What need was there to-' But no one listened to me. Luciana stroke the baby's head, called her 'sweety' and 'good girl' and Mumary finally gave in to her tears.
'WHAT IS ALL THIS NOISE ABOUT?' said a sharp voice from the door. All of us turned. Luciana quickly recoiled behind Mumary. The baby squeaked and I took a step backwards. What was he doing down here? He'd never entered the kitchen before. Mumary put the baby back in the high-chair and bowed slightly.
'Welcome home, Master,' she said.
'Severus,' my father said without taking notice of the cook's words, 'come!'
I approached him at a snail's pace, wondering what I could possibly have done this time and watched his expression with extreme caution. But my father wasn't angry for a change.
'You received a letter, Severus,' he said curtly, 'from Hogwarts.'
I gasped. Could it be true? So I was a wizard after all. I would be doing magic. Mumary's eyes filled with tears again, but she didn't say anything out of consideration for Luciana's feelings. My father, on the other hand, didn't bother.
'My son, I hereby declare YOU the heir of this property and everything I possess,' he said bruskly, 'I am... very proud.'
Luciana whimpered. Her eyes filled with tears, too, but these weren't tears of joy. With a sudden jolt of - was it despair? -she rose from her seat and stormed out of the room. My father didn't even try to hold her back.
'The baby spoke today,' I informed him, unable to fight back a broad grin.
'Fascinating,' he replied without looking at her. 'I expect dinner will be ready soon, Mary?'
'Won't be a minute,' she said, bowing her head obediently, 'Ready when you are.'
...
...
...
...
...
You've gone very quiet. I'm not used to people listening like that.
...
...
This must be very boring for you.
...
...
Not? I am surprised.
...
No, honestly. I don't think I would be very interested if you told me all this about yourself.
...
...
...
...
You didn't understand what? The part about my sister? Why, what...
...
Oh.
...
...
Very well, I... I'll tell you. Because I trust you won't-
...
...
She was a squib. Luciana has hever shown any signs of magic."
