Severus mounted the steps more slowly now. Wariness of this woman now
replaced his apprehension of a few minutes ago. She seemed surprised to
see him, and equally wary. Her eyes turned to rest on the bundle in his
arms.
"I heard her crying," she proffered.
"I would be surprised if someone five miles from here did not." He didn't have the faculties to put full sarcasm into that sentence, though. He was busy assessing her appearance. While she held herself as confidently as one could while wearing nothing but a nightgown, she seemed to be in physical discomfort. She held the banister for support and her face was far too pale. She was also probably cold. The floors were tiled with marble and these older manors tended to have a bad draught.
Celeste felt his eyes penetrating her proud front and raised her chin defiantly. She held out both arms to take her baby. Severus held back a moment, scrutinizing her defensive gesture. He then realized he was probably being unnecessarily cruel and passed the baby over to her.
Severus looked on as Celeste rocked her baby reassuringly in her arms, quietly murmuring something incomprehensible in motherese. He resented the fact that he felt oddly out of place, as though he were spying on something private. He unfastened his black woolen cloak. Celeste didn't notice what he was doing until she felt the weight of the garment on her shoulders. She looked up in surprise.
"You looked cold," he said impatiently. He put his hand firmly behind her elbow and guided her down the hallway to her room. He had to walk slowly to accommodate her own slow pace, and he found it extremely tedious. Once in the room he pulled back the covers for her and helped her into her bed. She seemed very unsure about his seeming chivalry.
"I should feed her now." Her pointed look made it clear to Severus she wanted him to leave. He wasn't finished yet, however.
"Certainly do not let my presence dissuade you from doing so." He then went to station himself in front of her window, looking out over the lawns, so that she would have some privacy from him. After a moment of silence he heard her fiddling with the fabric of her gown, and then the rhythmic sucking sound of his daughter pulling at the milk.
"Why was your mother feeding her a potion?" he demanded.
Celeste paused before answering. "I suppose I angered them. They took her away from me. I haven't seen her since yesterday."
"It is healthier for the baby to drink real milk."
"I know that."
There was another silence. Severus scowled out at the green lawn.
"Why were they angry with you?"
Another hesitant pause ensued. "I had different ideas for a name. I—may have been a bit to forward in expressing my opinions regarding the chosen name."
Severus raised an eyebrow at this.
"What did you have in mind?"
She paused yet again. "Julia. Julia Hope. Or something to that effect"
"Has the other name been written on her birth parchment yet?"
"No. But Healer Feller is returning this afternoon to do so."
"Healer Feller?" Severus snapped his head around to look at Celeste. He forgot that she was breastfeeding. She looked uncomfortable under his gaze and adjusted her nightgown to cover herself more fully. Severus averted his eyes.
"Yes. What of it?"
"Nothing, except that I distinctly remember writing your father a voucher from my personal account to pay for Healer Landon to deliver the baby." He felt her eyes on him then. Healer Landon was very well known in her field and in twenty years had never lost either a mother or a baby. Her mothers were often up on their feet hours after delivery. Severus didn't know if Celeste knew that much about her, but any expectant mother researching Healers for the delivery would have heard of her and her reputation. Severus knew her personally through his internship at St. Mungo's.
"Are you in any discomfort because of the delivery?"
"Some."
"Makes sense. Healer Feller is an incompetent fool. I had to deal with him during my internship."
After another silence, Celeste began again. "Why..." She trailed off.
"I suppose because Feller charges less. He isn't, after all, in any fierce demand. I will speak with your father about this. Then, I will owl Landon immediately."
"But," Celeste said, "is it really any use now?"
"Yes," Severus said icily. "I am making a point to your father."
The baby had stopped feeding. Celeste was now fastening the front of her gown. "May I hold her again?" Severus was surprised when he heard the words come out of his mouth, causing him to scowl. Celeste was too, but after a moment's hesitation she motioned for him to sit on the edge of the bed. Severus did so, uncomfortable at his proximity to her supine, half- dressed form. She placed the baby girl ever so gently in his arms, careful to rest her head against his forearm. Severus looked on.
The baby was tiny without her wrapper. Her small fists roved randomly in the air for a moment before settling. Her eyes were closed now, Severus was disappointed to see. Celeste caught his frown.
"You don't think she's beautiful?" Severus could tell he was wading into dangerous waters. New mothers were not to be crossed when it came to their offspring. He looked up at her to defend himself, but was silenced before he began. He hadn't noticed it before, although why he had not noticed in the eight years of their marriage escaped him, but the baby had taken her eyes from her mother. Limpid pools of blue stared at him from her face.
"No, I do. Bellisima." Severus rose and lowered the baby into her crib, next to the bed. "Goodbye, Julia Hope." Severus paused a moment. "Arrivederla, Julieta Speranza."
Severus left the room without looking back. Celeste stared after him in wonder.
"Julieta Speranza..." She stroked her baby's cheek.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Speranza=Italian for Hope
I wouldn't mind having a beta if anyone is interested. I need an extra pair of eyes to catch mistakes and I would like a second opinion on style, how I put things together, use of devices, etc. I would like someone who knows a little Italian to offer their services to me too, if that is possible. It would be greatly appreciated. I speak French and Spanish, but so far in the first five chapters I've had to pretend I know what I'm doing with the language. Italian is a bit different from French and Spanish, despite the fact that they are all Romance languages.
So just a warning, if you are reading this fic and you speak Italian, even only a little bit, I will continue to butcher the language in this story until you surrender your help.
REVIEW!
Bellisima = very beautiful, most beautiful
Arrivederla = goodbye
"I heard her crying," she proffered.
"I would be surprised if someone five miles from here did not." He didn't have the faculties to put full sarcasm into that sentence, though. He was busy assessing her appearance. While she held herself as confidently as one could while wearing nothing but a nightgown, she seemed to be in physical discomfort. She held the banister for support and her face was far too pale. She was also probably cold. The floors were tiled with marble and these older manors tended to have a bad draught.
Celeste felt his eyes penetrating her proud front and raised her chin defiantly. She held out both arms to take her baby. Severus held back a moment, scrutinizing her defensive gesture. He then realized he was probably being unnecessarily cruel and passed the baby over to her.
Severus looked on as Celeste rocked her baby reassuringly in her arms, quietly murmuring something incomprehensible in motherese. He resented the fact that he felt oddly out of place, as though he were spying on something private. He unfastened his black woolen cloak. Celeste didn't notice what he was doing until she felt the weight of the garment on her shoulders. She looked up in surprise.
"You looked cold," he said impatiently. He put his hand firmly behind her elbow and guided her down the hallway to her room. He had to walk slowly to accommodate her own slow pace, and he found it extremely tedious. Once in the room he pulled back the covers for her and helped her into her bed. She seemed very unsure about his seeming chivalry.
"I should feed her now." Her pointed look made it clear to Severus she wanted him to leave. He wasn't finished yet, however.
"Certainly do not let my presence dissuade you from doing so." He then went to station himself in front of her window, looking out over the lawns, so that she would have some privacy from him. After a moment of silence he heard her fiddling with the fabric of her gown, and then the rhythmic sucking sound of his daughter pulling at the milk.
"Why was your mother feeding her a potion?" he demanded.
Celeste paused before answering. "I suppose I angered them. They took her away from me. I haven't seen her since yesterday."
"It is healthier for the baby to drink real milk."
"I know that."
There was another silence. Severus scowled out at the green lawn.
"Why were they angry with you?"
Another hesitant pause ensued. "I had different ideas for a name. I—may have been a bit to forward in expressing my opinions regarding the chosen name."
Severus raised an eyebrow at this.
"What did you have in mind?"
She paused yet again. "Julia. Julia Hope. Or something to that effect"
"Has the other name been written on her birth parchment yet?"
"No. But Healer Feller is returning this afternoon to do so."
"Healer Feller?" Severus snapped his head around to look at Celeste. He forgot that she was breastfeeding. She looked uncomfortable under his gaze and adjusted her nightgown to cover herself more fully. Severus averted his eyes.
"Yes. What of it?"
"Nothing, except that I distinctly remember writing your father a voucher from my personal account to pay for Healer Landon to deliver the baby." He felt her eyes on him then. Healer Landon was very well known in her field and in twenty years had never lost either a mother or a baby. Her mothers were often up on their feet hours after delivery. Severus didn't know if Celeste knew that much about her, but any expectant mother researching Healers for the delivery would have heard of her and her reputation. Severus knew her personally through his internship at St. Mungo's.
"Are you in any discomfort because of the delivery?"
"Some."
"Makes sense. Healer Feller is an incompetent fool. I had to deal with him during my internship."
After another silence, Celeste began again. "Why..." She trailed off.
"I suppose because Feller charges less. He isn't, after all, in any fierce demand. I will speak with your father about this. Then, I will owl Landon immediately."
"But," Celeste said, "is it really any use now?"
"Yes," Severus said icily. "I am making a point to your father."
The baby had stopped feeding. Celeste was now fastening the front of her gown. "May I hold her again?" Severus was surprised when he heard the words come out of his mouth, causing him to scowl. Celeste was too, but after a moment's hesitation she motioned for him to sit on the edge of the bed. Severus did so, uncomfortable at his proximity to her supine, half- dressed form. She placed the baby girl ever so gently in his arms, careful to rest her head against his forearm. Severus looked on.
The baby was tiny without her wrapper. Her small fists roved randomly in the air for a moment before settling. Her eyes were closed now, Severus was disappointed to see. Celeste caught his frown.
"You don't think she's beautiful?" Severus could tell he was wading into dangerous waters. New mothers were not to be crossed when it came to their offspring. He looked up at her to defend himself, but was silenced before he began. He hadn't noticed it before, although why he had not noticed in the eight years of their marriage escaped him, but the baby had taken her eyes from her mother. Limpid pools of blue stared at him from her face.
"No, I do. Bellisima." Severus rose and lowered the baby into her crib, next to the bed. "Goodbye, Julia Hope." Severus paused a moment. "Arrivederla, Julieta Speranza."
Severus left the room without looking back. Celeste stared after him in wonder.
"Julieta Speranza..." She stroked her baby's cheek.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Speranza=Italian for Hope
I wouldn't mind having a beta if anyone is interested. I need an extra pair of eyes to catch mistakes and I would like a second opinion on style, how I put things together, use of devices, etc. I would like someone who knows a little Italian to offer their services to me too, if that is possible. It would be greatly appreciated. I speak French and Spanish, but so far in the first five chapters I've had to pretend I know what I'm doing with the language. Italian is a bit different from French and Spanish, despite the fact that they are all Romance languages.
So just a warning, if you are reading this fic and you speak Italian, even only a little bit, I will continue to butcher the language in this story until you surrender your help.
REVIEW!
Bellisima = very beautiful, most beautiful
Arrivederla = goodbye