Celeste Snape lay in her canopied bed looking out at the blue sky through
her window. The wind licked in gently, toying with her white lace
curtains, and left. She could hear the level breathing of her daughter in
her cradle next to her bed. Her black lashed eyes were screwed shut and
her brow furrowed. She would be demanding a feeding soon.
Celeste pulled herself up in her bed, taking much less effort to do so than she had that morning. She peeled back the pillowy coverings and tested the ground with her feet, as if making sure they floor would not give way. Slowly she stood and walked over to her wardrobe. Celeste sighed when she saw her reflection in the mirror. She looked a wreck, though probably not as bad as she had that morning before Healer Landon arrived. She wondered fleetingly what her husband must have thought of her untidy appearance.
Reaching into her wardrobe she pulled out a light silk dressing gown and slipped it over her slim form. She tried to comb her hair out somewhat with her fingers, but the locks had become too intricately entangled to cooperate. Celeste gave up. She would have to have a proper bath after she had finished feeding her daughter. As if on cue a small whine came from the crib.
A small baby, Healer Landon had said, but perfectly healthy. The Healer had even gone as far as to comment on how pretty a baby she was, which had given Celeste fierce pride. This woman delivered babies everyday, and she surely didn't pay such flattering compliments to all of them. After Landon had examined the baby she had given Celeste a brief checkup, which she had found a lot less embarrassing to do with a female Healer. Landon had given a dark look when Celeste had described the procedures and various charms Healer Feller had used. Celeste didn't think it was so much because Feller had done a poor job as it was because Healer Landon appeared to be a perfectionist in her art. However Healer Landon didn't refrain from critiquing Feller in front of his former patient, ranting about how a breech birth was a very serious thing and certain precautions had to be taken. Celeste didn't know whether she felt better or worse at having someone tell her that her former Healer was an incompetent.
Celeste eased her child out of the crib and into her arms. It was still awkward to do, but she tried to follow the directions Healer Landon had given her, lifting the baby's legs slightly to slip one hand under the baby's back to cup its head. She expected it would become natural with time. She settled herself in the window seat to feed her daughter.
As she gazed at the calm face of the infant pressed close against her, her thoughts drifted back to that morning's encounter. She had been wholly surprised to see her husband. Celeste had suspected that her father would ask him to come, but she honestly didn't believe he would. He had always kept his distance in the past. She had also been surprised to see him holding her daughter, ascending the stairs as if to look for her.
Celeste wondered if she had been justified in her hostile behavior toward him. She answered her own question immediately in the affirmative. She knew what his father had been, what he was. She had seen the mark on his naked forearm the second time they had performed their marital duty, and every time since. He was the last person Celeste had wanted to see holding her child at that moment on the stairs.
She resented everything about him. She despised his poorly groomed appearance, always looking like he had gone just a day too long without washing his hair. She hated how he always wore black, as if it was his way of proudly declaring his Death Eater past. She loathed the silky, sarcastic voice he used, although she had heard it directed to her only a few times. Not that she minded. Celeste was not overly eager to break the code of silence between them.
But that morning had been very unexpected. She had seen him wipe her daughter's face gently. The gesture had disgusted her at the time; she did not want his hands anywhere near her baby. Celeste had been confused by his behavior after he returned her baby. While his draping of his cloak over her shoulders had been quite gentlemanly, the way in which he had gripped her arm behind the elbow as he led her down the hall had not. The conversation they had had, the longest one yet, had left her a bit bewildered.
Some time after her husband had left the room she had heard shouting from downstairs. Her father was infamous for his temper, and it was clearly his voice that was gliding up the stairs to her room. However, she could not hear the other voice. Perhaps the other speaker was not even raising it. Celeste had wondered for a moment with whom her father could be arguing, when she remembered what Severus had said, that he would talk with her father. She was surprised; she had assumed that when he had left her room he was also leaving the house.
The gist of the heated dispute downstairs, based on what Celeste could hear her father say, was that Severus was calling him on the fact that he had pocketed the money he saved by hiring a less expensive Healer for Celeste. More shouting ensued. Celeste couldn't be sure, but she thought that what her father said then was a response to her husband's threat to cut him off financially.
She could do nothing but close her eyes miserably when she had interpreted the signs in her father's words. Despite all appearances—the beautiful estate, the extravagant decorations and furniture inside the manor, and the expensive lifestyle—the Nostrum family was on the rocks. Marriage with the Snape family had been her parents' way of securing a source of wealth for themselves. Although her father had haggled the dowry and complained about the Snape family not being elite enough for his daughter to marry into, he really had been desperate to secure the legal bond between them. He had not even waited for his daughter to be of legal age.
It did not bode well that Severus was threatening to cut them off. Now that Aegerus was dead it was left to Severus to dole out the monthly allowance, and if he decided he didn't want to, there was nothing to force him to. Celeste did not want the money because she condoned the frivolous lifestyle of her parents, but rather because she knew that if Severus cut them off she would no longer be necessary to her father; she did not enjoy being a tool to him, but it was better than being of no value to him at all. She was not overconfident of what he would do with her once she had lost her value. Celeste also feared for her daughter. Her father would no doubt try to use her as a bargaining chip with Severus somehow to ensure the allowance continued.
It was shortly after that that Healer Landon arrived. Severus had been true to his word about owling her immediately. The healer had brought with her a birth parchment as well. She recognized Feller's writing filling half of it. Landon had pulled out her own quill to finish it.
"I was given strict orders by your husband to allow you, and not anyone else, to dictate the rest of the necessary information to me," the wiry, middle-aged witch had said. "What is the first name of the baby?"
Celeste had of course started at this. So had her husband actually approved of the name she had chosen for the baby? Celeste was about to reply, 'Julia,' when she remembered what her husband had called the baby before he left. Quickly deciding as if on an impulse, but knowing that she was much more certain about her decision than that, she told the healer, "Speranza Julieta."
When they were finished the healer had duplicated the birth parchment twice: one copy for Celeste, one for the Ministry's birth registry, and one to be kept by herself. At the last minute Celeste had asked the healer to make an extra copy to send to Severus. Celeste knew that the proper thing for her to do was to write to her husband to let him know that she was happy with the healer and tell him what the baby had been named, but if she could get out of writing him by having Healer Landon do it for her, then she would take that route.
Celeste was also inexplicably embarrassed for naming the baby as she did. She liked the name, and that was why she had chosen it over the anglicized version, but she was afraid of her husband thinking that she had named the baby as she had to please him. Celeste didn't think she could bear for him to think that she was so weak as to change her mind to conform to her husband's most whimsical wish. It might set a poor precedent for their marriage.
Sitting in her window seat overlooking the garden, Celeste could feel her daughter drift back to sleep in her arms. Rocking her gently against her shoulder, Celeste walked over to the cradle and set Speranza in it carefully.
"Sweet dreams, Speranza."
Sitting down on the edge of her bed, eyes on the contents of the cradle, Celeste let out a long sigh.
Celeste pulled herself up in her bed, taking much less effort to do so than she had that morning. She peeled back the pillowy coverings and tested the ground with her feet, as if making sure they floor would not give way. Slowly she stood and walked over to her wardrobe. Celeste sighed when she saw her reflection in the mirror. She looked a wreck, though probably not as bad as she had that morning before Healer Landon arrived. She wondered fleetingly what her husband must have thought of her untidy appearance.
Reaching into her wardrobe she pulled out a light silk dressing gown and slipped it over her slim form. She tried to comb her hair out somewhat with her fingers, but the locks had become too intricately entangled to cooperate. Celeste gave up. She would have to have a proper bath after she had finished feeding her daughter. As if on cue a small whine came from the crib.
A small baby, Healer Landon had said, but perfectly healthy. The Healer had even gone as far as to comment on how pretty a baby she was, which had given Celeste fierce pride. This woman delivered babies everyday, and she surely didn't pay such flattering compliments to all of them. After Landon had examined the baby she had given Celeste a brief checkup, which she had found a lot less embarrassing to do with a female Healer. Landon had given a dark look when Celeste had described the procedures and various charms Healer Feller had used. Celeste didn't think it was so much because Feller had done a poor job as it was because Healer Landon appeared to be a perfectionist in her art. However Healer Landon didn't refrain from critiquing Feller in front of his former patient, ranting about how a breech birth was a very serious thing and certain precautions had to be taken. Celeste didn't know whether she felt better or worse at having someone tell her that her former Healer was an incompetent.
Celeste eased her child out of the crib and into her arms. It was still awkward to do, but she tried to follow the directions Healer Landon had given her, lifting the baby's legs slightly to slip one hand under the baby's back to cup its head. She expected it would become natural with time. She settled herself in the window seat to feed her daughter.
As she gazed at the calm face of the infant pressed close against her, her thoughts drifted back to that morning's encounter. She had been wholly surprised to see her husband. Celeste had suspected that her father would ask him to come, but she honestly didn't believe he would. He had always kept his distance in the past. She had also been surprised to see him holding her daughter, ascending the stairs as if to look for her.
Celeste wondered if she had been justified in her hostile behavior toward him. She answered her own question immediately in the affirmative. She knew what his father had been, what he was. She had seen the mark on his naked forearm the second time they had performed their marital duty, and every time since. He was the last person Celeste had wanted to see holding her child at that moment on the stairs.
She resented everything about him. She despised his poorly groomed appearance, always looking like he had gone just a day too long without washing his hair. She hated how he always wore black, as if it was his way of proudly declaring his Death Eater past. She loathed the silky, sarcastic voice he used, although she had heard it directed to her only a few times. Not that she minded. Celeste was not overly eager to break the code of silence between them.
But that morning had been very unexpected. She had seen him wipe her daughter's face gently. The gesture had disgusted her at the time; she did not want his hands anywhere near her baby. Celeste had been confused by his behavior after he returned her baby. While his draping of his cloak over her shoulders had been quite gentlemanly, the way in which he had gripped her arm behind the elbow as he led her down the hall had not. The conversation they had had, the longest one yet, had left her a bit bewildered.
Some time after her husband had left the room she had heard shouting from downstairs. Her father was infamous for his temper, and it was clearly his voice that was gliding up the stairs to her room. However, she could not hear the other voice. Perhaps the other speaker was not even raising it. Celeste had wondered for a moment with whom her father could be arguing, when she remembered what Severus had said, that he would talk with her father. She was surprised; she had assumed that when he had left her room he was also leaving the house.
The gist of the heated dispute downstairs, based on what Celeste could hear her father say, was that Severus was calling him on the fact that he had pocketed the money he saved by hiring a less expensive Healer for Celeste. More shouting ensued. Celeste couldn't be sure, but she thought that what her father said then was a response to her husband's threat to cut him off financially.
She could do nothing but close her eyes miserably when she had interpreted the signs in her father's words. Despite all appearances—the beautiful estate, the extravagant decorations and furniture inside the manor, and the expensive lifestyle—the Nostrum family was on the rocks. Marriage with the Snape family had been her parents' way of securing a source of wealth for themselves. Although her father had haggled the dowry and complained about the Snape family not being elite enough for his daughter to marry into, he really had been desperate to secure the legal bond between them. He had not even waited for his daughter to be of legal age.
It did not bode well that Severus was threatening to cut them off. Now that Aegerus was dead it was left to Severus to dole out the monthly allowance, and if he decided he didn't want to, there was nothing to force him to. Celeste did not want the money because she condoned the frivolous lifestyle of her parents, but rather because she knew that if Severus cut them off she would no longer be necessary to her father; she did not enjoy being a tool to him, but it was better than being of no value to him at all. She was not overconfident of what he would do with her once she had lost her value. Celeste also feared for her daughter. Her father would no doubt try to use her as a bargaining chip with Severus somehow to ensure the allowance continued.
It was shortly after that that Healer Landon arrived. Severus had been true to his word about owling her immediately. The healer had brought with her a birth parchment as well. She recognized Feller's writing filling half of it. Landon had pulled out her own quill to finish it.
"I was given strict orders by your husband to allow you, and not anyone else, to dictate the rest of the necessary information to me," the wiry, middle-aged witch had said. "What is the first name of the baby?"
Celeste had of course started at this. So had her husband actually approved of the name she had chosen for the baby? Celeste was about to reply, 'Julia,' when she remembered what her husband had called the baby before he left. Quickly deciding as if on an impulse, but knowing that she was much more certain about her decision than that, she told the healer, "Speranza Julieta."
When they were finished the healer had duplicated the birth parchment twice: one copy for Celeste, one for the Ministry's birth registry, and one to be kept by herself. At the last minute Celeste had asked the healer to make an extra copy to send to Severus. Celeste knew that the proper thing for her to do was to write to her husband to let him know that she was happy with the healer and tell him what the baby had been named, but if she could get out of writing him by having Healer Landon do it for her, then she would take that route.
Celeste was also inexplicably embarrassed for naming the baby as she did. She liked the name, and that was why she had chosen it over the anglicized version, but she was afraid of her husband thinking that she had named the baby as she had to please him. Celeste didn't think she could bear for him to think that she was so weak as to change her mind to conform to her husband's most whimsical wish. It might set a poor precedent for their marriage.
Sitting in her window seat overlooking the garden, Celeste could feel her daughter drift back to sleep in her arms. Rocking her gently against her shoulder, Celeste walked over to the cradle and set Speranza in it carefully.
"Sweet dreams, Speranza."
Sitting down on the edge of her bed, eyes on the contents of the cradle, Celeste let out a long sigh.