Chapter 41:
"Teach me." Severus urges again.
I sigh and close my eyes.
"Please, Bena." He asks a third time.
I close my book, marking my spot, and set it on a side table. "Very well."
Severus flicks his wand to arrange and table setting for two. We have already eaten, but the house elves provide ample food to get started with. I look at the setting, and then eye the table under the window.
Waving my wand, the tray floats over to it. I motion Severus to join me. He does, looking cautious. As I approach the table I watch his every movement, in order to critique him when the time comes.
"No, Severus." I scold. He jumps back, eyes searching for his error. I gesture to me seat.
"A gentleman pulls out a lady's chair." I instruct. He grumbles and crosses behind me, scraping the chair out. I sit down and he pushes the chair in. He returns to his side and seats himself.
I survey the table. "We will not need the tray." I say, swishing it away. "Here, let me set this properly." I flick my wand and the table setting arranges itself, cutlery in its assigned positions, and all plates set where they need to be.
"Take note, Severus. There is a definite pattern to how one chooses cutlery for different courses and how to use each one." He is chewing the inside of his cheek. That is not a good side, especially considering we haven't begun in earnest on tonight's lesson.
"I know how to do dinner service." He says irritably. "I had to sit through enough dinners at the Malfoy's and with Dumbledore to know how to eat."
"Then demonstrate that to me." I say. I know my tone is more clipped than I should like, but I do not enjoy a reluctant learner. "Which would you use for a first course soup?"
Severus glares at me, but grabs the large bowled soupspoon. "Show me how you would eat." Another glare, but he raises the spoon to his lips.
"No."
"No?"
"No, Severus." I repeat. He places the spoon on the table and looks at me petulantly. I sigh inwardly and begin again.
"Place you napkin in your lap." He does so. I mirror the gesture. "Now, grip the spoon as you would a quill and spoon away from you to gather soup." He does this as well, eyes narrowed. "Now, bring the spoon gently to your lips and sip. Do not slurp."
We practice this a few more times. Feeling he could now carry himself through the soup course, we move on to the pasta course. There are minor revisions to each of the six courses I guide him through that evening. With each one he bites back searing comments.
Finally, over the final course, coffee, he has settled down. "Am I truly that awful?"
I shake my head. "No. As you said, there is no way the Malfoy's would have allowed awfully behavior at the table. You have the generalities. It is the nuances of good manners, which comes from good breeding, that is missing."
Oh dear. That last comment slipped out. I close my eyes against the oncoming bellow, but there is nothing. After a few more moments, I open my eyes. Severus's eyes are bulging, but his breathing is controlled.
"Severus, I am so very sor-"
"No, Bena. You are correct. My parents did not come from money, as do you. I had no one to teach me fine manners."
"Severus, that is not what I meant."
"I know, Bena. Being born to either money or a title or a well-known name means that manners are pound in to you from the day you are born. But you did not have that."
I shake my head. "No, you are right. My parents shunned that, but my grandfather and his brother did not. They took over my care almost immediately and made certain I was schooled in all the proper ways. Severus, please let me apologize."
"No, my sweet. I asked for your help and you gave it. I need to develop thicker skin."
I give a short bark of laughter. "Severus Snape, too sensitive? Poppycock."
He flashes a rare smile and rises from his seat. He crosses to me and pulls out my chair, leaving a hand out to help me rise. He offers his arm and escorts me to the sofa. With his wand, he floats our coffee over to us.
"This is better." He comments.
"Much." I agree.
"Now, school me in the finer points of after-dinner conversation."
"There are generally regarded three topics to avoid at dinner parties at all costs. Politics, politics, and money. However, that is for a general invitation dinner party. At a typical party at the Malfoy's, for instance, politics is what unites all the guests, and, as the majority of the guests are Death Eaters, it would be a safe topic, for all are most likely in agreement. However, finances and money are still off-limits."
Severus nods. "And what are the three safest topics of conversation?"
"That depends greatly on the sex of the person you are conversing with." I inform him. "Witches to witches generally discuss relationships, children, and scandalous gossip. Wizards chatting with wizards discuss scandalous gossip, work, and leisure activities. Wizards talking to witches will stick to leisure activities and scandalous gossip."
"I notice a trend."
"Oh yes, gossip is always a favorite, though they will all deny it. I think that is enough for tonight, Severus." I say.
He nods. "All is quiet on the war front." He says. "The Dark Lord is in planning, and Albus does not require us tonight. Let us to bed."
Arm in arm, we enter the bedroom, falling asleep in each other's arms.
"Teach me." Severus urges again.
I sigh and close my eyes.
"Please, Bena." He asks a third time.
I close my book, marking my spot, and set it on a side table. "Very well."
Severus flicks his wand to arrange and table setting for two. We have already eaten, but the house elves provide ample food to get started with. I look at the setting, and then eye the table under the window.
Waving my wand, the tray floats over to it. I motion Severus to join me. He does, looking cautious. As I approach the table I watch his every movement, in order to critique him when the time comes.
"No, Severus." I scold. He jumps back, eyes searching for his error. I gesture to me seat.
"A gentleman pulls out a lady's chair." I instruct. He grumbles and crosses behind me, scraping the chair out. I sit down and he pushes the chair in. He returns to his side and seats himself.
I survey the table. "We will not need the tray." I say, swishing it away. "Here, let me set this properly." I flick my wand and the table setting arranges itself, cutlery in its assigned positions, and all plates set where they need to be.
"Take note, Severus. There is a definite pattern to how one chooses cutlery for different courses and how to use each one." He is chewing the inside of his cheek. That is not a good side, especially considering we haven't begun in earnest on tonight's lesson.
"I know how to do dinner service." He says irritably. "I had to sit through enough dinners at the Malfoy's and with Dumbledore to know how to eat."
"Then demonstrate that to me." I say. I know my tone is more clipped than I should like, but I do not enjoy a reluctant learner. "Which would you use for a first course soup?"
Severus glares at me, but grabs the large bowled soupspoon. "Show me how you would eat." Another glare, but he raises the spoon to his lips.
"No."
"No?"
"No, Severus." I repeat. He places the spoon on the table and looks at me petulantly. I sigh inwardly and begin again.
"Place you napkin in your lap." He does so. I mirror the gesture. "Now, grip the spoon as you would a quill and spoon away from you to gather soup." He does this as well, eyes narrowed. "Now, bring the spoon gently to your lips and sip. Do not slurp."
We practice this a few more times. Feeling he could now carry himself through the soup course, we move on to the pasta course. There are minor revisions to each of the six courses I guide him through that evening. With each one he bites back searing comments.
Finally, over the final course, coffee, he has settled down. "Am I truly that awful?"
I shake my head. "No. As you said, there is no way the Malfoy's would have allowed awfully behavior at the table. You have the generalities. It is the nuances of good manners, which comes from good breeding, that is missing."
Oh dear. That last comment slipped out. I close my eyes against the oncoming bellow, but there is nothing. After a few more moments, I open my eyes. Severus's eyes are bulging, but his breathing is controlled.
"Severus, I am so very sor-"
"No, Bena. You are correct. My parents did not come from money, as do you. I had no one to teach me fine manners."
"Severus, that is not what I meant."
"I know, Bena. Being born to either money or a title or a well-known name means that manners are pound in to you from the day you are born. But you did not have that."
I shake my head. "No, you are right. My parents shunned that, but my grandfather and his brother did not. They took over my care almost immediately and made certain I was schooled in all the proper ways. Severus, please let me apologize."
"No, my sweet. I asked for your help and you gave it. I need to develop thicker skin."
I give a short bark of laughter. "Severus Snape, too sensitive? Poppycock."
He flashes a rare smile and rises from his seat. He crosses to me and pulls out my chair, leaving a hand out to help me rise. He offers his arm and escorts me to the sofa. With his wand, he floats our coffee over to us.
"This is better." He comments.
"Much." I agree.
"Now, school me in the finer points of after-dinner conversation."
"There are generally regarded three topics to avoid at dinner parties at all costs. Politics, politics, and money. However, that is for a general invitation dinner party. At a typical party at the Malfoy's, for instance, politics is what unites all the guests, and, as the majority of the guests are Death Eaters, it would be a safe topic, for all are most likely in agreement. However, finances and money are still off-limits."
Severus nods. "And what are the three safest topics of conversation?"
"That depends greatly on the sex of the person you are conversing with." I inform him. "Witches to witches generally discuss relationships, children, and scandalous gossip. Wizards chatting with wizards discuss scandalous gossip, work, and leisure activities. Wizards talking to witches will stick to leisure activities and scandalous gossip."
"I notice a trend."
"Oh yes, gossip is always a favorite, though they will all deny it. I think that is enough for tonight, Severus." I say.
He nods. "All is quiet on the war front." He says. "The Dark Lord is in planning, and Albus does not require us tonight. Let us to bed."
Arm in arm, we enter the bedroom, falling asleep in each other's arms.