Disclaimer: See Chapter One!
Uploaded: 24th January 2005
"Black Light"
By Dante Lewis
Chapter Thirteen: Black is not a colour.
"Black!" The obstinate child stabbed a chocolate stained, chubby little finger defiantly at the offending sample of material Madame Malkin's had on display.
Severus sighed, inwardly cursing the devil who suggested that it was even possible to reason with a three year old. They had been deliberating to no avail in Madame Malkin's for close to half an hour, and people were starting to stare.
It was not very often that Severus took his niece outside of Hogwarts' extensive grounds. When he did venture forth, they frequented the comparatively smaller and less populated attractions of Hogsmeade, coming to Diagon Alley only on the rare occasion. Now, Severus was steadfastly reminded as to why that was.
As Estella grew, Severus was becoming increasingly aware of his niece's changing needs. The large array of clothing that had been found in the nursery at Selina and Sirius' home and the ceremonious bequests from amongst his colleagues in the Hogwarts Staff had been more than efficient to keep Estella adequately clothed, but now the child required attire that could not just be re-spelled to fit; but also catered to her increasing mobility and independence.
It was thus with much consternation and regret that Severus forced himself to 'let go' of the clothes his sister had lovingly collected for her then unborn child and move on to new unchartered heights. Had it been his choice, however, Severus would have been more than happy to continue to accept the gift of clothes from others and supplemented the selection with a few randomly chosen practical garments from mail order, but no, that damn meddling old fool of a mentor and that sentimental git of a werewolf talked him into including Estella in the selection process. Said something about it being of upmost importance to 'embrace her emerging individuality and nurture her sense of style'.
'Sense of style…' Severus grumbled to himself, 'all she wants to wear is black!'
"Estella, how many times must I insist that black is very unbecoming on a child of your age!" Severus said tiredly. Just because his niece was still just a toddler, he was not about to insult her intelligence by coddling or cooing at her. Children, after all, developed their vocabulary by example and there was no way Severus was going to tolerate having a ineloquent dunderhead for a niece.
Estella, in turn, tilted her head in consideration of her Uncle's suggestion. "No." She said sternly, shaking her mane of black curls violently. "Black!"
"Estella Black!" Severus snapped, his voice in a dangerously low hiss as he stated her surname. "I have had just about enough of your insubordination. I asked you to select a range of colours with which Madame Malkin can tailor your robes and must I remind you yet again that black is not a colour!"
Estella's bottom lip quivered into a stubborn pout that matched the fierce – and fearless - determination in her eyes. "Black!" She said softly, this time pointing at the folds in his own robe. "Like you."
Severus eyes widened in surprise. Estella, it seemed, was not only completely fearless, but desired to dress just like himself. Barely suppressing a smirk, he looked at his niece curiously, an unbidden flame dancing in his eyes. "Is it to be my understanding that you wish to dress like me?"
Estella nodded vigorously. "Black. Like you." She said simply.
Severus sighed. "Well that will simply not do!" He said as he crouched down to his niece's level, his Slytherin mind furiously at work. "Little girls only wear black when they are very sad. Are you sad?"
Estella screwed her face up in thought before her bottom lip began to tremble. "Uncle Sev sad!" she sobbed, her little shoulders shaking in Severus' contrastingly large hands.
'Stinking salamander!' Severus cursed to himself, looking around hopelessly, astounded at his niece's deductive sense of reasoning.
"If I could make a suggestion?" Madame Malkin, who had long since been waiting patiently to be handed a colour swatch. "Perhaps you can select colours for each other."
Severus glared at the woman, letting go of his niece and rising to his full height. "Thankyou for your suggestion Madame, but I regret to inform you that I do not require new robes at this time." He said between gritted teeth.
"Your niece appears to think that you do." Madame Malkin said quietly, nodding her head towards the child who was now frantically sifting her way through a batch of colours, the tip of her tongue peeking through her pursed lips as she considered her options.
Severus smirked. The woman clearly possessed a Slytherin mind. "Indeed." He said. "For Estella's robes, use whatever colours the child takes a liking to, ensuring the shades are appropriately toned and compliment her features."
Madame Malkin nodded. "And your robe?"
"I trust you will not be offended if you do not see me wear it?" Severus said in a conspiratorial tone.
Madame Malkin winked. "If you prefer I can charm the material so that it appears to everyone except your niece that you are wearing customary black robes." She said in hushed tones.
Severus raised an eyebrow. "I do not believe that will be necessary, Madam." He replied in kind, for he knew his niece was too sharp to not miss the guaranteed reaction his wearing colour would incite amongst his colleagues. "And I assure you that my measurements remain the same from my last order."
Madame Malkin nodded, delighted at making another sale. "Right now dearie," she said loudly, turning her attention to the fossicking child at their feet. "Have you chosen what colours your Uncle's robes should be?"
Estella looked up and nodded wordlessly, thrusting out a fist with the offending selections.
To Severus' pride and amazement, his niece had chosen a rather tasteful range of forest greens, silver threads, black accents and deep aqua tones for him. Nodding at the seamstress at her unasked question, she accepted the colours from the beaming child.
"And do you have a favourite colour for your own robe, child?" Madame Malkin asked finally.
Estella furrowed her brow in thought and hovered her hand over the well worn black swatch until she caught her Uncle's warning glare. Deciding to back down on the issue, she instead triumphantly indicated her intentions towards a rich blood red that was so dark it looked black, a deep magenta that reminded Severus of a hue Selina had favoured in the clothes she had chosen prenatally, and midnight navy that he reasoned would compliment his niece's eyes. Nodding slightly to each colour in turn, Severus gave his assent to the patient robe maker who scurried off to work as soon as she had all the samples.
Deftly picking up his niece in one fluid movement, he positioned the child on his hip and propelled them both out of the store by his long legs towards the Apothecary.
After placing an order for his private potions stores and arranging for it to be delivered to his quarters by express courier owl, Severus and Estella returned to Madame Malkin's Robes for all Occasions to collect Estella's complete new wardrobe.
"Ah, Professor, not a moment too soon!" Madame Malkin greeted them as she hurried over to the counter, her arms full of garment boxes. "Would you be liking to wear a selection of your new robes out of the store today, dearie?" She addressed this question to Estella, who nodded.
"Uncle Sev too." She directed, stabbing her thumb in his general direction as she was lowered from his hip and led into a change room by the store owner.
Severus sighed, pulling the larger of the boxes towards him reluctantly. He had hoped to have gotten away with just being seen wearing coloured robes in the relaxed privacy and sanctuary of his and Estella's private quarters, but for the sake of a peaceful afternoon, who was he to deny his niece this one request? It was not as though the child had assaulted his senses with a flurry of bold fluorescents or Merlin forbid, Gryffindor colours.
And so that is how it came to be. The potions master and his niece walking hand in hand down Diagon Alley towards the flooing point at the Leaky Cauldron, turning heads in their wake. Estella, who was proud as punch, stood tall and smiled widely, while Severus – who had nothing to be ashamed of – kept his head high and his features schooled with his most menacing do-not-mess-with-me scowl and glare combination.
Arriving back in the entrance hall halfway through dinner, the pair entered the Great Hall with a flourish. Proceeding down the room to the Head Table where the holiday staff had stopped their eating to ogle at him, wide eyed. Severus narrowed his glare at the knowing looks his colleagues were exchanging, his mouth falling open in shock when the headmaster raised his glass to the visiting Remus Lupin (who had a infuriatingly mischievous smirk on his face) and said, his infernal eye twinkling away; "Remus, Minerva, I do believe you both won the pool."
End Chapter: Black is not a colour