Chapter 65 ~ Mom Pays a Visit
After Isadora checked into her hotel and got her things in order, she, Severus and Hermione apparated to the couple’s home in Little Hangelton. Isadora exclaimed at how cute the little house was, smiling at her son in approval.
Severus let them in, and Eli came running up to the front foyer.
“Master, you and the Mistress is home and…” the elf suddenly stopped as his brown eyes fell on Isadora. Severus and Hermione did not tell him she would be arriving. They had wanted to surprise the elf.
“Hello Eli,” said Isadora, smiling down at the house elf with affection.
Eli stood trembling with emotion at the sight of his Mistress. The elf hadn’t seen her in many years. When he was in service to Isadora during her marriage to Darius, the elf was not allowed in the man’s presence nor was he allowed to cook meals, because the man feared the elf would poison him, which was quite possible actually.
Darius hated Eli because the elf had hexed him early in his marriage to Isadora, when he had hit the witch in his presence. The man had been pinned to the ceiling then dropped to the floor several times. Isadora had been pregnant at the time and the enraged elf was about to kill the muggle when she stopped him.
Darius had threatened to leave her and her unborn baby unless the Eli left their house. It took some time to make the muggle realize the house elf was bound to the witch through her family and could not leave her. So an agreement was reached that the elf would not interfere in their marriage and would not ever be in Darius’ presence.
Eli was Severus’ constant caretaker, companion and playmate and slept in his room. Although he was a house elf, he provided more of a positive male influence than Severus’ father did. Eli was also the one who doctored Isadora and Severus with magic after her husband’s beatings. If not for the elf, Isadora would most likely be horribly disfigured. He also did much of the housework, so Darius never had any complaints about the condition of his home, which was always spotless. He found other reasons to rage. When Darius died, Eli was elated. He could serve Isadora openly again. Under his care and kindness, the witch flourished.
When Isadora moved to Naples, Eli’s service was transferred to Severus, who put him to work in the Hogwarts kitchens with the other elves for a while. After the wizard purchased the house in Little Hangelton, he sent Eli there to take care of it.
Eli was quite a special house elf. For example, he could read, write and do basic mathematical equations. Since he served Severus the most when he was a child, Severus taught the elf how to do the schoolwork he did. Eli was actually his first pupil and quite bright. This made the elf invaluable. He had access to Severus’ Gringotts account and kept the house supplied with what was needed.
Eli looked up at the witch. His reaction was much like his Master’s. He couldn’t speak.
Isadora stepped forward, knelt and caressed the elf’s head between his ears. Eli burst into tears.
“Mistress,” the blubbering elf croaked, “Oh, Mistress. It is good to sees you!”
“Dear, sweet Eli,” Isadora said, then she hugged the little creature gently. Eli stiffened a moment, then melted into the hug, his scaly arms encircling the witch’s neck as he patted her back, feeling that she was real.
“You goes so far away,” the elf said, sniffling as he pulled back from her. “Master says no owls, no contact. He says to pretend you is dead. So Eli did.”
The elf’s ears shot forward.
“But you was never dead to Eli, Mistress. You was always alive, right here,” he said, pointing to his chest.
“Yes, Eli. And now I am back to stay. You can see me when you want,” Isadora said softly, giving his head another rub before rising.
“Staying? Staying Master?” Eli said, turning to Severus excitedly, “She is staying here with us, Master?”
“No Eli. Mother has an independent streak. She wants to live wild among the muggles,” he said scowling. Isadora frowned up at her son as did Hermione.
“Severus…” both Hermione and Isadora began, ganging up on him already. The wizard held up a pale hand, knowing he was outnumbered.
“She will be living in London,” he amended, his face screwed up in distaste. “So she can Work.”
They walked into the living room. Hermione maneuvered herself on to the couch then looked up at Severus.
“I hope you don’t give me this much trouble when I want to go to work,” she said to the wizard who was walking over to the liquor cabinet to fix himself a small firewhiskey. He picked up a glass and opened the glass doors, removing a bottle of deep amber liquor.
“Of course not,” Severus replied, pouring a drink, “You will be doing valuable work in whatever magical field you choose, not sending wizards and witches to their deaths in muggle airplanes,” he said.
“Severus!” Hermione said, starting to scold him for talking down about his mother’s field of work.
Isadora simply laughed as she watched Severus fix his drink.
“Make me one of those, please son,” she said.
Severus frowned at her.
“You drink, Mother?” he asked her, his eyebrows raised in slight disapproval.
“No. I swallow, Severus. The drink, please?” she retorted.
Hermione could see where the Potions Master’s sarcasm came from.
Severus reached into the cabinet again to pull out a bottle of white wine. Isadora scowled at him.
“I said one of those, Severus. A Firewhiskey,” she said evenly.
Severus put the wine back and fixed his mother a drink and brought it over to her. He watched as she knocked it back, let out a loud “aaarrgh” and handed the glass back to him.
“That hit the spot after my journey. Thank you,” she said.
“You’re welcome,” the Potions Master said rather snarkily.
Isadora looked at him warningly as if to say “watch your tone with me, young man. I’m still your mother.”
Severus sullenly scourgified the glass and returned it to the cabinet. Eli appeared with a tall glass of milk for Hermione.
“Thank you, Eli,” Hermione said, taking the glass from the elf, who nodded and stood there, staring at Isadora. He still couldn’t believe she was here.
Suddenly the flames in the fireplace turned green with a “foomph!”
“What the…” Severus began as Raucous soared through the flames. The raven landed on his shoulder and preened the wizard’s hair in greeting. Then he looked at Hermione and clipped his beak at her. She gave him a hello scowl in return. His beady black eyes focused on Isadora and his beak dropped open.
“And who is this handsome bird?” Isadora asked, admiring the glossy raven.
“That’s Raucous, Severus’ familiar. You’d better watch out for him because he’s…” Hermoine began.
Raucous winged his way over to Isadora and landed on the arm of the armchair, looking up at her. Isadora caressed the raven and Raucous leaned into her hand.
“How sweet,” the witch said as Hermione’s mouth dropped open.
The little suck-up.
Raucous looked up at the witch’s glossy black hair and dark eyes, immediately smitten. She looked very much like his master. The raven looked at Severus and sent him an image of two fledglings in a nest followed by a question mark.
“No Raucous, she’s not my sister…she’s my mother,” he said to the bird. Raucous stared at him in disbelief before looking back at the witch.
“My, what a complimentary little creature you are,” Isadora said to Raucous softly, caressing him again. Raucous fairly purred.
Hermione thought she would be sick.
He sent Severus an image of his mother’s face, surrounded by a huge heart and little Raucouses flying around it in formation.
“He likes you, mother,” Severus said.
Isadora smiled down at the raven.
“Well I like him too. His name is Raucous? What a strange name for such a darling bird,” Isadora said.
“You haven’t gotten to know him yet,” Hermione said. “It fits, believe me.”
Raucous looked at her and puffed up threateningly before turning back to Isadora and hopping up on her shoulder, careful not to grip her too hard. He preened at her hair a bit.
“Oh good gods,” Hermione said in disgust as Severus smirked at the bird.
Raucous knew how to ingratiate himself when need be. He couldn’t shit on his Master’s mother after all. He probably wouldn’t have anyway. But then again…who knew.
Severus looked at Eli, who was still staring as if star-struck at Isadora.
“Eli? Dinner?” he asked the elf, who started, then bowed.
“Oh yes, of course Master. I will fix it right away,” he said, smiling at Isadora then winking out.
“He certainly is happy to see you,” Hermione said, smiling.
“I am happy to see him too. Without Eli, life would have been even that much harder. He was a godsend, that elf. We owe him so much. I would have given him his freedom long ago, but he wouldn’t dream of taking clothes,” Isadora said wistfully. “He practically raised Severus.”
“You’re both his family,” Hermione said, “He would never leave his family.”
Isadora looked at the pregnant witch.
“You are his family too now. You and the child you carry. He will serve you as he has served us all these years. It isn’t all duty to the elf,” she said. “He is capable of great love.”
“Yes,” Hermione agreed softly, remembering when the elf asked to touch her belly and spoke so gently and lovingly to her unborn child. “Yes, I believe he is.”
Isadora studied the young witch. She was very pretty. She wondered how she and Severus became engaged. She was sure as she looked at her somber son, staring into his firewhiskey, that he had been quite a challenge. The years had affected him. He had a rather hard look about him. But the look softened from time to time when he looked at her or Hermione…so he was still capable of feeling.
Isadora looked at Hermione appraisingly. Or else, she had made him feel again. The witch was curious.
“Hermione, how did you and Severus get together?” she asked the witch.
Severus looked up at his mother, startled.
“Well, I was his student,” Hermione said, “At Hogwarts. For several years…”
Isadora looked up at her son, her eyebrows raised.
“A student? Severus…you didn’t seduce a student did you?” she asked him.
Severus spluttered.
“Of course not Mother,” he said, frowning. “I was the epitome of propriety while Hermione was in school. I was aware she had a bit of a crush on me, but it meant nothing. She was quite the annoying little know-it-all then. Chattered incessantly and broke rules all the time. Hardly my type,” he said scowling a bit.
“Obviously, she became your ‘type'”, Isadora replied, her eyes resting on Hermione’s belly then looking up at her son. Severus reddened for the second time that day in his mother’s presence.
“Only after she had been in university for several years and returned to Hogwarts as an intern,” he replied, “And even then…”
Then he stopped, realizing he couldn’t tell this story to his own mother.
“Let Hermione tell you,” he said shortly. “She orchestrated all of this.”
Hermione grinned a bit. She certainly had.
Isadora looked at the witch with a new respect in her eyes. Orchestrated this, eh? She must be quite a determined little witch. Her son sounded as if he had disliked the woman at one time. Severus was quite stubborn. Once he disliked something, it usually stayed disliked. Isadora really wanted to know more now.
“Hermione, you only have one day left before the wedding. Do you need help with anything?” Isadora asked her, pretending to change the subject. Actually she wanted to get Hermione alone, knowing she had a better chance of getting the full candid story out of her son’s presence.
Hermione looked at her, desperation in her eyes.
“Actually, I need help with everything, Isadora,” she said, her eyes starting to glisten with tears. Isadora stood up, Raucous still on her shoulder. The bird flew back to Severus as the witch crossed to Hermione and helped her out of the chair.
“Don’t cry, Hermione. I’ll help you, dear. Don’t worry. Everything will be fine,” Isadora said softly.
Hermione burst into tears and Isadora hugged her as Severus looked at his mother helplessly. Hermione seemed to be always bursting into tears. The wizard approached them.
“Is there anything I can do, Hermione?” he asked. She shook her head against Isadora’s shoulder.
“I’ll take care of her, Severus. She needs a woman right now. Where’s your bedroom?” Isadora asked. Severus pointed down the hall.
“Last room on the right,” he said, looking at Hermione anxiously. Isadora released the witch and took her arm.
“Come on, Hermione. You’ll feel better in a little while,” she said, leading the sniffling witch toward the bedroom.
Severus watched them go, relieved his mother seemed to know what to do.
He certainly didn’t.
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A/N: We learned the history of Eli’s service in this chapter. In the next chapter, we will learn a bit more of Isadora’s as the two witches bond. Please review.
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The Burning Pen
Becoming Familiar with a Man of Misery
by Ruth Solomon
The story content is adult in nature and can contain graphic sex and violence. Those under the age of 18 are asked to leave this site immediately. You are not welcome here. The author is not responsible for those under-aged who view these works.
CHAPTER 66
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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