Who: Severus Snape and Esme Cullen When: Recently, after her post Where: Cullen Household What: Looking at artwork, planning a commission Rating/Warning: Low/None Status: Complete
Esme was in her studio organising her work in anticipation of her visitor, it had been a long time since she had been commissioned for a portrait. Luckily they were her best strength but there was still that nervousness that he might not think her talented enough to draw his daughter.
Carlisle insisted she was very good but he was her husband and basically obliged to tell her that. Esme was ever critical of her own work. An artists habit she supposed.
Severus showed up to the front door and rang the bell. He brought a photo album filled with pictures of Daisy, and thought that if the woman was a talented artist, he could commission something for Romana. A surprise. He wasn’t always the most open or forward with his feelings, but he could be incredibly romantic if he put his mind to it.
Esme moved to answer the door, having learnt a long time ago to have something connected to her studio in the back of the house as she didn’t always hear it.
Opening the door she smiled warmly, “Hello, please come in”
“Hello, Mrs. Cullen?” Severus asked, then stepped forward. His spine was very straight, and his sour expression hard to read. As it was always. Perhaps he’d warm up a bit around the other woman, but that might take a few minutes. “I am Severus Snape.” He held out his hand for her to shake.
“Pleased to meet you Mr Snape” Esme replied shaking his hand, “Please call me Esme. Can I get you a drink at all?” she offered, not put off by his seeming strictness.
“Thank you. You can call me Severus.” Sev responded, shaking her hand. He stepped through into the house and took a good look around. “You have a beautiful home.” He said, then shook his head. “No, but thank you. You were going to show me your artwork?”
"Thank you, my husband and I spent a while restoring it" she told him, she loved her home so it was definitely a point in his favor that he had complimented her on it. "Of course, please follow me" and she led him to her studio in the back of the house.
Severus nodded. He was interested. He had done a few things with Romana around his own home, but not a full restoration, by far. He moved with her through the house, keeping his eyes open and looking at things. “Do you have formal art training?” He asked, making conversation.
"I have a degree in Art and before as well as after gaining my degree I've also done short courses in all sorts of art forms. I find it fascinating and rewarding to be able to understand and create something" she smiled as they entered the studio. She brought him to a table where her sketchbooks were laid out, "These are how I start working on something" she explained.
Severus nodded, moving to the table with the books. He assumed she put them there for him to see, so he lifted a page to turn it, taking in the drawings. “You have a true talent.” Probably well trained skill as well, but the talent bit was what people normally commented on first, right?
She had indeed set them out for him to look through, it was easier to let him see her work. “Thank you, that’s very kind” Esme replied, her natural talent had indeed been added to by her training. “Portraits and architectural drawings tend to be my strongest areas” she told him, her landscapes were passable but she never felt the enjoyment as much with those.
Severus gave her what he could of a hopeful smile, which wasn’t much, then he turned his attention back down to the books. He flipped through, now he’d pretty much assumed permission had been given. “I see. These are very good.” He added, stopping at a portrait of a teenage girl. “Is this one of yours?”
Esme nodded, “Yes, everything you see is mine. And that’s actually my youngest daughter, Alice” she told him kindly, “You can hopefully see some improvement from the earlier ones” Most people may have taken them out but they were still good drawings and she didn’t see why people shouldn’t see her earlier work. There was nothing she wanted to hide.
Severus nodded. “Art is an evolution.” He said, looking down at the pictures. “I think this is a lovely style. So. I’ve brought pictures of my daughter. What do you need to do a portrait for me?”
“It is” Esme smiled brightly, “Thank you. Oh, well if you select the picture you’d like me to use the most and let me know a timescale” she told him.
Severus nodded. “Well, Daisy is going to preschool this year. She’ll be three in September, so I wanted to give Romana something to mark the occasion.” He pulled the photo album up and set it on the table so that Esme could see. “You can pick any of the photos from here. School starts in September, can it be done by then?”
"Oh how lovely" Esme smiled, "Exciting and nerve wracking time all at once for parents" she said before nodding. "I can't see that being a problem at all, I'm sure it can be done before Daisy starts school"
It was hard for Severus to think about his little girl in school already! But she spent quite a bit of time now with caregivers and sitters because Severus and Romana were both working. “Thank you. I’m very much looking forward to having it done. What, 11” by 18” size?” He suggested. “Or do you think bigger than that would be better?”
“I think that’s a good size actually” Esme said with a nod, “I’m looking forward to starting work on it” Esme had been hoping a new project would come along over the summer, between this, her granddaughter and the classes she was going to run she would have plenty to keep her occupied.
“Good. Just let me know what your price is when you finish.” Severus said, setting the photo album down on the table. He assumed her rates would be comparable to what he’d researched before. “I’m looking forward to seeing your work.”
He would soon find her prices were better than the ones he had found, Esme loved drawing and painting so she hardly ever charged anywhere near what she should. "And I'm looking forward to getting started" she smiled in response, "I will keep you updated" she promised.
“Thank you.” He reached forward to shake her hand once more. “I shouldn’t take up any more of your time.”
“It’s no problem” Esme said as she walked him to the door, “It was nice to meet you and I’ll speak to you again soon” she said as she waved him off. Now, she thought as she closed the door, let’s take a look at those photographs.