WHO: Cassius and Sabine WHERE: Cassius' home WHEN: Wednesday, late afternoon WHAT: Sabine's visit! STATUS: Incomplete
When the time for her visit to Cassius' home rolled around, Sabine felt a flutter of unfamiliar nervous butterflies in the pit of her stomach and had to take several deep breaths to alleviate the sensation. Looking at her reflection in the mirror also helped, at least to assure herself that she looked perfect. Ever since the final initiation test for the Tulips, she'd been having bad flashbacks to the dream she'd shared with Alicia and it was comforting to look in the mirror and see her usual slender form which was currently clad in her own design of a black and white kimono style top with a over corset clinching her waist, an elegant black skirt and tasteful ruby earrings and pendant to match, while her black hair was left down, only pulled out of her eyes by an onyx clip. No, there was nothing to worry about when it came to how she looked.
The flutter started again and she frowned, turning away from the mirror to throw on a velvet cloak and pick up the books she was bringing over. Her father was delighted to hear about the Warringtons' interest in his work, particularly the mythology research, and had graciously bestowed a couple of hand-bound books containing a few of his most recent essays. Sabine patted the top of the pile before stowing them in a bag for safe transport and glancing up at the clock. Cassius had said he would send someone to pick her up, but she didn't want them to see the shabby interior of Fawcett manor and so decided to go out to the front of the manor, which looked quite respectable thanks to her mother's work on the garden and the fact that the back was the part crumbling the worst, and that couldn't be seen from the front.
Sitting down on a stone seat, crossing her ankles, Sabine was outwardly the picture of calm elegance. Inside, she was alternatively dwelling on way she was so excited about seeing Cassius again (and she was honest enough to admit that his library wasn't the only attraction) and shying away from the subject entirely.
A loud pop sounded in front of Sabine the moment she sat down. "Moxi is heres to be taking Miss Fawcey to the Master." Practically shivering with the honor the tiny House-Elf was currently bearing a similar resemblance to a hyped-up chihuahua.
Minky had threatened him with socks and a saucepan to the head if he did anything to ruin the arrival of the Master's friend that was a girl. The entire house had been a buzz since the Master had casually mentioned it in the week before this one. Everyone was wondering if she was to be the new Mistress! Especially since the Master had been very loud and slamming since the week before this one.
He leaned forward until his long nose almost touched hers and inspected Sabine for a moment. Would she be a nice Mistress?
Sabine almost jumped three feet when the house elf suddenly appeared. She wasn't easily startled, but she also wasn't used to house elves - having never had one in the family and only rarely seen the ones at Hogwarts. Her cheeks flushed and her hand pressed to her chest as if to stop her heart from leaping out, but she didn't snarl at the creature despite the proximity of its face. Instead Sabine managed to smile, albeit a bit wanly. "Ah... hello Moxi, I am ready to go..."
The tiny thing beamed at her as she'd told him that they'd outlawed the giving of socks forever. Holding out his hand to her and closing his knobby fingers when she placed her hand in his, he popped them into the foyer. "Master's Miss Fawcey is here!" He declared with a self important tone.
At Moxi's announcement twelve other house-elves popped in ridiculously loud unity all around Sabine only to stand still and gape at her. This was the first time their Master had ever had a woman invited to the manor that wasn't family. In fact, if their memories served-and house-elves had very good memory-the last time Master Warrington had invited anyone over had been in his fifth year of school. It had been a boy, Master Pucey, and only because Minky had threatened him.
This woman in front of them was a complete novelty and an utter delight. It didn't take long for them to snap out of their daze and start requesting, in what appeared to be a mile a second, after her every need. Did she want to eat? What did she want to eat? They'd get it. They'd make it. Did she want to sit? Did she want to lay down? A cat? They would be able to get that.
It said a great deal for Sabine's self-control that she didn't run away as she was bombarded with questions. She did stand there for a minute, completely stunned and wide-eyed until her senses returned and she raised one hand. "Quiet please!" she said in a clear, carrying voice that demanded obedience. Looking down at the crowd of elves, she realised how wealthy Cassius was and felt a bit faint - mainly since she realised how big a gap there was between her financial circumstances and his. "I am not hungry, thank you, I do not want a cat either, or to lie down," she answered the questions briskly and then removed her cloak, holding it in a way that very clearly said if one of them wanted to do something for her then they could take the cloak and hang it up. She kept a tight hold on the books, however, since she wanted to give them to Cassius personally.
They all clamoured closer to her, jumping like little children at Christmas, only to stopped, reprimanded, when Minky's disapproving-and dramatic- gasp filled the hall right after the sound of her entrance. "Is you botherin' the Master's guest?!" She scolded.
All the house-elves took a castigated step back, sulky looks on their overly large features, "We is." They all wailed as one.
"Go!" Minky exclaimed with self-importance and they all popped out. With a sigh she walked towards Sabine. One day she was going to buy a really big frying pan and beat them all at once. You'd think they'd never seen a human before. The way they were acting was so very embarrassing. It also miffed her that they'd arrived before she had, leaving her to put the finishing touches to the food all on her own.
"I is sorry for those silly elves." She apologised courteously, however, even as she did this her eyes were looking Sabine over critically.
She was as good as Cassius mother and a mother did worry who her son brought home; especially since it was highly uncostomary for him to invite anyone over. Especially, even more, not a woman.
However, whatever judgement she had been about to pass was cut off by the sound of slow capping.
Minky turned to find her young Master leaning by the French doors.
Cassius had been there for not very long. He'd come up out of his lab at the sound of loud popping. He'd assumed correctly that his guest had arrived and had gone up to greet her. He had come in time to see her talking to his house-elves as if she were the Queen of Muggle England herself. Quite very impressive. He'd been immediatley entertained.
His brow raised in sardonic amusement, his moss green eyes softer but no less sharp, no less amused,
"You're a natural at all that you attempt, aren't you? They fawn over you." Excluding Minky. The thought caused his lips to twitch; Minky didn't fawn over anybody who wasn't Warrington. And even then ...
Cassius' smile widened and he gave his nanny a brief fond look, before it was controlled and he was returning his attention to Sabine.
It was a little disconcerting to be given such a critical examination by a house elf and although Sabine made a reassuring gesture when the creature apologised for the other house elves, there was puzzlement in her eyes. All she could assume was that this house elf had been with the family with generations and therefore was very devoted to its members - which spoke volumes for the Warringtons as Sabine knew some house elves were treated terribly by their masters and served out of fear rather than loyalty.
Cassius interrupted before Sabine could say a word and she turned her head in his direction, an involuntary smile tugging at her lips before she could stop it. That his first words to her were not a greeting, but a comment on her actions didn't surprise her - if anything, Sabine was delighted that he didn't follow convention and instantly forced her to match wits with him. "Is it just me?" she tilted her head, regarding him with laughing eyes. "Or do you just have so few guests that the members of your household get overly excited by the presence of one?" she deliberately didn't call the house elves 'servants'. Sabine never joined Hermione Granger's house elf campaign, but she didn't see the point in abusing the creatures.
She saw the brief fond look steal into Cassius' expression when he looked at the female elf and decided her conclusions about the elf's status were correct. The look on his face caused her own expression to soften briefly, an almost tender smile on her lips as she looked at him, but it vanished as soon as he was looking back at her and Sabine was inwardly amazed at her reaction. Giving her head a little shake to clear it, she spoke again. "Anyway, it's a pleasure to see you again, Mr Warrington," and with a smile that was now a teasing challenge, she held out her hand. Would he kiss it again like in the library? Or not?
His smile once again widened, this time into a full blown grin, "Why don't we simply say that anyone who ever has visited never contained half of your regal presence?" He was inwardly pleased that she didn't call the house-elves servants. Although he and his siblings did at times but they used it in the same connotation muggles used for their human attendants; they never viewed those who worked for them as slaves. Aurum, like their mother, never had the heart for it and always treated them with respect. Argento had no true feelings any which way but followed suit, because of affection for his nanny. Cassius, himself, had been a secret supporter of Granger. The Wizarding World was far too archaic at times and he would have lobbied with her if he knew it wouldn't have embarrassed his father (and if he hadn't thought she was a bit mad in the head to start with).
Stepping closer to her he took her hand and rubbed his thumb idly over the back of it before giving it a slight shake. He didn't kiss it this time, however, his eyes did hold hers a fraction longer than they should have. Ever so slightly his fingers retracted from hers, seemingly trailing gently over bit of skin on it that they could touch, before letting go. "I am glad to be able to honestly say that I feel the same. It is good to see you again, Miss Fawcett."
The light caress of her hand sent a shiver down her spine and a slight widening of her light blue eyes. When he let her hand go, Sabine could still feel the touch burning her skin and she had to swallow before speaking again. Part of her was frustrated by the effect this man had on her, but another part was enjoying it immensely. "A gift," she held out the books of her father's mythology work. "Since I was raised to never visit empty handed and my father was also pleased to hear of your interest."
Cassius' eyes brightened slightly in curiousity but mostly in delight. And not simply delight over something else enjoyable to read but the fact she had brought him a gift. "Thank you. I was raised the same way," He smiled but his own pleasure not quite banked as he looked through the books. Half a mind on her and the other half on them. If she had been anyone else but herself, Sabine would have been forgotten completely. As it was he managed to remember some of his manners, although his eyes were still on the book, when he said. "Tell him that it was also my pleasure. I remember his mythology works with fond associations."
Sabine completely understood his reaction to the books. She tended to be the same way when given something new that interested her and she was actually pleased by his interest in the volumes. Stepping closer and leaning forward just slightly in a way that made sure he couldn't be unaware of her and yet respected his current focus, she nodded. "I keep trying to convince him to publish more, I even managed to get some of his older essays done recently, but he is a man who feels the rest of the world doesn't understand his views properly so it's hard. Perhaps knowing there are people like you and your sister around will make him realise there was people who understand and are interested."
Her gaze turned to the house elf again and she wondered if she had passed any tests yet or whether she was still be critically assessed.