Living in Shadows [Harry Potter Fanfiction]

Chapter Twenty-One | Hester House, July 1980

Chapter Twenty-one

Hester House, July 1980

 

           If a faerie tale were to take place, Hester House would be the first place Hazel would check. It was a rambling house with odd, rickety stair cases and Victorian tendencies, intricate wood carvings and hidden bookshelves. There were several turrets connected by bridges, and the whole thing was covered in sprawling ivy.

Though the house was spectacular, it wasn’t the house’s main feature. A little ways from the house was a large green house, made completely of glass; it was several pentagons joined together, a crystal palace completely full of both magical and Muggle plants from all over the world. This is where Winston spent the majority of his time, and Hazel found that she enjoyed spending time in there, too.

Though Hazel liked the green house, her favourite place was the library; it was a large, round room spiralling up from the centre of the house, creating a large round turret. The walls were all book shelves, with little secret windows popping up from other rooms, in case you needed a book. The ceiling had a strip of windows, letting in light that caught the crystals hanging from the ceiling.

At seven months pregnant, Hazel didn’t like walking about as much as she had before; the majority of her time was spent either in the library or the sun porch.

A frequent visitor at Hester House these days was Lily, who seemed to be half the size of Hazel at all times. It was a balmy day when the friends sat down to afternoon tea, sitting in the sun porch to watch Winston garden.

“I’m so excited, Haze-only a month until my baby is here, and then another month until yours! Oh, we’ll have such a good time.” Lily liked to talk about the kid’s future, how they would grow up together and become the best of friends.

Hazel chuckled and traced circles around her bellybutton “You never know Lils, I may have the twins at the same time you do; I could be up to a month early.”

Lily put down her tea “Hazel, there’s something I want to discuss with you.”

Surprised at the abrupt change of subject, Hazel nodded “Okay, what is it?”

Taking a deep breathe, Lily cradled her stomach gently “Are you going to tell Severus or not?”

Narrowing her eyes slightly, Hazel sipped her tea; she preferred to avoid this topic at all costs, but it was brought up from time to time. “No.”

“But why?” asked Lily, shifting closer; she was pleading now. “Doesn’t he deserve to know about his children? To help you-to raise them?”

“He doesn’t deserve anything, Lily.”

“Who doesn’t deserve the chance to know their kids?” Lily felt tears prickle, and she blinked rapidly “I may not have spoken to him truly in six years, or seen him in three-but that doesn’t mean I don’t know he’s a good man at heart.”

“What?” Hazel’s head snapped up and she frowned “You and James always said I was delusional-that he was evil and I should forget him. Why should I do the opposite now?”