RP: Primo Uomo

[bishie_boy]

Date: 22 September 2001
Characters: Cedric, Chambers, Draco, Ginny, Hannah, Harry, Kirley, Lucius, Mandy, Neville, Portia, Vicky and Die Fledermaus.
Status: Public
Summary: The Bel Canto Italian Wizard Opera Company is performing tonight in London. Come one and all to enjoy an evening of good music and culture. Just remember to behave!
Completion

Comments

[mrsdiggory]

There was a cracking noise in the air of the Apparating room, then a woman in a cream-coloured cloak winked into existence. Portia walked over to the room's attendant, carefully undoing the clasp of her cloak. She thanked the man as she made a precursory check of her appearance. Her gown was in order as well as her coif. For jewelry, she had chosen to only wear a pair of garnet earrings that matched her hair-clip quite well. She had brought gloves, but decided to leave them with her cloak. The Wenlocks were a family of some affluence and refinement. Living with the Diggorys over the years, however, had taught Portia there was more to life than etiquette. She wanted Hannah to feel comfortable in her presence. They were to become better friends, after all. It wouldn't do to alienate herself from the younger woman. Also, Portia enjoyed relaxing from a position of authority or social ranking. It was nice to simply be Portia.

It wasn't difficult to spot Hannah. With her long, blond hair and the elegant white dress she wore, she stood out beautifully in the crowd. Portia approached slowly until Hannah's gaze came her way. She smiled then and nodded in greeting. "Good evening, Hannah. You look stunning in that dress. I do hope I haven't kept you waiting."

[hannahwho]

Hannah smiled when she caught sight of Portia, more of relief than anything else, which made her slightly embarrassed. "Mrs--" she began, before cutting herself off with a blush, starting over. "Portia. I haven't been waiting long at all, no, and thank you. You look amazing, yourself. Those earrings are simply gorgeous." It wasn't empty praise, either; the dress went perfectly with Portia's colouring and the woman's bearing seemed to scream refinement. Hannah wouldn't be able to pull that off, ever, not in a million years.

She pushed that from her mind, along with the voice that kept telling her she was just a Reading girl, what was she doing here, telling it that she was with a friend, thankyouverymuch, kindly shut up. "Thank you again for the invitation," she then said, smiling a little hesitantly, hoping that Portia hadn't changed her mind about asking Hannah out for the evening; "I really do appreciate it."

[mrsdiggory]

"Thank you." Close enough now, Portia leaned in to kiss each of Hannah's cheeks. "I must admit, this dress is both new and old to me. I bought it some time ago for another occasion. I hadn't the opportunity to wear it, however, as things relating to Mr. Smith became a concern. It wasn't the appropriate time." Those events had been unfortunate, but they were a thing of the past now. They no longer brought a frown to Portia's brow. "The earrings are a family heirloom."

A waiter paused in passing, offering them glasses of champagne. Portia accepted with a nod of thanks. She offered a toast "To Friends", then look a light sip. Once Hannah was finished, Portia continued. "I was pleased to read of your interest. It was an added pleasure to find that you like opera. I tried to give Cedric a classical education as he grew up, but I'm afraid he resembles his father greatly on this issue." Portia grinned encouragingly, noticing Hannah's uncertainty. "How about your Ernie? Does he enjoy opera? Have you seen a Bel Canto performance before?"

[hannahwho]

Hannah sipped her champagne after the toast, listening to Portia and looking around a little, picking out a few people she'd have to be sure to avoid. "My Ernie was a bit put off when he realised I was leaving him to his own amusement on a Friday night," Hannah said dryly, "especially to the opera."

She shook her head slightly, tucking loose tendrils of hair behind her ear without noticing what she was doing, an unconscious gesture. The champagne wasn't making her tipsy, not yet, but it was doing it's part to settle her nerves a little, for which Hannah was incredibly grateful. "No, I've never seen a Bel Canto performance before. I've heard it's supposed to be magnificent, though. All of my opera experience is limited to the Muggle opera, here in London, though I managed to see a concert when I was in Australia last. What should I expect?"

[mrsdiggory]

Portia gave a soft chuckle of amusement to hear the views of Hannah's lover. It was a shame that less of the younger generations enjoyed opera. It was one of many things that made Hannah so unique.

"Oh yes, the reviews do justice to Bel Canto's talent. To be fair, I suppose the critics also have a point. Bel Canto enjoys experimentation as well as traditional music. There are those who find that culturally offensive, particularly in light that the company often borrows from Muggle culture. Personally, I find it ingenious that they combine the two elements, but do not lose the charm of either in the process."

Portia paused to take another drink, contemplating what else she could tell Hannah about Bel Canto, without ruining the joy of first experiences. She was pleased to see that Hannah was relaxing, and offered her hand so that they may walk amongst the crowd. "Bel Canto, like good opera should, is more than just music. Opera is a visual presentation that should support and magnify the pathos of the music. Bel Canto expands on this concept with stunning enactments as well. Light, colour and movement are as much a part of the act as sound. Some critics liken them more towards circus or street performers, but I believe that is too narrow a view. It truly is an entertainment of all the senses."

Feeling this covered the subject as best as possible, Portia changed the subject slightly. During intermission, she would ask on Hannah's opinion. "So what operas have you seen so far? Which do you like best?"

[hannahwho]

Hannah listened intently, walking through the crowd with Portia. It was much easier to focus on Portia's review than the way people seemed to be looking at them, though whether they were admiring Portia or criticising Hannah, she wasn't sure.

"Well, I'm all the more eager to see them perform, then," Hannah said, curious to know just how, exactly, the company appropriated Muggle customs and changed them to suit a high-class Wizarding audience.

At Portia's question, Hannah smiled, taking a sip of her champagne. "As I said, only Muggle operas, though I've tried to catch two shows per season since I was old enough to come into the City by myself," she said, not bothering to add anything about the war or being away. "The Russians are my favourite, I have to admit. The ENO did a marvellous version of Rimsky-Korsakov's Snow Maiden a few years ago that's stuck with me ever since, and Mikhail Glinka's music from Ruslan and Lyudmila's absolutely astonishing. I still find it hard to believe that the opera was so poorly received when it first came out."

Hannah took a breath, and in that moment, the call came for the audience to take their seats. She wasn't sure where they were supposed to be sitting, or even which direction they were meant to go in, so she looked at Portia, once again feeling a bit unsteady about this whole experience.

[mrsdiggory]

"Interesting. I have some familiarity with Muggle operas, but not with those. I would be delighted to see them sometime. Perhaps if they come through again, we can both attend. It would be lovely to have you as my guide to them."

She paused at the call and pulled their tickets out of the small clutch she'd been carrying. "I'm afraid Amos wasn't able to secure a box seat this time. I hope you do not mind. I've brought opera omnioculars should you need them."

Portia handed a ticket to Hannah, then linked her arm around the younger woman's arm again. She gently guided them towards a central entrance. Portia had noticed a few gazes. Some carried an expression she was used to seeing now, thanks to Rita Skeeter's article; namely, one of impersonal pity. So long as they did not suspect Hannah of some involvement with Christopher Smith, Portia did not care. She did, however, see a few familiar faces that she would like to introduce to Hannah. Friends of her family and Amos with interests also in medicine. She was sure introductions would be an asset to both parties. It would be something else to attend to during intermission.

"I believe our seats will be in the middle section. This performance is actually a collection of works from separate operas, woven together to form a whole. There are a few Muggle arias amongst the selections. One I believe is from Madame Butterfly, another from Lucia di Lammermoor. Both I am looking forward to seeing their interpretations."

[hannahwho]

"I am as well," Hannah murmured, looking her ticket over and walking with Portia. It really had been a while since she'd spent time with the older woman, and she was beginning to think that the intervening years had been good. She remembered being almost intimidated by Cedric's mum, trying to act more grown-up and sophisticated, but now that she was grown-up, sophistication seemed over-rated. Still, Hannah hoped she hadn't yet done anything to embarrass her companion.

When they walked in to the main chamber, Hannah nearly stopped and gasped. The theatre was absolutely beautiful, like nothing she'd ever seen before, in any of her travels. The usher guiding them to their seats smiled as Hannah followed Portia into the row, and Hannah smiled back with a slight blush; God, she hoped she wasn't making a fool out of herself.

[mrsdiggory]

Hannah's wonderment brought another smile to Portia's face. She always felt a sense of renewed awe for the grand beauty of the opera house. As a child, it had signified opulence and romance. She'd had many a girlish dream of being escorted here by someone kind, chivalrous and adventuresome, and of being wooed.

Of course, she was a grown woman now. It did not, however, tamp down the allure of escapism, even to one as practical as herself. In an ironic twist, it occurred to Portia that for tonight's purposes, she could be that dashing hero for Hannah. She could show the other woman all the beauty and mysteries that were the opera house and tonight's performance. Portia's grin broadened as she made her away to their seats. The attendant had given them scrolls of the evening's itinerary, which she used to describe briefly each unfamiliar piece to Hannah. It was nice to have someone she could take under her wing again, and also to have as a friend.

[hannahwho]

Hannah ran her fingers over the scroll; the creamy vellum had to be worth more than she made in a day. In fact, this whole night was like that, like she was the milkmaid-turned-princess in the middle of a fairytale, or how she viewed the magical world when she first found out she was a witch.

"How long have you been coming to the opera, Portia?" Hannah asked curiously, after Portia went through the program and told Hannah a little something about every piece Hannah didn't recognise. "And have you been to other performances out of the country?"

[mrsdiggory]

At times it seemed that Hannah became a little over-whelmed by sheer information, sights and sounds. Portia could sympathise. Even as an adult, the atmosphere could seem a bit too grand. She conversed casually with the younger woman, answering all her questions with patient acceptance. When Hannah appeared particularly flustered, Portia would smile and sometimes place a hand gently on her arm. As the questions became more personal, she didn't shy from them. Instead, Portia reflected, then answered freely.

"It's hard to say when I was first introduced to opera. Music has always been a part of my life. I'm sure Cedric has told you that I studied dance as a child. Even before my first pair of ballet slippers, I was familiar with music, opera in specific. My family, the Wenlocks, cultivated my education in the Arts from a young age. Some of my earliest memories include visits to this opera house, as well as ones in Milan, Paris, Prague and Copenhagen. The latter I enjoyed most thoroughly for their Norse folklore.

"Of course, this was before I married Amos. He and I still attended the occasional opera, but our finances were limited back then. After Cedric was born, it wasn't practical until he was nearly eight. He was always a perfect little gentleman. He simply lacked the appropriate attention span before then." Portia smiled warmly at the memories. "We often played this game where I would charm a piece of music to play. He would be my little suitor, bringing me flowers and asking to be my escort to the opera. I used the pretend play to try teaching him something about the music."

Portia was certain this detail would embarrass Cedric, should he learn of her disclosure. It was one of her most cherished memories, however. As good of a friend as Hannah was, Portia was certain the memory would be safe with her. "How about your family, Hannah? Was opera, or music in general, something you grew to appreciating? Or have you acquired a taste?"

[hannahwho]

It was a marvel just listening to Portia, Hannah realised; the life that she'd lived was so foreign. Talking about being educated in 'the Arts' (and Hannah could very definitely hear the capital letter), travelling all over Europe to see the opera -- and Hannah was a working class girl, still working.

The story about Cedric made Hannah smile; she could see him doing such and told Portia so, adding, "He's still always a perfect gentleman." It seemed a bit hard to imagine, Cedric growing up in such a -- well, pureblood seemed too much, and Hannah didn't know what Portia meant by the Diggorys' finances being limited, though she doubted it was anything like what she'd seen in Reading, so perhaps 'elite' -- such an elita family, with such a lifestyle, and not turning out more like the Slytherins or even some of the more snobbish Ravenclaws. In her mind, that made Cedric all the more special.

"My mother enjoys classical music," Hannah said, her smile becoming a little more forced at the mention of her mother, "but my father prefers Muggle rock and roll. Our house was always loud when I was growing up, some sort of music around, especially once my older brother was given a guitar for Christmas one year. No one was interested in the opera, though, so it became a treat once it was feasible for me to come into the City by myself." A refuge, more like, where she could hide from her mum and all of her mum's critical talk about the Wizarding World and Hannah's choice to live inside of it.

[mrsdiggory]

Portia liked to think she had a small number of vanities. Her pride as a mother was her biggest one. She smiled brightly as she agreed. "Yes, I'm pleased to say that he still is. He's been through so much at such a young age, and yet it hasn't broken his natural optimism. It gives me great joy to call him my own." Portia placed her hand on Hannah's and squeezed gently. More softly, she added, "I have you, in part, to thank for that, Hannah. I do not believe he'd be the same person without your love and support. It surprises you that I value your friendship so highly? It shouldn't, dear Hannah." Portia felt a long-forgotten shyness creep over her, tainting her smile to the younger woman. It was odd, but rather invigorating.

"Ah, yes, I was always curious about Muggle rock and roll. One could occasionally catch bits of it around Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, between the wars. My family forbade me to listen to it, however. My first sample of Muggle rock music was a tune by the group The Beatles. Amos played it for me, when he started courting me. The song was I Want To Hold Your Hand."

Portia grinned at another memory, then remembered her guest. "You lived outside of London, then? Where was that? Are you musically inclined like your brother?" The lights began dimming as Hannah answered, signalling the start of the show. Portia leaned in to hear the rest of her answer, then turned her attention to the opera house manager as he announced tonight's performance.

[hannahwho]

Hannah blushed at Portia's compliment, looking down at the scroll in her hands once more, though once Portia went on to talk about The Beatles, she looked up again, this time smiling. If there was one group in the history of rock music that Hannah wished every wizard and witch would listen to, it was John, Paul, George, and Ringo. It was sweet to think of Cedric's parents courting, listening to The Beatles -- sweet and almost strange.

She answered Portia's questions quickly, cutting herself off when the lights dimmed entirely, and then listened to the house manager introduce the performance, mentally comparing his words to what had been written on the scroll. There was an air of anticipation in the chamber that Hannah would have had to be in Glasgow to miss, and when the music started up, Hannah gasped in delight, giving in to the magic of Bel Canto.