Some people found comfort in sitting next to a fireplace or having someone hold onto them and whisper sweet nothing into their ear. James Potter did not find comfort in any of these things, instead finding comfort in food, specifically sweet food th...
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chapter forty two: the birth of venus
There was not much else that was better than waking up on a hot summer morning, the sun warming your skin at just the right temperature. James woke up with a sigh, his hand moving across the sheets before freezing as he felt nothing beside him. He lifted his head from his pillow, his hair all messy, and reached for his glasses placing them on his nose before focusing on the room.
And that's when he heard it. The faint sound of singing and laughter coming from downstairs causing the tired boy to rub his eyes and walk downstairs in only his flannel pajama bottoms. "Remus Lupin, you, my friend, have two left feet." James smiled as he heard Matilda's laughter hearing one of Matilda's favorite records at the moment, 'I'm not your Steppin' stone' by the Monkees.
"Oh you're on, come on." James walked in as Remus twirled Matilda around with such intense concentration in his eyes. He leaned against the door frame and watched as Remus dipped Matilda in front of James causing her to giggle and look up at her husband. "Hello, Darling." Remus pulled her back up causing Matilda to laugh loudly and slap his arm. "Alright, that was pretty good. Maybe McGonagall taught you, boys, a thing or two."
Matilda went back to her cooking pancakes and smiled back at James who wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. "Whatcha cooking, good looking?" Matilda laughed and turned her head and kissed his cheek. "Comments like that are why I married you." James pretended to frown and shook his head. "Nothing else? Not my devilishly handsome looks or my quick wits or the fact that I'm so good in-"
Matilda was quick to interrupt James' comment by shoving strawberry in his mouth to shut him up. "Yes, for all those reasons. Now help me take the food outside." James munched on the strawberry, smiling widely as he grabbed the plate of bacon and eggs and the grabbing the large plate of white choc chip pancakes along the way. Matilda followed him with a jug of sparkling wine and orange juice with a plate of strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream in the other hand.
"I've also got some mixed berry maple syrup if you all would like some?" Matilda sat down, casting a spell that floated the syrup out, landing it gently on the table. Everyone dug in, Louisa squealing and smacking Sirius and he put a dash of whipped cream on her cheek. "Sirius!" Louisa pouted and jokingly glared at her boyfriend who laughed at her and licked the cream off his finger before giving her a quick kiss as she wiped the cream off, amused at his antics.
"So what's the plan today?" Remus asked loudly causing the table to turn to him, all with different ideas flowing through their minds. Evan suggested they go for a simple walk and see where they end up. Gabi went in the opposite direction and suggested they have a relaxing day at home.
"How about we go to the Uffizi Gallery? I've always wanted to see the birth of venus," Louisa suggested, her legs draped over Sirius's lap as she munched on a strawberry. Everyone went quiet, thinking about anything else they felt like doing together but they all decided that the museum was the best place to go.
They had all dressed nicely before apparating to the museum, buying tickets out front where the crowds had slightly eased from the early morning rush. The group had naturally split up as the ladies and Remus walked through the gallery at a slow pace whilst the other three boys were quick to stroll through, only focussing on a select few artworks.
"So how are you feeling about being at the halfway mark now?" Louisa asked Gabi as they stopped in front of a particularly beautiful painting by Jacopo Carucci. "It's alright, I'm scared absolutely shitless but not like I can have a freak out about it now. It's happening whether I like it or not."
Gabrielle knew that she and Evan would be fine parents but her fear would never go away. She feared her child would grow up to hate her. That she would be a shit mother. That everything she would do would be wrong and that Evan would leave her. The fear would never ease and so she had accepted it. She had accepted the mistakes she would make before she made them and remind herself that she is not going to be the worst mother in the world especially when she had her friends to support her.
"Have you guys thought about names yet?" Remus although being one of the boys had actually been apart of these conversations more frequently than his friends would think. Remus still found himself helping Matilda out at the pie shop every so often and he would find himself being involved in these discussions which he actually quite liked.
"Well Evan said he wanted to name our potential future son, Earl, and our potential future daughter as Tiffany, and then I told him that I hated both of those names and I told him Oliver if it's a boy and Wanda if it's a girl." The group moved on from the painting to the next all nodding in agreement that they liked Gabi's baby names better than Evans.
"And how is your development with joining the order?" Louisa's fight to join the order had been a long one as Sirius kept coming up with excuses for her not to be apart of a fight that directly affected her but now with Gabi being pregnant, it seemed like she would be joining soon. "Sirius is still worried about it all but I don't think that will ever change."
"He's just stubborn and gets in weird moods sometimes, you'll be fine-" The group all went silent as they stopped in front of 'The Birth of Venus' painted by Sandro Botticelli. Even the three men who had wandered off earlier were sat in front of it, admiring it. "It's beautiful," Louisa said as she looked up at each brush stroke with love in her eyes. She was seeing her favorite painting for the first time in person. People stood behind the group glaring as they tried to catch a glimpse of the painting themselves but failing as the group continued to stare and ignored the glares.
They continued on their way eventually, Remus and Matilda walking together as they all walked at different paces again. "How's the job hunt coming along?" Matilda asked, looking up at a beautifully carved Marble statue that stood in front of them. "Painfully slow. No one wants to hire a werewolf, who would've thought?"
Matilda hadn't been aware of Remus and the other certain animal qualities that the group possessed, only really finding out when she found a collection of animals in her home with Remus laughing. She began having a freak out before seeing the stag turn back into her husband. She, of course, was fine with it as she knew Remus was a nice guy and it actually made a lot of sense to her.
Every scar he had on his body finally had a reasonable story as opposed to Sirius coming up with wild stories every time anyone asked. She had heard them all. Remus had fallen into a rose bush. Remus was trying to pet a stray cat and it went badly. Remus was hit in the face with an umbrella by his grandmother because he was bad at knitting. Every story was ridiculous and every time Matilda would not believe a word until she found out about the furry problem.
"Well, you're always welcome at the pie shop. I wasn't lying all those times when I said you were a good employee. I know it's not your dream but for now, it might be nice just to have something to pass the time." Remus smiled widely and nodded his head at her, thanking her before they rejoined the group at the exit.
"I say we go get gelato and walk along the Arno until we get bored or tired," Evan suggested causing everyone to cheer quietly so they would not earn more glares from the people inside the gallery. They walked down the river, all of them with gelato in hand and with smiles on their faces as the temperature slowly went down as the day went on.
Matilda and James walked hand and hand, both happily eating their gelato as they laughed with their friends and talked about what they should do tomorrow.
lol didn't know how to end it so here ya go. I'm becoming an actual adult and I hate it. Also, anyone else feel like they were cursed as a child for very specific things? Really feeling bad luck lately and I'm waiting for it to turn around which hopefully is soon! For those of you who have watched SKAM, what is your favorite remake? I'm rewatching Druck and I'm curious.
