Falling, Fallen || Remus Lupin

Chapter Eleven

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Remus couldn't help but think back to the fact that yesterday, at this exact time, him and Rosie were in the Kitchens drinking cinnamon tea before the sun had begun to set like they always did as he stood in front of the portrait to the entrance of the Kitchens.

He knew Rosie was still inside luckily, as he could smell the cinnamon tea brewing in the aroma through the door. Unable to hide his smile, he imagined in his head Rosie curled up next to the small fireplace that was located in the end of the large room talking with Neesy and holding the cup of her favorite tea closely to her chest in her hands.

Walking through the broad stoned basement corridor sent an initial feeling of warmth, home, and comfort through him. It was the only location in the lower parts of the entire school that wasn't dark, clammy and freezing, unlike the hallway to the Slytherins common room and the entrance to the dungeons. Instead, the corridor to the Kitchens was always brightly lit with rows of torches on the length of the walls and decorated with beautiful food-themed paintings. No matter how many times he snuck down here with Rosie and the others, each time felt just as wonderful as the first.

He remarked that he had already wasted enough time as it was, quickly lifting his hand up to one of the portraits hanging at the end of the hall and tickled the green pear laying in a fruit bowl to finally open the door in front of him. As the portrait slowly swung open, he was hit with a sense of familiar flavorful smells coming from the other side of the room.

Just as he suspected, Rosemary was sitting on a large chair next to the fireplace holding a warm cup of cinnamon tea to her pink lips, sipping peacefully while listening to Neesy, their favorite little house elf, go on and on about guessing the ways in which Rosie had managed to injure her leg. Something quite different that he noticed though was a new addition to the group that he wasn't used to. Laying on Rosemary's lap, was Rudi, her nasty little pet cat sleeping soundly as Neesy stood in front of his best friend lightly caressing the animal's fluffy white fur. He almost forgot that cat even existed since he never really saw him around often, always running around the grounds of the school doing Merlin knows what. 

Remus was also severely shocked that Rudi was being so kind, letting the house elf even go near him, let alone touch him, since Rudi was very particular with who he trusted. Which was practically nobody except Rosemary herself. 

Rosemary hadn't seemed to realize Remus walking through the portrait hole, deeply amused by the excited little elf standing in front of her guessing random scenarios for what could have happened.

"Oh! Oh! Neesy knows! Miss Merlow fell out of a tree!" Neesy exclaimed enthusiastically, practically jumping up and down, making Rosemary chuckle aloud while indirectly crinkling her nose, shaking her head and having what seems to be like a lot of fun with the house elf.

"Nope, try again." Rosemary smiled brightly, the light from the fireplace casting an orange radiance across her soft cheeks, making her brown eyes twinkle with a golden amber glow.

"This is quite difficult, Miss Merlow." Neesy let out a huff while stomping her little foot. Somehow, as Neesy tried to look upset, she managed to look even more adorable than usual.

"Would you like a hint then?" Rosemary teased, taking another sip of the warm tea.

"No! If Miss Merlow gave a hint, then that would mean Neesy was a cheater, and Neesy is no cheater." She said proudly, holding her hand over her heart.