Sirius's son

Kidnapped

"I will put down my 'A' to make an 'A'" Ron said as he, Harry, Rigel, Ginny were all in his room playing scrabble, a muggle game that Mr. Weasley owned.

"I will add to your A to make 'AT'" Harry said.

"I will add onto your 'AT' to make RAT," Ginny said.

"I will add onto your 'RAT' to make biostratigraphy," Rigel said proudly.

Ron flipped the board.

"Not again Rigel !" Harry growled at Rigel's face.

"What the hell is biostratigraphy?" Ginny said throwing her arms up.

"Oh God, please tell me you weren't playing Scrabble again," called a familiar voice from the doorway.

"Elizabeth my love, my sweet honey, my little redhead," Rigel cooed, "my dearest companion-"

"Oh shut up" Ron groaned. "But seriously what does biostratigraphy mean?"

"the branch of stratigraphy concerned with fossils and their use in dating rock formations" Rigel explained.

"And what is stratigraphy?" Harry asked.

"I'm glad you asked." Rigel grinned.

"I'm not." Ginny groaned.

Rigel didn't get the chance to explain, however, as an insistent tap, tap, tap sounded from one of the windows. It didn't take long for them to find the source; a barn owl, pecking its beak against the glass.

Ron cracked open the window, letting the owl swoop in and land on his outstretched arm. Taking the envelope from the owl, he looked over to who it was addressed.

"It's for you Rigel."

Rigel took the letter from his hand, pushing herself into a sitting position. Ripping open the envelope delicately, he pulled out the parchment. Once he finished reading the letter, Rigel threw his head back and groaned.

"One of the presents I was having Owled for Aunt Andi been delayed, and won't arrive until after Christmas. They might have one in stock at their Diagon Alley store if I'm willing to pick it up in-store," he explained.

In the end, he and Remus had decided to go to Diagon Alley. Like the previous summer, it had lost its color. Its patrons did not howl in laughter, children no longer pleading to enter every wondrous shop they passed. People did not loiter in the streets, friends no longer planning catch-ups in the once homely cafés.

The only drop of color amid the dying streets was Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, but even that light amongst the dark was dimmed. Diagon Alley looked as if someone had lowered the contrast, pulling the atmosphere down with it.

Firstly, they picked up Mrs. Weasley's gift from Twilfitt and Tattings, a clothing shop with an absurd range of items. It had multiple pieces that Mrs. Weasley had been eyeing for a while but couldn't buy. Thus, those, and other items Rigel thought she would like, became his aunt's gift.

After they all left Twilfitt and Tattings, Remus and Rigel decided there were still many presents they wanted to get each other. They entered shop after shop, gloomy shop owner after shop owner, filling their arms with presents that will be wrapped and placed under the elegant Christmas tree when they returned home.

"Where next?" Remus asked levitating the gifts in front of him.

"We have to meet up with Bill and Eliza at the Leaky Cauldron in fifteen minutes, so we could either head there, or we could go to Quality Quidditch Supplies? There might be more present ideas for Harry and Ron," Rigel suggested.