black coffee | remus lupin [2]

84. dreams

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THE GROUP GATHERED themselves again after the charity gala, and it wasn't long before it had been a week since that mess of a night.

Ever since, no one had managed to figure out where Newt was, nor where Lucius and all the other Death Eaters were.

Claudia had felt so sick and worried, for she didn't like the idea of somebody being in danger and her not being able to do something about it. They had owled Newt of course, but with no response and with no idea where the owl went to drop off the letter. For all Claudia knew, Newt could already be dead and Lucius could already be back in England.

But she tried not to think so negatively. Instead, she distracted herself through looking into the other Horcruxes, and of course through trying to figure out where Newt was. Ignoring letters from home was a part of the distraction as well somehow, for she knew that it would remind her of how quickly time was passing, and in ways also running out.

Newt wasn't at any hotel, nor was he at any estate that he himself owned or that anyone in his family did. It was like finding a needle in a haystack, finding that man in the entire state of California - or maybe even finding him somewhere on earth.

They were all growing sick and tired of searching and not getting anywhere. Claudia and Regulus, especially, for they were also exhausted by America and all its endless surprises.

Claudia decided that she was way too British on that trip.

Anyhow, all those days later, the group headed out to a bar sort of place that even gave Claudia and Regulus beer despite the both of them being under 21.

The group sat by the table, mindlessly sipping their beers and yawning due to either sleeping too much or too little.

"I think we should go home soon if this doesn't work out," said Cora.

"Yeah..." John agreed. "I never thought I'd say this but I kind of miss England."

"The accent is the only thing missing now, we're basically British," Ella said with a small smile. "But I agree. We can't stay here forever. Even if the food is better here."

"You're just speaking straight lies now," said Regulus. "But, yeah. I'm kind of getting homesick too. What about you, Claudia?"

Regulus turned to the girl, who was straight up not listening. She was staring into her pint glass, trying to make a plan of some sort.

"Claudia?"

"What?" She asked, looking up now.

"What're you thinking about?" Regulus asked.

"Nothing," she shrugged.

"David, wasn't there like a restaurant here before?" John then asked curiously.

"A restaurant?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "The one that served those fried thingies."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"No, I swear! It was in here! I think it was called Sunny restaurant or something, and the food was so good!"

"Huh," said David. "Maybe."

John sighed, "Well I'm certain it was. Now, does anyone want to sing?"

"Um..."

"Please..."

"Why on earth is that a request, if I may ask?" Asked Regulus.

"Because this is a karaoke bar," said John, pointing to a sign that said so and then also to the stage with the microphone and the jukebox that probably played instrumental tracks one could sing along to. "See? Let's sing!"

"I think people only really sing when it's night and they're drunk," said Ella. "Not in broad daylight with...absolutely no one in here but the bartender."

"Oh, come on Ella! Don't be such a party pooper!"

Ella gasped, and then David and Cora sighed. Suddenly the girl was on her feet, running straight towards the jukebox.

"How did that happen?" Regulus asked her parents.

"Insult Ella's ability to be fun and you can make her do pretty much anything," said David. "Including singing. Horribly."

Claudia and Regulus laughed as the intro of Dreams by Fleetwood Mac started playing.

John started doing some strange middle aged man dance as Ella entered the stage, a dramatic look on her face. John followed along, doing air guitars and all of that as the others began clapping along and the singing began.

And it did in fact sound horrible.

"Now here you go again, you say you want your freedom. Well, who am I to keep you down? It's only right that you should play the way you feel it. But listen carefully to the sound of your loneliness," the two sang into the microphone that clearly couldn't handle their voices since it screeched an awful lot.

But all of them only laughed. Even the bartender did, even though it looked like he also wanted all of them to leave on an instant.

Getting to the chorus, Regulus somehow forced Claudia onto the stage, and so she also followed along, singing with laughter in her voice.

"Oh, thunder only happens when it's raining. Players only love you when they're playing. Say, women, they will come and they will go. When the rain washes you clean, you'll know
You'll know," they sang, and it went on like that the whole song as all of them laughed and the ones off stage clapped along.

The song ended eventually. Everyone clapped and took the final sips of their drinks. Claudia however, spotted an owl pecking one of the windows, which greatly annoyed the bartender, so she went over there and accepted the letter it came with.

The owl flew away again as Claudia turned the letter around and realised that it was for her. She frowned, and then opened it.

Dear Claudia,

If you got this letter that means I'm gone.

Her breath hitched in her throat. She couldn't understand what was happening. It couldn't be, she thought.

She recognised that handwriting. She really did. She had read many letters written by that hand.

Then, Claudia understood in just a quiet moment that she had to go back home as soon as possible.

"Holy shit!" John suddenly yelled from behind her, sitting down with the others. "Sunny, David, Sunny!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Sunny! The restaurant! Newt said he was going to stay in the house by Sunny. That's where he must be! Holy shit, we have to go right now!"

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