With Love, || N.B.

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒚-𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒓

January 15th, 1994

Accompanying Remus on the Hogwarts Express, Eleonora slumped down in her seat in the staff car after stowing her luggage.

"What's got you so down?" Remus snickered, flipping through a copy of The Daily Prophet.

Eleonora sighed, her head resting against the frosty window. "I haven't heard from her in...twelve days, Remus..."

"Who?" Remus asked, getting shot with a glare from Elle. He sighed, "Oh! Right...I'm sure she's just been busy..."

Eleonora swallowed hard, shaking her head. "With what? Aside from shopping, there's not much her husband lets her do." She took a deep breath, her voice shaking. "I dunno what to do, anymore, Remus. I've sent her letters and I have received nothing in return."

"I'm sure it's nothing," he assured her. "You're probably just thinking of the worst-you tend to do that, you know."

"But what if something is wrong?" Tears began to gloss over her eyes. "I know how he treats her. What if-what if after twenty-one years, I've lost her for good, Remus?" She was hysterical at this point, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

He stood, setting his paper down and taking her by the shoulders and making stern eye contact. "Elle I won't say this again. There's a good chance Narcissa is alright." Watching Elle wipe her tears away, he pulled her into a hug. "I know how much you worry-it's a good quality, shows you care, but it also puts you in these situations where you can't sleep or eat, and all you think about is the worst possible outcome."

Sniffling, Eleonora pulled away, wiping her nose on her sleeve and nodding. "Okay...Okay...you're probably right...I'm just overreacting I guess. Maybe it's just my Auror instincts or something, always thinking there's something going on...I dunno."

"It'll be alright," Remus sighed, taking his seat.

"So..." Eleonora said, changing the subject. "How was your holiday? Did you get the gift I sent?"

"Erm...uneventful..." Remus said, not entirely convincing.

"So why do I think something more than uneventful happened?" Elle asked, raising her brows.

"And yes, I got your gift," Remus responded, trying to avoid the subject. "The Redbreast whiskey went down smoothly with the samples of luxury sausages and bratwursts from Germany."

"I'm glad you enjoyed them," Eleonora smiled, still unconvinced. "Are sure nothing happened over holiday?"

"Why?" Remus said. "Were you spying on me?"

"No," Eleonora scoffed, her voice lowering. "I was a bit...preoccupied."

Remus snickered, straightening out his paper. "I'll tell you one day what I did over the Christmas holiday of 1993."

"So you were doing something?" Elle perked up.

"More like doing someone," Remus mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?" Eleonora laughed. "Was I not the only one preoccupied over Christmas?"

Remus rolled his eyes, grinning. "Let it go, Elle."

"Fine, but just this once," Eleonora said, crossing her arms and legs and slumping back in her seat.

The rest of the ride was mostly quiet, Eleonora dozing off to the rocking of the car. When the train slowed to a stop, Remus stood and tapped Eleonora on the shoulder. "Elle come on, we've arrived."

Eleonora rubbed the crust from her eyes, standing up and pulling her luggage out from under the seat. She yawned as she followed Remus, listening to his excited voice talk about his new lesson plans. "I think the students will enjoy that, Remus."