The Art of Living - R. Black

nineteen

September 15th, 1996

A whole two weeks pass before Mary and I meet for lunch to catch up. Part of me was convinced she wasn't going to show up or that she was going to cancel at the last minute.

But here we are, seated at a table in a muggle cafe in London.

Neither of us really talk until the waitress brings us our tea, mine's decaf.

"How have you been, Mary?" I ask.

Mary looks at me like she's trying to analyze everything about me and about my life now. I haven't seen Mary in nearly two decades, so I know virtually nothing about her or the life she lives. She is a completely different person than she was when I knew her.

"I've been good," Mary replies. "The house is quiet with Ruby at school, but I keep busy with work. How are you?"

"Good, I've been good. I'm not coaching anymore because of-, well everything that's going on," I explain.

Mary smiles, "I saw, you coached for the Harpies. One of the best coaches in years."

"That's me," I joke.

"When are you due?"

"The end of November," I say. "But Atlas and Elio were both born two weeks early so I think she might be the same."

Mary smiles, a genuine smile. Mary has always been one of the most genuine people I've ever met, and I guess she still is.

"Do you have a name picked out?"

I nod, "Yeah, Regulus and I decided on one a few weeks ago."

She nods and goes to take a sip of her tea. I copy her actions and take a sip of my own. A sort of awkward silence falls between us and it's making me slightly uncomfortable.

I have so many things that I want to say, and so many things that I want to ask.

"Why did you never respond to my letters? Why did you never reach out?" I ask, getting straight to the point.

Mary sighs, "Because it was too painful."

She pauses, and I stare, waiting for her to continue. Mary's hair is longer than it used to be. Her dark curly hair falls halfway down her back compared to how she used to cut her hair up to her shoulders.

"You just remind me so much of Marlene that it was too painful for a while. I look at you and all I see is Marlene. The same with Remus, the both of you just remind me so much of all of the people I've lost that it was too much."

"We all lost people, Mary," I say. "Don't you think it would've been better for us to be there for each other?"

Mary shakes her head. "No, I'm not like that," She answers. "I needed to grieve everyone and everything alone. Then when I started to heal from it I realized that I don't like this world that much. Everything is so much simpler when you take magic out of it. I felt happier-, and I still do, feel happier without magic."

"And Ruby?" I question.

"That was her own choice. I never kept it a secret from her, and she deserves the opportunity to learn and make her own choices as to whether or not she wants to live as a witch. Her dad isn't in the picture, he never has been, so it's always just been me and Ruby, so it's not like he has any say in her choice either," Mary explains. "Even though that life isn't for me anymore, it is for her and I respect that."

I look at Mary, who has a calm expression on her face. I'm processing everything she's told me.

"I think it's a good thing that you let her make that choice," I say. "And I know that this life isn't for you, and that's okay." I smile at her, trying my best to make sure that she knows I'm being completely genuine. "I just missed you, we all did."

Mary smiles softly, "I guess it's just you, me, Jack, and Remus now."

"I guess so," I agree.

Mary analyzes my face. "Are you happy?" She asks.

"As much as I can be during another war," I say. "But, yes, I'm happy. I love my husband and I love my kids. I love the life we made."

Mary smiles, "I'm glad you're happy."

"Are you happy?" I ask.

"Yes," Mary nods. "I'm very content with my life. It's just Ruby and I but I like it that way. I also like my job, so that helps."

"Even though life took us to completely different places, I'm glad you're happy, and I'm glad that I get to see you after all these years."

Mary laughs, "God, how many years has it been?"

"Fifteen," I answer.

By the time that I was cleared to come back to England by Moody, Mary had already left and told no one where she went. So it really has been fifteen years since the last time I saw her.

"That feels like forever ago," Mary says. "We both have kids for Merlin's sake."

I laugh, "And my son faces your daughter."

"Oh, the feeling is mutual," Mary says. "Ruby wouldn't shut up about Atlas the entire summer. She thinks he has pretty hair."

"They would kill us if they knew we were talking about them," I joke.

Mary smiles, "Good thing that they'll never find out."

We both laugh and I take a sip of my tea while Mary tries to stop laughing. The atmosphere between us is no longer uncomfortable, and I forgot just how much I love Mary MacDonald. She has always been one of my favorite people.

- - - - -

October 17th, 1996

The baby is due in just over six weeks. The nursery is almost finished, and everything that we will need and that she will need has been bought.

I'm currently sitting in the rocking chair in the corner of the nursery watching Regulus hang up some pictures above the crib. He has his sleeves pushed up while he works and his curly hair is starting to fall into his face.

"Is that where you want it?" He asks, holding the last picture up.

"Yes, it looks good to me," I respond.

He goes back to work, humming along to a Billy Joel song playing in the background on the radio. I glance down at his revealed forearms.

While the Mark will forever remain on his left forearm, no matter how many times and how many different ways he's tried to remove it. He's settled for always having a disillusion charm cast. You would never spot it unless you were really looking for a flaw in the magic.

Regulus hangs the final picture and takes a step back to look at the wall above the crib.

"I like it a lot," I say, going to get up out of the chair. However, I'm to the point where I am so pregnant that my center of gravity is off, as well as my balance.

Regulus helps me out of the chair and kisses me. I kiss him back, cupping his face with both of my hands.

When we break apart Regulus just grins at me.

"I can't wait to meet her," He says, a big smile on his face.