Dark AIAOY 5

Chapter 12

The days between the boiling-over point and closer to Christmas passed fairly quickly and without notice.  The mornings were spent puttering around to find something that needed to be done, the afternoons spent studying for their exams or quietly with one another.

Rebecca had had something weighing on for days though, something that she had to right sooner rather than later.  "I was hoping to talk to you."

Remus looked up from the selection of teas.  "Would you like a cup as well?"  Rebecca nodded and suddenly there was water enough for two in the kettle.  "I was about to go to the table, would you like to speak in private or with the others?"

Rebecca glanced over Remus' shoulder, where Sirius and Fred were talking to each other happily.  "It won't take long."  Rebecca righted her shoulders and looked Remus in the eye, putting as much honesty in her words as she could.  "I need to apologise to you.  When I-When leaving and separating myself from-I mean, when I had asked-"

"When you thought you were doing what would keep everyone you love safe, you defended your only plan as you should have--entirely."  Remus shook his head, turning back to the kettle with a small, sad smile creeping at the corner of his mouth.  James too would have been haunted by a potential insult.  "I haven't thought of it again until right now."

Rebecca frowned.  "All the same, how I treated you was wrong.  For that, I am sorry."

Remus carried their cups of tea to the table.  "Come and sit with me, I actually wanted to get your thoughts on a few things."  They sipped their tea across from Sirius and Fred, Remus pulling the copy of the Prophet and pointing out a few new proposed guidelines put forth from Fudge and his administration.

Rebecca appreciated the conversation with Remus, it made her feel as if things were as normal as they could be.  "But doesn't this undo the...erm-what's it called, Fred?  The law where exact replicas of galleons can't be made?"

Fred blinked, never having even heard of this law let alone having talked about it with her.  "It's slipped my mind, love."

Remus tapped the table, thinking.  He rattled off a few options and Rebecca picked out the exact one she had been thinking of.  Their conversation took off, questions about legalities and processes and other things Fred and Sirius had little to no interest in.

Fred moved his chair closer to Sirius', wanting to see the comic they had been laughing over better.  

"Can you even believe he thinks this isn't humourous?"  Sirius murmured to Fred, trying to keep his voice from Remus' ears.

"Cats do not eat tomatoes, pasta, nor cheese."  Remus said as he had a hundred times before.  "The sheer insistence of that cat eating lasagna is an indication of underlying issues!"

Fred and Sirius banded together, taking a card from the academic side of the table.  "Objection!"  They shouted, raising an arm each into the air.

"Who in Mer-Not this again!"  Molly shouted from the doorway, appearing after another night with Arthur in the hospital.  "Pick something else to bicker about!"  She snapped her fingers and sent the comic somewhere else in the house.

Rebecca stood at Molly's appearance, returning to the kitchen to prepare another cup of tea.  "How did it go?"  She asked Molly over the counter separating the table and the kitchen.  "Last night, I mean."

"It went well, dear."  Molly answered Rebecca's next question before she could even ask it, knowing it was coming as it had every morning.  "Not just yet, soon though.  He's improved a little more and will be back soon."

Rebecca turned the heat under the kettle on, needing to boil the water sans magic.

"That doesn't happen to be for me, does it?"  Molly teased, trying to lighten Rebecca.