Standing Under Gray Skies

Serendipity

(n.) finding something beautiful without looking for it.

As it turned out, Remus Lupin was quite the character. Soft, knowledgeable, funny, and dare I say, charming in a way.

In good graces, Remus actually accepted my invitation to stay in my compartment with me, which I thought was absolutely wicked. We'd spent the past hour or so talking about everything under the sun, which mostly consisted of a good collection of common 'first date' questions; 'Where are you from?' 'Any family?' 'Hobbies or interests?' Sounds like much of a joke, but apparently Remus and I had much in common.

Remus was from a small town in Wales, and lived with his parents Lyall and Hope Lupin. He read a lot, preferred cooler weather as opposed to the heat of the summer, loved warmer drinks he could sit with in a heated mug, and his favourite candy treat was Honeydukes' famous chocolate squares and bars. He was also moderately skilled in the art of magic, not so fond of potions or transfiguration, but admits he could find interest in defence against the dark arts, or astronomy. As I could actually agree with everything Remus told me, we found conversation quite easily going forward. Despite the possibility of ending up in two different houses once we got to Hogwarts, we agreed we'd have to find each other in our classes.

Over the hour, we'd discussed everything under a broad range except our flukes, major and minor. Naturally, Remus couldn't think of much other than breaking a few things here and there with a spell gone wrong after stealing his father's wand at night when he was younger, but I had quite a few stories to tell.

"Please tell me you're actually joking," Remus gasped, caught in a fit of laughter after hearing how I'd once transfigured my father's favourite mug into a half-frog, half-bird monstrosity, in an attempt to heat it up for his tea. He clutched at his stomach, which started well past the loose, baggy fabric of his knitted jumper. I shook my head, trapped in a similar state of hysteria.

"Not at all! Mum actually fainted at the sight of it!"

"How do you botch up a spell that bad—?!"

"I haven't a clue! But I did!"

Unable to catch my breath, I accidentally wound up knocking my head against the wooden panel above the seat, and startled forward so fast I slipped out of it altogether. Remus only laughed harder, as I did, as I sat on the floor rubbing the sore spot behind my head.

"Are you...alright?" he gasped, coughing at the end. I nodded, momentarily choking for air.

"Bit dim, but positively smashing all the same," I teased, sarcasm dripping thickly from my voice.

Unwilling to get back up onto my seat, mostly due to the shame of my ever-so-graceful little slip, I stayed on the floor, my skirt bunched up high behind me, and my stockings rolling down my shins. I'd yet to put the incoming first-years' robe on prior to finding my seat after boarding, so my bum felt cold and somewhat exposed on the roughly carpeted flooring. Though, quite frankly, I didn't care. I fixed it haphazardly, and settled with my head lying back on the seat as I caught my breath. Surprisingly, I wasn't on the floor alone for long. Remus, upon realising I wouldn't be getting back up, slid himself down to the floor across from me, his legs stretched out to my right, closest to the compartment door.

"How is the floor more comfortable than the actual cushioned seats?" he pondered aloud, looking at me through the hair that partially curled into his eyes.

"I haven't the slightest idea, but it is."

Remus looked about ready to say something more, but was interrupted by the trolley lady, who slid open the compartment door, and looked down kindly at the two of you on the floor. Her smile was genuine and sweet, almost as much as whatever she had on that trolley.

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" she asked, her voice almost silky with age.

"No, thank you," Remus said softly. "I haven't any way to pay for it."

I kicked Remus softly in the side, by his hip, and he looked straight at me with a bewildered look in his eye. I smiled at him, and shook my head a little as if to say, 'don't worry so much about it.'

"How are you today, Madame?" I asked the kind witch, who smiled in return and placed a wrinkled hand over her heart.
"Why, young Miss Beaumont, I'm quite well. Anything sweet for you, dear?"

Making haste to pull a small, soft-material satchel from my rucksack, which I'd taken on board with me, I withdrew a small handful of silver sickles and handed them to the witch.

"Chocolate squares, please!"

The witch looked at what I'd handed her with a careful, counting eye, and deposited them into a small box she had on the trolley with her with a smile.

"Fillings?"

A quick glance at Remus supplied him with the question in my mind, transferring it to him. He looked up shyly at the trolley witch, his hands shoved into his lap.

"Erm...just chocolate for me, please."

Considering Remus had spoken of his delight at receiving the variety parcel at Christmas every year from his parents, I shook my head and pulled a couple galleons from the pouch.

"All of them, please!"

Both Remus and the witch looked at me with surprise, and with delight. It showed mostly in the trolley witch's smile, and in the brights of Remus' eyes.

"Well then, I believe I ought to give you this, then!" The trolley witch huffed slightly as she lifted a box containing every chocolate square she had off the top of the cart, and lowered it to me. I thanked her with another few sickles as a tip, and bid her farewell as she slid the compartment door shut again, and I opened the box between Remus and me.

"Bon appétit, mon ami!" I exclaimed gleefully, gesturing with one wide hand to the box.

Remus was shy to pick anything out of it at first, until I rummaged through it, picked out a solid chocolate square and chucked it at him. He chuckled a little to himself before opening it, looking up at me through his hair as he peeled the wrapper back.

"Thank you, Nadelle," he said softly, his smile small as he brought the square to his lips.

"Think nothing of it, Lupin! After all, I've gotta make good impressions on potential friends, don't I?" Remus looked up at me oddly, before I continued. "Besides, I like taking care of people with what money I have. You seem like a good investment. You're fun, and I like you."

Remus couldn't stop the little puff of a contented sigh from escaping his lips, and I noticed it. He was smiling, happy. As he took another square from the box, he spoke.

"Thanks... I like you, too."