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𝐑𝐎𝐗𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐄 𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊 made her way downstairs to the breakfast table. Tiptoeing down the stairs, she could smell the freshly cracked eggs above the stove top. A sizzling noise rang through her eardrums, the sweet sound of morning.
"Roxanne, how many times have I told you to brush that hair of yours out."
Her mother, Millicent called out to her. She was a stoic, hard woman. The type of woman you would read about in fairytale books. Similar to the witchy, evil stepmother.
And god, she was evil alright.
"Mom, s'alright. It has a mind of its own," Roxanne replied.
"Dear Merlin, your accent has gotten out of control. I better send you to England to visit Cedric sometime soon."
Cedric Diggory was Roxanne's older half-brother. A result of her mother's first marriage, he wasn't... how do you say?
Unplanned.
"Ced's in his third year, mom. He don't got time for me anymore," Roxanne sulks, fully aware that her brother is growing up without her. On the other side of the world, to be more specific.
"I'll owl Amos. He'll be fine dealing with your trouble if it means that Cedric gets to see his sister," Millicent scolded. Her passive aggressiveness was not a tool, it was something Roxanne got used to overtime as a member of the household.
"I'm going to work. Eggs are on the counter. Remus will be here soon for your lesson."
And with that, the stone cold woman grabbed her bag and made her way out the door.
Roxanne silently ate her eggs at the table, awaiting her teacher's arrival. Remus.
Remus, or as Roxanne liked to call him, 𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘮𝘺, has been Roxanne's teacher since the age of nine. He taught her all the basics, practical spells and useful charms. Now that Roxanne is old enough, her education is expected to become more difficult as she is now of age to attend wizard school.
Except, she's not attending.
It's kind of hard to get a well-rounded education when your father is locked away in Azkaban and Dumbledore sends you to a different continent.
A knock graces the door and Roxanne immediately jumps up. A smile creeps across her face as she opens the front door, revealing Remus Lupin.
"Hey, Remmy!"
"Hey, Roxie."
The scarred man makes his way to the kitchen, setting down his briefcase on the table and making his way to the sink to fetch a glass of water. It was routine.
"What are we learning today? Ced told me that first years usually learn the levitating spell. Maybe you could teach me to make my mom's bed fly away!"
The young girl looks up at Remus, grinning ear-to-ear. It was time to begin learning the 'big kid stuff', as Cedric would call it.
"Yeah kid, maybe," Remus answers, "Let's review some of the basics first, okay?"
Roxanne's face drops. Why couldn't they start learning the cool stuff now?
More importantly, why couldn't she attend school? Her father was locked away. Why was it such a problem?
"Why can't I go to school, Remmy? My bat-shit crazy father is locked away, for Merlin's sake!"
"Language."
Roxanne sulks as Remus sits at the table. She always tries to press Remus for answers, but she never gets any.
"Weren't you friends with him, Remus? How did you not know about... y'know..."
Remus' face drains of colour. Not expecting this question, he rubs his hands over his eyes.
How didn't he know? He knew Sirius his whole life. Well, the part of his life he considered living, anyways. Memories flooded his head. Conducting pranks, cheering James on at Quidditch games, nights talking in their dorm...
But then again, how didn't he know that the love of his life had taken another lover?
How did he end up spending all his time with Sirius' child? The child that also didn't belong to Remus?
Remus changes the topic.
"How about I turn on some music. How does some Bowie sound?"
Knowing that she wouldn't get an answer today, Roxie nods her head.
"Sure, Remmy."
Remus picked up one of Sirius' old Bowie records and adjusted it on the record player. They now belonged to Roxanne, but she thinks that they used to belong to Remus.
Moonage Daydream began to flow throughout the kitchen, the electric guitar kicking in. Bowie's voice was powerful enough to free Sirius from Azkaban, Remus thought.
"I wanna be cool like Bowie one day," the young girl declares, "I'm gonna be a singer jus' like him."
Remus chuckles.
"You better start playing your guitar daily. I didn't buy you that for nothing."
"I have been! I wrote a song already. It's about how you're my best friend, Remmy."
"That's nice."
"Don't cry, Remmy."
"I won't."
Remus begins to drink his water in silence while Roxie sings out the lyrics. The fried eggs now getting cold, would remain untouched. Roxie, despite her never-ending need to go to a real school, was grateful for Remus. One of the only good things that Dumbledore did was send him into her arms.
In her mind, Remus was her real parent. Not her mom, nor her dad. Remus has been there for her since day one.
He encouraged her, he listened to her, he laughed with her.
As long as Remus was by her side, everything was going to be okay.
