Falling, Fallen || Remus Lupin

Chapter Twenty

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The library, bathed in a soft golden glow made of sunrise, filtering through the frosted glass of the castle, casting patterns of light and shadows across the room like scattered pieces of a forgotten puzzle.

It was empty and hushed, as the rest of the world was still fast asleep in their beds at this early hour. The only sounds drifting through the towering shelves of books were the faint rustling of pages and the occasional sighs of frustration from Rosemary as she skimmed through the open books sprawled before her.

The familiar scent of parchment and ink filled the air, but the weight of her thoughts made the room feel suffocating. Her parents had been missing for a month now, and all she wanted to do was to find answers.

Surrounded by enchanted books and scrolls, Rosemary was immersed in her research and sat at one of the long tables tucked away in the back of the room, her brows furrowed as she flipped through dusty, old books about magical tracking spells, charms and jinxes. She hoped she would come across anything that previous witches and wizards would use to hide or conceal things, most notably people.

Anything to uncover potential connections or leads that might help locate her parents.

She had lost faith quite quickly in the Ministry's efforts to do anything about the mysterious disappearances—especially after seeing the insultingly small reward they were offering for the possible return of her parents. The number 321 stayed haunting her thoughts ever since she saw her father's missing persons poster in the main square at Hogsmeade last month, and she felt disgusted with the fact that nobody from the Ministry even bothered to reach out to her at all.

Rosemary would do anything—anything at all—to help, fully prepared to comply with the Ministry of Magic if they simply seeked her support. If they asked for information, for assistance, for anything about her parents at all that might lead them to her parents whereabouts, she'd give it without a single hesitation. But they weren't interested in finding answers, that's what Rosie had come to realize. They were too busy trying to sweep things under the rug and bury the truth, worried about their own reputation and the illusion of control that they worked so hard to keep.

So, she resolved to staying late in the library for as long as it took, determined to find a solution herself.

She didn't realize it was morning until the first rays of sunlight peeked through the misty clouds of the wintery sky. But it didn't matter. She hadn't cared that her sleep schedule was completely shot, staying awake night after night, driven by the need to uncover any clues that might help. She had to find a way—any magical method or ancient ritual—that could explain how people were disappearing without a trace, hoping that, maybe, just maybe, discovering how they vanished could lead her to where they were being held or hidden.

She didn't have much to go on yet, but one thing she knew for certain is that they were alive.

They had to be...

While this was happening, she suddenly felt the comfort of a little cuddly cat, her pet Rudi, gently jumping on her lap as she briefly stopped her search to run her fingers through his soft, white fur.

"Oh, there you are, little menace. Where have you been?" She whispered jokingly to her furry friend as she gently scooped him up in her arms and wrapped him in a soft embrace, nuzzling her face in his fur, giving him sweet kisses on top of his fuzzy temple and holding him there for as long as he let her.

She missed the older cat dearly, who purred in response, then jumped out of her arms and sat on top of the books that were scattered open across her table, blocking her view. Then, it dawned on her why he suddenly reappeared from his usual weekly disappearances roaming the castle.