Astrophile [J.P]

Chapter 45

~ Fear of the dark, fear of the dark,

I have a constant fear that some thing's always near. ~

***

Felicity had come over to stay at Fairmile Lane with her mother just so she could look after her properly. Stefan had had to leave on a business trip so Fel grabbed the opportunity and came as soon as she could to stay with Esther.

She had gotten much better than before due to Felicity's care and spending time with her daughter had elevated her health and happiness as well. Esther was not a very expressive person but after the incidental estrangement from her daughter, she had grown extremely lonely. 

But as Fel had returned, her health had started to come back to normal.

It was near evening and Esther had insisted upon cooking dinner for the two even though Felicity had been doing so since the past few days, but seeing her mother so enthusiastic about it, she had agreed. So Esther was in the kitchen while she was in the living room, flicking through the various Muggle newspapers kept there.

The Muggles had no idea of the wizarding war so all the attacks that had been reported in Muggle news were labeled as terrorist attacks or natural disasters.

She was about to place back the newspapers when the telephone rang, distracting her for a moment.

Esther's voice drifted towards her from the kitchen, "Felicity dear, would you take the call?"

"Of course Mum," she left the newspapers on the couch and picked up the telephone receiver, "hello?"

"Oh Merlin, this works. Lily, look, Felicity picked up!"

Felicity recognized the overenthusiastic voice and a soft smile spread on her face, "James...?"

"Yeah, sorry I left you hanging. Hello, Felicity, how are you?"

"I'm fine. Though you seem to be much happier than usual," she remarked, leaning back in the couch for she knew James wasn't going to hang up soon.

"When am I not happy?"

"Touche. Though how did you get this number and what are you doing on a Muggle telephone?"

Esther had come out to check but Fel put her hand on the receiver telling her that it was from a school friend so she had gone back to the kitchen.

"I went over to pay the Evans a visit..."

"Oh so you mean you went over to visit your future in laws," she interrupted him with a short laugh.

"Yeah, yeah exactly," his contagious laughter sounded from the other side, "and Lily showed me how this telephone works. Then obviously I had to try calling someone so I asked Sirius for your landline."

"Bugs me how he has this landline number but anyways, resume with the story."

"He has your landline because he had told your mother that he would keep in touch and Siri keeps his word," James elaborated, "but yeah anyways, resuming with the story... So I was not certain that it would work. We are miles away and I can't see any connection instead of those spaghetti like structure outside which Lily calls telephone cables. But much to my surprise, it did work and now I'm talking to you. Like this is literally the Muggle version of magic. Floo communication without the visual experience."

Despite herself she laughed yet again, amused by his near correct assumption, "close enough. That Muggle version of magic you just referred to is called science and technology."

"Like come on, why the hell do wizards underestimate Muggles? They are pretty advanced themselves with different ways of making things work."

"That they are. Now I can't help but wonder what would happen if you were shown the alternative for owl post."

She could hear him talking to Lily, "you people have the alternative to owl post as well?"

And Lily's reply too was much audible, "yup and it's called normal post, James. The one where there are postmen instead of owls."

"So like humans who do the job of owls... How fascinating..."

Felicity laughed at his antics, no wonder what the situation was James Potter always managed to give the most dramatic of reactions. "So how are your in laws? Did you set a good impression on them or have you ruined it for your future?"

A low gasp escaped him, "heaven forbid, Fel, of course I set a very remarkable first impression. What do you think I am?" But then he paused as if he had realized exactly what she was going to say, "hold up, I know exactly what you're going to say..."

"Fungo pateticamente fastidioso," she remarked, laughing at the exasperated sigh that had left James, "I hope you remember what it translates to."

"Oh yes I do, thankfully I have an excellent memory. That fungo something you just said translates to a pathetically ignorant toadstool."

"Bravo, fifty points to Gryffindor!"

However, their conversation was interrupted by a loud crash and Felicity stood up in alarm.

"James, I've got to check up on Mum. She was in the kitchen and..." But her voice trailed off seeing Esther come towards her, her face ashen and eyes wide in terror.

"Fel, you okay?" James sounded rather concerned.

"Felicity, there are people outside, they are trying to break in," Esther spoke up as she made her sit down on the couch. 

Felicity took out her wand, though taking the receiver she spoke, "James, we need help right now. We're under attack."

"Fel... Felicity!"

The call hung up shortly after as the connection got disrupted. Felicity stood protectively in front of her mother, making a shield charm around them as she tried to put all the protective enchantments she knew around the house so that the Death Eaters couldn't break in.

But she knew the enchantments would be broken apart rather soon as there were many of the Death Eaters outside using intense Dark magic which could in no way be held back by just one witch.

Esther held on to her daughter tightly, "Fel, what's going on?"

"I don't know Mum," she mumbled, concentrating fully on holding back the spells that penetrated her shield charms, "just stay close to me."

Her foremost priority was protecting her mother because she knew Esther was already quite weak and would not be able to bear it if something happened to her. And deep down she hoped James came up with the others soon or else the two would not be able to survive the attack.

***