1982 | Remus Lupin

Chapter Nine

[i will fix any current plot holes when I re-read from prologue to chapter five but I have a feeling this chapter will have some plot holes. regardless, it's important]

Chapter Nine

Romy's eyes watched over the window in the dully lit café peaking into the afternoon. The warm glow of the wall lights illuminated the café in a yellow hue, and she sighed to herself. Her elbow had turned pink with pressure leaning on the counter just beside the till and she could hear the faint chatter in the kitchen of Penny and Sheila arguing over something she didn't care too much to get involved in.

It was a dull, wet day in London town.

The ends of her hair had curled with the dampness that was slowly drying in the heat, and the radio beside her had managed to drown out most of the arguing in the room behind where she stood. It seemed as though no one wished to brave the horrid weather just outside the coffee shop.

Penny seemed to love rain, much like a past Romy once did. She called it cosy weather, the type of weather to get fuzzy socks on and big knitted jumpers...nearing autumn weather with soft rain trickling down heavy jackets and warm mugs of tea scolding tongues and heating hands.

Penny romanticized rain in such a way that Romy had smiled at the thought. Penny was such a hopeless romantic at times that Romy would love to live in a world written by her, she knew she'd live a glorious life laid out for her if it were penned by someone like Penny.

Though the thought seemed beautiful, rain was not cosy weather to Romy. For the past four years she had branded it as wallow weather. She could, of course, sometimes appreciate the sound of soft pitter patters atop her window. Though, for the most part, it was a sad wallowing day to cry like the sky.

The café was near empty save for a few muggle school children who came in for their lunch, they were never a rowdy bunch and sometimes it gave Romy a glimpse into her past that she knew she missed so dearly.

She grabbed for her purse from her handbag under the counter, throwing some chain in the bottom of her bag into the register she grabbed herself a mug. She needed something to tide her over and a hot chocolate seemed to fit the bill.

The soft ringing of the door sounded through the café, and Romy called a quick, "I'll be with you in one moment!"

"Take your time," the all too familiar voice responded, "I'll have what you're having."

Her lips tugged with a small pit of excitement bubbling to see her friend again. He seemed to have been missing for the past week and she wondered where on earth he had gone, "hi, Remus!"

"How are you, Romy?" he asked. There was something different about him...he looked more refreshed, maybe brighter. He looked like he was happier. A twinkle in his eye, almost.

"I'm alright. You seem happy," he nodded, taking the hot chocolate and giving her double what it was worth. Half for her tip jar.

"Can you take your break?" he asked, "I'm here to see you."

She didn't know why the words he spoke had blushed her cheeks in pink but she decided to ignore it, nodding her head and following him to a seat. She called to Sheila that she would be taking her break, and the faint harsh whispers stopped, followed by a flushed looking Penny emerging from the kitchen and taking Romy's space.

"Where have you been?" Romy asked, taking a long sip of her hot chocolate. Her eyes welled with slight tears from the scolding warmth, fanning her mouth with her hands whilst Remus chuckled.

"I went up north," he sighed. It was then that maybe, perhaps the bright smile that she deemed new was fake. The bags under his eyes showed through the small cracks of sunlight that peaked through the dark grey clouds, "to my parents' home."

"Oh...well, did you enjoy seeing your parents." There it was - the slight crack in the façade that he was keeping together. The saddest eyes that Romy had seen, and subconsciously her hand reached out for his, and he wrapped her small one between his scarred one.

"They died...not too long ago," he shook his head, "I've been meaning to clean out their home, Romy, but it was so difficult." She nodded in understanding.

"All I am grateful for," whispered Remus, "is that they didn't die in the war. Though I can't say it brings me much joy to know they are both gone regardless."

She squeezed his hand, nodding again, "I know that pain, Remus. Have you finished cleaning it out...their home?"

"No..." he leaned his head on the window beside them, "I couldn't bring myself to do it...I tried so hard. My mother was so wonderful, every odd piece of décor reminded me of her, I can't get rid of it. I can't bear it get rid of any of it."

"Perhaps you don't need to?" suggested Romy, "I could...help you, if you want? I hope you don't mind me asking, but is the house yours?"

He nodded, yes, "it was left to me in their will, I'm their only son. I don't want to live in that home by myself, though. I don't want to sell it!"

"It's too special to sell, Remus."

It was though he had only just processed her previous words, "you would help me?"

"Of course, Remus. You're my friend." She smiled. Although the moment they shared was one of sadness, she couldn't help but feel the warmth of her own words. Maybe she wasn't as alone as she thought she was, not with Remus around.

"I don't know what to say, Romy." He shook his head. The last week had been dreadful, if not for the full moon that he had endured in the fields surrounding his parents home it was definitely for the vast amount of memories that had came flooding back to him in sheer pain.

"Just let me know when!" she forced a smile for him. she helped her friend. She had given him a sense of relief in a horrible time, "I'll be there."