The markings scattered his back, interlocking and over-layering to weave a tapestry of anguish and indescribable pain.
As she opened her eyes, the comforting smell of coffee and parchment filled her nose. For the first time in 5 years she had opened...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Harp! Harp! Harper!"
She rolled over onto her side and grumbled, burying her face into her pillow.
"Harp, come on! Harp, it's Christmas!" Remus jumped onto her bed and shook her. "It'll still be Christmas in an hour or two..." she mumbled. "Harp! Do you seriously not want to see your presents?" He continued to shake her. "I don't have any." "Harp!" He moaned, "you've got your present from me!"
She rolled over onto her back and moved her bedsheet so it wasn't covering her face anymore.
"...Oh wow..." Remus' eyes widened. "Good morning to you too." She grumbled. "Your hair is... looking particularly wild today." He pushed out his bottom lip. "More so than usual?" She laughed. "Absolutely." "Oh Merlin," she tried to comb and flatten out her hair.
"So, coming down? Mum and dad are waiting." He grabbed hold of her arm. "I don't want them to wait for me!" She suddenly jumped up, "what time is it?" "About eight." "Oh lord!" She fell back down onto her bed and closed her eyes.
Remus sighed, "Come on, my parents are waiting, remember?" "Yeah, yup, coming." She moved to push him out of the door but he stopped himself. "Just come down in your pyjamas."
Harper tried not to laugh in his face.
"I'm not going to do that." "Like we've never seen each other in pyjamas before?" "Your parents don't want to see me like this." "They don't care." He insisted. "I'm trying to look presentable!" She continued to straighten out her hair.
"Harpey, come on!" "Fine but only, only if you don't call me that." She pointed at him.
"Remus? Harper?" Hope shouted from downstairs.
He held up his hands and grinned before running from the room with her chasing after him.
"Moony I swear-" she stopped suddenly as he darted into the living room where his parents were sat.
"Harper! Good morning love." Hope smiled warmly. "Merry Christmas." Lyall nodded. "You too... Merry Christmas, I mean." She stammered, pulling her hair back to try and hide it.
"Harp, come sit." Remus patted the space beside him on the worn sofa before rummaging in a bag at his feet.
Lyall watched the two of them intently before his wife elbowed him in the side.
"Stop that." She said. "I can do what I please." He turned his attention back to his son. "You better please leave them alone or there'll be trouble." She pointed a finger at him. "Trouble? They don't even-" "Lyall!" She hissed, "Have you not noticed your son over the past week? He's been upset and it doesn't take a genius to figure out the cause. Now, leave them be." She stated bluntly before handing a present over to him.
"Ah, the Christmas spirit you have is so warming." Lyall replied sarcastically as he handed his present over to Hope.
Remus handed over a wrapped parcel to Harper.
"I left your present upstairs, hold on, I'll be right back." She placed the present down on the sofa and dashed from the room.
Remus looked over at his parents that had giddy grins plastered on their faces as they watched him.
"What?" He asked. "Nothing... Nothing, come on love, let's go." Hope pulled her husband up beside her.
They went to leave the room but Lyall stopped.
"You still owe me for that present there." He gestured at Remus' present to Harper and flashed his son a wink before following his wife out.
"Okay... I'm here, I got it." Harper panted as she hurried back into the room and planted the large box on his lap.
"Harp... this is..." "Huge? I know, I was slightly worried the owl wouldn't be able to carry it but... Guess abandoning home kind of worked out?" She smiled with a shrug.
"Open it then." Remus patted his lap impatiently as he watched Harper turn the present over in her hand. "You first, please." She turned to face him. "But-" "Please." "You-" "Please!" "Okay fine."
Remus gave in and tore open the wrapping paper of the present. He was greeted by a large cardboard box.
"There's stuff inside." She explained excitedly. "Well, no offence, I would hope so." He laughed before opening up the box.
Remus peered inside the box and a huge grin formed on his face.
"...So? Just going to stare at it?" Harper asked.
Chuckling, he pulled out the packets of chocolate, uncovering the three books neatly tied together at the bottom with ribbon.
Slowly, he plucked the books out from the box and looked down at them.
"The first two are books about Defence Against the Dark Arts and the beasts in it and stuff." She explained, practically jumping up and down in her seat.
"W-woah, really?" He pulled off the ribbon and flicked through the books, trying not to stop and actually read it, "I love it!"
Then he looked at the third book in his hands, there was nothing on the front cover and as he opened the front cover the pages were blank.
"That's... er... It used to belong to my dad. I was going through his stuff and found one of his old notebooks and thought... I don't know maybe you might want it." She shrugged. "Your dad's?" He asked, widening his eyes.
"Yeah, anyway I wanted you to have it. I don't know what you'd do with it but... yeah." She smiled. "Harper... I..." He looked at her sadly, "Open your present now." He placed his box on the floor.
She gently pulled open the present and gasped.
"Remus..." she gripped his hand as she stared at what was in the box.
He watched as she pulled out the small ring and turned it over in her hand several times.
"Remus..." she started again, "it's like the one my dad gave me... like the one I broke." She turned to face him.
"Thank you!" She leaned over and pulled him into a tight hug.
"Merry Christmas Harp." He murmured. "Merry Christmas Remus, and you still smell of coffee."
