⚯͛ Unfortunate - Remus Lupin ⚯͛

82.

When Maeve apparated to Diagon Alley she felt a wave of nostalgia run through her. Looking round, seeing the shops where she got her wand, her robes, her books, even the shop where she got Sofia! Diagon Alley really would always hold a special place in her heart.

Today she was alone. No friends or family like she had before when she was at Hogwarts. Just her. She was in search for a book that could help her with magical portrait artistry, something she was interested in. She wondered if she could turn the portraits she had already painted into real, moving pictures like they had in Hogwarts or in her family's old home.

First she went to Flourish and Blotts. It was an old bookstore, familiar as well. It had that indistinguishable smell of parchment, books and old wood that the best book stores have. Maeve could remember every summer holiday that she and her Mother would come in there to get her school books. It was a simpler time.

She walked up to the bespectacled witch at the counter, "um, excuse me?"

The witch looked up lazily, "yeah?"

"I was wondering if you have any books on um, magical portrait...artistry?"

The lady sighed, "lemme think...well...I can't remember ever seein' a book on that, but you're free to 'ave a look."

"Oh, okay, thanks," Maeve murmured.

She ventured into the shops, wandering down the many aisles by every single dusty book shelf. She found books on alchemy, fairytales, healing, even a book titled 'Encyclopaedia of Toadstools', but she could not find one book on Magical Art.

There was another book store in town, but it was just the second-hand book store. Maeve doubted there would be anything in there that wouldn't be in Flourish and Blotts. But, it was worth a try.

"Thank you," she smiled briefly at the lady at the counter before leaving out the door.

November had just began, so the streets of Diagon Alley weren't as busy as they would usually be in the summer when all the school
children on holiday would come. As she walked by the rows of shops, the chatter in the street only a quiet hum, it felt a bit unnerving. She was used to the noise of Diagon Alley, not this peace.

When she approached the second-hand book store she stopped in front of it for a moment, just looking at it. Was this really worth it?

She went in anyway.

There was no one at the counter so she just went straight to the books to look for anything that could help her. And soon, to her great surprise, she found a book titled 'Magical Art and the Science Behind It'. That sounded good enough.

After quickly paying for the book (it was only 3 sickles) she left the store and apparated back to the flat.

"I'm back!" She called, putting the book on the counter as Remus walked in from the bedroom.

"Hey," he came over and pecked her on the lips, "did you find anything?"

"I did, only at the second-hand book store though, there was nothing at Flourish and Blotts," she said, going over to the sink to get a glass of water.

Remus came to sit at the kitchen counter, "Oh, really? That's weird, they normally have everything."

"Ah well, not today," she shrugged, before taking a sip of her water, "oh hey, have you heard from the Potters yet?"

"Oh yeah, they got back yesterday evening. Sirius is holding a little welcome-back dinner for them today, we're invited," Remus said.

"Yes!" Maeve cheered, "Sirius' cooking is the best."

"Hey, I thought my cooking's the best," Remus pouted jokingly.

"I only say that, Sirius' food is actually perfection," Maeve said, closing her eyes in a type of bliss as she remembered all the heavenly Sirius-cooked meals she had eaten before.

"Well that's just charming, isn't it..."

≿ ————————　❈　———————— ≾

Maeve read the page one more time. It told of the ways to enchant a portrait, how to capture the soul of someone in it, how to fully personify the brush strokes...it looked incredibly difficult. She read it one more time.

"Babe, you ready to go?"

"Mm," she didn't look up. "Just...give me a second."

"We're going to be late..."

"Wait..." she finished the page and shut the book, "okay, I'm ready."

He smiled fondly as she ran over to him and grabbed his hand. They left through the front door and went down the steps two floors to Sirius' flat, the sound of chatter and laughter already floating up from behind the front door. They went inside.

"Hey! Lupins!" James cheered, running over to the two.

Maeve giggled as he pulled her into an excited hug before turning to Remus and doing the same. Lily was less hyper, but she still seemed incredibly happy to see the two and embraced them as soon as James was done with them.

"How was the honeymoon?" Maeve asked Lily as they made their way to the dining table where Sirius was just serving up the dinner.

"Oh, it was amazing," Lily groaned, shaking her head in disbelief, "Florence is such an amazing place. I mean...the culture, the food..."

"It was perfect," James said, sitting down, "although I think I gained about twenty pounds with all the Italian food."

Sirius gave a short bark of laughter, "you're married now, you don't have to be fit anymore."

"Hey, don't start putting ideas into his head," Lily scolded Sirius, but even she couldn't keep the smile off her face.

"Was it really hot in Florence?" Remus asked as he gathered some food onto his fork.

"Yeah, got up to..what, 36°C?" James said, quirking an eyebrow at Lily.

She nodded, "sounds about right."

"Fuck me that's hot," Sirius said.

"No wonder you're both so tanned," Maeve said with an impressed look.

"James is more tanned than me, I just go freckly," Lily said, taking a sip of water .

"It's adorable," James glanced at her fondly.

"It's the gingerness," Maeve smirked.

Sirius made a thoughtful noise, "I wonder if your kids are gonna be ginger..."

"James," Lily said accusingly, slapping his arm, "we said we weren't telling anyone!"

The room fell deadly silent. James went pale.

"Um, sweetheart..." he began gently, "I didn't tell anyone...you just did."

"Oh my God..."

"CONGRATULATIONS!"