The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix - Part Two

Like an Egg Hunt

Mum really does make the best bleedin' cookies in the world, he thought.

Remus Lupin stood in the doorway to the living room, looking about at the others, all asleep well into the mid-morning. He sipped his ovaltine and went back to the kitchen, looking out the window at a light powdery snow falling over London. Some kids were playing in the park across the way, and he watched them for a time through the window over the sink.

"Hi."

Remus turned around. Regulus was in the doorway, looking a bit awkward, his hair sleep frumpled.

"Mornin'," Remus said.

"Mornin'," Regulus echoed.

"You hungry?" Remus asked.

Regulus nodded.

"Well sit, I'll make us some breakfast. I haven't eaten yet either. Happy Christmas by the by."

"Happy Christmas," Regulus answered, he smiled.

Remus went to the fridge and shuffled about for the makings. He surfaced a moment later with a tray of eggs, bacon, and all the makings for a good breakfast. Regulus watched then got up silently and helped in cracking eggs - Remus was making enough for everyone - and they worked side by side for a moment in an uneasy silence.

Regulus glanced at Remus out of the corner of his eyes. He thought about how all the brilliant magic Remus Lupin had performed the day before - and all the time he'd seen Remus at Hogwarts as well, really, and he bit his lip. "Remus?"

"Yes?"

Regulus stayed concentrating on the eggs, which he was now stirring while Remus separated the bacon onto a large sheet pan, "You know an awful lot about magic."

"...I reckon so," Remus answered. 

"D'you know much about... darker magic?"

Remus hesitated. "Like what?"

Regulus said, "Well. At school, we learned about this thing where wizards can sort of... store themselves..."

Remus froze.

"It sort of... gives them extra lives, I suppose, the way I understood it...?"

Remus had his back to Regulus, and he stared at the pan of bacon very hard. He was thinking of the nervous expression on Newt Scamander's face when the magizoologist had the nasty tasdk of bringing the news that Lyall Lupin had been killed. He was thinking of the sound of breaking clocks and the cool breeze of spirits...

"Why do you want to know about that sort of thing?" Remus asked.

Regulus said, "I... thought it interesting, I guess."

"Well it isn't." Remus's voice was a bit harsher than he'd meant it to be. He put the pan into the oven and then turned 'round to look at Regulus. Regulus looked nervous and wild eyed, perplexed by the sharp tone of Remus's words. "I'm sorry, Regulus," Remus said, "It's a bit of a sore subject, see. My father passed because of a Time Thief."

"Time Thief?" Regulus asked, confused.

"Mopsus," Remus explained.

Regulus thought of the sound of Mopsus's voice echoing in his head in the midst of the waves of the sea. 

"He killed my father and he stole my father's time."

"I'm sorry," Regulus said. "I didn't know that."

Remus nodded, then took the bowl of eggs from Regulus's hands and turned to the stove top.

Regulus bit his lip. "So... so you reckon Mopsus is... evil... then, yeah?"