Meretricious | Professor Lupin

127. No disrespect

Obviously Molly offered help.

Andrew came back into the kitchen laughing at something she said.

"You okay?" he asked her.

"Yeah" she nodded. "Let's bring it out."

She walked past him, the food levitating behind her.

"How are your boys?" Andrew's mom asked Molly. "I know Andrew is very fond of them."

"They're well, thank you for asking" Molly answered. "Sadly they're still in school."

"They repeated?"

"Yes, but hopefully they will pass this year" she nodded.

"They will" Andrew's mom assured her.

"Wine?" Andrew asked Spencer.

"No," she smiled, "sticking to water tonight."

"Lame."

"Andrew, how's the job going?" Arthur asked.

"Job?" his dad asked.

"Yeah, I work at a movie theater. It's going good" he answered. "I have even more muggle friends and get to steal stuff all the time."

"Why are you working? You don't need a job" his dad asked.

"Got bored" he shrugged. "Can't lay around all the time, you know."

"Why didn't you get a magical job?"

"I wanted a muggle one" Andrew answered. "It's fun, I get to see free movies."

His dad nodded, not quite understanding his choice but allowing him to do it anyway.

"And what do you guys do?" Andrew's mother asked Spencer parents.

"I'm a part time lawyer, part time teacher. My wife doesn't work."

"What's a lawyer?" Andrew's dad asked.

"You know how if you go to trial you don't get a defense? Well Matt is the defense. Muggle law is different than ours."

"What do you do at home?" Andrew's mother asked. "I don't work either," she smiled, "I fill my days remodeling and gardening."

"I like cooking" she answered.

"Oh! I never thought of that. Well, that's what the house elf is for" she shrugged.

"House elf?"

"Like a maid" Spencer's dad whispered to his wife.

She nodded.

The conversations went well, Spencer thought.

She found herself listening rather than talking.

She stared for a while, playing with her food.

She wondered where her appetite went.

How long had been since she last spoke?

Did anyone realize? she wondered as she looked down at her plate.

Remus would've realized.

There was this feeling in her chest.

An ache.

She didn't like it.

It was cold and ugly and not at all what she was supposed to be feeling.

"Spencer?" Arthur asked.

"Sorry" she chuckled. "What?"

"How's your job going?"

"Oh" she nodded.