damnation - r.j.lupin

Marat's Favorites

don't delete the kisses - wolf alice 

☆☾

Olivia puts down the last book and climbs down the huge ladder to return to the ground. She sighs, dusts off her top and proudly looks at her shelves filled with hundreds of books. She always dreamed of having a place reserved for her entire book collection, so that she could, whenever she felt like it, take one out and leaf through it again.

Her dream came true six months ago, when she opened "Marat's Favorites", her own bookstore. She opened it in her grandmother's old building, on the ground floor. The place is quite large, with large windows on the front, giving way to the sun's rays which bathe the room in a comforting atmosphere.

Olivia has always dreamed of it. The old creaking floorboards. The sound of the chime as soon as someone walks through the door. The smell of books. The little post-its that she leaves on a few books to give her opinion and guide customers. Observing people wandering the aisles and running their hands along the rows.

Olivia inherited the building when her grandmother died in September 1994. All she felt when she learned the news was relief. She saw herself as a monster for feeling this way, but knowing her away from her forever only made her feel good. She would never have to put up with her cries, her nastiness, her slaps, anything at all again.

With the building, she also received a large sum of money. Her grandmother was a simple English Muggle, but her grandfather Richard Marat, in addition to being a great French pureblood wizard, was extremely wealthy. Olivia doesn't really know what to do with all this money, but it at least allowed her to open her own bookstore.

Above the bookstore is her grandmother's old apartment which she has lived in since the death of her parents. She has only known this place for as long as she can remember. It is a three-bedroom duplex, with a large living room opening onto the kitchen and two bathrooms. When her grandmother died, Olivia hesitated to sell everything and buy elsewhere, smaller. But she couldn't. Too many things reminded her of Rose and she couldn't bring herself to leave.

To fill the life of this large space, Mona came to live with her. After announcing her pregnancy to her parents, she found herself on the street, without much surprise. Her parents threw her out without even hearing her explanation, without any resources or shelter. As expected, the door to Olivia's house was wide open.

Both witches are incredibly happy with their lives. They live a quiet life. The third bedroom is inhabited by Mona's daughter who is now one year old. Olivia will always remember the day she was born, August 14.

Mona handed her the little baby wrapped in sheets and Olivia held her close. A tear escaped her eye.

"What's her name?" Olivia asks, gently rocking the peacefully sleeping child.

Mona smiled playfully. "Diane," she responds and Olivia feels her heart drop.

Diane.

Her middle name. Olivia never felt happier than in that moment.

The chime rings and Olivia turns her head towards the bookstore door. She sees Mona's blond head moving towards her, her arms loaded with bags, pushing the stroller forward with her body. Olivia snickers at her exasperated look.

"Fucking hell, I can't feel my arms anymore," she says before adding, "take these bags please."

Olivia grabs the shopping bags. "Stop swearing! Your daughter can hear you, you know !"

Mona stands up and glares at her. "What? Do you think that your rock music that you make her listen to all day long is better?"

"Yes. I do."