CHAPTER 13 (part one)
A SIMPLE LIFE
The philosophy of a simple life. That was what Remus wanted. He had no dreams to become a famous poet, or some rich aristocrat, an elitist, or a noble business man. He craved the idea of marrying to become a hearty domestic sensualist.
He wanted a simple life of waking up reading the column about the latest invention and brief eulogies in his city's newspaper. He liked the idea of silence only known to true lovers. Weekends spent in the company of friends and cheap wine, and Wednesdays at the market. Remus was intellectually promiscuous in his liberal beliefs but culturally conservative.
He valued the idea of living solely for his other and loved the concept to tend and support his partner. The strength of family, and to hold traditions was a must. He felt a young romantic stuck in modern times. He liked reading about simple proposals and marrying young in contrast to the new wave of people marrying past their midlife only to separate within a year's time. Monogamy seemed like a gracious oath he wanted to endure.
He remembered warm moments rather than grand achievements. He could recall natural times of laughter so strong you had to beg for it to stop, unable to catch air, rather to the instant satisfaction of a 100 on a test. So he remembered December 22nd well.
Lily, Remus, and Peter showed up that Thursday unaware of the events that happened days before. It was a surprise to see Sirius, Anastasia, and Euphemia in the kitchen, when the three Gryffindors timely entered through the grand fireplace.
Sirius looked boyish in one of James' fitted cap sleeve tops, Ana looked like an image of pure aesthetics. She wore a thin yellow apron decorated with vines, printed on violets, and embroidered with the words 'My favorite people call me mommy' (Sirius had teased her endlessly about it.)
James had ushered them in showing them to the house's second family room to place their bags. Along with the gifts underneath one of the five Christmas trees in the manor.
In the careless placing of their belongings, Lily had ventured away to her comfort of Ana. Remus sent a questioning looking to James. He was brief in an explanation as to why Sirius was baking in his kitchen, he didn't know the full story, he wouldn't till many months later from a separate reliable source.
When the three entered through the way they came Anastasia was no longer wearing the motherly apron but now showing off her youthful curves with a warm brown corduroy skirt, a white long sleeve undershirt with a tight red graphic tee and sheer black tights. Sirius was showing Lily the ugly photos of James hung on the walls while Ana was being ushered out of the kitchen by Euphemia.
The day progressed habitually. Peter challenging Lily to a game of wizarding chess. Which James had been quipped about, Remus had only recently explained how romantic the game actually was. Remus was polite and visited Euphemia to drop off some of his mothers Welsh cakes before seeing Fleamont in his office for a mannerly greeting only to be sucked into long descriptions of his model airplanes. An obsession he had found while indulging in muggle shops. After explanations to the war plane replicas Fleamont had asked Remus to help or rather just set up a muggle telly in the second living space.
Remus had noticed a strange ness in Sirius and Anastasia, the two stuck to each other like siamese twins, acting as if in on something nobody else could understand. He asked James about it only to be met with mutual confusion, but stating it made sense with their character.
Remus didn't understand that in the slightest. Sirius was a rich pureblood, Anastasia a middle class halfblood. Sirius was emotional and brooding. Anastasia, blithe and light. Did James mean it in the opposites attract way? But that didn't make sense either when you looked at them in the literal sense they were both beautiful, divinely feminine, flirts. If anything they were the most similar out of the whole friend group. Their friendship had always been idle flirting that held no substance, he hadn't seen the two hang out without the confides of James or some other, and he truthfully had only seen them speak in a serious tone, separate alone with only the company of himself.
He didn't mind it too much besides the obvious attraction to their little twin telepathy that had seemed to form, possibly as a trauma bond. It didn't seem harmful, but rather a comfort to the two. The only thing that made him miffed was the warmness in his face when the two would timely finish each other's dallying words.
After a lunch of bubble and squeak in the casual messiness of the quant coffee nook with ornate china plates and intricate silver forks. Marlene and Mary arrived soon after whereas Alice and Frank had declined James' invitation with almost scripted similarness. James had called it a friend's Christmas, eager to indulge in gift giving. The group sat in front of the lit fireplace of the living room they had placed their small luggage in.
"Alright we'll pick who goes first to open their presents." James stated, clapping his hands together as if an instructor to a class of second years.
"Didn't know i was to be here so I just mailed um' to your homes." Sirius scratched his head as if guilty of fault.
"Shh, I want to go first." Anastasia cut in after him.
The friends all pull out their gifts, most small, as it was hard for a group of fifteen to sixteen year olds to get enough change to buy gifts for every friend.
She had opened Mary's first as it was the littlest, consisting of a neatly cut popup card built with a paper Ana, Mary, Marlene, and Lily. Decorated with paper flowers and charmed stars. Lily had given her golden snitch earring she had found in hogsmeade.
"Open mine darling" Marlene sarcastically used the pet name on her roommate.
Anastasia took out the pink tissue paper which James took from her quickly, collecting all the wrapping paper. She looked into the gift bag letting out a dramatic gasp playing into the lippy tone. "Marlene! u'should've given this to me in private."
"What is it?" Sirius snatched the bag away from Ana. "Aw Marlene isn't this more of a present for you." He mused out knowingly.
"Shove off Sirius. I'll be the one getting a try on show tonight." Marlene joked she was met with a playful push from Ana's hand.
"I don't get it what'she get her?" Peter asked.
James whispered in his ear. "Fancy knickers I think, heard Lily berating Marls bout it."
Peter went next, hopeless on what to get his friends so he gave each of them loads of their favorite sweets, he always had a nack in the culinary front. Anastasia received sour candies from him. James went next, not meaning to show off his wealth but did so by giving her a small muggle film camera.
Remus went last, his hands were clammy in the handing off of the present. He felt silly looking at all the other more kind hearted gifts, time appropriate ones. He almost wanted to feel the guilt of lying to say he had forgotten to get her one, but the gift was already put in under the glowing tree, so there was no hope of un-chivalry excuses.
It was the biggest gift out the stack though that wasn't saying much. Two layers of wrapping paper after Remus had tried to wrap it only hours after a full moon, before asking his mother to do it for him.
When she started to rip the mistletoe patterned paper, Remus played with his trepidity by biting on the dry skin of his lips, ready to be met with fake gratitude for his gift.
She gasped, not a dramatic one, no, a real one, a huge smile on her face as she shook her hands in excitement. As if a wife seeing her husband home from war, or a measly gambler getting an edge and winning jackpot.
"Oh thank you! Thank you" She sat up on her knees moving the gift out of her lap to reach across and wrap her hands around his neck pushing her chest against his. Remus felt the hug was much too short though the full moon had been only two days ago and her contact had caused a painful sting to his back. She pulled back to look at it again.
"I don't get it. I got the Bonnie nice panties and you got her a used children's book and she acting like this." The Scottish accent was strong as Marlene watched Ana thank Remus over and over.
At tattered and well used 'Alice's Adventure UnderGround'. That's what he had given to her.
"There's something on the first page." Remus shrugged his shoulders and a cocky smile started to ghost his face.
—
Hope you like it. When I came home from break my mum made me and my father clean out the attic, I found this. I think it's yours considering I know eight year old me would never be caught with a book so trivial in comparison to Winnie the Pooh, and the fact you were my only friend in those years. If you don't like it I saved up some sickles and I'll get you a latin story.
Merry Christmas 1975,
R. J. L
_________
"Oh I love it gosh, I love it so much." Anastasia looked up from his note holding the book to her chest. This book was proof of her there in the field, in the lake, and the white chipped house. Proof of her not confined to the ways of civility, proof of her whole.
Authors Note:
Finished I really like this part the next part is out tomorrow because I am leaving for my trip on Friday to see TAYLORRRRRR. I am so excited to hear Seven. Praying for good surprise songssss.
Also I love Remus saying he values monogamy but them getting bisexual panic from his best friend and crush.
Have a good day support smaller and big writers!!!!
Date posted: May 3rd, 2023