Chapter Six

Finding her way from Grimmauld Place to Minnie's Café was a bit tricky. Amity carried around a map, feeling like a tourist. She had never taken to London and was now paying for it. As she hurried down a street, she wished she had chosen to meet her friend in Kent instead. She had always loved going to visit Kristin there.

Going to Kristin's house was always a treat for Amity. She loved her parents but it was nice to visit someone else's house. And it meant getting to see her friends during the long summer holiday, outside of school and the other five girls with whom they shared a room at Hogwarts. It wasn't anything against them—they had very nice roommates—but it was hard to talk amongst the three of them without someone else interjecting her opinion.

The visits were their best chance to do so. For the most part, they were left alone by parents and siblings. Lily's sister Petunia was too afraid of being turned into a frog while Kristin's brother Michael did his best to keep Justin out of their hair. As an only child, though, Amity liked spending time around them.

Even when things went downhill for Richard Wright, she and Lily were always welcomed. He did his best to remain cheerful as his energy waned and his weight dropped. Amity felt like he considered them his daughters as well. It was a nice feeling.

She knocked on Kristin's door. Justin opened it and rolled his eyes. "Another sleepover? Weren't you two just here?"

"Justin, let her in or I'm telling Mama you're not being nice to my friends!" Kristin appeared behind her brother, scowling.

Justin stepped aside, muttering under his breath, letting Amity in. Kristin engulfed her in a hug. "I'm so glad you're here. Let's go put your stuff in my room."

She swooped down to pick up Amity's bag and started climbing the stairs. Amity followed, trying to be as quiet as possible. Richard was no doubt sleeping. He did that a lot these days as his fight with his cancer grew more difficult.

"Kristin? Is that you?" Richard's voice echoed from a nearby room. It was shaky but stronger than the last time Amity visited.

The two peeked into his room. He was sitting up in bed, propped by several white pillows. It still startled her to see him without any hair. When she had first met him, he had thick dark hair that Kristin had confessed she used to love to brush it when she was little. But he had chosen to shave it off before the disease robbed him of it.

He smiled. "Amity! Good to see you again. Going to have fun this weekend?"

"Yes, sir." She smiled.

Richard shook his head. "What have I said about calling me 'sir'?"

"Sorry. Habit." She ducked her head, sheepish.

"Well, you girls run along and have fun. And Kristin? If your brothers give you problems, let me know. I'll set them right." Her father nodded as the girls laughed.

Kristin opened her door and placed Amity's things down by the bed. "Feel free to set up wherever. Lily can have whatever spot is left over."

"Thanks." Amity began unpacking her items. "Your dad seems to be in a good mood."

"Today, yeah." Kristin shrugged. "He has his good days. And even on his bad days, he pretends. I'm not sure for whom—us or him. Maybe both. I don't know."

Amity put down her nightgown to hug her friend. Kristin melted into it, which Amity understood. She didn't know what it was like to see one's father so sick. To see him lose his strength, to grow so thin, and to know you could not do anything about it—it must've been horrible. All she could do was try to be there for Kristin.

Knocking downstairs ended their hug. "That must be Lily!" Kristin said. "Time to really begin our weekend sleepover!"

She turned and ran down the stairs, pushing Justin out of the way. He rolled his eyes again before going back to his room. As he passed Amity, he pushed into her so she hit the wall. "Being Kristin's friend doesn't give you special treatment. Stay out of my way!"

"JUSTIN WRIGHT! Get in here now!" Richard's voice thundered from his room. Justin's face paled and his condescending demeanor melted away. In its place was a scared young boy about to face his father's wrath. He slunk off as Lily and Kristin bounded up the stairs.

Lily threw her arms around Amity. "It's so good to see you!"

"We were just at your house a couple weeks ago!" Amity laughed as she hugged her friend back.

"But it seems like so much longer! Doesn't it, Kristin?" Lily glanced over her shoulder at their friend.

Kristin nodded before hugging her friends. "I love you guys!"

"Girls! Wash up! Dinner's almost ready. Same goes for you boys. Move it!" Philomena's voice carried throughout the house. Everyone jumped, scrambling over each other to get to the bathroom. The Wright siblings were used to this fight, a continuing war between two brothers and their sister. Lily was used to a similar fight with Petunia. Amity was the only one without experience of fighting for the bathroom. The shoving, the name calling, the running. She liked it, though only because she got it in small doses.

Justin and Kristin elbowed each other. "Let me through. You girls will take all day in there. Right, Michael?"

Everyone turned to look at Kristin's older brother. But Michael shook his head. "I can wait. Ladies first. So stand back."

Lily and Amity often envied Kristin's relationship with her oldest brother. They were close and though they fought, always had each other's backs. Petunia ignored Lily and would probably throw her to the wolves if it saved her skin. And Amity had no one else. It would've been nice.

As long as it didn't include Justin, who gave them the stink eye yet again but listened to his brother. He sulked by Michael's side as Lily ran into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Amity and Kristin waited outside, silence settling over the two groups.

The seconds ticked by, marked by Justin's loud sighs. But the girls ignored him while Michael punched him in the arm. But it didn't calm him down any. He just sighed louder.

"Justin, that better not be you! Or do you want to go for a world record on lectures in one day?" Richard's voice once again thundered down the hall.

Everyone flinched hearing it but Justin stopped his sighing. Lily left the bathroom and Kristin shoved Amity inside. "Your turn!"

When she stepped out again, Justin was gone. Kristin shrugged. "Dad sent him downstairs to wash up in the kitchen. Warning-Mum is not going to be happy about that. Lily's already down there, so's Michael. He went down to make sure Justin did as he was told. You go. I'll be down in a minute."

Amity glanced at the stairs but shook her head. "I can wait. You're worth it."

Amity arrived at Minnie's Café first, as she had left a lot of time in case she got lost. But it didn't matter. Kristin was still worth waiting for.

Or was she? Fifteen years was a long time. Who knew how she had changed? There was little chance she was the same Kristin Amity remembered. Would they even have anything to talk about?

"Amity! Over here!" Kristin ran down the street, smiling. Rio had been good to her. Her skin was a nice golden color and her dark hair fell in soft curls around her face. She wore Muggle clothing, a nice beige shirt paired with a beige skirt. Amity still preferred her robes but made a mental note to go shopping with Kristin for some Muggle clothes. She felt awkward when she had to wear them, like now. After a long search, she had settled on a simple black dress and hoped she looked fine. "Kristin!"

The two embraced and Kristin suggested going inside. Once settled at their table, Amity decided to start the conversation. "You look good."

"Thank you. So do you. France has been good to you," Kristin said with a smile.

"The same for Rio and you!" She glanced down at her friend's arm. "You're tan!"

Kristin laughed. "I know. I was surprised myself. But I like it now. And I'm afraid I'm going to lose it now that I'm back here in England. You think they have tanning salons here in London?"

"Tanning what?" Amity sometimes forgot how much more entrenched in the Muggle world Kristin was than she.

Kristin shook her head. "Never mind. But one day, I have to take you to the beaches in Rio. You'd love them!"

"Tell me more!" Amity leaned forward. "I want to hear everything about Rio!"

"Okay, okay. Where do you want me to start?"

"The beginning? Why did you want to go?" Amity rested against the back of her chair, settling in for what she believed was a good story.

Kristin sighed. "I guess that's a good place. So, after we lost Lily and James and Sirius went to prison, I couldn't stand to stay in the Wizarding World. I sought comfort in the Muggle one instead. And then I realized I had to leave England. Brazil seemed far enough."

She continued on, explaining everything that had happened to her in fifteen years. Amity listened, entranced. It sounded so…exotic. So exciting, the life of a single person without children.

"And now you're back?" Amity asked.

Kristin nodded. "Working in the store to help Michael. It's fun. I had forgotten how much."

"I'm sure your mother is glad to have you back."

"Over the moon." Kristin took a sip of her water. "You should visit. She'd love to see you and Elysia. Speaking of her, where is she?"

"In France, with some friends. She'll be here soon."

"I can't wait to see her. Tell me everything!" Kristin was bouncing in her seat, which made Amity smile.

She held up her hands. "Calm down. You're like a toddler on a sugar high."

"Sorry. I'm just excited." Kristin took a few calming breaths. "Okay, go ahead."

Amity told Kristin everything about France, especially stories about Elysia as a child. Kristin hung on her every word, propping her chin on her hand. Her elbow rested on the table. It felt good to tell her friend about her life in France. Including the not so good parts. Namely Michel's death.

Kristin took her hand. "I'm so sorry for your loss. I know those words must sound so hollow, but I really am. He sounded like a great man."

"He was." Amity swallowed down a lump in her throat. Tears pricked her eyes. "I wish you could've met him."

They sat in silence, Amity's grief fresh again. She took a few deep breaths, waiting for her emotions to get under control. "Well, sorry about that."

"Don't be. You're allowed to grieve, no matter how long it's been. I still tear up when I think about my father or Lily and James. Especially Lily and James."

"Me too." The tears returned. "Oh, drat. You're making me cry again."

Kristin handed her a napkin. "Sorry."

"Not your fault." She wiped her eyes.

"Good idea. I have an even better one. Let's get out of here. Do something more…upbeat." Kristin raised her arm. "Check!"

They returned to 12 Grimmauld Place later that day. No one was downstairs, allowing them to go up to Amity's room in peace. But Amity noticed as they passed Remus' door that Kristin glanced at it, concerned. It was fleeting but it did make her curious. She pushed it away as they walked into her room.

Kristin stopped once they crossed the threshold, looking around. "It's neat in here. That has to be a first."

"Being a housewife changed me."

Kristin raised an eyebrow. "You got bored, didn't you?"

"So very bored." Amity sighed, collapsing on her bed. "Is it September yet?"

"No. Now where's that picture book?"

Amity laughed. "Fine. You're so impatient."

She hopped off the bed, going to a suitcase she hadn't unpacked yet. Opening it, Amity pulled out the book. "Here it is. I've kept it pretty well over the years. Lily would be so proud."

"She would've." Kristin sat up, allowing Amity to slide the book onto her lap. "Let's take a look."

She looked at every picture on every page, wanting to know the story behind every one. This gave Amity pause as some she had forgotten. Her heart ached at the thought that any moment with Michel was lost to her. She studied the pictures, hoping the memory would come back. They never did.

But Kristin never questioned her pauses. She just moved onto the next picture when Amity was finished.

She reached the last picture. Elysia stood on a Quidditch field, wearing her Beauxbatons uniform. The long blue shirt clung to her daughter's tall frame, a fleur-de-lis visible over her heart. She held her chaser equipment in her hand, laughing at someone out of frame.

"She looks a lot like you," Kristin said.

"Yeah, but she has Remus' eyes." Amity's voice was soft. "So wise and so kind."

"And so alive."

"There's that." Amity closed the book with a sigh. "He is alive. And I don't even know how to tell my daughter. Our daughter."

"I'll help in any way I can. Just tell me."

"A vacation would help."

"I still have my place in Rio if you want."

Amity laughed. "Thanks but that seems a bit far away right now."

"True." Kristin shrugged. "How about Kent?"

"I could do Kent." She sighed again. "I'm probably going to have to talk to him, aren't I?"

"Well…"

"No, no." Amity sat up. "I have to be an adult about this. I should go talk to him."

Kristin sat up as well. "You're right. I'll go with you."

"You don't have to."

"Yeah, I do. Remus has been…well, he locked himself in his room."

Amity sighed. "I see. Lead the way."

Kristin had been gone for a while. Amity leaned against a wall outside Remus' room, watching the door and waiting. What was happening in there? Had they killed each other? No, Remus wasn't like that. So had Kristin killed him?

Amity pushed herself off the wall and squared her shoulders. She was going in to inspect the carnage.

Inside, it wasn't as bad as she worried. Remus and Kristin stood facing each other, smiling. Relief flowed through her.

Until she saw Remus' current state. He wore a ratty t-shirt and fade pajamas under a tattered beige bathrobe. His graying brown hair looked uncombed and wild. Stubble covered his face, the start of a gray beard. Dark bags framed his eyes. It was worse than she thought.

She stepped forward. "Hello, Remus."

"Amity." His voice was coarse, like he hadn't used it.

Kristin looked between the two of them. "I'll leave you two alone. See you two later. Hopefully."

She closed the door behind her and the two lapsed into silence. Amity decided to be the one to break it. "Sulking again?"

"Is it that obvious?" His lips twitched as he fought a smile.

Amity shrugged. "Just a little bit."

"I could be sick." He gave a fake cough.

"That was pathetic. And I know you better than that. Even after all these years."

He looked down. She knew what that meant. He didn't want to meet her eyes because he was ashamed. And he should be. But he didn't have to punish himself like this. It didn't do anyone any good.

She sat down on his bed and patted the spot next to him. He obliged, though keeping space between them. But Amity took his hand. "Look, I'm still angry with you. And I probably will be for a long time. But we need to be adult about this, right?"

"Right," he agreed. "So, how do you want to proceed?"

"I think we can be civil. Don't you?"

"I will take civil. As long as you aren't ignoring me, I will consider myself blessed."

Amity smiled, shaking her head. "Where was that eloquence when we were dating?"

He laughed. "I know, right? I did tend to trip over my tongue a lot. How we got through a conversation still amazes me."

"Give yourself some credit. You got better over time." She nudged him and they shared a laugh. "I guess maybe civil will be easier to achieve than I thought."

"I'd like to get back to friends. I won't hope for anything more."

She nodded. "I won't lie. I don't think we can be anything more if we do make it friends. Not after how you hurt me."

"Understandable." He glanced down at the floor. "What about Elysia?"

"I haven't told her yet. She's been spending time with friends. I didn't want to ruin her vacation."

"When will you tell her?"

"She's coming here in a week. I'm going to tell her at Kristin's house in Kent. Neutral ground, you know."

"Can I be there?"

"No." She was firm, knowing it was a bad idea. "When she wants to meet you, then we'll make arrangements. Not a moment before. Got it?"

He nodded before standing. "I don't want to be rude, but I am going to ask you to leave now. I think there are a few things I need to do that I've been putting off."

"Of course. I'll see you at dinner?" Amity stood as Remus nodded. Silence filled the room as they stood there, unsure how to part. Amity settled on a little wave and left, promising herself to work on that.

Returning to her room, she realized Kristin hadn't gone there to wait for her like she had assumed. Well, you know what happens when you assume. Time to go find her!

She wandered down the hallway, trying to figure out where her friend went. Twelve Grimmauld Place couldn't be that big. Kristin couldn't have gone that far, she believed. Amity decided to check downstairs first.

As she rounded a corner, she heard voices from the parlor—including Kristin's. She paused though when she heard the other voice. It was Severus Snape. Kristin had told her about their history, so she decided to let them talk things over. She could meet up with her later.

Now, she had a letter to write her daughter. And it wasn't going to be an easy one.