Unfortunately I could only carry two boxes at once. I had to walk up and down about five times and when I walked upstairs with my last box, I had to avoid walking straight into someone who had just backed out of one of the doors. We both turned around at the same time and also froze at the same time. I blinked. Damm it.
'You.' His voice was rather harsh, as if I were a dirty thing he had found underneath his shoe after a walk outside. I wanted to make the same retort when the voice of a woman sounded from behind him.
'James, can you also bring my bag? It's still in the car.' Potter looked over his shoulder at his red haired girlfriend. For a moment I doubted if I should just run upstairs, but I didn't want to look like a pussy, so I just stood there, looking like an idiot.
'Yeah sure,' he told her and then told to me. 'Can you please move aside? You're blocking our pathway,' he said. 'And we just cleaned, so I don't want everything to be filthy again.' Auch.
'I'm sorry, princess,' I growled at him. 'Please,' I said and I stepped aside. He glared at me as he stepped past me, but hadn't noticed the foot that I had just stuck out. A bark of laughter escaped my mouth as he tripped and while I sprinted up the stairs, I just caught a glance from the inside of their flat. I almost tripped myself when I saw Lupin standing alongside Evans with a big box in his hand. I was pretty sure he had seen me as well and the smile disappeared from my face. I stopped running when I was up two stairs above them and I walked on to my own flat. I heard James' curses, but they went completely past me as I opened the door and pushed it in it's lock. Great. Now he was suddenly everywhere? Just when I did not want to see him? I threw the box down on my bed and looked around the room. Most of the furniture had already been moved here the day before. It was now a matter of unpacking all of my stuff. I didn't feel like doing that, however. So I just opened the box with kitchen stuff and took out the new teakettle I had bought. I filled it with water and put it on the stove. I then leaned over and grabbed a mug from out between the other stuff. It still had it's paper wrapped around it, because it had only been bought yesterday. I threw the paper on the floor and dropped down on the chair at the kitchen table. Lupin had been on my mind a lot since the "thing" that happened after the party. When he had not kissed me back and just left, I had done the same thing. I had spent most of the night in the kitchens with tea, alcohol and too many snacks. It was one of the places I liked to go to when I felt especially shitty. I sighed and tapped on the wooden table as I waited. Only when the teakettle started to sing, I realized I didn't even have tea. A deep sigh left my mouth, but I didn't feel like coming out of my apartment. I was pretty sure I would walk into either Potter or Lupin. That wasn't something I was looking forward to. I would have to wait for a bit. So, instead I just drank the hot water while slowly unpacking my kitchen things. I hadn't bought that much and I probably missed about half of it, but I would probably be able to make a sandwich which was fine with me. I couldn't even cook anyways.
Just as I'd started on my second box, I heard a knock on the door. I froze. I wondered if the person would believe it if I acted like I wasn't home. A second knock. I turned around and doubtfully walked over to the wooden door. If it was Lupin I would definitly slam the door in his face. I didn't have time for any more stupid games with that guy as long as he didn't know what he wanted. When I opened the door it wasn't Lupin, to my surprise. It was Lily Evans and she looked at me with such a sweet and broad smile, that I couldn't be anything else than suspicious. I cocked my head slightly and leaned against the doorpost, not even bothering to ask her what she wanted.
'Hey, Sirius Black is it, right?' she asked. I nodded, as if she didn't know. 'Would you like to join us for a cup of tea? We will invite the other neighbors over as well, but it seemed like a great opportunity to get to know one another.' Her smile didn't fade for even one second and for a moment I wondered if she might just be sincere. She gave me a second to think it over, but when I saw Potter talking to an older woman — who was probably one of my new neighbors as well — I figured I had no choice. I didn't want to make the impression of a grumpy hermit, because I wasn't. I was a very extravert and social person. Just not when I had to deal with stupid and arrogant Gryffindors. Lily seemed fine though, she wasn't as bad as Potter, I supposed, she just had a rather awful taste in men.
'Yeah, alright,' I then said. I stuffed my keys into the back pocket of my black skinny jeans and closed the door behind me. I gave her a very fake but very cheery looking smile. 'It's not like I have anything better to do.' She seemed to think my sarcastic tone was funny and laughed. She beckoned me and skipped down the stairs. I followed her, slightly resentful.
'Ah, you must be the new one living upstairs,' the woman said. I now saw she looked rather older than I had expected. She was assumedly a middle-aged woman, but the grey in her hair made her look that much older. She had a kind smile and seemed like the typical sweet grandmother that would bake cookies and buy you presents, only slightly younger. I wanted to introduce myself to her by offering her my right hand, but she immediately hugged me, which surprised me. I wasn't used to being hugged. I didn't hug any of my friends. I didn't hug any of my family. She didn't seem to notice how startled I was. Evans did, however. She smiled at me. 'I am Madelea Rimms,' she said cheerily. 'Did you already meet James and Lily? They are awfully nice.' She had a thick British accent that told me she had been living in London for quite a while, probably her entire life.
'Sirius Black, m'am and yes. I uh… know them from school,' I told her. She laughed happily as if this made everything much better and exclaimed we should all have tea and cookies and a good talk. I was almost pushed inside and did my very best to avoid Remus' gaze as I sat down at Lily and James' table.