"Faye! That was very rude!" It was the tall girl who had brought the tea. She was backing the pigtailed little girl out of the door, but Faye didn't seem to want to leave.

"I'm so sorry, that won't happen again. The girls can sometimes let their curiosity overcome their manners. Come Faye..."

"What is Hogwarts like? Is everyone so old? Is there really a giant squid?"

"Faye!" The tall girl seemed more petrified than angry. Faye looked up at her innocently, not knowing what she'd done wrong. Remus couldn't understand why he frightened this girl so much. Hoping he wouldn't make things worse, he bent down to Faye and took her little hand.

"Some people say that the giant squid is the oldest one there." Faye nodded, her look serious.

"That makes sense. Will you tell us more?" She was pulling him out of the sitting room, and soon Remus found himself in a huge kitchen. At least a dozen little girls looked at him eagerly, and soon he was being pelted with questions.

"Girls! Please remember your manners!" The tall girl looked close to tears.

"No, please don't stand on ceremony for me. I'd love to meet your girls. My name is Remus." He held out his hand and put on his most affable smile. Finally, the girl smiled and held out her hand as well.

"I'm pleased to meet you. My name is Phoebe. These very impetuous and ill-mannered young ladies are the students and wards of Madame Prosily. This is -" But her introduction was cut off by the little girls doing it themselves.

"I'm Emma!"

"My name is Lorelei!"

"I'm Dahlia! This is my sister -"

"Peony! I'm the older one..."

"I'm Sarah! Do you want to see my toad?"

Above the din of greetings, Phoebe managed to ask, "Would you like to join us for dinner?" She had finally relaxed, and when she smiled her eyes sparkled. Suddenly, Remus was as curious as one of her little girls.

"I'd love to."


"Is transfiguration your favorite class? Are you an animagus?"

As Phoebe and a few girls began dinner, the rest sat with Remus around the fire, knitting, or mending, all the while being a truly charming and attentive audience.

"What year are you in, Remus?"

"No, what house are you in?"

"I'll answer you both. I'm a sixth year, and I'm in Gryffindor House. Will any of you be going to study at Hogwarts next fall?"

"I will!" cried Faye. "I want to be in Ravenclaw."

"Faye? Will you fill the glasses please? Girls, dinner is ready, who would like to sit next to Remus?" Phoebe gave him a tiny wink as all of the girls raced to the table. "That's much faster than they normally come to the table." She laughed so hard that she almost dropped the soup as Dahlia unseated her sister, making room for Remus next to her.


After dinner, the girls began cleaning up, though they would not let Remus help them. It was very pleasant to sit by the fire with a cup of tea watching them work in a comfortable routine. One of the girls was pruning leaves from some of the plants that lined the window. She hadn't spoken much at all, not even a "pass the rolls." Remus approached her slowly, looking more at her plants than her.

"I don't know your name yet." She remained silent, looking at the leaves. "That's a lovely Fennilating Fern. My mother's isn't half as big."

"Thank you. I'm Mary." Her voice was so quiet that anyone other than Remus would have had a hard time hearing her.

"Are you going to go to Hogwarts, Mary?"

"I don't know. Madame Prosily says I can't go. She says I'm a squib." She looked very upset, but went on determinedly pruning. "I think I did magic once though. I picked up a hot kettle without a towel, but my hands didn't get burned, not even a blister."

"That sounds like magic to me. Do you take care of all of these plants by yourself?"

"Phoebe helps. She gave me the seeds. She said that taking care of living things is magic, but anyone can do it if they try."

"You should see the greenhouses at Hogwarts, they're full of wonderful plants. I think you'll like it there, when you go."

"I think she will too Remus." Phoebe had snuck up behind them. "Have you seen the new buds on Mary's Singing Sunflower? In a few days the whole kitchen will be full of a happy humming sound."

"Hearing your girls, it already is. Why are you the only older girl here?" He had asked the question before he thought. How could he have been so rude? But before he could apologize Phoebe was beginning her answer.

"My mother only died last year. It's not customary for Madame Prosily to take on someone my age, but I offered to work as well. I teach the girls, some cooking, some cleaning. I'm sorry I was so harsh earlier, Madame Prosily wants us to be models of decorum. If she had been here when Faye had done that in front of a donor... We don't have anywhere else to go. Do you understand why I acted that way?" In the firelight, Remus could see that her hair wasn't really brown, it had gold and red in it. He wanted to touch it, see what the color felt like on his fingertips.

"Yes. I'm sorry that your girls can't just act like girls. Do you have any days off? I would love to show you my mother's garden." Remus was furious with himself. Why did he need to blush right now? "Mary too, if she would be allowed." Phoebe's slow smile made his heart skip a beat, but then he sad how sad her eyes looked by contrast.

"I'm sorry. I would like to see it, but I'm not allowed." She put her hand on top of his, where it rested on the window sill. Remus didn't even notice how quiet the room had become.

"Phoebe Grey! How dare you! Such improper behavior! You know that the back of the house is strictly off limits! I'm so sorry Remus, she will be punished." Madame Prosily was standing next to a scared looking girl in a fur coat. She looked even younger than most of the others. "I'm sorry that her deplorable behavior had to ruin your visit. And on Daphne's first night here! Mary, show Daphne to the bedroom." Mary led away the girl in silence. The happy little girls he'd been watching minutes before were now scared looking and silent. They quickly finished their work and left the room. "I must deal with this, good night Remus."

"Madame Prosily, Phoebe did nothing at all wrong. She and the girls showed me a wonderful evening! Please don't punish her."

"While I thank you for your concern, kindly leave the running of this establishment to me. This goes beyond mere punishment. Good night, Mr. Lupin." He had been dismissed. He shot an apologetic look at Phoebe, who looked terrified. It killed Remus to hear her pleas as he walked down the hall to the sitting room. He quickened his pace. He had to get his father. His father could fix this.

"Madame Prosily, please, I didn't mean any harm by it -"

"Enough! I'm sorry, but you have abused my kindness for the last time. Pack your bag Phoebe."

"Please Madame! I don't know where I'll go!"

As he spun in the fireplace, Remus heard a sob, and Madame Prosily's voice saying, "My decision is final. Get your things and go."

He had to find his father.