Updated: Thursday 24th February 2005
Disclaimer: See Chapter One
Chapter Thirty Three: Muddled Muggles.
The week was passing way too quickly for Estella. As much as she wanted to spend every precious moment exploring her newly-found home, the Muggle world proved all the more intriguing. So far, Remus had introduced her to the muggle inventions of the television and video games, and had taken her to the cinema and arcade. Even travelling on the tube and on the muggle bus was an exciting adventure to the absorbent child. She could hardly wait until after breakfast when she and Remus would be meeting Andromeda, Ted and Nymphadora at an Amusement Park. Even the name 'Amusement Park' was an enticing, open promise of fun and intrigue.
"Is it time to go yet?" Estella asked Remus for the millionth time that morning.
Remus put down his controller, having just lost his last life on Super Mario Brothers. "It's your turn." He replied, seemingly ignoring her question. "I'll go fix us some breakfast and then we can go, OK?"
Estella reset the console and took her uncle's place on the beanbag as he vacated it to go to the kitchen. "When are you just going to get a House Elf, Uncle Remus?"
"Estella, I live in a Muggle neighbourhood." Remus explained, not for the first time. "Besides, it is beneficial to be self-sufficient. You never know who you can trust."
"Ohhhh" Estella mocked, humming the tune to 'The Twilight Zone', a syndicated late night television show the pair had taken a liking to. "Constant vigilance, hey Moody… I mean Moony!"
"Ha, ha." Remus said lightly, extricating a cushion from the sofa and pegging it softly at Estella's head. "Quiet you. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me. Egg and bacon roll OK?"
Estella nodded and Remus left the room. Returning to her game, Estella sniggered to herself. "Moony could almost be a house elf's name…" she mused aloud.
"I heard that!" A startled voice cried out from the kitchen amidst the clang and clatter of dishes.
Leaning over to turn off the television and Nintendo console, Estella crawled to her feet and ran to the Kitchen. "Sorry Moony, I was only playing!" She said, throwing her arms around her Godfather's waist as he worked on their breakfast.
Putting down his wand, Remus left the eggs and bacon to fry themselves and swung around to scoop Estella up before turning and depositing her on the bench top opposite him, next to the cutting board. "When you get back to Hogwarts I will teach you spells to do a few menial household duties so that you won't have to rely so heavily on Lena, OK?"
Estella watched on, amazed, as the knife continued to butter the rolls and slice the cheese and tomatoes. Sensing her inattention, Remus chuckled softly and squeezed Estella's knees, gaining her attention as he hit one of her ticklish spots. "You didn't think I'd do things the Muggle way do you?" He asked, then, picking up a completed roll from the cutting board, he held it in front of Estella's face. "Here, eat this!"
Estella accepted the offered food gratefully and took a bite. "You really have to teach me those spells when I get back to the school". She said with her mouthful. Remus tutted and grabbed up his roll, banished the unneeded dishes to the sink where they started washing themselves.
"Don't talk with your mouthful" He said, hoisting himself up onto the bench next to Estella and taking a bite of his roll.
Giggling, Estella nodded, finishing off the rest of her roll in companionable silence.
"Pumpkin Juice, Uncle Remus?" Estella asked, finally licking her fingers clean and jumping down from the counter to make her way to the refrigerator – another intriguing Muggle invention that had her delighted. Noting the older man's nod as he wrapped his lips around his last bit of roll, Estella grabbed two bottles from the fridge. Placing one in her Godfather's outstretched hand, she acknowledged his muttered thanks and leant back on the table opposite the man and took her own bottle to her lips.
"Alright then," Remus said, swallowing his last mouthful and downing his Pumpkin Juice in one drawn-out gulp. Wiping his hands on the thighs of his jeans and sliding off the counter to the floor when he was done, he added. "Let's go!"
Placing their empty bottles in the trash (where the labels were magically altered to appear as 'Orange Juice' to any prying Muggle garbage man) the pair exited the kitchen, bound for the hallway. There, they retrieved their jackets and hats from the cupboard under the stairs before heading out the front door, bound for the subway.
"Wotcher Remus, Estella!" A voice beckoned them over as they made their way through the busy crowds at the turnstiles. "So glad you could come!"
"Good afternoon, er, Tonks" Remus intoned politely, shaking her hand. "Where are your parents?"
The oddly tressed girl bobbed her head in the direction to their left. "Me Dad's a hopeless romantic." She said, as though it explained everything. "Just had to take me Mum on the Love Boat before ya got here."
Looking to her Godfather in question only to have him shrug, Estella turned to her kin and raised an eyebrow. "The Love Boat?"
Nymphadora Tonks shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows what they see in it – it's just a dirty water ride through tunnels of clichéd cardboard cut outs and cheesy elevator music. Romantic Rapids at Camelot Gardens is heaps better." She said, then, noticing Estella's puzzled look, added. "Camelot Gardens is a Wizarding Amusement Park in Northern Scotland."
"And I'm just finding this all out now?" Estella cried. "Well that's just typical!"
"Oh you poor deprived child!" Remus mocked.
"My life is wasting away Remus!" Estella sighed dramatically. "Am I doomed to spend my whole life in a school?"
Remus cast Estella a sympathetic look. "I'll talk to your Uncle about it…" was all he said. Severus was a hard man to reason with. It had, after all, taken him nearly 10 years to get Estella into the Muggle world.
"C'mon," Tonks implored, "Let's go find my olds."
Estella and Remus shared a meaningful look before following the teenager down a bright and colourful path. Suddenly, the girl in front tripped on her feet and lurched forward. Remus shot out his arms with inhuman reflexes and caught Tonks before she fell.
"Thanks." She said. "Can't take me anywhere. I'm always falling over myself!"
Estella giggled. "s'ok," she said. Then, taking in Tonk's suddenly brown hair she asked. "Say, did you do something to your hair?"
"Bugger… spontaneous morphing!" Tonks exclaimed. "Whenever my concentration slips I revert back to normal. Shite, don't tell my parents I let it happen in front of the Muggles!"
At that, Tonks morphed her mousy brown hair back to its previous vibrant pink. It was a good thing she was wearing a jester's hat and the Muggles around them were too busy looking at their maps and taking in the sights to notice.
"Aye! Nymphadora! I see you found our guests!" A rapidly approaching voice called out to them. Turning in the direction of where it was coming from, the party of three could make out the oddly dressed forms of Andromeda and Ted Tonks.
"Ah, there you are!" Ted said happily, clapping Estella on the back and shaking Remus' hand. "Sorry for the delay folks. Couldn't resist some quality time with the missus!"
Tonks and Estella shared a disgusted look and rolled their eyes.
"Got to love these Muggle Amusement Parks!" Andromeda said by way of greeting. "Can get away with wearing just about anything, really." She added, in reference to their strange attire – an eclectic blend of Wizarding and Muggle clothing. Then, turning to Estella, she added; "so what do you think of the place, love? Quite quaint, isn't it? Amazing though what the Muggles can come up with to compensate for their lack of magic!"
Estella could only nod. "Well, I er, haven't really seen much of the park yet, Andromeda." She said awkwardly.
"Oh of course, my dear!" Andromeda admonished. "What kind of tour guides we must think we are, turning up late like this! Come now, you just have to see the rollercoaster!"
Estella loved the rollercoaster. And the sideshows. And the food. After a morning filled with adventure and new experiences, the Tonks took Estella and Remus to what the Muggle's called a fast food restaurant.
"Course, the service is hardly what you could call fast by Wizarding standards!" Tonks explained as they walked into the McDonald's franchise. "Yet the Muggles must think it's alright because it's something like the largest food chain in the world."
Estella nodded in awe as she took in the electronic neon signage and life sized mascot with red hair and yellow jumpsuit. "What should I order?" She asked Andromeda.
"I'd recommend the Happy Meal." Andromeda suggested. "Though don't ask me why they call it that. It's not as though it is charmed to actually make you happy."
At Estella's puzzled look Remus explained. "It's a cheeseburger with chips and a drink." He said knowledgably, then in answer to the unasked question. "Your parents and I went to a McDonald's with James and Lily once shortly after we moved into the house. Sirius and James were determined to eat their way through the entire menu in one sitting!"
"Oh." Was all Estella said.
"So, Nymphadora," Ted asked his daughter as they ate their meal. "Are you all ready for your acceptance exams?"
Nymphadora nodded through a mouthful of her Big Mac and scowled "Yes, but will you quit calling me that!"
The other occupants of the table laughed.
"Remus," Andromeda said, turning attention away from her daughter's rising temper. "Ted and I really can't thank you enough for tutoring Nymphadora over the Summer. She's really keen to get into the Auror's program and your assistance with her Defence Against the Dark Arts spell work has made all the difference!"
Remus beamed at Nymphadora and her parents congenially. "It was my pleasure." He stated. "Only too glad to help. Tonks will be an asset to the Auror program."
The Tonks basked in the glory of Remus' praise. With a pensive look on her face, however, Estella interrupted the conversation suddenly. Turning to Tonks she asked curiously, "why didn't you ever tell me we were related, Tonks?"
Tonks looked from her parents to Remus, to Estella nervously. "It's not that I didn't want to." She said sincerely, "all my cousins on my Dad's side are Muggles and they don't know I'm a witch. I've always wanted a cousin who I could be honest with… but…"
"…but let me guess," Estella continued for the older teen, "My Uncle repeatedly threatened you with detentions if he ever caught you with me; and everyone thought it wouldn't be safe for a witch from a family of such reputation to be seen with Muggles?"
Tonks looked at Estella carefully and took another bite of her burger. "Sucks, don't it?" Was all she said, an unspoken understanding drawn between them.
"Least we found a way to see each other now." Andromeda offered, licking her fingers clean. "The circumstances are far from ideal, and we may never know when we will get the chance to do this again; but never forget child that we're always here for you. We're family."
Estella could only nod speechlessly. Whereas her Father's other cousin Narcissa had said those exact words to her also, she could not help but feel a deeper sense of warmth and belonging this time around.
'So this is what it's like to have family." She mused.
End Chapter: Muddled Muggles