A/N: So, I've been thinking about what I'm going to do after this fic…to make it plain, let me list my current options. I plan to do all of them eventually, it's just a matter of which should get priority:

"Property of R.J. Lupin"; (also a chapter name you'll see later in this fic!) a story about lupin, as told by lupin, most likely in the form of a journal.

"Alternate Life"- finishing it up. Ive had 2 chaps up for a while now..I'm not particularly motivated to finish it..lol

Sequel to "Last Mile". So, I'd delete "Long Lost Love", and start afresh, b/c I don't like LLL anyway..lol it would carry on from LM, and wouldn't have the plot that LLL did, and would have a different mood; b/c the 2nd war would've been going in this fic..unlike LLL, this WONT be from Harry's POV, though he'd probably appear in it from time to time. I like this idea b/c I love writing K D, and would miss'em terribly..lol and also b/c I've got a few plots up my sleeve ;) downside: I'm afraid of exhausting the OCs…too much of nething, u know..and LM is already a long fic as it is…so..I'm iffy…

something in the style/plot of "Pride and Prejudice" lol ..Sirius has Mr. Darcy potential in my mind…but Remus can easily pull off a 19th century gentleman…

"The Idiot's Guide to Marauding" from the POV of another OC who's smitten w/ Sirius Black, and her goal in life is to reel him in…but does she ever? I have a complicated plot..hehe :)

Any other suggestions?(yes, "stop writing fics…" does count…lol)

…so…I would be absolutely thrilled if you left me your opinions via review…signed or anonymous, I don't care…the more opinions, the better…opinions on my next fic, opinions on this chapter…comments, criticisms (watch someone say "stop making you're a/n so long!" lol)…u get the idea…feedback is greatly appreciated! alright, well, that's all for this A/N! Time to step aside and let you read :)

oh yea one more thing (heh…) if you've forgotten what Kierra wrote in her letter to Nora, I suggest you go back and take a quick look to refresh your memory :)

Chapter 44: A Bittersweet Symphony

Remus stared wide eyed at the man who stood in his living room, grinning quite broadly.

"Sirius? What are you doing"—

"I thought you invited me, Moony..." Sirius said casually as he made his way to his friend's side to shake his hand.

"I did! But I wasn't expecting you so soon...well, doesn't matter," Remus said, "Here, sit down"—he motioned for Sirius to take a seat on the couch. "Anything to drink? Water? Juice"—

"Water's fine..." Sirius said immediately as he plopped onto the couch, sending wafts of dust in the air from his clothes.

"Or maybe a bath?" Remus asked, raising an eyebrow at the mess Sirius had created by sitting down. "You look worse off than when I saw you last week. Where've you been?"

"I wouldn't be getting so high and mighty if I were you," Sirius drawled, "you don't look so dapper yourself..."

"I'm not creating dust storms though..." Remus replied as he headed to the kitchen to get Sirius his water.

"You try living in the wilderness as a dog for nine months..." Sirius called after him. "Personal grooming suddenly doesn't seem as important..."

"Well, if you really prefer your present state," Remus said as he brought him a glass of water, "I suppose whatever floats your boat…"

Sirius grinned as he gulped down his water in a matter of seconds. "I'm only pulling your fucking leg, Moony. Course I want a bath. Think I'll take one now, if that's alright with you…"

"Of course…bathroom's down the hall, second door on the left. There should be a towel in there…" Remus replied, leading Sirius towards the small hallway, pointing to the bathroom door that was slightly ajar.

"Excellent." Sirius said, heading towards the door, "if I'm not out in half in hour, come and get me out—I don't want to be all prudish…"

"Right then…" Remus replied, "Oh, I should probably find you some clothes…"

"There's some pants in here," Sirius called out from the bathroom, "I'll just wear these!" And with that, the bathroom door slammed, allowing Remus to be alone again.

Sirius Black was taking a bath in his house…what a strange concept. They were friends for roughly ten years, and the following twelve years, Remus had believed him to be a traitor…to be responsible for the death of Lily and James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew…Remus had spent twelve years hating this man so much, that the sudden discovery of Sirius's innocence felt like a huge weight being lifted off Remus's shoulders …he had never been so happy to be wrong. The only snag was the sudden realization that his other friend, Peter Pettigrew, was not the brave, fallen soldier that Remus had believed him to be…

His thoughts however, were interrupted by another loud explosion from the living room.

'Who could it be now?' Remus wondered as he headed back to the living room to see who had shot out of his fireplace this time. He stopped immediately in his tracks when he saw who it was.

"Dominique!" he said with a note of surprise in his voice. She had climbed out of the fireplace, and was dusting off her lavender cloak. She looked several shades paler than when he had last seen her.

Dominique looked up and froze. For a moment neither of them spoke. Finally, Remus swallowed and forced a smile.

"Purple really doesn't suit you…" he said.

Dominique looked down at her purple cloak for only a moment, before turning back to face Remus.

"Where is he?" she asked in an almost whisper.

"Sorry?"

"S-Sirius…" she said, "I read your letter…and Dumbledore's…where is he?"

Remus sighed. "Have a seat…he's taking a much needed bath."

Dominique did as she was told, and sat right on the dusty patches that Sirius had left minutes ago on the couch, though she took no notice of the dirt. With some hesitation, Remus took a seat next to her. He noticed her right leg was shaking, causing the heel of her shoe to tap continuously against the wooden floor—it reminded Remus of the sound of a woodpecker.

"Hey, calm down…" he said, putting his hand on her thigh in order to pacify her. "Everything's alright…"

Dominique nodded as she stared intently at the floor. "I know…I'm just"—she sighed—"this is weird…"

Remus nodded in understanding. "I know…"

After a few more moments of silence, Dominique finally looked up at Remus, clearing her throat slightly.

"Um…I'm really sorry to hear about your…uh…job…" she said slowly.

Remus opened his mouth to reply, but Dominique had spoken up again. "and uh, I'm also really sorry about how I acted with you a few months ago…I never should've done what I did"—

Remus shook his head. "It's alright…you didn't mean to"—

"It's not alright," Dominique interrupted, "I made things so awkward for us…kissing you…I mean…you don't like me like that…hell, I don't like you like that…I just…I don't know…I wasn't thinking…"

Remus forced a smile. "it's ok…we all forget to do that sometimes…"

"…and then I worsened everything by taking off and ignoring your letter…I almost feel guilty for coming here, just because of Sirius…"

Remus shook his head again. "Don't feel bad. We can put all this messy business behind us, alright? Sure, you didn't talk to me for a couple of months…but you haven't seen Sirius in twelve years…and he's your husband"—But at these words, Dominique's eyes widened. Remus looked at her warily.—"D, if you even so much as get up, I will hex you." He said sternly. "I know this is all really weird…and I know it's a bit nerve-wrecking…but he'll be so happy to see you…"

"Did he mention me?" Dominque asked.

Remus shook his head. "He's hardly been here ten minutes. And our meeting at Hogwarts was really brief…we haven't had any time to really talk yet…"

"Oh gosh…" Dominique murmured. "What if he doesn't even remember me"—

"Dominique, you're being ridiculous…of course he'll remember you!" Remus interjected. "How could he forget his own wife?"

"Well…it's been a long time…he might…or what if he remembers me but doesn't want to see me?" Dominique asked worriedly. "I mean…he's been in Azkaban….twelve years…he's probably not the same…"

Remus pat Dominique on the shoulder as he got up to get back to making dinner and adjusting it for three people. "Though we haven't spent much time in each other's company, I think we can safely assume he's very much as he was twelve years ago…" He looked back at Dominique who still sat at the couch; her leg had begun to shake again and she looked very tense. "Just relax, D…everything will be fine…he'll come out of the bathroom and we'll all sit together for some dinner and catch up…together…" he repeated, with a look at Dominique.

Finally, with a look of resignation, Dominique nodded, and sat patiently in wait of Sirius.

Twenty minutes had passed, and Sirius was still in the bathroom. Dominique had now resolved in pacing about the living room, occasionally stopping to tidy something up, while Remus rummaged through his pantry for a bottle of wine he was sure he had kept somewhere. Just as he found the bottle and placed it on the counter, a loud howl could be heard from the bathroom.

"OH, SHIT!"—

"Sirius! What happened?" Remus shouted as he abandoned dinner and ran to the bathroom. Dominique stood up quickly at the sound, but did not follow Remus…her feet seemed to be glued to the floor.

"Sirius is that mine?" Dominique could hear Remus ask in an annoyed voice.

"No Moony, it's mine." A hoarser, more sarcastic voice said. "The dementors gave it to me as a birthday present last year…course it's yours! And what the hell, why is it so bloody sharp? I'm bleeding here!"

"Maybe because you haven't shaved in twelve years, Padfoot…" she heard Remus reply over the sound of water running from the faucet. "You're not used to it…"

"I just wasn't expecting the razor to be so damn sharp," Sirius replied, "I mean, it was all rusty looking, I thought it'd have some wear to it…but I should've known, it's yours…"

"What's that supposed to mean? I use it!"

Dominique drew in her breath as she heard Sirius laughing his familiar bark-like laugh. "Please," he said, "for what? Shaving your legs? My aunt Josephine had more facial hair than you, Moony…you just have a razor so you can feel manly…"

"Shut up Sirius, or I'll hand you to the dementors." Remus said wryly. "And go fix your cut, I don't want blood on my bathroom floor…oh and for God's sake, put those pants on…that towel is not covering enough…"

"Got it, mum!" Sirius called after his friend as the door slammed shut.

Remus made his way into the living room, but stopped when he saw Dominique. She was standing in her place, looking rather stiff.

"Er"—

"Didn't you tell him I'm here?" She asked suddenly, her eyes widening with worry. "Why didn't you tell him? He doesn't want to see me, does he?"

Remus smiled slightly as he shook his head. "Thought we'd surprise him…it'd be fun"—

"What the hell is fun about that?" Dominique asked at once. "What if"—But Dominique was cut short at the sound of the bathroom door opening.

"Never thought I'd see the day, Moony old boy….when your clothes would actually be loose on me," came a voice from down the hall, which seemed to be drawing closer by the second. "…have you gained weight? Or have I lost"—

Sirius had walked into the living room, tugging uncomfortably at the waist of his pants, but stopped shortly at the entrance.

"Dominique"—he said automatically.

"Hi…" she said in an almost whisper. Remus glanced at his friend and saw that she had gone completely rigid, looking at Sirius with mingled fear and anticipation.

Sirius stared at her unblinkingly. "I—Oh"—

Dominique had rushed towards Sirius, and throwing her arms around him, she sobbed hysterically.

Overtaken by a bit of shock, Sirius glanced down nervously at Dominique, almost afraid to touch her. But as he felt her wet face against his chest, he immediately drew her in closer, holding tight to her.

"Hey…" he said quietly, stroking her silky hair…God, he had missed the feel of it…no, he hadn't missed it…he had completely forgotten how it felt to hold a woman, to feel her warmth…how could he have missed something he had forgotten? And yet, he now clung to her, afraid that she might slip away from him…

"Oh Sirius…" Dominique murmured through her tears. "You're back…"

He ran a hand through her hair and sighed as he took in its soft scent of lavender. He was never particularly fond of that scent, but right now it was so soothing…Sirius lifted his head and pulled Dominique away slightly in order to get a better look at her. Her face was pale and covered in tears. She looked a bit weaker than he last remembered, but otherwise, she looked almost exactly the same as she did twelve years ago. She was the same beautiful Dominique...

"I'm back…" he replied softly. He looked into her teary eyes and smiled slightly. "Stop crying, D…I only escaped from Azkaban…save your tears for my death…"

Dominique let out something between a sob and a laugh as she wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry…" she sniffed. "I just…I'm happy to see you…"

Sirius's smile broadened to a large grin. "Glad to see you too…" he said. There was a moment where they simply stared into each others' eyes. Their reverie however, was interrupted by the sound Remus clearing his throat. They immediately turned away from each other to look at him.

"Er…dinner's ready, if you're interested…" he said, looking at the two with a very straight face.

"Thanks Moony…" Sirius replied. He looked over to Dominique and extended his arm out to her. She felt herself blush as she took it, and together they followed Remus to the kitchen.

Nora shut the door of her room and quickly settled herself on her bed so she could enjoy her letter from Kierra…she had been very surprised to even receive a letter from her aunt—she was supposed to be in Egypt by now…

Nora's brow furrowed as she read over her aunt's letter…Kierra knew Professor Lupin was a werewolf? Dumbledore knew he was a werewolf? And yet they didn't care…Kierra knowingly dated a werewolf…what was wrong with her? She wondered if her grandparents knew about their daughter…better yet, she wondered if her own parents knew about Kierra's…taste…in men. Of course they didn't, they had been also shocked to hear that Lupin was a werewolf…she wondered how they'd feel if they knew Kierra had known about his condition but not told them…

Just then a knock came from the door.

"Nora," her mother said, opening the door to peak her head in. "lunch is ready…and I need to go back to work in a bit…oh what have you got there? Letter from a friend?"

Nora climbed off her bed and followed her mom out of the room. "Yea…well, from Kierra…"

"Oh…she's already writing you from Egypt? How she gets bored so quickly…"

"No…she wrote it right before she left." Nora replied. "Hey mum?"

"Yea?" her mother said as she poured a glass of milk for her daughter.

"You and dad didn't know about Professor Lupin, did you?"

"About him being a werewolf? No, of course not…we probably wouldn't have let you go back to school if we knew what they had there…why do you ask?"

"Well…" Nora started slowly as she took a bite of her sandwich and rested it on her plate. "I mentioned the whole thing to Kierra in my last letter…and she replied saying she already knew about him…"

Nora's mother, who sat on the opposite end of the table, stopped chewing her sandwich. She swallowed with some effort and stared at her daughter. "What? Kierra knew about Lupin being a werewolf? All along?"
"Yea…"

"She never told me or your father!" she said, furrowing her brow. "It never occurred to her to tell us? How could she keep something like that…"

"She said she didn't tell me because it was none of my business…" Nora said, frowning at her mother. "I was thinking"—

"None of your business?" Nora's mom cut in. "Who is she to tell you it's none of your business? When the man that's teaching you is a half-breed, of course it's your business! At least it's our business as parents! That was very foolish of Kierra…"

Nora continued to frown at her mother as she stared intently at her. "Kierra said not to say half-breed"—

Nora's mother sighed. "She's probably got a soft spot for Lupin…after all, she went out with him…which makes me wonder about her…going out with someone like that…she's always had an interesting taste in men, you know…dating everyone from muggles and seers, to starving artists and unpopular musicians…I've never objected to her dating those sorts"—

Nora grinned. "Mum, you hated that bass guitarist…Dave…you thought he was a complete idiot…"

"And so he was…but I didn't bug her about it…she came to her senses and dumped him…but I can't believe she's gone so far as dating a werewolf…"

"But it was a long time ago, wasn't it?" Nora asked.

"Yes, but still…Kierra hasn't changed…she's always been reckless…befriending anyone and anything that tickles her fancy…and now she probably thinks she's all righteous for standing up for Lupin…"

"I dunno, mum…" Nora said slowly. "I mean…when I think of it…Professor Lupin was pretty nice…maybe Kierra was right in her letter…maybe werewolves aren't that bad"—

"Nora, if Kierra found an attractive enough vampire, she'd tell you they weren't so bad either…you really need to learn to take your aunt's words with a grain of salt…" Nora's mother said with a frown as she got up from the table. "I should probably head to St. Mungo's now…I've got a few patients to check up on…"

"Oh, mum, before you go, can I have some money?" Nora asked quickly. "I want to buy some of my schoolbooks…"

Nora's mother raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You got out of school two weeks ago, and you already want to buy your schoolbooks?"

Nora shrugged. "Well…I kind of wanted to go to Diagon Alley anyway…thought I might as well get them while I'm there…"

"But you went there yesterday…and you haven't gotten your list yet from Hogwarts…"

"But I already know what books are going to be used for most of my classes…they never change them….and I just want to go again because I'm bored…"

"Alright…." Nora's mother replied. She reached into her purse and pulled out a small money bag. She opened it and looked in the contents briefly before handing the entire bag to her daughter. "Here, take the lot…I need to go to Gringotts after work anyway…that should be enough for some of your books as well as restocking your potions supplies…"

"Thanks mum…" Nora said with a smile. She waved goodbye and watched as her mother disapparated from the kitchen. Tucking the money bag in her pocket, Nora headed to the fireplace. Grabbing a fistful of floo powder, she climbed inside the fireplace and clearly stated, "Diagon Alley!"

"So…" Sirius started casually as the small party sat down for dinner, "Dominique…long time, no see…what have you been up for the past twelve years?"

Dominique looked up quickly at Sirius, slightly startled at being addressed so nonchalantly by him. "Er…well…" she started slowly, "I…uh…traveled a bit…um…I'm playing for the orchestra right now…violin…"

Sirius smiled amusedly. "Living the life of a muggle, are we?" he asked. Remus looked wryly at Dominique, who in turn smiled and rolled her eyes at her friend.

"Yes Remus, I remember you telling me the same thing years ago…" she said. "But no, I'm not living as a muggle…just working with them…and I really enjoy it…still get to travel quite a bit…"

Sirius looked thoughtfully at Dominique as he took a sip of wine. As he put his goblet down, his smile broadened. "If my memory serves me right, Dominique…I think you used to detest the London orchestra…or have they gotten better?"

"Oh, well…yea, they have gotten better"—Dominique said slowly—"Ow!"

Dominique and Sirius both turned to Remus; the former glaring at him, and the latter looking at him curiously. Sirius then turned his attention back to Dominique, who had reached under the table to rub her leg.

"Sorry, didn't mean to do it so hard…" Remus said quietly.

Sirius looked again from Dominique to Sirius, waiting for an explanation. Finally, Dominique sighed and looked him squarely in the eyes.

"Um…see…I'm not playing for the London Orchestra…" Dominique said slowly. "I play for the Parisian one…"

"Parisian?" Sirius repeated. "Parisian…as in Paris?"

Dominique nodded.

"Paris as in France?" Sirius asked, raising his eyebrows at Dominique in disbelief.

"Yea…"

"You moved back to France?" Sirius asked, the tone of his voice going slightly louder, startling Dominique.

"Er…yea…" Dominique said quietly. "And I'm kind of stuck there…I signed a contract…it'll be a few years before it expires…"

Sirius nodded slowly as he pursed his lips into a frown.

"I'm sorry…" Dominique said.

Sirius shook his head. "Don't be…you didn't foresee me coming back…anyway, I'm Britain's most wanted…I think I could risk coming out to France every now and then…"

"You're more than welcome to come back with me…" Dominique offered.

"No…I've got a responsibility towards Harry…I need to stay nearby…"

"So you'll stay here?" Remus asked.

"Well…not here, not in your house…er…no offense Moony…" Sirius said quickly. "You've got enough to worry about without having an escaped convict hiding out at your place…I'll come by a lot, of course…but I can't stay here permanently…I don't want the ministry after you too…"

"But it's safe here…I mean, we're out in the country…fairly isolated from the rest of society…wizard and muggle…" Remus argued. "I really don't mind"—

"I know you don't," Sirius cut in, "but it's also too far from Harry…"

"But so what if you're far from him?" Dominique asked. "Even if something happens…everyone knows your face…you can't come barging into Hogwarts to save him."—Dominqiue looked warily at Sirius and added—"you know that, Sirius…"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I'm an animagus…nobody knows about that at Hogwarts except for Harry and his two friends…I'd be safe…"

"Sirius, no"—

"Listen," Sirius said impatiently, cutting Remus off, "much as I love and respect you two, neither of you are responsible for me, and I'll do what I see fit. James and Lily trusted me to take care of Harry, and that's what I plan on doing. His safety is my main priority right now."

"But we care about your safety too…" Dominique persisted. "I don't want to have to see you get thrown into Azkaban again"—

"Look, I understand your concerns…" Sirius said more calmly, "but you guys don't need to worry about me. I managed to duck the dementors for a full year…I think I can stand to do it a little longer…"

Remus sighed as he got up. "No point in arguing with you, I suppose…"

Sirius shook his head and smiled. "Nope…"

"Well then…I think I'm going to retire for the night…I've only got one extra room though…I don't know how…you guys feel…" Remus said slowly, looking from Dominique to Sirius, who in turn were avoiding each other's eyes.

"There's also the couch in the living room…" Remus added when he noticed the awkwardness between the reunited couple. "I'll sleep there…one of you can take my room…but you two are welcome to stay up as long as you'd like…catch up and stuff…" And with that, Remus headed to the sink to wash the dishes, leaving the two alone at the table.

Dominique and Sirius sat in silence for several moments, every so often exchanging shy glances at each other. Finally, Sirius dared to break the silence as his eyes met Dominique's.

"You're still beautiful…" he said quietly, a small smile playing across his face. "Exactly as how I remembered you…"

Dominique blushed at his comment, causing Sirius's smile to broaden. At seeing this, Dominique let out a small laugh. "You've got the exact same smile…you look really handsome when you smile. You always have…"

"Even now?" Sirius asked.

Dominique smiled and nodded. "Yea."

A few more minutes passed in silence, and again, Sirius broke it. "Hey…do you want to catch up…maybe in the bedroom?"
Startled, Dominique looked up quickly at Sirius, her mouth falling slightly open.

"No, no…" Sirius said quickly, "I didn't mean…no, not like that…I just meant…could we go in there? I mean…I feel bad that Remus has to sleep on the couch in his own house…we could share a room…if you're comfortable…I mean…just sleeping in it…not...you know…I mean, I don't want to do anything you're not comfortable with…I just want to catch up with you…that's all…"

Dominique's face relaxed as she smiled again. "Yea…that's fine."

Remus listened to the soft muffled voices of his two friends from the room next door as he lay in bed. He closed his eyes and sighed as he heard Sirius's familiar laughter. It was so nice to have those two back in his life…he was happy they had each other again…And yet…he wasn't. Yes, he felt guilty about it, but that didn't make him feel any more justified in his feelings…How could he not be happy for them? Why did he have to be so selfish? He was a horrible person…it was the golden rule of all religions, to want for others what he wanted for himself…and this simple rule he could not abide by…He wanted happiness for himself…the same happiness they had…the happiness that can only be experienced when sharing it with a loved one…

He thought again of the day Dominique had kissed him…Would things be different if he had kissed her back? Would Dominique be sharing a room with Sirius right now, laughing the night away, catching up with her old husband, or would she…no…Remus wouldn't dare to finish that thought. What happened had happened for the best. And Sirius and Dominique were best for each other. They loved each other. Dominique didn't love him like that. Even he himself didn't love Dominique that way… Remus sighed. Perhaps he was feeling the same desperation and frustration Dominique had felt a few months ago. Perhaps, like in her case, it would all pass, and he too would find his counterpart…someone to complete him.

Nora hurried out of the apothecary, holding tightly to her packages as she dashed through a mud puddle. She quickly reached her destination, Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. She stopped outside the door, and glanced around at the outdoor tables. She had left the book lying around only yesterday…had someone picked it up and taken it away so soon?

'Serves you right…' Nora thought glumly as she turned around and headed to Flourish and Blotts for her schoolbooks. 'Professor Lupin was so nice to you…and there you go, tossing his book away…'

Several minutes later, Nora wandered through the aisles of books in Flourish and Blotts. She had found most of her necessary books for school, and upon realizing she would have several extra galleons left for her own personal spending, Nora spent the rest of her time browsing. Towards the back of the store, Nora found a large cart, bearing a sign that read "Discounted Books". Placing her schoolbooks on a nearby stool, Nora knelt over and began scanning the cart, hoping she'd find something of her interest. Within a few minutes, Nora had scanned the entire cart, unable to find anything interesting. As she stood back up though, a dark brown sleeve that peaked from the back of the cart caught her eye. It was a medium sized book, fairly thick…She immediately knelt down again and picked it up. The title read "Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts". As Nora opened the book, her eyes immediately fell to the bottom left hand corner of the inside front cover. And there it was, in faded, slightly smeared ink, written in elegant cursive: 'Remus Lupin.'

"Finding everything alright?" came a voice from behind her. Nora turned around to find the store owner smiling at her. She smiled back.

"Yes, thank you…actually can I pay now?" Nora asked.

"Of course…these'll be your books ma'am?" the wizard asked, pointing at the stack of books on the stool.

"Yea…"

The store owner picked up the stack and led Nora to the front of the store, to the main counter. "And will you be wanting that book as well?" he asked, indicating at the book in her arms. "Good price for an excellent book…only seven galleons!"

"Seven?" Nora asked. "I thought the discounted books were supposed to be cheap…"

"They are," the owner replied, "Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts…that's a valuable book…our newer copies are sold at twelve galleons…"

"Where'd you get this copy?" Nora asked suddenly.

The owner shrugged. "Found it laying around at Florean's…nobody claimed it so I thought I'd take it…why, it wasn't yours, was it?"

"Er…no…" Nora said slowly. "No, it wasn't…but I'd like to buy it…" and with that, the shopkeeper rung up Nora's total, paying no attention to the relieved smile that crept from Nora's mouth.