A/N: I kept my damn promise! This one isn't too long, but I assume I'll get a nice long one up some time. I hope.
WARNING: THIS FIC CONTAINS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TWO MEMBERS OF THE SAME SEX. IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THIS MATERIAL/CONSEPT PLEASE FIND A MORE SUITABLE FIC FOR YOUR TASTES.
Disclaimer: These characters (aside from a few exceptions) do not belong to me, nor were they created by me. They were created and are owned by one Miss J.K. Rowling.
Dedicate to: Those lovely people who waited so anxiously for the sequel.
MIDLIFE CRISIS TWO- MERRITAL BLISS
Chapter# 3: Archemetes
Archemetes was an old bird. The pride of the Lupin family, in fact, and that was an honor above all others for this old bird.
Well, that was exactly 25 years ago since he was the pride of the Lupin family and holder of one of the greatest merits an old bird could receive.
He was sent, now and then, to deliver important document. And only a veteran can do that properly, and with the old-fashioned dignity of a wizarding family who had important business to do and meant it.
But the last time he'd truly served an important purpose was twenty-five years ago. After that he was put into a steady, peaceful retirement, after he went blind.
Years of retirement can have quite an effect on an old bird like Archemetes. But he didn't mind. No, not one bit. After all, he knew he'd be put to work again, blind or not. The Lupins needed him. You can't trust these young, naïve little canary birds to do your delivering.
No siree. You had to trust the veterans of the trade.
And that was the exact reason why he was roused from his peaceful meditation on a January morning, 25 years after his retirement.
He'd been roused by a rough tapping on his cage bars. Slowly, he opened one big blind eye. He couldn't see anything out of it, or course, but that was the old owl habit he succumbed to now and then. And old habits die hard, mind you. He ruffled his feathers wearily, stuck out his speckled breast and hooted importantly.
The feeble, airy voice of Rebecca Lupin floated up to his owly ears. He's developed an impeccable sense of hearing since his last flight, and by the tone of Mistress Rebecca's voice he could understand that he would be flying once again.
He was nudged, suddenly, by a roll of parchment.
"Now Archie, darling, do be a kind old bird and deliver this most important message to my dear brother."
Archemedes grasped the parchment dutifully and waited for Mistress Lupin to unlatch the window.
He took off at once, but before he took flight he heard Miss Rebecca. "I do hope Remus will be happy to see me."
Just because you're and old, blind, 40 year old owl, it does not define you as dim. On the contrary, he was wise enough to know that turbulent times were coming indeed.
Ohhh, foreshadowing is great.
-The Absynth Fairy