.
.
.
It was a still-life
watercolor of a day. Autumn was slowly fading, the tree in Grimmauld
square testament to the time of year. Its leaves were brown and
scattered along the lonely ground, sometimes stirred by a chilly,
damp wind under a white sky. It was this picture that greeted Remus
one late October morning, as he stood in the drawing room in front of
the window seat, wrapped in a thick grey jumper and sipping his
morning tea. He did not think he would ever grow accustomed to this
quiet, as enjoyable as it was at times. He missed the crowd. He
missed Harry. He missed her.
.
.
.
"Do you ever wonder how terribly strange it will be to be as old as Dumbledore?" She had asked, dangling upside-down from that very seat the day before she left, her hair pooling on the floor. He'd looked up from his book with a small smile, as the dangling conversation played,
"I highly doubt I will make it that far, Miss Lovegood," He'd replied, to which she shook her head,
"The oldest werewolf to have lived saw 128 years, you know," She pointed out. Remus did not know that, setting his book aside thoughtfully. Still upside-down, Luna read the cover, smiling,
"And you read your Emily Dickinson?"
"And you your Robert Frost?" Remus was quick to pick up. Luna grinned.
"Indeed."
.
.
.
He missed conversation. Oh there were still Order members dropping by regularly, with the latest news of Voldemort and Death Eaters and the daily killings of muggles. Important things, real things, things he should be concerned with. And Remus was concerned with them. Yet still, he missed the conversations that made the pair involved forget for a time.
Now he was the sole inhabitant of Number 12, alone in the chilly halls, and missing the rare, yet lovely sound of laughter.
As he stood, however, wearing the last Christmas present Molly Weasley had given him, the front door opened, admitting a familiar face, "Can't stay long," Tonks said cheerily, wrapped up in a familiar dragon leather jacket, "Got to get along and do some snooping about in muggle London, however," She handed him a stack of letters, "I thought I'd bring you the post."
Letters weren't sent to Grimmauld Place. Those enlightened knew to send their mail to Nymphadora Tonks, if they wanted it to reach anyone in the house. The post had been much slower since the children left, yet Remus took the stack happily. A cup of tea and light conversation later, the girl was off again, and Remus was left to read.
Remus,
Have you ever stopped and realized how very quite autumn is? I did not realize just how quiet, until I returned to Ravenclaw tower. Many are gone, you know. Two of my dorm mates passed on over the summer. My dorm is quiet, with only Cilla and I. My studies are going well, though Hagrid seems a bit mystified that my yearlong COMC study shall be on the Lavender Frooples and Dots.
I do hope this letter finds you well. I am writing it whilst watching the Willow with Ginny. She sends her regards. Both Ginny and The Willow. I am sure that if Ronald and Hermione were not busy walking together, they would as well. I do not know where Harry is.
I miss lemonade in the kitchen.
And I do miss you, of course. As you see I risk sending a letter. I miss dangling conversations. We shall have to have many of them over winter holiday, to make up for this infernal quiet.
Regards,
Luna
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. Robert Frost"
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Remus read her letter again, drinking in the variety of emotions slowly this time. He glanced outside, a soft smile on his face, as he pondered the snow newly falling. Only a month and a half more. He would be fine until then.
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Author Notes: Short? Yes. More tonight? yes!
