The course of the next few days were uneventful, Remus hadn't a chance to go to the market because he feared taking Cyra out, no reason to fear starving however. The morning after they arrived back from Hogwarts, a basket of fresh baked goods and meals were sent to their home by owl. He needn't even read the note to know who it was from, who else would send a basket of baked delicacies just to invite a child over than Molly Weasley?
The two snacked on the baked goods for the next couple of days, Cyra given her potions before her meals and bed. They had a routine, and he would hate to break it, but there were things he needed to do. Like buying groceries, clothes for Cyra, or even just going to work. He had written to his boss at the shop to notify him of the situation, and of course the explained situation was that his sister passed away, so he was caring for his niece at the moment. People lie to their bosses all the time, he was sure this was fine. What was he going to say?
'Hey boss, I've taken in a child that's become a werewolf like me. Oh yeah, you didn't know I was a werewolf, well surprise! Promise I won't bite!'
He was sure that would have worked splendidly. No, it's better to just lie. But he could only stay away for so long. Cyra's bandages have already been able to come off, the scars healing reasonably well. They'd still be there, but would instead just be like his, faint. Just a memory upon the skin. He couldn't say much for the bite, however. That had healed fairly well, but the imprint of the teeth would be harder to explain to someone.
Cyra perked her head up, noticing him staring at her but not speaking. Hesitating for a moment, she pulled the muffin she was holding from her mouth. "Moony?" She inquired, she had recently taken to calling him by his Maruader name after finding it on one of his jumpers. His attention shot up to her eyes, as if seeing her there for the first time. His face instantly melted into a warm smile, "Ah, yes, my apologies Cyra. I was just thinking, that's all."
She said nothing in response, her eyes simply bearing into his, awaiting to hear these thoughts. Sitting himself down on the couch, he let out a tired sigh, "How would you feel about meeting some kids your age?" Before she could react, he continued, "I just think it might be good for you! Molly Weasley, the woman who was kind enough to make us all of this? She's got two boys your age, twins even." She looked away, going back to eating her muffin in silence. The older man sighed, rubbing his face, he knew himself this wasn't a good idea. She was still recovering from everything. If he hadn't pulled her out of it, she would have gone into a panic at the Great Hall that evening. He knew she wasn't ready, and it wasn't fair to ask this of her.
"What about my scratches?" She asked in a small voice. His head jerked up in response, looking over at her in surprise. He honestly didn't expect this. Stumbling over his words, he yammered out, "W-We can give you a jumper to cover them! You don't have to worry about that! If someone sees, you can say that you fell into a thorny bush..or something like that.." He trailed off, realizing he was now asking for her to lie as well. There was a pause, before she replied, "The one with the puppy paws?" "Yes, you can wear the one with the puppy paws." Remus couldn't resist a chuckle, looking back over at her with a smile. Cyra simply gave another nod before she hopped off the couch and began shuffling out of the room. "Where are you going?" He furrowed his brows in confusion, watching after her. The six year old turned her head to look at him, "Bath. I smell like dog."
"Yes, that sadly never goes away." He joked, stretching out his legs before getting up himself, "I'll grab the jumper for you. Do you need any help?" He saw the brown curls on the back of her head sway as she shook her head. "Okay." He shrugged, pressing his lips together to keep the laugh at bay as she proceeded to walk off confidently.
It wasn't but a few moments that he heard running water, he kept his door open to his room as he searched through his closet for the jumper she wished for. Grasping the soft fabric, he paused as he heard the bathroom door creak open.
"Moony? Bubbles?" Cyra called out from the hall, her voice reaching to him in his room. Throwing the jumper onto his shoulder, he walked out to see her standing in the doorway shyly. Knowing it was better not to tease her, he stepped past her into the bathroom, reaching up into the cabinet above the sink, "My bad, Cyra, I put it up where you couldn't find it." He placed the bottle of pink soap beside the bathtub, figuring she'd want to control how many bubbles are in it. His only response was a gleeful smile before she was heading over to the filling tub, uncapping the bottle with her small hands.
Taking that as his cue to leave, he placed the jumper onto the sink, "I'll shrink down some pants for you." With that, he exited the bathroom, shutting the door carefully behind him. He was sure it was going to be a little bit, long enough that he'd be able to write Molly to tell her they would be visiting today. Heading towards his room, his ears caught the faint humming that came from the bathroom, in the tune of a song that he hadn't ever heard before. Smiling to himself, he grabbed a piece of parchment and his quill before he began scribbling away.
"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Remus asked Cyra for the fifth time, her only response being a simple, "Uh huh." Even as she was gathering books to take with her, he was behind her, looking visibly stressed, "You know you can tell me if you're stressed. If the situation makes you uncomfortable, let me know, and I'll take you out of it. Okay?" Cyra was silent, simply just taking his hand and stepping into the floo. Remus let out a sigh before throwing the floo powder, "The Burrow."
Green overtook their sight, before it was replaced by a brightly lit home, the scent of baked bread entering their senses. "OH!" A shout rang out, causing Cyra to flinch and grab onto Remus's leg. A bright red-headed woman was hustling out of the kitchen, smiling brightly at the pair, "Welcome Lupin's! Sorry I wasn't here, I have some sweets in the oven!" Her eyes shot instantly to the younger of the two, her smile getting wider, "Well, isn't she just darling!"
Crouching down to her level, she held out her hand, her tone more softer, "Hello, little one, my name is Molly. What is yours?" Cyra went to speak, but Remus piped in, "U-Uh, she's still a bit shy around strangers." Molly caught the look Cyra gave her caretaker, "Oh, is she now?" She stood back up, placing her hands on her hips, looking at Remus with a knowing smile.
Remus cleared his throat, petting Cyra's curls, "Yes. Also, Molly, we really appreciate the invitation, but I don't think she's quite ready to be socializing quite yet. I don't want to push-" He was silenced by the redhead's hand, a laugh bursting from her, causing him to furrow his brows. Molly shook her head, her curls bouncing with her, "Lupin! You are always going to be more protective of your first child, so I understand. But I don't think it's her who has a problem with this, but you."
The younger man gave a huff, puffing his chest in indignation, "Molly-" Before he could finish yet another sentence, two identical red-haired boys were bounding down the stairs, "Mum-" One began, "Is she here?" The other finished. Remus blinked at the pair, finding it difficult to tell between the two, "This must be your boys?" Molly hummed, placing her hands at the tops of their heads, "Two of the bunch of them. Boys, introduce yourselves."
The one on the right held out his hand to Cyra, grinning boyishly, "I'm Gred." His brother placed his arm above his, "And I'm Forge!" Cyra looked at both of their hands confused, before she placed her books down onto the floor and shook both of their hands at the same time. Remus pressed his lips together, watching her with worry in his gaze. 'But was it really worry for her?', the annoying voice in his head made him wonder.
"Cyra." Her voice entered the air, so small and delicate, that it made the twin's eyes widen. Molly felt her heart melt, looking down at the young one endearingly. Remus released the tension he was holding in his body. Cyra was fine, she can handle this, he knew this to be a fact. He hated having to leave her though. The twins shook her hands, looking a bit more bashful, "My name's not really Gred, it's George." Cyra looked more confused, before glancing down at their hands, still shaking. The other twin piped in, "And I'm Fred, not Forge."
She nodded slowly, looking at the both of them with calculating eyes, taking in every feature on their faces. They were very identical. Beauty marks all in the same spot. She supposed their scents were a bit different. George was the twin that smelled more like oranges, and Fred smelled like cherries. Taking that as enough, she finally released their hands, bending down to pick up her books.
Molly clapped her hands together, causing the young girl to jump, "Ri-" She paused, looking at Cyra before she softened her tone once again, "Right. Well, now that everyone is acquainted. Boys, why don't you take Cyra up to your room? I'm going to speak to Lupin for a moment." Remus's eyes widened, 'To their room?' Was that something that was supposed to happen? He understood they were kids, but should that really happen? Before he could object, Cyra's arms were looped by the twins and she was hauled up the stairs.
Turning his head quickly to Molly, he piped up, "Molly, I know that they are your boys, but should they be alone? I mean, they're kids bu-" "Enough Lupin, that's just it, they're kids! If they were 15, I might have worried, but these are children. I've already made the boys put away their dungbombs." His eyes widened in worry, "Their-" Molly turned away, heading off into the kitchen, "Come with me! I have some things I've written down for you!" He stared after her confused, were they just going to ignore what she just said? Why did kids have dungbombs?
Following after her, he was presented with a parchment list, "What..?" He scanned over it, "What is the Blossom Shop?" He looked up confused at her. She simply smiled, "It's a muggle shop in London, they have children's clothes. You cannot keep dressing that child in band t-shirts and your jumpers. I also put down what type of knickers to buy her." Remus stared at the list in horror, though it was disrupted by a tap on his arm, "Now Lupin, don't act like I'm asking you to get the poor thing a training bra! She needs knicker-" Remus jumped back, "Ah! Ah! Stop saying that, Molly, there are children!"
Molly sighed, unamused, "Honestly, Arthur wasn't even this bad with Ginevra.." Looking at the wizard more sternly, she put on her mom tone, "Remus Lupin, you have to get that girl some proper clothes! Suck up your pride, and you go buy that girl some skirts and knickers!" He flinched again, but this time didn't fight back, instead looking down in shame. "Alright," He resigned, "I'll go buy her some..knickers." That cheered the woman up instantly, "Great!" She pointed at the next thing on the list, "There are also some bathroom stuff for kids, muggles have these shampoos and conditioners that are tear-free, so it won't hurt if it gets in her eyes." He began to look impressed, "Wow..Molly, this is very detailed."
She simply shrugged, "After 7 kids, you learn, very quickly." The witch then turned away, going to check on what was in the oven. Remus pocketed the list, straightening out his jumper before going to head out. "Oh! And Lupin?" Her voice called him back, causing him to freeze, "Parenthood is hard, but you're doing a great job with her." He felt his heart stop as he saw the motherly smile she had, he was never close with her in school, but now he wish he had been. She was truly a very caring witch. "Thank you." He choked out, before he quickly flooed out. The sooner he finished everything, the sooner he could be back with his pup.
Meanwhile, Cyra was on a rollercoaster of emotions. She knew she had to handle this, Moony had things to do, and she was getting in the way. However, she didn't know if her brain could handle much more of the twins. They both spoke a mile a minute, throwing topics out into the air, and making it more confusing by finishing each other's sentences. She didn't even know who was talking anymore! Clutching her books to her chest, her eyes kept darting between the two, trying to keep up. The twin named Fred seemed to be leading most of the conversation, coming up with new ideas. George however, would be adding in details to make it more entertaining.
To make matters worse, despite having two beds, they both decided to sit at both sides of her. They were speaking to her, she was sure of that, but she didn't know what! It was all too much. As if just noticing her distress, George paused, staring at her curiously, "Are we being rude?" Huh? It was quiet for the first time. Cyra blinked in confusion, turning to look at him, "Huh?" He offered a small smile, "We're talking all at you, we're being rude, aren't we? We didn't even give you a chance to speak." His brother leaned against her shoulder, giving her a cheeky grin, "Sorry about that, mum tells us off all the time about it! You're pretty nice not to though, most would get sick of it already!" She was. But she didn't say that. They both looked at her expectantly, making her wish they were speaking again.
Swallowing, she stuttered out, "Y-Yes..it was rude." They didn't get mad, instead they both shared a laugh before leaning closer to her, "Our apologies, Miss Cyra." One began, "Yeah! That's no way to treat a lady!" The other finished. She tried to look at both of them, but her neck was beginning to hurt from swiveling left and right. Letting out a sigh, she replied, "It's okay. It's just a bit much." She received an understanding nod from them both, before George reached down and took the book she was hugging to her chest, "Do you want to read instead? Would that be a bit quieter?" He watched as her eyes lit up, the honey colored irises becoming brighter before she flashed him a smile, "Yes!"
This being the first time she smiled since they entered their room, the twins were in awe. Quickly, Fred hopped off the bed and went over to a stack of books on the ground, "Mum gave us some books to study on Hogwarts, I'm sure you've heard of it. They're Percy's old books. Wanna try them?" He held up a copy of 'Hogwarts a History', one that caught Cyra's interest. Hogwarts, was that the place they visited a couple of days ago? She remembered it seeming so magical, and that was enough for her. Giving him a quick nod, she pointed at the book he was holding, "That one!" Fred looked at it before glancing back at the excited girl, it seemed to make her happy so why not?
Taking his place back at her side, he leaned back against the headboard, "Here you are." He placed it in her lap, enjoying how her eyes lit up as she stared at the hardcover. George leaned back with him, giving him a grin before turning to Cyra, "Could you read it out loud to us? It'll be a bit difficult for us all to read it at once."
She hesitated for a moment, staring down at the book in her hands. It was very nice of them to let her read their books. "Okay..but." Cyra decided to look at George, "I can stop if my throat hurts?" He shared a look with Fred behind her before he looked back at her, talking softer, "Yeah..yeah you can." With that, she leaned back with them, opening up the book to the first chapter, "In the tenth century, the four greatest witches and wizards of the same age shared a dream-"
Molly soon came upstairs, being sure not to alert the three of her presence by avoiding the creaky steps. Despite what she said to Lupin, she did worry about the twins. They tended to bully their younger brother; the poor thing was already traumatized by the last incident. But by the time she reached their room, her worries were washed away by the sound of the little girl's voice reciting from the book. Peering in from the corner, she saw the twins had her settled between them, their eyes beginning to droop shut.
She almost jumped out of her skin when Cyra's eyes locked onto her in a flash, her eyes shining in the sunlight. Molly offered her a smile before she put her finger in a shushing manner, signaling not to say a word. Cyra blinked at her before turning back to turn the next page, "Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem was a magical artifact that was bewitched to enhance the wearer's wisdom." She quickly sneaked away, her heart pounding in her chest from her little scare. Children had such good hearing.
Remus had finally finished all of his shopping, the women at the children's store seemed to pity him and assisted him in finding everything for Cyra. Paying with the money he had transferred from Gringott's, he headed out with some large bags that he would shrink once he was away from muggle eyes. He had already put away all of the groceries, now all he had left was to drop off the stuff for Cyra, and then he could floo back to get her.
During the time he had been out, his thoughts were infested with Cyra, he needed to know if she was okay. He had thought of just flooing over once just for a quick check in, but he was sure Molly would have teased him relentlessly for that.
So he did what he had to do, and he would be lying if he said he didn't run straight to the floo. When the burrow greeted him, he was disappointed to see it was only Molly, holding her youngest ones.
She shot him a smug smile, "Ah Lupin, I expected to see you much sooner. I thought you would have given in and come to get her after just an hour." That was exactly why he didn't. Looking around the burrow, he raised a brow, "Where is Cyra?" He felt something sink when he saw the cunning smile on her face. It was then he realized, she wasn't smug for no reason. Something happened. Looking towards the stairs, he raced off before she could stop him. She was held down by the two babes on her lap, she couldn't.
When he finally reached the room with the open door, he froze, staring at the scene before him in total shock. Cyra was curled up between the two boys, both of their arms wrapped tightly around her, the children all fast asleep with a book lying abandoned on the floor. He didn't know what to feel, a part of him wanted to pry the boys hands off of her. But he also felt happy, she was showing trust to someone that wasn't him. That thought brought some pain to his heart, he ignored it. This was good. The twins were good for her. He knew that now.
"So when can we expect some wedding bells?" Molly whispered from behind him. The smile on his face fell instantly. Never mind whatever just went through his head. The twins were not good for her.