AN: Just a cute little chapter for you here. Biiiig chapter coming up next!
Chapter 38 - Remus - Kittens!
Sunday 20th December – Waxing Gibbous
The next day they decided to take a trip into the village to stock up on food and see the Christmas market. The walk was a beautiful one along the beach and then up along the cliff edge, and they were both shiny faced from the cold when the edge of the village finally came into sight. The sky was thick with grey clouds and a light snow was falling, but not enough to settle.
'This place is so beautiful,' Hermione said, stopping to gaze out over the vast, grey sea. 'You must have loved coming here as a child.'
Remus considered her words. 'I have a lot of fond memories of this place. My parents thought the sea air would do me good, or something,' he smiled sadly, remembering. They stood beside each other in silence for a moment, taking in the view before them. Under the dramatic dark sky the sea took on a sombre kind of beauty. Remus stole a sideways glance at Hermione and felt the same mix of guilt and longing resurface, which he pushed to one side.
'Come on, not much further now,' he said, and turned towards the village. He just wanted to enjoy their time together, but he couldn't shake his worries.
His mood lifted on arrival to the village, however. There was an excited hustle and bustle and the smell of chestnuts wafted through the air. It was decidedly festive, and Remus felt himself relax seeing the excitement on Hermione's face. They bought some mulled wine and stocked up on groceries, and Hermione bought some gifts for her parents. Suddenly she gasped and pointed at some cute kittens in the window of a Cats shelter on the highstreet.
'Please can we go and see the kittens?' she asked, her eyes wide. He chuckled.
'Of course,' he said, and followed her inside.
Hermione knelt on the floor and was soon surrounded by adorable balls of fur all vying for her attention.
'How precious,' she said in awe, 'Aren't they just the sweetest?'
Remus crouched down to pet one of the cats, but it dodged away from him fearfully. Hermione looked up at him.
'Smart creatures, I reckon they can sense the wolf,' he muttered wistfully.
'Not this one though,' Hermione said cheerily, pointing. An ugly ginger cat with a squashed face was making its way over to Remus with interest. He offered his hand and the cat sniffed it with interest. Remus smiled and petted the cat, which began to purr.
'He likes you,' came a woman's voice. An old lady appeared, wearing a dark apron covered in cat hair. 'Normally he's a right grumpy old man, hissing at everyone. Nobody wants him, poor fella.'
The ginger cat had lost interest in Remus' hand and had instead forced its way onto Hermione's lap and curled up. She laughed and scratched his ears, making him purr louder.
'Are you interested? Cats make a great addition to the family, perfect for a young couple. They're not just for Christmas, mind,' the women joked.
Hermione and Remus exchanged a look. 'I think we're okay, thank you. We're not really in the position to adopt a cat.'
The woman looked saddened but said brightly, 'Not a problem. It's important they go to the right home.'
'Here…' said Remus, pulling out some muggle money and slipping it into the donation box. 'Merry Christmas.'
'Merry Christmas to you too, dear.'