Strangeways, Here We Come
Vaults…
Remus nodded his thanks to the goblin as he cautiously stepped out of the cart. The ride had been quicker than expected – but wasn't that always the case when faced with tasks one dreaded?
As he walked slowly towards the Lupin family vault, he felt somewhat queasy. He tried to tell himself it was due to the harrowing cart ride and not what he was about to do… But his mind was having none of it.
He sighed, and then reached into his robes for the key. He inserted it into the lock, twisted it, and shoved the door open. The hinges were rusty, and it took quite a bit of force to open it enough to step inside.
The rust didn't surprise Remus; after all, there was rarely money coming into his vault and thus hardly any reason to visit, not giving the door much opportunity to receive its exercise. In fact, sometimes he wondered why he even bothered keeping the vault at all – although it did serve as good protection (and easy storage) for some of the family heirlooms he couldn't bear to part with.
Looking around, he took in what was left. The space was emptier than it used to be, as he had been forced to pawn some items during hard times. However, the most important and meaningful mementos remained – his father's writing desk, his mother's photo albums, their record collection…
But he hadn't come here to reminisce (even though that seemed somewhat inevitable). Remus shook his head, then wandered over to the desk and opened the drawer. Inside was a small wooden chest that held his father's pocket watch and some simple chains his mother used to wear. The rest of the jewellery had been sold.
He had almost sold his parents' wedding bands, and his mother's engagement ring, too… He had come so close, but something had stilled his hand. He had no idea why, since he had never anticipated on being close enough to anybody to even consider using them, but for some inexplicable reason he had left them in their place.
He had been thankful when, years later, he came back to fetch them. He had even spared a laugh at the pessimism of his younger self, for thinking he would never be lucky enough to be granted such a chance. But he had been, and he had her, and he had never been so happy to have been wrong.
But now, after a week of carrying the simple gold bands around in his pocket, after a week of fiddling with them constantly, and after a week of asking himself Is this the perfect moment?, Remus was back. Now he spared a harsher laugh at the naivety of his week-ago self.
He had indeed planned on using the rings, on asking her… But now he couldn't. It wouldn't be wise, it wouldn't be fair – not now, not when he had to leave and join the pack.
Perhaps not ever.
Fishing the bands out of his robes, he spared them one last glance before placing them back into the chest and shutting them in the drawer once more.
…If only his feelings were as easy to lock away.
Poor silly, noble Remus. Reviewers can get locked into Gringott's with Remus and tell him just what they think of his plan! Or anything else they might want to do when stuck in a room with a certain Professor… ;)
Toodles,
- ish -