Chapter 4

Early November 1991

It was unfortunate that the party was just two days before the full moon. He pulled on his robes just before leaving for the party, and willed himself not to feel the dull aching of his joints that always came at about this time in the lunar cycle. He blinked a few times, and decided he was not concentrated enough to Apparate safely. And so he walked.

The weather was perfect. The sun was just setting on this unusually warm September evening, giving the sky the look of a poorly-mixed potion, with swirls of red, gold, pink, and blue. Remus smiled to himself when he realized the moon was hidden behind a very large expanse of clouds. It was always much nicer when he couldn't see it, even if he could feel it, tugging at his muscles and ligaments.

He walked to the side of Hestia's house, where he could already hear the sound of a pleasant party, and let himself in through the garden gate. The background was already full of people illuminated by purple and green candles. There was a great spread of food and drink, and a banner across the back fence that said "Happy 35th, Bernie!"

Trying not to bump into anyone, Remus edged his way through the crowd in search of the hosts. He found them all the way in the kitchen. Both Hestia and Bernie greeted him fondly, though they were in the middle of laughing hysterically at something Algie Radner, a coworker of Bernie's and a longtime friend, had just said.

"Happy birthday, Bernie," Remus said, shaking his hand.

"Glad you could make it, Remus! Algie was just telling us about a poodle they had over in Experimental Charms," Bernie guffawed, "and the mad—oh ho, oh goodness—the mad witch—"

But Bernie couldn't get any more of the story out without losing his head with laughter. Hestia was laughing, too, and a red-faced Algie started on how the witch kept going on about the poodle being her baby, but Hestia had a right mind to tell Remus, "There's food and beverages out back, if you like, Remus," and she, too, joined in the unintelligible laughter.

"Thanks, Hestia," he said, but no one heard him, so he decided to go and fix himself a plate.

"Remus Lupin!"

Remus turned to see Archibald Emerson striding over to him. Archie's wife, Emily, was chatting enthusiastically with another witch in the corner of the backyard. It was obvious that Archie was making an escape.

"How are you, Archie?" Remus asked, shaking his hand.

"Grand, just grand!"

"And Emily?"

"Doing well, doing well. I figure her and Doreen over there could go on for an age about old Gilderoy Lockhart…might as well let them at it!"

Remus smiled politely. He remembered vividly the last time he had seen Archie—it was at another one of Hestia and Bernie's big parties, just over two years ago….

Sure enough, Archie recalled just as much. "So what have you been up to? You had just gotten engaged to the charming Ms. Lucy Sparks, last time we talked." His eyebrows were raised expectantly, as if hoping to get the full disclosure as to why Lucy was not present.

"Well, things didn't quite work out between Lucy and I…" he said vaguely, choosing a meatball off of his plate.

"Too bad, old boy, too bad," Archie said, patting Remus heavily on the shoulder. However, he must not have been too concerned about it, because just then he spotted someone across the yard and felt compelled to leave Remus mid-conversation.

As he was selecting a sausage with his fork, he chanced a look up at the now-twilit sky and saw that the clouds had shifted, revealing a waxing gibbous moon. He decided to go back inside. There was no one else to talk to out in the yard, anyway.

He passed the kitchen, where Bernie and Algie were now doubled over in laughter, and he moved on into the living room. There was a smattering of people gathered in this small space. Most everyone spared him a friendly wave as he passed. A few wizards were having an inimitable political discussion, their wives were discussing one witch's pregnant belly and the subsequent raising of her child, and on the couch was Hestia with another witch, who were clearly discussing Bernie and Hestia's lack of marriage plans.

Remus heard Hestia say, "I love him and would do anything for him, and I know he feels the same about me, so what's the point in getting a certificate that proves it?"

Amid the chatter, though, was the unmistakable sound of a tinkering piano. As there was no one to talk to currently, and as he had a strong inclination as to who would be sitting at that piano, Remus decided to sidle his way into the guest room.

But he halted. Leaning against the armoire, he tried not to make apparent on his face the storm that was inside him. What would she think if he went in there? Better yet, what would he even say if he went in? He had been thinking about her, albeit, more and more despondently, nonstop since they met.

He realized, probably just in time, that he was overanalyzing. He charged in.

Surely enough, Nina Dumbledore sat at a rickety upright, her dark hair falling in cascades down her back, over pretty champagne-colored robes. She looked up when he walked in, still keeping her fingers on the keys.

"Well, hello," she smiled.

"Hello, Nina." He was smiling, too.

"I'm not normally anti-social," she said, still looking at him, "But sometimes you just get the urge to play."

She was playing a lively waltz, her fingers positively dancing over the keys.

"It's lovely," he said, barely keeping track of her hands.

"Thank you, but Chopin wrote it. Do you play, Remus?"

Before he answered, she was changing keys and meter, and there was a devilish smile on her face. She was playing the bass part to the dreaded piano duet, "Heart and Soul."

He laughed and said, "Oh, go on, then." He gestured for her to scoot over on the bench, allowing him to sit on her right side.

He, of course, had to look at the keys as he was playing them. He managed to hit a few wrong ones when he was tempted to look up at her. They both laughed, but got through the song all the way to the end. Nina clapped.

He slid up from the bench and sat on the bed. "I take it you're not interested in another cheesy duet?" she asked, her fingers noiselessly gliding over the tops of the keys.

"Sadly, that's the only one I know. I could do with hearing some more Chopin, though."

"Well, my favorites are the more melancholy ones," she said, beginning to play the opening to a beautiful polonaise in a minor key, but stopped abruptly. "But those don't go over well at parties."

"Oh, I don't think they really mind," he goaded.

"If you insist…"

She played the opening to the polonaise again, putting her whole upper body into it; she hunched over at times, getting as close to the keys as possible, and then she would straighten up, her head arched to the ceiling, as if in triumph. She was positively magnificent to watch.

But watching her was nothing in comparison to the catharsis brought on by listening. It was as if the music was tearing at his fragile seams, reaching to his core and making vulnerable what was there. But just as it was pulling him apart, it was filling him up with a peaceful longing.

When she finished, she let out a long sigh. "That one always gets me."

"It was beautiful."

She sighed again. "Well, I think I've exercised enough. How about we go get some drinks?"

"Marvelous idea," he said, following her out to the backyard. He caught Hestia staring as he and Nina walked past; no doubt she was pleasantly surprised that they were spending time together.

And once they had poured their glasses, Archie looked up to see Nina and Remus toasting a glass of champagne. Surely he would have something to talk about the next time.

"To music," Remus said.

They both poured a little more and wandered over to the patio.

Remus was about to suggest they sit down when Mary Lynn Shaw, an elderly witch, caught sight of Nina.

"Ah, you're Dumbledore's niece, then, aren't you?"

They were prompted into a discussion, in which two other witches ended up joining, about the wonder of having Dumbledore as an uncle. Remus piped in a few well-placed questions, but mainly just listened. It was nice learning a bit more about Nina's connection to Dumbledore without being nosy about it; he couldn't deny he was fascinated that they were related. Not many people knew much of Dumbledore's family.

"My grandfather was his cousin, but they didn't see too much of each other growing up, and my grandfather is dead now. My father told me all about Albus, of course, but it was when my father died that I started writing to him. I always knew he was a great wizard, but he proved it to me personally by helping me develop my wandless magical skills."

They got on the interesting subject of wandless magic, and once again, Remus felt like he had the intimate story, and Nina was only sharing with them the public details. It made him feel like they were a couple.

"He always told me: magic is a feeling. It's like an emotion, but it's also like a sense, just as much as tasting and touching are senses. He said that magic emanated from me, but was also controlled completely by my own awareness. And that if I was alert enough, I should be able to feel magic in everything, and connect it to my own, and therefore influence it."

Even if he had heard the in-depth version, it still amazing him how she spoke of magic. She was speaking about magic in a way he had never before heard, in a way that made Nina seem to have a better grasp of magic than wizards who had spent their whole lives studying it. In fact, Remus had the sneaking suspicion that she was better, wand or not, at magic than he was, even though she gave the appearance of being such a novice with a wand.

But this philosophical talk had bored the older witches. The first one leaned over, patting Nina on the arm affectionately, and said, "You, dear, are quite a bright witch. And so polite, too. Especially for an American!"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Nina asked Remus under her breath. He chuckled, but felt again that nagging feeling that they were at the party together.

News was spreading that Dumbledore's niece was at the party. People came up to her in twos and threes, asking how the celebrated headmaster was doing.

Nina was polite to the guests that questioned her incessantly. To others she told hilarious stories that got people doubled-over laughing. She was one of those people you just knew you could have a good conversation with, no matter the topic.

Remus found himself making small talk with some of his older friends in the backyard, trying not to glance over at her too often.

He went to refill his champagne, and as he did this he ran into Hestia, who was looking more flushed than usually. She was having trouble pouring wine into her glass.

"Having a good time, Remus?" she asked, a little too loudly, and with a huge grin.

"Oh, yes, it's a wonderful party, Hestia."

"I see you've been beside our friend Nina for most of the evening…." She wiggled her eyebrows comically.

Remus smiled benignly at her.

Hestia suddenly burst out laughing. "Hoo, I think you can guess my ideas on the subject," she wiggled her eyebrows again, "and you know I don't like to meddle in your love life, but I think you two would make a lovely couple," she finished.

"Thank you for your input," he said. And with one last meaningful wiggle, she took off, clumsily, back into the house.

The party started winding down when Sturgis Podmore and Anthony Vedder had to drag a passed-out Bernie across the backyard and to his bed. Nina was now walking towards him, having just extracted herself from a conversation with a dejected-looking Algie Radner. She thanked Remus for the freshly poured glass of champagne, and downed it in two sips.

"Hey, I'm done with this party," Nina whispered, "do you want to go get a drink somewhere?"