All doubts Iris still had about the existence of magic disappeared during dinner. She watched plate after plate fly from the kitchen to the dining room with a simple swish of Mrs Weasleys wand. She watched a woman who went by her surname Tonks change the colour of her hair with just a thought. She watched as paintings had conversations with one another. Those things weren't normal.
The fifteen year old sat gingerly at the end of the table by the door, so if the need to make a hasty exit arrived she could just get up and leave. People kept looking her way but no one attempted to make conversation with her which Iris was grateful for. Not that she would be able to hold any sort of conversation at the current moment. She was too busy concentrating on trying to retain something resembling manners when all she really wanted to do was wolf down the food in front of her as quickly as possible. She hadn't had a proper home cook meal in... she couldn't remember, it had been that long.
It wasn't until she accidentally let out a moan of joy people started to pay her a little more interest, identically raised eyebrows aimed in her direction came from the ginger haired twins but Iris didn't care "Best thing I've ever eaten" She finally spoke which choking down a mouthful, Molly Weasley beaming at her with pride from that compliment.
Sirius Black's gaze lingered on the daughter of his best friend. He had seen that kind of hunger in her eyes before in his own reflection. She had obviously struggled in the past to find food, perhaps even starved at one point. Iris was small, that much anybody could see. She was short and her frame was unnaturally thin so the large jacket she was wearing swallowed her up. It saddened him, to see the sadness, distrust and anger in the green eyes he knew so well. She looked as much like Lilly as Harry did James. Sirius knew had things gone the way they should have gone he would have been uncle Padfoot to her- not a stranger. There wouldn't be lines of worry already starting to etch their way onto the teenagers forehead because the only thing she would've had to worry about was completing her Hogwarts essay's on time. Instead, she looked like she had been through hell. Sirius had wished he had something in common with the girl so he could find a way to relate with her, he just wish that wasn't it.
"So Iris, what sort of things are you into?" Tonks asked Iris with a bright grin. The teenage shrugged her shoulders.
"There isn't much to do. I spend most of my time in the park." Iris admitted honestly. "I used to swim a lot, but not any more" The way she said it made it obvious questions shouldn't be asked about it. But Ronald Weasley, never being one to pick up on subtle hint, asked why anyway. "Because I don't" She snapped back quickly.
Almost the moment she was finished eating, the girl stood up and asked if she could go to the bathroom. "I'll show you the way" Remus volunteered. Iris didn't get a chance to disagree before she was being herded out of the room, Remus's hand hovering behind her back but not touching her. "I imagine this is a lot to take in. I'm still not too used to it yet, being around a lot of people. I suppose it would be even more difficult for yourself, being that we're all strangers" Remus mused as the two walked up the stairs.
"I've been on my own for as long as I can remember, being around strangers is nothing new. Being around strangers that want to get to know me, however, is the new bit" Iris admitted "Most of the time if people ask me a questions, it's whether or not they can bum a smoke." As she spoke the final word she subconsciously pulled her backpack higher up on her shoulder, a movement that caught Remus's eye.
"Ah, whilst we're here" He started as the pair reached the third floor of the house. "This is the bathroom for this floor, and two doors down is your bedroom. It's not fully cleaned at the moment, but none of the rooms are. We just thought you'd like a room to yourself" The man said, walking her to the room.
It was large with yellowing walls and old, vintage furniture. There was peeling paint on everything and the floor was cracked but it was still the nicest room Iris had ever been able to call hers. Most of her previous bedrooms had damp and mould. Or the bed was too small and the sheets dirty. This room smelt clean, and the bedsheets a bright white with a warm looking blanket at the end. Sun spilled into the room via the large window facing west, meaning she would be able to see the sunset every night. "It's good" Was all Iris managed to say. She wasn't good at properly conveying how she felt but Remus seemed to know. Her expression said it all.
"Good" he repeated with a smile. "You can leave your things in here, and any dirty laundry you want washed, just put it in the basket" he finished before leaving Iris alone.
She had a shower that night. Standing under warm water than steamed up the mirror on the other side of the bathroom for over an hour to try and maintain the blissful feeling for as long as possible. Fancy looking shampoo and conditioner that Iris felt was too good for her had been left on a counter in her new room so she figured they were okay to use. By the end of the experience, Iris smelt like strawberry's and vanilla. The matts and knots in her hair had been worked out and she looked better than she had in a long time. There was an actual flush to her naturally pale skin.
Back in her bedroom (That she still couldn't believe was hers) somebody had left a night gown on her bed and her dirty clothes had been taken away. Iris hadn't worn a night dress since she was a kid. Usually it was either sweatpants or just the clothes she had been wearing during the day.
Getting under the covers and pulling the blanket right up to her chin, she couldn't believe this was actually happening. That she was showered, dressed in clean clothes with a full stomach and a bed to herself. She was still suspicious of the people downstairs and of why they wanted her, but in that moment, Iris didn't care, that would be a problem to figure out in the future. For now, for the first time in years, she was experiencing genuine comfort. Quickly placing the chair in the room under the door handle of the room as a just in case, Iris climbed into the bed and let herself sink into the soft sheets and drift off to sleep.