The day had arrived and Pandora woke up noticing the side of her bed was cold, her husband gone. As it was a matter of life and death she bolted out of their shared bed and down the stairs she went. Her rapid heart beat slowed at the sight of Xenophilius who was decorating the tree all while some breakfast was steaming on the stove, on the couch sat a small Luna cooing at the sparkle of the christmas lights all while slobbering all over an ornament, sensing her agitated state Xenophilius walked up to her with a hug.
“Goodmorning my love” his tone full of love as he inhaled her scent, she only hummed and relished the moment. “Xen the stove will catch fire” her words muffled by the hug reached the blonde man causing him to bolt out to the kitchen to flip the french toasts making the lively infant to giggle at her father’s antics.
Steadily as if stalking her prey, Pandora creeped up to her child and tackled her with kisses and raspberries to her rosy cheeks, making the little girl shriek with glee, Xenophilius could only smile fondly at the sight of his most precious girls. Pandora had Luna on her hip as she finished placing the remaining ornaments on the tree.
The snow covered the green grass outside of their tower-like home, and little Luna couldn't wait to go outside to relish the cold. Feeling under the weather Pandora decided to stay indoors as she watched her husband and child play outside.
She stared at the blinking Christmas lights all whilst holding a cup of warm tea, when suddenly she felt something call out to her. The invisible voice was warm, warm like the summer’s she spent with her family out in the isles, although all the elders would speak of was words of disgust towards non magic folk, Evan made it feel like a warm vacation, made everything feel genuine.
She walked up the stairs following the warmth, and found herself in front of her closet door that had seen better days to say the least. The warmth grew more intense as she caught sight of the leather briefcase that had multiple initials carved into it
RAB, BCJR, DM, ER, PR
The warmth slowly traveled to her eyes, as tears threatened to spill, taking down the suitcase and setting it down on the floor as she sat in front of her only made it worse, all those fond memories came flooding back in her mind. The fights, the pranks, the lunch breaks, all the classes together. All of it gone before graduation, all of it gone because of prejudice and hatred
At this point Pandora was a puddle of sadness, tears streamed down her cheeks as the first thing she saw upon opening the briefcase was a polaroid of the five of them enjoying their last trip to Hogsmeade. Barty held two pints of butterbeer as his arms trapped Evan's waist, Evan who had the biggest smirk of all, Regulus had the most diminutive and subtle smile he could muster for the photo, herself could be seen with a toothy grin holding a peace sign in both hands, and Dorcas looking at Marlene, who was taking the photo instead of looking at the lense.
How much did she missed them. Oh how she wished she would've told Sirius that Regulus had a change of heart, yet not even him knew that she had knowledge of his change of heart. All a fruit of her pesky visions. How she wished she could have stopped Dorcas to go on that mission with Marlene and maybe they would be with her and so would their families.
Yet she knew better than to speak about her visions, it would alter fate, and fate is not to be meddled with.
It wasn't long before Xenophilius returned from playing with his daughter, once he did he saw a smiling Pandora that awaited Them both with a cup of tea and some biscuits, eyes a slight tone of pink from the tears but no one could see. Luna,ever the empath, had one look at her mother and started sobbing.
That's when it hit her, she may Have lost people to the war, but she wasn't alone, she had a beautiful daughter and a loving husband. Her being disowned from a family of hateful people was the best thing that could have happened to her in order to be happy.
Not too far from the Lovegood's residence, on a flat in muggle London sat on his sunken in couch, was Remus Lupin, the coffee table in front of him had an array of mugs that reeked of coffee and liquor, ashtray full of cigarette butt's and old newspapers of the countless canceled trials of of Sirius Black. Next to him laid a letter addressed to the Dursley residence, stamped and all awaiting its delivery.
The clock strikes midnight, meaning that Christmas was here, and he looks at the phone propped on the wall, it hauntingly stares back at him, taunting him.
Was he really expecting a phone call? From whom exactly? Everyone was gone.
He decided to ignore the red telephone and turned on the telly, the only light that illuminated his flat. The news reporter began talking about about the death of an entire family, whose cause of death is still unknown
“On a more livelier note, we have received word that something is cooking in the Wembley Stadium, which involves not only popular rock band Queen, but also David Bowie!, fans have never been this exited about an concert since-”
Remus could only stare at the screen as silent tears streamed down his face. Slowly those tears became less silent, erupting into violent sobs.
His mind went back to the time hum and Sirius stayed behind from a Hogsmeade trip to finish a history of magic essay. The dorm now deserted and essays forgotten, Sirius laid on Peter's bed while eating crisps, the crumbs all landing on the sheets “C'mon Moony, it's only a matter of time ‘fore Queen and Bowie have a concert together, or even better A SONG!”
Remus from James bed only laughed “let's see if we're still alive to see that”
“You'll see, I'll buy you tickets and you can buy the snacks and discs” Sirius smiled at him. “So I'm stuck spending the most money? Real classy of ya mate” he said with a fake scowl.
Sirius being Sirius, quickly switched to his animagus form to avoid confrontation, the fluffy dog jumped from bed to bed and reached Remus, settling himself on the boys chest before changing back “I'm the classiest” he said looking at Remus's eyes, present time Remus only snapped out of it once Sirius pressed a chaste kiss to his forehead, and all his other friends barged into the room at that moment.
Having enough he sprung into action, grabbed all the mugs that had been laying there for days and took them to the sink. He washed them one after the other before halting at the sight of one in particular.
A dark brown mug with the word Mars written in red, a gift from Mary. It started as a joke that she was going to get him a gift that combined his two favorite things tea and chocolate. So she opted for a mug that looked like his favorite chocolate brand. He had kept it even after moving.
Putting the now clean mug on the dish rack he looked back at the red telephone, looked back at the soap that covered his hands, back at the telephone, then back at his hands, now covered in blood.
He groaned, throwing the sponge at the floor, as if it's to blame. He stormed his way to the wall who's wallpaper had started to give out on it and grabbed the taunting telephone. Using the phone book he looked for the letter M, and looked and looked until he found her address and number. Shakily he spinned the dial to the corresponding numbers that showed the page. It rang once, it rang twice, just as he was about to give up the voice of a woman could be heard on the other side of the line
“Hello?” She asked, Remus sighed, relieved “Who is it?” She asked once more “Oh, yes it's me Mary, Remus. I just wanted to say—Merry Christmas” The silence was deafening. He heard a light giggle from the other line making him think that maybe, just maybe the spell she casted on herself was wron- “I'm sorry love, I think you've got the wrong number– I don't know any Remus”
Oh
“Still, merry Christmas to you too love, it's quite late so you should go sleep” with that she hung up
His heart felt like stopping all over again, his back slid down the wall as more tears streamed down his face. He was alone, fully and utterly alone.
What he didn't know is that not far away from his apartment sat Mary Mcdonald in the same predicament, only she did not know why her eyes cried and why her chest felt so heavy.
Year after year they only hoped that by the next all wounds would heal, Pandora only had nine, Remus seventeen. Never did they close, never did they healed. up until death granted them one last breath. Mary on the other hand never knew why these scars never healed, not knowing when they bled or scabbed.