barista.
As soon as Remus stepped out of his apartment complex he regretted it.This was the first day after Remus' favourite coffee shop in town had closed down.He knew the manager and all of the co workers by name and they greeted him everyday,allowing him to type into his phone his answers to questions or any general conversation they had.He was always welcome and made comfortable in the small,little coffee shop just to the left of his apartment building.So,when the coffee shop closed,Remus knew he had to make a decision.Never have coffee again or have to explain through his phone the whole 'i'm deaf and can communicate to you by typing on my phone' thing.Kidding.Although,it was probably a bit dramatic but Remus really hated communicating with new people,never being able to tell if they were talking about him without him knowing was hard.Remus of course,was an excellent lip reader but all it took was for someone to turn their back or even turn their head slightly and Remus would be left in the dark,unknowing of what was going on.
Remus sighed inwardly before setting off,walking down the street to where Lily had told him the next nearest coffee shop was.It was about a 2 minute walk from his apartment building,but Remus spent the whole time trying his best not to psych himself out too much.He reached the glass double doors,that lead into the very cosy looking cafe.Surely this couldn't be so bad,Remus thought as he pushed the door open and walked inside.
The line for the counter was about 7 people long making Remus realise that he had caught the cafe in "prime coffee drinking time" as Lily would call it.So here Remus was,at 8:30 in the morning just before the average adult would start work or just as the students make their way to the nearby bus stop,catching the bus to college,stood in the line at the new cafe.
Remus shook his hands out nervously.He already had the message written out in his notes app on his phone,already re-reading it ovet.It was just a simple "hi,sorry i'm deaf,Could i please get a-" Remus' phone went black and he found himself frowning,repeatedly pressing the side button trying to turn it back on.No,surely this wasn't happening.Remus and Lily had fallen asleep on the couches of their apartment after their weekly movie night last night and apparently that included Remus forgetting to plug his phone in to charge.Remus watched nervously as the no battery symbol light up on his phone,confirming his suspicions.
Somehow in the time Remus had spent typing out his message, re-reading it and discovering that his phone was now dead,the line had dropped,leaving only one person infront of Remus.Remus had decided that it was too late to turn back and hey,if it went terribly wrong he could just never go back or show his face anywhere ever again.Remus shook his head,trying his best to shake the negativity away,if that was even possible.He watched as the lady infront of him grabbed her drink and moved to grab a straw,meaning that it was Remus' turn.
He stepped forwards with a nervous half-smile,staring at the brown haired barista before him.The man wore large round glasses,the golden frames reflecting slightly in the natural light of the shop.He had possibly the biggest,friendliest smile that Remus had ever seen.Atleast he looked to be friendly right?
The man spoke to Remus and Remus kept his eyes focused on the mans lips,translating what he had said to him."Hiya,what can i get for you?" the man had asked.Remus rubbed his hand against the back of his neck,trying to think of a way to communicate his situation.This was a bad idea.Remus bit his lip before bring a hand up and gently tapping his finger against his ear.The man looked confused at first before opening his mouth again."Are you deaf?" he asked and by the gentle look on his face,Remus was guessing (and really hoping) that he wasn't judging him for it.Remus nodded before holding up his phone and showing the out of battery symbol to the man,hoping that cleared a few things out and the man's sweet smile returned before he looked around the small cafe.Remus could see when the man had found what,or who,he was looking for because his smile brightened and he opened his mouth.Remus had guessed that he was yelling or talking loudly at least,mainly due to the slight tension that formed in his chest as he spoke.
Another man made his way around the counter to stand beside James,hanging his small hand towel over his shoulder.Remus focused really hard for the next part,trying his best to decifer what the man was saying to the other,new barista beside him.The second man's hair was longer,jet black strands reaching almost down to his shoulders,the front parting perfectly in the middle.Remus watched as the man with the glasses began talking,his hands gesturing to both Remus and the other man."He's deaf and his phone is dead so i'm guessing he can't comminucate through typing on his phone" Remus picked up the mans words and the nod he had recieved before the other man took his place.
Remus had expected for the other man to grab a drinks menu,maybe ask Remus to point to what he wanted.However,what he didn't expect was for the man to look at him,with a smile before lifting his own hands up.
hello,my namesS-i-r-i-u-s.The man signed and Remus' lips parted in suprise.you can sign? Remus asked,looking at the man across the counter.The man nodded and Remus felt his own shoulder relax in relief,earning a bright smile from the man across the counter from him.So what can i get for you? The man asked and Remus looked at him.Just an iced latte please.Remus signed and the man nodded,signing that Remus' drink would cost £3.10 before moving around the counter,putting Remus' drink together.
Remus waited patiently,his eyes wandering around the shop before finally meeting the baristas again.There you go He signed as he placed Remus' coffee infront of him on the counter.Thank you Remus replied and the man nodded,a friendly smile on his face.Are you from around here? Remus watched the man's hands,finding himself feeling surprised that he wanted to keep a conversation going with Remus rather than hurrying him out of the shop.yes,i don't usually visit new places,especially not cafes or coffee shops.Atleast not without a friend to order for me.It makes me a bit nervous. the man nodded,watching Remus' hands intently,his face never falling and his smile never fading away for even a second.Well,i hope i helped you feel a bit more comfortable? the man asked,finishing with a smile,directed at Remus.You did.Thanksagain Remus gave the man a smile,watching how he returned the smile back straight away. have a nice day.See you again soon? the man asked,a questioning look on his face.Remus' smile grew slightly before he nodded,signing one last thank you before picking up his drink and heading out onto the street.
Remus took a breath of fresh air,letting his previous worries fade away completely.He spent his walk to his first speech therapy appointment of the week,thinking about the two baristas.The first one,his smile never fading and his eyes staying bright behind his glasses and the second one,his hands moving in perfect sign language,never once judging Remus.
Speech therapy was normal,Remus doing as he's told for an hour,following rules and instructions.When he finally finished with Minerva,he made his way back down the street in the direction of his apartment,sipping on his half full iced coffee.
As Remus passed the coffee shop,he peered inside,through the glass doors as he walked past.He spotted Sirius,he stood behind the counter beside the other barista,the one with the glasses.He had his head threw back in laughter,matching the other man beside him.
Remus reached his and Lily's shared apartment,being greeted by Lily who had just gotten up,her hair pointing out in all different directions.
you got something to say? lily signed,raising an eyebrow at Remus who had been looking at the wild hair.Your hair looks nice Remus returned,trying not to laugh but being unable to stop the smile that spread across his face.
You're an arse she signed and Remus placed a hand on his chest,mocking taking offense.Lily smiled,blowing him a kiss before making herself a cup of tea.
The pair sat on the sofa,facing eachother with their feet up,meeting in the middle of the couch.So he knew sign language? she asked and Remus nodded,placing his empty coffee cup on the small table beside him.Wow that's impressive lily signed before picking up her tea again,nursing it in her hands.Yeah,it was perfect too,No mistakes Remus signed and the pair carried on discussing Remus' morning before eventually turning the TV on,the subtitles sitting across the bottom of the screen,big enough for Remus to read them.