Yorkshire II - Kettlewell
It was raining cats and dogs when Agnes arrived in Kettlewell, Yorkshire. It was windy, but she had a firm grip on her broom, allowing her to control her flying. She was drenched from the rain, but did not mind, really. She liked the feeling of being entirely dependent on the weather. Although she did not have her wand with her, she could have used her elemental magic to protect herself, ordering the rain to avoid touching her. But it wasn't why she had been given that power, and she knew that. She was born as an elemental to become one with nature, to better understand it, and to help it thrive.
She could not help but smile, there was something exciting about going on a trip by herself. She landed carefully at the entrance of the town. It was already dark outside and everyone had gone home. Spring days were here but the temperature was a little low for the season. She could not wait to take a warm shower and discover her new house for the next few weeks.
She had planned to stay in Kettlewell for at least a dozen days and then would see whether to go back to London or not.
Agnes quickly arrived in the wizard part of the town, crossing a brick wall just like in Diagon Alley. There, the streets were not more populated and she had to enter the first shop she saw with light on to ask for directions. It was a traditional british pub, where a huge man was standing behind the bar, cleaning some glasses. He had a thick moustache which ends were curling in a funny way. The man looked up at Agnes when she stepped in, all drenched from the rain.
- Evening', Can I ask you where's Scamander's Old Inn, please? The young witch asked, not daring entering the room fearing to wet the wooden floor.
The man examined here a few seconds before he stared back at her.
- End of the street, on the right, last house on the left. He said, a unbothered tone to his voice.
- Thank you!
She rushed outside and decided to run to avoid getting anymore wet. She was starting to get a little tired from having flown all the way from London. And her butt hurt from sitting on the broom for hours.
When she arrived in front of the little cottage, it was so small it looked like it only had one room. She grabbed the key the landlord had hidden under the carpet in the entrance and entered quickly. Agnes undressed at once and rushed to the bathroom to enjoy a nice long hot shower. Best. Feeling. Ever.
The little house she had rented was not too modern but it had everything she needed and felt comfortable. She fell asleep shortly after having cleaned up, exhausted.
***
March 15th, 1982
It was a beautiful day outside. The rain had completely disappeared and a nice spring sunlight was entering Agnes' room to gently wake her up. She felt so well rested and in a good mood.
She could not wait to visit the wand shop to get a brand new wand. It was starting to be annoying not having one. But first, breakfast! Not having anything to cook with, the young witch walked to the pub she had visited the previous day to get some food. There, a few wizards were already enjoying their meal, or a warm coffee and butterbeer. She came to sit down at the bar, waiting to order.
She was expecting to see the old man from yesterday, but he seemed busy in the kitchen, while a waiter was passing by the tables to check with his customers. A few minutes later, the young man walked to the bar to face Agnes and take her order.
- Hiya, What can I ge-
Agnes couldn't believe her eyes. The waiter had stopped mid-phrase as well, in shock. In front of her was standing Remus Lupin, wearing an apron and a little notebook for orders.
- Agnes?!
- Remus??!
- What are you-
- .. Doing here?!
- I.. I work here. The young man said, looking away shyly.
- Since when? I kept asking everyone where to find you but they had no idea..!
- What are you doing here, Lenoir?
He looked a little uncomfortable having her here. Agnes felt her heart race. What a coincidence! She had so many things she wanted to ask him, so many things they had to talk about. But Remus looked uneased and she decided to stop herself.
- I am on.. vacation. 'Came here to buy a wand.
- A wand? Don't you have one already?
- It's a long story... She said, not wanting to say much. What about you? How come you're a waiter now? Especially in Kettlewell?
- It's.. a long story, he repeated, his eyes darkened a little.
The owner of the pub had come out of the kitchen with two servings ready in both hands.
- 'Got time for fancying the customers, Lupin? Now you better get these to table five and six.
Remus, pink cheeks, apologized to his employer and grabbed the plates before walking away from Agnes. Instead, the old man took her order, and she ate one of the best food she had ever had in a long time.
- We're going to have to talk. She said, mimicking each word with her mouth towards Remus before she left the pub.
- This one feels right. She said to the seller, holding a beautiful wooden wand in her hand.
- The magic emanating from it seems to coincide with you, Miss. That'll be 7 Galleons!
Agnes handed a few coins and thanked the woman, before she decided to wander a bit in the small town. It had only a few streets and she only needed an hour to look around.
It felt good to finally own a wand again. Everything was so easy now! It was a true new beginning.
She sat down in the pub again that afternoon, wanting to ask Remus for his work schedule. She really needed to speak with him. While sipping her coffee, she wrote a few letters, one to the Dunbars to let them know she was well arrived, and one to Jeanne and Pierre who had returned in France. The last one was intended to Mrs Longbottom, Frank's mother. She was sending her wishes of health for the couple and for their only son. She promised to visit again once she'd be back in the city.
The day had gone by so fast and it was already getting darker outside. Remus was finishing work, and she had almost missed him since he had left by the back door.
- Hey, Lupin!
The young man was walking in the opposite direction, at the entrance of the city.
- Remus, wait !
Was he not hearing her? Or was he purposely avoiding her?
- Remus John Lupin!! She screamed, and a few people turned to her, surprised.
The former Gryffindor eventually decided to stop and look at her. He looked tired. Agnes walked up to him, her eyebrows frowned.
- Are you avoiding me? She asked simply.
- 'Don't know what you're talking about.
- Don't joke with me, Lupin.
- I'm sorry, I just hoped to go home early today. 'Had a long day.
- Then we'll talk while walking.
Agnes' steps were uncertain. She did not recognize her friend. She could not imagine what had happened when she was away, how Remus must have handled the loss of James and Lily, as well as the apparent betrayal of Sirius, as well as the murder of Peter. It was a lot to take in, and she knew he must have felt completely lost and miserable.
- How long have you been here?
- Since.. December. Remus answered, looking at his feet while walking.
- Did you go? To.. to the funerals.
- Agnes.
- Sorry, I- you might not want to talk about it.
- You're right, I don't.
- I am sorry I wasn't here. I really wish I was. I really wish I could have done something.
- Don't we all?
- Right..
- Where were you? Everyone was looking for you.
- I was... trapped. Somewhere.
Remus seemed to catch on her words and looked up in her eyes.
- Did someone get to you? He asked, his eyebrows frowned slightly.
- I-..
Suddenly, it was hard to say it. She could not put words on what she had experienced. Being trapped underwater for months, unconscious. She could still feel the cold on her members and the current pushing her away from the shore. She could remember the sky she had been looking at when Adeline had rescued her, how she had no strength to move. She had lost her broom, her wand, and everybody thoguht her dead. And when she had been back, her friend had died, being imprisoned or vanished.
She did not want to but-
Her eyes started to fill with tears, while staring at Remus, still unable to formulate herself.
As if the young wizard read her mind, he took her hand and guided her through the streets. They arrived in front of an even smaller house than the one she had rented, a little outside of town. He opened the door and invited her in.
- Sit down, I'll make us some tea. Let me know if you're cold and I'll start the fire. He said, leaving her hand to go to the kitchen.
Agnes nodded and sat down, trying to dry her eyes with her sleeve. It was too embarassing if she cried like this in front of her friend. He came back to sit by her side, two cups of warm tea in his hands.
- I'm sorry. I forget how terrible that war has been on others as well.
- No, you have the right to be upset. Especially when I just appear like this out of nowhere. I promise it is a coincidence, really!
- I believe you, you would not have tracked me down here, Remus answered, a soft smile on his face. Now, tell me. What happened to you?
- I..
They looked into each other's eyes, looking for answers. The young woman did not know where to start.
- I was there, that night. She started. I felt.. like I had to go there, like something was happening in Godric's Hollow. But when I got there, Hagrid told me to leave, and my power became sort of... uncontrollable. And I saw her. And Harry. And- And- I don't know how but I fell down my broom and-...
She was starting to cry again. Oh, maybe it wasn't so bad after all. Remus was listening to her carefully, his hands were slightly shaking.
- I fell in the river, and fainted. When I woke up I- I was so far away, but still underwater. I managed to go back on the land, where I was rescued by a muggle. When I got back to London, everyone thought me dead... They looked at me like they had already grieved me... That's when they told me I was away for three months. I've been trapped underwater for three months, Remus. And now I'm terrified that it'll happen again.
Before she knew it, she felt the young man's arms embrace her and hold her against him. Her tears were falling down her cheeks uncontrollably. He was moving his hand back and forth to comfort her and caressed her hair to help her calm down.
- I'm sorry.. Agnes said eventually, gathering her senses.
Remus had remained silent, and grabbed the cup of tea to hand it to his friend. He looked pale.
- I'm glad you're okay, Agnes. He said at last, fidgeting on his own cup, looking at his feet.
There was something different about the young wizard. He looked tired and he seemed to have lost a lot of weight. His skin was stained with a few new scratches and an older large scar across his cheeks and his nose. She had never asked him details about how he'd got these injuries. Remus liked to keep his private life to himself, and only James, Sirius and Peter were the ones who knew much about him.
And now they were gone.
Agnes felt so ashamed for having ranted about her own issues instead of thinking of how hard it must have been for her Remus to lose all of his friends in a few months only. She could not imagine how he felt. And perhaps it was better if she didn't.
The pain she felt when thinking of Antoine must have been similar, the same for when her mind pictured Lily and James, embracing their son Harry, smiling so brightly. And that poor Peter... Still, it was hard to believe that Sirius Black was a death eater, after all... The Daily Prophet kept reminding its readers of how he had murdered and betrayed his own friends for You-Know-Who.
Agnes had been away for a few months, but she deeply knew there was something odd to it. Or perhaps she just did not want to admit that Sirius was indeed a bad person.
She suddenly got the urge to vomit, only thinking of the former gryffindor's face. How could he? She still recalled their night at a muggle pub, and when they had sat down in a park and drank beer, how Sirius had asked her personal questions.. He seemed to sincere. And she believed he was.
The two friends talked a little longer about their plans in Kettlewell. Remus had found a bartender job in the town's pub, after having been rejected from most of his applications. He had not specify why they hadn't wanted him, and Agnes knew he was a diligent student and worker. But she didn't insist.
After an hour or so, the young witch thanked her friend and she walked home, her mind full of various thoughts.
That night, she dreamt of Alice Longbottom, who seemed to want to tell her something, but only mumbled and Agnes could not understand. Also, Sirius' face kept appearing, screaming in all directions he was a real wolf, and that James should eat more cake. She woke up when the strange dark-looking dog was about to jump on her.