The Man in the Kitchen
Remus sat on the floor hugging his knees to his chest, trying his best to think of anything but the man in the kitchen. He shut his eyes to calm himself down, blocking out all the sunshine that was spilling into the room and warming his back. He took note of all the other things that became enhanced whenever he set aside one of his senses, making a list in his head to distract himself even more.
The room smelled like fresh cut grass, blowing the scent in from the open window. The wind battered at the pale blue shutters outside the house, that he didn't need to open his eyes to see vividly. The soft carpet that sat in the middle of the floor, soft and comforting when he brushed his hand along it. The radio playing faintly in the corner of the room.
‘Here comes the sun, do-do-do-do
Here comes the sun and i say,
It's alright’
He had heard this song play so many times while he was in this room, it wasn't his own however.
“ I'll call back for you in an hour or so, stay with Mr and Mrs Wilkins for a bit, keep Jane company.” His mother had said to him when she dropped him at their doorstep, what felt like three hours ago, although it was probably only around thirty minutes.
“One of the doctors is here to talk to Lyall and I. '' She told Mrs Wilkins. It wasn't exactly a lie, there was a doctor involved but she wasn't visiting. Another man was visiting. He was dressed in billowing clothes that would make any normal person glance back and forth to make sure they weren't imagining things. Remus was half sure he was imagining things, the man at least.
He was told to stay put and not bother his parents while they talked to that strange man that his dad somehow knew from his school days. Remus had never met anyone from his fathers school, never even seen any pictures. He was sent up to Jane's room to wait, anxious and curious to know who the man in the kitchen was.
“Remy?” Jane whispered, and tapped the boy on the shoulder. “Remus, are you feeling alright?”
Remus opened his eyes and saw Jane kneeling next to him, a pale yellow bandanna wrapped around her head to hide the fact her hair was gone. Remus was used to it though, hardly knowing Jane any other way.
“Yeah I'm fine, just tired I guess.”
Jane nodded, “Who's here to talk to your parents?” she asked and sat with her legs crossed in front of him, leaning forward excitedly.
“Dunno, mum wouldn't say.'' Remus shrugged. He wasn't completely lying. He knew the man was here to talk about that school , at least that's what he overheard his father say. Jane didn't need to know that yet, not if i wasn't for certain, and Remus was intent on doing everything he could not to go to his fathers old school.
After approximately an eternity of waiting according to Remus, Mrs Wilkins appeared in the doorway. “Jane dear, it's time for Remus to go home.” She smiled and nodded her head out into the corridor.
Remus looked at Jane, shrugging his shoulders. She pulled him in, whispering something into his ear, and Remus smiled at her as he got up to leave.
“Bye!'' Jane called aloud before Remus slipped out of the room with a bit more energy in his footsteps than he had when he arrived.
Remus’ mother was waiting in the living room when he got to the end of the stairs, already holding her hand out so they could take the short walk back to their own house.
As soon as his mother opened up the front door, the man was visible from the kitchen, sitting with his father. “Ahh, this must be Mr Lupin.” the old man smiled and made his way towards the two, holding out his hand. His silvery beard brushing the floor as he knelt down to meet Remus's eye.
“Hello.'' Remus said quietly and shook the man's hand. “Who are you?” he furrowed his eyebrows and returned his hand to an arms crossed position, backing up to be closer to his mother.
“Remus, this is Professor Dumbledore, he's here to talk to you about school .” his mother smiled and put a hand on her son's shoulder, leading them all back into the kitchen, and sitting down at the small circular table.
“Why? You teach me here, I like it here ." Remus frowned, glaring at the professor as he sat down across from him.
“Son it's nearing time for you to attend Hogwarts.” Remus' father said and stood up, walking towards the kitchen counter to fetch the kettle. “Professor Dumbledore here came to discuss with us today. Unannounced .” he added with a titled stare at the man with his final word.
The man chuckled, his eyes glittering in the sunlight. “I apologise for my unexpected arrival, it took time to clear my schedule and I needed a moment to prepare our argument.”
“Argument? What's that supposed to mean?” Remus asked, and straightened his posture.
Mr Lupin glanced at the professor who didn't seem to be ready to say anything. “Professor Dumbledore claims he would really like you to attend Hogwarts this year, since you are eleven now. Your mother and I don't think that is such a safe idea considering your… condition .”
Remus made a face. He hated the way his father said it. ‘ Your condition. ’
“Lyall dear don't be so negative, i think it might be a good idea,” Mrs lupin smiled and beckoned for Lyall to rejoin them at the table. “Why don't you and the professor talk for a bit, Remus? He can tell you all about Hogwarts?”
Remus opened his mouth to argue but the man cut him off before he could get a word out, “That sounds great, thank you Mrs Lupin. '' he nodded to her and she blushed. He turned back to Remus once more, peering down at him through a silver pair of half moon glasses. “Why don't we go into the other room?” he suggested and stood up, robes cascading into place perfectly.
Remus followed him into the next room and sat on the single person armchair, across from the couch where the man plopped down.
“Why do you want me at your school?” Remus scoffed once he made eye contact with the man. “Aren't I too dangerous for that? I- I could hurt people.”
“No, no, Mr Lupin, you see, I don't think you are dangerous.” he tutted. “I think you deserve an opportunity.” he smiled.
Remus breathed in deep, “What is Hogwarts anyways, my dad mentioned it before but he didn't explain much. Only a few stories.”
“Hogwarts is a school of magic.” the man said with the twinkle returning to his eyes. “Hmm lets see . . .” he trailed off and looked around the room.
His eyes focused on the butterflies Remus’ mother had painted onto an old canvas that was hung above the fireplace, back when she had a fascination with art. With a slowed down blink from Dumbledore, the painting whirred to life. The butterflies peeled from the canvas and flapped their wings to circle around the room.
“Woah.” Remus gasped and reached up to touch the moving blur of oil paints. The butterfly settled on his fingertip and flapped its wings, then fluttered off again returning to the canvas with the others like they had never moved at all.
“Hogwarts is an amazing place, if you give it a chance.” the man smiled. “I have been working for months to make the perfect accommodations to cater your specific condition.”
Remus winced at the words again. “What's that mean?” he narrowed his eyes, shaking off the annoyance from how everyone seemed to describe him.
“We have a way to protect you and the other students during your transformations each month that will keep everyone safe, if you choose to attend.” he said and fiddled with a pocket in his robes, pulling out a small crisp letter with a deep red wax seal holding it shut.
Remus took the letter, and looked up at the man before opening it. The man nodded to him in reassurance, so Remus pulled the flap of the letter open. Inside was a letter to himself, listing the supplies and uniforms necessary to attend the school.
“I'll let you look this over while I have a chat with your father.” the man smiled warmly and gilded out of the room.
Remus had reread the letter eight times when his mother, father, and the professor entered the living room. His mother sat, perched on the arm of the chair, his father with the professor on the couch.
“Remus, have you made a decision?” his mother asked.
Remus looked up at her. He hadn't even thought about making a decision yet, too overwhelmed by the thought of it all. Hogwarts was a boarding school which meant he couldn't go home until the year ended, and for holidays perhaps. He would have to ask about the holidays. “I don’t know.” he said quietly and folded the letter in his hands.
The professor tapped his hands on his knees, and rose to his feet,“I'll let you all talk as a family, I hope to see you in September, Mr Lupin.” he said and Remus's father walked the man out, shutting the door behind him.
“Do I have to?” Remus asked immediately.
His parents exchanged glances, then his mother spoke up. “Why wouldn't you go dear?”
Remus shrugged. “I like it here. I don't need stuffy old teachers. I’d be alone anyways, at least home I have Jane.”
Mr Lupin cleared his throat and picked up the letter that was put aside on the coffee table. “Remus I don't want you to fight me on this, but I think it’s safest for you to attend Hogwarts. You will go.”
Remus looked up at his mother with a pitiful frown, but she held her expression strong. “You love it there I promise. After all, your father enjoyed his years there, I'm sure you will make plenty of friends and have a wonderful time” she smiled and kissed the top of his head.
“Tomorrow i have the day set aside to get your school supplies, you and your mother and i will all go to Diagon alley.'' Mr Lupin said plainly as he got up and brushed off the tops of his pant legs.
Remus looked at his feet. He didn't want to go to school even if it was a magic one. “Can I go outside?” he asked and carefully avoided the eyes of both his parents.
Mrs Lupin tapped Remus’ shoulders, “Sure dear, just be in by dark for supper.”
Remus hopped up from the couch and slipped out the back door of the house. He crossed the large grassy meadow that stretched out forever until it reached a forest. A few trees sat in patchy spots but Remus always ran to the same one.
He reached up to the wooden plank that had been nailed into the tree, then one a bit higher than the first, slowly climbing up the makeshift ladder and into a well built, wooden treehouse.
“So?” Jane asked as soon as Remus; head popped into the small space, already waiting for him there. “What's happened?”
Remus grunted and sat against the wall, pausing a long while before admitting the truth. “I'm being sent away.” he sighed, fearing to meet her eyes.
“No,” Jane said quietly, then again in a sort of wail, “no you can't go!”
“Mum and dad want me to go to school.” Remus bit his lip, “it's a boarding school.”
“Why can't you go to school closer by?” she pouted, “or stay homeschooled by your mum?”
Remus scratched the back of his neck, hoping he could come up with a believable excuse in such a short time allotted. He wasn't a very good liar. “Doctors.” he blurted out. “the schools’ gonna help me get better, they've got good doctors.” he lied, but not well.
“Oh.” Jane sighed. “Could I go to school too? Maybe they could help me?”
“No.'' Remus replied too quickly. “No,” he said more gently, “It wouldn't help you.”
Jane nodded and didn't push the matter. She was good when it came to things like that, not prying into matters that clearly wanted to stay secluded away. “When do you go?”
Remus tilted his head realising he didn't actually know when he would be sent off. “I don't know, a month or so? Isn't that when the normal schools start?”
Jane shrugged. “I haven't been in normal kid school since I was little.”
Remus nodded. He didn't mean to ask the wrong questions and make Jane uncomfortable but she didn't seem to mind. Jane had come to live next to Remus about three years ago in search of better care for some strange illness that she developed. A weird name Remus hated saying, ‘ cancer’, it was almost as bad as ‘ your condition.’
Jane didn't like to talk about it so Remus wasn't too aware of what it did to her. He only knew the few visible things. The new fancy medicine the doctors gave her made her hair go away, and she wasn't allowed to go anywhere. It took a whole year and a half until her parents let her talk to Remus up close and not from the window of her bedroom.
Remus tried to scare the thought from his head. “I'm getting the school stuff tomorrow.” he shrugged.
Jane nodded. “What kind of stuff?”
Remus clicked his lounge. “School uniform, books, writing stuff.” he said and it sounded true enough. She didn't need to know they were books about magic, and quill, ink, and parchment he was purchasing.
“Sounds lovely,” she breathed in a natural and carefree way yet still entirely fascinated with the idea of school . “I'm going to go to school one day.” she declared.
“You are?” Remus gave her a funny glance.
“Yes.” she smiled. “I'll go to school and I'll be going to parties and I'll have tons of friends.”
“What am I then?” Remus scoffed.
“You don't count.” she smirked. “You're my best friend, you're stuck with me.” she held out her pointer finger.
Remus rolled his eyes and looped his own finger around hers. Their secret little thing. Silly it may seem but it meant the world to the both of them.