The workshop
Remus
Remus had been in the workshop all day. It simply had to function. He needed it to.
Although Remus had been at camp for many years, he had never been on a quest. Not that there had been many opportunities.
Lily had always dreamed of going on an important mission. She used to say she was all about the glory. But Remus suspected she was just trying to make her mum proud.
Lily had never met Athena before. That was not uncommon, because not many demigods get to know their godly parents. Remus himself had never seen his father.
But Lily always seemed to believe that if she made Athena proud, she would show herself to her. Remus thought that was pretty unlikely, since the gods didn't really care about their half-blood children, but he didn't want to crush Lily's dreams.
That's why he wasn't surprised that Lily had signed up for the quest. At first, Remus wasn't sure if he should join, but when Minerva repeated the first line of the prophecy, he had an idea.
If his latest project worked, then their problems would be solved.
Remus had just made the final tweaks when the door to the workshop opened. He assumed it was Arthur, or maybe even Lily.
But standing in the doorway was a grinning James Potter. Remus carefully put his work aside and stood up.
‘James? Is there anything I can help you with?’
James began to walk around the workshop, looking at the various things. Remus could understand that, because the workshop was quite impressiv when you see it for the first time. The walls and tables were full of inventions and projects that the children of Hephaestus had built. The pillars and ceiling were ornately decorated with celestial bronze and wires.
James was now standing at a table with numerous jars filled with various flowers of celestial bronze and other metals. It was Arthur's latest project. Remus had to fight the urge to shout ‘don't touch anything!’ at James. But he managed to restrain himself. Instead, he walked over to James and slowly led him away from the projects. He was still looking at the inventions in awe. Remus was beginning to lose his patience.
‘What do you need, James?’
That seemed to snap James out of his thoughts. He blinked a few times before turning to Remus.
‘I wanted to ask you something.’
Remus didn't have a good feeling. He knew, of course, that James might want to know something quite harmless from him. Like a question about the means of transport for the quest, for example. That was exactly what it had to be. But maybe he needed something else. Remus ordered himself to pull himself together. A single sentence shouldn't throw him off balance like that. Subconsciously, Remus took a piece of wire in his hand and began to twist it. That calmed him down. He noticed that James was still staring at him expectantly. Remus took a deep breath before answering James.
‘Yes, of course. What do you want to know?’
Remus had expected a lot of things, but he could never have guessed what James was about to say.
‘You're friends with Regulus, right?’
Remus looks at James, confused.
‘I guess? We get on well. Why do you ask?’
James seemed nervous, if only for a moment.
‘Nothing special. I was just wondering if you knew a few things about him. Like his favorite food or colour. I'm just curious.’
Remus could feel his mind analysing James' words. How every word was picked apart and scrutinised. It's a habit. Remus always forms things in a way, so that he can take them apart and put them back together. He often understands emotions better this way. Remus finds that machines are often easier to understand than people. As he considers James' words, a draft begins to form in his head. Remus had an idea, what this was about. He did see the way James sometimes looked at the younger Black brother. Remus smiled.
‘I don't know Regulus well enough, but why don't you go and see the Rosiers? They often spend time with him. Maybe Regulus would even talk to you in person, if you ask him.’
He winks at James, who immediately began to blush.
‘Okay, thanks Remus. I-I'll go and see the Rosiers.’
With those words, James left the workshop. Remus looked after him before turning back to his work. He had to make sure to fix the last complications.
The wire Remus had held in his hands earlier was now in the shape of a small duck. He had to smile. He would give this figurine to Lily later. She had a whole collection of little wire figures that Remus had made over the years.
Sighing, he put the duck aside and turned his attention to the round metal discs in front of him.
Tonight they would be leaving.
Remus just hoped that everything went well.