Chapter 1203: Visit to the Lupin Household
In an idyllic farmhouse with surrounding fields, a thin, fair-skinned Welsh woman tucks wisps of brown hair back behind her ears. Hope Lupin's eyes have golden flecks full of light as she hangs up freshly washed clothes. She hums a little tune as she hangs the clothes of her eldest son and husband followed by tiny baby nappies and baby clothes.
Only a few years ago, Hope would have never imagined such a scene. Her eldest son was a werewolf, but a little over two years ago, he was cured of lycanthropy. It was such a blessing to their family.
Neither Hope nor her husband, Lyall, could have ever imagined that their small family would continue to grow. She had been just as shocked as her husband. For years there had been no signs of her becoming pregnant. She had once hoped to give Remus a younger brother or sister, but that hope had rapidly faded away entirely as the years passed.
At first, she and Lyall had thought she had caught an infectious disease. In a panic, Lyall had taken her to St. Mungo's. To their shock, they had learned she was pregnant.
The pregnancy itself had been much smoother than that of Remus's. Though the birth of her youngest son had been much tougher on her. Her body apparently wasn't as spry as when she gave birth to Remus.
On April 4th, 1976, at precisely 1:20 a.m., Romulus Lupin was born. Romulus was a squalling bundle of joy. He wasn't small either, no, no. He was 2.73 kilograms (6 lbs. 4 ounces)!
The heat of the day causes Hope to dry the sweat forming on her brow with her sleeve. It had been dreadfully hot this summer. The heat was starting to break but there was not much reviving. Thankfully Lyall had placed cooling charms on the house along with purchasing cooling rune stones to cool their home. Otherwise, they would all be roasting!
Crossing the yard, Hope enters through the back of the house. She sees a tall, thin young man with russet hair leaving over a bassinet. Her eldest son, Remus is crouched over her three-month-old son, Romulus. The fuzzy-haired baby wiggles his little limbs and babbles back to his big brother.
Straightening up Remus easily towers over his mother, Hope Lupin (nee Howell). "I made a pitcher of lemonade, while you were out, mum," he pointed to the pitcher of fresh cold lemonade onto top of a checker patterned tablecloth.
"Oh, thank you, Remus," Hope appreciatively said as she walked over to pour herself a cup of ice-cold lemonade. At times like these, she was rather envious of her husband, who could hang all the clothing to dry on the clothing line with a flick of his wand. She had to do it the good old-fashioned way, (the muggle way).
Sipping the lemonade, Hope sighs at the refreshing sour, but sweet taste. Walking over to the bassinet, she smiles at her infant son, who turns his head and recognizes her loudly cooing at her. Her son was a far cry from the red-screaming bundle at birth. Romulus has grown swiftly since then and is roughly 6 kilograms (14 pounds) and 61 centimeters long (24 inches).
Stepping back, Hope sits down to rest, while Remus continues to play with his little brother. "So, is that friend of yours coming over in a bit?" She sipped her lemonade and critically eyed her son from beneath her eyelashes.
"Rowan said, her grandfather let her, and Severus visit the Evans this week," Remus held out a small baby rattle for Romulus to hold and chew on. "She said would stop by on her second to last day there."
"Rowan, huh?" Hope set her glass of lemonade and soothed her skirt. "So how long have you known Rowan?"
"Since our first year at Hogwarts," Remus responded grinning down at Romulus, who had stuck the baby rattle in his mouth. "She's been a good mate to all of us, since then."
"All of you?"
"Yeah, me, James, Sirius, and Peter," Remus glanced up in curiosity. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh, a mother's curiosity," Hope hastily covered her tracks. She had just wanted to gauge her son's interest in a member of the opposite sex.
Shrugging Remus leans down and rubs the cheek of Romulus. "Even if it were Mum, Rowan is engaged to James, and I would never betray a friend like that!"
"Betrothed?" Hope blinked in shock, "But she's only 16!" Her following words don't come out right as she recalls the fact that wizards and witches marry relatively young. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Her parents married quite young, but they were childhood sweethearts! It was just another reminder that wizards and witches still lived in the centuries of the past.
Not wanting to continue to pry, Hope finishes her lemonade. She washes the glass, before setting it to dry. Drying her hands on a dish towel, she strides over to the bassinet. Reaching gently down she picks up the infant. "I'll set Romulus down for a nap," she said, "go on and get ready. Your friend will be here soon."
"Thanks, Mum," Remus gratefully said as he scurried out of the kitchen. He was relieved of his babysitting duties, at least for today!
Carrying her infant son in her arms, Hope makes her way to the nursery. The nursery is covered in fluffy yellow ducks that waddle and move. Some of them play in the pond while others rest in the nest. Thankfully, she had put her foot down and the ducks were enchanted not to make noise.
Sitting down in the hand-carved rocking chair made by her father for her mother and now her own, Hope gently tugs the rattle out of Romulus's hand. Romulus opens and closes his lips unhappily. Unsatisfied Romulus smacks his lips before sucking on his thumb.
Recalling the old Welsh lullabies, her mother used to sing, Hope softly croons 'Ar Hyd y Nos.' "Holl amrantau'r ser ddwedant, Arh yd y nos-." The song sings of the stars that twinkle in the sky and sang all through the night.
Hope sang the song thrice more before Romulus was sound asleep. Rising slowly, she walks very carefully so as not to awaken her slumbering son. Very gently, she lowers Romulus into his crib. Tucking him, she presses a kiss to her son's sweet face, before quietly closing the door behind her.
Walking to the master bedroom, Hope is genuinely surprised to see the figure of her husband sitting in a chair reading. Her husband is often described as mild-mannered by those who do not know him. Yet he hides an astonishing intensity inside of him.
The gentle, russet-haired wizard, Lyall Lupin, sensing a gaze upon him raises his clever eyes to scan about. He smiles tenderly at his wife, Hope upon spotting her. Slipping a bookmark in place, he rises and places a kiss on her lips. He kisses her so sweetly that she is left breathless.
"Lyall," Hope gasped, "now is not the time. Remus's friend will shortly be arriving," she pulled herself out of her husband's arms to compose herself. "And aren't you supposed to be at the Ministry of Magic?" She arched her brow at him.
"I was worried," Lyall confessed as he walked over to the window. "I met Rowan Prince at Hogwarts, and I cannot say I am pleased with the friendship between Remus and her."
Alarmed, Hope stepped closer to her husband. "Has she done something wrong?"
"I am afraid not," Lyall rumbled. "But it is only a matter of time."
"I'm afraid I don't understand, Lyall," Hope frowned.
Lyall turned to face his wife. "The Prince's are Slytherin in every way possible and I trust them not."
"Listen here, Lyall," Hope put her hands on her hips. "I have heard enough about Slytherin in our seventeen years of marriage more than I ought ever to have expected."
"I am not going to stand for any more of this Slytherin nonsense!" Hope finally puts her foot down. "Furthermore, we raised our son right. So Slytherin or not, he considers Rowan Prince a friend. And I expect you to comport yourself like the proper gentleman that you are!"
Taken back by his wife's words, Lyall is stumped. "But dear, you don't understand-."
"I said enough, Lyall!" Hope shook her finger at him. "Your revulsion for Slytherin has clouded your mind. It was Master Damocles Belby who found the cure of Lycanthropy! He was very much Slytherin which you have so conveniently forgotten!"
"Furthermore, Remus' friend has done nothing wrong beyond being disliked for being Slytherin," Hope grimly said. "I will not tolerate such prejudice any longer! Neither will I permit Romulus to grow up hearing such rhetoric!"
With shoulders slumping down, Hope smoothed her hair behind her ears. "I failed Remus," she bluntly acknowledged. "Thankfully, our son has a good head on his shoulders and didn't listen to a word of your nonsense."
"However, can you imagine if he had?" Hope took a step toward her husband. "Remus would have not only lost countless possible friendships, but he would have clung only to the friendships he had in Gryffindor!"
Hope sadly shook her head in conclusion. "I love our son, but he can be dreadfully shy at times. Even if the cure had been found, I can easily see him turning a blind eye to his friends' actions if it meant he was part of a group. Remus would have been a coward in the worst possible manner, Lyall."
"I believe you are exaggerating, Hope," Lyall stiffly defended himself.
"I know our son, Lyall," Hope evenly said. "Remus would have become just that. We are so very fortunate that he did not."
Glancing in the direction of the nursery, Hope's voice drops. "I do not believe in fortune in so much as hard work. I am blatantly aware that we were in fact very fortunate with Remus, but I won't take such a risk with Romulus. If need be," she turned to directly face her husband, "I will take them and move in with my brother, he has plenty of room on his farm to house us."
Seeing the ultimatum hanging in the air, Lyall lips press into a thin line. "I will endeavor to control myself, dear," he rigidly promised.
"I will hold you to that promise, Lyall," Hope steadily said, before turning around. "I warrant that Remus's guest will be hungry. We can still have a late lunch and put food in her belly."
Turning on her heels, Hope leaves her husband in thought as he gazes out the window. From the window, he can see the figure of his son walking to a tall, slender dark-haired girl. Even with their backs turned, he could recognize the figure of Rowan Prince.
Lyall Lupin had never truly fought with his wife in such a manner. Had he truly done something so wrong? And for the first time in his life, he wondered if he had.
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