The Boy in the Shop
Diagon Alley was brilliant to Remus Lupin. According to the 8-year-old, nowhere would ever be able to top it. He'd been coming with Minerva and Poppy for four years, and each time they went, he'd find another thing that amazed him.
"Minnie, may I please go to Flourish and Blotts?" Remus begged, trying his best to look sweet and innocent. He knew she'd probably say no, she was busy and she hated the crowds in the bookshop anyhow.
To his surprise, Minerva smiled down at him. "Do you think you're capable of going on your own?" Remus nodded quickly. "Then yes I suppose you may, but I expect you to be back by 14:30, we're meeting the Pettigrews for tea, alright?" "Thank you!" Remus hugged her quickly before sprinting across the street. A whole hour and a half, he thought to himself, feeling very grown up all of the sudden.
Remus spent the better part of his hour and a half looking through the Hogwarts books. He knew he didn't need them, and he wouldn't for another three years, but a part of him was hoping maybe he'd be able to get some advanced lessons from Minerva. She was a professor, after all, she'd know the basics. Then he could be top of his year, maybe he'd even get to skip some of the first-year lessons because of it. He hadn't noticed how long he'd been standing in front of the shelf until a severe-looking girl tapped his shoulder.
"Oh, er, sorry," he mumbled, looking down at his feet. He could feel his face flushing. "Then move, will you? I need a book," she responded. He flinched at the tone and shuffled out of her way. "Sorry about her, it's her second year. She thinks she's so cool now that she's in Hogwarts," another voice pipes up from next to Remus, making him jump. "I'm Sirius, that's my cousin, Narcissa." Remus looks up at the other boy, Sirius, and startles. "Like. Sirius Black?" he asks, incredulous. "The one and only," Sirius grins. "You are not. You're the third in our family," another boy, nearly identical to Sirius, pipes up. Remus hadn't noticed him. "Shut up, Reg. Sorry, I forgot to introduce him. This is my little brother, Reggie. Reggie, say hi." Sirius says, shoving the other boy forward.
The younger boy hunkers down a little, shaking his head. "My name is, um, Regulus. Not Reggie." Remus watches as Sirius' face flickers with worry before he wraps an arm around him. He murmurs something to Regulus before looking up and smiling at Remus. "Sorry for him, he's still a bit shy. What's your name?" he asks, ruffling his brother's hair as he subtly steps in front of him again.
Remus shrugs. "I'm Remus Lupin." Sirius snorts. "You know your name is Wolf Wolf, right?" he asks. Remus winces a bit. "Yeah." "Anyway, what were you looking at the Hogwarts books? You don't look old enough to go yet," Sirius asks. Remus shrugs. "I'm not, but I was hoping I might be able to get a head start," he explains. "My guardian teaches at Hogwarts, so I figured she might help."
Sirius snorts, giving him an odd look. "That's funny." Remus crosses his arms. "Why?" he asks. Sirius shrugs. "Your mum or dad can't be a Hogwarts professor. There wouldn't be anyone to care for you for ten months," Sirius explains. "It just isn't possible." He says it like it's obvious, which bothers Remus. "You're right. It's not my mum or dad. I'm cared for by Minerva McGonagall." he argues back, annoyance seeping into his voice. "Prove it then." Sirius challenges.
Remus rolls his eyes. "Come on then, she's in the shop across the street." Sirius hesitates, looking at his cousin. "Cissy?" "What?" she snaps, clearly not paying great attention. Sirius flinches a little, and Remus watches as Regulus' fingers wrapped around his brother's wrist. "Reg and I are going to go across the street for a moment," he says, standing a bit taller now that he's noticed Regulus' nervousness. "Whatever, Sirius," she responds, waving him away. "Don't get caught."
Sirius nods, taking Regulus' hand and following Remus. They jog over to Scribbulus, and Remus immediately spots Minerva. "Minnie!" he calls, pulling the Black brothers over to where she's standing. "Yes, Re- Oh, hello," she says, turning. "Hello! Are you really Lupin's mum?" Sirius asks her. Minerva chuckles. "No, I'm not his biological mother. I do take care of him all the time though, so I suppose I'm something akin to a mother. Why do you ask?"
"He didn't believe me when I said you and Poppy take care of me! He said Hogwarts professors can't be parents," Remus explains. "I had to prove him wrong." Minerva nods, smiling. "I suppose it can be a bit difficult occasionally. It isn't impossible though. . ." she trails off. "Sirius!" Sirius tells her, and she nods. "Right. Not impossible in the slightest, Sirius." She gives him a kind smile, right as Regulus gasps and yanks on his brother's sleeve. "Sirius! Sirius, mother's coming," he says, panic evident in his voice. Sirius' eyes grow wide and he turns, just as Walburga walks into the shop, pulling a very nervous Narcissa behind her.
"Walburga! Lovely to see you again." Minerva says. Remus can hear the disdain dripping in her town. Walburga doesn't pay her any mind. "Sirius Orion Black!" she shrieks, grabbing her son by the ear. Remus and Minerva watch as she wrenches her elder son out of the shop, the younger trailing behind anxiously as their mother spits threats at the two.
When the family's gone, Remus turns to Minerva. "She seems rather. Unpleasant," he tells her, and Minerva laughs. "Her son, Sirius, is nice. Regulus is very quiet though, they don't seem very similar." Remus continues, trailing behind Minerva as she pays for her things. "I'm sure you and Sirius will be great friends when you're in Hogwarts. Come along now. We've got to pick up Poppy before we go to tea."
Remus grins, following her from the shop. Maybe they will be good friends.
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A Persuasive Argument - dpxdc
"Great!" Danny says, clapping his hands together to get everyone's attention. The dinner table falls silent as everyone looks towards him. It's a full house today and, honestly, Danny's a little nervous. "I'm sure you're all wondering why I gathered you here today."
"It's dinnertime. In our house." Duke mutters, while doing a very bad job of concealing his yawn. He holds his fork poised over the braised beef, but, just like everyone else, still looks towards Danny before tucking in. It's intriguing enough to wait.
"Yeah, no one misses Alfie's dinner." Dick says, with a brilliant smile that Danny can't help but return.
"Precisely! What better time to talk to you all than when you're all actually here!"
"Wait, I thought you came round to work on our English essays?" Tim asks, blinking owlishly.
"I'm afraid I've lured you here under false pretences, Tim."
"This is where I live."
"I would still really appreciate help on that essay though, I mean, what the hell is Hamlet even about? I just don't get that old time-y language, like 'Hark! A ghost hath killed me!' - absolute rubbish, what does that even mean?"
"The ghost never kills anyone in Hamlet, he's there to tell Hamlet that he was murdered. Have you actually read it?"
"No, but it sounds like you have. Tim, I want this guy to help me with my essay instead. I know for a fact that you haven't read Hamlet, either."
"So? We don't need Jason, I've read the Sparknotes."
"Hi Jason, I'm Danny, pleasure to meet you, summarise Hamlet in three sentences or less."
"Am I auditioning to help you write your essays? I can't believe you’ve gone through your whole school life without reading it, it’s good!"
"Hamlet, along with a number of other classics, was banned in our house because it portrayed ghosts as intelligent and sympathetic beings rather than evil, animalistic beasts. I didn’t even get to see The Muppet's Christmas Carol until last year with Tim! It was surprisingly good, and I hate Christmas because everyone always argued and it sucked. But we're getting off topic. I—"
"No, no, please go back to that, because what the fu—"
"Boys, please." Bruce interrupts, looking to the world as if he wants to hang his head in his hands. "Danny, you were about to say something?"
"Oh, yeah, Mr. Wayne! Thanks!"
"Please, call me Bruce."
"Well, that very succinctly brings me to my point, because I'd actually really like to call you dad."
Nobody says a word. Nobody even blinks, all as shocked as the other, watching open-mouthed as Danny pulls his laptop out from beside his chair. Bruce can definitely feel a headache coming on.
"Before you say anything, I've prepared a 69 slide PowerPoint presentation on why you, Bruce Wayne, should adopt me, Danny Last-Name-Pending. Please save your questions, comments, and verdict until the end, thank you."
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