Lumos: Year Three

The train moved quickly through the snowy landscape, blurring everything into white flashes. The scenery didn’t entertain Lanee much, so she turned towards Seamus, Dean, and Helena. To Lanee’s dismay, her Slytherin friends was dead asleep; and Dean was extremely focused on his sketchpad, so she decided to focus on Seamus.

He was sitting by the windows, starting out into the white tundra without moving. Lanee observed him for a moment, something seemed odd about him. His eyes were sunken, like her fathers, and his muscles were tense and stiff. It was like a mix of sadness and fear that she picked up on.

“Shay, are you okay?” She asked quietly, as to not wake Helena.

He turned to her, his blue eyes lost. “Yeah, I guess, just not too excited about going home. What are you doing for Christmas?”

“Going to my grandmothers.” She responded, placing her hand on top of his.

“Are you going to spend time with your father on Christmas?”

Lanee sighed, her red hair tinting blue for a moment before her response. “No, he has important things to do.”

In truth, the full moon fell on Christmas evening this year. Lupin truly did want to spend Christmas with his daughter, in hopes of repairing their relationship, Lanee assumed, but his illness restricted that. Instead, he was going to visit her on the last day of her vacation and spend the day with her.
Things had gotten between Lanee and her father weeks following Christmas holidays. They would make eye contact now, and sometimes even smile at each other; the kind of smile only two people sharing a secret would exchange. On her papers and exams, he would always write little encouraging messages of praise, unlike other students.

In fact, he had started to favor her over other students. He would call on her whenever her hand was raised, and graded with her with a lot more slack than others. If a student volunteer was ever needed to handle some sort of creature, Lanee was the one. Some students had noticed, but made nothing of it.

On the day before holidays, Lanee had approached him after a lesson. He looked happier than usual, probably lifted by the Christmas spirit. His eyes were full of life, and his smile was bright. His hair seemed combed and he looked less weathered.

“So, what are your plans for the holidays?” She had asked sweetly.

Lupin turned to her with a smile. “Your mother and I have already worked something out.” Before more could be explained, another professor had entered the room. Lanee sent a letter to her mother, asking for the plans, and received an exciting reply the next morning; the report that she would get time to be with Lupin.

“That’s a shame.” Seamus replied, intertwining his fingers with Lanee’s. “So, are we ever going to acknowledge this?” He asked, holding up their hands.

Lanee swallowed. It was no secret that she liked Seamus more than a friend, yet she feared to move out of that stage. What if she messed things up? Then she would never get to talk or be around Seamus again, and Lanee couldn’t handle that.

“Bloody Hell!” Helena screamed as she was startled awake.

Everyone jumped at the sudden noise. “Are you okay?” Dean asked shocked.

Helena laughed. “Yeah, weird dream. My mum grew a second head and was chanting some Devil worship rubbish at me.”

She settled back into sleep, and Seamus didn’t ask Lanee anymore questions. Instead, she lay her head on his shoulder and shut her eyes. She did not sleep, but fell into the perfect in between place where you are completely secluded in your mind. The only outside world she could feel was Seamus’s breathing and the soft rattling of the train.

Andromeda Tonks looked exactly alike and nothing like her sister. Her hair was jet black and wild, her body stood at an awkward angle, and her fingers with long. Yet, her eyes were soft, and her face was full of light. Her smile was inviting, not frightening.

“Hey, mum!” Tonks yelled happily as she and her daughter approached their front door. Andromeda stood in the doorway with a large smile and her face, and her husband, Ted, hovering behind.

“My girls!” Ted said happily, hugging all three of the women. “Ah, you ever think about having a boy Dora? I need a little man, too!”

Tonks laughed. “Honestly, Dad, having children is the last thing on my mind right now. I have a whole lifetime to worry about that.”

Ted smiled and tousled Tonks pink hair and Lanee’s red hair. “Got something against normal colours?”

Lanee smiled. “These are normal colours for us, Grandpa.”

“I suppose you’re right. Now let’s play chess while the ladies finish up dinner, eh?”

“Sounds great.” Lanee smiled. Without much of a father figure growing up, Lanee had turned to her grandfather as a male figure. They had bonded very well over the past years, and she suddenly found herself wondering why she never wrote him. Sometimes, she liked talking to him better than her mother.

“So, tell about your friends.” Ted smiled, setting the board up.

“I’m friends with a Slytherin.” She half-smiled.

“No shame in that, ‘Dromeda’s entire family is in Slytherin.”

“And in Azkaban. But my Slytherin friend is different, she’s nice and really good to talk to. Have you heard of the Villars?”

He nodded. “Rick folk, right?”

Lanee thought about what Helena was doing right now. Probably sitting at a giant table with her multiple siblings, all wearing super nice clothes that Lanee could never afford. She glanced down at her Christmas attire, a cheap green sweater and a black skirt. She never minded being poor, really, but sometimes it would be nice to have a pretty dress to wear on a nice occasions.

“Then Dean, he’s an artist, he loves to draw me. He says I have nice bone structure. Then Seamus,”

“You like Seamus.” Ted smiled. “You said his name different than you said Dean’s. Is he your boyfriend?”

At this point, most teen girls would shy away, but Lanee was very open to adults about her personal relationships. “No, I mean, we liked each other, but I really don’t want to mess everything up, you know?”

“I see. Well I think you should focus on your studies, you’re fourteen, right? Boys suck anyways.”
They were called to the table shortly after a rare victory from Lanee. That was a thing she liked about her Grandfather, he never let her win. “No one is going to hand you things in life, honey, this is an early lesson right here. If you want to beat me in chess, you have to work for it.” He would always tell her when he won.

The four of them ate with a lot of chatter. They discussed Nymphadora’s work, Lanee’s school work, and anything that came to their minds. One of the great things about the Tonks family, Lanee thought, is that everyone was open. There were no secrets among the family, and it was great to feel such ease with conversations.

After dinner, the four headed back to the family room to exchange gifts. Lanee gave each of her Grandparents books she thought would interest them, and they gave her a decent amount of money and some potion ingredients. Dora gave them a photo album, and they gave her a sack of galleons.
“Happy Christmas.” Was thrown around the room, although it was Christmas Eve. After another couple hours of chatting and lounging by the fire, Tonks decided it was time to head out since it was getting late.

“Lanee and I have our Christmas tomorrow.” She winked.

When she arrived home, she decided to send her gifts to her friends. To Dean, she sent him a whole set of oil pastels, a medium he hasn’t worked with before, Helena was sent a pair of dangling green earrings, and to Seamus she sent an assortment of candies. She also attached a note to his gift.

Seamus,

How are you? I know you prefer being at Hogwarts rather than home, I do, too. I miss you a lot, I feel weird writing it down even though I feel it all the time. I hope you don’t think my gift is lame, I don’t want you to get hurt if I sent you something that explodes. Ha, never thought I’d see the day where I would say something like that, I sound like my mum.

Anyways, I can’t wait to see you at school. Happy Christmas.

Lanee

On Christmas morning, Lanee received a large amount of new clothes from her mother, all in which Lanee loved. Most girls never liked the clothes their mothers picked out, but Tonks always knew exactly what her daughter would like since they had similar styles.

The rest of the day and holiday passed with a blur. Lanee spent most days lounging lazily around her house and talking walks up and down the creek that never froze over. She was awaiting the day she would get to spend with her father. Since their relationship had improved, she longed to spend alone time with him.

Soon that day came. When the sun crossed the horizon that morning, Remus Lupin awaited on the doorstep of their home.

“Dad!” Lanee happily exclaimed upon seeing him.

“Hello Lanee.” He smiled, handing her a small box. Inside was a brown strap bracelet, held together by a small seashell.

“This matches my necklace.” She smiled, using her free hand to hold the seashell necklace he had given her last year, and the one she was currently wearing. “I never take this one off.”

Lupin smiled. “Now, what do you want to do today?”

“I thought you had something planned?” Lanee teased.

“And I thought maybe you’d want some control for once.”

The pair decided to head for breakfast to start off the day, Lanee’s stomach was roaring with hunger. They picked a small diner in Diagon Alley that wasn’t very busy because of the holidays and snowy weather. Inside was quiet enough to be at peace, but not so quiet that it felt awkward to have a conversation.

“So why did you stop being angry with me?” Lupin asked as he sipped a cup of coffee.

“Because you started to care.” Lanee said simply. “I mean, I know you cared before, but you actually started to show it.”

Lupin sighed. “Listen, Lanee, I know I’m not a great Dad. It’s just, I never expected to be one with my condition and all, so when you came along I was clueless. I tried, I really did. I stayed with you for ten years almost before I realized how horrible I was to be around something that I loved, the way that I am…” He reached out and touched the long scar along Lanee’s face.

She was only ten years old. Just a few months before, she was told of her father’s true condition. Lanee was young, and unable to comprehend the danger of being around a werewolf while in wolf form. So, one full moon evening, a young and curios Lanee set after her sick father in the night.

She found him, sitting against some trees, panting. She yelled out his name. Startled by the noise, the werewolf left up and began to swing his paws, unaware of the source of the noise. His sharp nail sliced down Lanee’s face, and only until she was laying on the ground bleeding did he noticed what had happened. He howled.

Nymphadora came running, screaming in terror. Lupin look at her once in the eye, and ran off.

The next morning, he arrived in the house and began to pack his things.

“I’m too dangerous, Dora, look what I did to Lanee.” He was crying.

“She isn’t mad at you, Remus, please don’t leave!” Tonks cried.

“Daddy?” Young Lanee had entered the room. “Why are you packing?”

“I have to go.” He mumbled, grabbing his suitcase and heading towards the door. “I’m sorry. I love you both.”

“Daddy! Don’t go!” Lanee yelled as he vanished.

Switching back to reality, Lanee responded, “Your condition has nothing to do with you being my parent.”

“I know, and I’ve come to realized maybe I can be both. I’m so sorry for all those lost years, but I promise you I will make them up. I know I was dumb, thinking I was protecting you by leaving, but you have to understand Lanee, I feel so guilty every day for hurting you.”

“It was my fault.”

“Don’t say that, I shouldn’t have been so close to the house. But since you’re older now, I think it’s safe for me to a part of your life again. Now, I know you’re a little trouble maker, but you got to promise me to not run after me ever, okay?”

Lanee giggled. “I know, Dad.”

“So, you wanted a family. Happy Christmas, I’m going to try my hardest to give you one.”