Chocolate Covered Strawberries [Remus Lupin]

𝚜𝚒𝚡𝚝𝚢-𝚏𝚒𝚟𝚎

Chapter sixty-five; Hard times

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The next day after Jasmine came home from Hogwarts they celebrated her birthday. Well, the term for celebrations stood a bit differently in the Pearson's home than it did elsewhere. There would be no celebration whatsoever because it didn't even confuse Jasmine that her dad didn't care for her birthday, yet her mum managed to convince him he should introduce William to the Ministry where the Hogwarts graduate would spend the summer taking an internship. Even if it was Saturday, Mr Pearson and William actually left.

That meant that Jasmine and her mum had the whole better part of the day to themselves and they spent most of it in the kitchen baking and talking and laughing. Jasmine received some clothes from her mum and a beautiful silver ring which Mrs Pearson stated was hers when she was the same age as Jasmine. The girl held it so dear to her heart she was almost afraid to get it out of the box and wear it.

Later when her cousin and dad came back home, William closed himself in his room and her dad simply told her he made the yearly deposit in Jasmine's bank vault. No happy birthday and no smile with it, just that. Jasmine forgot to count how many times she had heard that and at the same time how meaningless it sounded. She thought her dad felt like it was a chore to him, that he had to take care of a daughter he definitely doesn't want to have. She didn't know why he even bothered with punishing her and wanting to set her straight to his interpretations if every single time she'll disappoint him no matter what.

Jasmine sat at her little desk, picking at her nails as she stared absentmindedly out of the window that was directly in front of her desk. It was cloudy and frankly moody outside on an afternoon in the middle of the week. She tore her eyes away from watching the trees outside and her hands reached for the little box sitting on her desk not far from her. The ring box looked perfectly intact and well-kept for something her mother stated was in her possession for many years now. The little wooden box was hand-carved and smooth and once you opened it up it was lined with black velvet and the ring was still wedged right in the middle.

Jasmine took the ring out and inspected it in her hands. When she first saw it she thought something was written on the inside of it but to closer inspection, she realised those were just random scratches of the worn-out ring. Her mother confirmed that. It was a simple silver band that had only one little crystal in it. Jasmine loved it because it was to her taste and she realised she must have the same taste as her mum, simplistic yet immensely beautiful. She never liked the big diamond wedding ring her mum was wearing to prove she really was married. It looks overly done and it just didn't suit her.

Jasmine placed the ring on her finger and marvelled how it fell perfectly in place, she didn't want to take it off after that. When she closed the box she noticed a carving on the side. A.C. Her mum's initials. Aleah Cadman, what used to be her surname before she married. Jasmine opened up a drawer in her desk to safely store the box away when she heard two harsh taps on her window.

She looked up with wide eyes but then her expression relaxed and she smiled at the grey owl that was perched outside her window. Jasmine quickly reached over her desk to open the window so the owl could hop in.

''Thank you, Bessie.'' Jasmine smiled as Bessie, the owl, dropped the letter he was carrying in his beak to her.

Jasmine quickly tipped the owl with some of the best treats she had and Bessie loved them. Bessie was William's owl, who he received for his graduation gift. Jasmine then formed a plan with Bessie, giving her way better treats than William does, that way Bessie delivers Jasmine's letters directly to her and not at the front door. It was the only way Jasmine could receive letters from her friends and so far it worked out perfectly. She gave Bessie a soft pat and the grey owl melt into her touch before she hopped away from her desk and out the window again.