pink! - remus lupin

02 - a tad bit odd

LONDON HAD ALWAYS BEEN EXCITING. The bustle of the townspeople, the landmarks to be found around each corner, the shops crammed with goods. It had been a favourite place of Stella's since she had first visited as a young girl when all she had to worry about was what they would be having for tea that evening.

Of course, she was no longer that wide-eyed toddler, unaware of the true problems of the world. But still, she took the time to take in the city life from a distance, it was one of the only things she actually took time to do. Not once did she approach anyone; in fact, she avoided everyone other than her father at all costs.

That's what she usually did, avoided people. Confrontation and Stella did not go hand in hand. She had no friends at school, no playmates at home, and quite frankly, Stella was very happy with that. One might not think of her to be a top student, but her lack of sociability led to limited distractions during lessons, focus solely on her academics, and lots of study time. It was quite unusual for a Hufflepuff to not have friends, but Stella managed to pull it off

~

In most regards, Stella had always been a bit strange, and as she and her father arrived at King's Cross station, that fact became all the more evident. She was belting out the lyrics to "Hey Jude" by The Beatles, a long-time favourite of hers, and her mother's. Not only was she singing, though. When with her father, Stella could not be stopped from being the most extravagant person in the UK, and he knew that.

"Hey Jude, don't let me down. You have found her, now go and get her," she sang as her arms flailed wildly, despite the tone of the song. To the surprise of most passerby, the teenager actually had a decent voice, more than decent really. Not that she would ever do anything to showcase it, though. Frey only chuckled, used to Stella's excessive amount of energy during the summer, as he announced their arrival.

"Alright, pet. I'll go find you a trolley while you collect your trunk from the boot. Make sure you've got everything, and check for my surprise!" he told her, reigniting her excitement when he reminded her of the back-to-school gift he purchased for her annually. In the past, they had included fuzzy socks, weird candies and, Stella's favourite, pens. Never anything big, but just enough to create excitement for the next year.

~

She opened the door of the bright red Mini, stepping out into the warm air, a light breeze swooping her bangs slightly to the left. She replaced them in the middle of her forehead, only to have them blown again. "For God's sake, could you not just stay in place?" she spoke to her hair, just as oddly as it would seem. She could have sworn she heard a giggle from her chocolate brown locks.

Stella began to unload her luggage from the boot, looking curiously at all of it. Her father had always hidden the surprise, but it was never too difficult. She was about to ask for a hint when a small meow came to her attention. "Was that you, Dad?" she asked, concerned that her father had made the noise.

"Not quite. I have a trolley for you, by the way. You ought to come to get it."

She was about to ask why but decided against it. Frey didn't often ask for something without reason. Stella walked back around to the front of the vehicle, trunk in tow, but when she saw what lay in his arms, she instantly dropped it and flung her hands to her mouth in disbelief. "You didn't!" she cried, not trusting that the sight before her eyes was real.

In her father's arms sat a small kitten, cuddled into his chest. Its black fur looked softer than anything Stella had seen before, blue eyes brighter than the sky. The cat started to stir in Frey's arms, curious about the new human in sight. "Hey, darling," Stella cooed, outstretching her arms to reach for it. Frey placed the kitten in her arms, watching happily as his daughter held it with such care and adoration.

"Thank you so much, Dad. You know I've wanted a cat for the longest time. Is it a boy or a girl?" Stella thanked him genuinely. She truly had wanted a cat for the longest time.

"A girl, I figured she'd be best to spill all of your darkest secrets to."

Stella stayed quiet for a moment, just taking in the moment in all of its peaceful perfection. "She needs a name," she commented, stating the obvious. "How about Soleil? A bit ironic, and it would match the whole star theme we got going on. What do you think?"

"Perfect. Now get a move on, you're going to miss the train," Frey reminded her, knowing she would, in fact, miss the train if it had not been brought to her attention. At that, Stella quickened her pace, grabbing her trunk and placing it on the trolley carefully, aware of the new pet in her arms. How she did it with one arm, no one knows. Probably magic, she might know a thing or two about that.

~

They rushed into the grand building, straight through the crowds of people buying tickets, waiting for trains and reuniting with loved ones. Soleil squirmed in Stella's arms as she saw all the activity. Stella only cuddled her closer to her chest, keeping a firm-yet-gentle grip on the kitten. Her kitten, she still couldn't believe it.

The wall between platforms 9 and 10 came into view and excitement ran through Stella's veins. To most, it was just the same as any other platform, but to Stella and a small fraction of the other people in London, it was so much more. It was the only thing between her, and her second home. It was the only thing between her and Hogwarts.

~

Greetings, fellow earthlings. Oh, I'm sorry, that was controversial, I assumed your planetuality (jkjk I support you in whoever you are). So yeah, I'm on a roll! Most of this was written too late at night when I couldn't fall asleep, so thank goodness for Grammarly. Anyways, have a great day, loves.

Love, A

originally published October 16, 2019