Hey, Remus!

NOTE: You may recognize some passages from "Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix". All J. K. Rowling property!

The platform shimmered with heat from the late afternoon sun filtering through the high glass ceiling of King's Cross Station. Maria tugged at the hem of her blouse, regretting her choice of outfit. The Muggle clothes she'd thrown together (a floral top and a pair of jeans) had seemed practical, but now she felt overheated and fidgety.
She stood with the rest of the Order, scanning the barrier where Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny would soon emerge. Her heart thudded in her chest. She hadn't seen Harry in a long time, and she knew how hard this year had been for him... for all of them. Her fingers itched to give him a comforting hug, but she knew better than to overwhelm him right away.
Next to her, Tonks shifted impatiently, blowing a strand of pink hair out of her face.
"This is a bit over the top, isn't it?" Tonks muttered. "Feels like we're about to jump out and shout Surprise!"
Maria smirked.
"Well, it's not every day you get a send-off party like this. We're one banner short of looking like a birthday celebration."
Tonks snorted.
"Imagine Mad-Eye holding a balloon."
The mental image made Maria giggle: Moody standing there with his grizzled face and his magical eye swiveling, holding a cheerful, helium-filled balloon that read Happy Birthday, Harry!
"Now that would be a sight," Maria said, grinning.
On her other side, Remus chuckled softly.
"Careful. He might hear you."
Maria glanced at him. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his worn coat, his usual composed demeanor masking his worry. He caught her gaze and gave her a small, reassuring smile.
"You're imagining the balloon too, aren't you?" Maria whispered.
Remus's lips twitched.
"Maybe."
"Here they come," growled Moody suddenly, cutting through their quiet chatter. His magical eye swiveled toward the barrier, locking onto something only he could see.
Maria straightened, her heart speeding up. She followed his gaze just as the familiar figures of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny stepped through the barrier. They blinked in surprise at the unexpected welcoming committee waiting for them on the other side.
"Showtime," Tonks whispered, elbowing Maria playfully.
Maria felt her chest tighten at the sight of Harry. He looked older. Not just in the way he carried himself, but in his eyes. There was a weariness to him that hadn't been there before. It made her heart ache.
Mrs. Weasley wasted no time.
"Ron! Ginny!" she cried, hurrying forward to engulf her children in a fierce hug. "Oh, and Harry, dear, how are you?"
Maria hung back, watching as Mrs. Weasley fussed over Harry. Harry gave a tight-lipped smile and mumbled, "Fine," though it was obvious to everyone that he was anything but.
Remus stepped forward, his voice calm and warm.
"Hello, Harry."
Harry brightened slightly at the sight of him.
"Hi," he said, his gaze flickering over the group. "I didn't expect... what are you all doing here?"
Remus smiled gently.
"We thought we might have a little chat with your aunt and uncle before letting them take you home."
Harry's eyes widened in alarm.
"I dunno if that's a good idea..."
"Oh, I think it is," Moody growled, limping a little closer.
Maria bit back a grin as Harry shifted nervously.
"That'll be them, will it?" Moody continued, pointing his thumb over his shoulder without turning around. His magical eye was evidently peering straight through the back of his head.
The group moved as one toward the Dursleys. Maria walked beside Remus, her arm brushing his, taking quiet strength from his presence.
Mr. Weasley led the charge, all smiles and politeness. "Good afternoon," he said cheerfully, extending a hand toward Uncle Vernon.
Uncle Vernon ignored the gesture, his face turning a deep shade of purple. Aunt Petunia clutched her handbag as if it could shield her from the sight of the wizards, and Dudley cowered behind her, his wide eyes darting nervously between Moody and Tonks.
"We thought we'd have a quick word about Harry," Mr. Weasley continued.
"Yeah," growled Moody, stepping forward with a menacing grin. "About how he's treated while he's with you."
Maria folded her arms, biting back the urge to speak. She didn't trust herself not to unleash a torrent of insults at the Dursleys for how they had treated Harry. Instead, she focused on the way Harry stood stiffly beside her, his hands clenched into fists.
"Now, now," Remus said gently, his voice calm but firm. "We just want to make sure Harry is treated with the respect he deserves."
Uncle Vernon's moustache twitched. "I don't see how it's any of your business what goes on in my house."
"Oh, I think you'll find it is," Moody said, lifting his bowler hat to reveal his magical eye.
Uncle Vernon stumbled backward, colliding with a luggage trolley. Dudley whimpered.
Maria leaned closer to Remus, whispering, "I almost feel sorry for them."
Remus smirked. "Almost."
Tonks stepped forward, her pink hair gleaming.
"The point is," she said, "if we find out you've been horrible to Harry..."
"And make no mistake, we'll hear about it." Remus finished pleasently.
"You'll have us to answer to,' said Moody.
"Are you threatening me, sir?" Uncle Vernon barked.
Maria raised an eyebrow.
"Take it however you want."
Moody's grin widened.
"Yes, I am."
Aunt Petunia whimpered. Dudley looked like he was about to faint. Uncle Vernon stumbled backward, colliding with a luggage trolley, while Aunt Petunia let out a high-pitched whimper. Dudley looked like he might faint.
"So, Potter... give us a shout if you need us.," Moody said gruffly, his hand clamping down on Harry's shoulder like a vice. "If we don't hear from you for three days in a row, we'll send someone along."
Aunt Petunia whimpered again, glancing around nervously as though expecting the neighbors to pop out from behind a pillar and judge her for consorting with wizards.
Maria leaned toward Tonks again.
"Do you think we should send someone every day, just for fun?"
Tonks's eyes twinkled.
"I like the way you think."
As they turned to leave, Harry glanced back at the group, a faint smile on his lips. Maria caught his eye and waved.
"We'll get you out of there soon," she mouthed.
Harry nodded. As they stepped out into the sunlit street, Maria looped her arm through Remus's.
"That went well," she said with a grin.
Remus gave her a knowing look.
"You were imagining Moody holding a balloon again, weren't you?"
Maria laughed.
"You know me too well. Do you think they'll actually treat him better?"
Remus sighed.
"Probably not. But at least they know we're watching."
Maria nodded, slipping her hand into his.
"We'll get him out of there soon. He won't be alone for long."
Remus squeezed her hand gently.
"No, he won't."
As the group began to disperse, Maria stayed by Remus's side, watching the sunlit street where Harry had vanished.
As the sun dipped low over the rooftops of London, Maria and Remus strolled in comfortable silence, weaving their way through quiet streets and bustling squares. The golden hour bathed the city in warm light, making even the grimiest alleyways look touched by magic.
They had left King's Cross Station behind, along with the rest of the Order, choosing to take the long way back to Grimmauld Place. Maria was grateful for it. After the chaos of the day... after seeing Harry's haunted expression and the way the Dursleys had shrunk in fear at the sight of wizards... she needed this. The quiet, the normalcy, the grounding presence of Remus at her side.
The streets grew quieter as they wandered farther from the station. Maria let her fingers trail along the wrought-iron railings, the brick walls, the familiar textures of a world that had once seemed so foreign to her. Now, though, it felt like home. The thought struck her suddenly. Sharply. Enough that she stopped walking for a moment.
Remus turned to her with a soft, questioning look.
"Are you all right?"
She nodded slowly, a bittersweet smile tugging at her lips.
"I just... I was thinking about how strange it is."
"What is?"
"This world," Maria said, gesturing around them. "How it's become my home." She glanced up at him, her eyes searching his. "I never expected that. I thought I'd always be a visitor here, a stranger. But now..."
"But now you belong," he finished gently.
She swallowed hard.
"Yeah. I do."
Maria slowed her pace, her footsteps soft against the cobblestone street. Her gaze lingered on the dim glow of a streetlamp flickering to life, the warm light pooling on the pavement. Something about the quiet London street — the way it seemed timeless, caught between past and present — made her feel safe enough to say the words she had kept locked inside for so long.
"You know... I don't think I ever really belonged in my world," she murmured, her voice barely louder than the rustle of leaves in the evening breeze.
Remus turned to her, his brow furrowing with quiet concern. He said nothing, waiting for her to continue.
Maria glanced down at her hands, fiddling with the strap of her bag.
"I've always felt... out of place. Like I missed some unspoken rulebook that everyone else seemed to know by heart." She let out a soft laugh, but there was little humor in it. "I've never really fit with people my own age. I was always the odd one out. The dreamer. The one who never quite grew up."
Remus tilted his head, his expression thoughtful.
"Dreamers see the world differently. That's not a bad thing."
"No, it's not," Maria agreed, a small smile tugging at her lips. "But it made me feel... disconnected. When I was little, I'd lose myself in stories, make-believe games. Even when I got older, I never wanted to let go of that. I always wanted to became an actress because it gave me an excuse to keep playing. To stay a little bit magical."
Remus chuckled softly at that.
"I think that's rather wonderful."
Maria smiled, but it faltered quickly. Her voice softened, turning wistful.
"But other people didn't always see it that way. I think they expected me to settle down. Grow up. I had friends, but... I never felt like I belonged with them. They talked about things I knew nothing about: careers, marriage, kids, mortgages, climbing ladders. I was more interested in locking myself in my bedroom and pretending to be someone else for an afternoon."
Remus's lips curved in that quiet, knowing smile of his.
"The world needs more people like that."
Maria's chest tightened. His words were kind, and they warmed her, but there was still a part of her that struggled to believe them.
"I guess I've always gravitated toward people at the edges," she went on. "Kids. Older people. Anyone who didn't quite fit the mold. They felt more real to me." She paused, hesitant. "I suppose that's why I don't really tell anyone my age."
Remus arched an eyebrow, curious.
"Why not?"
Maria bit her lip, then let out a laugh. Soft, self-deprecating.
"I guess I liked keeping people guessing. It's silly, really. But the truth is, I've always felt like I'm... floating between ages. Too old to be young, too young to be old."
She glanced at Remus, half-expecting him to brush off her words. But he didn't. He simply nodded, his brow furrowed in thought.
"I understand that feeling," he said quietly. His voice carried a weight of experience, of someone who had spent far too much time on the outside looking in. "It's like standing in a doorway, isn't it? Not quite inside, not quite outside. Just... in between."
Maria felt something inside her chest loosen. She knew he understood. He spent all his life feeling like he didn't quite fit in the human nor the beast cathegory, For so long, she had struggled to put her own feeling into words. But there it was, perfectly captured.
"Exactly," she whispered. "And it's more than just age. I've always felt like I didn't belong in my own world. Like I was... wrong somehow. Everyone there, my friends, my family, they all seemed to know who they were supposed to be. And I never did."
Remus glanced at her, listening intently as they walked.
"I've always felt this pressure," Maria continued, her voice growing steadier as she gave voice to feelings she rarely shared. "Pressure to be someone I'm not. To fit into these neat little boxes — career, marriage, children — like there's some kind of script I'm supposed to follow. And I was terrible at following it." She let out a bitter laugh. "I could never seem to do what was expected of me. And everyone noticed." She hesitated, her gaze flickering down to the pavement before she added softly, "Even my dad."
Remus's expression shifted, his brow creasing with quiet empathy.
"He wanted you to follow the script."
Maria nodded.
"He loves me. I know that. But he comes from a generation that doesn't understand people like me. People who don't fit. He wanted me to be practical, responsible. To have a solid job, a family, a plan. And when I didn't... when I couldn't..." She swallowed hard. "I felt like a failure. Like I was disappointing everyone."
Remus was silent for a moment, and then he spoke with quiet certainty.
"You weren't a failure, Mary. You just weren't meant to follow their script."
She blinked, surprised by the conviction in his voice.
"You were trying to play a part that was never meant for you," he continued. "Society loves to tell us who we should be. It hands us a script the moment we're born. But some of us aren't meant to read those lines. Some of us are meant to write our own story."
Maria's chest tightened, her breath catching in her throat. She had never heard it put that way before. That her struggle to fit in wasn't a failure, but a sign that she was meant for something different.
"I wish I'd heard that years ago," she murmured. "I spent so much time feeling like there was something wrong with me. Like I was broken because I didn't want the same things everyone else seemed to want."
Remus's voice softened.
"You're not broken. You're free."
She glanced up at him, her heart aching with gratitude.
"That's what I've found here. In this world. Freedom."
He smiled faintly.
"Because no one here is asking you to be someone you're not."
Maria nodded.
"Exactly. Here, I can just... be. I don't have to explain why I don't want to follow the script. No one cares how old I am, or whether I have a 'proper' job, or if I'm doing things the way I'm supposed to. They care about what I do, about who I am."
"And what you do matters," Remus said gently. "It makes a difference. You've already made a difference."
Maria blinked back tears.
"I miss my parents," she admitted softly. "Terribly. They're the only thing tying me to my world. But if it weren't for them... I wouldn't go back."
Remus's expression softened with understanding.
"That's not selfish, you know."
"It feels like it is."
"It's not." He paused, considering his words carefully. "You've spent your whole life trying to be what everyone expected. And for the first time, you've found a place where you can just be you. That's not selfish. That's freedom."
Maria exhaled shakily, her heart aching with a strange mix of gratitude and relief.
"Thank you," she whispered. "For saying that."
"You needed to hear it."
She smiled, her eyes shimmering with emotion.
"I did."
They stood in silence for a long moment, watching the river flow. The world around them seemed to blur, leaving only the two of them in this quiet, shared moment.
Finally, Maria broke the silence, her voice lightening with humor.
"So... I don't look my age, huh?"
Remus chuckled.
"Not a day over twenty-nine."
Maria snorted.
"I'll take it."
"You should."
As they resumed their walk, Maria felt the ache in her chest easing, replaced by something warmer. For the first time in a long while, she felt like she wasn't just floating between worlds. She felt like she belonged. And for now, that was enough.She just didn't know how long it would last.