For bekkio
Title: The Old Haircut Days
Recipient: bekkio
Rating: G
Pairing(s): Gen, featuring Remus and Molly
Warning(s): none
Summary: Molly gives Remus a haircut.
The end of August came with an increase in activity at Diagon Alley. People were rushing here and there, eager to get their supplies for the start of the new term at Hogwarts. To the right, a young girl eagerly pulled her mother towards Eeylops Owl Emporium, hoping to persuade her mother to buy her an owl. To the left, a family of four headed into Flourish and Blotts, about to get required textbooks for the kids. Where Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor used to be stood a new store that sold cakes and deserts. Mr. Fortescue had never returned, and never had Mr. Ollivander. Some have already forgotten Fortescue's existence, but for many others, his cozy ice cream parlor would never be forgotten. The same went for Ollivander.
Molly Weasley found herself walking among the bustling activity on her way to visit Fred and George. She was proud of her sons, for they played a big part in rebuilding Diagon Alley. Diagon Alley, like many other places, had been vastly affected by the war. It was a wonder that the liveliness of the place was able to take root once again.
When Molly spotted a head of graying hair, threadbare robes, and an all-too-familiar gait, she only had a moment of hesitation before she was able to place who it was. She quickened her pace to catch up.
"Remus?" she called out tentatively, the long hair throwing her off.
The man turned around, his face widening into a smile the moment he recognized who had called out his name.
"Molly!"
"How come you didn't tell me you were back in the country?" asked Molly.
"I've just got back," replied Lupin, smile evident in his voice.
Molly noticed how long Remus's hair was--it trailed past his shoulders--and her very first thought after not having seen the man for years was He needs a haircut.
And that was just what Molly planned to give him.
Snip.
A lock of hair fell to the ground.
"How did I let myself get pulled into this?" asked Remus, amused. He sat on a stool in the middle of Fred and George's office amidst newspapers, magazine stacks, and drafts of new inventions. Remus's back was to Molly as she expertly snipped away at his hair. She had given her sons plenty of haircuts and was no stranger in the art of haircuts.
Molly tutted, running the comb through Remus's tangled hair. "When's the last time you had a haircut?"
"I don't know. Maybe seven months or so ago?" mused Remus.
"Why didn't you get a haircut earlier?" Molly frowned at Remus's disheveled hair. "Or, more frequently, I should add."
"Tonks and I have been traveling around quite a bit. Somehow or the other I haven't had time for a haircut. And, you know, I wouldn't trust Tonks around scissors!"
They shared a chuckle. Molly continued snipping away at Remus's hair as they played catch up on events in their lives. Tonks and Remus had taken to traveling around the world after the end of the war, both to see the world outside of England's borders and to search for a cure. Remus didn't place much hope in a cure for he knew that his parents had already tried hard enough, but Tonks was optimistic yet. In Beijing, China, for example, they had come across a certain type of Chinese herb that could possibly suppress the wolf in some sort of way, but in its raw form, the herb was poisonous. The skills of a Master potions maker was definitely needed.
Molly trimmed Remus's hair a bit more.
"And?" prompted Molly, delighted in knowing that Remus and Tonks were having such a fine time together, "When should I be expecting kids?"
Remus jerked away, wanting to turn around, which caused Molly to almost stab Remus's eyes with the scissors.
"Remus!" protested Molly as she lowered the scissors slightly and placed one hand over her hips.
Really, Remus was being worse than Bill when she gave him haircuts, though still much better than either Fred or George.
Instead of apologizing, Remus took one look at Molly and began laughing.
"What's tickling you?" asked Molly, flabbergasted, since for one second Remus had been surprised at her words and the next, he was laughing without restraint!
"Sorry," said Remus as he shook his head and wiped a stray tear from his eyes. "Just..." He waved his hand in Molly's general direction. "The scissors. That stance of yours..." He chuckled.
Molly glanced down at the scissors in her hand. She was brandishing them in front of her almost as if the scissors were a sword. Her lips twitched up at that thought.
Remus's laughs subsided, a wistful smile taking the laughter's place as he turned away from the redheaded woman.
Images of another redhead flashed across his memory from a past that seemed like an eternity ago. There he was but a teenager, not yet world-weary, where his deepest worry had been keeping his lycanthropy a secret. Compared to everything else that had hit him since--betrayal, war, and even love--worry over his condition that had plagued him for years and years now seemed so minor. He remembered the crackling fires of the Common Room, the late night pranks and the visits to the kitchens. Standing in front of him with her hands on her hips, she had looked at him sternly, scolding them for their antics, though her lips would start quirking up even in the middle of her rants, her hair blending in with the fire behind her. She never could stay mad at any of them.
Molly stared at the back of Remus's head, somehow feeling that Remus had drifted away...perhaps into memories of the past. It was times like these that Molly was extremely glad to know that Tonks was there for Remus to anchor him in the present. If it weren't for Tonks, Molly didn't know if Remus would still be around.
She felt like sighing, for Remus had entirely changed the topic on her. Molly knew that Remus would make a superb father with the amount of patience and love he possessed. The problem was whether Remus felt safe enough about the idea of having kids, knowing that he'd pull the lycanthropy and the age factor as excuses. Molly decided that she'd have to be there for Tonks if the other woman ever needed an outlet to rant.
After all, Molly didn't know what her life would have been like if it weren't for her kids. Her kids were so much a part of what defined her. Molly gathered one of Remus's locks of hair in her hand and began snipping away once again. She missed the old haircut days where she had been the one responsible for all her children's haircuts. Nowadays, her children had all grown up without her knowing exactly when, but perhaps one day she'll be here again, giving a haircut to one of her grandchildren.
Snip.
With each snip, Remus felt as if years had been taken off his shoulders. He felt lighter than ever afterwards, ready to head off in his search of one Severus Snape.
With a wave, Molly Vanished the locks of hair on the ground.
THE END
Recipient: bekkio
Rating: G
Pairing(s): Gen, featuring Remus and Molly
Warning(s): none
Summary: Molly gives Remus a haircut.
The end of August came with an increase in activity at Diagon Alley. People were rushing here and there, eager to get their supplies for the start of the new term at Hogwarts. To the right, a young girl eagerly pulled her mother towards Eeylops Owl Emporium, hoping to persuade her mother to buy her an owl. To the left, a family of four headed into Flourish and Blotts, about to get required textbooks for the kids. Where Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor used to be stood a new store that sold cakes and deserts. Mr. Fortescue had never returned, and never had Mr. Ollivander. Some have already forgotten Fortescue's existence, but for many others, his cozy ice cream parlor would never be forgotten. The same went for Ollivander.
Molly Weasley found herself walking among the bustling activity on her way to visit Fred and George. She was proud of her sons, for they played a big part in rebuilding Diagon Alley. Diagon Alley, like many other places, had been vastly affected by the war. It was a wonder that the liveliness of the place was able to take root once again.
When Molly spotted a head of graying hair, threadbare robes, and an all-too-familiar gait, she only had a moment of hesitation before she was able to place who it was. She quickened her pace to catch up.
"Remus?" she called out tentatively, the long hair throwing her off.
The man turned around, his face widening into a smile the moment he recognized who had called out his name.
"Molly!"
"How come you didn't tell me you were back in the country?" asked Molly.
"I've just got back," replied Lupin, smile evident in his voice.
Molly noticed how long Remus's hair was--it trailed past his shoulders--and her very first thought after not having seen the man for years was He needs a haircut.
And that was just what Molly planned to give him.
Snip.
A lock of hair fell to the ground.
"How did I let myself get pulled into this?" asked Remus, amused. He sat on a stool in the middle of Fred and George's office amidst newspapers, magazine stacks, and drafts of new inventions. Remus's back was to Molly as she expertly snipped away at his hair. She had given her sons plenty of haircuts and was no stranger in the art of haircuts.
Molly tutted, running the comb through Remus's tangled hair. "When's the last time you had a haircut?"
"I don't know. Maybe seven months or so ago?" mused Remus.
"Why didn't you get a haircut earlier?" Molly frowned at Remus's disheveled hair. "Or, more frequently, I should add."
"Tonks and I have been traveling around quite a bit. Somehow or the other I haven't had time for a haircut. And, you know, I wouldn't trust Tonks around scissors!"
They shared a chuckle. Molly continued snipping away at Remus's hair as they played catch up on events in their lives. Tonks and Remus had taken to traveling around the world after the end of the war, both to see the world outside of England's borders and to search for a cure. Remus didn't place much hope in a cure for he knew that his parents had already tried hard enough, but Tonks was optimistic yet. In Beijing, China, for example, they had come across a certain type of Chinese herb that could possibly suppress the wolf in some sort of way, but in its raw form, the herb was poisonous. The skills of a Master potions maker was definitely needed.
Molly trimmed Remus's hair a bit more.
"And?" prompted Molly, delighted in knowing that Remus and Tonks were having such a fine time together, "When should I be expecting kids?"
Remus jerked away, wanting to turn around, which caused Molly to almost stab Remus's eyes with the scissors.
"Remus!" protested Molly as she lowered the scissors slightly and placed one hand over her hips.
Really, Remus was being worse than Bill when she gave him haircuts, though still much better than either Fred or George.
Instead of apologizing, Remus took one look at Molly and began laughing.
"What's tickling you?" asked Molly, flabbergasted, since for one second Remus had been surprised at her words and the next, he was laughing without restraint!
"Sorry," said Remus as he shook his head and wiped a stray tear from his eyes. "Just..." He waved his hand in Molly's general direction. "The scissors. That stance of yours..." He chuckled.
Molly glanced down at the scissors in her hand. She was brandishing them in front of her almost as if the scissors were a sword. Her lips twitched up at that thought.
Remus's laughs subsided, a wistful smile taking the laughter's place as he turned away from the redheaded woman.
Images of another redhead flashed across his memory from a past that seemed like an eternity ago. There he was but a teenager, not yet world-weary, where his deepest worry had been keeping his lycanthropy a secret. Compared to everything else that had hit him since--betrayal, war, and even love--worry over his condition that had plagued him for years and years now seemed so minor. He remembered the crackling fires of the Common Room, the late night pranks and the visits to the kitchens. Standing in front of him with her hands on her hips, she had looked at him sternly, scolding them for their antics, though her lips would start quirking up even in the middle of her rants, her hair blending in with the fire behind her. She never could stay mad at any of them.
Molly stared at the back of Remus's head, somehow feeling that Remus had drifted away...perhaps into memories of the past. It was times like these that Molly was extremely glad to know that Tonks was there for Remus to anchor him in the present. If it weren't for Tonks, Molly didn't know if Remus would still be around.
She felt like sighing, for Remus had entirely changed the topic on her. Molly knew that Remus would make a superb father with the amount of patience and love he possessed. The problem was whether Remus felt safe enough about the idea of having kids, knowing that he'd pull the lycanthropy and the age factor as excuses. Molly decided that she'd have to be there for Tonks if the other woman ever needed an outlet to rant.
After all, Molly didn't know what her life would have been like if it weren't for her kids. Her kids were so much a part of what defined her. Molly gathered one of Remus's locks of hair in her hand and began snipping away once again. She missed the old haircut days where she had been the one responsible for all her children's haircuts. Nowadays, her children had all grown up without her knowing exactly when, but perhaps one day she'll be here again, giving a haircut to one of her grandchildren.
Snip.
With each snip, Remus felt as if years had been taken off his shoulders. He felt lighter than ever afterwards, ready to head off in his search of one Severus Snape.
With a wave, Molly Vanished the locks of hair on the ground.
THE END