InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Heeeere's Johnny!"

Anne Blythe (annewithane) wrote in thedoorway,
@ 2014-05-13 21:30:00

Entry tags:

!network post, anne shirley (books), remus lupin

Who: Anne Blythe and Remus Lupin
When: Tuesday evening
Where: Potts Tower elevator
What: Anne apparently is systematically adopting the entire Tower.
Rating: Low.

It was nice to be working. Being a doctor's wife had its own charms, but even keeping house and preparing for a family seemed to leave more hours in the day open than Anne was comfortable with. This was especially true just a few months after losing the baby. Putting together a summer program meant -- potentially -- longer hours, and those were hours Anne was ready and willing to put in.

So it was nice to have that weariness she associated with good works, and the promise of being able to treat herself to dinner from the Greek place she'd become so fond of since she'd discovered it. It was to be her Tuesday Night treat, but before she ordered, she wanted -- no, she needed -- to change her shoes. The elevator dinged and the doors opened, dislodging a resident or two before she stepped in. The doors were just about to close when it became apparent that someone was trying to beat them; hastily she hit the button that would keep the doors open.

"It's all right, I'm holding it for you!" she called.

(Post a new comment)

rlpn
2014-05-14 02:09 am UTC (link)

Remus didn't want to put James and Lily out. It was bad enough that back in his world, his rent was paid by the Potters. He didn't want them to have to do that after all they've been through-- or rather, would be going through. It left a lot of questions about death and time travel in the air and he just tried to make himself as small as possible. If they invited him in for dinner, he'd say no. They deserved as much time together as possible. He'd figure out other ways to feed himself.

Being dinner time, he was going to go out in search of food. Foraging in the city shouldn't be too hard. He was jogging towards the elevator when he saw it closing, only to hear a woman shout that she was holding it. Remus sped up, so she wouldn't have to wait too long. Then he entered the elevator and stood next to her, panting and holding his side. "Uh, ah, thanks. Thanks, I am out of shape and obviously can't take the stairs."

(Reply to this) (Thread)

annewithane
2014-05-14 02:17 am UTC (link)

Whoever he was, he was thin. Anne smiled at him. "You're welcome. I wouldn't wish taking the stairs on anyone, not if they live above the fourth or fifth floor, anyway."

She pressed the button for her floor and looked at him with eyebrows raised in silent question: what floor did he need? It having never been in her nature to not know a stranger, she smiled at him again. "You're new? I mean, I haven't seen you before, but that doesn't mean you're new. You're new to me! I'm Anne Blythe."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	rlpn 2014-05-14 06:16 pm UTC (link)
	He was thin and his clothes were out of style. He looked a little like he didn't even live in the tower, but took refuge in an underpass. "Oh, I'm going down. You can go up first, though." Her smile was infectious and he found himself smiling back at her. "Yeh, I just got here recently. I'm Remus Lupin, Miss Blythe." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

annewithane
2014-05-14 06:24 pm UTC (link)

There were times in Anne's life when she knew that she and another person were destined to be friends. Diana, Miss Barry, Miss Cornelia, and more recently Walter (the most obvious one), Steve, Miss Beth, and now -- Remus Lupin. "It's Mrs. -- but you must call me Anne."

She let the door close, and thought. She was hungry, and he looked hungry, maybe. He had that rangy, lean look of someone who wasn't able to eat well when he did eat. "Are you sure? I'm almost at the top of the tower, you know."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	rlpn 2014-05-15 01:44 am UTC (link)
	"Oh, oh sorry, Missus-- I try not to assume." He shrunk into the corner of the elevator, slouching terribly. "And right, Anne. Right-o." He bit his bottom lip. "I ... I can wait. I'm just going to go 'round to one of the places downstairs and get some food." His stomach then rumbled, loudly. Remus smiled sheepishly. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

annewithane
2014-05-15 01:49 am UTC (link)

An awkward moment passed before Anne said, slightly sheepishly, "We haven't even been married a year..." She cleared her throat. "And he's not here, sadly, so I was really only really used to being married before I was brought here."

Anne pursed her lips, trying valiantly to contain a laugh, but it won out. "I was just about to find dinner, myself. After I changed my shoes, though." She stretched out her leg, showing her shoes -- cute shoes, but ones that she was pretty eager to not be wearing. "I'm still new here, too. Would you like to join me for dinner? There's a Greek place just a few blocks away that I was planning on visiting."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

rlpn
2014-05-15 02:10 am UTC (link)

Remus looked down at her shoes and nodded. He knew nothing about shoes other than that they covered your feet. He wasn't completely sure why she would need to change her shoes, but god forbid he be the one to tell her otherwise.

He continued to nod, like a lanky bobblehead. "Sure, I would like that. Let's get you up to change those shoes. Are they uncomfortable?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

annewithane
2014-05-15 02:30 am UTC (link)

"Very. My toes are pinched and it feels like part of the shoe is trying to cut part of my foot off by squeezing it," Anne sighed, lapsing into that particular dance of people who wear heels, and trying to keep the pressure on her feet light or non-existant.

The elevator dinged, and opened onto her floor. She wasn't far from the elevator, luckily. "Where are you from?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	rlpn 2014-05-15 04:58 am UTC (link)
	Remus laughed as he asked, "Then why do you wear them??" He would never understand women or fashion. Or the relation the two had to each other. As the elevator opened, Remus offered his arm to her. "Lemme help ya." He realized that his accent might give it away, but she asked. "Oh, I'm from London. My mum was Welsh." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

annewithane
2014-05-15 11:24 pm UTC (link)

Anne had never really got over her love for pretty things, clothes among them. So the smile she gave Remus was on the sheepish side, and fully aware that her reason for wearing the shoes was ridiculous. "Because they're adorable. Of course."

She took his arm and paraded along as if they were walking down a busy street. "Thank you. I've never been to either place. I had a friend at college who went to England with her family, and she told me all about London and St. Paul's Cathedral and Kensington Gardens and everywhere else that tourists are supposed to go while they visit."

She, herself, had never really felt the need to travel much beyond her own little corner of the world. Kingsport had been far enough, really. At her door, she pulled out her key card and let them into the apartment. She had made it her own, with plants filling the window spaces and blankets folded over the backs of chairs. Rugs were scattered across the floors, and two bookshelves stood guarding the television stand, the shelves filled with books and little knick-knacks that she had found at small, out of the way second-hand stores. "Make yourself at home, Remus. I'll only be a moment."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

rlpn
2014-05-18 11:57 pm UTC (link)

Remus nodded and politely listened to her speak of her friend and the tourist traps. "Maybe you'll get a chance to visit one day."

When the arrived at her apartment, he immediately clasped his hands behind his back. He didn't want to touch or break anything, like a small child who's been scolded.

He paced in front of her television, peeking at the spines of the books. "It's very nice in here, Anne. Feels like a home."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

annewithane
2014-05-19 12:22 am UTC (link)

"Maybe. But I've always been very happy with my own small corner of the world," Anne explained. "It never even occurred to me that I would ever visit New York, let alone live here."

She bit back a smile, watching him for a moment before nipping into her bedroom for the minute it would take to change into a pair of shoes that actually cushioned her feet. For a second she looked longingly at her houseslippers; how lovely would it be to slip her feet into them and then to settle in for the evening with a big bowl of pasta and a book? Well, another evening.

It was better to get out with people, anyway. Especially someone new, and who looked as if he could use a friend.

She stepped back into the living room, considerably more comfortable on her feet, and smiled. "Thank you. I have the local thrift shops entirely to thank for it, though, and more afternoons than I like to think about, going through them. Going even a few weeks without anything constructive to do with my time certainly was nice for my apartment."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

rlpn
2014-05-21 01:56 am UTC (link)

She arrived back in the room as his fingertips were touching the spine of a book. He jerked both his hands back behind his body, smiling nervously. "Thrift shops! That's not a bad idea. I need to get some clothes." He arrived in hand-me-down clothes, why not buy more used clothing?

He pointed at her feet, "Are you more comfortable now? Do you want to hop up on my back? Piggyback is a valid form of transportation."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

annewithane
2014-05-21 02:02 am UTC (link)

"If only so you don't have to wear the same ones over and over again, yes," Anne said, teasingly. She gestured at the bookshelf. "Borrow any one of them that you want. A lot of them are ones that I had at home and are favorites, so I've read most of them. And if I haven't, well, then I'll wait until after whoever's borrowed it has."

Anne stared at him for a moment, unsure if he was joking. "No," she finally said, breaking out into a laugh. "I'm comfortable now, but thank you. Do you often ask if people want piggyback rides?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	rlpn 2014-05-21 08:19 pm UTC (link)
	Remus shook his head, "Maybe I'll come look for something to borrow later." When she laughed, he smiled. It was nice to hear that sort of thing. There wasn't much laughter during a time when everyone was afraid of a madman. "I don't offer just anyone piggyback rides," he said, holding one finger up. "You're special. Now, shall we?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

annewithane
2014-05-21 09:04 pm UTC (link)

"Anytime I'm home, you're welcome." She genuinely meant it; it was still strange to her that there didn't seem to be a constant coming-and-going of neighbors and friends here, that even living so close together people were isolated.

"Well, I do feel special, knowing that." She took his arm, settling her hand firmly on his forearm and turning towards the door. "We shall. Have you ever had Greek food, Remus? The most exotic thing I'd ever eaten before coming here was fish fresh from the ocean, but New York has been really eye-opening about the sort of foods that people all over the world eat."

Anne continued to talk as they left her apartment, happy to do more than her fair share of chatting.

(Reply to this) (Parent)