Let Me Fall

Pushing her ash brown hair out of her face, the middle-aged witch continued bustling through the twisted alley full of British witches and wizards. Her exquisite midnight blue eyes were trained on all the shops around her. There were some she had heard of from her father before she visited, but most she didn't recognise. The early summer sun shone brightly and showed that it would set in just over an hour.

"Alright Loki should we go to Flourish and Blotts next or... or maybe the Magical Menagerie?" she addressed the oriental cat perched upon her shoulders.

The short furred, pure white cat meowed in response and flicked its tail. He purred and rubbed his head against her ear.

"No, no - we're not eating yet," she said dismissively, quickly scratching his head. "I say we go to Flourish and Blotts." Loki gave a low meow that sounded more like a moan than anything. "Oh, don't give me that," she chided. "You wanted to come, remember."

The witch set off down the alley, excusing herself around groups of other shoppers. They would politely move out of her way, but would stare at her as she left. Their speech slowed to a stop and continued again once she was out of sight.

"Seems as though we don't completely blend in here, do we, Loki?" she commented to the green-eyed cat in amusement, glancing at the shops.

There was nothing startlingly different about this witch. She was of average height and build and had shoulder length, slightly waved hair. What set her apart from many of the other witches were her eyes. They were of such an unexpected blue hue that many people stopped what they were doing or saying to stare at them. Three dark freckles dawned her right jaw in a small triangle, and the corners of her eyebrows could arch to a point more so than others.

But this witch didn't think of any of that as she continued her shopping in Diagon Alley.

She entered the bookshop, pulling her light blue robes tighter around her as she squeezed past a few teenage wizards reading the latest copy of Quidditch Through the Ages near the door.

"Excuse me, please." She saw on their black cloaks a badge: mostly yellow, but with a badger situated behind the word 'Hufflepuff' in the middle of the crest. She didn't recognise it, although she guessed it had to do with Hogwarts, the school wizards and witches around there would go to.

"S'ry bout that, ma'am," one of the boys said, scooting out of her way.

"Perfectly alright," she replied with a smile, turning away and continuing through the store. She had seen, just before she turned, that each boy had stared fixedly at her eyes, no matter how brief a glimpse they had. "As flattering as it is, Loki," she quietly began to the cat, "after thirty-four years, it gets rather annoying."

Loki meowed his agreement and watched as people bustled past them, keeping his paws trained on her two shoulders, tail twitching in the air.

"May I help you Miss?" an old, friendly voice asked her from her left.

The woman turned and smiled at the aging man. She ignored his lingering stare at her eyes and spoke to him. "Yes, actually. I need a good book for magical creatures." Frowning a tad, she added, "Well, probably more than one. So a few books of different levels that are easily learned from?"

The man's grey eyes stared at hers a moment longer. "So what you're saying is: you need books on Magical Creatures for a few different learning levels?"

The woman nodded and felt someone standing near her. His, for she knew it was a man, presence was oddly... calming. "Yes, I guess that sounds simpler, doesn't it?" Just as her sentence ended, she was knocked sideways and into a tier of books that previously wobbled tediously. Loki meowed in surprise and jumped off her shoulders as the tower of books crashed to the old wooden floor. She gasped and jumped away as all the talk in the bookstore stopped and all eyes turned on her. "Oh I'm sorry!" she apologized right away; hurrying over to the cloud of dust, where under laid the books.

"No Miss it isn't your fault," the storeowner said lightly, although the aggravated tone in his voice spoke otherwise. "Ruffian kids weren't looking where they were going."

One of the teenagers and another middle-aged wizard to her left helped the two stack the books into a few neat piles. She had felt the man near her, more than heard or saw him. As she picked up a battered copy of Wanderings with Werewolves, she felt an odd sense of familiarity. Almost a feeling of home trying to reach out for her. Or maybe she felt as though she was reaching for home... Remembering from past times, and what others had told her: he must have felt it as well.

"I'm really s'ry about that ma'am," the same boy with the yellow crest and badger said to her as he aided the two adults stack. "My friend there, Andrew," he nodded to his friend who watched sheepishly (Andrew gave a little wave), "and I got a li'l excited by the Quidditch book. Some of the plays are simply amazin'."

"That's alright," she said to him, "you and Andrew best read outside if that's what it does to you." She looked to the man next to her. "And thank you sir for helping clean up," she said kindly, standing up once they were done.

"Not at all, not at all," the middle-aged man replied with a smile. "I was standing near and heard you talking to Wyndham. He mentioned something about teaching." His smile was very kind and there was gentleness to his voice that the witch was drawn to. The wizard's hair was a light, sun-kissed brown with some shades of grey. Other than they grey strands, he looked to be just a few years older than she.

"Yes," the witch said, watching his tired light blue eyes as they fixedly stared into hers. "I'm teaching up at the school this coming year."

The man's eyes lit up. Any tiredness in them almost seemed to disappear. "Are you really? Well, I must introduce myself then." He put out his hand. "My name is Remus Lupin."

The witch smiled and shook his hand. "And mine's Lamina Court." His face became pensive while their hands touched. The feeling Lamina had felt when he stood near intensified, but she knew it would. Remus' eyes went soft and his face blank. He seemed unable to stop looking in her eyes, captivated. Lamina held in a smirk and looked to the side, breaking eye contact.

"Well Ms. Court, it's lovely to meet you. A foreigner and fellow teacher," this man, Remus Lupin, said lightly. Out of his reverie, guiding her up the stairs.

She noticed a few odd stares from other shoppers as she went with Remus. She thought it odd - they actually weren't watching her this time, but rather him. "A fellow teacher?" asked Lamina in surprised. She wouldn't have thought. "You teach up at Hogwarts? What class?"

"Defence Against the Dark Arts, although it's not in as much dire need now that Voldemort was defeated nearly six months ago." There was sadness in his voice that Lamina took note on, but did not press.

"Yes," she said quietly. "I had heard about him in my travels."

They seemed to come to a standstill in their conversation as Remus perused through some books. Lamina looked through the shelf opposite his and muttered under her breath as she ran a finger over the bindings.

"Creatures of Albania, no... Come Along Little Doggie - Tale of the Grim, no that won't do... neither will you..." She crouched down and narrowed her eyes as she skimmed over the titles of books, still muttering. "Where in Nymphae could you be?"

"You're from somewhere else, Miss Court?" asked Remus from behind her, still glancing through some books.

"What gave you that idea?" she asked him, taking out a dusty book and tenderly opening its pages.

"Well, you do have an accent," he replied with humour. He glanced at her when she looked at him.

"I like to think of it as all of you with the accents, not me." She smiled when he did, and then looked back at the books shelved in front of her.

"So where exactly are you from? America?"

Lamina stood up, unable to find a good book, and faced him with a raised eyebrow. "What ever would draw your mind to that conclusion?"

Remus looked surprised. "Well... you do have an accent that pertains to-"

"America?" she asked with good humour. "Actually, I'm from Canada; you were close. Originally, if you want to get technical," she added as an afterthought. Her eyes were trained on his.

Remus' face eased, registering that she wasn't offended. "Nice country, hm?" he asked, looking back at a row of books. He seemed unable to stare into her eyes much longer.

"Beautiful," she said quietly. "There aren't enough forests here in England or up in Scotland where we're headed."

Remus glanced back at her; she was crouching again. Turning his face to the book in his hands. "Yes, but there is the fact that Canada's a hundred times larger," Remus pointed out, and then looked around. "Did you not have a cat with you earlier?"

Lamina's head snapped up. "Oh crox," she cursed, ignoring the questioning look from her soon-to-be co-worker. "Where on earth did he go?" She stood once again and looked over the banister to the people and books below. "He better not be causing any trouble..."

"Trouble?"

"Well, he's named Loki for a reason, you know."

At that moment, Loki came trotting over, a seemingly proud air about him. With a meow, he pounced back onto Lamina's shoulders.

"What do you mean?" she asked him when he purred in her ear, rubbing his head on hers. "I'm not congratulating you for anyth-"

A bang sounded and suddenly the store stunk of dung. People below the two teachers were shouting, coughing and cursing at the teenagers who defended themselves.

"Well they came from your bag!" an elderly lady rasped at them, spattered in brown goo.

"But I didn't set them off!" the boy Andrew said defensively, arms protecting his face. "I haven't even opened the bag yet!" He was getting quite the wallop from the old woman's cane.

Lamina turned her flat gaze onto Loki who looked on innocently. "Well I have no idea how that happened," she said airily. "You, Mr. Lupin?"

"Not at all," he replied in the same tone. "Must have bought an expired dungbomb."

They smiled at each other and Loki jumped off Lamina's shoulder. He walked over to where Remus was and using his mouth, pulled on a book on the bottom shelf. When it was almost out, he batted at it with his paws. The musty book opened when it hit the floor. Loki meowed and sniffed it.

"Ah, that's the one I was looking for," Remus said. "Thank you." He picked up the text and handed it to Lamina. "This book is the best for the students. For your class, years five through seven can use it. And the one you're looking at," he pointed with the book in his hand to the one she held, "is best for third and fourth years."

"Oh, why thank you, Mr. Lupin," she said with a small amount of surprise. That was quite nice of him. She took the book from his hands.

"Not at all. Just remember to write to McGonagall with your book list and for what year they are. And you can just call me Remus." He picked up a book he was looking through earlier.

"As long as you just call me Lamina," she responded, heading down the stairs. Loki ran down ahead of her. He darted between people's legs and came to a stop on top the front desk. The bookshop still smelled quite bad. The putrid smell burned Lamina's nose and only Remus seemed to have the same problem.

"That's an interesting name," said Remus, following her and waving away the smell. "What's its origin?"

Lamina reached the front desk and paid the man for the two books. "My father made it up, actually. Thank you," she said to Wyndham, taking the bag he handed her. "If you ever guess what it is, you get a prize."

Remus chuckled and paid for his book. The man watched him guardedly. "Well, I'll start looking it up tonight."

"And let me warn you that it is in a muggle dictionary, but has absolutely nothing to do with its term," Lamina told Remus, walking out of the bookstore and into the fresh air.

Loki was already heading down the sidewalk towards Florean Fortescue's, tail high in the air and weaving between people's legs.

"Well, it looks like I'm heading to the ice cream place," Lamina commented. "Would you like to join me?"

"I'd love to, but there are some things I must see to before I take a break," Remus said sincerely. "But I really would love to."

"That's alright. Well, I'll see you in a couple of months when school starts, eh?" Lamina said, putting her hand out. "It was nice meeting you, Remus."

Remus shook her hand and Lamina once again felt familiarity with his touch. She fought to hold in a grin, as Remus was obviously confused about the feeling. "The pleasure was all mine. Perhaps we will meet once again before we go to Hogwarts." He let go of her hand reluctantly, staring at her eyes.

"Perhaps we will. Have a good day," said Lamina.

"You too, Lamina." Remus turned, as did the witch, but he quickly turned back around. "And I'll figure out what your name means."

Lamina laughed and looked over her shoulder. "You do that." She made her way to Florean's and took a seat outside with Loki.

They shared a simple raspberry sorbet with a kiwi, Loki with his own small bowl Lamina would add sorbet to, and enjoyed the setting sun. Florean Fortescue himself, hair salt and peppered and thinning, offered to give her a refill ever ten or so minutes. She finally obliged and took the sorbet with a light roll of her eyes.

"It's not like I wasn't expecting these sort of reactions," she muttered to herself. Lamina sighed lightly. Loki licked the bowl clean, following it across the table as it moved with each lick. "We met a werewolf today, Loki." The white cat looked up at her and meowed. He licked his pink tinted muzzle.

Lamina watched the dispersing crowd. She let out a deep sigh and stood. "Let's get going."

Witch and cat left the ice cream parlour after placing the Sickles on the table. They headed home. Lamina had travelled a lot during the past ten years, never keeping a place for long. She was used to camping out on mountains and in forests, building magical igloos in the Arctic or tree flats in the Amazon. Not being used to large living spaces, the place she kept these months was a small cottage.

They entered the cottage by its foyer and Lamina called out to all the inhabitants with a whistle. The foyer was small, only fitting four people comfortably. She left it and walked into the little living room. The whole cottage was furnished with hardwood floor and wood paneling on the walls.

A black Kneazle trotted in from behind her and nuzzled her leg. Twittering loudly, a Blue Jay and Cardinal flew through the living room window to her left and landed on the back of the navy blue couch. Scurrying across the wooden floor from the bedroom, a bandicoot stopped by the bathroom door to her left. Lastly, a mink slinked from the kitchen clambered up beneath the back of Lamina's blue cloak. She poked her head out the collar; a habit acquired since she was a kit. Loki playfully swatted at her head.

"Who's not eaten dinner?" She was met with excited chirps, squeaks and lots of scampering. "I'd have thought you all would have gotten your own while we were out," Lamina chided, setting across the living room to her little kitchen.

She began chopping up fresh vegetables, pouring milk, seeds and cutting up meat. Not a lot, but enough for their stomachs to be filled for the remainder of the day. Her little cottage used no electricity and rarely needed it. When it was dark, they all went to bed (or hunted if the creature in question was nocturnal), unless Lamina needed to work late by candlelight.

After placing the bowls on the floor, and the counter for the birds, she looked around. "Where's Tacita?"

The Jobberknoll in question came fluttering into the tiny kitchen, the only sound from its tiny wings. The blue bird began eating the seeds and fruit with the blue jay and cardinal.

"Ah, good then." Lamina took out some fruits, vegetables and bread for her own dinner. Lamina finished making it with a pinch of sugar atop the fruits and began eating. "Anything exciting happen while we were gone?" she asked, finishing her bread and licking her fingertips.

Gambit, the black Kneazle, flicked his bushy tail and started meowing, purring and making any little cat sounds.

Lamina raised an eyebrow. "Did you now?" She put her plate in the sink and walked out the back door that was nestled between the refrigerator and counter. "And you just had to wait until now to tell me, didn't you?" The screen door creaked closed behind her. She looked off into the dusk, her eyes probing the settling darkness. Lamina whistled and waited for a response.

Gambit, intuitive one he was, pushed out the back door with a piece of meat in his mouth.

"Ah, thank you." Lamina took it from him and whistled again, crouching and waving the meat.

A rustle came from the bushes on her left. Out staggered a dog. The dog had a thin body and bushy tail. Its ears were small and triangular. It walked towards Lamina and Gambit and into the light from the kitchen. Lamina saw that its left paw was injured and its fur was dirty and blackened.

She tossed the dog the meat when it was only a few feet away. It ate hungrily. "Come on inside, pup," she said softly, opening the door. Gambit ran in past Loki, who watched with interest from atop the fridge.

The dog lumbered slowly inside, tracking mud with it, and stared silently around the kitchen at all the eyes watching it.

"Well, aren't you a sight?" Lamina opened up the fridge and took out a portion of meat. "Here, you can have this then." Dogs too often swallowed without chewing, so Lamina took the precaution to cut it up in small pieces. She put it in a bowl with some carrots and bread dipped in milk.

The dog didn't spare a glance before digging into the feast it had before her.

"I'll have to write to Dumbledore and tell him to add you to my list of who I'm bringing," Lamina said humorously. She walked out of the kitchen, through the tiny living room and into her bedroom. She put on some old clothes and put her ash brown hair into a bun. Lamina sighed, knowing she'd have to bathe the dog and mop the floors tonight; not to mention bandage its paw if it was needed.

Lamina walked into the bathroom attached to her room and turned on the faucet. She got the appropriate requirements out before heading back to the kitchen. Lamina retrieved a small bowl and filled it with alcohol to cleanse the dog's paw.

The dog, it seemed, was finished its meal and was gratefully having a drink from Gambit and Loki's bowl.

"Alright girl," Lamina said gently. "Come here and I'll clean that paw of yours."

Looking at the other animals, the dog tentatively lifted its right paw. Lamina gently took it in her hand and dipped it in the alcohol. Dirt washed off the fur and clouded the liquid. Lamina's hand felt warmer when touching the fur. In a second, memories drifted through her head of abandonment and pain. Lamina closed her eyes and took a breath. She continued to clean and saw that there was a deep cut on one of its pads.

"Well, that's a lot better than I thought it'd be." She brought the dog to the bath and washed it clean. The other animals watched from the door, the Blue Jay and Cardinal singing along with the running water.

When she was dry, the dog's natural colour was a light cream with a line of white going from her chest to her underside. "As I suspected," Lamina nodded with a bit of smugness. "You're of the breed Canaan Dog. Do you have a name?" The dog let out some soft simpering sounds, lowering her curled tail. "We'll have to find one, then."

Lamina spent the night looking through books and referencing with other sources. She lay in her double bed, back supported against the headboard and pillows. Gambit and Loki lay on her lap. At her feet slept the Mink and Bandicoot. To her right, her arm rested over the Canaan Dog as she flipped through texts on her left. On her headboard, the three birds perched and slept soundly.

Near midnight she dawned a triumphant smile. "I think I found you a name." The dog lifted her head, softly curved triangular ears perked up. "Audney: New found wealth. You're new, we found you - or you found us, and now you have a home."

The dog seemed pleased with the name and fell back asleep while Lamina put the books on the nightstand. Lamina doused the lights with a couple flicks of her wand (she was never very good with charms) and nestled into bed amongst the miscellaneous animals. Her mind drifted as she began the journey to sleep. She thought of the sights she saw that day, the people she met and Remus Lupin. He was a sweet man (and with a final amused thought - a rather nice werewolf), and she was happy to be working with him in two months. A brief thought that entered her mind was why some of the other shoppers watched him. They couldn't have known about his lycanthropy, could they? No doubt he wouldn't want that publicized.

Well, Lamina settled deeper into her pillow, he was a good man. Perhaps the other teachers will be just as nice...