Out of the frying pan...

[Remus Lupin]

Delightful accomodation. The familiar aroma of bleach, tobacco and instant noodles wafted towards Remus Lupin's regrettably keen nose. No carpet adorned the floor of the hall, and threadbare carpet, of the shade of grey he suspected was deliberately selected for its dreariness, covered his apartment floor. There was barely a moment of peace in the apartment. To his left, a muggle situation comedy (in which a man was repeatedly referred to as a 'plonker'), to his right, a leary crowd directing insults and/or encouragement to the adult men who were collectively known as footballers. Lonesome and somewhat depressed, the young man sighed. A member of the Order of the Phoenix he may have become, but he felt an emptiness, for he had not been in contact with Sirius, James or Peter (although, as he had not engaged in conversation with anyone, they could, potentially, be within feet of each other), and was presently employed at a laundrette, utterly fullfilling. His T-35 toaster, which could have been manufactured before his birth, had charred his toast once more, the joy the was his. Baked beans were on the hob of the standard 1960s oven provided by the apartment, heating satisfactorily, although he realised that the toast would be stone-cold before the beans were ready. That was the unfortunate aspect of having been a Hogwarts student; he had unwittingly become dependent upon the house-elves for meals and so forth, and was somewhat less than self-sufficient. Remus sat upon his sofa which had tears in its covers, tears which could not be attributed to his 'furry little problem' and began to write, with quill and ink, in a leather-bound diary, the sole source of company he presently had.

[Dorcas Renata Meadows]

A big box in arms and Dorcas was set. Knowing guys like she did, she knew they were crap at making a place look decent and she didn't want Remus' place turning into a total bachelor pad. Of course it would be a bachelor pad to some degree, but Remus was a single guy so it couldn't be too feminine or people would just think he was gay, which of course he was not. Or so Dorcas thought. Then again, perhaps he was and she just didn't know, after all, she'd never known him to have a girlfriend, he'd just always been engrossed in his studies, but then it wasn't like she'd followed Remus' life, he could have had a thousand girls and she'd not known.

But that was beside the point, at the moment, she was here to kind of brighten up Remus' place as well as his day of course. Awkwardly holding the box, she knocked on the door and waited. It wasn't the best place in Dorcas' opinion, but it was a roof over Remus' head and as long as he was alright with it, she didn't really care where he was. Though the smell of the corridor wasn't exactly the friendliest. She just hoped Remus' place smelt better than the hallway, if not, she was prepared with scented candles and he had no choice in the matter as to whether he would use them or not, she'd light them as soon as she got in.

[Remus Lupin]

Seven years at what may have been the most notorious school (by muggle, as opposed to wizarding standards) in England had served a purpose, it had defined his character, to a greater or lesser extent. The resonating, unanticipated sound of knuckle on wood indicated the arrival of a visitor, whether friend or foe, Remus had no current means of determining, but vigilance would cost nothing. Hand closing around his wand, he inserted it further into his sleeve. Concealed, but readily available, should it be required. Did Death Eaters knock? A more adequate means of entering the home (if one could call Remus' flat a home) of a potential victim would be to use magic as a means of entry, but Remus was not naïve, as once he was. A Death Eater may be lulling him into a false sense of security. Before a great length of time had passed, his hand reached for the door handle and he turned it clockwise. "So good to see you," he said, not addressing her immediately by name. Dorcas was hardly an archetypal British name, and it was not in either of their interests for her to be named publicly, if, for instance, certain unsavoury persons were eavesdropping. "Won't you come in?" A solitary step backwards indicated that he was inviting her to do so. He did not know Dorcas intimately, but trusted her. She was a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and was a year his senior. She had a year of experience of life external to the protections and confinements of Hogwarts. She had survived, and it was encouraging.

[Dorcas Renata Meadows]

Dorcas didn't get Remus. He opened the door and she wasn't even sure if he knew her name. Oh well, that'd never stopped her barging in on people before, though of course, he could be a Death Eater in disguise that really had no idea who she was. Dorcas almost laughed at the thought. She'd pissed off, flirted and slept with way too many of the Death Eaters for any of them not to know who she was but she remembered Remus had always been the overly secretive and slightly suspicious type, so maybe he just wasn't using her name through fear of eavesdroppers. Merlin the guy was paranoid.

"Thanks Remmy." She smiled as she walked on into his home sweet home, the box in hand. Or more to the point, the box in arms. It wasn't exactly light but still, Dorcas was too lazy to use magic to lift the thing once she'd already lifted it and even too stubborn to resort to needing it. She wasn't a sook, she could lift and carry things that any man could. Sure she might struggle and itty bit, but like hell she'd let any guy know that.

Setting the open lidded box down on Remus' table that creaked it seemed, Dorcas pulled out a few things and placed them wither side of the box. Three photo frames, four fragrance candles, incense burners and wooden stand for the incenses, a throw for over the sofa, a small mahogany coffee table, obviously she put that on the floor, a decorative mash of colours on a canvas that she had absolutely no idea what it was but decided it would brighten Remus' place up a little, a box of new cups - all matching of course, some wine glasses, a bottle of champagne and some champagne flutes.

"A cup of tea would be great Remny." She smiled, looking over her shoulder at him. Thank Merlin for magic because without it, she wouldn't have been able to fit half those things in the box.

[Remus Lupin]

Instinctively, Remus closed the door, turning the key with a precise, deliberate movement, and promptly attempting to open the door to determine whether further action was required. Satisfied that he and Dorcas were secure from the threat of intrusive Death Eaters, he advanced upon Dorcas, the box, and the items contained within it. "My goodness," he murmured. A mug of tea was, indeed, the bare minimum that she deserved! "Certainly," he replied, deciding that it would be an expression of his gratitude if he used one of his newly-acquired cups. Within moments, the contents of the teabag were disolving, combining with the water at what appeared to be an alarming rate. It had (thus far) not ceased to amaze him, how rapidly clear water could become deepest brown. He reduced the heat under the beans, deciding that it was poor etiquette to consume a meal in the presence of one who was visiting (unless the person visiting intended to join one in the meal), and that it could be reheated at his convenience. "I can't thank you enough, all this for me?" He was curious as to why Dorcas had thought to supply him with such luscious items, "I don't know what say!" There was a smile upon his face which articulated his delight on his behalf. It was not his birthday, it was not Christmas, and he was not due congratulations, yet here was a multitude of items. Yet in the depths of his mind, an almost subliminal, suspicious voice murmured doubtfully, 'no such thing as a free lunch, Remus!' "Do you take sugar, Dorcas?" He asked, having recognised that the tea had brewed.

[Dorcas Renata Meadows]

Remus' response was absolutely darling. Dorcas laughed lightly as he went off and made her a cup of tea. She on the other hand looked around his apartment. It was enough, she supposed, and it wouldn't be like he would be living here forever. It was a start and more than she had, she was still at home with her mother. Though Dorcas knew that as much as she disliked her mother, she couldn't leave home whilst her mother was ill, it could quite possibly be the death of her and the death of her mother was not something she wanted on her conscience, thanks very much.

"You don't need to say anything Remus. It's just a few house warming gifts to make your place not quite so macho." She laughed a little. Remus wasn't the macho type, anyone could see that, but he wasn't at all feminine really and so the place needed something light and airy. "It's all mainly for my benefit really and the benefit of any other woman that comes by." She gave him a sly look. "At least you've got something offer ladies, including myself, when they pass through or stay the night." Yeah, she was hinting at Remus bringing home a girl, but he hardly seemed the type for that, but still, what she'd brought would break up the grey in the place.

"One sugar please Remmy." She replied, positioning some of the scented candles about the room and lighting them before going back and picking up the throw she'd brought to go over his sofa. "And milk cheers." She concluded as she pulled out her wand and gave it a flick, the throw lifting up and draping over the torn in places sofa.

[Remus Lupin]

Tea preferences duly noted in his keen mind, Remus re-entered the kitchen and added a teaspoon of sugar and a dash of milk to the cup, presenting it to her on a saucer. "The woman's touch," he mused aloud. He questioned, inwardly, whether the throws, scented candles, and other items which complemented each other so beautifully would be for the benefit of any woman; was he attractive? Charming? Lycanthropy had attracted Marin to him, and any other woman who had expressed an interest in him at Hogwarts, he suspected, may have done so due to his Marauder status. "No joy with the ladies so far, but can I expect? No one goes to a laundrette for slap and tickle!" Odd turn of phrase for, during the one night of 'dot, dot, dot' he had experienced, he had neither slapped nor tickled Marin. Murdered by the obnoxious Bellatrix Lestrange (or Le Freak as Remus preferred to use) Marin had been Remus' first, and, thus far, only love. "I suppose it's early days yet," he added, to avoid appearing to bemoan his situation, for Dorcas had been so thoughtful, it seemed ungrateful to be negative.

[Dorcas Renata Meadows]

Dorcas laughed and took her cup of tea from Remus, blowing over the surface of it a little. "You never know where you're going to find the right woman, Remmy, you might just find her in the launderette. Her washing thingy might break down, you both go to use the same machine thingy at the launderette and then - your eyes meet. She turns her head away shyly with an apologetic smile, while you do the same, looking off with a mumble of the word 'sorry' before you go to the next machine. And then, while you load your washing into the thing, she'll steal glances of you and you of her until eventually, you pluck up the courage to ask her name and from there on, you two hit it off, have loads of sex, get married and have the cutest kids ever with the cleanest and most freshest laundry. The end." Okay, so she'd got a little carried away with telling that little story and she doubted very much it would ever work out like that, but Dorcas had enjoyed her version of how Remus' love life would go, however doubtful it seemed.

Dorcas drank up some of her tea and put the cup back on the saucer it had been handed to her on. Dorcas shrugged her shoulders as Remus commented it being early days. "Exactly, you're young and handsome, Remmy, you'll find someone right for you when you're ready." Dorcas took a seat at the table and looked about Remus' apartment. It looked a lot more welcome and colourful as opposed to all the standard, dreary grey. Though what might Peter, Sirius and James think of this place now it was a little more, feminine? Well James was married and lived with Lily, so they had reason for their place to have a touch of girlishness to it, but if Peter or Sirius dare tried laughing, she would target them next with pink frilly lace everywhere, and she knew a few permanent sticking charms to help keep everything in place.

"So what've you got planned for the rest of your day Remmy?" She asked. "I hope I'm not disturbing you by the way." Just a quick after thought. She'd never really checked that he wasn't up to anything before she barged into his place and started dictating his life. Or at least his flat. Oh well, he could kick her out at any point he wanted, he would know that, but it would be most unlike Remus to do such a thing to anyone. Death Eaters could be attacking and he'd offer them a drink first. Remus was just a thoughtful kind of person that any girl would be lucky to settle down with.

[Remus Lupin]

Remus envisaged the tale as it unfolded, a smile upon his face, his attention more visibly upon Dorcas with each passing moment, although the fantasy was concluded with his somewhat morose realisation that the relationship would (in all likelihood) culminate in death, in the present political climate. Dorcas had not realised, it appeared, that Remus was not a regular customer of the laundrette, but, rather an employee; he was not ashamed of his position, but it was not a fact that he overtly advertised. It was a means to an end; he was a member of the Order of the Phoenix, but as that was a voluntary service, and did not involve payment, it did not contribute to his rent. "Nada," he replied, in response to the question Dorcas had posed as regards his intentions for the remainder of the evening. "My evenings have a dull sameness to them, if I'm honest. Cook, write in my diary, eat, listen to the TV in the apartment to my left, listen to the TV in the apartment to my right, bed." Transformations were (by comparison) a punctuation mark in the monotony of his life, although he did not voice that, for if Dorcas realised that particular aspect of himself, he was not aware of it.

[Dorcas Renata Meadows]

"It's not dull Remmy." Okay, she was lying a little, it did seem a bit dull. Well actually a lot dull. He needed to get out more. What happened to all those times he spent with Sirius, Peter and James? Surely the guys still did stuff with one another frequently. Heck she was out almost every night, she couldn't just stay at home, it got boring and routine, and that's what seemed to be happening with Remus' life. It was becoming routine. They'd not long left school. It was only September and Remus had fallen into the routine of a forty-something year old singleton. Though at least he wasn't living at home with his parents she supposed.

"How often do you leave this place Remmy? And I'm not talking about going out for shopping. When was the last night out you had?" She was curious. Remus needed more fun in his life, he'd always been the studious one at Hogwarts and she'd never known him to let lose, get drunk and have a really great time. Perhaps that's what Remus' new life should be like, only not every night. She wasn't sure he would be able to handle going out every night, but he should definitely do different things. A walk in the park, dinner at a restaurant, a picnic somewhere. Just something to get him out.