~Chapter 43- Remus Realizes~

I heard the hospital wing door shut. He was gone. I sat there weeping as silently as I could, which wasn't very quiet. Distinctly, I heard the sound of footsteps as others left. When I finally felt calm enough to look up, I saw Dora, Remus, Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley, and Fleur still in the wing.

Dora sat in a chair away from everyone. Her head was in her hands just like mine had been a minute before. She wasn't crying ... was she?

I was finished with her pitiful state, her miserable attitude toward everything. This had been going on for too long, and it was time to put a stop to it.

I snapped up from the bed. The Weasleys and Fleur were still gathered around Bill, but the person I wanted to talk to was in a chair by Madam Pomfrey's desk. He was staring out the window, looking deep in thought. I walked over to him, making as little noise as possible on the way. He didn't seem to notice me until I spoke his name.

"Remus."

He turned. "Oh. Lyra. Hi." His eyes narrowed in concern. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," I said, wishing I knew a spell to remove the effects of crying.

"So, er ... do you need something?" he asked.

I sat down in a chair next to him. "Yes. I really think you need to rethink Dora's request." He opened his mouth to protest but I went on. "I know you don't want to hurt her, but look at her - could you possibly hurt her any worse than you already have?"

"When you say ‘hurt,' do you mean emotionally or - ?"

"Hurt just means hurt," I said. "I know what you're going to say - you're afraid of hurting her physically. But she doesn't care. Surely you're ... well, with Sirius and your other friends gone..."

"You think I'm lonely?" he asked. He paused for a long time as he stared out the window, glanced quickly at Dora, and finally rested his gaze upon me. "You may be right," he said at last, and a jolt of triumph burst within me - "but Tonks doesn't deserve me. Surely you know that?"

"Listen," I said fiercely. "Do you know what she endured when she was at school? She was taunted, made fun of, and laughed at because everyone thought she was weird. They took advantage of her. Once she was able to control her Metamorphosing, people would ask her out expecting their dream girl because she could look however she wanted-or however they wanted. When they realized she wasn't the type they wanted, they dumped her. It's always been like that. I've grown up with her, Remus, and I've seen it happen over and over again. But this time it's different. I've never seen her so depressed. Listen to me: she's never wanted someone so badly. Can't you just give her a chance?"

"No," he said. "Lyra, listen to me now. I'm a werewolf, as you know very well. If one night I forget to take my potion, then she ... "

He didn't finish.

"Do you think she cares? Remus, she was willing to get bitten if it would have made you take her in."

We stared at each other. He glared at me, and I saw the wolf behind the man. I glared back, but inside I was hoping that this would do it. If that last comment didn't make him realize how serious this was, there was no chance.

"How do you know this?" he asked intensely.

"I ... read her diary," I murmured.

It was quiet for a long time. I was beginning to think he would never give in. Several times he looked like he wanted to speak, but every time he held his tongue.

"So that's it, I guess," I said. "Never mind. I thought I could influence you, but I guess you're never going to give in. You can go on and live your life while you watch her gradually become more and more depressed until - "

"If you're trying to make me feel guilty ... "

"Well, maybe I am!"

He glanced over at Dora. She still had her head in her hands.

"I have driven her to a bad state, haven't I?" he said, half to himself.

Getting frustrated, I said, "Yes! Is this the first time you've realized that? What's your problem? Is it that you don't want her?"

"No. No, not at all."

"Then go over there and tell her! Remus, only you can recover her."

"Lyra, I'm not really that great at romance or - "

"So? So what? Quit making excuses! Do you think that matters to her? Remus, I don't know anything about romance either, but I do know one thing: all my life, being under that stupid identity, I never thought I could be with anyone. Then, this year, I met Theodore. If I can fall in love, so can you."

"I ... I ... okay ... I'll go over and talk to her."

"There you go." I crossed my arms and gave him a smug smile. "It wasn't that hard, was it? Go on, she's just a girl."

He looked at me, quite amused. I could see a smile beginning to break out on his face.

"What?" I snapped.

He shook his head. "You just sounded so much like Sirius."

Dumbledore's funeral was held within the next few days. Many students were rushed away by their parents, while others begged to stay and pay their last respects. I knew Theodore wouldn't be staying, and I was right - he was gone by morning.

The whole Order of the Phoenix attended. I sat with most of them, next to Dora, who had miraculously managed to change her hair back to pink. Though it didn't fit the mood of the funeral, it was great to have her back.

I didn't concentrate very well during the service. Instead I was thinking about how Dumbledore had apparently died. I'd found out from Harry what Draco was up to.

He said Malfoy let the Death Eaters in through a Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement. Malfoy was sent to kill Dumbledore, but he couldn't. Snape ended up doing it for him. Harry witnessed the whole thing on the Astronomy Tower, where the Dark Mark had been cast.

Eventually, while at the ceremony, I felt tears hot against my face, but not from grief. I was scared, scared beyond anything imaginable. Without Dumbledore, the only one Voldemort had ever feared, the Death Eaters would grow powerful. And if they won the war ... ?

With a jolt, I remembered my boggart. What did the green snakes mean? I knew for some reason that I was afraid of them, but did they have anything to do with the war? Those snakes weren't normal. What was my biggest fear? I tried to work it out as I listened to a minister discuss the life of Albus Dumbledore.

I wasn't afraid of the snakes. I was afraid of Voldemort and the Dark Side.

When the funeral ended, I stood up, still weeping. I looked at Dora, who was next to Lupin. Both were teary from sorrow. Dora forced a smile as she said, "Come on. Let's go home."

I nodded my head and turned to leave, not at all ready to exit Hogwarts and return home without knowing what the future would bring or what we would have to face.

END OF PART THREE.