6 months later: May 1982 (Remus’ POV)
Spring had already begun, and the flowers were in bloom. The blossoming buds and vitality of life surrounding Godric’s Hollow in no way reflected the current state of being in Lily’s life, or Sirius or Remus’ for that matter. This wasn’t to say that there weren’t happy moments in their lives, just that they were few and far between. Healing was a slow process, only made bearable by the constant company of each other. Sirius and Remus had long since gone back to their flat, but were at Lily’s house nearly every day.
This period in their lives was particularly trying; Sirius had returned from a brief stint in Azkaban just last week. Remus shuddered at the thought. He remembered the evening when Sirius had been taken away like it had been yesterday. He hadn’t thought it was possible to feel as helpless as he had felt when he’d seen James’ unmoving form on the floor. When they had taken Sirius away that night, an innocent man, and Remus had been unable to help, unable to change the circumstances, the feelings of helplessness had overwhelmed him. It had been almost as bad as losing James; the people he cared most about in the world were dropping like flies. He’d been a mess for days.
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He had been right all along. Remus had known all along that Sirius would go and do something rash. He just hadn’t counted on it being so soon, or having such disastrous consequences.
It was just past six in the evening, and the lights of dusk were just beginning to color the sky. It was a beautiful night by all accounts. He and Sirius had just left Lily’s house and had apparated to London, and were walking the few blocks back to their flat. They took these few minutes every night to walk in each other’s company, allowing the crisp autumn air to clear their heads.
Remus had seen him first. Just as they had rounded a corner, Remus had looked up to see a small man quite a distance down the block. He would have looked quite indistinguishable to anyone else. He wore a dirty set of robes, had mousy brown hair, and walked with his head down, keeping a low profile. He had a twitchy sort of manner about him, as if he was terrified someone would realize who he was. Unfortunately, that was exactly what had just happened.
The moment after Remus saw him, he felt Sirius tense beside him. They both froze, and Remus looked at Sirius, afraid of what he would see. He hadn’t been mistaken. Sirius’ eyes had gone cold and hard, and the look of hatred etched into every line in his face left no room for mistake.
–I’m gonna kill him.†His voice was shaking, the rage boiling below the surface so intense it was unnerving to witness. It wasn’t that Remus wasn’t feeling the same rage, just that he tended to internalize these types of things, whereas Sirius wore his heart on his sleeve.
–I’m gonna kill you, Peter!†The small, quivering man froze at sound of Sirius’ voice ringing in the night. He looked up and Remus watched as all the color drained from his face, leaving it as gray as death. The man did not move, though. It was as if he was too horrified to do anything but stand there, terror consuming him.
Sirius drew his wand from his robes in an instant and stalked down the street toward Peter, arm outstretched. The man cowered, still unable to move away from the terrible fury moving toward him.
–Sirius, my old friend... and Remus, so good to see you.†The rat of a man made an attempt at a smile.
Sirius roared in rage, and even Remus directed a furious glance at Peter. –How dare you! How dare you speak to us as if we don’t know what you’ve done!†Sirius bellowed, a hint of pain and betrayal infused in his voice.
–Done? What have I done?†Peter whined, echoing Sirius’ exclamation when Remus had accused him of betraying the Potters mere days before.
This time it was Remus who answered, his voice quiet and cold, full of a revulsion so strong it almost masked the pain that he and Sirius felt. –You sold Lily and James to Voldemort. Do you deny it?â€*
–No... I.. H-he..... What could I have done? The Dark Lord... you have no idea the weapons he possesses.. he forced me to do it...â€* Peter pleaded. These were all just excuses; not once did he express guilt or apologize for the horrors he had committed.
–You don’t understand, Sirius!†Peter turned back to the shaking frame of his old friend, begging for mercy with his eyes. –He would have killed me!â€*
–Then you should have died! Died rather than betray your friends, as we would have done for you!â€* Sirius shoved his wand closer to Peter’s face, quickly losing control, the reason for his best friend’s death standing before him. He took a few breaths to try and regain some semblance of control before speaking again.
–It’s over, Peter.†It took all of Sirius’ self-control to speak calmly. –You’re over. I’m going to turn you in and you’re going to pay for the pain you’ve caused all of us.â€
In that moment, Remus watched a disturbing change come over Peter. The terror that had been all-consuming vanished, and an eerie calm took its place.
–You can’t do that, Sirius.â€
Sirius’ eyes widened, and the small amount of control he had gained was thrown by the wayside. –What do you mean I can’t?†Sirius bellowed, inching closer to Peter’s face, and was surprised when Peter did not flinch.
–I’m not going to Azkaban.†And before Remus could pull Sirius out of the way, they were both blasted backwards down the street.
–You filthy, little --†Sirius never finished his sentence, abandoning words and attempting to rush at Peter. Remus lunged and grabbed Sirius, wrapping his arms around him and holding him back.
–Sirius, don’t! He’s planning something!â€
–I - don’t - care - Remus! It’s his fault!†Sirius had always been the stronger of the two and he broke free of Remus’ grip, not paying any attention to the calculating look glinting in Peter’s eyes.
Sirius reached Peter quickly, and his fists soon crashed into the traitor’s face. Crunches and cracks were Peter’s nose breaking. Then, as quickly as the attack had begun, it ended, but not by any choice of Sirius’. Sirius was blasted back again, and the next few events had happened in quick succession.
Peter pulled a small knife out of his pocket, and sliced off his right index finger. He then blasted the street apart, an explosion rocking the area and infringing on Remus and Sirius’ view. When the smoke cleared, Peter was gone. A series of loud cracks announced the arrival of wizards from the Ministry responding to a powerful blasting curse in Muggle London. They took one look at Sirius, Peter’s blood staining his hands and clothes, saw Peter’s finger on the sidewalk, and instantly converged on Sirius before Remus could explain.
Sirius struggled, a maniacal look in his eyes, screaming as he cast glances around the street. –He’s gone! He’s gone! I have to kill him! Where’s Peter?†There was a slight pause as Sirius realized where he was, and the unimaginable situation he was in.
–Remus...? Remus, where are you?â€
Something twisted in Remus’ stomach as he heard the panic rising in his friend’s voice. Something tugged at his heart when he saw the terror in his friend’s eyes.
Remus stepped forward to make a plea to these men. –Please, listen to me! Sirius, he didn’t --†No sooner had the words left his mouth, then he received a blow to his face and swift kick to his stomach and he doubled over, collapsing to the ground. Apparently, everyone was resorting to Muggle methods today.
This act of violence sent Sirius into another fit of rage, and he made to break free of his captors. The Ministry wizards grew even more forceful, wrenching Sirius’ arms behind his back. Sirius let out a cry of pain, which was soon muffled as a silencing charm was cast upon him; the Ministry couldn’t have him attracting too much attention. Fury and terror mingled in Sirius’ eyes as he fought yet again to get to Remus, who was bleeding profusely from the gash on his cheek.
Remus wiped the blood from his face, and made to stand up, determination fierce in his eyes. –Let me explain,†he growled. –Hear me out --†A wand was soon thrust into Remus’ face and its owner directed a dangerous look at him. Sirius, a look of defeat in his gray eyes, shook his head at Remus, the look there speaking volumes louder than words: drop it.
Remus stood there, head hung low, waves of hopelessness crashing over him, and watched the Ministry wizards grab his best friend roughly by the arms. A loud crack announced their exit as they apparated out of sight...
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It had taken months of accumulating evidence, and several impassioned arguments from Albus Dumbledore to convince the Ministry to release him. The man that had been returned to him and Lily was a mere ghost of the man that Sirius had been before James’ death. He had been torn from them a mere two weeks after having had to deal with that horror, and then had been faced with horrors that no man should ever have to endure.
Remus had heard the myths about Azkaban. He now knew these were no myths; the horrors that Sirius had lived through were evident in his every movement. Every rattle of the loose lock on the window was the rattling of the Dementors’ breath. Every shadow that swept past him was the sweeping of a Dementor’s cloak. In the week that Sirius had been back, he had regained a little of the color in his skin, and he smiled every once in a while, but he was still gaunt, woke up screaming at night, and often was silent for long periods of time.
The only time he ever seemed completely at peace and some fraction of the man he had been before was when he spent extended time with either Remus or Lily or had the opportunity to watch Harry. Remus most often caught a smile lingering on his friend’s lips when he gazed at Harry. His eyes softened, his brow relaxed, and the hard set of his lips broke whenever the little boy walked into the room. More than once, Lily had told him how she’d found Sirius standing over Harry’s crib for minutes on end. Once or twice, he’d actually fallen asleep at beside Harry’s crib.
Despite these changes in Sirius’ demeanor, Remus was happy beyond words to have his best friend back. This was the first time that Remus had begun to feel as if their lives might settle into some sort of calm. Remus was hesitant to use the word peace; he didn’t think there would be peace for quite some time. Peace implied some sort of healing, and Remus knew healing was going to be a long, painful process. There was a sense of calm, though; after all that they had been through in the past six months, Remus felt like they deserved it.
Dumbledore visited Lily’s house for the first time since Sirius’ return later that week. He had been there frequently during Sirius’ incarceration, working tirelessly with both Remus and Lily to free their friend. He was a welcome presence at Lily’s house; he exuded a quiet confidence and poise that had an effect on everyone present. This particular time he brought especially welcome news.
–Sirius, so good to see you. You’re looking good,†Dumbledore greeted Sirius as he walked into the living room.
Sirius gave the elder man a wan smile. –We both know you don’t mean that, Albus.â€
Dumbledore peered at Sirius over the rims of his half-moon spectacles. Before all of this disaster, Sirius would have accepted the compliment eagerly and tossed a joke back at his former headmaster. This deflection of compliments was such a departure from the eternally optimistic man they had once known that it was enough to break anyone’s heart. A sort of sad smile came to rest on the older man’s lips as he gave a knowing nod. –Well, in any case.... It’s good to see you home.â€
Sirius simply nodded. –Thank you, Albus. For everything you did to get me out of... to free me. I can never thank you enough.†His face may have been void of much emotion, but the gratitude in his voice was clear enough.
Remus joined Lily and Sirius in the living room when he heard the familiar voice. –Ah, Albus. Good to see you again.â€
Their former headmaster welcomed the lightening of the mood when Remus entered the room. –And you, Remus.†He turned back to the group of three as they sat facing him. –Where is young Harry? I would think such an excitable young lad would be running around down here.â€
Lily smiled at the mention of her son. –He’s upstairs, sleeping, although I’m not sure how much longer he’ll last with you arriving here. He has a knack for knowing when company’s here.â€
Dumbledore chuckled and his eyes twinkled at Lily’s reply. –Well, in any case, I come bearing good news. After... well, after the attack on your home, the Order has been vigorously investigating the apparent disappearance of Voldemort. As you well know, I asked you, Lily, and you as well, Remus, to lie low for the past few months as we looked into whether or not Voldemort was really gone.â€
–And?†Lily was leaning forward eagerly; she had been waiting for news of this sort ever since James’ death. It had been absolute torture having to stay hidden even after that horrible night.
Dumbledore allowed a wide smile to grace his features. –We’ve searched everywhere, all across England and beyond. We’ve spoken to all of our contacts throughout the world, and there is no sign of him anywhere. Not a trace.â€
By that point, Lily had grabbed the hands of both Sirius and Remus, who were sitting on either side of her. She squeezed tightly, joy exuding from every pore in her body. It hadn’t all been in vain; he hadn’t died for nothing. This realization filled Lily with such an immense happiness that she felt it hard to contain.
Remus glanced at the redhead beside him, and gently squeezed her hand in return. He knew how much this news meant to her, how much it meant to all of them. James’ death had been awful, and they still hadn’t moved completely past it, but what had made it worse was the thought that nothing good had come from it. Remus watched as tears slid down his friend’s freckled face, and he smiled because he knew that in this moment, they were not tears of grief but tears of relief.
–And what’s more,†Dumbledore continued, –his followers have dispersed. There is no central organization. We’ve rounded up a great deal of them, and the rest have gone deep into hiding. It looks as if we’ve won. You are all safe, and Voldemort is truly gone.â€
Remus glanced over to Sirius, and saw his friend wearing a true smile. The smile on Sirius’ face was one of triumph. Pride burned fiercely in his eyes. –James did it. He did it.†His eyes were bright and vibrant. –I knew he had done it. I knew he hadn’t died in vain.â€
Another small reminder that James’ sacrifice had not been for nothing came moments later. A quiet noise came from the upper floor of Lily’s house. Soft giggles were escaping from a room upstairs, the sound that little Harry had awoken. Even if everything else had not happened, if James’ death had not saved all of wizard kind, it still would have meant something. James’ death had saved little Harry Potter.
Lily, ears always tuned to the sound of her son’s voice, heard the soft noises emitted from his room and made to get up. Remus held out an arm to stop her. –It’s fine. I got him.†He got to his feet and headed up the stairs, out of sight.
–So that’s it then?†asked Lily, still squeezing Sirius’ hand tightly, a smile plastered on her face.
Dumbledore chuckled. –That’s it. No more hiding. No more pretending you don’t exist. The wizarding world is waiting to welcome you back, and with open arms I’d be willing to bet.†The elder man paused, as if considering something. –You’re going to be famous, you know. Everyone’s going to know your name, and Harry’s as well. No one that’s been targeted by Voldemort has ever survived. The two of you are going to be famous.â€
–But,†here Lily’s brows furrowed in confusion. –I... we haven’t done anything. We didn’t actually do anything. James was the one who sacrificed his life. We just survived.â€
Dumbledore nodded. –But the people need someone to call their hero, and that’s going to be you and your son.â€
Lily laughed then. –If they want someone to look to as a hero, they should look to you. You’re the one who’d been tirelessly working against Voldemort. You’re the hero of it all.â€
–I work behind the scenes. You and James were the foot soldiers, Lily. You and Harry are going to be the ones they look to. Are you going to be able to handle that?â€
–Well, we don’t really get much of a choice, do we?†Lily still looked bewildered at that point, but had seemed to come to terms that she and her son would be viewed as heroes.
–I wouldn’t be surprised if they hailed you as a hero as well, Sirius, once the truth comes out about Peter,†Dumbledore thought aloud. –After all, you confronted the man who brought about your friend’s death, and paid the price by being sent... by going to prison. You’re their martyr.â€
Sirius scoffed. –I’m no hero. That would mar my reputation as a troublemaker. And we couldn’t have that, could we? Looking like a goody-two-shoes..†He trailed off, a look of false affront on his face.
Neither Lily nor Dumbledore could contain the wide smiles that broke across their faces. It was the first time Sirius had acted like his old self since James’ death. Sirius noticed the smiles and narrowed his eyes.
–What are you two smiling at?â€
Lily’s smile grew exponentially. –It’s... it’s the first time you’ve joked since... well, in a while.â€
–All this good news is getting to me. It’s simply maddening.â€
Laughter filled the room. It was the first time the atmosphere inside Lily’s house had reflected the springtime outside. It was the first time any real healing had been brought to bear upon the survivors of that horrific night. Real life, true vivid life, sprang into being in the room in that moment. Even Sirius joined in with the peals of laughter filling the space, slipping into a fit of roaring laughter that commanded its own attention.
Once the laughter had died down, Lily stood up, heading toward the kitchen. –I’m going to make some tea. Would anyone else like some tea?â€
Dumbledore nodded. –Tea would be lovely.â€
Sirius’ brow furrowed. –Got anything stronger? Say.. some firewhiskey?â€
Lily shot a withering look his way, green eyes narrowed in warning.
Sirius quickly backtracked. –Uh, tea is fine. Yeah, tea would be great.â€
Lily came back a few minutes later, four cups of tea suspended in the air near her outstretched wand. After Lily set a cup before Dumbledore, he made a quick movement and reached into his robes.
–Oh! I almost forgot. I have something for you, Lily. Professor McGonagall and I were doing some spring cleaning of our offices this past month, and she came across this and knew I was coming to see you, and so passed it on to me.â€
–Mmm..†Lily mused, as she sat down, clutching her tea in her hands. –What is it?â€
Dumbledore paused for a moment. –It’s a photo, of you and James on your wedding day.†Here he paused again, the photo still in his hand. He seemed hesitant to hand it over, when he knew the painful memories it could dredge up, and after things had just taken a turn for the better. –I kept it. What can I say? I’m a sentimental man, but at this point, I feel like you have more need of it than me.â€
Lily felt the atmosphere in the room tense as Dumbledore gave the photo to Lily. She took it with a trembling hand. She had made a point not to look at any photos of James since his passing, especially wizard photographs. Wizard photographs were so unlike the Muggle pictures she had grown up with. At least in a Muggle photograph, the subject was frozen there; they couldn’t move. Lily didn’t think she would be able to handle a moving James, every smile, wink, or laugh personified for her to see.
Her anxiousness was not without reason. Lily’s first glance at the photo felt like someone had knocked all the air from her lungs. Her breath caught in her throat, and she felt Sirius slide closer to her on the couch, his hand coming to rest in hers. He knew how much this hurt her, for he was transfixed by the photo as well, his eyes swimming with something akin to agony.
There in the photo stood a handsome, and very much alive, James Potter, his arms wrapped around his radiant bride as they twirled in circles. His eyes shone with an exhilaration so bright it brought a glow to his face. The adoration with which he looked at Lily was overwhelming. His black hair still stuck up in all the wrong places, though Sirius distinctly remembered the two of them trying to tame it that morning. Every so often, the James brought to life in the photograph would wink at them, and Sirius felt his heart rip a little each time.
The sound of someone descending the stairs was enough of a reminder of reality to cause Lily to release Sirius’ hand from the deathly grip she had had it in, though she didn’t remove her hand from his. It was Remus. He had come down after the sudden, unsettling silence had fallen over the room, the silence impregnated with pain as well.
Remus was holding Harry, who was now squirming in his grip, trying to get to his mother. –Hey, honey... Mum’s okay. Everything’s okay,†Lily whispered to Harry when she noticed his wide, anxious eyes. Remus set the little boy down on the floor, and Harry stumbled quickly over to where his mother sat. This was no unusual feat; Harry had been walking for some months now. What followed was a far cry from normal, though.
Harry’s gaze focused on the photo that his mother was clutching tightly in her hand. He raised one little finger and pointed to a figure in the image.
–Daddy.â€
The little boy seemed a little surprised at hearing his own voice, but other than that seemed resolute in his statement. His green eyes were full of understanding as he looked up at his mother.
Remus heard a sharp intake of breath from Lily, and watched as tears welled up in her eyes. Not only only was this moment poignant because it was Harry’s first word, but because his first word had been in recognition of his father. Lily recovered quickly though, and wiped away the tears that had slipped past her eyelids before scooping up her young son into her lap.
–Yes, honey. That’s Daddy. Daddy was a very brave man, and Daddy was very happy in this picture. And you know what else? Daddy loved you very much. In fact, Daddy will never stop loving you.â€
Harry looked very sure as he nodded, and pointed at the picture again, repeating, –Daddy.†He giggled as the James in the picture twirled Lily around again, before kissing her sweetly on the cheek.
–Yes, that’s Daddy,†Lily assured her son before pressing her lips to her son’s forehead.
Just then, a tawny owl flew through the open window, and landed on the arm of the couch beside Lily. Attached to its right leg was a letter, bound tightly with an emerald string. Lily untied the letter from the owl’s leg, and unrolled it.
Dear Lily...
Lily recognized the slanted handwriting immediately. Though she hadn’t had contact with the owner for quite some time, it was not one she would soon forget. She glanced up for a moment, nervousness flitting about in her eyes. It wasn’t as if she should feel guilty for receiving the letter; she hadn’t asked to be contacted. This didn’t calm her nerves any, though.
–What is it?†Sirius asked, eyes narrowed in concern.
–It’s from Sev.â€
The Last Enemy That Shall Be Defeated Is Death by simply_enamored
Chapter Notes: A/N: I am not Jo Rowling, therefore please do not mistake these brilliant characters for anything other than her creation. Hope you all like these chapters. Reviews, suggestions, advice, critique is always welcome! Thank you all for sticking with me this far.
*Quotes taken from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban