A/N I started writing this a while ago, but never got round to posting it here. I hope you enjoy it.
"REMUS!" Harry yelled as he fought his way through the thronging of the Great Hall. "No. No, not you as well... I can't... lose... you... too..." He flung himself over his favourite professor and closest thing he had to family. "Re...mus" he choked.
"Harry there's nothing you can do for him now" a stern yet gentle voice said "he would have wanted to go that way. He was like Sirius in that respect."
"Nooooo, you can't be dead. You just can't!" Harry cried harder. "C'mon Moony wake up and tell me you just pulled the greatest prank ever." Pause. "Please?" Harry almost whispered the last word.
"Harry you have to leave him now. He'll still be there later, you need to get yourself checked out." Minerva's voice was still gentle but firm. She pulled the crying boy onto his feet. "You've done so well" she said to him "just stay strong a little longer." Harry met her eyes and slowly nodded. As he headed towards where the injured were Minerva whispered "Lily and James would be so proud of you Harry."
Several hours later Harry was alone in the Great Hall. He could finally grieve for Remus as much as he needed to with no-one to bother him. He sat down and cradled Remus's body close. If he imagined hard enough he could still feel the breath tickling his face, could feel the pounding of life against his chest. He sat there, for countless hours, just holding the man close. He had conscious notion of neither time nor thought pattern but at some point he must have thought of his own supposed death and the voice that proclaimed him to be dead when he was not. His fingers snaked down Remus's neck. He had to know it for himself, had to diagnose it himself that his closest family link was gone. His fingers pressed down but he felt nothing, maybe he was in the wrong place? He tried again, nothing. Sighing, with tears streaming down his face he pulled the man close and hugged him for the last time.
It was then he felt it. Held strongly against his own body he felt something very weak press against him and then disappear. There was nothing around and there was not a breath of wind. There it was again. It wasn't his heartbeat hammering in his chest, which left only one option... Harry's fingers went onto the man's neck again and this time, miraculously, he felt something very faint back. No wonder he had missed it first time, it was extremely difficult to detect if you didn't know what to look for.
"Remus" Harry croaked in shock. Then he recovered himself and shot his patronus through the door. It would bring Madam Pomfrey here. Harry had got Remus back and he wasn't planning on moving any time soon.
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Six months later.
"Practically the whole castle needs rebuilding." Harry said to Remus "Some bits have been started but a lot of it needs materials. Conjured stones wouldn't last in a building like this, too much ambient magic, too much of a risk of them just collapsing."
Remus was lying on a sofa in Harry's Hogsmeade house. Harry wanted to be close to Hogwarts and help with the rebuilding. Apparition was good but it just wasn't the same. Hence he bought the small two bedroom house here.
"How long do you think it will take to complete?" Remus asked.
"They're having to contract out to the muggle world. So it could take years. Muggle builders are notoriously useless! Good job the castle is a ruin really... since most of the wards are down..." He wandered over to the fireplace. "Poppy will be over again soon" he said, abruptly changing the topic of conversation.
Remus gave a long suffering sigh. "And I suppose she'll have a fit about me being out of bed again?"
"Probably, yup!" Harry winked. "You nearly died Remus! You need to rest!" He imitated the mediwitch in a high pitched voice. "If you try to get out of that bed one more time Remus Lupin I'm going to stick you to it!" he continued with a mock glare. Remus couldn't help but laugh - Harry's imitations were so funny! Especially of Poppy.
"If you are any more of a bad influence on my patient Harry Potter I will be taking him back with me!" Poppy's voice came from behind them and it set both boys off laughing again.
"No fair!" Harry retorted "I only bought this place so that Remus would be away from your tender mercies!" Harry grinned cheekily and winked at Remus.
"You bought it for more than that and you know it." Poppy smiled and ruffled Harry's hair. "So how is the patient today? I see you haven't followed my orders of bed rest!"
A flick of Harry's wand and the sofa turned into a bed. "Haven't we?" he asked innocently.
Poppy playfully batted him on the head and ran her wand over Remus.
"You shouldn't even be out of hospital yet Remus, let alone out of bed. However since both you and Mr Potter seem to be genetically programmed to ignore what I say anyway I suppose it doesn't matter!" She glared fiercely at them. "You are good for each other. And you" she pointed her wand at Remus "still need lots of rest. How you get it, quite frankly I'm past caring, but if you put back your recovery by doing too much then you'll find yourself back with me and I'll not hesitate to follow through my threats!"
Harry nodded seriously then stage whispered to Remus "looks like I can use the space your potions take up for some Weasley pranks then!"
"Why's that Harry?" Remus whispered back, a huge grin on his face.
"Well she only said rest. So you must have finished with the potions!"
"Boys!" Poppy huffed, just loud enough for the two to hear. She waved her wand over Remus again then summoned a bright blue potion. "Drink" she said, handing Remus the bottle.
Remus gave a mock sigh then swallowed the contents in one. Seconds later his hair, his nose and his tongue had turned the same way as the potion.
Poppy smirked. "I'll be back tomorrow about the same time. Rest young man. Make sure Harry sleeps as well, he doesn't want to find himself in my care too!"
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Two weeks later.
"How's rebuilding going?" Remus asked, as he did every day.
"There's not enough people. We've got most of the stone now but we just need a bigger workforce. Although why we are trying to rebuild the whole castle before we open it I don't know. Make something smaller, make it functional and make it open. Then Hogwarts students can have a school and we can stop having to teach in people's houses!" Harry looked up and saw Remus staring at him. "Sorry Remus, I didn't mean to rant so" he said sheepishly.
"No worries cub, I just wish I could help!"
"Better not, Poppy will let you out soon I'm sure. I don't really want to push her after all she's let us get away with. Besides do you want a blue face again?"
"You're right, that stuff took days to get out!" Remus chuckled at the memory. "In which case I'm going to be a good little werewolf and turn in for the night. Night Harry!"
"Night Remus."
As Harry lay in bed that night his thoughts drifted back to the comment about building a school. He had the money, he had the contacts, he had the time and he had the motivation. Why not, he thought. He fell asleep with his head full of plans and ideas.