Remus Lupin followed Andromeda Tonks down the hallway like a naughty school boy walking to the teacher's desk, feeling smaller with each step he took, down the path that he was so afraid of. Andromeda walked into the kitchen with a malevolent look at Remus before turning to her daughter,

'Remus is here to talk to you Dora, of course if you don't wan-'

'Remus?' Dora exclaimed, 'Where? Wha- oh Remus..' Remus had creeped into the kitchen with a look of guilt mixed with pain etched onto every line of his prematurely lined face, 'I know you'd came back, I knew it!' She embraced him before the shock had worn off, then she withdrew to look him in the face, hers with a hard, cold, yet hungry look on her face. Remus looked her squarely in the eyes before Dora shot a piercing, firm slap across his cheek, he did not flinch or protest, she then drew her wand.

'Please,' Remus chocked, 'Please, I deserve, I deserve more. For the pain I have handed to you, to shame that I have inflicted on you.' Andromeda made a stifled noise in the background, before Dora signalled for her to leave.

'Shut up' Dora snarled '"shame"? "Inflicted?" not this story again, I have told you, time and time again, I don't care! I know what you are, but still I need you! I asked for this baby! You don't think of anyone but yourself.'

'Dora, that's hardly fair'

'Fair? I'll talk to you about fair! Do you think that it is fair, that you accepted me as your wife, through thick and thin, and when I get pregnant with your child,' Remus flinched, 'Yes, Remus, your child! And you go and bugger off somewhere trying to be the hero? That is not fair.' She screamed through breathes.

'Dora-'

'Don't you dare Dora me! You're trying to be the hero? Do you think that leaving me alone with a possibly werewolf child.' Remus's face drained of colour, 'would make me better off than with you? No, and when it turns out that our child isn't a werewolf – which I know it isn't.'

'How can you possibly know?' Remus protested, Dora ignored his outburst,

'Which I know he isn't'! It will still love its father, just like I loved you, and still Do.' Dora's voice cracked in the last few words, 'I love you Remus. I need you! Can't you see that? Can't you just see through that barrier that you have up against the rest of the world, just this once? What are you doing here anyway?'

'I wanted to apologise-' Remus started.

'Ha. Right, well that's a start!'

'Please, Dora, let me finish.' He said in a strained voice, Dora indicated for him to go on. 'Thank you. I went to see Harry'

'Harry? Wha- Is he okay? Ron, Hermione? What's going on?'

'Yes, yes, yes.. There're all fine. They are safe. I went to see Harry, It told him I would be willing to help him with any mission that he may come across, he was all for it until there was the fateful question of what would happen to you, and half-expected, Harry didn't like it. He said that his father would never want this and that parents should never leave their kids, he said that my unborn child would be ashamed of me, for, for, for being- he called me a coward.'

'Good on him! That's exactly what you are.' Remus flinched yet again,

'I know, I am so sorry Dora, you know I am! I love you, I'm ever thankful to Harry for what he said, Dora, please, forgive me.' His hollow voice was so filled with desperation that it cause tears to spill out of Doras eyes.

'Yes. Fine, how could I not?' the soft palms of he hands pulled Remus's rough face to hers and their foreheads touched, 'Just please, promise me that you will never, never do that to me again?'

'I promise.' They then wrapped themselves in a tight embrace, crying, laughing, Remus caressing Dora's stomach; it could have lasted minutes, hours, days even, for time had no meaning as long as Dora was safe in Remus's strong arms.