We Have Forever
By Vendie

Author's Note: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling, and the only profit I'm making from this story is the enjoyment I get from writing it.

This story is inspired by The Band Perry's "If I Die Young" and has been a long time in the works. It is dedicated to the memory of friends and family whose lives ended too soon.

She knew she was dead without really remembering why or how.

There had been a fight, maybe? She had been trying to get to someone, she thought. But the remembering of the whole ordeal seemed painful, and it was so peaceful where she was, it seemed better to let it be.

She remembered her son, and a wave of sorrow washed over her. Somehow, she knew Teddy would be alright, well-looked-after, and loved, but she would miss all of that and it made her sad.

Then, suddenly, she remembered that she had been trying to get to Remus. Maybe he had survived, and that was why she was there alone.

Alone.

Tonks looked around and saw nothing but white and a warm, comforting sort-of mist for as far as her eyes could see. She felt, without understanding how, that if she wanted to she could get up and move on. She considered this while she sat for what could have been minutes, seconds, or even hours.

She did not want to go on alone, Tonks concluded. But waiting in the vastness indefinitely, no matter how peaceful, seemed equally undesirable.

She drew her legs up and hugged them to her body, noticing for the first time that she was wearing a pretty, white dress. It was much like what she would have liked to wear on her wedding day, if she could have afforded it. The delicate satin was smooth and comfortable. Absently, she fiddled with the wedding ring still on her finger. She would have rather liked Remus to see her like this. She felt beautiful.

A few tears slid over her cheeks as she thought of how long she might have to wait to see her husband again. She sniffed and rested her forehead on her knees, resolved to stay.

. . . . . . . . . .

"Come, Love," a voice said after an indeterminate amount of time.

Tonks looked up in surprise to see a man standing there, holding his hand out to help her up. She peered at him, trying to place why she recognized him. He looked familiar, but there were no scars on his face or dark circles under his eyes. His shoulders weren't slumped forward, rather, he looked light and free. He was beautiful and his eyes – his eyes!

"Remus?" She asked breathlessly, the sound of her own voice startling her. He smiled like she had never seen him smile before – but those eyes, those eyes were his.

"Yes, it's me," he said.

A few more tears escaped her eyes as she reached up to accept his hand. Her husband pulled her up to her feet and into his arms.

"I missed you," she said, burying her face in his shoulder.

"I missed you, too, 'Dora," He said, squeezing her to his body, "I'm sorry to keep you waiting."

All Tonks could do was shake her head into his neck to communicate that she didn't care as long as he was with her now. Remus pulled away to face her. They stared into each other's eyes for what could have been a whole day for all Tonks knew, and then her husband took her face in his hands and pressed a kiss to her lips.

Never had he kissed her so unreservedly, so fully or freely, and it was beautiful. She could have stayed forever in that moment. Eventually, though, they pulled apart as he took her hands in his.

"Shall we go?" He asked.

Tonks looked back behind her, as if that was from whence they had come and asked, "What about Teddy?"

"He'll be along in his own time, and we will be there to meet him on the other side," Remus replied.

She looked up into her husband's eyes again and smiled. She knew everything would be fine. She squeezed his hand.

"Let's go," she said.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead and then led her forward. In the distance, Tonks could see three figures in the mist; a woman with red hair holding the hand of a man with unruly hair and glasses, and a solitary man with shaggy hair who was waving at them.

"Come on, Remus! The next great adventure awaits!" A voice she recognized as Sirius' called to them.

"We'll catch up," Remus called back, and then turned to his wife with a smile and quiet words only for her:

"We have forever."