It's cold...so cold...why am I so cold?

Nymphadora Lupin's head was throbbing as though someone had beat it in with a sludge hammer but she could think past the darkness that engulfed her after being hit with a curse from her beloved aunt Bellatrix. She moved her cold hand to her forehead and rubbed her temple and made to sit up...SMACK! She opened her eyes trying to see what hit her head but all she could see was black and what looked like some kind of deep colored velvet above her head but only barely as her eyes struggled to shift so she could see, morphing now hurt because her body was injured.

She moved her hand along her side and her fingers found the smooth wood of her wand and grasped it lifting it as best she could muttering Lumos and her wand tip lit up the area she was in, it was getting hard to breath now each breath seemed like she had to draw it harder to reach her lungs but she stopped as she now looked at the purple velvet lined lid above her.

IM IN A BLOODY FUCKING CASKET!

Her mind screamed and she found herself letting out a blood curtailing scream she preyed someone would hear but she doubted it seeing as people were buried six feet int the ground so there was no chance of her hearing anyone or anyone hearing her. She licked her lips taking a small breath her mind picking up on the situation.

Okay the average person can survive for 15 minutes without air but I wasn't breathing before, that Drout of Living Death mixed with its antidote worked better than I thought, so that means I could have been down here for anywhere from an hour to a day but I have my wand I can get out of here provided they didn't charm the casket.

She took a deep breath as her lungs began to sting from lack of air reaching them, she was running out of time if she didn't do something quick she was dead AND buried. She rolled her eyes at her own joke before she lifted her wand but no spell came to mind nothing that could get her out alive and in one piece...in one piece, she thought on that for a second then smiled for a second before licking her lips and closing her eyes imaging the door way of the Great Hall at Hogwarts.

There was a sudden movement like jerking making her gasp and cool air filled her lungs easing the burning in them as she opened her eyes she took in the sight of the half destroyed school her heart catching in her throat as she looked around her, there was no one to be seen not one person but she could hear something.

She fallowed the sound into the Great Hall and along it to nearly the end where the teachers table once sat and she found herself standing behind her sobbing mother, beside her mother was Molly, by one of the surviving windows was someone she had never been happier to see. Remus stood looking out the window, apart from a few scratched and bruises he seemed fine but the sad heartbroken look in his eyes made her heart hurt.

She was about to take a step closer when an ear splitting scream filled the room making her whirl around like everyone else to find herself facing a mortified Ginny who was starring wide eyed and horror struck at her.

"Impossible I was just there! I watched them! They buried you just a half hour ago under the willow at the edge of the cemetery! You were dead! I felt your cold hand!"

Dora opened her mouth to speak but was beat to it by a spell whizzing past her ear making her spin around to face the wrong end of her mother's black polished wand.

"Mum please put the wand down! Remus help would be great!"

Her eyes flitted to her husband but he looked just as shocked as the others, apart from her mother who looked ready to kill her all over again.

"Who are you and WHY are you doing this!? Is it some kind of sick joke?!"

Dora looked back at her mother her eyes wide as she swallowed.

"No mum it's me, I wasn't dead...okay I was but not really."

Andromeda looked her over from head to toe and narrowed her eyes.

"What was my daughter's favorite color?"

"Pink, bubble-gum pink to be exact."

Andromeda's wand lowered half in inch but she kept a sharp eye on her.

"What happened to the victorian porcelain doll your grandmother Tonks gave you for your fifth birthday?"

"I tripped with it a week later and cracked the face then a year later I knocked it off a shelf and shattered it."

"Where did you hide when you didn't want to be found as a child?"

"In the tree in the back yard."

"The last thing you told me before you left for the battle."

Dora looked into her mother's eyes the. At her wand which was lowered to point at her stomach.

"If something happens to me or Remus be sure Teddy never grows up without the love he needs."

Andromeda finally let her wand fall to the floor and threw her arms around her daughter holding her tight.

"ow ow mum still post war damage!"

Andromeda let go of her and held her at arms length just liking her over as if seeing a ghost before she finally spoke.

"How? Who did you survive? You were hit by a killing curse Remus saw the whole thing."

Dora looked at Remus who seemed to have relaxed greatly as he watched her and Andromeda.

"Turns out old Snevillus taught me something after all in potions, equal parts Draut of Living Death and its antidote make a protective cover for a person when their life is in danger but it's not guarantied it only works 3 out of 10 times. The curse hit me and made me appear dead to everyone but I wasn't really just a death like sleep..."

"But that means you woke up in the grave?"

Dora looked at Ginny who finally spoke from her mother's side.

"Yeah I did smacked my head on the lid trying to sit up, speaking of which who was the bloody git that let them bury me an hour after I was killed?!"

The room became quite and everyone looked at Remus who was now looking ashamed. Her heart ached again as she removed her mother's hands and went to him placing her hands on his chest making him look at her.

"Why so soon? Were you that ready to live without me?"

Remus didn't react for a moment but his hands slowly rested on her hips and he shook his head speaking in a quite voice.

"No, from the moment I saw you get hit with that curse I was contemplating how I was going to fallow you.."

Her brows knitted together as she looked over his eyes for any sign of lying but found none. She swallowed hard shaking her head before resting it on his shoulder closing her eyes. She didn't even feel her knees fall out from under her but the next thing she remembered was the world going in and out of blackness and flashes of images and faces around her before it all became stained inky black.

"She's weak, very weak the potion took most of the curse but strong dark magic played a part in her attack it's leached a great deal of her energy."

There was a sniffling sound that fallowed the near by voice then another voice.

"Will she...will she be alright?"

"Yes she'll be fine she just needs rest Andromeda, your just as bad as Remus out there wearing a whole in the floor holding that baby."

There was the sound of feet walking away then something warm encircled her hand making her try to speak but only manage a moan as her lead weight eyelids refused to open.

"Shh baby your okay just rest."

The soothing yet shaky tons of her mother's voice did little to offer reassurance and finally Dora forced her eyes open and looked around her seeing the hospital wing, or what was left, her mother was by her bed side holding her hand in both her own a sad smile on her lips, down the ward she could hear the shuffling of feet and tiny persistent cries.

"T-Teddy...Remus..."

Andromeda looked over her shoulder as the shuffling feet stopped but the cries carried on making her wake more as they came closer until she could see her husband holding the screaming infant in his arms.

"L-let me see him."

She moved her free arm to reach for Teddy and Remus managed a small smile before carefully placing their son in her free arm keeping his hands close just in case. As soon as he was placed in her arm Teddy stopped screaming and just whimpered looking at her with teary grey eyes that mirrored her own.

"There now Teddy, it's alright mummy's got you."

Teddy sniffled before his little fingers tightly gripped her thumb as his eyes took her in as if, like everyone before, making sure it was her. Dora slowly removed her hand from her mother's to lightly stroke her son's tuft of black hair and kissed his little cheek.

"Your safe mummy won't leave you again."

Teddy made a gargled noise at her before his little lips formed a circle as he yawned then his eyes fluttered closed and he fell asleep. Dora sighed looking up at her husband as he leaned down and kissed her head.

"He's missed you, first time he's stopped crying since we got here."

Dora smiled pulling him down to her level for a kiss with her free hand. She felt him smile against her lips before he kissed back his hand resting lightly on the back of her neck as he pulled away enough to put their foreheads together.

"You two never have to be scared of losing me again, I'm going to be around for a long time to be the fun loving mother and annoyingly childish wife."

Remus chuckled as she moved to kiss him again making him smile.

"I hope you intend to keep that promise for a long time Mrs. Lupin because I'm holding you to it."

She laughed with a nod.

"Yes I do, I promise to keep my word about sticking around for a very long time."

Placing a kiss to her temple Remus perched himself on the edge of the bed looking between her and their son.

"I love you, both of you, losing one of you would be like having a night without stars."

Dora kissed his cheek before resting her head on his shoulder.

"And I know I love you Mr. Lupin and your son does to, so long as your not wearing the jumper you have on."

He looked at his jumper confused as Dora laughed.

"What's wrong with it?"

She broke out of her fit of giggles for a moment.

"It's scratchy! I've worn that one before and I couldn't stand it, that's why you found it wadded up and tossed in the corner."

Remus smiled shaking his head.

"I'll have to remember that one."