Sitting next to the grave of his former lover, Remus Lupin ruminates on what might have been. They had been happy, once, at Grimmauld Place. Sharing their hearts, their bodies, their bed. What had gone wrong?
They had finally come together one night after a long, drunken conversation about their mutual worry: Harry. The idea that You-Know-Who had a window into the boy's mind was a frightening one.
"What if he goes off half-cocked and gets himself killed? I couldn't stand it if—" Sirius had said, before Remus stopped his mouth with a kiss that surprised both of them.
It was natural, really. In each other, they could feel years of pain and loneliness melt away. For the first time since James and Lily's death, Remus felt loved.
Well, that was over now. Remus forced the feelings of despair and loss to the background. All that he allowed to the fore was rage. He didn't blame Harry… not really. The boy thought he was saving his godfather. No, none of this would have happened if not for Kreacher.
At the thought of the house-elf, Remus' mouth became a grim line. His first instinct was to run to Grimmauld place and wring the elf's neck. But that would be too quick a death for Kreacher. Instead, he had spent the past two nights working out the perfect plan. "Be seeing you soon, Love," Remus said to the headstone as he calmly walked away, wand at the ready.