A/N: I figured that since this is my first fic and that I love doing song fics, I would write a simple, fluffy songfic to the song my penname is based off of. I'm not going to post the lyrics because it would just break apart the story. If you're interested, it's called "Hammers and Strings (A Lullaby) by Jack's Mannequin.
A Lullaby
Remus Lupin settled down at the upright piano that filled the corner of his living room… no, his family's living room. He lifted the cover off the keys and slowly turned his head to see his wife, her purple hair not as vibrant as it was earlier in the day. His eyes wandered down to the beautiful turquoise haired boy in her arms, and immediately understood the reason for the change. His son was fussing, and despite all of Dora's tricks - the rocking chair that her mum so graciously gave her, the cradling in her arms, the gentle shushing and kissing - Teddy was no closer to sleep.
With deep bags under her eyes, she gave tired groan. She rose to her feet, resigning herself to the kitchen to heat a bottle from the refrigerator. Remus had a better idea.
He stood up from the piano and wrapped his hands lovingly around her shoulders. He tenderly guided her to the couch closest to the piano. Dora did her best not to trip over the carpet, and settled into the cozy white couch; the floral patterns were dulled from years of use at her parents' house. She turned her eyes to the flicking embers in the fireplace. Both of the new parents had noticed that Teddy seemed to provide Dora that extra focus she needed to be less clumsy. In fact, in the days since Teddy was brought home, she had only tripped a few times, and every time was when Remus was holding their son. While Dora focused on the glowing remnants of the fire, Remus sat back down on the bench and pressed his fingers to the keys, producing a soft lullaby.
He closed his eyes as he played, allowing his fingers to find the keys and for his overactive brain to take a rest. Peaceful thoughts washed over him; the depression and paranoia that shrouded his daily life could wait until tomorrow…
After playing for what could have been minutes or hours, he opened his eyes and once again glanced over at the family… his family. Teddy was no longer fussing and Dora's eyes had closed. Her hair had slowly but surely changed, now shoulder-length dark brown hair. It was at that moment he looked back down at the fingers that had picked out the keys, and he saw the golden band on his left ring finger.
Then, with a look back at the two most important parts of his life, he realized that what he was missing for all those years… the years of torture, the years of painful transformations, the years of discrimination… they no longer mattered. They were all a precursor to this.
With a truly satisfied smile, Remus quietly made his way to the couch. His arms once again found his wife's, causing her to stir slightly. He smiled and kissed the top of her head. Carefully, he scooped the baby boy up, humming the lullaby into his ear. He slowly eased his way up the stairs despite the fact that he knew he needed to be awake in four hours. He turned into the moonlit master bedroom, almost gliding over to Teddy's crib. The dark blue walls with white trim were awash with the light coming from the window.
With loving care, he set his son down into the crib and tucked the sheets around him, kissing him on the forehead. The baby let out a tiny yawn and settled his head into the pillow, his small arm wrapping around a small plush wolf. Remus felt blissfully powerless, looking at his son with misty eyes.
He made sure that Teddy was asleep then made his way back downstairs. He attempted to sit back down on the couch, but Dora had taken up about two-thirds of it in what seemed to be a sound sleep. He rubbed her arm gently and kissed her forehead. Her eyes fluttered open and she let out a yawn very similar to their son's, which caused Remus to chuckle.
He wrapped his hands around hers, fingers intertwining, and helped her to her feet. Though she stumbled and nearly stubbed her toe on a leg of the end table, Dora was able to keep her balance. She began to walk aimlessly through the first floor of their house, muttering something that sounded like "Wuhtimeizzit?"
Again, Remus couldn't suppress the chuckle, guiding his wife away from the kitchen and toward the staircase. "I think that it's time for bed." His wife nodded sleepily and began her ascent, up the stairs and into their bed. Remus quickly caught up to her and began to walk up behind her to make sure she didn't fall backward.
He removed his shirt and changed into his plaid pajama bottoms while Dora made her way over to the crib, checking on her baby boy. He was still asleep, with the stuffed animal resting in the crook of his arm. She tilted her head down and gave her son a loving kiss on his forehead. She groggily eased her way into a baggy old band t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, then climbed into bed.
As she slipped beneath the warm sheets and comforter, Remus embraced her. The marvelously happy couple faced each other for a sleepy kiss. Remus turned on his back to get comfortable. Almost instinctively, Dora put her head down on his chest, her fingers gently tracing the scars that were currently millions of miles away in Remus's mind.
After letting out a relaxed sigh, Remus drifted into as deep a sleep as a new parent could, knowing that everything that mattered in his world was right there in the room. His wife was in his arms. His son was asleep next to his bed. He thought about it again before resting his mind… After all the years of searching for the acceptance that seemed impossible, he had finally found what he desired most of all – his home. For the first time in years, he was truly happy.
So there it is. Like I said, just a sappy little one-shot to introduce myself and to see what you guys thought. Please read and review, just to let me know what you thought, what I got perfectly, what I could have done better, etc. Thanks!