Muggle transport was slow. It took a terrible long time to get anywhere using it. She was use to it by now, she suppose, having lived in a muggle village for the last thirteen years. She would cope but she wished the taxi would hurry up. The last time she had been at Raymond Wynd she had apparated there but it had been raining like hell and she had been distraught. To think of that night had caused her a lot of pin over the years but now she was going to mend what was broken that night, an old friendship.
The taxi finally turned in Raymond Wynd stopping outside block five flats. Serena Rosa White paid the driver and then climbed out of the taxi onto the pavement. Her slanted, startling emerald eyes glanced over the building. It was dull and dark and very different to the way it had been thirteen years before. She put her hand put to tuck a flyway bit of hair behind her ear. The straight brown hair had begun to fall out its usual bun. It was falling out over her shoulders.
Pausing for a moment she wondered whether or not to go in. She shook herself slightly and then walked purposefully up the path to the front door. She reached into the pocket of the blue, faded jeans and pulled out a set of keys hardly believing that she still had them. She inserted the key into the lock and turned it hoping it still worked. The door clicked open and she stepped inside. The staircase was dank but Serena ignored it running up the steps her heels scuffing the concrete. Reaching number three she inserted the key into the lock on the door and turned. The door clicked open.
Taking a deep breath Serena slipped through the space into the hall. She hoped he was in because she had a lot to say and apologise for and so did he. The place was tidy but old and Serena felt a twinge of sorrow in her gut as she moved along o the living room ignoring the other doors in the hall that were all closed. She pushed open the door and moved into the room glancing around her eyes drifting over the familiar, old and worn furniture. Everything seemed exactly the same just older. She couldn't see him though.
'Who are you and what are you doing here?' came a quiet, hoarse but familiar voice. Serena swung round to see the sandy haired man slightly paler and more tired looking tan when she had last seen him, there were two new scars on his face but it was still him. He was staring at her in shock, mouth open and his eyes wide. The wand he had been pointing at her dropped to the floor as his arm dropped to his side. She smiled slightly as he glanced light blue eyes over her. She had thought he might not recognise her but who could mistake her with those eyes and the usual tanned flawless skin.
'Serena,' he whispered softly. 'Serena Rosa White is that really you?' He took a step towards her as she flinched at the sound of her old name.
'Serena Rosa White Black,' she corrected him with emphasis on the black. He looked slightly ashamed for a moment. 'How have you been Remus?'
Remus Lupin looked at her and smiled. He was around the shame height as Serena, maybe a centimetre shorter but there wasn't much between them. James, Sirius, Remus and herself had been the tall ones of the group. Sirius at 6ft 1, James at 5 ft 11 and herself and Remus around 5 ft 8. They were then followed by Emmeline at 5 ft 6 and Lily at 5 ft 5. Finally there was Peter at 5 ft 3 and then Hesita at only 5 ft 1 a whole foot shorter than Sirius. The others loved teasing her about it.
'I've been all right I guess. What about you?' he told her watching her still amazed that she was there. She smiled at him. What had passed between them on that dreadful night thirteen years before had hurt her terribly. If anything had happened to Sirius and James Remus was suppose to take of her if he hadn't been the traitor but Serena hadn't let him. Remus had believed that Sirius was guilty and Serena could not bear to be near him. She hadn't blamed Remus after a while for he had not known but she did blame him for not believing her.
'I've been coping,' she told him lightly. 'I would have brought Kerr down to see you but you and I have a lot to talk about. I am sure you know what I mean.' Remus nodded and gestured to the worn couch. She took a seat on it as did he.
'You've seen him.' She stated flatly. He nodded although he knew it wasn't a question. 'And now you know the truth?' He nodded again slightly jerkily this time though. 'Why didn't you believe me Remus? How could you think I would defend anyone who had murdered James and Lily?' It came rushing out of her mouth. The two questions that had haunted her mind since that whenever she thought of Remus. That night had ripped her apart and she had spent thirteen years picking up all the pieces.
'There was a traitor,' Remus told her quietly not looking at her, 'and nobody knew which of us it was. Sirius didn't tell me he had made them switch and maybe he thought I was the traitor, in fact, he did. When I was told that Lily and Jams were dead I thought Sirius was the traitor because he was the secret keeper. I was outraged because James had said that Sirius would rather die than betray him but then it seemed he had.' There was a silence. 'I … when you came to tell me, to ask me to help you I only thought of you as Sirius' wife. I had forgotten that you had known James longer than all of us. I had forgotten and I am sorry.'
Serena couldn't say anything. She had been hurt that night, her soul had been bruised so badly. She had lost James, Lily, Harry, Sirius, Remus, Hesita, Emmeline and she had nearly lost Kerr as well. She squeezed Remus' hand comfortingly to find it was cold. She had been hurt but she had survived and now Sirius was free. He might have been in hiding but he was still free and alive.
'Harry is so like James y'know,' Remus said suddenly looking at Serena. A tear sparkled in her eyes as she smiled at him. 'Except his eyes. He has …'
'Lily's eyes,' she murmured softly thinking of the cute baby boy that she had held in her arms so often watching the green eyes look up at her out of the chubby baby face. Dumbledore had made her break her promise when he sent Harry to the Dursley's but Serena had made Remus break his promise when she left before he could take care of her. 'Kerr is just like Sirius. How is Harry?'
She looked at Remus who nodded and she smiled gratefully as Remus reached over and squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. She gave his hand a short squeeze back and then looked up into his eyes.
'I need to apologise Remus for that night,' she said softly and out of the blue. 'I didn't mean it when I called you a traitor. I didn't mean it when I said that you just didn't really want to believe me. I should have realised that you were hurt and you hadn't known but I was telling you the truth and you still didn't believe me. I hated you for that but once I left and I had calmed down I knew it would have been hard to believe. I'm sorry as well.'
Remus nodded. They both regretted what they had said to each other that night. Remus had tried but could comfort her and Serena had tried but could make him believe. At times like that they both needed each other as friends but they were divided in their belief and Serena had been right. It didn't matter now. It had been a friendship broken and now it was a friendship renewed.