Remus dueled against Dolohov, twisting out of harm's way and firing back hexes and jinxes. The Death Eater's face was contorted in glee, and around him, screams and jets of flashing lights filled the night. Remus narrowly dodged a killing curse and slashed his wand, forcing Dolohov to duck for cover as rubble rained down on his head.
His heart thrummed in his ears. With every beat, their names echoed in his mind. Dora. Teddy. He was exhausted, battle-weary, weak, but continued to fight, if only for them. He would fight forever if it meant making this world a safer place. Instead of despairing in the battle, he thought of the way Teddy smiled at him, at the way Dora said his name…
"Remus!" Her voice was so real that he applauded his imagination. But he saw a flash of pink from the corner of his eye, and turned to see her running towards him, her beautiful face twisted in anguish. He froze. He should be furious, or at least angry. What would happen to Teddy if they both died? But instead, joy filled his veins, sending his nerves singing. She was here. Her mere precsence healed the ache in his chest.
"Remus!" Her mouth opened in horror, and he turned in time to see a jet of glowing green light speeding towards him. He looked down, uncomprehending, as it entered his body, directly below his heart.
"Dora?" He turned over sleepily, patting the empty space in the bed where his wife should have been. She was gone, but lingering traces of heat were still warm in the tangle of sheets. He smiled into his pillow, knowing automatically where she would be. After several attempts, he finally rolled out of bed and his feet sought the firmness of the floor. Yawning hugely, he groped for his wand on the bedside table and padded out of the dark room, walking down the hallway to where he knew she would be.
The door to the nursery was ajar, and he leaned against the wooden doorframe, drinking in the sight in front of him. She was wearing only a baggy old shirt of his, cradling Teddy in her arms. She stood in front of the window, silhouetted by a weak grey sky, not yet touched by the sun. Sheer love was seared onto her face as she murmured to Teddy in a low voice, crooning nonsense words into his ear.
Remus smiled to himself. He had never imagined Dora to be so devoted a mother, but then again, he never, in his wildest dreams, imagined himself with a wife and child. He stood there for a long time as the morning brightened, watching the woman who had brought so much light into his life. She held Teddy up in the air, nuzzling his nose until he gurgled out a laugh, hair turning from sandy brown to bright turquoise. Dora laughed, and Remus chuckled, and she turned towards him and beamed. As he strode forwards to take them both into his arms, the sun finally burst free from the horizon, but it couldn't ever match the light he found in her eyes.
And then, there was no darkness.
A/N: Hey guys! So this is the beginning of a long fic that's been a while in the making. It began when I began wondering what exactly Snape was thinking as he looked into Harry's eyes during the last moments of his life, and pretty much snowballed from there. If you have any requests or suggestions I'd love to hear them. Reviewers get a good morning kiss from a sleepy Remus! (Come on people. It's Remus.)
~Astra