"Remus, don't!"
From somewhere behind him a girl had shouted, attempting to shove through the crowd faster. He didn't turn to face her, but he closed his eyes, hoping for her voice to be just a figment of his imagination, for all of this to be a dream. But he did not expect that.. He had given up. In just the past few days, Vol–no, it didn't feel right to say his name anymore– killed one of his dearest friends and his wife; another of his dearest friends had turned them in and killed the last of his friends. He was the only one left of the marauders, their immortal group, now of the past. He couldn't stand it.
So here he stood, in line to have his wand snapped so he could leave the wizarding world without ever being tempted to return it. He would take his life savings and go live in the woods, where he could blend into nonexistence and never see any of his kind ever again.
But now there was something, someone in his way. He turned to see who it was, although he knew. Usually her everchanging hair was some pastel shade that couldn't possibly be natural, even though he knew it was. It was not like that today. It was long and black, a blanket protecting her from the truth. Her eyes were filled with tears threatening to spill. She was Nymphadora Tonks, cousin of him, the traitor.
"Remus Lupin!"
People were starting to turn and look, then hastily averting their eyes. She had reached him now. Immediately she grabbed his wrist with surprising force.
"Remus, you can't do this!"
The scene unfroze. She was standing before him, clenching one of his wrists and tugging hard. His voice sounded distant even to himself.
"I can and I will. This world isn't for me anymore without them."
"No!" She cried. "You can't possibly believe it, not really!" Her voice was reaching hysterical levels, but the rest of the world didn't exist in that moment. He looked into her eyes for the first time, seeing that the tears had spilled. Looking back, he can't quite remember if he was crying too.
"He wouldn't do it, he wouldn't!" She wailed desperately, tugging at his arm. He stumbled, halfway out of the line now.
"All of the evidence points to him–"
"Sirius–" She choked on the name, "would never betray his friends…" She sucked in a painful breath. "And if you believe he did, you were no friend of his."
The fog cleared. There they were, in the Ministry, with people all around them trying not to watch.
"All right… all right."