Disclaimer: This is a prologue for the story "Letters From heaven." I do not own any characters from Jk Rowling's Harry Potter realm but I did invent the personalities for Ivy and Jennifer who were friends with Remus' mother. This is also an Alternate Universe fanfiction and would expand throughout Remus' first year at Hogwarts, If the turnout reviews are good than I will try and make one about his second year. Please do not review with things such as "I like this." or "This is great. Update soon." I would like constructive reviews.
b Dreams Are The Flowers That Bloom In Your Heart /b
b Unwanted Child /b
"Young lives should not be taken when they have barely begun to live," John Lupin whispered, staring at the photographs that were collecting dust on the mantel place. He watched the moving photograph of a young witch with flowing light brown hair holding hands with a Muggle man who was smiling romantically at her. "Krystal had talent for being able to see the best in people when they couldn't see it for themselves." John turned the photograph around so he wouldn't have to gaze at it any longer.
"Krystal was the type of person who stood out from the crowd, whether it be for something good or something horrible. Krystal's talent for being a seer was something that had gotten her in a lot of trouble when she went to Hogwarts, and when she went home during the summer holidays," Ivy Renolds wrapped her arms around John in order to protect him from becoming depressed in the wake of his sister-in-laws death. Ivy had been Krystal's best friend when she lived next door, and had kept in close contact with Krystal until her death. She knew about John's brother being murdered before Krystal found out that she was pregnant, and about the illness that Krystal had been diagnosed with when she was only seven weeks into her pregnancy. "Being a seer was something that Krystal was always proud of. She told me that she hoped the gift could be passed down to her children a few years ago. We should take our seats before the rest of her friends arrive. Jennifer Blake, who delivered your nephew, is supposed to bring baby Remus in a few minutes."
Ivy grabbed hold of John's right hand with her left. She gently pulled John into the small crowd that had gathered in the dimly lit room to where their seats were located. Once Ivy and John had taken their seats towards the front of the rows, Ivy folded her hands on her lap before tilting her head down and closing her eyes. With tears flowing silently down his cheeks, John folded his hands before tilting his head down and allowing his eyes to close.
"Krystal, you have been an inspiration to people who have long since forgotten what they were fighting for and dropped their will to live. You were the type of person who had reminded people that life was meant to be lived, and you showed that by hanging on to the belief that you would hold your son in your arms. Krystal, I will never forget the determination that had been on your face when the doctors told you that you would have to terminate your pregnancy in order to recover from your illness. All you had ever wanted was to hang onto something that would remind you of your husband, and for that we are thankful for your son. As your friend, I am promising you that I would help guide Remus to be the type of person you would approve of. Amen." Ivy opened her eyes before rubbing the back of her hand against her face in an attempt to wipe the tears away.
Her statement was followed by an "amen." from John who had opened his eyes as well and
noticed the amount of people who had started to fill the room.
A young woman with short black hair that only fell to her shoulders held a newborn baby in her arms. The nurse wore a long black dress that was plain except for the white buttons that ran down the front in a single line. The baby in her arms was wrapped in a small black blanket. Jennifer Blake abruptly stopped singing to the child when she recognized John Lupin sitting in the chairs. She walked silently over towards the man who had placed his hands in front of his face.
"John, I brought your nephew with me because there are some things we need to talk about." Jennifer had a delicate voice that was breaking with every word she spoke. She gently took a seat next to John Lupin while rocking the baby in her arms in an attempt to keep him asleep. "I have been told to inform you about something that was written in Krystal's will. Krystal wanted you to raise her child if something should happen to her. Being without a father and a mother, Remus would have been sent away to live in a home with people who were not a part of his family. Do you think that you could raise this child?"
After Jennifer finished her sentence, the only sound besides the low level of chatting that could be heard was the soft breathing of Remus Lupin.
John pulled his hands from his face and stared at Jennifer.
Jennifer had only seen John Lupin a few times in the past. She had been a nurse who had been in charge of taking care of Krystal throughout her pregnancy, and had seen John stand at her bedside for hours. Jennifer whispered some words to the baby who had been slowly waking up.
"Remus is the reason why his mother is no longer with us," John breathed while switching his gaze from Jennifer, to his nephew, and back again with his eyes full of tears.
Ivy walked over to Jennifer and brought Remus into her arms.
"Remus has the same face structure that his mother had; not too round but not too angular. My mother used to say that Krystal had the face of an angel. This boy is going to grow up to be the handsome child that his mother would have wanted him to be. We should expect great things from this little bundle of joy." Ivy started to sing softly to the child while rocking him back and fourth in her arms. Her voice was calm when she sang and full of hope for a bright future.
Jennifer placed her hand on John's shoulder.
"Krystal wanted to bring Remus into the world because she knew that he was a symbol of her love for your brother, John. She knew that if she gave birth to Remus then she would be keeping a part of Nathan alive, and that is what she thought best," Jennifer motioned with her hand at the child in Ivy's arms. "This boy needs somebody who would love just the way that his mother intended for him. Do you really want him to be raised by somebody that Krystal and Nathan didn't know personally?" Ivy placed her finger to Remus's lips as he started to cry.
i Crying for his mother, I suppose. /i
John wiped his face with the back of his hand before shaking his head from side to side. John was barely the age of twenty one and didn't feel capable of raising a child. His brother, Nathan, would have been the best possible father for Remus and Krystal should have been there to hold her child in her arms again. John would never forget the sight of Krystal holding onto her son in her arms after his birth. He would never forget the sound of her voice as she whispered his name due to exhaustion. He would never forget the sounds of hospital workers running down corridors in an attempt to find out what had happened to Krystal after she passed her baby to Jennifer to be placed in the Nursery. These images were burned into his mind whenever he slept, which had been rarely.
"If Krystal had not gotten pregnant then she would still be here at this moment, singing at the top of her lungs in front of groups of people. Remus should never had been born if it would cost the life of his mother." John felt a knot of grief pull at his heart. Bile rose in his throat and he had to fight himself to stay in his seat instead of running to the nearest bathroom to throw up.
Ivy placed Remus in John's arms.
"Krystal wrote in her will that she had filled a jewelry box with something that she wants Remus to see when he is eleven years old. She didn't explain what she had put in it or even when she had found the time to do it. Krystal would have wanted you to raise Remus to be your own son. Don't abandon this child in a world where he would have to learn to fight in order to survive at such a young age." Jennifer bent down on her knees in front of John in an attempt to force him to understand what would happen to Remus if John turned him away.
She knew that Remus would be put in Ministry of Magic care until they could place him in a home, and she also knew that some of the Ministry employees were terrible people with half a mind to think with.
"Somebody is going to help me raise this boy," John said after a few minutes of consideration and looks from both of the women. He held Remus close to his chest as he stared at the face that reminded him of Krystal. Remus opened his eyes at John who couldn't help smiling for the first time that night. Remus had a pair of amber eyes that were indelibly marked in John's memory.
"I will be over whenever you need somebody to baby-sit." Ivy whispered while fixing the blanket that covered Remus.
Jennifer smiled at the sight of the new family.
"John, we have not known each other for very long and I fear that you hold me somewhat responsible for Kyrstal's death. I would be pleased to help you any time that you need me. I will be able to help answer any questions that Remus may have about his mother, Krystal and I had talked throughout the nights while she was in the hospital, and help him understand that his mother had been taken away from him and just didn't leave." Jennifer knew in her heart that Remus would have the best care that anybody could have given him. Before the rest of the service began, the three of them closed their eyes for one last prayer about their worries for raising Remus and the hopes they had for his future.