A Marauder's Eulogy

by Evil Comma

The death of a hero, a husband, a father and - a marauder

AN: Lupin was a Marauder. And a great one at that. But unlike Sirius, James and Peter, he did not receive the death he deserved. Not even a paragraph. Not only is he the Marauder that most knew Harry, taught Harry and connected with Harry, he had a more literal demon to live with, his health always an issue and the world around him ostracizing him for that which he cannot control. He was a Gryffindor through and through and deserved the death of a hero, of a Marauder, in a final act of courage and valiance. He gave his life for his love, for his shining light in the bleak world so riddled with pain and sorrow. He rushed through the chaos of Hogwarts' last stand only to give his life for Harry's triumphs. He fought bravely, like a true lion should. THIS IS THE DEATH HE WAS NEGLECTED.

He knew war all too well. All the battles he had fought, all the Death Eaters he had struck down. All the friends he had lost. How many times could he brush death away with a few syllables and a little wave of his hand? How many scars could he bear before his face would just disappear?

Fighting wasn't one of his primal instincts—surviving was. Every spell he casted hit its target. His wand was more experienced than anybody's and it showed. Every step back, every shuffle to the side. Coldly calculated to perfection. Every incantation was always thought, never uttered. He couldn't afford letting his opponent know what was about to knock him from his feet. Tonight, he had to survive. For the wizarding world. For Harry's triumph over the Dark Lord. For his child's future. For his dear Nymphadora.

The battle of Hogwarts was a messy one. Complete chaos really. Spells shot through every direction, lighting the dark night a variety of bright colors. Death Eaters, students and members of the Order of the Phoenix were scattered all over the field, no coherent battle formations being made.

The inside was just as bad. The hallways were overcrowded with duellers, suits of armours and collapsing walls. Remus was holding his own against 3 others. Unless the third one was a pillar. He couldn't tell with all the rubble clouded around him. He was near a window and every few seconds a loose spell would fly in and smash against the wall behind Remus. It surprised him every time. He had to be jumpy, it was a war. Better safe than sorry. He was conjuring shield charm after shield charm, not being allowed to counter any of the attacks. He was getting worried he'd slip up.

Another spell smashed against the wall behind Remus, causing him to swiftly turn around and point his wand at the long, empty hallway stretching far behind him. He turned back to the cloud of rubble that occasionally spit out green jets of light. He shielded himself three or four more times before turning around to face the invisible threat of the smashing wall. The hall remained empty and he turned back.

He hated fighting in narrow places. He couldn't roll to the side. There were only two escape options; forwards or backwards. Towards his enemy or with his back turned, a perfect target. He hated not knowing where his opponent was just as much. He was still jumpy, anticipating the next jab from the light brown screen before him. It didn't come.

Thirty, thirty-one, thirty-two, he counted to himself. That's odd. He waited a full minute, perplexed as to why the attacks had abruptly stopped. Then a grunt. Followed by a shout. He approached the haze cautiously, not sure what he'd do when he reached the other side or when he bumped into one of his current opponents.

A large body emerged from the cloud, startling Remus. Without really considering any other facts besides that he was in a war and an unknown being had just appeared in front of him, he reached his hand out, grabbing the other person's cloak and sticking his wand against his neck. The stranger reacted in the same manner as Remus, obviously proving that it was not the first time he'd been in a similar situation.

The man was bigger than Remus and also stronger. Remus felt the wand digging into his neck, swearing to himself that it felt like the wand was about to pierce his skin. He managed to lift his eyes to meet the other man's. Remus and Kingsley let their arms drop, relief mixed in with the laughter that both men now shared.

They stood there laughing for a few more seconds before Remus realized the gravity of the situation. He thought about Sirius and James and Lily and even Peter crossed his mind and he just couldn't help himself. He launched himself at Kingsley, wrapping him in a strong embrace. He was alive and maybe he wouldn't be in a few seconds.

"Remus..." Kingsley's voice was uncertain. "Remus... I think we should...keep going."

Remus pulled back. "Yes, yes, you're right. It's not safe here." He wiped his face with his sleeve, hoping that Kingsley didn't see the several tears glistening in the candlelight.

Remus forced the corners of his lips to lift and said "where to then?"

Kingsley tried to mask the worry Remus's actions had just invoked. Should Remus be here? Is he stable? Kingsley looked him up and down, taking note of his shaggy hair, the deep lines of age cut across his face, the eyes that looked more fitting on an ancient man and his tattered clothing. He always looked like this, like he had spent the night sleeping in a cave.

It's not his appearance that worried him. This was not the first time he had fought against the Dark Lord. It was just...how much he had lost already. Would those ghosts haunt him tonight? Would the taunting memories of his dead friends finally break his composure?

"I just passed through this hallway," Kingsley said, "so we should probably head behind you."

Remus let him some room to his side and the two began to run towards the dark all the blown candles had left. Only the thumping of their shoes against the stone floor could be heard. They had their wands ready in their grip, preferring to not light up the hallway in fear of alerting Death Eaters of their presence.

They took a turn after passing a wall that had been completely torn apart-the Hogwarts grounds exposed. They continued hurriedly on their way, both remaining quiet. What was there to say?

They kept rushing through the dark until at a corner, they unexpectedly ran into the main hall. Hogwarts remained as deceitful as ever. They barely had enough time to back up and hide behind a pillar. A few spells hit the pillar, proving that they had made the a smart decision by hiding. In the heat of battle, Remus' fears were brought into light.

"Kingsley..." Remus said, his voice trembling.

"Is it," Kingsley said, "the appropriate time for chit chat? I think we should be more worried about not getting our heads blown off."

"Kingsley," his voice was steadier this time, "have you seen anyone else? Has anyone...you know?"

Kingsley Shackelbolt's eyes lost their fierce shine and were replaced with- not pity- but sympathy. The most genuine type of sympathy that can be only found in the bonds of friendship.

"Remus," he tried to choose his words carefully, " I haven't seen anyone besides you ." He ignored the dread that now decorated Remus's face. "I'm sure they are all fine though. They are all more than capable of handling Death Eater. Speaking of which, we're not in the best situation ourselves..."

Kingsley shifted his attention to their assailants but Remus wouldn't drop the subject, desperate for some reassurance. "What about Harry?" his voice was laced with worry, "do you think Dumbledore prepared him well enough? Is he ready? Shouldn't we be with him?"

"REMUS!" it wasn't really a shout but a command. A command to stop acting as such. A command to face the current situation. "Albus Dumbledore was a brilliant man and he sure knew what he was doing from day one. If he instructed Harry Potter to act on his behalf it is because he thought he was ready. Same as he thought we were ready to lead the Order. We've been doing well so far haven't we?"

Remus's expression turned blank, his jaw slightly open, incredulous at his cool tempered friend's response. "Yes...you're right. We've been doing fine. Just have to survive the night huh? Get back home to the wife and kids." He attempted to chuckle but it came out as a cough instead.

Kingsley took in account his companion's expression before turning back to their attackers. His back to Remus he tried to start some small talk. "How does it feel to have wife that can hold her own with a wand? Must be pretty reassuring in situations like this right?"

"I don't know Kingsley," Remus still hadn't found his voice, "but it doesn't matter. I left Tonks home with Teddy and her mom. I couldn't bear knowing she was out here, in the middle of all this madness."

Kingsley craned his neck back to look at Remus again. "Tonks isn't at home..."

"What do you mean by that?" Remus had renewed strength in his tonsils. "Damn it Kingsley, tell me!"

"Remus," Kingsley's voice was mathematical, carefully calculating the result of his words. "Tonks is out there, somewhere, looking for you. We're going to get out of this pillar and then, together we're – REMUS WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Remus John Lupin heard the bit about his wife being in mortal danger and without really thinking it through, stepped out of the pillar's cover. Two jets of green light hit a a startled Death Eater who was standing next to the remains of a suit of armour. Remus sprinted down the steps, without acknowledging the duellers around him and then sprinted into the grounds. A low howl filled his ears – the beast had awoken.

He always liked to think of himself as human. That his disease was as ignorable and unimportant as an allergy. He always assured himself he was in control. The beast residing in him was tamed, he'd tell her. He'd kiss her on the forehead and tell her his condition was no threat to their relationship. She'd only strike a concerned glare and bury her face in his embrace. He'd chuckle and the subject would be dropped for a while. Tonight, he was in control.

The wolf in him hammered against the bars of his body's cage. He didn't need the wolf; he just needed its instincts. Instincts and mannerisms that had infused themselves into him throughout the years. Instincts and mannerisms that he considered proof of his loss of control. The older he got, the weaker he felt, the more he swore the wolf was taking over. He avoided ever acting on those impulses and urges but tonight was different. He didn't need to release the wolf; he needed to use what it had taught him.

He noticed how age only made his nose sharper and his sight wider. His ears caught more and more. He was convinced that he had lost the fight for his consciousness. His whole life he'd kept the beast at bay and little by little, it was defeating him. Tonight, he knew he was wrong. He was not a monster. He just had monstrous abilities. Abilities that could now save the person he most loved in the world. Never would he have let himself take advantage of his 'hidden' talents, but he had no other viable option. He was acting on instincts and rational thoughts, and morals were out of the question.

He left Harry behind and he knew he shouldn't have had. His dear Dora was more than capable of defending herself. She was Mad-Eye bloody Moody's protégée; she could handle a few Death Eaters. But no, he had to be sure. He couldn't live thinking...he couldn't live without her. He would have never noticed that he ran faster than the average person had Sirius not brought it up after a little scrape with Filch almost twenty years ago. He did not notice how many Killing Curses said speed had helped him dodge.

He felt the wolf howl through his veins and every determined step brought him closer to his everything. He heard screams and battle cries, but they were vague, intentionally blocked out by his ears, trying to make out her name amidst all this chaos. He felt the walls of his former sanctuary crumble around him. He saw everything and he saw nothing. He scanned for her face, her fiery red battle locks, her dark blue robes. He saw through everyone, not sparing more than half a second on a single person. He trudged on the green fields where years before he'd chased James, Sirius and Peter. The laughter of four boys who had their whole lives before them lingered in the fields of Hogwarts, the single greatest place to be, a place that was now no more than a graveyard.

They were all dead. He had no one but her. He couldn't let her die too. Like he let James down, like he let Sirius down, like...well, Peter deserved it. He couldn't let her down. Maybe, if he had used the wolf back in the Ministry, maybe Sirius... No, there was no time to think about that. He tried to double his efforts, demanding results as soon as possible. He couldn't be idle, he had to be aware, he had to be sharp, he had to forget the fact that he had abandoned Harry.

Then something caught his eye. He couldn't help it, the lion in him reminding him to not completely give in to the savage beast. Neville Longbottom, the Could-Have-Been-The-Chosen-One. Frank and Alice's kid. He was wandless, on top of a Death Eater, punching the daylights out of him. His father would have been proud. Remus let a small smile slip.

"You're doing great kid," he wanted to say but he had no time for chit chat. He turned away from Neville and saw it. A dark cloaked figure pointing his wand at Neville. Without commanding his body to do so, Remus's wand was raised and a jet of green light knocked the figure to the floor. No morals, no conscience. Not tonight.

"Accio wand," Remus said as he side-tracked himself for a few seconds. A wand flew out of the darkness, right into Lupin's free hand. "Oi, Longbottom!" Neville looked up from the unconscious Death Eater. "Here's your wand. I suggest you don't lose sight of it again. It wouldn't kill you to turn around every once in a while? Mmh? It's a war, Neville, we're not dealing with Boggarts anymore."

He was lecturing the poor child. In the middle of a war. He saw little Teddy in Longbottom's eyes and couldn't help but let his protective instincts take over. Neville couldn't help but smile at his former teacher's concern. Remus nodded and turned around with the intention of continuing his search but, something stopped him. He turned back at Neville. "Neville, you're doing great, kid." Despite his anxiety, his worry and the fact that there was a battle happening around them, Lupin grinned before finally leaving Neville.

It felt horrible thinking that maybe he'd never see Neville again. Maybe Harry or Kingsley or Hermione or Ron or...no, he would see her again. Then he did. His wand was raised in front of him, the wizard taking over. She was duelling Dolohov and some other hooded Death Eater. It seemed she was handling both pretty well. Lupin didn't notice he had stopped a few metres away from them. He stood there, admiring her form. If duelling had an artistic side, Nymphadora Tonks was displaying it right now. Every spell she casted was accompanied by an acrobatic act. She was always in motion as Mad-Eye had probably taught her to be. Never staying still for more than a second, always remaining a moving target. Her precision was unbelievable. She'd run in a circle around the two Death Eaters, spell after spell flying at them. They couldn't hit her and they were barely capable of shielding themselves from her powerful attempts. She used a levitation spell every now and then to help her flip and fly through the air. It was like those action movies Lily had once taken him to see. A sense of pride burst in him and he couldn't help but stare in awe at his little fighter, his anything but helpless wife.

She stopped moving. The dark green grass grew brighter in colour as the night sky was engulfed by the sunlight that now illuminated everything around Remus. She was no longer grunting or shouting, the sweat and dirt now missing from her face. In her arms was a baby. Their baby. Their Teddy. She was softly rocking him, her eyes squinting at Remus through the sunlight, her bare feet buried in the cool dew on the grass. She was smiling, not at his presence but at everything. She was happy. He was happy.

He was afraid to step forward, afraid that it would ruin this perfect image. With that last precious image he felt his knees touch the ground. His vision was blurred and he could only hear a strong buzzing fill his ears. The weight of realization crashed on him. His head was doing flips and not much made sense for a few moments. A curse. A curse had just hit the ground, barely a few inches away from Remus's foot. The curse had hit with much impact, dulling Remus's senses for a few seconds, knocking him to the ground and producing a cloud of dirt around Remus leaving him helpless to more attempts to kill him.

He raised his wand and anticipated another attack. A swishing noise cut through the thick cloud of dirt, giving Remus enough time to shield himself from the curse. Then another curse. And another. He still couldn't see his adversary. Another curse. He was not going to win in a wizard duel. Every curse would be seen or heard before arrival and would then be countered. He needed a different way to defeat his opponent. It was simple really. Remus knew how to win. The same way he had survived the night so far.

He closed his eyes; his sight would only distract him, every shadow at every corner a possible threat. He focused on his hearing. Another curse. He knew where his attacker was. He started running again, following a snake-like pattern as to confuse his opponent. His eyes were still closed; his ears helped him form a map in his mind of what was around him. He felt the earth tremble every few seconds, curse after curse hitting the spots where seconds before he had run by. He was getting closer. He opened his eyes. A cloaked man was standing not too far away, half-concealed behind a giant rock. He was firing curse after curse at Remus who could do no more than dodge his spells. Remus raised his wand and sped a little faster, heading directly for the Death Eater. The Death Eater backed away a little, astonished at Remus's actions. Remus seized his opportunity. A red light rocketed from his wand, hitting the ground right in from of the Death Eater. A cloud of dust and dirt engulfed the Death Eater. Remus covered the last few feet in a matter of seconds and in one swift motion, his fist flew into the cloud.

He got him in the face. He punched him hard enough to knock him on his back. "Expelliarmus!" Remus shouted, his spell knocking the other man's wand a few metres away. Remus stepped on his chest, his wand pointing straight at the man's head. He could only make out a few details of the man in the dark shade of night that hovered above Hogwarts. "AVADA," he said in a mighty snarl, "KED-" He couldn't do it. He noted the undeniable fear now set in this man's eyes and he couldn't do it. He, who had attempted to kill him about two dozen times in the last ten minutes, was receiving mercy. The logical thing was to kill him and go back to his darling Dora. His arm fell lower and lower.

"Th-th-thank you," the Death Eater said, "Th-thank you"

"STUPEFY!"

Remus's wand was an arm's length away from his face, causing the impact to be quite powerful. The blast literally pushed the now unconscious Death Eater several inches into the ground. He turned around, only to see a flash of blue and a flash of green clash in front of him. "REMUS!" a voice broke through the battle cries and smoke, beckoning Remus to get there as fast as he could. The canine blood ran through his veins again. He saw her on the ground; she had probably lost control of the duel when she had averted her attention to her husband. He had to get there in time. He had to.

His wand felt like a stranger's hand in his grip. When he was eleven, he had to have a special meeting with Ollivander, seeing as wand magic didn't work the same way with non-wizards. It was a few minutes before dawn; his mother carried his half-sleeping form into the store. The small ringing bell woke him up. "What are we doing here, mum?" She didn't answer. Ollivander presented himself and then took Remus to a small room in the back of the store. He measured young Remus, taking into account his weight, his eye colour, his hair colour, his favorite colour. He asked the most unnecessary things but they were actually essential in making a wand specifically for a person. They came back a week later, the wand ready. It was eleven inches, of oak and made with a werewolf's hair. Just for Remus. That was the first time since the bite where he felt normal. That was the first time he felt comfortable with anything to do with the wizarding world.

He had always been the best dueller of the Marauders. The best spell caster. Maybe it was because of his wand, his special wand that oddly conjured stronger spells when the moon was up. Under tonight's moonlight, his wand worked wonders. Without stopping, a rope flew from his wand, wrapping itself around the hooded Death Eater's neck. He fell to his knees as his wand dropped from the hand that now was desperately trying to loosen the rope that was now slowly choking him to death. Shield charm, shield charm, shield charm, curse. Dolohov was pretty skilled himself; and thankfully, boastful too. Instead of killing Nymphadora Tonks after disarming her (which is what people do during battles), instead, he decided to taunt her and praise himself for catching her off guard, giving Remus enough time to come and protect her.

Wizard duelling was one of the hardest things ever. It was like trying to beat your reflection in a staring contest. Every spell you casted could be countered by the simplest of shield charms. It was not about who casted the most dangerous or powerful spells. It was about who blinked first. If you see a pair of eyes slightly flutter, you strike.

They struck again and again and they protected themselves again and again. Tonks just watched in worry, her wand trapped in the brightly lit space between the two duellers. He conjured a wild flame and sent it spiralling to the jet of water Dolohov had already waiting for him. The clash caused speedy evaporation. Before the smoke could clear, his spell hit the ground in front of Dolohov, hoping he could use the same blinding trick for the second time today. He just jumped out of the way and sent a Killing Curse as a response, a Killing Curse that Remus's shield charm absorbed. The lights thundered and exploded against each other, consuming every other noise in the field. The castle fell apart, its stone walls crashing down in the courtyard but it could not be heard. A hundred voices cried in defiance, in victory, in disappointment and in pain but they were all ignorable. The crackling of the burning forest was forgettable. Every spell that hit the ground was a lightning bolt, causing a small earthquake. Every countered curse felt like a whole mountain subsiding. Then, an unstoppable force met an immovable object.

Two killing curses met each other, like two bitter ex-lovers, seeing each other after a long absence. Every muscle in Remus' body was at work, every inch of his body channelling his wand with energy. It was a deadly game of tug-o-war. Where the two green streaks met, a perfectly circular orb of energy was being pushed back and forth. It felt like a current of electricity was running through Remus's body. The orb was pushed a little bit in Remus's direction, then a little bit in Dolohov's. It was a matter of who wanted it more, who found life more worth keeping. His hand was shaking uncontrollably, struggling to keep the curse steady. He could not see any sign of difficulty shadow Dolohov's form which worried him greatly. His elbow began to fold, his arm being pushed back little by little. The orb was getting closer and closer to him, reminding him that everything he'd done tonight was worthless. He thought of Teddy Lupin and a single tear slipped down his cheek. The last Marauder finally brought down. Then, he saw her. He stretched out his arm again, his eyes becoming fierce, reminiscent of a wolf pouncing at his prey. The green orb shot from one side of their lightning bolt, hitting Dolohov, the look of unexpected horror eternally at rest on his features. The green light went out, letting darkness settle around them again.

He practically glided to his wife, naively thinking that the worst of it was over. She was on all fours, frantically feeling around the charred grass for her wand. "Accio wand!" Remus uttered. The wand emerged from the darkness and floated to Remus's hand. He held out one hand to help her up and he held her wand out in the other. His wife looked up, considering the man she was looking at for a few seconds before launching herself at him, wrapping him in her arms. Remus closed his eyes and accepted his lover's embrace.

"I was so worried, Remus," she whispered into his ear, "I couldn't stay at home knowing you could get struck down at any second. I couldn't deal with knowing that you might die. I couldn't deal with knowing that I could have saved you."

"It's okay," his voice filled her body with warmth, with reassurance, "It's okay. Now, dear, we have to get out of here. We'll get to the castle and regroup, think out a strategy with the others."

She pulled herself off him and gripped the back of his head, forcing him into a kiss. It was quick. It said everything they were too out of breath to say. The wolf disappeared for a moment. He felt normal. He felt accepted. He felt loved. He felt complete.

They kept quiet. He grabbed her hand with one hand and held his wand in the other. They regarded each other one more time, smiles hidden beneath their battle ready expressions. They began walking back towards the castle, for a second believing that everything was going to be okay.

"ATTACK!" someone cried out, catching the reunited couple's attention. They both scanned the area around them, searching frantically for the source of the cry, ready to strike any imminent threats.

There wasn't much around them. The field was plagued with holes, created by loose spells. Every few metres lifeless bodies lay eagle spread, barely noticeable between the opaque blades of grass. The dark robes most of the corpses carried didn't help. They collectively glanced at the large crater that Remus and Dolohov had created before seeing them, a few yards away.

Bellatrix Lestrange, in all her dishevelled glory, emerged from the Forbidden Forest, about a dozen Death Eaters at her heels. Her milky white face shone in the dark. Her black clothes made it seem as if a bodiless, ghost-like face was floating towards Hogwarts, smiling like a Cheshire. A mad one. She appeared to be in her element, like a baker with an oven or a potions master with a cauldron. How many children had she orphaned tonight? How many futures had she destroyed so far?

The cavalry had arrived. This particular group of Death Eaters probably apparated in Hogsmeade then trudged through the Forbidden Forest to arrive at Hogwarts from the side, probably hoping to catch some of them off guard. Bellatrix, by far the smallest among them, was obviously pulling their strings.

They knew that they had to leave now; the two of them would never be able to take down so many Death Eaters alone. They were already turning away, hoping to leave before being noticed. That is, until they saw the cause of all the initial commotion. About twenty seventh years had made a makeshift trench. They were very well organized, anticipating the arrival of any foolish Death Eater to come upon them.

They were all preparing to ambush Bellatrix's troupe. Bellatrix cackled at the sight of the brave youngsters, incredibly amused at the thought of being brought down by a bunch of teenagers.

They just stood there, a first row audience to the bloody show that was about to get under way. Both sides started rushing at each other, spells shooting at both parties, some clashing in mid-air, others were rendering their targets immobile. One black cloak to the ground. Two uniformed students collapsed. Another. Three more. They were almost at each other's throat. Bellatrix's laughter was heard above all other sounds.

It's a bloody war!, Remus thought to himself, they're using stunning spells in the middle of a bloody war. "ICKLE LITTLE CHILDREN! AUNTIE BELLA IS HERE FOR PLAYTIME!" Her voice stung his ears, disgust and helplessness washed over him.

They were going to die, every single one of them. It was inevitable. The wolf barked inside him, begging him to grab Tonks' hand and run from there; to abandon the children to their fate. The wolf spoke with reason, with urgency, with its need to survive, no matter the means. Then an even louder voice silenced it, reducing it to a whimpering little pup. A lion's roar filled his thoughts, asking him to consider just one thing: What if it were Teddy out there?

He was the last Marauder. The survivor. The tragic hero, like Sirius had once jokingly said. The conflicted human with a beast living in him. He could run away with his wife and make sure they both lived; make sure they both saw their child. He had two choices but he knew what he'd choose. Only the brave, only the selfless, only the heroes got to call themselves Gryffindors. He thought about how Peter had betrayed his friends, orphaned a child and thrown an innocent man in prison. He thought about how many children would lose their older siblings if he left right now, their valiant brothers and sisters that were fighting for them, for everyone.

He crushed Tonks' slender, delicate fingers with his own. It was an odd sight. A tired, shaggy clothed man, aged beyond his years holding hands a small, flame-haired woman, visible due to the lights that sparked the ongoing battle. They were only a few yards from each other's. It was a matter of seconds.

"Do you trust me?" His voice was a gentle whisper, fighting through every crash and every bang to enter her small ears, clearer than any words she'd ever heard. A tear escaped from her eye.

"I always have." she managed to respond.

"Run." He was still whispering, the authority in his voice clearly present. "Run. Run and help Harry and fight and survive and celebrate and go home and remind your child that his father died for him."

She stood still. "I'm not leaving you."

He closed his eyes. Those were the words he was hoping to hear but not the ones he wanted her to say. Only a few metres remained between them. Remus lifted his wand, performing a spell that Tonks had never learned. The Latin eased out of his lips, no regret audible in his tone. A few more students had fallen and the surviving members were about to tackle the death eaters when the earth between them moved. A dirt wall rose high above them, forcing Bellatrix to let out a cry of annoyance.

"Go back to the castle!" Remus's voice was amplified by his wand. The remaining teenagers were reluctant but after realizing how many of their friends were scattered around them they were quick to leave.

Remus began to run away, pulling Tonks with him but it was pointless. Bellatrix applied Remus's own spell, conjuring a wall of dirt to block the couple's escape. Without many options left they turned around and gave their last stand.

Shield after shield. Then, a killing curse. One fell down. Then another. Shield charm, shield charm. A third one went limp. Shield, shield, shield. A red jet slapped his hand. Then hers. Unarmed and surrounded.

Six. Seven with Bellatrix. It was over. "Look!" In another life, Bellatrix would have made a great actress. "It's my little niece! And her pet!" Every word, poisoned with the need to mock, the need to taunt. She still looked like a bodiless ghost, haunting Hogwarts. "Tsk, tsk. You both ruined Auntie Bella's fun. I think you deserve some punishment!"

Was it not enough, knowing that that she'd kill them? Knowing they were helpless? Did she need to turn it into cheap entertainment every time? Tonks was doing her best not to cry. She refused to give her aunt the satisfaction.

"BELLATRIX LESTRANGE!" an enraged voice rung out, "We are not here to play your little games, we are here to kill Potter!"

Bellatrix's smile faded; stunned at the fact that someone had just spoken to her with such authority. She thought she was the one in control. "Fine. If that's what you all really want, just kill them and we'll be on our way." She avoided their gaze, unhappy at what had just happened. She was a little child, playing with her food, yelled at by her parents, reminding her that she ought to have some manners.

They were still holding hands. They turned away from the Death Eaters to look at each other. Remus smiled, taking comfort in knowing that he did not die alone, he did not die an outcast. Tonks smiled, happy to die with love in her arms. They didn't notice the seven wands being raised, aimed at the two of them. "You're going to love James and Lily. Sirius too. He's so much better with James around. You can be the new Marauder. We need to think of a nickname for you on our way there." She let out a giggle, tears running down her face. She pressed her face into his chest and he pressed his into her now purple hair. He smiled one last time. Seven jets of green light hit both Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks. Their bodies fell to the side, still holding each other.

The wolf howled no more.

This was a very personal story, I cried like 3 times while writing it. I know there are a few mistakes. Like Remus killing Dolohov and other things (so the story is slightly AU) but this is how I imagined how his death happened. Reviews are greatly appreciated, they help me improve as a writer and shows me that people are interested in reading more.