Remus Lupin blinked slowly. He was lying on his back somewhere outside. The first thing he saw was blue sky with a couple of fluffy clouds, and slender branches with spring-green leaflings. He took a deep breath as he pushed himself to sit, stretching and feeling weird when no pain, ache or discomfort whatsoever made itself known.
"So..." he thought as he stood up, noting that he was wearing a set of new robes. "I died."
He wondered if he should've been more sad, but the only twinge he felt was for his infant son. He would miss seeing Teddy grow up, though maybe he was better off with his young mother, without the hardships of having a werewolf in the family.
As the former professor looked around, he spotted a familiar house, though it did not belong there in the middle of what seemed to be a small meadow. He smiled as he walked to the front door of James and Lily's home and pushed it open.
Remus had barely stepped in when a large dog came running down the hall, barking madly and jumping towards him, changing into a man before colliding with him.
"Moony!" Sirius screamed with joy as he pulled his friend in a bone-crushing hug, but looked a bit apologetic as he separated. "Oh, Moony... What offed you?"
"Dolohov, I think" Remus said matter-of-factly, feeling warmth spread through his body where Sirius was touching. "There's a battle going on. I'm sure many more will die."
The animagus stepped back, nodding grimly. Despite the situation, Remus couldn't help but smile as he looked at the other man. The prison-escapee looked young and healthy, more like he had before Azkaban than after.
"Bring him over here, you selfish arse!" came a familiar voice from the living room.
With a barking laugh, Sirius led Remus further into the house. He was soon standing in the comfort of the Potter's den, and his heart constricted for the briefest moment as he saw two of his dearest friends bent over a game of chess, like the last sixteen years had been erased. James was the one who raised his head first.
"Shite, Moony, what happened to you?" he asked as he took a once over. "You look really old and tired! Almost as bad as Padfoot when he got here!"
"Hey!" the other two men objected in unison.
"You're barely twenty, I'm thirty-fucking-eight and a werewolf! And why did you never warn me about how little sleep one gets with a newborn?" Remus continued grumpily.
"We did, all the time", Lily laughed and stood, as beautiful as ever, and walked to hug him gently.
"Did you say newborn?" James asked with a wide smile.
"Erm, yeah", the werewolf said a bit hesitantly as the red-head went to sit back down on the sofa. "I have a son. Born less than a month ago."
He smiled wonkily as the fact still seemed weird for himself too. Lily's green eyes were shining and James was staring at him with an amazed expression. Sirius however, standing closest to him, looked a bit taken aback.
"I kind of though you were..." the long-haired animagus started and cleared his throat. "So, who's the lucky lady?" he asked with a hollow laugh.
Suddenly Remus was reliving the shame he had felt when he started the relationship with Nymphadora. He wondered how they would react to the age difference and the fact he'd put her in danger, brought a child into that world. How Sirius would react when he told him who he had married.
"Your cousin", he blurted and squeezed the back of a nearby armchair for support as everyone went quiet. The dog-animagus stared at him for a moment with his brow furrowed.
"Which one?" he finally laughed again, seeming disbelieving. "I can't think of many who don't have prejudice against... Wait. Did you have an affair with Andromeda?"
"Not quite", the werewolf said and manouvered himself so that the chair was between them. "Your cousin... once removed."
"Tonks?" Sirius asked, going pale.
"After you died, I married Dora, yes", Remus said and swallowed. "I know she's too young for me, and I'm a werewolf, and -"
"I don't care about that! I'm more concerned that you married at all!" the long-haired man growled.
Silence rang for a split second before Lily, wonderful, intuitive Lily decided a distraction was needed. She patted the empty space on the sofa and smiled at her friend as he manouvered himself to sit without going too near to Sirius, who looked like he might attack him.
"Do you have a picture?" she asked.
Remus had been momentarily lost in the familiar green eyes, old emotions flooding his veins. He hadn't realized James had come to sit on the sofa too, his brown eyes and happy, carefree face turned to him.
"These aren't my robes, but I did have one when I died..." the werewolf muttered and started to go through the pockets.
Soon, he emerged with a familiar picture of a small infant and smiled down at his son, feeling the heaviness of sorrow again. The little boy fidgeted in his star-patterned feety-pajamas and turned to suck at one tiny fist, his hair changing from black to purple and back.
"This is Teddy" he said and gave the picture to Lily. The green eyes twinkled as she held it so that James could see too.
"Is that an upgraded model? Harry didn't change colour", James joked, faigning seriousness.
"Does it change into a wolf too?" Sirius asked maliciously.
Remus flinched and the Potters threw their black-haired friend angry looks.
"Not that I'm aware of", the werewolf muttered, taking the picture back and gazing down at it. "I was terrified he would though... It wasn't exactly a planned pregnancy."
Sirius scoffed and sank into the armchair. He leaned to look at the baby who had changed his hair to black again, and his features softened.
"He kinda looks like you, Moony", he said quietly, and saw the corner of Remus' mouth quirk up.
"He kinda looks like you too, sometimes", the werewolf whispered, earning a weird look from James, and a knowing smile from Lily. "Andromeda showed me baby pictures, she had some of yours too, and when Teddy has his hair black like this..."
His voice trailed off and he dared to glance at his friend. A slight blush was staining the high cheekbones, and a small smile played on the full lips. His grey eyes twinkled as he turned to look into the pale man's amber ones.
"If he looks a bit like you and a bit like me, he is going to be the most gorgeous child ever", the animagus muttered softly and leaned to press a warm kiss on the werewolf's mouth.
"Finally!" Lily shrieked. "Can you believe they waited till afterlife to kiss? James?"
They turned to look at her messy-haired husband, but he was holding something in his hand, gazing down at it. It looked like a small rock with carvings, and as he lifted his eyes he gestured to their hands. The three fo them suddenly realized they were holding rocks as well.
"Time to go see Harry", James said softly and smiled at his wife and his two best friends.
Silently, they stood and walked to the door. They met each other's eyes for a moment before stepping out to help Harry face his final fears. James and Lily were holding hands, Sirius and Remus let their fingers interwine briefly in an unspoken promise of holding on and not letting go, ever again.