Remus had his head in his hands laid on the couch of No.12 Grimauld Place. He wore his same tattered robes; his hair was still misplaced as his hands tugged on it viciously.
"Lupin" said the quiet voice of Harry peeping through the door hole tentatively seeing the silent figure in the dim light. He did not respond but only made a silent sound of a sniffle to put on a happy face for eighteen year old Harry.
"Harry" he said in greeting with a flash of a smile before he stared into the empty fire grate. "You don't want to listen to me moaning on tonight, go find Ginny have a laugh" he said not wanting to burden him.
"No, Remus, you're unhappy, he may be dead but the scars are still here" said Harry taking his place in Sirius' chair next to the window.
"Ah I am just thinking, it wasn't supposed to be like this...every...every time you'd call me Professor or Lupin I couldn't and I still can't help thinking how it wasn't supposed to be like this...you were supposed to have Uncle Padfoot and Aunty Marlene spoiling you rotten...and...Just Uncle Moony, your uncle Moony but then in one night it all changed. Marlene was killed, Sirius was imprisoned, I ran away and Peter betrayed us all, I shouldn't have been Professor Lupin or Remus, I was supposed to be Uncle Moony" he said not daring to look at Harry.
"I-I don't know what to say" said Harry blown away by the normally reserved man who was fighting an inner battle with himself because he was lonely.
"You don't have to, don't mind me" he said tears welling up in his eyes and for once letting them leak down his scarred face.
"What was she like, Marlene?" asked Harry.
"Oh sweet Marlene McKinnon, Sirius liked to toy with girls but this one wouldn't give him anything, he didn't change but she fell in love with his reckless attitude, Sirius was heartbroken when she died, she was like a less rational Lily, she brought out the wild side of your mother, in a good way" said Remus but he did not detail the memory of all his friends still shrouded him, the only reason he didn't join them was because of Harry, the nephew he never had.
"Wow. Well Uncle, I'm going to get some shut eye" announced Harry and stood up, as he did so did Remus, touched by Harry's consideration of him and enveloped him in a hug.