Rating: T for a few bits of swearing.
Pairings: None, although I suppose it could be interpreted as containing two...but I won't say which, as that kind ofspoils it.
Length: One-shot.
Summary: Sometimes, someone may not be as gone as you think they are.
May I present to you...You'll See Me Again
You'll See Me Again
Remus' eyes flicked open. He could see that someone was stood in the shadow of the doorway. He lay still, filled with a strange mix of sleep and adrenaline that made his eyes prickle and his limbs impossible to move.
The figure stepped into the room and slowly padded across the tattered carpet to stop next to the bed.
Remus looked up through half-closed lids, at the man before him, the man he'd thought never to see again.
The figure spoke.
"I'm sorry."
His voice was low, and infinitely sad.
"I just came to apologise. For everything." The man fixed his eyes on Remus, who, watching in amazement, couldn't tell if the man knew he was awake.
"I'm sorry I ever doubted you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth, sorry I didn't tell you we switched. I'm sorry that we switched. I'm sorry, Merlin I'm sorry, that they died, and because of me!" The man's voice went up with the smallest hint of hysteria, but he took a deep breath and continued.
"I'm sorry I left you for thirteen fucking years, and that I never had the chance to tell you it was that little rat-bastard that did it. I'm sorry I was such a moody git the last year. And," The man chuckled, a laugh underlaid with bitterness. "I'm sorry I didn't set you and Tonks up the moment you set eyes on each other."
Remus' mind struggled to understand – how did he know? And then…how was he here?
"Hell, I'm sorry I've caused you so much shit over the years. But mainly, I'm sorry I had to leave you again."
The man suddenly twisted his head to look at the adjacent wall, like a cat watching something no one else can see, and then turned back towards Remus.
"I've got to go, now I've spoken to those I needed to. My kind can't stay here long." There was a pause. "Goodbye, Moony."
His eyes on the floor, the man walked deliberately back across the room. Pausing at the door, he spoke over his shoulder.
"You'll see me again Remus. I promise you that."
He turned away, his silhouette shrinking rapidly as he disappeared from Lupin's life.
Remus scrambled to sit up, his cry of "Sirius!" sounding as the tip of his friend's bushy black tail vanished round the door frame.
---
Remus' eyes flicked open. He could see that someone was stood in the shadow of the doorway.
"Remus?"
He scrambled to sit up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with the heels of his palms. The figure stepped into the room and slowly padded across the tattered carpet to stop next to the bed.
"Remus, are you alright? I heard you yelling."
Lupin looked up at Tonks, her hair, which was tonight blond and curly, framing her pale, tired-looking face.
"I'm fine," he replied shakily, and gestured towards the end of the bed. "Sit down, you look exhausted."
Tonks stifled a yawn.
"I woke up after a dream…about Sirius…and couldn't get back to sleep."
Remus looked up sharply.
"You dreamt about Sirius?" His voice came out harsh, and when she answered Tonks sounded rather startled by it.
"Yes, he was stood under the archway in the…the Death Room." She still found it hard to say, even after so long. "Talking to me. Why?"
"I also…what did he say to you?"
Tonks spoke slowly. "Er...that…well, I was trying to get his to stay, but he wouldn't. I asked him to stay for the Order, then for Harry, but he said that that there was nothing else he could do to help, and that he was just an obstacle in Harry's path to V-Voldemort." She bit her lip as she realised the name she had just uttered.
Tonks lowered her eyes to the bedcover she was sat on and began tracing the patterns on the quilt with a chewed-nailed finger.
"Then I asked him to stay for you," she continued softly, adding quickly "You being his best friend."
Remus drew his legs up under him, watching Tonks intently as she spoke. A line from his dream echoed in his head: 'now I've spoken to those I needed to'.
"And he said…" Tonks' cheeks reddened slightly. "Said…in his exact words…'He's got you now; look after him for me. He'll be feeling a lot worse than he shows.' "
Tonks glanced up and, meeting Lupin's eyes, grinned self-consciously.
"Anything else?" Remus asked gently.
"No. Well…I'm not sure…but at the end, as I was waking up…I thought I heard him say something like 'You'll all see me again. I promise him that'…" Tonks trailed off, looking in alarm at Remus, whose eyes had gone wide. "Are you sure you're okay?"
He scratched his nose absently and replied vaguely "Yes, I'm…" Remus seemed to snap out of his reverie and finished his sentence in a firm but surprised tone of voice. "…fine." He smiled at Tonks, a relieved, warm, amazed smile. "Absolutely fine."
Remus laid his hand on Tonks' on the duvet, feeling the warmth of her skin next to his. He looked into her dark eyes and said sincerely
"Thank you, Nymphadora. Thank you."
Fin.