Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story itself!

Oh, and thanks to HufflepuffTimeTurner who was my beta in this and corrected my grammar and any careless mistakes there might have been here :) Thank you!

How peculiar. Peculiar, but yet wonderful. It was quiet. It felt peaceful. Nothing hurt at all, and he felt calm. Remus couldn't remember the last time he had felt like this. Not for years. Not for at least sixteen years, probably not since they had graduated Hogwarts. It felt wonderful. Still, it felt like it was something he had to do, or something he had been doing before coming here. Something important. The feeling nagged him until he opened his eyes and to his big surprise he found himself in a very familiar room. The Marauders' dormitory, from his Hogwarts years. He hadn't been here since they had graduated, so what was he doing here now? His eyes widened when he realized what he had forgotten. The battle! Dora and Teddy! Harry!

He flew to his feet but then two things happened at once that got him thinking other thoughts. First, he caught a sight of himself in the big mirror Sirius had put up – he was very vain and wanted to make sure he looked fabulous all the time (that was a direct quote) – and he almost didn't recognize himself. Gone was the wrinkled and scarred face and the tired eyes. Gone was the almost emaciated body (even though it had been slightly better the last years) and gone was the tiredness and sadness that usually hung over him. Instead… he looked young once again. All grayness was gone from his hair, and the thinness disappeared. Instead his hair was as thick as ever and his youth's brown colour. The big scars over his cheeks he had had since he was fourteen were gone and he actually looked healthy, for the first time he could ever remember. His green eyes shone and the pain that had been buried in them since that Halloween had entirely disappeared and he wore one of his favourite sweaters and jeans. He looked sixteen again.

The other thing was that as soon as he looked into the mirror, he felt shocked, and an even bigger shock came. He heard a familiar snigger, something he had thought he would never hear again, and turned around with the pace of a lightning bolt. In the door, a very familiar, more familiar than the last time he had seen him, boy stood. Yes, he was a boy. The pained and tortured man had disappeared and in the door a teenager stood. Sirius. Padfoot.

"Hello, Moony." Sirius said, grinning that grin. A grin Remus stopped think he would ever see again when he was 21 – first because he thought Sirius was a traitor, and had been in Azkaban, and then because the Sirius who came out from Azkaban simply didn't grin that grin. He had seen too much and been through too much. But this Sirius looked just as untroubled as he had been before they were dragged into the First War. Remus was stunned and could only stare at his best friend. Meanwhile, Sirius held out his arms. "It's been awhile. But not as long as I would've wished."

"Padfoot? But… you're dead!" Remus exclaimed, but then he remembered. "Oh. I got hit by the Killing Curse. I'm dead too, aren't I?"

Sirius nodded and looked hesitant, apparently unsure how Remus would take the news of being killed just as his life had begun to look bright again. Wife, and a child. Two things Remus never had dreamed of that he would have, because of his lycanthropy.
"Well, I cannot say I'm surprised." Remus said with a sigh. "I knew I would probably die in the battle. But at least Teddy's safe. I hope Dora makes it back to him."
Then he looked up at the black-haired boy and smiled. He was so happy to see his friend again. He hated to admit it, because he hated that he had left Dora and Teddy and Harry behind, but he had felt relief when he saw the Killing Curse fly toward him. Finally he would find peace. He loved his family, more than he ever thought he could love, but everything else… He hadn't felt peaceful ever since Halloween -81. Wasn't it his turn now? He was the last Marauder walking the Earth after all. Apparently it was.

His smile was happy, and loving, and suddenly he threw himself into Sirius' open arms. Sirius chuckled contently and hugged back.
"Pads…" Remus whispered. "I never thought I would see you again." Then he suddenly realized something.

"If you're here… are Jamie and Lily here too?"
Sirius smiled and dragged his fingers through Remus hair, like he always used to do back in school.
"They are. And everybody else too. I've met your mother. She's always watching you. She wanted to get you from here, but she let me and James do it in the end. Prongs and I had a little quarrel about who would get you, but I won. As usual. Lily wanted to, too, but she let us. Ready to see them?"
Remus smiled.
"I've been ready for almost seventeen years, Paddy."

They left the dorms and walked down the hallways of Hogwarts. There was a lot of people there, but everyone just waved and smiled when they saw them, knowing from own experience that it would take a while before Remus was ready to talk to anybody but his most beloved ones. Sirius explained this place for Remus, how it worked and such, and they came closer to the entrance of the castle.
When they reached it, Sirius thought he had explained most things for his friend.
When they came outside Remus looked a little awed. His last memory of Hogwarts Courtyard was the battle, and it had been dark and people had been screaming and the lights of curses had been shining everywhere. Now the sky was blue and not a single unhappy person was to be seen. Sirius began to talk about the pranks he and James had played since they came here, and how they had missed Remus' expertise, knowing that right now Moony wouldn't want to talk himself, but he would listen. Remus smiled joyfully when he listened to Sirius. He had missed his friends more than he had ever known when he was alive, and that said a lot.

They reached the Black lake and Remus saw some cosy cottages. Sirius whistled and suddenly three people came out from one of them. Remus immediately recognized them. Lily, James, and Hope Lupin – his mum. Hope had died in his seventh year, and he had missed her so much ever since. It was possible that he had missed his friends more actually - when he lost his mother he still had them, but when he lost them, he had nothing - but that didn't make the loss any easier to carry.

Hope looked younger than she had been when she was alive. She looked about the age she had been when he was a toddler, before he got bitten and everything had been perfect. Usually he would feel shame over having made his parents so unhappy, but it seemed like this world had gotten rid of the feeling he knew he shouldn't feel, because it hadn't been his fault, but he still couldn't help it.
She ran to him and hugged him tightly, so hard that he couldn't breathe. But he realized it didn't do anything. Apparently he didn't need to breathe anymore – he was dead, so it was only logical actually.

"Remus." Hope mumbled into his shoulder. She was a head shorter than he was. "My Remus. Mon Remus, Mon garçon. Mon fils." (My Remus, my boy. My son.)
Remus hugged back, feeling tears prickle his face, but he didn't care. He hadn't cared when he was younger if he cried – as long as he was sure no one else would be unhappy – and he didn't care now.
"Salut, maman." He answered. "Tu m'a manqué." (Hi, mum. I've missed you)
"I can't believe you're already here." Hope said, sounding both happy and extremely sad. "I saw your wedding, love. It was everything a mother could hope for."
Remus felt a twinge of loss when he was remembered of his wife – the love of his life and afterlife. He already missed Dora.
"Thank you, maman. I'm glad."

When Hope let go of her son he was immediately caught up in another embrace. Not that he minded. It was another one that was more familiar than his own body right now.
"Hello, Prongs." Remus smiled.
"Hello, Moons." James replied, smirking. Oh, how Remus had missed him. Right now it felt like it couldn't be better, where he stood embracing his best friend and surrounded by his other two best friends and his mother. He wondered when he would get to see his dad again. He hadn't seen Lyall much at all since Halloween -81. "Welcome home."

After hugging James for an eternity Lily stood there and fake-glared at him.
"So I'm last, huh? Good to know what you think of me." She said and put her nose in the air, but her green eyes glittered with mischief and love – just as he remembered them. She might not have been a prankster like them, but she could be just as much of a troublemaker if she wanted to, much to the happiness of James and Sirius when they realized it.
"I've missed you, Lily." He said simply and she smiled her loving smile.
"I've missed you too, Remus."
Remus buried his face in Lily's red hair. Only three people were missing, and this would be perfect. But oh, how he hoped it would take time before they got here. He was just slowly beginning to let go of Lily when a voice he would recognize anywhere and loved more than anything but his son was heard.

"Remus!"
Remus quickly parted from Lily, both hoping he had and that he hadn't heard wrong. He hadn't. As he looked to his right he saw Ted Tonks coming walking, smiling, and in front of him a woman with bubble-gum-pink hair was, running toward him.
"Dora?" Remus asked, astounded. First he just stared, but then Lily bumped her elbow into his side and he woke up from the shock. He shook his head before running too and meeting her halfway.

Laughing and crying on the same time Remus and Dora Lupin embraced each other and held on as if life itself hanged on it – not that life hanged on anything anymore. After a while Dora looked up at him with a smile and kissed him. He smiled into the kiss and kissed back. When they parted after a while he took her hand.

"You too?" he asked.
"Duh." Dora rolled her eyes. "Why do you think I'm here?" She saw the worried gaze in his eyes and smiled tenderly. "Don't worry about Teddy. Mum's going to take care of him, and Harry too. Dad told me we can watch them from here."

Remus nodded. He knew he and Dora would always worry about their son and only child, but he guessed there wasn't much they could do about it. At least James and Lily could give advice on how to handle it since they had been through the same thing – but worse, since they could be sure that Andromeda would love her grandson which the Dursleys hadn't, and Teddy had Harry too.

He greeted his father-in-law with a smile before leading Dora towards his friends and mother. They all smiled brightly as they watched their friend, almost-brother and son, and how much happier he was as soon as he came into this woman's presence. It was great. All of them had been so worried for Remus all those years, and finally he had found love. Other love than the family love he got from his parents and that the Marauders shared, of course.
"Hello, Dora." Sirius greeted and hugged his cousin briefly. Dora smiled and hugged back.
"Hello, cousin."

When Dora and Sirius had said hi, Remus turned to his other friends and mother.
"Everybody, this is Dora – my wife. Dora, this is Lily, James, and my mum – Hope."
"Hello!" She greeted them, almost bouncing from energy. Only now Remus realized that she looked younger than before, but still not. She looked like a mixture between the Dora Remus had known and married and a teenager Tonks. He smiled when he looked at Dora who presented herself for his family.

"Hello, Dora." Lily smiled. "It's nice to have another girl here. I don't even dare to think about what'll happen now when those three are reunited. The afterlife will be a chaos."
Sirius laughed.
"Oh, Flower. So naïve." He said with twinkling eyes. "I think Dora here would be most delighted to help us create havoc. Isn't it true, little cousin?"
Dora smirked and winked toward Sirius before putting a hand around Remus' waist. He did the same, still looking absolutely delighted over having her there, even though he was still sad that Teddy would grow up without either of his parents.

Later that night, the Marauders, their old honorary member, and their new sat around a campfire and talked and laughed, just like old times. The only difference was that now Dora had taken Peter's place. They discussed the Battle of Hogwarts that they had seen from here and that of it that Remus and Dora had got to live in, and the Marauders and Lily's meeting with Harry through the Resurrection stone.

"Tomorrow I think it's time for a prank." James said with a mischievous tone in his voice. Everyone around the fire – even Lily – perked up and looked attentively at the black haired teen-that-was-no-teen. "After all, we've got to show them that the Marauders are reunited, don't we?"
Sirius and Remus laughed and smirked. One would even say that the smirks looked quite evil.

"Definitely." Sirius replied and Remus nodded.
"I think it's time." He agreed and dragged his hand over Dora's hair. Her head was resting on his shoulder and her hand was lying on his leg. Dora looked very interested.
"I'll let you do this prank alone." She told them seriously "since it's a reunion-prank, but next time I'm going to help. Understood?"
James and Sirius saluted, in the same manners as they used to salute McGonagall back in school.
"Understood, Auror Lupin, ma'am!" they chanted in chorus and grinned.
"Of course, love." Remus agreed, knowing that she would let nothing stop her. Plus, it was only fair that she too got to take part in it. She wasn't a Marauder, but she wasn't bad at pranks either. Not as good as them, though, but then, they had yet to see someone who could beat the Marauders in a prank war. Gideon and Fabian had tried. Many times. They had lost even though they were older. Maybe someday… Maybe Teddy would grow up to it. He had the blood of him, Dora, Sirius and James after all, and was a metamorphmagus like his mother. It wouldn't surprise him. He smiled at the thought as he kissed Dora's hair.

When Remus fell asleep that night, in Lily and James and Sirius' guest room since he and Dora hadn't chosen their own cottage yet, after getting to know that even though his friends could turn into their Animagi-forms, he wouldn't transform into a werewolf in this world, he was tightly crouched together with Dora in one of the best beds he had ever slept in, and he was happy. Entirely happy and content. He would miss Teddy, yes, and mourn that Teddy wouldn't grow up with them, but he also was entirely happy over being here, together with his best friends who he never thought he would see again, his mother and his Dora. Just before they both fell asleep he mumbled into Dora's ear:
"I love you."
He could feel Dora's tired smile as she pressed herself closer to him and mumbled back:
"I love you too."

Review!

Well, it was a while since last, huh? I've really got a writer's block and right now I mostly prefer to read rather than write. And this was really the only thing I could come up with how I would write more than a few lines. So if you've got any tips or things you'd like to read about our favourite Marauders - in school/during school years or If They Lived, then tell me, please!

Anyway, have a nice weekend and all that. Bye!