House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 4577 (according to google docs.)

Category: Themed

Prompt(s): Sirius/Remus

This is AU but it tries to fill in what might have happened after they graduated Hogwarts. It tries not to change what actually happened in the books but might make some stuff differ. The memories aren't Harry's pov, it's more of a flashback format.

It had been a few months since Voldemort had been defeated and Harry was still getting wills and collecting inheritance from those who had been killed. He was just finished reading Severus Snape's will when he heard Ginny let out a frustrated sigh. "You've got another one!" She shouted up to Harry, a sense of deja vu washing over both of them. He had heard that very same shout countless times before.

"Who's this one from?" Harry called back, deciding that if it wasn't anyone close he wouldn't bother.

"Remus!" Ginny shouted, and they both cringed at the sound of their godson's joyous calls for his father. He was too young to fully understand when they told him that his father was no longer alive. He seemed to grasp the concept though, as he would occasionally ask, "No dada?"

Harry apparated into the living room to get to the envelopes, and as soon as Ginny handed them over to him, she was off to be with Teddy. Harry sighed and apparated back up to his study, sitting down at his desk and opening the carefully written letter.

Dear Harry,

I'm writing this to you as a way to lessen my anxiety about seeing you for the first time. When I got news thirteen years ago that you had been born I still hated myself for being, well, a monster, and didn't let myself see you as a baby. This I deeply regret, but I had, at the time, deemed myself too dangerous. You see Harry, I'm a werewolf. It's something that can't be cured, and I've hated myself for it. However, I made some amazing friends, as I've heard you've done as well, and it was them who helped me through this hard time, helped me believe in myself, and who helped me realize I deserve more than I believed.

It's been a year since I started writing this, and I realize I was in a better state of mind when writing this, so I've returned to it. I've heard from Padfoot that you are in the Triwizard Tournament and I beg you to be safe. You remind me so much of James and I can't bear to lose you as well. He was rash, heroic, and would sometimes act without thinking, but I need you to stay safe for me, and for Padfoot. Dumbledore fears something bad will happen soon, and I have to admit, I agree. There has been a rise in the number of Ex-Death Eaters meeting, and with what happened at the Quidditch World Cup, we all need to be cautious. Confide in those you trust, and know I'm only an owl away.

With Sirius gone, I've been so consumed by grief that I didn't have time to write this. But it's the only thing that will keep me sane right now. Nymphadora and I wish to tell you about her son Teddy. He isn't related to me by blood, but Tonks feared the worst reactions from her family. So, we've agreed tell everyone he is mine. Sirius meant so much to so many people, and it pains me have seen him leave. You don't yet understand how much it hurt me to watch him die. I know he wouldn't have wanted to die any other way; he died a hero's death, and a hero he was. But, Harry, I fear my time will soon come as well.

The burrow has burnt down, and I can hardly believe all the havoc the Death Eaters have caused. I would tell you to stay out of trouble, but I'm sure Molly has told you that multiple times to no avail. I know you won't change your mind from saving those you care about. But I need to let you know you can't save everyone, and it isn't your burden to carry. James thought he carried the same burden, and he sometimes forgot, like I'm sure you have at times, that he had friends to help him through it. I wish more than ever that my closest friends were still here to help me, were still here as comfort and support. It's hard to realize you need something until it's gone, but you have to realize this isn't just your fight. Your friends play a part in your destiny, and you need to let them in to help you, just as I learned to do.

I've realized now that I won't live long enough to give you this letter. I've postponed for far too long, and now my time has run out. I survived one battle against Voldemort, but I know it is not in my destiny to survive another. I'm afraid to say that I cannot escape death. But, my dear boy, you must. I hate lying to you, and I've done it too many times to count. About so many little things, and about the biggest part of my life. I've given you a vial of my memories, which will explain a lot and hopefully give a small bit of insight into who your parents were as people. They welcomed me and all my insecurities with open arms, and I've been so blessed to have gotten to live this long and see you grow up. But I won't live to see you win this war, though I know you will win in the end, even if it doesn't feel that way.

My destiny is to be with Sirius, and yours to be a hero. They say legends never die, and I can only hope it's true. It pains me to be the last Marauder left alive, but I'll soon see their faces again. If you're reading this, I am dead, and that means all things will be explained. I loved you very much, like my own son, and I know you are confused, hurt, and saddened, but I know you can push through it. You are so strong, stronger than I ever could be.

The last Marauder,

xx Moony

Harry wiped the tears from his eyes, emotionally conflicted at the letter he had just read. He looked inside the second envelope and his eyes widened for a split second. True to his word, there was a bottle of Remus' memories inside. Harry apparated right outside the castle grounds, rushing inside and not minding that he was disrupting some of the first years who had no clue where to go. He would apologize later, but right now he had something of much greater importance to get to.

He sped up towards the new headmistress' office, and stopped when he reached the gargoyles. "Password," one said in a monotone voice, which could have held a slight bit of mockery, though Harry didn't notice. He was too busy scolding himself for not remembering to ask for a password. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear the tapping of shoes walking up to the office. Nor the slight gasp of shock, accompanied by an abrupt halt.

"Mr. Potter!" came the surprised voice of Minerva McGonagall, the new Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry nearly jumped out of his skin with shock. He whipped around to face the headmistress, trying to force a smile onto his face, but failing miserably.

"Minerva! I was just coming to see you," he said, hand over his heart to calm himself.

"I can tell," Minerva replied, a small smile on her face. She climbed the stairs to her office, and opened the door for Harry to step through. She had it slightly re-furnished; it was different than Dumbledore's, but it still had many of his trinkets. The ones Harry hadn't destroyed, that is. It seemed even the stern professor was having trouble letting go. Once they were both inside and seated comfortably, she looked towards Harry, staring at the boy who she had taught for so many years. She gave him a nod, as if she was willing him to continue the conversation they had stopped outside.

"I need to use the Pensive. Please tell me you still have the Pensive. Remus he - he gave me some of his memories in a letter, and I need to look at them," Harry replied. He spoke in a rush, so much so that Minerva could hardly understand what he was saying. Luckily, after years of teaching Neville Longbottom, she had become accustomed to it.

"I presume, my dear, that you wish you view them alone." It hadn't been worded as a question, in fact, it almost seemed like she knew what the memories would hold. That was impossible, however, because Remus hadn't shared those memories with anyone but Harry. But he supposed Dumbledore would have known something, and he would have passed his wisdom onto Minerva.

Minerva left her office, which to her seemed a tad ironic, and started walking the halls, hoping Harry might not be too shocked at what he would find in the werewolf's memories.

Harry poured the memories into the Pensive and took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing."

The first thing in the memory was a pair of stormy grey eyes, eyes Harry knew all too well. They belonged to his godfather Sirius Black.

- Flashback -

It seemed to be a cold day a bit after the Marauders had graduated from Hogwarts, and the two boys were laughing with each other about James and Lily, who had been so wrapped up in each other that they fell into a pond. Remus suddenly stopped laughing and looked at the ground. His expression was downcast, and he looked deeply upset about something. "Do you think I'll ever be as in love and James and Lily?" Remus asked, his tone filled to the brim with sadness and longing.

This took Sirius by surprise, to him Remus was the most kind, caring, considerate, and intelligent person he knew. "Of course you will," Sirius replied, his voice final and firm. Why shouldn't his friend get a person to share his life with? Remus smiled at him in thanks and opened his book, resting his head against the tree they were sitting by. It wasn't comfortable for Sirius, however, so he opted to lay his head in Remus' lap instead.

"Will you read the book to me?" Sirius asked, surprising Remus. Remus just nodded and started reading the book aloud, knowing any sense of reasoning he would give would be disputed by the other boy. Sirius closed his eyes and listened to Remus' voice. As he was laying there, he started pondering why Remus would ask him if he would ever find love. Remus had warm chocolate eyes that Sirius loved to get lost in, and his scars made him look like a war hero. Remus' hair was a mix between dirty blonde and light brown, which Sirius found positively adorable. He deemed Remus perfectly date-worthy, and was surprised other girls didn't.

Sirius let his eyes open in shock. Was he developing feelings for his friend? Or had they always been there? But how could that be? Sirius was sure he'd only ever dated girls. Thinking back on it, Sirius noticed that he had never had any real feelings towards the girls he dated. He had never dwelled on it during earlier occasions, but he realized that whenever he would brag about another girl he had snogged, Remus would always look down and cover his face with a book.

He pondered that for a second. Did Remus have feelings for him? Surely not. It was plausible, however. Remus had always acted a bit odd towards Sirius, and if Sirius would introduce his current girl to his friends Remus would always politely find a way to leave the conversation. Remus did in fact have a crush on Sirius, he had since he first saw Sirius. So yes, it pained him to see Sirius using girls. It wasn't the fact that Sirius was snogging girls that bothered Remus, it was the fact that Sirius was snogging anyone but Remus.

Remus knew, however, that the idea of homosexuality was not widely accepted, and even though the wizarding community had different opinions, he was scared of even more rejection than he was already facing. He had stopped reading the book at this point and was studying Sirius' face. The sharp grey eyes that stared up at the sky when deep in thought, the shaggy black hair that framed his face perfectly. He tried to look away, but found he didn't really want to.

Sirius connected their gaze and Remus let himself get lost in Sirius' eyes for a few seconds, before Sirius spoke up, asking a question which would surprise his companion. "Do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me?" Remus froze, shocked at the bluntness of the question and sure he had misinterpreted the meaning.

"Like, with James and Peter?" Remus replied, confusion evident in his tone.

Sirius chuckled deeply, making Remus hide his blush behind his book. "No like, just the two of us."

Remus' cheeks were on fire, but despite that, he felt overjoyed. He quickly dashed his hopes, reminding himself that he and Sirius were just friends. Nothing more would ever happen between them. Sirius could never love him, he was male, and a monster, but he would give it a try. Because everything deserves at least one try.

Two weeks later, at the time of the Hogsmeade date, though neither boy would call it that yet. Remus was dressed in a smart blue sweater, and simple jeans, while Sirius was wearing skinny jeans and a deep mahogany sweater. Each look complimented the other perfectly, the colors of fire and ice representing the wearers nicely.

They greeted each other with a hug, to which Remus pulled away quickly, a light pink tinting his cheeks. Sirius didn't fail to notice and smiled at Remus, which in turn made Remus turn a darker shade, more a crimson now than pink. Sirius felt his heart swell and ushered his friend into The Three Broomsticks. Most of the people in the establishment were busy and didn't notice the two walk in. That was fine with them, since they were nervous and in a world of their own.

They sat down and ordered two butterbeers, and Remus was surprised to see Sirius' gaze was still on him, not the server, who was someone Sirius would have gone for in Hogwarts. This gave Remus some courage and he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Is this a date?" he asked, looking down at his hands while waiting for a response. Sirius pondered his answer for a second, but decided to see what teasing would do to his crush.

"How would you feel if it was?" Remus was shocked at this and hid his head in his arms out of embarrassment.

"I guess I wouldn't mind," came his muffled response, which Sirius found adorable.

"Then it's settled," he declared. Remus looked up, tilting his head and raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

Sirius smiled, a full out grin. "It's a date." He took Remus' hands in his own, and they stared into each other's eyes, smiling like nothing else in the world mattered. They were each others entire world at that moment in time.

An excited squeal snapped both boys back into reality. Remus looked towards the end of their table to find Lily Evans, the only person who knew of Remus' crush on Sirius. It had been fourth year when he had confided this information in her and she had been super supportive, even going so far to offer help over the years. Of course, Remus always refused; he had wanted to keep the little dignity he felt he had left.

Sirius paled, fearing the girl's reaction. To his surprise, however, Lily hugged Remus and was going on about how she knew it would happen eventually, and how she always knew Remus could do it. Sirius let out a relieved sigh and smiled over at Remus. Remus mouthed the word 'help' over to Sirius, who let out a chuckle at his distressed friend.

Friends … actually, were they friends? Sirius didn't know how to feel about that, this was only their first date, after all. Were they still only friends? Surely they weren't together yet. Sirius was a bit frantic, he didn't know the first thing to do at the end of a date. Usually, he would buy a girl a butterbeer and they would start snogging before the date ended.

Lily had always been good at reading people, so when she saw Sirius falter and confusion start to cloud his grey eyes, she knew what she had to do. "So when is your second date? James and I planned a double date for the day after next, but Alice and Frank were busy and just canceled," Lily said, sliding herself in next to Remus and looking at Sirius while she spoke. Her arm was draped over Remus' shoulder and Sirius felt a bubble of jealousy form, though he quickly moved on.

"What do you say?" she asked, looking at Sirius, and was shocked at his response.

"That depends, Rem what do you think?" His voice held care and compassion, and the loving look in Sirius' eyes was enough to show that he really and truly cared for his date. Remus smiled a bit at his new nickname, Lily had always called him Remmy, so this was a new one.

"I think it sounds like a great idea. We'd love to go Lily."

Lily's face brightened in delight; she kissed Remus on the cheek as a goodbye and left The Three Broomsticks. She wasn't able to hold in her joy, so as soon as she was outside, she squealed in delight. James, who had been waiting outside, felt his eyebrows scrunch in confusion. "What's got you in a good mood, Lily-Flower?" he asked, using the nickname she had secretly grown fond of over the years.

"You'll see," came her cryptic response. James, however, shrugged it off, and the couple started walking towards Zonko's to pick up some supplies. Back inside The Three Broomsticks, Remus and Sirius were laughing and joking, Lily having successfully removed any remaining tension the two had felt. Sirius almost went in for a kiss, however, he refrained as he knew his shy companion would back off immediately.

Two days later, it was the double date. Sirius and Remus had agreed to arrive first and keep a table, and Lily in return had said that she and James would buy the drinks. Sirius and Remus were deep in conversation when they heard the voice of their loud and sometimes obnoxious friend, James Potter. They ignored it at first, until he made a loud comment sure to embarrass all three boys later.

"Moony! You finally got yourself a girl!" he shouted across the room, making Sirius cringe and Remus burst into a fit of silent laughter. He tried to hide behind the book he brought with him, but failed miserably. James' face morphed into one of confusion as he saw Sirius sitting next to Remus. Realization dawned on him as he heard Lily's overjoyed cry of, "You actually showed up!"

"I never thought I'd see the day where James Potter was rendered speechless," Remus said, standing up to hug Lily and then helping her into her seat. Sirius, however, had sat nervously awaiting his best friends response. It was very important to him, what if James didn't accept this, what would he do then?

"Good on you Pads, you treat him right." That was the moment Sirius Black burst into laughter, it held a mixture of relief and joy, and it was contagious to say the least.

Pretty soon, James joined in and Remus was trying hard not to smile at the sight of his love interest and said love interest's best friend holding onto each other for support, trying desperately to catch their breaths. Lily giggled and her eyes shone with pride, she was overjoyed with James for accepting this. His support was desperately needed, as she knew for certain that the couple across from them would not always receive the support their friends gave them.

Remus had gotten up with Lily, as she didn't think she could carry the drinks by herself, which all three boys knew was untrue - she had graduated top of their class - but played along anyway. Once they were out of earshot, James directed his gaze over to Sirius. "Have you kissed yet?" Sirius chuckled, looking over at his friend.

"Evans didn't tell you anything did she? This is only our second date."

James smirked at Sirius and Sirius felt cautious as to what James planning. "Perfect time to kiss him then, that way he knows exactly how you feel and you know exactly how he feels, no need to go further if he hates it." Sirius gave his friend a look of disbelief. James Potter was telling HIM this?

"What would you know about backing off? The only girl you ever liked knew about your feelings for her and didn't express the same ones for seven years. You only started dating six months ago." Sirius always came up with good retorts, which would usually render people speechless and without a comeback.

James, who was indeed left without a witty reply, looked down and muttered a sheepish, "Touché."

"But, if that's what you recommend, I'll give it a try."

James head shot up and he gave Sirius a toothy grin. Remus and Lily came back seconds later with four butterbeers in hand and set them down on the table. Remus slumped into his seat next to Sirius and watched as his companion let out a chuckle. "What's got you so exhausted?"

Remus glared playfully over at Lily who held up her hands in mock surrender. "I just got interrogated." James and Sirius glanced at each other and burst out laughing for the second time that day. As the date drew to a close, Lily and James payed and left, leaving Sirius and Remus to walk to the park alone. It was fine with them, they had both gotten advice earlier and planned to use it.

The next bit was foggy, all anyone would be able make out was that Sirius had kissed Remus before the memory changed. This time there were a bunch of boxes in an apartment, each labeled with an S or R depending on whose box it was.

Three months later. Sirius and Remus had bought an apartment together and they had just gotten all of their boxes into the apartment. None of the boxes were unpacked, as they had some redecorating to get to before that could happen. Even though Sirius liked to think he would help, both secretly knew that Remus would be the one unpacking most things.

They had a guest bedroom and were sharing a bed, which Remus had protested to at first but had eventually caved and agreed to share. They were currently deciding on what color to paint the walls, as they had both agreed white was awful.

"What about grey for the hallways? And then each room a different color." Remus had a plan and it was clear in his voice.

"What colors were you thinking? You do know we only have six rooms to paint, right?" Sirius had to choke back a laugh at the answer he got. "Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple." "So basically the entire rainbow?" Remus nodded, which caused Sirius to chuckle. "Seems fitting."

A couple of minutes passed, and the two decided to apparate into the nearby wizarding village to get some supplies. Most magical families would prefer to use magic, but Sirius and Remus had decided it would make for a better experience if they painted it by hand.

An hour later and the hallways were finished, along with the bathroom and kitchen. However, the other rooms were still white, which the two decided to leave for then. Sirius made dinner, which shocked Remus as he didn't realize his boyfriend knew how to use a stove, let alone cook them pasta.

The memory faded into another one, this time the house was painted and the couple's items were organized to perfection. Harry thought that it was most likely Remus' doing as Sirius wasn't known for being an organized person. The doorbell rang and Remus had hopped up to get it, opening the door to reveal James Potter and Lily Evans with some exciting news.

"Grey? Really Pads? Why was that the color of choice?" Sirius let out a chuckle and pulled James into a side hug. Lily raised a questioning eyebrow towards Remus who motioned for her to follow him. Looking into the first room she gasped, this was the guest bedroom which was blue. As he showed her throughout the house, she kept commenting on each different room.

She got to the main bedroom, which happened to be a deep crimson, she gave Remus a pointed look with a smirk on her face. "Rainbow really? You little devil." They heard shouts from the living room of "Rainbow?! Pads that is hilarious!" along with the laughter of both friends. Lily walked back into the living room and over to James, then grabbed his arm as she looked towards the couple standing before her.

"James and I are getting married!" Sirius and Remus congratulated the two and they all shared dinner, Lily and James both voicing their surprise at Sirius having made it. To which Remus started cracking up, Sirius giving him a playful shove and a quick kiss on the lips. "You two are too adorable." James nodded at what his fiancee said, agreeing wholeheartedly with her statement.

- End of Flashback -

- Present Day -

Harry pulled himself out of the Pensive. He sat in shocked silence for a few minutes, there had been so much he hadn't known. He felt a tad disappointed that he didn't get to see his parent's wedding, although he figured he could have just asked Molly who had been there, after all. He walked out of Hogwarts, a sense of nostalgia filling him. He made sure to thank Minerva as he left and apparated home once far enough away from the castle.

Ginny was there waiting with dinner ready. "What did you find out?" He looked over at his wife with a tired chuckle.

"I'll tell you later. It's quite a shocker."

Ginny nodded in understanding and the pair sat down at the table, Harry playing with little Teddy Lupin, now knowing the truth about everything.

Remus and Sirius looked down upon their godson with smiles upon their faces. "So you did it all in a letter, huh, Rem?"

Remus laughed and nodded his head. "Yeah. Didn't know how else I could." He had a sheepish smile on his face. Even in death, he was calm and timid. "At least, he knows."

Finally, there was nothing left that either regretted.

Realizing this, they both turned to each other with smiles on their faces. Their friends and families had all moved on to the afterlife, having no regrets keeping them in the in between, and now Remus and Sirius could do the same. They smiled at each other, and it was Sirius that spoke as they rose into the afterlife.

"Let's go join James and Lily. Let's go join our friends."