Part 3

Harry stared at the big man in their garden. He was covered in leaves and he was sitting beside a motorcycle. He reached behind him and pulled out a pink umbrella which was slightly bent. Harry giggled a little but Uncle Moon sent him a glare and he quieted. The big man with the bushy hair and beard headed for their house. He knocked so hard on the door it fell off its hinges.

"Oh dear", they heard him said and then he walked in. "'ello? Anybode 'ome?"

Remus took a deep breath when they heard footsteps coming closer and soon the man appeared in the doorway. He looked at them.

"I'm sorry but I managed ta crash my bike into yer garden", the big man said. "I didn' mean ta… wai' a secon… Remus?"

"Hagrid", Remus said and Harry stared up at his uncle. His uncle knew this big man? Remus watched as Hagrid first went pale then the big man grinned and with a happy roar he ran at them. Harry shrieked in fear, not realizing the man was happy. Hagrid wrapped Remus into a big hug and started sobbing. Remus stared in honest confusion. Why was Hagrid crying like this?

"Yer alive!" Hagrid wailed and hugged Remus tighter. "Yer alive!"

"Of course I am alive", Remus said confused. "Why wouldn't I-"

"After they foun' yer cottage all burnt down they came ta the castle and tol' us all ye were gone Remus! Utterly crushed they were all three of 'em! And to think that Peter 'ad done it!"

"What?" Remus asked. "Hagrid put me down!" Hagrid blushed and did as he was told. Remus straightened his clothes and then looked around. He spotted Harry quivering in the corner and ran over to him, scooping him up and hugging him close. The boy cried and clung to him. Hagrid blushed and scratched his neck.

"Sorry I scared the lil' tyke Remus", he said. "I jus' got so happy to see ye."

"Don't worry about it Hagrid", Remus said and rocked Harry gently. "He just got scared."

"I didn' mean ta", Hagrid said. "Um… may I-"

"Have a seat", Remus said and Hagrid sat on the sofa. Remus sat in an armchair with Harry on his lap. Harry kept his face hidden and kept clinging to Remus. Remus just hugged him close and looked at Hagrid.

"Hagrid", he said. "What did you mean when you said I was alive. Did… did you think I was dead?"

"Yes", Hagrid said. "They went to yer house after the attack an' found it destroyed, ye missing and a message on the wall from Peter."

"Peter?" Remus asked.

"Yeah turn out 'e was the one that sol' out the Potters. Sirius an' 'im had switched Secret Keepers an' he sold James and Lily to You-Know-Who. Then we foun' out 'e 'ad murdered you too an' let 'is Death Eater friends kidnap baby Harry."

"What?" Harry asked and looked up at his uncle and then at the big man. Hagrid paled when he saw the boy's face. "Uncle Moony what he mean?"

"I… I'm not sure", Remus said and hugged him close. "Everyone thinks I'm dead and Harry is missing?"

"Y-yeah", Hagrid said and looked with big eyes at the boy. "Wait… you kidnapped Harry?"

"No!" Remus yelled and held Harry closely. "No! Dumbledore showed up at my place and… and… he told me to take Harry and keep him safe! He said James, Lily and probably Sirius were all dead and that they were looking for Peter now. He wanted me to keep Harry safe! So I left and have been hiding here ever since."

"Uncle Moony no take me!" Harry said and snuggled closer. "Uncle Moony take care of me."

"But… But James an' Lily and Sirius are alive", Hagrid said and Remus' face went ghostly white.

"W-what?" he asked.

"Yeah they foun' ye cottage and tha message an' all."

"They… they're alive?"

"Yes."

"A-all this time… but Dumbledore… and I… Oh Merlin!" He put Harry aside and rushed out of the room and towards the bathroom. Harry and Hagrid could hear him throw up. Harry glared at Hagrid.

"You big meanie!" he shouted. "You hurt Uncle Moony!"

"I…" Hagrid didn't know what to tell the angry little boy. "No I just tol' 'im the truth an'-"

"You lie! Mommy, daddy, Paddy and Wormy are dead! Uncle moony said so! Dumbedo said so! Moony showed me that memory! You lie! Uncle Moony no kidnap me!" They heard a crash. "Uncle Moony!" Harry screamed in fright and ran into the bathroom. Remus sat on the floor with his head in his hands, clutching his hair. The mirror was destroyed and his fists were bleeding. Harry crawled close to him and cuddled close. Remus wrapped him in his arms protectively. Hagrid watched them from the doorway. Remus sobbed into Harry's hair while Harry sobbed into Remus' robes.

"I'm a horrible person", Remus whispered.

"No!" Harry screamed. "No Uncle Moony no!"

"I took you from your family…"

"No you save me! Keep me safe!"

"Oh Prongslet", Remus sighed and hugged him tightly. "Please forgive me."

"No forgive Moony! Nothing to!" Remus clung to him.

"H-Hagrid", he said and looked up at the man in the doorway. "G-get a phial from t-the kitchen and m-my wand please?"

"Err sure", Hagrid said and did as he was told. Harry looked questioning at him but Remus didn't meet his gaze. Hagrid soon returned with the items and Hagrid and Harry watched him pull a memory from his mind and put it in the veil. He put a cork in it and handed it to Hagrid.

"T-take this to J-James", Remus whimpered. "Please… sh-show them the t-truth."

"What abou' Harry", Hagrid asked.

Remus held the boy close.

"I get it", Hagrid said and smiled. "Bu' Remus yer better um… give 'im back later… um and… and…"

"I'll go to the ministry", Remus croaked. "I will make this right… all of it."

Hagrid nodded, got up and left. Then he returned to hug the both of them one last time before leaving them. The two fell asleep where they were. Today's even had taken all their energy from them.

James Potter had had a pretty good day at work. He and Sirius were the lead aurors under Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody and today they had managed to capture three former Death Eaters. Hopefully one of them would be able to tell them where Harry was. They had mocked James about it before getting captured by James and Sirius. Who had been the angriest was hard to tell. Sirius had been livid because they had also mentioned their "pet wolf". James ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He looked at the grave in front of him. Remus' grave. Had it really been five years already? It felt like it was just yesterday that their world came crashing down on them. Pettigrew was still in Azkaban. He had hidden at the Weasleys' for a time but James and Sirius had recognized him. But Peter had not told them where Harry was. He claimed that he did not know. No one believed him, they were still looking.

"We'll find him Remy", James whispered and looked at the gravestone. "Someday. I swear it. At least you got justice for what happened to you. You deserved justice Remy. If not for the murder, then for everything else you had to go through. I'm so sorry for thinking you were the spy. I am so sorry for pushing you away. Lily misses you a lot. She cries on your birthday, her birthday and today… well she cries most on these days. She cries for Harry too. If… if Harry is… if he is dead… will you look after him for us Moony? Please? I know it is much to ask for but please? If he is with you please look after him?" He sighed again. "I… I miss you Moony. I miss you so much that it hurts. I miss your smile, I miss your laugh, I miss your smart-assiness and that is a word I just made it up so shut it and… and I miss your presence. Lily once told me that she always knew when you were around because Padfoot and I were much calmer and not as stupid as we usually are. You grounded us Moony and kept us sane… I miss you brother… I love you." He kissed his fingertips and then put them to the headstone. The headstone read:

"Remus John Lupin
1961-1981
Beloved brother, friend and Moony"

Underneath it was a quote from one of Lily's favourite musicals.

"Daylight see the dew on the sunflower and the rose that is fading. Roses wither away. Like the sunflower I yearn to turn my face to the dawn. I am waiting for the day."

James felt something go down his cheek and swiped it away. He got up and looked around. Sirius hadn't come. He was probably at home with Lily. Since the attack all three of them had decided to live together because they were all scared to let the others out of sight for too long. James and Sirius worked as aurors and Lily had her own potions store. In it she made wolfsbane potions for a prize that werewolves could actually afford. She did it for Remus. When the three of them didn't work they were out looking for Harry. James looked around, he had hoped to maybe draw some Death Eaters out when being alone. But no sign of anyone. James sighed and apparated home to the small cottage they owned.

It was a bit remote, but they didn't want to handle the fame and curious public. They had stayed at Grimmauld place for a while, but since Sirius hated the place they soon found their own. They had a room for Harry… when he returned because that's what they hoped for, wished for every night. That Harry would be returned to them.

James walked in through the red door and entered the house. He could hear talking in the dining room and headed there. Lily and Sirius sat talking. Both had glasses of firewhiskey in front of them. They looked up when James arrived and Lily hurried up to him and gave him a hug.

"How was the graveyard?" she asked.

"Quiet… no sign of trouble", James said. "I talked to Remy a bit…"

"I miss them so much", Lily whispered.

"We all do", Sirius said and got up to join the hug. "But I know Remy is looking out for us from the great beyond… or beyond it. Wherever he is he is looking after us… as usual."

"Yeah", James said and sighed sitting down at the table. "Even after all these years I can't get my head around why Peter did this. Why would he kill Moony and sell us out?"

"Because Peter liked people that were stronger than him", Sirius growled.

"Moony was stronger… Moony was the strongest but more than that he was… he… he was innocent and the best."

"Yeah he was… the best of us all and he never even knew it."

James nodded in agreement and Lily sighed and walked up to their window. The war had been over since Voldemort was slain and apparently it was because of her now missing baby boy. They had all lost so much. Not just her, James and Sirius but everyone. Most people she knew had lost someone they loved. Alice and Frank had in a way lost Frank's mother. Augusta Longbottom had been babysitting Neville when Bellatrix Lestrange, her husband, brother-in-law and Barty Croush Jr. attacked their home. They had used crucio on her until she went mad from the pain. Sirius, James and Frank had arrived on the scene, but too late sadly. Barty Crouch had been knocked unconscious as had Bellatrix but the others had died in the battle. The Lestrange brothers had thrown curses at the three aurors but the shield the aurors put up made the curses bounce back on their casters, killing them.

Lily sighed and looked out the window. They had lost so many in the order as well. Marlene McKinnon, Dorcas Meadows, Benjy Fenwick, Edgar Bones and Fabian and Gideon Prewett had all died serving the order. She missed them all, some more than others. She looked at the ring on her right hand. It had been a gift from Remus on her 17th birthday. Lily had lost her parents by then and Petunia had abandoned her. She had no family left. Enter Remus, her friend later turned brother. He had taken her to the house he shared with his father and she had been able to stay there until school started. Remus and his father had given her a ring that had belonged to Remus' mother. Remus' father had known Remus were gay and would never give that ring to a man it was just too feminine. So giving it to Lily had not been hard for either of them. It was a pretty ring with four stones. The one on the far left was an emerald, the second one was a diamond, the third one was a ruby and the last was a citrine. She smiled fondly. To Lily's knowledge it was by chance that her most treasured ring, after her wedding ring, held the birth stones of the four people that meant the most to her. The birthstones were sitting in the following order: Remus, James, Harry and Sirius. She saw a tear hit her ring and reached her other hand up to feel her cheek. She hadn't cried today. Until now, now she was crying silently while James and Sirius talked in the background.

She couldn't really hear what they were saying. As she looked out the window she noticed the tree in front of their new home. On it was a swing that had never been used. They'd had a swing in Godric's Hollow. They'd also had a swing at the Lupin house. Lily would sit on it when she was sad. She looked at the swing and saw herself sitting there, younger. She had tears going down her cheeks. She had run into Petunia earlier and her sister had refused to acknowledge her. She had gotten married without telling Lily. She had finally cut her out of her life. Suddenly someone had appeared behind her and started pushing the swing. She had gasped in fright at first, but when she had turned her head she had met the amber eyes of one Remus Lupin. She had smiled despite her sorrow and she had soon started laughing as he had kept pushing the swing, laughing as well. After a while Lily had jumped off the swing and had landed in the grass. Her laughter had turned to sobs and once again Remus had been there for her. He had reached out his hand and had helped her up. Lily had told him how she wished she could have gone to the wedding so that she could have shared a dance with her sister. Remus being the sweet boy that he was had produced a music box out of nowhere and they had danced to it.

It had been Remus who had given her away on her wedding day and he had danced a brother-sister dance instead of a father-daughter dance. They had danced to James Taylor's You've Got a Friend. Since Remus' mom had been a muggle he'd had a knowledge and love for muggle music that he and Lily shared. Lily sniffled and looked at herself dancing with Remus outside of the window. She knew it wasn't real. Just her mind playing tricks on her. She wished it was real though. "Remus" lifted his gaze and looked at her through the window. Smiling softly at her in that way that was reserved for her and her alone. She smiled at him.

"You just call out my name", she choked out between tears. "And you know… wherever I am… I… I'll c-come r-running… to… to see you again…" She broke down and felt her husband's arms around her as well as Sirius'. She sobbed into her husband's shoulder and she could hear it. Remus' voice on her wedding day.

"Winter, spring, summer or fall", he sang along as they danced. "All you have to do is call. And I'll be there, yes I will. You've got a friend."

TBC