Chapter Seven. 1,500 words.

Theme 014. Smile.

"He's responsive," the St Mungo's healer explained in a sombre voice, "but not speaking."

"Can we see him?" Hermione.

"He's not exactly the best conversationalist at..."

"Can we see him or not?" Harry.

"One. One of you may go in. And only for a few minutes. Afterward, no more visitors for the day."

"It should be Teddy." Hermione.

"Teddy saw him already and can't deal with this right now. We shouldn't... We shouldn't force him." Harry.

"It'll be you, then, mate. You're the closest to him. You're his kid's godfather." Ron.

"I... Okay. Fine. I'm going in." Harry.

"Just one minute," the healer put a gently restraining hand on Harry's arm as he made to enter the room. Initially, Remus had been in a large communal ward with other patients, but Harry had insisted he be given a private room. "He's only come out of his catatonia a few hours ago, and since his conversation with his son, he isn't in the best of spirits. See that you don't upset him; it could mean the difference between weeks of recovery, and years."

Harry nodded and her grip eased. Harry slid into to room softly, not really accepting the situation in whole until he saw its occupant staring in the opposite direction at a horribly generic painting on the wall od a cottage scene, the branches of the flowering trees swaying slightly in a light breeze. Remus looked thinner, but otherwise identical to what he had on the day of his death, except that Remus had never looked so lost or helpless in the entire time Harry had known him. Harry was completely overwhelmed to realise that they were now close to the same age.

"Remus," Harry announced softly. He suddenly realised that much like his godson before him, he had no idea what else he could say. Hey, welcome back? Things have changed a lot? I think of your son as my own, and he feels the same way?

Remus Lupin's grey eyes, ringed with dark circles of exhaustion and shadowed with the day's compounded simultaneous reliefs and horrors, drifted vaguely in Harry's direction only to freeze, unwavering, on him. Harry gulped, and took a deep breath, only to lose his nerve completely when Remus said, wonderingly, "James?"

"No, no, Remus, not..." Harry came forward, suddenly feeling bashful. Of course Remus would think... "No, Remus, it's-"

"Harry." Remus breathed at the same time Harry finished. Harry sighed and let his hunched shoulders relax.

"Yeah. It's me."

Remus gathered himself immediately. "Harry, my god," he looked torn between pride and horror, but he was now Harry's calm, collected mentor, and not the lost man transported twenty year into the future. "You look... I'm sorry. It's wonderful to see you."

"It's about a thousand times better to see you, alive and healthy." Relatively, anyway.

"At least you think so," Remus said, bitterly amused.

"Teddy will come around," Harry said gently, laying a hand on Remus's shoulder. And god, wasn't that, that small point of contact, a miracle. The situation washed over Harry anew: all the panic of past twenty-four hours subsided; it was all worth it, whatever Teddy said, because Remus was alive, and Harry was absolutely staggered with how incredible that was. Remus shrugged his had away, but laid a grateful hand on Harry's and gave it a squeeze before doing so. Harry supposed he felt uncomfortable with human touch for the moment, which he supposed was reasonable. He let his hand drop to his side. "Teddy's always been so proud of you. When he graduated, he gave a speech on how he hoped to grow to be a man worthy of the sacrifice that you and Tonks..." he bit his lip, and cursed his rambling. Remus gave him a very sad look.

"I hope you're right." He croaked, and Harry realised he was holding back tears.

"I am," Harry replied confidently, and honestly. "He's probably at Victoire's right now, getting yelled at in French for being a git. Er, Victoire Weasley, his fiancée... Sort of..." Harry sighed in frustration. He should not have been the one to tell Remus that his son was getting married, but like his earlier blunder, it had just slipped out.

Remus laughed, this time unable to keep the tears from escaping the corners of his eye. "Next you'll tell me I'm a grandparent. I probably look the part, anyway. Merlin, no offense, but if you're as old as you look, I must be ancient..."

"Well, almost, but not quite," Harry joked, and then realised Remus would not see the humour. "You're same age as when you... You're thirty-eight."

Remus didn't react to that, and Harry wondered for a panicked moment if he'd scared him back into catatonia. However, he finally just said, changing the subject. "Is Gimmauld Place occuppied?"

"Well no," Harry admitted, but seeing Remus's question before he asked it, "But there's absolutely no way you can live there," And then, when Remus looked taken aback and a little injured, followed by worse yet a grim acceptance, Harry clapped a hand over his mouth and wiped across it harshly. "Remus, you don't need to worry about finding a place to live; we'll figure something out, but you aren't going to be alone. If nothing else, my house is always open to you." Harry explained, and wished, not for the first time, for Ginny's charm and social grace; the way he had said it sounded forced, and he knew Remus was unlikely to accept it in the sincerity it was intended.

"You're very generous, Harry, but I couldn't impose," Remus began, and Harry glared at him before sitting at the chair beside the bed. At first, he didn't look at Remus, but as he began to speak, he focused a level gaze on the other man.

"Ever since my wife died, I've been living alone. I live very publicly, unavoidable, but I've become, at the same time, very withdrawn. Some have argued," Harry thought of Hermione and Ron, especially, "unhealthily so. My children no longer require me, my friends can rarely be in my company without feeling awkward, and even my personal assistant finds it difficult to engage me on a social level anymore."

Remus had gone very still, and Harry realised apparently no one had told him that Ginny was dead. Well, and why would they? She was an acquaintance. Her death, as difficult as it was to believe, did not impact every individual on the face of the planet. There was a good chance Remus didn't even know Harry was talking about Ginny, although it wouldn't be hard to surmise. Undaunted, Harry continued.

"What I'm saying is that if this thing with Teddy has set your standard for your reception, you need to reset. Teddy is confused, but once he adjusts he will be happier than anyone. We're all so glad to have you back, Remus, I-" Harry cut off here, mortified to realise he was tearing up. He cleared his throat and looked away, but Remus only stared at him. "More than anything, though, I don't want you to end up like me."

There was a long pause, as Remus considered this.

"Besides," Harry added belatedly, with a weak grin, "the kids will be home in a few months for Christmas, and if you're all shut up in Grimmauld Place, you'll likely get dragged out by your hair, anyway. Best not let it become a habit, while there's still time."

Remus's answering smile was equally small, but beaming. "You didn't tell me you were a father."

"Of four." Harry replied, and then instantly corrected himself. "I mean, three. I... Generally count Teddy as one of my own," he admitted, and though he expected it to hurt Remus, it only made him grin more broadly.

"So you see," Harry concluded, standing up and smoothing his hands over his muggle clothing. "We're really a family already. One that you're a part of, whether you like it or not. You can run, but I'm pretty sure you can't hide." Not even if you play dead.

"I'm not hiding," Remus whispered, finally looking, if not happy, then peaceful. "Thank you, Harry."

Harry just nodded. "I'll be back tomorrow. Get some rest, yeah? You look lie you've..." Harry gestured vaguely to finish an analogy he didn't know how to otherwise complete.

"Been dead for twenty years?" Remus suggested dryly. Suddenly, Harry didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Something like that."

;

A/N: Sorry about the lateness of the chapter. I pretty much had to do a complete overhaul of it from my original draft because of plot changes. Not sure I'm entirely happy with it even still, but I'm going to leave it alone for the rest of the evening. See you guys tomorrow!