Remus came back the next day, and the day after, then every other day. Ted and Andromeda were as good as their word and gave the pair of them space to work out their problems. On a couple of occasions Remus and Dora even went out for the day, normally to muggle areas where Voldemort's baleful influence was not so noticeable. They would go to a pub for a drink, or maybe to the pictures. In many ways it was the courtship they had never had before their marriage, and from it their feelings for each other began to grow again.
Remus was unbelievably pleased the first time Dora held his hand, and a few days later there was even a tentative kiss goodnight. Dora never went back to the flat with him though. They were a rather strange sight going on a date; especially as her pregnancy was starting to show.
Of course, he didn't visit during his moon times and Dora found herself counting down the hours until it was all over for another month.
Yes, things were progressing nicely, and her parents were satisfied that their daughter was showing all the signs of returning to her married state. Then, of course, it all went horribly wrong.
Remus went to the house after his October change, expecting Dora to rush out and greet him. Instead, he found her and Andromeda in the living room, sat upon the sofa. Dora had her arm around her mother, who was weeping in to a handkerchief.
'What's happened?'
'It's dad. He's gone on the run.'
Dora explained that a friend had heard Death Eaters were in the area, looking for muggle borns who had not registered with the Ministry, something Ted had refused to do on principle. He knew he would be arrested, so had decided to take his chances. He had thrown a few things in to a rucksack, kissed his wife and daughter and gone. They had given him all the muggle money left in the house. Andromeda hoped he would try to make it out of the country; his marriage made him more of a target not less.
'They know he's gone? Were you two OK?'
'They were only minions' said Andromeda. 'My sister's names are still enough to keep their sort at bay. But I don't know what we'll do now.'
'Remus will stay with us' said Dora. 'Won't you?'
Remus moved in to the house that day, sharing a room with Dora once again. It was he who took the lead this time, saying that he wanted her back, and wanted his child to grow up in a proper family. It was something she would have said eventually, but was glad he did so first; she had been missing him desperately.
The autumn moved on, a horrible damp cold time. It felt as if Voldemort even had control of the weather, and was using it as another weapon to grind down his opponents. Mostly they stayed in the house, conserving what little food and money they had, trying to make sure that Dora and the baby never went short. Both Remus and her mother lost a little weight as time went on. Remus began using some of his more lupine traits to go out hunting, often returning home with a rabbit or duck for the table. One night he got a goose, and they ate well for several days.
There was no effective resistance against Voldemort; Dumbledore's death having destroyed the main co-ordinator and leaving no natural successor. The Order of the Phoenix appeared to have disintegrated and they had no real news for weeks at a time. Only occasionally there would be some snippet. Kingsley appeared one evening, looking gaunt and strained. He had been on the run for months but could give them some information.
Potter and his friends had got in to the Ministry not long after Remus had visited (although Kingsley didn't know that and Remus didn't tell him). Kingsley didn't know why they had done it, or what had been achieved; he assumed it to be connected with Dumbledore's task. Although they discussed what that could be, none of them knew for certain.
'I just wish we knew where they were' said Kingsley. 'We could give them some help.'
'I think we can guess where they are' replied Remus, 'but they don't want any help. I tried.'
'If you mean Grimmauld Place, they're not' Kingsley informed him. 'They haven't been there since they went to the Ministry; the Fidelius Charm was broken. Nobody I know of has had contact with them since.'
'You think they're dead? asked Dora.
'Not by the Ministry' he assured her. 'We would have heard that. No, I think they're lying low, somewhere. We'll just have to wait for them to surface.' He left soon afterwards, promising to stay in touch if he heard anything.
Kingsley was as good as his word and came back a few weeks later to tell them that the Weasley twins and a friend of theirs – Lee Jordan whom Remus remembered from his teaching days at Hogwarts – had come up with a crazy scheme to launch an underground radio station. Of course, they were only kids, but at least it was something, some kind of gesture to show that there was still a resistance to You-know-who. Kingsley was in on it, not just to do something, but to offer a bit of protection. Once the Death Eaters got wind of the scheme, anyone involved would be a target.
Remus immediately offered his support as well. Every now and then he would be contacted and given instructions on how to get to the next transmission. Of course, it all had to be done in secret, and they tried never to use the same location twice. Those who were not broadcasting would keep a lookout, and on more than one occasion they had to cut and run as they had been traced.
Remus developed a great deal of respect for the young men who had thought up this madcap idea. They all knew exactly what they were letting themselves in for, but at least they felt they were doing something. It was the inactivity that was so hard to bear; they all wanted to fight Voldemort, to try and help Harry, of whom there was still no word.
Christmas eventually arrived, and Andromeda did her best to lighten the gloom for a couple of days. Remus got the decorations down from the loft for her and she helped Dora dress the room. She had to do all the lifting and stretching for her as her belly was now swelling almost by the day. Dora seemed best able to cope with the general mood of gloom, perhaps because of her child. She, at least, had something to look forward to.
Christmas dinner was a rabbit Remus had caught, and Andromeda brought out a bottle of wine as it was a special occasion. Even Dora had a sip, to toast her father and hope that one day he would return to them.
Christmas passed and the long dreary winter continued to hold the land in its grip. As March approached, they all looked forward to some sign of spring; some evidence of new life and new hope, but spring was late that year. The weather remained resolutely cold, grey and miserable. Dora's pregnancy progressed, but as she grew larger she became more and more frustrated at her inability to get outside for more than a few minutes before the weather forced her back indoors.
-o0o-
Remus was normally first up in the morning, and had got in to the habit of making a cup of tea for everyone else. Whilst they were drinking it, he would take a few moments to go outside and check what the weather was doing.
He found Ted outside the front door, where they had dumped him. Three things were immediately obvious to Remus; Ted was dead, he had put up one hell of a fight, and he couldn't let the women see their husband and father like this.
Remus moved Ted out to some bushes and did what he could to clean up the blood and hide the bruises. It wasn't much, but Ted looked slightly less battered at the end of it. Remus was almost surprised by the lack of emotion he felt going about his task. It wasn't that he had no feelings for the man laying dead in front of him; Ted had made Remus as welcome as he could and probably more welcome than he wanted to and Remus had appreciated that. They had even began to form a tentative relationship themselves, Ted often looking over to Remus with a resigned shrug when he was on the sharp end of Dromeda's tongue as if to say 'You've got this all to come!'
No, Remus buried his feeling because Ted was now a corpse, and it was the living he was worried about; particularly Dora. He went back in to the house and fortunately found Dromeda on her own; Dora having gone back upstairs to wash and dress. There was no way he could make this pretty; his mind was still too closed to what he had seen. He would have to tell her straight.
'Andromeda, I've got bad news for you. I've just found Ted in the garden; he's been murdered. I'm sorry.'
Andromeda looked at him with a complete lack of comprehension; then her face drained of colour as his words sunk in.
'No. No, it's not true. You're lying to me. HOW DARE YOU? GET OUT OF MY HOUSE. DO YOU HEAR ME, GET OUT!'
She flew at him with fists raised and he caught her by the wrists, holding her tight until her grief rose to the surface, and then took her in to a hug.
'No, no. Not Ted, not my Ted.' She pulled herself free looking at him with her face contorted by pain, the tears already spilling from her eyes. She was almost pleading with him. 'I want to go to him, please take me to him.'
Remus put his arm around her shoulder and led her in to the garden towards where Ted lay. As soon as she saw the body she broke free and ran to him, throwing herself down and taking him in a hug.
'TED! TED! WAKE UP! SPEAK TO ME!'
Remus knelt beside her and put his arm around her again, holding her and supporting her through her tears. Remus turned as he heard footsteps behind him and saw Dora walking towards them. She had heard her mother's screams and, half knowing what had caused them, came outside. Remus jumped up and ran towards her, wanting to stop her getting any closer.
'What's happened? Let me go, what's happened.'
'Dora, it's your father. Don't please, stay back here with me.'
She fought him off and rushed to her mother's side. The two women fell in to each other's arms and keened their grief together. Remus held back, not wanting to join them, knowing that he was an outsider and that they needed each other more than him at the moment.
Only when the first wave of anguish had passed did Remus approach them, kneeling beside Dora and putting her arm around her.
'Take your mother inside, Dora. Look after her whilst I make the arrangements out here, then I'll come to get you both.' He helped her up, and then they both got Andromeda to her feet.
Dora guided Andromeda inside, keeping her moving whenever she tried to look backwards towards her husband's body, and offering what little consolation she could.
'I'm with you, mum. We're both here; Remus will make the arrangements. Come with me now. I'll look after you.'
Remus walked around the garden, selecting a sport for Ted's grave. For some reason it felt right to bury him here, in his own garden; safer for Ted. Remus found a spot beneath a tree by the hedge and used is wand to dig the hole, then went back in to the house. Andromeda and Dora were sat side by side, their arms around each other and crying pitifully.
'Everything's ready Andromeda' he said quietly 'it's time to go.'
She looked up at him her face etched with grief and looking much older, and nodded imperceptibly. Dora helped her stand and together the three went back in to the garden.
Remus used a hovering charm to help him carry Ted's body to the grave and lower it gently in to place. No words were spoken; nobody could think of anything to say. Andromeda went to get some flowers, which she dropped in with him.
'He always like flowers, he should have some.'
Dora held her mum again as neither of them could bear to watch as the earth was replaced, hiding Ted from all mortal eyes for the last time. As the last of the soil settled in to place Andromeda looked at Remus. 'Thank you for doing this for him. Now, will you both please leave me, for a while?'
Remus took Dora back to the house, sitting her on his lap and letting her tears fall. He didn't try to stop her, or tell her to be brave. He just let her cry. Andromeda stayed by the grave, on her own, until dusk fell, then came in and went straight to her room.
