27

The Couple

Remus sat on a bench outside one of the dodgier pubs in Diagon Alley. The Growling Mandrake just a stone's throw from Knockturn Alley. He was reading a copy of the Daily Prophet with a box of curry beside him, the street lamp above illuminated the pages clearly in the dark night. Remus often came here to read.

It was quiet and people here kept to themselves. Then there was the fact that the curry vendor nearby gave Remus free food simply because he liked him. Years ago this place probably would have made him uneasy, but after the horror's he had seen in the past this was nothing.

A couple walked up to The Growling Mandrake. The man trudged across the wet pavement, his wife's arm linked through his. She was mumbling something to him. Remus averted his eyes and continued reading the article he had fixated himself on.

A few moments later the door to the pub opened to reveal the couple walking out. The woman whose voice was young and angry was raised.

"This is ridiculous! You've got vacancies! What the hell is the matter with you?"

"Darling, let's go. It's fine," the young man said in a quiet, Irish voice, tugging her hand as she continued to shout through the open door.

"You haven't heard the last of this, you sod!"

The door slammed shut. The young woman slammed her fist against the door.

"I wasn't done talking to you, you coward!" she yelled.

"Briar, it's fine. C'mon."

'Briar' let out a loud groan and drew her cloak tighter around herself as she turned around to face the young man.

"We'll find somewhere else to stay, right?" she asked, voice shaking. "There's gotta be somewhere we haven't tried."

"Right," the young man replied.

Remus could hear the uncertainty in his response. A wave of sympathy fell over him and his brows furrowed. Remus felt compelled to help these two for some reason. Perhaps it was his compassionate nature or constant need to overcome the stereotype of his kind that prompted him to set aside his paper and abandon his curry to speak with them. Reasons, however, didn't matter.

Remus walked up to the two. They both had the hoods of their cloaks up, though he could make out facial features.

"Excuse me," Remus said.

Briar's eyes snapped in his direction. They were two inquisitive, dark turquoise disks set beneath slightly rounded, furrowed brows. Her lips were parted as though she were ready to defend them both, but instead her mouth shut. An expression that resembled recognition appeared on her freckled face.

"Yes?" she responded.

"Are you..." Remus noticed how the man wouldn't face him. "Are you two in need of lodging tonight?"

"Oh, erm...yes. Would you be-erm...offering?"

"Briar-"

"Hush," she snapped. "Who are you?"

"First, I'd like to know who you are, and why you were turned away," he asked somberly. "Nothing personal, I just like to know who is sleeping in my home."

Briar nodded.

"Briar and Dublin Habbersham, how do you do?" she said complacently.

Remus couldn't believe this was the same girl who had just been bellowing at the innkeeper just moments ago. She was so polite and accommodating.

"And we were turned away because...because erm..." she stammered looking from Dublin to Remus with a cautious expression.

The young man sighed and faced Remus. His handsome face had two vertical gashes on the left, barely missing his dark green eyes, but marring his high cheekbones.

"What my wife is trying to say is that we were turned away because I'm a-"

"Werewolf," Remus finished, nodding.

Dublin's eyes narrowed as he studied the scars on Remus' face that were slightly faded.

"Erm...are you one too?" Briar asked softly.

"Briar, that's a serious accusation," mumbled Dublin.

"It's fine," Remus interjected. "I am. That's erm...well spotted."

Briar clung to Dublin's arm, a wary expression on her face.

"Well? Would you two like a place to stay tonight? We've...we've gotta stick together. Us...civilized ones."

Dublin smiled sheepishly, his young eyes glowed with gratitude though the rest of him screamed exhaustion. Remus knew that all too well.

"C'mon. I'm not far from here," Remus said starting off towards his flat.

Remus flicked on the lights and illuminated his small and sparsely decorated flat. The kitchen sat right next to the living room where a long couch and two armchairs resided beside a Victrola on a mahogany end table.

"Kitchen has plenty of food for once. Bathroom is to the left. Tea?" Remus asked hanging up his cloak.

It was clear he wasn't used to visitors as he took Briar and Dublin's cloaks with shaking hands.

"Tea would be lovely. I'll make it. It's the least I can do," Briar offered, tucking a stray lock of auburn hair back into her bun.

"Mugs are in the cabinet above the sink and tea is in the basket by the stove," Remus explained.

He felt like he was in a dream. He had visitors. He had a werewolf visitor. A visitor who seemed to practice the civilized life that Remus tried to live. It had been so long since he's enjoyed the company of others. Remus walked into the living room, hands in his pockets and peered at his records, wondering which one would be appropriate to play with company.

"Go sit down. Rest. It's going to be alright, darling," Remus heard Briar say.

Dublin must have nodded because Remus didn't hear a response. He was probably embarrassed. Remus recalled his days with Dorcas when she would witness the discriminatory behavior of the wizarding community and he would flush with embarrassment and fear. Remus selected a record by Dean Martin and placed it on the victrola, setting the needle on it gently. It played a soft, slow tune in a scratchy tone. When Remus turned around he found Dublin sitting on the couch, elbows on his knees as he gazed ahead numbly.

Remus sat in the armchair across from him. He tried to think of a light topic. Something to discuss that would get Dublin's mind off the tragedies of tonight.

"So what brought you two to Diagon Alley?" Remus tried.

Dublin's eyes shot up. He looked surprised.

"What was that?"

"I asked what brought you to Diagon Alley."

"Oh...erm...we were visiting Saint Mungos," he murmured.

Remus nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. Was this going well? He couldn't tell.

"Mind if I ask why?"

Dublin shook his head and looked over his shoulder at Briar who was filling the kettle with water. He looked back at Remus. There was a ghost of a smile on his face.

"Erm...Briar is pregnant," he said quietly.

Remus raised his brows, jaw falling open slightly. His eyes flickered to Briar then back to Dublin. He blinked. She looked at the two and raised a brow.

"What?"

"Nothing, love," Dublin assured.

Dublin looked at his hands, a somber smile on his lips. Remus' mouth twitched up in a small grin as he glanced at Briar again, curiously. He was astounded to say the least.

"She can't be too far along. I can't even tell."

"Not even two months, actually," Dublin remarked.

A fond grin appeared on Dublin's face and he rubbed the back of his neck. A quirk Remus had developed. He wondered for a moment if it was a werewolf thing. However, he didn't wonder too long. He was too enamored in the couple he had just met. The couple with a bright future despite the grim hand they had been dealt.

"She's quick, Briar is. I brought lunch into the dining room today and saw her squinting at her planner. I didn't question it. She's always been organized," noted Dublin. "Then she just looked up at me with the most casual expression and said: 'We need to go to Mungos. I'm fairly certain that I'm pregnant.' I nearly spit out my juice."

Remus could tell even in the short span of time he had known Briar that she was clever. That she thought on her feet and though not always using her head, she used her heart to its fullest potential.

"She's...she's really something, that girl," chuckled Dublin. "Dunno what I'd do without her."

Remus ran his fingers through his hair and straightened up. He felt a sort of hope flow through him. These two probably had it rough, but somehow they were living. Just living. Something he aspired to do. Then again, though Dublin appeared grateful, there was a flicker of guilt and loathing behind his eyes. Remus knew that look too. Hating yourself for negatively affecting someone's life due to circumstances beyond your control. Not knowing if it was your fault because you didn't ask for what happened to you.

"How long have you...how long have you been...this way?" Dublin asked quietly.

"Roughly twenty-two years," he responded, grasping exactly what he meant.

Remus had been asked that question in that exact format most of his life. He even knew what came next.

"And does it get any easier?"

Remus averted his eyes and swallowed nervously. Inhaling, Remus formed a proper answer. The one he had told every novice werewolf he met, those who cared about him, doctors and Josephine.

"I'm afraid not, but eventually you learn to cope in your own way. You figure out what makes it better. What to avoid. I think I already know what makes it easier," Remus replied bowing his head towards Briar who was sifting through Remus' tea boxes.

Dublin nodded.

"She's been very helpful this year. It's my...it's my first year...so..." he mumbled. "What was yours like?"

"I dunno. I was five so I only remember it being agony."

Dublin sighed quietly and knotted his fingers together. Finally, Remus spoke. Confident enough to ask Dublin the big question.

"So how did you receive your bite?"

Dublin looked slightly startled. Remus could see the anguish in his eyes. He could tell the memory was still very fresh. After all, it was only a year ago. Remus' bite had been over two decades past and yet he remembered almost every detail.

"You don't have to say, Dublin. I understand. It can be rather unnerving. Perhaps I shouldn't have asked…"

Dublin shut his eyes tight for a moment, his jaw tightening. Exhaling he opened his eyes and looked at the scuffed, wood floor.

"It was my stag night and I went to the pub with some friends...we got...very, very, very pissed. I barely remember any of that bit. Then, at the end of the night, we all went our separate ways. I took the shortcut through the woods that led to our house..." his gaze darkened.

Remus checked that Briar was still busy. She was removing mugs from the cabinet now.

"And I could barely walk in a straight line when I heard this sort of ragged breathing...I could feel it on my neck...I thought it was one of my mates or Briar having a laugh on me... After that moment I remember everything," recalled Dublin solemnly. "Every. Last. Detail."

Remus' brows knitted together as he watched the young man begin to tremble at the memory.

"Dublin, it's really none of my business. I shouldn't have asked."

"You invited me-a stranger-into your home tonight. You're owed an explanation as to who I am," countered Dublin dismissively. "Something bit me right beneath my shoulder and just threw me aside like I was a…rag doll. I suspected a bear or a wolf, though I'd never seen any when crossing this path. I waited for it to eat me…but it ran off. I felt like my insides were on fire. My entire body was…trembling and then I passed out."

It sounded about right. Remus vaguely remembered the extreme pain he had went through after his bite. Dublin winced, just recalling it all.

"When I opened my eyes, I could see the sky was a light pink through the leaves… It was very early. I felt someone dragging me very slowly through the woods. I tried to tell the person to get my fiancé but no words came out. It wasn't till later that I realized that it was Briar that was dragging me home. She's small, but tough," he smiled wryly. "Then it all went black again. I woke up to her voice on the phone. She was angry with whoever she was speaking with. Saying our wedding had been moved from this evening to a week from then and that if they didn't like it they could mail us their gift and not attend."

It wasn't hard for Remus to imagine Briar doing this. She was obviously very headstrong. She had a hot temper and a very protective demeanor. She was skimming one of Remus' cook books as she waited for the tea to boil.

"Then she called Mungos. They diagnosed me and I told her…I told her that maybe we should…put off the wedding a few months. So she could decide whether or not she could cope with it."

Dublin raised his brows and shook his head, exhaling. He grinned at Remus who smiled warmly in response.

"I will never, ever make the mistake of doubting that woman again. She was livid. Absolutely irate. Called me an 'idiot' and 'sod,' then reminded me how much she was looking forward to wearing her dress. I apologized very quickly and she accepted just as fast. That woman…she amazes me."

The kettle screamed and Briar removed it from the stove, carefully pouring water into one of the mugs. Remus leaned forward and gnawed on his lower lip. He felt guilty for prying, but Dublin didn't seem to mind. Perhaps it was because he never had the chance to confess this all to anyone other than Briar and Ministry Officials.

"How is she feeling about the pregnancy?" Remus whispered.

"Well, I was terrified when she told me. Worried it would be like me. The Ministry had warned me that breeding was discouraged with werewolves when they branded me. Then we went to Mungos and they told us that they'd delivered a good, few, half-werewolf babies, none of which inherited any lycan DNA. Briar responded by smacking the back of my head and saying: 'I told you so.' Briar is fearless. She gets these gut feelings and most times they are completely spot on."

Two mugs of tea levitated into the room, hovering in front of Remus and Dublin. They both took them as Briar entered the living room and sat beside Dublin on the couch. She pecked his cheek then looked over at Remus. Her eyes reminded him of Lily. Her fire reminded him of Dorcas. Briar was indeed, the perfect support system for any werewolf. Hope rose within him as he thought of how these two kids sitting before him could live a relatively normal life. Perhaps he could too.

"Dublin couldn't seem to grasp the fact that contamination is done through the transference of saliva into an open wound. Not semen. Idiot," she murmured, sipping her tea. "But now we know that it's going to be alright."

"Unless someone figures out the kid has a werewolf for a father," grumbled Dublin.

"Well, if someone is rude to the baby for that then they aren't worth being around. Right, Remus?"

Remus nodded, raising his mug in agreement. Briar looked at her husband with a bright smile. He placed his hand over hers and kissed her forehead. She blushed. Remus couldn't help but wonder how old they were? They couldn't be his age, but they weren't less that twenty-two. It didn't really matter though. Remus could tell that decades from now the couple sitting before him would still be strong. As long as they stuck together.

"And if…and if anyone else discovers you have a werewolf for a husband…Briar, you could be sacked."

"A problem for another day. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it…Dad," she smiled.

Dublin blushed and slowly let his hand rest on Briar's stomach. Remus felt a small smile creep onto his lips. Looking at them he saw something of himself in them. He saw the future that he and Dorcas could have had. The three talked for another hour. Dublin asked Remus about the best ways to handle a transformation. Briar questioned him about how he'd appealed to employers with his affliction. Remus couldn't help but inquire about their wedding and their home the various aspects of their personal life.

He couldn't help but feel like he was getting a peak into an alternate universe where Dorcas had lived.

"Well, I'm going to fetch you both some blankets. The couch pulls out," Remus grunted pushing himself to his feet. "Also, I have a car so I can give you a ride to the station tomorrow if you like."

Briar set her mug on the end table and stood, extending a hand to Remus.

"That would be lovely, Mr. Lupin. Thank you."

Remus held back a snort of laughter at the girl's formality. She'd been almost all business this entire night. Solely looking for ways to make her husband's life easier. Remus walked over to the hall closet and removed a few duvets, ignoring the fact that the green ones was Sirius' when they were flat-mates.

Dublin also gave Remus a grateful handshake, then left them to sleep. He probably could have slept easily that night what with being exhausted from his double shift at the bookstore. However, he couldn't help but be delighted in the sounds of their late night whispers and soft laughter. Eventually, he fell asleep.

When he woke up to drive Dublin and Briar to the train station, a note had been awaiting him in the living area rather than them. It had said that they were grateful for letting them stay in his home and hoped that allowing him to sleep later would suffice for now as a gift. They promised that Remus hadn't heard the last of them and wished him all the best.

He hoped they were telling the truth. Remus wanted to know how life would be for the Habbershams.

*THANK YOU FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! It's always helpful to know if people are reading. I appreciate every comment!*

SRITA-KOMETA- Gracias! Dorcas y Remus son mi pareja favorite, asi'! Espere mas historias sobre ellos en esto! Lo siento, mi espanol no es Bueno!

PRINCESS MILLY: I'm a sucker for an underdog (obviously) and after killing Dorcas I could not let Jo die. LOL. Let me know if there is anything you would like to see me write about. As I previously stated, this is such an easy fic for me to write.

SIILENTPAWS- I really like to write those interactions between Remus and Severus. The entire series we're always confused about where Snape's loyalty lies. It's interesting to see him struggle with himself to figure out if he should be friends with the enemy of his friend! Please tell me if you'd like to see something particular in these oneshots!

MiniMarauder5- Congrats on getting the trivia right! I'll be sure to include more interactions between those two sort-of-friends in the future! After all, they are really fun to write. Also, I always appreciate when someone acknowledges the detail I put in the stories so thank you for that! Be sure to inform me of anything you'd like to see in these oneshots.

FFcrazy15 NLI- Remus and Severus have such a complicated relationship. It's always fun to explore that as both a reader and writer. If there's any in particular you'd like to see in these fics, please don't hesitate to tell me! Congrats on getting the trivia right!

ANNABETHALWAYS- Haha, I've made myself cry a few times writing this. I always thought JK Rowling was lying when she said that it made her cry to kill off characters, but damn it hurts. Lol. Thank you for reading and please tell me if you have any oneshots you would like to see.

Erica- I love Remus way too much. We share a lot of similarities so it really isn't a struggle here. I just draw the parallels between us if I'm having trouble. I think that's why a lot of us love Lupin. We try hard to like ourselves despite our flaws and just can't seem to accept who we are. Please let me know what you'd like to see!