Chapter 36

October 2021

Hope rose when she heard a knock on the door. Sirius had just retreated to his room for some much needed rest, having been assured by the letter that he read earlier. Hurriedly, she yank the door open to reveal her brothers. Alastor was clad in his black Unspeakable robes and Lyall in his black Auror robes. The Auror department had decided to wear black for a month in remembrance of the passing of the Head Auror. Teddy was standing in front of them. His hair was the exact shade as Remus', his original colour, un-morphed. In his arms, he was carrying a bundle of bright pink carefully.

Her brothers stepped in and Hope couldn't help but coo as she peered down.

In his arms, Teddy held his infant daughter. The babe's cheeks were red and chubby, the skin so smooth and flawless that it was almost translucent and practically glowing. No doubt originating from the quarter of veela blood she had. Hope couldn't help but raise a finger, caressing the babe's chubby cheek with the back of her index finger. The baby stirred and open her eyes tentatively, flinching from the light. Hope sucked in a breath. Her eyes were a violent violet colour. She had a head of black hair but as her eyes opened, her hair flashed bubblegum pink.

Hope gaped, "she's-?" she looked at her brother, her eyes wide.

Teddy nodded with a smile, "yes. A metamorphmagus," he looked down at his daughter with a fond smile, "she's beautiful, Hope. I saw her when she was born. She has a head of black hair. She has Victoire's blue eyes and skin. But at the same time, she looks so much like mum. I think it's the cheekbones and-"

Hope laughed, "You'll be a great father, Teddy," Hope threw her arms around Teddy's neck, minding the baby in his arms.

Teddy accepted her hug gratefully. His heart was leaping out of his chest as he spoke about his daughter, "how do you know?"

Hope laughed, "you're in love with her already, how wrong can you be?" Teddy nodded, smiling as he looked down at his daughter whose eyes were now closed.

Teddy then looked up suddenly, remembering his purpose here, "where's dad?"

"Upstairs, as usual," Sirius said.

"Are you sure?" Hope asked as Teddy stepped towards the stairs. Teddy hesitated but nodded.

"He needs to see her," Teddy stated firmly, "he needs this," Teddy turned and headed up the stairs.

Hope frowned and ran up the stairs after him, hearing Lyall and Alastor following. She placed a hand on Teddy's shoulder as he stood outside their parents' room, "if he turns her away, don't blame him…don't be mad at him," Hope implored.

Teddy stiffened at the thought of that scenario but eventually he straightened, "he wouldn't," ready to go in.

Hope's hand gripped his shoulder to stop him as she insisted, "he's not the same, Teddy. I said if," Teddy looked into the grey eyes of his sister and nodded eventually. Hope knocked and open the door, letting Teddy nudge it open to enter.

Remus was seated on the ledge of the window, the exact same spot, gazing out the window.

"Daddy. Ted, Ly and Tory are here to see you," Hope said. Remus barely budged. He hardly blinked.

Teddy hesitated. Tory reached forward and patted his brother's shoulder. Teddy eventually clenched his jaws firmly, stepping up beside his father and crouching down.

"Dad," Teddy smiled, "look who's here to meet you?"

There was no response.

Hope bit her lips, wringing her hands. If this won't help him, she was prepared to resign herself to the fact that her father just might live out the rest of his days as such.

Teddy, however, was not discouraged, "Dad…" he made to nudge his father but instead, he jostled the baby in his arms awake. The baby stirred and stretched, her little fist coming loose from the swaddle. She reached around as far as she can reach. Her face scrunched up, ready to fuss when her fist hit Remus' hand firmly.

Remus turned, out of sheer curiosity. Teddy smiled as the baby's frown smoothened out, straining to look curiously at what she has touched. She looked up at Remus as he stared down at her. Teddy felt his heart leap as his daughter's face melt into a beautiful smile, her blue eyes twinkling at Remus. She waved her fist and touched Remus' hand.

Hope held her breath as she watched her father. His emotionless expression turned into that of curiosity before he paled entirely, stiffening.

"Meet your granddaughter, Dora Leonda Lupin," Teddy whispered, almost afraid to disturb the moment. Remus was staring at the baby intently, "Leonda means lioness in french. To remember how mother was. So brave until her last breath,"

Teddy watched as Remus resumed animation, his hand twitching towards the baby under her touch. The baby's eyes was watching Remus unblinkingly as she felt Remus caress the back of her hand gently with a calloused finger.

"Dad?" Teddy prompted.

"Dora…" Remus mumbled, watching the baby as the baby watched him.

"Do you want to hold her?" Teddy whispered. Remus straightened out as if he was entertaining the idea for the first time, his eyes never leaving the baby, "yeah?" Teddy held the baby out gently and Remus' arms automatically came up to support the baby in all the right spots.

Teddy let out a breath he didn't realise he was holding when the baby was in his father's sure arms instead of his own trembling two arms. Teddy stood, smiling at Hope's grin. Lyall and Alastor was standing at the door, smiling at their father as well.

Teddy turned back to gaze at his father and his daughter interact. Remus gently adjusted the baby such that he could hold her with one arm while the other hand came up to wipe away drool from her chin gently. The baby watched Remus unblinkingly, sticking her little tongue out experimentally.

Hope tapped Teddy and gestured out the door. Teddy nodded and with one last glance back at them.

"Thank you for that Teddy," Hope sighed, "trust me, between Uncle Sirius and me, we have tried everything but he hardly responded after that breakdown…"

Alastor came up, tapping her on her shoulder as they stepped down the last step of the stairs. She turned and accepted her twin's hug, ignoring both Lyall's and Teddy's raised brows at the affection between the two of them, "I'm sorry I wasn't here-"

"Don't you dare say that, Tory!" Hope snapped, "I was doing fine with Uncle Sirius. We just needed that one nudge to push Dad out of his denial for a moment,"

"I thought he was just grieving when he acted like he did at mum's funeral," Lyall muttered.

"Well," Sirius said from the sitting room, "your father is the king of denial and avoidance. No one does it better than him,"

Hope snorted, "tell me about it,"

"I think he's doing alright. I wouldn't know what to do without Victoire at this point…" Teddy mumbled, looking down at his feet.

"Oh you didn't mention in the letter! When exactly was…Dora born?" Hope asked, stumbling over her mother's name. That'll take some getting used to.

Teddy smiled, that smile when his daughter was mentioned, "just. When I sent you the letter and Victoire and I decided on the spot what to name her. I thought I had to show her to Dad, first thing. So I allowed the healer to swaddle her up and run the health tests and protect her with immunity boosting spells before I practically stole her out of St. Mungos and came here,"

Lyall's eyes bugged, "what?" Teddy jumped, "you removed my niece from the hospital when she was literally just born?!"

Teddy rolled his eyes, "the healer said she'll be fine. She's born in the pink of health! And besides, I'm her father, how could I possibly do anything to endanger her life,"

"Regardless," Hope placed a hand on Teddy's shoulder, turning him to face her. She launched herself into his arms, "Dad really needed that,"

Teddy returned her hug, patting her on her back, "You did a good job taking care of him, Hope. It's the least I could do. Mum would kill us if we let Dad live like this,"

Remus had walked down the stairs, leaving his seat by the window willingly for the first time. Hope smiled as she watched her father descend the steps carefully. In his arms, he cradled little Dora. Remus kissed the baby on her brow before handing her over to Teddy.

"She's hungry," Remus said to Teddy.

Teddy peered down at his daughter. The baby was asleep peacefully, unaware of the journey down the steps or that she was passed over from Remus' sure and steady arms, "she looks fine. How do you-"

The baby woke with a frown and knitted brows as she blinked up at her father. Her little tongue darted out to lick her pink lips before she coughed, telling of the wail coming up.

"There we go," Remus smiled knowingly.

"How did you know?" Teddy gaped, bouncing the baby to keep her wail at bay.

Hope scoffed, "who do you think raised the lot of us?" Lyall sniggered loudly as Teddy looked incredulous.

"Go," Remus told him gently, glancing fondly to his granddaughter.

Teddy grinned and nodded, "thanks dad. Say bye bye to Granddaddy,"

Remus smiled as little Dora reached her little fists towards Remus, smiling at him, "that makes me sound old, Teddy bear," Remus leant forward to blow raspberry on little Dora's cheek and she screeched in delight and laughed.

Teddy froze, "it's her first laugh," Teddy sounded estatic.

Lyall rolled his eyes, "jeez, it's a laugh, Teddy bear,"

"Your children's firsts are your everything," Remus smiled, patting Teddy's shoulder, "I'm proud of you, Teddy,"

Teddy flushed, the tips of his turquoise hair turning slightly pink. Little Dora's eyes fixed on her father's hair and her hair changed from black to that of a faded light pink. Remus' sharp draw of breath was not missed by his children.

"She is perfect, Teddy,"

Remus had retreated to the sanctuary of his room after Teddy and Little Dora's departure and there was little objection. He knew they didn't want to push him too hard but their caution with him made everything harder to bear without his wife there. It was different without her.

He sat on the edge of the bed. His body, especially his back, ached. But he was reluctant to lay on it. It was quiet. It was empty. Cold.

He glanced at the pocket of his jacket. He had stowed the letter into his pocket in his haste to have the chance to hold his granddaughter but the presence of the letter weighed heavily in his pocket, burning him. Remus felt the crisp of the envelope and drew it out of his pocket gently.

The month he spent waiting for her by the window, he had considered shredding the letter to shreds and burning the pieces but something stopped him. Contrary to what others thought, he could feel her departure. There was a big piece of his heart that was searing, empty.

I miss you was the last thing she told him. She wrote to him. The spontaneity was what Remus loved about his wife. Not the reckless spontaneity but the random spontaneous declaration of love at any time of the day. The separation of space was never an issue in Dora's mind. She would send word. From the beginning to the end, that was how she was and Remus loved her for it. It was what he was missing in his life before he met her (a life he could barely remember living); someone to remind him he was loved. And now, she cannot send word, from wherever she is, even if she wanted to. The thought kills him.

Somehow, telling himself it was temporary and that she would be back helped him, soothed the pain some. He was always a coward. But he couldn't be anymore. Little Dora would be looking to him now. His wife made him braver than he thought he could be. His children beefed up his courage even more and now, his grandchild, little Dora (the irony was not lost on Remus) was nudging him to push that barrier again; to be braver than he think he can be.

That thought walked him through the process opening the letter; his hand trailing over the mouth of the envelope. Remus watched as the envelope was sliced neatly on the top wandlessly. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat but to no avail. His fingers felt like lead as he took out the folded stack of parchment in the envelope. His heart leaped to his throat as the knowledge that at some point in the past, Dora was hunched over this piece of parchment with the quill in her hand, scribbling furiously.

Shaking aside that thought, that image of her beautiful visage, Remus unfolded the parchment…

That night, Teddy cradled his daughter in his arms, rocking her to sleep and then he couldn't bring himself to put her down. He gazed down at her, sleeping soundly.

"Mama," Dora turned to see her curious 3 year old running unsteadily to her. She crouched and open her arms. Teddy ran headlong into her embrace.

"Ooph!" Dora cried exaggeratedly as she pretended to fall back from his charge. Teddy laughed, tickled and pleased that he was so strong, "yes my sweet Teddy bear?"

Teddy grinned, "mama," he chattered happily, patting his mother on her cheek with one hand, grasping his plush wolf in his other hand. He loved it when his mother was at the same height that he was so he could touch her face and she could blow raspberry on his cheek and his belly, "why is Teddy here?" he asked.

Dora raised a brow at his question, "Teddy, you're home. Because-"

"No!" Teddy huffed "why is Teddy…born?" he frowned, struggling to remember the word he was taught.

Dora raised both brows. She seemed to think about it for a second before she smiled at her son, pressing a firm kiss to his lips before telling him, "because Dada loves Mama very much and now, we both love Teddy so, so, so very much!" she leaned in, blowing a loud raspberry on his cheek. Teddy squealed and laughed.

Teddy felt tears well up in his eyes and he leant forward to press a kiss to the baby's forehead, "Little Dora, my daughter…Daddy and Mummy love you very much. Granddad Remus loves you so much. And-" Teddy choked over his words, "I know Nana Dora would've loved you so, so much…"

A/N: Another chapter before the last one (and it will be a long one, so brace yourselves!). Thank you so much to all the reviews of last chapter! Do leave me a review about this one!

Remuslovedora: I'm glad you enjoy my stories and have read it multiple times! Wow! Thank you so much for such a kind review!

Lupinfamily4ever: I'm so glad you enjoyed this chapter and Hope! The end of Remus' 'down days' and things were looking up this chapter! But yeah, Remus' melancholy somehow contributes to his charm. Well, Remus opens the letter in this chapter so we shall see! Thank you for your kind review!