Epilogue - Three years later

Remus was shaking as he sat, almost motionless, in the waiting room of St Mungo's hospital. He had long lost track of how long he had been there, waiting – hoping – for the news that she was fine. At one stage he had vaguely wondered whether he should have informed her family and friends that she was in hospital, but he quickly dismissed that idea. Company was not something he could deal with at that moment. And, of course, what if the young nurse came to him while he was away writing the letters? She came to see him on regular intervals, updating him on the situation. Apparently she was improving and the worst of it had past. The news relieved him greatly; it provided some relief to his guilt, a welcome reprieve from the constant dwelling on how deathly pale and contorted with pain her face had been, and how much blood she had lost.

"Professor Lupin?"

The sound of the voice startled him out of his thoughts. The nurse looked exhausted, her clothes blood stained in places, her black fringe sticking to her sweaty forehead - but she was smiling. He abruptly stood up, as he had done the last five times the nurse had come to see him, hoping for good news.

"Your wife is ready to see you now," she said. "Congratulations, it's a healthy, non-lycanthropic little girl. And Rose is doing just fine."

Remus felt like his knees might give up on him.

"Non-lyncatrophic?" he repeated, feeling thoroughly dumbfounded, the tension of the past nine months lifting slowly off his shoulders. "A girl? Healthy?"

"Yes, Professor Lupin," the nurse replied, nodding and smiling understandably. "All the tests came out negative. There isn't a drop of werewolf in her."

A happiness of unknown bounds spread through him, followed closed by relief.

"Thank you! Thank you, thank you so much!" he gushed, as he enthusiastically wrung her arms.

She grinned back at him, brushing her fringe out of her eyes.

"Come along then, I'm sure you want to meet the latest addition to your family," she said, and lead him towards his wife's room.

"Rose is fine?" he asked as he followed. He had been extremely worried by all the blood she had lost before he managed to transport her to the hospital. It was not normal, as far as he know.

"She lost a lot more blood than was healthy, but she'll be fine with time and rest. Here we are - just through that door there."

Remus hurried into the room, stopping abruptly when he saw his wife. Rose was seated in her bed, still looking sickly pale, except for her rosey-red cheeks. The hair around her face was drenched in sweat and tears were silently streaming down her face as she looked down at the tiny baby that she held in her arms, a look of pure amazement and gratitude etched into the face that Remus loved more than anything else. He approached, his legs hardly supporting him, and he stood by her side.

"Isn't she beautiful?" she said, her voice chocked with emotion, the smile on her face as large as his own.

Remus looked at his daughter, and his breath caught in his throat. Her soft, brown hair was sitting flat on her head; her eyes were closed as she slept; she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He felt the emotion building up inside him, the tears prickly in his eyes. He blinked rapidly, and then started when he felt a hand on his arm, but he did not look away from his daughter.

"It's okay to cry, Remus," she whispered.

Her words were the last straw, and a tear slipped down his cheek. Her hand came up to wipe it away, and he composed himself.

"She's beautiful," he said. "Just like her mother," he added, as he lent down, gently brushed a stand of hair away from her tired face and kissed her on her cheek.

Rose smiled at him and then looked back at the baby.

"She's precious, isn't she? I'm a mother. A mother, Remus," Her eyes lit up with those words, and she added softly, "And you're a father. Do you want to hold her?"

"Of course!" Remus replied, and Rose careful transferred the little bundle into his arm. Remus felt his chest swell with happiness and awe. It was a happiness unlike any he had ever experienced before. He planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

"This is just so - so surreal. I - I never thought that I would be a fa - father," he said in awe.

"What are we going to name her?" asked Rose.

Remus shook his head.

"Definitely not Pansy, or Marigold. She doesn't look like a Daisy, either," he suggested.

"I think she looks like an Azalea, don't you? Azalea Rose Lupin. What do you think?" she asked.

"I think it's lovely. Azalea Rose Lupin," he agreed softly as he reluctantly handed his daughter back to her mother.

"Remus - I'm sorry to ask this of you so soon, but you need to go and write to my parents," Rose said tentatively. "And you'll need to tell Molly - she must be so worried."

"I'll be back soon - I promise," he said, kissing her gently on the lips before leaving for the Burrow.

Remus could hardly contain his excitement as he knocked loudly on the Burrows front door. The door swung open to reveal Molly looking unusually flustered.

"She had the baby?" she said breathlessly.

"Yes!" Remus exclaimed, feeling a surge of pride.

"Oh, congratulations!" she cried, pulling him into a tight hug before dragging him inside, where he was meet byq1 horde of Weasley children, Harry and Hermione (both of whom considered the Burrow a second home since the end of the war), the girls all hugging him and boys wringing his hands enthusiastically.

"Oh, Remus, I'm so happy for you!"

"Mum! Mum! Can we go see the baby mum? Please, –"

"Blimey, a baby!"

"Is it a girl or boy, Remus?" asked Harry as his wrung his hand, smiling broadly.

"It's a girl," Remus beamed. "We've named her Azalea Violet. And Harry, you'll be godfather, won't you?"

Harry stared him in awe.

"Me? godf-father?" he stuttered.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

"I – I – of course!" Harry exclaimed, as he beamed in wonder.

"Thank you, Harry," Remus replied, clapping him on the shoulder. "I knew I could count on you."

Remus hurried up stairs to write the letter to Rose's parents, before rushing down stairs again and asking Molly to inform all their friends for them, if it was not too much hassle.

"Don't be silly, Remus, of course it's not a hassle – now let's see," she said, almost to her self as she looked around for some paper and parchment. "I'll owl Arthur and have him inform all your friends at the ministry himself, well, except Tonks, of course, she's still on her honeymoon, oh, and I'll have to tell Bill and Fleur – she'll be delighted. And I suppose Hestia will already know – and, oh, how could I forget the Hogwarts staff –"

Satisfied that Molly knew what she was doing, Remus hurried back to the hospital, where he found Rose and the baby sleeping. He kissed Rose gently on the head before sitting down by his daughters tiny cot, content to sit in silence and watch her.

Meanwhile, Rose, who had awaken when he husband kissed her, was watching him. Her heart was filled with a kind of contentment that she had never known before. She was there with her husband – Remus Lupin himself, the man she had long given up hope of being with – and her daughter – a daughter she had believed she would never, ever be blessed with. She blinked back the tears that prickled behind her eye lids, and focused back on her husband, watching him fondly as he lovingly watched his daughter.

"Remus?" she said softly.

He started, not having realised she was awake and turned to face her, smiling in a way that made her heart race.

"Yes, love?" he asked in a hushed voice, obviously not wanting to wake the baby.

Rose smiled.

"I love you," she whispered.

And she meant it.

AN - and that's the end! Thanks everyone who has read this story and especially those who have reviewed. I hope you enjoyed it. I plan to write more Remus-centric fics in the near future so be sure to follow me for alerts!