Author's Notes: December 4, 2004-

Author's Notes: Here's the new version of The Funeral'. Mostly all that I did here was take out anything that mention the previous holidays chapters.

Chapter Thirty-Six: The Funeral

It was the longest, coldest day Remus could remember in his life. As he watched his mother's burial, he was beginning to wish that he could somehow go forward or back in time so the funeral could at least be in spring when there was good weather outside, and not in December. His mum didn't deserve to leave them on such an ugly day. She didn't deserve to have to leave them at all.

There had been no word on the whereabouts of Remus' father. The last anyone had heard from him, he was in southern France, over twenty thousand miles away from where Remus' mother was murdered. The reports from his uncle had said that Christine Lupin had gone out on Ministry business, called by Dumbledore. Dumbledore confirmed. Christine's body had been found outside the city of Ciledral. There had only been one choice of weapon: magic.

Samuel Lupin had been last seen drunk, leaving a bar, and then seen no more that night. Checked out of his hotel, he had been said to have headed north. Yet there were no arrest. This may have been why Remus' anger had built up so fast, because he was certain that his father had killed his mother.

His uncle had disappeared straight after the funeral, not even saying a word to anyone. Remus wasn't sure where to go, and really, he didn't care at the moment. Because he found himself not being able to move. Remus stood there letting the cold air blow around him with his hands jammed into the pockets of his robes with his hair blowing around his ears in the breeze. Staring at Christine Lupin's grave, he could think of nothing but how he absolutely hated, despised, his father at the moment, until a voice made him jump.

"You coming with us?" James' voice asked, sounding like it echoed through the wind.

James and Sirius were standing behind him, looking at him with slight concern. James' cheeks had reddened from the wind and Sirius hair, which seemed to be growing longer by the day, was blowing furiously around him.

"Nah," Remus said as he realized he was shivering from the cold. "I'll just go home later."

"All right," Sirius said.

James looked like he wanted to protest, but Sirius glared at him.

"Shout if you need anything," James said. He slapped Remus on the shoulder, like they did all the time at school when they pretend like they were trying to pick a fight, but this time it was more of pity.

"Yeah," Sirius agreed quietly.

"Take care of yourself, mate," James said.

Sirius eyed James oddly behind Remus' back and James shrugged. What were you supposed to say to a friend at his mother's funeral?

"Sure thing," Remus whispered.

Remus continued to stare at the grave, as if trying to see through it. As if he were trying to see his mother one last time. What was the last thing he had said to her? Complained when she told him she loved him? Swatted at her hand as he left? These thought were interrupted by an owl, which landed on his shoulder. Remus jerked the letter from him and swatted at it.

"Get going you bloody bird!" He yelled at the innocent owl.

He tore open the letter. It was from Dumbledore.

Remus, I'd rather you hear this from me than otherwise. Your fathers body was found this morning around eight thirty, only thirty miles from the scene of crime. It was suicide, and there was a note. Your uncle is aware of this, I'm sure, but I have not heard from him. Please do not blame him for acting in this way, it was his family too. I ask that you return home, by Nightbus, and wait for him there.

He signed his name, and that was it. It was very unlike Dumbledore, to state the notice, and leave it as such, and it didn't help the moment. All rage erupted in Remus. He thought of balling the letter up, throwing it as far as he could, but he changed his mind, and instead ripped the letter into pieces, and let it fly with the snow. Suddenly, it seemed like the time to let the hatred towards his father out.

"You got your way, didn't you?" Remus shouted to the graveyard. "You've always wanted to ruin my life so, congrats, a fine job you did! Remus kicked at the snowy grass, sending some snow flying on the grave.

"Trying to scare me?" Remus shouted. "Planning to come into one of my dreams and get me to kill myself or something? Going to mysteriously kidnap me on full moon? Come over during summer break and scare me out of my mind? Drive me crazy? You won't. I won't let you! You've gotten into our heads too many times. I can't believe mum actually loved you. Oh, and let me guess, now your ghost is going to come and say 'Forgive me, Remus!' or the more realistic ghost, 'It was all your fault'. Well you know what, your dead now, where you belong!" Remus breathed in deeply. "You were wrong, you know? Life didn't turn out half bad until you came back, with all those threats. Why couldn't you just leave us alone? You already just walked out on mum and I, so why couldn't you just leave it at that? Disappear. But no, you had to come back for your revenge, didn't you? Nope, life wasn't too bad."

Remus kicked at the ground before speaking again.

"Remember that night you left?" Remus yelled at the grave. There was no answer. A half a mile away, James and Sirius were beginning to wonder if Remus really did think that someone would answer. "Well I do. I was only seven, you know. Mum started going crazy, really. She thought she could never raise a little boy on her own, especially a werewolf. I began to think she would leave too. But she didn't. Want to know why? She wasn't a coward like you, running off to some other country. And then John came in. You know, that brother you always hated? I always thought it was wrong that my uncle would love me more than my own father. It was amusing how many people thought mum and John were married. Now every time we go out, they're still going to be saying, 'Oh, so sorry about your wife John,' the people who care, anyway."

The wind began to pick up again, but if Remus was cold, nothing showed it except when he let out huge breaths of air.

"And you were wrong about everything!" Remus shouted. "You know what, I'm glad you left! And know what, dad? I actually got into Hogwarts, and I actually have friends. And more than friends, dad, I have a girlfriend who likes me for who I am. Everyone does, actually." So rest in peace, father."

Breathing heavily, he turned back to his mother's grave. The flowers that visitors had brought for her looked so beautiful amongst the white snow, though he knew most of them would die before the week was over with. Everyone would be back to their normal lives by then, but he would be left, wondering what he was supposed to do.

Aria walked into the cemetery around three in the afternoon. Remus had warned her not to go to the funeral, that it would rouse suspicion, and that James and Sirius would be there. She knew Remus was only looking out for her, making sure that no one found out that she was friends with a werewolf, but it still got on her nerves a bit, especially when she was trying to look out for him.

The back corner of the cemetery, she knew, was the least expensive spot for burial due to the damp, muddy, ground and the old, broken fence that surrounded the area. You had to walk through another gate just to get into the graveyard. Remus hadn't told her exactly where the funeral would be, making sure she wouldn't try to come like he knew she would, but there were only so many cemeteries around London, and Aria knew that Remus and his uncle wouldn't have that much money to spend on a burial.

Walking into a patch of graves, Aria began to wish that she hadn't come, or rather that she could think of another place she could be right now. Remus' raging voice filled the air as she drew the last steps. She hovered between two trees, waiting for the right moment to interfere.

"And you know what, dad?" Remus was shouting. It was the first time she had ever heard Remus really refer to his father as 'dad'. "I actually have friends!" She smiled, knowing that watching him yell it all was better than Remus isolating himself like he normally would. "And more than friends, dad, I have a girlfriend who likes me for who I am. Everyone does, actually." There was a pause and then, "So rest in peace, father."

Remus glared up at the heavens for a moment, then ran his fingers through his hair, a habit that Aria knew had gone from James to Sirius and had now found its way to Remus. She figured it was now or never. She quietly walked up next to him, and her voice seemed to startle him.

"Remus?" She asked carefully.

"I'm fine," Remus mumbled, avoiding her eyes.

"Didn't ask that," Aria said.

"Come on, you don't want to be here," Remus said.

"Why wouldn't I?" Aria demanded.

"You don't want to be with me," Remus said, "'m boring, and nothing but bad things happen when I'm around-"

"And that makes you boring? Aria asked, letting out a dry laugh. You'd rather me go out with Sirius then?"

Remus' eyes widened.

"No!" He exclaimed. "I mean- he's just.. not right in the head. No, I mean-"

"I was only joking," Aria said.

"Good," Remus sighed.

There was a pause of silence, and the two let the cold wind blow around them. Aria decided at that moment that she hated silence, and pulled Remus into a hug. They broke apart after a moment, but Remus still held Aria's hands in his.

"You gonna be okay?" She asked.

For the first time they met eyes. " Yeah," Remus said, "sure. I will."

Aria hit him on the shoulder.

"What?" Remus whined.

"No you won't you liar!" She said. "You'll mope around the castle for weeks! And I get a sickle for every time you do!"

Remus almost smiled.

"I'll be fine," he insisted.

"'Course you will," Aria said with a comforting smile, "in time."

"Yeah," Remus muttered, "in time."