Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Challenges listed at the bottom.

Word Count - 1037

Together

Remus stared at the door of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place for a long moment and then Apparated away. Of all the things he could have possibly expected when he came face to face with Harry, that wasn't even on the list.

Why didn't anyone understand that he shouldn't be around the child growing in Dora's stomach? He'd already ruined the child's life just be existing, he shouldn't stick around and make it all so much worse.

He'd never pretended he was a saint, but he was better than that.

With nowhere to go, and nobody to turn too, Remus walked the streets of Muggle London. He couldn't go home—he wasn't even sure he had one anymore—and he couldn't face the possibility of others having the same reaction as Harry had, so he stayed alone.

It was the best place for him anyway.

…

"Remus. Remus!"

Remus opened his eyes, wincing at the light. He blinked until he could stand the brightness, and then squinted up at the familiar face.

"Oh, hi. Thanks for checking in. I'm still a pile of garbage," he muttered, turning away from her.

Andromeda sighed, and Remus knew that she was rolling her eyes at him. Not that he blamed her really, but he was admittedly still sore at the way she'd spoken to him the last time they'd seen each other.

Then again, he'd just walked out on her daughter, so it wasn't out of the realm of possibilities that she'd had the right to be angry with him.

"Dora needs you," Andromeda said. "They both do, and I don't have time for you to be sitting here, having a pity party on a park bench."

Remus huffed and shook his head. "You don't think I know that I've already doomed them both?"

"Oh dear Merlin," she muttered, shaking her head. "You know, Remus, from the way Sirius talked about you, I didn't think I had too much to worry about when you and my Dora got together. He said you were loyal, caring, kind. He said you were braver than most people he knew. He told me that you thought family was the most important thing. All you're doing right now is proving him a liar."

Remus opened his mouth, but before he could try and find the words to defend himself, he heard the crack of Apparition as she left him alone. Admittedly, he didn't have any words to defend against hers, so it was probably for the best.

He'd have only proved how much of a coward he was to her.

…

Her bump was visible. That was the first thing that Remus thought when she opened the door to him, keeping it tight against her so he couldn't just walk in.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry, Dora."

She stared at him for a long moment before she stepped back, opening the door wider. "Come in."

He stepped into the home they'd once shared and shivered. It was warm inside, a vast contrast to the night air he'd come from, but the warmth seemed to wash over and around him, never touching him.

Dora nodded to the kitchen, and when they were both in there, she set about making tea. He watched her, unable to take his eyes off the small bump that held their child safe.

His child.

And he'd walked out.

"Are you ready to actually talk about this?" she asked, arching her eyebrow at him as she handed him a large mug of tea.

He wrapped his hands around it and nodded mutely. She sat down at the breakfast bar.

"You ran away," she said. "You're scared and I get that. You think I'm not? But I can't run away, Remus. I have no choice but to stay and deal with this. You left me alone."

Remus swallowed hard. "I know I messed up, and I can't apologise enough for it; but I am so sorry. I was a coward, and I… I don't expect a second chance. I really don't. I just… I want you back in my life, Dora. Even if it's not—"

"You're my husband," she interrupted. "For better or worse. I meant my vows when I said them, Remus, and I still mean them now. You have got to stop thinking that you're in this on your own, when you're not! You have a wife, we're going to have a child! You have a family! It's time to grow up and accept that you're a werewolf and it's not your defining feature."

Remus stared at her because it wasn't often that she lost her temper with him. He knew he deserved it, but it still shocked him to see her hands trembling around her mug.

He'd done that.

She was upset because of him.

Like the straw that broke the camel's back, Remus' control snapped, and he cried. He cried for himself, for Dora, for their unborn child. He cried for Sirius, and James and Lily. He cried for Harry, who was facing untold danger. He cried for the life he could have had and the life he wished for.

He was inconsolable, and for the first time since they'd known each other, Dora didn't try and comfort him.

She watched him with sad eyes as he shook with remorse and guilt and sadness and grief. As he let go of everything he'd been holding for so many years.

…

"Feeling a little better?" Dora asked, a few hours later.

Remus had showered and changed into clean clothes, and was standing by the backdoor, his eyes on the dark sky. He nodded, turning to look at her.

"I'm sorry."

She nodded. "I know. We'll get through this, Remus. It's what couples do. They overcome difficulties and work together to make things work. Nobody ever said marriage was going to be a walk in the park, did they?"

"No, I suppose they didn't. But… family is important. I think I lost sight of that for a while. I'm going to do better, I promise."

"All I ask is that you don't run away again," she murmured, letting her cheek rest against his shoulder. "Whatever comes… we'll meet it together, okay?"

"Okay."

Written for:

Assorted Appreciation - 6. Harvey - Loyal / Remus / "I want you back in my life, [Name]."

Disney - T3. The Importance of Family

Trope - 3. Someone overcoming a difficulty

Attic - 26. "Oh, hi. Thanks for checking in. I'm still a pile of garbage."

Liza Loves - 12. Write about fixing something

Film Festival - 10. Second Chance

Galleon - 39. Tea

House Unity - GvsH - Inconsolable / Remus Lupin

365. 181. Saint