Remus suddenly felt very old and very tired. He ran a hand over his face. This had to be one of the longest nights... Well, not the longest. That was reserved for the first of November. And the days after it. But no, today was up there. Way up there.

They couldn't find... they couldn't find his body. He and Bill looked everywhere possible but they just couldn't. It was almost impossible to tell where he fell when everyone was at such a great height, fighting for their lives.

They looked everywhere they could but...nothing. Obviously, they hadn't found the right place, couldn't find the right place. And even though it wasn't they fault it sure felt like their fault. It wasn't fair that they could even treat Moody with the dignity he deserved and bury him.

Remus snorted. Fair. When was life ever fair? When was war ever fair? But that didn't stop the pressing helplessness at not being able to do this simple task.

"It just seems wrong," Bill told him when they both came to the conclusion that they would have to give up.

"Well, it can't be helped," Remus said with more decisiveness than he felt.

And yes, that was an attempt to keep the guilt at bay. It wasn't working. He just kept thinking of what Dora would say if they didn't return with Moody's body. It couldn't be good. Especially when she was grieving.

So, they had returned. Downtrodden. Empty-handed. Dora had looked up when they came in but seemed to shrink in on herself when they both shook their heads.

Remus immediately went over to her so she knew he was there for her. He knew that she was the type that needed to be alone to process things but he didn't want her to be completely alone. He wouldn't talk to her or anything unless she talked but he would be there. Waiting.

Waiting. That's what everyone was still doing. Waiting for George to start feeling better. Waiting for something else to happen. Waiting for people to come back.

But everyone who was coming back was back. Well, almost everyone but Remus wasn't exactly feeling charitable toward Mundungus at the moment. Moody wasn't coming back. He wasn't coming back.

Alastair Moody was the last person Remus thought would be shot down by Death Eaters. He was always so strong, so steadfast, impenetrable. And he was just... gone.

Remus watched a Molly fussed over George who was now feeling well enough to bat her away. Arthur was trying to drink up the presence of all his children, his face now pale and pinched. The children, because they would always be children to him, were staying close together, trying to process everything from the looks of things. There was really nothing that could be done right now. Nothing that needed doing.

"Maybe we should go to your parents," Remis suggested quietly. "Make sure they're okay."

"What?" Dora looked up at him with a bewildered look. "Yes. Mum and Dad. Yes."

He would take that as an agreement. It was best for both of them to get away from here. Away from where they got the news. Away from everyone.

So that's what they did. Remus informed Arthur and Tonks told Bill and Fleur, getting a bug from Fleur in the process. Bull shook his hand.

"You're still coming to the wedding, right?" The eldest Weasley checked.

"Yes. I should think so," Remus replied.

Something light and cheerful and filled with love was definitely an oxymoron to the current state of the world but that was why they all needed it.

They were soon heading to the Apparition Point and with a brief 'Crack', they were at the Tonks'.

"Dora! Remus!" Ted greeted them, running outside. "Is everyone alright? What was it I heard of George's ears?"

Ah, yes. Molly had sent a Patronus out as people arrived. She must have mentioned George in her distraction, which was fair enough.

Andromeda was now outside as well, gathering the two of them in a hug.

"Hi, mum," Dora said faintly, making her mother frown.

Remus quickly distracted them by catching them up with all that happened when they had left the Dursleys.

"That explains Harry's state. Hagrid wasn't good on details," Andromeda told them, an eye still on Dora.

"He's a bit of a jumpy kid, isn't he?" said Ted. "Not exactly trusting."

"Yes, well, he has plenty of reason to be," Remus told him, feeling both a bit protective and apologetic.

Harry was Pack, after all. Basically, a cub in his eyes. Family. His family. But he did feel a bit bad for not warning them about Harry's suspicious and wary nature.

"True," Ted said agreeably as they all made their way into the kitchen.

"Nymphadora, are you okay?" Andromeda asked gently, turning to her daughter.

Dora was just standing slightly off to one side, staring at nothing in particular.

"Hm? Yes, I'm fine mum," she said.

Neither of her parents looked like she believed her.

"Yes, well, you've both had quite a night from the sounds of things," Andromeda said abruptly. "Why don't you all come in for a cup of tea and unwind a bit. Or hot chocolate. Remus, you prefer hot chocolate, don't you?"

Maybe if it was spiked with more fire whiskey for tonight but he didn't say that out loud.

"Hot chocolate would be lovely, Andromeda. Thank you," he said instead.

She pottered around for a bit, taking longer than she should to do so as she kept sending anxious and worried looks back at her daughter. But the cups were soon made up and handed out.

They all took a sip, everyone processing what had happened tonight. The endless night, Remus was starting to think of it.

"Mad-Eye's dead." Dora said abruptly as they all took sups of their drinks.

Which, of course, had the reaction of both Tonks' promptly spitting out their drinks across the table. Some of Ted's tea hit him. Nice.

"Sorry, Remus," then Ted turned to Dora. "What?"

Dora just shook her head numbly, unable to repeat it again.

"Moody? Alastair Moody?" Andromeda tried to get confirmed.

Remus nodded when it looked like Dora wasn't going to say anything else. She was back to staring at her untouched cup of tea again. Remus doubted that she was actually seeing it.

"Oh, Dora," the older woman said sympathetically and got up from her chair to wrap an arm around her daughter's shoulders.

A sob escaped her and her shoulders shook. Remus felt his heart break all over again for her. Moody was someone she looked up to, after all. Her mentor. He thought so highly of her. And she of him. There had been a bond between the two of them. A special bond. Moody was someone steadfast to her. Someone who was always there. And now he wasn't.

Everyone just let her cry. It was good to cry. Remus could attest to that. He'd she'd many tears over the years. Too many. But you needed to cry over senseless deaths like this. You had to process the onslaught of emotions. Something Remus felt like he couldn't do at the moment. He was still so numb. And he needed to be there for Dora.

"I didn't think he could ever die," Dora said wetly and she caught his eye and looked away in embarrassment. "Sorry," she sniffed. "That's stupid, I know, it's-"

"-not stupid," Remus said gently.

And he believed that. It wasn't childish to think one of your idols couldn't die. Especially when they were the indestructible sort, like Moody. Like Dumbledore. Like Sirius. Like... well, you didn't like to think anyone you liked dying before their time, did you?

"But-"

Remus sighed. Again. He didn't think it was possible to feel any tireder but apparently, it was.

"Dora, nobody ever likes to think that they will die or people they love will die someday. We just don't. It's natural. Even more so when it is... was someone like Moody."

"I didn't think it was possible for any spells to hit him," Ted said.

That actually got a weak chuckle from Dora. Thankfully.

"Nah," she disagreed. "I always thought that spells didn't dare have any sort of effect on him."

Remus gave her what he hoped was a comforting smile. She reached across the table for his hand and threaded her fingers with his with a small (very small) smile of her own.

Yes. She would be okay.