Disclaimer: See the first 4 chapters.
Disclaimer 2: The song that Remus is singing belongs to Frederick Lowe and Alan J Lerner.
Thank you for your reviews! And thank you, Isis Malfoy, for the Beta- Reading!
To flamers: I don't take kindly to flames so back off, if you know what's good for you.
Note: THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER
Chapter 14: The Arrival of Dawn
"No, there must be another way!" Remus said hysterically, he caught hold of Madam Pomfrey's shoulders and stared at her. "Madam Pomfrey, she can't die! Are you sure there's no way to cure her?"
Madam Pomfrey shook her head weakly. Remus let go of her slowly.
"How much time?" Remus asked finally.
"Only a few hours. She may die before or after dawn, depends on how much poison she had taken." Madam Pomfrey said sadly and wept. "Oh poor girl, she is so young and has so much things to do, and now she is going to die.....I am so useless...." She wailed.
Dumbledore patted her shoulder. "There, there, Poppy, you have done your best..."
Remus walked past Madam Pomfrey and into the hospital wing when she said: "You wouldn't say that if the person in there is Minerva...."
Remus walked slowly towards Alexandra's bed, kneeled down and took his fiancée's hand. He stared at her pale face. Alexandra had her eyes closed. "Alex?" He whispered and Alexandra opened her eyes weakly. "Alex? How are you feeling?"
"Dreadful." Alexandra said as she looked at Remus with her lifeless eyes. "I heard everything. I am going to die, right?"
Remus didn't respond, he just kissed her hand softly.
"Answer me, Remus." Alexandra said.
Remus buried his face in the folds of her blanket and nodded slowly.
Alexandra sighed and closed her eyes.
Remus lifted his head up at her sigh and said anxiously: "Alex?"
Alexandra opened her eyes. "Remus, take me to the beach."
"Huh?" Remus said blankly.
"Please? I want to see the dawn." Alexandra pleaded.
Remus swallowed and managed to say: "Fine. I will carry you there...."
***
"Now, Poppy, you can't resign....." Dumbledore started when Remus came out, carrying Alexandra in his arms. Alexandra had her face buried in Remus's neck.
"Madam Pomfrey, is it okay if I bring Alexandra to the beach?" Remus asked desperately.
Madam Pomfrey, who now had red eyes and nose from crying, sniffed and nodded.
***
"This is so peaceful, Remus." Alexandra said softly as she and Remus strolled together on the sand as the rolling waves tickled their feet.
Remus gave a feeble smile and nodded slowly.
"Oh look, a seashell!" Alexandra said, squatting down to the sand.
As she did, Remus looked up at the sky. "Is it just me, or the sky is getting lighter?" He thought.
And he began to pray. He knew that it would not come true but he still wanted to. "Please, Sun, please don't come up, I don't want my love to be taken away from me, please don't come up...." He pleaded silently with a sorrow look on his face.
Alexandra straightened up and noticed Remus's face. She sighed and held Remus's hand.
Remus, who forgot that Alexandra was still there, jumped at her touch. "Ah! What, I mean, yes?"
"Are you regretting now, Remus?" Alexandra asked quietly.
"Huh?" Remus asked back. "Regret what?"
"I'm dying, Remus. Aren't you regretting that you are engaged to a girl who is going to die?" Alexandra asked in a more quiet tone.
"No, why should I be?" Remus asked, sounding slightly hurt. He held Alexandra's both hands tightly. "Alex, it is not your fault that you are like this. You know that. Alex, I still love you no matter what."
"Not even when I am dy....." Alexandra started.
"Shhh...." Remus put his finger onto Alexandra's lips. "Please don't say the word, it hurts me." He said sadly.
"If you insist." Alexandra said softly.
"I insist. I don't want to hear that word or anything related to it." Remus ordered.
Without a word, Alexandra dropped the seashell and hugged him as tightly as she could. Remus warped his arms around her and kissed her forehead lightly.
***
"I think the sky is getting lighter." Alexandra whispered as she was leaning comfortably in Remus's arms. Both of them were now sitting on the dry sand, waiting for dawn.
"It looks dark to me." Remus protested.
Alexandra smiled and shook her head slightly. "Face it, Remus, it is."
Remus rested his chin on Alexandra's head. "It may be, but I don't want to face it." He said quietly. "It's my entire fault, Alex. If I didn't faint on your street, you won't meet me and you will still be very much alive."
"Yes, you and I would not be meeting each other if you didn't faint on that street. But then I will lose the love of my life." Alexandra said.
Remus didn't respond. He closed his eyes and sighed quietly so that Alexandra couldn't hear him. He wanted to cry but for some reason, the tears wouldn't come. Everything in his body hurt and it felt like it was bleeding inside. His heart felt like it was going to break into thousand of pieces. He had never felt so upset before, not even when James and Lily died.
"Remus?" Alexandra asked gently.
The sky was getting lighter as the sun was coming up.
"Hm?" Remus responded absentmindedly.
"Do you remember that Muggle song I taught you?"
Remus paused before he nodded. "Yes."
"Will you sing that song for me?" Alexandra asked.
Remus sighed deeply, wrapped his arms around Alexandra and nodded. "Of course I will."
He cleared his throat and started to sing:
If ever I would leave you
It wouldn't be in summer
Seeing you in summer, I never would go
Your hair streaked with sunlight
Your lips red as flame
Your face with a luster that puts gold to shame
But if I'd ever leave you
How could it be in autumn?
How I'd leave in autumn I never would know
I've seen how you sparkle
When fall nips the air
I know you in autumn and I must be there
And could I leave you running merrily through the snow
Or on a wintery evening when you catch the fire's glow?
If ever I would leave you
How could it be in springtime
Knowing how in spring I'm bewitched by you so?
No, no, not in springtime
Summer, winter, or fall
No, never could I leave you at all
When he was finished, he looked up and stared at the scenery in horror. The sun was up, and Alexandra was going to die any moment...
"Oh no." Remus muttered miserably, "Please....."
"Lovely...singing...Remus....." Alexandra spoke softly.
Remus held her hands tenderly. "Your hands are getting cold."
Alexandra nodded weakly and shifted a little to see him. "They...are...." She removed one of her hands, reached up to touch Remus's face. "Remus..."
"Hm?" Remus asked, shivering a little at Alexandra's cold touch.
"I love you." Alexandra whispered in one breath.
Before Remus could respond, Alexandra gave a small sigh and closed her beautiful eyes as her hand left his face and dropped limply to her side. Remus stared at Alexandra's pale face. He kissed her cheek softly and pressed his against it.
Alexandra didn't respond.
He sighed sadly and hugged Alexandra tighter.
Alexandra still didn't respond.
He closed his eyes and started to weep silently. Alexandra was gone. He would never see her smile and frown again. He would never be able to kiss her sweet lips, and held her in his arms again. He would never....
With tears still on his face, Remus lifted his head to the sky and howled: "GOD I HATE YOU!"
Disclaimer 2: The song that Remus is singing belongs to Frederick Lowe and Alan J Lerner.
Thank you for your reviews! And thank you, Isis Malfoy, for the Beta- Reading!
To flamers: I don't take kindly to flames so back off, if you know what's good for you.
Note: THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER
Chapter 14: The Arrival of Dawn
"No, there must be another way!" Remus said hysterically, he caught hold of Madam Pomfrey's shoulders and stared at her. "Madam Pomfrey, she can't die! Are you sure there's no way to cure her?"
Madam Pomfrey shook her head weakly. Remus let go of her slowly.
"How much time?" Remus asked finally.
"Only a few hours. She may die before or after dawn, depends on how much poison she had taken." Madam Pomfrey said sadly and wept. "Oh poor girl, she is so young and has so much things to do, and now she is going to die.....I am so useless...." She wailed.
Dumbledore patted her shoulder. "There, there, Poppy, you have done your best..."
Remus walked past Madam Pomfrey and into the hospital wing when she said: "You wouldn't say that if the person in there is Minerva...."
Remus walked slowly towards Alexandra's bed, kneeled down and took his fiancée's hand. He stared at her pale face. Alexandra had her eyes closed. "Alex?" He whispered and Alexandra opened her eyes weakly. "Alex? How are you feeling?"
"Dreadful." Alexandra said as she looked at Remus with her lifeless eyes. "I heard everything. I am going to die, right?"
Remus didn't respond, he just kissed her hand softly.
"Answer me, Remus." Alexandra said.
Remus buried his face in the folds of her blanket and nodded slowly.
Alexandra sighed and closed her eyes.
Remus lifted his head up at her sigh and said anxiously: "Alex?"
Alexandra opened her eyes. "Remus, take me to the beach."
"Huh?" Remus said blankly.
"Please? I want to see the dawn." Alexandra pleaded.
Remus swallowed and managed to say: "Fine. I will carry you there...."
***
"Now, Poppy, you can't resign....." Dumbledore started when Remus came out, carrying Alexandra in his arms. Alexandra had her face buried in Remus's neck.
"Madam Pomfrey, is it okay if I bring Alexandra to the beach?" Remus asked desperately.
Madam Pomfrey, who now had red eyes and nose from crying, sniffed and nodded.
***
"This is so peaceful, Remus." Alexandra said softly as she and Remus strolled together on the sand as the rolling waves tickled their feet.
Remus gave a feeble smile and nodded slowly.
"Oh look, a seashell!" Alexandra said, squatting down to the sand.
As she did, Remus looked up at the sky. "Is it just me, or the sky is getting lighter?" He thought.
And he began to pray. He knew that it would not come true but he still wanted to. "Please, Sun, please don't come up, I don't want my love to be taken away from me, please don't come up...." He pleaded silently with a sorrow look on his face.
Alexandra straightened up and noticed Remus's face. She sighed and held Remus's hand.
Remus, who forgot that Alexandra was still there, jumped at her touch. "Ah! What, I mean, yes?"
"Are you regretting now, Remus?" Alexandra asked quietly.
"Huh?" Remus asked back. "Regret what?"
"I'm dying, Remus. Aren't you regretting that you are engaged to a girl who is going to die?" Alexandra asked in a more quiet tone.
"No, why should I be?" Remus asked, sounding slightly hurt. He held Alexandra's both hands tightly. "Alex, it is not your fault that you are like this. You know that. Alex, I still love you no matter what."
"Not even when I am dy....." Alexandra started.
"Shhh...." Remus put his finger onto Alexandra's lips. "Please don't say the word, it hurts me." He said sadly.
"If you insist." Alexandra said softly.
"I insist. I don't want to hear that word or anything related to it." Remus ordered.
Without a word, Alexandra dropped the seashell and hugged him as tightly as she could. Remus warped his arms around her and kissed her forehead lightly.
***
"I think the sky is getting lighter." Alexandra whispered as she was leaning comfortably in Remus's arms. Both of them were now sitting on the dry sand, waiting for dawn.
"It looks dark to me." Remus protested.
Alexandra smiled and shook her head slightly. "Face it, Remus, it is."
Remus rested his chin on Alexandra's head. "It may be, but I don't want to face it." He said quietly. "It's my entire fault, Alex. If I didn't faint on your street, you won't meet me and you will still be very much alive."
"Yes, you and I would not be meeting each other if you didn't faint on that street. But then I will lose the love of my life." Alexandra said.
Remus didn't respond. He closed his eyes and sighed quietly so that Alexandra couldn't hear him. He wanted to cry but for some reason, the tears wouldn't come. Everything in his body hurt and it felt like it was bleeding inside. His heart felt like it was going to break into thousand of pieces. He had never felt so upset before, not even when James and Lily died.
"Remus?" Alexandra asked gently.
The sky was getting lighter as the sun was coming up.
"Hm?" Remus responded absentmindedly.
"Do you remember that Muggle song I taught you?"
Remus paused before he nodded. "Yes."
"Will you sing that song for me?" Alexandra asked.
Remus sighed deeply, wrapped his arms around Alexandra and nodded. "Of course I will."
He cleared his throat and started to sing:
If ever I would leave you
It wouldn't be in summer
Seeing you in summer, I never would go
Your hair streaked with sunlight
Your lips red as flame
Your face with a luster that puts gold to shame
But if I'd ever leave you
How could it be in autumn?
How I'd leave in autumn I never would know
I've seen how you sparkle
When fall nips the air
I know you in autumn and I must be there
And could I leave you running merrily through the snow
Or on a wintery evening when you catch the fire's glow?
If ever I would leave you
How could it be in springtime
Knowing how in spring I'm bewitched by you so?
No, no, not in springtime
Summer, winter, or fall
No, never could I leave you at all
When he was finished, he looked up and stared at the scenery in horror. The sun was up, and Alexandra was going to die any moment...
"Oh no." Remus muttered miserably, "Please....."
"Lovely...singing...Remus....." Alexandra spoke softly.
Remus held her hands tenderly. "Your hands are getting cold."
Alexandra nodded weakly and shifted a little to see him. "They...are...." She removed one of her hands, reached up to touch Remus's face. "Remus..."
"Hm?" Remus asked, shivering a little at Alexandra's cold touch.
"I love you." Alexandra whispered in one breath.
Before Remus could respond, Alexandra gave a small sigh and closed her beautiful eyes as her hand left his face and dropped limply to her side. Remus stared at Alexandra's pale face. He kissed her cheek softly and pressed his against it.
Alexandra didn't respond.
He sighed sadly and hugged Alexandra tighter.
Alexandra still didn't respond.
He closed his eyes and started to weep silently. Alexandra was gone. He would never see her smile and frown again. He would never be able to kiss her sweet lips, and held her in his arms again. He would never....
With tears still on his face, Remus lifted his head to the sky and howled: "GOD I HATE YOU!"