Epilogue
-Five Years Later-
Remus sat at the desk in his tiny apartment. He barely made the rent every month for he could barely hold a job. But he liked the flat. It was easy to take care of and was near a large wooded area, so he would have a place to transform.
He was busy going through his bills. He bit his lip as he calculated the total sum in his mind. He scratched down a number onto the parchment in front of him, but it looked wrong. Or more that it was hopefully wrong. He tried it again.
Just then a snowy owl swooped into his window. Remus grabbed for the letter and he reached into his pocket. He grabbed a few Knuts and tossed them into the owl's pouch. The owl turned and flew out of the window.
He opened up the letter and his heart jumped. It was from Lily. Telling him to meet her at Hogsmeade in three days. She would expect him, but if he couldn't make it, don't worry about owling in return - she had to make the trip anyway.
He didn't have anything to do. He was currently out of a job, and he was sure he had some Floo Powder around here somewhere...
*
Remus walked down the streets of Hogsmeade. He glanced over at the silent Shrieking Shack. His heart pounded in his throat from the overwhelming nerves and sudden nostalgia.
"Heard that place is haunted."
He turned and saw Lily Potter standing there with a baby stroller. It appeared to be completely self-propelled. Completely in the sense that it rolled in front of her and stopped when she did. She never had to touch it.
"Lily," Remus said hoarsely.
She tried to walk around the stroller, but it kept in front of her. She smiled. "Come over here?"
He walked around to where she was. He stood in front of her for a moment. She reached up and pulled him into a hug. "It's so fantastic to see you."
"You too," he replied. He peered down at the stroller, onto the sleeping baby. He had never seen Harry in person, but James had sent him pictures. Most of those were either laughing or wailing. He hadn't seen the baby sleep.
Remus reached down and messed up the tiny bit of black hair that fell over the baby's forehead. Harry rolled over. "He's adorable."
"So I hear."
He looked back up at her. "What's this about?"
"Can we go somewhere more...private? I can't go saying these sort of things where anyone can hear," she replied. Her voice had grown hushed and worried.
He nodded, concerned. They walked down to Three Broomsticks and took a table in the corner.
"Releasia," Lily muttered at the stroller. She sat down at the table. "I have a lot of interesting news."
"What is it?" Remus asked.
"I'm sure you've heard about Vol -" Lily looked around at all the people. "You know. He's after James and I. I don't know why. We never did anything to him. Except that one thing. Never mind. But we're going under the Fidelius Charm. Tomorrow."
"The hiding spell?"
She nodded. "We decided to have Sirius as our secret keeper - James decided to have Sirius as our secret keeper."
"I understand," Remus replied. "I - I'm not the most dependable person."
"Not because you don't want to be," she replied sharply. "It's not your fault."
"Is it the same reason you made Sirius Harry's godfather?" Remus bit his lip. He didn't want to say that.
"No, that's not the reason at all," Lily replied softly. "In fact, James wanted to make you Harry's godfather in the first place. I was the one who changed his mind."
"Why?"
"I want you to know Harry. You couldn't have another title. If things had gone the way I wanted them to you *would* be Harry's father. And even that you're not, in my mind...sometimes I wonder." She shook her head sadly. "I love James. I'm not saying I don't. But you have something he'll never have."
"What's that?" Remus asked carefully.
"My heart. James has me, but it's you who has my heart. And you'll always have it, Remus. Nothing can take that away from you. Even if you don't want it, it's yours."
Remus looked down at the table. "Believe me, Lily, I want it. I'd much rather have the whole package, but since I can't..." He smiled. "I'll take what I can get."
She grinned. "Do you think we could have ever made it work? I know you said we couldn't, but do you think that we might have?"
"We might have," he agreed. "But I have to remind myself every night that what we did was the best."
"What *you* did," she corrected. "I would have stuck by you, but you were so set on making sure I had it good. It's never as good as it could be."
Remus opened his mouth to speak, but Harry chose that moment to begin fussing. Lily looked fondly at the baby as she picked him up. She began bouncing him gently in her arms. She looked over at Remus. "We should probably go."
"Right." He stood up as Lily did the same. "Lily, I just wanted you to know that I love you. I still do."
"Remus I-"
"You don't have to say anything. I understand."
She smiled, tears evident in her eyes. "I love you too, Remus. As much as I shouldn't, as much as it's wrong - that's how much I still love you. *You* are my true love." She set the quieted Harry down into the stroller. "Controle," she muttered. She walked out the door. Remus watched her. Then, he ran out after her.
"Lily! Lily, wait!"
She turned, the stroller turning with her. "What?"
"I want to kiss you. I know I can't, but I want to like nothing else in the world."
She looked around. "There are too many people, Remus. Next time. After I come back, when it's safe. I promise you."
"All right," he said. "I'll be waiting."
She grinned. "So will I." She turned and walked into the crowd.
Remus spun around and walked away, a little skip in his step. Lily may be married, he thought, she may have a son, but it's me who she loves.
I won't be waiting, I'll be yearning. Pining. Counting the seconds. I won't be able to breath until I have that moment.
He smiled to himself as he passed the Shrieking Shack once again. I've come so far since then. And the future is looking brighter. Now I have something to look forward to; seeing her again.
When that moment comes, I will be the happiest man alive. She is what makes me sing. No one can have that. James can't, oh he may learn, but it's nothing to the natural talent of true love.
She is what makes me complete. My euphoria.
-Five Years Later-
Remus sat at the desk in his tiny apartment. He barely made the rent every month for he could barely hold a job. But he liked the flat. It was easy to take care of and was near a large wooded area, so he would have a place to transform.
He was busy going through his bills. He bit his lip as he calculated the total sum in his mind. He scratched down a number onto the parchment in front of him, but it looked wrong. Or more that it was hopefully wrong. He tried it again.
Just then a snowy owl swooped into his window. Remus grabbed for the letter and he reached into his pocket. He grabbed a few Knuts and tossed them into the owl's pouch. The owl turned and flew out of the window.
He opened up the letter and his heart jumped. It was from Lily. Telling him to meet her at Hogsmeade in three days. She would expect him, but if he couldn't make it, don't worry about owling in return - she had to make the trip anyway.
He didn't have anything to do. He was currently out of a job, and he was sure he had some Floo Powder around here somewhere...
*
Remus walked down the streets of Hogsmeade. He glanced over at the silent Shrieking Shack. His heart pounded in his throat from the overwhelming nerves and sudden nostalgia.
"Heard that place is haunted."
He turned and saw Lily Potter standing there with a baby stroller. It appeared to be completely self-propelled. Completely in the sense that it rolled in front of her and stopped when she did. She never had to touch it.
"Lily," Remus said hoarsely.
She tried to walk around the stroller, but it kept in front of her. She smiled. "Come over here?"
He walked around to where she was. He stood in front of her for a moment. She reached up and pulled him into a hug. "It's so fantastic to see you."
"You too," he replied. He peered down at the stroller, onto the sleeping baby. He had never seen Harry in person, but James had sent him pictures. Most of those were either laughing or wailing. He hadn't seen the baby sleep.
Remus reached down and messed up the tiny bit of black hair that fell over the baby's forehead. Harry rolled over. "He's adorable."
"So I hear."
He looked back up at her. "What's this about?"
"Can we go somewhere more...private? I can't go saying these sort of things where anyone can hear," she replied. Her voice had grown hushed and worried.
He nodded, concerned. They walked down to Three Broomsticks and took a table in the corner.
"Releasia," Lily muttered at the stroller. She sat down at the table. "I have a lot of interesting news."
"What is it?" Remus asked.
"I'm sure you've heard about Vol -" Lily looked around at all the people. "You know. He's after James and I. I don't know why. We never did anything to him. Except that one thing. Never mind. But we're going under the Fidelius Charm. Tomorrow."
"The hiding spell?"
She nodded. "We decided to have Sirius as our secret keeper - James decided to have Sirius as our secret keeper."
"I understand," Remus replied. "I - I'm not the most dependable person."
"Not because you don't want to be," she replied sharply. "It's not your fault."
"Is it the same reason you made Sirius Harry's godfather?" Remus bit his lip. He didn't want to say that.
"No, that's not the reason at all," Lily replied softly. "In fact, James wanted to make you Harry's godfather in the first place. I was the one who changed his mind."
"Why?"
"I want you to know Harry. You couldn't have another title. If things had gone the way I wanted them to you *would* be Harry's father. And even that you're not, in my mind...sometimes I wonder." She shook her head sadly. "I love James. I'm not saying I don't. But you have something he'll never have."
"What's that?" Remus asked carefully.
"My heart. James has me, but it's you who has my heart. And you'll always have it, Remus. Nothing can take that away from you. Even if you don't want it, it's yours."
Remus looked down at the table. "Believe me, Lily, I want it. I'd much rather have the whole package, but since I can't..." He smiled. "I'll take what I can get."
She grinned. "Do you think we could have ever made it work? I know you said we couldn't, but do you think that we might have?"
"We might have," he agreed. "But I have to remind myself every night that what we did was the best."
"What *you* did," she corrected. "I would have stuck by you, but you were so set on making sure I had it good. It's never as good as it could be."
Remus opened his mouth to speak, but Harry chose that moment to begin fussing. Lily looked fondly at the baby as she picked him up. She began bouncing him gently in her arms. She looked over at Remus. "We should probably go."
"Right." He stood up as Lily did the same. "Lily, I just wanted you to know that I love you. I still do."
"Remus I-"
"You don't have to say anything. I understand."
She smiled, tears evident in her eyes. "I love you too, Remus. As much as I shouldn't, as much as it's wrong - that's how much I still love you. *You* are my true love." She set the quieted Harry down into the stroller. "Controle," she muttered. She walked out the door. Remus watched her. Then, he ran out after her.
"Lily! Lily, wait!"
She turned, the stroller turning with her. "What?"
"I want to kiss you. I know I can't, but I want to like nothing else in the world."
She looked around. "There are too many people, Remus. Next time. After I come back, when it's safe. I promise you."
"All right," he said. "I'll be waiting."
She grinned. "So will I." She turned and walked into the crowd.
Remus spun around and walked away, a little skip in his step. Lily may be married, he thought, she may have a son, but it's me who she loves.
I won't be waiting, I'll be yearning. Pining. Counting the seconds. I won't be able to breath until I have that moment.
He smiled to himself as he passed the Shrieking Shack once again. I've come so far since then. And the future is looking brighter. Now I have something to look forward to; seeing her again.
When that moment comes, I will be the happiest man alive. She is what makes me sing. No one can have that. James can't, oh he may learn, but it's nothing to the natural talent of true love.
She is what makes me complete. My euphoria.
