In the passing weeks, Remus began to resemble himself more and more, though there were times when Sirius had found him gently rocking himself in the dark corners of the house as unpleasant memories invaded his mind. Fortunately, these were few and far between, and in time, Remus could be seen smiling or laughing when he was not pent up in the library writing in his journal. His journal had become somewhat of an obsession to him, and it was not rare for him to spend several hours alone with it.
In fact, it was here that Dumbledore found him late one evening in mid-June. Sirius knocked softly in the door of the library where Remus had passed most of his days writing quietly in his journal, oblivious to the days that passed him by.
"Remus, you have a visitor."
The figure at the desk made no movement, but Sirius noticed he had stopped writing. Dumbledore stepped past him into the dimly it room. A candle burned low on the desktop, the only light in a room whose heavy drapes shut out the bright sunshine of a beautiful summer day.
"Hello, Albus." He still made no movement to turn toward his visitor.
"How are you, Remus?" Dumbledore asked quietly.
"It's been a good day so far." The quill continued to scratch across the parchment.
"Define a good day."
Remus smirked back at the Headmaster.
"I haven't felt the urge to kill myself or anyone else. On the whole, I'd say it's been uneventful."
"Well, it's nice to see you've regained your sense of humor, however misplaced it may be." He pulled a seat up next to the desk. "Now answer me seriously. How are you?"
Remus considered his old headmaster's face for a moment.
"I'm better, Albus. I feel better everyday."
"Good. Severus tells me he came to see you last week."
"He brought the wolfsbane potion."
"That's what he said. And that you and he were able to talk for a few minutes. You've cleared the air?"
"Yes."
Dumbledore regarded him quietly, wondering momentarily at the next question he would ask.
"And what of Moira?" Dumbledore asked quietly. "She wanted very much to speak with you. Why would you not see her?"
"I'm just not ready."
"She believes you are angry with her."
"Angry?" He turned in his chair, facing Dumbledore. The gray wisps of hair at his temples were now white streaks. "Angry for what? For stopping me from killing a bunch of innocent kids?"
"For stabbing you, I believe. And failing to save you when you needed her."
"That's ridiculous."
"You've not told her otherwise."
"Surely, you've told her."
"Many times. Just as I've told you many times that she bears no anger toward you. Perhaps," he said, staring straight into Remus' wide eyes, "she needed to hear you say it." He rose and strode toward the door, pausing for a moment. "Perhaps it is best this way. Perhaps it is best for the both of you to continue suffering nobly until you both succumb to the great question we face at the end of life."
"What question is that?" Remus was quite frozen in his seat.
"What if, Remus. What if?" The older man pulled the door closed behind him, leaving Remus alone again. He was hardly down the hallway when the library door opened again and Remus rushed past him.
"Where are you going, Remus?"
"To Hogwarts. I have to talk to her."
"Ah, I see." The old headmaster closed his eyes. "If only."
Remus turned at these words.
"If only what?"
"If only you had come to this decision earlier."
"Why? Albus, why?" He gripped Dumbledore's shoulders, the rise in his voice demanding an answer.
"She is not there, dear boy," he answered calmly. "You will not find her at Hogwarts."
Remus' hands fell to his sides. He wavered as if hit by a heavy blow.
"She's gone?"
"Yes. She returned to the States the day before yesterday."
"She's gone."
"Yes, Remus. She's gone. Back to her old apartment and her old life in the U.S."
Remus' eyes brightened.
"Her old apartment? She kept it?"
"I'm quite sure that's what she said. She had taken a sabbatical from her teaching job there to come here."
Roused from his momentary stupor of grief, Remus dashed from the room. Dumbledore followed him to the foyer where he grabbed his cloak from a peg and pulled his wand from his sleeve.
"Where are you going?" Sirius asked, emerging from the living room.
"I have to find Moira. I have to- I have to tell her-"
"Then go," Sirius interrupted. "Go tell her."
"Thank you," Remus smiled as he disappeared from the room.
Sirius and Dumbledore, left alone in the foyer, stood silently side-by-side for a moment, staring at the spot from which Remus had just disappeared.
"That went well," Dumbledore commented with a smile.
"That was both the most benevolent and the cruelest thing I've ever seen you do."
"Someone had to push him out the door," Dumbledore said, his blue eyes twinkling. "Otherwise, I don't believe he would have ever gone to her."
"You told her to expect him, I assume." Sirius asked.
"My dear boy, where's the romance in that?"