~*Chapter Two - Morning Upon The Golden Sands*~

The night went slowly for Remus as he stood on the front of the small ship, his eyes forever fixed on the inky horizon. Somewhere in the weary recesses of his mind, he told himself that it was rather silly, because there was nothing there...but the rest of his mind was elsewhere. He was dead...it was all over. His mind played over the memories of his life, from the night he was bitten and forever cursed...to when he met James, Sirius, and Peter...to his first kiss...His entire life seemed to play through his mind, and he couldn't help ut think that, despite all that he'd gone through...it had seemed so very dark...something foreboding always loomed over him despite the amount of cheer in any given memory.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes, looking somewhat upset and distraught.

It was a bit startling when the first fingers of dawn began to sparkle against the water. Remus had thought that death would e all-encompassing, never-ending night...but as the warm light of morning fell upon his young face, he found himself thankfully wrong.

Then he saw the shore.

On the horizon, close ut yet so far, was a long stretch of land rising up out of the dark waters. He could make out long stretches of golden sands dotted with dark forms, all surrounding an expansive dock that jutted out into the sea. The sounds of a distant, dull roar found its way to his ears, and as they drew closer to the shore, he could see that the dark forms upon the sands were people; many many people, all staring out into the sea. Many of them had an expectant aire about them, as if they were waiting for something extremely important.

On the ship, Remus noticed that several of the passengers had joined him at the railing, looking towards the shores with awe and hope. Several were scanning the crowd, and others were waving, tears in their eyes.

Remus gasped then as a thought struck him. These people on the shore...they were waiting for the passengers on the ship...those on the shore were those who had made this journey before them...They were the spirits who had passed beyond the veil before him...

Understanding and hope alighted across his face as he felt himself grip the railing tightly. He looked over the shore, leaning forward slightly as he tried to catch a glimpse of any familiar faces...Could it be at all possible that...that they were here as well? Waiting for him on the shores?

The ship had begun docking preparations now; they were very clsoe to their destination now. Some of those on the shore had begun to yell out names of people on the ship, all of whom responded with joy and disbelief. Remus hurriedly looked around, his heart pounding in hope. But when no cries of greeting came up for him, he felt his hope slipping. Did those who died under curious or violent circumstances not travel to this lovely place? Closing his eyes, he relenquished his grip on the railing, knowing disappointment all too well. Sighing, he began to turn and start for where he would disembark onto land once the ship had docked.

"Hey! HEY! Moony!"

Remus froze as a familiar but long absent voice alighted over the shouts of the others. Hardly daring to believe, he turned slowly and looked towards the shores, his face turing a bit pale. The name 'Moony' only had meaning to a few people...three of whom were long dead. But this voice was not the voice of Sirius Black that Remus remembered so well...

"Moony! I know you can hear me! Come back, you silly git!"

Remus swallowed and found himself rushing back to the railing of the ship, where he gripped it tight and looked in the direction of the voice that he hadn't heard in over fifty years...

Standing on the shore, near the water, was a pair of people, waving up at him. The taller one of the pair had their arm about the other's shoulders, and both were looking delighted to see him. Remus felt a twinge in his heart...

"James...Lily..." he said softly to himself. There was no mistaking the couple that had addressed him. Perpetually messy black hair, hazel eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses...long red hair and vibrant green eyes...

Remus closed his eyes and shook his head, laughing softly to himself. "Oh God..." he said to himself, and grinned disbelievingly down at them. "A silly git, am I?" he called in mock-indignation. He was surprised that he could find his voice, so thick were the emotions that were weighing on his mind.

After the ship docked, Remus practically flew down the boarding ramp, threadbare robes waving haphazardly behind him. All other thoughts of death and misery fled him his mind as he heard his feet pound against the wooden dock; he ignored the sand that flew up behind him as he hurried across he golden beaches, and as James and Lily came into view, he tried to convince himself that this all wasn't just some perfect dream.

But as James embraced his old friend tightly, laughing heartily, Remus felt an old warmth enter his soul that he hadn't felt in many many years...

He was no longer alone.

"Yes, a silly git," James replied, pulling away from Remus and looking into his eyes with a warm smile. "You're the only one I know who can come into paradise and look miserable. Cheer up! There's been enough sullen sulkiness around here for the past forty years with Padfoot around without you to add onto it-"

"Padfoot?" Remus said suddenly, adrenaline shooting through his system. His eyes widened a bit as he looked at James in disbelief. It was as though he was asking for confirmation if he had heard Prongs correctly. James simply rolled his eyes and grinned knowingly.

"Lily, can you believe this?" he asked with a good-natured grin. "He comes all this way...saw Sirius fall through the veil, and doesn't believe that he's here. Some things never change, do they?" he replied, and smiled back at his old friend.

Remus fell silent, unsure of what to believe. Hope surged through his veins anew..and James stepped aside. "He's up there, on the edge of the shore," he replied, and pushed Remus playfully forward. Remus started a bit unsteadily, but as he walked through the throng of people, a path seemed to open up before him, and he glanced up as a figure became evident through the crowd. Remus stopped sharply, taking in the sight.

He'd not seen Sirius in decades...but he could barely remember him ever looking so young. Black robes hung about his well-built frame, and shoulder-length, shaggy black hair framed his handsome face. His eyes were no longer sunken, and all the waxy paleness that were the legacies of Azkaban had fled form his face. He was looking at Remus with a fond, slightly crooked smile, leaning his cheek against his palm gently. A soft sea breeze rustled a few dark strands and settled then in his face, and he chuckled.

"Been a long time, Remus...I've missed you, you know."

Remus closed his eyes as he heard that voice, full and warm...there were no longer any traces of Azkaban about him...It was all so surreal.

"Sirius," he heard himself say, and he slowly began to walk over to his lost lover, never letting his eyes fall from him for fear that he would vanish like a spector in the night. But vanish he did not, he only sat there, watching Remus' every move. When Remus was standing over him, he looked up into the shadow of Remus' face, and finally moved, reaching up to take his hand into his own.

Remus looked at the hand that embraced his so readily...it was so warm and inviting...so real. Sinking to his knees at Sirius' side, he gripped Sirius' hand tightly and closed his eyes, tears finally slipping down his face. He shook his head as he let himself cry; he wept all the tears that he'd never been able to shed for his murdered friends; all the tears that he'd withheld for so many years...

Warm arms embraced him tightly as he released all his suppressed woe, pulling him near. He regretted all that had never been said; all that was lost to him because of time and death...

"Remus, why do you cry?" Sirius asked softly in his ear, keeping him near. "What is it that hurts you?"

"There was...so much that I never said...never did...So much time was lost to us all, and-"

"And now...we have all the time in the world," Sirius asserted, and pulled away, looking into Remus' eyes. "Nothing here can take you away from me...nor us away from James and Lily...I've been waiting for you too long to see you again in such a saddened state. What we had in our lives was riddled with unhappiness, darkness, and despair. There was nothing neither of us could do about it. But you shouldn't regret what's past...it can all be rectified now...all that you never said and did..you can say and do it now...nothing will stop you...Least of all me."

Remus looked into Sirius' grey eyes, watching the vibrance that danced within them in faint awe. Sirius' words echoed in his mind heavily; in his heart, he knew Sirius was right...and he finally smiled.

"I had hoped...that I'd find you here..." he said a it, and Sirius chuckled, leaning his forehead against his. Grinning, he looking at Remus fondly.

"And here I am...waiting for you on these golden sands. I've been watching the ship come in every day...and here you are, finally."

Remus smiled, but before he could speak another word, Sirius leaned forward and kissed him softly, a caress that had too long been a stranger to their lips.

"I love you, Remus..."

"And I you."


~*~

Somewhere beyond the sea

Somewhere waiting for me

My lover stands on golden sands

And watches the ships that go sailing

Somewhere beyond the sea

He's watching for me

If I could fly like birds on high

Then straight to his arms I'd go sailing

It's far beyond a star, it's near beyond the moon

I know beyond a doubt

My heart will lead me there soon

We'll meet beyond the shore

We'll kiss just as before

Happy we'll be beyond the sea

And never again I'll go sailing

~*~


~*Owari*~

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