Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns all recognizable characters and places. I own everything else.
OK so I couldn't wait to finish so here's the last bit. That's it. It's over.
Chapter Fifteen
In the pale light of a new day, Remus woke. He had dreamt of Serena, dreamt that she had said goodbye, in a way. Opening his eyes, he gazed at her. She hadn't moved and her skin was still deathly pale, her breathing shallow.
She hadn't woken.
He moved closer, pressing a soft kiss to her temple. "Serena, please, please wake up. Come back to me." He pleaded.
He studied her face intently, searching for any sign that she had heard him.
Was it his imagination, or had her eyelids twitched?
"Serena? Can you hear me?" He reached down and took her cool hand in his, giving it a squeeze.
This time he was sure he had felt her fingers move.
"Serena, wake up. For me?"
Her chest rose and fell with a sigh. And she stopped breathing.
Panicked, Remus shouted for Madam Pomfrey. Then he sat up, leaning over Serena. "Serena? Come on, honey, wake up."
Madam Pomfrey bustled into the room, giving Remus a stern look when she saw him on the bed. Professor Dumbledore, who looked frighteningly somber, closely followed her.
"Give us some room, please, Remus." He said going to Serena's bedside.
Remus jumped up, backing away a couple steps. "She's not breathing." He turned an imploring stare on the Headmaster. "Isn't there anything you can do?"
"There is a potion," Dumbledore said, "Severus has been working on, to bring someone back from the brink of death. But it's untested."
"She can't die like this." Remus whispered brokenly.
Dumbledore nodded at Madam Pomfrey. "Bring the potion." Remus had never heard the older wizard sound so sad.
Madam Pomfrey quickly went into the other room, hurrying back with a small vial of a shimmering grey liquid. She handed it to Dumbledore, who uncapped it; swiftly pouring the contents through Serena's parted lips.
Remus held his breath. If this worked, he swore, he would thank Snape until his dying day.
At first, nothing happened. Then a shudder coursed through Serena's body, starting at her feet and traveling up. Her body stiffened, and all at once, she gave a great gasp, sitting up with a jerk. Then she fell back on the bed, still once more.
Remus started forward, coming to a halt when Dumbledore held up his hand.
"Wait." Dumbledore said softly.
Then, miraculously, she opened her eyes.
"Welcome back, Serena." Dumbledore greeted her gently. Then he backed away, letting Madam Pomfrey look Serena over.
Remus held back, his eyes never leaving Serena's face. Her stunned gaze met his and held it.
Finally, Madam Pomfrey announced that Serena would be fine and left the room. Dumbledore went to her bedside once more. Remus followed, halting a few steps away.
"So you decided to come back to us." Dumbledore said to her, his voice kind.
"I was sent back." Serena said softly.
Remus glanced at her sideways. "Sent back?" It wasn't the potion?
Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "Diana?" He queried.
Serena nodded.
Remus looked from Serena to the headmaster. "Who's Diana?"
Neither answered him. Dumbledore just smiled. "I'll just leave you two alone."
After the headmaster left the room, Remus moved closer, closing the distance between Serena and himself. "Who's Diana?" He asked again.
Serena took a deep breath. "Diana is an ancient Goddess."
A goddess. He thought back to his studies of mythology. Wasn't Diana some sort of moon goddess? Why would she send Serena back?
She must have sensed his confusion. "I'm descended from her." She told him.
He gaped at her. She was descended from a goddess? That would explain the amount of power she had.
"The birthmark?" He asked.
She nodded. "Every girl in my family has it. Diana is the Goddess of the moon."
The moon. The bane of his wretched existence. The irony did not escape him. "Why did she send you back?"
Serena smiled gently. "She told me that I was supposed to stay here. To protect you."
"Protect me? Why?"
She reached out to him, taking his hand. "As well as being a moon Goddess, she is also the goddess of wild things. She says you belong to her."
Now he was beginning to wonder if perhaps Serena was delusional. How could he, a creature of the dark belong to a moon goddess?
It was as if she read his mind. "She also told me to tell you that it is your decisions that make you light or dark. She said that there never was a question of which side you're on."
When he made no response, she pulled on his hand to draw him closer. "Remus. You're a good man. Diana sent me back to protect you, yes. But she also knew that you'd protect me."
He sighed. "But, Serena…"
She cut him off. "I told you we were meant to be together."
Remus leaned down and pressed a desperate kiss on her lips. "Serena, I have nothing to offer you."
"You have the very thing I want. The only thing I ever wanted."
What could he, a poor, unemployed werewolf have, that she wanted? "What?"
"Your heart."
Remus could only stare at her. Could it be possible? Could it really be that simple?
"You've been solitary for too long, Remus. Don't you think it's time you take a mate?" She prompted.
"A mate?" What was she saying?
Suddenly shy, she lowered her eyes. "If you'll have me, that is."
Hope bloomed through him. He was speechless for a moment, staring down at the woman he loved more than anything. After a long silence, he spoke. "Is that… a proposal?"
She looked up again. "I'm tired of waiting for you to realize that I don't care one bit that you're poor, or that you're a werewolf. I love you as you are. I always have and I always will."
"Is that a proposal?" He asked again.
"Remus, please. I can't…"
He cut her off. "Because if it is a proposal, I accept."
After a moment of stunned silence, Serena launched herself at him, throwing her arms around him and covering his face with kisses.
He reached up and framed her face with his hands. "I love you." He said with conviction. "I've been given a second chance with you, and I'm not going to waste it."
Serena laughed delightedly, kissing him hard. "I wasn't going to let you. Even if I had to hex you into oblivion, I was going to win you over."
He grinned happily. "I don't doubt it." He silently thanked the Goddess that had given her back to him. He would never look at the moon the same way again.
The End.