Disclaimer: Me no owny. You no suey.

A/N: Augh! Sorry I took so freaking long, but it was one interruption after another. I'm not going to go into it right now – just wanted to say thanks for not giving up on me.

Nolwe the Lady Dragon – OK, so he wasn't there. Oh well, I never professed to be perfect at getting things in canon. And yes, they're dead, it's sad *sobs*. Thanks much!

Lunaris - *hands Lunaris a lint brush* That'll get rid of the dust. They are rather stupid, aren't they – we'll see more evidence of that in this ending. Thanks a lot!

Ronda-Silverpaw – Remus seems to get the bad stuff in life, doesn't he? That why I try to give him some happiness in my stories. It usually doesn't work. He's just prone to tragedy, I guess. Thanks.

Eizoku – I agree – no matter how many times you read about it, through however many POV's and such, it's still got the power to make you cry. Thanks a lot!

Lisande – I haven't decided yet if I'll include the missing twelve years, but I'll take your opinion into consideration. Thanks!

Akuma Malick – You can't get much clearer than that. Thanks muchly!

FadingSlowly – Yes, twas depressing, and it doesn't get better. Not for a long time. But that's OK, cause it will eventually. Thanks a bunch!

Dark Wind Of Temptation – You again, huh? Ha, chapter one…it'd better be chapter one of book one, or you're not gonna get very far *grins*

noxlupis – Well, twas the end of the chapter, so I had to stop. But I'm going again. Thanks.

Enjoy!

Before Stone Walls

By: Hawkeye's Seductress

Epilogue

"Remus?"

The pale young man looked up at the sound of his name. His eyes were red rimmed, his hands trembled, and his whole aura told of someone who had suffered far beyond his years. Albus Dumbledore laid a comforting hand on his former student's shoulder. "Sir…sir, why?" Remus muttered, asking himself just as much as the older man. "Why would he do such a thing? How could he do such a thing?! How could he betray us  - betray us all?"

"I don't know, Remus," Dumbledore replied. He looked as though he had aged twenty years overnight, and Remus felt a pang of guilt – he was not the only one affected by recent events. "I think we have all seriously underestimated Sirius Black. A most grievous action, obviously."

Remus stared down at his hands. "What will become of us? Of him?" The silver haired wizard's grip on his shoulder tightened, but nothing could prepare Remus for the shock of his words.

"He's been taken to Azkaban, Remus. Crouch sent him without a trial. He's there now."

Remus glanced up at his old teacher. "I want to see him."

* * *

The werewolf cast a dark look at the hooded figure guarding the door, and shivered at the creature's vile touch on his mind. One of us, it proclaimed. One of us.

No, Remus returned. I'm not one of you. I'm not a Dark Creature. I'm not. He could feel the Dementor's sarcasm, if it could be called that, and he hurried past the two flanking the main entrance to the wizard prison. Indeed, the darkness inside, just beyond the doors, looked like a great gaping mouth, ready to swallow him and Sirius and stability and trust and all they had ever known. 

He soon found himself at the bars of a dim cell, and he stepped closer, peering into the shadows. "Sirius?"

There was a scuffle in a corner, and Sirius moved into the half-light, looking pale and worn. "Re – Remus?" he gasped, scurrying to the cold, unyielding bars and wrapped his hands over Remus'. But the other man jerked away, his eyes cold and empty. "Why, Sirius?" he whispered, those frozen golden orbs burning into Sirius. "Why?"

"Remus – Re, you've got to believe me. I didn't do it, it wasn't me, it was - " But he was cut off, Remus speaking loud enough to be heard over the pleas. "I saw you in the paper, Sirius!" he cried. "I saw you. You killed Lily and James, and you killed Peter. How could you?"

Sirius was in hysterics, tears spilling from his tortured blue eyes. "Remus, believe me!" he shouted. "You've got to believe me – you're the only one I've got left!"

Remus shook his head. "No. You've got no one left. Goodbye, Sirius. I hope to God I never lay eyes on you again." He turned and walked away quickly, ignoring the tears streaming down his own face, ignoring the pleading scream that followed him out of the grim building, and haunted him for twelve long years.

"REMUS!"

~THE END~

Yes, the end. But worry not; the next installment is on its way. I'm hoping to have it up before I left for Wales, but things didn't work out. So look for it in about a week and a half. Thanks for everything! *flings confetti and runs away*