Chapter 26: After the Storm.

Then. August 1980.

"Lily…I don't think it's such a bright idea." James sighed.

"James, he hasn't left his room for more then a week now." Lily protested, holding baby Harry in her hands. The small baby turned bright emerald eyes and looked at his father. James grinned at the toddler and Harry gave a small laugh.

"He is mourning, Lily, it's only natural."

"She was my best friend, James." Lily exclaimed. "I'm mourning too, but he can't just stay in his room."

"And she was my friend too, Lily, but she was Remus' wife and their conection was much stronger. We have to give him some time."

"This argument is stupid." Sirius growled from the corner and rose from his chair. His eyes were red and swollen and he looked like he spent the night crying. "I don't know about you, James, but I haven't seen Remus since the memorial service and I don't like it. I'm tired of talking with his door. If he won't let me in he might let Harry and if that won't happen then I'll break the bloody door." Sirius looked at Lily. "Are you coming?"

Lily nodded and rose from her seat. James sighed and then got up and walked after them. They went up the stairs to the first floor of the Potter house and Sirius knocked on one of the doors. "Remus?"

There was no reply and the three of them shared a look of concern. Sirius sighed and pulled out his wand aiming it towards the door. "Remus? If you won't open that door I'll blow it away."

"Sirius, wait." Lily spoke. "Remus? Remus, it's Lily. I brought Harry to see you. He wanted to see his uncle."

Again, they were answered with nothing but silence.

"Remus! This door is going to hell right now!" Sirius shouted and was about to utter a spell when they heared Remus' voice.

"The door is open, Sirius."

Sirius froze in the midst of waving his wand and reached out for the handle. He opened it slowly and took a catious look inside the room. It was dark inside, the curtains were closed altough they wavered a little when some wind entered through the open window. Remus was sitting on the bed, his gaze focused on the white wall infront of him. He looked tired and upset, his eyes blank and swollen.

He didn't look at them and Lily sighed and went over towards the bed. "How are you, Remus?" She asked gently.

"Fine." He shrugged.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Sirius asked from his position in the entrance.

"No."

"I thought maybe you'd like to meet Harry." Lily said gently and Remus turned to look at the baby she held in her arms.

"He's lovely, Lily, congratulations." He said in a cold voice and averted his eyes again. Lily sighed and rose from the bed.

"If you need anything, Remus, you'll know where to find us."

Remus nodded his head, still looking blankly at the wall. "Thank you." He said.

Lily turned to leave but James stopped her. He smiled gently as he took Harry in his arms and sat down on the bed beside his old friend. "Harry, meet your uncle Remus." He spoke softly to the toddler. "You might find it easier to call him Moony. Now remember I told you about uncle Padfoot and his motorbike? Well, while Padfoot can teach you to fly Moony will teach you all about books…"

On his right he heared Remus sniffing. Turning his head, he saw Remus closing his eyes, tears runing down his face. James smiled painfully and touched Remus' shoulder. "Do you want to hold him?"

Remus opened his eyes and gazed at his friend, grey eyes bright with tears. "I…I don't think it's such a great idea."

But James just shook his head. "That's exactly what I said to Lily the first time she asked me if I wanted to hold him. Here, put your hands like that." James smiled as he guided Remus' hands and the child giggled a little when his father made a face at him.

Remus looked at the small baby with tears in his eyes. Harry had his mother's eyes but Remus could see he'd turn up to be the spitting image of his father. He smiled at

Harry and Harry streched his small hand to pull a lock of his shabby hair.

"He likes you, Remus." Sirius said, still leaning on the doorframe.

Remus gave a dry laugh and tried to release himself from Harry's surprisingly hard grasp. "Leave my hair, Harry." He scolded playfully. "It's bad enough that it's turning grey…"

"Your hair is turning grey?" James raised his eyebrows and Remus turned his head to the left revealing a silver lock of hair.

"Remus, maybe you'll join us for dinner tonight?" Lily asked as Remus handed Harry to James.

"Thanks, Lily, but I'll pass." Remus wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his black robes.

"Remus, you can't stay in this room forev…" Sirius started to speak but Remus stopped him with a wave of his hand.

"But, I'll be over for breakfast tomorrow if that's alright."

"Of course, Remus, it's not a problem." Lily and James left the room. Sirius followed a minute later, closing the door behind him.

In the darkeness that surrounded him, Remus swallowed hard when more tears started to fall from his eyes. He leaned back into the pillow and closed his eyes. He was tired of crying, tired of moaning with pain, tired of feeling so lonely. He sat back and licked his wounds for too long and the time for mourning is over.

Now, there was nothing left but revenge.

Today.

She took a good look in the mirror after she went out from the shower. Her body was paler then she remembered and fuller. Her curves were fuller and she moved her hand on her flat stomach, sighing. Sixteen years changed her body despite the fact that she bearly moved at that time. Her legs and muscles in general were still weak and she sat down on the toilet's seat, wrapping a towel around herself.

She willed herself to look again but couldn't. She willed her muscles to stop aching so much but, if possible, she only felt more pain. Madam Pompfry told her that she needed to work out a little everyday and that her muscles and body would get stronger with each passing day.

She stood up shakilly and removed the towel again. She reached out for the new robe she bought that morning. Was she even attractive anymore? What would Remus think about her after sixteen years?

I love you so much…tell me you'll never leave, Rose…so beautifull…

She closed her eyes at the memory of the first time they ever made love. Remus was whispering in her ear, growling as they moved together. She remembered the heat that spreaded around them, remembered the adrenaline that rushed in her veins, remembered her heart aching and pounding…

"Rose?" A startled cry escaped her lips when he knocked on the door. "Are you alright?" He asked, sounding a little worried.

"I'm fine." Her voice was shaking a little. "I'll be right out."

"I brought a peace offering." He said softly, obviously refering to their fight from last night. She only returned to his quarters at dawn, finding him asleep on the sofa, leaving his bed for her. She didn't wake him and decided to sleep her anger off. When she woke up he was no longer in the room and she didn't see or hear from him until that moment.

"You didn't have to." She said, her voice equally soft.

"Well, I took almost all the books the library had about DADA and Charms. We can do some reading later on, have you eaten yet?"

"Actually, now that you mention it…"

"Come out and I'll call a house elf."

She heared him walking away from the door and breathed hard, her face was still flushed from her earlier memory and she tried to forget the pictures that kept surfacing.

She opened the door quietly and walked towards the common room of the small quarters. The room was colored in the golden and red colors of Gryffindor and held two comfortable couches, a desk filled with parchments, a coffee table and a huge fire. To her left she saw the bookcase that now held another pile of books Remus brought froom the library.

Remus was flipping through one of the books, sitting infront of the fire. She could see his back. His black robe was neatly folded at the end of the couch and his hair was messed up, like he moved his hands in it too many times. She was about to get closer when the fire turned green.

"Whotcher, Remus."

Remus gave a startled cry and almost dropped the book he was holding. "Tonks! You scared me to death!" He exclaimed.

"Is that really the first thing you have to tell me after not speaking to me for over a month?" The witch with the pink hair smiled.

"How are you?" He grinned.

"Fine, I did however heared something about your wife being out of the hospital…"

"Who told you?" Remus sounded amazed and angry at the same time.

"I think it was Dung who spilled it." She answered cheerfully. "How is she?"

"Alright, I suppose." He sighed. "It's…strange, having her around."

The witch tilted her head to the right. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing really…it's just hard…we don't talk like we used to. We both changed so much. We want different things…"

"Remus, please…you can't possibly determine that after such a short time. You have to get to know each other all over again. Don't make stupid decisions, Wolffie…"

"Nymphadora…" He warned.

"Don't call me Nymphadora." She answered quickly and Remus laughed. "Go and make things right and tell her I said hi."

"She doesn't know you."

"Never mind, tell her to talk to me if she ever need anything. Have a good night." And with those words she dissappeared from the flames and the fire turned red again.

"That was Nymphadora Tonks." He said without looking backwards.

"I gathered that much." Rose answered and left her hiding place behind the bookcase. "Did you hear me?" She asked.

Remus turned his head and gazed at her for a moment, his nostrils flaring. "I smelt you." He said.

Rose nodded and sat beside his on the couch, enjoying the heat from the fire. She streched her legs and felt Remus relax beside her, inhaling softly. "So, what do you want to do first? Food or reading?"

She fought the urge to laugh when she heared his stomach growling. "I think you already made the decision for me." She smiled.

Remus grinned and went over to the fire, flooing to the kitchens.

Then. August 1980.

"Albus! How do you except us to work when the ministry is all but hiding under their desks? We can't possibly work alone anymore." Frank Longbottom shouted, rising from his chair.

"Frank, calm down, please…" Sirius held a calming hand on the aurror's shoulder but Frank shook him off.

"He's right, Albus, ever since Azkaban was taken the ministry does nothing. Not even damage control in the muggle world. We have have to shake them awake somehow." James spoke.

Dumbledore sighed and looked around the round table. He was sitting with the six members that were the order of the pheonix inner cycle. No one besides them knew there was an inner cycle. But every organization needed his core and the old wizard couldn't hold it alone.

He moved his gaze from Frank Longbottom to Sirius Black and then to Lily and James Potter and then to Remus Lupin who's eyes were glued to the table, not daring to look over to his right where the empty chair that belong to his wife stood empty. He shared a look of concern with his deputy Minerva McGonagal and then cleared his throat.

"I agree with you all, unfortunatly there is nothing we can do for a moment."

"I think we should find out what's Voldemort is planing to do with Azkaban's guards." Sirius spoke. "We can't let him free them, what if he'll set them off somewhere?"

"The only way you can get that information is by sending someone to Azkaban." Lily said. "Voldemort's death eaters would have to catch him. Rumours say he takes prisoners there."

"Find me the madman who would agree willingly." Frank's voice rose again. "Where would you find such a man?"

"I'll do it."

All heads turned towards Remus when he spoke softly. Albus and Minerva shared another look and Sirius glared at him. "Like hell you're doing it." He spat.

"Set up a plan and make sure it's not on the full moon and I'll do it." Remus said again. "I'm more then qualified, Albus."

"I know you are, Remus." The old wizard said gravely.

"I won't let you do it, Moony, I'll go." James said quietly and Remus smiled at him.

"You have better things to take care of, Prongs." He said softly. "I trust you to get me out of there on time…"

***************

Wow…I'm sorry for the ammount of time I took in updating this but I hope it was just a little worth it.

I also rewriting my story 'Under Cover' and I published the first two chapters. I'd be happy if you'll take a look and tell me what you think…

Please, Review…