A.N./ Well, to celebrate my finishing Pride and Prejudice (which really is a good book) for school, with or without my journals, I've decided to work on the story. Thank you, everyone, for reviewing! You didn't really think that I'd just drop it there, did you?

Anyway, I really hope that all of you enjoy the chapter. Not much left to go, I'm afraid, so let's make these last ones count. If you like what you see, let me know so I'm driven to write the rest.

Chapter 13: Returning to Reality

Harry blinked his eyes as they opened, adjusting his eyesight to the light around him. The air was different here. Nothing remained of the fresh scent of wood and dog. He could not feel the cotton sheets around him or the hand of his godfather's over his own. A hole right above his stomach began to throb and swell and he felt that he was going to be sick. Suddenly, he was aware of where he was and he jolted up in his seat.

"Take it easy, Harry. You'll topple over if not," said a familiar voice as a warm hand pressed down on his chest. He lay back once again, his head light and senses reeling. He blinked slowly once again, trying to remember what exactly had happened. He voiced this question and the familiar voice chuckled.

"It's a mixture of both magic and, what something Muggles call nitrous oxide, which caused you to sleep. You were in a state where you could see Sirius' wishes. Through his memories, even dreams, that he has left in his Pensieve, I was able to transport you into a different realm in a way." Professor Dumbledore said this with a sort of triumph and a hint of sadness. He sighed and sat next to Harry, who was rubbing his face gruffly with his hand.

Harry opened his eyes again, the spell starting to wear off. It was all too much for him to take and he felt the back of his brain strain with questions. He had just been with Sirius and Remus. How could he be here now? How was their life going to go on now? How was his?

The two sat there in silence for a very long time, mostly to let Harry adjust to everything and to let Dumbledore observe him with sad eyes. Harry, with clear vision now, look to his headmaster after a moment in thought. "Professor Lupin … And, Sirius. They were-"

"Yes, I know this, Harry," Dumbledore said, somewhat sadly. "I've known this for a long time."

"Then why didn't anyone tell me?" Harry asked, sitting up completely.

"It wasn't my place to tell you. Remus spoke to me with plans to tell you, but neither of them were ready. He has been informed of your … evening. He plans on being here in a few days. When he is here, I'm sure that both of you will be able to talk things through."

Harry felt his stomach flip. This was definitely not the best way to find more about one's godfather, but he had to know. Now Remus would be here and he would have to face all the truths that he had experienced. Would the professor be angry that he had delved not only into Sirius' life but his own in such a crude manner? Would he be relieved that Harry knew?

"They are both good people. You should already know that. Remus is still on a mission, but he owled me to say that he would be on his way the very moment he could." Dumbledore said, patting Harry's shoulder once, then stood. He whipped out his wand and began to make a pot of tea with just the teacups. A bitterness rose in Harry's throat as when Dumbledore spoke as if Sirius were alive, but he bit his words back. After all, the headmaster had done so many things for him. He hadn't the heart to be angry. Not anymore.

"Will … I mean, do you think that he will be upset?" Harry asked, feeling childish and small.

The headmaster shook his head, almost with a sense of amusement. He handed him his cup and sat at his desk. "He was surprised, I'm sure, Harry. Angry, I would think not. After all the years I've known the man, I have never once encountered a situation where he was truly angry."

"I went into their life. I saw things that neither of them had wanted me to know. I barged in on everything," Harry said this with his cheeks red and hot, trying not to fumble over his words.

"But now you understand everything. He wanted you to know what you know now. Harry, the man has now suffered one loss too many. And they were the very people he held most dear. He can now find comfort in your knowledge."

Harry opened his mouth to retaliate, but stopped short. That was correct. Now that Harry knew exactly how close the two were he and his old professor would be able to console each other. He was suddenly reminded about after Sirius had fallen through the veil. How much it had visibly hurt Remus. Yet he still went on, acting as if the entire thing hadn't happened.

And there was Harry, acting the right prat. While he sulked around, the other man had to suffer his pain in silence. He had even reached out to Harry, tried to help him with the letter he had sent yesterday. And what did he do? He had thrown the letter in the fire. The hole in his stomach opened a few more spaces.

After the two finished their tea in silence, Dumbledore escorted Harry out of the office. Harry was too overwhelmed to talk with him and he barely noticed that he was walking down to the hall outside the office. As he made his way to the dorm he hardly registered that there were no people who passed him. It wasn't until he got into the dorm that he noticed that it was dark outside, and very late.

Once he set foot in the dorm, Ron and Hermione bombarded him. "Where have you been?" They asked in unison, looking very worried.

"Harry, are you all right? You look awful," said Hermione, looking at him then over to Ron for help. He agreed, asking if he wanted to sit down.

"You've been gone all day, mate. You didn't even tell us."

Harry took a deep breath, assuring them that he was fine and informing them of where he had been. He told them what had happened, of Sirius and Remus and how they were once together. The only thing that he did not tell them, in fact, was about what he had learned about werewolves. That, he thought, would be a bit too much for them to handle.

Ron didn't necessarily seem irritated, just embarrassed and shocked. Harry would know otherwise and he was glad to see that his friend wouldn't think differently than himself. "So, they were …" Ron faltered, red in the face.

"Lovers." Hermione finished in a quiet voice, looking off into the distance. "That is horrible, now that Sirius …" It was her time to falter, looking at Harry questioningly. She was trying to avoid being yelled at once again, and that made Harry feel worse.

"Look Hermione, I'm sorry that I blew up at you yesterday. I didn't mean the things I said. Yours and Ron's opinions matter more than anyone else's. Plus, you are one of the smartest witches around. I'm glad to have you help me all the time. I don't know where I'd be without either of you two." Harry said, avoiding their eyes.

Hermione smiled warmly. "That's fine, Harry. We know that you have a lot to deal with."

"Even if you were acting like a prat," Ron said, grinning. He pushed the side of Harry's head when Harry's expression fell. "I think you've gone soft. You might just have been around them a bit too much," teased Ron.

"Ron!" Hermione said indignantly. "Just because they were together doesn't mean that they were … soft. You knew them. You even looked up to them. Professor Lupin is the same person then he ever has before."

"I was just kidding, Hermione. Why do you have to always be so uptight?" Ron said, rolling his eyes at her.

Hermione began to tell him how wrong he was, but Harry remembered something about his experience. "Ron? Hermione? Is there something that you need to tell me?" He asked slyly, looking back and forth at them both.

"What are you getting at, Harry?" Hermione asked quizzically. Ron looked the way Hermione sounded and he sat back in the couch next to Hermione, raising his eyebrows questioningly.

"I mean, when I … Well … You two aren't doing things together, are you?" Harry asked, now embarrassed at how far he would have to take this.

"I have no idea what you're … Wait," Hermione looked at him, wide eyed. Her cheeks turned bright red and a proud, defiant look crossed her face through her own incredible embarrassment.

Ron looked between them, confused. "What are we doing?" He asked. "I don't understand what exactly you're talking abou-"

"No, they are not dating," said a voice coming down the girl's dorm staircase. Ginny, clad in her bathrobe, stood next the couch where Hermione and Ron sat, absolutely flustered. They both kept trying to move away, but they were on the small couch and it was hard for them to avoid each other. "Not yet, at least," she finished under her breath.

"Anyway," said Ginny, "Lavender is wondering where you are Hermione. It's kind of late, don't you think?" Hermione nodded and bid them a quick goodnight.

Ginny simply sighed and patted the top of her older brother's head. She waved off to the both of them, smiling especially at Harry. He was suddenly reminded that he had found another interesting point of view. He watched Ginny go up the stairs, disappearing from view and he felt his stomach squirm.

"Well," Ron coughed and stood from the sofa. "It might be good if we both headed up, as well, mate."

They made their way to the boy's dormitory and Harry changed into his pajamas, crawling into bed. All the other boys were all ready in bed and the two lay quietly, until Ron audibly shivered. Harry asked him what was the matter, but there was another string of silence.

Just when Harry thought that he had fallen asleep, in a voice just above a whisper, Ron answered, "Think of how terrible it'd be to have to lose some one you love twice."

Harry didn't say anything, because no words were needed. Remus, on top of all the other things that he had to deal with, had most definitely lost his lover twice. Once when Sirius was sent to Azkaban, and now this. Harry curled in on himself, as if to ward of the chill that ran up his spine.

Harry had no idea how he should talk to the man now. He was like a father for him, but isn't it always hard to talk to one's parents? Yet, not everyone had to talk to their fathers about their dead gay lover.

Harry tossed around in his bed, his sheets tangling around his legs uncomfortably. He pulled the covers to his face and inhaled deeply. He missed the familiar smell of family that Sirius and Remus' home had to offer. Hogwarts was his home, first and foremost, but now he was missing a piece of himself now.

He was missing his family.

A.N./ Sorry it was a bit shorter than I usually have it, but here we go to the Remus confrontation! I've all ready written almost half of it in my head, so I just needed to get this chapter out of the way. Sorry again; I know it sucked. Please, oh please review if you might have liked it, though.