A/N: My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones in the horrific terrorist attack on London today. My thoughts are with you.

I've had trouble submitting this chapter. I hope it works this time :)

Remus stood at the front door. He didn't realise that his mouth hung open until the bitter wind ached his teeth. He shut it quickly making his teeth click together.

"Hello Remus," the woman said. He blinked at her. Was he breathing? No! Breath Remus breath! "I guess you're a little surprised to see me," she added. Remus could only nod. "Uh…can I come in Remus, it's rather cold out."

Breaking out of his stupor, he nodded numbly and stepped aside to let her in. She carried with her a large black canvas holdall. Remus went to take it from her but the witch moved it to the other hand before he had chance. She shrugged off her black travel cloak and passed it to him. It smelt of the autumn air, bonfires and fog. Placing her big bag down gently, she turned to him expectantly.

"Uh…come in, please," Remus said, finally finding his voice. The woman nodded as he indicated to the kitchen door, and went to the top of the stairs taking her holdall with her.

To her relief, the kitchen was warm. She chose a seat close to the fire, and turned to watch Remus fill the kettle.

"I take it you know why I'm here," she called. The man went very still. He didn't look at her.

"I have a fair idea," he said quietly.

"Look at me Remus, please," she said softly and he turned slowly. The woman was pale, and seemingly older that the last time he had seen her. She looked tired. In all coincidence, she was having similar thoughts about him. Their eyes met briefly and then Remus looked away. He reached for the teapot.

"Would you like tea, Andromeda?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Please Remus, sit…would you?"

He didn't want to. Sitting would be an indication for her to start talking. He didn't think he could hear what she had to say. When her eyes refused to leave his, Remus caved and sat opposite her. He looked to his hands, resting on the weathered wooden table.

"You know, I've always hated this house," the older woman muttered. "Every time I come back here I tell myself it'll be the last." She gave a shrug, indicating that she had been wrong yet again. It went unseen.

"Will this be the last time?" he croaked.

"Who knows Remus, who knows?" she whispered.

Silence fell between them and, for Remus it was unbearable. He closed his eyes, resting his face in his hands. The fire crackled loudly, and he could hear Andromeda shuffling in discomfort. Might as well save her the heartache, Remus thought.

"She's dead, isn't she," he spoke up, though he didn't recognise his own voice. It sounded loud, almost alien, like he'd said it in a different language. Andromeda Tonks paused. He looked up with his tired eyes and saw her nod painfully, screwing her face up and letting hot tears fall. Remus looked back down. Of course he had been expecting it, ever since September, before even. He had been dreading the moment when his fear had been confirmed. And now it had arrived. It didn't ease the pain though. But he would not cry, at least not yet. He rose suddenly causing his chair to scrape on the floor. It startled her and she rose too, moving to him as he headed for the stairs.

"Remus, wait. Where are you going?" she pleaded. He ignored her. "Don't…don't you want to know what happened?" she asked and he stopped on the bottom step. He didn't face her, and his shoulders hunched slightly as if he hadn't wanted to hear her question.

"No, not really," he said numbly. Andromeda put both of her hands onto his forearm and led him back to the table. They sat next to each other, Andromeda's hand still placed on his arm comfortingly. Remus cleared his throat.

"Tell me this…did she suffer at all?" he asked her weakly. Andromeda's eyes flicked with something that he wished he hadn't seen. He gave a little sob and covered his face with his hands. She was crying too, sniffing loudly beside him. They sat this way for what felt like the entire evening. Remus felt sick. He wanted to scream at Andromeda, to tell her that she should never have come, that he was better off not knowing. But he dared not. Instead, he whispered

"And the baby?"

The woman's bloodshot eyes snapped up to his. She swallowed and then rose from her place, crossing the room swiftly to her holdall…no, not a holdall, Remus noticed, but a carry-crib. How had he not recognised it before?

Andromeda placed the carry-crib delicately onto the table and then placed her hand into the opening at one end. She wore a slight smile as she turned to the man.

"Say hello to your son and daughter, Remus," she said softly. Remus blinked at her once more.

"What?" he breathed. Andromeda's smile increased as she undid the carry-crib to reveal two sleeping bodies lying next to each other.

"Twins?" he asked unnecessarily in shock. Andromeda nodded and moved to pick up one of the children.

"This is Jake," she announced, and passed the bundle over to Remus. He took a step back and the grandmother gave a light laugh.

"Don't be shy Remus." Reluctantly, the man took his sleeping son. He had fine, blonde brown hair, and his eyes remained shut, though Remus secretly hoped that they were blue like his own. He looked down at him, sleeping soundly in his arms and felt a lump form in his throat. A major part of him wanted to grieve terribly for the death of his best friend, his lover, but he was overwhelmed by the happiness of meeting his infant child…children, for the first time. Andromeda now held the other child in her arms.

"The girl…what's her name?" Remus asked. Andromeda smiled down at her granddaughter.

"Tilly-Fay. I wasn't keen on it at first, I have to admit, but it's grown on me…Then again, I've always loved the name Nymphadora." The woman gave a laugh, which sounded more like a choke. She blinked away tears. "Yes, she'll be like her mother this one," she said with a smile, though her tone was cheerless. Remus nodded, agreeing with her. Tilly-Fay had the same heart-shaped face and button nose. She was pale, and had a head of full, black hair. Her eyes were open, and she was staring in her father's direction. Grey eyes, not like her mother.

"They're our Riu's eyes," Andromeda told him, reading his mind. The woman gave a wince of sorrow, and Remus knew that she had yet to fully grieve for her cousin, and now to have lost her daughter as well…Remus knew exactly how she felt. Jake began to gurgle and Remus looked down to notice that he was awake. Pale blue eyes looked back up at him and Remus' heart gave a leap of joy.

"Hey there Little Man," he whispered. The sudden thought occurred to him. He looked up to Andromeda.

"Dora and I would debate whether it would be a boy or a girl…I guess we both got our wish," he told her.

"Yes, that's exactly what she told me," the woman said lightly. "She…she also wanted you to know that the children have your name. It was her decision," she added, and Remus felt himself frown. From the sound of it, Andromeda had wanted his twins to be Tonks. He was thankful for Dora's decision, however and Remus decided to let it go.

"Did she…did she get to spend time with them before she …" he trailed off. Andromeda nodded.

"Oh yes, though not nearly enough," Andromeda said bitterly. Remus chewed his lip and then nodded to himself.

"How did she die?" he asked quietly. Andromeda place Tilly-Fay back into her bed and took a seat. Remus did the same, though he held Jake even tighter for comfort.

"The birth went well, as well as can be expected anyway. Bang on the due date and in a Muggle hospital as well, she wasn't so pleased about that, you know Dory–" She stopped abruptly and took a deep breath, banishing the new wave of emotions in order for her to continue. "She had to go with the caesarean option in the end. It was rather a shock to us all when she found out there were two," she gave a small laugh.

"You're telling me!" Remus murmured.

"Anyway, she named them…without my help, she insisted, and spent the next few days holding them and crying to herself. She wanted so much for you to be there Remus, she really did." Remus clenched his jaw, feeling as though Andromeda was almost demeaning him. He held his tongue and let her continue.

"She was fine at first…tired but that's to be expected. Then she began to get stomach cramps and … it turns out there had been complications."

"What sort of complications?"

"An infection. They began to treat it, but it was too late for her… She died three days later," she ended in a whisper. Remus looked back down to Jake, who had fallen back to sleep in his arms. He felt so many emotions at that moment; he didn't even think it was possible. His heart had broken, but he knew he had to stay strong for his children.

"She should have come back," he said through clenched teeth. "If she had come home when we had planned then she could have gone to St Mungo's. They would have cared for her…she would still be here if only she had come home! Why didn't she come home?" He was almost shouting now, terrified of waking the twins but feeling the need to let out at least one of his pent-up emotions.

"I told her to stay with us. It wasn't safe for her here. She needed to be with us, her family!" Andromeda snapped. Remus glared at her.

"We are her family; Harry, Hermione and I. We've spent her entire pregnancy by her side. We helped her through the most difficult time in her life. And then you, her mother who ran away when she needed her the most, decided that it was best for her to stay!" he screamed at her. Jake began to whimper. Andromeda stared at him. She went to take the baby from him and Remus moved back slightly. "Don't you dare," he whispered menacingly. She cowered back into her chair, defeated. Remus shushed his crying son, wishing that he didn't feel so angry inside. His children would never know their mother because of Andromeda, why shouldn't he hate her? Why shouldn't he? It was easier to hate her than to hate himself.

"You know Remus, if I recall correctly, you were the one that sent her away," Andromeda said curtly. He glared at her.

"And how I wish I hadn't!" he snapped in reply. From the carry-crib, Tilly-Fay began to gurgle quietly. Remus took a few deep breaths. "I think you should leave," he said flatly. Andromeda nodded her agreement and rose abruptly.

"The children…they stay with me," Remus told her. She stared at him. "Andromeda, they are my children, they are staying with me," he repeated firmly, trying very hard to keep the level of his voice down. The woman licked her lips. She was shaking slightly.

"I am in the country for a month only," she told him. "I'm finalising the selling of our house, and Ted's business. Then I shall return to Canada for good…with the twins." She gave a firm nod to emphasise the fact. Remus shook his head, holding Jake tighter as if the woman were trying to pull the sleeping babe from his arms as they spoke.

"Remus," she hissed in frustration. "They belong in Canada, with their family."

"Muggles?" he scoffed. "I'm their family! They're Lupin remember? I'm sorry Andromeda, but they are staying here."

"What? You'll raise them single-handedly–"

"I have family too," he interjected heatedly.

"In this dive? You can't do that to them Remus, you can't! I know what it's like; I was raised in this hell…a Black! No child deserves that," she mumbled emotionally. Remus felt a pang of guilt and then chided himself for it. No, these were his children, his last link to his Dora. And he would fight for them like he had for her.

"For now, they will stay here," Remus said wearily. Andromeda's face flicked with a hint of argument, and then she sighed.

"Very well, but I will be checking up on them," she said as she moved to the stairs. You mean me, Remus thought bitterly.

"Look after them, Remus," she said quietly. "I'll see myself out."

And with that she was gone, leaving him to confront both his sorrow and his joy.