A/N: Sorry, guys, but this is a sad one, too. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

I don't own Harry Potter.

The Strength to Fight

Your little body's slowly breaking down
You're losing speed,
You're losing strength – not style
That goes on flourishing forever
But your eyes,
Your smile,
Do not have the sparkle of your fantastic past
If you climb one more mountain,
It could be your last
- Your Little Body's Slowly Breaking Down, Jonathan Price, Evita

Remus walked onto the top step that led down to the basement, and pulled the door shut behind him. He took out his wand and began the litany of locking charms that had become second nature to him. They were necessary to keep him in the basement during the full moon, and, therefore, to keep his house intact.

Once the door was securely barred, he began to walk down the steps. The sounds of his friends' voices drifted up to him, reassuring him that life as normal would continue – at least for the time being. James, Sirius and Peter always Apparated straight into the basement when they came for his transformations. They said that there was no point in starting in the house, as Laura was generally gone by the time they got there and Remus always made his way down to the basement. They called it efficient time management; Remus called it laziness.

"She said something about how she loved me, but she couldn't be with me if I didn't love her," Sirius was saying.

"You told her that you didn't love her, then?" Peter asked in surprise.

"Not in so many words, no," Sirius said, his voice betraying that he was uncomfortable.

"Then what made her think that?" James asked.

"Well, we were snogging, and I swear I meant to say Rebecca . . ."

"You didn't," James laughed.

"I called her Olivia," Sirius admitted.

"So, it's over then?" James asked as Remus reached their usual starting point in the basement.

"Yeah," Sirius said, running his hands over his face. "I guess calling her Olivia wasn't the best course of action."

"Probably not," Peter laughed.

"How can you laugh in the face of my pain?" Sirius asked. His eyes lit up as he saw Remus. "Tell these two not to be so insensitive, Remus."

"What are you talking about?" Remus asked wearily. Despite having heard the words of their conversation as he approached, he had not put his mind to understanding or remembering a single one.

"Rebecca broke up with Sirius because he called her Olivia when he was snogging her," Peter said. "Well, that's the abridged version, at any rate."

Sirius and Rebecca. He should have known.

"Can you believe it?" James grinned. "The whole situation is ridiculous, if you ask me."

"Any words in my defense, Moony?" Sirius asked.

"You didn't love her," Remus said harshly. "You've spent months trying to decide if you wanted to be with her or Olivia. She's made your decision for you. Now you don't have to worry about it anymore."

Sirius's eyes widened in shock at his friend's reply. "All right, Moony, out with it. You're never so harsh. What's wrong?"

"I think you're being ridiculous to be this upset over a girl that you didn't even love!" Remus yelled, letting his emotions tumble out with his words. He knew that he was taking everything that had happened with Laura out on Sirius, but he didn't care. Now that he had begun, he couldn't stop the flow of words.

"You didn't love her, Sirius! She was just a toy to you – someone to play with until you realized that you really love Olivia, and that you should be on your knees begging her to take you back before it's too late! You love Olivia! For God's sake, Sirius, don't let her get away from you like this! You love her! You love her!"

"Moony," Sirius said slowly.

Tears gathered in Remus's eyes as the real reason for his tirade came to the surface. "Laura's sick," he said brokenly.

"What's wrong with her?" James asked softly.

"She has a heart condition," Remus said. "Her doctor doesn't know what to do – she has to see a specialist –"

His words stopped as he began to sob. All three of his friends stepped forward to comfort him, only to stop short as his body began to shake. As the sound of snapping limbs reached their ears, James, Sirius and Peter all transformed, ready to begin the longest night of their careers as Animagi.

Lily, who had been sitting at the kitchen table reading her mail, jumped as her fireplace sprung to life. She looked over in surprise as Laura appeared. She gave Lily a smile.

"Hey, Lils."

"Laura? You Flooed over?"

Laura nodded as she stepped out of the hearth, brushing soot off her robes and bag. "I couldn't Apparate."

"What's wrong?" Lily asked, instantly concerned. She took out her wand, and pointed it at Laura. "Scourgify!"

"Thanks," Laura smiled.

"No problem," Lily replied. She looked critically at Laura, trying to guess what could have happened to make her so upset. "Do you want a cup of tea?"

"Sure."

Lily nodded, and began throwing spells around the kitchen until she had two steaming cups of tea on the table. She motioned Laura to a chair, and sat down across from her.

"Now," she said softly, "are you ready to tell me what had you too upset to Apparate? You and Remus didn't have a fight, did you?"

"No," Laura said quickly, "no, Remus and I are fine – well, our relationship is, at any rate." She looked rather uncomfortable as she finished her statement.

"What's going on, Laura?" Lily asked gently.

Laura drew a deep breath, and cupped her hands around her teacup. She looked down into it for a moment, watching the steam rise from the hot liquid. When she looked up again, tears stood in her eyes.

"Remus convinced me to go to my doctor today."

"Good," Lily said, relief evident in her eyes. "I knew you weren't feeling well even before James and I left for the Canaries. I thought you'd get better on your own, but . . ." She trailed off. "What did the doctor say?"

"I have a heart problem," she whispered. A tear slid down her cheek, splashing into her tea.

"What?" Lily whispered, the color draining from her face. "You're going to be all right, aren't you?"

Laura shook her head. "I don't know yet. My doctor said that he can't help me. I have to go see a cardiologist."

"What about a Healer?" Lily offered, trying her best to remain calm. Laura had to exhaust all her options before they started to panic. "Have you been to St. Mungo's?"

"Remus's dad came over to examine me earlier. He said there's nothing he can do for me, either. He said something about Healing Arts sacrificing Muggle aliments to find cures for magical ones."

Lily closed her eyes, and opened them again. "But the cardiologist will be able to help you, right?" she asked almost desperately.

"I hope so," Laura whispered. Her face crumpled as she fought back the sobs that wanted to escape. "I'm scared, Lily. I'm so scared."

Lily abandoned her chair and went around the table to pull Laura into a tight embrace. Laura clung to her, each woman giving up the battle for composure as they cried together.

When they discussed that night later, James, Sirius and Peter agreed that they had never seen Remus so fierce. Even the first full moon after Sirius had told Snape how to find Remus in werewolf form had nothing on this night.

As soon as the transformation was complete, it was obvious that the werewolf was angry – angry and frightened. Without any other outlet for his emotions, he began attacking his friends physically as Remus had attacked Sirius verbally only moments before. James and Sirius began fighting back together, only to realize how quickly they became exhausted. They had never had to expend so much energy to keep the werewolf in check.

After several rounds of battle, they began taking turns fighting with him. James went first, allowing the werewolf to throw himself at him. He attacked again and again, while James fought back, trying to protect his face from angry claws and teeth. He used his antlers to push his friend back, trying to wear him down so that it would be easier for Sirius to battle him.

Realizing that James was exhausted, Sirius jumped into the fray. James backed away as Sirius and the werewolf began the typical battle of two dogs. Peter rushed onto the floor, trying to distract the werewolf as best he could.

After only several rounds of battle, all three Animagi were exhausted. Would this night never end?

There was something therapeutic in tears. Both Lily and Laura emerged from their crying spasm feeling somehow calmer. They wiped their faces as they made their way back to their chairs. They were silent for a few moments, each sipping her tea in an effort to bring herself back to complete calm.

"You're going to be fine," Lily said soothingly. "I know it. There's no way anything awful could happen to you. You're too good a person, Laura. You don't deserve this."

Laura smiled sadly. "Bad things happen to good people, Lily. You should know that. Look at the kids you're covering for the Prophet."

Lily shuddered. "We're fighting to help those kids the same way that your cardiologist will fight to help you. The children will be safe in the end, and you're going to be fine, too." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Have you made an appointment with a cardiologist yet?"

Laura shook her head. "I just found out about this today. I have a list of cardiologists at home, but I've barely looked at it. I think Remus has spent more time reading over it than I have."

"So you haven't picked one yet?"

"No, not yet. Why?"

"Well, James's best friend from when he was little, Danny, was studying to be a cardiologist," Lily said slowly. "Maybe he'll be able to help you."

"Is he a wizard?"

"No, a Muggle. He and James went to primary school together. I think he's worth a try."

Laura nodded. "At this point, I'll try anything."

Lily nodded. "I'll talk to James tomorrow. I'm sure we can find a way to get in touch with him."

"Thanks, Lily."

Lily smiled, and touched her hand. "Laura, we're not going to let anything happen to you. Remus, me, James, Sirius, everyone – we all love you too much to let you go. We're not giving up without a fight."

"Neither am I," Laura said with a weak smile.

Lily frowned. "You don't have much confidence."

Laura sighed. "I don't know what to think, Lily. Ever since I was eleven, I've gotten used to the idea that magic will fix anything. I mean, look at Remus. He's suffered with this terrible werewolf issue for years, but through magic, his friends became Animagi to help him. They were able to ease his pain, to make his transformations bearable. Those children that Sirius and Olivia found were in terrible shape, but the Healers fixed them so that you would never know anything happened to them – and then Sirius and Olivia modified their memories so that the kids themselves will never remember it. I've seen Healers take people from the brink of death and give them back their lives on the battlefield. But now that it's me, magic can't help."

"Magic can't fix everything," Lily said softly. "Magic couldn't save my parents. It couldn't save James's father. It couldn't save Kathleen." She reached across the table with both hands to take Laura's in hers. "But think of all the advances in Muggle medicine. Think of all they can do now to make people whole again. The wizarding world is a different way of life, Laura, not necessarily a better one. We have to remember our roots, and to have faith in the system that we relied on for eleven years."

Laura nodded. "I've always trusted Muggle doctors."

"Then prove it," Lily said urgently. "Put your hope and faith in them now. Let them make you well again."

As the first rays of sunlight fell across the basement floor, they illuminated the bruised and battered bodies of a werewolf, a stag, a dog and a rat. All four animals had finally succumbed to their exhaustion an hour before dawn, each dropping onto the floor to steal a few moments of rest. Now, as the sun signaled the end of the long night, the werewolf's bones began to break as his body reformed into that of Remus.

The sounds of snapping limbs awoke his friends, who transformed back into their own human forms. They looked at one another, wincing at the bruises on each other's bodies.

"That was a tough one," Peter said, experimentally stretching his arms over his head. He winced in pain, and brought them back down to his sides, adjusting his sleeves to fall to his wrists.

"Remind me never to transform with Remus again when he's just been through emotional trauma," Sirius said, touching an open sore on his back. "Ouch. Peter, can you heal that for me?"

Peter nodded, and took out his wand to fix his friend's back. James looked at them for a moment, then looked down at Remus's still form.

"You don't think we killed him, do you?" he asked a bit fearfully.

"No," Sirius said. "We're smarter than that. We know when to stop."

"It's just – he's not moving."

As if to declare James a liar, Remus shifted slightly, groaning as the movement brought pain to his body. James stepped forward, taking out his wand to begin healing the wounds on his friend's body.

"He's going to need some of that salve his dad brought over last month," he commented as he checked Remus over.

Peter nodded. "I'll go get it." He disappeared up the stairs to retrieve the jar of salve from the bathroom.

"How is he?" Sirius asked, looking at James and Remus.

"He'll make it," James said. He sat back on his heels, and looked at Sirius, running his hand through his hair. "Shit, Sirius. What do you think is wrong with Laura?"

"Remus said she has a heart condition," Sirius said. He ran his hands over his face. "I can't believe I was upset about Rebecca breaking up with me. Remus is right – he loves Laura far more than I ever cared about Rebecca."

"And Olivia?" James asked quietly.

Sirius shook his head, but did not give any other response to James's question. "What does that mean? That she has a heart condition?"

"I don't know." James sat down fully on the floor. "Do you think she'll be all right?"

"Yes," Sirius said confidently. "She has to be. She and Remus were meant to be together. I don't know if he'll be able to go on without her."

"That's pretty morbid, Sirius."

"Well, it's true. Don't you remember what it was like when they broke up seventh year? 'Heartbroken' almost isn't strong enough to describe how Remus felt. I can't imagine what he'd do if he had to live without her forever."

James shook his head slowly. "He has us. We'd help him deal with it."

"Grief changes people, James," Sirius said slowly. "We can't predict what will happen."

"We don't have to," James said. "You said it yourself. Laura will be fine."

Peter came back down the stairs with the salve in hand. "Of course she will," he said, having heard James's last comment. "Remus's dad is a Healer. He'll be able to fix whatever problem she has."

James brightened. "I never thought of that!"

"See?" Sirius said. "It's like I said – she'll be fine."

When Laura arrived home again, James, Sirius and Peter had levitated Remus up to bed. She smiled to see the three of them sitting in the bedroom with him, waiting for him to awake, as they did every month.

"Hi, guys," she smiled.

"Laura," Sirius said, getting up to give her a hug, "how are you feeling?"

Her face changed. "Remus told you, didn't he?"

"Sort of," James admitted. "All he said was that you have a heart condition, and then the transformation started."

Laura nodded. "Well, that's about all we know at this point."

"Have you been to see a Healer?" Sirius asked.

Laura nodded. "There's nothing they can do," she said, biting her lower lip.

Recognizing that she didn't want to talk about it, James nodded. "Have you told anyone else?"

"We told our parents yesterday," she said, "and I told Lily last night." She paused, and looked at them. "If you guys see Olivia and Dana, would you tell them? I'm just not really up to going through all this again."

"Of course," James nodded. He gave Sirius and Peter a meaningful look. "We'll just leave you alone with Remus. If you need anything, you know where to find us."

She nodded, giving him a grateful smile. "Thank you – for everything."

"You're welcome."

With parting kisses for Laura, all three young men Disapparated. Laura heaved a sigh of relief. As much as she loved them, and as much as she now thought of them as her friends rather than just Remus's, she was glad to see them go. She didn't want to have to pretend to be fine anymore.

She looked over at the sleeping form of her husband. Even though his friends had done all they could to heal his bruises and wounds, the evidence was still there. She bit her lip again to stop its shaking. She had never seen him so scarred from a full moon. She was sure that the news of her heart condition had had quite a bit to do with it.

Wiping unbidden tears from her eyes, she crossed the room to lie down next to him. She slipped underneath the covers, and cuddled close to him, putting her arms around him. She knew that he was too deep into the transformation-induced sleep to realize that she was there, but she desperately needed to feel close to him.

As she put her head down on his chest, he reached his arm around her, holding her close. She looked up at him in shock, thinking that she had woken him with her movements, but he was clearly still in a deep sleep. Maybe it was some instinct that made him touch her. Or, maybe he needed to feel close to her as much as she needed to feel close to him.

James was exhausted as he Apparated into his kitchen. Lily, who was at the stove making breakfast, jumped.

"Home so early?" she asked lightly.

James nodded, and crossed the kitchen in two strides to pull her close. Realizing that he, too, knew about Laura, Lily clung to him as he crushed her against him. Tears welled up in her eyes as all the fears she had tried to bury came crashing in around her.

"I can't believe it," James said hoarsely. "How could this have happened?"

"I don't know," Lily said, her own voice muffled by repressed tears. "Laura's too good a person – she doesn't deserve this."

"Bad things happen to everyone," James said softly.

"I know that," Lily whispered, thinking of her conversation with Laura the night before. She pulled away from him enough to look into his eyes. "How much did Remus tell you?"

"Just that she has a heart condition and that she as to see a specialist," James replied. "After he got that out, the transformation started, so the conversation had to end. And when Laura got home this morning, she clearly didn't want to talk about it."

Lily nodded. "We talked about it a bit last night."

"Did she tell you any more than what Remus told us?"

"They don't know much yet," Lily said. "I don't think they'll find anything out until they talk to the specialist."

The smell of burning eggs reached them, and Lily jumped. She grabbed her wand, using it to vanish the burned eggs and to clean the pan.

"Did you want something to eat?" she asked.

James sat down at the table and shook his head. "Last night was the worst night I've had in . . . well, ever. I don't think I can stomach anything right now."

Lily crossed to brush his hair back from his face. "You're a good friend, James, to do this for Remus."

"He'd do the same for me," James replied simply. "Remus, Sirius, and Peter are my best friends. Without them, I don't know where I'd be right now. I know that they'd sacrifice everything for me, just like I would for them."

Lily smiled. "You know, one of the first things that made me fall in love with you was watching you with your friends. The bonds you four have just amazed me. I thought that if you could be like that with your friends – so devoted, so self-sacrificing – then you weren't just the class clown that you always acted like for the rest of the world."

James smiled. "I'll have to thank my friends, then."

"I'm not saying I fell in love with you just because of them," she said. "I'm just so glad that I got to meet this James Potter. And I'm so glad that you finally made this the face that you show to the world."

James grinned. "If it won me your love, then I'm glad, too." He put his arms around her waist, and pulled her down onto his lap. He kissed her cheek as she threaded her fingers through his hair. "Are you all right? About Laura and everything that's happened?"

"I suppose," she said, her fingers still moving through his hair. "I'm scared for her, James."

"I know," James sighed. "I'm scared for Remus, too. I can't imagine what would happen to him if –"

"Stop," Lily whispered. "Don't even say it."

James nodded. "She'll see the specialist, and everything will be fine."

"The specialist!" Lily exclaimed. "James, we need to talk to Danny."

"Danny?"

"Yes, Danny! Don't you remember? He said he's training to be a cardiologist! Maybe he can help Laura!"

James's eyes widened. "I didn't even think of him!"

"Do you think he can help her?"

"If anyone can, it's him. Danny was always at the top of our classes in primary school. He's incredibly clever." He grinned. "We'll talk to him. I'm sure he can help Laura."

"Good," Lily said, snuggling up against him.

James grinned, and pulled her closer. He ran his hand over her side, letting it rest on her expanded stomach. "Anything's possible, Lil," he said softly. "If we managed to get over all our differences from when we were little kids, to fall in love, to get married and to have a baby together, there's nothing that's impossible. Laura will be fine."

Lily smiled, and put her hand over his. "Miracles happen everyday."

Upon further discussion, James and Lily agreed that it would be best to meet with Danny in person to talk with him about Laura. James called him to finalize the details. Like Laura, Lily had insisted that they install a telephone in their house. As much as she adored and embraced the wizarding world, there were some things about her past that she could not give up.

"We're meeting tonight for coffee," James informed Lily as he hung up the phone. "I told him we'd both be there, and that we wanted to discuss a friend who's ill."

"Was he all right with that? He doesn't feel like we're using him for his professional skills?"

James grinned. "Danny's practically family, Lil. That's like saying Sirius would think we're using him for his professional skills."

Lily grinned. "Sirius has professional skills?"

James laughed. "Speaking of, I have news about Sirius – and I should really stop laughing before I tell you."

"What happened?" Lily asked, steeling herself for another tragedy.

"Rebecca broke up with him."

"What? Why?"

James laughed again. "Apparently, he called her Olivia when he was snogging her."

"What?" Lily cried. "James, that's not funny! Stop laughing!"

"It is funny!" James exclaimed.

Lily shook her head. "I think it's sad."

"Sad? As in pathetic?"

"No, as in that he's denying his feelings."

James shook his head. "We can't get involved, Lil. He and Olivia have to sort this out on their own – and, as far as we know, she's still with Greg."

Lily shook her head. "Maybe someday they'll come around."

"Or maybe they won't," James replied. He shrugged. "Maybe they're not meant to be."

"Do you honestly believe that?"

He shrugged. "Who am I to question fate? Let's worry about Laura right now – I think we can actually make a difference for her."

Sirius had never been so grateful to have an afternoon shift. When he got home from Remus and Laura's house, he went straight to his bedroom, and dropped into bed. He spent the morning sleeping in an attempt to get over the difficult experience of the night before.

When he finally woke up, he still felt terrible. The knowledge that Laura was sick – and that he would have to be the one to bring the news to Olivia – weighed on him. Trying to put himself in a more work-oriented mood, he took a long shower, then dressed in his Auror robes and Disapparated.

Upon arrival at the Auror department, Sirius went straight toward Olivia's office. He knew that she had worked the morning shift; they only had about an hour's overlap before she would be gone. He had to tell her today. If he didn't, it would just become too difficult.

He knocked on the office door, and heard a call to enter. He opened the door, and walked in slowly.

Olivia, who was seated at her desk, looked up with a smile. "Hi, Sirius," she said cheerfully. "I'm glad you came in. I wanted to tell you that you put together a fantastic party. Greg and I . . ." Her voice trailed off at the look on his face. She felt the color drain from her face at his somber expression. "What's happened?" she asked fearfully.

Sirius crossed to kneel down next to her, and took her hands in his. "I have some news," he said carefully. "It's not good, but it's not tragic yet, either, so just . . . just be prepared."

Olivia nodded silently, clutching his hands in hers. She had not seen Sirius this upset since Mr. Potter's death. The look in his eyes had her terrified.

"I was over at Remus and Laura's last night," he began.

Olivia nodded again. Of course he had been; he, James and Peter always joined Remus for the full moon.

"They – they had just been to see the doctor," Sirius continued. "You know, Laura hasn't been well recently, so they wanted to have her checked out – and the doctor told them that she has a heart condition."

"What?" Olivia gasped. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know," Sirius said honestly. "But I do know that Remus is terrified, and that Laura seems sort of lost. They have to go see a specialist – I don't remember what the name is, but it's someone who just works with heart conditions."

Olivia's eyes filled with tears. "Laura will be okay, won't she?"

"I don't know," Sirius said again. "I hope so."

As the severity of it hit her, Olivia began to cry, burying her face in her hands. She sobbed without words, unable to find any other way to articulate her fear.

Sirius looked at her awkwardly for a moment, then did the only thing that seemed right: he pulled her down onto the floor, into a comforting embrace. She clung to him as she sobbed, letting all her fear run out with the tears. Despite the fact that they were both terrified, despite the fact that all they could concentrate on was their sorrow, they both knew that this – comforting one another, holding one another – felt right.

They stayed like that for a long time, until a knock sounded on the door. Olivia raised her head from its position pillowed on Sirius's shoulder.

"Come in," she said in a raspy voice.

The door opened, and Greg walked in. He looked around the office in confusion for a moment until his eyes fell on Olivia and Sirius holding each other on the floor.

"Everything all right?" he asked with a frown.

Olivia jumped up, and ran into his arms. "My friend is sick," she managed to gasp out before the tears began again.

Greg pulled her close, and looked at Sirius over Olivia's head.

"We just found out that one of our friends has a heart problem," Sirius said. "At this point, we don't know much. We're pretty worried about her."

"Of course," Greg said, pulling Olivia even closer.

Sirius looked at them awkwardly for a moment. "Well, I'll just be going, then. Take care, Liv."

He walked out closing the door softly behind him. He had made it halfway down the hall before he heard her call.

"Sirius, wait!"

He turned and saw Olivia coming toward him. Even with her eyes bloodshot and swollen, and her face splotchy from crying, Sirius was sure that she was the prettiest girl – woman – he had ever seen. He fought back his feelings, and waited for her to catch up to him.

"Thank you," she said softly when she reached him. "Thank you for finding me and for telling me about Laura. Thank you for staying with me."

"I couldn't leave you alone," he said.

"You could have," Olivia replied. "But you didn't – and I just – thank you."

She stood up on tiptoe, and kissed his cheek. Then, a flush coming over her cheeks, she turned and hurried back to her office, leaving Sirius to stand alone and watch her run away.

James and Lily walked into the café that Danny had suggested five minutes before the appointed time. He was already there, sitting at a table in a secluded corner. His face lit up with a smile when he saw them coming.

"Hi, guys!" he greeted them. He stood up to shake James's hand and hug Lily. "Look at you!" he exclaimed, holding her hands out from her body. "You look so much different than the last time I saw you! When are you due?"

"The first week of August," Lily grinned.

Danny shook his head. "I don't think you're going to make it that long."

"Oh, no," Lily laughed. "Don't go giving this baby any ideas! She's going to be right on time – maybe even a few days late. Mummy and Daddy need all that time to get ready for her."

Danny grinned. "All right, then, if that's what you say."

They all sat down, and a waitress appeared to take their order. After ordering their drinks, Danny grinned at them.

"So, how have you two been?" he asked. "I talked to your mum, James, awhile back, and she said you were off on a vacation in Spain."

James nodded with a grin. "It was a belated first anniversary celebration. We went to the Canary Islands."

"How was it?" Danny asked, his voice carrying a hint of envy. "I'd love to go – I've heard the islands are amazing."

"They are," James affirmed. "They're absolutely beautiful. And I really needed the time away to give myself a chance to deal with everything that had happened – losing my dad and all."

Danny nodded sympathetically. "You know, I still can't believe it myself. Things like that – a car accident – are the worst. You just don't see them coming, and all you're left to do is to deal with it."

James nodded. "That was exactly my problem – I wasn't dealing with it."

Danny nodded again as the waitress reappeared with their drinks. Once she was gone, they all took experimental sips.

"Now," Danny said, looking at them evenly, "you had something medical that you wanted to discuss?"

"Yes," James said. "Our friend was just diagnosed yesterday with a heart problem. Her family doctor told her that she needs to see a specialist. When she started talking about it, you were the first person who came to mind for Lily – she thought there might be some way you could help her."

"Well, heart problems are my specialty," Danny said slowly. "Did she say what was wrong, exactly?"

Lily shook her head. "She just said that her doctor couldn't help her, and that she had to see a cardiologist."

"I talked to her husband, and got even less than Lily did," James added.

Danny nodded. "Sometimes it can be harder for the spouses to talk about these conditions than the people who actually have them."

"She's been ill for awhile," Lily said. "She finally agreed to go to the doctor yesterday, and he told her to see a specialist as quickly as she can."

Danny nodded. "All right. I'll get her in."

"Just like that?" James asked, exchanging a shocked smile with Lily.

Danny grinned. "Just like that. The doctor I'm currently interning with, Steve Hayward, is one of the best in the country when it comes to cardiologists. I'm sure he'll be able to help your friend."

"Will it be a problem to get her an appointment?" Lily asked. "If he's that good, his schedule must be quite full."

"It is," Danny conceded. "But I'll find a way to make it happen. Give me your friend's number. I'll straighten everything out."

The next day, Danny called Laura to set up an appointment. By the end of the week, she and Remus were journeying to yet another doctor's office. Laura pulled into a parking space, and turned off the car. She held her hand over the keys for a moment, trying to collect herself before she got out of the car.

"Are you ready for this?" Remus asked.

"I never dreamed that it would happen so fast," Laura said softly. "Even when Lily told me that James had a friend in cardiology, I assumed we'd have to wait a month to get an appointment. I'm not really ready yet, I guess."

"You have about five minutes," Remus smiled, glancing at his watch.

Laura gave him a look that bordered on annoyance. "I need about a month."

Remus reached out to touch her cheek. "This is for the best, love. You need to get in to see the specialist soon so that you can begin treatment. The quicker you start fighting this, the quicker you'll be better." He ran his hand down her neck and over her chest, letting it come to rest on her stomach. "And the sooner you're better, the sooner we can start trying for a baby again."

Laura looked up at him with a smile. "I guess you're right."

"Of course I am." He pulled his hand back, and unbuckled his seat belt. "Come on. Let's go inside."

The office waiting room was very nice – nicer than the one at Laura's doctor's office. It was also far less crowded. Somehow, that had a calming affect on her. It was as if they didn't schedule as many patients so that they would have more time to devote to each individual.

Laura walked to the desk to sign in, while Remus took a seat. The nurse smiled at her as she approached.

"Good morning," she said pleasantly. "Can I help you?"

"I'm Laura Lupin," she said. "I have an appointment at ten."

"Of course," the nurse replied. She took out a clipboard and pen. "We'll just need you to fill these out while you're waiting for Dr. Hayward."

Laura took the clipboard, and sat down next to Remus. She was still filling out the form when the office door opened, and a tall young man came out.

"Laura Lupin?" he asked.

She stood quickly, nearly dropping her clipboard. He grinned as he saw her.

"Just stay there," he said, crossing the room to join her. "I'm Danny, James's friend."

"Oh, hi," Laura smiled. "I'm Laura, and this is my husband, Remus."

Danny shook both their hands. "It's great to meet you both. I wish it had been on happier terms, but regardless, it's nice to meet some of James's friends. Sometimes I think he's trying to hide all of you from me!"

Laura grinned. "No, we're just all busy people."

"Of course." Danny looked down at the clipboard Laura was holding. "I just wanted to come out to tell you what's going to happen before you get started with the doctor."

"Oh, that would be great."

He nodded, and smiled. "First he's going to talk to you. You'll go over your medical history, and over your current symptoms. Then he'll start a physical exam, followed by tests. We'll definitely do blood tests today, and probably use some of the machines to get some readings. Any tests that we have immediate feedback on, we'll go over with you today. Other than that, we'll make another appointment to go over the rest of your results."

"What about beginning treatment?" Remus asked.

Danny nodded. "We may touch on that today, depending on what we find. But the majority of that will be discussed during your next appointment."

"All right," Laura said, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

"Don't worry," Danny said, correctly reading the expression on her face. "Dr. Hayward is a fantastic cardiologist – one of the best England has to offer. And I'll make sure he takes special care of you, since you're friends of James and Lily."

Laura finally began to relax. Somehow, Danny had managed to make her feel at ease. She knew that regardless of how she would fee about Dr. Hayward after she met him, she trusted this young man in front of her to do the right thing regarding her health.

Their time with the doctor flowed exactly as Danny had said that it would. They discussed her medical history, he examined her, and he ran more tests than she thought were possible in one day. At the end of it all, he smiled.

"Well, at least that part is over," he said. "We'll know more once we get your tests results next week. Until then, I'm going to give you a prescription that I want you to start on. This will even out your blood pressure, which should help your heart rhythm." He handed Laura a slip of paper with her prescription written on it. "On your way out, make an appointment for ten days from now so that we can go over your test results, all right?"

"Sure," Laura said. "Thanks, Dr. Hayward."

"You're welcome. I'll see you in ten days."

Laura looked at Remus as the office door closed behind the doctor. "Well, that wasn't so awful. I like him."

Remus nodded. "As long as you like him, I'm happy."

"You didn't like him?"

"I just wish he had told us more today."

Laura shook her head. "You can't expect instant test results. This is the Muggle world, Remus. Things work differently here."

Remus sighed. "I know. Ten days just seems like a long time to wait."

But the ten days passed quickly. Before it seemed possible, they were back in Dr. Hayward's office, waiting to see him again. This time it was different. Danny came out to greet them, and took them back into the doctor's personal office. They sat down in front of his desk while Danny went to get the doctor himself. Remus's eyes caressed the titles of the nearly hundreds of books that lined the shelves. He would love to read them, to learn more about what was wrong with Laura.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting," Dr. Hayward said as he came into the office, Laura's file in his hands. "I got caught up with a patient."

"That's fine," Laura said.

The doctor sat down behind his desk. Danny, who had come in with him, sat down a little apart from the group.

"Right," the doctor said, opening Laura's file. "I have the results of all the tests we ran on you."

"And?" Laura asked.

Dr. Hayward looked at her with kind compassion, and a bit of sorrow. "It doesn't look good, Laura."

Laura reached for Remus, who took her hand in his, putting almost crushing pressure on it. She was so shocked by that one sentence that she barely noticed that Remus was all but breaking the bones in her hand.

"What does that mean?" Remus managed to ask.

"Laura's heart is in bad condition," Dr. Hayward said. "From the looks of it, I'd say you've had this problem for years without symptoms. Things such as this don't always show themselves until the last possible moment."

The last possible moment. The words seemed to reverberate in the air around them, carrying an ominous death sentence.

"Are you saying there's nothing you can do for her?" Remus asked, swallowing hard.

"No, not at all," Dr. Hayward said. "I'm saying that it's going to be a difficult battle. But we're going to fight it – and we're going to do everything in our power to win."

"What do we need to do?"

"We're going to start you on an aggressive regime of medications," Dr. Hayward said, pulling out his pad to write several prescriptions. "These medications should provide immediate relief, and should begin to fix the problem. It'll be about six months before we know for sure if they've helped."

"What happens then?"

"We reevaluate. If there's been improvement, we continue on this course. If not, we discuss our options."

"Which will be?"

"More medications, surgery . . .It all depends on how Laura responds to the medications."

Laura nodded. "So you think I'll be all right?"

He smiled. "I'm not a fortuneteller, Laura. But, if I have anything to say about it, you'll be fine."

She drew a shaky breath. "I'll be fine," she whispered.

"Yes," Dr. Hayward said. "Now, Danny, as you know, is my intern. He's taken special interest in your case, and, if you have no objections, would like to be a part of your medical process. If that's a problem, I can give him another case to work on, but if you agree, he'd like to assist me with your treatment."

"That's fine," Laura said quickly. Somehow just knowing that Danny would be helping made her feel better.

"Good," Dr. Hayward said. "Do you have any other questions right now?"

"No – nothing now – "

Dr. Hayward smiled. "You're young, Laura, and you're strong. If anyone can beat this, you can."

Laura smiled faintly. "I hope so."

Danny shook his head. "No, Laura, have some certainty. You can do this."

She smiled again. "Of course I can."

Oh, God, she prayed silently, give me the strength to beat this. Give me the strength to fight it. Give me the strength to live.

Laura felt completely numb as she and Remus walked back to the car. Remus looked at her unfocussed eyes, knowing that she would never even find the car without his direction, let alone get them home safely.

"Can I have the keys?" he asked softly.

Laura handed them over without protest. Remus looked around for a moment, then took out his wand. Certain that they were alone, he tapped the keys, which glowed faintly purple for a moment.

"Here you go," he said, handing them back.

Laura reached out for the keys. In the second that her hand touched them, they turned into the Portkey that took her and Remus home.

She looked at him with faint annoyance when they arrived in their living room. "You didn't have to do that, you know."

"Yes, I did," Remus replied. "Can you honestly tell me that you're in any condition to drive?"

"No," Laura sighed. Her face crumpled, and she began to cry.

Remus pulled her close, running his hands over her hair and back. The longer she cried, the harder it became for him to fight his own tears; in the end, he gave up the battle and cried with her.

As standing became too much, they sank down the floor, both still crying. They clung to one another as though afraid to let go. After awhile, they managed to calm down. Even when the tears had stopped, they remained in each other's arms. Remus gently ran his hand over Laura's arms, while she curled up against him.

"Remus?"

"Hm?"

He looked down to see her upturned face. She looked into his eyes for a moment, then began kissing him. He was surprised by the change in her temperament, but responded instantly, kissing back.

Laura put pressure on his shoulders, lowering him onto his back. She fell on top of him, and kissed him insistently.

"Laura," Remus gasped, "wait – what are you – please –"

"Make love to me, Remus," Laura whispered.

"Laura . . ."

"Please." She kissed him again, then pulled back. "I need to feel close to you. I need to feel alive."

Remus nodded, and rolled her onto her back, reversing their positions so that he was lying on top of her. "You are alive," he said, kissing her again. "And I'm not leaving you."

"Prove it," she whispered, tears shining in her eyes. "Let me feel you."

Remus kissed her again, and began unbuttoning her shirt. He wanted to feel close to her as much as she wanted to feel close to him.

"I love you," he whispered, lowering his lips to the exposed skin on her chest. He kissed the skin that covered her heart, feeling it beat against his lips.

"I love you, too."