A/N: Sorry, everyone. I've had this chapter ready to go for a couple days, but for some reason, fanfiction wouldn't let me get into the documents section to upload it. Ah, technology. Ok, question answers first …
Tears 4 Sirius: No, this isn't the last chapter at all! I still have something like 14 to go! Aidan and Dana's last name is McKinley – for some reason, I even forgot that one. I had to go look it up! I do have plans for two more stories after I'm done with this one – now that I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, I've started planning them. None are about Harry's seventh year, though – I'm not confident enough for that!
simply amazed: Yeah, we're into sweeps season for the soap opera, and everyone has to get their sobbing Emmy reel ready. Seriously, I think that the deaths are finally winding down. Sorry about that. Have no fear - the crazy romantic drama will start up again soon! No, Dana's baby isn't anyone we've met in the series. I'm thinking of a story with the grown-up version of the baby in it, though … stay tuned!
Deni: Of course we'll hear from Dana again! Just because she's moved doesn't mean they'll stop being friends. She'll be back for a visit soon enough – just not for the happiest of reasons.
School-of-Rock101: Dana will most definitely be back! She'll never come back to live in her former home, but she'll be in contact with her old friends and return for visits.
To all readers: To date, this is the hardest chapter I've ever had to write. Just as a warning, I made myself cry with this one – and believe me, that's never happened before. Thanks for reading and reviewing.
I don't own Harry Potter or anything else familiar.
Heartbreak
Hold on to me, loveYou know I can't stay long
All I wanted to say was I love you and I'm not afraid
Can you hear me?
Can you feel me in your arms?
Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself are all my thoughts of you
Sweet rapture in life
It ends here tonight
Closing your eyes to disappear
You pray your dreams will leave you here
But still you wake and know the truth
No one's there
Say good night
Don't be afraid
Calling me, calling me
As you fade to black
My Last Breath, Evanescence
"My Last Breath" performed by Evanescence. Recorded on Fallen, produced by Wind-Up Entertainment, 2003. Words and music by B. Moody, A. Lee and D. Hodges
Remus opened his eyes to the sound of the shower. He rolled over to see Laura's side of the bed empty, and smiled to himself. It had been so long since he had been the one to sleep in. Since Laura had gotten sick, he had practically had to drag her out of bed each morning. Maybe she was feeling better at long last. He pulled himself out of bed, and crossed the room to open the bathroom door.
"Good morning, love!" he called.
"Good morning!" Laura called back. "I'll be out in a minute!"
"Take your time," Remus replied, thrilled to hear the upbeat tone of her voice. She sounded like her old self – like the Laura he had married. "I'll go start breakfast."
"Thanks, Remus!"
Still grinning, Remus made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen. He waved his wand, sending the kitchen into a frenzy as breakfast began to prepare itself. He started setting the table manually – it was the one chore he never trusted to magic. He had seen one too many plates shatter as they hit the table to feel comfortable using his wand with the delicate task.
Laura walked into the kitchen dressed in her work robes just as Remus was transporting plates of food to the table. She gave him a cheery smile, then crossed to kiss his cheek.
"You've been busy," she smiled.
"You're up early," he replied.
She grinned. "You know, I truly feel like my old self today. I don't know what it is exactly, but I just feel better."
"I'm glad," Remus replied, relief evident on his face. "I've been waiting a long, long time to hear you say that."
"I've been waiting a long time to say it," Laura said. "In fact, what do you say we go out for dinner tonight? I want to celebrate."
"Celebrate?" Remus asked, raising his eyebrows. "What are we celebrating?"
"Well, if I'm feeling this much better today, I'd say things are on the way up. Maybe we'll be able to get back to our normal lives soon."
Remus gave her an ironic smile. "Sweetheart, you're married to a werewolf. Our best friends are being chased by one of the darkest wizards of all time. Our lives are anything but normal."
Laura laughed. "Well, as normal as things can be for us, then. What do you say? Will you meet me for dinner tonight? Three Broomsticks at seven?"
"You've got it."
Remus went through his day on a cloud of happiness. Finally, after all these months, his Laura was back. They could finally find their way back to their version of normal. Time seemed to crawl by until it was finally late enough to get ready to meet her without knowing that he would arrive at the Three Broomsticks ridiculously early.
He selected his favorite robes for the occasion. They weren't his dress robes, but they were far nicer than the ones he wore every day. He wanted to look "special" for Laura's celebratory dinner. With one last look in the mirror to assure himself that his hair was in place, he left their house to walk to the restaurant.
Laura was already seated and waiting for him when he arrived at the Three Broomsticks. He looked at her with a grin, and leaned down to kiss her lips.
"You're early," he commented.
"So are you," she grinned. "I got out of work early. I couldn't stand waiting anymore."
Remus sat down across from her and reached out to take her hand. "I can't get over it, Laura. What has brought on this surge of energy?"
"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I literally just woke up feeling better." She shook her head. "I don't expect you to understand. It doesn't even make sense to me."
"I'll talk to my dad," Remus said. "Maybe he knows something about it."
"But not tonight," Laura said in a low voice, covering the hand that held hers with her free one. "Tonight is entirely about us."
Remus smiled, and leaned across to kiss her again. "I like the sound of that," he murmured against her lips.
"Good," Laura smiled. She drew back and smiled again. "Let's decide what we want to order. I'm starving!"
Remus grinned as he opened his menu. His wife really and truly was back.
After dinner, they walked out of the restaurant holding hands. Laura looked up at the starry sky, certain that she had never felt so content.
"Can we walk for a bit before we go home?" she asked.
"Are you sure you won't be too cold?" Remus asked.
"It's not that cold," she replied. "Besides, I like to hear the snow crunch under my feet."
"All right," Remus agreed. "Let's walk, then. But if you're too cold, let me know."
She smiled up at him. "I won't be too cold. I have you to keep me warm."
He grinned, and pulled her close. "I think I can handle that mission."
"Come on," she said, pulling back and taking his hand. "Let's go."
They wandered around the village for nearly an hour before Laura reluctantly admitted that she was indeed cold. They then turned their steps homeward, kicking the snow from their shoes as they entered their warm house.
"This has been a lovely evening," Remus said as he took off his cloak. "I'm so glad you suggested it."
"It isn't over yet," Laura smiled.
"You have more plans for us?" Remus asked, looking at her with raised eyebrows.
"You could say that," she said, putting her arms around his neck. "Are you tired?"
"No," he replied. "Are you?"
"No." She leaned up on tiptoes to kiss him.
Remus wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer as their kiss deepened. Laura moaned softly, then pulled back to look up at him.
"What do you say we go to bed?"
"I thought you weren't tired," Remus said, kissing her neck.
"I never said I wanted to sleep," she whispered, running her hands through his hair.
Remus looked down at her with a wolfish grin, and kissed her again. Then he lifted her up into his arms, and carried her up the stairs to their bedroom.
Laura awoke with a start, and looked wildly from one side to the other. Remus was still sleeping next to her, lying on his stomach. His bare back was exposed where the blankets had slipped aside during the night. She jerked her head to the other side, and grabbed the clock from her nightstand. It was 4:30 – far too early to be awake. Yet she couldn't sleep. A terrible feeling of uneasiness had settled over her. What was it that had awoken her?
It was then that she noticed the shooting pain in her arm. What had happened to it? She was sure that none of the previous night's various activities would have caused such pain. She shook her head. She needed to calm down, or she'd never be able to sleep again. She started to take deep breaths, trying to compose herself.
A horrific pain – or was it more pressure? - came over her chest, rendering her incapable of drawing a deep breath. She had ever felt anything like this before, despite the various chest pains she had experienced in the past. She flung her arm to the side, slapping it down across Remus's back.
"Remus!" she screamed. "Help me!"
Remus was awake in an instant; he sprung to his feet. "What?" he cried as he looked down at her, already filled with panic. "What's wrong, love?"
"I don't know!" Laura gasped. "I can't breathe – my chest feels like someone's sitting on it – what's wrong with me?"
"Okay," Remus said, trying to stay calm, "okay. I'm going to call Dr. Hayward." He took off for the phone, running all the way down the stairs to the kitchen.
"Hurry!" Laura shrieked. The force of her scream took all the air from her lungs, and she began choking as she struggled to fill them again.
Remus raced into the kitchen, and yanked the receiver off the wall. He grabbed the paper that was tacked up next to the phone, and began punching the numbers of the doctor's emergency number. It only rang twice before a groggy voice sounded in his ear.
"Hello?"
"Dr. Hayward?"
"Yes?"
"This is Remus Lupin. I think we have a problem."
"What's wrong?" The doctor was instantly awake. "Is Laura all right?"
"She can't breathe," Remus said, fighting to control his panic. "She said her chest feels like someone is sitting on it."
"Meet me at the hospital as soon as you can," Dr. Hayward said, his voice inviting no further questions. "Don't worry about dressing. If you have aspirin in the house, give her two, then get to the hospital. I'll be there in ten minutes."
Without waiting for a reply, the doctor hung up. Remus stood for a moment listening to the buzzing of the dial tone. Dr. Hayward was worried. Did that mean . . .? He couldn't even formulate the thought. He wouldn't allow it. He had to get Laura to the hospital.
He raced up the stairs three at a time, and burst back into their bedroom. Laura was lying limply on the bed, her head to one side at an odd angle.
"Laura!" he yelled. He bounded across the room, and grabbed her up in to his arms. "Laura, can you hear me?" He ground his knuckles against her chest in a sternum rub, thanking God when she moaned. "Laura!"
Her eyes cracked open, and she looked up at him with a faint smile. "Love – you - Remus," she whispered.
"I love you, too," he said desperately. "Don't try to talk, love. We're going to meet the doctor at the hospital. He'll make you well again."
Laura's eyes closed again, and her head slid down. Remus looked at her in terror.
"Laura?" He slapped her cheeks. "Come on, Laura, wake up."
She remained unresponsive. He did another sternum rub; this time it did not elicit a response. Panic filled him as he felt for a pulse that wasn't there.
"Don't do this to me, Laura," he begged. "Don't you dare leave me now!"
He grabbed a pillow from the bed, and waved his wand at it, creating a Portkey. He held it tightly, clutching Laura just as tightly to him. Within seconds, they were being transported to the hospital.
Remus's feet slammed down in the hospital parking lot. He struggled to maintain his balance, terrified of dropping his wife. Once he was grounded again, he ran forward, entering the building through the emergency room bay.
Dr. Hayward and Danny were both waiting as Remus stumbled into the hospital with Laura in his arms. Danny rushed to grab a gurney, which Remus gently laid Laura on.
"That was really fast," Dr. Hayward said as he began taking Laura's vital signs.
"Was it fast enough?" Remus asked fearfully. "I couldn't find her pulse."
The doctor didn't answer. He jumped up onto the gurney, and began performing chest compressions. Danny jumped in to join him, and began breathing for her. Several other doctors appeared out of nowhere; they pushed the gurney away from Remus, down the hall to the examining rooms.
Remus brought his hands up to his face in horror. Too shocked to even cry, he sank down onto the nearest chair.
"Please, God, save her," he whispered. He wrapped his arms around himself as he began to rock back and forth.
"Sir? Excuse me, but is there someone I can call for you?"
Remus looked up at the nurse with misery-filled eyes. "Call?" he repeated.
"Yes, sir," she said. "Would you like to have someone from your family here?"
"My family . . ." He drew a deep breath, trying to make sense of what was happening. "Do you have any news about my wife?"
"Not yet, sir."
He nodded slowly. "Her parents," he said at last. "Her parents should be here."
"Do you have their phone number?"
Remus rattled off the digits of Laura's parents' number. He hoped it was right.
"I'll call them for you," the nurse promised. "I'll call them right now." She stood to return to the nurses' station.
"Thank you," Remus said. He took a deep breath, and ran his hands over his face. "Wait."
"Yes?" The nurse turned to face him again.
"There's someone else – my friends . . . Can I call them myself?"
"Of course." She handed him a second telephone.
Remus held the receiver for a moment, then slowly began to dial the numbers to reach James and Lily. He knew that they had a phone, and that they could reach the others, his parents included. He did not want to go through this alone.
Within an hour, they were all there. The Lupins, the Bonds, the Potters, Peter, Sirius, and Olivia all sat with Remus in the waiting room, desperate to hear news of Laura's condition. Even Hannah had been summoned from Hogwarts to her sister's bedside. She looked as shell-shocked as Remus felt. They were both dealing with the same horror: Magic, the thing they had come to rely on as a cure-all, had failed them. It couldn't save Laura from this horrible suffering.
"Remus?"
Remus raised his head from his hands to look at Dr. Hayward, who stood before him with the gravest expression he had ever seen. Remus jumped to his feet.
"How is she?" he asked.
"It's – it's not good, Remus," the doctor said heavily. "Come with me."
Remus followed the doctor out of the waiting room, moving away from the sounds of the questions and tears of those that he had left behind.
"Can her family see her?" he asked.
"In a moment," Dr. Hayward replied. He took Remus down a long hallway, stopping in front of a room. "She's in here."
Remus peered through the window to see his wife. She was lying on a bed, her face as pale as the sheets under her. Several tubes were connected to her arms, and one was connected to her mouth. Remus swallowed hard as he looked at her.
"Is she all right?" he asked.
"She's suffered a massive heart attack," Dr. Hayward replied heavily. "We managed to get her heart started again, but she's not breathing on her own. Do you see that machine? It's called a ventilator. It's breathing for her right now."
"But she'll be all right, won't she?"
"I . . . Remus, I don't think so."
"You don't think so?"
The doctor looked deeply into his eyes. "No, Remus. No, she's not going to be all right."
Remus swallowed hard again. "What happened?"
"She went a long time without a functioning heart and lungs. That time hurt her. We've run scans on her brain . . . Her brain function is far lower than it should be."
Remus looked at him, willing his own brain to function properly, to comprehend the doctor's words. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that right now, these machines are the only things keeping her alive. She will never be able to breathe without their assistance." He paused. "Do you understand what I'm trying to say? Her brain has been damaged irreversibly. That's why we're using the machines to breathe her for – her brain can't sustain her bodily functions on its own."
Tears welled up in Remus's eyes. "What can we do for her?" he whispered.
"We've done all we can," Dr. Hayward said. "We've used all the available resources and science. The only thing left to do is in your hands."
"What's that? I'll do anything for her."
"Remus, I'm going to have to ask you to make a very difficult decision. I've told you that the machines the only things keeping her alive."
"Yes?"
"I'm going to ask you to consider turning them off."
"What?" Remus finally took his eyes away from Laura as he faced the doctor fully, his face full of horrified shock. "You're asking me to kill my wife?"
"No, I'm asking you to let her go peacefully." Dr. Hayward ran his hands over his face. "She can exist indefinitely as she is right now. If you say the word, we will keep her alive artificially for as long as you like. However, the more humane thing to do would be to let her die with dignity. It would be to turn off the machines."
"I – I can't . . . I need to see her."
"Of course." The doctor opened Laura's door, and stepped aside. "I'll be out here if you need me."
Remus brushed past him and entered the room, softly closing the door behind him. He paused for a moment, taking in the sights and sounds of the room. The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitors and the soft, airy sound of the ventilator that helped Laura to breathe created a harsh, sterile environment. Remus drew a deep breath, and crossed the room. He sat down next to Laura, and took her hand in his.
"My God, Laura," he whispered. "How did we come to this? How did this happen? Why would God punish us this way? What did we ever do to deserve this?"
His tears finally began to fall. He bowed his head over her still body, letting the sobs shake his frame. How could he have to face this decision? How could he be the one to take away that which kept her heart beating and her lungs pumping? How could he be the one to decide if Laura should live or die? He wasn't God. He shouldn't have this kind of power. He couldn't do it. He just couldn't.
He had no idea how long he sat with Laura, but he was suddenly aware of the presence of another in the room. He raised his head, and looked up to see Danny standing next to him. He held out a plastic hospital cup.
"I brought you some coffee. I thought you might need it."
"Thanks," Remus said. He took the cup, and raised it to his lips. He made a face as the bitter brew hit his tongue. "You know, I've never liked coffee. That's Laura's preferred beverage, not mine."
"But you're drinking it now."
"I do when I'm in hospitals," Remus shrugged. "It seems like the thing to do."
Danny nodded, and pulled up a chair to sit down next to him. "Did Dr. Hayward explain everything to you?"
"You mean, did he ask me if I'm ready to sign my wife's death sentence?"
"Remus, that's not exactly what you'd be doing."
"He said that these machines are keeping her alive, but that I have the power to turn them off. How exactly does that mean that I'm not the one responsible for her death?"
"Remus," Danny sighed.
"Is there another way to explain it?"
Danny took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair just like James always did. Watching him, Remus wondered if it was a habit one had picked up from the other when they were little boys.
"Remus, you wouldn't be killing Laura because, in every way that matters, she's already gone," Danny said. "She's not Laura anymore. She's just a shell that is being kept alive by these machines. Her soul wants to leave her body, Remus, but we're keeping it here with medical technology. If you say the word, it will be released."
"But I'll be responsible for her death."
"No, you won't. Her heart condition is responsible for her death. She had a massive heart attack, Remus. It destroyed her heart, her lungs, her mind . . . The Laura that we knew is gone. We can keep her heart beating and her lungs functioning with these machines as long as we want, but we'll never have Laura back."
Remus drew a shaky breath, and wiped a tear from his cheek. "You're saying that I should turn off the machines."
"It makes the most sense."
Remus looked away from Laura, turning to face Danny. "What would you do?"
"As a doctor?"
"No. As a husband."
"I'm not a husband, Remus."
"Pretend that you are for a moment. Or think of someone in your family. If you had to make this decision, what would you do?"
Danny was silent for a moment. "Right now, probably the same thing that you are. It would kill me to have to do this."
"But in the end?"
He paused, drawing a deep breath and exhaling slowly. "I'd turn off the machines," he whispered. "I'd let her go peacefully."
Remus nodded, letting the tears roll down his cheeks.
"Remus?" Danny asked softly after a moment. "Listen, just because that's what I would do – You have to do what Laura would want, not what the rest of us do."
"What Laura would want," Remus repeated softly. He fell silent for a moment, then cleared his throat. "What would I have to do?"
"We'd give you some papers to sign."
"That's all? I'd just have to sign?"
"Yes. The doctors and nurses would take care of the rest."
"Of letting her die."
"Yes."
They lapsed into silence again, the machines making the only sounds in the room. Danny finally glanced at Remus's face.
"Remus, are you all right?"
"I need to talk to everyone," he said at last, his voice hoarse. "I don't want to leave her alone – will you stay with her?"
"Of course I will."
Remus nodded, and stood up. He leaned down to kiss Laura's forehead, then walked silently from the room.
He made his way down the hospital corridor slowly, trying to think of what he was going to say to his family and friends. What words could he use to soften the news? How could he tell them that Laura was lying at the brink of death?
He entered the room where his friends and family were waiting. Laura's parents were standing together; Mr. Bond had his hands on his wife's shoulders. Her brothers and sisters were scattered around the waiting room in various positions. Only Hannah sat by herself, curled up on a chair. Remus's parents were sitting together, clutching one another's hands. Their friends were in one section together. The girls' faces were streaked with tears; James's, Sirius's and Peter's eyes held hollow, shocked expressions. Remus drew a deep breath, and pushed the door open.
"Oh, Remus!" Mrs. Bond exclaimed as soon as she saw him, moving toward him. "How is she? How's my Laura?"
"She's – she's not breathing on her own," was all he managed before his face crumpled and the tears began again.
Mr. Lupin was there in an instant, pulling him close. Locked in the arms of his father, Remus let the sobs shake his body for a moment. He took gulping breaths to compose himself, then drew back from his father and continued his description of Laura's condition in a shaky voice.
"She had a massive heart attack," Remus said. "From what I understand, her heart wasn't beating and she wasn't breathing for awhile before – before they restarted her heart."
"So her heart is beating?" George, Laura's older brother, asked.
"Yes," Remus said. "But all the time that she was without oxygen hurt her. She can't breathe without machines to do it for her, and her brain is permanently damaged."
"What does all that mean, Remus?" Hannah asked.
"It means that Laura is gone," Remus said softly. "They're keeping her body alive with machines, but . . . they want me to turn off the machines."
Mrs. Bond began sobbing, turning her face into her husband's shoulder. Mr. Bond held her close, and looked at Remus.
"What are you going to do?" he asked his son-in-law.
Remus looked away from all of them for a moment. "I have to do what Laura would want," he said at last. "And I don't think that Laura would want to live hooked up to some machines, unable to ever leave her bed. That's not Laura. Laura was always active, always moving . . . she hated to be still. This isn't the life that she would want. And me wanting her to be alive isn't going to help her. She's never coming back to me – not the way she was before."
"So you're saying . . .?" Mrs. Lupin asked.
Remus nodded, tears beginning to fall again. "I'm going to sign the papers. I'm going to turn off the machines. I'm going to let Laura go."
"Can we – can we say goodbye first?" Cassie, another of Laura's sisters, asked.
Remus nodded. "Yeah. Let me show you where she is."
Remus led the way to Laura's room with his family and friends trailing behind him. He stopped in front of her door, and turned to look at the group of people who loved Laura as much as he did.
"Maybe this would be best if everyone went in one at a time," he said slowly. "That way we can all have a chance to say a private goodbye before . . ."
"I'll go first," Christina, Laura's oldest sister, volunteered. She grabbed her husband's hand. "Joe . . ."
He nodded, lacing his fingers through hers. "Let's go."
They disappeared into Laura's room. Almost immediately, Danny came out.
"Remus?" he asked.
Remus nodded. "Bring me the papers. I'll sign them."
Danny pulled Remus into a tight embrace. "You're one of the strongest men I've ever met," he said softly. "I can't believe it's come to this." He released Remus and looked at him with teary eyes. "I truly thought that Laura could beat this," he said. "I've been praying for her ever since the first day that I met you."
"I thought she could, too," Remus sighed. "I wish things could have been different."
"So do I," Danny said, wiping his hand across his eyes. He cleared his throat, and blinked rapidly. "I'll go get the paperwork."
While Danny walked away, Remus made his way across the hall and sank down into a chair. Lily looked at him for a moment, then detached herself from James, crossing to sit with him. She reached out to take his hand without saying a word.
Remus looked at her, too emotionally drained to even smile. He held her hand tightly, thankful for the strength she offered. They sat together in silence as one person after the other went into the room to say goodbye to Laura. Finally, her parents entered the room. They were with her for what felt like an eternity to Remus. He knew that when they came out, he would have to go in. He looked at Lily, who had not left his side since she had sat down with him.
"Did you get a chance to say goodbye?" he asked.
"She knows," she said softly. "She knows that I love her. I don't need to tell her."
Remus wiped a tear off his cheek. "When it's my turn, will you come in with me?"
"If you want me to."
"Please."
Lily nodded and tightened her grip on his hand. "I'll do anything for you, Remus. Just say the word."
He nodded, returning the pressure on her hand. "Thank you."
Laura's parents came out of her room, both sobbing. They leaned on one another for support as they made their way to the chairs outside her door. Remus took a shaky breath.
"Lily . . ."
She nodded. "When you're ready, I'll come with you."
Remus sat completely still for a moment, then stood up, pulling Lily with him. Clinging to her hand, he went into Laura's room. They paused in the doorway, looking at Laura's motionless body. Lily, who was seeing her for the first time, choked back a sob. She couldn't believe that her vibrant friend who had always been so full of life was reduced to this still, frail shell of her former self.
Remus began moving again, pulling Lily across the room. He collapsed into the chair at her bedside, dropping Lily's hand. Lily moved back a step, wanting to give Remus some measure of privacy with his wife.
Tears filled his eyes, and began to fall down his cheeks in slow streams. He took Laura's hand in both of his, and brought it to his lips to kiss it.
"I love you," he said softly. "I love you so much. I know you made me promise to move on with my life and to love again, but, Laura, I have to be honest with you. I don't think I could ever love another woman as much as I love you. You have been the best part of my life since our first date in Hogsmeade in fifth year. Without you, I . . ." He stopped as the tears began to fall faster, rendering him incapable of speech. He bowed his head over her body again, clutching her hand.
Lily watched from a slight distance, her hands covering her face, trying desperately to contain the sobs that wanted to shake her body to its core. She had never seen such grief. It was a shock when a loved one was killed by Voldemort, but at least then there was a culprit. There was a doorstep on which to lay blame. But, this . . . Remus had no enemies, save Laura's own body. They had been defeated by a nameless villain who could not be stopped or destroyed. The horror of this situation was greater and the sorrow deeper than any Lily had ever known.
They stayed with Laura in silence until the door opened. Dr. Hayward and Danny came in together, carrying a clipboard and a pen. Lily gave a ragged gasp as she realized what was about to happen. Remus looked up at them with dead eyes.
"Is this what I need to sign?" he asked dully.
"Yes," Dr. Hayward said. He cleared his throat. "Remus, I –"
"Don't," Remus interrupted. "I know. I wish things could have been different, too, but there's nothing we can do to change it. The least I can do is to let her go in peace." He looked down at his wife again. "She would have hated this. I can't keep her this way knowing that."
The doctor nodded, and handed him the clipboard. "We need your signature in three places. They're all marked with an x."
Remus nodded, and signed the forms without reading them. He gave the clipboard back to the doctor, who nodded again.
"I'll just get a nurse, and we'll take care of everything."
While the doctor left the room, Danny crossed to Lily. He pulled her close, holding her tightly for a moment.
"Are you all right?"
"No," she said softly. "But Remus is the one we need to worry about, not me."
Danny nodded, and looked back to Remus, who was clinging to Laura's hand again. "Remus?" he asked gently.
"Yes?"
Danny cleared his throat. "You have every right to refuse this; you're Laura's husband, and if you want to be alone with her, that's fine . . ."
"Refuse what?"
"I think that her parents would like to be with her when they turn off the machines."
Remus never raised his eyes from Laura's body as he answered. "Her family is the most important thing to her. She would want them here. They can all come in."
"Her brothers and sisters, too?"
"Yes. And our friends. Everyone."
Danny nodded. "I'll go tell them."
The group who had been waiting outside came in with Danny, followed by Dr. Hayward and a nurse. James crossed to Lily, and took her hand. She looked up at him with a tear- and misery-streaked face, and leaned up against him. He kissed her temple, drawing her close to his side.
The doctor and nurse went to Laura's bedside together, and began flipping switches and adjusting monitors.
"Her heart monitor will continue to measure her heart beat after I turn off her ventilator," the doctor said quietly. "When it flat lines, we'll know that she's gone."
Remus nodded, and took his eyes from Laura's face to the monitor. Sirius, who had not taken his eyes from Remus's face since he entered the room, ran his hands over his own face. When he removed them, his eyes were full of tears.
Dr. Hayward turned the final switch, shutting off the ventilator. It ended its service with an expulsion of air.
Remus leaned down and kissed Laura's lips. "Goodbye, my darling. I will always love you," he whispered, his tears splashing onto her face.
Unable to face what was happening, Sirius left the room.
The heart monitor's jagged lines flattened into one continuous stripe. Its staccato beeping changed to a long, clear note. Laura's soul had been released from her body.