A/N: Wow! The response to the last chapter was amazing! Thank you all so much for the reviews! I know that was a hard chapter to read – it was incredibly difficult to write. I absolutely adored Laura, and it was horrible to have to let her die, but it had to happen. If Remus were married in canon, I'm sure we'd know it by now . . . I also think that his soulful personality comes from more than just being a werewolf. I really didn't like the idea of Laura dying at the hands of Voldemort or Death Eaters . . . hence her heartbreaking end. Thank you all again for reading and reviewing that chapter – I appreciate your support so much!

And now some answers / responses . . .

Panther28: Laura had three sisters and three brothers. Her oldest brother and sister were both married, and she had two nieces and three nephews.

Patsfan1254: Keep going with your storyline! Just let me know where you post – I'd love to read it!

ForbiddenSoul: As of my current plans, Dana is going to remain a single mom. I'm sorry, but I can't let you know what I'm planning for Olivia – that's going a bit far into the "sneak peeks!" Remus didn't read the forms before he signed them because he was too distraught. He's very thorough and normally wouldn't consider signing something without reading it first . . . he was just really screwed up at that point. It had nothing to do with doctors!

Rotae: You, my friend, ROCK! I'm so excited that you saw what I was trying to do with Remus and Lily! It sort of bothered me that in the movie that Remus appeared to be in love with his best friend's wife, so I twisted it around to fit into my story. Lily's support for Remus will continue through this chapter, and will come up again in the future.

hp-lover-1-lol: They'll notify Dana in this chapter – read on!

Magena2602: Thank you so much for the offer! That would be great if you'd "advertise" for me. I'm so glad you like my stories that much!

Thanks to everyone again for reading and reviewing!

I don't own Harry Potter.

Searching for Comfort

Sirius practically ran out of Laura's hospital room. He didn't know if anyone had seen him leave, and didn't care if anyone had tried to stop him. He stumbled down the long, brightly lit corridors, searching for something without knowing what it was. He only knew that he had to get away from the pain, the sorrow, the unimaginable grief of watching Remus bid his wife a final farewell. He couldn't yet comprehend the fact that Laura was one of his closest friends, and that he was being forced to give her up. His only thoughts were of Remus, and of the unspeakable pain that Remus was facing as his wife faded from his life.

As he staggered through the corridors, Sirius found himself in front of the hospital chapel. He paused, realizing what he was searching for. He needed a miracle, and this seemed the most likely place to find it. He opened the door, and slipped inside.

He made his way to the first pew, and knelt down on the hard floor. He looked up at the candle-lit crucifix, and let the tears fill his eyes as he crossed himself.

"God, you know why I'm here," he whispered. "I've been running around this hospital trying to find a way to save Laura, but you're the only one who can do that." He drew a deep breath. "We need a miracle, God. That's the only way that Remus will be able to keep Laura with him. He's suffered so much in his life. Please don't make him suffer any more. Save his wife. Let them live together for the next hundred years and have ten children. Please save Laura. Remus should get to keep her with him. He doesn't deserve this. I don't – God, I just don't know how Remus will make it without her. Please, let Remus and Laura have their miracle."

He fell silent, but remained kneeling with his head bowed. Sometimes, the truest, most honest prayers were prayed without words.

Olivia could barely believe that it was real. She watched as Remus fell forward onto Laura's lifeless body, as his parents pulled him away from his wife and into their arms, as Lily buried her face in James's shoulder and his tears dropped into her hair, and as Laura's mother sank to her knees, sobbing hysterically. How could they have come to this? How could this have happened to Remus? Hadn't he suffered enough?

As Matt leaned down to kiss Laura's forehead, Olivia choked back a sob. She thought of her own brother, and the horrors that Laura's siblings were facing. If things were different . . . if that were her, saying goodbye to John . . . She couldn't stand by and watch this anymore. She had to get out.

As she made her way to the door, Peter stopped her with a hand on her arm. She looked at him with tear-filled eyes.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"No," she whispered.

Without a word, Peter pulled her close. She clung to him for a moment, trying to bring her emotions under control. She finally pulled back, wiping her eyes.

"I'm going to send a message to Dana," she said softly. "She needs to know about this."

Peter nodded, and ran his hands over his face. "I wish we didn't have to give her news like this."

"I know," Olivia whispered. "Don't let everyone leave without me, okay?"

Peter nodded. "I have a feeling we're going to be here for awhile."

Olivia nodded and left the room without another word. She paused in the hall, leaning up against the closed door. She exhaled slowly, trying to collect herself.

"Message to Dana," she murmured. "How on earth am I going to find an owl in a Muggle hospital?" She ran her hands over her face, rubbing her eyes. "I can't deal with this right now. I'll let her know later."

Taking a deep breath, she pushed off the door. She started wandering down the hall, unsure of where she was going or what she was looking for.

Olivia's exit from Laura's room made it all right for everyone else to leave. Laura's siblings were the first to go, unable to stay in the room a moment longer. They didn't go far; they made their way to the waiting room, where they collapsed into one another's arms, still trying to stop the tears that had no end. Laura's mother flat-out refused to leave her daughter's side until she became too dizzy to stand; her husband summoned a doctor, who took her out of the room to examine her.

James looked at Lily, who was still pressed up against him. "Do you want to go outside? Get something to drink?"

"No," she said softly. "We can't leave Remus, James."

James looked at Remus, who was trying to convince his parents to leave him alone with Laura. "I think he wants to be on his own right now."

Lily shook her head. "I promised him that I'd stay with him. You can go if you want, James, but I'm staying."

Peter crossed to join them. "Should we give Remus some space, guys?"

"I think so, but Lily wants to stay with him," James replied.

Peter looked at her with sorrowful eyes. "I think he needs some time on his own right now, Lils."

"How can you know . . ." Lily trailed off as she realized what she was going to ask. "Oh, God, Peter, I'm sorry," she whispered, clamping her hands over her mouth.

"It's all right," he assured her, his eyes bright. "I just – I know what he's going through, and I think that some time alone is what he needs. He needs the space to process what's happened."

"You guys go," she said as they watched Remus's parents leave the room. "I just want to talk to Remus for a moment. I'll be out as soon as I've spoken to him."

James and Peter exchanged a look. At long last, they both nodded slightly.

"We'll wait for you outside." James kissed her gently. "Be careful, love."

"I will."

James and Peter left the room, and Lily moved slowly toward Remus. He was still seated next to Laura's bed, clutching her hand in his. Lily gently put her hand on his shoulder.

"Why didn't you go with James and Peter?" Remus asked dully.

"Because I wanted to be with you," Lily said softly. "I promised I'd stay with you as long as you wanted, Remus. If you want me to go, I'll go."

Remus was silent for so long that Lily was sure he hadn't heard her. She was about to repeat her statement when he spoke just above a whisper.

"Stay."

Lily leaned down to put her arms around Remus from behind. She hugged him to her, and kissed his head. "I'll stay," she promised.

Remus leaned up against her, breathing deeply. "I can't cry, Lily," he whispered. "I mean, I've been crying for so long . . . ever since we got here . . . but to really, truly cry . . . Lily, if I start, I don't know if I'll be able to stop."

"You don't have to be strong for me, Remus," Lily said as a single tear made its way down her cheek. "Just cry. I'll be here with you. I'll stay with you as long as you need me to. You just – Remus, you need to cry. You can't keep it all inside. No one else is here. There's no one for you to put up a calm, strong front for now." She kissed the top of his head again. "You can't change your emotions, Remus, and after what's happened, no one can fault you for them. Just . . . just feel."

Remus's lips trembled as he listened to her speak. When she stopped, he took a deep breath, then leaned back against her, letting the sobs shake his body. Lily held him tight against her, crying along with him.

Olivia rushed down the halls of the hospital without direction. Her feet pounded against the linoleum floors as she practically ran away from Laura's room, struggling to escape what had happened. She didn't know where she was going, only that she needed desperately to be able to breathe again. She felt as through she was smothering under all that she had seen.

Her steps slowed as she approached the hospital chapel. For some reason, she couldn't run past a holy room; it seemed wrong. As she slowed down, she could see the candles flickering in the dim room. Overwhelmed by the desire to light a candle for Laura, she opened the door and slipped inside.

She walked up the side of the room, to the front where the candles were burning. She picked up a long matchstick, and lit it with one of the flickering flames. She carefully carried the fire to another, unlit candle, and touched the match against its wick.

"I know you're in heaven now, Laura. You're – you were such a good person, there's no where else for you to be," she whispered. "Please watch over Remus. He's really going need you now that you aren't with him anymore."

She put the match down, and wiped at the tears that had begun to fall. She quickly realized how pointless that mission was; her tears began to fall faster, and she choked back a sob.

Hands reached around from behind her, resting on her shoulders. She gasped, and jumped at the unexpected contact.

"You're all right," Sirius whispered as he turned her to face him.

"Sirius," Olivia whispered as she looked up into his face. "What are you doing here?"

He smiled sadly. "Praying for Remus and Laura," he replied. "Is . . . How is she?"

"Gone," Olivia whispered.

Then the sobs did begin in earnest, shaking her body. Sirius pulled her close, crushing her against him as he began to cry.

"How could this have happened, Sirius?" Olivia sobbed. "How is it possible?"

"I don't know," Sirius murmured. He kissed her hair. "We're going to be okay, Liv. It's going to be okay."

"Laura is gone, Sirius," Olivia exclaimed, looking up at him. "How is anyone ever going to be okay again?"

Sirius looked down into her tear-streaked face for a moment, then kissed her. Olivia drew her breath in sharply, then responded to his kiss, reaching her hands up around his neck to play with his hair. How could she have forgotten what it was like to be in his arms like this? How could she have ever thought that she could live the rest of her life without this? It felt so perfect, so right . . . Time seemed to stand still as they kissed, rediscovering feelings they both had tried so hard to deny and bury. When Sirius pulled her even closer to deepen their kiss, Olivia pressed herself up against him. Correctly interpreting this movement as approval of his advances, he moved his hand around to the buttons of her blouse.

Olivia pulled back. "Sirius, wait."

Sirius slid his hand down to her hip. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I was out of line."

"No," she whispered. "No, it's just . . ."

"I know," he said, taking his hands off her body and stepping back. "We're not together anymore. I can't kiss you or touch you like that anymore."

"No, Sirius, please just listen . . ."

Sirius ran his hands over his face and pushed back his hair. "I'm going to go see how Remus is."

Olivia watched as he started to walk away. How could she let him leave now? He had left so many times before because she had asked him to. But now . . . This time, she didn't want him to leave. But how could she gather the strength to call out to him?

"I just didn't think we should shag in a hospital chapel less than an hour after one of our best friends died," she blurted out.

She clapped her hand to her mouth in horror as Sirius turned around in disbelief. He started to walk slowly back to her.

"What did you just say?"

"You heard me," Olivia said, lifting her chin defiantly, her hand now down at her side.

Sirius remained silent until he was standing directly in front of her, close enough to reach out and touch her face if he wanted to do so. "Are you saying you would agree to shag me if I asked?"

"Yes," she whispered so softly he barely heard it.

Sirius smiled, a true, genuine smile, and tipped her chin up so that he could look into her eyes. "Are you saying that – that we might have another chance?"

Olivia sighed. "We have a lot to talk through, Sirius. And I don't really think that now is the time . . . I mean, we're both emotional wrecks right now."

Sirius nodded. "We're not going to mean anything we say right now . . . But can we talk later?"

"After a kiss like that, I think we have to."

Sirius smiled sadly. "Well, I guess James was right."

"About what?"

"He's the one who said that shagging is the only way I know how to deal with tragedy."

Olivia laughed through her tears. "Look, I know we're in a really weird place right now, but would you stay with me for awhile?"

"Sure."

Her eyes widened. "Actually, I could use your help."

"I'll do anything. What do you need?"

"I need to let Dana know what's happened to Laura. I told Peter that I would do it."

"All right," Sirius replied, taking her hand and steering her out of the chapel. "Let's go find an owl."

"Should we make sure that they're all right?" James asked after he and Peter had been waiting for Lily for nearly twenty minutes.

Peter crossed to look in the window. Tears filled his eyes as he looked at Remus sobbing in Lily's arms. "I think they're all right," he said quietly.

James stepped forward, and looked at the sight of his wife comforting his best friend. Remus's shoulders shook as cried; Lily held him close, stroking his hair. "Remus . . . Peter, how is he going to get through this? If something happened to Lily . . ."

"You'd deal with it," Peter said. "We have an amazing ability to overcome grief, James. Believe me, it's not easy, but it can be done."

"How . . ." James paused and swallowed. "How did you do it, Peter? How did you get over losing Kathleen?"

Peter looked away from James, turning his head to gaze back through the window at Remus and Lily. "I was lucky," he said at last. "I had some fantastic friends who were willing to be there for me." He sighed. "But it changes you, James. Remus will never be the same again. No one can live through something like this without becoming a different person in the end."

"I don't think you're that much different, Peter."

Peter looked at him with such a sad smile that James knew that his words cost him dearly. "You have no idea, James," he said quietly. "I've changed more than anyone knows."

James was about to respond when Mrs. Lupin came down the hall. Her eyes were red and puffy, but she looked rather calm, all things considered.

"Is Remus still in there with . . . with Laura?" she asked, her voice raspy from so much time spent crying.

"Yes," James said.

She nodded. "I need to speak with him. The minister is here, and he needs to start . . . making arrangements." She started toward the door.

"Mrs. Lupin, wait," James said, putting his hand on her arm to stop her. "Lily's with him now. I think they wanted to be alone. Right now, I think Lily's pretty much the only one who can get through to him."

She nodded slowly, and wiped the new tears from her eyes. "My poor Remus," she murmured. "He's suffered so much . . . he doesn't deserve this."

"No one does," Peter said softly.

Mrs. Lupin looked at him for a moment, then pulled him close. "You're all such good friends to Remus," she said. She released Peter, and took his hand and James's in hers. "He's lucky to have you. He knows that, you know. He's always talked about how much you boys have helped him."

"We'll always be there for him," James said. He looked at Peter, and smiled slightly. "We stick together, right, Peter?"

"Right," Peter said, his smile a bit uncomfortable. He had sworn undying loyalty to his friends. How could he go back on that promise now?

He knew how he could do it. It was because what he had told James was true. Not only had Kathleen's death changed him, but all the circumstances he had faced since then had left an undeniable mark on his life. He was not the same little boy who had sworn to stand by his friends, just as they were no longer the children who had made the same vow to him. They had all changed since then, forever altered by all that they had seen and done, by the harsh world that was now theirs. James could live in the past if that was what he wanted, but Peter was willing to change his life with the changes that took place around them. Nothing can ever stay the same.

He still loved his friends. He hated to see them in pain. Watching Remus lose Laura was one of the hardest things he had ever done. And yet . . . he could not deny the changes in their world, the power shift that was taking place. Times were changing, and he was changing with them.

Dear Dana,

I hate to be the one who has to tell you about this, but you need to know. Laura suffered a massive heart attack last night. Remus got her to the hospital, but her doctors couldn't save her. I don't really understand all the Muggle medicine that went into it, but in the end, Remus decided to let her go in peace.

What I'm trying to tell you is that Laura has died.

We don't have details about a funeral or anything yet – this only happened about an hour ago. Remus, of course, is a mess. I guess the rest of us are, too. I'm so sorry to have to tell you this, Dana. I wish I was writing with good news.

I'll send you the funeral information as soon as I have it. I'm sure you'll want to come home for that if you can. I'll be in touch.

Love,

Olivia

Olivia read the letter through for a second time, struggling to hold back her tears. Sirius gently took the parchment from her hands.

"Have you said all that you want to say?"

"I think so."

He nodded, and attached it to the leg of the owl they had gone to Diagon Alley to find. They both watched as the owl took flight, carrying the tragic news to Dana in her new French home. Sirius put his arm around Olivia's shoulders, drawing her close.

"Do you want to go back to the hospital now?"

"Yes," she replied. "We should be there for Remus."

Sirius nodded. "Let's go, then."

With two pops, they Disapparated.

Remus finally managed to stop crying, and pulled away from Lily slightly. She bent her head to look at him.

"Are you all right?" she asked softly.

He shook his head. "I'm never going to be all right again."

Lily sighed, and stepped around to sit down next to him. She reached out to take his hands in hers. "You know that we're all here for you, don't you? Not just me, but James, Sirius, Peter, Olivia, your family . . . You're not alone, Remus."

He turned to face her, his lips quivering again. "I know that on some level, but, Lily, I've never felt so alone in my life."

Lily leaned over to hug him again. "I'm here right now," she whispered. "You're not alone. I'll never leave you alone."

Remus pulled back from her embrace to look into her eyes. "You are one of the best friends I've ever had, Lils. Thank you so much for everything."

She brushed his hair back from his face. "You're welcome."

Remus turned from her and looked back at Laura. "You know, she was fine yesterday."

"Fine?"

"Yes. Not just fine for her, but fine. She was up before me yesterday morning. We went out for dinner, then we walked around Hogsmeade, and when we got home . . ." He trailed off, a slight smile playing around his lips. "We had a wonderful day together. I'm never going to forget that, ever. It's almost as if her body knew what was going to happen, so it wanted to give us one last beautiful memory. She gave me the greatest gift yesterday. She gave me a memory of her the way she always was – vibrant, full of life and laughter. When I think back on our last day together, that's what I'll be able to remember. I won't have to think of her suffering. I won't have to remember her last days spent wasting away in a hospital bed, going in and out of consciousness. I won't have to, Lils, because it didn't happen." He raised Laura's hand to his lips, and kissed her fingers. "I thank God that it didn't happen that way. If this had to happen – if I had to let Laura go – then I'm glad she was able to die like this."

Lily wiped tears from her eyes, and swallowed hard before she could speak. "I'm glad, too. I'm so glad that you'll have that memory to take with you forever."

Remus was silent for a moment, then spoke softly. "I'm never going to be able to love another woman, Lily."

"No one said you have to."

"Laura made me promise . . ." he trailed off into uncertain silence.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, I want to." He drew a deep breath. "On Christmas, she was really exhausted from chasing her nieces and nephews around all day. I think she must have just felt awful. We started talking, and I don't even remember where it came from, but she made me promise that if anything happened to her, I would move on. She said she didn't want me to die with her. She wanted me to live my life."

"And you promised to do that?"

"I promised."

"Yeah, but, Remus, that doesn't mean that you have to fall in love again."

He shook his head. "I couldn't anyway. It's not possible." He gave her the saddest smile she had ever seen. "Laura was it for me, Lils. She was the most amazing person I've ever known. I could never love anyone the way I love her."

Lily was saved from responding by the door scraping across the floor as it opened. Both she and Remus looked up to see the Lupins entering the room.

"Lily, could we have a moment with Remus?" Mrs. Lupin asked gently.

Lily looked at Remus, who nodded.

"Go ahead," he said. "I'll be fine."

"I won't go far," Lily promised. "If you need me, come and find me."

"I will," Remus said. He leaned forward, and kissed her cheek. "Thank you," he whispered.

Lily kissed his cheek in return. "You're welcome."

She stepped out of the room to find James sitting alone in the hallway. He was perched on a plastic chair, his elbows resting on his knees and his head in his hands. She put her hand on his shoulder, and he almost jumped as he twisted to look at her.

"Hey," he said, springing out of his chair. "How are you?"

"Okay," she said softly.

James looked at her for a moment, then pulled her close. He held her for a moment, sensing her need for comfort. She crumpled against him, letting tears run slowly down her cheeks.

"That was the hardest thing I've ever had to do," she whispered.

"You were brilliant," James said, kissing the top of her head.

"How do you know? You weren't there."

"No, but I know Remus. If you hadn't been helping him, he would have tossed you out of there like he did everyone else."

Lily sniffled, trying to stop her tears. "Are his parents all right?"

"I don't think that anyone's really 'all right' at this point."

She nodded. "James, can we please get away from this spot for a little bit? I promised Remus that I wouldn't go far, but I can't stand to be here right now."

"Yeah," James replied. "Let's go outside for a bit. The hospital has a courtyard around here somewhere."

They managed to find the courtyard, and stepped outside into the bright sunshine. Lily turned her face up to the sun, noting that its rays couldn't warm the cold day. She looked at James, who was staring straight ahead, his eyes unable to hide the sorrow that he felt.

"I can't believe it's sunny," she said, reaching down to take his hand.

James looked down at her. "Why?"

She sighed. "It makes the world look happy," she said softly. "Shouldn't it be a gray, awful day? Shouldn't nature be mourning Laura right along with us?"

James was silent for several moments as he thought about what she had said. "Maybe it's a sign," he said at last, looking straight ahead again.

"A sign?"

"Yes, a sign." He paused and swallowed. "Laura was sick for a really long time, Lil. Now . . . well, now she's not sick anymore. She's beyond the doctors, the pills and the pain. She never has to think about seeing people look at her with worry and fear in their eyes. She never has to have another blood test. She never has to worry about what might happen, because it has happened." He squeezed Lily's hand, and looked down at her. "Maybe it's a sign of the happiness that Laura feels, now that she's free from all the pain that she's had to endure since she got sick."

Tears slid down Lily's cheeks in silent streams. "I never thought of all that."

James nodded. "I know that Laura is in heaven, Lil. And I know that she's happy there. It's where she belongs now. She's not ours anymore."

Lily turned her face into his shoulder, and he pulled her close, kissing the top of her head. He had meant his words, and knew that they would probably bring Lily some comfort. He had a feeling, though, that Remus wouldn't be thinking along the same lines – not yet, anyway. He needed time to come to terms with what had happened, but maybe someday he'd realize that Laura was finally free from her pain.

Night had fallen before they left the hospital. Remus had a terrible time with the idea of leaving his wife's body alone, but in the end was convinced to go home with his parents. No one wanted him going back to the house he and Laura had shared so soon.

Sirius and Olivia waited until everyone else had left before they took their leave. They once again made their way to the post office in Diagon Alley, where they sent Dana another letter. This one contained the details of Laura's funeral, which Remus and her parents had arranged at some point during the day.

"Sirius, will you do something for me?" Olivia asked as they stepped out of the post office, into the cold night.

"Sure," he replied. "What would you like me to do?"

She bit her lip nervously. "Will you come home with me?"

His eyebrows shot up. "Come home with you?"

"Yes," she said softly. "I know we haven't established anything and we haven't talked about – well, anything, but I can't stand the idea of being alone right now. Will you please stay with me for a bit?"

Sirius nodded, taking her hand in his. "I'll stay as long as you'd like."

She exhaled, and smiled up at him. "Thank you."

They walked back to her flat together. Olivia unlocked and opened the door, and they went inside.

"Are you hungry?" she asked as she tossed her wand onto the coffee table.

"No," Sirius replied honestly.

"Sirius, you've been with me all day, and I know you haven't eaten anything."

"Are you hungry?" he countered.

"No," she said softly. She bit her lip again. "I guess things like this sort of take away your appetite, don't they?"

"Yeah," Sirius replied, "they do."

"We can have breakfast tomorrow," she said.

"Right."

Olivia looked at him, barely knowing what to think. She hadn't felt this nervous and uncomfortable around Sirius in years. Even their first date and their first mission together as Aurors hadn't been this bad.

"Liv, are you sure you want me to be here?" Sirius finally asked. "This clearly isn't the most comfortable arrangement we've ever had."

"I just – I just don't want to be alone," she said softly.

Sirius nodded, and took her hand, leading her to the couch. "Let's just sit together. We don't have to talk."

Olivia nodded as they sat down together. Barely realizing what she was doing, she curled up against him. Sirius put his arms around her, pulling her close, making her feel safe.

They sat like that in silence until they fell asleep on the couch with their arms wrapped around one another.

The day of Laura's funeral was again bright and sunny, although a frigid wind made it far too cold to spend much time outside. Remus, getting dressed in his childhood room in his parents' house, thought that the sorrowful whine of the wind was appropriate. It echoed the desolate feeling in his heart.

"Remus?" His mother knocked softly on his door as she called his name. "Are you ready, darling? We need to leave soon, or we'll be late."

"I'm nearly ready, Mum," Remus replied. He straightened his tie, and brushed at his hair, then took a deep breath to steel himself for what would happen when he left the house.

He walked downstairs slowly, wishing that he could put this moment off forever. He hated what was about to happen. He knew that Laura was gone, that she would never be his again, but the idea of putting her into the ground . . .

"Remus," Mr. Lupin said as he reached the bottom step. "Are you ready, then?"

"Yes," Remus said shortly. "Where's Mum?"

"Right here," Mrs. Lupin said as she came in carrying her purse. She put her wand safely inside, then brushed at Remus's shoulders. "Are you ready, sweetheart?"

Remus shrugged. "As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose."

"Well, that's something. Come on, then, let's go."

The three Lupins Disapparated with three distinct pops.

The church quickly filled as Laura's friends and family gathered to bid her a final farewell. Remus greeted each person who came in, despite the fact that he only knew about half of them. Laura's extended family, her friends from her life before Hogwarts, her old teachers from primary school . . . Remus would never remember their names, but he was thankful for their support nonetheless.

He was even more thankful for the support of his own family and friends. His parents never left his side, and his friends were always nearby. They spoke quietly to one another, and to the others who approached them. Quite a few Order members had come as well, all dressed as Muggles. Their faces were as ashen as anyone's. None of them had ever imagined such an ending for Laura.

The funeral was about to start when the church doors opened yet again. Olivia, who was standing near them, turned to see who the newcomer was. She stifled a cry as she recognized Dana.

"Liv," Dana breathed. She pulled Olivia close, clinging to her for a moment. "Where's Remus?"

"Up there . . . I can't believe you made it, Dana!"

"How could I not? I started making arrangements as soon as I got your first message."

Olivia looked into her friend's face, trying to see if her move to France had changed her. She still looked the same, but a new sorrow smoldered in the back of her eyes. Dana ran her hands over her rounded stomach, then touched Olivia's cheek.

"I need to see Remus."

"Of course."

Dana kissed Olivia's cheek, then made her way to the front of the church, where Remus was still surrounded by friends and family. Feeling her eyes on him, he looked up from his conversation with Laura's great-uncle.

"Dana," he murmured.

"Remus," she said, opening her arms.

Remus excused himself from the conversation with the older man, and crossed to Dana. They met in an embrace, clinging to one another as they both fought back tears.

"Thank you so much for coming," Remus whispered.

"Remus, you're all I've thought of since I got that owl from Olivia," she said. She pulled back to look into his eyes. "I wish there was some way I could make this easier for you."

"You have," he assured her. "Just knowing that you're here has made it easier."

"I know it probably doesn't help, but I do know what you're going through."

"I know you do," he said. "And it does help."

She smiled, and kissed his cheek. "I know that the ceremony is starting soon, but we'll talk later, okay?"

"I'd like that," Remus said. He hugged her again. "Thank you so much, Dana. I'm so glad you're here."

They all took seats as the minister stepped up to begin the ceremony. His eyes reflected the sadness they all felt as he cleared his throat.

The funeral, which Remus and the Bonds had organized as a celebration of Laura's life, included several biblical passages, which were read aloud by Laura's nieces and nephews. Her brothers and sisters then shared stories from their childhood that best demonstrated Laura's character. Through it all, Remus sat up straight, looking straight at the speaker. He swallowed hard and blinked repeatedly, trying to hold back the tears that wanted to begin again. But here, in front of so many people that he and Laura both loved, he wanted to, as Lily had said, put up a calm, brave façade. He wanted to control his emotions, no matter how briefly.

When the ceremony ended, the families made their way to the cemetery for Laura's burial. The minister spoke words of commitment as the small crowd stood with heads bowed in prayer.

"May she rest in peace forever in Your glory," he said in closing. "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."

"Amen."

The minister stepped away so that the waiting crew could get to their job of lowering Laura's casket into the ground. The mourners, too, stepped away; but Remus and his parents remained, standing still as they watched the casket make its way down into the ground. Remembering what Remus had done for her at her parents' funeral, Lily pulled her hand from James's grasp.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To help Remus," she replied.

She made her way to where Remus stood with his parents. Without a word, she bent down to pick up some of the dirt that would be used to fill in the new grave. She stepped closer to Remus, and pressed the soil into his hand.

He looked down at her for a moment, his eyes thanking her. Then, he stepped forward to crumble the clump of dirt over Laura's casket.

He drew his breath in sharply, finally knowing the truth. Laura, his sweet, gentle, kind Laura, had left him. Their perfect dream had ended.