This is just a little fic I thought of when I making my musical bouquet (which is being abandoned, btw), but I still thought Remus's feelings at Lily and James's funeral were still an important thing to write about. so, here it is.
Remus had never felt so grief-stricken. This war had taken so many tolls, and the end of it had come at a high price. He watched painfully as those closest to him were killed or had betrayed him and his friends.
First, his sweet Dorcas, killed by Death Eaters; she had fought valiantly, but he just wished that he had been there with her. He had been so in love with her. He couldn't see how he'd ever love again.
Then, Marlene had been killed, along with the rest of her family. It seemed like this had been such a blow to Sirius. He'd crumpled to the floor when he'd heard the news. Remus shook his head at this memory.
Emmeline had been driven to temporary madness at the death of Roderick, James's cousin. She was currently in St. Mungo's. She had been released, but upon hearing about more unbearable news, was returned, begging for a Memory Charm. She wanted to erase her friends from her memory so that she couldn't feel the grief of their absence. She wouldn't even realize how good of friends she and Remus had been when she was released.
Then, Lily and James. . . both in the same night. Just when he thought he couldn't take anymore, he had realized that Sirius had betrayed them. It was Sirius's fault that James and Lily were dead and Harry was an orphan. The next day, when they had tried to arrest Sirius for his treachery, Peter had been killed. All that was left of him was his finger.
Frank and Alice were the only friends that he had at that point. Then, they were tortured to insanity the day before the funeral. This greatly shocked Remus and had only Dumbledore and his courage. He had never before felt so tired and worn. In a space of three weeks, he had lost almost everyone dear to him.
He reflected on this as he gazed out into the congregation of James and Lily's funeral. All these people felt they owed something to James and Lily, because of Harry. If it hadn't been for Harry, they would still be living in fear of Voldemort's attacks.
He sighed heavily as it was his turn to speak. Tears glistened in his blue eyes as he looked around at the crowd. He had never seen Dumbledore look so sad. Tears glistened in his eyes as well. It had never been easy for Dumbledore to see suffering, especially the suffering of one of his favorite students. How tragedy had struck so cruelly in what was the prime of these people's lives!
"James and Lily were my best friends," Remus began in a quaking voice. "I've rarely seen such goodness and bravery in my time here. I've rarely seen two people love each other as much. In our seventh year, the only people that loved each other more were Frank and Alice Longbottom." Sniffles in audience were amplified by mentioning the victims of another tragedy. Remus paused, unsure if he could go on. He heard a fluttering of wings and Fawkes the Phoenix had flown from Dumbledore's shoulder to Remus's. The bird sang a solitary note. The note hung in the air for a few seconds before Remus realized what he was supposed to do with it. "James and Lily would not want us to be grief-stricken by their death. They would want us to pull from this tragedy a shred of hope that no matter where we go or who we are, we can always find hope. From this horrific tragedy, we still have little Harry, who brought Voldemort's downfall." Most of the congregation winced. "Indeed, hope for a brighter day was an infectious quality that James and Lily both possessed. If we cannot pull from their death the hope that lived past their physical bodies, we cannot properly honour them.
"When you walk through a storm," Remus sang in a beautiful and sad tenor voice, "hold your head up high, and don't be afraid of the dark. At the end of the storm is a golden sky and the sweet silver song of the lark." The congregation seemed incredibly moved by this display by Remus and began to sing with him until the whole church swelled withhymn filled with hope.
"Walk on through the wind, walk on through the rain, though your dreams may be tossed and blown. Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart and you'll never walk alone, you'll never walk alone."
A rat, which had seemingly stopped scurrying about to listen at the door shuddered involuntarily at the funeral. It was missing a toe.
"We have all walked on with hope in our heart, and this is the beginning of the golden sky," Remus declared, without a tremor in his voice. James and Lily, with the hope in their hearts, brought us this golden sky, and the best thing we can do for them is just to never lose hope. There will be a day that we will be sorely tempted to lose our hope, but always remember James and Lily and their sacrifice for all of us. Just remember James and Lily."
Even the rat had tears in its eyes.