Remus stood in front of his girlfriend's parents' home, palms clammy and cold with anxiety. He desperately wished Tonks hadn't told her parents that he was a werewolf. He had always found it better when people found out he was a werewolf after several months of acquaintance; his mild-mannered professorial demeanor warmed others up before revealing his true nature. Tonks, in her infuriating-and-adorable tactlessness, had revealed his nature to her parents. Merlin help him.
"Ready, love?" she asked him. Tonks looked up at Remus with eyes full of love and admiration. It was a look that always left him breathless and impressed, that such a beautiful young witch could look at him like that. Remus nodded and inhaled deeply, steadying himself for the newest source of his terror.
Tonks opened the door without knocking, allowing both herself and Remus through the family wards.
"Mum! Dad! We're here!" Tonks shouted unceremoniously, knocking her boots off haphazardly. Remus, meanwhile, carefully removed his own well-cared-for loafers and placed them side-by-side next to the front door. At least working for that Muggle shoe shop had its perks, he thought. My shoes are in decent condition.
"Dora! Happy birthday, sweetheart!" Remus saw a big-bellied, fair-haired man emerge from the kitchen at the end of the hall. This must be her father, he thought. Tonks' father was smiling broadly at his daughter, pausing only briefly to gaze at Remus with some curiosity.
"Dad, this is my boyfriend, Remus Lupin," Tonks introduced. "Remus, this is my dad, Ted Tonks."
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Tonks," Remus said nervously, offering his hand to the man. "Thank you for having me in your home."
"No trouble at all, son," Ted replied. "Call me Ted, please. None of that Mr. Tonks business."
"Of course, Ted," Remus breathed. So far so good. Ted isn't repulsed by me – yet.
"Remus brought cinnamon rolls!" Tonks announced. "They're to die for."
"I'll be the judge of that," said a new, feminine voice. "I'm Nymphadora's mother, Andromeda." Remus gaped at Tonks' mother. She bore a striking resemblance to Bellatrix Lestrange – after all, they were sisters – but Andromeda's features were softer than Bellatrix's, a sort of middle ground between Bellatrix and Narcissa Malfoy.
Remus offered his hand to Andromeda, saying, "Remus Lupin. It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for inviting me." Andromeda hesitated but took Remus' hand in her own and shook it lightly.
"Where are your jumpers?" Tonks demanded. "I sent them over with Remus' owl!"
"You wanted us to wear them today?" Andromeda asked.
"Obviously," Tonks rolled her eyes. "Look at mine and Remus'! I wanted us to all match!"
Andromeda and Ted took the moment to look at the jumpers their daughter and her boyfriend sported. Ted beamed at the badger on Tonks' jumper and smiled as he saw the lion on Remus' jumper. Remus noticed Andromeda's lips curve slightly into a smile as well.
"I'll get them, 'Dromeda," Ted informed. He shuffled out of the kitchen to the back porch, where Remus' owl Lyra was patiently waiting with the poorly wrapped jumpers.
"While Ted gets those," Andromeda began, "would either of you like tea?" Andromeda was unfailingly polite and proper, Remus noticed. While Ted seemed genuinely amiable and welcoming, Andromeda was nearly impossible to read.
"Yes, please, Mrs. Tonks," Remus replied.
"No need for the title, Remus," Andromeda said airily. "Call me Andromeda."
"Thank you," he said softly. "Andromeda."
"Mum, did you make the chocolate biscuits?" Tonks asked, while whipping around her mother to fix herself tea. "I told Remus you make the best chocolate biscuits."
"She did," Remus replied. "Tonks tried to make them herself but set the oven on fire instead." Remus chuckled softly at her attempts to make the biscuits a week prior. It would've been funny at the time if it hadn't been so alarming.
"That sounds like my Nymphadora," Andromeda admitted. "But you'll have to wait for biscuits until after lunch."
"It's my birthday!" Tonks declared. "Biscuits first!"
Remus chortled at Tonks' impatience. He'd quickly learned that wooing Tonks through his cooking had been one of his better decisions, as she loved good food. Ignoring her mother, Tonks snuck a biscuit from the tray and stuffed it into her mouth. Andromeda sighed in exasperation, but let it go.
"Andromeda, your jumper!" Ted called. He was already wearing his new jumper, it was rich blue and had a bronze-knitted raven on its front. Andromeda kissed his cheek and grabbed the package from his hand, whipping around the corner to the bathroom to change.
"You were a Ravenclaw?" Remus asked. "Tonks never told me that."
"I was indeed!" Ted replied. "Both of us were quite shocked when Dora was Sorted into Hufflepuff."
"Why's that?" Remus wondered.
"Because I was a Slytherin," Andromeda interjected. She had emerged from the bathroom wearing her own knitted jumper, an emerald green one with a knitted silver serpent on the front. Together, the four of them represented all four Houses of Hogwarts.
Tonks grinned widely at the sight of them. "All four Houses in one home!" She shouted excitedly. "Didn't expect that, did you?" she said to them all.
Truly, Remus had not expected the four of them to have been in different Houses. Remus had been certain Andromeda was a Slytherin, having been raised a Black. He had expected Ted to be a Hufflepuff like his daughter, especially considering his amiability. Children were often Sorted in one of their parents' Houses; he had been Sorted into Gryffindor, just as his father had been.
"How did you get Sorted into Hufflepuff?" Remus asked Tonks. "Did the Hat consider anything else for you?"
"I was a hatstall, actually," Tonks admitted. "The Hat thought Hufflepuff at first, 'cause it said I had a big heart. Then it suggested Ravenclaw like my dad because I had 'a fine mind,' but I told it I didn't think I was smart enough. The Hat thensuggested Slytherin because I was 'clever' too, and then Gryffindor, because I had a 'reckless streak.'" Remus chuckled at this; Tonks was sometimes too reckless for her own good.
"But I told the Hat I just wanted to be happy at school and make good friends, 'cause I'd had so few of them till then," Tonks continued. "So it put me in Hufflepuff!"
"Our reckless, bright, clever, kind, Hufflepuff," Ted admired, kissing the top of his daughter's head. "We wouldn't have you any other way."
Tonks grinned, and blurted, "Shouldn't we be eating by now? Something smells delicious."
Remus chuckled at Tonks' outburst, as did Andromeda. "I'm sure you've noticed our daughter's penchant for food, Remus," Andromeda observed. "She told us she's taken quite a liking to your culinary skills." Remus blushed pink at the praise.
He replied, "I enjoy cooking, and I'm glad to have someone to share my skills with. I love taking care of your daughter," he added truthfully.
"We can talk about how much I love food over lunch, yeah?" Tonks said, stepping towards the roast that was waiting on the table. Ted laughed, and led the others to the dining table, which was laden with what Remus assumed were Tonks' favorite dishes. He took careful note of all the food in front of him for future dinners with his girlfriend.
Tonks was happily piling mashed potatoes and pot roast to her plate. Remus tried a bit of everything, so as to not offend his hosts. He was particularly careful in minding his table manners; if Sirius' upbringing had told him anything, the Blacks weren't known for poor table manners. Remus hadn't earned any reproving glances from Andromeda, unlike Tonks. Andromeda was tsking at her daughter's chaotic manners.
"This is delicious, Andromeda," Remus commented. "I can see where Tonks gets her good taste." Andromeda's lip curled slightly at the praise, nodding in assent.
"So, Remus," Ted began. "What are your intentions with our Dora?" Remus nearly spat out his food, taken aback by the sudden boldness.
"Dad!" Tonks warned. "There's no need to ask that."
"It's not that he's a werewolf, Dora," Ted explained. "You brought a boyfriend home, and that's a perfectly reasonable question for a father to ask of her daughter's boyfriend." Remus shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"It's a fair question, Tonks," Remus replied evenly. "I don't blame your father at all for asking." Remus braced himself for his next reply. "Ted, I assure you that I want to be nothing but honorable and respectful of your daughter. She wants me around, which baffles me, but I gladly oblige as long as she's happy. I'll be around as long as she'll have me, and I'll take care of her to the best of my ability." Remus chose his words carefully; he wanted to be sure that Tonks' parents knew he would treat Tonks with all the love, care, and respect she deserved, without condemning her to the life of a werewolf. Tonks beamed at him in between bites of her potatoes.
"When you say, 'take care of her to the best of your ability,' Remus, does that mean financially?" Andromeda asked, with an unreadable expression on her face. Remus felt his hands grow cold and clammy again. This is torture.
"MUM!" Tonks shouted. "We've been through this. He doesn't owe me anything."
"Tonks, your mother has every right to be concerned," Remus replied carefully. "Her concerns are quite valid and are similar to my own." Andromeda and Ted looked at him expectantly.
"My financial situation is not…strong," Remus admitted, shamefully. "I do odd jobs when and where I can find them. The wizarding world isn't very kind to werewolves." He winced; although Tonks' parents knew what he was, it still stung to say it aloud to two people he so desperately wanted to impress.
"Before I met Tonks, I worked for a Muggle shoe shop," Remus explained. "I quit when Dumbledore needed my help. I have some Muggle savings from the years I've worked. It's not much, but it's been enough to support myself." He looked down at his threadbare robe and worn trousers. He was suddenly thankful Tonks had gifted him a new jumper that morning, which made him look more put-together than he'd been that morning.
"I know it's not – ideal," Remus choked out, "but your daughter means a great deal to me, and anything I have, I gladly share with her." Andromeda didn't look especially satisfied with his answer, but it was the best he could offer.
"And your lycanthropy?" Andromeda raised her eyebrows. "How should we know that you're being safe with our daughter?" she asked Remus.
"Remus doesn't let me anywhere near him the day before or after the full moon," Tonks quickly interrupted. "That's not an issue at all."
"Is that true, son?" Ted asked.
"Yes," Remus replied awkwardly. "The full moon is on Tuesday night, so the next three days I'll be at my cottage for the transformation. I would never allow Tonks near me on those days."
"Wouldn't that change if you were married?" Ted asked. Remus did a double-take at his girlfriend's father.
"Married?" Remus sputtered.
"We don't expect you to string our girl along and have your fun, young man," Andromeda said sternly. If this is dying, end it now, thought Remus.
"It's not like that, mum!" Tonks cried. "Neither of us is sure we want to be married at all."
"You don't want to be married?" Ted asked sharply. It was unclear to Remus who Ted was asking. Remus decided to answer first.
"It's not that I don't want to be married, Ted," Remus began. "I understand that if I did marry anyone, your daughter included, it would mean a lot of difficulties for her, and I don't know that I want to subject her to that."
"Yet you're perfectly content to have your way with her without the commitment?" Andromeda demanded. This must be the hell that Muggles talk about. Torture, pure torture, Remus thought.
"I ALREADY SAID IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" Tonks bellowed.
"You-you're not..?" Ted asked, his face slightly reddening. Remus wanted to sink to the floor and be swallowed into the earth.
"It's none of your business, dad," Tonks said tersely. "Remus resists marriage in the same way he resisted dating me – he doesn't want me to suffer. It was hard enough to convince him to be with me and he didn't believe he made me happy. Please don't make me convince you too, mum," Tonks spat at her mother. "We might get married, we might not," Tonks continued. "It won't have anything to do with Remus trying to take advantage of me. If we do, it's because we want to." Tonks' hair had now morphed from its chestnut curls to long, fiery red locks.
Andromeda and Ted gaped at Tonks, and then stared at Remus, expecting a reply from him as well. Remus scrunched his eyes together and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to think through an appropriate response.
"I believe what Tonks is trying to say," began Remus, gingerly, "is that I know she'll be challenged by others if they learn we are involved. I certainly don't want her put in any more harm than she comes by in her job. If we marry, that becomes public knowledge through the Ministry. I wouldn't say…never…but not…now," Remus finished lamely. He didn't think there would be a time when a human could marry a werewolf without repercussions, but he didn't want his girlfriend's parents to think that.
"And children?" Andromeda demanded. "Nymphadora mentioned you seem to disagree on that matter."
"Mum, this is way too personal," Tonks interrupted. "You've only just met him."
"Dora might be right, 'Dromeda," Ted said gently. "The poor man's been through enough." Thank Merlin for Ted, Remus thought. If I ever have a child with your daughter, his name will be Ted, I swear on my wand. Did I really just think that?! Remus alarmed himself.
"I can answer, Ted, Tonks," Remus said in a low voice. "It might help them understand, Tonks. About werewolves." Tonks sighed but gestured for Remus to continue.
"Remus, can you get me some of your cinnamon rolls? If I have so continue sitting through this interrogation, I need to make it worth my while," Tonks complained. Ted laughed softly and gestured for Remus to continue sitting.
"I'll get them," Ted offered, as Andromeda cleaned up the remains of lunch from the table.
"You really want to tell them about the mating stuff?" Tonks whispered.
"I don't want to, Tonks," replied Remus. "But it may help them understand. I won't tell them everything, just…the basics."
"Fine," Tonks allowed. "But you'll be making it worth my while tonight before you head to your cottage." Tonks winked at him and Remus felt the shiver down his spine again.
"Your parents are right there!" he hissed. Tonks winked and licked her lips, making Remus groan slightly.
"These look scrumptious, Remus," Ted noted. "You made these yourself?"
"I did," Remus smiled. "One of Tonks' favorites." Ted placed a particularly big roll on Tonks' plate before he plated one each for Andromeda, Remus, and himself. Andromeda returned to the table and took a bite from the roll.
"Quite good," Andromeda commented. "I can see why Nymphadora likes them so." Remus exhaled in relief. He hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath. Andromeda looked back up at him, with the same expectant eyes as before.
"Right, so, children," Remus began uncomfortably. "Children are more…complicated with werewolves." He sighed sadly. "Werewolf females can't carry children to term; it's part of the curse, so I could never have children with another werewolf, even if I wanted to. Werewolves can father children with witches and Muggles, but the act of mating means the werewolf creates a pack of his own. It forms a bond like marriage between the mother of the child and the child itself, all to the father, or alpha." Ted's jaw dropped, while Andromeda looked intently at Remus' explanation.
"If I had a child with your daughter, for example," Remus winced, thinking of the complications that would arise if that were ever to take place. "She would be bonded to me as if we were married, and the resulting child would be bonded to me too. I couldn't hurt either of them, but it would make me more…possessive of them both." Ted and Andromeda both looked alarmed.
"Not in an aggressive way," Remus added hurriedly. "Threats to either my mate," Remus grimaced again, "or my child, would end poorly for the one threatening them. I'm not convinced I could control myself."
"My mate would also increase her level of protectiveness," Remus went on, "but if she weren't a werewolf, it wouldn't be anywhere near my level. The bond is virtually indestructible. It's not a step to take…lightly."
"As you may see, it's not a matter of whether or not I merely want children," Remus clarified. "It's a matter of whether or not I want to impose those bonds on others."
Andromeda and Ted sat quietly while Tonks fiddled with her curls, now back to a glossy chestnut.
Ted broke the silence. "Would any of this hurt Dora?' he asked tentatively. "Or, if I may, are there any benefits for her in all this?"
"Other than cinnamon rolls, Remus," Tonks teased, earning a glare from her mother.
"It would hurt her if she ever wanted to leave me," Remus said sadly. "This kind of bond isn't one you can walk away from." Andromeda grimaced at Remus' declaration. "In return, I wouldn't be able to leave her without harming myself in the process, unless I left in order to keep her alive. Self-sacrifice sort of thing," he added. "I'd be the first to come to her aid and I'm confident I would blindly murder anyone who threatened her life."
"Would she react the same way for you?" Andromeda asked, eyes now filled with a curious expression.
"I don't think so," Remus explained. "She's not a werewolf, and I don't need a bond to give my life to prevent that from happening to her."
"Can that be enough for now?" Tonks interjected. "I brought Remus for you to meet him, mum and dad, not an interrogation and lecture on werewolf mating habits." She shot each of her parents a scowl, and Remus tried to hide his amusement at Tonks' impertinence.
"Very well, Nymphadora," Andromeda agreed. "Why don't you and your father fetch some of your photo albums to show Remus?"
"Isn't that some sort of meet-the-parents trope?" Tonks asked. "What do you really want?" I see why the Sorting Hat considered Slytherin for her, thought Remus. And Ravenclaw and Gryffindor.
"A word with Remus," Andromeda said airily. "Alone." Remus panicked again; what if she threw him out of the house? After all the discussion on werewolf mating? What was he thinking, sharing all that with them?
"No need to worry, Remus," Andromeda noted. It didn't help his worry.
"Anything you want to say to Remus, you can say to me, mum," Tonks defied. Remus felt relieved and thankful that Tonks had little tact.
"Dora, listen to your mother," Ted cut in. "I believe she means well, don't you, 'Dromeda?"
Andromeda nodded, and Tonks stood angrily. "He'll tell me everything," she hissed at her mother. Tonks walked to the other side of the table and kissed Remus on his forehead before heading upstairs to fetch the photos with her father.
Andromeda waited until Tonks and Ted were upstairs before casting a privacy charm over the room. Remus' hands shook slightly as he was now left alone with the formidable mother of his girlfriend. She gazed at him steadily, unnerving him.
"I mean you no harm, Remus," Andromeda began. "I do wish to warn you, however."
"Warn me?" Remus heard himself stammer.
"Bellatrix, my sister," Andromeda said softly. "She has threatened my daughter's life many times."
"Tonks told me about this last week," Remus replied. "I'd never felt so scared…or angry. Not even when James or Lily died, or when Sirius was imprisoned. It was – something else."
"I believe you," Andromeda said. "It's what makes me rather torn about your relationship with my daughter."
"Umm," Remus faltered. What does Bellatrix have to do with my relationship?
"If Bellatrix were to find out about your involvement with my daughter, Remus," Andromeda expressed, "it would only increase her rage against my family. Your – condition – makes it so." Remus winced; of course she was worried about this. If Bellatrix heard about her niece's connection to a werewolf, Tonks would never live another day of peace.
"The protection that a bond offers, however," Andromeda continued slowly, "is intriguing. Do you think yourself capable of murdering my sister, should she threaten my daughter's life?"
"Absolutely," Remus said quickly. "I wouldn't spare an additional thought to eliminate the threat."
"Even if it cost you your life?" Andromeda supplied.
"Yes." Is she planning on using me to save Tonks' life? I would die for her, Remus thought, but not at her mother's request; not as a pig for slaughter.
"I wouldn't ask that of you," Andromeda suggested.
"Are you a natural Legilimens?" Remus wondered aloud.
"Yes," Andromeda replied. "Quite helpful, don't you think?"
"Erm, yes," Remus stammered. "You can read everything I'm thinking?"
"Not everything, no," Andromeda replied. "You wear your emotions easily." Remus wasn't sure how to feel about this observation.
"I would never ask you to intentionally sacrifice your life for my daughter's," Andromeda elaborated. "Knowing you're capable of doing so without thinking, even at the cost of your own life, is a unanticipated source of comfort to me, as her mother. It's a peculiar feeling; knowing you would give my daughter the best protection, short of the Fidelius Charm, which she would never agree to, but in order to get that protection, she would be risking her life by the same order of magnitude. Not to mention the risks to her social status; not that she cares about it, unless it threatens her job."
"This is why you're torn," Remus said flatly. "I can be your daughter's greatest asset or her greatest detriment."
"Precisely," Andromeda confirmed.
"If I weren't a werewolf, would you…?" Like me? Accept me? Want me to be with your daughter? Remus couldn't bring himself to say any of this, hoping Andromeda would figure it out.
"I can't say you're who I expected my daughter would choose," Andromeda mused. "Though it's clear she cares for you deeply. My husband seems to have taken a liking to you."
"That's…good?" Remus wondered.
"He's not the one you should be worried about," Andromeda said. "Bellatrix doesn't need any of us to break your heart." Remus gulped, knowing that if anyone could destroy his happiness, it would be a certain deranged Death Eater hell-bent on murdering the woman that he loved.
...
"What did my mum tell you?" Tonks finally asked, as soon as she and Remus had Apparated back to her flat. The rest of Remus' visit to the Tonks household was spent pleasantly, looking over Tonks' childhood photos and hearing stories from her rebellious youth.
"Your mother isn't sure how to feel about me," Remus said simply. "She likes that I can protect you, but at the cost of what it would mean for your life."
"What did you tell her?" Tonks demanded. "That's it's none of her business?"
"I didn't say much of anything," Remus admitted. "Your mother is a formidable witch."
Tonks snorted. "That's one way to put it."
"My dad likes you," Tonks said. "Thinks it's weird you're closer in age to him than me, but likes you all the same."
"That's great," Remus said, thankful that at least Tonks' father had warmed up to him. Ted Tonks was too kind; it was clear were Tonks had gotten her nature.
"He said you can call me Dora, if you'd like," Tonks said softly. "I always thought it'd be just his name for me, since he's my dad, but he said that my boyfriend should be able to call me by my first name."
"You can be called whatever you'd like to be called, love," Remus replied. "If you want me to call you Dora, I'll call you Dora. You can still be Tonks, if you prefer." His heart was hammering, much to his surprise. He hadn't realized that being able to call her Dora could be so intimate and familiar. He suddenly ached for the desire to call her Dora.
Tonks looked at him for a moment, and offered, "Call me Dora for the rest of the day, and I'll tell you if I like it or not by the end, okay?"
"Okay, Dora," Remus smiled as he said her name. He kissed her passionately, gathering her small, warm body against his own. "My Dora," he whispered into her ear. "Mine," he murmured, as he kissed her gently and nipped at her earlobe. "All mine."
...
Remus was settling into the cellar of his cottage, waiting for moonrise. The past few days had been overwhelming; he'd met Dora's parents – Dora, he could now call her – and had given more thought to a future with her than he'd ever hoped for. His words to Andromeda had been haunting him. He could be Dora's greatest asset, or her greatest detriment. He struggled under the weight of the assessment.
The wolf was particularly distressed this evening, missing its mate. Remus couldn't fathom bringing Dora to the cottage for a transformation, but the wolf was pining for its mate. Remus feared he was in for an especially painful full moon.
Moonrise was only a few minutes away. His muscles spasmed and his arms and legs shook. He never got used to the pain; the curse made sure of it. He hoped Dora never saw this part of the process. It was grotesque and undignified. The thoughts began splintering as the wolf's mind took over. The shaking and tears began in earnest, and Remus knew no more.
...
Remus was whimpering. A metallic scent rose to his nose and he tried to lift himself up with his hands. Blood was everywhere, and his hands slid against the puddle of blood underneath him, knocking his chin into the stone of the cellar. He winced at the pain and closed his eyes, trying to feel for any breaks or tears.
A few of his toes were definitely broken. Blood was trickling down his leg, likely from a deep wound in his hip. A few ribs were broken as well, considering how hard it was for him to breathe. Each inhale was torture. Remus tried to move his arms up again, but a throbbing in his right wrist meant it might've been broken as well; fuck, that's my wand hand, he thought. The back of his head was soaked in blood too, though he wasn't sure if it was from an injury or from lying in his own puddle.
He dragged himself by the forearms and uninjured hip to the steps of the cellar where his wand lay. The pain was excruciating; he could only move a few inches at a time across the length of the cellar floor. He managed to grasp his wand, at long last, with his left hand and tended first to his right wrist. He was decent with spells with his left hand, having practiced after so many injuries, but the spells were always less effective in his non-dominant hand. His right wrist healed quickly, but the throbbing remained. I'll have to get Pain Relief Potion as soon as I'm able.
Remus cried out in pain as he sat up to heal the rest of his wounds. Healing himself this time around would be harder than usual. Despite never wanting Dora to see him so broken, he wished, for the very first time, that she could be there to help him. Not Sirius, Dora. There was little he wouldn't give to have her there.
He felt delirious from blood loss, but kept muttering spells at his wounds to keep them from bleeding any further. The pain was overwhelming, and he was growing cold. He tried to summon his clothes to cover himself, but his hands were shaking too much for the spell to be successful. He gave up, slumping himself against the steps of the cellar. He'd try again later.
...
Perhaps this is what death felt like, Remus thought. He felt himself on a soft, warm bed. His body wasn't throbbing and broken anymore, or so he thought. Where the pain had been, now only a mild warmth remained. Remus tried to open his eyes; from the slight flickering of his eyelashes, he saw a few pleasant colors. A pale pink, bright white, amber gold orbs. Was this a sort of afterlife?
"Beautiful," he mumbled. "So beautiful."
"What's that, love?" a sweet voice called. Dora's voice. My Dora.
"Colors," Remus murmured. "Lovely colors."
"Maybe another potion?" a male voice called. "Thank Merlin you got to him on time."
A glossy black sheet entered Remus' feeble eyesight. "Dark?"
"It's nighttime, sweetheart," he heard Dora say.
"Do…ra," Remus croaked. "You're here too."
"So's Sirius, love," Dora said.
"He died?" Remus murmured. "James here too?"
"He's delirious," Sirius' faraway voice called. "Give him more of the Sleeping Draught."
"I'm never letting him do this alone again," Dora's voice said. A sweet, warm liquid trickled down Remus' throat. If this was death, he thought, maybe it wasn't so bad after all.