A warm, cloudy June evening found Remus Lupin cuddled up with his girlfriend, Nymphadora Tonks, in the bed they shared in her – now their – flat. Nearly a year ago exactly, he had learned of Voldemort's return and his world had been turned upside down in the best and worst of ways. He'd found love for the first time in his adult life, he'd learned of the threats to his love, and he held onto dear life as he navigated a world in which he, a werewolf, could dare to love his witch without abandon.
Remus nuzzled his face into Dora's signature pink hair, inhaling the sweet smell of chocolate that she always seemed to carry with her. He could never get enough of Dora; her laughter, her voice, her unbridled joy and enthusiasm for life, her brilliance, her body, his Dora. Inhaling her scent was one of his favorite pastimes.
"Hi, love," Remus kissed Tonks' neck gently.
"Hi, Remus," Tonks replied, turning around to face him. "Fancy seeing you here."
"I love you," Remus said. "Thank you," he added.
"For what?"
"For being you."
"You're such a sap," Tonks said teasingly. "I love you anyway." She kissed him deeply and ran her fingers through his hair.
"I wish it could be like this forever," Tonks sighed into Remus ear.
"Me too," Remus murmured. They had been laying together like this, bodies pressed against each other, for most of the evening, enjoying their mutual company on one of Tonks' rare weekdays off, thanks to a recent weekend raid.
"Hungry?" Remus asked.
"Always," Tonks said. "What are we having?"
Before Remus could reply, a bright silvery-blue light entered the flat in Alastor Moody's gravelly voice: "Extremely urgent need at Department of Mysteries. Potter and company in grave danger."
Remus and Tonks took no time in dressing rapidly, stowing their wands, and running out the flat to Apparate to the Ministry. They arrived, only to find that the usual employee entrance had been closed off, forcing them to use the visitors' entrance. As they approached the phone booth, Kingsley Shacklebolt appeared, wand in hand.
"Kings, what's going on?" Tonks asked. "We got a message from Moody." She, Remus, and Kingsley stuffed themselves into the phone booth and made their way into the Ministry.
"Not certain," Kingsley's deep voice replied. "Severus alerted us that Harry and his friends were headed to the Ministry due to an alleged kidnapping of Sirius."
"Kidnapping? Sirius?" Remus asked, bewildered. "How?" They finally made it to the Ministry Atrium; it was empty, and they went running towards the Department of Mysteries.
"OI!" Sirius' voice boomed behind the trio. "I'm here, not at Headquarters, what's happening?"
"You shouldn't be here," hissed Remus as he ran to the lifts. "You can't be seen!"
"My godson is in danger," gritted Sirius, stepping into the lift, panting slightly. "Snivellus came to check on me a few minutes ago and said Harry saw me at the Department of Mysteries being tortured. Voldemort must've put the vision in his head!"
"Fuck, it's a bloody trap!" Tonks cried. "Is Harry alone?"
"Snape thinks it's at least Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but it could be more," Sirius explained. "We need to go!" The lift doors opened and the adults rushed towards the familiar door they'd been guarding the last year. It was open and faint shouts could be heard from within.
Remus and the others rushed through the Department of Mysteries; the Time-Turner Room was littered with mixed sands of time; Ginny and a blond-haired girl appeared to be hiding behind a cabinet, as a Death Eater's head grotesquely aged and de-aged repeatedly. No time to gape, Remus thought.
"They're in there!" Ginny shouted, pointing towards the Hall of Prophecies. "Run!"
Remus rushed through onto the Hall of Prophecies, which was now a collection of dust, shards of glass, and eerie voices repeating the prophecies that were once organized and held in the Hall.
"The room with the Veil!" Tonks screamed. "That's where they are!"
Veil? What Veil? Remus thought. Now wasn't the time for questions, he merely followed Tonks, Kingsley, Sirius, and a heavily grunting Moody, who had finally joined them in battle.
The Order members came upon an eerie room that held a Veil; Remus heard mysterious voices from beyond the Veil and found himself transfixed, but before he could approach it further, the sounds and sights of teenagers in battle against Death Eaters took his attention.
A flash of light emerged from his right; Remus protected himself with a shield. "Stupefy!" he cried at the Death Eater in front of him. The Death Eater – Rookwood, based on the gaps in his masks – sent a Dark jinx his way, singeing Remus' tattered robes in the process.
"Impedimenta!" Remus shouted, as Rookwood came charging towards him. "Stupefy!" he called again, sending Rookwood into the stone behind him.
"Crucio!" shouted a familiar, spine-chilling voice: Bellatrix. Remus looked over as Tonks was battling her aunt. Remus rushed to Tonks' side, lifting the Cruciatus Curse from his girlfriend's ailing body.
"Beast to the rescue, is it?" Bellatrix taunted. "Crucio!" she cast in Remus' direction, but Remus was too fast; he countered it and cast a stinging hex her way; Bellatrix sidestepped it and cast another Dark curse in Remus' direction.
Tonks was sending stunning spells towards Bellatrix, but the Death Eater was no match for Tonks; Bellatrix was too fast and too well versed in Dark magic for Tonks to keep up with. Remus cut in, countering curses rapidly.
"You prefer half-breeds, niece?" Bellatrix jeered, casting another curse at Tonks, missing her by centimeters. "I'll show you what we do to those who practice bestiality! Crucio!" Remus wasn't fast enough, and now Dolohov was cursing him. Remus was torn between the writhing body of Tonks and deflecting his own spells from Dolohov.
"Finite incantatem!" Remus shouted towards Dora, hoping it would relieve the effects of the curse, then turning towards Dolohov. Remus shouted a conjunctivitis jinx on Dolohov, which struck the Death Eater well, and Dolohov doubled over in pain from his eyes.
Remus turned back towards Bellatrix; Dora was back on her feet and fighting for her life. "Not so tough now, are we? No Aurors to save you now! Crucio!" The curse hit Dora for what Remus could only assume was the third time. Remus turned towards Bellatrix and began dueling with her, releasing the torture curse's effect on Tonks.
"The half-breed can fight, can he?" Bellatrix mocked. "Fighting for the half-blood filth? As if the brat couldn't besmirch the family any more!" Bellatrix cast curse after curse in Remus' direction; he just barely escaped each one. Tonks had gotten back to her feet and began fighting alongside Remus.
"When your pet dog is dead," Bellatrix jeered at Tonks, "we'll feed you to the next pet!" Bellatrix cackled. "End your life the way you like it!" Bellatrix was gleeful with hate for Tonks, sending curses, jinxes, and hexes in rapid fire in the younger witch's direction.
Remus was barely able to control the damage, as Dolohov and Rookwood had both gotten back to their feet and began dueling with Remus again.
"Little girl likes the beasts, does she?" Dolohov taunted. "She'll make a fine plaything for us before we give her to our own little beast!" Remus cast counter-curses, shields, and any form of protection he could in between himself and the two opposing Death Eaters.
Suddenly, Remus saw Harry and Sirius standing on the dais before the Veil, engaged in a duel with Lucius Malfoy for the prophecy. Time moved in slow motion now; Sirius had been successfully fighting Malfoy, and the former had managed to knock the latter into the stone wall. In an instant, Remus heard Bellatrix cast a spell, blessedly not directed at Tonks, but at – Sirius! The spell hit Sirius in the chest, and Remus watched with horrified eyes as Sirius slipped through the Veil; he was dead. Harry began to run after Sirius, and Remus thundered towards the distraught teenager, holding him back from running towards the Veil himself.
Harry struggled against Remus' arms, but it was no to avail; Harry had discovered it was Bellatrix who had killed Sirius, and was running after the witch. The battle continued; with Bellatrix out of the way, Kingsley, Moody, and Remus redoubled their efforts on the remaining Death Eaters. Dolohov and Rookwood were taken down simultaneously by Moody and Kingsley; with Malfoy out, Moody wrapped the three of them in ropes, and rushed out to find the others. Remus nearly followed, until he realized Tonks was missing.
"DORA!" Remus bellowed in the Veil room. A small whimper could be heard from the opposite side of the room. "DORA!" Remus repeated, thundering up and down the steps to get to the young Auror.
Remus found Dora's battered, bloodied figure splayed on the stone floor. "Dora, Dora, no," Remus cried, seeing the extent of her injuries. She was moaning unintelligibly; it was clear she had suffered from blood loss and various traumatic injuries. She had to get to St. Mungo's immediately.
Remus quickly stunned the bound Death Eaters to ensure they would stay unconscious while he took Dora to the hospital.
"Stay with me, sweetheart," he murmured, as he scooped her into his arms and ran back out of the room and into the Hall of Prophecies. Tonks merely whimpered incoherently.
"You'll be alright, love, I'll make sure of it," Remus told her. "You have to be alright. Please, please be alright."
Remus felt his legs carry him out of the Hall of Prophecies and through the Time-Turner Room; the wreckage everywhere was barely noticeable. "Stay with me, Dora," Remus repeated. "Stay awake for me, sweetheart." She was losing a lot of blood; her skin was paler than he'd ever seen it.
"We're almost there, Dora," Remus told her. "We'll be at the hospital and you'll be safe, love."
Remus made his way to the Atrium, only to find Dumbledore, Harry, and – Voldemort – now dueling. The duel was overwhelming, with flames and torrents of water nearly encasing the Atrium.
"Oh fuck," Remus muttered. "I can't get through, good Godric, no," he moaned, looking at the rapidly weakening young Auror in his arms.
"Beastie to the rescue, I see?" Bellatrix taunted. Where the fuck had she come from? Bellatrix began casting curses at the pair. Remus felt helpless, but gently laid down Tonks on the floor and tried to steer Bellatrix away from her.
"Impedimenta!" Remus shouted, trying to slow Bellatrix down. Bellatrix deftly countered the jinx and sent her own curses flying towards Remus.
"Little dog isn't very good at tricks, is he?" the Death Eater jeered. "Playing dead will be your only trick soon!"
"Avada Ked—"
"Protego!"
"Cruc-"
"Confringo!" Remus cast, causing an explosion in the floor in between the two of them.
"You won't get away that easily, beastie!" Bellatrix cackled. "Once I'm through with you, your little plaything will be fed to the next beastie!"
Remus cast further jinxes against Bellatrix; he felt weak, but he had to keep fighting. Luckily, one of Dumbledore's spells had caused a massive waterfall in the middle of the Atrium, taking Bellatrix with the water and away from Remus and Tonks.
"Dora!" he cried. "Merlin, please be safe, please!" He ran over to the spot where he'd left Dora, the tuft of pink hair vividly visible against the slate of the floor. She was no longer making any sounds, and Remus frantically pressed his fingers against her wrist; a faint pulse was still there. Just as the pulse was found, Remus looked towards the Atrium, where Voldemort had seemingly disappeared, and Dumbledore stared down at a writhing Harry. Bellatrix was nowhere to be found, so Remus took the opportunity to rush towards the Floo again in an effort to get Dora to the hospital.
He finally reached the Floo and tossed the powder into the fireplace, calling "St. Mungo's!" with what remained of his hoarse voice. Moments later, they were at the hospital, where Healers descended upon the pair, leaving a bloodied Remus alone in the waiting room. He wasn't alone for long.
"Where is she?" Andromeda Tonks' voice rang through the waiting room just minutes after Remus and Tonks had arrived. Remus looked up to see Andromeda and Ted in a panic as they entered St. Mungo's.
"Remus!" Andromeda cried. "Where is Nymphadora? What happened? Is she still alive? The bracelet isn't burning anymore!" Andromeda was now tearing up.
"She's alive," Remus croaked. "Just barely, but she's alive." Andromeda began weeping in earnest, as Ted wrapped her into his arms.
"When can we see her?" Ted asked.
"The Auror?" the reception witch asked. "With the pink hair?"
"Yes, please," Remus begged. "Can we see her?"
"Not yet," the witch replied. "We'll notify you when she's ready for visitors."
"Andromeda," Remus asked, "is the bracelet getting any warmer or cooler?"
"It was burning for a while and began to fade, and now it doesn't feel like much of anything," Andromeda explained. "What's happening to her?"
"She's healing," Remus exhaled gratefully. "It's not getting cold, is it?"
"No, just as if nothing had happened to her," Andromeda replied.
"Thank Merlin," Remus breathed. "They're stabilizing her."
"Care to explain all of this?" Ted asked impatiently.
"The bracelet I gave Andromeda for her birthday," Remus began explaining, "It's tied to Dora's blood and magic. It should burn hot if Dora's life is in danger. If the heat begins waning, then she's losing life, and if it becomes cooler and then cold, it means she's no longer alive." Remus swallowed the lump in his throat. "Luckily, it's fading without any noticeable temperature, which indicates she's healing and alive."
"You used Blood Magic on her?" Ted asked, dumbfounded.
"I asked him to," Andromeda interrupted. "For himself, and he insisted we know."
"Didn't you feel it earlier? Dora was in trouble far before now," Remus noted.
"I did and tried to Apparate to her, but we kept Apparating to the Ministry entrance, which was closed. Even the visitors' entrance was shut off," Andromeda informed.
"The Ministry has anti-Apparition wards," Remus said. "It took you to the next closest spot. You must have been trying to Apparate again when we arrived here."
Ted nodded, mouth still agape from the flurry of information from Remus and Andromeda.
"I know it was wrong of me to do this without asking Dora's permission," Remus said, "but I couldn't bear for her to risk her life without someone knowing about it first."
"You'll have to explain it to her then, son," Ted admonished. "She's not going to take this well."
"I know," Remus sighed. "I hope she forgives me."
The three of them fell into silence as they anxiously awaited the news of Tonks' health. Andromeda and Ted were holding hands, as Ted murmured soothing words into Andromeda's ear. Remus, for his part, began reliving the events of the last few hours.
It was too much.
Sirius was dead. His last remaining childhood friend. Dead. He'd barely had two years of freedom; two years of friendship with Sirius. The grief hadn't sunk in yet, not really.
Dora had almost died. His Dora had almost been killed at the hands of her aunt, Bellatrix.
Was that how it had been in Dora's childhood? Had it been so bad? Had Bellatrix been that…vicious? Had she been that cruel to a child?
In the last hour – or was it hours? – Dora had been tortured by Bellatrix repeatedly. She'd been hexed, jinxed, and cursed by Bellatrix. The cuts, scrapes, gashes, and bruises on Dora's body bore witness to the Death Eater's sadism.
The mockery was salt in the wounds. Nearly all of Bellatrix's taunts were directed at him. At the werewolf. Beast. Half-breed. Dog. How had she known?
Fenrir. He must have joined Voldemort's forces and told of Remus' attachment. The Auror and the werewolf. Bellatrix's niece and an Order member. A half-blood anomaly and a half-breed. A stain on the family tree and an abomination. Of course Bellatrix attacked so viciously.
As if Nymphadora Tonks couldn't anger her blood elitist, psychopathic aunt any further; Remus had made it worse somehow. Remus, the werewolf, the Order member, the half-breed, the monster, had made it worse. He had put her life in further danger. He had made her more unsafe than before. His love for her had put her in harm's way.
Never again.
Never again could Remus dare to love her. Never again could Remus take in the glory and beauty of her light, her laughter, her smiles, her clumsiness…never again could Remus have her. He had failed her.
He had failed to protect her. He had failed to keep her as safe as possible. He had failed her, and she was suffering more greatly because of his failure.
Never again.
Remus knew what he had to do. It would break him. It would break her. It would break them apart, but it would keep her safer. She could be free to be with someone who was less dangerous. Someone her aunt wouldn't torture her over. Someone who didn't throw her in the path of danger any more than she had to. Someone else. Anyone else.
It could never be Remus.
It broke his heart.
It broke every bit of happiness he had felt in the last year.
It broke all the hopes he had been stealthily forming.
It broke him.
Yet he had to do it. For her. For Dora. She wouldn't be his Dora anymore, not really.
He would keep her in his heart until the day he died.
He would never love another like her.
He would never look at anyone else the same way.
She would forever be his, but he could no longer be hers.
He had to let her go.
Remus glanced at Ted and Andromeda; they would understand. Remus had further endangered their only daughter's life. Perhaps, if he had been something else – someone else entirely – she would not have approached death's door. Perhaps she would have escaped with her usual scratches and bruises from a fight, and not near-fatal injuries. If only he were someone else, someone who could protect her and love her without boundaries.
How had he been so foolish? He had chosen to love her and be with her against his better judgment. He had chosen to give into her happiness, and it had nearly cost Dora her life.
Never again.
He wasn't worth her life.
His love wasn't worth her life.
His love would never be enough.
He would never be enough.
Remus couldn't continue the charade. The pain weighed on his heart. The wolf howled in agony over leaving its mate; it had to leave Dora. She couldn't be safe with him. Her life was at risk. The wolf had no choice. His mate had to live. Dorahad to survive.
"Remus, are you alright?" Ted's gentle voice broke Remus' thoughts. I'm not alright, but I will be, when I know Dora can have a future.
"I've been better," Remus mumbled.
"Mr. and Mrs. Tonks?" a healer called from the door. It was Healer Shafiq, who had been Dora's healer the month prior.
Andromeda and Ted stood up; Remus stayed in his seat. Ted looked around at Remus quizzically.
"Come on, son," Ted said. "Must be the shock of it all." Remus nodded faintly and followed Dora's parents through the door.
Healer Shafiq led the trio down the hall and up to Dora's room. She looked tiny, pale, and fragile on the bed. Remus felt the tears welling up in his eyes; would this be his last memory of her? Of the now-broken, now-frail witch who had almost lost her life because he wanted to love her?
"We've induced a coma again," Healer Shafiq informed. "She lost a lot of blood. Whatever she was hit with, it was nasty work. Some of the worst curses I've ever seen. Do any of you know what she was hit with?" He looked up at Remus in particular; it was obvious Remus had been fighting too. Remus glanced down to see his own bloodied and torn clothes; he hadn't bothered to change or mend anything, not with Dora barely hanging onto life.
"The Cruciatus Curse," Remus said softly. "More times than I can count." Andromeda gasped and began crying; Ted's jaw clenched in anger.
"Various hexes, jinxes, and curses," Remus continued. "Some simple, many Dark. I don't know how many there were or what they did. She was in a terrible state when I found her."
"Where did this altercation occur?" Shafiq asked.
"Department of Mysteries, in the room with the Veil," Remus answered. "Dora was knocked into stone many times. I don't know what happened to the others there; I had to get her away as soon as I could." Remus felt the tears falling down his own face as well; he had failed her. He had failed to protect her. The testament to his failure lay, fighting for her life, in the sterile hospital bed mere feet from where he stood.
"That explains the internal bleeding," Healer Shafiq said with a frown. "I'm frankly astounded she survived," Shafiq continued matter-of-factly. "Both lungs punctured, internal bleeding in the abdomen, several broken bones, and the beginnings of paralysis in her muscles. Any more minutes without treatment and she very likely wouldn't have survived." Ted was now shedding tears as Andromeda wept into his shoulder; Remus felt faint as his own tears fell down.
"You brought her in?" Shafiq asked Remus; he nodded at the healer.
"Quick thinking to bring her in as fast as you were able," Shafiq noted. "Miss Tonks will have you to thank for being alive." Remus hung his head; if he hadn't been in her life at all, Dora may never have needed the trip to St. Mungo's to begin with.
"Thank you, Remus," said a teary-eyed Ted, "for saving our daughter."
"S'no problem," Remus mumbled. It was a problem. Dora shouldn't have needed saving. Dora should never have been in so much danger.
"When will she wake?" Andromeda asked.
"Her vital signs are weak, but stable," Healer Shafiq responded. "I expect her to be healing well enough in two to three days for us to wake her. I recommend checking in with us tomorrow for her progress."
"Is there nothing we can do for her?" Andromeda asked. Shafiq shook his head.
"It will be much the same as her last visit," the healer replied. "Go home, get rest, and check in tomorrow. We'll notify you of any urgent changes in her health."
"Thank you," Ted said, offering his hand to the healer. Ted turned towards Remus and asked, "You'll be alright, son?"
"Allow me a few minutes with Dora, if you wouldn't mind," Remus said. "I know her condition won't improve, but I'd like to stay a little longer," he said, turning towards Healer Shafiq.
"Andromeda," Ted said, gently placing his hand on his wife's arm. "We'll come back tomorrow. Remus will be just fine with her." Andromeda nodded and the two swept out of the room after Healer Shafiq.
Once Remus was alone with Dora, he cast silencing charms on the door. He began to weep bitterly at her side, holding her small hand in his own.
"I'm so sorry, Dora," he sobbed. "It's my fault. I did this to you. I'm the reason you were hurt." Remus cried frantically, feeling the weight of his guilt.
"Dora, please forgive me one day. Please." He reached around Dora's neck and undid the clasp on the pendant he had given her. His life would be his own; he could never share it with her again. He would always have her heart; she could no longer have his.
"I'll always love you, Dora," Remus choked. "You will always be my everything. You have my heart and my love, forever. I'm sorry it isn't enough. I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I'm sorry my love is not enough. I will never stop being sorry that I am not enough for you." He wept into his tattered, bloodied robes. The sobs were heavy with guilt and shame. He had caused this. It was his fault it had been so terrible. He would never forgive himself for doing this to her.
"Forgive me one day, Dora," Remus said, shaking with his cries. "You will be happy one day. You'll be safer one day. You will forget me. I won't ever forget you, my love. You were all the happiness I never deserved." Fresh tears sprung from his eyes and onto the thin hospital sheets.
"Forgive me, my love," Remus whimpered. "You were never to blame. I wish I could give you what you deserved." He looked at the pale, frail body of the only woman he had ever – and would ever – love. "Goodbye, my Dora," Remus wept. "I love you. I'll love you until the day I die."
He kissed her hand gently, letting a few more tears fall from his eyes and onto her delicate hand.
The pain was worse than any transformation he had ever experienced. The agony of leaving her – his mate, his love, his joy – was almost too much to bear. The thought that she would be safer without him kept him going. Each step away from her battered frame was a step towards allowing her to live a safer, happier life. Every step away from Dora was a step forward for Dora. It would be the only way to give her the life she truly deserved. He opened the door to leave her room, stealing one more glance at the woman of his dreams, and left, quiet tears streaming down his face.
Remus was gathering the last of his things from the flat he would no longer occupy. Dora remained at St. Mungo's in a coma; Healer Shafiq indicated she would be waking today. It hurt Remus to think that he wouldn't be there waiting for her to wake up, but he needed to leave.
Emerald flames appeared from the corner of his eye. Andromeda Tonks shook the soot off her robes and entered the flat, evidently unsurprised to see Remus packing his things.
"I suspected as much," Andromeda said flatly. "You're leaving her."
"I have to," Remus said dejectedly. "Bellatrix was ruthless."
"My sister has always been ruthless."
"This was vicious. All her words were directed at me."
"In place of my husband," Andromeda said casually. "She wants to hurt Nymphadora any way she can."
"This felt different."
"It felt personal, didn't it?" Andromeda's brow furrowed. "You see the danger my daughter is in."
"I've made it worse," Remus said, hanging his head. "I failed her. I failed Dora."
"You saved her life," Andromeda countered.
"She would have never been in such danger without me," Remus retorted. "I made it worse."
"I'm disappointed in you, Remus." The words cut into Remus' heart more fiercely than he anticipated.
"I'm a disappointment to many," Remus replied tersely. "I could only disappoint you, Ted, and most importantly, Dora."
"You aren't who I thought you were," Andromeda remarked. "They say Gryffindors are brave, don't they?"
"To the point of recklessness," Remus added. "I've been reckless with your daughter's life. I should never have been with her."
"Does her happiness mean so little to you?"
"It means everything to me," Remus retorted. "She means everything to me. I can never give her true happiness if she's in more danger than she needs to be."
"Your solution is leaving her?"
"What choice do I have?"
"You could stay," Andromeda offered softly.
"I-I can't, Andromeda," Remus said pitifully. "I can't do that to her."
"Yet leaving without a trace is something you are capable of doing to her?" Andromeda's tone was colder and more distant.
"It will be easier this way."
"For you," Andromeda snapped. "Nymphadora deserves better."
"I know," Remus lamented. "It's why I'm leaving. She'll learn soon enough that it's better for her that I'm no longer in her life."
"You're better than this, Remus."
Remus hung his head in silence, his body awash in fresh shame and guilt. It had to be like this. Dora simply had to see it was better this way. She deserved someone better.
"What will happen to you during your transformations?" Andromeda asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
"I'm not sure," Remus replied truthfully. "I haven't thought that through yet."
"You're willing to die at your own hand to avoid Nymphadora?" Andromeda demanded.
"I-I-no," Remus decided. "I've heard rumors that werewolf packs may be looking to choose sides in the war. I'm offering myself to Dumbledore to seek them out and turn them to our cause."
"That's better for your transformations?" Andromeda questioned.
"It's complicated," Remus replied. "I'm less likely to injure myself if I'm with other transformed werewolves and they can help with my injuries the next day."
"If they don't help?" Andromeda's expression was outwardly calm, but Remus saw the slight tension behind her eyes.
"Then they don't help," Remus informed. "Whatever will be, will be."
"You'll die," Andromeda murmured. "You'll die rather than be with Nymphadora."
"I'll die rather than expose her to more danger," Remus clarified. Andromeda frowned.
"You took the pendant from her," the older witch noted. "Why?"
"I don't want her finding me. I don't want her to be responsible for my life anymore. I can't do that to her."
"She'll be devastated if something happens to you."
"She'll move on."
"That doesn't undo the damage," Andromeda said sternly. Remus sighed; there was little room for argument with Andromeda.
"Can I offer you something?" Remus asked suddenly.
"A proper apology to my daughter would be a start," Andromeda demanded.
"I can't do that," Remus lamented.
"Part of your grand plan to convince Nymphadora that you are unfit?"
"Please, Andromeda," Remus begged. "Allow me to offer the little I can." Andromeda looked at him expectantly as he pulled out the pendant that once hung around Dora's neck. Working carefully, he cast several incantations on it until he placed it in his palm and felt the magic pulse according to his wishes.
"I cannot give this back to Dora," Remus said slowly. "I don't want her looking for me. I am offering it to you instead. I know we have our…current differences…but I trust you with my life. It's all for Dora, until she finds someone more suitable."
"This will work as the bracelet does?" Andromeda asked.
"Yes," Remus replied. "To my magic and life, rather than Dora's. It's enchanted so only you and I can see it now. I – don't want Dora knowing."
"You still love her," Andromeda said evenly.
"I always will," Remus said, fighting tears. "I cannot allow her to risk her life on me. I-I'm n-not worth it," he stammered.
"Only Nymphadora can be the judge of that Remus," Andromeda said softly. "This will devastate her."
"Me too," Remus said quietly. "As long as she stays alive, I can be happy enough. It will always be for her."
"There is no changing your mind?"
"No," Remus said, his eyes now dry and set. "Please give her my best, and my apologies. I've asked my owl, Lyra, to stay with Dora for now. I'm not certain Lyra will be safe where I will go. I've left a letter for Dora. It's the best I can offer. I am truly sorry." Remus looked up at Andromeda. The shame and guilt might not ever leave his body, but it would be worth it if Dora survived. Her survival would have to be enough.