The Houses Competition

House: Slytherin

Class: Herbology

Prompt(s) [Colour] Orange [Event] Bonfire party

Word Count:974

Beta: Ash Juillet, Dhrish

Remus wonders what the point of celebrating is, when everyone he ever loved is now gone.

Getting Away

Remus Lupin stood at the edge of Hogsmeade, watching as the celebration took place underneath the night sky. Crowds of witches and wizards surrounded the area, dressed in warm coats, while the children were buried under their cosy knitted scarves and hats, but the cold didn't seem to bother anyone due to the blazing bonfire set in the middle of the village. Thick, grey smoke filled the air of the once-clear midnight sky, suffocating the clouds with its plume-like patterns. Orange flames, the shades of apricot and honey, danced for the crowd. A luminous inferno reflected in the eyes that fell spellbound to the intoxicating but beautiful blaze. Logs of wood were carelessly tossed onto the bonfire like wet towels into the hamper.

The crowd gathered in groups of friends and family, laughing and joking amongst themselves, while the children played, dancing and celebrating by throwing the fallen, crisp, autumn leaves of the season around. Some ran around the buildings with sparklers in their hands. The crowd became silent; the crackle and pop meant only one thing to Remus as a blast of colors shot through the sky as the fireworks went off. Everyone cheered; why shouldn't they? After all, tonight was a night to remember; tonight, the man known as Lord Voldermort was no more, having been defeated mere hours ago. After years of suffering and hiding, they were finally free.

People in orange robes twirled around the bonfire, mimicking the cackling flames of the large fire they danced around. The large fire lit up the night sky, its orange glow illuminating the building walls along with the townspeople.

Remus stood by and gazed at the orange flames of the bonfire twirling around each other like hired ribbon dancers. To Remus, the colour orange meant many things: warmth, balance, security, happiness, and strength to name a few, but right now, Remus wasn't feeling any of those. At that moment, all he could feel was anguish, grief, heartbreak, hopelessness, and resentment. Resentment towards the people who were able to celebrate tonight, the people that were able to feel the joy of being freed from the Dark Lord rather than ruminate in the sadness of what he had taken.

Remus had nothing to celebrate tonight. All he could focus on was everything he'd lost that day. Sirius, Peter, James and Lily, along with little Harry. Everything he had was ripped away from him, and he was left alone to pick up the broken pieces of his life.

Remus didn't understand how everything had gone so wrong; he didn't understand as to why Sirius would betray them, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to know the reason. Everything seemed to be a giant nightmare, and Remus wanted nothing more than to wake up from it. He wanted to be able to joke with James again, he wanted to be able to roughhouse with Sirius, he wanted to talk to Lily about their favourite Muggle sweets, and he wanted to hold Harry, but none of this was possible. Not anymore.

The bonfires and fireworks were meant to be a celebration of the Dark Lord's death, his downfall, but to Remus, it was the beginning of the funeral for his friends. If the people down there dancing and laughing knew the sacrifice that had to take place for their peace, if they knew the souls that were taken from this world for their freedom, he doubted that they would be celebrating as they were. Perhaps they would be grieving like him.

Remus pulled his old, worn coat closer to his body, feeling the cold night breeze bite at his skin as someone came up behind him.

"Harry...?" Remus questioned, having a feeling of who was behind him.

"I just dropped him off at his aunt and uncle's with a letter explaining what happened tonight," Albus explained to the grief-stricken man. Albus sounded a lot older than usual to Remus, as if years had been taken from his life after what happened.

"Remus…"

"Don't," Remus cut the man off before he could say anything else. "Please, don't. Whatever you were about to say, don't. It wouldn't make anything better—in fact, it might make things worse," he said as he continued to stare out into the village. He didn't want to hear a pep talk or some wise quote with several bits of subtext from the man; he just wanted to grieve, privately and by himself.

"Are you sure you don't want to say goodbye to Harry? There's still some time to do so," Albus offered.

Remus stood silent for a moment as if he hadn't heard the man before shaking his head. "It would just be too painful," he replied as a single tear slid down his face. He couldn't take that thought of seeing Harry again, holding him in his arms, only to have to hand him off.

Long minutes passed in silence between the two, the only sound punctuating the silence was the fireworks that went off every few seconds, lighting up the dark sky as people cheered.

"I can't stay here, Albus," Remus finally spoke, his voice soft and light. He knew that Albus already knew as to why he couldn't stay. England, a place he had once called home, was not his home anymore; all that was left for him here was pain and suffering. The memory of his friends carved into every brick and sidewalk crack. The city was plagued and tainted by their deaths "The Order no longer needs my help; you don't need me with the Dark Lord gone. I have to get away, at least for just a little while," Remus explained.

"You will always have a place at Hogwarts if you decide to return," Albus replied, giving the man a small, sad smile. Remus needed time to process what had happened, time to heal, however long that might take.

Remus nodded, showing that he understood, before he Apparated away, leaving Albus standing alone on the edge of town.