Author's note: Enjoy!

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns the canon, world, and characters portrayed below and you can tell I'm not J.K. Rowling because #transrights

Warnings: Grief; references funeral

Nothing to Say

Teddy was mostly sorted out; he was cooling off in his room and playing video games. Earlier he'd asked if he could go have supper at Harry's and hang out with Jamie, Al, and Lily to take his mind off of things, and Remus was happy that Dora had given him her blessing—that way she would have tonight to herself. He was still upset, which went without saying, but Remus thought that Teddy would be okay.

He shut Teddy's bedroom door behind him and crept down the hall to their bedroom. He pushed the door open and saw Dora exactly where he'd left her, staring into the mirror propped up on the dresser. She'd taken one of her earrings out but seemed too unfocused to do anything more from there.

She looked up when he walked into the room and opened her mouth but closed it when he shook his head. Her hair was down in loose brown curls today, probably because she had been thinking of Andromeda when she had been getting ready that morning. Of course she had, they all had. When she saw him, she got up and lifted her hair, turning her back to him so that he faced the zipper of her onyx black dress.

Remus loosened his tie as he crossed the room to go unzip her dress for her. She kicked off her heels and let them fly across the room and skid on the bedroom floor.

Remus moved to the dresser and opened a drawer, rummaging around for pajamas. He retrieved a well-worn favourite pair of red flannel pajama pants and pulled a ratty t-shirt that she liked to steal from his own drawer. He handed her the pajamas and she gave him a flicker of a thankful smile before pulling on the comfier clothes. As he did, Remus shrugged off his robes and unbuttoned his shirt sleeves, rolling them up. He put Dora's heels back in the closet and hung up her dress so that it wouldn't be wrinkled next time she needed to wear it.

He finished tidying by the time Dora had changed. He ran his fingers through her curls to remind them that they were there, and she shortened her hair to the usual pink spikes she liked best. He kissed the top of her head when she was back to looking like herself, but he didn't know what to say to her. When his mum had died, nobody had said anything that had been able to ease the ache and the hurt—because there just hadn't been anything to say. He had spent his entire life feeling and fearing some innate inadequacy within him, and while Dora had done a great deal to rewire that part of his brain… Well, Remus knew that there was nothing he could do to make this moment better. There just wasn't anything to say or anything to do.

He took her hand and tugged on it as he sat on the edge of their bed. He pulled on her hand and Dora sighed deeply and slipped into bed, curling up with her head on his lap and shutting her eyes. He reached down and pushed her hair out of her forehead, cradling her against him. She sighed in contentment, if nothing else.

This he could do.

Shipping Wars

Ship (Team): Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks (Technicolour Moon)

List (Prompt): Spring Big List (Earring)

Word count: 554