Unfortunately, it turned out that they couldn't just walk away from the Great Hall and go home. Oh, no. Definitely not. Especially when one Poppy Pomfrey was involved.
Surprisingly, the woman was neat and tidy and clean, like she hadn't just been healing the wounded and the dying in the most horrific battle Remus had ever been a part of. There wasn't even a speck of soot on her. Remus felt like a disgusting mess in comparison.
"Have you been checked over, Remus?" She demanded.
"I'm alive, aren't I?" He said perhaps a little bit too flippantly because Dora punched him in the arm and Poppy narrowed her eyes.
"Indeed," and then her eyes softened as she gave him a hug. "And that is something I am glad of. But I will also be glad if I can check you over."
"I am fine, Poppy."
The look she gave him made him shrink in on himself.
"I will be the judge of that, young man." Dora snickered at that which made Poppy turn her attention to her. "And you, young lady. I saw Bellatrix Lestrange get some hits on you."
"I'm fine. Mainly spells and hexes that cause cuts and the like" Dora said, quickly snappy to attention. "Remus is the one with possible internal injuries. We don't know what Dolohov hit him with."
"Honestly, you two are both as bad as each other," she said disapprovingly and then realising that they were not staying, she raised an eyebrow at the two of them.
"And where exactly are you going?"
Both of them gulped and Remus tried not to shuffle his feet like he was a naughty student under her care.
"Home," Dora said, waving her hand around them. "We're fine and we have Teddy and my mum-"
"First, you will get your injuries looked at properly. Poppy turned on her heel. "Come along and I will check you both out. Thoroughly."
He couldn't help but flinch at that, knowing exactly what Poppy's detailed exams could be like. Even knowing that, he obediently followed her, dragging Dora with him. Poppy would use other ways to get him to come if he didn't do so willingly and none of them were pleasant.
So, they followed the MediWitch and let her do her scans. Multiple times, Remus was sure but he held his tongue. It turned out that Dora needed an antibiotic for an infection in a cut that had already set in. She also needed something to ease the tremors that they had all just realised were happening, mainly in her left hand. Nerve damage, apparently. Whether it was from a curse or from debris falling on her, none of them could tell. Thankfully, there was a Potion that would help but it would take a few weeks to do so. Dora scrunched her nose up at the thought of that.
But she got off lightly compared to him. It turned out he did have internal injuries. A slight internal bleed that Poppy fixed in a trice though he was to take it easy for a few days for that alone. A curse Dolohov had shot at him had severed his appendix so Poppy had pushed him back onto the bed and somehow extracted it. Remus didn't know how, it happened so fast and very, very painfully. Who knew such a small thing would hurt so bad? There was a potion he had to take for that as well. Thankfully broken ribs didn't need a potion to fix them, just a quick spell and more prescribed rest.
There were other injures that were easily fixed with spells. There were balms that they were both instructed to get or make themselves - Poppy wasn't happy about it but she had to ration her own supply for more severe cases and thankfully theirs wasn't severe.
Finally, they were allowed to go, albeit reluctantly and with all but unbreakable vows to take care of themselves. Remus made sure that they stopped at Minerva and Kingsley, telling them where they were going and to contact them if anything more than getting people healed was going to happen.
Minerva said that she was thinking of doing a sort of memorial and celebration maybe in a few days' time once everyone had got over the shock of what happened and realised that yes, they were all still alive and yes, Voldemort was gone for good this time. Remus was having trouble believing it himself, if he was being honest. And it looked like everyone was numb at the thought. The complete opposite from last time.
Harry then approached them, flanked by Hermione and Ron who looked like they were never going to leave him alone. Not that Remus blamed them. He felt like he should be putting a tracking charm on the boy. No. Not the boy. The man. The events of the past year, years even, had more than proved that Harry was a man.
"Hey," he said quietly, shadows lurking behind his eyes but looking at peace at the same time.
"Harry," Remus returned.
What as there to say? Well done? How are you? Are you injured? What happened in the forest? But Remus had already asked all those questions and then some - only half of them getting answers.
"You leaving?"
"Poppy finally released us."
Harry let out a laugh. "Lucky."
"Wait 'till she gets her hands on you, mate," Ron chuckled, though the effect was somewhat lost with his bloodshot eyes.
Remus smiled. "Indeed. What are you three doing?"
Because they were up to something, Remus could sense it. The end of a war didn't seem to stop them from being up to something.
"One last thing that needs doing," Harry said vaguely.
Remus raised an eyebrow. One more secret? Really?
Harry gave him a sheepish smile. "I'll tell you later. Promise. Go say hi to my godson for me."
"You're going to have to come see him," Dora instructed.
That was right, Remus realised with a jolt. Harry had yet to see his godson in person. That would have to be rectified. Soon.
Harry's face broke out into a proper smile at that.
"Definitely," he agreed.
With brief hugs, they split from each other, Harry, Ron and Hermione going towards Dumbledore's office of all places. Or was it Minerva's now? They disappeared suddenly as they made use of the Invisibility Cloak. Which was smart.
Remus shrugged, none of that important right now. And Harry said that he would tell him. Promised it. And Harry kept his promises. That was enough for him at the moment.
It took them a while to get to the gates, Remus found that he really couldn't move fast and would definitely have to rest when he got home. Dora was winning with certain movements though she seemed to have more mobility than him. But eventually they made it and summoned up enough strength to apparate.
Once they appeared outside Andromeda's House (though Remus still thought of it as Andromeda's and Ted's and he suspected he always would), Dora ran straight inside- barely giving herself time to catch her balance. Not that he was much better- he was right behind her, after all. They both got to the living room at the same time, where Andromeda was hugging a sleeping Teddy, eyes wide as she took them in.
Dora immediately ran over to her mother, hugging her fiercely and squashing Teddy between them.
"It's over. We made it. It's over. We won. We're home," she said hoarsely, voice muffled with fresh tears.
Would they ever stop crying? It seemed to be the response for every emotion right now; happiness, fear, pain, grief, anger.
Remus extracted his son from them so the mother and daughter could hold on to each other for dear life, both of them now sobbing. Dora's sobs in particular were heart wrenching and made her shoulders heave. Again, he wasn't any better - he couldn't see for his tears. It was like his mind and body had finally caught up with each other and all he could feel was relief. Sweet, sweet relief.
"Darling, you're alive," Andromeda murmured. "I thought-"
"Can't get rid of me," Dora said wetly.
The two stayed there, hugging for several more minutes until Dora called over, "Remus, get over here and hug us both. We need reassured all three of us are alive."
"Please," Andromeda added.
Well, he certainly wasn't one to deny them that.
"I think we better do as we're told," he said to Teddy. "You'll get used to that."
"Damn right he will. Now hug us!"
Remus chuckled and did as he was told. He held them tight, relishing in the fact that he could do this and would be able to continue to do this in the future.
Because they had a future. One he didn't want to let go of.
AN: And that's it. That's the series over. Thank you so much for all the reviews, the favourites amd the likes. I appreciate every single one of them. It's been a hell of a ride for this one. Hope it ended how you wanted it to!
I'm sure I'll be adding the odd short story to tbis universe I created and 'Standing Firm's still ongoing if you want to read that.
Thank you again for all your support!
