A/N - Written for Round 2 of the Finals of the QLFC. I had to use the phrase "it was just easier to accept" somewhere in my fic.
They say when death is imminent, that one's life flashes before one's eyes. Remus, however, found this not to be true. Instead of the flashes of memory, the bits of remembrance from times past he expected; his thoughts were of the future. A future it now looked unlikely that he would see.
From helpless newborn to smiling adult, a child grew up before him, his child. He looked down upon the small infant in his arms whose hair cycled from brown to blonde to black and back again and smiled. He was rewarded with a gummy, baby grin that seemed to take minutes to unfold on the baby's face, as if he were not quite sure just how his mouth worked yet. An unsteady, bandy-legged toddler stood on shaky legs as he made his way one uneven step at a time toward the arms outstretched in front of him. A grinning little boy with, curiously, blue hair, although perhaps not all that curious given his mother's penchant for her own bubble-gum pink, giggled and shrieked as he flew around the garden on a training broom, father in step right beside him. The same child now a few years older, chased down a quaffle and attempted to retrieve a hovering snitch while a proud Remus looked on.
The arrival of a Hogwarts letter revealed a nearly teenaged boy who whooped and grinned as if there had been some doubt as to the arrival of said correspondence was followed by wide smiles and congratulatory hugs. The subsequent consecutive visits to Platform 9 ¾ and the child slowly morphing into a man, albeit with the same blue hair, flew past, as if a film were being played just behind his eyes. Remus could see Dolohov and hear the duel going on between them, but his thoughts were all of Teddy.
A grown-up Teddy now had his arm around the waist of a girl that Remus did not know, could not recognize. His son leaned down and kissed her and the woman was wearing wedding robes. And then, finally, the image of his son holding a tiny, newborn infant and looking up to smile at his father, pride and understanding in his eyes, before he looked back down at the new life in his arms.
Remus wondered for a moment, why he had not seen his wife in any of the pictures his conflicted brain was showing him. For surely, given the fact that she had stayed at home and away from the madness of this night, Remus should be imagining her at their son's side. Perhaps it was because he saw himself in the visions with Teddy, a feat he knew now would be near impossible as he failed to avoid yet another hex thrown by Dolohov. Perhaps he was only seeing what he wished to be his future, his future with his son. That is what he chose to believe at any rate. It was just easier to accept that way.
Tonks raced down the stairs, her mind split between finding her husband and thoughts of her newborn son. Her mother had been furious with her for leaving. Remus would likely feel the same, but he, at least, would understand why she had come, why she could not let the rest suffer and fall without her.
The dust hung heavy in the air, the detritus of destruction lay around her, a veritable minefield for one who had as little grace as she did. Amazingly, she barely faltered, tripping only once upon an uneven stone she had not seen and then quickly righting herself as she continued to pound down the corridor.
She reached the courtyard, wand drawn, her eyes fervently searching the crowd of people that were locked in battle before her. Her eyes locked onto Remus and stepped forward to help him when she heard a familiar cackle behind her. Whirling, Tonks saw Bellatrix grin maniacally before beginning an assault of her own and Tonks' focus was soon drawn from her husband to her aunt.
Her thoughts, not unsurprisingly, were of Teddy and his sweet, baby scent filled her nose. A scent so strong, she had to look around for a moment to make sure he was not really there. She was punished for the moment's distraction and she felt the rip of the curse in her arm and heard the subsequent taunt from Bellatrix.
Tonks glanced toward Remus and it appeared the he was holding his own. Something she was glad of, as it seemed she could not say the same against her mother's sister. Remus didn't appear to have noticed her arrival, for which she was also grateful. She would only serve as a distraction and as it appeared that she was not going to be walking away from this battle, she wanted her son to have at least one of his parents with him. It was just easier to accept that way.
The curses and hexes continued to fly, the main courtyard a dazzling light show that, under other circumstances, might actually be seen as quite beautiful. And all the while, Remus could only see his boy, his tiny son grow to a man without him and Tonks could only hold the scent of her son with her and hope that he could forgive her someday.
Remus' eyes flicked to the side as he heard that memorable, maniacal laugh and his brain refused to process the arrival of one that should not be there. Tonks turned toward him at nearly the same time and saw his look of bafflement, echoed by her sad smile. And as twin bolts of green left two wands, Remus knew that both curses would find their marks. He had eyes only for his wife and she for him as their minds both uttered a silent apology, both sets of lips forming the same word that would be their last.
"Teddy."