Title: Shattered
Rating: T
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Remus/Severus
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.
Word Count: 953
Summary: Remus attempts to get closure.

Notes:

The Golden Snitch: [Competition] Your Journey Begins - Chosen Character: Remus / Secondary Character (Jenny's favorite): Severus / Prompts: (song) 'See You Again'–Wiz Khalifa, (word) danger

100 Word Prompt Collection Challenge: 26. Uniform

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: Writing Club - Writing Club – Title (Shattered)

Year Long Scavenger Hunt Challenge and Competition: B48. (genre) Supernatural

It's been a long day without you, my friend
And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
We've come a long way from where we began
Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again

Remus fingered the old Slytherin uniform. He had saved it all of these years. It had hurt too much to throw it away, even when he knew the one who used to wear it wanted nothing to do with him.

When Remus first began the clandestine relationship with him, it was exciting because of the danger. It wasn't that they weren't allowed to be together, but they knew if their respective friends found out about it, neither of them would be left alone.

They thought they had a better chance of surviving if their kept it a secret.

Of course, they were wrong. And it was Remus's fault. Not only was the relationship a secret from everyone else, but Remus's furry little problem was a secret from Severus. And then Sirius lured Severus to the Shrieking Shack, and the Slytherin found out the truth in the most horrible way possible.

And their relationship crumbled, and Remus was forced to say goodbye to his first love.

It was many years later, when Remus became a professor after Sirius escaped, that the two of them reconnected. Their old feelings resurfaced and they came together once again. His first love was still his only love, and all Remus wanted—short of making sure Harry was kept safe—was to be with Severus.

Their nights were filled with fire-fuelled kisses and roaming hands. Remus yearned to grab onto Severus and never let go.

Let go he did, though, but it wasn't by choice.

Four short years of being together again, while the war brewed, Severus was taken away from him by Voldemort, leaving Remus completely shattered.

And now it was the one year anniversary, and Remus was actually thinking about calling a ghost, using the old uniform to do so. He knew it was wrong to do it. Unless a ghost actually chose to stay on the plane because of unfinished business, it was not okay to contact a ghost because they had managed to move on.

Remus didn't think he could get closure any other way, though, and he was so tired of feeling this all-consuming grief.

Finally, steeling his resolve, Remus did the ritual that would call on a ghost already in the afterlife.

When the misty form appeared, Remus felt tears well up in his eyes. He ached to touch the form but held himself back, knowing that if he did, his hand would simply pass through the figure, causing him even more pain.

Instead, he breathed, "Sev."

Severus's eyes were soft, something Remus rarely saw during Severus's life. "Remus."

"I've missed you," Remus blurted out.

Severus nodded. "I understand. I remember missing you when we were apart."

"That's different. You knew I was alive. And you could have seen me whenever you wanted to. I didn't end us; you did."

Severus chose not to rehash the reason he walked away, and Remus was grateful for that. It was something he always felt guilty about—the knowledge that he could have killed his boyfriend—and it was something he never quite forgave Sirius for, even though he pretended things were fine between them.

"Remus, you have to move on. You, more than anyone, deserve to finally have some happiness."

"Despite how fleeting it seemed, I was happy with you. How can I find that with someone else?"

"If you open your heart to the possibility, you will. I might have been your first love, but I don't have to be your only love."

"I just want to be with you. I want to be able to see you every day again. I want to kiss you and hold you. I want to be able to talk to you."

Severus's face looked pained. "Remus, don't give up on love because we didn't survive. We never thought we would fall in love because of how we met and who we associated with. And look what happened. Look how far we came from when we were eleven-years-old. If you look around, you might fall in love with someone you least expected as a possibility. And you can be happy."

"It's hard," Remus choked.

Maybe calling the ghost was a mistake. All Remus felt was pain from seeing and not being able to touch. He was pretty sure he had been wrong about this being helpful to the healing process.

"I know it's hard, but Remus, you're strong. You'll survive. And when it's your time to join me—which won't be for many, many years—I'll be waiting for you with open arms."

"Is that a threat?" Remus weakly joked.

Severus smiled at the memory the joke triggered for him. And like he always did, he volleyed back, "It's a promise. Now, you have to let me go and find that someone you can spend the rest of your life with. And I'll be forever watching over you."

The form began to flicker, and Remus knew he had run out of time. "Don't leave. It's too soon."

"I have to," Severus whispered. "Just go and find love. Find your happiness. The next time I see you will be when you join me in the afterlife, and then we'll have all of eternity to talk."

The form disappeared, but Remus still heard the last command.

"Be happy."

Remus brokenly sobbed for all of their lost opportunities and all of the wasted time from when they were estranged. No matter how much he wished to, he couldn't go back in time and change the past, though.

He would just do what Severus wanted him to do. He would try to move on and find some semblance of happiness.

It wasn't going to be easy, but he would try. For Severus.