I know it has been shamefully long since my last update, but I have been having severe writer's block. To everyone I have kept waiting, I am very sorry! I wish I had a bigger and better update to share, but this is the best I could come up with at the moment. Please review, if only to say you didn't like it!
I don't own Harry Potter. It is a good thing, too. If I did we would still be waiting on Prisoner of Azkaban.
Remus found himself standing uncomfortably on Dora's front steps to following morning. He had considered sending her an owl explaining that he couldn't take Teddy today, but decided against it. It would hardly be fair to either of them. It was a tempting proposition that morning when he woke up feeling like death warmed over. He had not slept much, and sleep was fitful when it came. Every time he thought about what had happened he felt sick to his stomach and bitter tears prickled at his eyes. His house had never felt emptier and he had never felt more alone.
Before he could even gather the courage to knock, the door swung open.
"Ginny?" He asked, confused.
"Remus," she greeted, "I was actually just leaving. Harry has to go to work soon."
"Oh, then, I won't hold you up. Tell Harry and the kids I said hello."
"I will," she answered with a small smile, "Well, I'll just tell Tonks you are here." She disappeared back into the house and reemerged with Dora a few moments later.
"Remus," she greeted as Ginny waved goodbye and made her way down the garden path. She was already in her work clothes, a skirt suit with Auror robes overtop. She held a pair of low heels in one hand. In short, she was looking very un-Dora-ish.
"Good morning, Dora," he answered.
For a while no one said anything. They just stood dumbly in awkward silence. Dora cleared her throat. "So did you want something? I have a meeting with the American delegation in twenty minutes."
"Oh," he coughed, "I was just... I was just here to pick up Teddy."
She let out a groan. "He stayed with Mum last night. I didn't know if... well, if you would be coming today." He must have shown some twinge of guilt on his face because she quickly amended her statement. "No, not like that! I mean, I knew you would be back eventually. It is only that you didn't really want to... to sign. I didn't know if you wanted to take some time..."
"It is quite alright," he assured her, "It is all alright."
"You're sure?" she muttered, "You really mean everything?"
"Yes," he said with a small, sad smile, "I understand your reasons and realize that it may be for the best, for you and for Teddy. Have you told him yet?"
Dora shook her head. "I was going to give you the option to be there, but only if you want to."
Remus' stomach knotted in on itself painfully, but he managed to nod in response. "Yes," he mumbled, "We should tell him together... Mutual decision."
She smiled gratefully. "You can come by for dinner," she suggested, "My cooking's not as bad as it used to be, even if it is still not much to write home about."
"I will be here. Do you want to tell him tonight? Or do you want to wait until the papers are filed?"
"Tonight, I suppose. Hermione is submitting the papers today. Since she is the one handling it, there is not much chance of it getting out soon, but I don't want to take the risk. He should hear it from us, not a newspaper. That is why I asked Hermione to take care of the legal end, though I suppose I should have asked if you wanted a lawyer of your own choosing."
"No, Hermione would have been my choice as well. When can we expect everything to be… well, settled, for lack of a better word?"
"We will be called on to make a court appearance, mostly just a formality, in a couple weeks and then it will be done." He noticed she looked away when she said it and he couldn't quite bring himself to look her in the eye, either. It was all he could do to make his face remain passive when he was falling to bits inside.
"I am sorry, Dora, I really am," he muttered quietly, so quietly he was not sure she would be able to hear.
"For what, Remus?" she asked, though he doubted it was not the lack of wrongs that had her guessing for the guilty action, but rather the sheer abundance of them.
"For everything, I suppose. I have not handled one thing in our relationship properly. I couldn't even sit down and talk about a divorce properly without running away, for Merlin's sake!" he sighed deeply, "But then, I have always been a coward."
Dora crossed her arms over her chest. "Now you wait just a moment. You are not a coward, nor have you ever been one. You have made decisions that I rather wish you hadn't, but I know you did what you felt you had to. You did not commit a single malicious act where I am concerned, and you cannot shoulder the entire blame for our failed marriage."
"You know that is not true. I am the reason we are not still together. You are entirely guiltless in this."
"Let's not talk about guilt. It depresses me," she insisted, "I would ask you in for a cup of tea, but I am meeting the American delegation at the Ministry in a bit."
"I do want to talk about it all though. I mean… really talk about the divorce. I want to finally do something properly for you and Teddy."
She bit her lip in thought and his heart skipped a little. He used to love it when she did that, and quite honestly he still did. "We could meet up sometime after work. Teddy can stay with my Mum or Ginny while we talk. I don't think we need to have all the details settled before we tell Teddy. It will be enough just to introduce the idea. I don't want to overload him. Is Wednesday okay for you?"
He nodded. "That is good. I will see you for dinner, then."
She gave him a tight smile and jerky nod. She touched his hand briefly before stepping back inside the house. His fingers twitched in response to her warm hand, but it was gone as soon as he had felt it; like holding hands with a ghost. He stared at the closed door for a few moments more before he turned away to walk down the garden path to the apparation point.
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