Chapter 3
There was a flash of light, and then darkness. He suddenly found himself lying on a bed of pine needles, their scent wafting lazily into his nostrils. It was just as he remembered the woods of his childhood, before they had become his nightmare. The peacefulness of that moment was everlasting, until it was punctuated by the sound of voices. He cracked open an eye, and saw the vague outlines of two people walking in the foreground, followed by two others. Slowly, they came into focus, and he sat up, gasping in surprise. He would recognise those faces anywhere, for they were the faces of his two best friends, who were both dead.
"James? Sirius?"
"Remus!" they shouted, running towards him. James' face was filled with concern, and Sirius, although he seemed cheerful, was betrayed by his eyes, which were clouded and upset. At first Remus couldn't understand why there was so much pain in his friends' faces, but suddenly the answer hit him.
"Teddy…" he murmured, his face crumpling in misery as he thought of his son, who would never get to know his father. He felt James put an arm around him in comfort, and realised that he actually knew what it felt like to be separated from your child by Death.
"It's okay, Moony. When he grows up he'll understand that you died to make his world a better place," James said softly. "He has his mother, Andromeda and Harry to look after him now, and he will be loved and cared for by them."
Before he could continue, another person appeared in the woods, her bubblegum-pink hair betraying her identity. Remus rushed over to his wife, his face stricken. Her eyelids fluttered open and focused on his face.
"Dora? What are you doing here? Is Teddy alright, is he safe?" The questions came pouring out of his mouth, his panic clearly visible to the onlookers.
"Oh, Remus!" she whispered, as she took in her surroundings, and then continued in a stronger voice. "I couldn't stand not knowing what was happening, so I came after you to Hogwarts. I saw Dolohov hitting you with that curse and I was so shocked, I forgot myself. I think someone must have attacked me then. Teddy…he'll never know his parents." She started crying softly.
"Sshhh," whispered Remus soothingly, hugging her close and rubbing gentle circles on her back. "Teddy will be safe with Andromeda, I promise. Come on, let me introduce you to my friends," he said, helping her up. They turned around, and that was when they noticed Severus Snape standing next to Lily, James and Sirius.
"Snape?" said Remus with barely masked hostility, struggling to understand why he was standing with such ease next to James and Sirius.
"Remus, let me explain," said James with a small smile.