AUTHOR'S NOTE: triggers for this chapter: death and pregnancy.
The ninth and final time Remus Lupin died, it was May 2nd, 1998. The love of his life had been dead for two years. He had felt empty for two years. His fingernails had been bitten down to stubs for two years. He had woken up to an empty space beside him in bed for two years. He had been transforming alone for two years. He had felt empty for two years. He had felt empty for two years. He had felt empty for two years. He had felt empty for two years.
The battle was a way out, a way to escape his mind. He and Tonks were fighting side by side, flashes of light shooting from their wands as they faced their attackers, a group of four or five burly Death Eaters. "You're cocky, for a bunch of assholes who're about to be beaten by two people," Tonks said tauntingly. Remus knew she was doing it so that the Death Eaters wouldn't know how scared she was.
Sirius' death was the first of many, and it had hit her hard. She was so young and idealistic compared to most of the Order. Brave, confident, an excellent fighter, amazing at camouflage. But so young.
Then it had been Amelia Bones, and Dumbledore, and Mad-Eye, and the deaths hadn't stopped and her cheerfulness was still there but wrong, like it had been poisoned. Her smiles were less genuine.
So Remus had asked her to live with him. They helped keep each other alive. When she went to a muggle bar and woke up puking a few weeks later, Remus covered for her. He said it was his baby. They were happy. They helped keep each other alive. The months went on. They helped keep each other alive. Harry was captured. They helped keep each other alive.
She had the baby. Edward Remus, Teddy for short. He was happy and healthy, like his mother used to be. They left him with her mother, giving her false promises of staying safe for the little one.
The lead Death Eater grinned malevolently and shot the Cruciatus Curse at Tonks, who barely managed to dodge it. She popped back up and began to laugh, Stunning one of the masked women with a flick of her wand.
Remus knew, in that moment, that it was all over. Not just for Tonks (her smile was more like a grimace), but for him as well. As the green flash of light shot from the Death Eater's wand, time seemed to slow down. Tonks swayed slightly, her laughter cut short, eyes wide. Then, just as slowly, she fell.
A twin flash of light hit Remus square in the chest a moment later. The last thing he saw before nothingness took him was a face, hazy but familiar. The eyes were not as hollow, perhaps, the cheeks fuller. The smile was like something out of a daydream, a smile Remus hadn't seen in far too long.
"Sirius?"
so it's over! i hope you guys liked reading this story as much as i did writing it. thank you so much for reading. xx