Remus sighed again, knowing Ginny was awaiting the explanation for his behavior and knowing he had no good reason for not telling her. She had been a source of comfort for him back in the days of war. They'd found solace in each other's friendship. He always felt better after talking with her as she seemed to have this way about her that…well...he couldn't really explain it. She had just always been able to make him feel better.

"Ginny, I...my life has been far from easy," he began, looking at his hands that were clasped in front of him on the table.

Rolling her eyes, Ginny said, "I think I know that fact."

With a slight smirk, realizing how absurd his statement had sounded, he continued, "I've always been treated differently because of my condition."

"What do you mean?" she asked. "Albus always made sure to..."

"Protect me," he finished for her. He paused for a moment to think of a way to help her understand what he wanted to explain. "Do you remember when you were little? And all your brothers were out playing but your mum wouldn't let you join them?"

She nodded.

"Do you remember what she would say?"

Ginny's eyes never left his but didn't say anything.

"'Ginny you're too little', 'Ginny you're not strong enough', 'Ginny it's too dangerous'," he offered with a small smile. "Sound familiar?"

She nodded again.

"Now imagine being a full grown adult man and hearing some of the same things," he told her.

Her heart fell. She remembered how it was being the youngest and the girl of the family. No one let her do anything for fear she would hurt herself accidentally. Everyone hovered over her, watched over her, thought she wasn't capable of...

Oh.

Her eyes opened in understanding. "Remus, I'm sorry," she said, reaching across to cover his hands with hers. "People have coddled you haven't they? Told you that you weren't strong enough because of your condition?" Why hadn't she thought of it before? Why hadn't she noticed it before?

He nodded slowly with a small smile on his face. "And variations there of," he added. "I have been babied to such an extreme that I'm afraid I'm just a bit sensitive. And by messing up dinner and you having to clean up behind me..."

"I would never treat you like you were incapable," Ginny told him. "I never have. I've never made an excuse for you and I never will. Your condition has to be dealt with, yes, but it does not mean you are less able. I'm so sorry."

The warmth of her hands over his felt nice and so did the warmth of her words, which he knew to be genuine. "I've never told anyone just how much it has affected me," he said quietly. "I struggle with my inadequacies." The last word was said with sarcasm.

"You are not inadequate."

He stared off into the hallway leading to the bedrooms. "It's all I've ever felt," he confessed. "Because that's the only way I've ever been treated, since I was little. It's just been so long and I'm really quite tired of it. Tired of being babied. Tired of being tired. Tired of always having this 'condition' over my head. Tired of other people's pity towards me." He shook his head. "Sometimes it really gets to me as hard as I fight for it not to."

Ginny wondered if this was the time to bring up a dark part of their past. There was a positive light in the darkness and that's what she wanted to share with him, as she didn't think he knew. "You know, I promised her I would never tell you," she began. "But I think given the circumstances, she would be okay with me breaking that promise."

"Who?"

"Tonks."

His eyes fell to the table. "Oh."

She squeezed his hands, glad when his eyes lifted back up to hers, even if they held sadness at the memory of her. "She loved you so much," Ginny told him. "And she would tell me all the time what an incredible man you were; the strength you possessed. She told me that no one gave you a chance because if they did, they would have seen that you were capable of more than they could have ever imagined." She paused and grinned, gently shaking his hands. "She told me a couple other things too but maybe I shouldn't repeat them."

Remus smiled at this statement. "Like what?" he asked curiously. The memory of Tonks was still a painful one, even after almost six years, but yet held much happiness for him. Never before had he had such a wonderful time with another as she had offered him promise that he could find love; that he could be happy. Whether he would find it again, who knew? But she had given him hope.

Ginny winked. "It might embarrass you," she told him.

Remus rolled his eyes. "Hardly," he told her. "I think you know me better than that, Ginny."

She laughed slightly, knowing what he was referring to. "True," she agreed, remembering his cavalier way of not caring if someone had walked in on him half dressed or not, fighting not to blush at her memory, as she had caught a glimpse of his backside a couple times. With so many staying at and running in and out of one small house, some in a hurry and some in a panic, these things were bound to happen. "She said you were quite the man behind closed doors as well."

A full smile appeared on Remus' face. He'd never known Tonks had talked about their private life but it was making him feel good to hear it. He knew she and Ginny were close and should have assumed. "Is that so?" he quipped. "Said I was a beast huh?"

She laughed at his double meaning as he had said it good-naturedly. "She did say that you knew exactly what you were doing and that you were quite passionate," she confessed.

"Being part animal will do that to you," he said, lifting one eyebrow.

"Apparently she liked it," Ginny told him. "A lot. Don't worry; she didn't give me sordid details or anything. But she was very happy, very satisfied with you Remus, in every way."

He withdrew a hand to place gently over hers. "She was a remarkable woman," he said. "But so are you. I remember Neville being quite smitten with you." If she was going to bring up his past, he felt safe in bringing up hers.

She did blush this time. "Now I know he didn't talk to you the way Tonks talked to me," she told him.

"No," Remus agreed. "But I notice so much more than others do. My senses are heightened you know. He was very much in love with you."

She smiled and was happy when tears didn't come. "Do you think they're together?" she asked curiously. "Sort of watching over us?"

He shrugged. "Possibly," he said. "I'd like to think they are."

"Me too."

Hands still entwined on the table between them, a comfortable silence fell between them, disrupted only by Ginny's stifled yawn.

"It's late," he stated. "We should go to bed."

She nodded. "I think you're right," she agreed. They pulled their hands apart and stood up, heading down the hall to their rooms.

"I hope William doesn't have any nightmares tonight," Remus said as they walked.

"Me too," Ginny agreed. "You've been so wonderful with him."

"I understand all too well what he's going through."

"I know." She turned to face Remus, leaning in quickly to kiss his cheek. "I'm glad you're here. G'night."

Remus watched in silence as she closed the bedroom door with a small smile on her face. He turned, walking into his room and closing the door, allowing his mind to drift back to times shared with Tonks.

Arthur and Molly flooed to Ginny's home to go over memorial arrangements for Neville. They'd already arranged everything with Albus as far as holding it at Hogwarts and it was up to Ginny to provide the instructions for what she wanted done for him.

It was difficult as she fought tears, clutching a tissue the entire time, Remus by her side, working through details, choosing pictures and deciding on speakers, interrupted by three owls arriving during their planning. One was from Harry offering his condolences and letting her know he wished to be a speaker. One was from Minerva saying she wished to speak about him as well. The last was from Hermione, or so she thought.

"Wow," Ginny said in awe when she read the parchment attached to the leg of the small black owl, assuming it was from Hermione, quickly discovering it was not when she began reading the small masculine writing.

Dear Miss Weasley,

I'm writing in request to speak at Mr. Longbottom's service. While he did not possess talents in my area of expertise, he did possess them in other areas and I feel inclined to acknowledge them properly. Please owl back with your reply.

Sincerely,

Severus Snape

She'd read the letter out loud, silence briefly following when she'd finished.

"I guess he has changed a bit," Arthur finally said. "Who would have thought?"

The day before the memorial, Ginny remained in her room nearly all day, bouncing between happy memories of Neville and crying because he was gone. William came in often to check on her, reminding her it was "okay to miss daddy" because he did too and not to worry about him as he would take care of himself for the day. His soothing only prompted her tears to worsen, realizing what a wonderful little boy Neville had given her, already much too wise and mature for his young years.

Remus had kept his distance during the day as well, making sure to allow her all the privacy she needed and was thankful for it, wondering what she would be doing without him there. He'd been understanding and supportive and so amazing with her son. She knew she didn't need to get used to it though as he would be leaving after the service, knowing that he was just a floo away should the time come that she needed his help with William. The house would seem empty with just the two of them but she vowed to make things as happy for them as she could. She didn't doubt that at some point she would love again but didn't think it would be for a very long time. After all, who would want to be father to a child inflicted with the bite? She doubted anyone would ever love either of them enough to go through that. And she accepted it sadly.

Sometimes she felt as if she should have to deal with the condition as well since her son was infected. She would suffer anyway because he would suffer so how would having the actual infliction be any different? She would remain with him through full moons, making sure he had enough Wolfsbane potion, so why should she not have been bitten as well if she would go through all the motions with him? Sometimes, in moments of rash thinking and extreme emotion, she would think of trying to actually get bit but would quickly tell herself that it would obviously be the wrong thing for her to do. She just couldn't help it at times.

Ginny decided to go through Neville's things. There was no use in waiting, as it would not get any easier. She shuffled through clothes, discarding most but keeping certain items that had always been her favorite. When she came across the pink button down shirt that William had given him last Christmas, she laughed softly. The shirt was pastel pink in color with vertical purple lines on it, quite a sight to behold really, but it had caught William's attention, causing him to want to give it to his daddy at Christmas. It was nothing pleasant to look at, but when Neville opened the gift from his son, she would have thought the shirt made of gold by the big deal that he'd made out of it, immediately putting it on and wearing it all day, much to William's delight. That's just the kind of man, and father, Neville was.

She quickly disrobed and put on the shirt, long enough to cover her body stopping mid thigh, as she continued going through drawers of clothes. There were a few t-shirts that she decided to keep, closing her eyes and inhaling his scent as she lovingly held each one. Most of his shoes would go although there was a couple pair she thought William might want later. She gathered Neville's 'non clothes' items and placed everything in a small box that she would keep tucked safely away in her closet.

One of the last things she came across, as it had been in the bottom drawer underneath an old sweater that she was certain his grandmother had made for him when he was about ten, was a small black box, plain to look at. She didn't remember seeing it before as she sat down on the edge of the bed, oblivious to the night that had caused darkness through the windows. When she opened the box, a gasp escaped her trembling lips, her hand flying to cover her mouth.

Inside were folded up gum wrappers that his mother had given him when Neville would visit her and his father at St. Mungo's. She knew his grandmother would throw some away, not thinking much of them, but Ginny didn't realize that Neville had kept so many all these years. Instantly, grief flooded over her, more intense than it had been, sobs and tears wracking her body, controlling her to the point of pain. She slid from the bed to the floor, clutching her body, her face wet from streaming tears, doubling over, almost wishing she could just die as she felt it would be easier.

She didn't know how long it had been, as she'd used half a box of tissue now in a damp crumpled pile beside her on the floor, when Remus was suddenly standing above her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, thinking she was in physical pain by her near fetal position on the floor, trying not to panic. "Ginny!" He slid to the floor beside the bed where she sat.

"I'm...ok," she cried, unable to catch her breath. "Neville...kept...these." She thrust the box of gum wrappers into Remus' hands.

Overcome with emotion himself, Remus knew what he was looking at as he'd heard the story. "I'm sorry," he said, biting his lip, knowing the kind of emotional pain, not physical, that she was in, glancing around and seeing that she'd been going through his things and had even changed into one of his shirts. "I'm so sorry...I..." His voice stuck as his eyes filled with tears.

She looked up then, her face as red as her hair, blotchy and stained from tears, a grimace of pain across her face, and met his eyes. When their eyes locked, it triggered his emotion, as he'd been adept at pushing it aside until this moment for he'd recently relived his own memories of Tonks and what he went through when she died, now not only sad for Ginny but revisiting his own turmoil from his past love.

When Ginny saw his upper lip tremble slightly and a tear fall from his eye, knowing more would follow, she lost it all over again, reaching for him, clinging to him as her tears mixed with his own, their bodies shaking from their combined sobs, crying for their own loss and for each other's as well.

It was the second time they'd found themselves in this position. When Tonks had died, one night as they tried to come to terms with her death, Remus having lost a lover and Ginny having lost one of her best friends, they'd cried together like this for what had seemed hours until they were both physically drained and exhausted and unable to talk as their throats hurt so badly, finding comfort in each other, lying close and finally succumbing to sleep.

"I...miss him...so much," she cried into his shoulder, damp from her tears.

"I know," he cried, holding her to him tightly. "I...still miss...Tonks."

"Me too," she sobbed.

Time passed for the two as they clung to each other, giving freedom to their grief. The tears finally began to slow, both reaching for tissues, breathing erratic, thankful William had not been witness to their breakdown. Remus summoned a glass of water for each of them, as their throats were quite raw and scratchy.

Still sitting on the floor among the now bigger pile of damp crumpled tissues, Remus leaned back against the bed and cradled Ginny to him, shoulders still shaking periodically as she calmed down. He was exhausted and knew she was too as she had practically crawled into a ball against him and was leaning her head against his chest, breathing heavily.

"It's late," he whispered, his voice slightly hoarse. "You should go to bed and try to sleep. We need to floo to Hogwarts early tomorrow."

"I know," she said, voice shaky, lifting her head to look up at him. "I guess we needed that huh?"

"Again apparently," he agreed. "Come on. Into bed with you." He stood up, offering his hand to help her stand, pulling her to him in a tight hug. "It's all right. We'll both be fine. I'll be by your side all day tomorrow if you want me to be."

"Okay," she said quietly, pulling from him and offering a slight smile, watching as he moved some clothing out of the way and turned down the covers for her. "Thanks."

"I'll get William so he can say goodnight," Remus offered. "Unless he's put himself to bed."

"That's quite possible," she agreed, slipping in between the sheets that felt cool against her bare skin. "If he has, don't wake him. Goodnight Remus."

"Goodnight Ginny," he said, placing the covers over her and then spelling away the scattered tissues.

He turned out the lights and closed her door softly behind him, still wiping his face and inhaling deeply to regain composure, heading for William's room to check on him. When he opened the closed door, he found the small boy already asleep, a framed picture of Neville tucked in-between his arm and body. When Remus looked closer, he could see dried tears on the boy's face and his heart broke again. So much sadness in the house tonight, he thought as he closed his door and headed for his own room. It just isn't right.