Chapter 4: The End

It was Friday.

Odd, how all the significant events in the life of Sirius Black happened on that day of the week.

Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks were in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies. Nymphadora, or as everyone called her, 'Tonks,' was unconscious in a rest bed. Remus was watching her carefully from a chair next to her. He was leaning on his left hand, which was covering his mouth. His prematurely lined brow was furrowed. Tonk's hair had returned to it's natural chestnut color. It made her look very peaceful, taking into account what had just occurred at the Department of Mysteries.

He had been that way for at least an hour now. In that time, the commotion in the ward had a violent crescendo. He supposed that everyone had gotten word of Voldemort's return from the Ministry.

Tonks stirred in her sleep. Remus became suddenly alert and leaned forward. She began mumbling incoherently.

"Rem- Remus..." she mumbled a bit louder. Remus knelled next to her, outstretching his hand to hers. She squeezed it tightly. Her eyes fluttered open, squinting as though it had been the first time she had opened her eyes in years.

She tried to get up,but couldn't. Remus supported her back as she shuffled herself into a sitting up position. She winced in pain as she slowly flexed her back. That was were the Death Eater had cursed her. There was a large gash crossing her spine now.

"What happened?" she asked him, holding her palm to her forehead and wincing some more.

"You're fine," he replied. "You're in St. Mungo's. You had a few nasty hexes done to you, though."

"Sirius?" she asked weakly, although she knew perfectly well what the answer was. Remus's face fell into a twisted grimace. He shook his head slightly. Tonks cover her mouth and gasped, leaning back onto her pillow.

"I-I was fighting Bellatrix," she began, choking up tears. "If I had only finished her off before..."

"There was nothing you could have done," Remus reassured her.

"The veil?" she asked. To her surprise, Remus snorted in amusement. "You think it's amusing?" she demanded.

"Well, of all the ways I figured Sirius would die, I would have never guessed he would have gotten killed by drapery. James would've had a laughing fit for weeks just at the idea." Tonks smirked at that.

"That's Sirius for you," she said. "Unpredictable 'till the end... How is everyone else?"

"All the children are safe, as are the rest of the Order," Remus replied. "And the Ministry has finally announced the return of Voldemort."

"It's about bloody time!" Tonks exclaimed. "It was- what?- A year?"

Remus smiled at her reaction and said "Hopefully the new Minister will be a bit more proactive with the Anti-Voldemort movement."

"He had better!" she yelled. "I don't think I can stand another one of these Fudge-types."

"That makes two of us," Remus complied quietly.

He looked out the window of the room. It was pouring. 'How chliché,' he thought. There were hundreds of ignorant Muggles walking by, not realizing how much danger they were in.

Then he saw something that made the air in his lungs constrict.

It was a black dog on the street, looking up at the window. Not a Grim, but enough to remind Remus of the hard truth; He, Remus Lupin, was the last of the Marauders.

His knees weakened and they gave out, he knelled on Tonk's bed. A tear rolled down his scarred face. Tonks hugged him as he leaned into her and sobbed, losing control of all the emotions he had been keeping bottled up for fifteen years.