Disclaimer: See Prologue

A/N: It's been a while, hasn't it. I'm sorry. And this one is pretty angstalicious. Those who read "Gospel According to Lupin" will know what Sirius is talking about at the end there but even if you didn't, I'm pretty darn sure you can guess.

"How long did he have left?"

Lupin's eyes softened and he pressed his lips together.

"Eight months," said Sirius quietly, pulling out the next photograph and closing his eyes momentarily to handle the wave of pain that accompanied the picture. "Longer than some."

Lupin nodded solemnly. He glanced over at the picture in Sirius' hand and his breath caught, watching Electra sob into Sirius' chest on their sofa; watching him rock her slowly and kiss the top of her head. He remembered taking it not to taunt but to remember. It was a beautiful picture, haunting and tragic, but beautiful. The lighting was soft and the shadows long, representing the fear now instilled in all of them. It displayed Lupin's deepest fears and his belief in hope - two terrified people grieving and clutching one another as though letting go would mean destruction of their world.

"Electra," Harry murmured, watching the woman he should have grown up with, turn toward the lens, her eyes bloodshot and her mascara staining her cheeks. She had never looked so human.

December 1980

The stairs creaked slightly but the deathly silence was soon restored. Three more steps. The door handle turned to the left and made a soft swishing noise as it shifted the carpet. The last cloaked, masked figure shut it behind them and cast a wordless silencing charm. The lock clicked and Orestes Nott shifted slightly in his sleep.

The second figure - a woman - leant stood in the shadows, pulling the third to stand with her. Her silver eyes glinted with malice. She hissed softly and the first figure pulled out a long thin wand.

"Nott!" Bellatrix spat, immediately waking Orestes whose hands shook. He sat up in bed and pushed himself against the wall. He sized up the figure before him. It was tiny, far too short to be a man and he could push past. He threw back the covers. "Nott, I feel I should warn you that you are no longer able to Apparate in or out of this room."

Nott took a deep breath and barged past the Death Eater standing beside his bed. He was surprised at the lack of resistance from even Bellatrix as his hands gripped the door handle.

"Oh, and I've taken the liberty of locking the door. I hope you don't mind."

Nott made for the dressing table but Bellatrix was far too quick for him. With a wordless charm, his wand flew, spiralling through the air into her outstretched hand.

"You are no doubt realising that you have been caught."

Orestes shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Bellatrix smirked. "Well, then, I think I had better remind you. Theodore?"

Orestes watched in horror as his uncle removed his mask. "You betrayed the trust of the Dark Lord who, above all, desires loyalty and courage."

"No. No, I didn't. I didn't mean-"

Bellatrix cackled and sent shivers down his spine. "This, Nott, is what happens when you betray the Dark Lord. He is merciless."

"No, please. You don't understand-"

Bellatrix pouted slightly and nodded, mocking. "I know. I know. What happened? You thought you'd try it out for a while? See how the mark suited you? And then little Notty got scared, did he?" Her voice returned to its usual sharp, malicious pitch. "Thought he'd run off, did he? Thought we wouldn't find him, did he?"

Nott pressed himself against the door. "No. My sister-"

His uncle glared and shook his head. "For the first time in your life, be a man."

Bellatrix smirked smugly. "Mulciber?"

"Anna? Anna, don't do it. You know you can't do it."

"Shut up!"

Anna pulled out her wand and remained silent. Of the three, she was the sole Death Eater wearing her mask - one she had loaned from her husband as she did not yet bear the mark that even Orestes had tattooed onto his forearm. By rights, she oughtn't be here, she thought to herself, but it was Christmas Eve and Electra would probably be walking up the stairs as they spoke and if anyone deserved to be saved, it was Electra. She couldn't allow her to see this. Closing her eyes, she murmured, "Avada Kadavra."

With a click of her fingers, the wards around the room dissolved and Bellatrix shifted the body back into his bed and Disapparated, taking Nott with her. If Mulciber was caught, she was caught. She mattered little.

Anna's hands shook and she could not remove her eyes from the last look of terror etched onto her best friend's brother's face.

"Ori!"

Anna gasped, spinning round as the door opened and a bubbly festively dressed Electra dragged her beau in behind her.

"Ori, look who I brought with me."

She heard the pop that signalled someone had Disapparated. She clutched Sirius' hand and he squeezed back.

"Ori? Ori, for heaven's sake, you can't have sl-" She shook him and felt his cooling skin beneath her soft hands. His eyes were wide with fear and he was frozen. She let out a blood curdling scream and clutched the bed post for support.

"Jesus Christ!" Electra felt arms around her before she could collapse and his voice was in her ear whispering, "Come on, Lex. Come home with me. I know, darling. I know. Come on."

Her shaky breaths were shallow and she gasped for air, screaming and punching Sirius' chest as he pulled her closer to him and dragged her away.

"Please, Electra. Please."

Wondering whether he should take her back and return himself to investigate, his Auror instincts taking over, he bit his lip and deliberated whether he was going to Apparate or cast a Patronus. He let go of his girlfriend and headed towards the bed where he was shocked to find a Dark Mark on the victim's left arm. He turned and saw Electra slide down the wall as would a rag doll. His mind was made up.

"Remus!"

Lupin flung open his bedroom door, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and yawning. "What?" he hissed, irritated.

"He's been murdered! The bastards killed him!"

Electra clawed at her skin and pulled her hair, shrieking.

Lupin sat beside her and took hold of her hands. "I know this is hard for you, but if you carry on screaming, I'll be evicted so please…calm down. There. Good girl." He looked up at Sirius. "What happened?"

"She wanted to go and visit her brother. She made me go because Christmas is about good will to all men." He ran a hand through his hair. "I was going to find a reason to be at James' tonight. Thank Christ I didn't."

Electra sobbed once more Lupin stood, allowing Sirius to dart into his seat and bundle her up in his arms, pulling her onto his lap and wrapping both arms around her, running one hand through her hair as he shushed her.

"I'll contact James. You'd better stay here."

"Remus?"

Lupin turned. "Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Don't worry about it."

And when he returned he found the fairy lights glowing softly, bathing the lovers in a myriad of colour. Blood red - strangely fitting, sunshine yellow, baby blue, bright green, neon pink; all were too bright and suggested cheer. The candles attached to the tree suited them better and Lupin switched the Christmas lights off with a wave of his hand.

Her sobs had ceased and became occasional hiccoughs, breaking the silence. Both were so involved in their world that neither appeared to notice that Lupin was standing in the doorway.

"I love you, you know."

Electra sniffled and nodded, whimpering as she clutched at his woollen jumper - courtesy of Mrs. Lupin - and buried her face in it, hiding herself and breathing in the scent of Sirius - of comfort.

CLICK!

1995

Sirius smiled sadly. "We found out who it was. Aurors tend to do that. We had it down to last movements. I never could tell her. I wish I had."

Harry frowned. "I thought you said Lovett wasn't a Death Eater."

Lupin frowned. "What the Auror report said was that three Death Eaters attacked Nott on Christmas Eve and they knew Mrs. Mulciber made up a third of the party. However, she had neither a mark nor her own mask. I can vouch for that completely. I was there the night that she died and she had neither then."

Sirius bit his lip. "Harry, you wouldn't nip back upstairs for that nice one of your dad, would you?"

Harry sighed and got to his feet, closing the door behind him and leaving Sirius free to speak without fear of corrupting an innocent.

"She came to visit me," he said softly, "when I was in there."

Lupin froze.

"I know, Remus."

He closed his eyes and ran a hand through his messy fringe. Sirius watched him and smiled grimly.

"She told you?"

Sirius nodded. "Why didn't you?"

"It was twelve years. She'd married William and I thought it didn't matter. It was one night, Sirius, your first in…in Azkaban. I never even so much as glanced at her in the street after that. I don't know what came over me. I just-"

"-wanted to hurt me. I know. I had that feeling about you when I thought…"

Lupin nodded. "Can you forgive me?"

Sirius laughed genuinely. "She wasn't even mine then. It wasn't as though you'd been having a year long affair." The laughter died on his lips. "You hadn't been having a year long affair, had you?"

"No, Sirius, funnily enough. I didn't even like her very much."

"Then there's not a lot for me to forgive is there?"

Lupin smiled tentatively as Harry took his place on the sofa, and met Sirius' eye. He received one in return.

"Besides," said Sirius, holding another photograph and grinning wickedly, "I felt up Nancy so we're even."

"Nancy and I were together. You were with Electra. At least, we were both single."

Sirius winked. "But I had mistletoe and wine, Remus."

Harry was thoroughly confused.