Full disclosure: this is a short chapter full of shameless fluff because Remus Lupin is my favourite character. It does explain some of the plot, but we'll end this story arc proper (hopefully!) in the next chapter.

Harry Potter does not belong to me.

"Remus… Remus, sweetheart…"

Through the haze of whispers, Remus was drawn to a warm, comforting voice that called for him. He wasn't sure how long it had been since he had fallen through the veil; nor was he sure when he had closed his eyes. He opened them now, vision slightly blurred, to find himself facing a wooden canopy above which loomed a stone grey ceiling. It was familiar somehow.

"Remus?" The voice called again.

He turned his head towards it as it drew closer, and if Remus had any doubts as to whether his brush with the veil had been fatal, the sight that met him now left no room for debate.

"Mum?"

Suddenly, all the whispering disappeared and Remus' vision cleared as he sat up and looked at his mother for the first time in 13 years.

"Mum," he repeated, almost reverently.

A sad smile graced Hope Lupin's features, though her face no longer carried the pallor of illness and stress that it did the last time Remus had seen her. In fact, Hope hadn't looked this well, this healthy since Remus' Hogwarts Graduation…

It was with that thought that Remus realised where he was; his Hogwarts dormitory. He quickly glanced upwards again, seeing evidence of the time he taught his fellow Marauders how to shoot spitballs. And there, barely visible to the untrained eye, the scorched spot over Sirius' bed where Remus, James and Peter had all chipped in to destroy a Howler from Sirius' mother before she could begin her foul diatribe. Who knew that Bombarda, Confringo and Wingardium Leviosa (Pete had panicked) were such a lethal combination? Sirius' grateful, buoyant expression - even sans eyebrows - at his friends' unwavering support was well worth the month of detentions they received. Remus turned back to his mother.

"It's good to see you Mum, I have missed you."

Hope's sad smile remained.

"I'm so proud of you, my boy. So unbearably proud," she said, eyes filling with tears. "You have done so well."

Remus looked to the floor. He wasn't sure he'd agree. What was there to be proud of? A former teacher, a soldier, a nomad…

…a werewolf…

"I've never stopped watching over you," Hope continued, "your Dad has been keeping an eye out too. He was so impressed with your lessons. When that nasty man forced you to leave, I swear Lyall nearly willed himself back to life to give him a piece of his mind!"

"Dad is here too?" Remus asked, hopefully.

"Of course he is, sweetheart. In fact, there's some other people who would like to say hello now that you're here!" Hope walked through the open door and downstairs to the Gryffindor Common Room. Remus stood and followed, puzzled.

"Some… other people? Mum who-"

"Moony!"

Remus couldn't swallow for the lump in his throat. James Potter sat in the chair nearest the roaring fire, beaming up at his fellow Marauder.

"We've been dying to see you," he smirked, receiving a swat to the back of his head for his troubles.

"What my husband means Remus, is that we have missed you," Lily said earnestly from her perch on the arm of James' chair. Like Hope's, her smile was genuine, yet sad.

"James… Lily…" Remus trailed off. He had so much to tell them, so many apologies to make, so much to ask, but he couldn't seem to form the words. Then another voice spoke.

"Hello there, Professor Lupin."

Gruff but filled with pride, Lyall Lupin's voice was the catalyst for Remus' emotions to finally explode. Tears spilled down his face and he absent-mindedly dabbed his cheeks with the back of his hand to try stem the flow.

"Da," he whispered.

"You've done well for yourself, my boy," Lyall grinned, before sobering. "If it wasn't for that evil, bat-featured greaseball-"

"Your dad has joined the Snivelly fan club, Moony," James cut in. "We were plotting all sorts of revenge but then we remembered your Boggart class.

"Your mum and dad didn't realise until then that you were the bad influence on us in school, not the other way around."

Remus laughed, surprised to see Lily doing likewise. She caught his eye.

"I thought it was quite a fetching look for him Remus," she admitted, "and he deserved it. How dare he treat Frank and Alice's little boy - or any child - like that."

Remus looked around the room again, taking it all in. His mother still stood next to him, a steady support as ever.

"I've missed you all so terribly," he spoke quietly, moving to place an arm around his mother's shoulders…

…where it met air.

"I… what-" he stumbled.

"You can't stay here Remus, not with us. Not yet," Hope whispered, her own tears falling now. "The wolf-"

The wolf.

Remus should have known. Dark creatures don't deserve happiness, even in death. He wasn't a religious man, but here surrounded by his family, he had begun to believe in heaven. It was naïve of him really to think a werewolf would have any place there. Stupid.

"-saved your life."

Wait. What?

Remus pulled himself from his spiralling thoughts and directed his attention back to his mother.

"Saved my life?"

Lyall walked over to his wife and son, planting a comforting hand on Hope's shoulder.

"Yes son, saved your life. The veil was only ever meant for human souls. When you sacrificed yourself - no Remus, that's exactly what you did - the wolf seems to have… taken over?

"The veil couldn't accept that, so your body was returned to the dais. You're here with us for a short time to allow your body to cope with the pain."

Lyall grimaced at this thought, but he continued.

"It will be painful my boy, but you'll be alive. I know you have so much more to give."

Remus could hardly believe his ears. He hadn't wanted to die. He didn't want to leave Sirius, Harry… Tonks… but it would be a wrench to say goodbye again to his parents, to Lily and James.

And the wolf… the very thing that had brought him hardship, isolation and pain his whole life had saved him. It was a lot to take in.

Uncharacteristically quiet, James stood then and faced his friend.

"Thank you for being there for Harry, it meant a lot to Lil and I."

"James, I-" Remus began to protest but Lily, moving now to stand beside James, cut him off.

"You couldn't have known what would happen that night. I know Sirius told you why you weren't aware of our plan to switch Secret Keeper-"

"And also that we didn't suspect you even for a second," James interjected before Lily continued.

"The Ministry would never have let you take Harry when we died and Dumbledore forced you to stay away and to let Harry grow up away from the Magical World."

Remus got the distinct impression that Lily was less than pleased with Dumbledore's instructions - and with good reason.

"Thank you for teaching him how to protect himself and that adults can be trusted. He hasn't had a lot of that." Lily's eyes filled with tears and James pulled her close before addressing Remus again.

"They were devastated when you fell, mate. Both Harry and Pads. You are so loved, so valued - by us too."

"Speaking of love," Lily lifted her head from where it leaned against James' shoulder, a sly smile on her face.

"Oh no you don't, Mrs Potter," Remus was shocked to hear such a playful tone in his father's voice. "This is a job for Remus' parents."

Remus felt nervous in a way he hadn't done since the morning of his NEWT results.

"Da, what-"

"We need to have a little chat about that lovely young lady, Nymphadora," Lyall said, suddenly serious. "I want to make sure you're treating her well and taking all the necessary precautions-"

"DAD," Remus spluttered.

It was too much for Lyall, and a quiet snort from James at Remus' embarrassment and indignation was all it took for the man to almost double over with laughter. James followed and even Lily and Hope were trying hard not to chuckle. Remus looked from Lyall to James and back, before realisation struck.

"My dad, Prongs. You're corrupting my dead dad?"

"I'm dead too, mate, so you can't play that card," James laughed. "I can see now where you got your evil genius from."

Remus was about to reply when he suddenly felt weak, a tingling sensation running through his limbs. The two couples in front of him sensed this change.

"It's almost time to go back sweetheart. Please, be happy," Hope said, an amused smile still on her face. "We love Miss Tonks. Please let her look after you, even when you don't want her to. Especially then. Tell her that I love her pink hair and I can't wait to meet her in many, many, many years."

She became emotional again.

"We love you so much, Remus, and we can see that she loves you too. I gave you mine and your father's rings and I know you carry them. Why not put them to better use, eh?"

"She's a good egg, Remus, and she's in it for the long haul," Lyall nodded. "Don't waste any more time trying to change a woman's mind. Trust me on that," he winked at Remus, earning him an elbow from his wife.

"Keep fighting the good fight son. We'll always watch over you."

Remus could feel the tingling getting worse now and it, paired with the emotion bubbling in his chest, rendered him speechless.

"We love Tonks too," James smiled gently, Lily nodding emphatically beside him. "She makes an excellent honorary Marauder."

"It's great to have backup now," Lily added. "She's lucky to have you Remus, please remember that."

"Can you tell Harry we love him, please?" James' voice faltered now as he spoke. "We're so proud of how strong, funny, clever and loyal he is.

"He is also - and you know I don't say this lightly - even better than me at Quidditch. My boy can fly!"

"Please tell him to ask for help more often, though I don't know if he'll take that advice from you of all people," Lily sighed, tears flowing freely now. "And look after him and Padfoot, let them look after you too."

"Give Pads our congratulations," James added finally, and Remus looked at him confused. "Please tell him we're proud of him, we love him, and he needs to forgive himself.

"Most importantly, he still owes me 10 Galleons - he was in fact the first of us to be arrested!"

Remus found himself laughing, his heart lightened and his body feeling suddenly weightless. His vision was blurring now too as Lyall, Hope, Lily and James called their final words to him.

"Don't fight it son. It's going to hurt but it's going to be so worth it."

"Be safe sweetheart, we love you."

"Look after each other, and give everyone our love."

"Goodbye Moony, give 'em hell down there!"

"I love you all, so very much," was all Remus could manage before he was pulled away once more.