𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐍 (2) || 𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘶𝘴 𝘓𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘯

𝐈𝐈𝐈. 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞

"I could stand here until the world ends in an attempt to tell you all the reasons that I care for her. But there's not enough time in existence for that. So all I can say is that I love her. I love the way she looks at the world and sees something new worth loving every single day, I love her courage and her loyalty, I love how she's good and just. I love how in over fourteen years, she was the first and only person who was able to look past what I am, look past the monster inside of me... and care for me anyway, not out of guilt, but out of genuine affection. I know what I am, I know what I deserve, I know that I'm dangerous, and I know that you and Arthur worry for her. But I promise you, I'd never let anything, or anybody harm her. I'd sooner lose myself." Remus' tone settled slowly, and he let out a breath.

"I can promise you that."

Edith's eyes softened, and she laced their hands, squeezing gently.

A smile broke through his face, and Remus returned the gesture, his head resting against hers for a moment before he pulled away, and the two of them looked towards Molly again, who had a fresh round of tears streaming from her face.

"Molly..." Edith breathed, a hand reaching out in the woman's direction.

Like a dam that had been blown apart, Molly burst into tears, her arms rounding Edith and Remus through her cries.

They both stood over her in height, and Remus' free arm awkwardly rounded the woman's back as she cried, but he smiled anyway through lidded eyes.

...He had almost forgotten the feeling of a mother's hug.

Edith could hear Molly hiccuping out breaths, with airy words following soon after.

"Oh... oh, my g-gorgeous girl... my Edith.."

Molly pulled her head back to look at them, her cheeks red and blotchy from the tears, her arms still tight around them.

"I knew... I knew you had met someone. From- from the moment you stepped off that train. You had this light in you.. such a beautiful light... you were so happy. I... I worried for you after Dawn passed. I was so a-afraid that you'd lose yourself... to that darkness. That horrible, suffocating feeling of grief. Arthur can tell you, I nearly lost myself to it. After Gideon... and Fabian..." Molly shook her head. "It's awful, darling, just awful. I was so afraid it would take you too."

"And you," Molly turned her head, staring right into Remus' eyes. "You better not let me hear those words coming from you ever again, Remus Lupin. I've known you for a long time. And you're a good man. A good person. That's all I've ever wanted for my children. To come home with a good soul on their arm. You're just the kind of person I wanted my Edith with. You're not a monster, Remus. You never have been to us, and you never will be."

Remus swallowed, a hand dragging over his mouth as he breathed out.

Edith smiled up at him and grinned. "You can cry, y'know. Everyone else is."

Remus laughed, the sleeve of his robe dabbing his eyes dry through another shuddering breath.

Edith took note of the last silent person in the room, and looked over Molly's shoulder, seeing Arthur still standing as still as he was before, but there was a smile on his face as he stared at them.

".... Dad?" Edith spoke tentatively.

The word opened the floodgates for Arthur as well, and he sighed to himself as his own eyes began to water. He marched across the room, stopping beside his wife and taking Edith's head in his palms, his thumb stroking her cheek with a fondness she would never tire of feeling.