Remus Lupin looked down at his wife with pure sadness. Dragon Pox had taken over and he was losing her ever so slowly, it was torture to watch.
"Remus, my love." Adelaide whispered. She seemed nothing but relaxed, she had let the disease take over, she allowed it to swallow her whole. She was going to die and she knew it, she accepted it a long time ago. "Look after Lottie, give her the best childhood possible, okay?"
Remus nodded, he felt like he had a lump in the back of his throat, he could feel the tears building up and yet he couldn't let them out. He had cried so so much and he knew he couldn't let them out again.
"Love her with everything you have, be strong for me." The red head continued, "make sure she shares your chocolate addiction and make sure she's always smiling."
"I will." He nodded, wiping his eyes gently.
Remus had spent months thinking about this moment, yet even when it was here it didn't feel real. It was wrong, his beauty of a wife should not have to endure this at such a young age, it was awful.
Adelaide took his hands. "I love you more then anything in the world, please don't spend your days missing me okay? Have a beautiful life, you're still young, make sure you enjoy yourself."
Once again, Remus nodded, unable to form words.
"Make more memories, our suffering is over now, take that as your sign to start fresh."
Adelaide's chest was getting tighter, her mouth was harder to move and she could hardly get out any words. It was her time, she knew it was coming, she knew her life was coming to an end in this very moment. It was strange, what comes after death? An afterlife? Reincarnation? Or nothing at all, perhaps? She had a good nature though, she wanted to rest, she didn't want to be in pain anymore, she needed to let go.
"I will."
"I love you Remus Lupin."
"I love you too Adelaide Winters." He sniffed and with that, his wife closed her eyes, her heart rate slowed and Remus felt his heart drop.
He wasn't ready for her to go. He had so much he wanted to say, he wanted to make memories with her, he wanted to look into her clear blue eyes just one more time and yet she was gone. How was he going to raise a child? He could barely look after himself.
The rest was a blur to the man who was trying his hardest to keep calm. He had gone over the key parenting tips for months, he knew what he had to do, but everything was slipping from his fingers as it all came to an abrupt stop. Remus was helpless, who on Earth was he kidding? He couldn't do this alone, not at all!
The doctors made their way over, trying their best to keep Adelaide alive but it was too late, she was gone and Remus was alone.
He sat there for a while, the world a blur around him as tears trickled down his cheeks, he didn't know what to do with himself, how to tell his beautiful little girl that mummy was gone or how to tell his beautiful girl that he didn't even know if he could survive this loss. Remus knew that this was going to be miserable, to keep a child under his roof would be unfair, what if he spent the rest of his days depressed in his bedroom unable to fully care for her? He didn't know for sure that he could provide her with what a child needed, and now he had put himself into an awful decision of whether her should or shouldn't even remain in full custody of her.
But of course, if not living at his own house, then where?
Apparating home, he sat on the floor allowing the pain to take over. He cried for hours until his body went numb and his eyes were red raw, all he could feel was pain...
𓅷𓅷𓅷
The next morning, Remus apparated over to the Potter household where his daughter was.
"Remus?" Lily frowned.
"She's gone." He whispered, and with that, Lily pulled him into a tight hug. "Where's Charlotte?"
"Upstairs with Harry, Sophia and James." Lily said sadly, starting to break down as tears rolled down her cheeks at a furious pace. Why did it have to be her best friend that was taken so soon? What on Earth was Cece going to do? How were they going to go on and raise Charlotte without her mother? It was such a blur that Lily felt dizzy, but she tried her hardest to put a brave face on for Remus. "Do you want me to get you a drink?"
"No thankyou." Remus shook his head, all he needed to do was say goodbye to his daughter.
"Okay do you ne-"
"I'm going to take Charlotte to an orphanage." He announced.
His own words shocked him a little, but he knew that what had to be done had to be done. He had thought and thought and perhaps it had always been at the back of his mind, but he wasn't going to be a good parent without Adelaide. God, for the last five years it was always her and Lily doing the important things whilst James and Remus made sure to have the most exciting adventures with their kids, not to mention Sirius and Cecelia raising their daughter, Emily, along side.
And yet those peaceful memories of the happy times before Adelaide got sick became a burden, a horror to even think about. Remus refused to force his friends into having to grieve and deal with his child, he couldn't be more of a burden, hell, they had done so much for him the past 24 years he wouldn't allow it.
But oh, Lottie...the one child he would ever have. How could he let her go? How could he ever forgive himself?
"What?" Lily frowned, her eyes widening and her jaw dropping slightly. "Remus, I know you're hurting right now but-"
"Lily, I can't raise a child on my own! I'm a bloody monster and I'll hurt her!"
"Remus! No you won't! James and I will help you! As will Sirius and Emelia and Marlene and Dorcas! Don't do this!"
"Don't do what?" Asked James, wondering into the room with Lottie on his back and Harry and Sophia next to him.
"Daddy!" Lottie cheered when she saw Remus.
"Hi darling," he scooped her into his arms, kissing her forehead sadly.
"Why's daddy crying? And auntie Lily? Smile!"
"He's taking Charlie to an orphanage!" Lily cried, her eyes pleading her husband to prevent such an awful event from happening before it was too late.
"What?" James frowned, placing her on the floor. "You three go play in the lounge, I'll come in a second."
James and Lily shared a look as the three children ran out the room.
"Come on mate, you don't really want to do that, do you?" James frowned, he loved his God daughter like his own, he couldn't bare the thought of losing her.
James was now under the impression that Addie was gone, and his knees were begging to give way. He had been best friends with Adelaide Winters since he could walk, how could she be gone? How could she, one of the kindest souls James had ever encountered be taken away so soon?
"James, I'm doing what's best for her."
"Who's going to help her if we're not there? Who's going to look after her?"
"James, I have to do this!" Remus snapped. "I can't even look after myself! I'm in pain! Addie is dead and I know nothing about kids!"
"We'll help you!"
"Remus you've had a daughter for five years! Your just not in the right state of mind right now, I'm begging you to see reason before you throw her life away! Addie doesn't want this and you know it! How dare you throw away her last few wishes-"
"I've made my decision. Addie told me to make sure Lottie is safe and happy! An orphanage can give her that!"
"Moony, it won't!" Argued James. "She won't be happy! She won't have a normal childhood! We had all our plans for teaching them to fly broomsticks and family holidays and-"
"And we planned that when Adelaide was alive."
"Rem." Lily sighed. "Please think this through, none of us want to lose Lottie and you certainly don't!"
"I'm going to go home and pack some bags for her...say your goodbyes now, please."
"Charlie!" James called out, following into the room that the children were in. His knees aches with every step, and he contemplated picking up the young girl and apparating away before her father could do anything, but that would probably be classed as kidnapping.
"Uncle Prongs? What's wrong?" She asked, reaching for his glasses as putting them on her own face as he knelt down besides her.
"I want you to listen to me, mini Moons. Uncle Prongs loves you, okay? And I'm going to find you, you'll see me in a few days, I promise, I'll be right there to get you as soon as I found out where you are, okay?"
"Hide and seek?" She asked.
"Yes!"
He pulled the redhead into a hug, kissing her forehead with tears rolling down his cheeks as he did so.
Lottie seemed to have panicked by the time Lily had said her goodbyes and hugged her, crying herself purely because everybody else was and she didn't know why.
"Say bye bye to Phia and Harry, darling," Remus said to his daughter
"Bye Harold!" She giggled, stretching out her arms and hugging him. "See you tomorrow!"
"See you tomorrow Charlie!"
"Bye Lottie!"
And with that, Remus and his daughter left the young couple.
𓅷𓅷𓅷
"Just sign here, okay mr Lupin?" Mary, the owner of the orphanage smiled. "And then you can say your goodbyes."
Remus signed the papers, and then made his way over to his daughter.
"Lottie, daddy loves you, okay? Mummy loves you. Uncle prongs and lily love you, but you're going to stay here for a while." Remus sniffed.
"But...when are we going home? I don't like it here. Wheres mummy?" Lottie frowned, looking around the orphanage.
"Daddy has to go away for a little while."
"What about mummy?"
"Lottie, darling, mummy is with the angels. She's not coming back, I'm sorry."
"When will you come back?"
"I-I don't know...I promise I'll see you one day though." Remus smiled softly, his eyes listened with tears. "I want you to always keep this necklace on you, it was mummy's, take good care of it for me."
"Okay."
"Daddy won't be long, okay? I need a little bit of time, but I'm sure you'll see me soon, I promise!"
"Pinky promise?"
"Pinky promise. I'll be back for you. I have to go now, love."
"No! Stay here! I don't want you to go!"
Remus wiped the tears that were rolling down his cheeks. "I love you Lottie, be a good girl for me okay? I'll love you always and forever."
"Ill love you always and forever!" Repeated Lottie.
"I'll come back one day, I promise."
Lottie watched as her dad walked away, a small tear rolling down her cheek as she didn't know what was happening.
She could only hope he would be back soon...
A/N
Mission 1. completed, make it sadder and longer :)
Good luck lads x