Okay, so just a note. The scene close to the end might differ a bit from canon and I'm really sorry about that. Enjoy the chapter!
P. S. It's a really long chapter and I hope you don't mind. 😘😘
Remus was running. Running away from his attacker like a coward. He wasn't actually sure who he was dueling at the moment, but was 99.9% sure it was Antoin Dolohov. But there's always a possibility it's not because he couldn't see under the Death Eater hood.
He dashed across the grounds, only hoping he would survive for his wife and son. Soon, he felt his strength depleting as his legs grew weary. But the moment he saw her face in his mind again, he found the power to keep running.
Chocolate eyes. A teasing smirk tugging at her cheeks. Bright pink hair that framed her heart shaped face.
He was going to see her again. He was going to survive to see them again.
He ran past Kingsley, who'd called his name, but he didn't pause to hear what he said. Remus hadcaught a snippet of it.
"She's here." he heard, Kingsley's voice a whisper.
It took less than a moment for Remus to realize who he was talking about.
His wife... he'd see his Dora again.
He soon found himself in the Astronomy tower, where they had fought a year ago. It had seemed so long ago to Remus. Since then, he'd been living in a constant state of euphoria and ecstasy.
His wife and son had made living worthwhile. His wife... his Dora.
Dolohov was right behind him, raising his wand gleefully as he was about to cast for the kill. Suddenly, his attacker was hit by a blast of light and slammed against the wall and slumped against it, struggling soundlessly.
Remus turned to his savior. All he saw was a relived figure rushing towards him. A flash of pink hair caught his eye.
She looked a mess, but beautiful nonetheless.
Dora.
He was really going to see her again.
~oOo~
Dora quickly cast a spell at whoever Remus was dueling, keeping him or her bound for only a few moments. She surged towards him, her legs finding the strength they didn't have only moments ago. Remus spotted her. He looked mess, like he'd come back from a full moon.
Suddenly, she felt his lips on hers, trapped in a firm embrace as she felt herself being picked up. She wasn't that light, was she?
"Dora? You're not supposed to be here?" Remus shouted as they ran to meet each other, a confused and frowning expression trying to hide the grin spreading on his face, "Teddy and your mum need you."
"They'll be fine, Remus." she smiled sadly, a twinkle in her eye, "And besides, I know it's you who need me more than anything tonight."
"Right as always, love." he brought his lips to hers again, as she ran her hands through his hair.
The spell had worn off whoever Remus was dueling. And they heard a voice masculine hiss behind them.
"What a lovely reunion." the voice dripped with sarcasm, taunting them, "The werewolf and fool who married him. Sounds quite like a fairytale."
And he got up, threw his hood back, and laughed harshly. Dolohov, she thought bitterly. He'd nearly killed the both of them many times, and now came back to finish. He shot a spell, but thanks to her quick thinking, she'd casted a shielding charm in a matter of moments. The charm protected them from the blast of green light,
Remus shot a quick spell, possibly a simple one or more complicated, then hissed, "Nobody talks about my wife like that." Dolohov dodged easily.
They'd found themselves facing their end, gripping wands into their hands. They shot a quick look at each other, a hopeful look, but also one of giving up. He smiled sadly, and gave her a comfort with the amount of love in his eyes. How did all of this fit into less than a moment, she wondered.
"Together?" Remus asked, as he looked into the eyes of his attacker, ready to kill for the ones he loved.
"Together." she confirmed, in turn stared down Dolohov, knowing that tonight, she wasn't alone.
She glanced at her husband for a moment. Remus looked at her, a hard look of determination. They reached for each other, and as their hands met, a warm feeling of love flowed throughout her. She felt like she could do anything, as long as they were side by side.
As Remus looked at her one last time, Dolohov found his moment to strike. His amber eyes were filled with love, as if telling her "it's okay, we'll meet again". They comforted her. He grasped for her hand, holding it tightly. A feeling of warmth flooded through her and he sent a protective spell her way upon seeing Dolohov look at her, a greed in his eyes.
That was his last act. Her husband was going to lose his life protecting her. His wife. The mother of his child. She didn't deserve him. His compassion. His love, and his loyal, selfless nature.
The green light hit him square in the chest, as Dolohov looked on triumphantly. A scream ripped from her throat as the tears furiously fell down her cheeks. The salty tears dropped to fall upon her husband's dead body. She felt as if her lungs were filling with water. She had screamed her throat raw and it began to hurt from her screams of anguish and sobs of frustration and pain. She knelt down next to him, caressing his cheek one last time. Her arms were weak, and shaking with trauma.
"No, no, no!" she sobbed, "You always promised you were coming back. You promised me! You promised Teddy! Teddy needs you! I need you! Remus John Lupin, you selfless, utterly lovable prat. You have to come back. You promised... you promised..."
Her sobs echoed in the tower they had fought in. Her heart felt as if a thousand knives struck it at once. Her mind flashed to every time he kissed her. The gentleness he'd loved her with. Their wedding. How happy they were for those nine months. Teddy's birth. Teddy's little smiles and gurgles. Every time they'd woken up next to each other, smiling and laughing. She found herself back in the present. Her hand held his face gently, like how he'd held her when she was upset. She still smelled the faintest whiff of chocolate. She cried, her body racking with an endless tirade of sobs and tears. Dora finally found it in herself to close his amber eyes. The same eyes she'd fallen in love with all those many months ago.
Dora's eyes were filled with tears, blurring her vision once more. They'd had so little time. She loved him more than she could ever admit and was willing to sacrifice everything for him and their son, but now they were out of time.
Dora wanted to give in. She wanted to die, in those few moments. Her heart slowed with grief. She couldn't think straight. So grief stricken and heartbroken, her breaths were ragged with sobs of anguish and misery, as she released her sorrows through useless cries of help and frustration that he'd left.
He left because he loved you... you and Teddy, a voice poked at her.
Teddy! She couldn't leave him forever, could she? Her eyes flickered to her husband's dead body. What would Remus have wanted her to do?
He would have wanted you to fight.
She turned, hearing cackles of laughter behind her. The same cackles that taunted her every time they met, even in her nightmares. The cackles that wanted her dead because of what she'd done and what her mother had done. Dora supposed being rebellious ran in their blood. Bellatrix LeStrange... a witch who wanted her dead seemingly more than Harry. blurring her vision. She saw Bellatrix, wand raised high in triumph and finality, ready to finish off her sister's daughter without a second thought.
He would have wanted you to fight for Teddy. For him. Honor his love, use that one last chance to fight... honor him. Honor them.
And fight she did. Dora stared up at Bellatrix defiantly and stood, refusing to go down without a fight. Spells and charm lit up the sky around them, and as they came in contact with shields, the air fizzled with electricity, making her hair stand on end. Green and red flashed. As did a sparkling light blue. She gripped her wand tightly as her heart raced with anxiousness and passion. She'd fight until her last moment. She'd forgotten about the rest of the battle, because, for the moment, only theirs seemed to exist. Her breathing was heavy as they fought relentlessly, only catching their breath in the moments between. Dora soon found herself on her knees again, shaking from pain, exhaustion, and grief as she tired to cast one last protective spell and she gripped Remus' lifeless hand tighter. The shield broke, too weak to protect them, and the green light was about to hit her. She closed her eyes.
Her last thoughts were of Teddy and her mother. How could she leave them like that? She was so useless, so selfish, so stupid, so ... come now, the little voice said in her head, Remus wouldn't have wanted you or think like that. Honor him, honor his love for you in your last moments. And remember what made both your lives worthwhile...
"I'll love you, now and forever." she found herself whispering as the spell hit, even though she knew Remus wouldn't hear her.
Several things flashed through her mind. Every moment they'd spent together. Every kiss. Every hug. Every smile. Assignments for the Order. Lunches and dinners at her house. Dancing in the rain. Their partoni. His proposal. Their marriage of equals. Their promises that had always rung true. Holidays together. Teddy. Her healing him after every full moon. Him catching her after every stumble. So many things filled her mind. So many memories.
They needed each other. And they'd see each other again. They'd never raise Teddy, but that was a small piece to pay for him growing up in a world without fear, discrimination, hate, and murderers roaming the streets. Now, their son would grow up seeing the light of day. The happiness outweighed the guilt and pain. She'd cared so much that her son would grow up in world without Voldemort, that she'd forgotten about the risk, just those for moments. She'd loved her boys so much that's she'd forgotten about what it could cost her.
Now, it cost her life, but she'd done everything in her power to make sure that her husband wouldn't die alone and that her son would grow up with his grandmother in the sunlight, without the fear of hate or discrimination.
Dora accepted her fate with equanimity and closed her chocolate eyes to sleep next to her husband for the last time. And she fell, next to him, their hands tangled in love and compassion through their final moments. She fell to lay beside her husband, hands entwined, as if they'd fallen asleep after watching stars in the Astronomy Tower, looking more peaceful than either of them had looked in years.
The next person to stumble upon the Astronomy Tower would find them, serenely sleeping under the stars. That person would know that they'd died together, as more than lovers. They'd seen the look of utter comfort that shone on Dora's face. And the look of love that hadn't faded from Remus'. But that person would never know until later hat the couple had left behind. All they'd know is the love and compassion they had for one another, so strong that even in death, they were together. They would always be Remus and Nymphadora, forever and throughout eternity. Never to be separated ever again.
THIS IS NOT THE END. I PROMISE. THERES AN EPILOGUE WITH TEDDY AND ANDROMEDA.
I'm also hoping to include a "if they lived" one shot (probably a very long one, I've got a lot of ideas).
And I'm also writing a new story that's kind of Marauders thing but not really. It's a muggle coffee shop AU (alternate universe) called for the moment "Waiting on You". And I'll post more about it in the Epilogue.
Anyway, I just wanna thank all of you for being so respectful to my writing mistakes and thank you for your constant love and support for this story. Very comment and vote I've seen on this story has brightened my day a little more, and coming from someone who's on the subway for most of the morning, it really helps and makes me smile.
I won't be able to tag all of you because, well, not everyone comments and votes (I forget to do those things too). I love you all so much and thank you from the bottom of my heart.
😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘
Forever yours,
Abby