Author's Note: I do not own Harry Potter. All original characters belong to me.

Chapter Eighteen

Afterwards

Harry and Ginny were the last to enter the Hospital Wing. Hermione hurried over and hugged Harry; Remus moved forwards too, looking anxious.

"Are you all right, Harry?"

"I'm fine … how's Bill?" Harry asked.

No-one answered.

"Can't you fix them with a charm or something?" Harry asked the nurse, who was dabbing the unconscious Bill Weasley with some harsh-smelling green ointment.

"No charm will work these," said Madam Pomfrey. "I've tried everything I know, but there is no cure for werewolf bites."

"But he wasn't bitten at the full moon," said Ron, who was gazing down into his brother's face as though he could somehow force him to mend just by staring. "Greyback hadn't transformed, so surely Bill won't be a – a real –?"

He looked uncertainly at Remus.

"No, I don't think that Bill will be a true werewolf," said Remus, whose eyes were still slightly pink from his tears. "But that does not mean that there won't be some contamination. Those are curse wounds. They are unlikely ever to heal full, and – and Bill might have some wolfish characteristics from now on."

"Dumbledore might know something that'd work, though," said Ron. "Where is he? Bill fought those maniacs on Dumbledore's orders, Dumbledore owes him, he can't leave him in this state –"

"Ron – Dumbledore's dead," Ginny said in a saddened tone.

"No!" Remus said, looking wildly from Ginny to Harry, then when he knew that what had been said was true. Remus collapsed into a chair beside Bill's bed, his hands over his face.

Harry looked at everyone with concern, and then he noticed someone missing.

"Where's Stacy?" he asked.

"Death Eater hit her with the Avada Kedavra curse," Hermione told him.

Harry didn't know what to say. "But didn't she take the Felix Felicis?"

"She gave it to Shaun," Hermione told him.

"She what?" Remus asked, lifting his head up.

"Stacy gave her share of what was left of Harry's sample of Felix Felicis to Shaun, saying that he needed it more than what she did," Hermione carefully told him.

Remus looked at her for a moment, then nodded. It seemed to make sense, Shaun may have lost his mother, but he still had his father.

"How did Dumbledore die?" Tonks than whispered. "How did it happen?"

"Snape killed him," said Harry. "I was there, I saw it …" He explained what happened.

Somewhere out in the darkness, a phoenix was singing in a way that it had never been heard before; a stricken lament of terrible beauty. A single tear ran down Remus's cheek, which he wiped away.

Professor McGonagall entered the ward, she was carrying Shaun.

"Molly and Arthur are on their way," she said, and the spell of the music was broken: everyone roused themselves as though coming out of trances. "Harry, what happened?" Remus took Shaun from McGonagall's hands and held him close. "According to Hagrid you were with Professor Dumbledore when he – when it happened. He says Professor Snape was involved in some –"

"Snape killed Dumbledore," said Harry.

McGonagall stared at him, then swayed alarmingly; Madam Pomfrey, who seemed to have pulled herself together, ran forwards, conjuring a chair from the air, which she pushed under McGonagall.

"Snape," McGonagall repeated faintly, falling into the chair. "We all wondered … but he trusted … always … Snape … I can't believe it …"

"Snape was a highly accomplished Occlumens," said Remus, his voice uncharacteristically harsh. "We always knew that." He lowered his gaze down towards his son and was just glad he was asleep, at least for now he was.

"But Dumbledore swore he was on our side!" Tonks whispered. "I always thought Dumbledore must know something about Snape that we didn't …"

"He always hinted that he had an iron-clad reason for trusting Snape," McGonagall muttered, now dabbing at the corners of her eyes with a tartan-edged handkerchief. "I mean … with Snape's history … of course people were bound to wonder … but Dumbledore told me explicitly that Snape's repentance was absolutely genuine … wouldn't hear a word against him!"

This continued on, moving on into explaining to Harry what had happened. Fawkes's lament was still echoing over the dark grounds outside. It gave Remus an unwelcome chill down his spine, he closed his eyes and wanted nothing more than to block that image of his wife falling to the ground. Shaun's soft gurgle like sound took Remus out of his short wave of thoughts.

The doors of the Hospital Wing burst open, making them all jump; Mr and Mrs Weasley were striding up the ward, Fleur just behind them, her beautiful face terrified.

"Molly – Arthur –" said McGonagall, jumping up and hurrying over to greet them. "I am so sorry –"

"Bill," Mrs Weasley whispered, darting past McGonagall as she caught sight of Bill's mangled face. "Oh, Bill!"

Lupin and Tonks had got up hastily and retreated so that Mr and Mrs Weasley could get nearer to the bed. Remus watched as Mrs Weasley bent over her son and pressed her lips on his bloody forehead.

"You said Greyback attacked him?" Mr Weasley asked McGonagall distractedly. "But he hadn't transformed? So what does that mean? What will happen to Bill?"

"We don't yet know," McGonagall replied, looking at Remus with a helpless expression.

"There will probably be some contamination, Arthur," said Remus. "It is an odd case, possible unique … we don't know what his behaviour might be like when he wakes up …"

Remus simply watched. He didn't want to be here any longer. Without making a single word, he turned away and walked towards the doors of the ward to leave.

"Remus?" he heard a quiet voice from behind him.

Remus stopped and turned to see that Tonks was standing there.

"What is it, Tonks?" he asked.

"You do know that we are here for you, don't you?" she asked him, her voice sounding so sincere.

"I do, Tonks," Remus told her, "But right now, I have Shaun to take care of."

He turned away once again and walked on out of the ward, Shaun was now awake, but ever so silent. Remus's heart was sore. Shaun would never know who his mother was. Or, he will, just not in the way Remus had hoped. What made the knowledge of his wife just as painful was that when Pomfrey examined Stacy's corpse, it turns out that Stacy was in the very early stages of pregnancy, two weeks to be exact. He had lost his wife and the possible chance of another child.

What made this lose less painful was that Remus still had Shaun. He had at least some part of Stacy with him, but most of all, he had someone to love. He loved his son dearly and hoped to all hope that he will survive this damned war and stay around for Shaun. He didn't want to leave Shaun orphaned, it was not an option.

He knew that Shaun would be well cared for if anything did happen to him, but it was something that Remus didn't want. He looked down at Shaun.

"I'm not going anywhere!" he told his son in a firm and gentle voice. "I am going to stay here and see you grow up into the man I know will make your mother and I proud."

Shaun reached up with his right hand, as if to try and grab something. Remus placed his finger into the tiny hand, where Shaun just held it while looking up at his father.

Remus reached the quarters and had Shaun changed and placed into some fresh clothing and fed before placing him into his cot. When Remus knew that Shaun was going to back to sleep, he moved to his bedroom. But as soon as he entered, he stopped, he couldn't make another step.

He looked around at the room. He saw the bed, he thought of just how empty it was going to be now that he was no longer sharing it with Stacy. Then something caught his eye. There, sitting on the dressing table was the laptop that Stacy owned. No longer was he ever going to hear her touch-typing on the keys.

But it was the object that was right beside the laptop that made him move over to the dressing table. He picked up the golden frame and looked at the photo within it. Of course it was moving, being the wizarding world, but his heart had a sharp stab when he stared at it. He watched as his beloved Stacy smiled as she rested her head upon his shoulder, he watched as the photograph of him moved placed a soft and firm kiss upon her head and put his left arm around her to draw her close.

Remus remembered that it was Stacy's old friend, Tori, who had taken it during the Christmas year of when they were at Grimmauld Place. It was then when he realised that tears were being shed and he brought his hand to his cheek to wipe some of them away.

"I miss you Anastasia," he quietly choked, before swallowing back and then exhaling.

He took the photo frame and walked out of the bedroom … he just couldn't sleep in here. Instead he moved out into the lounge room, where he set himself down upon the couch and grabbed one of the cushions to place under his head for a little more comfort. He lied upon his back and continued to look right at the photo, before falling into a restless sleep …

Remus had taken Stacy's body to the farmhouse, with McGonagall's and Mr Weasley's help, (Mrs Weasley felt that she needed to stay with Bill, which was understandable in Remus's view). He had her buried near the edge of the forest, there was a white stone border around the grave that went from one side of the headstone and went right around to the other side of it. Upon the headstone wrote;

Anastasia Lupin

Date of Birth: 28 August 1988

Date of Death: 27 June 2005

Beloved Wife, Mother, Daughter and Friend.

Around the edge of the headstone was a border of golden wattles at the top was a pair of red and gold hearts where the red overlapped the gold just that tiny bit and at the bottom was a silver wolf that was in a lying down position with the head up and looking out with its eyes of yellow.

"If you need anything, whether it's for someone to look after Shaun, or just wanting someone to talk to, we will always welcome you," Mr Weasley told him when they were back at the house.

"Thank you, Arthur," said Remus.

McGonagall placed a hand on his upper arm. "Don't be a stranger," she said.

Remus gave a small nod.

Come the day of Dumbledore's funeral Remus did arrive at Hogwarts and the mood was as he predicted it to be, full of sadness and grief. He found himself sitting with Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Mad-Eye Moody, and holding Shaun, who was also dressed rather respectably for a baby.

"How are you holding up?" Kingsley asked Remus.

It didn't surprise him in the least that the majority of the Order have found out about Stacy's death.

"I'll be fine," Remus said in a sad, yet truthful, voice.

Kingsley gave a small nod to show that he understood. Remus noticed those of whom he recognised, such as Harry and his friends, Madam Malkin, of the robe shop in Diagon Alley, Tom, the landlord of the Leaky Cauldron and who could miss the Weasleys' red hair?

But there was also Cornelius Fudge, Rita Skeeter and, to Remus's dismay, Dolores Umbridge.

Then the sound of music was heard, strange, otherworldly music. Many heads turned to this, even Remus turned to see. A chorus of merpeople were singing in a strange language Remus did not know, but he knew that they, too, were sorry for Dumbledore's passing.

Remus then turned his head and saw Hagrid walking slowly up the aisle between the chairs. He was crying quite silently, his face gleaming with tears and in his arms, wrapped in purple velvet spangled with golden stars, was what Remus knew to be Dumbledore's body. Remus could feel a lump in his throat and a sharp pang hit his heart.

Hagrid was, shortly, placing the body carefully upon the table at the front. He then retreated down the aisle, blowing his nose with loud trumpeting noises that drew scandalised looks from some, Remus didn't give this expression, however, instead he knew how Hagrid was feeling and it didn't matter with the loud nose blowing.

The music stopped and a little tufty-haired in plain black robes had got to his feet and stood now in front of Dumbledore's body. He spoke, but Remus was only just barely listening, hearing a few words here and there like; 'Nobility of spirit' and 'greatness of heart'.

The man droned on and on, but Remus's ears were 'blocked' he was feeling the grief that was going through him. Then several people screamed. Remus almost jerked 'awake' and the screamed disturbed Shaun as he was starting to let out a cry. Remus gently rocked Shaun, trying to calm him down, and saw that bright, white flames had erupted around Dumbledore's body and the table upon which it lay; higher and higher they rose, obscuring the body. White smoke spiralled into the air and made strange shapes.

Remus watched as he saw, what could have been, phoenix fly joyfully into the blue, but next second the fire had vanished. In its place was a white marble tomb, encasing Dumbledore's body and the table on which he had rested.

There were a few more cries of shock as a shower of arrows soared through the air, but they fell short of the crowd. It had come from the centaurs, whom were at the edge of the Forest. Remus turned his head to see the herd turning and disappearing back into the cool trees. And the merpeople, whom had come up to listen to words of the wizard in black speak, had sank slowly back into the green water and were lost from view.

Shaun had quietened down, (Remus stuck his finger into his mouth, so Shaun was now sucking on it). Remus looked at those who he was sitting with, Tonks's face was wet and her eyes were pink, Kingsley had signs that he had been crying silently before, while Mad-Eye, no tears from him, but the definite expression of grief had come over him as well.

After what seemed like the longest few minutes of silence, the buzz of conversation began to grow louder and people were beginning to get to their feet. Remus, Kingsley, Mad-Eye and Tonks all eventually got up from their seats.

"Dumbledore would've been impressed," Kingsley quietly said.

"More than just impressed," Mad-Eye said.

Remus didn't say anything to this, just simply listened to the words that went on between Kingsley and Mad-Eye. After an hour Remus found himself saying goodbye to Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna with Tonks, Mad-Eye and others whom were to go on the Hogwarts Express, or rather, in Ron and Ginny's case, going straight on home.

When the train had gone Remus soon made his way to the end of Hogsmeade Village, and, knowing that Shaun was perfectly safe, disapparated and within seconds had apparated at the end of the path that led to the front porch of the farmhouse. He walked along the dirt and pebbled path and towards the house.

Things just wasn't going to be the same. All Remus hoped was that everything turns out the way they should. If not for his sake, but for the sake of his son.

Shaun stared up at his father with his blue eyes and reached up with his tiny hand, managing to place it on to Remus's chin. Remus felt this small hand and a true smile flickered as he took this hand and held it.

"I love you, son," he told the innocent little boy in his arms. "Don't you ever forget it."

Shaun just continued to stare, blinking a few times, but simply stared up at the man whom was determined to stay within his life for as long as he could.

The End

Note: Thank you to those who have read and reviewed. The new story will be up as soon as I can get it up. Until then, take care, sign Calypphire.