#@sdavid09

"Tell me again, why we're cooking?" Remus questioned. 

"Because, it's Molly's birthday and I don't trust Kreacher not to use cooking as a way to kill the muggleborns," Y/N explained. "Okay, but why are we cooking?" "Because I volunteered us," she beamed, "come on, we're going magic free. Oh, and we're making cake!" 

The duo worked through the kitchen chopping and preparing vegetables and slicing chicken and frying and all sorts. "What time's everyone coming to eat?" Remus asked. "Four, why?" "Because it's half three." "What?!" Y/N exclaimed, "I still have to fry all the chicken! Remus, put the rice on to boil and I'll start frying!"

 Y/N panicked chucking chicken in the pan, before adding onions and all the vegetables they chopped up. At four, everyone sat at the table and Y/N quickly dished the food out and placed it in front of everyone. 

Both she and Remus looked worn out and no one wanted to say anything about the food, but...

"Y/N, dear," Molly said, "the chicken's not done. How long did you cook it for?" "Shit," Y/N cursed, "I put the vegetables in too soon, it hasn't cooked through!" Her face heated at the thought that she'd ruined all the food and she hurried around to collect the food. Remus followed behind her. 

"That was my fault, sorry," Remus apologised, "I rushed and panicked her, should've just let you all eat later. Sirius, order some take out, would you?" 

."What's this then, Lily?" Marlene asked as Lily set out a board game on the table in the Gryffindor common room. "After finding out how uncultured you magic folk are," Lily began, hands sorting through different pieces of paper and card, "I decided I must educate you in the finer things." Y/N giggled at the voice Lily put on, "and what, do tell, are these finer things?" "This is Monopoly," Lily introduced, "the ruin-er of families."

"Why ever are we playing a game that ruins families?" Marlene questioned. "Because it's fun! Whenever we'd play at home, Petunia would always run off crying, and I'd usually flip the board." "Sounds fun," a new voice chirped, before four more people sat around the board. "Can this many people play?" Marlene wondered. "We'll team up," Lily decided, "makes the game pass quicker, Marls, you're mine." James' face dropped, but at least if he won he'd impress Lily. 

"I'm playing on my own," Sirius decided, "Moony, you go with L/N, Prongs with Wormtail. Now, tell us uncultured magic folk how to play." Which led into a ten minute long explanation of all the intricacies, before she announced "just play, I'll explain as I go." 

Y/N and Remus played as the old shoe and rolling first. They rolled an eight and landed on Euston Road. "Can we buy that?" Y/N asked, hands reaching for their money. "You can't do anything on the first go around." So James rolled a ten and landed on the prison square.  "I didn't do anything!" He exclaimed, "I'm not going to prison!" "You're just visiting," Lily explained and then she rolled a seven for a chance card and reached for the card, when Sirius yelled. 

"Wait! You can't do anything on the first go around! So, no card!" Lily huffed, "Oh fine, just roll the dice." Sirius grinned and rolled, getting a measly two and landing on the community chest. "Sorry, Black," Lily smiled smugly, "no cards on the first go around." 

Tensions rose. 

Game plans were made, using spells to stop others from overhearing. Plans were made on which properties to buy as soon as they were able. There were no friendships, only the alliances forged for the game. Sirius was a lone wolf, no one to rely on, and no one to hold him back from buying everything he wanted. "Buying!" Sirius claimed on the second go around, "One The Angel, Islington, please." "Here you go!" Lily announced, passing him the property and taking the money. "Remember, you can't buy a house until you have all the light blues." "Yeah, I know." 

Y/N and Remus landed on the pinks, rolling doubles and buying Pall Mall and Northhumrl'd Avenue in one turn. They planned on buying the oranges as well, if they'd land right. James and Peter brought up the greens, while Lily and Marlene struggled to land on anything. ("I thought you were good at this game, Lily?" "Shush, I'm just warming up!")

Sirius kept buying everything, he snatched up the last pink Remus and Y/N needed, as well as two reds that Lily had been trying for. His pile of money was slowely going down, until he managed to get all the light blues. "Hotel please!" He said. "£250-" "On each of them!" Money was exchanged and no Sirius had nice red hotels on three properties and everyone was nearing that side of the board. 

Remus and Y/N were on Whitechapel road, which they owned, and Remus rolled the dice. "Four, four, four," Y/N chanted. They rolled a six. "£600 please." 

James rolled. "£550, if you please." 

Lily. "£600 dear." 

But it was fine, they all had money, and that wasn't that steep anyway. The game continued around, ("I'm not actually in prison, I'm just visiting!") and Sirius owed a couple people some money by landing on their spaces, making everyone else gloat, before he came around to the oranges. He'd already brought all but one, and they all prayed he didn't land on the last one and-

Of course he landed on it, because they all had rotten luck today. Hotels were built. Lily and Marlene landed on it and money was exchanged. Unfortunately for them, they rolled low and landed on another of his oranges. "Hand it over," he told them. "We don't have enough," Marlene admitted, "pleaaaasssse, don't make us pay." 

Sirius' smile was haughty as he claimed their red for his own, the last one he needed. 

More hotels were built. 

Y/N was beginning to see why this game broke up families. 

But the game continued, one more drop on a red put Lily and Marlene out the game and the atmosphere got tenser and tenser as Lily stared Sirius down. Y/N got ready to stop her if a board was flipped. 

"Fine. Someone better destroy Black or we'll all have issues," Lily threatened, before sitting back and allowing the game to continue. Y/N saw it coming, but it still wasn't fun finally landing on Sirius' property and going bankrupt. She tried to bow out gracefully, but Sirius saw the fury in her eyes and started laughing. "We will get our revenge," Remus promised and sat back, ready to start conspiring with Lily, Y/N and Marlene. 

The game ended abruptly when James rolled an eight, which would have landed him right onto Sirius' property. 

Sirius grinned. 

James stared. 

Sometimes, Remus liked to imagine what his life would have been if it hadn't been for Voldemort and werewolves and death. He liked to think that he would have worked up the courage to make it official with Y/N much sooner, and that his mum would have loved to get to know her and just how happy they'd be.

"Oh, Remus, go check on the turkey," Y/N instructed, "this silly pudding just isn't working with me today and they're all going to be here soon." Remus laughed and kissed her lightly on the side of the head. "Don't stress, dear. The kids look beautiful and the house is decorated beautifully." Y/N huffed as she rolled out the pastry, "I'm sure we were all down a couple of children the last time we did this, and I wasn't in the middle of having one." "And you're handling it all beautifully," Remus reassured her. 

"Yeah, you better be saying that. Go make sure the children are still level, I swear they find every spot of mud possible." "That would be Remus' doing," Hope Lupin said, with her youngest grandson on her hip, little John-Henry. "I would always find him sat in my flower beds." "Well, it's a good job none of them have picked up Remus' love for gardening yet, because they're already bad enough. Remus, go find Samara, tell her her grandmum is looking for her; she'll come running."

Immediately after speaking, the door bell rang. Y/N cursed, "Remus, we're never doing the boxing day meal again, I swear." She wiped her hands on a tea towel and hurried to the door. "Y/N!" Lily greeted, leaning forwards to kiss her cheek, "you look beautiful." Y/N huffed back, "I don't feel it. Stop at two, dear, trust me." "Don't tell her that!" James complained, "I'm hoping for a couple more yet." "Don't hold your breath," Lily told him. Little Harry clung to his dad's hand, until James let go and he was sprinting to the house to find Hope-Samara.

 "Harry! Be good!" Lily instructed, before sighing. "Honest, that boy's trouble." "Look at his father," Y/N told her with a laugh. "We've got no hope." Lily had her one year old daughter, Poppy, on her hip, and she was wiggling and squirming. "All she wants to do lately is run," Lily said, "But she can't walk properly yet." "The house is baby proofed, let her practice," Y/N offered.

 Not long after, Sirius came and immediately stirred the house into a frenzy. He had presents after presents to excite the children. Everyone was in and out of the kitchens helping each other with the food and children. Before long, they were all sat around the table, thankful for their dinner and each other.

 Remus sat, watching his beautiful children and wife, and his wonderful friends and their children and wondered how he had such a perfect life. 

"Dear, how did you get Remus to finally confess to you?" Molly Weasley asked Y/N, "he still can't talk to girls." Y/N followed her line of sight to spot Remus and Sirius' cousin Tonks talking. Remus was practically tripping over himself. "A lot of it is realising if you don't say something, he never will." "She does know Remus is engaged, doesn't she?" "Probably, though crushes hardly make sense, do they?"

"Hey Remus," Tonks greeted. Remus smiled back, eyes flicking about. "You alright, Tonks?" "Yeah, I was just making tea, fancy a cup?" "Err, go on then."

Tonks smiled brightly as she bustled around the kitchen and placed a tea cup in front of Remus. "How's the job hunting going? Y/N was telling me about it." "Oh, the usual. Mainly muggle jobs, really," Remus answered, not wanting to discuss his misfortune.  "Oh wow, I bet that's so interesting," Tonks gushed, "was it hard getting used to it? I wanted a job in the local off licence when I as younger, but mum wouldn't let me." "It's different," Remus agreed, leaving back as Tonks leaned forwards. "At first it was hard to not just grab my wand, but you get used to it."

"You've lived so many lives," Tonks said in awe. "You're amazing." "Oh, I don't know about that." Remus scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "How's everything going?" Y/N asked as she entered the kitchen. Remus jumped. "Oh, hello darling," Remus greeted, accepting the kiss on the cheek he was given. "What are you doing?" "Just need a drink. You alright, Tonks?" "Perfect, Y/N."

After so many years of struggle, Remus was forever indebted to Dumbledore for giving him a job as the defence against the dark arts teacher. He loved it. He spent a year doing what he loved, but also reliving his childhood here. At the end of the year, when Sirius Black was revealed as innocent, Remus could've jumped for joy. Sirius didn't kill James and Lily! It as that bloody rat, Pettigrew, but Remus has already mourned him and felt like an idiot for not seeing the deception. 

The next year wasn't easy. He'd found a job as a little store assistant and Sirius was on the run again. Sirius who never would've hurt his best friend and his wife and his on godson! What ever was wrong with him for having believed that lie for so long?

The following summer after the events of the Triwizard tournament, and Remus and Sirius began cleaning out the Black family home. It was hard going, especially for Sirius, but they did it and soon members of the order moved in and things were well. Dumbledore had plans to get Sirius free, they'd be able to walk out together! Then they got the call to head to the department of mysteries. 

The second Sirius heard Harry was there, there wears no holding him back. It was rough. Spells being thrown everywhere with a certain vengeance held against old grudges from the past war. Remus tried to keep an eye one the children, but also on Sirius who was getting his frustrations out on his cousin, Bellatrix. It seemed from one look things were fine. Then Remus looked again.

 A flash of green hit Sirius, and Remus heart stopped. This can be survived, he thought, Harry's proof of that. But then he fell through the doorway, and Sirius was no more. 

Harry screamed. 

Inside, Remus was screaming. 

A hand on Remus' shoulder, and he turned to see Y/N. "We have to go!" She shouted, before grabbing his arm and apparating the two of them out of there. Remus couldn't breathe. Another marauder gone. Another from his time at Hogwarts. His family. Who did he have left? A small handful of people whose lives hadn't been claimed by the war. 

"Is that how it'll end?" He wondered aloud, making Y/N pause in her task of making tea. She'd taken them to her home, for which he was grateful for the privacy. "We don't even have a body to bury."

Y/N moved over and wrapped her arms around Remus, standing behind his chair. She didn't know what to say. She loved Sirius, but Remus knew him better. Loved him better. "We've fought this war for so long, but will there be anything left? Another generation of orphans?" "We fight so there's another generation to continue," she reminded softly, barely speaking. "So that new little muggleborns can get their letters on their birthdays and be excited that magic is real, and not fear for the tyrant looming over them."

"But Y/N, it hurts," Remus choked out. "Who do we have left?" "I have you and you have me. Sirius, the lucky sod, has the rest. He made it to James and Lily before us, and we'll meet them there one day. Until then, let's make sure Harry and his friends make it through, I don't care beyond that."

Remus knew that, as a member of the Order of the Phoenix, everyone of them had something that only they could bring to the table. Objectively, Remus liked to think maybe it was his charms skills or inventive thinking, but no. Finding out that the only thing Dumbledore seemed to value him for was his status as a werewolf. 

He understood it, honestly he did, but that didn't mean he particularly liked it. On top of that, where friendships were strained and he didn't want to tell Y/N his furry little secret, he had no one to talk to about it. Instead, he accepted the mission to infiltrate a werewolf civilisation, made some half baked excuse to Y/N and he was gone. 

It was hard seeing the way other werewolves lived, how he could have turned out if he hadn't been given the opportunities he had. They lived as outcasts, unwanted in nearby towns and shunned to the forests. They worked hard and toiled the ground to even think about eating and just surviving. 

Remus took to it as well as he could. He packed his wand away and didn't use it and from the time the sun came up until it set he worked and worked to make his way into the group. A month in and it seemed he finally was making headway. He was called in to the leaders of the group and sat opposite. 

"How are you liking it here?" The one asked and Remus knew it was an attempt at making him feel comfortable. "It's hard work," Remus answered honestly. "But rewarding work," the man reassured Remus. "Enough of this," the third man said, "Remus, we're aware of you attachment to non werewolves and if you want to be one of us truly, you need to let go of those ties. Say goodbye and make your peace, because you can't live to lives." "Can I have time to think about it?" Remus asked. "Take the night.”

Remus returned to his home that night, and place he shared with many others. He wanted to make a difference with these people, wanted to make a change to their lives. Was he really going to give up everything he had to help these people? These people so like him, yet so different?

He rifled through his bag, looking for clean clothes to change into, and found a letter shoved in the bottom. He picked it up and saw his name in familiar hand writing. His heart soared. 

The letter read,

 'To Remus,

I'm missing you before you've even left, how ridiculous am I? I hate that Dumbledores sending you alone, but if anyone could do it, I know you can. I'm supporting you always, despite not knowing what you're doing. Can't wait to see you again, Y/N

Then behind the letter was a photo. He remembered that day, he and Y/N had fallen asleep outside when they were meant to be studying. Hours later, their friends had come to find them and captured what they'd found. Remus' head as settled in Y/N's lap, who was leaning against the tree trunk, fingers resting in Remus' hair. 

Remus was in a bad place the first time he travelled through Europe. His head was all over the place and he didn't truly appreciate all the places he saw. Looking back, a lot of the time blurred into one, except one shining moment. It had been about eighteen months since everything had happened, since he lost everyone he loved. 

He'd travelled far through Europe. First he travelled through France, Switzerland and to Italy, and then decided to head north, through Austria, Germany and up to Denmark. Anything to just keep him moving. Out of all the places and people Remus saw, he remembered Austria clearly. He didn't remember it for the sights, but for a small group of people. 

He didn't plan on hanging around, it was simply another stepping stone on Remus' journey. But one night he was out late, after a night in the pub where he'd simply looked at his drink, he remembered walking into a group of children. They were all thin and dirty and Remus felt his heart tug in a way it hadn't in months. Remus knew spells that translated the language into a tongue he understood. 

"Can you help us?" The one child asked. "We only need a bit of food?" Remus could see clearly what they needed. There were six young children, the youngest looked four and had her arms wrapped around an older one. The oldest looked about twelve. 

"I don't have much myself," Remus answered, "come with me, I'll give you what I can." Remus led the six children back into the pub and sat in the back where he ordered them all food and water. "Do you have anywhere to sleep?" He asked them. 

The oldest shook his head, "we'll find somewhere." Remus wasn't sure how the kids could be so overlooked by so many people, and wondered if it was on purpose. He couldn't let that happen, not while he was here. 

"Come with me," Remus said, "I've got a hotel room. I'm only here for a couple more days, stay with me while I'm here." He turned away, letting the children discuss his offer, before they accepted it. By the time the meal was over, Remus' two hands were clutched in the grip of two children. It reminded him of Y/N's family, of the many cousins that held his legs and jumped on his back. These children weren't as looked after. 

He took them in the room, and left the bathroom open for them. He brought out flannels and wiped the dirt from the children's faces and arms and made sure their hair was brushed and neat. He remembered braiding the hair of Y/N's cousins, how Y/N taught him.

Not tonight, he couldn't think of her right now. By the time they'd all cleaned up, it was like they were new children. All clean and staring up at him with wide eyes. "Beds there, sleep as long as you want." Remus kept the children for four days, made sure they were fed and clean, and then paid for the hotel room for another week. He left them what money he could and wished them well. But he still wasn't in the right mindset and couldn't stay around much longer.

Ten years later, Remus was much older and in a better place. Life was still hard, but he knew how to get himself through it better. Harry was in school, Dumbledore had told him about the boy. Y/N was working in St Mungos and was happy from what mutual friends had told him. 

He wanted to see Europe again when he could truly appreciate it. He remembered his favourite sights and made plans to see those places once again. His trip took him back to Austria and back to that same pub. He enjoyed watching the dancing and singing this time. 

But this wasn't what he was looking for. He went through the town of Vienna, where he was last time, and popped in and out of the shops that caught his eye. When something else caught his eye. 

"Erik?" Remus called out. "Mr Remus?" The boy answered, face turning into a smile. Remus pulled the young boy, no young man, into a hug. "Look how well you are! How old are you now?" "Twenty," he beamed. "How are the others?"

"Well! Little Naomi is fourteen now, she's in school learning," Erik told him. Remus couldn't help his smile. "Are you in school?" "I am," he informed him, "college, I love it. I work as a waiter in my spare time. Leon plays the piano in orchestra. It's beautiful." 

Remus felt his heart at peace, seeing and hearing where those little, starved children ended up. To see them so happy and well was all Remus ever wanted. "I'm on my break, do you want to see the others?" "Please." Erik led the way through the streets of Vienna, explaining stories of the last ten years as they went. "Mr Remus," Erik said just as Remus spotted the others sat in the park. "I want to thank you for helping us." "Please don't-"