counting crows 🦢 wolfstar

ᎢᗯᗴᑎᎢᎩ

twelve years later

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Within five years, Remus had come to terms with everything. He took up the ministry official's offer and started going to therapy for everything.

Now, 12 years after everything had happened, he was standing in a classroom, teaching defense against the dark art to third year Gryffindors.

After his first class with this particular group of students, he sat on his desk chair and placed his head in his hands.

And sobbed.

Because holy shit, he looks just like James. But his eyes were obviously Lily's. Not just the striking green color, but the looks he gave as well.

The way he narrowed his eyes and glared at people when he was angry.

How he blinked rapidly when he was sad, as if to rid his eyes of the tears forming.

How he scrunched his eyes closed when he laughed.

But the rest of his face and his hair looked scarily like James, along with mannerisms and habits.

How he bit on the end of his quill when he was focused.

How he bounced his legs up and down when he was nervous.

How he buried his head in his arms when he laughed.

It was all James. And the fact that his best friend never got to see his son grow up broke his heart.

He had built a bit of a connection with Harry over the course of a few months. He helped with his patronus spell and had tea with him every once and while to just talk with him.

Anxiety filled Remus every thinking about the fact that Sirius was on the loose and out to kill Harry.

He desperately wanted to find Sirius and jump into his lover's arms. But he couldn't; not after what he did.

His last name had been changed back to Lupin as he tried to erase all of his memories and associations with Sirius.

That was until he saw Sirius' name on the marauder's map, along with Peter, Harry, Hermione, and Ron.

He ran through the halls and panic took over his body.

Peter?

Nothing made sense to Remus. Peter was dead- or at least thought to be dead.

And if he wasn't dead, what else about what happened that Halloween night wasn't accurate?

Remus wasn't there obviously, but from what he was told by others, it was horrible.

The cold, Halloween blowing through Sirius' untamed hair as he killed his so-called best friend. People who had been there said the maniacal laughter haunted their dreams even more than ten years later.

The Whomping Willow was already frozen when Remus got there, allowing him to easily make his way into the shrieking shack, not looking at the twenty crows that sat on its branches. He opened the door and saw a sight he dreaded seeing.

Sirius, his hair long and messy and wearing the same clothes he was wearing that night, standing in the middle of the room, chest heaving.

Ron was on the floor clutching scanners to his chest. Hermione was crouched next to him examining his foot, which seemed to be twisted in a weird way. Harry stood, facing Sirius with his wand out.

Sirius snapped his head at Remus opening the door and his eyes widened.

"Rem?"

And that was when Remus knew it was just the beginning of THE END.

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brooo- istg i formally apologize for this