Stars {Remus Lupin} ✓

88. IT WASN'T SUPPOSE TO GO LIKE THIS

| CHAPTER EIGHTY-EIGHT |

IT WASN'T SUPPOSE TO GO LIKE THIS.

REMUS COULDN'T STOP THE NERVES that bubbled in his stomach, causing him to feel nauseas as he paced his living room. Cassiopeia nor Regulus were back yet and he found himself looking over at the clock every few seconds. Time felt like it was moving slower than usual, yet at the same time it felt like it had been hours since he looked at it last.

He put Hazel down to sleep long ago, the baby monitor was gripped so tight in his hand, he was surprised it hadn't broke. He knew he shouldn't have let her go; he didn't want to control her, but maybe going off to find a Horcrux wasn't such a safe idea. But maybe she was okay? Maybe it just took them longer to find it than they expected it to. Maybe they stopped off at Regulus' flat to get cleaned up and even nap? Maybe Remus was just overreacting. Surely, if something did happen, he would've heard about it by now, right?

Due to how quiet the cottage had become; the only sound being his footsteps on the occasional creaky floorboard mixed with his shallow breathing, the snap that came from the kitchen was louder than usual. In a flash, Remus rushed towards the kitchen, his heart skipping a beat as he thought of Cassiopeia standing there, looking tired but unharmed. 

He stopped right in the threshold, his eyes wide as fear washed over him. It wasn't Cassiopeia standing there, it wasn't even Regulus, instead, it was Sirius, with a look on his face that Remus had never seen before. One that certainly made his stomach drop. 

With teary eyes, the black haired man looked up, his eyes landing on the werewolf as he stayed still in the threshold, his own eyes tearing up. 

"Wh-What's going on?" Remus asked, his voice shaky. 

Sirius gulped, tears finally escaped his eyes, flowing freely down his face. Remus didn't need to hear anything else, he knew exactly what Sirius was going to say. He felt his knees buckling underneath him, causing him to lean and grip onto the rim of the door to stop himself from falling down. Tears fell down his face like waterfalls. His breathing became even more uneven.

Sirius took a step forwards, "This-This was all that was le-left," He said, his voice breaking as he held his hand out.

Remus didn't realise his entire body was shaking until he lifted his arm up, opening it and waiting for Sirius to drop whatever it was they found. He choked back a sob when Sirius dropped a blue sapphire necklace onto his palm. A necklace he had gifted Cassiopeia in their fifth year, "No," He whispered, shaking his head, "No, she can't--she can't be...I-I-I only saw her a few hours a-ago."

"I'm-I'm sorry, mate."

-

REMUS HELD HAZEL EXTRA TIGHT the following morning. He hadn't had a wink of sleep. Sirius had helped him walk back over to the living room, where the two men spend the night on opposite chairs, their head in their hands as complete and utter silence enveloped them. Remus didn't even realise that the sun came up until he heard his daughter's cries through the baby monitor. Rushing over to Hazel's bedroom, he pushed back the tears as he picked the infant up, holding her as close to his body as he could. 

She fussed for several minutes as he bounced her up and down, his heart breaking at the thought of her growing up without her mother by her side. This wasn't suppose to go this way. Cassiopeia was suppose to be there with them, watching as their baby girl grew up. They were suppose to get married once the war was over, live a happy and long life as a family; maybe even give Hazel a sibling one day. It wasn't suppose to go like this. 

Remus pressed a kiss on Hazel's head, the unshed tears prickling his dark, bloodshot eyes, "It's just us two now, Hazel," He choked back a sob, "I promise, I will be the best father I can be. Your mummy will always watch over you, up there with the stars. You'll know she's there because she'll be shining the brightest."