Beauty and the Beast (Remus Lupin)

79.

Rose woke up to the sun warming up her face as it peaked through the window. But there was something more wonderful that morning besides that.

Remus was finally back home with her.

It was the best she had felt in a long time. And here he was, holding her closer to him than he ever did before.

Those nights at the burrow, where she was sleeping alone felt awful. She had felt defenseless and neglected. There were times, even now that she felt she should be upset with Remus instead of grateful that he was home.

But there was just something about him that prevented her from feeling that way.

Rose didn't know what it was. That's what made her so confused. How someone can make her feel so differently than she was supposed to feel. Like just his presence around her made nothing else even remotely special.

Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones, at least that'll be the blame for these feelings. But there was no denying this, there was nothing to blame, and she was just at peace.

Remus was home. That thought kept penetrating in her mind because she didn't expect it. She didn't expect him to admit everything in front of everyone. That alone had shown her everything she needed to know. That he was, indeed truly sorry.

"You're awake." Remus kissed the back of her head as he pulled her closer to him.

She smiled to herself, "been up for a while..."

As much as she enjoyed this moment, laying in his arms again, there were still lingering questions in the back of her mind. Knowing that there'll never be a good time to ask them, she decided this was the best moment of them all. They were alone, just the two of them, and they'll be no secondhand judgement and only curiosity.

"Where did you go? When you left?" Rose asked as nicely as she could, not wanting to sound insulting.

The second she had asked that, the atmosphere changed. It felt a bit more stressful and secretive. Not like he didn't want to tell her, but he wasn't sure as to how he should.

Rose didn't want to push this on him any further. They had just finally came back together, and were freshly reunited. Rose was afraid of making him run off again. "You don't have to tell me, it's alright. I understand-" She tried to say.

Remus had cut her off and spoke in a whisper, "I was with Harry for a brief moment..." them he picked up his voice again, "he was the one who got me to come back. Told me about James, his father. In fact, he was the one who called me a coward for leaving. So I left and spent most of the time at the leaky cauldron or traveling around."

"Tell me about it."

"What...?"

"Everything. What it was like and all."

"Well, it was boring and lonely. I spent most of the time hating myself for what I did. I wanted to be back earlier but...I wasn't sure if you wanted to see me or not. Then these death eaters were talking about Greyback attacking a woman. So I went straight to the house, then to Andromeda's and you weren't there. While I made my way to the burrow I overhead someone producing a patronus at the twins shop, some said it was a dog. It gave me a little hope but I still wasn't sure. And then...You were alright."

"Is Harry alright? Ron? Hermione?"

"They're all alright."

"You know, even if our baby was a werewolf, I'd never blame you for anything. Now...come on, let's build that crib Tonks gave us."

~

"I don't get this," Remus grabbed a screwdriver, "why can't we use magic?"

Rose sat on the floor with the instructions, "because this is how I learned to do things," she laughed as she picked up the bag of screws, "follow the instructions and screw the posts on."

"Screw in the poles? Funny that's how we-"

"Don't even start." She said as he sat down besides her.

"We should think about baby names." Remus said.

Rose flipped the page, "baby names? I haven't really thought about any, you?"

He smiled as he tightened the last screw, "well, sort of. Last night I thought of a boy's name, I'm just not so sure about girl's though."

"What were you thinking?"

"Oberon."

Rose furrowed her brows at the name, "Isn't that the moon for Uranus?"

"That's the point..." He stopped what he was doing, "now, what do you have in mind? For boy or girl?"

"Hope."

"Hope?"

She nodded, "I never asked you for the same reason you don't ask about my mother but...What was you mum like?"

Remus smiled at her memory, "She was amazing. The best mother I could've asked for. I was alone, moving place to place until I got to Hogwarts. But in that time, she was my best friend. Cared for me, knew how to crack a few jokes too."

"So clearly you didn't get her joking trait then?"

"Nope, it wouldn't have been the same anyways. But when I would come home for the holidays she'd ask me about everything and everyone. But the thing was, when you get her talking then she'll go on for hours. And I mean she did that for every single topic."

"How'd your parents meet?"

"My father used to hunt boggarts and one night in the woods he heard her screaming. When he got to her, he protected her from a boggart. After a few years he came clean to her about the wizarding world, but she didn't care...They got married and then a year later, I was born."

"She sounds absolutely lovely. So, Hope it is."

"Aurora Hope Lupin?"

"My mother's name?"

"It'll sound better that way, two in one."

"And...This is what you really want? The marriage life with a child...?"

"My father made a mistake that made me lose the chance of a normal childhood. Even then, he never gave up on me by providing protection. But he was distant, that's why I had such a great relationship with my mother. I don't want that to be the same with our baby. I ran because I was ashamed of myself, no one else..."

"Remus...When are you going to get it through that thick head of yours? There is nothing to be ashamed of about you. Nothing at all. You are the kindest man I've ever met, the sweetest and lovable one as well. That's partly the reason why I don't think I'll ever be able to stay mad at you."

"Partly the reason?"

"And also the fact that you're my husband. You're the man I love and can't live without."

"I know you can't."

She chuckled, "stop while you still have some dignity left."

"When did I ever have that?"