The Last Horcrux

The Deed

Sev walked out.

The door slammed.

The door slammed and Remus felt the world falling away.

Phoenix started to wail. Oakley's eyes were wide with confusion. He ran and buried his head in the side of his father's leg.

"I don't think Mr. Sev likes Sirius very much," commented Gavin. He left the kitchen and went slowly upstairs. They heard his deflated tread all the way to the third floor.

Remus made scrambled eggs for supper. It was not a fun meal. A heavy silence hung over the table as they ate.

The ritual of baths and reading and tucking in seemed endless. Phoenix was fussy and would not settle.

"When is Papa coming home?" Oakley asked in a small voice as Remus bent to kiss him goodnight.

Remus could not even think what to say.

"Soon," he managed.

Gavin turned his back when Remus went to tuck him in. He tolerated the kiss that Remus placed on the top of his head without a word.

Remus went downstairs. The remains of their meager dinner lay on the kitchen table. Biscuit whined at the back door to be let out. He opened the door and the dog bounded joyfully into the yard. Remus looked out into the dark garden and wondered where Sev was. He felt as if the emptiness and sadness in his chest might overwhelm him. He watched Biscuit, chasing about in the dirty, slushy snow. The dog barked at something in the dark. A gnome probably. After a few minutes Remus whistled and Biscuit came bounding back.

He cleared the dishes with his wand and set the magical scrub brush to work on them. He poured himself a tumbler of firewhiskey, went out to the parlour and built up the fire.

He sat and stared at the flames, lost in thought. When Phoenix cried he went upstairs and fetched her. He nursed her by the hearth. He spent a long time gazing at her face as the fire light played gently over it. She was starting to fill in, losing that scrawny newborn look. Her lips were full, her cheeks rosy, her lashes dark and long. She hadn't lost her hair, as many newborns do and a black curl fell softly across her forehead.

Remus became aware of another presence in the room. He looked up to find Sirius hovering a few inches in the air beside the fireplace.

The ghost drifted over and sat down on the sofa beside Remus.

"She's beautiful, Moony," he said. There was a huskiness to his ghostly voice, as if he were close to tears.

Remus said nothing.

"I would have liked to have a baby with you," Sirius said.

"I know," said Remus. For the first time he allowed himself to look at the ghost, really look at him. Sirius looked back, with love shining in his silvery eyes. He looked young. His ghostly hair was long and thick, falling over his shoulders in shiny waves. He had lost that awful skinniness he'd had after Azkaban, that haunted look.

"What did you think?" Remus whispered. "Did you think you'd just come back and find everything as it was?"

"I don't know, Moony," said Sirius. "I didn't really think, all right?."

In her sleep, Phoenix yawned and curled into Remus' warmth. A perfect, tiny hand lay fisted against her cheek.

Sirius sighed and put his head in his hands. "I certainly didn't think I'd come back to find you shacked up here with Snivellus."

"Call him by his name, Sirius. He's my partner now," Remus snapped, suddenly angry. His back stiffened and he pulled Phoenix tighter against his chest.

Sirius looked up. "Your partner?"