As It Should Have Been

Mary McDonald

Almost two years later, a now 23 year old Remus lay on the same couch. Whiskey in hand. The bag with items from Godric's Hollow was now only shoved deeper into the broom closet. The state of the cottage had only gotten worse. The pond behind it now replicating a swamp. The plants attacking the stones of both fence and the house itself. The old lumpy couch the only place Remus slept. The upstairs only existed in his mind, because the small downstairs bathroom didn't have a shower. Not that he used it often.

His hair was shaggy and long. A beard had grown. Unanswered letters lay carelessly on the cabinet in the hallway. The fireplace full of soot and spiders. The floor filled with food wrappers and bottles. The only reason Remus left the couch at all, his useless bodies need for food. He had to find occasional work to earn the money needed for food. And alcohol.

Muggle money that is. Remus had only been in the wizarding world twice the last years. The funeral, where he barely held it together, and when he tried to go to the gathering for the one year anniversary of that faithful Halloween, where so many lives got better, whilst his deteriorated. He had lasted all of five minutes before he went to the nearest pub, ordered an entire bottle of Vodka and drained it.

Save to say, Remus Lupin was not alright.

He was deaf, blind and mute to the world. He was merely a sack of flesh, existing because he was to weak to die.

It was due to this state of mind that he didn't notice the young with apparate just a few yards from his cottage.

Mary McDonald took deep breaths of fresh, Welsh air. It was her first time back in the UK, ever since she had left immediately after graduating. Her friends had all joined to fight in the war, but Mary couldn't handle the darkness. She had worked for the MACUSA after a referral of an old friend of Dumbledore's, to her known as Tina, had helped her get a job in the relations to Muggles, or No-Majs department.

She was there, when she found about the death of Marlene. And Dorcas. And Lily. And James. And Peter. It was there that she had learned about Sirius' betrayal. A part of her had wanted to go back then. See if it was truly real. See if Remus was alright (Who was she kidding, she knew he wasn't alright. How could he be). But she decided against it. The allure of denial to great.

She had a nice apartment in Brooklyn. She had friends. She had a nice job. She had put her head down and stayed ignorant to what was happening in her home country.

That was, until one day in July, she received a letter. A letter from Minerva McGonagall. She read as her old professor explained her desperation. That she had wanted to leave her in peace, but that she couldn't hold back anymore. That no one had seen or heard of Remus in nearly a year.

It was then, with memories of a last peaceful summer, with Remus playing a guitar, them singing around a campfire. Memories of parties, dancing with Remus, before he was open enough to dare and dance with Sirius in front of others. Late night study sessions. It was then that she decided, enough was enough. McGonagall believed him to live in his parents old cottage, that fact alone jolting her, as the relationship of Remus and his parents had been difficult at best. So Mary arranged a portkey the very next day and arrived at the Ministry for the first time since the war had ended.

She filed the paperwork for her stay, leaving the time of leaving to be open ended, and apparated to Wales.

What she saw, frightened her. The cottage looked run down. She had been there only once, in the summer of fifth year for Hope Lupins funeral, but even then, the cottage had been a beautiful place. Stiff and overly organised inside, for Lyall was a stern man, but beautiful none the less.

Now it looked as if no one had lived there for years. Mary worried that she was too late. There was a mean looking gnome knowing on the gate, the wood of it already splintered beyond repair. Several windows had broken and cracked. The door seemed to be nearly of its hinges. Even the giant cherry tree that she remembered to bloom so nicely looked sad.

Taking a breath, Mary stepped through the gate. The gnome hissed at her, then continued knowing on the wood. The mossy gravel underneath her feet creaked at each step. She pulled out her wand, not knowing what to expect, then slowly pushed open the heavy wooden door with a loud screech.

Inside, it didn't look any better. The stone of the entryway was starting to develop moss. The old rocking chair by the door hung lopsided, one of the legs broken. Cobwebs hung over the clothing rack and wardrobe. The carpet in the hallway was dusty, the wood creaking.

And then she saw him. On the couch, staring at the ceiling, lay Remus Lupin. One of the most popular guys at Hogwarts. Handsome Lupin, secret heartthrob of Hogwarts. Brilliant Remus, not a spell he couldn't master. Kind Remus, always willing to help out. He lay in a dark dusty room, surrounded by empty bottles of alcohol. Old plates. Old wrapping.

The only sign that he was alive, the slow drowsy blinking. The slow rising of his chest.

"Remus!" Mary exclaimed, disbelieving.

The sandy head barely moved.

Mary had never been so glad to have listened to her heart and followed her professors advice. She would have a lot of work to do.

SHORTER CHAPTER THIS TIME, BUT DON'T WORRY, THERE IS MORE TO COME