Multifandom Oneshots (II)

Remus Lupin x Reader

You sat in the Potter's living room, playing with Harry while James, Sirius, and Peter were talking in the backyard.
"We're making Peter our Secret Keeper." Lily said as she came in with a basket of laundry. "Dumbledore says Sirius is too obvious."
You put Harry in his playpen and help her fold the clothes. "But Sirius would never tell. He'd die first."
She shrugged. "We have faith in Peter. He's much braver than he thinks. Besides, no one will suspect him."
"I suppose."
"Y/N?" She set down one of James's shirts and grabbed your hand. "If anything happens to us, you'll take care of Harry, right? Swear it."
"Sirius is his godfather, Lil."
"I know, I know. And I know he'd do it without hesitation. But he's really not ready. Can you just... offer? Even if he declines, just look out for him--for both of them? Take care of them."
Your throat tightened and your eyes burned, but you nodded and hugged her so she couldn't see your wet eyes. "I will, Lil. Don't worry. Everything'll work out."

James wanted to take Harry trick-or-treating on Halloween, but Lily thought it would be too dangerous, so they stayed in. You were going to go over there to see Harry all dressed up, but stay home since he's not going.
While you're cleaning your kitchen, the front door opens. You stop and pull out your wand, but Sirius comes in.
Your eyes widen at the sight of him. "What the hell?"
"You should keep your doors locked, Y/N." He says.
"What's wrong?"
He bites his lip, starting to cry. "Peter betrayed them."
"What?" You drop the bottle of tile cleaner on the floor. It lands with a dull thud that sounds far too loud.
"They're dead." He sits down at your kitchen table, putting a hand over his mouth, tears sliding down his face. "James and Lily are dead."
You don't feel sad or angry. You just feel numb. "Where's Harry?"
"Hagrid took him to Dumbledore. He wants Harry to live with Lily's fucking sister."
"No." You say softly. "No. No."
"I tried to get him. I swear. Dumbledore wants him to grow up away from all of this. Fame and shit."
"Fame?"
He looks up at you. "Voldemort's gone. He tried to kill Harry but he couldn't." He closes his eyes for a second. "He's gone."
"Dead?"
"They think so."
"And you?"
"I don't."
You stumble backwards until you're leaning against the counter. Voldemort's gone. The world can sleep in peace again. But James and Lily... Harry's an orphan now. That poor, sweet baby boy is an orphan. James and Lily were dead.
If Voldemort wasn't dead, was it really worth it?
Sirius stands up, rubbing his face again. "I'm going to find Peter." His voice is quiet and shaky.
"Don't do anything stupid, Sirius. Please."
His face hardens. "I'm going to kill that worthless son of a fucking bitch. It's gonna be a fucking long and painful process, and that bastard is gonna fucking pay for what he did--"
"Sirius. No. No." You grab his hand.
He wraps his arms around you tightly. "I love you, Y/N. I'm so fucking sorry."
You hug him back, just as tight. "I love you too. Please be careful."
"Tell Remus I'm sorry." His voice cracks. "Please."
You shake your head. "I don't know where he is."
"He'll come. I have to go, Y/N." He lets you go and leaves. You call him back, but he doesn't even stop when you scream his name.
He leaves, slamming the door behind him. You sit down where you are, in the middle of the kitchen. James and Lily are dead. Harry's going to grow up with Lily's awful sister and her horrid family. Peter's about to be dead, but that didn't bother you. The bastard deserved what he got. But you had the feeling Sirius wouldn't be coming back either. He was either gonna get in a hell of a lot of trouble, or he was going to die. Maybe both. Remus was who knows where doing God knows what. You're alone.
Voldemort's gone, and everybody will be celebrating in the morning, but not you.
Sirius was wrong. Remus doesn't come.

You find Petunia Dursley. You ring their doorbell, even though you know she won't want you there. A large man with a big mustache answers. "May I help you?" He asks, pleasantly enough.
"Hi. Yes, I'm looking for Petunia."
"May I ask who's asking?"
"A friend of her sister--"
He slams the door.
You stand outside, ringing the bell and banging on the door. You aren't leaving without talking to Petunia and at least seeing Harry.
Eventually, Petunia comes to the door with a kid on her hip. "What do you want?" She asks, her voice dripping venom.
"You know what happened?"
"Yes."
"Can I see Harry?"
"No. You're not welcome here."
"Please." Your voice cracks. "Please, just once. Let me see him and I'll never bother you again. Please."
"Very well. I'll bring him. Wait out here."
You wait, and she carries Harry put to you. He grins and reaches out when he sees you.
Determined not to cry, you take him from Petunia's arms and hug him to you. Harry makes a happy noise.
After five minutes, Petunia tells you your time is up.
"Bye-bye, Harry." You hug him again and kiss his head. "I love you. Everything will be okay."
Petunia takes him and slams the door in your face. You apparate home, and break down. James and Lily are dead. Sirius is in Azkaban. Remus has done nothing more than write you, saying he's sorry, he loves you, but he can't come back.

You watch Harry grow up from a distance. It kills you. When he's old enough to go to school, you start working at the school, as a music teacher, so that you can see Harry every year.
Every year around his birthday, you wait for his aunt and uncle to leave before sneaking into their house and leaving Harry a birthday present. It's always something small, so the Dursleys won't know. You give him a picture too, sometimes of James and Lily, sometimes of Sirius or Remus, or all of the Marauders. You always give him a card and tell him you love him.
On his tenth birthday, you bring him Lily's favorite book, with a picture of the five of them.
At the start of every school year, he tells you about the gift. His whole face always lights up. You can't wait until you can talk to him again.
Not long after you get home, your doorbell rings. You open it to find Remus.
"You have sixty seconds to explain yourself before I slam this door." You say cooly. This asshole dated you six years, then left with the promise of returning when things "smoothed over," and didn't even come back when your entire friend group was annihilated or, in Sirius's case, imprisoned. He has a hell of a lot of explaining to do.
He starts talking. He apologizes, and says it was "for the best." You don't know what he means by that, since it wasn't good for anyone.
You start to close the door without so much as another word.
He sticks his hand in the door. "Please, Y/N. I want to see Harry."
"I'll fucking crush your hand." You snap, sobbing. You're too mad to think straight.
"I'm sorry." He says quickly. "I'm really sorry. I swear I'll leave if you'll just take me to see Harry. I'll never bother you again."
"I hate you." You sob, not slamming the door, as you'd promised you would. "I hate you, Remus Lupin."
"I deserve that. I know." He's crying too, and it just makes you more angry. The bastard has no right.
You fling your arms around him. "Where the hell have you been, Remus?"
"Protecting you."
"You're a fucking asshole." You want to kiss him and tell him you love him, but you can't, because the bastard deserves to suffer your wrath.
"I know. I know I should've come."
"You do know everything, right?"
"Yes. I just... I thought it'd be better if I stayed away." He puts his face in your hair. "I'm so sorry, baby."
"Don't call me that."
"Right. Sorry."
You take him to see Harry. You assume Harry to be at the park, since that's where he goes to keep away from his pig of a cousin. Sure enough, Harry's there, swinging on a swing by himself.
"Do they even feed him?" Remus asks, sounding far angrier than you've ever heard him.
"Apparently." You agree, hooking your arm through his without thinking about it.
Harry breaks into a grin as he runs over. "Mx. Y/L/N!"
You smile. "Hey, Harry. How are you?"
"Good! Look what my parents' friend gave me!" He holds up the book and the picture. "They said it's my mum's favorite book. And this is my mum, and my dad, and my god-father, and their friends." He points as he speaks.
You realize it's a good thing that Remus looks so awful, or else Harry would have recognized him. If you had expected Remus to return, you wouldn't have let Harry see pictures of him. "Really! That's really cool, honey."
"Isn't it?" He smiles widely, putting the picture inside the book and hugging them to him. "What are you doing here?" He glances at Remus, who, as you realize now, looks rather like a hobo.
"Just going on a walk with my friend." You smile. "This is John. John, this is Harry. It's his birthday." You glance at Remus.
Remus's eyes are wet, but he smiles. "Well, have a very, very happy birthday, Harry." His voice comes out quiet.
Harry smiles. "Thanks!"
You and Remus go back to your house shortly after.
"How can you do this?" He asks, crying. "How can you see him and not do anything?"
"Because if I do, I won't get to see him." You cry too. You can't help it.
"At least you got to watch him grow up."
You nod, trying to stop crying.
"I have to go." He says quietly, clearing his throat.
You grab his hand as he reaches for his jacket. "Remus, please."
"I can't stay."
"Please."
"Do you really want to be around me, Y/N? After all the pain I've caused you--"
"Yes. Please, Remus. Stay with me."
"Baby..."
"Please stay. I love you."
"I--you what?" He asks.
"I love you. I still love you. Please stay."
He kisses your forehead. "Only for the night." He whispers.
"Two?"
"Two."