Beauty and the Beast (Remus Lupin)

57.

After Dumbledores death, Mcgonagall pushed back testing. Rose had finally gotten better and so has Bill, though his scars were still healing.

Even though testing was pushed back to a later date, it still didn't prevent Rose to complete her N.E.W.T.s. as Ginny completed her O.W.L.s. Normally Rose would have a guess as to how well she had done, but with everything going on, she had no clue.

"Are you and Lupin going to the funeral together?" Hermione asked as she put on her shoes.

Rose threw on a black jacket, "Yeah...."

"It feels weird. Like it's...official." Hermione stood up and grabbed her cardigan, "like this is the moment where we finally accept his death."

"Don't mention that to Harry. He's already upset as it is. I'm going to go down to the grounds." Rose said before leaving.

Getting to the grounds and near the lake, she saw everything being set up. Chairs were nicely put into rows as a white tomb was in front. Immediately, Rose noticed Tonks, Moody, and Shacklebolt.

"Hey." Tonks smiled as she saw Rose.

"Is everyone here? Or?" Rose asked.

"The Weasleys are coming together." Moody said.

"Bill and Fleur or?"

"We don't know yet. He said he'd try to come." Shacklebolt answered.

"Remus is back there though." Tonks said, "Near the lake."

Rose looked behind them to find Remus walking near the edge of the dark lake, "thanks. I'll be back." Rose smiled before walking towards him.

She wasn't near him, she could already tell what he was thinking about.

"Hey." She caught up to him.

They both stopped, "You're out early? How were your exams?" He smiled down at her.

"I think I did well." She shrugged, "how have you been?"

"I've been worse."

She smiled at his iconic line and his ability to try and make this day seem a bit better, "Apparently you have been. And why are you over here? Why aren't you with everyone else?"

"Just...You know during transformations, we'd all walk along the river into the forest or the grounds. James, Sirius, and I did it every month. But they never registered as animagi, so Minerva became suspicious. I think she knew about them."

"And she didn't say anything?"

"Well no. But you know her, you can't hide anything around her. She'd walk me to the shrieking shack every month...always looked more upset than I was. It was lonely in there. Then during dinners or whenever Dumbledore would make his speeches...he'd always mention their animagus forms as if he knew. But of course no one noticed it, they never paid attention to what he'd say half of the time."

"Reminds me of a few people..." She reminisced to the time Fred and George thought they'd be able to get past Dumbledores age line to put their names in the Goblet of Fire.

"Right, with the twins." He chuckled, "It's wise to listen to Dumbledore. Or not next thing you know, you're going to look older than him."

"Mcgonagall asked Harry to say a few words today. He couldn't though...You remember how Sirius said that if anything was to happen to him that you'd still have me? Well, after something had happened to every father figure Harry had, he still had Dumbledore..."

"Let me guess, she asked you to speak instead?"

"Yeah, she did."

"How'd that go?"