ALTERNATE ENDING
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THE LAST MARAUDER

[DISCLAIMER]: Some lines of this chapter are taken DIRECTLY from JK Rowling's Deathly Hallows (Chapter 11- the Bribe) These quotes will be indicated and sourced with a page number.

His once bright brown eyes were now dulled a greyish brown. It was as if even the chocolate kept between the pockets of his lint dotted sweaters could not warm his now melancholy stare. Remus's bright haired wife, Tonks, was ecstatically expecting a child. The news delighted him at first, but as time continued, it brought forth nothing but dread. How could he be so foolish? So selfish? Taking on another lover after Freya had been naive enough, but bringing forth a child with such an ominous other side was a burden he feared he could not take.

Remus Lupin had carried much sadness in his lifetime. From taking on his monstrous curse, living through two rises of Voldemort, and becoming accustomed to losing those he loved. He sometimes wondered if his life was cursed in more ways than that of being a werewolf. He even wondered if his presence in others' lives was a curse. Remus had even watched his boggart change form. It once took upon the form of his lifeless friends' bodies, torn apart by his own clawed hands. Now, he discovered, a boggart would simply choose the form of his curse- a moon. The form shifting creature no longer needed to boast to him his lifeless friends, as that fear had already come true. Freya, Sirius, James, Lily, Marlene, and Mary were all dead. And Peter, who had betrayed them, was as good as dead to Remus.

Albus Dumbledore's plan to cover up Freya Bradberry's gruesome death by blaming it on Fenrir Greyback may have convinced the Ministry, but not Remus. Though unintentional and entirely ruled by his curse, Remus faced the unbearable truth. He had brought Freya's untimely fate.

Remus stalked down the Muggle street, his aging face cast low. A dark cloak covered most of his body and trailed down to his shoes. His right hand held firmly to a case of Butterbeer, and sticking out from the right pocket of his cloak was today's copy of the Daily Prophet. The cover boasted a picture of Harry Potter, who was wanted for questioning of Albus Dumbledore's murder.

Remus cast numerous glances behind his back as he continued down the cobbled pavement. It was late. Nobody, wizard or Muggle, was within sight. He used his free hand to slip his wand from his cloak pocket. Lifeless brown eyes gently closed in concentration, and he apparated carefully two blocks down onto the top step of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.

The presence of two cloaked Death Eaters directly across the street did not take Remus even slightly by surprise. Luckily, he had apparated so closely to the house, he was not within their eyes' reach. Remus's wand waved swiftly in front of the door, and it opened with an a obnoxiously loud click. Almost immediately upon shutting the door, Moody's voice echoed across the house, "Severus Snape?" A dust covered figure rose from the other side of the house, but before it even neared, Remus calmly replied, "It was not I who killed you, Albus." The jinx broke into a loud eruption.

From around the corner stepped Harry Potter with furrowed eyebrows, "Don't move." Ron and Hermione followed down the stairs towards Remus's unrecognizable figure. Three wands pointed directly at their former professor.

"Hold your fire, it's me, Remus!"

Ron and Hermione's wands lowered instantly. As a former Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor, and a close friend to the Potters, Remus was inwardly proud of how Harry stayed his guard.

"Show yourself!" Harry demanded with his wand still pointed firmly.

Remus again noted how proud James would have been at this demand, and stepped cautiously into the lamp's warm light. The trio noticed his tired eyes. His figure had slimmed noticeably, despite the layers of sweaters and the dark cloak that covered him. Remus always looked slightly frazzled due to the nature of being a werewolf, but today he looked even wearier.

"I am Remus John Lupin, werewolf, sometimes known as Moony, one of the four creators of the Marauder's Map, married to Nymphadora, usually known as Tonks, and I taught you how to produce a Patronus, Harry, which takes the form of a stag," Remus stated calmly (204).

"Oh alright," Harry finally lowered his wand, "Had to check didn't I?"

The next hour was spent discussing recent news over a few glasses of Butterbeer. Topics circled among the corruption of the Ministry, Harry being wanted, the ongoing investigation on Dumbledore's death, and the Ministry's growing discrimination of Muggles and Muggleborns. It was news like this that made the trio wonder if there was any hope left at all. The dark discussion swept a cloud over the already melancholy Black descendant house, and all chatter at the table died quietly.

Eventually, and with much hesitation, Remus spoke, "I'll understand if you can't confirm this, Harry, but the Order is under the impression that Dumbledore left you a mission. Can you confide in me what that mission is?" (206).

Harry's heart sank when he met Remus's face, knowing the question was asked only out of nothing but concern. Despite wanting to give their former professor a different answer, Harry shook his head, "I can't Remus, I'm sorry."

"I thought you'd say that," said Lupin. "But I might still be of some use to you. You know what I am and what I can do. I could come with you to provide protection. There would be no need to tell me exactly what you were up to." (211)

Harry debated inwardly at the offer, but Hermione's gaze grew evermore confused.

"But, Tonks? What about her? You're married!" She questioned.

"What about her? She will be perfectly safe at her parents' house," Remus responded in a tone so stiff it almost came across cold.

Remus's head was practically spinning. Not only did he feel as if he was lining his wife up for the same fate as Freya, but this time a child as well? Helping the trio would protect his loved ones from himself. But as Remus's vision cleared, all he saw were three notably worried sets of eyes peering directly at him. He sighed, and forced himself to admit Tonks's pregnancy, and listened to their eruption of ecstatic replies.

When the congratulations died, Remus spoke through a worried, artificial smile, "So... do you accept my offer? Will three become four? I cannot believe that Dumbledore would have disapproved, he appointed me your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, after all. And I must tell you that I believe we are facing magic many of us have never encountered or imagined. Harry, I'm sure James would have wanted me to stick with you." (212)

"Well," said Harry slowly, "I'm not. I'm pretty sure my father would have wanted to know why you aren't sticking with your own kid, actually." (212)

Any life that was left in Remus's cloudy eyes vanished suddenly. The hair on his arms stood up beneath the cover of his sweater, like a wolf's thick fur. The little color left on his face drained, and the tiny bit of hope left within his chest for his family's future instantly evaporated.

"You don't understand, Harry. None of you. You just don't understand."

"Why does it always have to be something we can't understand?" Ron spoke for the first time, "Why can't things just ever be told to us?"

A knot formed in Lupin's throat. The knot was so thick he could have sworn it was anchored tightly around his heart. A pain resided within the cage of his ribs. Pain so untamed and wild that it matched his curse. His life was becoming one full moon after the next.

"I made a grave mistake in marrying Tonks. I did it against my better judgment and have regretted it very much every since." (213)

"I see," said Harry, "so you're just going to dump her and the kid and run off with us?" (213)

Lupin sprung to his feet so quickly that the chair beneath him fell to the floor with a clatter. Anger slashed across his face. Anger at himself. Anger that he continuously puts those he loved in danger. Anger that he had killed Freya. He had killed her. He didn't care what Dumbledore said, what James had said, what Sirius had said. His mind was set. He had killed her. And he was selfishly setting Tonks up for the same fate.

The look of disappointment on Harry's face couldn't possibly match the disappointment Remus felt for himself.

"Don't you see what I have caused? What pain I have brought to my wife? To my unborn child? I have made Tonks an outcast in our world! I have burdened her, put her life in immense, unimaginable danger! You don't understand. Harry, don't you see what I have done? The risk I'm passing to an innocent child! If by some miracle it doesn't have to live with my curse- it will be ashamed of the monster I am!"

Hermione's eyes threatened to spill over with tears, "Remus! How could you say that? What child on Earth would be ashamed of you?"

"I'd be ashamed to be his son," Harry stated flatly.

Remus looked as if he had been punched in the stomach.

"If the new regime thinks Muggle-borns are bad," Harry said, "what will they do to a half-werewolf whose father's in the Order? My father died trying to protect my mother and me, and you reckon he'd tell you to abandon your kid to go on an adventure with us? Think you're a bit of a daredevil? Want to step in Sirius's shoes?" (214)

Remus stood silently, looking more werewolf than man.

"I'd never have believed this," Harry said. "The man who taught me to fight dementors-- a coward." (214)

"Stop!" Hermione begged, but it was too late. Remus's wand was drawn, and he sent a spell that slammed Harry backwards against the wall. Without another word, Remus left the room. The trio heard a slam from the front of the house, signifying his departure.

Only Remus did not leave. In fact, he created the door slam as a diversion, and slipped quietly into a nearby room. His knees collapsed to the floor, tears welled in his eyes, and thoughts stampeded through his mind like a heard of centaurs. Outside of the room, Ron and Harry could be heard arguing in heated tones.

The man's head spun so long that it took him quite some time to realize what room he was in. Pictures of bikini clad Muggle girls smiled down on him. Motercycle models boasted from different areas of the room. Even images of Remus himself, smiling and younger waved back to him. And to Remus's interlocking delight and despair, Freya danced around the other Marauders beneath a frame in the corner of the room. He remembered that day so vividly. The day of their Halloween prank on Hogwarts.

He did not exit the room for some time, as he found himself to be unwelcome amongst the trio. Remus only emerged when their voices died, and the light from beneath the crack of the door finally flickered out. Slowly, the man made his way across the house, and found the sleeping figure of Harry on a nearby couch. His palm was open, as if it had held onto something closely when he had fallen asleep. Remus's eyes cast downward towards the ground where he saw what Harry had dropped. Coincidentally, this was what Remus was searching for. There sat the Golden Snitch given to Harry upon Albus Dumbledore's will reading.

Although Dumbledore did not discuss the trio's mission with Remus, he had left Remus careful instructions had the older wizard's will not been dealt with accordingly. Therefore Remus knew what precious Hallow was embedded beneath the golden surface. Delicately, Remus touched the Snitch to Harry's gently snoring lips. He noted as he looked down at the boy how he too looked wearier than ever. Whatever mission Dumbledore had assigned him was taking its toll.

The snitch quietly flickered to life, and Remus soundlessly returned to Sirius's room. There, he looked down at the newly revealed stone.

Perhaps there was a reason Dumbledore had not been willing to share the stone with Remus even years after Freya's death. But there was one person in the world that would possibly understand the ringing in his head at this very moment. With unsteady hands, Remus squeezed his eyes together and turned the stone three times.

"You know," said a familiar voice, "I never got to see Sirius's house during our summers at Hogwarts, but I must say this is exactly how I imagined his room."

Remus opened his eyes and instantly years of withheld tears poured from them. There Freya Bradberry stood before him. Her long blonde hair was pulled up and out of her face, except for the few stray strands that she had always hated. A small smile was spread across her face, and whatever paintbrush that swiped it there must have dashed a bit of newly found warmth in Remus's eyes as well. Was it possible to gain more freckles in whatever afterlife waited ahead of him too? Freya certainly had added more freckled stars to the beautiful constellations he had once found himself gazing into.

"Hey Frey."

"Hey yourself, Remus."

He stared at her and she stared back. The hours passed by in a second's speed. He wanted to tell her so much. Nothing bad. Nothing of the world outside of those four walls. Just anything and everything over the years he had longed to confide within the blonde. He knew she would listen. However, the man's mind went completely blank. He simply stared.

Finally, Freya's eyes broke contact as she looked down at the stone wrapped in Remus's palm. She sighed and said in a soft voice, "It wasn't you, Remus. I wish I could get in your head and shake around your brain to convince you that. It wasn't you. You can't be blamed."

"Look at you," he almost choked holding back tears, "still defending me huh?"

Freya rolled her eyes and smiled, "I'll always defend you, Remus."

It was then he told her everything. He told her of Tonks. How they'd met, how she cared for him, how she was in the Order. He told her of his nearing child, how dim the future felt, how scared he was for his family.

"It won't always end like this," Freya's ghost spoke softly.

"Like what?" Remus muttered, "Terribly?"

Freya shook her head and gestured from her ghostly figure to the Resurrection Stone, "Like this."

"I'm so sorry, Freya."

Freya shook her head, "You've got enough kindness in your heart to warm a group of dementors, Remus. You've got enough bravery in your mind to face a group of Death Eaters. And you've got enough love within you to be the best father to anyone. You're scared, but you know the right thing to do. The right thing isn't always the least scary. In fact, sometimes it's scary because it's right."

"You always did know what to say." A bittersweet shadow cast itself across Remus's face.

"Well, I am always right," Freya's spirit laughed.

The pair stood amongst each other for a moment longer. Two ghosts of what once was. Together they were an echo of love that still lived, even in death. After minutes ticked by, he slowly closed his eyes and turned the stone. After returning the stone to a still sleeping Harry, Remus left Grimmauld Place with a less heavy heart, and higher hopes for his wife, and their little Teddy.

AUTHOR'S NOTE
09.12.21
Hey guys! It's been awhile. 5 years maybe? Not quite sure, but if you're here I'm grateful! I finally found my password so I figured I'd drop the alternate ending draft that I had talked about. Originally, I decided not to go with it because I felt the other epilogue idea was better, but here you go. Sorry it's been a few years. Hope you're doing well.
Much love, Scarlett