Chapter 1: I Can't Believe It

"I thought I might find you here." The weakness of her voice surprised him more than her presence.

"What are you doing here?" He asked quietly, turning around to face her. She looked similar to him: tired, worn out, and as though she lost something very important.

"There's only one person - besides Harry - who could possibly feel anything close to what I feel right now, and that's you. At least, that's what Molly says." She whispered, coming closer to him.

"Well, she's right." He said, looking around at his surroundings. "What am I even doing here?" He asked her, looking at the photograph of them in Hogwarts. He chuckled softly. "He hated it here. It wasn't even his home." She walked around and almost smiled at the Muggle poster on the wall.

"He always felt rather attached to this room, though. Isn't that why he left so many of his things here?" She asked, looking at the bed. He followed her gaze. It was the letter he'd just been reading.

"It's from Lily. Her last letter, I reckon. And she even noticed that Wormtail wasn't well." He said bitterly, taking the letter and jamming it back into the drawer. "We should leave; the house is open now. We don't want Death Eaters." He said softly, rising to his feet.

"Come back to my house. My mum would be more than happy to let you stay." She offered, blocking his way out of the room. His eyes widened and he tried to think of a way to escape. He would've apparated away on the spot, but Dumbledore's enchantments made it impossible to apparate or disapparate away.

"No, I-"

"Have to get back to your cardboard box?" She said sarcastically. He winced ever so slightly. "We're not going to turn you in or anything." She said, much lighter this time.

"I know, it's just-"

"Just come." She said forcefully. In that instant, Remus knew that she wasn't asking for him, but more of for herself, because like Molly said, he was the only other person who knew what she felt. He nodded this time. She left the room, and Remus followed, only sparing a glance towards his last friend's room.