I knew it was possible, likely even, that Remus wouldn't make it, yet when I learned he didn't I couldn't bring myself to believe it. When I learned that his mistress- or maybe I was the mistress since they were married- perished with him and that they left behind a child I didn't know what to think or how to feel. There was anger, longing, hurt. So much hurt.

I didn't know what to tell Demetrius either. The war was over. So that's what I told him. I told him it was time to start over. While I was telling him this I was also telling myself. In all the sorrow I was grateful too. My son was alive. My family, Narcissa, Draco and Lucius had all made it. Lilian, Lockhart and their child were safe and well.

I was still in France. I planned to stay here till it was time for Demetrius to go to Hogwarts. There were too many ghost in England now and I wish to stray from them as long as possible. Narcissa and Draco were here as well for the time being. After the trials and Lucius' unfortunate fate returning to Azkaban they needed some time away as well and I've genuinely loved having them here. I knew Lilian did also because Narcissa just loved helping out with the baby. It might have something to do with the fact that she currently was with child, and so far only I knew that the father of the child was not Lucius, but Severus.

I look out the window to see Draco on a broom flying around, a look further left and there is Demetrius chasing after him. I smile. He's going to be alright. I summon the house elf and instruct it to begin making dinner. Not just any dinner, I want a feast. I want to wear a beautiful dress, I want everyone to dress nice. I want music and total distraction. With that in mind I leave my room to inform Narcissa and Lilian.

"Tonight we feast." I announce as I walk into the sitting room, where Narcissa is gently rocking Lilian's child and Lilian is reading a book and petting our nifler with her free hand. "And dance." I add.

"Are you feeling well, Roxanna?" Narcissa asks skeptically, as I had not been in the best of moods lately.

"I will be." I smirk and hold up a bottle of wine. Both Lilian and Narcissa match my smirk.

"What's this about a party?" Lockhart asks as he enters the room, leaning down to kiss Lilian's forehead and pet the nifler.

"Tonight, we are not inviting guest but we will be serving drinks."

"And we have Narcissa for babysitting duties, perfect!" he says.

"Excuse me!" Narcissa says quickly.

"Well I just thought.." Lockhart looks nervous "You know since you can't drink."

"This is not my first baby, Gildory, do you really think I don't know the spells which allow me to consume alcohol during pregnancy?"

"It really should be obvious that if anyone knew how to cast those spells it would be my Auntie." I say as innocently as I could.

"Roxanna!" Narcissa exclaims. "Anyway we have Draco for babysitting duties."

Everyone laughs.

By the evening I am sitting in front of my vanity, curling my long dark hair. The red dress I intend to where is hanging behind me waiting. The scent of the feast is already penetrating through the door into my room and suddenly I'm starving. With the last curl done and bouncing into place I get up and slip on the red silk dress. It is strapless and has a cut that exposes my right leg right up to the knee. I also place my pearls around my neck where they fall just beneath my collar bone. I put a spell on my eyelashes to make them longer and my lips are covered in a blood red shade. I slip on my heels and descend downstairs to join everyone else. Narcissa wore a long black gown, looking elegant as ever, her baby bump barley showing. Lilian wore a pale blue down that made her eyes pop and it looked lovely, while Lockhart boasted a white suit with a tie matching Lilian's dress. We cleaned up pretty well.

"Darling you look exquisite." Narcissa said as I approached them.

"It runs in the family." I reply with a wink.

Lockhart hands me a drink. I take it and feel my mouth water at the site of the wine. I try not to indulge much when Demetrius is around but since he's upstairs with Draco I plan on exceeding my daily limit tonight.

"A toast" Lilian begins holding up her glass "to new beginnings." She says to which we all raise our glasses.

After a sip, a sip in which I nearly finished the whole glass, a house elf approaches me to inform me our table is set and ready. We all take our seats and begin to feast. I'm cutting into a filet mignon while Lockhart is going on about a trick he recently taught our nifler, when the doorbell rings. Everyone gives each other curious looks. We were not expecting visitors tonight. Lockhart began to get up but I raised my hand to stop him, "I'll get it."

With my wand gripped tightly at the ready I got up and headed to the main entrance. The silk on my dress suddenly felt heavy and for some reason so did my breathing. Shaking my head of the feeling I opened the door and just as soon nearly collapsed.

"Remus!" I yelled. Any other attempt at words failed me. "Remus…but..bu.. how?" I couldn't form an actual question. I could hardly breath, nor see from the tears building up in my eyes. Was I dreaming? But then he touched me, his hands on either side of my face indicated that he was very much real.

"Roxanna." He smiled, and although this was real it felt like a dream, an absolute dream. "Roxanna, I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."

"I don't understand." I choked out. "I thought you to be dead."

"I have much to explain, but I'm not dead." He looks down at my gown and appearance as if barley noticing it. "Have I caught you at a bad time?"

"Don't be ridiculous, come in." I pull him in and we sit in the nearest sitting room by the fireplace. Even as we sit aside each other on the couch I don't let go of his hand, afraid that if I do this will all go away. "I don't understand Remus. I was told your corpse was collected. I was told you were gone."

"It was not I, it was Michael under a special polyjuice potion made to look like me, and in the event that he should perish the potion would not wear off until her was buried, given the circumstances of what we were going through it was important that we use that special kind."

I wipe stray tears with my free hand. "But why was Michael pretending to be you?"

Remus sighed. "He has been for a while. You see he was in love with Tonks, but he obviously couldn't be with her due to his allegiance to the Dark Lord, or so he portrayed. Once they married we made the deal, he would use my persona and façade to be with her without the order, nor the death eaters being the wiser. Sometimes, such as the time you encountered me in the alley way, I had to pretend as well that it was I in fact who was married to her, who was the father of her child. However it was really Michael. And it killed me to see that look on your face that night, to not be able to explain the situation to you. You must understand, I could not risk being compromised."

My breathing was double speed now. "So you're not.. you're not the child's father? You were not married to her?"

"No. Roxanna, I love you. I've only ever wanted you. Everything I did was for you and our son. And that's why I agreed to the whole thing. It was extremely beneficial to have an ally on the death eaters side. It's the main reason I'm still alive today."

"Why didn't you tell me?" A fresh set of tears emerged. "I know that night you couldn't right then and there but afterwards? Why didn't you come? Do you know how many sleepless nights I've had?"

"I couldn't say anything Roxanna because we made the unbreakable vow and I vowed my secrecy. The less people who knew the better. I'm sorry, I wish I could have been there. I wish I could have spared you that pain." He looks truly pained.

"Don't dwell on it. You're here. You're alive and that's all I care about." I say then take his face in my hands and press my lips to his, to which he responds instantly.

I can't believe it. I kiss him desperately. Longing for his touch which I have not felt for ages. "I love you." I whisper against his lips. "I love you. I love you."

He pulls back a bit to look into my eyes as he repeats the words to me. "I love you, Roxanna." Then our lips meet again. When he pulls away again, much to my reluctance, he speaks "There was something else." He made to get up and pulled something out of his pocket. "Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

My eyes widen. Dare I believe that this is actually happening? "Yes, yes Remus, yes of course." He smiles and slips the ring on my finger. I throw my arms around him. Finally! My son will have a father, and I will have a husband.

Thanks to everyone who made it to the end of this story. For anyone who didn't know there is a prequel to this called A Professor's Secret. I will be writing a new fanfic soon, revolving around Narcissa and Snape, if anyone is interested in that. Much love to you all, happy 2018 xoxox