.

About one week after the Battle at Hogwarts, they were finally able to hold a funeral for Tonks.

"It doesn't seem real." Hermione stated as she pulled on a pair of nude colored heels.

Harry nodded, as he tried to tie his necktie properly. "It really doesn't."

A knock sounded on the door jam behind them. Quickly, both turned wands drawn. "Hey! No need for that."

Sirius said, hands raised slightly to show that no harm was intended.

"Sorry." Both replied.

"It's fine." Sirius waved off their apology. "Just checking to see if you guys are ready."

Hermione nodded, before looking to Harry, who was still having trouble with his tie. "Seriously? One would think going to a school where ties are mandatory, you would know how to tie one." She chuckled at him, before quickly smacking his hands away and tying it correctly for him. "There."

"Thanks." Harry said sheepishly.

"It's fine, Harry." She turned to Sirius, "We're ready."

Sirius nodded solemnly, before grabbing Hermione's hand and motioning for Harry to grab her other hand.

Hermione had shot a questioning look at them before they disapparated.

"Where is Remus? Why did we leave him?" Hermione questioned.

Sirius winced as she fired off her questions. Harry slowly backed away, fear of her temper moving him.

"Sirius?" Hermione glared. "Where is Remus?"

Rubbing the back of his neck as magic pulsed through the air from the fiery witch. "He, um, he didn't want to come."

Hermione's eyes widened, "What?!" Her magic crackling throughout her hair, physically pulsing throughout the air.

"Sirius? Everything good here?" Andromeda walked over, tears staining her face.

"Fine. Just having a slight problem." He explained. "Remus, well, he didn't want to come."

Eyebrow arched, she sniffed, "Really? Well, we can't have that." With that she spun to Hermione, "Go and get him."

Hermione grabbed her wand from her holster, and twisted on the spot.

She landed with a dull CRACK in the sitting room of Grimmauld Place. Glancing around she noticed Remus wasn't down downstairs.

She went to look in the first place she should have checked.

The library.

She found Remus curled on the couch with a picture of Tonks and himself. The former, her hair was bright bubblegum pink.

"You know, I would have figured you would be gone by now." Remus spoke.

Sighing, Hermione told him, "We did leave. But I came back, with the help of Andromeda, of course." She watched him tense at his mother-in-law's name. "Now, what I want to know is why you aren't at your wife's funeral. It's about to start soon."

Remus snorted, "How can I go to her funeral when it's my fault she's dead?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked him, as she sat down next to him on the couch.

"I mean, if she wasn't married to me, she would have never followed me to Hogwarts." He started. "She wouldn't have died then."

Hermione looked at the picture in his hands. "You also wouldn't have Teddy then. Is that the price you would trade? Tonks alive and well, for your son, Teddy?"

Remus bolted up off the couch, "You think that's what I want? I love our son. I wouldn't trade him for the world. And for you to think that-"

Shaking her head, Hermione told him, "I don't think that. I'm trying to get you to understand what you're thinking. She wouldn't want you to be thinking that you two shouldn't have been married."

"Hermione, love, how the fuck would you know what she would want?" Remus snarled.

Her eyes widened at his crass language. "I don't-"

"No, you don't. Don't assume that you know anything, Hermione." Remus growled.

Hermione snarled as she bolted up. "That's what you think I'm doing? Assuming? I am trying to get you to your wife's funeral to be by your son and her mother. If you're done having your head stuck up your arse, we're going."

Remus glared at the young witch, "I'm not going. If it wasn't for me, she would be alive. You don't seem to understand that, Hermione. You don't seem to understand that I loved her so much, that it physically hurt. You don't understand that I will never wake up next to her again because she is dead. You don't seem to understand that my son, will have to grow up without his mother. You don't understand, anything." by the end, he was sobbing, having collapsed onto the floor of the library.

Hermione walked over to him, heart-breaking, pulled him into her arms and whispered, "Help us understand. Let us be there for you. You are not alone in this."

Remus nodded as he wrapped his arms around her waist and cried. He cried for his son, himself, and everyone else that lost someone dear to them.

"I cannot do this again. I've already lost some of my best friends. I've lost my wife. I cannot lose anyone else." Remus told her as he squeezed her slightly before letting her go.

"Are you okay now?" Hermione questioned.

He nodded, "Let me go and get ready, then we can go. Yeah?"

Hermione nodded and let him get up to get ready. "That's fine. I'll wait here."

Remus nodded before leaving the room.

About ten minutes later, both Hermione and Remus found themselves in the front hallway, ready to apparate.

"Thank you, Hermione." Remus turned to her.

Hermione smiled, "You're welcome, Remus."