Disclaimer: I do not own anything… I'm dirt poor; but one of these days, I will be rich and successful! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Guess who is back?

Many, many thanks to: To Tante, my beta who was so patient with me, and to all the reviewers out there who took their time to review, even the patient, evil, and threatening ones as well. I hope you enjoy this chapter since I made you poor readers wait so long!

Note: Even though I have a ton of fan fiction ideas in my mind (and written down on paper), I have to wait until November to start writing them because I have a very tight and busy schedule. So until then, I'll have to hold off fan fiction writing, but I'll talk to everyone then. Bye!

Just for fun: Bill (from The Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again): My son sat down at the piano one day, and I asked him, "What're you going to play?" My son said, "Oh, I'm doing a theme song from Harry Potter." I said, "Oh, you mean from the movie?" He said, "No, from the book." …..Here's your sign.

n.n.n.n.n.n.n.n.n.n.n.n.n.n.n

Blue Flowers of Celestial Years

Chapter 22: "Please Come Back"

Ginny sat in St. Mungo's intake reception area when the whole room burst into chaos. People buzzed about, levitating badly injured wizards and witches into various rooms so they could be healed. As Daily Prophet press, demanding interviews, ran after the injured Ginny suddenly realized these people were from…

The battlefield.

A Healer called to Ginny as he ran past. "Miss Weasley!" he cried breathlessly. "We need your help!"

Ginny got off the chair as fast as her pregnant state would allow, and passed the reporters taking pictures and clamoring for reports.

Hours passed as injured wizards flowed into the triage area. Ginny rushed from one patient to another, healing minor wounds and stabilizing life-threatening ones until a more experienced Healer could attend to them. Her heart raced, her breathing was rapid wondering if each new person she turned to would be Remus. Ginny tried to keep her mind on task, but it wandered worriedly towards Remus; is he alive?

Ginny paused to catch her breath and survey the chaos; blood everywhere, soaking into snow white linens, and pooling on the floor. The combination of frantic worry, and the coppery smell of blood, made Ginny lightheaded and sick. She shoved those sensations aside, refusing to allow them to slow her efforts until at last they overpowered her and a fellow co-worker caught her before she fainted away. Ginny retched as he held her hair and her vomit mixed with the blood on the floor.

"Ginny," he said "you go clear your head; go."

Ginny staggered out the door, only to be accosted by the press swarming around her, yelling questions. Shaking, Ginny wiped her mouth with the back of her hand as she pushed her way through the screaming mob. Her vision blurred and again someone caught her; this time, helping her away from the chaos.

Away from the noise, Ginny looked up to see who caught her. Ron! She squeezed his hand tightly.

"Ron, thank Merlin you're safe! So many wounded, so much blood!" Ginny cried out frantically as her brother steered her toward one of the beds.

Ginny looked around the room and saw her father, all her brothers, Hermione, and… Harry, all cut and injured. The young man was sitting next to her, his green eyes dark and glazed over.

"Harry," Ginny whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder. Harry winced in pain.

She noticed blood oozing from a deep semi-diagonal cut on his left cheek. She took out her wand pointed it at the wound and said the incantation to heal it.

"Are you mad? Why aren't you all in triage getting your injuries checked out?" Ginny demanded.

"We're not seriously injured," Arthur replied, looking at his daughter with eyes that spoke of battle weary sorrow, "and we would much rather not meet the press."

"Well, let me have a look at you all at least." Ginny insisted, looking back at Harry. He wore a blank, dark expression that no young man of eighteen should have on his face. Ginny knew Harry was suffering, but she could not imagine the hell that he was going though at the moment.

The door swung open and Molly Weasley burst into the ward, quickly shutting and locking it behind her. She looked haggard and anxious, hair in messy curls, eyes dark and tired as if she had not slept for days. Molly cried in happiness as she hugged each one of her loved ones, Harry included. She had a way of making the atmosphere lighter; it must be a mother thing.

"Ginny, how wonderful that you're here. Why aren't you in triage?" Molly asked, placing a kind hand on her daughter's cheek.

"I was ordered out for a breather, mum," Ginny choked, "the death, the blood it was too much for a moment…"

"Shhh, it's alright now, baby," Molly said, smoothing her daughter's hair. "I came as soon as I got word. Is everyone alright?"

"We're fine, Mum," Bill replied, his long red hair now a tangled mess.

"Just a few cuts and bruises." Charlie concluded.

"Well," Molly said, "They have the count and names of the dead listed up on the wall in the waiting room —"

Not waiting for her mum to finish, Ginny took off toward that room in a flash, shoving reporters out of her way, not bothering to excuse herself. At the waiting room, she pushed through the throng to access two sheets of parchment with several long columns of names. She went to the first moving her finger down the columns. Not on that sheet. She quickly went on to the next also moving her finger down the column until she came to a name as familiar to her as her hand. It was the one name that shed light in her dark world and the name that she whispered before she fell asleep at night.

Remus J. Lupin

Ginny's hands started to shake. Her body felt numb, her lungs cried for air and her eyes blurred with stinging tears. The sounds of the crowd became distant to her ears as if they were miles away, instead of right next to her. Suddenly, darkness surrounded her, and her mind stopped working.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Is she alright?"

"I think so; the press said grew pale, and just fainted."

"Who on that list affected Ginny like that."

"It better have been the person responsible for the state she's in or I'll kill him myself."

"Shhh. That's an awful thing to say."

"Well, you tell me you're not livid about this!"

"Of course, but we'll get our answers when she wakes up."

Ginny's mind started to work again as she tried to process the voices arguing around her. What happened? All at once, the events came back to Ginny, slamming into her brain, causing it to ache painfully. Remus… He had been on that death list, and the only way one was on the death list was if the death counters knew the person was dead. Remus J. Lupin… The name flashed in Ginny's mind as it had been written on that horrible piece of paper. He could not be dead; Remus could not be dead!

"You're not dead, love." Ginny whispered urgently. "You're not dead." A memory flashed before her eyes; she was alone with Remus by the fire in his Hogwarts quarters. His eyes filled with life, warmth… and love.

Remus…

Ginny felt someone wiping her face with a soft tissue and realized she was crying. She could not be crying. If she were crying, then that meant it was true. He was really gone.

Ginny opened her eyes, and saw her family around her bed, Harry and Hermione included. They did not wear the dark looks of warriors who had seen war and death; now they were filled with concern, love and anger.

"Are you alright, dear?" Molly asked, placing a gentle hand on her daughter's forehead.

Ginny sat up slowly, her mind, still numb, was not going to process Remus' death any time soon. She slowly nodded.

"Good," Molly stood. "Then you can tell us what on earth possessed you to get into this state of being, let alone hide it from us all these months." Molly gestured sharply toward her daughter's now obvious pregnant belly and then planted her hands on her hips.

"Everyone," Ginny started cautiously. "I have something to tell you that will come as a great shock…."

"The shock has already happened, little sister," interrupted Bill. "Now it's time for you to start earning back our trust. Let's hear it."

The statement hung in the air, the atmosphere becoming more and more tense like someone was sucking the air out of the room. The only person who spoke through it was Charlie.

"H-How…?" he asked in disbelief, and then he shook his head. "I mean, who?"

"Mum, I'm sorry for hiding this from you—"

"GINEVRA WEASLEY! HOW COULD YOU—"

"May I remind you that I'm seventeen, as well as a legal adult?" Ginny argued, folding her arms across her chest.

"Yes, you are legally an adult, but you are certainly not acting like one! This—" Molly pointed to her daughter's bulging stomach. "—Is not a responsible thing to do! Now, I demand to know, who is the father!"

Ginny's eyes began to sting with fresh tears. Before she could answer, her grief overpowered her and she could barely choke out his name.

"R-Remus…"

Everyone looked slack-jawed and pop-eyed. Molly looked like she wanted to throw things. But before she could, Arthur, who seemed to have read her mind, gently but firmly moved her out of the room. Harry, Hermione, and Ginny's brothers were left in the room, but the atmosphere was still tense.

"Well," George said, and then cleared his throat. "At least we'll have a nephew to spoil!"

Hermione forced a smile. "Why do guys always think it's a boy?" she asked, trying to add a little humor into the room.

"Not always..." Fred exclaimed after growing an evil smile on his face. "In fact, I'm going to bet you, George, twenty Galleons that our newest Weasley addition is a girl!"

George laughed and shook his twin's hand. "You're on!" he exclaimed, and then turned to Ginny. "Hurry and have this baby; I need to get twenty Galleons richer!"

Ginny could not believe her brothers. Everyone was angry and disappointed at her, and here they were betting each other on the gender of her child! All she could do was stare stupidly at Fred and George and nod, which they took as permission to not only bet each other, but talk to each other about starting a betting block in their store as they exited the hospital ward.

Ginny suddenly wanted the twins back to draw the others' attention away from her. Bill allowed himself a thin lipped smile before he gave his baby sister a kiss on the forehead and also exited.

"I'll go see how Dad is handling Mum." Charlie suggested, nodding to Ginny and pulling the stupefied Percy with him.

That left Harry, Hermione and Ron, the one brother it practically killed Ginny to disappoint. Ron sat in his seat staring blankly at Ginny, either not feeling anything or just not knowing what to say. Harry and Hermione sat next to Ron, the infamous three friends who repeatedly went through hell and back for each other. Ginny had once had someone who would have done that for her, but he was… gone. She felt her eyes burn, but forced her emotions down.

"Ron—"

"—I'm sorry, Ginny." Ron said abruptly as he stood up, startling everybody. Then he quickly left the room. Harry gave Ginny a sympathizing look before he took off after his friend.

"It'll be alright, Ginny. You get some rest." Hermione encouraged before taking off after Ron as well. "I'm so sorry you've lost Remus. I can understand that he was very special to you."

Ginny sat on her hospital bed, wondering about the magic of the number three. Harry, Hermione, and Ron, eternal friends. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle. Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryfindor; the three friends that always remained strong together. Then, Sirius, James, and… Remus. Ginny looked around the empty room realizing again that Remus was not here with her as he would have been.

"Remus?" Ginny called, but he did not answer like he would have done. Remus never failed to answer Ginny's call for him. Realization poured icily upon her. She shook violently though she was not cold. Her heart yearned for her mate.

"Remus… Remus…" Ginny cried, as if calling more loudly would bring him through the door. She wanted—no, she needed him! Her heart would not stop aching, would not stop yearning for him.

"Remus!" Ginny yelled in vain one last time before breaking down into sobs that racked her body. "I need my Remus!" Ginny gripped the blanket in her lap and she tore at it, her arms aching for Remus so much they burned. She knew that yearning would never be relieved. Remus was not coming back.

"You can't be dead! You can't be dead! We were going to live our lives together, remember! Don't you leave me here like this, please! Come back to me, please, Remus; come back to me!"

"Excuse me?" A voice interrupted the mornful silence surrounding Ginny after her tears were exhausted.

Ginny started up, wishing—hoping—that the voice belonged to Remus, but knew that it didn't. The stranger was tall and lanky with black hair and dark brown eyes; he was flanked by two other men. One short and a bit overweight with blonde hair, a long face and a pointed nose; the second had a medium build with black hair and chocolate-brown eyes.

"Mrs. Ginny Lupin?" the man in the middle asked. Ginny's eyes widened. How did this man know about her and Remus!

"You are Mrs. Ginny Lupin, right?" the man inquired impatiently.

Finally, Ginny nodded

"My name is Hermes, and these men," Hermes motioned to the men flanking him, "are not to be recognized. We are part of a hidden agency in the Ministry of Magic—"

Well, that figures. Ginny thought wearily, rolling her eyes. She just wanted to be left alone.

"—that investigates the supernatural of our world." Hermes continued. "We are from the Department of Mysteries; I do believe you've been there before?"

Images of her fourth year came flashing back. She was there when Harry and the others fought through that creepy place.

"…Yes," Ginny hesitated on answering.

Hermes continued on as if she had not said anything. "Since the First War began, the Agents of the Department of Mysteries have worked tirelessly to solve the ultimate of all mysteries: how The-Boy-Who-Lived did, in fact, live? We were at a loss for that answer when someone else fell into the same question."

"What're you talking about?" Ginny whispered, now weirded out.

Hermes sighed in frustration as he began to talk again. "Your husband, Remus J. Lupin—"

"What do you mean 'husband!' Our marriage isn't recognized by Wizarding Law!"

Hermes pulled out a rolled up document and showed it to Ginny. It was a signed, notarized certificate recording their marriage.

"How on earth…." was all Ginny could say, until she remembered the conversation. "What about my husband?"

"He's the second wizard ever to survive the Unforgivable Killing Curse."

Ginny opened her mouth, but her voice would not work. She closed it and tried again. "Remus… alive…?" was all she managed.

"We must admit, we were amazed as well—"

"Where is he!" Ginny demanded, climbing awkwardly off the bed and heading for the door. "Where is he! I need to see him!"

"He's still under observation, Mrs. Lupin—"

"For what!"

"Well, we can't exactly let him back out into society until we're certain he isn't a threat to himself or others." Hermes replied, straightening his clothes. "We have no idea how he has altered because of the experience. You understand we can't run that risk."

"I want to see him. Now." Ginny demanded in a low, dangerous voice that warned Hermes not keep her from her mate a second longer.

"He's not awake yet." Hermes grabbed her arm before she could reach the door. Ginny glared at him as she reached for her wand.

"I'm pregnant, I have a wand, and I know how to perform all of the Unforgivable Curses. Any questions?"

Hermes, for the first time, looked extremely nervous at the wand pointed in his face.

"Look, Mrs. Lupin, please calm down. We need to ask you some questions first and then after he wakes, we'll see about a visit."

Ginny raised an eyebrow in serious question. She was jolted out of mourning for her dead husband and this agent wanted her to calm down!

The other agents closed in to support Hermes. Ginny simply glared challengingly and they backed down.

"Now, Mrs. Lupin," Hermes began soothingly, nervous that his associates were not going to protect him from the mad woman with a wand. "Your husband is in a coma. There is nothing you can do for him until he wakes up."

"He will wake up if he hears my voice." Ginny announced, highly confident in Remus' love for her.

"Pregnant women are not allowed in the ward where he is."

"Why?"

"That particular ward is restricted to werewolves. Few visitors are allowed, for obvious reasons"

Ginny could not believe what she was hearing; werewolves were regulated to a ward separate from other people!

"The full moon is not for another three weeks." Ginny said, still holding her wand to Hermes' chest.

Hermes and his men looked at one another in silent communication.

"Okay, Mrs. Lupin, but I will have to check with my boss to let you in to see the were—"

Hermes cut himself off when he saw the deadly glare Ginny gave him for even trying to put Remus into a category other than human.

"—I mean, to see your husband." He finished, giving Ginny's wand another nervous glance.

Ginny lowered her wand just a bit before she answered.

"You better tell him to put me first on the list."

"Yes, ma'am."

Ginny put her wand away and the agents left.

Ginny's tears welled up from a reserve somewhere as she sobbed with relief. "Remus… you're alive... but why were you on the Death List?" No one was there to answer her question; only silence.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Darkness surrounded him, making it impossible to breathe. He reached out, trying to feel for something, anything that would point him in the direction of any form of light.

"Hey, watch it, Moony."

"Who's there?" Remus demanded, snapping his hand back.

"Well, it is a bit dark in here, isn't it?" the voice announced. The person snapped their fingers to bring out a bright, and brilliant light.

Remus' eyes snapped shut as light burned through the room.

"Well, Moony, I must say you look older than the last time I saw you." Another voice announced, followed by laughter from both.

Remus' eyes finally adjusted, and the sight that greeted him made him almost jump out of his skin.

"James! Sirius!"

James smiled in his infamous and mischievous way, looking as he had when he and Lilly, with Harry, went into hiding. Sirius was still as young as the day he died, passing through the curtains in the Department of Mysteries.

"Hey, Prongs, I think our dear Moony looks like he just saw a ghost." Sirius exclaimed, making James snort in laughter.

"Am I dead?" Remus asked, looking at his two friends whom he kenw to be dead.

"Yes." James answered seriously.

Remus felt his heart sink down into his stomach before both James and Sirius busted out in laughter like a surprise party.

"Seriously, no, you're not dead." Sirius answered, shaking his head and smiling. "You're in a coma between the living world and the dead. You have work to complete, Remus old friend."

"We heard some interesting things about you, Moony." James announced, pretending to grow very serious. "Knocked up one of your students. Very unprofessional, I must say."

"I think we corrupted him, Prongs."

"I think so, too, Padfoot."

Sirius let out his infamous bark-like laughter as he shoulders shook from the force of it.

"Shame on you. Randy old fart." Sirius chuckled.

Remus sighed impatiently, and looked around, seeing nothing but endless light all around.

"So how do I get back to the living world?" Remus asked.

"Hmm… not sure, considering we've never been brought back to life." James answered, shrugging his shoulders and looking around the room.

"We do know, however, it is not towards us." Sirius concluded, pretending to inspect his fingernails.

"That's just great." Remus muttered, suddenly thinking of Ginny; he wanted to hold her; to hold her and to be there for the birth of their child.

"Moony, you've always been the most intelligent of all of us." James said. "I'm sure you can figure it out."

Remus looked again, seeing nothing but light, and then back to his friends.

"Are you two where the world of the dead is?"

"Hmm… yes, we are." Sirius said looking behind them at something hidden from Remus' view.

"So, if you two are where the dead is… then I have to go in the opposite direction." Remus concluded, looking behind him.

"Because…?" Sirius encouraged his friend's thinking.

"Because, in a book I once read, it said that the living world and the dead world are sharply divided, and only rarely are people in between."

"Well done!" James nodded.

"You better get moving now, Moony," Sirius warned, shooing him away with a hand gesture. "It's a very long way back to reality."

Remus smiled sadly at his friends. "I'll see you again later. Save us a place?"

"It's already marked. But you can't have it until it's your time."

Remus nodded, and he departed.

"Whoever thought," Sirius said, looking at James. "That little Ginny Weasley would be the one to bring Remus' heart back to life?"

James shrugged.

"Fate is strange… just plain strange."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Ginny sighed as she looked over the top of her book at Remus, still in his coma.

"Wake up, Remus. Life is moving on without you." Ginny had been to see Remus every day for the past three months. "If you miss our child's birth because you decided to fall into a coma, I swear I'll never forgive you!"

Suddenly, Remus' finger twitched, but he did not move any more after that. Ginny sighed in frustration, and she placed her forehead on his unmoving hand.

"I need you, Remus. Your child needs you. Come back to us."

Remus' hand twitched again, and suddenly, he breathed in deeply.

"I can hear you, Gin-Gin."

Ginny's head snapped up, eyes wide. His gentle blue eyes were finally open and alive. He smiled weakly at her.

"Remus!" Ginny cried, finally able to hold him in her arms for the first time in months. "I missed you! I missed you so much!"

Remus smiled, and held her as well as his weakened muscles would allow.

"Don't leave me ever again!" she scolded lightly.

"Nothing could keep me away for long" Remus replied, placing a kiss on her forehead.

Ginny sighed in satisfaction and smiled, eyes shining with love and relief.

"Remus, what happened? How did you survive?"

Remus pondered that question for a long while. Suddenly one day, his face lit up in realization.

"Moon Child…" he whispered.

"What did you say, Love?" Ginny turned her attention from the child in her husband's arms to his face.

"Remember how Harry survived the Killing Curse from Voldemort?"

"Yes… his mother sacrificed himself for him; but, Remus, your mother didn't—"

Remus nodded. "I know, but another person did… remember I told you about her?"

Suddenly everything that Remus told Ginny about his trip to the Werewolf Village came back to her.

Zurui held the silvered arrow up, ready to kill, and Remus threw Moon Child out of harms way. Her wolfish reflexes kept her on her feet and she jumped in front of Remus and took the blow for herself. Remus, burning from his wounds slowly made his way to Moon Child, the arrow still through heart.

"Moon Child..." Remus gasped through his pain, placing his free hand on her cheek.

Moon Child stiffly stirred, opening her violet eyes for him. She gave a small satisfied smile.

"Remus..." she whispered, placing a blood-covered hand over his.

Moon Child closed her eyes for the final time and her breathing slowed until Remus smelled the unmistakable scent of death on her.

"Moon Child's sacrifice did this for you?" Ginny's voice trailed away in awe. She played with their baby as he or she bounced around in her womb, and tears of gratitude welled in her eyes.

Remus nodded once.

"Yes, she is half of the reason why I lived."

"What was the other?"

"Us."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Epilogue

"Romulus J. Lupin, you get down from that tree right now!"

Five year old Romulus grinned down at his mother in mischievous way, making Ginny nervous. That smile was never a good thing for her peace of mind.

"Okay, Mummy." Romulus said, and dropped from the tree branch as Ginny ran with a yelp to catch her child from breaking on the ground.

Romulus laughed in an impish way, not at all discouraged by his mother's angry glaring.

"Honestly, Romulus, forty-nine hours in labor with you, and this is how you repay me!"

"Last time you said it was thirty-six hours." Romulus said, raising an eyebrow to her.

"You're too smart for your own good." Ginny smirked before hugging her son.

Remus sat nearby watching mother and son. He had never been so happy.

"Ginny…" Remus called. As the pair reached his bench, he wrapped them both in a fierce embrace.

"What was that for?" Ginny asked, though she was still smiling.

"Just because." Remus replied shrugging his shoulders.

"I knew I loved you." Ginny teased and kissed Remus soundly.

"Eeeew!" Romulus cried, making a face.

"You are so cute!" Ginny said giving her son a big, wet kiss, making Romulus grimace as he wiped his cheek.

"Let's go home, Ginny." Remus said, smiling.

"Yes, I'm ready to go home."

The End.