"He's gone," Remus said hollowly.

Tonks sighed sadly and looked at the despondent man pityingly, "I know."

"They're all gone." They were sitting on a random hill in a random part of the country, the sun just rising over the horizon. He had been just about to apparate away at the ministry when she had grabbed hold of his hand and he had brought her along with him.

"Peter's still-" Tonks began, thinking it would help.

"They're all gone," Remus said viciously, turning to her. He glared her down for a moment before turning his gaze back to the rising sun. Remus and Tonks sat silently, the wind picking up every now and then to whip their hair and cloaks around them. Below them, some random little village was coming to life. They watched as a man jogged his dog through the streets and a mother walked her two children to school.

They looked like ants. Ants oblivious to the hurting werewolf on the hill and the sad, scared Auror trying to help him. They just went about their mornings, unaffected by the loss of a warrior and the upset going on in the wizarding world as people opened their Daily Prophets to read that You-Know-Who had in fact returned.

"Bellatrix didn't kill him," Remus said quietly after a while, his voice barely a whisper. "Being locked up in that house killed him. Being on the run and living in Azkaban killed him." His voice was thick with emotion and still held a tinge of disbelief that the last of his closest friends was dead.

"He was always reckless Remus," Tonks said, trying to rationalise with him. "It didn't matter if he had lived a free man for the past fifteen years; he would have rushed off to the fight regardless."

"I killed him," Remus whispered, a single tear slipping down his cheek, dried instantly by the wind.

"What?" Tonks said, astonished. She kneeled before him and took his face between her hands. "You did not kill him, Remus."

He placed his cold hands over her warm ones.

"I never visited, never tried to prove his innocence while he was in Azkaban."

"You thought he gave up your best friends. Anyone would have done the same."

"But I shouldn't have," he snapped and pulled her hands away and held them between their bodies. "I should have known he would never have done that."

"Remus, stop it. You weren't to know. If you dwell on this, this supposed wrong, then all your memories of Sirius will be tainted."

Remus pushed her away and she landed on her backside not far from him. She watched as his tears continued to flow. He covered his face with his hands and his shoulder shook.

"Remus…" tonks said tentatively. She kneeled before him again and placed a gently hand on his shoulder. She gasped in surprise as the broken man grabbed hold of her and drew her body against his. He buried his face into her stomach and she soothingly rubbed his back and stroked his hair as his pain washed over her.

"They're all gone, Dora … gone."