Meeting at Remus' cottage Who: Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks Where: Remus' cottage in Wales When: 24th January 1999, late afternoon/early evening Rating: PG-13 for language Other info: 7 days to the full moon
Remus was pacing, somewhere between nervous, angry and anxious. He was angry because of the article, at Skeeter for once more disrupting the lives of those he loved and cared for in her usual despicable way. Anxious about how this meeting would go with Dora, considering their last encounter. Nervous about having anybody here. Nobody apart from himself had stayed or even been here since Sirius, and it was strange to have Dora come here now. It hadn't really been anywhere near homey until he'd worked on it in December and added some more furniture.
The cottage itself was old and worn, and definitely not easy on the eyes. On the outside at least. Remus had strived for that, deliberately making it look uninviting, derelict. The charms helped too, confusing Muggles that strayed too close, confusing even Wizarding Folk, should they ever come uninvited along this way.
Inside things were quite different. Still old and worn and not particularly beautiful, but inviting and warm. The kitchen was nearly original with a huge and bulky, but still functional stove, the sitting room a dark but cozy room and his bedroom light and simple and kept in the white he'd always loved but rarely used. Dark Creatures and white didn't go well together... But now, here he wanted it, and he had it. Teddy would also be sleeping there until he got one of the other rooms ready.
Most of the stones he had kept bare, liking the rustic, solid and grounding feel it radiated But he had worked quite a bit on the interior, building up crumbling fireplaces, repairing the window and door openings, put in new doors… well, old new doors. And old new windows. The furniture was also worn and second hand, acquired very cheaply or even for free. It was amazing what Muggles threw out, amazing how easily it was mended. He hadn't removed the worn look though. One thing should fit the other after all, and Remus was most certainly worn.
The last couple of months he had added his personal belongings to the massive amounts of books and mementoes he had stored there over the years, before he'd been with Tonks. It was home now, and he wondered if not it would stay that until the day he died.
He couldn't imagine himself in a new relationship. The dependency, the expectations, the demands and compromises… he wasn't sure if he could do that anymore. Something had changed inside him, radically. Perhaps it was the end of the war that had done it, or perhaps the deaths… Sirius, Albus… even Peter. It made him feel unfairly bereft. Did he not deserve some happiness too?
Teddy was the only truly good thing he could see now, at the end of the war, at the end of his marriage. And it was likely the only thing he would leave behind when he one day left this world, Teddy. He was grateful to Tonks for it, for his son. Had she not been so insisting, so convincing, so … alluring, he would likely never have married, even less had children. But that deep gratitude, and the loving friendship he felt for her, wasn't enough. Couldn't be enough.
She deserved better. Remus sighed as he plopped down on the sofa.
So do you.
Yes, he deserved better too.
However, he didn't count of finding it. Remus ran his hand over the worn soft leather of the sofa. He would let life happen as it chose, relish the joys it might give, accept the hardships it would give and be grateful for the friendships he had retained and gained.
That almost sounded like dad.
OOC: The pictures from the cottage should be taken with a grain of salt. All the furniture is very worn and certainly not pretty or very decorative, and the cottage 'is' old and not very big.