Author's Notes: It's been 15 minutes since I posted the end of The Sacrifice. Anyone miss me yet? :P Just kidding. Now, I do feel the need to make a few notes before we start. Yes, this is Harry/Hermione. It's also Remus/Tonks and another ship I won't tell you about. Many characters from The Sacrifice show up here, so if you didn't read that you may not quite understand what's going on.
Oh yes. This is not a love story. There are romantic and passionate moments, yes, but this was not written with the love theme in mind, so don't expect too much of an appearance with that genre.
I'll shut up now. As always, feedback is welcomed and desperately desired.
Enjoy. --me
Disclaimer: Once again, I do not actually own any of the marvelous character created by the amazing J.K Rowling; otherwise I'd be able to fix my car (stupid transmission, grrrr. . . *grumble*grumble*)!! Anything that is recognizably part of the Harry Potter universe, of course, belongs to her. *bows* However, certain creatures are mine, as is the inimitable Calista Serene and any other OCs.
Summary: This is the sequel to The Sacrifice. These events occur 20 years after the Marauders graduation, right after Sirius dies. (See, I've spoiled already!) The canon trio is here, but this is the continuation of the Remus Lupin story I started in "The Sacrifice", but the other Marauder's are here too. [We all believe in ghosts, right? ;)] And that is all of a summary you will get from me, my friends. If you really want to know, read.
Return of the Shadow
(The sequel to The Sacrifice)
Remus saw Bellatrix's Stunner hit Sirius in the chest and send him reeling backward towards the veil. Remus jumped onto the dais as Sirius' body vanished behind the black curtain, but one hand had yet to vanish and so Remus grabbed it and pulled with all of his might. Something behind the veil was pulling Sirius back, but Remus was not about to lose any more friends. Sirius was everything he had left in the world, and so Remus used all of his strength. Sirius came flying out of the curtain and together they tumbled off of the dais and onto the stone floor.
Remus was laughing with relief. What would I do if I lost him again? But he hadn't, thank goodness and he had a battle to fight, so Remus lifted his head to look at Sirius. All he saw was a rotting corpse, the gray flesh peeling away from the skull to reveal bones black with decay. Sirius' skeletal hand clamped down on Remus' wrist and the eyeless head suddenly opened its mouth in a grin, fat white worms slithering in and out between broken teeth.
Remus screamed and sat up in his bed. It was the same dream he'd been having for months, and it was still as horrifying as it was the first time. He swung his legs over the bed and looked around his room in Grimmauld Place. God, he hadn't wanted to come back here, but he had no where else to go. Thanks to Dolores Umbridge, he had no job, no income, which meant he'd lost the lease on his house and had been evicted. Dumbledore had insisted he come here and live, which worked out well enough since the Order was still using the place for headquarters and someone had to keep an eye on Kreacher.
Kreacher. The thought of the Black's traitorous house elf made Remus give serious consideration to letting the wolf take over and tearing off the foul beings head. He didn't have to tell anyone about it, and he didn't think Harry would mind if Kreacher were to disappear. Poor, miserable Harry, whose letters had been short but continuous all summer. They had held nothing but the barest of sentences: "I'm fine. -are treating me as usual. No need to come. Harry."
It had been two days since Harry's last letter, and sparsely written as they were, Remus looked forward to them. Letters couldn't give him the sympathizing looks and hushed whispers Molly Weasely was full off. Remus had finally told her, exasperatedly, that he didn't need her at headquarters all the time and she should go tend to her own household. He knew he had hurt her feelings, but he really didn't care.
A/N: Yes, I know, world's shortest intro ever! I had to hook y'all somehow! Trust me, this is the only "filler" I have. Please do not strangle me until we hit Chapter 3 (because I garauntee you will hate me Comforting thought, isn't it?)
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