The Funeral
Remus looked at the dark muggle suit hanging from his wardrobe. He was going to Marlene’s funeral today, and as most of their friends were in hiding, and Remus’ family were mostly muggles, they were having a muggle funeral in the church near where the McKinnon’s lived and a few of the McKinnon’s family friends.
Marlene had been dead for two weeks, and he still missed her, and would sometimes find himself crying at unexpected things such as a certain song coming on the radio or seeing Marlene’s favourite flowers growing in the garden.
Poor little Stefan was traumatised at having lost his parents and his sister and had vivid nightmares about that night, and Remus would have to calm him down, and more often than not, the only way to get Stefan to go back to sleep was by Stefan getting into bed with Remus.
The Lupins had to drive four hours to get to Dorset, so they had to leave early for the funeral. Remus pulled on his suit, at least he didn’t have to wear dress robes which were severely uncomfortable and were usually worn with bowties.
‘Remus,’ said Stefan quietly coming into Remus’ room.
‘You ok mate?’ asked Remus straightening Stefan’s lopsided tie.
They had talked it over about whether Stefan should go to the funeral, but eventually they asked Stefan for his opinion. Stefan said that he wanted to go the funeral to say goodbye to his parents and his sister.
‘Are there going to be a lot of people at this funeral?’ asked Stefan frowning.
‘A few yeah,’ said Remus, ‘my Mums family, the Howells are coming to support us. Then there’s Sirius and Mary, but Peter, Lily and James can’t come they’re in hiding. Some of your parents’ friends are coming, but I think that’s it.’
‘That’s a lot of people,’ whispered Stefan. He was scared at meeting all these strangers, the last time he had met strangers, his whole family had died.
‘You’ll be fine Stef,’ said Remus hugging Stefan, ‘just stick by me, you’ll be fine.’
‘Thanks Remus,’ said Stefan.
‘Stefan,’ said Remus, ‘I want you to help me look after little Ophelia today alright?’
‘The three of us can get through this together ok?’
‘Ok,’ said Stefan.
Remus pulled on his suit jacket and picked up Ophelia so he could put her in the car. Lyall had already loaded the pram into the boot of the car and Hope helped Stefan and Ophelia into their car seats.
It was a very awkward trip in the car, Lyall and Hope kept on pointing out points of interest as they drove past. Remus and Stefan didn’t real feel like talking much and instead were looking out the window silently.
When they got to the church, they were fairly early so no one had arrived yet, apart from Remus’ Aunt and Uncle Amanda and Dafydd, and their four children including Dai who was Remus’ older cousin as he was a year older than Remus and twenty-two.
‘Hey Remi,’ said Dai coming over to the Lupin family.
‘How are you holding up mate?’ he asked putting an arm around Remus. Stefan hid behind Lyall as he was scared of strangers.
‘I’m alright Dai,’ said Remus.
‘I was sorry to hear about Marlene and her parents,’ said Dai, ‘I only met them a few times, but they were always nice to me.’
‘Thanks,’ muttered Remus.
‘And who’s this strapping young fellow?’ asked Dai noticing Stefan.
‘This is Stefan,’ said Hope, ‘he’s Marlene’s younger brother. You met him at the wedding.’
‘Who’s this little one?’ asked Dai, looking into the pram.
‘This is Ophelia,’ said Hope lifting her out of the pram, ‘Remus’ daughter, she’s a month old.’
‘She’s gorgeous,’ beamed Dai, ‘got the Lupin eyes that’s for sure.’
Dai went go back to sit with his family after this, and Remus sat down on a pew near the front of the church with Stefan and Ophelia, he didn’t feel much like talking to anyone. Everyone was saying how sorry they were about Marlene and what a wonderful person she was, but the words were meaningless.
The words that the vicar spoke during the service seemed to be even more meaningless, how they were good people, and didn’t deserve to die at such a young age. Remus already knew all this, so why was it being constantly repeated?
He just hoped that his Mum’s beliefs about the afterlife and heaven were right and that Marlene and her parents were in a better place.
Remus didn’t even realise he was crying in the service, until Stefan’s hand took his, and gripped it reassuringly.
Remus smiled waterley at Stefan and put his arm around him. After the service they went out to the graveyard where there was three freshly dug graves side by side.
After a while, everyone else began to move away from the graves to go and talk, but Remus stayed by the graves saying his last goodbye to Marlene and Mr and Mrs McKinnon. Remus had taken off his suit jacket in the hot August sun, and loosened his tie.
‘Hey Moons,’ said Sirius walking up behind him.
‘Hi,’ he muttered staring down at his shoes.
‘You ok mate?’ asked Sirius. Sirius had was carrying his suit jacket over his shoulder, and his tie was undone.
‘No,’ muttered Remus.
‘And you don’t think you ever will be?’ offered Sirius.
‘No I don’t,’ said Remus.
‘If it wasn’t for Stefan, and Ophelia, I don’t know why I’d get up in the morning.’
‘I don’t even know what the point is anymore,’ he sobbed.
‘Hey, hey,’ soothed Sirius, ‘that’s ok. I get it.’
‘If one of my friends died I wouldn’t get out of bed for weeks, but here you are looking after Stefan and Ophelia.’
‘Marls was your life, but there is one good thing.’
‘What’s that?’ asked Remus looking up at his friend tears still streaming down his cheeks.
‘Ophelia’s still got one parent left, if you had been at Mckinnons that night Ophelia would have been an orphan.’
‘You don’t know that!’ shouted Remus.
‘I could have saved her, she could have lived!’
‘No Moony,’ he said firmly ‘you would have both died.’
Remus looked up at his friend and took a deep breath to calm down. He knew that Sirius was right, but it still didn’t make him feel any better. He still wished that it had been him that had died rather than his perfect Marlene.
That night Remus lay on top of his bed unable to sleep staring up at the ceiling, thinking over all the things people had said today. All of their friends and family, even the Lovegood’s had come to pay their last respects, and Pandora had laid a wreath of daffodils and buttercups at Marlene’s grave.
‘Remus?’ called Stefan opening Remus’ door.
‘You ok mate?’ asked Remus lifting Stefan onto the bed.
‘Did you have a nightmare? Couldn’t you sleep?’
‘No I’m fine,’ said Stefan biting his lip.
‘You’ve been upset all day, and I thought you might want a hug.’
‘I’d love one,’ said Remus choking back his tears.
Stefan snuggled up to Remus, and they hugged for a few minutes.
‘Do you still miss Marly?’ asked Stefan.
‘Of course, you still miss your Mummy and Daddy, don’t you?’
Stefan nodded slowly.
‘But we’ll get by, won’t we,’ said Remus, ‘together.’
‘Together,’ agreed Stefan beaming.