Choosing Sides
George watched his daughter over the course of the cold night spent in the middle of the forest behind her house. He watched over her, protecting her space and ensuring she remained undisturbed. Angie couldn’t specify how long it would take, anything between hours and weeks, but he would sit and he would remain alert for as long as it would take for her to finally find the answer to the Lockwood curse.
Remus was the keeper, the guardian of the home, but George was the protector of family and he would do so until his dying day, nothing took priority over his children, they would put an end to suffering, they were the key and he was happy to facilitate their destiny. He could feel greatness surrounding them both, they were meant for lives far greater than that of a celebrated Healer or Auror, their names would stand the test of time, but the question of how or why, remained. After all, Voldemort was a great wizard, but not necessarily for the right reasons. George just prayed for the fates to show mercy on his children.
The sun was starting to come up and Angie had yet to move, she seemed to be in some discomfort, possibly cold, but George was under strict instruction that she not be disturbed in anyway. He built a small fire to keep her warm, but didn’t dare touch her.
Remus was worried. He woke in Grimmauld Place after three days of hearing nothing from George. Anna had been kind enough to allow James and Lily to stay at the Lockwood home, stating that George had other priorities and that was the end of it, but Angelina had yet to make contact and it was becoming progressively more worrying as the hours slipped by. Sirius did his best to stay positive, but honestly, the Order was struggling to keep up with the strange happenings and disappearances and that was distraction enough.
Remus was conscious that Valentine’s Day was coming up and even though there was a war going on, he had planned to spend it with his wife, the first one they would have after getting married, it was supposed to be an occasion, but now he feared he wouldn’t get his chance.
Finally after five days, George apparated to Grimmauld Place for an Order meeting, barely giving his wife a second glance and strolling right up to Remus. The entire room, filled with Aurors, teachers, friends and Dumbledore himself, went silent.
‘I am sorry to bring this news, but Angie asked me to come to you immediately.’ George panted. ‘I’m afraid the situation has escalated and Angie has asked that you remain loyal to the Order. She will be waiting for you when you return home and she is resting for the time being. She is perfectly safe, Remus.’ George reassured him, before turning to Dumbledore. ‘I’m sorry Albus, but more pressing matters have come to our attention and I can no longer guarantee that my family will come to the aid of the Order. Adrianna.’
Anna didn’t hesitate and stood up to leave with her husband, but the room was in disarray.
‘You can’t just leave.’ Tonks protested. ‘We need all the help we can get if we have any hope at all of defeating Voldemort. Angie and Darren are two of our best wands.’
‘I’m sorry Tonks,’ Anna spoke softly. ‘But that is the exact reason that we can no longer guarantee our help. I hope you can understand one day.’
‘So, that’s it then?’ Tonks was angry and honestly no one blamed her, she wasn’t the only one. ‘You’re just going to leave us to fight alone, without back up?’
‘Is there nothing we can do to change Angie’s mind?’ Dumbledore stood, calming the room only slightly.
‘I’m sorry Albus,’ George shook his head. ‘This has gone on long enough and we need to put a stop to it.’
There was a moment of silence.
‘I see.’ The headmaster nodded. ‘And what about you Remus? What is your choice in this matter?’
Remus froze. What was his choice? Angelina needed him to fight within the Order, but George was worried, enough that he came to Grimmauld Place to collect his wife.
‘I…’ Remus stuttered. He caught the tail end of exchanged looks between James and Sirius and suddenly what he needed to do was clearer than day. ‘I will stand by Angelina if she requires it of me, but until that happens, I will fight Voldemort with the Order. I will speak with Angelina tonight about this, thank you for letting me know George.’
‘Remus.’ Tonks implored, trying to make him see reason. ‘You can’t seriously be agreeing with this.’
‘No one is forced into fighting in this war, Tonks.’ Remus reasoned. ‘Angelina and her family have other matters that must be dealt with. I trust that if it is done so in enough time, then we may be able to count on their support.’
‘Of course, Remus.’ There was a sad expression to Anna’s face that made a knot tie even tighter in his stomach. ‘We’ll continue to provide shelter for anyone who needs it, including James and Lily, but I am sorry that it will be all we can do.’
Remus stood up and couldn’t help but hold Anna close, she was the woman who gave him Angelina and for that he would always remain thankful, but if she was about to walk to her death so willingly, then she had to know how much love he had for her.
‘It’s not goodbye Remus.’ She whispered, trying to reassure him. Remus took a breath and pulled back with a small smile.
‘Did she say anything else?’ Benji suddenly spoke up, startling most of the room. Jocelyne and David were giving each other grave looks.
George sighed and nodded. ‘It’s your choice, Benji,’ he said, sadly. ‘But she won’t ask for your help.’
‘She doesn’t need to ask for mine.’ David stood up. ‘I’m sorry Dumbledore, I’ll do what I can for the Order, but I can’t abandon Angie now, she needs me.’
Dumbledore bowed his head in understanding. Benji and Jocelyne noted their own apologies and stood up to leave with the Lockwoods.
‘You’re abandoning us!’ Tonks cried. ‘Don’t you care?’
‘Of course we care!’ David snapped back. ‘But you have to try to understand what Angie means to us. Hers was the first kind face I ever saw in this world, I have a debt to pay and a friend to remain loyal to. I didn’t fight Voldemort the first time, this isn’t my war, but Angie’s is. That’s my fight.’
‘What do you mean?’
Remus felt the tension rise, the Lockwoods couldn’t reveal the truth without compromising so much, but David had too much pride to be seen as a coward.
‘It means Angelina is struggling,’ Remus tried to be the diplomat, despite everything in his being telling him to leave and go home to his wife. ‘She needs people around her that are going to make it easier for her. That should be enough for you.’
The room was silent for a moment.
‘I wish you the very best of luck.’ Dumbledore said, putting an end to the conversation.
‘Thank you.’ George nodded and ushered everyone out of the kitchen of Grimmauld Place. Remus was the only one left standing who didn’t leave, he needed to talk to Angelina, five days of hearing nothing and this was what she did to him, he trusted her, but he needed answers.
Tonks stared daggers at him through most of the meeting, Sirius was just confused, but accepting of the situation. The meeting was long and when Remus was asked for his report concerning the werewolf community, he simply passed the question to Casper who was in a much better position to answer.
Remus would be on patrol a few times in the coming weeks and he could only pray they came and went quickly as he was already unable to bear the growing tension between himself and everyone else.
It was a terrifying thought for everyone, they all had high hopes that the war would finally be won somehow, but the hope seemed to hinge on Angelina’s involvement, now that it was gone, the hope was fading fast.
Remus quickly packed his things and left Grimmauld Place to return home to their cottage. He could see the light from inside his home flickering in the distance and almost ran right up to the door through the light rain to find everyone except Angelina sitting around the fire in the living room, looking solemn.
‘Remus, she’s fine.’ George stood up immediately. ‘She’s upstairs and she’s resting. You should let her know that you’ve come home though.’
Remus didn’t have time to say anything, he raced taking the stairs two at a time and finally found his exhausted wife lying in bed, sleeping lightly. He collapsed onto his knees next to the bed, sighing in relief, stroking her pale face and feeling the happiness of her simple existence washing over him.
‘Remus.’ He heard her whisper softly. Remus looked up to she her ocean blue eyes opening to see him and smile up at him. ‘My wonderful husband.’
‘My beautiful wife.’ Remus chuckled. ‘You made quite the impression at the meeting tonight and you weren’t even conscious.’ Angelina let out a small chuckle.
‘I’m sorry, Remus.’ She whispered, her fingers starting to entwine with his, feeling the wedding ring that told the world she loved him.
‘If you’re referring to what your father told us, then we will have to find a moment to talk about things, but for now, please get some sleep.’
‘Stay with me.’ She begged softly.
Remus lifted her hand to kiss her knuckles. ‘I’m just going to see your family out and then I will be back and I will hold you all through the night. I’ll never leave you Angelina, I made a promise.’
She smiled as much as she could, but it was a struggle for her, not that he minded, but he did need to go downstairs to sort things with the rest of the Lockwoods before he talked to his wife.
Much to his surprise, by the time he went back down, everyone had already left. George left a note saying he would visit at some point during the week, but nothing else was said and Remus simply locked up and went back upstairs to find his wife had fallen asleep again.
Remus sighed and quietly undressed, climbing into bed behind Angelina and held her small, beautiful frame against his body. This woman that chose him above everyone else was a mystery and she had all of his love and admiration.
Remus woke the next morning feeling is anxiety rising, he hated that Angelina was still exhausted, but gave her the time she needed to sleep and rest after the five days she’d spent meditating. Understandably, everyone was now on edge, the Lockwoods were a powerful unit and the hope that the war would be over soon was only being held together by their presence and Angelina’s devotion to Remus.
He hated thinking it, he hated wandering around the kitchen, tidying for the sake of tidying with the looming doubt that Angelina still loved him. Remus tried to push it from his mind, Angelina was a strong and ferocious woman, she was also incapable of being so cruel, of course, she loved him. Remus stopped for a moment, trying to regain a little faith, holding his temples and gently rubbing them.
The only thing making him stop was the sound of someone slumping down his stairs. He smiled quietly to himself and casually wandered around the bannister to find Angelina catching her breath, wrapped up in an old blanket and shivering.
‘You know, you could have called down,’ Remus leaned over the wooden bannister, staring down at his exhausted wife who was now giving a light smile back to him. ‘I would have come up to see you.’
‘I know.’ She whispered, her voice not quite back to normal yet.
‘Then presumably the reason you’re out of bed is terribly important and will need your full attention which you cannot give in your condition.’ Remus moved himself around the stairs to sit on the step just below hers so she could see him better without straining. He held her cool hand and sighed, staring up at her deep blue eyes that seemed to age more and more every day. ‘Why are you up?’ Remus shuffled as close as he could, holding her hands in his to keep some part of her warm.
‘Because,’ Angelina’s blue eyes started to fill with tears. ‘I need you… I need you so much and it’s killing me to know what this war will do to us.’
Remus felt his chest inflate with pain. His wife sobbed for a moment and Remus wanted to cry as well. He gently pulled her down onto his lap, bringing the blanket to wrap around them both so that she was entirely covered in warmth. He placed a soft kiss to her forehead and breathed her light scent in as much as he could.
‘Angelina,’ he started, feeling the lump in his throat. ‘I know that you’ve worked out the prophecy,’ he felt her freeze for a second. ‘I know that we will lose far more than we can afford, but if the day should come where one of us has to say goodbye, we’ll be okay. I have lived such a wonderful life because of you, I fell in love with the most beautiful woman in the world and I got so incredibly lucky when she said she loved me just as much. We have laughed and danced and done so many happy things, I hope for more, but I am satisfied if this is all I am allowed.’ Remus stroked his fingers through her soft, blonde hair and absorbed the way she felt in his arms. ‘Our need for each other, our obsessive desire to see each other safe and happy, that is our love and our love is our strength. It’s got to be enough, hasn’t it?’
Angelina didn’t say anything and Remus couldn't find the will to push her for anything. She was scared, more so than she let on and he could feel it. They stayed where they were for a few moments longer before Remus decided to bring up something on his mind.
‘Valentine’s Day is coming up.’ He said. ‘The first one I can spend with my wife… we should make the effort to spend it together. I want to celebrate our first year of marriage and look back on a wonderful year spent with you, not look back on missed opportunities.’
‘Okay.’ Angelina breathed and snuggled closer to his chest.
‘This is what we’re fighting for isn’t it?’ Remus kissed the top of her head, just feeling her existence close to his. ‘Why should we deny ourselves a taste of the freedom we’re fighting for?’
Remus could feel a determination in him that came directly from Angelina. She gave him the determination to look past his condition and pursue a normal life. She made him brave and he could never let think he wasn’t grateful.