Snape began the lesson without warning, entering the boy's mind easier than he expected, and delving deeper than he had intended.

They'd only discovered the letters after her death, hidden away in a small wooden box behind a panel in the wall. The spells and charms used to shield it, though faded by time, had clearly been replaced regularly. Really, it had only been an accident that they'd ever found them.

Remus opened his eyes, looking around the kitchen of Grimmauld Place in confusion. What were they doing here?

He probably should have listened - and maybe ordering more had also been a mistake – but he wouldn't remember until the next day how Weasley had to carry him home. And he still returned to the same pub at least once a week.

They lived for each other, but they died for their son.

They had shared a lot of Christmases together over the years. Those were some of his best memories took place during that season. Some of his worst, too.

"I don't like you, but I don't want you dead." Severus wondered, years later, if that were still true.

"And he can explain how he so easily mistook me for you?" Andromeda's silence said more than words possibly could.

Your righteousness can only get you so far; there comes a time when one must face the real world.

She would always be by his side; this didn't change anything.

It started with two strangers taking cover from a storm, and ended with the accidental theft of a jacket.

Years later, if you asked him, he'd never have been able to tell you what had pulled them a part. Not really. There had been a war going on, yes, but how could they have let that come in between them?

He stared at his reflection in the full length mirror, watching the light play off the planes of his body. He couldn't help but frown at what he saw.

Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. It took a lot of hard work and dedication to get to where they are today. No, seriously.

She pressed him up against the wall, sucking a painful bruise onto his neck, biting the flesh there and not releasing him until she had drawn blood.

It wasn't the kind of thing that gnawed on his mind until he had discovered everything about it. For the most part, he could completely forget its existence; it just became another part of the old house. There were other times where it was impossible for him to ignore it. But maybe some questions are best left unanswered.

There's a saying. I can't remember it word for word. Something about how we create our own joy. How it comes from our actions. I think that's true. But I also think joy can be found in the simple moments where no one's really doing anything, but where love and laughter spread through you in equal measures.

He hadn't meant to overhear. Okay, that was a lie. He had. But he hadn't meant to stay as long as he did. And he certainly hadn't meant to hear what he did.

It had been a very long day. If he weren't dead he'd lie down, shut his eyes and try to pretend that this day had never happened with the oblivion of sleep.

Things always have to start somewhere. This began with a change – not particularly life altering, or even noticeable to most – but to her it was everything. It just took him a while to catch up.