(no subject)
Title: How to Save a Life
Author:
carnivalgirl
Format & Word Count: Fic, 1420 words.
Rating: PG or 12
Prompt: Prompt 29, quote from Louis L'Amour
Warning: At the beginning, some thoughts of suicide.
Summary: After Lily and James's deaths and Peter's apparent one, Remus sits alone by the Thames, feeling like there's no reason to live anymore. However, when a little girl with colour-changing hair falls in the water, a new purpose comes back to him.
Author's Note: I've never written little!Tonks with youngman!Remus before now. This fic was inspired by a number of things; Ophelia's drowning scene in Hamlet, the Simpsons' episode 'Moe Baby Blues' and 'The Girl in the Fireplace' of Doctor Who, where a girl ends up falling for a man who saved her as a child. The title is from the song by the Fray. Also, I'd kind of like to dedicate it to my old teacher, who committed suicide recently, as I wish that she had also found hope.
How to Save a Life
This Muggle pub had been one of Sirius's favourite features of London-a place where the urban monster had not yet swamped the lush green grass that grew outside, and ducks and swans could swim freely in clean water as the river flowed slowly alongside. For a November day it was uncannily warm and a number of families, couples and groups of friends were enjoying their drinks outside. Everyone seemed happy. That is, except one Remus Lupin, who was staring at the flowing waters and contemplating them.
Unfortunately Remus's reflections were not of the loving, Wordsworthian category. He hoped to find some part of this river-not this one, it would be too cruel-and jump into it, saying goodbye to the world he no longer wanted to live in and revisiting the friends he had lost, who only two years ago he was celebrating Sirius's birthday with here. He wondered how it would feel to have the water rushing past him, pulling him into it. It would be painful, he did not delude himself that it wouldn't be. But then, so was living.
Remus was currently treating himself to a pint of Muggle bitter, something wizards had never been able to get quite right and the name of which suited his mood. He stared at his reflection briefly before lifting the glass and pouring the brown-black liquid down his throat. It was a satisfying feeling. This was only the second one, he could have many more before going home to that mangy bedsit. He wouldn't have many more miserable nights there. Even if he wasn't reunited with Lily and James-even his studies of the soul at NEWT level hadn't entirely stopped him from questioning faith-an eternal sleep was also a calming prospect. Lowering the glass again, he thought of how James, Lily and Peter would smile when he joined them. He would even see his father again...
"HELP!"
A high pitched scream interrupted Remus's thoughts. A little girl had slipped into the river after leaning too close to the ducks. A crowd was starting to gather, and he leapt up to join them.
The poor little girl was struggling to stay afloat, moving her hands and legs like a puppy while her white dress ballooned around her in the water. She was starting to cry. The crowd was getting bigger but no one was reacting yet, or perhaps it just seemed things were happening in slow motion. One woman was particularly hysterical; probably the girl's mother. Another man was pulling furiously at a rarely-used life ring. The little girl's face turned to Remus as the river started to carry her-she was half-sobbing, half-screaming, mortal fear confronting her young mind.
Before he knew what he was doing, Remus had removed his shoes and was striding into the water. It was deeper than he thought but he was head and shoulders above her and had no fear of drowning. Fighting against the current, he held her by the shoulders and whispered "Mobilicorpus".
This was enough to lift her small, wet body inches above the water without Muggles noticing any difference, and so he was able to scoop her into his arms and lift her onto the bank. In the seconds he was holding her she only breathed heavily against his shoulder, but when she was safely on the ground she burst into tears and ran towards her mother. And he didn't know if it was just his imagination, but he could have sworn that her pale, almost-white blonde hair was now a lively red.
As he lifted himself out of the water with the help of a tree-branch he was able to reach, Remus took a glance at the girl's mother, who was bundling her into her arms and pressing her to her body. She was a tall woman with long, brown hair. When she opened her eyes, Remus realised who she was. Andromeda Black, Tonks rather, Sirius's cousin.
He didn't have much time to consider this before a swarm of people came around him, congratulating him on his heroism. His back was thumped, his cheeks were kissed and his hands were shaken. About ten people offered to buy him a drink. They were all laughing and smiling with relief, and Remus found himself doing the same. He had not been able to smile or laugh in weeks but now he was doing both. The world suddenly seemed a better place. Not everything had to go, not everything pure had to be destroyed. People were still loving each other, and now he felt he could love people too.
After accepting an offer for a drink from a man who had thumped him particularly hard on the back, Remus was called over by Andromeda Tonks and her husband. They were smiling softly, not showing their teeth, but they seemed to glow with a familial warmth. At first they talked to him as if he were a stranger;
"We can't thank you enough, mate. Our Dora...she's a clumsy girl, she's been learning to swim for two years and she still can't do it. Thank the Lord you were around to save her!"
While Mr Tonks was shaking his hand, Andromeda's eyes had widened a little. She smiled even wider, showing her teeth. "Remus! You're Remus Lupin, aren't you?" She doesn’t mention his friendship with Sirius.
Remus nodded meekly. "Yes. You're welcome, Andromeda."
"You were very brave. You could have been swept away…"
"Oh, I..." he began, but she is already hugging him.
"Sorry." she said. "I just...I...can't express what I'm feeling. Thank you so much."
"Speaking of thank yous." Mr Tonks says gruffly, though with some fatherly affection. "Dora, do you have something to say to Mr Lupin?"
The little girl, who is quite short and cute for what he knows now is an eight-year-old, comes forward. She's not crying any more, in fact she seems quite cheerful. Her red hair (which neither of her parents have, oddly enough) is all over the place after being rubbed furiously with a towel by the land lady. She gives him a shy smile.
"Thank you, Mr Lupin. I won't do that again." she says, and suddenly goes up onto tiptoes. Realising what she wants with a leap in his heart, he bends down to her level and she kisses his cheek. He feels colour rising in them, and tears in his eyes.
"You're very welcome, Dora." he says. "I only hope you don't catch cold."
"I won't!" she shouts with a giggle, as her father envelopes her in his jacket.
"You must come to ours for dinner." Andromeda insists, grabbing Remus's hands. "It's the least we can do. I could buy lobster, if you want."
"Lobster?" he exclaims, with more surprise than he intended. "I've never had that...thank you...I'd love to come."
"How's next Friday for you?" Mr Tonks asks. He has lifted Dora in his arms now and they're both smiling at him.
"You must come, Mr Lupin, we can have chocolate ice cream!" Dora adds.
Remus recalls in that second something Dumbledore said, after Remus confided in him his feeling of hopelessness and loss of direction.
"Our purposes in this life never run out, Remus. Just as you feel now that you need someone, someone in the world will need you. It will require patience, but I am sure your good heart will eventually lead you to them."
"That will be perfect." he says, and they begin to stroll towards the pub, all of them feeling particularly alive, hopeful and most of all, happy.
Fifteen years later
"...So that's the day I nearly drowned." Tonks says, concluding her story. "I wish I could remember the man who saved me. I remember him picking me up, and I remember crying a lot and giving him a kiss on the cheek when it was all over, but that's all."
"You may never know." Sirius comments. "But I expect your mum would remember."
"Yes, I should ask her."
"Wonder what he was doing in the pub on his own?"
She says, a little meekly; "I wonder that sometimes too. I like to think he was just waiting for someone, or hoping to pick up a girl. Not, you know, depressed."
"Even if he was," Remus tells her, feeling the same kind of hope when he looks at her that he did that night, "I'm sure you did him the world of good."
And
, he adds to himself, you are continuing to do so.
Author:
carnivalgirl
Format & Word Count: Fic, 1420 words.
Rating: PG or 12
Prompt: Prompt 29, quote from Louis L'Amour
Warning: At the beginning, some thoughts of suicide.
Summary: After Lily and James's deaths and Peter's apparent one, Remus sits alone by the Thames, feeling like there's no reason to live anymore. However, when a little girl with colour-changing hair falls in the water, a new purpose comes back to him.
Author's Note: I've never written little!Tonks with youngman!Remus before now. This fic was inspired by a number of things; Ophelia's drowning scene in Hamlet, the Simpsons' episode 'Moe Baby Blues' and 'The Girl in the Fireplace' of Doctor Who, where a girl ends up falling for a man who saved her as a child. The title is from the song by the Fray. Also, I'd kind of like to dedicate it to my old teacher, who committed suicide recently, as I wish that she had also found hope.
How to Save a Life
This Muggle pub had been one of Sirius's favourite features of London-a place where the urban monster had not yet swamped the lush green grass that grew outside, and ducks and swans could swim freely in clean water as the river flowed slowly alongside. For a November day it was uncannily warm and a number of families, couples and groups of friends were enjoying their drinks outside. Everyone seemed happy. That is, except one Remus Lupin, who was staring at the flowing waters and contemplating them.
Unfortunately Remus's reflections were not of the loving, Wordsworthian category. He hoped to find some part of this river-not this one, it would be too cruel-and jump into it, saying goodbye to the world he no longer wanted to live in and revisiting the friends he had lost, who only two years ago he was celebrating Sirius's birthday with here. He wondered how it would feel to have the water rushing past him, pulling him into it. It would be painful, he did not delude himself that it wouldn't be. But then, so was living.
Remus was currently treating himself to a pint of Muggle bitter, something wizards had never been able to get quite right and the name of which suited his mood. He stared at his reflection briefly before lifting the glass and pouring the brown-black liquid down his throat. It was a satisfying feeling. This was only the second one, he could have many more before going home to that mangy bedsit. He wouldn't have many more miserable nights there. Even if he wasn't reunited with Lily and James-even his studies of the soul at NEWT level hadn't entirely stopped him from questioning faith-an eternal sleep was also a calming prospect. Lowering the glass again, he thought of how James, Lily and Peter would smile when he joined them. He would even see his father again...
"HELP!"
A high pitched scream interrupted Remus's thoughts. A little girl had slipped into the river after leaning too close to the ducks. A crowd was starting to gather, and he leapt up to join them.
The poor little girl was struggling to stay afloat, moving her hands and legs like a puppy while her white dress ballooned around her in the water. She was starting to cry. The crowd was getting bigger but no one was reacting yet, or perhaps it just seemed things were happening in slow motion. One woman was particularly hysterical; probably the girl's mother. Another man was pulling furiously at a rarely-used life ring. The little girl's face turned to Remus as the river started to carry her-she was half-sobbing, half-screaming, mortal fear confronting her young mind.
Before he knew what he was doing, Remus had removed his shoes and was striding into the water. It was deeper than he thought but he was head and shoulders above her and had no fear of drowning. Fighting against the current, he held her by the shoulders and whispered "Mobilicorpus".
This was enough to lift her small, wet body inches above the water without Muggles noticing any difference, and so he was able to scoop her into his arms and lift her onto the bank. In the seconds he was holding her she only breathed heavily against his shoulder, but when she was safely on the ground she burst into tears and ran towards her mother. And he didn't know if it was just his imagination, but he could have sworn that her pale, almost-white blonde hair was now a lively red.
As he lifted himself out of the water with the help of a tree-branch he was able to reach, Remus took a glance at the girl's mother, who was bundling her into her arms and pressing her to her body. She was a tall woman with long, brown hair. When she opened her eyes, Remus realised who she was. Andromeda Black, Tonks rather, Sirius's cousin.
He didn't have much time to consider this before a swarm of people came around him, congratulating him on his heroism. His back was thumped, his cheeks were kissed and his hands were shaken. About ten people offered to buy him a drink. They were all laughing and smiling with relief, and Remus found himself doing the same. He had not been able to smile or laugh in weeks but now he was doing both. The world suddenly seemed a better place. Not everything had to go, not everything pure had to be destroyed. People were still loving each other, and now he felt he could love people too.
After accepting an offer for a drink from a man who had thumped him particularly hard on the back, Remus was called over by Andromeda Tonks and her husband. They were smiling softly, not showing their teeth, but they seemed to glow with a familial warmth. At first they talked to him as if he were a stranger;
"We can't thank you enough, mate. Our Dora...she's a clumsy girl, she's been learning to swim for two years and she still can't do it. Thank the Lord you were around to save her!"
While Mr Tonks was shaking his hand, Andromeda's eyes had widened a little. She smiled even wider, showing her teeth. "Remus! You're Remus Lupin, aren't you?" She doesn’t mention his friendship with Sirius.
Remus nodded meekly. "Yes. You're welcome, Andromeda."
"You were very brave. You could have been swept away…"
"Oh, I..." he began, but she is already hugging him.
"Sorry." she said. "I just...I...can't express what I'm feeling. Thank you so much."
"Speaking of thank yous." Mr Tonks says gruffly, though with some fatherly affection. "Dora, do you have something to say to Mr Lupin?"
The little girl, who is quite short and cute for what he knows now is an eight-year-old, comes forward. She's not crying any more, in fact she seems quite cheerful. Her red hair (which neither of her parents have, oddly enough) is all over the place after being rubbed furiously with a towel by the land lady. She gives him a shy smile.
"Thank you, Mr Lupin. I won't do that again." she says, and suddenly goes up onto tiptoes. Realising what she wants with a leap in his heart, he bends down to her level and she kisses his cheek. He feels colour rising in them, and tears in his eyes.
"You're very welcome, Dora." he says. "I only hope you don't catch cold."
"I won't!" she shouts with a giggle, as her father envelopes her in his jacket.
"You must come to ours for dinner." Andromeda insists, grabbing Remus's hands. "It's the least we can do. I could buy lobster, if you want."
"Lobster?" he exclaims, with more surprise than he intended. "I've never had that...thank you...I'd love to come."
"How's next Friday for you?" Mr Tonks asks. He has lifted Dora in his arms now and they're both smiling at him.
"You must come, Mr Lupin, we can have chocolate ice cream!" Dora adds.
Remus recalls in that second something Dumbledore said, after Remus confided in him his feeling of hopelessness and loss of direction.
"Our purposes in this life never run out, Remus. Just as you feel now that you need someone, someone in the world will need you. It will require patience, but I am sure your good heart will eventually lead you to them."
"That will be perfect." he says, and they begin to stroll towards the pub, all of them feeling particularly alive, hopeful and most of all, happy.
Fifteen years later
"...So that's the day I nearly drowned." Tonks says, concluding her story. "I wish I could remember the man who saved me. I remember him picking me up, and I remember crying a lot and giving him a kiss on the cheek when it was all over, but that's all."
"You may never know." Sirius comments. "But I expect your mum would remember."
"Yes, I should ask her."
"Wonder what he was doing in the pub on his own?"
She says, a little meekly; "I wonder that sometimes too. I like to think he was just waiting for someone, or hoping to pick up a girl. Not, you know, depressed."
"Even if he was," Remus tells her, feeling the same kind of hope when he looks at her that he did that night, "I'm sure you did him the world of good."
And
, he adds to himself, you are continuing to do so.