Five Golden Rings
Title: Five Golden Rings
Author: jncar
Rating & Warnings: PG
Prompts:
On the fifth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Five golden rings
Word Count: 3,007
Summary: As the day of their wedding approaches, Remus has the chance to give Dora five very different rings from five very different sources.
Author’s Notes: This isn’t a holiday story. Sorry. :) I got this idea not long after getting my prompt, but I didn’t have time to write it until the past few days. I hope you’ve all had wonderful holidays. Enjoy!
Five Golden Rings
1
Remus escorted Minerva back to the school that afternoon to discuss a few last items of business for the day. They’d spent the morning installing booby traps and protective charms around headquarters. It wouldn’t be easy for Snape to go back there-or for him to take anyone else.
As he was standing to leave, Minerva stopped him.
“Remus,” she said. “There’s one last thing I would like to discuss.”
“Yes, Minerva?” he replied. His shoulders sagged with exhaustion. All he wanted was to get home to Dora.
“I know,” she said hesitantly, “that last year before Sirius…before all that…you and Nymphadora had begun to talk about marriage.”
Remus nodded. Those times had been so sweet. He’d lost himself completely in the heat and bliss of his unexpected love. He’d permitted himself to start thinking of a future together as a real option. His time with the other werewolves had destroyed that almost completely.
Since their reunion, there’d been a few moments-quiet, peaceful moments alone together-when that once-hoped-for future still seemed possible.
“Yes,” he whispered.
Minerva’s eyes darted downward, and she shifted her weight. “I know that you can’t have gotten to the point where you’re talking about that again…not yet. But…if you do…there’s something I want you to have.”
She moved to the back of her desk, and reached into one of the top drawers. She withdrew a small, glinting object, and walked toward him. “Here,” she said extending her arm toward him, and opening her hand.
In her palm lay a ring with a thick golden band capped by a glittering, rounded cluster of more than a dozen tiny diamonds.
Remus stared at it wide-eyed.
“Minerva…I…I don’t know what to say…”
“You don’t have to take it right now,” she said with a thin smile. “But if the time comes that you need a ring, it’s here for you.”
Remus’s mouth felt dry as he imagined Dora’s slender finger graced with the spectacular ring. He could imagine the way the gleam in her eyes would echo the sparkle of the diamonds…
“It was my mother’s,” said Minerva softly.
Remus felt tears swelling in the corners of his eyes. “Thank…thank you…but I couldn’t possibly…”
“Remus,” she said, closing her hand over the ring. “Just think about it. As I have no daughter of my own to pass it on to, I can think of no one I would rather give it to than you and Nymphadora. When the time comes, keep this in mind. Please.”
He smiled wanly, and nodded. “I will. Thank you. Thank you so much.”
2
The Order meeting ended on a somber note, and the members began dispersing quietly. Dora hadn’t been at the meeting-she was busy at the Ministry.
“Remus,” said Molly, “would you mind giving me a hand with the dishes?”
He rose from his chair and nodded. “It would be no trouble at all.”
Once they were alone in the kitchen, Molly cleared her throat. “I sure you’ve heard the rumors coming out of the Ministry-about the proposals for new restrictions on the sorts of contracts that…werewolves…can enter into?”
Remus sighed. He knew exactly where this was going, and he knew that there was nothing he could do to stop it. He would simply have to endure.
“Yes,” he replied. “I’ve heard the rumors.”
Molly nodded with a sympathetic smile. “I was wondering if you and Dora were thinking about…doing anything… before it’s too late?”
Remus took a deep breath, and stared resolutely down at the sink full of sudsy water where he was scrubbing plates.
“We’ve…talked about it. But we haven’t made any decisions.”
He hoped that was the end of it, but he was fairly certain it wouldn’t be.
Molly placed her hand on his shoulder. “Remus, dear, you need to make your minds up soon. You might not have much time.”
“I know,” he said, feeling a tight knot forming in his chest.
They were quiet for a few moments.
“There’s something I want you to have,” said Molly softly, reaching into her apron pocket.
Remus turned to look at what she’d pulled out. It was a simple diamond solitaire ring, with a small but clear and shining stone.
“Molly…”
“It was my engagement ring. Arthur was so happy and nervous when he gave it to me. I can still remember the look on his face.” She smiled. “I want you to have it. Give it to Dora.”
Remus shook his head. “I can’t take your engagement ring, Molly.”
“I want you to have it. Every girl deserves a proper engagement ring.”
Remus winced. He knew Molly didn’t mean to hurt him, but her words cut deeper than she would ever know.
“Thank you Molly. Dora does deserve a beautiful ring. But, like I said, we haven’t made up our minds yet. Besides-I don’t think I can take the ring Arthur gave you. It wouldn’t be right.”
“I hardly ever wear it anymore. Arthur would understand. We both want the best for you…”
Remus couldn’t help but smile at her earnest insistence. She may have been a little tactless, but her heart was in the right place. He dried his hands on a dishtowel, and then pulled her into a warm embrace.
“Thank you, Molly. It means a lot to me that you would offer this. I can’t accept it…but I’m very touched that you care this much about us.”
“We do, dear. We all love you-you know that. And if you ever change your mind, the ring is here for you.”
Her words and her smile warmed his heart.
Society at large may never accept his relationship with Dora, but it meant the world to him to know that they would always have a safe haven here at the Burrow.
3
Remus had just finished buying some supplies for his Wolfsbane Potion at a cheap Apothecary on Knockturn Alley. As he stepped back out onto the street his nose was assailed with the all too familiar acrid scent of pipe smoke.
“Remus! You’re just the bloke I been looking for!” said Mundungus with a grin.
Remus sighed. “Am I now? What can I do for you, Dung?”
Remus continued walking toward Diagon Alley, and Dung fell in beside him.
“I’ve ‘eard that you and the lady are talking about settling down.”
“Oh, have you?” This could mean nothing good, and Remus was eager to escape the conversation.
Dung rubbed his hands together and grinned lecherously. “Oh yes I ‘ave!” He chuckled. “And if I’m not mistaken, I ‘ave exactly what you’ll be needing next.”
Remus rolled his eyes. “Somehow I doubt that.”
Ignoring his tone of dismissal, Dung reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a gaudy bejeweled monstrosity of a ring. “ ‘Ere it is!” he proclaimed. “The perfect gift for your bride-to-be.”
“Not interested,” said Remus, quickening his pace.
Dung sped up to match him. “Come on, mate! It’s every girl’s dream! Twenty-four carat gold, genuine emerald and ruby, a priceless heirloom, and it could be yours for just two Galleons.”
Remus snorted. “I don’t think so.” Dung must really be having trouble ridding himself of the hideous thing if he was willing to part with it for just two Galleons.
“You drive a hard bargain, lad. All right-just for you, on account of you being my friend, I’ll give it to you for one Galleon and ten Sickles…but not a Knut less.”
Remus stopped short, not because Dung’s price had tempted him, but because the words “priceless heirloom” had suddenly set off an alarm in his brain. “Let me have a closer look at that,” he said.
“Take a good look,” said Dung, grinning. “You won’t be disappointed. It’s a real beauty.” He handed Remus the ring.
The golden band was formed to look like a coiled snake, topped off with a profile of the snake’s head, its small golden jaws spread wide to clutch a large emerald between its fangs, with a small ruby glinting as its eye. It truly was repulsive. Remus raised the ring closer to his eyes, and turned it carefully in front of him. Sure enough, inside the ring on the thickest part of the band was engraved a tiny version of the Black family crest.
“You nicked this from Sirius’s house, didn’t you?” he said.
“It doesn’t matter where it came from,” said Dung. “What matters is that it can be yours for the bargain price of one Galleon and five Sickles. That’s my final offer, mate. Take it or leave it.”
Remus clenched his fist around the ring and glared at Dung. “This ring isn’t yours to sell. It belongs to Harry, and I’m going to see that it’s returned to him as soon as possible.” He turned on his heel and began to stalk away.
“ ‘Ey! You can’t do that! That’s my merchandise!”
“Not anymore,” called Remus over his shoulder. “You picked the wrong man to push your wares on Dung. I’d be more cautious next time, if I were you.”
He heard Dung cursing loudly behind him, but he wasn’t following.
Remus sighed. He’d hand the ring over to Bill, who would see to it that it was placed in Harry’s vault at Gringott’s.
He allowed himself a moment to smile and chuckle as he imagined how Dora would react to being presented with such a ring.
4
For more than a decade three Galleons sat in a lonely little heap in Remus’s tiny vault beneath Gringott’s. They were all that remained of the small legacy left to him by his father, and he swore that he would never touch them, save in the case of the direst emergency.
That time had finally come.
As talk of new restrictions to werewolves grew louder in the Ministry the strain was evident on Dora’s face. No matter how often she reassured him that they didn’t need to get married-that it was old fashioned and unnecessary-she couldn’t completely hide the pain and longing in her eyes.
He’d hurt and disappointed her so much over the past year…he couldn’t bear to do it yet again.
Removing one of the three Galleons was easier than he had expected. In fact, a little voice in his head kept urging him to take a second. But he forced himself to leave two behind. Who knew when they might be needed? Restricting himself to just one was the only prudent thing to do.
It was only when he stood staring down at the meager selection of plain gold bands available for a single Galleon that he realized that Dora deserved something more than mere prudence.
But his mind was made up. He wasn’t going to accept charity from Minerva or Molly. Not for this.
The next night Remus took Dora out for a rare night on the town. His hand kept darting unconsciously to his pocket to finger the smooth gold band inside, feeling increasingly unsure as the night progressed.
They ended their outing with a long stroll through Muggle London. In spite of the rampant breeding of dementors in the area it was a clear, warm night. When they paused to rest by a fountain, Dora looked up at him.
“You’ve seemed on edge all evening. Is there something in particular on your mind?”
Remus fidgeted nervously. He knew she would never ask the real questions she was thinking. She’d been so nervous of driving him away again that she never completely spoke her mind.
He nodded slowly. “There has been…something…on my mind the last few weeks.” He reached into his pocket again. “There’s something I need to ask you.”
She looked up at him expectantly. “What?”
His mouth felt dry, and a tight knot of fear formed in his gut. What was he doing? He had to be out of his mind. With anti-werewolf sentiment at an all-time high it was utterly and completely irresponsible to tie her down like this.
She reached out and took his free hand in hers. “It’s all right, Remus. You can ask me anything-you know that.”
The look in her eyes made his heart beat even faster. He couldn’t disappoint her. Not again.
“Dora…you know I have nothing to offer you…no way to provide for you. But…I love you. If you have it in your heart to…to give me a chance to share your life…” He shook his head. He couldn’t get his words straight. Nothing was coming out right.
“Remus…” said Dora with a nervous quaver in her voice. “Are you…are you asking me…?”
He pulled his hand out his pocket, and held out the plain gold ring. “Marry me. Please…marry me.”
Dora’s eyes filled with tears, and a broad smile spread slowly across her face.
“Yes,” she said with a half-sob half-laugh. “Yes!”
He could feel himself grinning, and a stream of nervous chuckles unconsciously escaped from his lips. He had no words.
He pressed the simple band into her outstretched hand, and she grinned at it with undisguised delight. She twisted and turned it in front of her face in wonder, and froze abruptly when she caught sight of the inscription on the inside of the ring. She turned it slowly, savoring every word.
The inscription was simple. “My heart is yours Love, Remus.”
“It should have been something more eloquent…a line of poetry, perhaps. But I don’t even have that to offer you. Just the man standing in front of you. Nothing more, nothing less.”
She slid the ring onto her finger, and wrapped her arms around him.
“You-and your heart-are all I’ve ever wanted. And they’re all I ever will want.”
He wound his arms around her back and held her tight.
For the first time in more than a year, he felt whole.
5
The evening before their wedding Remus and Dora stayed in, hanging new drapes to brighten up their tiny flat.
Following an unexpected knock on the door and a series of security questions, they invited Alastor inside.
“What is it? Has something happened?” asked Remus nervously.
“No…no. Nothings wrong, for once. Not that it’ll last.”
“All we need is one more day…although two would be even better,” said Dora brightly.
One of Alastor’s rare smiles broke his face. “Let’s hope for two.”
“So…what can we do for you?” asked Remus.
“Nothing. Nothing. I just can to give you something.” He reached into his pocket and drew out a ring: a gold band topped with a large diamond flanked by two small but shimmering blue sapphires.
Dora gasped. “Alastor! It’s gorgeous. But I couldn’t possibly…”
“Hold on just a minute, girl,” interrupted Alastor. “Before you turn me down, you need to know that I didn’t run out and buy this for you, so if it’s the expense that troubles you, you needn’t let it.”
“Is it a family heirloom?” asked Remus. He’d turned down three heirloom rings already, and he was reluctant to accept a fourth.
“No. It’s no heirloom. I bought it nearly twenty years ago. I just never had a chance to give it to the person it was intended for. Evan Rosier got to her first.” Alastor grunted and absently rubbed the jagged scar across his nose. “He paid the price,” he muttered quietly.
Remus remembered very well when Rosier had been killed by Alastor and two other Aurors. But even then, he’d had no idea that Alastor’s motives had been so personal.
“It’s just been rattling around in my sock drawer ever since, doing no one any good at all,” said Alastor. He looked intently at Dora. “Now I’ve finally got the chance to give it to someone I care about.”
“Alastor,” said Dora, her eyes shining with moisture, “I don’t know what to say.”
“Just say you’ll take it,” he replied, pressing it into her hand.
She stared down at it, watching the gems sparkle in the sunlight filtering through the windows. Then she looked up at Remus. He recognized her expression immediately: she was asking his permission. It was a question she dare not ask out loud-one she shouldn’t have to ask at all.
The knot in Remus’s gut that had been tightening ever since he proposed now gave a painful twist. Had he damaged her so deeply that she couldn’t even accept a gift from her mentor without asking him first? She deserved so much better.
“Thank you, Alastor,” he said, stepping forward and wrapping his arm around Dora’s waist. “The ring is beautiful, and I’m sure it will look even more beautiful on Dora’s finger.”
Dora looked up at him with what appeared to be grateful astonishment, and Alastor’s smile grew even warmer. “Good,” he said. “I’m glad. But mind you don’t wear it when you’re out on assignment. That big stone could snag on something and rip your finger clean off. It’s only for special occasions. The ring Remus gave you is much more practical for work.”
Dora giggled. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She slipped the ring onto her finger next to the simple gold band and held it up. “There. What do you think?”
Alastor continued to smile, and gave a short nod. “That’s where it belongs.” He paused. “Love in wartime is never easy. You’ve no idea how proud I am that you two are fighting to make it work.”
Dora slipped out of Remus’s arm and gave Alastor a warm hug, which he gladly returned. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you so much.”
Remus was happy that Dora finally had the ring she deserved. But the thought that she was wearing the ring of a woman who was murdered before she could ever wear it herself made the painful knot inside of him grow even tighter.
After Alastor left, Remus took Dora in his arms and held her tight. He wondered how he could feel so happy and so afraid all at the same time.
He wondered if she felt the same way.
Author: jncar
Rating & Warnings: PG
Prompts:
On the fifth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Five golden rings
Word Count: 3,007
Summary: As the day of their wedding approaches, Remus has the chance to give Dora five very different rings from five very different sources.
Author’s Notes: This isn’t a holiday story. Sorry. :) I got this idea not long after getting my prompt, but I didn’t have time to write it until the past few days. I hope you’ve all had wonderful holidays. Enjoy!
Five Golden Rings
1
Remus escorted Minerva back to the school that afternoon to discuss a few last items of business for the day. They’d spent the morning installing booby traps and protective charms around headquarters. It wouldn’t be easy for Snape to go back there-or for him to take anyone else.
As he was standing to leave, Minerva stopped him.
“Remus,” she said. “There’s one last thing I would like to discuss.”
“Yes, Minerva?” he replied. His shoulders sagged with exhaustion. All he wanted was to get home to Dora.
“I know,” she said hesitantly, “that last year before Sirius…before all that…you and Nymphadora had begun to talk about marriage.”
Remus nodded. Those times had been so sweet. He’d lost himself completely in the heat and bliss of his unexpected love. He’d permitted himself to start thinking of a future together as a real option. His time with the other werewolves had destroyed that almost completely.
Since their reunion, there’d been a few moments-quiet, peaceful moments alone together-when that once-hoped-for future still seemed possible.
“Yes,” he whispered.
Minerva’s eyes darted downward, and she shifted her weight. “I know that you can’t have gotten to the point where you’re talking about that again…not yet. But…if you do…there’s something I want you to have.”
She moved to the back of her desk, and reached into one of the top drawers. She withdrew a small, glinting object, and walked toward him. “Here,” she said extending her arm toward him, and opening her hand.
In her palm lay a ring with a thick golden band capped by a glittering, rounded cluster of more than a dozen tiny diamonds.
Remus stared at it wide-eyed.
“Minerva…I…I don’t know what to say…”
“You don’t have to take it right now,” she said with a thin smile. “But if the time comes that you need a ring, it’s here for you.”
Remus’s mouth felt dry as he imagined Dora’s slender finger graced with the spectacular ring. He could imagine the way the gleam in her eyes would echo the sparkle of the diamonds…
“It was my mother’s,” said Minerva softly.
Remus felt tears swelling in the corners of his eyes. “Thank…thank you…but I couldn’t possibly…”
“Remus,” she said, closing her hand over the ring. “Just think about it. As I have no daughter of my own to pass it on to, I can think of no one I would rather give it to than you and Nymphadora. When the time comes, keep this in mind. Please.”
He smiled wanly, and nodded. “I will. Thank you. Thank you so much.”
2
The Order meeting ended on a somber note, and the members began dispersing quietly. Dora hadn’t been at the meeting-she was busy at the Ministry.
“Remus,” said Molly, “would you mind giving me a hand with the dishes?”
He rose from his chair and nodded. “It would be no trouble at all.”
Once they were alone in the kitchen, Molly cleared her throat. “I sure you’ve heard the rumors coming out of the Ministry-about the proposals for new restrictions on the sorts of contracts that…werewolves…can enter into?”
Remus sighed. He knew exactly where this was going, and he knew that there was nothing he could do to stop it. He would simply have to endure.
“Yes,” he replied. “I’ve heard the rumors.”
Molly nodded with a sympathetic smile. “I was wondering if you and Dora were thinking about…doing anything… before it’s too late?”
Remus took a deep breath, and stared resolutely down at the sink full of sudsy water where he was scrubbing plates.
“We’ve…talked about it. But we haven’t made any decisions.”
He hoped that was the end of it, but he was fairly certain it wouldn’t be.
Molly placed her hand on his shoulder. “Remus, dear, you need to make your minds up soon. You might not have much time.”
“I know,” he said, feeling a tight knot forming in his chest.
They were quiet for a few moments.
“There’s something I want you to have,” said Molly softly, reaching into her apron pocket.
Remus turned to look at what she’d pulled out. It was a simple diamond solitaire ring, with a small but clear and shining stone.
“Molly…”
“It was my engagement ring. Arthur was so happy and nervous when he gave it to me. I can still remember the look on his face.” She smiled. “I want you to have it. Give it to Dora.”
Remus shook his head. “I can’t take your engagement ring, Molly.”
“I want you to have it. Every girl deserves a proper engagement ring.”
Remus winced. He knew Molly didn’t mean to hurt him, but her words cut deeper than she would ever know.
“Thank you Molly. Dora does deserve a beautiful ring. But, like I said, we haven’t made up our minds yet. Besides-I don’t think I can take the ring Arthur gave you. It wouldn’t be right.”
“I hardly ever wear it anymore. Arthur would understand. We both want the best for you…”
Remus couldn’t help but smile at her earnest insistence. She may have been a little tactless, but her heart was in the right place. He dried his hands on a dishtowel, and then pulled her into a warm embrace.
“Thank you, Molly. It means a lot to me that you would offer this. I can’t accept it…but I’m very touched that you care this much about us.”
“We do, dear. We all love you-you know that. And if you ever change your mind, the ring is here for you.”
Her words and her smile warmed his heart.
Society at large may never accept his relationship with Dora, but it meant the world to him to know that they would always have a safe haven here at the Burrow.
3
Remus had just finished buying some supplies for his Wolfsbane Potion at a cheap Apothecary on Knockturn Alley. As he stepped back out onto the street his nose was assailed with the all too familiar acrid scent of pipe smoke.
“Remus! You’re just the bloke I been looking for!” said Mundungus with a grin.
Remus sighed. “Am I now? What can I do for you, Dung?”
Remus continued walking toward Diagon Alley, and Dung fell in beside him.
“I’ve ‘eard that you and the lady are talking about settling down.”
“Oh, have you?” This could mean nothing good, and Remus was eager to escape the conversation.
Dung rubbed his hands together and grinned lecherously. “Oh yes I ‘ave!” He chuckled. “And if I’m not mistaken, I ‘ave exactly what you’ll be needing next.”
Remus rolled his eyes. “Somehow I doubt that.”
Ignoring his tone of dismissal, Dung reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a gaudy bejeweled monstrosity of a ring. “ ‘Ere it is!” he proclaimed. “The perfect gift for your bride-to-be.”
“Not interested,” said Remus, quickening his pace.
Dung sped up to match him. “Come on, mate! It’s every girl’s dream! Twenty-four carat gold, genuine emerald and ruby, a priceless heirloom, and it could be yours for just two Galleons.”
Remus snorted. “I don’t think so.” Dung must really be having trouble ridding himself of the hideous thing if he was willing to part with it for just two Galleons.
“You drive a hard bargain, lad. All right-just for you, on account of you being my friend, I’ll give it to you for one Galleon and ten Sickles…but not a Knut less.”
Remus stopped short, not because Dung’s price had tempted him, but because the words “priceless heirloom” had suddenly set off an alarm in his brain. “Let me have a closer look at that,” he said.
“Take a good look,” said Dung, grinning. “You won’t be disappointed. It’s a real beauty.” He handed Remus the ring.
The golden band was formed to look like a coiled snake, topped off with a profile of the snake’s head, its small golden jaws spread wide to clutch a large emerald between its fangs, with a small ruby glinting as its eye. It truly was repulsive. Remus raised the ring closer to his eyes, and turned it carefully in front of him. Sure enough, inside the ring on the thickest part of the band was engraved a tiny version of the Black family crest.
“You nicked this from Sirius’s house, didn’t you?” he said.
“It doesn’t matter where it came from,” said Dung. “What matters is that it can be yours for the bargain price of one Galleon and five Sickles. That’s my final offer, mate. Take it or leave it.”
Remus clenched his fist around the ring and glared at Dung. “This ring isn’t yours to sell. It belongs to Harry, and I’m going to see that it’s returned to him as soon as possible.” He turned on his heel and began to stalk away.
“ ‘Ey! You can’t do that! That’s my merchandise!”
“Not anymore,” called Remus over his shoulder. “You picked the wrong man to push your wares on Dung. I’d be more cautious next time, if I were you.”
He heard Dung cursing loudly behind him, but he wasn’t following.
Remus sighed. He’d hand the ring over to Bill, who would see to it that it was placed in Harry’s vault at Gringott’s.
He allowed himself a moment to smile and chuckle as he imagined how Dora would react to being presented with such a ring.
4
For more than a decade three Galleons sat in a lonely little heap in Remus’s tiny vault beneath Gringott’s. They were all that remained of the small legacy left to him by his father, and he swore that he would never touch them, save in the case of the direst emergency.
That time had finally come.
As talk of new restrictions to werewolves grew louder in the Ministry the strain was evident on Dora’s face. No matter how often she reassured him that they didn’t need to get married-that it was old fashioned and unnecessary-she couldn’t completely hide the pain and longing in her eyes.
He’d hurt and disappointed her so much over the past year…he couldn’t bear to do it yet again.
Removing one of the three Galleons was easier than he had expected. In fact, a little voice in his head kept urging him to take a second. But he forced himself to leave two behind. Who knew when they might be needed? Restricting himself to just one was the only prudent thing to do.
It was only when he stood staring down at the meager selection of plain gold bands available for a single Galleon that he realized that Dora deserved something more than mere prudence.
But his mind was made up. He wasn’t going to accept charity from Minerva or Molly. Not for this.
The next night Remus took Dora out for a rare night on the town. His hand kept darting unconsciously to his pocket to finger the smooth gold band inside, feeling increasingly unsure as the night progressed.
They ended their outing with a long stroll through Muggle London. In spite of the rampant breeding of dementors in the area it was a clear, warm night. When they paused to rest by a fountain, Dora looked up at him.
“You’ve seemed on edge all evening. Is there something in particular on your mind?”
Remus fidgeted nervously. He knew she would never ask the real questions she was thinking. She’d been so nervous of driving him away again that she never completely spoke her mind.
He nodded slowly. “There has been…something…on my mind the last few weeks.” He reached into his pocket again. “There’s something I need to ask you.”
She looked up at him expectantly. “What?”
His mouth felt dry, and a tight knot of fear formed in his gut. What was he doing? He had to be out of his mind. With anti-werewolf sentiment at an all-time high it was utterly and completely irresponsible to tie her down like this.
She reached out and took his free hand in hers. “It’s all right, Remus. You can ask me anything-you know that.”
The look in her eyes made his heart beat even faster. He couldn’t disappoint her. Not again.
“Dora…you know I have nothing to offer you…no way to provide for you. But…I love you. If you have it in your heart to…to give me a chance to share your life…” He shook his head. He couldn’t get his words straight. Nothing was coming out right.
“Remus…” said Dora with a nervous quaver in her voice. “Are you…are you asking me…?”
He pulled his hand out his pocket, and held out the plain gold ring. “Marry me. Please…marry me.”
Dora’s eyes filled with tears, and a broad smile spread slowly across her face.
“Yes,” she said with a half-sob half-laugh. “Yes!”
He could feel himself grinning, and a stream of nervous chuckles unconsciously escaped from his lips. He had no words.
He pressed the simple band into her outstretched hand, and she grinned at it with undisguised delight. She twisted and turned it in front of her face in wonder, and froze abruptly when she caught sight of the inscription on the inside of the ring. She turned it slowly, savoring every word.
The inscription was simple. “My heart is yours Love, Remus.”
“It should have been something more eloquent…a line of poetry, perhaps. But I don’t even have that to offer you. Just the man standing in front of you. Nothing more, nothing less.”
She slid the ring onto her finger, and wrapped her arms around him.
“You-and your heart-are all I’ve ever wanted. And they’re all I ever will want.”
He wound his arms around her back and held her tight.
For the first time in more than a year, he felt whole.
5
The evening before their wedding Remus and Dora stayed in, hanging new drapes to brighten up their tiny flat.
Following an unexpected knock on the door and a series of security questions, they invited Alastor inside.
“What is it? Has something happened?” asked Remus nervously.
“No…no. Nothings wrong, for once. Not that it’ll last.”
“All we need is one more day…although two would be even better,” said Dora brightly.
One of Alastor’s rare smiles broke his face. “Let’s hope for two.”
“So…what can we do for you?” asked Remus.
“Nothing. Nothing. I just can to give you something.” He reached into his pocket and drew out a ring: a gold band topped with a large diamond flanked by two small but shimmering blue sapphires.
Dora gasped. “Alastor! It’s gorgeous. But I couldn’t possibly…”
“Hold on just a minute, girl,” interrupted Alastor. “Before you turn me down, you need to know that I didn’t run out and buy this for you, so if it’s the expense that troubles you, you needn’t let it.”
“Is it a family heirloom?” asked Remus. He’d turned down three heirloom rings already, and he was reluctant to accept a fourth.
“No. It’s no heirloom. I bought it nearly twenty years ago. I just never had a chance to give it to the person it was intended for. Evan Rosier got to her first.” Alastor grunted and absently rubbed the jagged scar across his nose. “He paid the price,” he muttered quietly.
Remus remembered very well when Rosier had been killed by Alastor and two other Aurors. But even then, he’d had no idea that Alastor’s motives had been so personal.
“It’s just been rattling around in my sock drawer ever since, doing no one any good at all,” said Alastor. He looked intently at Dora. “Now I’ve finally got the chance to give it to someone I care about.”
“Alastor,” said Dora, her eyes shining with moisture, “I don’t know what to say.”
“Just say you’ll take it,” he replied, pressing it into her hand.
She stared down at it, watching the gems sparkle in the sunlight filtering through the windows. Then she looked up at Remus. He recognized her expression immediately: she was asking his permission. It was a question she dare not ask out loud-one she shouldn’t have to ask at all.
The knot in Remus’s gut that had been tightening ever since he proposed now gave a painful twist. Had he damaged her so deeply that she couldn’t even accept a gift from her mentor without asking him first? She deserved so much better.
“Thank you, Alastor,” he said, stepping forward and wrapping his arm around Dora’s waist. “The ring is beautiful, and I’m sure it will look even more beautiful on Dora’s finger.”
Dora looked up at him with what appeared to be grateful astonishment, and Alastor’s smile grew even warmer. “Good,” he said. “I’m glad. But mind you don’t wear it when you’re out on assignment. That big stone could snag on something and rip your finger clean off. It’s only for special occasions. The ring Remus gave you is much more practical for work.”
Dora giggled. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She slipped the ring onto her finger next to the simple gold band and held it up. “There. What do you think?”
Alastor continued to smile, and gave a short nod. “That’s where it belongs.” He paused. “Love in wartime is never easy. You’ve no idea how proud I am that you two are fighting to make it work.”
Dora slipped out of Remus’s arm and gave Alastor a warm hug, which he gladly returned. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you so much.”
Remus was happy that Dora finally had the ring she deserved. But the thought that she was wearing the ring of a woman who was murdered before she could ever wear it herself made the painful knot inside of him grow even tighter.
After Alastor left, Remus took Dora in his arms and held her tight. He wondered how he could feel so happy and so afraid all at the same time.
He wondered if she felt the same way.