Go Toward the Light, Already

Author's Note: The prompt for this story was "Seasons of Love" from Rent. This was going to be a Serious and Very Dramatic fic - a reflection on the wonderful life Remus has had with Tonks, winding up with a scene reminiscent of the final scene in Somewhere in Time ('scuze me while I just stomp on my inner sap). Then I had an image of an already-departed Tonks coming to bring a dying Remus home, and falling flat on her face. Need I say more?

Go Toward the Light, Already

"Remus."

"Remus."

"Reeeeeeeeeeeeemuuus."

"Remus bloody John Lupin, open your sodding eyes when I'm calling you!"

Remus bloody John Lupin awoke with a start. He was not pleased. At his advanced age, a good night's rest was very much to be prized. Bringing his vision into focus, he was surprised to see his wife sitting on the bed next to him.

"What are you doing here?"

Tonks huffed. "That's a fine greeting. I'm your wife - where else would I be?"

"Well, since you died last year, I would have thought underground would be a good place to start looking. Possibly in the Great Beyond. You're looking good, by the way."

She preened. "Thank you. It's only the body that ages, after all - the spirit is eternally young." She made a sweeping gesture as she said this, nearly hitting him on the nose. He blinked, and she smiled at him beatifically.

"Er, was there a reason you woke me just now? It's lovely to see you again and all, but I could really use some sleep."

Ah yes - he remembered that look of annoyance. "Too bad," she said shortly. "I've come to take you to your Eternal Rest, so get up."

"What, like this?"

"'What, like this?' what?"

"Well it's all wrong, isn't it? You're in a t-shirt and denims, and your hair is pink, like when we first met. Shouldn't there be white robes, softly diffused light - maybe an angelic chorus or something? You only die once, after all - it should be done right."

"I notice you didn't mention my having brown hair."

He shrugged. "I always liked it pink." He peered at her suspiciously. "Do they really approve of it...There?"

"For your information, St. Peter thinks it's quite fetching."

Remus nodded in satisfaction. "Glad to know he's got good sense. Nevertheless...." He tried to pull the bedclothes up to his chin, but an unearthly power snatched them away. He glared at the spirit of his not-so-departed wife.

"You're not getting out of this, you know. It's on the books." He continued to glare, and folded his arms across his chest. Tonks thought the resemblance to their youngest descendant was remarkable. "Honestly," she complained, "were you always this cantankerous?"

"Yes."

"Liar. You've gotten worse."

"I'm one hundred twenty-seven years old. I've every right to get worse."

Tonks sighed in exasperation. "Here - " With a wave of her hand, she suddenly wore angelic white robes. "Look - no wand needed." Tossing her head back, she lengthened her pink spikes into rippling waves, and a radiant glow began to emanate from her being. "Better now?"

Remus merely grunted, determined to be unimpressed. She rolled her eyes.

"Fine, I'll do the whole bloody show." Clearing her throat, she struck a dramatic pose, one hand outstretched toward her uncooperative spouse. "Remus Lupin," she declaimed in celestial tones that were quite unlike her own natural voice, "your time upon this sorrowful earth is at an end. I have come to take you Home."

He stared at her for a moment, and grabbed hold of the covers again. "Good night, whoever you are. Nymphadora would never have behaved in such a ridiculous manner."

Before his head could hit the pillow, the blankets were once more yanked down to his feet and the pillow was hitting his head. "All right! All right! I'm up, I'm up!"

"Good." The pillow fell to floor, allowing him to see that Tonks now had him pinned to the headboard, one arm on either side of him. He noticed smugly that it was back to t-shirt, denims and pink spikes. "Now listen up, Remus, we can do this the easy way or the hard way."

He looked shiftily around, but saw no escape. "If this is easy, what's the hard way?"

"James and Sirius come drag you away kicking and screaming, and then spend eternity taking the mickey out of you because you wouldn't go willingly with your sexy, eternally young wife."

He had to admit that an eternity spent with James and Sirius taking the mickey out of him for any reason was close enough to hell that he really didn't want to deal with it. It had been bad enough at Hogwarts. Besides, being dragged into the Great Beyond kicking and screaming by your two best - and dead - mates was just undignified. "Oh - all right then."

"That's better." Tonks leaned back to give him some space.

"So how do I do this?"

"Oh, it's easy. Just lay back down - right, let's tuck you in properly - there you go - and simply breathe one last, peaceful breath."

He had just inhaled for that last, peaceful breath when something occurred to him, and he sat up. "Hang on a tick - who's going to find me? I'm not just going to moulder in my bed, am I?"

Tonks sighed. "Of course not. Celia will come by in the morning and take care of everything."

"Celia? Don't you think it's a bit harsh to spring something like that on your daughter?"

"No, not really. As you pointed out, you're one hundred twenty-seven years old. It won't be that much of a surprise. Besides, I've already been to tell her what to expect. "

"You've what?"

Tonks shrugged. "She's a very receptive dreamer, you know."

"Oh. Well then." Remus lay back down and, once again, pulled up the comforter. He clung to the top of it a little uncertainly. "Just breathe in and out?"

Tonks nodded. "That's it. Peacefully. Focus on being peaceful, at rest."

He glowered at her and muttered "I was peacefully at rest before you woke me." Tonks ignored him, and he closed his eyes. Breathe in and out. It was more of a sigh, and he suddenly felt light, weightless - bodiless, even. There was a sudden absence of stiffness and pain that left him feeling a bit disoriented. He sat up, leaving his body behind him. It was an odd sensation, but it didn't take long to get over it.

Tonks was standing in front of him, grinning. "So, how do you feel?"

"Um," he said. "Good - good. I seem to have hair on my head again."

"And you look perfectly scrumptious. Shall we?" She offered her hand, and hesitantly he reached out to take it. He was surprised and pleased to once again feel her hand in his, and was fairly certain his grin stretched from ear to ear.

"Ready, then?"

Remus nodded, and a bright light appeared at the end of the room. It grew larger and larger until it reached the size of a doorway. Hand in hand, they began walking toward it, but halfway across the room he stopped abruptly.

"What is it now?" Tonks asked in some confusion.

He hesitated. "Well - it's just odd. I always though it would be one final transformation that would do me in. But here it is, the new moon, and I've just died, well, more or less peacefully, if not in my sleep. It's...not what I was expecting, that's all."

She smiled affectionately at her husband. "You are such a drama queen. Give me a kiss and let's go." He was only too happy to oblige, and even happier to discover there was no longer any real need to come up for air.

"Sweetheart - " Tonks had to pull away. "We really need to be going."

"All right." He took one last, lingering look around the room. There were so many memories held in that room - so many years of love, of births, of mornings being woken by the children, the grandchildren, the great-grandchildren, the great-great-grandchildren....

"Remus." Tonks' no-nonsense voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Are you always going to keep me waiting? Go toward the light already, will you?"

And together they did.