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"I can't believe the muggleborn is getting help with the telly from a wizard," Lily laughed, as Remus finished connecting the line to the outlet in the wall. James and Lily had been renovating the Godric Hollow cottage for awhile now, including adding electricity to the walls. Even though it isn't common for wizard homes to have electricity, Lily insisted on it and James happily complied. It made her feel more comfortable, it left a familiar feeling in the new home for her. She couldn't have found a better partner to combine muggle and wizard life with either, James was completely ecstatic about learning about muggle electricity. He flicked the light switch on and off so many times, it drove Lily so insane that she debated taking away the electricity. James stopped messing around almost immediately.
Anyways, that's why Remus was over. James was absolutely clueless on how to install a landline, and Lily was desperate for one.
"The good thing about this is you can record something called a voicemail now," Remus said proudly, giving the machine a tap.
"A voice mail?" Lily asked.
"Yeah, if you miss a call, you can leave a message for the person, so they know what you were calling about. And this telly is fun because you can pre-record a voicemail message for your callers."
"Fascinating!" Lily squealed. "Blimey, sometimes I swear muggles are more high-tech than wizards. They are years behind."
Remus laughed at his friends excitement.
"Tell me about it. Do you want to record your message now?"
"Yeah," Lily said. "Let me just go grab James."
Remus leaned back on the couch and watched his best friend waddle away. She was about five months pregnant with the baby. Lily had been absolutely frightened when she found out. She showed up on Remus's doorstep at 1 a.m. and sobbed into his arms. James sent out a manhunt for her, he was absolutely terrified when he couldn't find her in bed. It took them about a week to decide what to do, ultimately, the decision was to keep the baby. Lily and James were so filled with love, they couldn't ignore how much of a blessing the baby was, even in the middle of a terrifying wizarding war.
Remus thought about how extremely brave they were, much braver than he could ever be. James still showed up to meeting with the Order, he had a straight face and took every meeting seriously. He had been assigned on less missions considering his current familial situation, but that didn't stop him from putting his entire heart into fighting against Voldemort. He was a fierce and sharp dueler, he had undeniable talent that contributed greatly to the Order's few successes.
Then there was Lily.
People always harped on about how Sirius and James were inseperable, but quietly next to them, was Lily and Remus. Lily was the closest and dearest friend Remus had. They became close in fifth year when they were the Gryffindor prefects together. She discovered that Remus was a werewolf pretty early in their friendship, though Remus suspected she knew even before they were friends. Of course she did, she was the brightest witch of their year. She showed him compassion and love, even when he thought he didn't deserve it. Lily burned with love for others, she moved mountains for the things she cared about. She fights endlessly. That's how Remus knew she could make it through the war while carrying a baby. What's more powerful than the love of a mother?
She was severely disappointed when the Order took her off duty, but she understood. Instead, she poured all her time into the baby and prepping the house for their arrival. She had taped bubble wrap around any sharp corners, and took it upon herself to create a nursery. She painted it yellow and drew flowers on the wall. It was her current passion project, no doubt to distract her from the raging war outside the walls.
Lily came strolling back in, dragging a confused James behind her.
"Wait, explain how the mail thing works again. How does it get to you without an owl?"
"I'll explain it later, love." Lily rolled her eyes. "Let's just do this so we can relieve Remus of technician duties."
Remus hopped up from the couch and prepared the landline.
"Alright, when I give you a thumbs up, start recording your message."
Remus signaled them.
"Hi! This is Lily and …" she gestured to her husband.
"James!"
"And you've reached the Potter househ-"
"Oh! And Harry!" James said excitedly, patting Lily's stomach.
"And who?" asked Remus, his finger releasing the record button.
James and Lily froze, then looked at each other. They seemed to have a silent conversation as they looked into each other's eyes.
"Right, well, I suppose we haven't told you, Remus." James said, a grin growing across his face. "It's a boy! And we're naming him Harry!"
James and Lily spread their arms out in a "tada" fashion, smiling widely. It was silent for a second as the couple stared back at Remus, trying to gauge his reaction. He just stared back at them with wide eyes.
It's a boy.
James and Lily are having a boy.
Remus is going to have a nephew.
"That's brilliant," he said, his voice breaking as he felt tears catch in his throat. Lily studied him closely, her smile slowly fading.
"Remus, are you crying?"
"No."
"Blimey, Moony. You're crying. You hate crying."
"Shut up, Prongs. You've seen me cry, you too, Lily. It's not that big of a deal."
Remus quickly wiped at his tears with the sleeve of his sweater.
"Oh, Remus! You old softy." Lily lunged at him and squeezed him in a tight hug. A few seconds later, Remus felt the weight on top of him get heavier, no doubt James piling in on the hug. They sat there for a second embracing each other.
"This- he is the best thing happening right now. Harry is the last bit of hope we've got," Remus murmured under the weight of his friends.
They moved moved away from him to look at Remus. He stared back at them, looking closely at his dearest friends. Lily and James. It figures, he thought. They were always going to end up together, he knew it since James first spoke about her in their dorm in first year. He swore he found her to be completely annoying, but Remus knew. Remus knew they were the "once in a lifetime" kind of love. The kind of love that lasts generations.
Lily took Remus's hand in hers and held it to her stomach. He felt a soft kick against his hand.
"Say hi, Harry. It's Uncle Moony. Uncle Moony is here to see you," she whispered to his stomach.
It was the warmest Remus had felt throughout this cold, damp war. After witnessing constant bloodshed and fighting, Remus found solace in this tiny baby kicking at him, showing him that innocence still existed in this world. It showed him that some things are still produced from pure love.
The three of them sat there for a minute longer, before James began shuffling. He could never stay still for too long.
"What is it, love?" Lily asked.
"How about a take two on that voicemail thingy? I've got this fantastic idea …"
Remus threw his bag onto the couch and slumped down on the floor. He ran his hair threw his greying hair and let out a huff of exhaustion. He had a particularly difficult day at work, and the full moon was coming up. His bones were aching and tired, and all he needed right now was to have a conversation with Lily. She always knew what to say to make him feel better.
Their calls always exceeded an hour, so Remus decided to make himself comfortable before ringing her up. He slipped into his pajamas and made himself a nice warm cup of tea. He added honey and ginger, like Lily suggests to him when his voice is tired. She said her mum made it for her all the time, and it always had her in tip top shape by the end of the night.
He grabbed the phone hanging on the wall, and dragged the wire down so he could sit on the cold floor. The tiles felt cool against his tired limbs and helped keep the aching feeling down. He dialed the Potter's number and listened to the ring of the phone.
"Hello?" said Lily's voice on the other end of the line.
"Jesus, Lils, you would not believe the day I had," groaned Remus. "Snivell- Snape, I mean, would not get off my back. I mean bloody hell, I know he wanted the Defense position, but it's not my fault Dumbledore doesn't see him as the right fit. I mean, can you blame the old man? Snape used to work for Voldemort! Anyways, I know you don't like when I bring him up, much less when I rag on him, but I can't help it. He's so irritating. I can't believe you put up with him for so many years. Anyways, I'll stop now I suppose. Full moon is coming up. I'm not that pumped for that. It hurts more nowadays, especially in the Shrieking Shack."
Remus thinks about his words carefully, feeling his emotions rise up to his throat.
"Blimey, Lils, sometimes I think I can't do it anymore. I can't be here anymore. If I mean on this earth, or at that damned school, I don't know. I just don't want to be here, but then I see him."
Remus hesitates before he speaks again,
"He looks just like James, Lils." his voice cracking. "Shockingly. I mean, of course, that's the Potter's genes, but Lily, I can't look him in the eye sometimes. When I look him in the eye, it's like looking into your shocking green ones. The ones that I knew and knew me, except this time they don't recognize me. It's tearing me apart. He doesn't remember me at all. I wish you were here. Sometimes I think you'll come barging in and tell me it was all just a joke. I wish you would."
James's large and loud laugh bellows on the other end of the line.
"James!" Lily's voice exclaims.
"Just kidding!" James announces, his words barely understandable through his loud gasps of laughter.
"This is a voicemail, you've reached James and… go on, love… say your name!"
"… and Lily …"
"…and Harry Potter!"
"Please, leave a message at the beep, and we'll get back to you as soon as we can…. that was stupid, James, no one is going to fall for that."
"It's hilarious! Just imagine the messages we'll get. Right, Moo-"
Then the message ends and a loud beep rings.
Remus can't bring himself to hang up the phone, so instead he hold the receiver in his hands and listens to the hum of the tone. He sits on the cold floor and drowns in every pain he feels in his body. He feels the physical pain of his werewolf transformation nearing, but mostly the pain of losing his family. It engulfs him. It washes over him like the sea, leaving him to drown helplessly.
That's the way he spends his nights in his flat. On his floor, the dial tone ringing. The voicemail of Lily and James filled with hundreds of messages from Remus Lupin. All of them ending with the sound of him crying.