Tears had filled Remus's eyes. He enclosed her hands in both of his and brought them all up to kiss hers.

"Dumbledore told me… I guess he didn't explicitly say you were dead. But with all the others… he told me I had to mourn and find a way to move forward… I was so angry at him… that I'd been gone, undercover, when it all happened… that he hadn't called me back, even for Sirius's trial… I thought all of you were gone. Maybe it's my fault, I never learned otherwise… I cut myself off. I didn't tell anyone where I was going. I told Dumbledore not to let anyone look for me. I didn't even settle here until…" He trailed off, eyes going from her hands to her face. He exhaled, a tear streaking his face, then almost smiled and bent forward to hug her again.

"I'm so sorry," he said. "But I'm so, so glad… you and Harry… I'm so glad you're alive. I missed you so much."