Looks Are Decieving | By : GeorgesParamour Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Remus/Tonks Views: 3051 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0 |
Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from Harry Potter, his world, or his activities. |
**
Fred and George left as quickly as they had appeared, saying they needed to stop by home before they would meet everyone at Hogwarts. Remus turned to Tonks at their departure.
“Tonks…” he began, the name sounding as though it wounded him to speak it.
“Remus, do not even suggest I don’t go. I know you. Don’t go there. This is my fight as much as it is yours.”
“But Tonks, think about Teddy. You need to go to him, go to your mother’s. Keep the safe.”
“Keep them safe?!” she bellowed. “If they’re attacking Hogwarts do you really think any of those wankers are going to be headed to my mum’s? They are safe!”
“Tonks, please!”
“No, damn it. Remus I’m a bloody fucking Auror! This is what I’m trained to do! This is what I signed up for – what Moody spent his last years dedicated to – making sure I could do my job! And I’m bloody good. You know it too!”
Remus dropped his head for a moment before moving slowly in front of Tonks. Wordlessly, he took her in his arms and clung to her.
“I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you, too,” she responded, clinging to him with equal desperation. “But I need to fight. For Teddy.”
“Dora,” Remus began, using his pet name for her – a name she had previously only allowed her father to use. “If you’re there I won’t be able to concentrate. I’ll be too worried about you. If you go, it could be both our lives. But if you go to your mum’s, I’ll have every reason in the world to live. Nothing will be able to touch me, nothing will be able to stop me.”
He pulled back and looked her straight in the eyes. How he loved those eyes, ever changing, but always ready to show him her love.
“If you go and fight it will be my death, Dora. Please, please, for me – go to your mums.”
Tonks nodded slowly, tears falling down her cheeks.
“I love you,” she said fiercely, pulling Remus’s lips to meet her own. Their kiss was all consuming. Everything else in the world faded for just that moment. There was no war, no possibility of death, no fear. There was just a love between two lost souls that had finally found one another, had finally found their completion in the world.
“I love you, Nymphadora Tonks Lupin. With all my being and then some.”
Tonks sobbed and wrapped her arms around herself as her husband slowly pulled back from her and Apperated away.
**
With a pop, Remus landed in the Hog’s Head. A second pop sounded and Remus spun, wand drawn. Kingsley Shacklebolt stood there, wand pointed at Remus in return.
“Remus,” Shacklebolt said with an nod of his head, his eyes never leaving Remus’s face.
“Kingsley,” Remus returned in fashion.
“Prove yourself,” Kingsley demanded.
“I am Remus John Lupin, I am a werewolf, married to Nymphadora Tonks, father to Teddy Remus Lupin.”
Kingsley nodded, lowering his wand. Remus, however, kept his wand leveled at Kingsley.
“Your turn,” he said.
“I am Kingsley Shacklebolt, Auror, member of the Order of the Phoenix, member of the Advanced Guard, and escort to Harry on the night we removed him from the home of his muggle relatives to the Burrow.”
Remus lowered his wand and shook hands with Kingsley.
“Best be on our way then.”
They fell out into the room at the end of the tunnel and looked around in shock. It was a huge room, one Remus had never seen despite all his exploration of Hogwarts, and it was packed full. There were students, former and current, members of Dumbledore’s Army, members of the Order… it was overwhelming. A sense of pride and hope swelled in Remus’s chest.
He heard a clatter behind him and turned to find a set of stairs. Harry appeared around the corner, closely followed by Luna Lovegood.
“Harry, what’s happening?” Remus asked, moving to meet the Godfather of his child.
“Voldemort’s on his way, they’re barricading the school – Snape’s run for it –What are you doing here? How did you know?”
As Fred and George took turns answering Harry, Remus’s mind reeled. This was it. This was the moment the past twenty odd-some years had led up to. Remus shook his head as Harry again spoke.
“They’re evacuating the younger kids and everyone’s meeting in the Great Hall to get organized. We’re fighting.”
Pandemonium broke out as everyone surged for the stairs in a mad rush and roar. Remus stepped back and out of the way. Soon the room was empty save for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Fred, George, Bill, Fleur, and Harry. Mrs. Weasley was arguing with Ginny (with aid from her twin brothers) as to whether Ginny would fight or not.
Remus studied Harry, attempting to not be obvious. This was the son of two of his best friends, the Godson of his very best friend, and the boy who was being asked to save the world. Remus wished he had words of wisdom to share, but could find none within himself.
A wild shuffle followed by a pronounced thump announced the arrival of yet another fighter. Percy Weasley stood up, stuttering, and came face to face with half of his family. Remus quickly found himself addressed by Fleur. She was asking about Teddy. Quickly, and a bit too loudly, he broke into nervous small talk, searching for the picture of Teddy he carried with him and proudly showing it off to Fleur and Harry. However, he nearly dropped the photo when Percy shouted.
“I was a fool!”
Family chatter, berating and then welcoming Percy ensued. As the issue was settled everyone again made for the stairs, this time leaving Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, and Harry behind with Remus.
Mrs. Weasley was still trying to force her daughter to leave, saying she wasn’t old enough to fight. Ginny, on the other hand, wanted to stay. Remus cleared his throat lightly.
“Molly, how about this? Why doesn’t Ginny stay here, then at least she’ll be on the scene and know what’s going on but she won’t be in the middle of fighting?”
Ginny was disgruntled, but agreed, and Remus followed her parents up the stairs and to the Great Hall. Members of the Order were milling about and Remus took up post, leaning against a wall near the front of the hall. Kingsley stepped up to take charge minutes later. Remus was appointed to lead a group of fighters out onto the lawn accompanied by two other troops to be lead by Kinsley and Mr. Weasley.
Remus surveyed the team he was to lead. The Patil twins, Parvati and Padma, Seamus Finnigan, Oliver Wood, and Alicia Spinnet. All had been members of the DA, all were seventh year or graduates of the school, and all, he remembered, had excelled in Defense Against the Dark Arts when he had been their teacher. Recalling his position as Professor brought a flush to his face as he remembered his actions earlier in the night with Tonks. The heavy stench of fear brought him back to his senses.
“Alright, we’ve got a strong group here. We’re going to head out and to the right of the castle. Arthur is going to lead his group out to the left, Kingsley is taking his group straight down the lawns. This is the real deal. Use spells you’re comfortable with. Take no mercy on these people, they will spare you none in return. Use your protection shields. Fall back if you need to. Use whatever means you must out there. This is our school, our world, it’s time for us to take it back. Alright?”
Everyone nodded their heads and with a bravery he didn’t feel, Remus led his troops out into the grounds under the blanket of night.
**
“Is everyone okay?” Tonks asked Harry in unison with Ginny. He had reentered the Room of Requirement. Harry answered briefly but had no deaths to report on at the time. He was being questioned by Neville Longbottom’s grandmother and Tonks bounced on the balls of her feet with impatience. As Neville’s gran left to join the fight, Harry fixed his gaze on her.
“I thought you were supposed to be with Teddy at your mother’s?”
“I couldn’t stand not knowing-” she was ready to cry, ready to run, ready to blow up anyone and anything that stood between her and her husband’s arms. She couldn’t just sit at home not knowing, left to wonder… she couldn’t!
“She’ll look after him,” she said to Harry. “Have you seen Remus?”
“He was planning to lead a group of fighters into the grounds-”
Lightening lent its speed to Tonks as she took off, up and around the winding staircase and out into the corridor. She skidded to a stop with a gasp and looked around. Dust hung thick in the air, shouting echoed on all sides, the castle walls shook and screaming pierced the night. Something slammed into her from behind. She spun on her heel – Ginny!
“Harry needed me to get out – said I had to go back in. But I can’t, Tonks. You know how it is. How can they just expect me to sit back with a thumb up my arse while everyone I love is out here fighting?”
“’S’alright, Ginny. We’ll stay here and wait for them to be done. You can fight with me from here for now. Maybe someone will happen by and know something more than we do.”
Fear was seizing up Tonks’ insides. Ginny shouldn’t be left on her own. But… what about Remus? Where was he? What was he doing? Was he alright?
Tonks led Ginny to a window where they spent the next ten minutes aiming curse after curse, jinx after jinx into the crowd below, praying they were indeed hitting the enemy and not one of their own. The smoke was so thick it was sometimes hard to tell.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione appeared again in the hallway.
“Good girl!” a voice shouted. It was Aberforth speaking to Ginny as he appeared out of the dust and ran past, leading a small group of students on the warpath.
“Have you seen Remus?” Tonks shouted after him desperately.
“He was dueling Dolohov! Haven’t seen him since!”
“Tonks, Tonks I’m sure he’s okay-” Ginny’s voice faded as Tonks again took off at full speed. She soon passed Aberforth and his group of fighters from the position they had taken up. She flew down flights of stairs, her wand acting of its own accord. Spells shot off through the night, her shield was cast time and again, saving her from several spells thrown her way. She ducked and weaved and by the time she burst out onto the front lawn she thought her lungs were going to explode.
Gasping she turned to the right and began stumbling along the side of the castle, straining her eyes to search out the figures moving quickly across the lawns. There! There he was! She held her side, still trying to catch her breath, and took a step to move towards him. A tree root caught the toe of her boot and Tonks fell forward landing hard in the dirt at the same time as her name echoed across the skies.
**
“Tonks!”
Remus had smelt her the second she stumbled out the castle doors. It had taken a moment to find her in the chaos. As soon as his eyes landed on her there was a flash of blue light and she went down. He was running as fast as he could, drawing on the werewolf that resided within. He could still smell her, could sense the blood flowing through her veins and knew she was still alive. But how badly was she hurt? What was the curse that hit her? Could he get to her in time?
**
“Remus!” Tonks shouted, struggling to right herself and stand up. She pushed her way through the bit of bushes she had fallen into and was attempting to run to him. Unfortunately her fall had knocked the wind from her lungs and her previous exertions left her only able to hobble quickly. She grasped her wand with one hand, the other making its way back to the stitch in her side.
It was hard to say who spotted them first.
“Protego!”
The cry went out in unison, Remus casting a shield around Tonks in the same instant she cast one around him. They collided, arms going protectively around each other, their shields uniting as did their bodies.
From the wands of Bellatrix Lestrange and Thorfinn Rowle flew two jets of green light.
**
“I am sorry, too,” Remus was saying to Harry. He was standing amongst his old friends, his wife waiting more patiently than ever for his return. Remus glanced around the circle, taking in the appearances of Lily, James, and Sirius. He returned his attention to Harry who was apologizing for Remus’ own death, that he had been taken away from his son so soon after his birth.
Remus continued speaking.
“…Sorry I will never know him… but he will know why I died and I hope he will understand. I was trying to make a world in which he could live a happier life.”
Harry nodded, ready to begin the walk to his own demise. They, Remus and his closest friends, were there to guide him. To stand guard, to welcome him should he choose to remain with them. Pride swelled in Remus’s heart. He no longer knew the darker side of the world. He was void of the weights that had been riding around on his back for so many years. Age was erased from his face, his smile already such a frequent adornment for him. In silence they walked with Harry until he stopped, gathering and readying himself. And then they let him go, for the final time until they would have him with them… so long from now. But that was nothing to worry over.
Tonks rushed Remus, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him soundly.
“Remus,” she whispered, excitement filling her entirely. She, too, had just returned, although it was her own son she had been to see. Saying good bye had not been hard, as she thought it might have been, for she knew she would never let a day pass when she wasn’t in her son’s life and she wasn’t in his. No, she wouldn’t be there in the physical sense, but that didn’t deter her love in the least.
“Remus, shut your eyes for a moment, love.”
Remus laughed, a deep and contagious sound, music to her ears, and shut his eyes accordingly.
“Open them,” Tonks requested.
Remus opened his eyes. They landed on Hermione Granger… no, wait, it was Ginny Weasley… no, Fleur Weasley… no, Luna Lovegood…
Remus again laughed, swooping his wife up in his arms and spinning her in a circle.
“Our fun continues!” He shouted with a smile.
“Would you bring your wife and move your arse there Moony? You have a lot of catching up to do!” Sirus grinned at his old friend and Remus saw James and Lily waiting just ahead, arms wrapped around one another.
“C’mon,” Remus told Tonks, setting her down and taking her hand in his. “I have some friends I want you to meet.”
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