Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I own Remus (no matter how much I wished) or Tonks. This one's for them, the Lupins – Remus, Tonks . . . and Teddy.

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Together Unto the End

"Remus!"

With a flourish of his wand, Remus Lupin set the Death Eater's robes afire. Then he spun around to see the source of the voice which called his name.

"Nymphadora!"

He ran down the corridor to where his wife stood, wand in her hand. He grabbed her shoulders, at once wanting to both hug her and shake her.

"Why are you here?!" he shouted as a loud bang exploded somewhere above them. Several large stones dislodged themselves from the ceiling and fell to the floor in a cascade of dust. "Why aren't you home with Teddy?!"

"I wasn't about to let you get all the action," Tonks replied, a twinkle in her eye. "Now was I?"

Remus felt a grin tug at his lips.

"God, I love you," he whispered.

Tonks returned the smile, but it quickly faded as she saw the look on Remus's face. He was looking past her, at something over her shoulder, and his look was of utter terror.

Before Tonks could turn to see what her husband was staring at, he pushed her roughly to the side. A flash of green light seared past her, so close that it almost grazed her skin. With a loud crack her head connected with the wall.

Shaking off waves of sudden pain, Tonks struggled to her feet. As a wave of dizziness passed, she glanced around for her husband. When she found him, her knees buckled, and she fell to the floor. Slowly, she crawled over to where he lay, sprawled, on the stone floor. Tonks found herself praying deep within herself that he was only unconscious, that he hadn't been hit by the curse. He couldn't be-

"Remus?" she whispered, finally close enough to touch him. She took one look at his face and he fears were answered. His eyes were open, but they were unseeing.

"No!" she wailed, throwing her arms over her dead husband's body. "No! Remus! You weren't supposed to leave me!"

"Pitiful," sneered a voice close by. "You're crying over that werewolf?"

Anger flared up in Tonks that she had never felt before. She slowly lifted her head and glared up at the woman who stood before her.

"Bellatrix," she hissed. She gripped her wand so tightly in her hand that she felt her nails pierce her palm.

"My stupid, stupid niece."

Tonks rose to her feet, facing Bellatrix, her wand at the ready.

"You killed Remus," she stated. Surpringly even to her, Tonks's voice didn't waver or rise in volume when she spoke. "You're going to pay for that, auntie. Crucio!"

Bellatrix screamed and fell to the floor writhing in pain. Tonks listened to her cries, wishing for some satisfaction from the woman's pain. She killed Remus, she thought bitterly. She deserves to feel the pain I'm feeling right now. But no satisfaction came; only more grief.

Bellatix stopped screaming as Tonks lifted the curse from her. Suddenly, she had realized that this wasn't right. Some might call for "an eye for an eye" but Tonks couldn't bring herself to cause Bellatrix the pain she herself felt.

"That's what makes me human," Tonks whispered to herself. She glanced down at Remus's body, at the man she loved, and always would love. "No pain can compare to the pain of losing someone you love."

"Avada Kedavra."

She looked up in time to see a bright green flash of light heading for her.

Remus, I'm coming.

And then, nothing.

FIN