Hidden, Never Forgotten.
Summery: Set after HBP. A young intelligent muggle woman is brought to Hogwarts in order to help Tonks on a mission, set for them by the late Albus Dumbledore. Snape hasn't been seen in a long time, but what has become of him?
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters that you will recognise from this fic. I do however own Vivian Bennett.
Chapter One.
Tonks lay restless in her bed. No matter how hard she tried she just could not settle down. This was the norm for her. Ever since the final battle had ended Tonks had been haunted at night. By those who died and those she lost.
After Voldermorts downfall, Tonks had decided to give up being an auror. It wasn't an easy decision, but it was one well made. The war had been increasingly difficult and Tonks, like many hadn't stayed unscathed. Even though physically Tonks had remained unscathed her mental wounds still hadn't healed. Many friends had died in that war and the worst and the harshest bit of all was that she had witnessed it first hand.
She had Lucius Malfoy to thank for her re-occurring nightmares. He had cast the Imperius curse upon her. Her body felt numb, she couldn't move on her own accord. Her mind tried to fight it; this was what she had been trained against. But Malfoy had caught her off her guard. She always knew Malfoy was on of the cruellest of the Death Eaters. Now he was giving her the proof.
With her under his power, Tonks marched towards her own friends and allies. She was totally powerless and unable to do anything. The first of her allies she came across happened to be one she was particularly fond of.
"Hello Lupin," Sneered Malfoy harshly. Lupin looked over at Tonks and Malfoy.
"Tonks? What are you doing?" He asked cautiously. He figured she was under the Imperius curse. He had no idea what to do. He had no doubt in his mind that Malfoy would use her to kill those she loved most. She would attack him, he knew this but he didn't want to defend his self against her. He could never hurt Tonks. He loved her to dearly for that.
"Avada Kedavra!" The words came from Tonks herself. A green light blasted from her wand and straight into the chest of Remus Lupin. In her mind, that was the moment when Tonks became closest to breaking free from the curse. Mentally she was aware that she had killed the love of her life but could not show it. The curse did not allow it.
"I've been waiting to do that for so time," Hissed Malfoy cruelly into Tonks ear. It was more or less a muffle to Tonks but she knew he had said something cruel. Deep down she knew.
Malfoy was enjoying this too much. He had waited a long time to destroy the Order of the Phoenix's most valued members, Lupin especially. Malfoy kept a tight rein on Tonks as he glanced around for his next victim. At last he spotted one and smirked evilly.
"My dear Tonks," He purred, "Time to pay dear old Mrs Weasley a visit,"
Molly Weasley was attending to the wounded. She was knelt over Kingsley Shacklebolt who was bleeding heavily. Molly was so involved with Shacklebolt that she failed to notice Tonks and Malfoy creep up on her.
"Lets take our time with this one," Malfoy chuckled.
Tonks unwittingly cast the Cruciatus curse on Molly. Malfoy watched as the red headed woman fell to the ground in pain. Writhing on the floor in agony. The hatred for blood traitors bubbled up inside of him and his hold over Tonks grew more commanding. The cruse grew stronger and Molly couldn't feel anything else but pain. She wanted it to end.
"Avada Kedavra!" Came a voice.
Malfoy turned round and in a split second he was dead. Stone cold and lifeless as he lay on the floor. Tonks felt a sudden rush of feeling sweep through her body. She slowly came round to the cruel reality that surrounded her. She glanced down at the hurt Molly and the dead Malfoy. It all started to sink in, she remembered.
She turned round to see who Malfoy's killer was but all she saw was billowing robes. She stared after the figure for a few moments and was awoken from her trance as a red flash of light whizzed past her head.
"Watch yourself Tonks!" Came a cry from either George or Fred Weasley. At this moment she did not care which. The twins ran past as they evaded a Death Eater. Tonks watched the masked character and felt a burning hatred for them. Hatred she had never felt for anyone in all her life.
She raised her wand and the Death Eater stopped in his or her tracks. She eyed them up and held back tears. The rage inside her was escalating into something more frightening that she had ever felt. The Death eater laughed.
"Awwh! How does it feel to betray your loved one Nymphadora? What's it like to murder the werewolf?" The Death Eater cackled, the mask was taken off and a manic woman stood before Tonks.
"Bellatrix," Hissed Tonks. She then remembered Sirius and she needed to do it.
"For Sirius, Albus Dumbledore, Remus and the others! Avada Kedavra!" Tonks bellowed. To herself it did not sound like her, but then she saw the light emerge from her wand. Bellatrix howled and just like Malfoy before her, she fell down to the ground, dead.
Tonks remembered when Sirius died. She remembered Harry Potter wanting to avenge his death. She also most certainly remembered her words, Bellatrix said to cast an unforgivable curse you had to mean it. She looked down at the stiff Bellatrix and smiled a sad smile.
"I meant that," She whispered to herself, tears welling up in her eyes. It seemed like she was stood there for hours. She tried to digest the idea of her killing Remus. She wished she could have done something. She felt so stupid for being caught off her guard. Remus was dead and it was all her fault.
After what seemed like hours of thinking about Remus and how she couldn't go on without him she could hear muffled cries. The cries seemed to be getting louder and louder until, she could take it no more. In a moment of anguish she fell to the ground and covered her ears with her hands. Her wand dropped to the floor.
"Tonks? Oh my god Tonks! Tonks? Look at me!" Came a rushed voice.
Tonks looked up to face a battered and tired Hermione. Hermione looked at Tonks and then over at the bodies of Lupin, Malfoy and Bellatrix. Hermione had to stifle a yelp of pain when her eyes swept over Lupin's body. In her shock Hermione almost failed to deliver the most important news of all.
"Her…Hermione?" Sobbed Tonks.
"It's over Tonks, It's over. He's dead," Hermione cried.
"I know… I killed Remus!" Tonks sobbed harder. Hermione looked at her confused but decided that could wait.
"No I meant Voldermort! Harry did it! Tonks do you hear me? Harry did it!" Hermione cried out loud.
"It's over?" Tonks asked, not daring to believe it her self. Hermione nodded and hugged Tonks so hard she nearly stopped breathing.
"You look awful though. You should head over to Hogwarts. Minerva is getting the alive and wounded together. The stronger members of our side are gathering the remaining Death Eaters together and keeping them captive," Hermione told her.
Tonks nodded. Feebly she picked up her wand and made her way to the castle. Her mind went numb as she trudged past the dead and injured. This all meant nothing to her now. Not without Remus.
Hogwarts was filled with injured people. Smiling faces greeted her; she could not smile back. So many familiar faces filled the hall. Many too young to be facing a war, yet they had come thought it alive and almost well. She found the nearest seat and sat down, trying to ignore other peoples advances on her. She didn't really want to talk any more. She watched as friends search for each other through the masses of wounded. People crying when they found out that their loved ones failed to make it to the end.
"Here yeh are Tonks! Mione said you wer' 'ere" Came a gruff voice from the left hand side of Tonks. She turned round and glumly faced Rubeus Hagrid. She greeted him in an almost inaudible tone.
"Have you heard from Remus?" He asked her; as soon as she heard someone else say his name, it was her undoing. She burst into another round of tears.
"He's dead Hagrid, gone," She whispered through tears. Hagrid went silent.
Somehow Tonks got though the next months. It was so hard, especially when she shared so much of her life with Remus. She returned to their house and tried to tell herself that it wasn't her fault he died. But no matter how often she told herself she could never think it true.
Little by little the wizarding world around her started to get back to routine. The parties celebrating the end of Voldermort had soon ended and life had quietened down. Within a few months Hogwarts would be open to the students again. Headmistress McGonagall had written a polite letter to Tonks, requesting that she take up the opportunity to become a Charms Professor at Hogwarts.
Tonks thought it over in her head. Remus always said that teaching was rewarding and he did enjoy it so. She thought about what Remus would have done and decided that she would take up the position. After being an Auror this would be easy. She also needed to earn a living so there were pro's all round.
A month before Hogwarts was due to open, Tonks had packed and deserted the place that she and Remus had called their own home. With a sad sigh she gave it one last glance before apparating outside the school grounds.
Hogwarts as always looked beautifully enchanting. It was hard to believe that not so long ago its grounds were full of people fighting and people dying. She thought of Remus again and sighed. She walked up the long winding stairs that led to the castles front door. She opened it up and immediately looked around for someone, anyone.
Tonks did not have to wait long. Within a few moments of arriving Minerva McGonagall the Headmistress herself appeared with a welcoming smile on her face. Tonks gave a small smile back in acknowledgement.
"Tonks my dear, it's so lovely to see you again. I'm glad you're here," She said warmly. She walked with a limp and had a rather large scar on her forehead. She obviously had more noticeable scars from the war.
"Thank you Minerva, thank you for this opportunity," Tonks said sincerely.
Minerva looked at her newest member of staff and smiled. But inside she was worried about Tonks. Tonks had rarely smiled since the war and she looked more like a normal witch, then what Minerva was used to.
Gone was the flamboyant pink hair, now Tonks had long brown hair and dull green eyes. There was a real sense of pain about her and it troubled Minerva. She let it slide for the moment.
"I shall send a house elf up to show you to your rooms. You can spend the day settling in and e will have a proper talk tomorrow. You must be tired," Minerva told her. She clicked her fingers and a small house elf popped up from out of nowhere.
Minerva bid Tonks good afternoon and disappeared to sort out her other new members of staff. Tonks supposed she would meet the new staff members tomorrow. She looked down and saw that the house elf was bobbing up and down excitedly.
"Hello Miss Tonks! I am taking you to your room, I is!" The house elf squeaked.
Tonks nodded and followed the house elf to her rooms. They were up on the fourth floor and were in an area where it wouldn't be too difficult to get to anywhere in the castle, except the dungeon. But then she wouldn't be going to the dungeon. Thinking about the dungeons made her think back to that night when the war was ended. The stranger who set her free from Malfoy's curse crept up into her mind. He was cloaked up so she didn't know whom he was. But she noticed that his robes billowed and it seemed all too familiar.
"Excusing me Miss! But we is here, yes we is!" The house elf interrupted her trail of thoughts.
"Thank you…erm…what is your name?" Tonks asked, thinking it only polite.
"Popple, miss! Tis Popple," The house elf announced proudly. Tonks nodded and entered her rooms. The rooms were beautifully decorated. Behind her Popple walked in with Tonks belongings and set them out nicely.
"Thank you Popple, but I will do that in the morning. I am awfully tired and wish to have a little sleep," Tonks said yawning.
"As you wish Miss. If you need anything, Popple is ready to help, I is!" And with Tonks thanks and appreciation the house elf names Popple vanished to wherever she came from. Tonks was now left on her own. She found some suitable attire to sleep in and lay down on her bed. Ready for another restless sleep.
CP
Sorry if that went on for a bit. I couldn't stop writing. This is my first Harry Potter fic so be gentle if you review. Also I am sorry that I killed off Remus. I hadn't intended to do so, because I like him but it fit so perfectly by killing him. Sorry once again.