Author's Note: If any of you read my other Deathly Hallows follow-up fic, "Meeting Teddy," then I think you understand the extent of my grief at the passing of the Lupins. And to make it even worse, J.K. didn't even really say how they died! She just mentioned that their bodies were lying in the Great Hall after the battle.
Okay, people, I'll admit it: I was pissed.
So this is my take on the Lupins' last moments, half because I wanted to, and half because I thought "Meeting Teddy" needed a companion. I guess you could also say I felt obliged to do Remus and Tonks some homage, seeing as J.K. didn't. (Don't worry, I still absolutely lurve her and her books, but she made me angry...)
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Harry Potter besides my copies of the wonderful books.
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Last Moments
Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin sprinted down the changing stairways of Hogwarts, barely noticing as she flew past dueling wizards and fleeing students. Her one thought was of her husband, and getting to him before -
No. He will be safe. He will.
She kept repeating that over and over in her mind, like a mantra of survival. Remus would be safe. He knew he had to be, because he had promised her before he left that he would return to her and Teddy. He had promised.
"Damn it, Remus," she cursed quietly, "you promised!"
Tonks found herself in the main hall faster than she could have imagined possible. The hourglasses displaying each House's point-count were all destroyed and made walking on the stone floor treacherous. Even as she watched, a Death Eater ran in through the front door and lost his footing almost immediately; Tonks grabbed the opportunity to send a well-aimed Stunning spell his way and he collapsed before he knew what hit him.
Only somewhat satisfied, Tonks resumed her mission and ran out onto the grounds. She was immediately consumed by the large-scale battle raging around her, and only just managed to raise a shield in order to protect herself from the unknown spell hurled her way.
Keeping the shield up, she quickly scanned the grounds, cursing the darkness as she searched for her husband. Another spell was shot her way; frustrated, she whirled and screamed "Avada Kedavra!" without thinking. A Death Eater fell dead before her and she froze, shaking; it was the first time in years that she had killed...
"TONKS!" A voice called out behind her and she turned to face Kingsley, striding toward her with a pearly shield raised. His lynx Patronus was trotting by his side, keeping any dementors at bay.
"Kingsley, where is Remus?" Tonks asked, for the moment ignoring the relief she felt for seeing her old friend still alive. Kingsley's frown deepened.
"The last I saw he was dueling Dolohov near the Forbidden Forest. Aren't you supposed to be home - Tonks, wait!"
It was too late; Tonks was already running toward the forest, the mantra re-entering her head:
Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe.
More Death Eaters fell before her as she ran, and some familiar faces fell, too, but she didn't take much time to notice. Her only mission at the moment was to find Remus, to make sure he still lived.
She was at the edge of the forest now, looking frantically around for any sign, when suddenly -
"Dora?!"
Tonks gasped and her heart leapt as strong arms grabbed her from behind and spun her around into a fierce embrace.
"Remus," she breathed, and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"You're not supposed to be here!" Remus spluttered once they had broken apart. Tonks made a face.
"What, you're not happy to see your wife and the mother of your only child?" she demanded. Remus glared at her, not in the mood for playing.
"Not when she's in the middle of a battlefield, no, I'm not," he snapped, but the arm holding her tightly to his side begged to differ. "Where is Teddy?"
"With my mother."
"Safe?"
"Yes."
Remus sighed and kissed her again, then allowed his eyes to scan the grounds.
"It's like it's the first war all over again," he whispered. "Except this time I have so much more to lose." Tonks leaned in against him, trying to give him comfort, and was dismayed to feel him trembling.
"Where's Dolohov? Kingsley said you were fighting him." Remus shrugged.
"He went off somewhere before I could kill him. I'm not exactly sure what happened." Tonks nodded and was about to say something in reply when a voice behind them screamed, "REDUCTO!"
Remus instinctively grabbed Tonks and jumped away just as one of the trees they had been standing by exploded, showering them with twigs and sharp bits of wood. Tonks winced as she felt large splinters dig into her exposed arms, but shoved the pain to the back of her mind; at least she was alive.
"Thought I had gone away, did you, werewolf?"
Remus turned slowly to face Dolohov as the Death Eater emerged from the trees, his wand pointed at Remus' heart.
"I had only hoped." Dolohov cackled merrily and his eyes came to rest on Tonks, clambering to her feet behind her husband.
"Oooh! It looks like we have the little wifey with us now!" he taunted, aiming his wand at Tonks now. "Shall we have some fun?"
"Leave her out of it!" Remus growled, glaring furiously at the Death Eater. Tonks blinked and stepped back; blood was trickling down his face from the many cuts and scratches caused by the tree's explosion, and she had never seen Remus look so angry... or so dangerous. "This duel is between you and me." Dolohov's head cocked to the right maniacally.
"I should think not. I happen to know for a fact that she is part of your precious little Order, too, and so I shall kill you both!" By the time he finished his voice had risen to a crazed screech, and green light shot from the end of his wand, aimed straight at Remus.
It was too slow, though; Remus yelled, "Protego!" and the spell rebounded, causing Dolohov to dive to the side in order to avoid it. He rose to his feet with a roar, looking absolutely livid, and the duel was back on.
Tonks watched in horror as her husband battled for his life. The mantra had resumed again, but it was now quite feeble.
Be safe... be safe... be safe...
"Avada Kedavra!"
Be safe... that light... be safe...
"NOOO!"
Be safe... here it comes... be safe...
The killing curse was aimed at her. She was going to die.
Be safe, Remus...
She closed her eyes in preparation.
Be safe...
Something heavy hit her, knocking her clear off her feet. Pain jolted her as she landed on her arm wrong.
That's funny, she thought vaguely. I didn't know it would hurt to die.
But then her mind caught up with her body and she realized what had actually happened.
Her eyes flew open and she shrieked.
"REMUS!"
She scrambled out from underneath his lifeless body and knelt beside him, gripping his still-warm hand in utter terror, taking in his glazed eyes, which were staring up at the night sky but seeing nothing.
"No, NO, NO!" she sobbed, throwing herself over his chest, desperately pleading in her mind for it all to be a dream, for it all to be fake.
Not Remus, not dead, be safe, be safe, not real, not dead, Remus, safe -
"Pity," a voice said from nearby, even though it sounded to Tonks as though it was miles away. "I meant for that to hit you, but I guess noble Sir Werewolf couldn't bear to let his wife die first."
Dolohov walked up beside them, grinning wickedly down at her.
A rage that Tonks had never felt before burned through her, bubbling up from the very core of her being. She gripped her wand with a surprisingly steady hand and pointed it at the Death Eater.
"I promise you PAIN!" she screamed. "CRUCIO!"
Dolohov hadn't expected this, and his shock was evident even as he writhed in agony upon the ground.
As for Tonks, she now understood what Moody had once told her about feeling the use of the Unforgivables. All Tonks wanted was to create pain, a pain equal to the one that was eating her apart from the inside, cleaving her heart in two, twisting her soul until it wept.
But there was no such pain. Nothing could equal the way she felt. Even so, she kept up the curse until Dolohov was only barely conscious, twitching in a miserable heap on the ground.
She was concentrating so hard on punishing the murderer of her beloved Remus that she didn't even notice the second Death Eater run to Dolohov's aid - having heard his pathetic screams - and send a killing curse her way. And when she did finally notice the bolt of green light spearing its way toward her, she welcomed it with open arms, ready to meet her husband again, even if it was in death.
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Author's Note: It ends kind of abruptly, I know, but doesn't life end that way, too? -shrugs- Oh, well. Comments are love! Thanks for reading!