Before I delve into this story, I would just like to put out a disclaimer. Tonks will be slightly out of character in some parts of this story, as I've portrayed her as more emotional than normal, which will no doubt drive some readers mad. Even though she is a very strong woman, I think that she would have a great depth of feeling. Some people might not think that she'd show so much emotion, but most of the emotional scenes take place in her own home. Aren't most people "live and uncut" in their own home?

Anyway, included in this story is a bonus couple pairing/ship/whatever, but I'm not going to reveal it yet. Sorry! Review with a guess if you want. I do have this entire story and its sequel already written, but I'll be uploading the chapters every so often. I have had a request or two for this story, so I'm finally putting it up. I'm still nervous that I've written Tonks as too pathetically sappy a character. Oh well. Here goes nothing.

Trixie Black Lestrange

The battle was almost over, the Dark Lord defeated. But Nymphadora Tonks Lupin was not celebrating, or even fighting. She was sitting by her husband's dead body, holding his already clammy hand and sobbing. She had arrived too late to save him, and had nearly been killed herself by her own aunt.

"You know," said a cold, slightly amused voice, "he'll come back on the full moon: he is a werewolf."

Nymphadora looked up through her tears, seeing Rabastan Lestrange holding his wand on her. I'm going to die, she thought. I don't even care. Then she remembered her son—Remus' son—and bit her lip before she burst into tears again.

"Stan, look out!" shouted a hoarse voice. Rabastan whirled just in time to block several spells from two people. Their duel did not disturb Nymphadora, although she did see Rodolphus apparate beside his brother and curse one of their opponents, who fell with a scream. The other one apparated away, unwilling to duel both of the Lestrange brothers at the same time.

The two men turned on the woman kneeling on the ground. "That must be Andy's daughter," Rodolphus said in a hoarse whisper, his voice carrying across the field. "The Dark Lord did say that she'd married a werewolf, and I supposed that's him right there."

Rabastan snorted. "What's left of him," he sniggered.

Suddenly, apparitions sounded around them, and even though the two of them put up a valiant fight, they were captured. They were marched to where the other prisoners were, snarling and spitting at their captors.

Nymphadora watched them go, and suddenly, someone rushed up to her. "Nymphadora, you're all right!" said a very worried-looking woman, drawing the girl into a tight embrace.

"Mum," sobbed Nymphadora, indicating her husband's body.

"I know, I know," soothed Andromeda, lifting her daughter to her feet. "Come now, we're needed inside the castle. We're meeting in the Great Hall."

"Where's Teddy?" Nymphadora asked suddenly, looking straight into her mother's eyes, her own eyes wide and black.

Squeezing her daughter's arm reassuringly, the woman answered, "He's safe. Let's go."

Nymphadora willingly followed her mother without speaking, glad that at least her son was safe. When they passed the prisoners, she felt her someone's eyes on her and looked up quickly. Both of the Lestranges were watching her as predators, even though they were in chains. "I'll be there in a minute," Nymphadora told her mother, pulling her arm away. "Go on, then."

"All right," Andromeda said with a frown. "If you're sure."

Barely stopping herself from nodding, Nymphadora replied, "Yes, Mum." Her mother turned and went into the castle as the girl turned toward the two men. "What—what did you mean when you said that he'd come back during the full moon?" she asked Rabastan softly, staying a safe distance away from them.

"Just what I said," Rabastan replied, feigning great patience. "He's a werewolf, and after a werewolf dies, on the next full moon, they become a werewolf permanently—"

"—unless the dead human body is burnt first," Rodolphus interrupted. "Then it's all over for both forms."

"—and never return to their human state," Rabastan finished, glaring at his brother.

"Why are you talking to her?" snapped one of the others, raising his head with a jerk. "You're not supposed to be, you know. Bellatrix would—"

"Bellatrix is dead," snarled Rabastan at the offending prisoner. "We're probably going to get Kissed, and there's a lot of things we can really do to help ourselves right now."

Rodolphus' face drained of all colour and his chains rattled as his body trembled. "Oh, Merlin!" he sobbed without tears, cutting Nymphadora to the heart. "Bellatrix!"

Clapping her hands over her ears as a sob escaped her, Nymphadora whirled around and ran from them. She slowed to a walk before entering the hall and forced herself to calm down, almost completely stopping her tears. She said a few words to a couple of the Aurors, and they stepped outside.

Going to the window, she stood silently and looked out, seeing Remus' body, still and cold, on the ground. A sob caught in her throat, and she tore her gaze away from him to the prisoners. Rabastan was cooperating, a look of dread on his face, but Rodolphus wasn't responding to anything the Aurors said or did.

Rabastan put a chained hand on his brother's shoulder, seeming to say something, and Rodolphus finally looked up. Even from where she was, Nymphadora could see the haunted look in his eyes. He seemed to be snarling at the Aurors, but his brother calmed him down, and the Aurors brought the two Lestranges up to the castle.

Silence fell in the Great Hall when the two were brought in, Rodolphus not looking at anyone, and Rabastan looking around, his face blank. They were marched over to where Bellatrix's body was lying on one of the House tables. Rodolphus and Rabastan were seated on either side of the table, their Auror guards standing back a little ways to let them grieve however they would.

Rodolphus closed his eyes in pain, then opened them and took Bellatrix's hand in his, laying his head against her side. He closed his eyes, ignoring everyone else in the room. Rabastan took Bellatrix's other hand, silently watching her and Rodolphus.

Nymphadora, watching the others around, saw Narcissa Malfoy wrap her arms around herself carefully. Draco, who was beside his mother and father, glanced at her and sidled closer, asking her something to which Narcissa said no. Lucius Malfoy put his arm around his wife, something not many people had ever seen him do, reassuring her without speaking.

Harry was talking to several of the professors, explaining what had happened between him and Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest. "Narcissa Malfoy saved my life," he told them. "She lied directly to the Dark Lord—" Harry lowered his voice "—in front of Bellatrix, too. Told them all that I was dead—when she definitely knew I wasn't. She's a hero. I mean, a heroine. Oh, never mind."

Several people around him grinned, and Ginny and George (the still living Weasley twin) were sniggering at Harry while Hermione and Ron gave them disapproving looks. Harry looked at George and Ginny without smiling. "Stop it," he said, turning back to the others. "If she had told Voldemort the truth, I'd be dead, and he wouldn't have been destroyed today."

Nymphadora turned back to the window as the Malfoys were called forward to speak with the others. She figured that, because of what Narcissa had done, the entire Malfoy family would be pardoned and, once again, avoid going to Azkaban. Biting her lip to keep back her tears, Nymphadora stared out the window at her husband's body, feeling like she was crumbling to pieces inside. Why does life always turn out right for the bad ones? she wondered, stifling a sob. She didn't want anyone to know she was crying.

She stood still, silent tears running down her face. Suddenly, a hand slipped into hers, and someone put an arm around her from the other side. Hermione and Ginny looked up at her worriedly. "Tonks, are you all right?" Hermione asked softly. "Do you need something?"

"No," Tonks replied shortly. Ginny squeezed her hand without saying anything, and Tonks was grateful.

"Which question did you answer?" Hermione asked.

"Both," Tonks burst out before quieting when a few people looked their way. "Sorry. Please don't talk to me. I don't want to talk right now."

Hermione nodded, and the two younger girls stood with Nymphadora as she stared out the window. After what seemed a long time, someone motioned toward the Lestranges, and suggested that the prisoners be removed so that the clean-up could continue more easily. They looked at each other, seemingly gleeful that the Lestrange brothers would be facing the Dementor's Kiss.

Rabastan was watching them, listening close to find out everything he could, but his brother did not respond, still holding his dead wife's hand tightly.

Frowning, Nymphadora shook off Hermione and Ginny, who both had an idea that Tonks was going to do something wild, stepped forward and began to speak for the two Lestranges.