Disclaimer: Harry Potter - JK Rowling
Summary: What happened the night Remus and Tonks died? Their final moments together. One-shot. R&R.
A/N: I was thinking about writing something similar for Lily and James… any thoughts on that?
That Night
He crouched behind a small gathering of trees near the Hogwarts entrance, Dolohov sneering just a little farther ahead. Remus' clothes were torn, blood seeping, and his left arm was useless, numb. He panted, gritting his teeth as he struggled to his feet.
"Come on you brute! Too scared to fight?" Dolohov howled, "After this is done, we're going after the rest of your lot. That bloody auror freak of yours, and your little mutant son!"
Teddy. Innocent Teddy, just a baby. Even Tonks wouldn't be able to defend him against a horde of Death Eaters. She would die. It would be like Harry Potter all over again, only Teddy would surely die as well. He thought of the soft peach fuzz on Teddy's head, sometimes blue, sometimes green, other times just plain brown. And his big eyes. Tears filled his eyes and he grunted, urging his defeated body on.
"Stupefy!" he yelled, missing by a landslide. Dolohov jeered, shouting, "Crucio! Crucio!" The first one missed as Remus tripped to the ground, but the second one hit him square in the chest and he hissed, writhing in pain.
"Stupefy! STUPEFY you son-of-a-bitch!" someone howled in the distance, and Dolohov was flung forward a few feet before crumpling to the ground, unconscious. Remus looked up, silent, his vision blurry.
"No…" he whispered. The shock of bubblegum pink hair could only belong to one person. She dashed over to him, crouching by his side.
"No!" he said louder, "Why did you come! Why did you come Tonks!" He pushed her hands away, "Go back now! Please go back…" His voice faded as he met her eyes, and he knew she wouldn't go back, not while there was still fighting to be done.
"Oh Remus…" she murmured tearfully, and wrapped her arms around him. He groaned a little from the pain, but raised his right hand to stroke her cheek.
"You shouldn't have come…" he gasped, "Teddy…"
She leaned her head on his shoulder and whispered, "I couldn't have stayed. Not with you here." And then she kissed him. It was a forceful kiss, desperate, and they both held on to each other for dear life. The world spun around them… they both knew with heavy hearts that that kiss might be their last.
"I love you," she whispered finally.
"I love you too…" he whispered back, wiping her tears away with his tattered sleeve.
"Dolohov? Dolohov!" An angry voice called. Tonks glared at the source of the voice and held up her wand. Remus wearily did the same, and she helped him stand. Beyond the trees were a small group of Death Eaters scouring the grounds for any escaped students.
"Stupefy! Stupefy!" Tonks yelled, and Remus followed suit, "Stupefy!" But there were so many of them, and Antonin Dolohov was already getting back up. It happened so slowly. Tonks, spinning out of the way, and then Dolohov's gravelly voice. It was all so quiet then, the flash of green light. The shock in her eyes, the look she gave Remus just before it hit… I'm sorry. And then he tried. For Teddy, he tried. But he was too weak. He toppled to the side, falling into the soft grass beside her. Her sweet face stuck in that final plea for forgiveness. There's nothing to forgive. And his arms were around her cold body, his wand out before him, the curses flying out as fast as he could. Streams of light from his wand, strings of words from his mouth. Teddy… But then came the green light of death, and he was too slow. He leaned his face against Tonks' as it hit, his lips pressing against her chilly forehead before he too faded away. Teddy would be okay. Harry would pull through, he had to… and Teddy would be okay.