Author: elenorecanard
Title: After the Rain
Word Count: 1,432
Rating: PG
Summary: Tonks recalls the end of the war, and her reactions to the results.
Author's Notes: This is a new style for me. Sort of stream-of-consciousness-y. So, here's the experiment, and I kind of like how it turned out. Comments are always welcome!
As usual, I stake no claim to the characters in this story, as they belong to a woman with far more talent in her little finger than I have in totality.
…:::…:::…:::…
When Voldemort died the second time, the sky broke up, and the rain stopped and the sun beat down so brightly, it was hard to believe any bad could ever happen in such a bright, sunny world. I know it sounds cliché. If I hadn't been there myself, the more cynical part of me would have been sure it was a gross exaggeration. But that's how it happened.
It rained through that whole final confrontation. The lightning and thunder accented the curses and hexes flying all around. If you think playing Quidditch in the rain is difficult, you should try dueling in a thunder storm. No. You shouldn't. I hope you never have to.
The Dark Lord's demise was marked by sunshine and the tell tale cracks of Death Eaters Disapperating and fleeing the battle field. Only seven managed to get away before we fired Anti-Apparation Jinxes and binding spells at them, when we'd realized why they were running. When the last jinx hit the last standing Death Eater, I stood still and surveyed the field, looking for the faces of my friends and colleagues.
My gaze swept over a group of Aurors who where lining up the bound Death Eaters. One by one, the Aurors Disapparated, with a Death Eater each, to Azkaban to await trial. I'd heard stories about the trials after the first war and I didn't envy the Wizengamot round two.
Kingsley was levitating bodies into lines: Aurors and Order members on one side, Death Eaters on the other. I exhaled with relief to see that our line was much shorter and the number of fallen Order members was few. We'd been very lucky. I paid extra attention to hair color while looking at that line. With the sheer number of Weasleys, logic – and what Muggles refer to as Murphy's Law—dictated that they couldn't all possibly make it through this ordeal, but I failed to see red—Weasley red, anyway—and my heart was hopeful.
When I turned around, I found my hope was justified. Charlie, sporting a nasty gash under his eye, was shaking hands with Percy. Percy'd only recently been reconciled with his family, showing up at Number 12 Grimmauld with vital ministry information and the most sincere apology I'd ever overheard.
I spotted Fred looking very pale, very lost and more than a little scared. I knew he had to be looking for George.
"Oi! Fred!" I sprinted up to him.
"Tonks! Have you seen George? We got split up, and I can't find him."
I nodded. "I portkeyed him to Grimmauld. He took a nasty curse to the shoulder, but I'm sure your mum and Fleur got him patched up."
"Thank Godric," he breathed, and Disapparated with an unnecessarily loud crack.
To the west, Mad-Eye and McGonagall were walking between bodies still laying on the ground, occasionally dropping a coin, causing the person to disappear. I knew they'd be portkeyed to Headquarters, where Molly, Fleur and Poppy were doing what they could for the wounded and sending the worst on to St. Mungo's.
I saw Bill and Arthur, making sweeping motions with their wands as they walked towards me, no doubt checking for lingering curses.
"How's it look, gents?" I asked, too brightly, as they passed me.
Bill smiled faintly. "So far, so good." and they passed.
I was very glad for Fleur. Her husband was safe and their soon-to-be-born baby would have a dad. Fleur had been terrified when Bill was hurt a little over a year before. Surprising us both, we became close friends. She flooed me to teach her to make the Wolfsbane potion when Bill insisted on taking it, just in case, even though Remus and Poppy both told him he'd most likely not transform. When he got moody before the moon, which had been predicted, we commiserated, and when he insisted on spending that first full moon alone, Fleur and I had a slumber party, discussing wedding plans, and our stubborn men. The morning after, Fleur went home to find Bill completely safe, and whole, and very excited that he had nothing to worry about. I went to the Shrieking Shack with hot cocoa for Remus.
Remus. I still hadn't seen Remus. That realization turned my survey into a search. I turned again, taking a few steps, when I saw Harry.
Harry, Ron and Hermione were standing in the center of the field, staring at each other. Hermione was the first to crack a smile. She threw her arms around Harry's neck and hugged him so fiercely. When Hermione stepped back, Ron shook his hand, and then the boys abandoned pretense and gave into a hug as well.
"Harry!" I turned to see Ginny Weasley running across the field, calling to him. She threw herself into Harry's open arms and he picked her up and twirled her around and around, both of them laughing.
Ron had taken Hermione in his arms as well, and the four stood on the top of that hill, the remains of the war, forgotten around them. I smiled at that scene. They deserved that.
The Weasley family and Harry, people who had become part of my own family, were accounted for, and now I was only missing one. The most important one. If you've ever been missing the one person that means the most to you in the entire world, you know how terrified I was. I hadn't seen Remus, alive or dead, since I went after my aunt. I resumed my search. I had to find him. I passed Aurors, making a list of the bodies of Death Eaters that Kingsly had lined up, and Order members, making a list of Aurors and others in the Order, so that families could be notified. I passed Mad-Eye again, this time speaking with Bill and Arthur about the lack of curses they found. Remus, though, was no where to be found. I sucked in a deep breath, and walked toward the line of bodies, that I'd been so careful not to look at. Hestia Jones was at the front of the line, which almost made me angry. We'd all asked her to stay behind with Molly and Poppy. She had no business in battle, and would have been safe and of more use at Headquarters, armed with healing charms, but she insisted on coming along. She thought that if Fleur couldn't fight, some one needed to go in her place, and it was her own job to do so. Mundungus Fletcher was several down after her. At the end of the line, I found the body of Severus Snape. He'd continued to feed information to the Order after he fled Hogwarts with Malfoy, and had, in the end, led Harry directly to Voldemort, and warned the Order. But he hadn't made it through the battle. I had Apparated in just in time to see Voldemort send a fatal hex at Snape when he recognized betrayal, and I swore, silently, that he'd get the recognition he deserved. Remus was not among them. Thank Godric.
I was drawing my wand to send a Patronus to Molly, and see if Remus had turned up in her care, when I felt a hand on my shoulder. He was standing there when I turned around. Remus, my Remus, was standing in front of me, whole and well, and safe, and suddenly, I was sobbing. He folded me in his arms.
"Shhhh. It's alright. It's alright," he cooed in my ear, holding me close.
I took a deep, shuddering breath and tried to calm myself. "Merlin, Remus. I was looking all over for you. I thought you were hurt, or dead!"
He brushed my tears away with his thumb. "I promised Molly I'd go to tell them everyone was safe, as soon as I could. I'm sorry, I was at Grimmauld."
I shook my head. "It doesn't matter. You're here. You're here and you're whole." I buried my face in his shoulder again, and his arms tightened around me.
We stood that way for a long time. When I lifted my head again, the bodies were being Portkeyed to the Ministry, where families could come and identify their kin, and take care of them how they saw fit. Harry and his friends had apparently been whisked away, because they were no longer on the field.
"Remus."
"Yes, love?"
"It really is over, isn't it?"
"It really is," he told me.
"Can we go home, then?"
I had barely finished my sentence, when he turned us both, and Apparated us
away.
fin.