The sequel to Choices, also dedicated to Pip! Now I can go back to pestering you about updates! :D
Tonks felt butterflies erupting in her stomach as she and Kingsley tramped along the footpath behind Moody. It was a miserable day, cold and grey and it was almost as if Dementors had descended on London once more. She was torn between being nervous and excited. She felt like she was about to change the world! To make a difference! She was also about to come face to face with the cousin she hadn't seen and had thought a traitor for thirteen years. She stumbled and Moody spun around.
"Constant Vigilance!" He snapped.
Tonks snickered. "I don't think the concrete trying to trip me is pointing to an imminent death eater attack, more of an example of my clumsiness. You should be used to that by now!" She ran a hand through her pink curls and grinned impishly.
Kingsely Shacklebolt struggled to maintain a straight face as the old man glared at the girl for a moment before stomping across the road and pausing in front of two terraced town houses.
Tonks raised her eyebrows. "Not quite what I was expecting Mad-Eye."
"Be quite," Moody snapped, glancing around nervously he pulled a slip of paper from his robe pocket. "Read this! And concentrate."
Kingsley and Tonks both blinked and stared as a house, a grey stone, miserable looking house, appeared before them.
"I love magic!" Tonks confided to her colleague as they followed Moody up the cracked pavement. "And I really wish that I could tell Mum that the Tonks have finally ruined the Black name and invaded Grimmauld Place!"
Kingsely laughed softly. "I think your aunt and uncle might be rolling in their graves!"
"Making themselves positively dizzy!" Tonks agreed brightly.
"Be quiet!" Moody snapped suddenly as they paused at the door. "You need to be silent! I don't want to wake her up!"
"Who?" Tonks tripped over the doorframe and Kingsely grabbed at her arm. Exaggerating care she tip-toed after Moody who sent her a withering look over his shoulder.
Tonks and Kingsely exchanged grins. She missed working with Moody, he was far too much fun to stir up.
Leading them down the dusty staircase they entered a kitchen that at first seemed to be empty. That allusion was shattered quickly.
Tonks heard Kingsely inhale sharply and she peered around the old, retired Auror to see not only her cousin but the man who had, according to the ministry, aided Sirius Black's escape. The werewolf who was hauled regularly into the ministry for strict questioning and who always left, at least seven hours later, exhausted, pale, but with slow, unwavering footsteps and straight shoulders.
She swallowed, she had never been so close to a werewolf before. Not like this, not outside of an interrogation chamber.
The two men were seated at the table, Sirius Black was holding a cloth tightly to Remus' upper arm and the remains of a shredded sleeve hanging around his arm.
"What happen?" Moody barked. He stomped over to the table, ignoring the startled reactions from his two Aurors at the sight of a werewolf firmly ensconced in Order headquarters.
"He got caught by a curse," Sirius' eyes lifted and slid over the newcomers warily. His eyes narrowed at the expressions on their faces.
"It's nothing!" Remus Lupin muttered.
Moody snorted loudly. "I see from the bloody cloths on the floor. Shacklebolt, Nymphadora—"
"Do not call me that!" She snapped suddenly. Her hair flared bright red before settling back to pink.
He ignored her. "Make yourselves useful and get me some water. Black, your cousin and Kingsely Shacklebolt."
"The man who is in charge of my investigation," Sirius glanced towards them again. "Charmed," there was a hint of amusement in his voice. His gaze lingered on his cousin. "Andy's girl, huh? Last time we saw you, you were only a scrap of a thing."
She blushed.
"This is Remus Lupin," Moody continued and suddenly both Aurors found the old man's eyes on them sharply. Almost threatening.
Remus glanced towards them briefly, his face was expressionless, skin an un-natural grey colour. "Pleasure," his voice was soft and even.
Tonks squirmed, she felt as if he knew exactly what she was thinking about him, and she felt suddenly guilty.
"What hit you, Remus?" Moody's voice made the werewolf glance back wearily.
Tonks' eyes widened. Alastor Moody never called anyone by their first name.
"No clue," he sounded tired as he propped his head on his uninjured arm.
"Constant Vigilance, boy!" Moody waited for Sirius to pull the cloth away and Tonks winced as the blood began to flow quickly.
"Who was it?" Despite her fear Tonks moved closer. She watched as Moody began to mutter spells at the wound.
Remus flicked his eyes towards her. "Malfoy I believe."
Tonks swore loudly. "I could arrest him!"
Sirius laughed bleakly and pressed the cloth back to the long gash as the pool of blood on the floor began to grow rapidly larger. "I like your spirit. But the charges would not hold, they never did."
"When was full moon?" Moody demanded suddenly.
"Why?" Remus looked embarrassed.
"Because you look like you are about to keel over."
Remus remained silent as Alastor began to mutter spells again.
"Three days ago. Don't look at me like that, Remus!" Sirius glared right back at the werewolf who had shot him an exasperated look.
Tonks bit her lip and looked around uselessly. Kingsely approached and leaned over the table as Moody spoke in a surprisingly gentle voice.
"You shouldn't have even been out there, Remus."
"Someone had to."
"Then send someone who isn't going to keel over."
"I'm fine," the werewolf muttered irritably.
"Can I help?"
Moody looked at Tonks and there was a glimmer of approval in his face. "Get some water in a bowl." A few more muttered words and a cry of triumph broke from Sirius.
"Thank Merlin! I thought you were going to bleed out on me!" The tall, haggard looking man sprang up and hurried a cupboard. He searched through it for a moment before pulling out a glass vial. "Drink this."
"What is it?" Moody demanded as he stared at the potion.
"Blood replenisher," Sirius rolled his eyes. "I am not attempting to poison my only friend so don't fret too much, Mad Eye."
Moody snorted and vanished the bloody rags. "I don't like the look of that curse. If it had been better placed…"
"Then he wouldn't have made a mess of my kitchen!" Sirius spoke cheerfully.
Remus laughed softly. "Thank you for that, Padfoot! I am going to go and put a non-destroyed shirt on. Thank you, Alastor."
He shuffled from the room, head bent, shoulders slumped. He had seen the way the two Aurors had reacted and he wearily trudged away, all he wanted to do was sleep but instead, he had to face wary eyes and untrusting people who would never accept him.
"He looks shit," Moody spoke sharply.
Sirius nodded. "I know, but you know how he is, Mad-Eye. He thinks he has to prove himself. And unfortunately, the way people view him, I am entirely sympathetic."
Tonks flushed and looked away. She felt a knot in her stomach. Her thoughts were conflicted. A werewolf, one of the dark creatures that were so eager to join Voldemort, was fighting with them… for them…
Moody nodded grimly. "It's good for him you are back."
Sirius stared moodily across the room. "It was bad, wasn't it?"
"Pretty bad."
"How often…. How often did people see him?"
"I saw him occasionally," Moody spoke roughly. "Few times every year. That was the most anyone saw the boy."
"Dammit," Sirius muttered and his head sank into his hands. "Damn him, damn him, damn him!"
Tonks stumbled to the door and pulled it open. She blinked blearily. "Mad Eye?"
"Constant Vigilance! I could have been anyone!" The old man shoved past her. "You need to follow protocol!"
"Sorry, just got home an hour ago. You woke me up."
The old man looked at her keenly. "How did you feel after your first meeting?"
"Overwhelmed," she admitted. She folded herself onto the lounge and motioned for him to sit.
Moody snorted. "It won't get better," he frowned darkly. "About Lupin… I should have told you that there was a werewolf in the Order."
"A heads up might have been nice. How do we know we can trust him? He Who Must—"
"Voldemort," Moody spoke firmly. "You speak his name now, Lass. And Lupin is trustworthy. He was doubted in the first war and… And it led to the Potter's death. He, Potter, Black and Pettigrew were best friends. He's a good lad. Brave, never gives up. Lived through hell."
"You are fond of him!" Tonks laughed.
"He's a good lad, we would have lost more people in the last war if it wasn't for him. He was willing to sacrifice his life for the good of the Order," Moody sounded bitter.
"What did Sirius mean when he asked if you saw him often?"
Moody ground his teeth together. "After that Halloween. Lupin disappeared. There were only one or two of us who would hear from him."
"You were one of them?"
Moody nodded. Tonks thought that he suddenly looked old. "A few times a year he would turn up at my door. The first time it was after a full moon. He was closer to death, spent a week recovering in my spare room. Was furious with himself. He wanted to die but…"
"But?"
"I might be grumpy but I can certainly manage to guilt a boy into visiting a lonely old man every few months."
Tonks bit her lip. "He's lonely."
"He had Black back now. They are good for each other."
She chewed her lip for a moment before nodding.
Moody was pacing and glancing at the clock. It was already past noon and there was no sign of his guest. He pressed his lips into a firm line and continued pacing. He had made a pact with the werewolf, no matter how little he saw him, immediately following the full moon after Halloween Remus Lupin was to port key to his home and spend a week. A week where Moody spent half his time healing the broken body of the werewolf who would tear himself to pieces with grief after the anniversary of his best friends deaths. It had been eight years and Remus had turned up faithfully every year.
Moody was peering out the front window when a loud crash at the back of his house made him whirl, wand in his hand, at the ready, and limp quickly through his immaculate house. He winced when he saw the blood stained heap that lay sprawled on the concrete. Hurrying outside, Moody looked around suspiciously before flicking his wand and levitating Remus into the air. He guided the unconscious man into the house and moved straight towards the spare bedroom.
The moon straight after Halloween was always bad, but this was the worst in four years. He placed the bloodied body onto the bed and vanished the shredded clothes. He winced at the gouges and wounds that covered the too-thin frame. He began to mutter spells to close the wounds that oozed thick blood, stopping the bleeding was the first priority.
It was over twenty-four hours before Remus woke. His eyes fluttered and he stared around blearily.
"Remus?"
"Alastor?"
"Drink this, Lad." Moody waited until the last of the water was drained from the cup.
"What… day?"
"Saturday."
Remus winced, he had lost nearly two days. "How bad?" His voice was a hoarse whisper.
Alastor glanced at the young man who had always been a favourite of his, even during the dark days when the word traitor was whispered around his name. "Worst I have seen for a while."
Remus' eyes closed. "I saw Harry," he finally acknowledged.
Catching his breath, the old man stared at Remus. "That isn't allowed."
A bleak laugh that turned into a cough where Remus was left clutching his ribs made Moody rest a soothing hand on the boy's shoulder.
"He was… He looked like James with Lily's eyes! He was so thin, Alastor! And the way they treated him! It was cruel! They…. They…. That woman didn't stop screaming at him and that man hit him so hard he nearly fell to his knees!"
Wincing, the old Auror helped Remus sit up against pillows. "Go on, Lad."
"I went to Albus... He needed to know! He… he told me it was for the best!" Remus' green eyes burned with pain. "He… he cast stronger wards to keep me out! To keep me away! I cannot go within three miles of Harry now!" Tears began to slide down the scarred face. "I tried… I wanted to see him, to reassure myself he was all right before the full moon and I couldn't! I…"
"What wards?" Moody demanded sharply. "Did they hurt you, Lad?"
Remus looked away. "I stop breathing, my heart felt like it would be ripped from me and I collapse… I… I will never see him again! I…" sobs convulsed the werewolf and Alastor silently patted Remus' shoulder as he silently cursed the headmaster for taking the one person that Remus truly cared about away.
"There now, Lad. It will be all right. It will be all right."
The next meeting was a week later and Tonks stayed for dinner after it.
"Mr Lupin?" She approached him as he began to wash the dishes.
He looked up and smiled, a smile that did not reach his eyes and barely touched the corners of his lips. "Remus, please."
She grinned at him. "Remus," she agreed. "Did you ever work out what curse that prat Malfoy hit you with?"
She watched surprise enter those light green eyes and felt a pang. How many people spoke to him? Outside of asking questions about the Order? Or was it just her? Was it that she had already made an awful impression on him?
"No, we didn't. Alastor and Sirius spent several days looking but…" he shrugged.
"I really wish I could lock him up! Why didn't you put in a complaint? I was waiting for one to cross my desk."
Remus raised an eyebrow. "A complaint against Lucius Malfoy from a notorious werewolf?"
She grinned ruefully. "Yes, you might have a point. Pity, I would have liked to arrest him for making you bleed that much!"
Remus looked at her gravely. "You were frightened by when I am last time."
She blushed but met his eyes squarely. "Yes, I was. I wasn't really expecting…" She blushed harder.
"A dark creature to be in the Order?" There was humour in his voice now.
"Something like that!" She held out her hand. "Friends?"
Remus looked surprised again. "You want to be friends with a werewolf?"
She shrugged. "I want to be friends with you. Besides, I know what it is to be different and feared." Her hair changed rapidly from pink, to purple to blue before fading back to pink.
Remus quietly dried his hands on a tea towel. His hand gripped hers. "Friends," he agreed.