As usual, it is not I who owns Harry Potter.
Instead of boring you all, I shall get on with it.
1.
Apprehension.
That was what everyone in the Burrow felt.
Bill and Fleur were remarkably absent, and Molly was using the time to ice the multiple layered cake she'd been slaving over for Saturdays wedding ceremony. Tonks sat at the table, crossing her arms, wondering where Molly had managed to hide a cake that she could literally fit inside.
Harry, Hermione and Ron sat in a corner, talking in hushed voices. In fact, that was how all the children had been these days. Ginny seemed torn between needing to be with Harry, needing to be away from Harry… it was all the same.
Tonks sighed. She was glad Bill and Fleur had disappeared for a bit. It was hard feigning such happiness with Remus out there at the colony…
She felt better about him going this time, to be sure. He sent her owls when he could, promising he was okay and that he'd be back soon. He wrote I love you at the beginning and end of each letter
He knew how badly she needed to be reminded when he wasn't there.
But wasn't it even more dangerous this time? They didn't know if Fenrir had seen him that night at Hogwarts. They'd both been there… and if Fenrir had by chance recognized him, it would have been easy to figure out he wasn't exactly being helpful to the death eaters.
But today no owl had come. Tonks glanced for the millionth time at her watch, knowing the Weasley's clock was utterly useless for telling time. It was almost seven PM. He'd transformed back into a man at six fifteen this morning, when the sun had risen. That meant it'd been roughly more than sixteen hours…
Tonks sighed very quietly. She was worried. Even more than that, she was terrified. And angry. Why did he have to go back? Why now, after they had finally reached an agreement, after they had finally began to move in the right direction?
'I know, I don't want to go either.' Remus looked at her mournfully, his eyes expressing his misery. 'but now it's even more important that I go. Not for long, but to see what they're up to… and what their next step is now that… that Dumbledore has passed on.'
Tonks rubbed her temples. Molly, catching the small movement from the auror who had otherwise been still for nearly an hour, stopped in the midst of writing: Congratulations Bill and Fleur.
"Oh dear, now I'm sure he's fine." She said in a tone that would have been comforting… if she actually was telling the truth. "He's probably just resting a bit from the moon."
Tonks forced a smile to her face. "Thanks Molly."
Mrs. Weasley smiled back at her and patted her shoulder before taking up the icing once more. But the sound of footsteps at the door caused her to snatch her wand up and point it to the cake. It vanished as the door slammed open, making Tonks jump.
"Bill! How many times have I-" Molly stopped and gasped.
"Remus!" Tonks choked.
Indeed, it was he. But before they could say anything, he limped into the room, laying his bundle across the table. His gloves, which had been perfectly mended the day he'd left, now had holes in each finger. He reached for the dirty thin blanket and began to peel the cloth away.
The shock of Tonks was nothing compared to what it was now. A small girl, thin and looking horribly still laid beneath the filthy blankets. She was soaked to the skin, her dark hair plastered to the side of her face. She was also naked, though only her thin chest showed. Remus leaned over her, placing his index finger to her neck.
"She's still alive." He said hoarsely.
"Good heaven's Remus!" Molly managed, her eyes very wide.
"What happened?" The trio had appeared at the door, Ginny behind them.
"Remus who is this?" Tonks asked.
Molly's maternal instincts had kicked in. "Ginny, go upstairs and find some of your old clothes you've grown out of. The warmest you can find. Boys, go get some blankets." She spun and pointed her wand at the kettle which immediately began to whistle. "Hermione, see if you can find Errol and send a message to Arthur. We'll need him to come home immediately and pick up some potions on the way."
The four scattered. Tonks still stared at Remus. She hadn't seen him for at least a month, and living in the conditions he had made him look thin, dirty and scraggly… all in all the most handsome man she'd ever seen.
Remus smiled, catching her hand in his and squeezing it. "Nymph…" He said in that hoarse voice. "This is… she's one of the children from the camp. She's been abandoned there by her parents. The moon… it's very harsh for a child."
"How old is she?" Tonks whispered.
"Three or four I suppose. She's been terrified. I had a time getting her to trust me..."
Molly had gotten a clean cloth and was bathing the child's face and neck. "Remus what happened to her? Is it just from transforming?"
Remus looked grim. "She's nothing but a cub in wolf form. The older wolves were ganging up on her last night. She only survived because she crawled into a hollow log… they couldn't reach her." He leaned over and brushed his thumbs under the child's eyes. Tonks immediately noticed the worry and warmth lacing the semi-golden irises. Molly apparently did too, because she said nothing about the smudges his fingers left on her clean face.
"The werewolves… they won't notice you've left… and taken her?" Tonks asked as Molly began to bathe the child again.
"I doubt it." Remus snorted. "I've had enough… and the wolves obviously suspect me… they're not saying anything in any case. My cover has been sufficiently blown."
Tonks roughly and violently hugged him and he laughed appreciatively. "Ah. You don't seem too disappointed."
"No."
"Mmm." Remus' gaze traveled to the girl again. "But… I couldn't leave her there."
Tonks, her head still comfortably on his chest, looked at the small form again. The clean skin looked almost transparent. Cuts, from brush and undergrowth, from claws and teeth, criss-crossed dangerous close to her jugular vein, and across one shoulder. Molly clucked sympathetically as she picked a piece of broken glass from her side and performed a drying charm on her hair. Just these small actions were a great improvement and it was easy to see that if she was healthy she would be a beautiful child.
Ginny and Ron ran into the room, their arms bundled with more clothing then needed. The heat of the moment must have gotten to them. Molly grabbed a sweater and shrunk it before shooing her children away. After applying healing charms she gently pulled it over the little girls head and tucked each arm in their sleeves.
A small moan erupted from the pink lips.
A wave of pity for this abandoned child hit Tonks in the gut. She moved closer to the table, but Remus beat her to it. He gently cupped the side of her face.
"Emily?" He whispered softly.
They waited in breathless silence but the child didn't move again. Molly exhaled.
"Remus, why don't you go upstairs and wash up a bit. If she wakes up we'll call you."
Tonks looked at him, watching him bite his lip. "She's right Remus. You're probably knackered. Why don't you at least sleep? I promise, I'll call you the moment she wakes up.
He hesitated. Yet exhaustion was still dangerously close and the adrenaline from the moment was wearing thin.
"You'll call." He said. It was a statement, but also a question.
"Yes." Tonks looked at him determinedly.
He nodded. "Fine." Looking to Mrs. Weasley, he smiled gratefully. "Molly I'm sorry to have barged in here like this…"
"No, no! Best thing to be done. Poor dear. We'll have her fixed up again in no time." Mrs Weasley smoothed back the wisps from the girl's forehead. "Emily, you called her?"
He half shrugged. "She wouldn't tell me her name. The rest of the wolves called her names and swore at her. So I told her I'd call her Emily until she was ready to tell me her name." He looked sideways at Tonks. "I was going to call her Nymphadora…"
"Go upstairs." Tonks muttered. But she couldn't help but smile a little.
As Remus slowly stepped out of the room (no doubt getting stopped by the teens in the parlor who wanted to know what was going on), Bill and Fluer popped in the front door.
"Ooooo Bill. It ezz so beautiful toni-" Seeing the little girl on the kitchen table, Fleur let out a screech of surprise. Bill looked wide eyed at his mother.
"Mum…what happened?!"
So, do you like it? Hate it? I'd love to know.
