"You don't understand Nymphadora he is dangerous, he can't be trusted." The Ministry official was advancing on her and she knew she had to make a stand, they wouldn't listen to reason so she would have to make them.
"Oh and I suppose you can?" Tonks snarled as her hair burst into red as if flames were really adorning her head. At this sudden outbreak and the fact that Tonks now held her wand out in front of her as a reminder of a silent threat, the Ministry official took a step back and pondered his predicament.
'Why do they always give me the crazy hormonal women! Next time I get my hands on the Malfoy family I'm gonna...'
"Of course you can Nymphadora, come now we both know the werewolf is unstable."
"Don't... call ... me... Nymphadora!" with these words seethed from her teeth Tonks flicked her wand in a silent spell which sent the official back against the wall a small droplet of blood slide down the side of his mouth. "Leave or face the consequences you filth."
"Your..your just as insane as he is! Monster!" The official was scrambling to the door by this point but just as he was about to open it the door blasted forth with a force that instantly killed the poor pawn. Tonks now looked to her new opponent who would surely kill her for it was none other then Tom Riddle returned to his youth by some dark magic unimaginable to the pure of heart.
"Ah Good evening Nymphadora, it seems that my Ministry has gotten you into quite a twist. Come now you must see reason werewolves are not stable my dear, will turn on you the first chance he gets in the full moon." Tom was idly swinging his wand in his fingers as he stepped on the fallen door with a crush underfoot as the weak bones of the once living official now crunched underneath like stone.
Tonks considered her options and realized at that moment she would not survive this no matter what, to hell with 'live to fight another day' if she did not act the one she loved most would suffer, and she could not live with herself after that.
"Voldemort," she spat as he neared she kept her distance wand raised and at the ready, "You are not even good enough to breath the air he breaths! He is a valiant man, a good man, one with a great heart and soul and you, you are an empty shell of existence to which I owe all my grief and distain to." Tonks poured out her hatred and angry into every single word hoping that he would not see nor hear the fear that was growing in her heart.
"Foolish young love, how does it feel to love a monster who can not love you back? Pitiful fool, you dare use my name with no respect! You are certainly lacking intelligence." Tom was no longer swinging his wand but now held it up pointed towards her breast in which her heart lie.
"I pity you... you will never know love... you will never feel anything... you are already dead and the dead will pull you out of existence." Tonks spat, "I however will die here today knowing that I protected a man I loved, but I ask you to remember this whilst Dumbledore may be dead, in spirit he is never truly dead for he is never truly forgotten but when you die, which you will, who will remember you? Who will talk of you? Who will morn for you?" A flick of her wand was not enough to stop Voldemorts next spell from knocking her back into Remus Lupin upon his entrance. Too late, too late to save her, too late to save himself... For no one has survived the Avada Kadavra for it is unforgiveable, and the only survivor was now in hiding biding his time till he could revive hope for the new world.
"Tonks!!!" Remus fell to his knees in anguish as his heart was torn from his chest whilst he held the women he loved, the women that had been so full of life, so full of love, so vibrant, and now she was never to breath again. His hand stroked her face as tears fell from his brown eyes, memories plaguing his mind as he stared at her willing her to open her eyes once more for him if only he could have told her how he truly felt once more, if only he had been there to protect her...
"Well well if it isn't the monster himself come to morn over his filthy blood traitor. How tragic, how would you like to join her?" Tom Riddle sneered in disgust as he regarded the looks of love, compassion, hurt and longing in Lupin's eyes. Then his eyes lit up and he started to laugh as Remus continued to cradle Tonks carefully in his arms as if she might break at any moment.
"Oh no, I've got better plans for you. Yes, why I can't have you dying too now can I? No it will be far more pleasing to watch you suffer alone, as you relive this moment over and over. Couldn't save her could you, couldn't give her the love she needed, weak pathetic blood traitor. She never loved you, she knew you were a monster but Dumbledore asked her to give you a chance and now she's broken your heart and left you. She's gone and died because she didn't have the courage to tell you and she didn't love you." At that moment Riddle turned his wand on Lupin and with a whisper a darkness over took his weeping form as laughter pierced the air and the bells of death took away what he cared for most.
-0-
"Hermione, Hermione wake up deary, come on now Kingsley is here to speak with you. Come dear wake up," Mrs. Weasley cooed at the sleeping form of Hermione Granger famous friend of Harry Potter, brightest witch of her age and now weakest as she let drip her tears constantly as they left new stains a constant reminder of what she had lost and what she would lose if she couldn't find a way.
"I'm awake Mrs. Weasley, I was just resting my eyes," Hermione whispered as she forced herself into a sitting position once again whipping her eyes with her sleeve trying her best to look presentable.
"Please dear call me Molly, you already are like family and I'm sure Fred would have...would have wanted you to," a sob broke out of Molly Weasley at the mention of her dead son as Hermione laid her arm over the weeping women which she had done so many times before.
"Molly, Fred still lives in our hearts, it will be alright I promise. Come on now let's go greet our guest and get a cup of tea. You once told me that tea does wonders to the heart, come now," Hermione cooed at the women as she once again played the strong, resilient hero.
"Of course dear, come on then Kingsley won't wait forever, he will be complaining about how slow women are again." Molly answered as she let out a small forced laugh.
Solemnly walking down the steps of number 12 Grimmauld place they were greeted by an equally sombre Kingsley sitting in the kitchen frowning at the window.
"Good evening Kingsley, what brings you here?" Hermione asked even though she knew exactly what he wanted but she needed to talk lest she forget how in such grave times.
"I need to know your progress Hermione, we need it done before you-know-who can get much further. Tonks is dead." Kingsley awaited for the two to get over the initial shock before continuing, "This morning she was followed to Lupin's hideout and she apparently encountered a Ministry official who wanted to take Lupin away but she wouldn't allow it. You-know-who himself came killing the official and then Tonks when she resisted but he has taken Lupin captive. I am sure he derives a certain sick pleasure out of seeing Lupin in such pain."
Hermione slumped into a kitchen chair as fresh tears cascaded down her cheeks bringing about grief that had last caught her off guard when Fred Weasley had fallen to a curse at the battle of Hogwarts. Could she continue losing people she cared for? Could she go on living whilst her friends suffered the consequences of her inadequacy in her mission, smartest witch of her age indeed she couldn't even save the one she'd loved.
"Hermione we need that spell and soon, if not there might not be a wizarding world to save." Kingsley whispered as he watched her trying to hide her anguish at his news. She had always been the strong one and now when he watched her going to pieces he wondered if there was any hope for any of them.
Sniffing she wiped her eyes and looked up at him an impassive mask fell over her face once more. "Of course, I have been working on it constantly but I can't seem to be getting anywhere. Perhaps I shall have more to tell you when I meet with Severus tomorrow but for now I'm sorry."
Kingsley considered her words and the effect they would have on the rest of them, if she didn't come up with the spell or a potion for this then they were all doomed. Yet he didn't want to push her not when she had just learned of yet another of her friends deaths and a friends capture, no he wouldn't he would ask Severus to help her. "Of course Hermione, I will be back next week then. I shall tell Severus you'll be expecting him bright and early then?"
"Of course, I don't sleep much anyway. I shall expect him for breakfast in the least." Hermione nodded a part of her mind still thinking over what was going wrong with her spell, she couldn't explain it. The charm no matter how you looked at it would not work and her only hope was that of a potion but she would need Severus to help her no matter what their relationship was like in the past, if she was to do this, she needed him.
"Right then, I will leave it to you then, Good night Hermione, Molly," and with that he disappeared from their presence with a crack.
-0-
The full moon wasn't for another two weeks and so he could take comfort in the fact that he would be alone without the monster for just a little while. It was enough time to morn for Tonks and harden himself for what was to come. If it was the last thing he did, Voldemort would perish, he would pay for the anguish and pain he bestowed upon so many such as himself, Harry and Hermione... so many people had been hardened by the war with nothing to protect them against turning to ice. Everyone it seemed had lost someone and they were having a hard time to deal with it as hope dwindled to nothing time dragging on.
She didn't have to protect me! Didn't she realize that she was protecting a monster? Someone who could turn on her with the changing of the moon? Didn't she realize!? All she did was place the blade once more in my hand, I could have saved her, I could have done something to stop him! Damn it, why couldn't she have just stayed away just a few more days?
Remus mulled these things over leaving his eyes closed not wanting to open them and find himself locked in a cell and realize that what had happened was real, Tonks was dead, he was being held captive, and Voldemort and once again won.
Life is never fair but it is fairer then death, yet in retrospect I wish that death had claimed me as well and so then I could have justice to this nightmare I've lived. Damn it!
Pounding his fists on the ground he found himself lying on cold stone as he sniffed the air smelling the dampness of a cellar, perhaps that of the Malfoy's or something more vile. Shifting to sit up he opened his eyes to find he was right he was in a cellar behind bars apparently enforced with magic as screams pierced the air. So this is what the inner circle of hell was like? The only difference was this time he had no Tonks nor Hermione to save him.
-0-
And so ends my first chapter of my Remus/Hermione fiction! I hope you enjoy it, even though there isn't any Remus/Hermione in there yet it is coming, I am a stickler for detail and so I am giving you the background information. You'll find out about Hermione's emotional distress next chapter, I hope you all read and review and watch for the next chapters which promise to be better!