Title: Stay With Me
Author: Jmaria
Rating: FR-13
Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns all, I'm just playing with them.
Spoilers: OotP
Summary: Lay your head on this big brass bed, and it'll be alright as long as you stay with me.
A/N: I like country music, and this line from a newer song (no, I don't know the artist or the song name, although I think it is "Stay With Me.") made me think of Tonks, and well her comforter.
Stay With Me
Nymphandora Tonks tossed and turned in her sleep. The fight at the Ministry played over and over in her head, and tears flowed down her cheeks. She curled herself into a tight ball, feeling smaller and smaller as she let her gifts as a Metamorphmagus take over. Kingsley Shacklebolt didn't know what to do for her, and soon the bright bubblegum pink hair that was her trademark had all but vanished into chocolate brown hair and deepened into a black similar to Sirius's. He slipped out of the room, rubbing a worried hand over his jaw. Kingsley barely noticed the older man standing in the shadows.
"How is she?" he asked quietly.
"Never seen her this bad, Remus." Kingsley sighed, "And I went through Auror training with her."
"You look as if you could use a drink." Remus Lupin said, studying the younger man.
"Who couldn't?" he muttered. But Remus had been closer to Sirius Black than he had ever been. "How're you holding up?"
"I'll survive." His voice, however, lacked the conviction. "Go get something to drink. I'll keep an eye on Nymphandora."
"You sure?"
"Yes." he said tiredly.
Remus waited until Kingsley had made it down the hall before opening the door. He smiled sadly down at Tonks, who promptly burst into gut wrenching sobs of guilt. Here before her was her favorite cousin's best friend in the world, and she had failed to help Sirius fight her aunt Bellatrix. Remus, however wasn't there to judge her. He merely held her in his arms and rocked her gently as she cried. His hands formed comforting circles on her back, and every now and then he said that everything would be okay.
"But - but-" she said tearfully.
"Shh. There's nothing to say, Nymphandora." And he continued to rock her in the safety of his arms. "Lay your head down. That's a good girl."
It was sometime later that he found himself with a very exhausted Tonks curled up in his arms, her pink hair beginning to return. Her breathing was regular and Remus found himself staring down at the heart shaped face pressed firmly against his chest. When he tried to extract her from his arms, she merely clung more tightly to him. Her eyes fluttered open for half a second.
"No, please stay with me."
He half wondered if she even knew who she spoke to, maybe even believed that she was speaking to Sirius instead. But it was her next words that seemed to drive that doubt away.
"Please, Remus." she whispered, "Please stay."