She reached out to him, like they had done only several seconds before. Her fingertips grasping the air greedily.

All too quickly she felt the air around her sizzle. The electricity between their fingertips convulsed unpleasantly. Tonks turned.

Her eyes meeting his and watching the slow progression of his body, her eyes following him down as he seemed to spiral before her eyes, disappearing in the heat of the fray, oblivious to the heated battle around him.

Her body seized as Remus' limp form found the floor and lay still, sprawled out a bit but his face upturned towards the ceiling. Time sped up all too quickly.

She screamed, unable to recognize her own voice as his name escaped her lips hungrily, greedy. Her voice rose in denial, her screams antagonizing. Helpless.

She sank to the ground, eyes open but unseeing. The man's last moments crashing over her in waves, flashing over and over in her head. She screamed out again.

On her knees, she began to cry. Her body heaving, air escaping her lungs noisily as she fought for recognition. The fight lost to her now as her body racked.

Heavy, dry sobs escaping in spurts, her head shaking, lips echoing the phantom word of 'no'.

Not him.

Now now.

Everything she had worked toward, everything she had gained, everything she had deserved. Gone.

Why him?

Her beautiful man, her devoted husband.

Fury hit Tonks like a ball of light. Her unseeing eyes sprang red and as her shaking hand reached out for her husband's wand, she leaped forward.

Dolohov not far ahead, still stupidly admiring his work; she screamed. Anger and grief dripping from the noise, she reached out, Remus' wand in her free hand as she prepared herself to kill Dolohov on blind fury alone.

Her fingers just inches from his vile, undeserving throat before she heard it.

Heard the words, but sensed the presence first.

All at once her world slowed. Magic heat came barreling towards her. Tonks turned in time to glance at her husband.

A lost tear rolling down her flushed cheek, but her lips curling into a smile.

As the white hot heat of Bellatrix's spell hit her, Tonks allowed herself to collapse. Her body heat rising, tingling in her limps, before falling cold as she fell limp beside her husband.

Her last smile gone, but her fingers...

her fingers splayed, outstretched towards her beautiful werewolf.