Tonks sat on the cold bench, grasping Remus' hand tightly. A cold chill raked her body as the dementors hovered past them. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. This couldn't be happening.
"It's going to be ok, Dora." Remus whispered in her ear, kissing her softly on the cheek. "For the moment, just think happy thoughts." He smiled weakly.
She rolled her eyes. Everything was bloody well not going to be ok, and they both knew it. Being accused of treason was not something one took lightly. It was also not something they were likely to get off. They were headed for Azkaban, Tonks knew it. And she was scared.
She wasn't a crook. And neither was Remus. It had only become treason to pass information to the wrong people after the Death eaters had taken over, and, as members of the order, Tonks and Remus were being accused of doing just that. Most of the order was being accused of treason in some form or other, although most of them had much lighter sentences- Arthur had been given two weeks in Azkaban, and most other members had been given no more than that, apart from those who worked in higher departments of the ministry. Tonks and Kingsley were both being charged on twelve months, with parole attainable at five. Tonks was disgusted at Remus' sentence- only equal to hers, she knew, because he was a werewolf. Other order members not employed by the ministry had been given no more than a week, if that. A week was enough to drive anyone insane.
The door at the end of the hall crept open. Dawlish beckoned them in.
Tonks stood, giving Remus' hand one final squeeze before dropping her own hand to her side and marching ahead, defiant. Yes, she was terrified of being sentenced to Azkaban, but she wasn't letting them know that. She was an auror, and she wasn't scared of anything.
Dawlish pointed them towards two stone chairs in the middle of the room. Tonks nodded at him, before crossing the room and sitting down, whitening as she watched the clinking chains snake around her arms, tying them in place. Swallowing, she looked at Remus. He too was pale, staring at the chains encircling his wrists and lower arms. He glanced at her, his eyes softening. She smiled weakly back.
"You are Nymphadora and Remus Lupin, are you not?"
Tonks whipped her head around as a high pitched, girly voice echoed from the head of the room. Tonks clamped her jaw tightly shut, so she would refrain from saying anything rude to Dolores Umbridge, quite possibly the bane of her husband's life.
"Yes." Remus answered, his voice tightly controlled.
"And you are both members of the Order of the Phoenix, is that correct?"
"Yes." Remus answered coolly. Tonks gave a small grin- that man knew how to keep his head- she was holding out so she didn't start answering sarcastically and shouting.
"Mrs. Lupin, you work in the auror department, yes?"
Tonks nodded, glaring at the way Umbridge was sneering at her.
"Should you not have known then, that it was illegal to pass on the information you did, to the people you passed it to?"
"It wasn't illegal at the time, madam undersecretary." Tonks answered coldly, which earned her a disapproved murmur from the members of the Wizendmagot.
Umbridge looked down at her. "Oh, I'm not talking about the information you passed in the last few years since you joined the order," Umbridge said sweetly. "No, I'm talking about the information you have passed on the changes in the ministry to your husband." She smirked on the last word.
"Sorry?" Tonks asked. "I wasn't aware it was illegal to tell my husband how my day went."
"Oh, well it's not in most cases. But you see, your husband is here on this list- Undesirable number twenty seven. So, unfortunately for you, it is illegal to pass closed information to anyone on this list. Which puts you in a rather inconvenient situation, doesn't it?"
Tonks sighed, banging her head on the back of the chair, inwardly cursing. Of course Remus was on that list. A member of the order who was also a werewolf would be on Umbridge's hit list. She glanced over at him. He wasn't taking the news that he was undesirable number 27 very well. His jaw was taunt, and his hands were curled into fists. She could see the chains straining against his arms- he was obviously thinking how much he'd like to rip that ugly toad's head off.
"Remus!" She murmured. He glanced at her, blinking. She raised an eyebrow. His hands slowly uncurled.
"Do you have anything to say on this matter, Mr. Lupin?" Umbridge turned to him, wrinkling her nose in disgust.
"Only that you shouldn't blame my wife for an issue that is my fault. She shouldn't be blamed for my condition." Remus gave a haunted smile. "Its not her fault."
"She made a choice, Mr. Lupin…" Umbridge cleared her throat. "You are both charged with treason and conspiracy against the ministry, the charges being that you willingly and in the knowledge that it was illegal passed censored information to undesirable members of society." Umbridge smiled sickly at Remus. "How do you plead?"
"Not guilty." Tonks said through clenched teeth.
Umbridge turned to her, still smiling. Her own hands curled into fists as Umbridge turned to face the Wizendmagot. "Those finding the defendants guilty?"
Tonks' heart sunk as most of the room raised their hands. Only a handful did not.
Umbridge turned back, grinning. "You have been found guilty, and will both be sentenced to twelve months in Azkaban. If, after five months, we believe you have redeemed yourself, you will be let out on parole for the rest of your sentence." She turned to the dementors standing in the doorway. "Take them away."
"NO!" Remus yelled, as the chains around his arms loosened. Aurors rushed forward, holding him back. "No, you can't send her there! No!"
"Remus!" Tonks called, as Dawlish hauled her to her feet. "Remus, please, its ok-"
"No, its bloody not!" He turned to Umbridge, who was watching him with a satisfied smirk. "Please, ill do her time, you can't send her there-"
"Remus, don't-" Tonks had a horrible feeling as to why Remus didn't want her to go…
"And why would you offer to do that, Mr. Lupin?" Umbridge asked, her smirk wider than ever as she watched him struggle.
"Because…" He looked at Tonks, as Dawlish stopped pulling her away. "Because she's pregnant."
There was a low gasp from the Wizendmagot. Umbridge's face was murderous.
"Disgusting." She spat. "Take them away, and I hope you rot, may the devil claim back his spawn and save you!"
Tonks stared at her in horror and awe as she was pulled out of the room, Clammy dementor hands clutching her rather then human ones. Despair washed over her as she was pushed into a damp holding cell, awaiting transfer, with several other people sitting on the cold floor. She fell back against the stone wall, locking her knees under her chin and wrapping her arms around her legs. She buried her face in her jeans, trying to hold back her tears. She couldn't believe it. She was going to Azkaban. And Rita Skeeter was going to have a field day when she heard about this- one of the only female aurors having a werewolf's spawn.
The door creaked open, but she didn't look up.
"Dora?" She heard Remus walk over and sit next to her. "I'm sorry." He muttered. "I shouldn't have said anything…"
"No. you shouldn't have." She looked up, wiping her tears away on the sleeve of her jacket.
"I'm sor-"
"I know. Its ok." She pulled one of Remus' big arms around her, snuggling closer to him. He sighed, kissing her gently.
"Im scared." She whispered.
Remus' face turned stony. "Dora, please, don't make this worse, I feel terrible enough already-"
"I'm scared for you. She said, smiling and kissing him on the cheek. "What will you do? At the full moon…"
Remus shrugged. "I don't know. But im more worried about you…" His face darkened. "Dora, what if it is like me? You wont know until the moon rises and it starts to transform inside you-"
"Don't talk like that Remus, please. Its not. I just know it." She replied stubbornly.
"You don't know." He muttered. She glared at him.
"Please… Remus, can we just forget about that for now… we're not going to see each other for months…"
He wrapped his arms tighter around her.
"Console me in my darkest hour." She murmured. "Convince me that the truth is always grey."
Remus kissed her forehead softly. "The truth about our… baby, you mean?"
She nodded into her sweater.
"We don't know, Dora. We don't know what it is. The truth is grey." He sighed. "But I hope he takes after his mother."
"She." Tonks muttered, glancing up, smiling cheekily. Remus rolled his eyes.
"Told you the truth is grey." She smiled weakly, kissing him roughly.
He stroked her face, twirling a strand of her dark hair around his finger. He looked out the small, barred window, where the moon was visible in a dark, starless sky.
"Do you know why the moon is lonely?" he whispered, as the door swung open, revealing two aurors, accompanied by dementors. Tonks shook her head anxiously.
They were hauled to their feet.
"Because it doesn't have you." Remus murmured.
A/N: Just a wee short story- I hadn't realized just how many challenges I had signed up for, so im doing a few of them in here: the day and age challenge, the x-men quote challenge, I think… Sundays picture description for a different kind of description, and the Alphabet challenge. Phew! Anyways, this will have maybe two more chapters, which ill write soon, before my muse decides to jog on. :P so, please review, I have a plate of fresh choc chip cookies…