I walked along the cold streets the next morning, remembering far too deeply of my time in the hospitality of the kindest woman I'd met. She knew I was a werewolf, but that didn't stop her from taking me in and making me feel…well, human.
She was a little clumsy yeah, but that just seemed to add to her playful personality. She was studying to become an Auror; she had a bright future ahead of herself.
I wanted to be by her side during her climb to her goals, but I had a feeling that if she associated herself with me, it would hinder her chances.
I groaned and sat on a wooden bench, the red paint was peeling, and the metallic stand was rusting from rain.
I chuckled slightly as I could hear James's voice encouraging me to go for it, "Come on Moony! Screw what people think, you want her, take a freaking shot!"
I grinned lightly, it had been about 10 or 11 years since we'd last seen each other, and I knew, that memories were all I would ever have to remember that fantastic friend of mine. He was impulsive and a little cocky, but he had a good heart, but now, he was no longer alive, due to Voldemort's cruel tendencies.
I shuddered away from those memories and looked up as I saw Tonks once again walking my way. She looked over and grinned at me, she was wearing a pair of black and yellow striped leggings and a black denim skirt, she had on a rugged looking vest and a long sleeved shirt that was black and white stripes on the sleeves and the vest was closed tightly over her torso, but I could see a black turtle neck sticking up over her neck, she had a spiked choker on and her hair was still short and bubblegum pink. She wore a pair of combat boots and a brilliant grin.
She walked quickly towards me but her foot got caught on the curb and she fell forward, I quickly jumped up and grabbed her arms to keep her from hitting the ground. She looked up at me with a grateful smile, "Thanks," she said as she stood up.
"You should be more careful," I said smiling, she giggled a little and shrugged.
"I try, it's just that everything likes to jump and my way," she said laughing.
I grinned down at her and she sighed, but then we heard the gunshot like bang the echoed into the air, we looked into the middle of the street as the figure appeared. I fingered my wand in my pocket as I watched, waiting for who ever it was to come out of the blurry fog that cloaked them.
"Moody," I said as he limped towards us, his cane slapping against the cobbled street with each step he took.
"No time for the formalities Remus, we have to get out of, here Dumbledore has work for us to do, so no time to dawdle," he said in his gruff voice, I looked at Tonks as Moody began to limp away.
"What I don't even warrant a hello?" Tonks said, Moody looked back at us and his eyes narrowed on her.
"You were requested to join us on this Nymphadora," he said before Disapparating.
She let out a small humanistic growl before Disapparating as well, I quickly followed suit.
We arrived in the Hog's Head and I stepped out of the blurry fog to see Tonks slapping Moody, "Don't. Call me. Nymphadora," she said as her hair darkened to a deep red, lengthening slowly.
I cleared my throat as I walked forward, she looked over at me, and her hair began to brighten once more.
"Good, you're here," Moody said as he ignored Tonks' slap.
"What happened to don't let the muggles see us," Tonks snapped as she looked over at him, it was then that I noticed we weren't the only ones in the room. I looked around to see Kingsley Shacklebot and Mundungus Fletcher. I felt the maddening depression fall over me as I noticed the three people that were missing. Lily, James, and Sirius.
I let out a small growl as my fists tightened as thoughts of that night flashed through my mind.
The rain was pounding against the streets; I could hear the children running along the streets through the Halloween night. Despite the rain they seemed determined to get the candy the night promised.
But despair rode the winds as well as Dumbledore appeared on the street in front of me, nobody seemed to notice him. He walked over to me as I sat on the side of the street and looked up at him as rain poured down on me.
"Albus, please tell me it's not true," I whispered hopelessly as a tear streaked down my face. He looked down at me gravely and sighed softly, his blue eyes had lost their twinkle.
"I wish I could Remus," he whispered.
I let out an infuriated growl and stood up, "Who did it, who betrayed them," I snarled, Albus looked up at me and closed his eyes.
"S-Sirius…" he whispered.
I felt my world fall cold as I stumbled back away from him, "No," I whispered, "Please tell me that is a lie."
"He was the only one who could've told them where they lived, otherwise Voldemort would've never found them," he replied as thunder cracked in the air. "I'm sorry Remus," he whispered before Disapparating.
I blinked and took a deep and shaky breath, Tonks was staring at me and I gave her a weak smile, she returned it warmly. "What was it Albus wanted us to do," I said softly, they all looked at me and Kingsley grinned.
"He wants us to guard Harry Potter on his way to King's Cross," he explained in his deep accent, I smiled and nodded.
"I thought he had Hagrid on that detail," I replied.
"He does, but despite the fact that Voldemort is indeed dead, he wants to take more precautions, and since Hagrid was banned from using magic and with his wand snapped, I'm afraid we're going to need a few more people, so he's assigned us this task, we just can't let him know it's us, Arthur and Molly will be there as well due to the fact that they're escorting their own children onto Platform 9 ¾," he said simply.
"But I'm not an Auror, yet, should I really be put on this mission?" Tonks asked nervously.
I chuckled softly and she looked at me in confusion, "You don't need to be an Auror for Albus to assign you a task this important."
She nodded once and smiled, "Alright, then when do we go," she asked shrugging.
"Now," Moody said, I sighed and she looked at me with a buoyant grin and we once again Disapparated.
When we emerged we were standing in an abandoned room with a row of chairs that stood empty against the wall. I looked over to see Tonks. She was screwing her face up strangely and within seconds she stood before me, but her entire look had changed.
She looked over at me with a grin and giggled, "What's wrong Remus, you seem dumbstruck," she said smiling warmly.
She had mousy brown hair that fell to her shoulders and a few scars below her left cheek. Her eyes were still twinkling darkly as she brushed her hair out of her face as a single strand continued to fall between her eyes. I smiled and walked over to her, lightly tucking the strand of hair behind her ear and I watched her face turn a delicate shade of red.
I smiled as Moody and the rest joined us, we looked over at them and their eyes fell on Tonks' new look. She smiled, "I probably should've mentioned this before; I'm a Metamorphmagus," she said simply as she smiled at us.
"I see, well that does make us another step ahead," Kingsley said softly as we stepped out of the room and into the main place. I looked around and saw the young boy as he walked alone behind the trolley he was pushing. Beneath the messy black hair was the lightning shaped scar, and behind those glasses were his mother's eyes. The striking green eyes set into the miniature version of his father. I felt the tears deep in m eyes attempting to burst forward. But I blinked them away and took a deep breath.
Tonks walked forward and we all watched her as she walked in step behind Harry, I looked at Moody who was watching with an infuriated gaze, I hurried forward and joined her by her side. She looked up at me with a warm grin and winked playfully. I chuckled softly and winked back.
I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and she leaned into me. Harry looked back at us and we kept our eyes averted from him as I saw Kingsley talking to Arthur, he was no doubt explaining everything that would have to occur in order for this young boy to get onto the train.
Things for this kid were going to spin out of control as he started attending the one place, where everyone knew his name.
