Author's Note:
I apologize for the long wait! I'm so sorry, but school has been giving me hell lately -_- I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you so much for the favorites, alerts, and reviews! I don't know when I'll get the next chapter up but hopefully it'll be soon and school won't get in the way. Thank you so much for your support! xD
Chapter 03 – Among Silent Hummingbirds
"Ouch, Remus, you're on my foot!" she hissed.
"Nymphadora, your leg is showing!"
"No one's looking," Tonks sighed. "And my god that name is such a mouthful."
His blue eyes met her green ones and they exchanged smiles. They've been at it for three days now and still they could not get the hang of the cloak that could barely fit two and was too warm for the hot summer weather. With her body against his while they hid under Moody's Invisibility Cloak, she felt her temperature rise. However that time, it had nothing to do with the fluster and sweet adoration she had for the man accompanying her.
"I don't like stalking people," she joked. "It's way too difficult."
Shifting again under the ruffling cloak behind swaying blades of tall golden grass, Remus moved so that he and Tonks could be in a more comfortable position and still get a good view of Harry Potter, lanky and bespectacled with unruly black hair.
"He looks so much like James," Remus sighed. "Although with Lily's eyes." A wistful smile appeared on his face. Tonks knew that look; Remus was traipsing in lovely memory lane again. Leaving him to his thoughts, she did nothing to disturb him. Her dark, twinkling emerald eyes returned to the lonely boy, sitting idly on a rusty old swing.
A soft breath of wind swept by, leaving as unexpectedly as it had come. The dried golden grass rippled and so did the Invisibility Cloak. She continued to gaze at the scene. Harry stood up abruptly, leaving the swing still and abandoned behind him as he began to take a walk around the small and torrid park.
Under the blazing hot sun and the desiccant air that stung the breath and sapped moisture from every word spoken, Harry wandered over to the field of grass where they stood. Tonks gasped, wondering if he'd discovered them. She tugged on Remus's arm but he'd already noticed. They were still as ice, worried. But Harry's shockingly green eyes looked beyond them.
The field, the park, and the surrounding muggle suburbs were completely parched. A drought had hit the area and left the summer plants withering. Patches of tall golden grass were already dead, swaying lifelessly in the frequent, teasing wind. Belladonna flowers thirsted for water as they bowed and died slowly in the heat. Hummingbirds that flew from petal to petal were craving nectar from forsaken plants. The metal merry-go-round in the middle of the field spun lazily, squeaking as it went while the rusting metal burned under the merciless sun. A drowsy atmosphere suspended over the area.
She'd succumbed to inevitable lethargy and began to slouch—she was falling asleep. No matter how much she tried to master her lulling attention span, she simply could not stay awake.
"Dora," She bolted upright, causing Remus to jump with her. "You were falling asleep."
She yawned and nodded. "It's the atmosphere, it's making me drowsy."
"You can return to Mrs. Figg's house if you'd like. I'll keep watch over Harry."
Somehow, the offer to return to a nice and cool house under shades of backyard trees was extremely uninviting. Tonks thought of how the house, lovely as it was, smelled intensely of old cabbage and how the room she and Remus were staying in looked more befitting of a three-year-old girl who lived a century ago. She looked up at him and shook her head vigorously.
He chuckled. When the smile slipped from his face as he returned to the task of watching over his best friend's son, Tonks finally noticed just how much the upcoming full moon was straining him. Dark circles cradled his blue eyes and his features grew sharp as his face turned sunken and sallow. Remus's light brown hair was disheveled and limp. His clothes were too big for his bony frame and she could feel the bones of his body jutting out as she stood close to him.
"I think you should go back to the house and rest," she whispered.
"I've already taken my potion this morning. I am stronger than I look, dear," he smiled.
Half convinced, Tonks nodded and forced her eyes to return to Harry. If she continued trying to argue with Remus, they would definitely expose themselves. In the intense heat and pressure of a possible war close on the horizon, she and Remus had both grown a little more short-tempered as of late.
"What's that he's got?" she asked as Harry drew a piece of parchment from his pocket. He was studying it, eyes moving back and forth from line to line, rereading it again and again.
"I'll bet anything that's one of Sirius's letters," Remus replied, his warm breath caressing her ear. "Sirius had been stressed out by it. He wants to tell Harry everything but Dumbledore told him not to and Silvia is siding with Dumbledore on this one."
"He's taking something out again." Harry's hand was digging into his pocket, she saw.
"The Two-Way Mirror," said Remus as Harry pulled out a small square mirror no bigger than his palm. He spoke to it, calling Sirius's name. Remus waited for a moment with bated breath until he saw disappointment appear on Harry's face. "It appears Sirius is trying to avoid speaking to him if he can. It's probably killing him not being able to tell Harry anything.
"Where is Sirius's mirror anyways?"
"Last I saw, he told Silvia to hide it so he won't be tempted to do anything."
Frustrated and alone, Harry began mindlessly grabbing at the dying flowers, pulling them up and crushing them with his hands. Tonks frowned, watching him through the tall grass. She could feel Remus let out a long, silent sigh by the gentle breath that grazed the side of her face.
"He looks so lonely," she said softly.
"Hush," said Remus suddenly.
She turned to him and he pointed a finger up at the sky. Apprehensively, she drew out her wand and looked up. There, in the sky, she could see rippling in the clouds. They weren't normal ripples, no; the sky didn't ripple like that even under the severe heat. Someone was in their half-apparition form, disillusioned, and flying overhead. Tonks took a closer look and turned back to him. They exchanged furtive, meaningful glances and began carefully moving away from Harry.
Remus and Tonks were walking backwards, carefully less they fell. Once they were far enough away from Harry for him to not notice the sudden appearance of two people, they began to move faster. Both took turns tracking the ripples moving about in the turquoise blue sky, turning in all directions as if unsure where to go. There were two of them.
"I'll get out, and go after them. You stay hidden under the cloak," she said.
"Are you mad? I'm not letting you go alone. You take the cloak," he replied.
She felt like thumping him on the head at the moment. "Remus, the moon is coming! You're tired! I know you're very good at dueling but let me take care of this!"
"There are two of them, you're outnumbered!"
"I'm an auror!" Tonks continued their argument in a hushed whisper.
"I fought in a war!"
They glared at each other. Realizing that they were wasting time, Tonks let out a loud huff and slipped out from under the cloak. She collapsed into a glowing white cloud of smoke, nearly invisible under the sunlight, and launched towards the sky. Remus watched her briefly, looking up as she began pursuing the two ripples that now became opaque.
"Nymphadora," Remus groaned.
Hastily he tied the cloak tightly around himself. Then, like her although invisible still, Remus collapsed into a cloud of white smoke, in half-apparition, and made his way towards the sky. With his wand drawn, Remus followed Tonks and the two fully visible clouds.
"Stupefy!" Tonks yelled and from her wispy glowing white form blended halfway between herself and a white cloud, Tonks projected a scarlet jet of light.
Missing her mark just barely, her attack had caused the two figures to turn around and fight back. Remus saw them, blended halfway between their physical form and their half-apparition state. They were people, their faces hidden behind scarves that served as masks. From what he could see of the area around their eyes, he could immediately tell that they were werewolves, like him. Those jagged scars were tell-tale signs.
"Reducto!" One of them yelled, a male's voice, strangely familiar to Remus.
"Don't kill her!" the other one yelled. "We need to get away!"
Tonks had grabbed a hold of one of them, firmly clinging on, preventing them from apparating. Remus, who was still hidden under the cloak, fired several silent stunners towards them. Their midair battle seemed dangerous and if one of them was hit, they'd plummet immediately. Struggling to catch up, Remus finally managed to grab Tonks's arm.
"Dora, let them go!"
"Are you mad?" she screamed at him through the wind and wrestled with the other man.
In the middle of the sky, the man finally broke free of Tonks's vice-like grip when he'd elbowed her in the side of the face during his wild thrashing. She let go of them, fell back and was caught by Remus. Just as the man she'd held onto recovered himself, he suddenly let out a scream when something, another object in the sky, took him by surprise.
"A helicopter!" said Tonks, unaware of its approach as they fought.
"Look out!" Remus yelled and without thinking, he'd pulled the flailing man out of the way of the propellers. The man grunted as he crashed against the side of the flying machine and his collision caused the helicopter to swerve dangerously. Deprived of its balance, the helicopter spun and to protect themselves from the lethal spinning propellers, Remus aimed his wand at it.
"Diffindo!"
He'd successfully severed the propellers off.
The helicopter and the helpless people inside plummeted towards the dry earth. Tonks, again grabbing hold of one man, pointed her wand at it and yelled, "Aresto Momentum!"
The helicopter slowed and fell, causing no more than a light shaking to its occupants. Returning to their fight, Remus and Tonks apparated along with the two people they've gotten a hold on to another field not far from there. The two men struggled but Tonks's grip was unyielding and as well was Remus. When their foot finally touched solid ground, Remus removed the cloak and set up a charm that prevented apparition. He let out a breath, exchanged brief glances with Tonks, and turned his attention back to the two men whose masks had fallen.
His eyes widened as his trembling lips said, "Lucian?" he stared blankly at the taller, muscular man with hazel eyes and shaggy brown hair. The scars that crossed his face greatly resembled Remus's only there were more layers to them and they were jagged, cruel. He turned his eyes to the other man, shorter, skinnier with a ferret-like face and graying hair. "Ralph?"
"Remus," the two men greeted apprehensively.
Tonks was gaping at the three, werewolves in front of her. "You know each other?"
"Why'd you chase us?" Lucian questioned. Tonks looked at him and recognized him as Lucian Hart, wanted by the Ministry for investigation on several murders and disappearances.
"Who's she?" the other man, Ralph, asked.
"She's a friend," Remus answered and just as Ralph emitted a low, threatening growl from his throat, Remus stepped forward. "She knows I'm a werewolf." He glanced at Tonks. "She knows we're all werewolves…she'd seen me transform."
"Unbelievable," Lucian shook his head, appalled.
"We chased you because we thought you were going to hurt someone," growled Tonks.
"Now, you were running away…from who?" Remus asked placidly.
Lucian let out a sigh, gave Tonks an apprehensive look before approaching Remus. He spoke in a low voice nearing a whisper but Tonks could still hear. "The pack has moved here. The Alpha is off doing something else but…the new beta…is Selene."
"Selene?" asked Tonks. "You mean Selene Hawkins?" The name of the wanted woman appeared in her mind instantly. "What's she got to do with this?"
Remus paled. The two men backed away and with a lazy flick of his wand, Remus removed the charm that prevented them from disapparating. He watched as they vanished right in front of him, collapsing into restless smoke that quickly turned to rippling mirages and shot up towards the sky. Tonks protested and tried to run after them but the firm grip Remus had on her arm kept her grounded.
"What was that?" she yelled, pointing wildly at the sky.
"They were friends of mine," he said in a quiet voice. "From when I was in the pack…."
"That was Lucian Hart! He's wanted by the Ministry!"
"Nymphadora, trust me on this, all right?" he sighed and massaged his temples. "I need time to think. Please, let me explain this…at a later time."
But Tonks didn't hear him. She was frustrated, pacing a trench in the dead grass. They'd crashed a muggle helicopter and they'd just let someone wanted by the Ministry to get away. Tonks was pulling at her hair, flaming red from her anger and glowing brilliantly under the hot sun as she paced and grumbled. Remus simply kept quiet, baffled by his strange encounter. He'd seen their names in the paper. What were they doing in London, so far away from where their pack had settled? And what was going on with Selene?
On the morning of the full moon, Remus looked dreadfully ill. Dark circles made his eyes look sunken and his lack of sleep drained most of the color from his face. His pallor worried Tonks who was too concerned over his poor health to be angry at him for letting a wanted man escape them several days ago.
It was their last morning watching Harry and hidden under the Invisibility Cloak, Remus and Tonks shuffled through the tall grass a safe distance away from the lanky, lonely boy-who-lived. Harry had fallen into a rut and following him, so have they. Every morning he'd swiftly clean the pathetic breakfast his muggle relatives provided, and then he would spend the rest of the morning wandering the torrid fields and arid park. It was the same, day in and day out.
"You still haven't told me why we had to let those two blokes go," Tonks whispered to Remus, speaking about Lucian Hart and the man Remus called Ralph.
"It's complicated."
"Everything is bloody complicated with you." She was irritated with him, but whenever her eyes found his colorless face, her anger became forgotten as worry and care took over. "Remus, you can't let your friendship with them get in the way. What if they hurt someone?" she asked, forcing herself to soften her tone.
"I know that they wouldn't hurt anyone," he said stubbornly. "It's not like them to—"
"But Remus, they're werewolves," Tonks groaned.
Silence.
She turned to face him, slightly apprehensive of what she'd said. Remus didn't look angry. Tonks's heart fell as she saw sadness and woe in his sorrowful eyes. A slight feeling of reproach formed within her while she blamed herself for not being careful of her sharp tongue.
"Sorry," she muttered quietly.
"It's not your fault." Tonks had to strain her ears to hear him through the sounds of the sweeping winds and flapping wings of birds. "You're right…they could be dangerous."
"I didn't mean it that way," she told him. She took his hand but Remus didn't respond. He only looked at Harry although Tonks knew he wasn't thinking about Harry at the moment. "Can you just tell me why you decided to let them go the other day? What came over you?"
"I don't know."
CRACK!
The tell-tale sound of apparition took them by surprise. Remus and Tonks froze, staring apprehensively at Harry who had also noticed the sound. Harry was turning, looking in all directions, searching for where the sound came from. Disappointment fell over his downcast eyes as he saw nothing but the dying grass, the withered belladonnas, and the silent birds.
"What was that?" Tonks whispered and drew her wand as Remus shook his head.
Then they heard muffled voices, arguing with each other although friendly.
"That was pathetic!" a familiar voice whispered with a joking tone.
"I never thought side-along would be more difficult," someone laughed softly.
"I told you I should have done it," Alexis Black's voice sighed.
"Lexi?" Tonks called towards the spot where she and Remus suspected Alexis was.
Unafraid that Harry might see them; Alexis pulled the cloak off of her head and smiled at where Remus and Tonks stood. Following her, Tonks pulled the cloak down as well, revealing only her and Remus's head, making the sight of three floating heads beyond strange.
"We knew you'd be here," she said. "Mrs. Figg says Harry's very predictable."
"Yes, he doesn't do much," Tonks nodded.
They stood for a while in comfortable silence. Often, Tonks would glance to her side at Remus, wondering if he was still thinking about what she'd said earlier about Hart and his being a werewolf. By the distant look in his tired eyes, she knew that thought hadn't left his pensive mind. Sighing, Tonks turned back to her cousin.
"Think you can last for a week, Lexi?" Tonks asked while her cousin's floating head was turning, looking around at their barren surroundings.
Alexis shook her head, silky black hair swaying side to side. "I'd die of boredom," she replied. "Is it me or does Harry seem rather—"
"Lonely?" Remus finished, finally speaking up. "He's wants to hear more from us."
"So he comes here every day?" Alexis asked.
Tonks nodded. "Gripping a letter in his hand, reading it over and over."
Shaking her head again, Alexis continued to look around. Her dark eyes glistened like obsidian stones under the sunlight. Tonks could see she was focused on the pile of withered belladonnas around Harry and the hummingbirds fluttering about. She frowned and continued to watch the boy with unruly black hair, sitting idly on a lonely swing.
"This is a depressing sight," Alexis said. "He couldn't have chosen a less dismal place?"
"I don't know why," said Tonks, always glancing at Remus to try and see what's on his mind. He seemed focused on Harry. "Maybe he likes this place."
"With withered belladonnas and silent hummingbirds? It just makes the feeling of loneliness ten times worse. Belladonnas, pretty flowers of loneliness—and birds that cannot sing cannot say what they want to." She shook her head. "That's just depressing."
"Silent hummingbirds," Tonks mumbled. She couldn't help but glance at Remus again.
"Just because you are especially fond of birds," someone laughed under the cloak.
Tonks raised an eyebrow but Remus paid no attention. "Who else is under the cloak?"
"George," Alexis replied as George Weasley stuck his head out floating bodiless beside them, sweating while his fiery red hair glowed under the summer sun. "It's so hot!" he groaned as Alexis began to answer Tonks's unasked question. "Marrick couldn't make it. He was forced to go with Fudge to Wiltshire to settle increased violence over there."
"Yes and Sirius convinced mum to let me help out since we're not really doing anything dangerous," George Weasley grinned. "Took a while but she finally caved in. Fred's appalled!"
"Brilliant!" Tonks smiled.
"Not as brilliant as you," the young Weasley responded. "You and Remus made both muggle news and The Daily Prophet third page with that helicopter stunt."
"They know it was us?" Remus asked, concerned, tuning into the conversation.
"Of course not," Alexis assured them. "They don't know what caused that helicopter to crash but the Order had a feeling it was you two. What happened anyways?"
"We ran into a few people thinking they wanted to hurt Harry," Tonks replied shortly.
"We'll talk about that later," Remus cut in with an urgent, purposeful look. "Lexi, you said Marrick had to go settle violence in Wiltshire. Is it about werewolves?"
Knowing that he wouldn't let the werewolf matter rest and neither could she, Tonks shot Remus a look but said nothing and forced her eyes back to her pixie-like cousin who positively glows in the sunlight. Around George, she looked at lot less stressed and troubled than before.
"Yeah; I reckon you two don't get to see the Prophet while you're on Guard Duty."
"What happened?" Remus pressed, surprising Alexis slightly.
George answered, "Another Unspeakable and his family were killed," and Alexis's smile quivered but she kept up her mirthful façade. "Others were killed too. Some reported they saw Fenrir Greyback in the area with his pack so the Minister had to go and calm people down."
She didn't think it was possible but Remus's pallid face paled even more. He looked as white as a sheet and rocked where he stood. Quickly, she held onto his waist, stabling him. Remus's loving eyes shot her a grateful look, forgetting about their previous tension.
"Greyback and his pack you said?" Remus asked weakly.
Alexis nodded but she and George both noticed the change in Remus. "George and I can watch Harry from here," she spoke in a mellow voice. "Tonks, I think you and Remus should head back to Grimmauld—get some rest. No offense but you two look dreadful."
Following Alexis's comment, Remus and Tonks returned to Mrs. Figg's place to give the kind woman their gratitude and apparated back to Grimmauld Place. When they finally got back, they'd exchanged only a few words with the rest of the house's occupants before retreating to the library and going off separately on their own work—Remus with his rummaging of old newspapers and Tonks with her reports.
Paperwork was utterly dreadful. Tonks sighed and pulled at her disheveled pink hair while she tried to complete yet another report about werewolf violence. It was torture for her. At every sentence, she would look up at the waning young man across the room from her. She grumbled under her breath. They still haven't spoken about the werewolf problem.
"I can't focus anymore," Tonks sighed as she read over her work and noticed all the errors upon the parchment. Giving up, she crumpled the half-finished report and tossed it aside.
Remus was still skimming through a newspaper, sitting amidst a mess of old Daily Prophets. Tonks couldn't understand what he was doing and cannot keep quiet much longer. She pushed herself off the old desk chair she'd been occupying and made her way over to him beside the wooden coffee table in the middle of the sitting area in the library.
"Remus, what are you up to?" Tonks questioned, keeping her voice soft.
He didn't look up. "I'm trying to find out what Fenrir Greyback's entire pack is doing in London…or so close to London," he replied. "Lucian and Ralph are both from the pack."
She took a seat on the floor beside him, biting her lips as she tried to peer over his shoulder onto the moving headlines of a Prophet two weeks back. "Can you set that down for a moment?" Tonks placed a hand on his shoulder to get his attention.
His darkening eyes read on for a few more seconds before he folded the paper neatly back up and cast it aside. Gently, Remus turned around, not allowing her hand to break contact from him, and he looked at her, blue eyes meeting green ones. He didn't seem mad at all but more than ever, that sorrow was still there.
Tonks drew a short breath. "Listen, what I said this morning about your friend being a werewolf…I didn't mean it like that." Remus shook his head but Tonks persisted on. "I know what you were thinking," she said firmly. "Look, I know not all werewolves are dangerous. You're not dangerous. But…like everyone else, there can be the bad few." She licked her lips, wondering if she was wording things right. "It's just…Hart is wanted by the Ministry.
"I know you're irritated because you had to let a wanted man go because of me…"
"I'm irritated because I had to let him go without an explanation. Can you explain to me what you're doing? You seem incredibly troubled after Hart and that other man spoke to you."
He nodded and gently, she shifted closer to him, leaning against the side of his back as he showed her several of the papers he'd been looking through.
"The other man was Ralph Martin, I'm sure you've heard of him," Remus said and Tonks nodded slowly. "Ralph and Lucian are both a part of Fenrir Greyback's werewolf pack. Them, and a few other people are." He pointed her attention to several names on the paper beside Fenrir Greyback. She recognized names like Selene Hawkins, Lucian Hart, and Lysandra Wolfram. "I don't understand what their agenda is. Greyback is loyal to Voldemort, but not these people despite being in the same pack."
Tonks sighed. "Remus, you've got to stop seeing only the good side of people. They're human. They have a bad side too. Maybe these werewolves are down here to help Greyback with whatever task You-Know-Who has asked of them."
Remus shook his head, still stubborn as ever. "Not Selene. I know Selene. She wouldn't hurt a fly."
"Remus, she's suspected for murder on over ten cases," said Tonks flatly. "You're too kind with people, love."
He bit his lips, looking troubled. A distant look glazed over his eyes and Remus seemed to be dawdling in his thoughts. Tonks left him be, sitting there quietly for a very long time. She continued to look over the papers, especially the headlines involving the werewolf attacks she'd see way too many of. For some strange reason, every time she came across Selene Hawkins's name, the incessant feeling of worry inside of her grew and grew.
"Were you close to Selene Hawkins?" Tonks asked without preamble.
Remus looked up, mildly stunned. "What?" he asked.
She smiled. "Never mind," said Tonks. "Now, why do you think Greyback's whole pack is so willing to help You-Know-Who out?"
"That's what I've been trying to figure out. Greyback does so out of loyalty. The rest of his pack…I'm not quite sure. There has to be something in it for them though. Otherwise, they wouldn't be so willing. And we don't even know what they're up to yet."
"We'll find out more about this later," she told him and patted his shoulder. "Look," Tonks's eyes turned towards the star-strewn indigo sky outside. "It's almost moonrise."
"I'd nearly forgotten," he said softly and struggled to get up.
Tonks put her arm under his armpit immediately, helping him up to his feet. Without trouble, Tonks helped Remus out of the library, glimpsing and smiling at Sirius and Silvia who were in the kitchen discussing something and looking as troubled as them. Then she and Remus carefully made their way up the old, creaking staircase, past the malevolent house-elf who displayed obvious dislike towards them—the werewolf and shape-shifting freak.
Remus groaned once they reached the third landing where the attic was. "Don't you feel like you're wasting your life away sometimes?" he asked suddenly.
Tonks looked at him. "What do you mean?"
"Nymphadora, you shouldn't have to take care of an old man like this—"
She'd thumped him on the side of the head, effectively hushing him up and strangely putting a smile on his face. "Another word and I'll push you down the stairs," she threatened half-heartedly. When he chuckled, Tonks thought Remus was just being odd, yet she smiled.
As the moon drew closer, they put more haste in their actions. Tonks helped Remus up into the dusty old attic Sirius had cleaned out days ago. Following the usual routine, Tonks would watch as Remus carefully set up a place for his transformations, placed spells around it for safety despite having access to Wolfsbane Potion that month, and then sit patiently as the moon rises. She'd exchanged soft words of comfort and reassurance with him. Before she even realized it, Remus was beginning to feel the tension upon his body and was beckoning her out the door.
Tonks was reluctant to leave. She poked her head into the room with worry etched into her gaze, said a few more private words to him before mastering her will and forced herself to pull away. The spells sealed as she closed the door. She wouldn't see him again until morning.
"He wouldn't even risk it with the potion?" Sirius asked quietly.
She shook her head solemnly. "He used to let us in."
Sirius shook his head, casually letting his black hair fall into his grey eyes. "Not after what happened to you two at that bloody cave months ago—Remus wouldn't want to risk it again." He smiled and led her downstairs. "Come," he said. "Silvia's making tea."
"Where are Molly and everyone else?" Tonks asked as they reached the second landing.
"Sitting room; Molly's in tears because of Percy. We shouldn't to intrude on them."
"How have things been in the week we were gone?"
"It's been…as expected," Sirius replied sounding like he'd left a lot out. When they finally got to the kitchen, as if she was cursed Tonks would trip over the troll-leg umbrella stand. Fortunately, Sirius was quick enough to pull her back—however ungracefully.
"Colorful, clumsy, Tonksie," Silvia smiled as she set down three steaming cups of tea.
Taking her seat, Tonks asked, "Since when did you start calling me Tonksie?"
Sirius grinned and sat across from her, stealing glances at his pregnant wife. Tonks stayed quiet for a moment, content with simply watching the married couple. Something seemed to be wrong between them. One week ago, Silvia sighed a lot less and Sirius didn't openly frown at all. Now, they were sitting in silence, sighing and frowning but not saying a word.
When the silence became too much, Tonks spoke. "Did something happen?"
Sirius sighed and shifted in his seat as Silvia drank her tea.
"What's wrong with you two?" she asked bluntly.
"Sirius and I have been falling out over a few disagreements," Silvia confessed but Tonks noticed Sirius had shot her a look. She paid no attention to it and ignored him. "We've been getting letters from Harry at least twice a day now. He wants to know what's going on."
"Yeah, Remus and I saw him trying to write to you."
Sirius's expression darkened. It was obvious he didn't want to speak about it but Silvia had other thoughts in mind. "Sirius wants to tell Harry everything," she said, placing a firm hand on her husband's shoulder. "What do you think, Tonks?" Silvia's motive then became clear.
"Um…" Tonks began, unsure of what to say.
"He's fifteen, he deserves to know. He's not a kid anymore—"
"But he's not an adult either, love," Silvia argued although her voice was soft.
"Harry fought Voldemort," Sirius muttered. "We wouldn't have known that he's back."
"But he deserves to be able to enjoy a bit of his summer."
"Like he could enjoy anything with those selfish muggles," Sirius grumbled.
Silvia smacked his arm. "Just because they're muggles—"
Tonks didn't expect this—she didn't expect this at all. She rested her head on her hands as her emerald eyes traveled back and forth between husband and wife, bickering over their teenage godson. Before the argument shifted to anger and screaming, Sirius and Silvia had stopped abruptly. Tonks was actually quite surprised. In the past, their arguments would have no end unless someone intervened and spoke reason to them. They were now avoiding each other's eyes, biting their lips and holding back their words.
The scratching sound of Silvia's chair filled Tonks's ears for a moment. Silvia had gotten up, biting her lips as she headed back over to the sink and began washing her empty cup of tea, distracting herself. Sirius turned back to Tonks, searching desperately for a change of topic.
"So have you visited Andromeda lately?" he asked Tonks.
She shook her head. "Not lately; I owl her though."
"You should pay her and Ted a visit. They want to know what's going on as well." His grey eyes glanced at the back of his wife. "Last time we were there, Silv and I ran into Narcissa."
"You saw Narcissa Malfoy?" Tonks asked, disbelief dripping from her mouth.
Sirius sat back and nodded. Tonks noticed Silvia had now turned back to face them, her wand hand protectively rested upon her abdomen. "Narcissa didn't talk much," Sirius explained. "But she did comment on how much the area around Andromeda's house looks like…"
"The field," said Silvia suddenly but softly. "The field of grass you always walk to."
Thoughtful grey eyes found her hazel ones. Tonks sat on the side, watching Sirius and Silvia's intense gaze that was making her feel awkward—she felt like she was intruding on a private moment. Tonks wondered if that was how other people always felt around lovers.
Gazing at Silvia, Sirius suddenly stood up, overcome by his untamed spirit, and took her hand, leading out of the kitchen and down the narrow hallway. "Come there with me," he said and his voice no longer held the irritation he had towards her from their disagreements. "It's a good place to talk. See you later Tonks."
Somewhat stunned, Tonks continued to sit in the lonely kitchen for a moment longer, staring at the old black front door that had just closed behind Sirius and Silvia's figure. Tonks finished her tea slowly, her mind unsure of what to think.
When the skies turned black and the hours became late, Tonks decided that it was time for her to leave the grim and dreary kitchen and return to her bedroom. When she gracelessly stumbled her way to the second landing however, her clumsy feet did not stop at her bedroom door. Instead, as if beyond her control, her uncoordinated steps took her up to the third landing, left down to the attic door, to Remus. She leaned on the dark wood and listened to him inside.
The dried golden grass prickled her feet as she ran. The cascading rays of the magnificent sun blinded her. Yet, she continued to run, freely and valiantly through the endless field, bubblegum pink hair dancing in the wind. She was running into the sunlight. Along the way her shockingly emerald eyes could see she'd begun to tread upon withered flower petals. She was now stepping upon dead belladonnas and shriveled daisies. It was curious. Along the way, birds began to join her, tiny birds that did not sing—silent hummingbirds. The next thing she knew, someone was speaking to her, saying words as if in another language. Her eyes turned away from the birds and found Remus, his pallid skin spotless and entirely rid of scars. Remus's gentle smile turned into Sirius's wry grin. Sirius was holding a child—Tonks guessed it was his future son. But as she ran closer, she realized the child was a girl with fair hair that looked close to blonde. Surprised, Tonks thought the child was herself, her hair color morphed to match her dad's. Then when she looked up at the person holding her, Sirius was no longer there. In his place stood Bellatrix, smiling sanely and warmly as if she'd never even seen the outside of Azkaban or the face of the Dark Lord. Holding her was Bella Black, the woman she felt she would have been close to if not for the war that tore their family apart….
"Bloody hell," her voice, hoarse and dry, croaked.
Tonks sat up and rubbed her sleepy eyes. She'd had the strangest dream ever. As she tried to recall the events of the dream, the details were rapidly slipping away from her. Soon, within several fleeting seconds, it felt as if she hadn't dreamt at all. The only thing she remembered was that she'd been running, the rest of her dream forgotten.
She let out a soft sight and leaned back on the wooden door. Tonks then realized that someone had placed a blanket upon her during the night for she was now warmly nuzzled under a thick, navy blue cover. In silence, she shifted under the blanket for a bit more. The sunlight seeping through the crevice between the floor and the bottom of the door caught her eyes.
Without a sound, Tonks pushed herself up to her feet. When she opened the door, she was not surprised to find it unlocked. Quietly, she made her way inside where beside the window, she found Remus, worn and battered, stirring slightly beneath a blanket of his own. With her secret coordination which surfaced at random, unpredictable times, Tonks strode across the floor of the attic and settled at Remus's side. He opened his eyes, yawned, stretched his bare, injured arms, and then sat up. His blue eyes met hers, glittering under morning light.
Tonks frowned. Her fingers caressed his face where a new, deeper scar had been made. Blood was still caked around it. Along his body, several more could be seen although fortunately not as deep. "What happened?" she asked as she took his shirt and helped him into it.
Remus sighed but did not look down or upset. "I got bored," he replied simply.
"Remus, you masochistic idiot," Tonks joked, her hoarse voice growing smoother.
A soft laugh escaped Remus's mouth.
"Maybe on the next moon, you should take a book with you so you don't hurt yourself in your boredom," Tonks suggested. Her slender fingers found his buttons and began to button him up while Remus simply sat there, content with watching her while a grateful and loving smile found its way across his lips. "Here, let's get downstairs and I'll make you some tea," said Tonks after she'd helped him get his trousers on. "Then we'll figure out what to do about your cuts."
Slowly the couple made their way down the ancient and squeaky flight of stairs. Arriving at the kitchen door, they were surprised to find out that they weren't the only ones awake. Inside, Silvia was moving about slowly, her right hand rubbing her showing stomach while her left hand placed tea bags in three empty cups. Tonks focused all her attention on avoiding the troll-leg umbrella stand and succeeded in passing it without falling. Remus on the other hand, was listening to the sounds of the morning—birds chirping outside the grimy kitchen window and the sound of the water boiling inside the kettle upon the stove.
"Morning Silv," Remus croaked and Tonks tried to say through a yawn.
"Hello," the Spanish woman replied with a gentle smile.
"Why are you up so early?" Tonks asked. "You're on leave, aren't you?"
Silvia nodded. "Yes, but I'm so used to waking up early," she answered as the kettle began to whistle. Silvia began pouring tea for them as she continued to speak. "Besides, I wanted to get up to make breakfast for Sirius quickly before he left." Her eyes flickered to the small pile of dishes in the sink. "Sirius hates Kreacher's cooking so we left him be."
"Where did Sirius go?" Remus asked.
"He got a letter from Mad-Eye this morning asking him to pick up some information from Severus," she replied while setting down two cups of tea in front of Remus and Tonks. "Goodness Remus, are you all right?" she asked, gesturing to the new wounds upon his face.
"I'm fine," he said while Tonks shook her head.
"You should put Anti-Scarring Paste on that. The apothecary in Diagon Alley carries it, if not; Severus would no doubt have it. I'm going out soon. I can stop by Diagon Alley for you."
"Thank you Silv but that's too much trouble for you," said Remus.
"Nonsense, I need to get out of this house for a bit anyways."
"Silv, what do you need to get?" Tonks asked.
"I was going to head down to that field Sirius likes to go to," she confessed.
"That's in the opposite direction of Charing Cross Road," said Tonks. "It's all right Silv; I can go get the paste for him."
"Are you sure?" Silvia asked kindly as she examined the tired couple.
Remus nodded. "I'll go with you," he told Tonks. "Thanks Silvia."
After Remus and Tonks finished their tea, they'd decided to head out and pick up the paste to prevent Remus from gaining any more scars. When they get back, Tonks had said that they could sleep until the evening if they needed to. Thanking Silvia for the tea, Remus and Tonks set out, wearing disheveled clothing and feeling relaxed under the summer heat. Tonks was in shorts and a cream colored blouse while Remus, scarred and tired, wore simple dark brown trousers and a white button-up shirt.
"Should we walk or apparate?" Tonks asked, holding onto his arm tightly.
"I'm strong enough to apparate," he said. "But the weather is so nice."
"Yes, much nicer than Surrey's," Tonks agreed.
"Let's just walk there," Remus smiled and his grin lit up his gentle, scar-crossed face.
The walk to Charing Cross Road wasn't long. They'd arrived at The Leaky Cauldron in time to see the morning crowd. Several middle-aged witches and wizards were there, chatting, talking, and drinking. A few people Tonks recognized from the Ministry were grabbing their breakfast before heading off to work. They said hello to Tom the barman who was old, quite bald, and reminded Tonks of a toothless walnut. Discreetly, Remus hid his injuries from the other visitors of the pub but Tonks walked casually beside him, uncaring of how others may look at them. When they finally got to the back door, Remus and Tonks exchanged a few private words before crossing the barrier onto Diagon Alley.
Disappointment came to them when Remus and Tonks arrived at Slug & Jiggers Apothecary and found out that most of their supplies, including the Anti-Scarring Paste, were sold out. Tonks wondered how the apothecary could run out of stock at such a time but Remus had a feeling he already knew why. The full moon had just passed….
"What do you mean?" Tonks questioned as they returned to the winding cobbled street.
"Perhaps other werewolves have visited the apothecary before us," Remus explained.
"And bought out most of the supplies?"
He shrugged, leaning on her slightly as his legs were beginning to tire. "It's likely."
"Bloody hell," Tonks sighed.
Tonks turned to face him, her hand holding his face as she examined the deep wound, piled onto his old scar. She never minded his scars—she never cared about them. Tonks always saw Remus, the man behind all the scars and shabbiness. But she knew that those scars were making Remus feel even more self-conscious and the new cuts and injuries were hurting him, causing him to smile less.
"Let's try going to Snape's place," said Tonks. She'd remembered that Silvia had said Snape would have some of the paste.
Remus parted his lips, about to oppose, but he relented and agreed to her suggestion. He couldn't deny that it would be nice to have fewer scars. "All right," he said. "Let's go."
Spinner's End was a dreadful place. The morning sunlight seemed lost within the drear. Remus and Tonks made their way down the street, passing a dirty river and an abandoned mill with a tall chimney. They came upon another street, identical to the rest, lined with deserted brick houses and broken street lamps. Remus knew the way to go and guided Tonks, mustering as much strength as he could to keep himself standing on his own while his trembling legs were threatening to give out. They finally came to an old, gloomy house, looking no different from the ones to its left and right. Tonks tried to look in through the dilapidated house's dull and grimy window but she could see nothing.
"This place is even worse than Grimmauld," she muttered as Remus knocked on the door.
"This is Severus's childhood home," said Remus, remembering what Dumbledore once told him. "Well of course, I guess. Severus can't stay at Hogwarts over the summer. Even Dumbledore returns to his home."
Tonks only heard part of what Remus said. Her eyes trailed up and down the decrepit house and she grumbled, "How befitting for the dreariest man alive."
Remus smiled and patted her hand that held onto his arm tightly, stabling him. He shifted his weight onto his other leg and they continued to stand there for a moment, amidst the silent and drear. Finally, they heard noises from inside and the wooden door of Severus Snape's house creaked open. Standing at the doorway, they found Severus Snape, tall and looming, like an overgrown bat, greeting them with a low and drawn out, "Lupin, Nymphadora."
Upon the use of her first name, Tonks growled at Snape but refrained from snapping snarky comments at him. She drew a breath and said in a strained voice, "Snape, do you have any Anti-Scarring Paste?"
Snape's penetrating black eyes looked at the new scars that crossed Remus's weary face and he said, "I would think the apothecary would have some."
"We went there," Tonks muttered. Her eyes, now dark brown, were glaring daggers at him. "They were out."
The ends of his lips quivered upwards and Tonks could see the sneer forming across his face. She expected Snape, cruel and heartless, to slam the door in their face, but much to her surprise, he stepped back, opened the door a little wider, and allowed them entrance.
Inside, they found a dark, enclosed sitting room with threadbare furniture and walls covered in books. There was an air of neglect to it but Tonks didn't find the place odd at all. She reminded herself that she was standing in the house of Severus Snape after all and the gloom and drear fit him perfectly.
Across the sitting room, Tonks and Remus found Sirius, comfortably seated upon an old armchair looking through a pile of papers Snape seemed to have laid out for him. When Sirius saw them his eyes brightened and a grin spread across his previously bored face.
Snape closed the door behind him and proceeded over to a shelf on the left wall where he pulled out a book that caused the wall to shift and turn into a shelf full of potions ingredients. "Anti-Scarring Paste, is it Lupin?" he asked.
"Yes, thank you Severus," Remus smiled cordially.
"What are you two doing here?" Sirius asked, standing up.
"We needed some stuff to treat Remus's injuries but the apothecary was out of stock in almost everything," Tonks replied. "And I guess you're here to get information?"
Sirius nodded. "Correct, and I'm nearly done so we can leave together. For god's sake Nymphie, Moony looks like he can barely stand." Sirius shook his head and helped Remus into the armchair he was occupying earlier.
A sudden knock on the door caught their attention and four sets of eyes turned to face Snape's closed front door. "Who else did you bring, Lupin?" Snape asked. It was obvious he wasn't expecting anyone else over.
"No one," said Remus apprehensively.
In one silent stride, Snape turned away from his shelf and headed towards the door. He peered through the peephole while the other three watched him closely. Tonks didn't think it was possible but Snape's expression fell and he looked incredibly worried. He turned sharply back to face them and hurriedly pulled Tonks and Remus towards a bookshelf where he pulled at another book and revealed to them a small room, a closet that looked like it could barely fit the two of them.
"In here, quickly," he stressed.
"Wait, what's going on?" Tonks asked but Snape had roughly slammed her and Remus into the closet and was already pushing the shelf closed. Luckily, they could still see the whole of the sitting room through the small gaps between the books and the shelves.
"Black, transform, now," Snape huffed and surprisingly, Sirius didn't question him and did as asked. Where Sirius stood, there now was a large black dog with clean but shaggy black hair. He walked around the room once and decided to stand facing the door, a look of apprehension clearly visible upon his face even in canine form.
"What's going on?" Tonks turned to Remus and whispered.
He shrugged saying, "I have no idea," and continued looking out at the sitting room through the spaces between the books and shelf.
Snape returned to the door and with one brief look behind him at his sitting room, he opened it. Immediately, two people entered and Tonks felt her body tense considerably. In walked Barty Crouch, healthier than when he'd escaped the Ministry, with straw-colored hair and perpetually haunted eyes. He was smiling as he entered. Behind him was a woman and when Tonks laid eyes upon her, Tonks was overcame by worry. Narcissa Malfoy walked in, blonde and wearing a cold expression upon her face that bore the patrician beauty of the Black's and looked so much like Andromeda. The door closed behind her and Snape turned back to look at everyone. His eyes flickered from Crouch to Narcissa, from Narcissa to the shelf where Remus and Tonks were hidden, and finally his worried gaze found the large black dog standing perfectly still in his sitting room.
Tonks's heart dropped. Narcissa had spent time with Sirius in their childhood. No doubt she'd be able to recognize the large, black dog as him, even though she didn't know he was an animagus. Narcissa Malfoy was a quick and clever woman after all.
Her fears were quickly realized when she saw Narcissa's eyebrows contract at the large black dog in front of her.
Remus took Tonks's hand and held onto her tightly. "Oh no," he murmured.
Sirius barked once at Narcissa but she didn't flinch. Instead, she took a step closer to him.
"Fuck," Tonks hissed under her breath.
