Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, etc.
"Sirius Black," Snape's sneering and angry voice came from the hallway. Remus looked towards Sirius, wondering what he did this time to anger Snape, and he simply shrugged, but it wasn't hard to spot the smile Sirius was trying to hide. Severus Snape strode in with his arms crossed staring at Sirius. Tonks couldn't help but let out a snicker at the sight of Snape's enlarged nose which Remus could almost see Snape struggle to hold up.
"Do you think this is funny, Nymphadora?" Snape said sending a glare over at Tonks.
"Don't call me Nymphadora," Tonks insisted her hair turning a bright red.
"Sirius!" Remus cut in, sending a disappointed look towards Sirius, "What were you thinking?" Remus quickly pulled his wand out to reverse Sirius' spell.
"Put your wand away, Remus," Snape replied pulling his own wand, giving it a wave, and his nose began shrinking, "I don't need to come here, you know this Black. I would hope that you would show a shred of maturity when others are around, especially when I'm here to help your old friend." Sirius looked like he was going to protest, but Remus shot him a look that shut him up.
"I'm sorry for Sirius' behavior, Severus," Remus said, "He's simply bored being locked up here."
"I do not need an explanation for Black's immaturity," Snape said coldly. Again it looked like Sirius was going to retort, but he was interrupted.
"Anyways!" Tonks interjected, "What is your business here?"
"I am actually here about you, Nymphadora, and your... predicament," Severus explained in his normal cold tone.
"Do you have something that will separate the two of us?" Remus asked looking towards Snape with hope, almost looking younger in some ways.
"No," Snape responded simply, causing Remus to immediately to gain twenty years in his appearance and loose a bit of that hope, "However, through research I have found a potion which will cancel out Nymphadora's Metamorphic abilities, and so our previous plan should work." Remus clenched his fists slightly and Tonks immediately looked over at Remus with a smile of hope, but Remus looked like a ghost he was so pale.
"What do I need to do?" Tonks asked confidently trying to comfort Remus in vain.
"You will have to take a vial of this potion a day," Severus said handing her a small vile of a green liquid, "And then you'll take a concentrated dose of the Canis Victus each day a week before the full moon, in order in make it work. The Wolfsbane will not help her, however."
"No," Remus simply said.
"There is no other solution we can find, unless Nymphadora can somehow learn how to become an Animagus before the next full moon," Severus said back with an almost snide smile.
"No," Remus repeated trying to keep cool and collected like he normally was.
"Remus, we can talk about this later, but for now, I'm going to take this potion," Tonks said firmly taking the small vial from Severus and downing it before Remus could stop her. In a second her bubblegum pink hair darkened and became almost flat, and a mousey brown color. Her eyes changed from a bright blue to a dull hazel. Remus recognized this look as the one which she had when she was sleeping, though he didn't know her natural eye color was the beautiful hazel that they were now, as he only saw this form when she was asleep.
"I will see myself out," Severus said, "I will send more vials over later today, but I must return to Hogwarts right now, as I have important business to attend to." Severus turned around and walked out of the room, and out of the Grimmauld Place. Meanwhile, in the living room, Sirius laughed slightly before shaking his head. Feeling he probably wasn't going to be a help to Tonks' cause if he stuck around, Sirius quickly left, muttering something about tending to Buckbeak.
"Remus," Tonks began, but Remus cut her off.
"Please reconsider, Tonks," Remus requested quietly.
"No, I will not," Tonks replied simply. Remus closed his eyes and took a few deep breathes.
"You don't understand," Remus said slowly.
"I may not, but I know what I want to do," Tonks said looking into Remus' worried brown eyes. She turned towards Remus on the couch and gave him a tight hug, though slightly awkward in the position the two had been sitting in.
"I don't want you to go through the same thing that I have gone through for so many years," Remus said quietly slightly hugging her back, "I care about your safety, and I can't stand the thought of you going through all of that pain, and without Wolfsbane..."
"It's going to be just fine," Tonks said softly.
"No it's not!" Remus said loudly standing up, and Tonks did as well, and releasing each other in the process, "It won't ever be fine as long as we are attached like this. I will always pose a danger to you! If you were to get hurt..."
"This is a way to help prevent harm coming to either of us," Tonks said confidently, "Please, just let's try this once more, and if it doesn't work, I promise I won't try it again."
"There might not be another time to try it. I could kill you!" Remus insisted turning around, with their attached hand behind his back so that Tonks didn't have to turn with him, but it didn't matter because she followed him and made sure she was looking in his face, in his eyes.
"No you won't," Tonks said placing her free hand on his shoulder. He looked at her and shook his head.
"How do you know? You don't know how it feels to have no control. The Wolfsbane Potion helps with it a lot, and it's prevented me from killing anyone so far, but... what if it doesn't work? What if I do hurt you?" Remus said.
"What if you do? There will always be that chance as long as we're attached, and this way the chance of either of us getting hurt is lower than if we do nothing. You are right, you might loose control, you might attack and hurt me, but I'm strong enough to not get killed, and Sirius will be there. Remus, even if I turn into a werewolf, I am a fighter, and I won't let you hurt me," Tonks explained exuding a strong sense conviction.
"But-" Remus began, but again, Tonks interrupted him.
"No buts, Remus. I'm going through with this, no matter what you say. I would feel better if I knew you weren't going to fight with me everyday when I take my potion. Trust me, it's hard enough having to look like this all the time," Tonks said indicating her brown hair.
"I think your beautiful like that..." Remus said quietly, before adding, "I will fight with you before and after the next full moon." Tonks' mind completely went off track when he had said that she looked beautiful like that. She wondered if he was just saying that to be nice, but the way he said it... well it really made her heart flutter. She quickly refocused on the conversation.
"Remus, you won't convince me otherwise," Tonks said feeling a bit down that he just wouldn't stop fighting her, yet happy of the compliment she received.
"I know... but I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try," Remus said forcing a small smile. The two stayed silent for a few moments simply standing there, unsure of what to say at this point. It was actually not awkward, and in fact, it was quite a warming silence.
"I guess we should go and help Sirius with Beaky," Tonks finally said after a few moments, breaking the silence. She kissed his cheek before smiling, and starting towards the door, Remus following her.
"You know I just want to protect you," Remus said as they headed up the stairs.
"Yeah, I know, but I can protect myself," Tonks replied with a smile, nearly tripping like she did almost everyday.
"I can't help but worry over you, not because I don't think you're capable, but because..." Remus said trailing off, not knowing what he was going to finish with, "You're my friend." Just friends. They didn't know if it would ever get passed that stage, but the hope to be more was there.
"Rather be friends with you than being stuck here alone with Sirius," Tonks said teasingly.
"He's not that bad, he really just wants to have fun. He was stuck in Azkaban for 12 years, and then he gets stuck here, alone, with a few visitors every once and awhile. I actually wish I could cheer him up more," Remus replied. Tonks smiled widely as an idea sprouted.
"We could always plan a surprise for him. Sometime before the moon," Tonks suggested.
"What do you have in mind?" Remus asked with a grin growing. This should be fun.
Thank you for reading!
ThisLoveHasNoCeiling:
I really appreciate all of your reviews, it really has
helped fuel my muse so I can get these chapters out every
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Anonymous:
Thank you too! I really hope you like this chapter as well. :D
I love reviews and it helps
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