This chapter's set just after the Order escorts Harry to Hogwarts. I'm really enjoying writing this story and really appreciate the reviews that I've recieved. They brightened my week :)

Please enjoy!

Chapter Three: The Wounds That We Heal

'I assume you're not going to retain that form all day, Nymphadora?'

'Is that any way to talk to your elders, Remus?' Tonks sniffed, straightening the pork-pie shaped hat atop of her grey perm.

Tonks heard Remus chuckle deeply from where he walked beside her.

They were strolling slowly through a park in London, enjoying the cool lunchtime air. They were making their way back to Grimmauld Place, opting to enjoy the lingering late-summer air by walking some of the way rather than disapparating straight there. Besides, Tonks reasoned, they had made good time this morning taking Harry and the others to the station. There was nothing wrong with having a small break to appreciate the day.

And she certainly did appreciate it even more with Remus Lupin walking beside her, his shoulder occasionally bumping into hers, his hair glinting in the sunlight and ruffling in the stiff breeze.

She was still morphed in her previous disguise; an old, grey haired woman. She suddenly became very aware that it must look to an outsider as though Remus was walking with his mother...

'I don't want to ruin the disguise, Remus,' she continued insistently. 'This is one of the reasons why they let me become an Auror; I'm going to make the most of it!'

'I had no idea that the old, bustling woman image was something you craved, Nymphadora,' he commented lightly.

'Firstly, Remus, that's Doris to you,' she told him, trying to maintain the serious facade which they were joking around. 'And secondly, I think I pull of this look with remarkable flair and grace. What do you reckon?'

'I-' Remus was cut off short.

'Bugger!' she exclaimed as her short heel caught on a brick and she was sent flying onto the stone pavement of the park.

Felt the familiar burn as the rough concrete skinned the heels of her palms and winced, sitting heavily on her bottom.

Not for the first time, she looked up into Remus' face from her position on the floor. It held concern and worry as he knelt down beside her instead of offering her a hand up.

'Are you alright?' he asked, looking warily at her bleeding, gritty palms, which were currently the wrinkled hands of an elderly woman.

She stared at him witheringly, 'Come off it, Remus; just because I look like an old woman doesn't mean I am one.'

He smiled and took her hand firmly, helping her right herself.

'Goodness!' a high-pitched gasp behind Tonks made her turn.

A small, middle aged woman was looking at Tonks with wide eyes, her limp blonde hair falling into her eyes. A Muggle, Tonks assumed. 'Are you alright, dear? You took quite a fall!'

'Fine, fine,' Tonks smiled kindly, brushing the speckles of grit from her bottom and palms. Her calf-length, Muggle skirt felt heavy and unfamiliar, as did the old form she was in.

The woman looked at her warily; 'Very well, if you're sure.'

'I am,' Tonks assured her, trying to edge away slightly.

There was something uncomfortable-looking about the woman. She didn't seem quite right, and every instinct in Tonks' body was telling her to get away quickly. She looked up at Remus, who was frowning slightly at the woman, moving away with her.

Tonks caught one last glance at the woman, who was standing still in the spot that they had left her, her expression calm and neutral. She and Remus turned and quickly continued making their way through the large park.

'Something wasn't right about her...' Tonks whispered conspiratorially.

'I agree,' Remus answered thoughtfully as they finally exited the park through large iron gates. 'We could be completely mistaken, of course. But I will certainly be glad once we get out of here.'

'We should apparate,' Tonks sighed, leading them to an empty, sheltered alleyway between the large, grey buildings.

Remus nodded in agreement, turning on the spot. Tonks did the same, only to realise that she didn't feel the tight squeeze of apparition, and that the high walls around her were still the same.

Nothing had happened; and due to the fact that she could still see Remus, his face puzzled, she assumed he had had similar problems.

'What the-?' she asked him, frowning deeply in confusion.

They tried again to apparate, and were once again fruitless.

'What's going on?' Tonks demanded loudly, letting the image of an old woman slip, feeling the tingle as her usual form returned, pink short hair making her head cool in the breeze. Her clothes were now slightly too big. She tugged the damned pork-pie hat from her head and threw in on the floor in frustration, hiking the skirt up around her waist as it fell down her hips slightly. 'Why can't we apparate? For God's sake...'

Something caught her attention at the other side of the alley and she started, drawing her wand out quickly.

'Who's there?' she called out into the shady alley, seeing Remus draw his wand out also, his stance on guard and ready.

A small figure stepped into view, shadowed against the sunlight behind it. Tonks recognised the blonde hair and smiling face immediately, and the sense of discomfort that came with it.

'Who are you?' Tonks asked harshly. 'Why are you following us?'

The woman who they had encountered in the park smiled chillingly. It sent waves of horror through Tonks' veins. Remus tensed beside her.

'My dear; I'm not following you,' she giggled silkily, 'I was following an elderly, plump woman. You are a young woman with pink hair. Although, your clothes do seem rather familiar.'

'Keep back,' Remus warned, as the tiny woman approached. Her cheeks here red, plumped by the smile she was wearing.

'What do you want?' Tonks asked pointing her wand directly at the woman.

'Me, dear?' she asked, simpering, her stubby hand placed over her heart. 'Well it would be nice if you would stop waving those silly sticks around, wouldn't it?'

Tonks backed away, feeling Remus do the same beside her. 'Well, if you don't mind, we'll be on our way. Without you, if possible.' Tonks called to the woman, still holding her wand on her readily. As they turned to exit from the alley, they were cast into shadow by a bulky figure blocking their way. Unlike the woman, this one's role was no mystery; his face was shrouded in a long black clock, his shoulders heavily built and his short fingers twisted around his wand.

A Death Eater was blocking their only escape from the alley.

Tonks scrambled for control of the brain. She was vaguely aware that Remus had turned back to point his wand at the woman. She held her own directly at the black figure, her entire body tensed in preparation for the fight that was inevitably impending.

'Well,' she said, her teeth clenched. 'Judging by the fact that you're absolutely bloody enormous, I'm guessing; Crabbe? Just a stab in the dark.'

She saw the shadowed face twist into something that could have been a smile. He twirled his wand between his fingers with ease, looking completely and utterly relaxed.

Right at this moment, Tonks decided, she couldn't look any less like an Auror if she tried. Her loose blouse was tucked into the tweed skirt that was still ridiculously loose around her waist. She would have morphed a slightly larger physique, but wouldn't want to lose concentration and let her guard down.

When Crabbe raised his wand and pointed it, Tonks was ready. To her confusion, she found that he did not, in fact, fire a spell at her, but was instead aiming for Remus. She blocked the flash of green light that shot from Crabbe's wand, shifting to stand in front of Remus' back, flicking the curse away with effort; it was a strong spell.

She felt Remus shift slight against her back, and realised.

Their two attackers were working in unison; firing, not at the one who was holding at wand on them, but at the one who had their back to them. Tonks felt her heart sink. They were trapped in this alleyway, forced to look in opposite directions for means of defence.

Fear washed through her, hot and strong; it was infinitely more difficult to protect someone else, and she couldn't even see Remus.

From what she could hear, the woman who they had previously thought of as a Muggle was now firing spells thick and fast. She could hear Remus' small grunts of effort as he blocked the spells aimed at her.

Not prepared to wait any longer for Crabbe to attack, she decided to take an offensive approach, firing a powerful stunning spell directly at him. He diverted it, creating a loud crack as it hit the brick wall beside him. He shifted quickly to the side, firing another spell at Remus' unseeing back.

The duel went on, gaining speed. She protected Remus as he did likewise behind her. She wished she could turn around and see what was happening, but didn't dare risk it.

Crabbe moved with speed that belied his bulky frame, his face shadowed. He dodged her spells, throwing them away and throwing his own back in at Remus in return.

A heavy weight was thrown into her from behind and she stumbled under the force of impact.

Oh God.

Remus.

Had he been hit by a spell that she had missed?

She could feel his dead weight at on her foot and, mustering all of the energy she could, fought not to lose concentration. This was basic Auror Training; if someone is injured, continue to fight until the threat is eliminated before going to their aid. She could do this.

Tonks harnessed the anger that was coursing through her veins, sending it shooting down her arm as she sent a strong, wicked-fast spell from her wand. Her anger had been a godsend; Crabbe flinched as it struck him in the face before he even had the time to defend himself. He clutched his face in his hands, severely impaired, and stumbled away from the alley, disappearing out of sight.

Tonks whipped around, her wand facing where the small woman had previously been standing.

She saw what was behind her for the first time; the small women lay, pale and unmoving on the floor, her face surrounded by her blonde hair, which fanned about around her shoulders and neck, her wand limp in her hand. Tonks relaxed a little, and, with dread, looked down at her feet where Remus lay.

'Remus?' she choked out, dropping her wand and scrambling to the floor beside him.

Her heart was in her throat. Was this her fault; had she failed to defend him from a stray spell?

Tonks saw the gentle rise and fall of his chest, the flickering of his eyelids, and almost cried out in relief.

His eyes opened slightly, bleary and unfocused. 'Remus? Can you hear me?'

His eyes closed.

'Oh, for the love of God, Lupin, wake up!'

Incredibly, his lips curved up into a smile and his eyes fluttered open once again. Remus let out a tiny laugh, which turned into a deep, hacking cough. Tonks winced and cradled the back of his head, keeping it off the floor.

'Your beside manner is awful, Nymphadora,' he smiled weakly at her from the ground.

'You're not in bed, Remus,' she shot back, a grin spreading across her face. 'What happened?'

'I don't know. I was blocking the spells she was sending at you. Then something hit me from behind. I must have smashed into the wall and took a blow to the head...' he looked concerned, 'Are you alright?'

'I'm fine,' she mumbled in response, ashamed that she let a curse hit him. 'Are you injured anywhere else?'

He looked reluctant. 'I'll be fine,' he told her gently.

'Remus, don't be daft; tell me where you're injured!' she almost shouted, looking him over quickly.

'I'm afraid-' another hacking cough racked through him. 'I'm afraid that I seem to be bleeding.'

'Where?'

The next cough that forced its way up brought a small amount of blood with it, and Tonks felt terror run through her. 'Remus, where are you bleeding?'

That's when she saw it; he was lying in a pool of blood that was slowly growing in size, becoming visible as it grew and appeared around his sides. She lifted him slightly, and saw an extremely deep gash just below the back of his neck, from which hot, thick blood was pouring.

'Oh no, Remus,' she gasped as he grunted in pain.

Her shaking hands were coated in his blood, and she attempted to raise him higher from the ground, needing to get him to St. Mungos. 'Remus, we need to get out of here so we can apparate. They must have blocked in the alley to trap us.'

He nodded, and, his face set without any show of the pain he was obviously feeling, lifted himself up unsteadily with her help.

As soon as he was supported heavily on her side, she turned her head to check on the woman, still lying unconscious on the floor.

Her face looked completely limp. 'What did you hit her with?' Tonks asked.

'I just stunned her,' Remus responded, gritting his teeth against the pain.

The woman remained unmoving, her face growing ever-more slack. In fact, her skin seemed to be melting off her face. The limps of her small frame were lengthening, her skin growing more weathered and her blonde hair retracting into her head. Soon, the woman was gone completely, replaced by a limp, male body.

She recognised the figure immediately. 'Remus, its Honeysuckle!' she gasped. 'He must have taken Polyjuice Potion!'

When Remus did not respond, Tonks panicked. It took all of her strength to drag him out of the alley, far away enough that she could apparate them to the hospital.

When she had turned up in the large entrance room of St. Mungos, covered in Remus' blood, help was instantly on hand. They conjured a stretcher for Remus and held thick white gauze over the deep wound in his back.

Tonks hurried worriedly next to the stretcher, questioning the Healers furiously.

'Please, Miss,' a young, male Healer pleaded. 'Let me do my job. You're slowing us down.'

'Slowing you down, my arse,' Tonks shot back, anger washing through her. 'You have to tell me if he's going to be okay! I mean...it's just a cut, isn't it?'

The male Healer stopped in the middle of the large, sterile corridor, turning to face her. Tonks watched anxiously as the stretcher carrying Remus floated away, surrounded by bustling Healers.

'Miss, do you know how he sustained this injury?' he asked, his eyes urgent.

'I...' she considered what she should say. She needed to keep the Order a secret. She sighed, pondering her words. 'It's my fault, really.'

The Healer's eye widened. 'When you say it's your fault...' he looked sheepish. 'This wasn't an unexpected consequence of any kind of sexual practice, was it?'

Tonks gaped. 'What? No!' she shuddered. 'Are you mad? He was attacked.'

The Healer looked at her seriously, his grey eyes held relief. 'Sorry,' he said, his face relaxing slightly. 'You would be surprised how many...' he stopped himself. 'Well anyway, his wound looks quite serious. Hopefully we should be able to heal it mostly with magic, but there's only a certain amount we can do for such a deep wound, I'm afraid.'

Tonks nodded, and pondered whether or not to tell them about his werewolf situation. It was too late now, she reasoned, as the male healer walked away, catching up with the stretcher.

Her head hurt; she couldn't keep moving anymore. Guilt and self-disappointment rushed through her and she backed away until she found a cold, sterile wall. She slid down it, holding her head in her hands until and vowing to stay there until she regained the ability to breathe.

'Constant vigilance, girl,'

'Oh, be quiet.'

Tonks hunched over further in the waiting-room chair, her hands clasped firmly in her lap. Her shoulders were tensed to the point where she couldn't lower them even if she tried. She and Mad-Eye were waiting outside the ward, anxiously awaiting news on Remus, who had entered over an hour ago.

Moody grunted and shifted in his own seat, his wooden leg noisy against the polished floor. 'You were attacked,' he growled. 'You shouldn't let your guard down, not now, Tonks, when you're most at risk.'

'My guard isn't down, Mad-Eye,' she shot back.

'Your letting your emotion break your concentration,' he told her angrily. 'Now would be the optimum time for attack.'

'Mad-Eye,' she began, her teeth clenched. 'There's no one here but us. If someone appears out of thin air and tries to kill me, I will be ready, but as of this moment, they're not. So can we please stop talking about this?'

Mad-Eye said nothing; he simply drew out his hip-flask and took a generous swig.

'You can't drink in here,' Tonks told him glumly.

Mad-Eye ignored her and took another swig before stowing the flask back in his robes. 'So the woman who attacked you was Honeysuckle in disguise?' he asked gruffly.

'Yeah,' Tonks' voice was muffled by the hand which she was resting her head on, her eyes on the floor. 'He took Polyjuice Potion by the look of it. Why would he do that? Why not just follow us without being noticed?'

'That remains to be seen,' Moody told her.

His magical-eye was swirling around at an incredible speed, making her nauseous as she watched it. Tonks looked away, looking at her feet again, waves of guilt rising to the surface.

'Don't take it as a personal failure, Tonks,' Moody said suddenly, his voice as harsh as ever.

'It's my fault that he's in here,' she almost shouted, her head snapping up. 'We were protecting each other. He did his job; I'm still here in a good condition. But I let him down, Mad-Eye. He's in here because I let one go unnoticed.'

'But still,' Moody continued. 'You were in an extremely difficult position. You couldn't see Lupin, for one thing. I know Aurors who would have let their partners take considerably more hits than you did. You performed admirably, Tonks.'

'He didn't let me get hit,' Tonks repeated to Moody, her brow furrowed. 'I should have been better.'

Moody looked extremely uncomfortable at her display of insecurity. 'Lupin won't hold you responsible; I can tell you that. If anything he'll thank you for not letting him get injured further. Now stop this; worrying about what you should have done isn't going to heal wounds.'

Moody had finished with a tone that told Tonks that their conversation was over. She sighed and one again looked at the over-polished, over-sterile floor.

Remus was just inside those doors, fighting for his life, most probably. She felt sick; the full moon was tomorrow, as he had told her yesterday when she had ran into him in Diagon Alley. What would the hospital do if he wasn't well enough to leave before then? Would they insist that he leaves anyway, knowing that it would be dangerous? Or would they risk keeping him in? Surely, they would be able to produce a decent draft of Wolfsbane?

She swallowed the urge to break down the door and shout that they simply had to save him.

'Oh!' the breathless gasp made her look up quickly.

Not for the first time that week, she was surprised to see the usually composed Emmeline Vance, flustered. Her blonde hair was coming out of a neat bun on the top of her head, and she was clutching her chest as though she had run the length of the hospital. Tonks flushed and looked away; the memory of Emmeline's drunken display last night flashing through her mind.

'Wotcher, Emmeline,' she muttered, looking away.

'Tonks,' she greeted, her voice even save for the panting breaths that she was still drawing. 'How is he? Sirius owled me, I came as quick as I could.'

Tonks brushed aside the annoyance that flared inside her. No one else had felt the need to run to St Mungos; why had she?

'We don't know yet,' Tonks told her, looking up into her structured face. She was, as Tonks had predicted last night, holding all of the signs of a severe hangover. Her eyes were squinting against the harsh hospital light, her face pallid and clammy-looking.

Tonks felt a pang of sympathy and felt ashamed for her hostile feelings towards the witch. She was just concerned for the fellow Order-member, just as Tonks was.

'He...he should be okay,' Tonks continued, trying to arrange her face into something more friendly. 'It's a deep wound. They might not be able to heal it all the way, but they're trying their best. We'll just have to wait.'

Emmeline nodded briskly and took a seat next the Mad-Eye, looking as though she was fighting the urge to vomit. Tonks empathised.

An uncomfortable silence stretched for another agonising half an hour. When the ward door finally opened, Tonks practically jumped up from her seat, resisting the strong urge to shake the Healer that appeared, demanding information.

'Are you here for Mr. Lupin?' the young, red-haired Healer asked. Tonks nodded and approached her. She smiled kindly. 'He's stable. We were able to close the wound but it will be fragile for a few weeks, and he lost a lot of blood.'

Moody had hobbled over to stand next to Tonks, Emmeline following closely behind.

The Healer's face became grave. 'Although, his lycanthropy presents quite a problem. The full moon is tomorrow, I believe? Unfortunately, the transformation may cause the wound to reopen. And of course, we can't keep him in overnight for safety reasons...'

'What?' Tonks asked, heat flooding her face in anger. 'You can't be serious?'

'I'm afraid we...'

'You just going to send him away, when there's a risk that he could be in serious danger?' Tonks ground out, her jaw tight.

'Tonks,' Mad-Eye growled warningly from beside her.

The Healer looked quite frightened by her sudden outburst, and began fiddling shakily with the collar of her robes. 'Well I...You...You can see him now, if you wish?'

Tonks tried to calm down, tried to tell herself that Remus was fine. She didn't need to feel guilty anymore, surely?

'Yes.' Tonks tried a smile and failed miserably. 'Thanks. That'd be great.'

They were lead into the small room, which held only two beds. One was empty, the other belonged to Remus. The light in the room was grey, and Tonks had to calm her heart down when she saw Remus, sitting heavily on the edge of the bed. He was hunched over uncomfortably, pulling his ragged shirt back on, giving her a flash of smooth, pale flesh and the clean white bandage that was wrapped around his chest. And then it was gone, and he was buttoning up the shirt.

'Remus,' she called in relief. He looked up quickly, his face holding pain, and gave her a weak smile.

'Lupin,' Moody greeted gruffly, giving a small nod.

Emmeline remained silent, lingering slightly behind Moody. 'Tonks,' he greeted with a smile. 'Alastor. Emmeline.'

'How are you feeling?' Tonks asked, perching herself next to him on the bed.

He let out a wry little laugh, 'Better,' he nodded, wincing slightly.

He suddenly looked at her, his eyes running over her body. At first, Tonks thought that he was checking her for injuries, but then, as she looked down at herself, she realised. Her clothes were still stained with his blood, the skirt and tweed blouse still overly loose for her frame. She shifted uncomfortably as he gave her a disapproving look, before reaching for his wand and performing the cleaning spell that she had forgotten to do earlier. It removed most of the blood, and left her clothes feeling less stiff and caked. She smiled at him in thanks, sure that she wouldn't have been able to such a good job herself.

Standing next to the bed, Emmeline gave a small, uncomfortable cough. Tonks ignored her and looked worriedly as Remus made to get up.

'Should you really be moving?' she asked, frowning.

'I'm afraid I don't have much of a choice, Nymphadora,' he winced again, pushing himself up and pulling on the shabby robes that had been cleaned and draped over the chair next to the bed.

'We're glad you're alright, Lupin,' Moody told him gruffly, holding out a hand. Remus shook it and continued dressing. 'We'll wait outside for you until you're ready. And then we'll escort you back to headquarters. Tonks – if you want to stop at your flat for a change of clothes, that's fine. But remember to be as vigilant as possible...'

As Mad-Eye and Emmeline left the room, Tonks remained perched on the end of the bed, watching as Remus straightened out his robes, wincing at the movement. He looked down at her, curious.

'I'm really sorry, Remus,' she told him honestly, her eyes pleading. 'It's my fault you got hit...I'm really, really sorry.'

He chuckled gently, 'It's honestly fine, Tonks,' he told her. 'You don't need to apologise. I don't blame you in the slightest. I'm simply glad that we're both still alive.'

Tonks nodded and looked at her knees. He picked up his wand from the bedside table and, stowing it carefully in his robes, made a gesture for them to leave.

Tonks stood, but made no move to leave. Instead, she took the few steps to him and wrapped her arms around his middle. She turned her head so that she could lay it on his chest, her embrace tightening slightly. She felt her entire body relax in relief, finally satisfied that he was safe. Unlike last night, when he had merely remained still against her, this time she felt the gentle pressure of his own arms around her shoulders, and the warmth of his hand splayed between his shoulder blades. She resisted the urge to sob with relief.

And then he was gone, releasing her gently, sending her a warm smile and exiting the room, his movements stiff and pained.

Tonks drew a shaky breath and followed her limbs heavy.

'God, Moony, you couldn't milk this any more if you tried, could you?'

Remus chuckled hoarsely, and it sent waves of relief crashing through her, a smile blossoming on her own face.

Tonks watched in amusement as Sirius reluctantly heaved himself up from his chair, crossing the kitchen to the sink, grabbing a rag and beginning to wash various pots and pans. It was late; Remus had arrived at Grimmauld Place after a long day and, after the Order meeting in which they had relayed everything that had occurred, Tonks had decided to stay for a little while. The stone kitchen was empty except for the three of them, and the fire was crackling peacefully.

'I apologise if my being attacked results in you having to do the washing up for once, Sirius,' Remus threw back, smiling from his chair. 'I will be sure to be more considerate next time I sustain an injury.'

'So you should be,' Sirius muttered, flicking a wave of black hair over his shoulder and shooting a resentful glance back over his shoulder. The sound of running water and the scrubbing of pans lulled Tonks into a peaceful stupor.

'And what about you, dear cousin?' Tonks looked up and found Sirius shooting her a resentful look. 'What's your excuse?'

'Well, someone's got to make sure Remus doesn't collapse into a big, injured heap, haven't they?' Tonks smiled smugly as Sirius threw a collection of lazily-cleaned pans and dishes onto the side with a loud crash. 'Can't you do those with magic?' Tonks nodded at the dished, wincing as another crash echoed around the room.

'Molly says I have to do them by hand,' Sirius muttered glumly, 'She says my cleaning spells are appalling. And don't really fancy eating off plates that Kreacher's had his grubby little hands on...'

'Molly's not even staying here anymore, Padfoot, and she's still got you living in a state of constant fear,' Remus chuckled, sipping his drink and relaxing further into his chair. Tonks noticed him wince slightly in pain.

'Cleaning spells must be a genetic weakness; I can't do them to save my life,' Tonks joked, enjoying the display of Sirius' frustration at the mountain of washing up.

'I daresay my dear mother suffered from the same affliction,' Sirius told her with a wink.

Tonks laughed deeply and sighed, realising that she had an early start for work tomorrow. She glanced at the clock, which informed her that it was nearing midnight. She found it, despite the time, to be extremely difficult to find the will to leave. The fireplace was warm, the wooden kitchen chair surprisingly comfortable, and she felt a sense of peaceful friendship that she hadn't felt since her school days. Then, of course, there was the warm tingle at the base of her stomach whenever Remus looked at her, talked to her, or even did that amused smirk that set delicious shadows in the premature lines around his cheekbones.

His soft eyes met her, twinkling in the light of the fire and he smiled. 'Everything alright, Nymphadora?'

'Fine!' she answered too quickly. 'Lovely, even. I mean...not that it's been a lovely day because you...well, you know.' She could feel her blood rushing to her face and, from the corner of she saw Sirius turn away from the sink to look at her. 'I mean...I'm glad that you're alright.'

She heard Sirius' snort echo through the stone kitchen and shot him a glare as he turned back to the sink, finishing the last few pots and pans with careless ease.

Remus smiled at her, his face almost glowing in the firelight. It was difficult not to get pulled into the gentle lull of a trance, in the soft orange light. But she must resist, of course, in case she started trying to gaze lovingly into his eyes. Which, Tonks was certain would end up being excruciatingly embarrassing.

'No harm done,' Remus sighed, folding his arms across his chest and running a weary hand over his face. He looked worried.

'Remus...' she began, her stomach twisting. 'The Healer...when I spoke to her...she mentioned that your wound could be...reopened?'

A muscle in Remus' jaw seemed to twitch. 'Ah,' he said quietly. 'Yes, that possibility remains.'

'Aren't you worried?' Tonks asked, feeling her eyes widen.

'I have been wounded during the full moon before,' Remus told her serenely. 'It's nothing I can't handle. Don't worry yourself, Tonks.'

Tonks nodded tersely, powerless to do anything else. She noted that Sirius had gone extremely quiet, his shoulders tensed. He was obviously listening intently. When the conversation did not continue, Sirius threw the last dripping wet dish onto the side, and with a flick of his wand, sent them into their respective cupboards. He sat down, his face steady.

'I still don't understand why you were attacked,' Sirius stated, sipping his drink thoughtfully. 'I mean, we were with Harry all morning. Why wait until you were alone? I personally would have relished the chance to... '

Remus cut his off with a raised hand and a deep frown. 'Please Sirius, your thirst for excitement is becoming draining. This is a serious matter. You wouldn't have wanted Harry to be in danger.'

'Every second sent away from us; that's when he's in danger,' Sirius ground out, his teeth clenched.

Before Remus could respond, a loud bang resounded, originating from somewhere upstairs. It was followed by a blood-curdling screech. Sirius groaned irritably, shouting; 'Kreacher! Oh for Goodness sake, what's the useless cretin done now?'

Sirius crossed the room in long strides, taking the stairs two at a time, angry mutters falling from his lips. Tonks swallowed. Her mouth dry as she and Remus were left alone in the warm, dim kitchen.

She searched for a conversation, drawing a blank. 'Tea?' she asked, fidgeting nervously with her robes, creasing them into the shape of her palm.

'I'm fine, thank you,' He smiled. 'I'm afraid I have a somewhat less pleasant beverage which commands my attention.'

He dug inside his robes, and gingerly pulled out the old bottle of Wolfsbane potion which he had purchased from Diagon Alley the day before. He carefully pulled the cork out with a small pop, and poured it into the empty cup before him. The way his eyes flickered uncomfortably to her told Tonks that he didn't appreciate being watched. She couldn't help it.

'Remus,' she began. 'I really don't think you should take that. It could make you ill...'

He gave a small, wry laugh, before raising it to his lips and taking a large, pained gulp. 'I would rather my body suffer than my mind,' he told her quietly. He looked nauseous, and he seemed to shy away from the cup for a moment, closing his eyes with a frown and trying to recompose his stomach, which she could almost see trying to reject the vile potion which he was forcing down.

'Will it work?' she asked curiously. 'If it's off, will you still keep your conscious mind?'

He looked thoughtful for a moment. 'It can vary from brew to brew. Sometimes I will retain a small amount of awareness, and sometimes I will wake up entirely oblivious to how I spent the full moon. It's a chance I'm willing to take.'

He drained the cup with a wince and set it down. Tonks realised that he had signalled the end of that particular conversation.

'Are you in the office tomorrow?' he asked kindly, his eyes polite.

'Yeah,' she sighed. 'A mountain of paperwork to get done. And there'll be chaos around the whole bloody place tomorrow. I think there's actually talk of an 'Umbridge-is-gone-for-a-whole-school-term' party.'

'Now that,' Remus told her seriously, 'is a glorious thing to celebrate.'

'Not so glorious for Harry and the others, though,' Tonks chuckled. 'I would have packed up my things and left school if Umbridge was my teacher.'

'Ah,' Remus chuckled. 'You were the melodramatic type, then, Nymphadora?'

'I liked to think of it as spirited, I think,' Tonks laughed.

'There's nothing wrong with a bit of spirit,' Remus nodded. 'It's a quality I admire in you. That and your knack of dodging Alastor's bad side.'

'Mad-Eye's a teddy-bear, Remus,' Tonks winked quickly. 'You just need to search for his cuddly side.'

'A difficult feat,' Remus answered, a smile spreading across his face.

Tonks settled deeper into her chair, sighing happily. The guilt that had plagued her all day had eased; leaving a strong sense of relief that washed through her and made her mind bleary.

She stayed long after Sirius had returned, cursing Kreacher to the heavens. By the time she reluctantly announced that she had to be heading off, her eyes were beginning to droop with longing for sleep. She said hasty goodbyes, finding it extremely difficult to step from the warm, welcoming kitchen into the cool, damp night.

The mist hung around in the air, clinging to her clothes and hair, and she gazed worriedly at the moon as it hung in the sky, tantalizingly full.

Thanks for reading! A new chapter should be up soon hopefully.

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