The Hunt

Chapter 9

An Answer for Tonks

Lupin had finally drifted off to sleep wearier of his careful examination of his memories than of his previous night's transformation, though that did weigh heavily in his exhaustion. Hedwig had sighted him the night of the full moon and followed him to be sure that he did not stray too closely to Harry, though she did not know at the time that it was indeed Lupin. As the night wore on she was forced several times to fly dangerously near enough to lure the werewolf away from where Harry had slept by allowing her scent to attract him. She had, had to do this on several occasions over the past year already. Once she had to actually attack it so that it would pay heed to her and charge after.

The following morning just as the moon waned, Hedwig made a startling discovery. Her werewolf was none other than Remus Lupin. As she sat hidden deep within a tree the werewolf began its transformation back to human form. She had never seen this part of a werewolf before and was rooted in mingled fear and awe as she watched the obvious agony of the change. She had seen him many times in the past when he looked very sick and very tired and now she understood. He had, had to endure the transformation, run all night in search of food, and then suffer once again the agony, the torture of the change all over again. She both pitied him and pined for him, if ever an owl could. As Hedwig watched on Remus fell into an exhaustive sleep. She would stand and watch over him this day.

Remus awoke the following morning rested but still very weak. Somehow he had a most restful night. He had slept thoroughly and deeply having slept all through the day before and through that night. He had no dreams and no worries. It was as if a guardian had stood over him and kept watch. As he sat up he thought that he had seen a white owl fly away. With a shake of his head, he gathered up his tattered cloak intending to proceed on. He was near his goal he had felt it in his bones and he had smelled that all too familiar scent once again during his nights run. Glancing down to his ring as he had come to do more and more often, he stopped. "No." he said to himself. "I'll not make this mistake again." He closed his hand as if to embrace the ring and apparated.

Tonks was readying herself for the dinner at the Burrow that she was invited to earlier that day when Remus walked in through the backdoor of her apartment in London. She let out a small gasp as she saw him standing there looking very haggard and unkempt. She had hoped that he did not notice her look of worry as she had seen the cuts and scrapes about his face and the tattered clothing that he now wore. But he had. This was one of the things that he so wanted to spare her from seeing each and every month. He knew that he went through agony at transformations but the look on the faces of his friends and the one's that he loved dearly was more agonizing and more painful to bear than any transformation. Those he could endure, those were his inflictions alone and it disgusted him to know that he would somehow inflict pain and agony on another. But Tonks had never seen him on a "day after" as he referred it nor and a second day after for that matter and he now supposed that she ought to see what it was that he was trying so hard to spare her from. Though he did look worse than usual as he had not even washed up yet but it was best that she see him now as it were so that she herself would know what it was that she was bargaining for.

He stood there at the kitchen door and then asked quietly, "Is this what you want, what you're prepared for?" There was no hint of malice or coldness in his voice, nor were there any sarcasm. It was a simple but truthful question. Tonks recovered herself quickly and with the softest of smiles took his hand and led him to the table where she sat him down. He remained quiet as he watched her move about the tiny kitchen, gathering up items in which to wash and clean his wounds. She had said nothing to him as she started dabbing a pungent smelling ointment into one of his deeper cuts. As clumsy as she made herself look, she was amazingly deft in her administrations to his wounds. Her hands were both soft and caring; he could feel that much he could also feel the care and attention that flowed through her. When she had finished cleaning the opened sores, she rounded on him. "Remus Lupin, if you have not yet learned at your age, how to jump over fences and shrubs instead of running through them…, then no, I don't want you."

Remus was stunned by what she had said and then he realized her scold and reached for her. Tonks took his hand and he gently pulled her into his lap. "Remus, why won't you marry me?" she asked as she kissed his hand. Softly Remus replied, "I will." Tonks still holding his hand slid to her feet and pulled him up into a quick embrace. Separating herself from him after a moment, she said, "We have a dinner to be at, at the Burrow and you will be wanting to wash up I expect and you'll be needing some proper clothes. Now off you go, use my shower." Remus only smiled at her and thought to himself, "She hadn't heard me."

He used Tonks' shower as Tonks herself left to fetch some suitable clothes from his own flat. While there she had sorted through his clothes which weren't many and selected a pair of underclothes, slacks a sweater, and returned back to her apartment before Remus had finished his shower. She knocked on the bathroom door and when he had not answered she let herself in and laid out his change of clothing for him in a neat pile on the sink. Allowing her self only the briefest of looks at the shower curtain it had just occurred to her what he had said. At that very moment, she fought every urge and desire to leap into the shower with him to show him just how much she loved and adored him and how much he meant to her. As she fought off that whim an evil and mischievous grin replaced the excited and anxious smile that she had had. She was going to have her fun at the Burrow.

Lupin grudgingly left the warm, smoothing, and massaging shower and immured himself into his grooming. He desperately needed a shave and his nails could stand a trimming. Carefully, he shaved making sure that he did not make any of those cuts any larger or deeper that they already were, he combed his hair and trimmed his nails. Admiring the thought that Tonks had thought enough to bring his clothes into the bathroom to allow him that much privacy; he quickly dressed in all but his sweater. He had several more cuts and scratches about his back and chest that he would have to ask Tonks to look at before he could finish dressing. Breaking his self inspection Tonks had called out to him, "Are you about ready in there?" Rather than reply he quickly gathered up his sweater and his torn rags of clothing and opened the door. She was waiting in the bedroom for him has he grinned and held out her the remains of his clothes, and with a wry grin of his face he said, "It is most definitely an expensive occupation being a werewolf." Tonks could not help herself as she exploded in laughter, knocking over a chair as she went to him stopping short as she had now noticed his other wounds. Taking the dirty clothes in one hand she tossed them to a pile and said, "I'll have to fix those you know, before we leave."

Back into the kitchen they went and Remus seated himself into a chair as Tonks gathered her medicinal salves and ointments once again to deep clean and seal his injuries. While she was doing this it had occurred to her that she had ought to catch Remus up on the latest of happenings ending with her telling him of running into Bill Weasley and he telling her of Percy's coming home and then the invitation to dinner as well. Remus soaked in every word. He had long imagined being able to come home to someone, to be able to chat about the day's events and concerns, to have a home life, but never thought it possible. The Weasley's were as close to family than anyone he knew. "Well not anyone," he told himself as Tonks turned him in his chair to take care of his front. "There was James and Sirius and…,"

"So Bill got though to Percy did he?" Remus asked of Tonks as she was beginning to put away her medicines. "Molly doesn't know yet Remus, or at least I don't think she does. So if he doesn't show, don't say anything." Tonks had just finished putting everything away and as she turned to face Remus he was already standing and pulling on his sweater, when the clocked chimed. Turning back into character Tonks exclaimed "Wotcher; 'ere now we're late!" She gathered up her cloak and moaned, "Blimey, I knew I've forgotten something." Remus looked amused and said "What, A cloak for me?" "I'll be fine, let's not keep the good Molly waiting dinner just for us." He extended an arm to her and together they vanished in a pop.

The Ladies, Molly, Hermione, and Fleur were bustling about the kitchen getting the dinner ready. Molly was beside herself beaming with having the family together as she directed the two younger Mrs. Weasley's. "Heaven's, if I didn't know each and everyone of your birthday's…," Then she looked quite serious for a moment "Dear's, have I missed a holiday?" She asked in amusement. The other two were laughing now as Mrs. Weasley promptly sent a bowl of potatoes across the room to where Hermione was standing by the kitchen sink. "Hermione, be a dear and get those started please." Hermione took out her wand and began to direct the potatoes into the sink paying no attention as they started to clean themselves, jumping out of their skins and separating themselves into pieces before diving into a pot of boiling water. Fleur, who was adding a spice to the thick and rich brown sauce, simply said "We," and she exchanged looks with Hermione, "Just thought that it would be nice to have the family together again without having to celebrate anything." "Yes, we haven't done this is so long." Hermione chimed in.

"So Ron, how do you feel about your examinations?" "You should be about finished with training correct?" Bill had asked as the two were seated in front of the fireplace in the living room. "Well I've gotten top marks in all of my classes, so I think I should do rather well." Ron answered casually. "But antidotes, is going to be a tough one I think." Ron continued. "How did you do when you tested on antidotes?" Bill, whose first job at Gringott's, had been a Curse Breaker for them and had to take the same Potions and Antidotes class with the Auror's laughed heartily at the question and answered with "I am still alive aren't I?" Ron looked at his older brother and said "Just barely then eh?"

Bill was about to ask what his little niece was up to when as if on cue she came squealing with delight down the stairs. She had been unusually quiet upstairs with her two uncles Fred and George, which in the Weasley family meant nothing good was afoot. As she meant to run past Bill he snaked a long arm out and caught her up by the waist. "Whoa there little miss Molly," he was saying to her as he settled her into his lap. "And where are you off to in such a great hurry?' "To find Cookchanks." She said most congenially and with a hint criminal intent. She had been waving a small brown stick in her hand that Bill had just noticed. "Here now, what's that you have in your hand?" Bill asked. "It's my wand." She replied with glee. "Can Uncle Bill see your wand?" he asked. Smiling she held it up for him to see. Bill took the wand from her and examined it. Though talking more to himself he was saying it aloud. "Mahogany, about six inches long." And as he ran a finger down its length a green spark emitted from its tip. "Merlin's Beard!" Bill had softly exclaimed. Bill gave the wand a wave and stars of every color began to fill the room. Molly was clapping with delight and Ron uttered "Oh no." and glanced surreptitiously towards the kitchen to see if Hermione was watching.

Bill handed the wand back to Molly and asked "What can you do with your wand little Missy?" Molly took her wand back and jumped off his lap. Putting her finger to the side of her mouth, as she always did when in deep thought. She thought about the spells that she had just learned from her Uncles, she let out a small giggle and then looking from the corner of her eye to see if Bill was watching turned to face the end table and pointed her wand and said "Agita Creo." And the table began to move to where she was moving her wand about. "Oh no." Ron groaned again sliding down in his chair as if to hide. This time not even bothering to look to see if Hermione was looking. Bill was trying his best to suppress his obvious admiration of his niece and his laughter as Crookshanks had just appeared from around a corner. Molly rounded on him. Looking over her shoulder at Bill with the most deliriously evil and, cutest of mischievous grins on her face, Bill nodded. Bill's face was now positively red in his attempt to hold back and she pointed her wand at Crookshanks and waved it "Nova Bestia Rutilus." Crookshanks instantly turned into a bright red color.

Bill's body was now convulsing as he clapped a hand over his mouth to hold back the howling laughter that was trying most definitely to escape his mouth. Ron had groaned another "Oh no" and sank so low into his chair that he was in danger of falling out of it. Bill no longer able to control him self bursted and Molly herself was giggling with supreme delight, clapping her hands and at the same time causing the wand to emit varied colored sparks and stars. "What are you all laughing about in there?" Hermione was asking as Bill, whose face was nearly as red as Crookshanks now was, snorted in his attempt to answer her and drying the tears that had come to his face. "N nothing Hermione." He had managed to stammer out. Ron was now hiding his face in his hands trying so hard not to start laughing him self but he failed in his attempt and slid the rest of the way out of his chair onto the floor. "Y, you, your husband needs to learn how to stay in his chair when he dozes off that's all." Bill had just managed an answer before Hermione had come into the room. Seeing both Molly and Bill looking at Ron and laughing, she smirked disapprovingly and went back to the kitchen.