Chapter 10
The soft wind was stroking his face, when he had stepped outside.
He walked fastly to the edge of the forest. It still wasn't dark.
The evening light made the forest look innocent and beautiful.
But he knew what kind of horror had happened in there...
Lupin heard the soft footsteps he had expected. He turned around before she could have called his name. 'Hi,' she merely smiled. The golden sunlight fell upon her small face, and made her skin look yellowish. Her violent pink hair looked softer and more reacheble than he had ever expected. He could see her bright blue eyes so good, examing him adorebly like he was something of pure beauty, the purest beauty she had ever seen, perhaps...
She took his right hand in her left one, and began to walk with him, though the forest.
They were just searching for a pad, when they quickly find one.
It was a narrow one, which leaded through a gallery of high, brown with green trees.
They walked slowely. Lupin was looking at the enormous trees and the small, wild animals. He could almost feel her look upon his face. 'You're worried,' she spoke to him.
'You're an empath,' he complimented her. 'Of course I'm worried.'
'It's useless to be worried,' she said brave. 'It's humane, but it doesn't make sense.'
'You can tell millions of other people the same thing, it wouldn't work,' he said friendly, but bitter. It hadn't been nice what he had said. But it was true. He was worried.
About the children. About the Instrument.
And of course, he was worried about the Death Eaters and their Lord. Lord Voldemort.
'Aren't you worried, then?' asked Lupin. He couldn't believe she wasn't.
'Ah well, of course I am,' laughed Tonks, but she sounded more serious than ever.
'But I keep thinking we shouldn't. We're allways worried, you know. I can accept fear.
When we get attacked, we're scared. That's even very good sometimes, because it gives you more strenght. But to worry... It's better to do something about it. And if we can't... So be it.'
She sounded old and wise, and Lupin looked her in the eyes. Why was she saying this?
But he hadn't had to ask her. Suddenly, they heard footsteps. Tonks gasped for air.
'Who's that?' she wispered. 'What's that?' But the footsteps had stopped. Lupin turned around to seek for a shadow, which he couldn't find. 'No idea,' he wispered back.
Tonks grabbed his arm. 'If it's a Death Eater, I will kill him,' she said, and Lupin knew she wasn't joking. They walked further, slowely, looking around them to search for a footstep, a shadow, or a soft sound. 'I know someone's here,' said Tonks softly.
She looked scared, but strong.
And again, they heard footsteps.
Tonks turned around quickley, with her wand in her hand.
Everything happened very fast. Lupin saw a dark shadow, running, trying to catch them. Tonks yelled. They started to run. The dark figure yelled curses at them, Unforgiveble Curses and strange curses which Lupin had never heard from. They ducked away with every incantation they heard, fastly looking behind and panting because of their speed.
They runned between the high trees and jumped over tree stumps.
Their chaser became closer and closer...
Lupin saw Tonks almost collide to a huge three in front of them, but he screamed at her as a warning. Tonks quickly jumped to her left side to avoid the crash. Lupin looked behind. The figure in the dark robe was undoubtedly a Death Eather, with a very good health.
Lupin knew that they couldn't keep running for ever. He felt stings in his side, and his legs felt heavier and heavier. Tonks looked completely exhausted. She didn't saw the tree stump in front of her, laying on the ground. Lupin wanted to yell, to warn her, but he couldn't speak.
He was out of breath. He saw Tonks stumble to the ground and stopped.
The Death Eater stopped, grabbed his wand again, and yelled: 'Paralitis!'
Lupin elicit his wand and panted: 'Moverio Corpus!' Tonks moved a meter to her left side, and avoided the spell. She got quickly on her feet. She was sweating, but had stopped panting. Of course, Lupin thought, she's got a much better condition that I've got.
'Death Eater,' she silently spoke, but with an unmistakeble hate, 'reveal yourself.'
The Death Eater slowely took off his hood.
Lupin saw the well-known greasy, black hair... He saw his cold, dark eyes...
It was Serverus Snape.