Chapter 10 Life Goes On

Disclaimer: I own nothing Harry Potter related.

It had been a week since I had broken up with Remus. I had moved my stuff back into the girl's dormitory so had Emmeline and Lily. I still hadn't spoken to Lily. I also haven't spoken to Remus. I couldn't bring myself to look at him. James and Sirius had spent the week trying to convince me that I was doing more harm than good. I wouldn't listen to them. I couldn't, I was doing the right thing. The sound of my alarm clock ripped me from my thoughts. I reached over and shut it off, throwing the covers off myself. I let Lily and Emmeline sleep considering that we didn't have classes this Friday. I quickly got dressed and went down to breakfast. I met James in the Common Room. "You look awful." He told me. I scowled at him.

"That' exactly what every girl wants to hear James, Thank you." I snapped. "Why isn't Lily throwing herself at you."

"Touché. This whole breaking up with Remus thing still getting you down?" He asked. I sighed and rolled my eyes. Talking about me breaking up with Remus isn't how I wanted to start my day. I wasn't going to talk to James about this again so I didn't answer him. I simply walked faster into the Great Hall and took a seat next to Sirius who was surprisingly there before we were. James took a seat next to me.

"Are you sick?" I asked referring to the fact that he had arrived first. I piled my plate with food before digging in. "Why are you awake so early?"

"It's part of the bloody plan," Sirius grumbled.

"What plan?" I asked just as Remus sat down in front of me. My eyes widened. I went to stand up but James and Sirius grabbed my arms and pulled me back into my seat. "Guys this isn't funny."

"Good because we are dead serious. You broke up with Remus. You did all the talking that night and now it's his turn." James said. I crossed my arms and raised my eyebrow at Remus telling him to speak.

"Look, Tonks, I know that you think that you were keeping me safe from your family when you broke up with me but did you ever think that maybe that wasn't the real reason?" Remus asked. I looked at him in confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

"You mentioned your brothers that night." Remus began. "I think that you broke up with me to protect yourself because you don't want to lose anyone else that you love to your family. Tonks, Nymph you need to understand that because of what I am I will always be a target. With or without you.

"But you're at more of a risk with me."

"I would rather be a risk with you than be miserable without you."

"I would rather you be alive and miserable than dead and happy." I quickly stood up before the boys could grab me and ran from the Great Hall. I ran past some first years knocking them over as I ran to the nearest bathroom.

"Tonks?" I heard Lily call me but I ignored her bursting to into the bathroom before leaning against the wall. I tried to breathe as tears streamed down my face. I heard the bathroom door open but I didn't look up. It wasn't until I felt someone put their arms around me that I looked up. It was Lily. I decided not to fight her. I put my head on her shoulder and continued to cry. "I heard about you and Remus." She said.

"I don't know how to do this!" I cried. "I keep telling myself that I'm keeping him safe but I just think that I'm hurting the both of us and I don't know if I'm strong enough for that. He looked so broken."

"I've known you for a long time, Tonks. I know your family and I know you. I think that you need to stop making decisions based on what could happen because if you do, you will never be happy."

"So you're saying I should talk to Remus."

"I'm saying listen to your heart." Lily began. "We come to Hogwarts to learn about magic. We leave home, we leave our mothers. They aren't here to help us with boys and heartbreak. So we have to help each other and learn together." Lily said standing and offering me her hand. "Together?"

"Together." I agreed as she pulled me up off the floor.

Lily and I met up with Emmeline on our way to the Great Hall for lunch. When we entered the Great Hall we saw people running around with newspapers. Everyone looked panicked. Did something happen? Is Remus okay? Where is he? I looked around the room for Sirius, James, and Remus. "Tonks!" I heard Remus cry. I whirled around to see the boys sprinting towards us.

"Are you okay?" What's happening?" I asked.

"There was an attack on the Hogsmeade visit today," James exclaimed. "Some of the students got seriously hurt. Dumbledore is has been talking to all the students that went, he is furious." As if he didn't even think about it he threw his arms around Lily. Sirius hadn't let go of Emmeline since he got here.

"Where are Alice and Frank? When's the last time that anyone talked to them?" Emmeline asked.

"We've got to find them. I Haven't heard from Alice since we found out about the threat. Did they sneak out to the Hogsmeade visit?" Lily asked.

"Come on. Let's go check the infirmary." James said. We ran to the infirmary and looked for Alice and Frank among the sea of student gathered inside. "Do you see them?" James asked.

"Over there!" Lily said pointing to a table. Frank laid on it unconscious and Alice sat at his side.

"Alice, What happened?" I asked running over to her. The other's close behind me.

"We went to the Hogsmeade visit with the fifth years. The Death Eaters came out of nowhere. Your family was there, Sirius and Tonks. They weren't captured. Frank was hit with a curse I didn't see what it was."

"I'm so sorry Alice," Sirius said putting a hand on her arm. "My family they-"

"Sirius don't apologize for them. What they do isn't on you. Either of you." Alice cut in. "What if he doesn't wake up? I mean we leave in a few weeks. What if he doesn't get to go home? What if he doesn't get to go through fourth year with the rest of us."

Two days later Sirius and I were in potions class when Dumbledore entered and asked for Sirius and I. Slughorn to let us out of class. Dumbledore didn't say a word as we walked up to his office. When his office doors opened I saw my parents were seated in his office.

"What's going on?" I asked as Sirius and I went to stand next to their seats. My mother and father stood and gave Sirius and me their seats. We both sat down now completely confused.

"With the attack on Hogsmeade and our family's involvement." My mother began. "We think that you two might night be safe at the house. Until we have made sure that the house is secure you and Sirius cannot come home."

"Where are we supposed to go then?" Sirius asked.

"We've spoken to the parents of your friends," Dad explained. "The Longbottoms, Potter's and Lupin's have agreed to house you this summer."

"So we really can't go home? All summer?" I asked.

"It's not safe for you there." Mom said pulling Sirius and me out of our seats and hugging us tightly. Dad did the same as they gathered their things so that they could leave. They walked to the flu in Dumbledore's office. "We will come to visit I promise." With that, they were gone. I turned to Sirius who just stared right back at me. It was clear that he was just as shocked as I was.

"You are dismissed for lunch," Dumbledore said. Sirius and I simply nodded and left his office. We didn't go to lunch but to the common room. When we arrived we found our friends already waiting for us.

"Sirius!" Emmeline exclaimed jumping into his arms. "What happened? When you guys didn't show for lunch we came looking for you."

"My mom and dad were here. They wanted to talk to us." I explained looking at Remus. After all that had happened this week I wanted to talk to him before we left for break. I needed to tell him that I loved him and wanted to be with him before one of us got hurt or worse.

"Why were they here?" Alice asked. Frank had woken up yesterday and was recovering nicely, after much argument we convinced Alice that it was okay to leave his side.

"To tell us it wasn't safe to go home," Sirius explained. "Some crap about our crazy family and the Hogsmeade visit."

"Where are you going to go?" Remus asked getting to his feet. I smirked at him. This was going to be great.

"We are going to stay with you," I stated. Remus' mouth dropped and his eyes bugged out of his head. I bit my lip to hold in my laughter. I knew it, he was to easy. "Well part of the summer with you, part with James and part with Frank. I'm surprised your parents haven't owled you about it." James looked elated. Of course, he was happy that he got to spend part of the summer living with Sirius the two of them were inseparable.

"Why aren't you staying with me?" Lily asked. "We've known each other forever. You know my parents would take you in."

"Lily this is Bellatrix Lestrange we are talking about," Sirius said. I couldn't bring myself to answer her. Her being a muggle-born always made her feel like she didn't quite fit in. It would break her heart to hear that she couldn't take in her homeless best friend because she couldn't protect her. "Lily your parents are muggles. If Bellatrix came looking for us at your house we would all be dead. Remus, James, Frank, their parents all agreed, understanding the risks that they are taking." Lily sighed and nodded. James put a comforting hand on her shoulder which she immediately shook off.

"Remus, can we talk for minute?" I asked gesturing to the exit. Remus nodded and followed me into the hallway. "Look, you were right at breakfast the day you told me that I broke up with you because of selfish reasons."

"I didn't say you were selfish-" Remus interjected.

"Okay, I'm sorry," I said, This really wasn't coming out right. "Just let me finish okay?" Remus nodded. "I'm going to be staying with you this summer and If you think it's going to be weird after we've said and done-"

"You're still my friend, Dora and I still love you." I flinched slightly at his words. "I'm okay with this."

"Okay."

The girls and I gathered in the girl's dormitory packing our things. It was the end of the year, which meant it was time to start my crazy summer of house hopping. The four of us were rushing around trying to pack all of our things before we had to leave to board the train. We had spent most of the day with the boys much to Lily's displeasure. We had completely lost track of time and panicked when we realized we still needed to pack our things. As I threw the last of my things into my trunk I remembered that I would be spending the first few weeks of summer with James. Who had spent the past few days practically weeping with joy? "Tonks! Come on we have to go!" Lily called from the door. I slammed my trunk shut and followed her, Alice and Emmeline out of the dorm.

"I can't believe this year is over already," Emmeline said as we descended the stairs. I agreed. I didn't think it would all go by this fast. Unlike most of my friends, I knew what I wanted to do when I left Hogwarts. I wanted to be an Auror, I think that maybe I could help stop the harm my family was doing. They followed Voldemort. I was going to follow the ministry.

"I know! It feels like the year just started yesterday." Said Alice. When we reached the common room we could see just how many people were in the Gryffindor house. It was crowded with students carrying their trunks and pets around and calling out for there friends.

"Do you see the guys?" I asked trying to see over people's heads.

"There they are!" Emmeline exclaimed pointing towards the door where the boys were huddled together. Emmeline and I began pushing our way through the crowd at the same time. My guess is that she was making her way to Sirius and it was obvious that I was trying to get to Remus but I was going to let that show. I had missed him but nothing had been solved yet. We wouldn't be able to see each other every day because of break and I was hoping that would help. Remus gave me a polite smile as I approached. Emmeline went right to Sirius who kissed her passionately causing James to wolf whistle. I rolled my eyes at him making him stick his tongue out at me. Alice hugged Frank who immediately hugged her back. James turned to Lily and opened his arms.

"Come on, you know you want this." He said winking at her. Lily snorted and rolled her eyes.

"In your dreams Potter." She said grabbing her trunk and leaving the common room. We all grabbed our stuff and followed her out.

"You have to owl me at least once a week," I told her. "Actually all of you do," I told all of my friends.

"Even me Tonksie?" Sirius asked draping his arms over my shoulders.

"God no, we live together. I will get sick of you sooner if you're sending me letters too."

"Ouch!" Sirius said pulling away as if he had been burned. "You're rude."

"I Love you too, Sirius." We all talked and laughed as we made our way to the train. James, Remus, and Sirius talking about pranks we had pulled this year and how, of course, Remus didn't get into trouble for. Alice and Frank were whispering quietly to each other, occasionally they would pull apart and engage in conversation with the rest of us. Emmeline and Lily were trying to make plans so that we could all get together this summer obviously not liking being away from all of us for three months. I laughed and talk to them thinking about how much fun we had all had together. How the tragedy had brought us closer. A voice in the back of my head said: Good because you will need to stick together. Voldemort is getting stronger. There is a war coming and you will need each other if you're all going to survive.