I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update - and i know some of you have probably been cursing me (i would) It's been two months - and i hope the next chapter won't take me so long :)

I have been extra busy with my A-level exams at the moment tho - and i've only had a chance to complete this because i'm in Denmark visiting relatives.

Anyway- enough chit chat - without further ado - ladies and gentlemen - chapter 11 :0

Chapter 11

Cerberus Craven was not someone you should mess with, especially at this point in time. He kicked a large rock whilst stomping through the undergrowth, hacking away branches and leaves. He was aware of the noise he was making, but he was also aware that there was no possible threat in the vicinity of him to take advantage of it. Nobody from the order was stupid enough to hang around here, not when it was so close to the house of a renowned Death Eater. Not unless they were very stupid.

However this did mean that the very stupid trio, who were in fact part of the order and crouching in the undergrowth were highly aware of his presence. They had in fact been waiting for him for several hours, and unlike most Wizards, were actually glad he had arrived.

"Someone is in a bad mood," Sirius whispered to his two companions.

"I wonder why that is?" James replied sarcastically in hushed tones, his eyes fixed on Cerberus.

"Maybe it's because he's been chasing an order member all over England," Remus replied. "C'mon, we have to follow him."

The three stood up, crouching to avoid being seen from under the cloak. The cloak wasn't big enough for them and they had to hold it so they were undetectable to Cerberus. However, this did mean that if anyone were to stand behind them they would see three disembodied pairs of feet mysteriously making their way through the forest.

Cerberus growled to himself, he shouldn't have to report to Malfoy with such news. He would much rather be out there searching for that damn resistance member. But orders were orders, and you didn't want to be on the wrong side of the Master. He knew he would much rather be out there chasing after the scum than reporting on their movements. But then again, they had been acting very suspicious; maybe Lucius would be happy with the news. Maybe he would get some form of reward. A slight smile graced his features briefly.

Cerberus stepped out onto a clearing, glancing up at the dark stone building that loomed over him. He walked up to the gate and was about to pull a chord for the doorbell when he heard a snap from behind. He paused, turning around and scanning the trees. Was someone out in the woods? He stood perfectly still, listening intently for any other sounds. If only it was closer to the full moon, he thought. His senses would be much better tuned. After not spotting anything out of place he turned back to the wrought iron gate and pulled the bell.

"That was too close," James whispered.

"It's alright," Remus replied, "he hasn't seen us."

"Okay, we have to move quickly," Sirius said quietly and they all hid behind a tree and pulled the cloak off.

"Have you got the parchment?" James asked Remus.

Remus nodded whilst checking his pocket for the hundredth time that day.

Sirius glanced out from behind the tree. "Someone's coming," he said, "you've got to go Remus else you'll miss your window."

Remus nodded, pulling the cloak over him and becoming invisible.

"Good luck," James said into the silence.

Remus quickly made his way through the undergrowth, carefully stepping over tree roots whilst making his way down the small incline to the gate of Malfoy Manor. It wasn't long until he was standing right next to Cerberus.

There was a house elf walking up to the gate with a lantern in his hand, his bat like ears flapping as he walked along. Remus recognised him as Dobby.

"Hurry up elf!" Cerberus growled in irritation.

Dobby sped up his pace considerably and when he reached the gate removed the various charms and protections on it, opening it. Cerberus pushed his way past the elf as he entered, completely oblivious of his invisible follower.

***[:]***

Tonks shut her eyes in an attempt to ignore the burning in her arm. If she'd felt like shit earlier it was nothing compared to how she felt now. Her run in with Greyback had been as eventful as she'd predicted. She winced as a spasm of pain went through her right arm. She opened her eyes and stared up through the hole in her shed. There were no stars or moon out tonight, it was completely clouded over. She rested her head against the cool wood, closing her eyes once more, if she could ignore the way her body ached all over and her arm throbbed at the slightest movement she could probably get to sleep. And hopefully in the morning the pain would have subsided.

***[:]***

Remus let out a breath when he'd passed through the gate to Malfoy manor. It had been a risk to hold everything on the protection of the cloak, but a risk he was willing to take, and it had paid off. He'd recognised Cerberus as part of Greyback's pack and for a brief moment he was worried that he would be able to smell him from under the cloak and would detect his presence, but he'd slipped by unnoticed.

Cerberus and Dobby disappeared inside the mansion. Remus headed directly to the shed to his right, hoping that Tonks would be inside. He sped up as he neared the wooden construction, his heart almost dropping to his stomach. He was nervous. He didn't know what he was going to find inside, he didn't know what to expect, and he was almost excited, in a sick, nervous way. He then remembered what Dobby had said when he turned up outside Grimmauld a couple of nights ago, "Dobby would advise you to be quick though, Tonks isn't safe at the moment…" Remus' pace quickened.

When he reached the door to the wooden structure he paused, glancing around quickly in case anyone was around. He knew that if the door to the shed was to open mysteriously and someone was to see it, it would be perceived as highly suspicious. And he couldn't mess up with something so trivial like that now, not when he was so close.

When he was certain nobody was around to witness anything incriminating he pushed the door open, the old rusty hinges creaking as it swung forward.

Remus stepped inside, his breath hitching as he spotted a figure curled up on a mattress in the corner of the room. The figure stirred at the sound of the door opening and sat up, eyes darting to the door.

Remus could have sworn his heart had stopped beating when he saw the so familiar heart shaped face staring almost anxiously at the apparently empty doorway. He noted how she cradled her arm to her chest, and how she so desperately clung to a blanket draped around her shoulders and felt slightly sick.

"Who's there…?" He was so momentarily stunned that he forgot that she couldn't see him and he was only thrown from his thoughts when she broke the silence.

He acted almost instantly pulling the cloak off him and muttering, "it's me…"

Tonks' eyes went wide immediately and then a smile crossed her face, lighting up her features, "Remus? Is that really you?"

Remus nodded crossing the room quickly and kneeling down next to the mattress. "Who else could I be?" he asked with a slight smile.

"I could be dreaming…" she muttered, her eyes never leaving him.

Remus placed his hand on the side of her face, stroking her cheekbone with his thumb, "I'm definitely here," he said. "This isn't a dream."

She wrapped her good arm around him, holding him close and burying her head in his chest.

"I missed you," Remus said, his voice hitching slightly.

"Missed you more," Tonks' reply was muffled by Remus' shirt and he chuckled slightly.

Tonks eventually let go of him, breaking the embrace that the two could have happily stayed in for eternity. Remus looked down at her, studying her carefully. He noticed the dark patch on her cheekbone where a bruise was staring to form and the dried blood on her forehead from a small gash. Not to mention her cradled arm, which on further inspection Remus was sure was broken.

"Are you alright?" He asked, almost cursing his words as they slipped out of his mouth. Of course she wasn't alright, he could see that plain as day.

"I've been better," she replied with a slight smile. Remus watched her closely, his eyes filled with deep concern and guilt. He should have been here for her these past few years. He should have found her sooner and brought her home.

"I'm sorry," he said glancing down at the wooden floor. "I should have been here sooner…"

"Shush," Tonks said, stopping him by placing a finger on his lips. "It's not your fault. You're the last person to blame for this," she said. "You're here now and that's all that matters."

Remus nodded but not in an overly convincing way. "Is your arm broken?" He then asked.

"I can't move my fingers," she replied, "so I guess it is."

Remus produced his wand from an inside jacket pocket but was halted by Tonks. "You can't," she said. "Malfoy has wand registration wards up. If you cast a spell they'll be here in seconds."

Remus could have guessed as much, but all rationality had blown to the wind in the past few minutes. "They extend out to the grounds as well?" He asked hopefully because he couldn't stand the idea of Tonks being in any kind of pain.

"I'm alright," she replied, reading his thoughts.

Remus pocketed his wand, "are you cold?" He asked. She had resumed to clutching the blanket around her shoulders.

"Just a little bit," she replied. "It doesn't help that there's a hole in the wall."

Remus glanced to the left of Tonks to see a gap between the slats of the shed. The shed itself certainly wasn't the most insulated object ever, and the hole certainly didn't improve the temperature. Remus shrugged off his jacket, "here," he said.

"You'll get cold," Tonks replied quickly.

"I'll be fine," he said, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he draped his jacket over her shoulders, careful to mind her arm. He glanced at the hole in the wall once more, knowing Tonks would be a lot warmer if it was blocked. But he couldn't use his wand without giving away his presence. His gaze flickered around the shed briefly in search of an object, which could help block the hole when a thought occurred to him.

"Shift up slightly," he asked Tonks, and she shuffled along the mattress. Remus stood up and went and sat on the other side of the mattress, obscuring the hole. He put his arm around Tonks as she leant into him. "Better?" He asked.

"Much," Tonks replied.

The couple lapsed into a silence and all that could be heard was the whistling wind through the trees of the nearby forest.

"Remus…?" Tonks then broke the silence.

"Yes?" He replied, glancing down at her.

"You did…Narcissa did give you…" she paused. It was such a difficult question to frame, especially because she feared the answer so much. She hadn't doubted before, but now she wasn't so sure…had Remus been given their son or had she somehow misinterpreted what Greyback had said…

"Teddy," Remus then said quietly. "I decided to call him after your Dad…it probably wasn't the most inventive name ever…but Sirius and James thought it was a good idea. I also thought you'd be annoyed with me if I ever gave him a name as extravagant as Nymphadora." He smiled slightly. "…and I knew you'd always loved your Dad's name…"

"It's perfect," Tonks replied, glancing up at Remus, her eyes alight with something new. "What's he like?" She asked.

Remus smile grew. "He's just like you really. Well, he's a Metamorphagus, which I guess is the most obvious trait he inherited. His favourite colour is turquoise, and he'll often have his hair that colour." He shifted slightly, pulling his wallet out of his pocket. "I've got a photo," he said. He opened his wallet and passed it to Tonks.

She looked down at the small crinkled photo in his wallet. A young boy beamed back at her, his turquoise hair falling in his eyes. He looked no older than five in the image as he waved back enthusiastically. "he looks like you," Tonks muttered.

"Lily says that," Remus replied, "but I see you in him more than me mostly…"

Tonks glanced up at her husband once more, raising an eyebrow, "like?" She asked.

Remus chuckled slightly. "When he gets hyper he tends to say whatever comes to mind in a very Tonks way. He's also got a strange obsession with music that merely consists of shouting…"

"Hey, it's not a strange obsession, rock music is the best…" Remus rolled his eyes, but he couldn't hide the smile on his face. "When will we get out of here?" She then asked. "I take it there is a plan?"

"Of course," Remus replied, "devised by none other than your cousin."

"That's not a hundred percent reassuring," Tonks replied.

Remus reached into his pocket once more and pulled out a small piece of parchment. "Sirius and James will contact us on this when Cerberus leaves. We'll have to slip out with him whilst under the cloak."

Tonks nodded, "Is that how you got in?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied.

There was then a small scratching noise. Remus looked down at the piece of parchment he'd just removed from his pocket. Small words were appearing across it in Sirius' unmistakable scrawl.

There are lights on in the hallway, I'd get moving if I were you.

"We need to get moving," Remus said. He glanced at Tonks, his eyes filled with concern once more. "Do you think you'll be able to stand?" He asked.

Tonks nodded. Remus shuffled off the mattress and stood up. He outstretched his hand to Tonks and helped her stand up. "Thanks," she said.

Remus grabbed the cloak off the floor and threw it over the pair of them, holding her close. They slipped out of the shed and Tonks dearly hoped it would be the last time she ever laid eyes on the place.

As they quickly made their way across the grounds Tonks stumbled a couple of times, but Remus kept a firm grip on her, stopping her from falling over. They soon reached the gate and waited silently amongst the shadows for Cerberus to leave the manor.

It wasn't long until the Death Eater left the manor, following Dobby once more who held up a lantern, casting long shadows across the grounds. Cerberus muttered something to himself once they reached the gate, a visible scowl on his face.

Dobby waved his hand and the gate creaked open, the metal protesting at the movement.

Cerberus left the manor, unaware of his two close companions.

***[:]***

Sirius and James were sat in a hollow, staring up at the mansion. They could see Cerberus crossing the grounds, but there was no indication that Remus was following him out, or if he had in fact found Tonks. They had agreed before hand that if Remus did find her he wouldn't inform them on the parchment, instead he should concentrate on getting the hell out of there.

"Do you think he's got her?" James asked, his eyes still fixed on the house.

"He's not likely to leave without her," Sirius replied.

"If only we could see them under the cloak," James replied. "Then we would know if they were there or not."

"Yeah, and then the Death Eaters would also see them." Cerberus had now left the manor and was walking towards the forest, but not in the direction of James and Sirius.

"I didn't mean that visible," James retorted. They lapsed into a brief silence, Cerberus was at the gate now. "Do you remember those glasses that we once tried to make, so we could see people under my cloak?" James then asked, keeping his voice low.

"Yeah, how could I forget," Sirius chuckled quietly, "they never worked on the cloak, but they certainly worked on certain items of clothing."

James had to bite back a laugh. "Devastating shame Filch stole them," he replied. "Do you remember that substitute, Miss Knowles?" James raised an eyebrow suggestively.

Sirius smirked, "now that was a view and a half."

James smiled, "She used to wear the most interesting underwear."

"Good to know some things never change."

Sirius and James jumped out of their skins when they heard the disembodied voice. Especially after they hadn't heard it in so long. They both span around but where faced with a wall of trees.

"Tonks!" Sirius said, scanning the foliage. Two bodies then appeared, one holding a shimmering cloak and both smiling. It was Remus and Tonks.

Sirius and James both beamed from ear to ear, "Good to see you cuz," Sirius replied. "I hope the relatives have been nice," he added, his smile faltering slightly, "but it looks like they haven't."

James shook his head in slight bewilderment, "It's so good to see you bubble gum head."

Tonks smiled at the nickname James hadn't used since they'd been at Hogwarts. "It's good to see you too."

"C'mon," said Sirius, "we need to get back. I'm knackered, and Tonks looks like she could use a bed."

Remus nodded in agreement. "We should get going." They started to make their way through the trees away from Malfoy Manor. They didn't know how far his wards extended so they decided to go a far distance from the building before they apparated away. After all, if something went wrong now, none of them could ever forgive themselves.

They reached a particularly thick part of the wood when Tonks tripped up on a tree root. Remus reacted quickly and managed to stop her from falling flat on her face, but he grabbed her arm in doing so and she called out in pain.

"Shit, sorry," Remus apologized quickly.

"S'alright," Tonks replied quietly, still clearly in some pain. "It probably would have hurt more if I'd landed on it."

Remus thought that was a very slight consolation. "Why don't I fix it now," He said.

James ran a hand through his hair, "we don't want to set off the wards Moony," he replied.

Sirius shrugged, "it is a bit risky…"

"I'll be fine," Tonks replied, "we're nearly there," she smiled in reassurance, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

Remus glanced down at the floor, and then looked her in the eyes again, "will you at least let me carry you the rest of the way then. We've still got a fair bit of forest to trek through and you're not strong enough…" It was true that Tonks had been going at a slow pace, and all three marauders had been glancing at her concernedly. They may have found her, but not entirely in one piece.

"Only if you stop worrying about me," Tonks replied, even though she knew she was knackered and had been hoping they were nearly there. But being under the Malfoys for so long hadn't destroyed her stubborn streak. It took a lot for a Tonks to admit defeat.

Remus half smiled, "deal," he replied and carefully picked her up, carrying her bridal style.

The four continued walking through the undergrowth for a further fifteen minutes until they reached a clearing and apparated away into the darkness.

***[:]***

Cerberus was once more stomping his way through the undergrowth when he thought he heard three distant cracks. He paused and then shook his head. No Wizard or Witch was stupid enough to come within miles of Malfoy Manor.

YAY! they have Tonks :D I hope this makes up for my long absence...

Big thanks to everyone who's reviewed - you're the best ever :) Please feel free to drop another comment :)

Millipher Steerus out xx