Note: Another shorter chapter...sorry! But I promise the next one will be longer! I estimate two more chapters before this fic is finished! I hope you are enjoying it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from this piece of writing.

11: When Tonks Whistled

"Teddy?"

As the vague voice punctured the blankness, Teddy became aware of his face being pressed into something soft and warm.

"Teddy! Come on, wake up..."

Somebody was holding him upright, arms wrapped tightly around his middle...

The boy opened his eyes with a gasp and immediately attempted to pull himself backwards, free from the hold, only to find himself looking up at a familiar face.

With a somewhat strangled moan of relief, Teddy slumped forwards, burying his face once again into the front of his godfather's robes.

"You're okay, Ted." Harry murmured, grip upon the boy loosening a little as he patted him comfortingly on the back. "I've got you."

Teddy forced away a sob, swallowing the lump that was in his throat, and whispered:

"And Dad?"

Harry was silent for a long moment, and Teddy felt despair seize him as he took a step back, swiping at the tears upon his face with his sleeve.

"What about my dad?" Teddy repeated, expression suddenly accusing. "You got him too, right?"

Harry glanced at their surroundings, some other part of the woods, Teddy would guess, before leaning back against a tree trunk, expression apologetic.

"Well we're working on it, Ted, I only apparated here a little while ago, I spotted you through the trees and came after you, apparated us away just in time. I've not even had time to look for your dad...the others haven't sent word that they've found him yet either..."

"HE WAS RIGHT THERE!" Teddy shrieked, hands grasping clumps of hair in agitation. "HE WAS RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF YOU!"

Harry's mouth slowly formed a silent oh...

"HE WAS RIGHT THERE AND...AND YOU JUST...JUST LEFT HIM THERE!" Teddy shouted, eyes positively bulging at his godfather's rather feeble reaction.

Harry straightened up, glancing around them again to check they were still alone.

"Okay, Ted." he said hurriedly, voice hushed. "I really need you to keep your voice down..."

"DID YOU EVEN HEAR WHAT I JUST SAID?" Teddy cried, voice growing hoarse from his shouting, "DON'T JUST BLOODY STAND THERE! MY DAD'S DYING! DO SOMETHING!"

Harry stared at him for a long, thoughtful moment, before reaching to grasp hold of his arm.

"I'm going to take you somewhere safe first." he decided, and at the sight of Teddy shaking his head vigorously, eyes wide in horror, the Auror held up a hand to silence him.

"Look, Ted, if your dad found out I'd left you somewhere dangerous rather than have taken you somewhere safe, just so I could go looking for him, he'd probably never forgive me. He and your mum didn't ask me to be your godfather for nothing, you know..."

"My own MUM left me in the woods on my own!" Teddy protested furiously, pulling his arm free and offering Harry a furious look.

"Yeah, and look where you wound up! Besides, your mum was probably in a rush..."

"So are you! Dad's DYING, Harry! You know what that means, right?"

"There's a whole bunch of Aurors out there looking, Teddy. Me disappearing off with you for a few minutes isn't going to make a lot of difference..."

"But you're the only one who knows where he is!"

"Lysander Rowle isn't the sort to hang around, they'll be on the move again by now. They'll be much further away, too, if you don't just stop arguing and let me get on with it."

There was a long pause as they stared rather challengingly at one another, before Harry held out his hand expectantly. At last Teddy reached forward, pausing to look up at his godfather with pleading eyes.

"Harry," he whispered, tears slowly seeping from his eyes once again. "I...I don't want my dad to die..."

Harry's hand silently closed around Teddy's own and without a word they disappeared with a loud crack.

Tonks stood staring up at the tree, sheer despair washing over her like a splash of icy water.

It's official, she told herself as she eyed the empty branches with wide, fearful eyes. You've screwed this up. And now they're both gone...

"Teddy?" she called, taking a few dazed steps forward, heart hammering in her chest.

So she'd lost her husband, and now her son had disappeared too. No, it couldn't be happening, it simply couldn't...

She'd barely managed to fight away the images of Remus lying sprawled upon the stone floor back in the building, breath catching in his throat as he gasped for breath, coughing up the sickening black sludge flecked with blood. She'd barely managed to dismiss her panic, to delude herself into assuming he would be okay, only for the fear to strike her again, Teddy's pleading that she not leave him on his own searing her. I left him, she thought, I left my little boy all on his own, and Merlin, what will become of him? What had they done to him?

I wish Remus was here, she thought miserably, slumping against the tree in despair. He'd know exactly what to say, what to do, he'd keep his head, stay calm...

Well then, a sobering voice from somewhere inside of her head said calmly. If that's the case, what do you think he would do?

"I thought he was going to have a heart attack or something when Kingsley told him!" Tonks recalled Charlie Weasley announcing as she had sat with him in the living room of the Burrow, some weeks after the Battle of Hogwarts had finally been won. "Kingsley said: You do know Tonks has showed up, don't you? And then Remus just stood there, like somebody had just struck him round the face with a beater's bat! I think you scared him half to death, you know."

"I doubt it." Tonks had murmured, glancing through the kitchen door to see Remus in the kitchen, silently clearing up after lunch as Molly sat motionlessly at the table. "I think he knew, deep down. He knew I was lying when I promised to stay away."

"Well yeah," Charlie had said, looking over at the doorway too. "I think you're right. He was only panicked for a moment, then he...well he sort of just nodded, turned to me and started reeling off instructions as if not a word had been said."

Carry on regardless. It was a good strategy, she could manage that, couldn't she? Just carry on going, keep on searching, the only difference now was there were two people to find...

Quite suddenly Tonks was pulled from her thoughts at a rustling sound, and just as she spun round, wand raised as her eyes darted around her surroundings, she heard a relieved voice shout:

"Thank Merlin, there you are!"

At the sight of a familiar looking figure dashing through the trees towards her, Tonks drew in a deep breath, stifling her panic.

"Kingsley!" she shrieked as the man in question came to a halt before her. "You scared the bloody life out of me!"

The Minister of Magic raised an eyebrow.

"Would you rather I left you alone instead?" he asked dryly, and to his surprise the Head of Aurors launched herself forward and threw her arms tightly around him.

"You have no idea how pleased I am to see you!" she practically squeaked as he glanced around cautiously before returning the hug somewhat gingerly. "You've got to help me, Kingsley, they've taken Teddy! I left him right here, I told him to stay here...what was I thinking? I'm such an idiot, and Remus...oh Merlin, Kingsley! The state of him..."

"You know, Tonks," Kingsley said, prizing her away from him with a firm look until she suddenly seemed to realize just how hysterical she was beginning to sound. "Half the Order's shown up, not to mention the Aurors."

"Really?"

"Last I counted there were four...no, five Weasleys, the Potters, myself and Hestia, six or so from the Auror Department, and in fact I think a couple from Magical Law Enforcement tagged along somehow..."

"You're kidding me."

"I'm not. You whistled and we all came running." The Minister offered Tonks a broad, distinctly proud smile. "So, what do you know?"

The joy at the thought of so many people answering her call for help dulled slightly as Tonks drew a breath to admit that she knew nothing of any use, only for a loud crack to make both witch and wizard spin round, wands raised once again.

"We don't have much time," Harry Potter announced, striding towards them, not at all startled at the wands being directed at his face. As the other two finally lowered their wands, he came to a halt before them, offering Tonks a brief, relieved glance. "So you should probably rally the others, Kingsley." His hand reached to pat Tonks comfortingly upon the arm as he announced: "Teddy's safe back at the Burrow..."

"Thank Merlin!"

"...and I've seen Remus."

As Kingsley sent his patronus shooting off through the trees and within mere moments Aurors and Order members began to apparate all around them, Tonks felt the fear inside her dissolving, replaced by solid determination. Once everybody appeared to be present, they gathered in a small crowd to face the Minister of Magic.

"Teddy Lupin is safe." Kingsley announced, ignoring the mumbles of relief from several in the crowd. "His father, however, is not. In fact as I speak Remus' life hangs in the balance. So, it is about time we stopped looking for him, and start getting him back."

And so began the fight to save Remus Lupin's life.