Chapter 21

The street was dark but not unfriendly the full moon flooded it with a pleasant white light, there were lights on in each house and some houses had charismas lights in the windows and wreaths on the doors. There was one house right at the end of the street small and unremarkable, you would have walked past it if it hadn't been pointed out. It was made of grey stone and had a few sparse but unusual flowers in the garden, the lights were on upstairs and a faint thumping could be heard from one of the rooms at the back of the house.

Tonks sat on the floor with her back to a door, the door had multiple lock going up it large pad locks and bolts all the way down to the floor. Tonks sat quite casually resting a set of knitting on her bump. She seemed to be knitting a long multi coloured sock.

"How are you feeling my love"?

She said barely raising her head from her knitting. There was some smashing and crashing from behind her and a deep long roar.

"Oh well not to worry. You know I think this jumper has got a bit long"

She said holding it up and looking at the slightly holey misshapen thing she had just knitted.

"Well its all good practice!"

She said to herself cheerily! Pulling the needles out of it and throwing it onto a small pile beside her of similar looking attempts.

" You know it is probably better that this is happening now!"

Then there were howls and scraping sounds from the other side of the door so Tonks had to speak up.

"It's my due date next week and so we don't have to worry about that inconvenience"

She held her knitting up again to see that she had already missed 4 stitches, and she let out a disgruntled sigh but decided to carry on anyway. There was quite a long time when she didn't say anything. Then she slid her knees to the side and laid her ear on the door, all she could hear was a faint growling.

"I wonder how Harry is getting on?"

Then there was a massive crash shaking the door and making Tonks jump back, and her hair flushed red for a moment as she frowned at the door.

"Fine then we wont talk about it, its not like this is a 2 way conversation anyway is it."

She slumped back to her position with her back against the door.

"It will be Christmas soon, we will have to check the calendar and see if we can find a time when we can go away and visit everyone, Fleur and Bill are probably having all the same first year together problems we are. Although I don't think Fleur sits outside a locked door talking to Bill as he tears the room apart in a wolfy rampage."

She said this in a very matter of fact way, they had clearly been here many times before.

"I am going to have a quick sleep my love I will be back before dawn…. Reamus? Wolfy are you ok"

She leant in to the door to listen, and then there was an enormous crunch against the door and the most almightily growl practically shaking the glass in the windows.

"Ok I love you too night night, have fun"

She said over her shoulder as she disappeared up a short flight of stairs to a room on the right. She left the door open, she actually found it quite comforting to be able to hear him crashing about, a bit like women who like it when there men snore, its nice to know they are still breathing.

A few hours passed and although it was still pitch dark it was clear dawn was coming. Tonks woke up and ambled casually out of the room at the top of the stairs. She slumped past the door with many locks but didn't stop and continued down the second flight of stairs and just talked as she went.

"How are you feeling my love?"

She said with a yawn, which was followed by an enormous crash as if an elephant with a bad attitude had just run flat out into the door.

"Good good!"

She replied still without stopping. She came back a few moments later with a small box and a mug full of tea, with an empty mug in the same hand as the box. She slid down the wall sitting herself on the floor again so that she could see the door. She took a few sips of her tea as the crashing in the room next to her continued. Then she crossed her legs and pulled the box onto her lap. She opened it up and began to fiddle with the things inside it. Pulling out rolls bandage and small bottles, turning them over in her hands to read instructions and information.

"You know it is a great shame that potion made you angry all the time, but when I think about it I much rather having you like this, this way I get the man I love for most of the time and a scary monster for one night a month. But then some women have grumpy men as the norm."

She got out a syringe and examined it closely. She then rested all the things she had chosen on the top of the box and struggled to her feet.

"Don't worry not long now my love"

She looked out of the window and could see the halo of light on the horizon; the moon was becoming dimmer and dimmer until Tonks could hardly make it out in the red sky. Suddenly there was a huge loud long howl from the locked room that made Tonks jump at first but she went back to looking out of the window. The growls and roars that were erupting from the room were now near deafening and becoming increasingly more human, until all that could be heard was a man screaming in pain. Tonks winced, she hated this bit, and she almost felt the pain for him. Then the screaming slowly stopped and there was silence. Tonks looked at the door with a slightly worried look, but nothing happened. She went over to the door and laid her head against it to listen but she could hear nothing. Then there was some scuffing and she stepped back still with both hands on the door. Then there was a "bang bang bang!". Tonks beamed and went to work on the locks, there was a lot of them and not all of them could be opened with her wand once they were all done she stepped back and the door opened a crack.

"wolfy"

Tonks said in a small tentative voice. Then sure enough a figure staggered out of the door hunched and clutching his side, a totally naked Lupin. Tonks walked to him and put both hands on his cheeks and kissed him tenderly. Then when she pulled away she pulled something out of her mouth that looked like a wood splinter.

"wolfy why have you got wood in your mouth?"

She said smiling at him

"I think I may have eaten half the skirting board last night"

He said coughing a bit and pulling bits from his own mouth. Tonks lead him up to the room at the tp of the stairs and laid him down on the bed. She grabbed the box she had been sorting though and set to tending to his wounds, dabbing them gently with a potion, her touch was soothing and was sending Lupin to sleep. Once she had done she slipped onto the bed beside him and fell asleep wrapped in his arms.

They slept for some hours, after all neither of them had had much sleep last night. But by lunchtime they had got up refreshed, and gone downstairs for breakfast. Tonks was making bacon butties and Lupin was bending over the kitchen sink coughing up bits of wood and washing his mouth out as best he could. Tonks looked out of the window as she leant over Lupin to reach for a spatula.

"Wow it must have been really cold last night my invicafig lily's seem to be looking a bit sad, they usually survive frosts"

She said almost taking to herself, then there were loud gagging and retching sounds from Lupin so Tonks gave him a thump on the back causing him to cough up what looked like cupboard door handle, that clattered in the metal sink.

"Better?"

"Much thank you"

Lupin replied as he spat out some more mouthwash for about the 17th time. Once he was finished he opened the window to let out the smell of damp wood and sat down at the table across from Tonks, who had just served up a warm bacon buttie for him. They didn't speak, but the smiles that passed between them were far more expressive then words, there love for each other was clearly enough to fill the room and although there was cold air flowing though the window, they both felt warm, just to be there with each other. Lupin gave Tonks a cheeky grin that she returned, and he was just about to jump at her scoop her up and kiss her passionately, when an owl hooted on the window ledge holding a small envelope. They had been so engrossed in each other they hadn't even noticed it land there. Lupin got up and gave the owl a small bit of the crust from his bacon buttie, he took the note and the owl disappeared into the cold sunshine, and Lupin closed the window behind it

"What's that wolfy love?"

"I don't know? We weren't expecting anything"

He turned it over in his hands as he went back to sit at the table.

"Looks a bit like Bill's writing but, it's a bit rough for him, and its got a restriction ward on it look at the seal, only to be read by Nympfadora Tonks and Reamus Lupin, he and Fluer were only here yesterday"

He looked up at Tonks puzzled.

"Well open it up lets have a look"

She said leaning in to see. Lupin broke the seal, unfolded the paper and began to read it aloud to her.

"Tonks and Lupin

I am sorry we are terrible liars, when you came to visit us a while ago and Ginny was here we said she was visiting, she was really here because she is pregnant with Harry's baby. And the CMBD has made it really dangerous, and then she took a fall and was out all night and its ALL MY FAULT!! And now she is almost dead and we need some, support please, I'm so sorry to ask and sorry we lied and so sorry. I'm so so sorry.

DON'T TELL ANYONE AT ALL!! PLEASE

Bill"

Lupin and Tonks stayed there for some time just staring at the paper in shock. That was certainly not what they expected to thrown at them. Tonks sat back in her chair with a concentrating frown on her face, Lupin remained frozen his eyes stuck to the paper. Then Tonks suddenly got up and rummaged though a cupboard starting to hurriedly fill a bag of cans and foodstuffs

"Tonks what are you doing?"

Said Lupin suddenly snapping out of his trance.

"Well if Ginny is very ill then they are not going to have time to go food shopping are they?"

Lupin nodded this made sense but he still stayed glued to his chair staring into space. Then Tonks stopped what she was doing and looked at him flabbergasted.

"WELL DON'T JUST SIT THERE! Go and get cloaks shoes something!"

"Oh right!"

He said jumping up and running out of the room. Within minutes they were dressed ready and had bags of food and consumables. Lupin helped Tonks into the fireplace once he had thrown down the floo powder.

"Shell cottage"

She shouted seriously the second she had disappeared he jumped into the fire to follow her.

They arrived at Shell Cottage with seconds between them. The room they entered had a terrible atmosphere. Bill sat slumped on the stairs near the door with his head in his hands, Fleur sat at the table with her face all red and swollen surrounded by tissues, a woman in blue robes sat opposite her with a mug of tea. Fluer looked up as soon as they appeared, and jumped up and wrapped her arms round Tonks in floods of tears

"Oh Tonks,"

She sobbed

"We let her down we tried, and she took a fall, and we didn't check, and its all just…."

But she couldn't get the words out. Tonks put her hands round Fleur's back and threw Lupin a shocked look. Lupin's expression reflected her own. He looked round the room stunned at the scene that had met them, they knew things would be bad but somehow they just hadn't expected everyone to be so resigned to it all. Lupin took the bag from Tonks and placed that, and his own on the counter beside him. The woman in blue did not look up, she seemed to be the only one who wasn't behaving like the world had come to an end. Lupin stood and stared at her back for some time, and then he heard in his head like a whisper or a faint thought

"Have a good look werewolf"

Lupin broke his gaze immediately and looked way as if her was embarrassed but the woman in blue didn't move. Tonks had sat down at the table next to Fleur, and Lupin was now looking over at Bill. Bill had also not moved since they entered the room, infact Lupin was not even sure he knew that they had arrived at all. Lupin slowly shuffled over to him and then bent over to put his hand on his shoulder. Bill looked up, his face was red he had been clearly crying but wasn't anymore.

"Hay mate how you holding up"

Said Lupin with a sympathetic smile, Bill coughed a bit and then spoke in the smallest most vulnerable voice Lupin had ever heard pass his lips.

"We've been better… listen sorry we kept if from you and all"

"No its ok don't apologise I understand, you were protecting your sister."

Lupin swivelled round and sat on the stair next to Bill. They just sat there in silence for a long time; nothing more needed to be said.

Lupin had over heard Fleur telling Tonks all about what happened and explaining that the woman in blue was Aralniya. Every now and then Aralniya would get up and go into the lounge where Ginny was, just to check on her. Lupin and Tonks had not seen Harry but they knew he was there. Lupin was desperate to see him. He could directly sympathise because if Tonks got ill then he knew he would be next to dead with worry. Not a lot was said.

The moors outside got darker and the evening sun shone though the window in shafts of light falling on the table in bright shapes. Everyone sat not talking but putting on a brave face. There was some shuffling next door and everyone stopped what they were doing. Then the door slowly opened and a very dishevelled Harry shuffled though. He was looking at the floor. His hair had dried shaggy from the damp and his clothes were crumpled, he could hardly walk because he had clearly been keeling at Ginny's side for hours on end. Tonks went over to him and shut the door behind him coaxing him over to sit at the table. Everyone's eyes followed him. He slumped in the chair and eventually looked up a bit.

"I… ummm…"

But poor Harry couldn't think of the words. Aralniya got up and went into the lounge; Ginny's shouldn't be left alone.

"How are you baring up Harry"

Said Lupin taking a seat next to him (but not daring to touch him, not even a hand on the shoulder). Harry hung his head and this replied to Lupin's question. Aralniya came back out leaving the door open.

"Her fever worsens I cannot use magic to fix it, we must use muggle methods, I think we should move her upstairs, a plain bedroom will be easier to treat her in. Fleur nodded and went upstairs to ready the room. Bill and Lupin looked at each other and Lupin spoke as he went to stand up.

"Ill carry her up."

Harry's arm shot at Lupin with such speed that no one even saw him move. He lifted his head and managed to speck in a shaky voice.

"No, I will do it"

He said. Lupin sat back down and watched Harry cross the room to the lounge door. When he came back out Ginny was folded in his arms. Although she was now heavily pregnant with twins Harry seemed to have to make no effort to carry her, her arms and legs were so thin; her skin was grey and sallow. Her head rested limply against Harry's shoulder. Tonks clasped her hand to her mouth in horror and shock, because Ginny looked so dead, there was no life in her, none at all, even her fiery red hair seemed to look flat lifeless. The room Harry carried her to, was the same one he had done before. He couldn't help but feel that every time he went to see Ginny she was getting worse.

Fleur had set up a comfy chair next to the bed for Harry. She had made the decision that he would not want to leave her. The evening wore on and every second seemed as long as 5 minuets. It came to about 6 o'clock and Aralniya came up with food and water for ginny. Harry was sitting in his chair leaning over the edge of the bed rubbing his head on her shoulder. He didn't even look up when Aralniya entered the room. She put down the tray and immediately placed her hand on Ginny's chest.

"She is getting even worse, her fever is still growing, we should try to get some sustenance into her, the weaker she is the less of a fight her body can make."

Harry sat up and propped Ginny up a bit. Aralniya started with a glass of water. Ginny was barley conscious but still turned her head away from the water, showing her reluctance. Harry reached out his hand and slowly took the water from Aralniya.

"Let me try"

Aralniya smiled and let him take it.

"I will leave you to it Harry Potter, there is water and soup there for you aswell."

Harry looked over at it but to some extent he understood exactly how Ginny felt about food. Putting anything in his mouth was the last thing that he wanted to do. He gently managed to get Ginny to drink most of the water and a bit of the soup.

Back downstairs there were discussions as to what was happening and what the future held.

"Harry cant stay here long Bill, he puts you all in danger"

"How can I ask him to leave Lupin, how can I"

Then Tonks spoke up

"Lupin's right Bill, if the dark lord finds out that Ginny is pregnant with Harry's child then she is a prime target"

Bill hung his head

"We know ziz, zat is why she is 'ere we are keeping 'er a secret, and even now she is getting zee best care, and she doesn't even 'ave to go to st mungos for it"

Lupin sat at the table and clasped his hands in front of him. This discussion had been going on for some time rolling over the same issues again and again, and coming up with no answers. It was now almost 9pm and everyone was emotionally exhausted.

"I think we aught to go home now, it's late and you want some peace"

Said Tonks, Fleur nodded in return and Bill got up to fetch their cloaks.

"I will just go and get the tray of food, and say god bye to Harry and Ginny"

Tonks slowly moved up the stairs, everyone was being quiet everywhere almost as if they thought if they were too loud they might wake the house up. Tonks entered the room slowly and quietly. Harry had his shoulder on the back of the chair, he was facing Ginny, he had her hand clasped between his. She was shivering and sweating all over, and stirring slightly a bit like she was having a bad dream. Tonks looked at the tray, to see that there was one full glass of water and one untouched soup along with another that had had a small amount taken from it.

"She is so small, the pneumonia is just swallowing her up"

Said Harry as if he had a tennis ball lodged in his chest. Tonks looked at Ginny but she turned away, it was too painful to watch her, she walked to Harry and put her hand on his shoulder, and smiled up at his face. When he finally looked at her, Tonks almost wished he hadn't his great green eyes were piercing and emotionally bleeding with the pain of what was going on around him.

"Stay strong ok, you are the strongest human that has ever lived Harry potter, you are living proof of survival Harry, stay strong for her, stay strong ok."

Harry nodded and knew that this was a leaving speech. She stood up straight and took the tray. Without another word she left the room. For a moment Harry considered going back into his little pit of depression but then something changed in him, Tonks was right, he had to be strong for Ginny, he was after all trying to save the world for her. He could hear voices and farewells being said downstairs, and then a silence and only the sound of tidying.

Harry reached out his hand and stroked Ginny's head, this seemed to sooth her a lot, and she stopped shaking and relaxed into a sleep. Once Harry was sure she was asleep, he got up and left the room making his way downstairs. Fleur was washing up at the sink, and Bill was clearing the table of bits and pieces. They both looked at Harry as he came down.

"She's asleep now"

He said running his hands though his hair in an attempt to tidy it up a bit

"I.. umm I am going to need Ginny's talking paper please."

He said standing up straight and finally talking rather them mumbling.

"Yes of course iz zere anysing else I can get you 'arry, some toast?"

She quickly dried her hands and took the piece of parchment out of her pocket

"yer thanks, some toast would be nice."

Harry sat down with the paper, it made him smile a bit inside, there was writing all over it from both Ron and Hermione.

Oiii what the hell is going on? What's wrong with Ginny why the rush why the hell u so het up?

Harry don't listen to Ron he is just being unhelpful! Tell us what is going on Harry in your own time?

No don't listen to her she isn't frantic! I want to know what is happening to my baby sister!!!

The messages went on like that for quite some time filling the page to almost every cm they had clearly degenerated towards the end to:

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!!!"

Harry didn't really know where to start so he rolled it up and unrolled it to clear the page and he put pen to paper.

Its me don't say any names we don't know how safe this is so you are H and R.

Your sister is safe now; she took a fall out walking and ended up out all night, by no ones fault. She had pneumonia and is very sick, but she is getting the best of care and I am going to get her though this I promise. I am not going to leave until I am happy that she is better. Look after yourselves. It is not safe for you to come to, I will give you daily updates, try and find out more about the tools that have been given to us,

Talk soon from H

As soon as he had finished writing Fleur had placed a small plate and 2 bits of toast in front of him. He smiled at her as best he could. Bill came and put his arm round her and led her towards the stairs to bed. Aralniya sat down opposite Harry.

"Do you want one slice, I'm not sure I can manage both"

Harry mumbled to her

"Thank you Harry Potter but I have no need for food"

Harry took a knife and began to spread some butter on them

" What do you think is going to happen to my Ginny?"

He asked looking down not sure he wanted an answer.

"If she makes it through tonight then she has a 50/50 chance of living"

This stabbed Harry a bit, but he had somewhat prepared himself for it. So he changed the subject so that he didn't have to think about the statistics of something so important, far too important for statistics.

"Aralniya, tell me what is your problem with my cloak?"

Alaniya's soft features and gentle expression contorted into a nasty sneer as if the very foundations and bone structure of her face had changed.

"Nasty dark magic, you bring a hallow here, they should have been destroyed when my people had the chance. When you wear it you are drenched in blood, and all I can see is tortured soles trapped and dragging along behind you people who have died for what you have"

Her words seemed to almost go over Harry's head, he wasn't frightened, and he wasn't worried.

"I need the cloak and I am not giving it up."

With that he stood up with his plate and walked up the stairs to his chair at Ginny's side. Through the night Harry was slightly woken a few times when Aralniya walked in to check on Ginny. At one point she added a couple of extra covers to keep her warm. She was having what seemed to Harry like fits during the night, violent convolutions that were distressing to Harry.

Morning came and Fleur, Bill and Alralniya were in the kitchen. They were talking about whether there was anything they could do to treat Ginny, she was going to die if they continued the way they were, her body couldn't fight off the pneumonia and a breaking episode was becoming more and more probable.

"Aralniya you can make this all go away, she could be better in a matter of days if you just do what you did before"

"Its not all that simple Bill Weasly"

Aralniya said calmly

"Why is it not? You opal people are so secretive about your methods, why is that? Tell me, tell me how it works."

"Bill please"

Said Fleur in a small voice, she obviously knew exactly how this deep and secretive magic worked, and what ever it was, it was not what Bill was going to want to hear.

"Do really want to know Bill Weasly? Poor Fleur Weasly here only found out by accident, but you are asking me to tell you, all the secrets of my people, and why no one knows?"

Bill looked worried now, what was he going to be told? He looked over at Fleur but she just looked down, she couldn't bear to look at him. Bill took a breath for some bravery

"Tell me"

He said looking at Alralniya with a worried expression

"We kill out patients Bill Weasly… we kill them by sucking out their life though their skin, we wait till they are cold and stiff and grey"

Bill's expression was horrified his jaw dropped but Aralniya hadn't finished she had a manic look in her eyes now, a thirsty look

"A dead person cannot feel pain, neither can they get any sicker. You can fix a dead body with magic that that would destroy a living body, then we can put back all the life energy we took out, back in… its called Agaira, because of it, my people were captured by the dark lord, and used as his slaves… we created the Inferi"

Bill had gone pale and looked like he was about to be sick. Aralniya still looked totally unfazed at the horrific facts that she had just told Bill. Before Bill got the chance to faint or vomit or react dramatically, his concentration was broken by Harry slumping down the stairs. Harry looked up and managed a slight twitch of the corner of his mouth and he returned the plate with some half eaten toast on it. No one said a word as he entered. He sat down at the sable next to fluer. He took a deep breath and sat up he clearly had something important to say.

"I think it is time to tell Molly and Arthur"

He said nodding to himself. Bill and Fleur had decided long ago that this was his decision to make, and they would respect his right to make it.

"Ok mate, you sure?"

Said Bill almost forgetting the dramatic information he had just been told because this decision of Harry's was more immediate right now.

"yer I am sure, they need to have the chance to say good bye if they need to."

Bill was quite shocked at Harry's calmness on this subject, but realised that Harry had probably had quite some time to think about it now.

"Ok mate we will arrange for them to come."