AN: I sed stup flaming ok Cleverly's name is Cleverylu nut mary su OK! REMUS IS SOO IN LUV wif her dat he is acting defrent! dey nu eechodder b4 ok!
Don't take my writing too seriously. I am, but I'm not at the same time, you know? I'm here to have a good time, you're here to have a good time, and I just want to write. Sit back, have a drink, the story's hardly started.
And don't wait until you're 90% in to complain about a character that got mentioned on chapter 2 (just stop reading by that point??? Click off??? It is literally not my fault you clicked on a story, hated it, and yet made it all this way just to complain about me not warning you).
TLDR; If. I. Was. Making. A. RemusxOC. Fic. Why. Would. I. Have. Not. Killed. Tonks. When. I. Had. The. Multiple. Opportunities. To. Do. So. And. Then. Advertised. This. As. Such. Thank you for coming to my TedTalk.
Enjoy, 'cause I'm still bored and still writing. Now taking suggestions/submissions for writing pieces because I'm going to need more side projects soon (hey, you're already reading, why not shoot requests my way)
The courtrooms were more cheerful without the dementors, but not by much. Tonks didn't bother, or rather forgot, to bring her wand when she got there and she didn't notice until she remembered there were no dementors to ward off. Today, one man was being accused of illegally smuggling dragon eggs in from France, a woman was suing for debt, and in this courtroom, perhaps one of England's most infamous werewolves would be behind Azkaban bars once again.
Tonks felt like the jittery sound of her fingernails on the armrest of her seat would echo through the courtroom. The jury was restless and talking to each other. Tonks swore she recognized some of the people on the higher seats as people she used to work for. She studied their faces, their motives, their ideals. Just as Cleverly had predicted, among the few people gathered to watch the session, which included Andromeda and Ted Tonks, a muggle man, and a handful of Ministry officials, there was a journalist, writing away at their notepad. This was nothing compared to the press and civilians flooding the main level of the Ministry.
She had felt so sure before this moment that this would be an open and shut case, yet... now she had a bad feeling. A very, very bad feeling. A hand reached over and gently squeezed her own, bringing her nervous tapping to a stop. "I'm okay." Tonks announced. Remus didn't comment, nor argue, simply holding her hand.
The room fell silent. Kingsley Shacklebolt marched through the doors in the back of the room, wearing his judge's robes. Of all the political changes Tonks had failed to witness, this was certainly her favourite. The courtroom stood, returning to their seats when he sat down.
He proceeded without hesitation. "On the defendant's side, we have Ms. Nymphadora A. Tonks persuing a civil court case against one Fenrir Greyback for asportation, multiple counts of assault and battery, multiple counts of sexual assault, child kidnapping, and felonious acts of abuse and neglect towards a child." He looked over to their side. "Is that correct?"
Tonks wobbled as she got to her feet. "Yes, Sir."
He pointed to the seat in the middle of the court room. "Please have a seat and we'll begin." She stumbled over and she noticed Remus had gotten to his feet beside her. "Mr. Lupin, that won't be necessary."
"I'm... sorry, your honour, I was simply-"
"I'll be fine." Tonks chimed up. No one in the room said anything as she sat down.
"Firstly, I would like to say that I'm glad that you're able to sit in front of us today, and that's all I'll say about that. I'll think I should start by asking why you're here." Kingsley kept his professional tone and expression, yet that waswas somehow more meaningful to Tonks even more.
"I'm... I'm here because I'm... I survived five years in a werewolf camp at the hands of, um..." She didn't want to say it. "...Fenrir Greyback."
Expressionless, Kingsley nodded. "Do you mind starting from the beginning, detailing your encounter with as much detail as you can manage?"
There was a vocal ruckus occurring in the side of the courtroom. Tonks twisted in her chair to see two aurors, firmly holding onto a Fenrir Greyback, who was chained together with some sort of charm, hindering his mouth shut. His eyes swiveled around the courtroom angrily, finally catching a glance at Tonks. The aurors forced him into a chair.
"Ms. Tonks?" Kingsley pressed on. "Whenever you're ready."
And so, Tonks began. She talked about the kidnapping and how she ended up in the camp. She described her injuries and how she had seen another woman while she was there. She went on into how they were raided, starting over in a wooded area which had apparently been near a mountainside, and how the camp had come to grow. Her ritualistic daily habits that came down to what she ate and when they bathed. There was a brief footnote about the baby. Tonks brought up the dictatorial power dynamic Greyback had over his followers. There was his abuse towards her, and subsequently the various attacks, assaults, threats, and beatings. She described specific injuries.
"Do you believe he, in any way, targetted your family in particular?" Kingsley asked.
"Yes. Because of my husband." Tonks realized she had to quickly correct herself. "Husband at the time. We have a son that was affected by him and bitten about two months ago. I believe he hunted me because he saw me as a potential mother, for his pack."
"And how are you now?"
Tonks didn't ask at first. "I'm... I have to see a counselor. I'm trying to focus myself on my son. We're getting better, but it's slow. It's always going to be."
Kingsley stared at the notes on the podium in front of him. "That will be all until the cross examination."
Tonks's legs were on the verge of giving out as she hobbled back to her seat beside Remus. "Are you okay?" He put his arms around her shoulders.
"I'm okay." He squeezed her arms and she turned to him, hiding her face in his chest. "I'll be okay..." He rested his chin on her head and she squeezed her eyes shut.
"Mr. Fenrir Greyback, if you will come forward to the floor." Kingsley announced. Tonks's eyes shut tighter and clung closer to Remus. There was a clunky noise as the man shuffled to the front of the courtroom. The woman couldn't look at him. "Concerning the accusations Ms. Tonks has presented towards you, do you plead guilty or not guilty?"
There was a long pause where Tonks's fists began to clench tighter onto Remus. "Not guilty." She heaved, about to collapse if Remus hadn't been supporting her.
"This isn't over yet, hang in there." He whispered in her ear. "This isn't over yet. This isn't over yet..."
"Okay, Mr. Greyback," Kingsley audibly sighed. "Where to begin? How about we start with the first claim: asportation. Kidnapping. Is it true that you took her out of her home against her will, along with her son, Edward?"
"That's a lie." Greyback shook his head. "She's a liar with a victim complex."
"Were you not in her home, Mr. Greyback?" Kingsley said firmly.
"I never was in her house." Greyback announced. "I wasn't near it."
"Then who kidnapped them?"
"I don't know."
"Did you know that they were going to be kidnapped?"
"Not a clue."
"But was the kidnapper one of your acquaintances or followers?"
"I don't know who it was exactly."
"But do you know if it was one of your fellow werewolves."
"I dunno."
There was a pause. A man in the jury coughed. "Moving on," Kingsley replied. "assault and battery. Did you ever threaten or conduct bodily harm to Nymphadora or Edward?"
"Not intentionally." Greyback said simply. "Never intentionally."
"Was it intentional when the young Edward was bitten? Or when the two showed up to St. Mungo's with bruises and fractures?" Kingsley demanded.
"I've never hurted anyone who wasn't in my way." Greyback snarled. "It ain't my fault you raise the damn prices of Wolfbane! And even if it wasn't, it ain't my problem that I, like many others, have chosen to live our lives naturally instead of stuffing chemicals in our brains!"
Kingsley sighed. "Mr. Greyback, if you continue to raise you're voice, I will be happy to have you escorted out." Greyback stopped. "Let's talk about the sexual assault claims."
Greyback smirked, squirming in his chair to get a look at Tonks. "I ain't put my hands on no one that doesn't want it." Kingsley pursed his lips. "You should've been there! She'd-"
Tonks couldn't hear the rest of what he said. Remus's hands clasped over her ears and it was surprisingly effective against warding off Greyback's taunts.
"That'll be all, Mr. Greyback." Kingsley continued to be unfazed with his notes.
Tonks rocked back and forth. "It's not true, it's not true, it's not true, it's not-"
"Ms. Tonks, do you need to step outside?" Kingsley's voice softened.
"Shh, shh, shh." Tonks stroked his hand over her head. "It's going to be okay."
Greyback cackled. "Oh, I know she likes that!"
Her tears poured out harder. "Mr. Greyback," Kingsley cleared his throat. "This is my final warning. You will talk to me and only to me, is that clear?"
He turned back to the front. "Yes, your honour."
Kingsley thought for a long and hard moment, writing out his thoughts on a piece of parchment. "We're going to be processing our current evidence. Until then, I'm going to have memories taken from each of you for examination by a selection of anonymous magistrates."
Tonks was still hyperventilating, but eas at least no longer cowering in Remus's lap, when a wizard approached her with the wand. Greyback had already been carted out. "Ms. Tonks," He said in a soft voice. "I just need you to focus on a memory or memories. Any memories concerning the events of the last five years that concern the case. Can you do that?"
"I don't know." She sobbed.
"That's okay." The wizard reassured, pressing his wand against her temple. "Just think of a memory, anything you can manage."
Remus held her hand with one, rubbing his other over her shoulder. "It's okay." He reassured, his nose brushing against the back of her neck. "It's going to be okay. It will only last a second."
That second last millions of eons to Tonks and the tears trickled down. Remus sat with her in the empty courtroom and no one kicked them out. He walked her out, holding a firm grip on her side as they finally left, and the hallway outside was quiet and empty from the chaos. Andromeda and Ted were waiting outside for them. "Oh, Dora..." Her mother exclaimed, walking over to her. "Dora, I had no idea... we had no idea things were this bad."
"It's okay." Tonks said to try and keep them from repeating the cycle of tears and apologies that always followed.
"I never imagined things were that... Merlin's beard, there aren't words to describe what happened." Ted sighed. He was nervously rubbing his hands over his head. "You aren't- when they took you into the hospital, you weren't pregnant, were you?"
"No." Her voice sounded raw and weak. "They give you potions that... you know, prevent that sort of thing and all... I was so careful..."
"But that was his ultimate goal." Andromeda shook her head. "I cannot believe it. I cannot believe than any human being would act like that. That's..." Like her husband, she seemed at a loss for words.
"He did. Once, actually." Tonks confessed in a low voice. "It was... oh my god..." Until now, The Memory hadn't haunted her since she left the camp and she even managed to mention it in passing in front of the court. But now, it manifested itself as a painful gnawing at her insides, ripping and clawing at her intestines and twisting everything up into her ribcage. She wrapped her arms around her middle. "I think I'm going to be sick." Remus quickly guided her to a nearby trashcan against the wall with his best attempt at providing comfort for her as she retched.