Okay, so I really hope this doesn't disappoint anyone...it's been a while since I've posted, and this isn't the best chapter that I've written. But oh well. It'll get better soon. This is just one of those chapters that's supposed to solve a problem.

Dancethroughlife- No, she has not turned into a werewolf. I think that that would be a completely pointless idea for their relationship. I just kind of felt like something might have happened that made their relationship, I dunno...a little more troubled. So you don't have to kill me in my sleep now. (:

Um...I'm gonna say there's only gonna be about four or five more chapters to this. Don't be upset or anything, because guess what? There's gonna be a sequel. Know what it's called? Animal I Have Become. Yep. It'll be up in the next month or so, hopefully. But that's of no concern right now, because we have to finish this one first, right? Hehe. Well, leave a review, whether you like or not. (:

When Tonks awoke the next morning to the bright sun shining in her eyes, she found that the pain in her side that she had felt all night had become less intense. She couldn't even remember what had happened. She had had a dream that Remus had transformed into a gigantic werewolf, and he had attacked her. She then ran back to camp and collapsed in her tent…oh. That wasn't a dream. It was reality.

"Feeling better, Tonks?" Kadir asked, his smile coming into focus as she blinked her eyes and climbed out of bed. What was he doing in her tent?

"Oh, Nymphadora!" Alfred exclaimed, throwing his arms around her and hugging her tightly. "I thought we had lost you! I'm so glad you're alive!" His voice sounded so high that she wondered if he was just trying to be nice. He was probably hoping she would die.

"Get off," she mumbled, shoving him off of her as she tried to stand up. The pain in her stomach intensified, and she laid back down again, wincing as the pain shot up her whole body.

"What happened out there?" Mad-Eye asked as he walked into the tent. He was frowning deeply, and although he cared about her as if she was his own daughter, he couldn't have been more upset that she didn't even defend herself. "You had your wand! What happened?"

Tonks sighed and tried to rise again. It didn't work, and she knew that she would be spending the day lying in her tent while everyone else was having an adventure. "I just…" What was she supposed to tell them? She couldn't let them know that Remus had attacked her. They would know his secret, and Alfred would try to kill him. "Mad-Eye, can I talk to you for a second?"

The tent fell silent, and the three boys exchanged glances while waiting for Mad-Eye's response. Mad-Eye frowned even more, if possible, and then rounded on them. "Well, you heard her! Get out of here!" They all scurried out without a second glance.

When he was sure that they were gone and he cast a Muffliato charm around the tent to prevent eavesdropping, he turned back to Tonks. "Now, what happened with Remus? Did you try to defend yourself against him, or did you let him hurt you because you were afraid of hurting him?"

Tonks was shocked. Mad-Eye had to be the smartest person that she had ever met. How did he know that it was Remus who had attacked her? "I tried to find my wand, but I-"

Mad-Eye groaned. "Damn it, Tonks! Why don't you ever keep your wand with you?" He sighed and covered his face with his hand for only a moment, and then he looked back at her. "He left this morning. He felt so terrible about what had happened. He…I've never seen him that messed up. He said he wasn't staying with me anymore. He's going to go stay with Kingsley Shacklebolt, I believe."

Tonks's eyes widened. He left? He wasn't going to be around Mad-Eye's anymore? It was almost like someone had slapped her in the face. Everything was coming too fast for her brain to process. "I didn't mean for him…I mean, it wasn't a big deal. I'll heal. And he told me to leave, and I just didn't listen. It's my fault. He shouldn't be-"

Mad-Eye held up a hand to stop her, and she did as she was told. "Tonks, I understand that. Remus is much more cautious than that, and I knew it was your fault in some way. See, that's why you should always respect your elders and do as you are told. Just take this as a lesson. Give Remus a little while to cool off, and then you can go see him, okay?"

"Not everything's my fault," she murmured, looking away from him. She felt like all of the blame should be on her for this situation, but for others…she wasn't always ignorant and troublesome.

"I know," Mad-Eye replied, patting her on the head. "Just get some rest, okay? We'll be back for lunch in a couple of hours, and you can eat with us. We'll go home this afternoon."

Tonks nodded and watched as Mad-Eye clambered up from his seat on the tent floor. When she was sure that he was gone, she rolled over and faced the tent wall, closing her eyes and trying to fall back asleep. But under the circumstances, she couldn't even keep her eyes closed for very long. She flipped back over on her back and let the pain in her stomach subside before she took a deep breath in.

It was her fault that Remus had left. It was her fault that she had gotten herself injured and was now lain up in bed for the day. It was her fault that her friendship with him was more than likely now over. And she felt even crappier than she did last night.

…..

When they returned home that afternoon, Tonks tried to act as if nothing was wrong with her. She knew that her mother would make a fuss over it, demanding to know what happened to her daughter, and Tonks really didn't want that. But two weeks ago, Remus told her that she wasn't a very good actress, and he was right. Her mother immediately saw through the act and started asking questions, crying as she examined the bounded wounds on Tonks's skin.

"What happened?" she asked, staring first at Tonks and then at Mad-Eye. Neither one seemed to be speaking about it. She threw her hands up in the air and let out another sob. "Why couldn't you choose a safer career, Dora? You could have been a teacher…or maybe you could have chosen a different branch at the Ministry. Like Law Enforcement."

"Mum, that's boring," Tonks protested, but even as she spoke, she started to feel a little weaker. She had had to walk to the house from where they had Disapparated, and that was the most motion that she had made all day. It made her feel sick. "Can I go lie down now?"

Andromeda nodded and sobbed weakly. "I'll be in there to check on you in a bit, sweetie."

As Tonks walked into her room and shut the door behind her, she could hear her mom start shouting at Mad-Eye for not taking care of her daughter. Tonks rolled her eyes. Her mom had a right to be worried, but she shouldn't be throwing a fit about it. It was only a few cuts, and they were going to heal right up in the next few days. She'd be back to normal in no time. What was the fuss about?

…

After a week had passed and Tonks regained her usual healthy vigor, she asked Mad-Eye to take her to Kingsley's house so she could talk to Remus. She was a little nervous as to what to say to him, but she knew that something had to be said. Otherwise, he would feel even more awful than he already did. And she wouldn't feel much better either.

Mad-Eye raised his heavy hand and knocked three times before someone finally came to the door. Kingsley, with his deep, soothing voice, said, "Mad-Eye Moody. Nice to see you after so long. Who's this you have with you?" He gestured to Tonks.

"This is Nymphadora Tonks." Tonks flinched at her name, but she didn't protest. She already felt like she was going to be sick. "She was the one that er…got attacked."

Kingsley frowned, and his eyes fell into a look of understanding. He had obviously been told about the situation. "Oh. Well, Remus told me that he didn't want to see her. He's been in bed all week. I tried to get him to eat. He won't do much. It's been really depressing, and I'm trying to understand how he feels."

"Tonks feels just as bad," Mad-Eye replied. "She didn't leave when he told her to leave, and she didn't have her wand ready like she should have. She just wanted to apologize and tell him that she's feeling as well as ever."

Kingsley glanced behind him to make sure that Remus wasn't listening, and even though no one was there, he dropped his voice to a whisper. "Do you have any scars?" he asked Tonks.

Tonks nodded and raised her shirt just a little to show five long, white lines stretching from her stomach and on down her leg. "Not a problem, though," she told him. "It hurt for a while, but I'm fine now. It's not a big deal."

Kingsley nodded as he examined the battle wounds, and after a long silence, he shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mad-Eye. Remus told me that he didn't wish to have any contact with her. He said that he had been a threat to her ever since he met her, and he was a threat to everyone else as well. He was about to pack up and leave me, but I made him stay. He needs a roof over his head, and I know to be a little more cautious than she does."

Mad-Eye glanced at Tonks, and she nodded. She didn't expect him to want to see her. She had told Mad-Eye that Remus would need a little longer to calm down, but he had insisted that they come as soon as she was better to show Remus that she wasn't hurt. This whole thing had been a bad idea.

"Well, I guess I'll just take her home then," Mad-Eye said, grabbing Tonks's shoulder and turning her away from the door. "Thanks, Kingsley."

"I'll tell him you stopped by," Kingsley said as he waved at them and closed the door.

Tonks felt tears well up in her eyes, and she flicked them away before Mad-Eye noticed anything. She felt stupid and immature. Why couldn't she ever listen to anything anyone told her? This wouldn't have happened if she would have just left, just like she was supposed to do. She knew that she was in danger, so why didn't she just leave? Why didn't she fight back? She had just laid there and let him hurt her.

"We'll try again in another week," Mad-Eye assured her.

But that visit was just about as pointless as they first. Remus was still refusing to have any contact with anyone other than Kingsley. They returned the week after that and the week after that, but to no avail.

It wasn't until two months later, in March, when Tonks was finally able to see Remus again.