-----
The Living and the Dead
-----
She wrapped her cloak around his form as best she could and took a deep breath before disapparating.
-----
"What in Merlin's name…?" The medi-witch said when two forms apparated in the lobby of St. Mungo's.
"Please, help him! He was attacked by Fenrir Greyback! Please, help!" Tonks cried.
"Alright, Miss." The medi-witch said and she signaled for help. "We'll do what we can. Are you hurt?"
"That's not important! He's barely breathing!" Tonks scolded.
Five other medi-witches and two healers appeared. Tonks moved aside to let them work but she did not move far.
The first medi-witch placed her hand on Tonks' shoulder.
"You're bleeding, Miss. Please, let me take a look and……"
Tonks shrugged her hand off.
"No. I want to stay with him."
"He needs to be moved to intensive care, Miss. Really, the staff will be able to treat him better if you aren't with him."
Tonks glared at the woman.
"Fine, then. I need to send an owl. And I don't care if your staff likes it or not. When I get back, I'm staying with him." She told the woman and she stood up.
"But your arm, Miss….."
Tonks glared again.
"It can wait." She told her and she walked away, only looking back to see them carefully taking Remus from the lobby.
-----
Mad-Eye,
I can't say everything right now. Remus and I are at St. Mungo's. He's in bad shape. He found Greyback and….. I'll explain later, but you need to go back to the barn where Greyback raped me. You need to get there before some muggle sees…… I can't take the time to write a second letter right now, so could you please let mum and dad know what's happened? I'd really appreciate it. I need to get back and see how Remus is doing. I suppose I'll be seeing you soon.
Until then,
Tonks
He read the letter a second time to make sure he understood.
It was stained with blood and dirt.
She must have been hurt…..this is fresh blood…..
"Mad-Eye? Everything alright? You look like a ghost just passed through you." Kingsley said.
"Get Willaby." Mad-Eye barked.
Kingsley arched a brow.
"Fieldtrip?"
"Yeah, back to the barn we rescued Tonks from. She's just sent a note."
"But what would….?"
"We'll find out when we get there. I want you and Willaby to go on ahead. I need to send a quick letter to Ted and Ann."
Kingsley nodded.
"See you in a few then." He said and he went to find Willaby.
-----
Ted and Ann,
Tonks and Remus are at St. Mungo's. She's just sent me a note and asked me to tell you. She's too worried about Remus to write a second. And from the sound of it, she's left me a mess to clean up. I'll keep in touch and let you know. The letter was in her hand, so I think she's all right, for the most part. But I think I'd wait to go and see her. It doesn't sound good for Remus.
Mad-Eye
Ann looked up at Ted.
"Well?" she asked.
He sighed heavily.
"I'm glad to hear that she's safe. But…..maybe we should wait a little bit before we rush over to see her. You now how she can be…."
"Mmm…. All right, but if I don't hear anything from her by supper, I'm sending an owl."
He nodded.
"I'm sure we'll have heard something by then."
-----
"Bloody hell……" Mad-Eye muttered.
"I know. What a mess!" Kingsley said.
"Greyback?" Mad-Eye asked.
Kingsley shook his head.
"I've never seen anything like it."
"Mmm…. Suppose I'll have to have Tonks explain that one. But who's the other bloke?"
"Willaby is checking him out. Far as I could tell from a distance, I'd say an unlucky bastard who wandered into Greyback's path."
Willaby chose that moment to walk over.
"Well, who's the other man?"
"You'll never believe it. It's Scrimgeour."
Mad-Eye's magical eye whizzed in its socket while his normal eye widened.
"Scrimgeour? What the hell was Scrimgeour doing out…..?" Kingsley asked.
"Maybe Greyback targeted him?" suggested Willaby.
"No. Greyback didn't target him. Scrimgeour made it easier for Greyback to escape by stepping down." Mad-Eye said and he walked over to where Scrimgeour's body lay.
"He's wearing a traveling cloak. He wouldn't have a cloak at all if Greyback had targeted him. Hell, we'd have found him dead in his home, if that were the case." Mad-Eye said.
"What do you think, then?" Kingsley asked.
"I think he followed either Remus or Tonks, but probably Tonks. She was the one that he really wronged, making her go on that mission in the first place."
"Blimey! I never expected the man to do something like this….." Willaby said.
"It's speculation, sonny, until Tonks tells me different." Mad-Eye told him.
"Yes, sir. But still….."
"The Prophet would love to get its hands on this story…." Kingsley said.
"Then you'd better make sure to break the hands that try. I want this under wraps until we find out exactly what happened." Mad-Eye said.
"Sure thing, Mad-Eye." Kingsley said.
-----
Tonks came back down from the hospital's owlery and was stopped from entering the intensive care ward by the same medi-witch from earlier.
"Miss, please, they're doing everything they can for the man you brought in. It won't help to get in their way. If you like, you can tell me what happened. That will help them treat him."
"I already told you. He was attacked by Fenrir Greyback."
"Yes, but he looks as if he hasn't slept or eaten in some time…."
"No, I don't suppose he has. He was out traveling and too worried about what was going on around him to sleep or to eat."
"You don't look so well yourself, Miss."
"No, I don't suppose I do. I doubt you'd look better, if you were in my shoes."
"Miss, why…."
Tonks glared at her.
"Stop calling me 'Miss'. My name is Tonks."
"Tonks? Nymphadora Tonks?"
Tonks nodded.
She's the young woman who was attacked by that werewolf that escaped from the ministry a few months ago….
"Then…….oh, my word! Did Greyback attack you again?"
"In a manner, yes."
The medi-witch grabbed Tonks' injured arm, which she had been cradling, and pulled away the ripped and torn fabric of her sleeve.
"Miss, this is a bite!"
"I'm aware." Tonks muttered. "I was there when it happened."
Why won't this woman leave me alone…?
"But you could be…. Was he a wolf when he attacked you?"
"No, he'd just transformed back into a human."
"But the venom would still be…..You could be infected."
"I know. It doesn't matter."
"Doesn't matter?! Miss, if you're infected, you'll become a werewolf!"
"And your point is?"
"Miss….."
Tonks had had enough.
"That man in there, the one I want to see is my husband, Remus John Lupin." She told the woman, pointing to the door of the room. "He is a werewolf and has been one since before I met him. Do not begin to dictate to me about werewolves. I know all too well. And kindly stop calling me 'Miss'. It's Missus."
The medi-witch looked like she swallowed her teeth for a moment and then she nodded.
"Alright then, ma'am. Let me clean the wound and make sure you aren't hurt anywhere else and I'll let you see your husband."
Tonks sighed.
"Okay….."
-----
"Damn………."
"Ann….please honey, you need to calm down."
"We still haven't heard anything……"
"Then write a letter, like you said you would. I'm sure Nymph's all right. She's probably just more worried about Remus than writing to us at the moment."
"Mmm…. She'll make herself sick…."
"Well, the good news is, she's already at the hospital."
She glared at him.
"Ann, come on. You're worrying too much. Things' will be alright now."
"You don't know that."
"Call it father's intuition." He smiled.
"Okay. I'll write the letter….."
-----
Tonks was sitting in a chair by his bedside, watching him breathe.
The medi-witch that seemed more like a virus that wouldn't go away came into the room.
"Mrs. Lupin?"
"Yes?"
"A letter's just come for you." The woman said.
Tonks stood and walked to her, taking the letter from her.
"Thanks." She told her.
"Any change?" The medi-witch asked her.
She shook her head.
"These things take time. The healers did what they could… He's lasted longer than they thought he would."
"Mmmm. Yes, well, thank you for bringing the letter."
"Ma'am…our visiting hours are almost over….."
"Well, I'm not visiting. I came in with him and I'm not going unless he's coming out with me. You can admit me if you have to, but I'm not leaving."
The medi-witch nodded.
"I just meant that the ward will be much quieter, in case you wanted to try to sleep. I can bring you a pillow and blanket…."
"No, thank you." Tonks smiled.
The woman smiled back at her.
"If it was me, I wouldn't want to leave either." She whispered.
Tonks nodded.
"Well, I'll come by and check on you in a few hours."
"See you then."
The medi-witch left again and Tonks opened the letter.
Nymph,
Your dad and I haven't heard anything from you and are getting worried. Alastor sent us the letter you asked him to send saying that you and Remus are at the hospital, but we don't know more than that. Please send a letter and tell us what's happened or else tell us to come see you and we will. I can't help feeling that you're hurt…
Mum and dad
Tonks sighed a smile.
Typical……
And if I don't send a response she'll come here and…..
Quickly, Tonks found a spare quill and ink in a desk drawer on the other side of the room, turned her mother's letter over and wrote her response.
I hope this will pacify her for the moment….
-----
"Ann, there's a letter." Ted called.
"Thank goodness." She said, coming into the room.
He opened the letter and chuckled.
"What?" she asked him.
"She wrote on the back of the letter you sent earlier." He told her.
"Never mind that. Read her letter." She said.
Mom and Dad,
I'm all right. My arm was injured and a medi-witch bandaged it. That's why my handwriting's a bit off. Greyback injured my right arm.
Remus still hasn't woken up and I'm worried. When I found him, he and Greyback had already fought. I really don't want to go into details in a letter. It's easier to say than to write.
I know you want to see me and I want to see you both too, but I need to focus on Remus right now. If he doesn't…… I can't allow myself to think about it.
I'll be at St. Mungo's until further notice, so don't worry about me, please.
Mad-Eye can tell you what he found and I'll fill in the blanks for everyone later.
Love,
Nymph
He looked down at her and she sighed.
"Feel better, honey?"
"Marginally, yes."
"Shall I put on tea?" He asked.
"Tea?"
He nodded.
"Why….?"
"Aren't you going to send for Mad-Eye?" He smirked.
She smiled.
"You know me too well."
"No, just the right amount."
-----
"Alastor, what happened? Nymph said you found something and you said in your letter you thought she'd left a mess for you….." Ann said.
"Ann, let the man in the door before you start badgering him." Ted chuckled.
"It's alright, Ted." Mad-Eye laughed. "I'm used to it." He said, taking off his cloak.
"So?" Ann asked.
Mad-Eye sighed.
"Well, there was a mess. No question about that."
Both Ann and Ted gave him curious looks.
"We found Greyback, or rather what's left of him. From the looks of it, he was blasted by a wand and it killed him."
"Good riddance!" Ann said as she poured the tea.
"No argument from me." Mad-Eye told her.
"Well, that's good news then. He's gone." Ted said.
"Yes. But we found something we didn't expect, actually it's someone, not something."
"Who?" Ann asked.
"Scrimgeour. Had his throat ripped out."
Ted's eyes narrowed.
"And what was that pompous ass doing out with Greyback?"
"Getting killed." Mad-Eye said.
"He wasn't helping him, was he?" Ann asked.
"No, I don't think so. I think he somehow followed Tonks and tried to help her."
Ann looked at Ted.
"Doesn't change the fact that he put her in danger." He said, crossing his arms.
"No…" Said Ann. "But if he was trying to help her….maybe he was trying to make amends…"
"Too little, too late." Ted told her.
She nodded.
"I don't know for sure. I'll need to talk to Tonks to find out what really went on. But I doubt she's up for company right now. Am I right?" Mad-Eye said.
"She's with Remus at the hospital and she says she's got to focus on him right now. And she's right, but I don't want her to make herself sick…." Ann said.
"She's a tough girl, Ann. She'll be alright." Mad-Eye assured.
Ann shook her head.
"Not if Remus….." She let her sentence trail.
"He's been a werewolf longer than most, Ann. If he didn't have a will to live, he'd have been consumed by the wolf long ago and died. And he's got quite a bit to live for now that he didn't before." Mad-Eye told her.
-----
She sighed heavily as she sank back down into the chair by his hospital bed.
They'd cleaned the mud from his face and hair and change his clothes. He was wearing hospital pajamas now.
His face was scratched a bit still and she could see the heavy bandaging around his abdomen even though he was covered with a blanket up to his chest.
He was breathing evenly, that was something. And his face wasn't twisted into a grimace of pain, either.
And though she couldn't see it, she knew that the healers had bandaged his right leg below the knee.
Greyback had certainly torn him up….but then again, Remus had gotten a piece of Greyback….
Carefully, she leaned closer and reaching across him, she twined the fingers of her right hand with the fingers of his left.
A warm hard something brushed her fingers and when she saw what it was, tears flooded her eyes.
He was still wearing his wedding ring.
I thought the healers would remove it…..
Or that he would have left it with his will…….
She tightened her fingers on his hand and buried her face against his right thigh, letting her tears stain the blanket.
"Please back to me." She whispered.
-----
It was well after sunset, almost midnight when the medi-witch came to check on her patients.
She opened the door as quietly as she could and smiled when she saw Tonks was sleeping.
Poor girl….. she deserves some sleep.
She closed the door again with a soft click.
-----
He groaned.
His back was killing him.
How stupid……it can't be killing me. I'm dead…. But…..
I had no idea death was so painful…..
His leg ached and his stomach felt like it was trapped in a vice.
No, I can't be dead…. But then…..
He felt something flex between his fingers and he froze.
Roses and coconut.
Dora…….
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
She was half sitting in a chair beside his bed and half laying beside him, one of her arms crossing over him, her hand holding his.
He could smell blood and tears.
Her arm was bandaged and he could see a deep stain on what was left of her sleeve.
His eyes wandered to her face.
He could still make out the tracks her tears had etched on her cheeks.
Her pink hair wasn't as vibrant as he was used to and it wasn't spiking up either. It just fell limply across her face.
Her clothes were stained with mud and more blood and rumpled, as though she'd been wearing them for quite some time.
By now he realized where he was.
St. Mungo's.
And she was there with him.
But if she's here…then……
His eyes went wide.
I really did see her! I didn't imagine her…..
She was there and…..
Oh Merlin…….
It was his fault that she had gotten hurt. She was following him…..
Gingerly, he lifted his free hand and stroked her hair away from her face.
She came after me and she saved me……
"Mmm…?" She murmured, her eyes fluttering open.
She felt his hand against her cheek and her eyes immediately darted to his face.
"Hello, little nymph." He whispered.
"Remus….thank goodness. I was so worried……" She said, lifting her head to better look at him. "Welcome back to the land of the living."
"I'm sorry, love. I never meant for you to worry, for you to get hurt…." He said quietly, his eyes pained and sorrowful.
"Never mind me. You're the one who had to have his stomach sewn shut and your leg."
"Still, tell me what happened."
She sighed.
"You should be resting….."
"My back is aching, my leg hurts and my stomach is no better. I'll rest better if I don't have to think about them for a while."
Her eyes narrowed.
"I could just go get a medi-witch or a healer…."
"No, thank you. I don't think I could stand Dreamless Sleep right now. I don't want to test my stomach with that."
She nodded.
She understood his meaning. She didn't want to see him go through an upset stomach after everything else, especially not when said stomach had just been stitched shut again.
"Well, what do you want to know?"
"I suppose I already know why you followed me…."
She nodded again.
"Greyback attacked you…." He said.
It wasn't a question.
"I attacked him first, but yes, he did."
His eyes narrowed.
"You know better." He told her.
What in the name of Merlin was she thinking, attacking him….?
She shrugged.
"Adrenalin?" She suggested.
He shook his head.
No, adrenalin wouldn't have caused that……
"Scrimgeour was there too."
"Scrimgeour?" He said in surprise.
"Yeah….I have no idea how, but he was there. Must have followed me somehow….. Anyway, he tried to stop Greyback from attacking me. Greyback tore out his throat."
Remus sighed.
"You'll have to excuse me, if I don't morn his passing with tears." He said.
She nodded.
"I know. He was a prick, but he did try to help. A life for a life, I suppose."
"Mmm…."
"Anyway….Greyback and I fought. I stabbed him with Scrimgeour's wand, he scratched my arm and bit it. I managed to get away, used my own wand to blow up Scrimgeour's and Greyback was killed by the explosion."
"That's glossing over the finer points just a bit, don't you think?" He said, the corner of his mouth quirking up into a smile.
"Not really." She smiled.
"So, he bit you?"
She nodded again.
"Then you might not be infected….. Did a medi-witch check to see….?"
"Yes, she did when she wrapped my arm."
He could tell by her tone what the result had been.
"I'm so sorry, Dora."
She shrugged.
"Doesn't make much difference. I transform during the full moon anyway."
"But…."
"Look Remus, it isn't your fault I got hurt and it isn't your fault I was bitten. And it's not like I can be ostracized for it, so stop worrying."
He sighed.
"How long have we been here?" He asked, changing the topic.
He knew she was right. She did transform every full moon, with him.
Hell, she might even be able to control the transformations better, since she's a metamorphmagus……
"Since just after sunup this morning, or yesterday morning, seeing as it's after midnight by now."
"You should go home and get some sleep, love."
"Fat chance."
"Dora…."
"No. I'm not leaving until you can come home with me."
"Dora, be reasonable…."
She folded her arms.
"I'll tell you the same thing I told the medi-witch. They can admit me if they like, but I'm staying with you. So stop arguing."
He shook his head.
"Stubborn little thing, aren't you?"
"Very." She grinned.
"I suppose it's safe to assume that Ann and Ted know?"
"Yeah, they know you went off to find Greyback and that I went after you. They also know that we're here. And Mad-Eye knows too."
"Mad-Eye?"
"Had to have someone collect what's left of Greyback, didn't I?"
"Mmm…."
"Can I get you anything? Water, maybe?"
"No, thank you. Have you eaten?"
She shook her head.
"Dora…." He scolded.
"I was too worried to eat."
"When was the last time you ate?" He asked.
She gave him a guilty look.
"Don't tell me dinner the other night….." He said.
"Alright, I won't tell you then."
"You need to eat, Dora."
"So do you, ya hypocrite!" She muttered. "I know that was the last time you ate too." She told him, moving from her chair to sit on the edge of the bed beside him.
"Dora……"
Her eyes met his and he sighed.
"I'm alright now, love. You should go and get something to eat."
She shook her head.
"I'm not about to start that bad habit. Midnight snacks….. No way."
He rolled his eyes.
"Only a woman would say that….."
"Another crack like that and I will go and get a healer."
He sighed again.
"It's not healthy, Dora."
"You should say that in front of a mirror, you know."
His sense of smell was returning, but at the moment too many hospital smells were assaulting his nose.
He couldn't smell……..
"Dora?"
"Hmm?"
"When the medi-witch checked you, did she…."
Even though he trailed off, she could see his unease and knew what he was referring to.
"Did she test to see if I was pregnant?" She supplied.
He nodded.
She sighed heavily.
"You know, you really should have told me before…." She told him.
"I didn't want to put you in danger. I thought I was doing the right thing. I was wrong. I'm sorry, Dora. I know I should have told you the truth sooner…."
She gave him a small smile, grasped his hand and held it against her abdomen.
"Dora?"
"The baby's okay. Our baby's all right." She whispered, her eyes tearing up.
He closed his eyes and she saw his tears escape from under the lids and trail down his cheeks.
He smiled and opened his eyes.
"Remus?" She asked worriedly.
"Come here." He whispered.
"What?"
"I can't kiss you way over there." He told her.
"But……." She said with unease.
He knew why she was hesitant. He could see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice.
"You won't hurt me, love. I'm not so delicate that I can't handle a kiss. Come here."
She smiled and carefully leaned closer.
His hand came up, cupping her cheek and he pressed his lips to hers.
Slow and soft, barely touching at first, the kiss grew in depth and all was right with their world once more.
She was there with him.
He was with her.
And they were kissing each other as if the last couple of days hadn't happened.
He drew the kiss to a close and pressed his forehead against hers, smiling.
"I love you, Dora. My Dora." He whispered.
"I love you too, Remus. But please don't ever scare me like that again. I thought I almost lost you."
"No, love. You'll never lose me." He told her, rubbing his nose against hers and she chuckled.
"Good. I never want to." She smiled, tears slipping down her cheeks.
-----
A/N: A longer one! Yay! Okay, first thing's first. I promised I would explain why it's taken me so long to get this chapter posted and I will. But apologies first... I'm sorry! I'm a bad author. I should have gotten this written and posted ages ago. But as usual when you make plans, life ineviatbly gets in the way. I couldn't write on vacation, which got me out of "writing mode", so it took some time to want to write again. I hate it when that happens. Secondly, and more importantly, my dog had a mishap the day before vacation and we had to rush him to the vet. Honestly, we thought we were going to have to have him put to down. But he surprised us all and is now home again and doing much better. Thirdly, I started school and as we all know, school can eat up time like nothing else. (And I'm sorry to say, I does take priority over writing, though I wish it didn't.) To top it off, I just transfered to this college, so... Well, you get the idea. Lots of stuff has been going on. But chapter 28 is here and it's a nice longer one. (I hope that makes up for its lateness in some small way.) And the best news is... No need to follow through on those death threats, guys! He lives! Remus lives. Sorry, but I had to make you think he was going to die. Makes the story better that way. I know you didn't want me to pull a "JKR" plot other wise known as what I like to call a "Just Kill Remus" plot and I didn't. I've had a plan in mind for this story for over a year now and I fully intend to see it through to the end. And as if Remus living isn't enough, I threw in a few humorous moments. I even managed to stuff in some fluff, which I know you all love, so don't deny it. And for those of you that were worried about the baby, your question has been answered. The baby is okay. Even I'm not cruel enough to do that to Nymph twice, even for plot purposes and such. I hope you all liked reading this chapter as much as I liked writing it. And to those of you that have read and reviewed, I offer a very heartfelt thank you. You guys are the best and I appreciate the fact that you've taken the time to read my story and been kind enough to tell me what you think of it. (All very good things, too.) I hope you'll continue to read and review. See you all in the next chapter. Until then, Do s'Vidanya.
