COMFORT

Hi again, everyone! Sorry for the cliffhanger at the end of the last chapter. I hope everyone likes this chapter! Don't forget to Review at the end, please (can we make it to 100?)

I still own nothing :(

Remus

I sat on the bank, the rope grasped so tightly in my hand that my knuckles turned white. I should be in there, I thought to myself as my hands began to burn from holding the coarse fibers of the rope so stiffly. She needed me, and I couldn't help her. I hung my head, ashamed. I felt like such a coward. Swimming wasn't that hard, at least, it didn't look that hard. And there were plenty of spells that could let you breathe underwater, so why was I so terrified?

Something didn't feel right about this. Maybe Tonks was wrong and there really were Fletchlings at the bottom of the lake. Maybe there were no Budding Watertoe or Flowering Oceanarm or whatever it was out here. Maybe this whole thing was a mistake.

The doubts kept swirling around in my head, tuning out everything else. I didn't notice the sun rise, nor did I see it move into the western side of the sky. The impending fog, the croaks of the frogs, everything was little more than a whisper compared to the uncertain thoughts that screamed in my ears. I barely even felt the light tug of the rope passing through my fingers.

I stared at the rope for a moment. The tug meant something. I was sure that the tug meant that I was supposed to do something. Then, my heart dropped. Tonks.

I pulled on the rope as hard as I could, fear making my blood run cold. After about a minute of reeling the rope back in, I began to see a dark figure rise from the water. With each pull on the rope, it drew nearer and nearer to the bank, and I began pulling it in faster.

Once the figure was about ten feet from the edge, I dropped the rope and ran into the lake. I could feel a chill run up and down my legs as the icy waters splashed up to my waist, but my whole body was numb to everything except the mechanical movements of my legs running through the lake. I had to get to her. I was supposed to help her, and now, I was about to lose her.

I finally reached Tonks. I lifted her limp body out of the water and carried her to the bank as fast as I could. When I reached the grass, I laid her down carefully on the ground. Her right side was badly bleeding, dying her shirt a deep crimson. She had a nasty bruise on her forehead that had already started forming into a large bump. Her face and hands were pale, and she was freezing from the cold water. She wasn't breathing.

I felt as if my insides had sunk through the ground, leaving only the shell of my body behind. This couldn't be happening. She was supposed to make it back home, safe and sound. She was supposed to live a long and happy life. She wasn't supposed to die in the lake.

This was my fault. She had expected me to go in with her, but I was too scared. I wasn't able to protect her. Instead, she'd given me some worthless job to make me feel useful, thinking she could accomplish the real task herself. But she was wrong, and it was my fault that this had happened.

Just as the guilt began to fill up inside me, I saw Tonks twitch out of the corner of my eye. She then started to cough, trying to clear her lungs. I rushed to her side and raised her head off the ground to make it easier for her to breathe.

After several seconds of coughing, she opened her eyes; they looked clouded and confused, and I could tell she was struggling to keep them open.

"Fletchling…" she breathed, "in the Seafoot…attacked me…I couldn't…it fell…and I…my wand…."

"It's alright," I assured her, hoping my voice sounded steadier than I really felt. "We'll get it back later." Tonks' eyes closed, and I knew she had gone unconscious. I laid her back on the ground, unsure of what to do next. Judging by the bleeding in her side and the large bruise on her forehead, she probably needed to see a doctor, but I couldn't take her to St. Mungo's. That would just lead to more questions about who she was and what we were doing.

I grasped my wand, and healed her side and head the best I could. I was no Healer, but I was fairly good at Healing charms. Once I was sure that her injuries were sufficiently healed, I decided it was best to get her back to the Three Broomsticks.

I scooped Tonks into my arms and concentrated on her room. If I made the slightest mistake, we would end up in the barroom, and that would raise many more questions, questions I wasn't sure I could answer. I had to Apparate in her room. I took a deep breath and felt myself twist through the air.

I shut my eyes tight, praying that we weren't in the middle of the bar. I dared to open one eye a crack and felt myself release a sigh of relief when the familiar sight of Tonks' room materialized. I could see through the window that it was now rather late into the day.

I laid Tonks down on her bed and performed a quick drying spell to dry her clothes. I was about to head downstairs in search of some extra blankets when I heard a mumbling sound from behind me. I turned to see Tonks lightly stirring. "Don't go," she begged quietly, half way between consciousness and sleep. I contemplated quickly running down the stairs to get the blankets, but the overwhelming guilt gripped at me once again, and I headed over to the bed. I kneeled next to her, stroking her hair in what I hoped was a comforting way.

Tonks turned over slightly and patted the other side of the bed. "Sit here," she instructed weakly. I headed over to the other side of the bed and lay down, telling myself that I would rest for only a few moments.

I continued rubbing Tonks' arm soothingly, running my hand from the tip of her small shoulder to the crook of her elbow. I hoped that the motion would help her fall into a comforting, restful sleep. Little did I know that the movement would act as a lullaby for me as well, gradually making my eyes heavier and heavier. It wasn't until my eyes shut that I realized I had fallen asleep.

Thanks for reading! I have the next couple of chapters planned out, so hopefully it won't be too long before I update again. I have exams and a basketball tournament next week, though, so if it takes longer than I intended, don't worry. I promise I didn't forget about this story!

Anyways, thanks again! Don't forget to Review!