CHAPTER EIGHTY-NINE
Lupin was standing off with Sirius, watching with an affectionate gleam in his eye as Tonks conversed with Norah, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley in too low tones for him to make out what was being said, though he didn't care.
He was married to the woman of his dreams, and just that thought alone, and the fact that he could now call Tonks his wife sent a surge of euphoria through his bloodstream and straight to his heart.
Ollie, meanwhile, was deep in conversation with none other than his old Head of House, Professor Snape, who'd come (begrudgingly so) dressed in black dress robes to pay his respects to his former partner and still fellow Order member and to assess his former student's condition now that Newt Scamander and Dumbledore had rid him of his Obscurus.
Remus shot Sirius a dark look for him making a comment about Tonks's dress and wondering if Norah would notice that his new wife had swapped out the pair of white slippers for her combat boots, though she'd Transfigured them and changed the color to white and pink to give her boots a festive flare.
He doubted it, though if there was one thing their guide had proven to them both over the last few days, it was that she was very resilient, and not much escaped the young blonde She-Wolf's attentions.
Lupin frowned at his best friend for Sirius's quip, though Moony didn't say anything. He let a sigh and carded his fingers through his thick tuft of light brown hair, which had been freshly trimmed by Mrs. Weasley, with Molly not taking no for an answer. Lupin pursed his lips into a thin line and glanced down at Albus Dumbledore's so-called gift.
"What do you suppose it is?" he asked, uncurling his fingers, and laying it flat against the skin of his palm so that Sirius could see as Black moved to stand beside Remus.
It was an odd little stone, grey in design, and unlike anything he had ever seen before.
"No clue," Sirius murmured, having to crane his neck almost over Moony's shoulder in order to study the strange device in the palm of Remus's hand. "Whatever it is, I hope this isn't Dumbledore's crackpot idea of a joke," he growled in a bark-like tone. "Leave it to the Headmaster to give us something that would explode in glitter or something, and then you'd really be making a statement to your bride on your wedding."
"Mmm," Remus merely grunted by way of response, though his confused look was instantly replaced as he briefly tore his gaze away from the strange stone in his hand, and the wry smile was replaced with an astonishing expression of contrite gentleness and admiration, and a faraway look appeared in Lupin's light brown orbs, glistening brightly.
"He said three turns would do it? It's not some unorthodox Time Turner, is it?" Sirius demanded hotly, his brows knitting together in confusion, as Lupin shook his head.
"No. At least, I hope it isn't. I have no desire to go back in time, Sirius. Only one way to find out." Lupin's voice warbled slightly as it shook, and he did not exactly know what compelled him to close his eyes as he held the strange-looking stone in hand, turning it thrice in hand, just as Dumbledore had instructed.
The stone felt hot in his hand, and he could swear that he felt it as it vibrated a little, and Sirius's murmured curse words under his breath told Lupin that something unusual had just happened, and it was only when a familiar voice, one he was all too well acquainted within the back of his mind, spoke up, sounding firmer, and closer than before, that he flung his eyes open.
"Remus." A woman's voice, soft, succulent, and gentle. Kind. True.
Lupin's eyes flung wide open and immediately, tears sprang to his eyes, and he wondered if this was the Forbidden Forest's idea of another cruel joke, a malicious prank.
Though one quick glance over at Sirius out of the corner of his eye told him Padfoot was seeing the exact same thing that he was, though the other guests either were too engrossed in conversations of their own, or they had witnessed it and were electing to give the groom a modicum of privacy and let them have his moment with his friends.
Standing in front of Remus and Sirius were the transparent, but very much real figures of James and Lily Potter, and his mother, Hope Lupin, all of whom were beaming.
Lupin's brain stuttered for a moment as his eyes took in all three of them standing in front of him and Sirius, and every part of him went on pause while his thoughts struggled to catch up. He watched, dumbstruck, as James took a half-step forward, and put his cold hand on Remus's shoulder, though his form was shimmering, wavering, and he could not manage to grasp onto the last surviving Marauder's shoulder, but it stayed.
Lupin repressed a shudder as Jame's hand lingered on his shoulder, feeling as though he had been doused in ice water as if a ghost had just waltzed right through him.
James offered Remus a coy little smile that was more like a smirk. "Well? Aren't you going to say something, Moony? Never took you to be the speechless type. You didn't seriously think we would miss our best friend's wedding, did you, Moony? We're proud of you, Moony. Padfoot," he added, glancing towards Sirius, and offering Black a nod.
Remus's mother nodded and offered her only son a sad, somewhat remorseful smile. "My little baby got married. And you're going to be a father, Remus, how wonderful. I only wish that I were still alive to meet my grandson or granddaughter. I regret that your son or daughter will grow up not knowing their grandmother," she sighed, casting a wistful glance towards her husband, Lyall who was deep in conversation with Dumbledore and did not notice the specter of his wife sparing her husband a glance. "You are taking care of your father for me, aren't you, sweetheart?" Hope questioned.
Lupin nodded mutely, parting his lips to speak, though nothing came out at first except a hoarse croak that he quickly turned into a cough and turned his head to the side to mask his tears so his friends and mother wouldn't see.
It felt as though the air had been knocked completely from his lungs, and he was struggling to allow airflow to return, to exhale, to do anything at all.
To Remus, it felt as though he'd forgotten how to breathe, unable to speak, and completely at an utter loss for words, and Lily, Merlin bless her soul, spoke.
"Rem!" she chastised lightly, her hands on her hips, tossing her red hair over her shoulders, a teasing tone to her otherwise admonishing of his shocked and awed behavior. "We've been waiting for this moment for you for a long time. Aren't you going to introduce us to your wife? We cannot stay long, I'm afraid, so you should make the most of Albus's gift." Lily challenged, her gaze flitting between her husband, Sirius, and Hope.
Lupin promptly closed his mouth and nodded mutely. "I…I…" he tried to speak, though all he managed was a hoarse croak as he rapidly blinked back tears.
Finally, he swallowed down hard past the lump growing his voice.
"I've…missed all of you. More than…" His voice cracked, but he fought it back down. "More than any of you know." He looked towards James and Lily, and then a thought struck him. "The...the voices inside my head when I...hear you. Has that..." Remus paused, unsure of how to phrase his question. "Has that been you all along?"
Lupin watched with widened eyes as Lily beamed, throwing him a charming little smile and mutely nodding her head, confirming his suspicions.
James made an odd little noise from the back of his throat that sounded like a snort as he brushed off Moony's comments.
"We're waiting, Remus," he huffed, sounding slightly annoyed. "We want to meet her. Tonks. We cannot stay," he murmured, exchanging an unusually somber glance with Lily and Hope, both women returning his nod before he returned his attention back to Remus. "The Resurrection Stone only lasts a short while, Moony. Make the best of this."
"We want to meet her, officially," Lily piped up jovially, shooting a bright smile James's way, though her smile faltered as she glanced towards Hope Lupin. "Though perhaps it's best if Mrs. Lupin goes first," she said kindly. "Don't you think, James?"
James nodded his agreement and hung back with Sirius, who was looking just as dumbfounded as Remus was, he was pleased to see, and Lupin swallowed and shakily took a half step forward towards Tonks, who was still in conversation with Molly, a hand on her still very flat stomach and Molly and Arthur were both exclaiming their delight.
No doubt Tonks had told Mr. and Mrs. Weasley of their news. "Love?" he managed, surprised he could even find his voice as he coughed once to clear his throat.
He tapped her on the shoulder and flushing crimson as his wife turned around to meet his gaze, still awestruck of her beauty, his gaze lingering on her white wedding dress.
Tonks shifted at the waist and regarded him with wide, blinking almond-shaped eyes and held Remus captive there, toying lovingly with a lock of her wavy maroon hair, which Molly Weasley had gone to painstaking lengths to scatter white tiny wildflower petals throughout her hair, and when she smiled at him, his heart thrummed erratically against his chest, though her smile faltered when she took notice of his thin frame and pale face.
The days following Tonks's kidnapping by Barty Crouch Jr. had really taken their toll on him, wondering if Crouch had murdered her, never knowing if she was safe until Newt had found her here in the forest, learning Tonks was pregnant, and then the other night when she'd been carted off to the cave by those vicious brutes, those centaurs.
He had worried for Dora, and it showed on his frame and in his face. Of which, Lupin thought most unfair, an injustice that his dress robes did absolutely nothing to hide.
Although he had felt better than he had in months, he was still running on very little sleep. The dark shadows, those wretched purple bags underneath both of his eyes were a telling sign, and he would so nervous in thinking of how he'd tell Tonks what he wanted to say, he'd spent his nights here in the forest lying in the wake, thinking of what to say to the young woman standing before him who was now his wife, and the other half wondering what the bloody hell he would do if his words were to fail him like they were doing right now, though Lupin supposed he was still in a state of shock over Albus's gift.
"Rem?" Tonks murmured lowly in a concerned sounding voice, quirking her eyebrows at Remus, and having to crane on her tiptoes, careful to ensure the long hem of her dress covered her combat boots to avoid Norah seeing that she hadn't listened to her.
Lupin smirked and let a light little chuckle escape his lips as he held out his left hand for his wife to take. "Come, love. There's someone I'd like you to meet. My mother," he murmured, barely stifling his smile at Dora's look of surprise in her eyes.
Hesitantly, Tonks bit down hard on her bottom lip and wiggled her eyebrows at Remus in disbelief, still peeking over her husband's shoulder, though she could see nothing, and with somewhat of a shaking hand, reached out and took Remus's hand.
The usual warmth of Tonks's skin, the way her delicate fingertips brushed the underside of his wrist caused Lupin's heart to flutter rapidly, happily, as he dragged her away from the minor crowd of well-wishers, pulling his wife to where his mother waited.
A light breeze wafted through the Forbidden Forest's clearing; the Halloween holiday rebellious to the wind even within the sleepy orange glow of the sunset as night fell.
Lupin realized with a somewhat heavy heart that they'd have to cut the celebration short in order to resume looking for Dolores Umbridge with Norah and Ollie, though he reminded himself that Molly and Arthur had insisted on throwing the two of them a proper wedding reception at the Burrow once their business in the Forest was finished.
So, that was something to look forward to, at least. Tonks glanced sideways at her new husband, which just the thought of that word in her mind sent a swell of warmth which began in the confines of her chest and worked its way down to the tips of her toes.
Tonks could tell Remus was definitely not in his element, and neither was she, she supposed, as she glanced down at her wedding dress.
But to see themselves here, in the throng of their little impromptu celebration supporting their marriage was so perfectly out of place, that, needless to say, she blushed as she realized they turned more than a few heads. Tonks was briefly tempted to pull away, wondering if the stress of the Forbidden Forest had finally caused poor Rem to crack under the pressure of constantly getting them lost, for how in the name of Merlin's left buttock could she possibly meet Remus's mum?
His mother was dead, had been for the last few years, Remus had said so to her! It had been one of the first things out of his mouth during the first few days of their new partnership when she was still in the midst of healing over her Splinched arm, she was—
"Not dead," she whispered, her voice warbling as she felt her eyes widen in shock. Her lips thinned in an eerie sense of mortification as the pair of newlyweds stood in front of the shimmering, wavering translucent form of Hope Lyall, pink touching her cheeks.
Oh, my Merlin, is another one of the Forest's pranks? A joke? A trick?
When she turned her head slightly in her husband's direction, all she could manage to utter in response to the specter standing before her, waiting patiently for her son to introduce to her his bride, all that Tonks could manage was a muffled breathy little squeak of terror.
Remus noticed Tonks's slightly horrified look, her lips parted open slightly in shock, and he did not bother to stifle his small smile upon seeing his wife's expression.
Tonks swallowed down hard as she looked at Remus's mother, a light pink blush deepening as it speckled along her cheeks, and before she knew what was happening, she bowed her head as a sign of respect for the dead, grabbed the skirts of her wedding dress and sank into a low curtsy.
Perhaps a little outdated in terms of manners, though it couldn't really hurt, considering she'd never really talked to a dead person before and wasn't sure of the proper manner to address one…
The young witch would never know if this was the Forbidden Forest playing another trick on her and Remus, or if Hope Lupin was really there in front of her and Remus. Her form shimmered and waved, but then, it seemed like everything did in this cursed dark forest. Hope Lupin slowly walked towards Tonks and her son with a light smile on her translucent face, moving like she was painted onto the horizon with a fine brush, the artist constantly touching up and making alterations, chuckling at Tonks's little curtsy.
Lupin glanced at his wife and returned his attention back to his mother, swallowing down past the lump in his throat. "Mum, I would like to officially introduce you to my wife, Dora. Mum, this is my wife, Dora Tonks-Lupin."
Tonks gingerly pulled her hand free from his to try to shake Hope's hand, and her hand only grazed the air, though where Hope's hand rested in mid-air though she tried felt cold, and sent a wash of cold down her entire spine, as though she had been doused in ice water.
Tonks pulled her hand back, a crestfallen expression on her face as she felt her shoulders slump in disappointment. Hope Lupin was not quite a ghost. But nor was she alive. There was a long moment of uncomfortable silence until Tonks thought she had finally regained control of her voice again. Through all her obvious unease, she mustered every strength of the woman that she knew herself to be and managed to speak to Remus's mother with as much eloquence and dignity as she could.
"I—it's wonderful to meet you, Mrs. Lupin. Remus has told me so much about you," she managed to croak out hoarsely, still unable to believe she was conversing with his dead mother. She swallowed down past her growing lump and forced herself to continue, giving her head a light little shake, her curls bouncing as she did so, in order to clear it. "I only wish that you could be here with us, with…your husband, under different circumstances, but…I—I just want you to know that I'll take good care of Remus, that I love him more than anything. Maybe even myself," she mumbled, as an afterthought. "Y—you should be very proud of your son, Mrs. Lupin," she complimented, having to crane her neck up to look at Remus, who was eyeing her as though she were the last witch left in the world, and gave her hand a light but firm, reassuring squeeze. "Without him, I—I wouldn't even be standing here next to you having this conversation," Tonks chuckled nervously, reaching up a hand to tuck a stray lock of her hair off her shoulder. "Remus has been an invaluable member to the Order of the Phoenix, and to Hogwarts," she murmured, smiling, the corners of her mouth tugging upwards as she chuckled at the light blush speckling along her husband's cheeks as she mentioned his professorship days.
Tonks didn't bother to conceal it, and nor could she help the smile that tugged on the corners of her lips. She returned Remus's squeeze of her hand with one of her own to him, and briefly glanced down at their conjoined hands and studied her simple gold ring.
She felt Lupin stiffen slightly with nervousness, which for a moment, puzzled her. Shouldn't she be the one who was nervous, here? Tonks was, after all, talking to a dead person! And to top it off, this someone happened to be her now-husband's own mother! First impressions were everything, even among the dead, Tonks wondered.
"I—I'm honored to meet you, Mrs. Lupin," Tonks murmured, starting to dip her head in acknowledgment as a show of respect, but Hope Lupin waved off the formality.
"Please. Just call me Hope," Hope insisted, and Tonks saw no other choice but to nod in response. She fell silent for a moment and gave her new daughter-in-law a brief assessment in her wedding dress, her kind hazel eyes traveling upward and landing on Tonks's hair. "I do think I ought to congratulate you both, loves. The two of you will be parents in nine months. It truly is a magical thing, true love. Being with someone not just emotionally, but physically as well. I know you had doubted all your life surrounding your lycanthropy, but I see this young witch was able to look past that, as were you, and I'm so happy for you, Remus. We really are. Your father and I couldn't be prouder of you, son." Hope turned her gaze towards Tonks and offered the mortified young witch a soft smile.
Tonks's blush deepened, though when Remus spoke up, a look of relief flooded her face as she realized her husband was saving her the embarrassment of responding.
"We are too, Mum," he murmured tenderly, his lips briefly brushing against Dora's cheeks as he reached out a hand and pulled her closer to him by Tonks's shoulder.
"Thank you, Rem, b—but I still owe your mother an apology, Remus."
Tonks turned towards Mrs. Lupin and ignored her husband's look of surprised etched on his handsome, lined face, and swallowed down hard, wiggling her eyebrows at Hope.
"I—I put your son at great risk just these past few weeks alone, Mrs. Lupin," Tonks whispered, her words escaping from her lips like a hushed, dirty secret, and her blush intensified. "If it weren't for Remus, I would have been dead now several times over, so would our baby. I owe him my life, though Rem will tell you otherwise. "I—I'm sure you already know this in your own way, b—but just a couple of days ago, I was taken here in this very forest by a herd of three or four centaurs."
Tonks gulped nervously, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment to regain her composure as visions of those vicious animals flitted through her mind.
"I—I was so bent on doing anything that I could to stop the beasts from going after Remus and Norah," she confessed, briefly averting her gaze to land on the young blonde werewolf, who Tonks was pleasantly surprised to see, was deep in conversation with Ollie.
Go get em, Ol, she thought, knowing full well her best friend could hear her. You deserve your own happiness with someone. Ollie briefly looked up, having sensed her thoughts, and though he momentarily looked surprised, he quickly recovered, nodding.
I will, he promised her, furrowing his brows in confusion, though Ollie knew better than to question Tonks's strange behavior, as she knew no one else to the best of her ability could see her and Remus knee-deep in conversation with Remus's dead mum.
Ollie clapped a hand on Norah's shoulder, who looked surprised and somewhat put off by the unexpected gesture, though she quickly recovered and allowed Ollie to lead her towards the other side of the forest clearing to take to Dumbledore and Severus.
Tonks nodded and swallowed, returning her attention to Hope, who was still waiting patiently for her to continue saying what was on her mind and get it off her chest.
"I—I didn't think to explain myself. I didn't think of how my actions looked to Remus and Norah. To say that 'I'm sorry' is an understatement, and it is surely not enough, but I am deeply sorry." She squeezed Remus's hand for support and met her husband's pained gaze. "To both of you," she whispered, now solely speaking to Remus.
Hope nodded in understanding. "If you truly mean what you say, Mrs. Lupin, then I forgive you, though there is nothing to forgive. What happened to you, you were not at fault. I just have one question." Hope Lupin bit her bottom lip, unsure of herself suddenly.
"Anything, Mum, whatever you want to know, we'll tell it," Remus coaxed, and Tonks detected and smiled at the unmistakable note of pride in her new husband's voice.
Tonks caught Hope now eyeing their clasped hands with gentle eyes. Tonks was honestly kind of surprised at how quickly Remus's mum's spirit became at ease around her, considering the two had only just met, and it so happened to fall on their wedding day, Halloween of all holidays, because she did not let her eyes be the only part that questioned Tonks.
Tonks almost staggered backward and would have fallen if Remus had not already been holding onto her arm at Remus's mum's next question posed to them.
"What will you name your child?" Hope asked, fixing Tonks with a pointed stare. Tonks proceeded to stare owlishly at Hope Lupin, blinking at the specter in utter shock.
In some situations, Tonks thought wildly, Remus's mum possessed an even sharper tongue than Molly Weasley whenever she was riled. She could feel Remus blanch next to her and trying to loosen his grip on her hand, though Tonks held steadfast to him.
"Uh, well, Mum… Dora and I haven't exactly discussed that part yet," he murmured, sounding suddenly embarrassed, though Tonks let out a content little sigh as his hand drifted and rested protectively over the flat of Tonks's stomach. "We need to, though, and soon."
Hope made a noise through her nose that sounded like a snort as all of her son's eloquence and quiet reserved behavior practically spouted wings and flew out the window. All formalities tossed aside, Hope smiled softly and looked towards Tonks.
When she spoke, there was an unmistakable hint of excitement in her voice. "So, tell me, then, dear, when did all of this between you and my Remus start?"
Tonks parted her lips slightly to speak, though she had to ponder over an apt response to give, and now suddenly, she too felt guilty, just as much as her husband did.
They had not exactly discussed what they would name their baby, depending on its gender, and Tonks could not help the small remnant, that seed of resentment that churned deep within her belly and twisting as a coil in her gut as her mind drifted to thoughts of Umbridge.
Norah had informed her the trek to get Umbridge back would resume at first light, at the coming of dawn the following morning, but tonight, they were married and husband and wife for the first time and Tonks did not want to waste that.
Tonks was briefly tempted to take Remus and Norah's advice and let Professor Dumbledore deal with the daunting task of retrieving Umbridge from the centaurs, though she knew that, as an Auror, this was not her way, to abandon someone in need of help, even someone as foul and loathsome as Umbridge, given what she had tried to do.
She knew if she did not do this and see things through to the end for herself, then she would never be able to forgive herself and would regret not going back for Umbridge.
Tonks sighed, forcing her mind to return to the question Hope Lupin had just asked her. "Well, uh, Mrs. Lupin, um, I guess you could say it all started here in the Forest," Tonks murmured, her pink blush intensifying as she recollected trying to drown Sirius's brother's locket in the murky depths of the Black Lake. "In…in the Black Lake."
Her voice was sweet and laced with a sense of innocence, and even as she started to launch into an abbreviated version of events, she knew Remus wouldn't let her continue. Memories of that early morning adventure deep in the Forbidden Forest flitted through her mind and before her eyes, intensifying the heat that had already crept its way onto her cheeks for the entire duration of this conversation, this dialogue that she was exchanging with Remus and his mother, and twisted her stomach into intense cramps.
"Tonks!" Remus exclaimed, his red blush reddening like mad, and he tugged on her hand, seemingly hellbent on dragging his wife towards the clearing to dance with her.
Tonks blinked and trailed off in her tale, momentarily stunned by just how much Remus affected her life, and she glanced down at her hands. It felt as though the magic churning within the very fibers of her being was hungry for him, craved his touch, and she could swear, she was sure, yes, she was sure, she felt it…humming near her skin's surface. "I…" she stammered, struggling to find the right words, though Hope interrupted.
"Perhaps another time, love," Hope murmured, suddenly sounding apologetic. "I'm afraid we cannot stay, Remus. Our time is up," Hope said, sounding apologetic.
"Wait!" A man and a woman's voice called out in unison, coming from behind them both. Tonks slowly swiveled around to regard the interruption, half expecting it would be Norah or Ollie, either one of them have to come to tell her they needed to leave.
But her jaw dropped open in shock when she saw the translucent forms of James and Lily Potter, and she knew without a shadow of a doubt, she was looking at his friends.
"I…huh? What? J—James a—and Lily?" Tonks squeaked, hardly daring to believe this, though given she had just finished up a conversation with Remus's dead mother, anything else at this point, she guessed, ought not to surprise her too terribly much. "H—Harry's parents. They're here too?!"
Lily nodded and tossed her red hair over her shoulder, her smile widening as she looked down at Remus and Tonks's conjoined hands, her gaze shifting to Remus. "We've waited our whole lives and our afterlives now, I guess, for our Rem to find his happiness."
James nodded, the corner of his mouth twitching as he didn't fight his smile.
"About damned bloody time Moony got himself married," he teased, taking note of Lupin's flushed face. "We're happy for you both."
This continued on for a few minutes, and after a few parting words, and a promise that the two of them would talk to James and Lily and Hope again sometime (of this, Tonks was not sure they would until they went to Merlin in the sky), Remus gently pulled Tonks by her hand towards the music still playing on a lively jig.
"What did you tell my mother, Tonks?" Remus whispered into the shell of her ear the moment James, Lily, and Hope's spirits dissipated into thin air and vanished, as though they had never stood within the Forbidden Forest's clearing and watched the two of them get married.
The newlyweds walked past the row of serving tables that Professor McGonagall had conjured, with food prepared directly from the Hogwarts' house-elves, of which one had stopped by to pay his respects, Dobby, who was in conversation with Newt of all people, chattering away to anyone who wanted to listen about how he was free.
The tables of food were full of food, and picked clean of the best foods, leaving Tonks feeling disappointed as her churning stomach gave a low grumble, though Lupin only scowled at the mess and the flies that buzzed around obsessively around the remains.
Tonks didn't bother hiding the smile that tugged at her lips. "You didn't really think I would tell your mother the details of what happened at the Black Lake, Rem?"
Lupin's face suddenly looked aghast as she knew she'd ruffled her husband's feathers.
"No, Dora, I—I didn't!" His nerves were currently getting the better of his quiet intelligence. "But with you, sweetheart, you can never be too sure," he corrected himself.
Tonks smirked as they walked slowly towards the music as he listened intently as Tonks went over the details of the morning plan to set out for Umbridge and rescue her. Remus was curious and wanted to know the details of what their next course of action ought to be, and it didn't escape his wife's attention of the worry that had managed to creep its way onto his features.
Tonks was no fool. She knew it was going to take her husband time to fully come to terms with and accept that like it or not, Tonks was going after Umbridge with Ollie and Norah. The witch needed to be brought to justice for her crimes, and Tonks wanted to be there to ensure her face was the last thing Dolores saw before Kingsley or another Auror from her department carted her off to Azkaban Prison.
Lupin stopped and stood at the edge of the forest clearing, watching in awe as the final orange rays of sunlight on this Halloween Eve illuminated the top of the forest canopy. The newlyweds stood watching their guests (all except for Snape, who even refused McGonagall's hand), and watched in contented peace as Dumbledore was one of the first to escort Minerva to the makeshift dance floor the pair of wizards had conjured, Molly and Arthur the next to join, followed by, Tonks was pleased to see as Ollie dragged a protesting Norah out to dance.
Out of the corner of her eye, Tonks caught Lupin eyeing her with a look that even now that she was his wife, she couldn't quite make it out what exactly it meant.
A look that Tonks could only think of as a look of intense concentration.
Almost like he was planning something, though what that 'something' was, Tonks knew that only Remus knew what it was.
Every once in awhile, she would notice their guests giving the pair of them sidelong looks, curious to see if he would dance with his wife.
"Dora," Remus began cautiously, a note of worry in his voice, and briefly, Tonks was tempted to communicate in her impossible telepathy with Ollie as to what was on her husband's mind, though she decided against it, thinking he was about to come out and just say his piece here in a second. "Do you think the two of us could talk someplace…private?" He cringed, and she wondered if he was starting to feel the stares.
"No way, Rem," Tonks answered flatly by way of response. "I'm not letting you off the hook that easy, husband," she joked, craning her neck upward to look at him. "You did promise me that you would dance with me, sweetheart. You owe me a dance, love!"
When her statement only further inspired silence, Tonks knew she had to goad him. She sighed and toyed with a lock of her wavy hair. "Well. Ollie knows I'm a good dancer. Maybe I'll just go ask him," she teased, watching as Remus's light brown eyes narrowed in defeat, along with just the briefest flickers of jealousy as he took her hand.
"Come, love," he sighed, with his usual strength of that Wolf within him, he tugged Tonks to the center of Dumbledore's makeshift dance floor in the middle of the clearing.
At first, Lupin's movements were rigid, stiff, as though he were unsure of himself, and Tonks could not help but wonder if this was the very first time he had danced with a woman, whereas hers (as she had naturally assumed) were a bit clumsy.
Tonks let out a squeak as he almost stepped on his feet with her decked out white and purple combat boots.
Though after a few moments to allow the initial awkwardness to pass, the newlyweds settled into a soft, swaying rhythm and began to complement each other.
Before too long, their dancing was becoming just as powerful as whenever they combined their magic to work together, wholesome, and beautiful, a nightmare and a daydream, as his hands gently rested on Tonks's waist, his fingertips practically electric.
Her arms reached up and wrapped themselves around his neck, pulling him down slightly. As she held onto him, Tonks could not help but notice her poor husband's shoulders felt thinner than usual, as though he had not eaten much the last few weeks.
With everything going on in the Forest around this, this was the first time she'd gotten an up-close look at him since being reunited with him.
And when the firelight illuminated his face from the campfire that Norah and Ollie had conjured as the sunset, Tonks got an up-close and personal look at the darkened shadows underneath his eyes.
It wasn't yet the full moon, so the reason for why he looked like this troubled her. And yet, despite all of this, her husband's expression seemed…soft. Gentle. And adoring.
Tonks half-wondered if he had donned black dress robes in order to hide his slightly stricken look. It wasn't far out of the realm of possibility. Tonks knew this, too.
As they swayed to the rhythm of the music, Tonks felt hypnotized, like she had been spelled under its power, much like the wind would catch the grass in a light breeze. The music had its own kind of magic and needed no help from Professor Dumbledore, and Tonks knew that this song was magic solely meant for her and Remus.
The two of them were dancing so beautifully, that Tonks suspected Lupin was using his adept skills in nonverbal magic to move the two of them so eloquently, really. When the music finally ended its last note, their hands immediately intertwined and found one another on instinct.
Tonks began to feel the inexplicable warmth prickle up and down her arms and spine, and she saw her husband's shoulder stiffen in surprise. She was sure that for a split second, a bit of her own nonverbal magic had reached out with its invisible tendrils and had touched him as well. It was the only explanation…
A sudden urge to kiss her new husband suddenly overwhelmed her despite the curious eyes of their guests on him, though it felt as though it were just her and Remus. The quiet intensity of Remus's gaze as his eyes remained fixated on her told Tonks everything she needed to know, that his eyes spoke of similar feelings. Their faces slowly moved in towards one another, set to collide.
"We're husband and wife for the first time tonight, Rem," Tonks whispered, resting her forehead against his, glancing out of the corner of her eye and she stifled her smile as she heard the low murmurings of their guests wishing the newlyweds many years of wedded bliss before Disapparating on the spot.
All but Norah and Ollie, though Ollie mentioned something about the two of them finding a new camping spot for tonight, and to enjoy their night together as husband and wife, seeming to understand Tonks's need to spend tonight with Remus alone. Just them.
Tonks spoke up again, her breaths catching in her throat as she never once took her eyes off Remus, not even when she knew it was just the two of them left in the Forest.
She whispered her words before Lupin's gaze could set her on fire.
"Let's not waste it."
A/N: And now the secret of Dumbledore's gift to Remus is revealed! I thought for a long time about what I wanted it to be and decided on the Resurrection Stone so that his best friends could see him get married on the happiest day of his life, and his mother, who I believe, Lupin misses with all his heart. Coming up soon, Umbridge's rescue and a few more encounters with some other Forest creatures along the way!
