The Map Never Lies

Ok, I wanted to keep Fallen Angel as a one-shot. I now plan on having a third one-shot to make this a trilogy before I write a full story based on the events of OoTP using the trilogy as a prologue. Is that a crappy idea?

This takes place during Prisoner of Azkaban.

Enjoy my sweets.

CC

"What?!" Tonks asked shortly before her buttocks even grazed the oak stool. To be kind and courteous would be to throw a line out. A line that led straight to her heart. That would not do. That would not do at all. She would instead be cold, cold and irritable. Nothing like the Tonks she hoped he still loved.

"You're late." Remus noted calmly sitting across from her. It was as if she was his college. No past between them. No water under the bridge. If he had heard the bitterness in her voice he was doing a good job pretending he hadn't.

"I was busy- Still am. Auror business you know- Oh, sorry you don't do you?" Her lips pursed into a crooked smile. He had been fired. Not her fault, but she took enjoyment in it none the less. Or so she kept telling herself whenever her thoughts stumbled onto memories of him. "What am I hear for? Whenever you want to talk to me it's always been about Sirius-" And every time you manage to slip the knife in further, Tonk thought but didn't dare say it out loud.

Remus had spent the last few years trying to prove to Tonks and others that Sirius was a guilty as sin. He had won many over. Tonks stood firm. He admired that in her.

Remus placed a discoloured bundle of parchment on the table in front of her. She recognised it. She reached out and felt the magic buzzing from the paper. She thought she would never see it again. She'd thrown it into the girls bathroom on the second floor. She thought it had gone down the U-bend. Perhaps the school had other thoughts. Or was it Moaning Myrtle?

"Why did it leave your possession?" Remus asked calmly. His eyes telling a different story. He was hurt. She had thrown away his gift to her.

"What does it matter?" Tonks' hand drifted through her short black hair. She had controlled her abilities. Remus mused fondly. When he had known her she was erratic and so was her powers. It should have been him. He should have been the one to help her. He should never have let his pride get in the way. "It was a long time ago Mr Lupin."

That stung him. Like a wasp had punctured his racing heart. Was it true? Did she feel nothing for him?

"It matters because I found it-" Tonks looked up from her glass. " - On Harry. You do know who he is?!"

"Yes." Tonks remembered all too well the birth of Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived. She had been eight when he was born. She had even played with him for the first year of his life. When she was nine, everything went wrong and she was told she would not see Harry for a while. She wouldn't see James, Lily or Peter either. She wasn't to talk about her cousin Sirius ever again.

"He was wondering the halls at night." Remus continued his bite-sized account.

"And?! I did, you most certainly did it-" Tonks smiled genuinely "-Even when you weren't a student." A gleam returned in her eye as she relived one of many memories when a twenty-something Remus would clamber into the castle and meet with a young Tonks. She suddenly remembered why they hadn't spoken for almost three years. "It's part of the education."

"Not when he's out looking for someone."

"Sirius?!" Tonks head shot up once again.

"It's not important." Remus flushed. "Tonks if I find out you had anything to do with Sirius Blacks escape, I'll have you share a cell with him."

"You know they'll kill him when they find him. He's to be kissed on site." Tonks' eyes turned from steel to red. "He's innocent. I don't know who killed all those people. I don't know who killed Peter-" Remus flinched at the name. "-Remus? Who showed up on the Marauders map?" He wouldn't look at her. "Who?!"

"It doesn't matter Nymphadora. The map is broken."

"Then why am I here?!" She ignored the use of her name.

"You tricked it. You made it lie. You are framing an old friend... A dear old friend who will be turning in his grave-"

"You know as well as I do; they map never lies. You made it yourself. I haven't seen it since I left you and Hogwarts three years ago. Who did Harry see?"

"Peter."

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winky360- Yay! You don't know how much that means to me. hugs Not better though. Not at all.

invisible2u: It's a cocktail I actually had the other day. Well what I thought I'd had until I found out someone got the order wrong; I got my mate, which was a beach party or something. And she got mine... The worst thing is, she hated it and only drank it cos she ordered it. Ooops

Crimson Regret 177: So, so so glad to be back. Exams are over yay! Hope you like the sequel.

SiruisBlacksgirl4eva: Hope a sequel will do. Full blown story is on its way... i just though there was too much of a time gap for it to be one story.

Tai Ryder: Talent?! I like it when people say that blushes

bunnyrabbit228: Wink wink hint hint fully accepted.... Here you go. (Although you should really be thanking David Thewlis, my new God! Swoon)