New Moon Rising

The final one-shot in the prologue trilogy. This takes place a week after the end of POA while Remus awaits the return of Sirius.

An angry Tonks stormed into the kitchen of 12 Grimauld place and knocked Remus off his stool in one quick motion. Remus smiled at her.

"Always trying to knock me off my feet Nyph-" She was not in a playful mood; she was brandishing a knife. No doubt it was silver. "What is it?"

"Well-" Tonks bent down so she was beside him. Nose to button nose "-Why don't we start with; IT'S ALL YOUR GOD DAMN FAULT!"

"He's free." Remus whispered.

"Is he really?" Tonks asked with fake astonishment. "Then why fuck isn't he here? Why is he still on the run?" They were bitter rhetorical questions.

"Because Peter got away." It dawned on him what she was implying. It was all his fault.

"I knew it was a full moon that night." Tonk cocked her head. "How could you be so stupid? Peter is with You-Know-Who now, and it's all your god damned fault." A tear trickled down her heart-shaped face. "If you hadn't have been a werewolf. We'd be celebrating my cousin's freedom and forgiveness by the Ministry."

"We'll sort it out. We'll make him realise he's innocent." Tonks laughed at this.

"And what do you say helped your change of heart? I fear he'll never get freedom now." Tonks placed the knife over his heart. "He dies a wanted man, I'll kill you where you stand." The tears were free flowing now. "I loved you with all my heart... But I love my cousin more. How can you lie there and claim to be his friend. Eat his food, drink his scotch. Tell me why shouldn't I kill you right now?" The question was never answered. Dumbledore and Sirius took that moment to join them. Dumbledore picking Tonks gracefully off the floor and taking her out.

"Come on dear... We have to discuss the position that has opened up in Hogwarts."

"JUDAS!" Tonks angry voice could be heard fading up the stairs. Dumbledore was taking her up into the living room so Sirius and Remus could talk. "- Fucking coward! Filthy Werewolf!"

"She's right you know. Everything she is saying is the truth." Remus perched himself on a stool. He would not look his friend in the eyes. He couldn't. Instead his eyes were fixed at the bottom of his glass of scotch which Tonks had took him away from. "I knew you; I should have known you weren't capable of this. I had trusted you with my life-"

"Relax old friend." Remus winced as Sirius placed his hand on Remus' shoulder. Judas was a friend. It was a kiss that condemned him. Right now, it looked as if Remus was bound to the same fate.

"I should have stood by you!" Remus barked.

Sirius pounced, pinning Remus to the kitchen table at which they had both been sat; Remus' tumbler of scotch landing unnoticed on the stone floor with a smash.

"Now there's where you are wrong." Sirius breathed heavily. "The only person you should have stood by was my little cousin. Standing my me would have been a consequence; which, I might add, that I actually would have approved of". Remus met Sirius in the eye. He was furious, his bony finger pointing to the closed door that led upstairs. "My. Little. Cousin. Moony?!" His grip on Remus tightened. "You are old enough to be her father. How could you touch her like that?"

"You knew she had a crush on me-" And what Tonks wants, Tonks gets; Remus thought bitterly, knowing she would have killed him tonight had she have not been disturbed. Truth be told; he wished she had. The woman he admired hadn't said if he wasn't there it wouldn't have happened the way it did. She said; if he wasn't a werewolf. How could he be getting the blame when Tonks was involved. Because, Remus thought, you ARE old enough to be her father. You should have known better. How young she had made him feel. How he had matured her. Tamed her.

And she had been right. Sirius was innocent. Their relationship had ended because he hadn't supported her when she had needed him the most. An inner voice was now telling him that he had always known Sirius was innocent, but as time went on he knew that to free Sirius would cost him Tonks. He had known Sirius would never approve.

"And I warned her away." Sirius snapped him back to reality. "And I will do the same again."

"So I can let you rot in Azkaban- But I can't love your cousin?" Remus hadn't realised what he had said until it was too late. Love? Yes, he did love her. It hurt him all those times they met when Tonks had attempted to be cold and collected. Remus always knew she didn't really mean it. It hurt none the less. In fact it probably hurt more. Sirius either hadn't understood the importance of the word, or was ignoring it.

"You can love her- Just don't put your muddy paws on her-" Remus went to say something. "- Or a finger smart arse." A smirk was now etched across his rugged face; releasing Remus from his grip and righting him on the stool.

"Why can't you be mad at me for not believing you were innocent?" Remus sighed. "The crime of Tonks seems so long ago," And she's already punished me more than you ever could. Remus thought longingly. He wanted her back, but there was no hope now.

"Because Peter had us all fooled. I made him secret keeper, you didn't know. How could you?" Remus wasn't the only one feeling guilty. "They didn't deserve to die and it's my fault. For that I deserve Azkaban, and I should have got longer. They didn't deserve to die Remus."

"No one did... No one does." Remus took a moment to pause, reflect and fix his glass. He levitated a second one from the welsh dresser and removed the cork from the bottle of scotch. "Do you think Tonks will ever forgive me?" Remus questioned handing Sirius a glass of brown coloured liquid.

"I bloody well hope not."

/-/-/-/-/-

AllyCat13: Honest but not brutal. I admire you for your honesty... However, could you tell me what I need to change to make it more like the book than the film? I haven't read the book in a while so I'm not sure which bit (I have a feeling its the fact that Harry goes looking for Peter but I'm not entirely sure)

nycgrl: Why thank you, your wait is over. Hope you like this one.

invisible2u: Thank you.... It's a shame that I'm placing the story at the end of OoTP, which means I can't really have Sirius in it much (I'll have flash backs of course) He's really cool to write.

bunnyrabbit228: I was going to do that, but if i do, i'll loose my reviews sob

Crimson Regret 177: Here you go... Was in work yday. Otherwise you would have had it sooner. Story will be ready soon- I hope