A/N: Oh, you guys! I feel like a celebrity! Nine reviews, and only one of
them bad! I love you all; you deserve a cookie.
Chapter 4: Remus' Best Friend
The room was dead silent- except for the occasional scratch of the quill- and anybody who knew Tonks, knew that she hated silence.
So she decided to fill it.
"Ashley hates me," she blurted. Whoa! Where did that come from? She wondered. Oh, well. Maybe he didn't hear me.
But he did. Of course. Remus looked up. "What? Ashley? Isn't she your best friend?"
"Was my best friend, more like it."
Remus' eyebrows furrowed in worry. Ashley and Tonks were practically Siamese twins. If they were mad at each other, it had to be something bad. "Care to explain?"
Tonks didn't really want to tell her professor about how her (ex)best friend was in love with him, or about how stupid she herself was for starting this whole thing. But, she started this conversation.
So she told him. Everything. Everything from how she and Ashley met way back in first year, to her belief in animal rights. As she heard herself explain it, she realized how stupid this whole fight truly was.
Remus listened intently, but didn't say anything. What was he supposed to say, when his own best friend was in prison for killing their other best friends?
Tonks saw the uneasiness creep onto his face, and she stopped mid- sentence. "Is there anything you want to tell me?" she asked.
Remus shook his head. "No."
She didn't buy that for one second. "What? Does your 'best-friend- life' suck, too?"
He looked at her. "Where do you get this stuff?" he asked.
"My imagination. Now, stop getting off subject. If you don't tell me what is wrong with your best friend, I'll guess."
"Fine. Guess."
"Um...is he...wait. It is a 'he', right?"
"Yes."
"Good. Is he...an ogre?"
"No."
"A... blue monkey?"
"No."
"Santa Clause?"
"are you telling me you honestly still believes he exists?"
"No. It just sounded funny."
Remus laughed.
Tonks continued guessing. "Um... is he...an... escaped convict on a murderous rampage?"
"No." Remus answered. Then, as an afterthought: "Well, he hasn't escaped, and he's not on a murderous rampage."
It took Tonks a minute, but she finally understood. "Oh. Professor Lupin, I'm so sorry."
Remus didn't answer.
"Is he in a... a Muggle prison?"
"No. He's in Azkaban."
She gasped. "Oh, no! That must be horrible."
"No, actually, it isn't. He got what he deserved."
Tonks gasped again. "What? How could you wish something like that on your best friend?"
Remus slammed his quill down and stood, looking very intimidating. "Because! He killed my –our- other best friends!"
Chapter 4: Remus' Best Friend
The room was dead silent- except for the occasional scratch of the quill- and anybody who knew Tonks, knew that she hated silence.
So she decided to fill it.
"Ashley hates me," she blurted. Whoa! Where did that come from? She wondered. Oh, well. Maybe he didn't hear me.
But he did. Of course. Remus looked up. "What? Ashley? Isn't she your best friend?"
"Was my best friend, more like it."
Remus' eyebrows furrowed in worry. Ashley and Tonks were practically Siamese twins. If they were mad at each other, it had to be something bad. "Care to explain?"
Tonks didn't really want to tell her professor about how her (ex)best friend was in love with him, or about how stupid she herself was for starting this whole thing. But, she started this conversation.
So she told him. Everything. Everything from how she and Ashley met way back in first year, to her belief in animal rights. As she heard herself explain it, she realized how stupid this whole fight truly was.
Remus listened intently, but didn't say anything. What was he supposed to say, when his own best friend was in prison for killing their other best friends?
Tonks saw the uneasiness creep onto his face, and she stopped mid- sentence. "Is there anything you want to tell me?" she asked.
Remus shook his head. "No."
She didn't buy that for one second. "What? Does your 'best-friend- life' suck, too?"
He looked at her. "Where do you get this stuff?" he asked.
"My imagination. Now, stop getting off subject. If you don't tell me what is wrong with your best friend, I'll guess."
"Fine. Guess."
"Um...is he...wait. It is a 'he', right?"
"Yes."
"Good. Is he...an ogre?"
"No."
"A... blue monkey?"
"No."
"Santa Clause?"
"are you telling me you honestly still believes he exists?"
"No. It just sounded funny."
Remus laughed.
Tonks continued guessing. "Um... is he...an... escaped convict on a murderous rampage?"
"No." Remus answered. Then, as an afterthought: "Well, he hasn't escaped, and he's not on a murderous rampage."
It took Tonks a minute, but she finally understood. "Oh. Professor Lupin, I'm so sorry."
Remus didn't answer.
"Is he in a... a Muggle prison?"
"No. He's in Azkaban."
She gasped. "Oh, no! That must be horrible."
"No, actually, it isn't. He got what he deserved."
Tonks gasped again. "What? How could you wish something like that on your best friend?"
Remus slammed his quill down and stood, looking very intimidating. "Because! He killed my –our- other best friends!"