A/N: Last chapter wasn't the end of this story. I wrote the end and worked backwards so that the previous chapter was the last one that I wrote on this story. Confused? So am I :D.
I'm updating a chapter a day-ish. I'm working on the second story now. It's not going to be very long so I'm hoping to have it finished and posted before HBP is released. Then I'll work on the 3rd story after I've read HBP and grieved for who ever it is that JK is evil enough to kill off this time :D. Thanks for the reviews. I'll shut up now.
Harry had jolted upright in bed, having heard a shout. He must have fallen asleep unintentionally as he still wore his jeans and an old t-shirt. He frowned and grabbed for his glasses from his bedside table, only to realise that he was in fact wearing them. It was only just becoming dark; he could have only been asleep for an hour at most. Noticing that the other beds in the dormitory were unoccupied, he assumed that it was just some students messing around downstairs. Nevertheless, the boy climbed out of bed and shuffled to the top of the common room stairs, rubbing the sleep from out of his eyes. Harry blinked several times. The room was empty. Belongings remained, discarded haphazardly. There was silence. Harry frowned as he made his way across the room. Books were left open, bags were littering the floor, and a chess set stood unfinished, its pieces crossing their arms and tapping their feet impatiently. What was going on here?
"Hello?" Harry called apprehensively. There was no reply. At that moment he heard another cry, and realised that it came from the grounds. Harry crossed to the window and peered out, trying to make out figures in the fading light. Just then, the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open urgently, giving a bang and causing Harry to jump a foot in the air. He spun around and was confronted by his two guardians, much to the boy's surprise. They spotted him at once and crossed over to him regarding the sluggish boy, his hair still tousled.
"Where the hell have you been?" Tonks shouted at him. She seemed flustered; her cheeks were pink and her long, currently auburn hair flew about her as she strode to him. Harry opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish, clearly baffled.
"Umm…I've been asleep. What's going on?" he asked them curiously. Tonks gave a growl, placed her hand on her stomach and peered out of the window leaving Remus to explain.
"There are Death Eaters here, Harry. Grab your wand, we're leaving." Harry's eyes widened at this revelation. He gave a nervous laugh.
"What, here in the castle? Come off it." Seeing that their faces were set, Harry's grin faded. "Oh," he mumbled.
"Where's your Floo powder?" Tonks asked urgently from the fireplace. Harry blinked at her.
"We don't have any. We're not allowed it," the boy said, knowing that Tonks knew already. She was panicking, he could tell that much. She gave a sigh of distress and brought a hand up to her forehead wearily. Harry turned to Remus, who was much calmer than the witch.
"What are we going to do?" the boy asked. Remus stood very still, rubbing his jaw.
"Harry, go get your wand. And the map too, we may need it. We'll head for the nearest office and Floo you from there. Or we'll try to get you to the Great Hall. Dumbledore has arranged emergency Portkeys." Harry blinked, trying to take it all in. He hoped to Merlin that Hermione and Ron were safe, though he was slightly annoyed that they hadn't woken him.
"Maybe," Tonks spoke up. "Maybe he should get his broom. He could fly out of the window to Hogsmeade and Apperate from there," she rambled, bordering on hysteria. Remus grimaced at her.
"Dora, for heavens sake. Sit down, calm down and shut up," he commanded. "I knew I shouldn't have brought you," he mumbled as an afterthought. Harry looked between them. "Well, Harry? Get moving!"
Harry scarpered off up the stone steps. Tonks was rocking slightly on the sofa.
"I can not believe that they didn't wake him!" she hissed angrily. "Believe me, I am having serious words with those two."
"Nymphadora, you really need to calm down," Remus told her gently, taking her hand. This wasn't like her at all.
"They're going to kill him, Remus. He's going to die and it's going to be my fault. I promised Sirius I'd look after him–"
"And we will," Remus assured her, kissing her trembling hand lightly. She looked up at him; calm and sensible Lupin. She was so relieved that he was there. Standing up suddenly, she through her arms around him. Remus blinked in surprise, before moving his arms around her waist.
"Uh…guys. I don't mean to spoil the moment you've got going on but you need to see this." Harry was striding towards them quickly, holding the Marauder's Map out in front of him. Remus snatched the map off Harry, seeing a name floating nearer and nearer to the Gryffindor common room. Peter Pettigrew. Tonks looked over Remus' shoulder and gave a little squeak.
"Oh shit!" she hissed. Remus turned to her.
"Dora, Dora listen to me. Hello?" he waved a hand in front up her eyes, breaking her gaze from the map. "Dora, I want you to take Harry up to the dorm and hide, do you understand?" he asked firmly. She shook her head. "You don't understand?" he asked.
"I understand, I'm just not leaving you," she cried to him. He gave a growl of frustration.
"Nymphadora, this man is coming for you. He'll kill Harry. It's you two or me, and I'm sorry but I'm choosing your lives over mine!" His eyes were filled with certainty. "Now go!"
"No, Remus! It's me they're after. If they have me then no one will have to get hurt…don't you understand? I can end this. I have to. I see that know," she said quietly to the floor. Remus shook his head. Harry groaned at them.
"Guys! I'll fight him. Then you two can live happily ever after and play happy families. Ok?"
"No!" they shouted in unison. Harry grinned at them. He loved them both so much, but sometimes they really were mad. A bang came from the portrait, and the Fat Lady screamed. All three froze. Harry grabbed the map from Remus but it was Tonks who spoke.
"He's here," Tonks whispered. "What are we going to do?" There was another bang, followed by the cracking of wood. Harry could feel his heart beating fast. Then he felt a hand grab his arm tightly pulling him towards the sofa, and he dropped the map.
"Whoa!" he exclaimed as Tonks' hand pushed his head down.
"Stay there," she hissed. Harry cringed.
"Yeah, I'm invisible now," he muttered sarcastically from behind the couch. Tonks glanced at Remus, who had gone very pale. She squeezed his hand briefly, then let go as the portrait flew off its hinges and landed in a splintered heap.
Peter Pettigrew stepped forward dramatically, a sinister grin on his face.
"Expelliarmus!" he cried, causing Remus and Tonks' wands to fly into the air, dropping randomly on the carpeted floor. Great, now we're screwed! Tonks thought.
"I thought I'd find you here, Dora. And Remus too…" Remus stared at him coldly, feeling hatred well up inside of him. "The Death Eaters are waiting downstairs for you, Nymph. They're rather impatient." Tonks froze. Taking a deep breath she managed to take a step forward. A satisfied grin crept onto Pettigrew's face.
"Dora," Remus said quietly.
"Remus, please don't," she whispered, feeling tears rolling down her cheeks. Wormtail rolled his eyes.
"Yes, goodbye goodbye, it's tragic, whatever," he drawled impatiently. His eyes met his former friend's. "Well, we could always do a deal Moony," he suggested casually.
"Me for her," Remus said firmly. Tonks took a step back to be beside her best friend. Peter gave a bitter laugh.
"Don't flatter yourself, Remus," he spat. "No… Harry. Where is he?"
"Like we'd tell you," Tonks sneered at him. Peter paused, then moved forward and cracked her around the face with the back of his hand. She responded similarly with an angry fist. Remus moved between them. Tonks dabbed at her lip with a finger; it was bleeding. Peter shook his head slightly, dazed.
"You son of a bitch," Remus shouted at him. Peter pointed his wand at Lupin threateningly. Tonks began to panic. She took a step backwards, nearer the sofa.
"Harry," she breathed so softly that he almost didn't hear it. The boy looked up. Tonks wasn't looking at him but her hand was outstretched behind her back. "Wand," she whispered gently, making it sound like a sigh. Harry understood immediately, and pulled his wand from out of his pocket. He discretely passed it to her, and she stuck up a thumb behind her back. Harry grinned; typical Tonks.
"I would be very careful, if I were you Moony," Pettigrew was saying. "I could take everything from you, just like that." He snapped his fingers on his remaining hand in Lupin's face. Lupin flinched slightly, hating himself for it. Peter gave another laugh and, directing his wand at Remus, he called a Blasting Curse. Tonks thought fast and, remembering a lesson with Draco Malfoy that went terribly wrong, she cried:
"Reflecto Proprietor!"
Wormtail's eyes widened briefly before his spell bounced off an invisible barrier and hit him squarely in the chest, knocking him down. Remus turned to her slowly, clearly surprised. She waved Harry's wand at him playfully, offering him a grin and a wink.
"Still got it," she breathed boldly. However, her grin faded as Pettigrew wheezed a laugh from the floor. The couple looked down to see him holding the Marauder's Map, a delighted gleam in his cold eyes. Uh oh! thought Tonks and she turned to Remus, cringing.
"Oh, Harry!" Peter sang as he rose from the floor. "Come on out Harry, you're missing all the fun." Harry rose slowly from behind the furniture, feeling like a child who had been caught doing something he shouldn't. "It's been a while," Peter scoffed.
"Not long enough," Harry sneered at him. Pettigrew raised his eyebrows and turned to Lupin.
"Well, you've done an excellent job with him Moony, you really have. But I can take it from here. You," he pointed with his one hand at Tonks, "come with me. Bring the boy." Tonks hesitated then moved for what was once the portrait. Harry stood his ground. This angered Pettigrew and he raised his wand in attack position. Tonks gasped and raised Harry's wand in her own hand. What happened next surprised them all.
"Stupefy!" called a male voice from behind Tonks. A bolt of red light shot past her, hitting Pettigrew in the back and knocking him down. Lupin and Harry both turned to her.
"Don't look at me," Tonks said, also baffled. At that moment, Severus Snape entered the Gryffindor common room, looking down his nose at the unconscious man on the floor.
"Potter," he snapped. "Everyone has been wondering where you had gotten to. Once again, you manage to be the object of everybody's attention." Harry simply scowled at his teacher. Pettigrew began to stir, giving a groan of pain. Snape blinked in apparent revulsion.
"Well, I seem to have come at a bad time. Lupin, I believe that this is your fight; I'll leave you to it. Come along Potter, you've missed the Portkey, I'll have to take you to Hogsmeade myself." The man sounded rather put out, as if he had other plans. Harry scrambled out from behind the couch and grabbed at the Marauder's Map ("Mischief Managed!" he whispered), then picked up Tonks and Lupins' wands. Harry and Tonks swapped and the boy headed for the door, as Pettigrew began to moan once more.
"Wait," Remus called and Snape spun around in annoyance. "Take Dora with you."
"Remus, no!" she protested but he ignored her.
"Follow the tunnel to the Shrieking Shack. It'll be the safest," Remus told the man, who nodded.
"Come on then Tonks," Severus commanded. Harry was pulling her by the arm and she dug her heels into the carpet.
"No, get off! Remus, I can't leave you."
"You have to and you will." He moved to her, taking her shoulders and lowering his head to look into her eyes. "This isn't your fight, Nymphadora. It should never have been," he said quietly and she nodded, knowing he was right. "Go," he said, shoving her gently.
"Come back to me," she whispered, and followed Harry to the portrait hole. The boy looked to his guardian.
"Be careful," he stressed, but grinned boyishly, causing Remus to smile slightly.
"You too." Looking to Snape he said, "If anything happens to them–"
"I know I know, that'd make us both dead men," Snape told him dryly before following Harry out of the room. Tonks turned to look at him once more. I love you, she thought and wanted to say but it sounded too much like a goodbye. She simply gave a squeak and followed the wizards out of the room.
"I love you," Remus whispered, watching her go. Looking down to the floor, he saw his old friend begin to stir.
