Rejection

By Dimgwrthien

Disclaimer: I do not own aything relating to the Harry Potter series. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

There was a swift knock at the door as Molly Weasley finished washing the last of the dishes. Taking her wand from an inside pocket, she approached the door cautiously, glancing through the small window in it.

"Who's there?" she called out.

"It's me, Molly. Nymphadora," came the sullen voice. Not bothering to ask a question to assure herself that it was Tonks, she opened the door.

Framed in the darkness from outside was the young girl, brown hair hanging lank around her pale face, looking rather miserable.

"I just got off my shift, if you could tell Dumbledore," she said, pulling her cloak around her body more tightly. "I haven't gotten to see him lately and I know that he's stopping by here later."

As she turned around, Molly called out after her," Would you like some tea, at least?"

Tonks turned around again and shrugged. "Sure." Taking off her cloak as she entered, Tonks sat down at the table, shoulders hunched up around her and arms crossed on the table. Molly locked the door and got the kettle out again with two cups, tapping the kettle with her hand and forcing water to appear and heat instantly.

"Are you feeling alright, dear?" she asked nervously, glancing at Tonks' back.

"I - I guess I'm doing well enough," she answered quietly. Molly heard the trace of sadness creep into her voice, knowing the tone all too well.

"Does this have to do with Remus?" she asked her, filling the mugs with water and adding in the teabags.

Biting her lip, Tonks turned and looked her in the face as she sat down. "Well, yes."

"You should speak to him," Molly told her, stirring her tea distractedly.

"He's off on another mission," grumbled Tonks, frowning. "He keeps doing that. I haven't seen him in who knows how long." Bobbing the tea bag up and down in the water, she added, "And now he's acting as a spy on the werewolves."

Molly glanced up sharply. "We need a spy on them now?"

"Supposedly they all went to You-Know-Who or something," Tonks told her, taking a sip and still frowning. "That's all I know. Except I doubt he's going to be fine there." She sighed and Molly heard the sound of a ragged breath trying to hold back tears. "Remus not included, they're not… too nice. That I know."

Nodding in agreement, Molly said to her, "When will he be back, then?"

Tonks bent her head low over her mug, taking in more ragged breaths. "I don't know. Once he's managed to get some back to our side. It's dangerous. And - and I don't want the same thing to happen to him as…"

Molly knew what was going to be said and tried to steer away from the subject. "Don't worry. He'll make it. Remus is strong. He knows how far he can push before having to give in. I promise he'll be fine."

"He plans on spending a full moon there," Tonks muttered angrily as though it were all her fault.

Molly furrowed her brow. "Why in the world would be do that for?"

"I think that Fenrir Greyback or whoever it is wants him there for a full moon, prove he's a werewolf. Probably try to kill him." Now there were tears in her eyes and she covered her face with her hands, shoulders moving with her sobs. "It's hopeless! I tried to talk him out of the mission but he had to go on about how important it is…."

"It is important," Molly pointed out. Seeing Tonks's outrageous look, she added, "But it's unsafe. I agree. Though it would be best to have werewolves on our side instead of You-Know-Who's."

Tonks held the mug in both hands, staring into the brown surface as though trying to read into it. "I'm just so worried. Have you seen him lately?"

Molly shook her head. "I haven't seen many members lately. They only stop to tell me to pass a message to Arthur or Dumbledore and then leave."

Stirring the tea although it did not need it, Tonks told her. "He's a mess, I think. Si- his death really took a toll on Remus. He'll barely talk to any of us. Sometimes I can get him to talk, but not much. Won't do anything but work on missions lately."

"He's just trying to keep busy," Molly said suddenly. "He's the type of man to try and distract himself. He's going to be doing that until it sinks in more. When he's ready, he'll talk to you."

Shaking her head, Tonks said, "No, it's sunk in to him already. He's not mourning. Nothing like that from him at all. It's as though he doesn't care." She sounded bitter now and took a rather violent sip of tea.

"That's how he mourns," Molly corrected. "No one's seen him break down, I would think. He's too used to all of that happening."

"He shouldn't have to be!" Tonks snapped to the mug in her hands, tears coming to her eyes again. "Why does all of this have to happen anyway?"

Molly just shook her head and did not answer the question. They sat in silence until she spoke, a few moments later. "Have you at least spoken to him?"

Tonks seemed to know what she was talking about because she answered, "I tried a few times. Every time I bring it up, he goes on about how he's not good enough for me." She snorted into her tea without an humor. "Saying he's old and werewolves are dangerous, all of that."

Molly usually would have agreed that werewolves were indeed dangerous, but from what she knew of Remus, the man would never hurt anyone without reason. And she knew, from the way he spoke to Tonks and looked at her, that he loved her too.

"He's too afraid of rejection," Molly found herself saying without knowing where she was coming from. "He thinks that rejecting you now will save you rejecting him later."

"That's stupid," Tonks cut in. "I would never reject him." Behind them, there was the sound of knocking at the door.

"You'll have to tell him that yourself," Molly said to her, standing up to answer the door.