Author's note: another update, much yayness! Please r&r, it gives you warm fuzzy feelings (and I read your stuff too!) Ta
Mirror, Mirror
Chapter Nineteen: Black Hearts
"HOW DARE YOU CALL ME THAT!" she screamed running towards him, and sent a silent curse through the air. He blocked her curse with ease.
"Stupefy," he muttered, freezing Tonks mid-run. She toppled forwards, smacking her head on the pavement. She could feel blood trickling down her paralysed face.
"Now now, Nymphadora, we don't want anyone to get hurt now do we?" Rodolphus said, sneering at her, not noticing that Remus had stepped forward and was aiming his wand at him. With a whispered curse, he sent Rodolphus flying through the air, knocking over his fellow death eaters like skittles. Remus quickly un-stupified Tonks and helped her to her feet as all hell broke loose.
Spells of all colours flew across the street, flashing bright against the blackened sky. Some hit their targets, others hit someone else, others missed entirely. They began pairing off into their separate duels, as a disappointing number of Tonks and Kingsley's colleagues arrived. If this was the cavalry, the order were well and truly doomed.
Tonks fired a stunner at Bellatrix. She ducked, the spell hitting an unsuspecting junior auror square in the back. Bella sent one back in Tonks' direction.
"It doesn't have to be like this Nymphadora," Bella shouted through the chaos. "You're a Black at heart."
Tonks face hardened.
"Crucio," she whispered. Bellatrix was caught off guard and doubled over in pain, her face contorted. Tonks stood over her aunt, wand raised.
"Well look at that," she said, kicking Bellatrix hard in the face. "So I am."
Bella's wand had fallen from her hand and lay a few feet away. She scrambled towards it on her hands and knees, blood streaming down her face. Just as her white fingers clasped around the contrasting wood, Tonks' blood smeared boot fell upon them. Bellatrix yelped and tried to recoil but Tonks' foot only pressed harder. She bent down and picked up her aunt's battered old wand and snapped it clean in two. Over Bellatrix's head, Kingsley was duelling with Rodolphus and he was winning. He finished off Bella's husband as she watched helpless. No sooner had Kingsley done so, he was engaging with another death eater, but he was badly wounded and was now at the disadvantage. Across the road Molly was doing surprisingly well against a rather tall skinny young man Tonks was sure she'd met at work.
Tonks raised her wand above the cowering shell of Bellatrix. This was for Alice and Frank and Neville, for Andromeda and Edward, for Narcissa, for Draco and for Sirius.
"Tourjous pur," Tonks spat. "Avada Kadavra."
A bolt of green shot from Tonks' wand with a fury all it's own, hitting Bellatrix and smashing her limp body into Molly Weasley, knocking her unconscious. Ironically, unconsciousness generally being the safest state of being during battle, Tonks didn't have time to worry about her. Two death eaters had Remus cornered amongst the rubble of a partially collapsed garden wall. Tonks hurled a stunning spell at a large death eater in her way, and ran down the road towards Remus. Already weakened by the impending full moon, he was no match for the two men. He was bleeding profusely from a wound to his shoulder, but he fought on regardless, inflicting a surprising amount of damage. Tonks fired off spells at his assailants, taking them by surprise. One fell quickly, the other took some considerable effort but fell also. By the time Tonks reached Remus, he looked paler than ever, slumped against the remaining portion of wall. Tonks healed his wounds as best she could, wishing she'd taken the advance healing course at work instead of basic first aid. After her best efforts, he was bleeding less, but still bleeding. She tore strips from the bottom of her shirt and bound them tightly round his shoulder. She dug around in Remus' blood soaked pockets and pulled out a half-eaten bar of chocolate. She broke off a chunk and popped into his mouth. She put the rest of the bar into his good hand and kissed him, tears running down her face. Tonks dragged Remus around the edge of the wall, out of sight and out of harm. The door to the nearby house was open, Tonks spotted a coat rack, ran inside and took one from the hook. She went back to Remus and pulled the jacket around him. She brushed a strand of grey-blonde hair from his scarred face and kissed him again.
"I won't be long, promise," she whispered, and ran back into the fray wiping away her tears. She didn't know how much longer she could go on. Tonks had been close to death only a few hours previously and little had changed. But she had to go on, she had to see it through.