Rescued

Chapter 10

They had apparated back to Grimmauld Place quite early, but the former home of Sirius Black was filled with Order members anxiously awaiting the arrival of their two lost friends.

"Oh my god!" Shacklebot yelped. Sleeping at the kitchen table when he heard the 'pop' of their apparition, he rubbed his eyes and shouted, "She's back!" then leapt forward to hug Tonks. "My god, I never thought I'd miss you so much!"

"Umm… thanks Kingsley," she managed, giving him a small pat only to be met by Molly, Arthur, Hestia, Mad-Eye and her own parents, all hugging, squeezing and prodding her until she finally sighed, "Mum, can we just go home?"

Remus, throughout all of this, clung to the backmost wall of the kitchen, watching the woman he loved being welcomed back by all the people who loved her in return.

"Of course, darling," soothed Andromeda. But before anyone could say their goodbyes, Bill Weasley entered the kitchen.

"You're back!" he stated frankly.

"Yep. I'm a hard one to put down," joked Tonks, but Bill's eyes immediately left her for the man in the shadows.

"How dare you, Lupin!" he yelled, hand tightly gripping his wand.

Remus swallowed hard and prepared himself for the first of many accusations. "Bill, this isn't what you think," he calmly replied.

"No? You gave me a speech about being a vigilante, and then you run off to rescue her alone!" He was only voicing what the rest of the Order was thinking.

"I had an opportunity; a quick lead and I had to follow it," Remus replied, lips tight.

Bill's face flushed with anger. "You had no right to put her in more danger by dashing off on your own."

The room was hushed.

"I didn't have the right," Remus answered quietly.

Bill set his face hard and nodded to the small crowd. "Well, as you can see, Remus, you're not the only one who cares for her."

Lupin recognized his own words thrown back at him and winced. "Yes, I know I didn't…I didn't act rationally. I regret that. But once I found the lead, I couldn't turn back."

Tonks smiled tenderly at the travel-worn man under attack, this man she loved.

"Hey, I'm back. Remus was just following a lead… So…party tonight at mum's place?" she asked, trying to change the subject nonchalantly.

Instantly, all eyes turned away from Remus and back to Tonks. Without notice, he slipped out of the kitchen and back to his bedroom, where he spent the remainder of the day.

Around two in the afternoon, an owl arrived from Dumbledore requesting a meeting with Remus at Hogwarts. He had a cup of tea, then, rubbing his weary temples, apparated to the school's front gates and made his way to the headmaster's office with a heavy foot.

"Remus," the old wizard smiled, eyes twinkling. "I'm glad you're back. Please be seated."

"Hello, sir." He would always feel twelve when he had to face Albus across the headmaster's desk.

"I've heard Tonks is safely home."

"Yes, we arrived back early this morning," Remus replied, crossing his legs and trying to be casual.

"Well, go ahead. I need to hear everything."

Remus began with the clues then continued with information about Karkaroff, Malfoy, and finally Regulus Black.

"Karkaroff and Malfoy have been captured, and both have been put in Azkaban. I think the former mentioned something about an unspeakable curse, which I will pretend that I didn't hear. Both will stand charges for kidnapping; however, the Ministry was unable to locate Black."

"I see," replied Remus, rubbing his chin and wondering if it weren't better for Tonks if Black was never heard from again.

"This is where I'm confused, Remus. You rescued her two days ago," motioned to the note he'd received earlier, "yet you only returned this morning," Dumbledore stated, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"Yes, the gauntlets that kept her from apparating…it took us a few days to figure out the spell for removal." Lupin was consciously leaving out a very big detail.

"Ah yes, these gauntlets. Remus, I know that many in the Order are upset with you for running off to rescue Tonks alone."

Remus nodded, eyes downcast.

"But I understand you had a lead. You followed it, and you felt that the addition of fellow Order members might blow your cover. Correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"However, it would have been nice if you would have at least sent us your location the day of the rescue so that at least the Order could have come to her."

Eyes still downcast, he said quietly, "Yes sir. I was wrong in advising her otherwise." He was ready to take the blame.

After a short silence, Dumbledore pulled at his long beard and said, "I feel that part of this story is missing, Remus. Perhaps a part that you don't want to tell me?"

Remus squeezed his eyes shut. He hated keeping secrets from this man who had been so kind to him; but on the other hand, he wanted to protect Tonks' dignity.

"Sir, would it be enough to say that I am not hiding anything important; rather, I am not disclosing all that I know?"

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows.

"You see, some of what happened…" Remus' breathing hitched. "Was of a personal nature between Nymphadora and me. Telling you everything would break her confidence, and I can't do that. I'm sorry." And truly, he was.

Albus raised a hand. "You've said enough, Remus, to put my mind at ease. The confidence of a young woman should never be broken." Then standing, he walked over to Remus, who stood as well. "You know…what you did, rushing off to find Tonks without notice? Well, some say it was the action of a man in love."

Lupin's eyes widened, panic filling his chest. "Sir, I…" he began to protest.

But Dumbledore just chuckled. "You don't have to confess anything to me, Remus. It's only… Well, I was thinking, anytime there's a little more love in the world, it's a very good thing." With blue eyes peering over his half moon glasses, he laid a heavy hand against Remus' shoulder. "I think sometimes good men don't think they're worthy of love, for one reason or another."

Remus flushed and looked away.

"But Remus, no one, no matter how perfect, no matter how whole, is ever worthy of love." Moving closer, Albus smiled and whispered, "That's why when it comes our way, we must grasp it without fear, without understanding why it has come to us. Embrace it without thought."

Then stepping back, he smiled knowingly at Remus. "By the way, this package arrived for you yesterday." He nodded at a small parcel on his desk wrapped in Russian newsprint. "Now, if you don't mind, I need to be getting back to school business."

Remus took the package and quickly said his goodbyes. Once outside the front gates, he paused and unwrapped the paper with curiosity. Inside, a golden ring with a rising phoenix appeared, and instantly his heart clenched as he thought of Ilya. Attached around the band was a note:

"Remus,

You and I both have a very special friend; one who wished this gift relayed to you as a thank you for your kindness. I have played the role of orphan many times, but I have never met a man so true to his mission or one who would offer his heart to be a father to a stranger.

Accept this token of my gratitude.

Yours in Russia,

I."

The note left Remus more curious than sated. Putting the letter in his pocket, he looked at the ring and figured, why not. Perhaps he did think too much….and didn't Albus say he should occasionally accept without questioning? He slipped it onto his little finger and felt more like Alexis Lushkin than himself. And for the first time that day, he smiled.

Then thinking of Albus' advice and Tonks' words from the previous night, he shook his head and mused that life and love were truly mysteries.

tbc