Rescued

Chapter 12

Remus stretched and with a contented smile from the first fully restful sleep he'd gotten in nearly two years, he got out of bed, shaved (even his upper lip) and dressed. Although throughout this entire process he was looking at himself in the mirror, his mind was blissfully elsewhere.

Closing his eyes, and gently touching his fingertips to his lips; the place she had kissed just over twelve hours before, he sighed and whispered her name lovingly, "Nymphadora."

With a light heart, he finished knotting his tie and proceeded down the upstairs hallway of Grimmald Place, but before he could put a foot on the stairs, he was abruptly met by the head of the Weasley family.

"Remus!" Arthur's face was tense. Then, as if trying to appear calm, even though he obviously wasn't, he smiled tightly, "Good morning. On your way to breakfast?"

"Yes," Remus answered cautiously. His stomach knotted. Arthur wouldn't be here unless something was going really wrong.

"Have you seen the morning paper?"

Lupin paused mid-staircase. "What's happened?"

Holding up the Daily Prophet, Weasley replied, "I think you're the one that needs to tell me."

Two headlines wrestled for his attention. The first was above a smug photograph of Lucius Malfoy, "Wrongly Accused? Love tryst gone wrong, says Malfoy." The second headline read, "Love bites for Ministry Auror!" The headline danced above a moving picture of himself and Tonks lip-locked in a zealous embrace.

"Dear god," Remus said reaching for the paper.

"It's in all of them." Arthur replied motioning to a stack beneath his arm.

Remus suddenly felt nauseous.

"Remus, it's alright." Arthur sensed his friend's anxiety, and gently touched his arm, biding him down the stairs, "Let's have some tea and discuss what we should do."

They sat down at the table, and Remus began reading the articles. Even strong tea wasn't making him feel better.

"Wrongly Accused?

'It was a love tryst gone wrong,' says Malfoy accused of kidnapping Ministry Auror Nymphadora Tonks and holding her for seven days until her rescue by former Hogwart's professor, Remus Lupin. 'Nymphadora and I shared a few passionate days together. She's young and beautiful, I was lead astray. But honestly, I am guilty of nothing more than being unfaithful to my wife and that, although I am terribly ashamed, is no crime under wizarding law.' Malfoy went on to point to evidence in recent photographs (see lower article), 'Unfortunately, I was deceived; played a fool by Ms. Tonks who pretended to be in love with me while all the time she was…she was in love with him…' A tear dampened Mr. Malfoy's cheek, as he continued in apparent anguish. 'These photographs clearly show that Nymphadora had planned this trumped up kidnapping charge all the time; probably with her boyfriend, werewolf. She's knows I'm a strong supporter of the werewolf registration act and I wouldn't doubt it if she was the reason I was accused of being a follower of You-Know-Who last year.' After a long sigh, Mr. Malfoy concluded, 'It's obviously another desperate attempt at my credibility; leaving me with a tarnished reputation and a broken heart."

"He's saying she framed him?" Remus said disbelieving.

"It appears that's going to be his alibi."

Remus sighed deeply as his eyes roved to picture of him and Tonks.

"Love bites for Ministry Auror!

This anonymous gossip columnist caught the recently returned Ministry Auror Nymphadora Tonks and rescuer/ former Hogwart's professor, Remus Lupin engaged in rapturous embrace Thursday night in front on Ms. Tonks parents' home in South Hampton. Ms. Tonks, who claims she was kidnapped by Lucius Malfoy, is twenty seven years old, a Weird Sister devotee and level four Auror, guard division. Mr. Lupin, who suffers from lycanthropy is thirty-nine and is currently unemployed.

Friends claim they knew of no previous romantic relationship between Tonks and Lupin and this reporter wonders has the damsel fallen in love with her prince charming or has she been seduced by Lupin's dark and rumored, animalistic charms? We'll be awaiting their next howl."

Remus released the paper, the public stab at his age and his lycanthropy felt like a smack in the face. Yet, as horrible and as low as he was feeling, she was the only thing on his mind, "Does Nymphadora know?"

"I would assume she does by now. The Ministry sent their two top barristers to her home this morning. They want you two to stay apart, at least in the eyes of the public until after the trial on Saturday."

Remus cursed himself giving in to her love; allowing himself to have what he did not deserve. "I never meant for this to happen," he said softly, regret edging each word.

Arthur could sense the pain in Lupin's voice. Knowing him from the first war and the losses that he had especially suffered, Remus was a special cause to Arthur. Both he and Molly always had great respect for Lupin's mind and his abilities as well as his loyalty to The Order; however, both sensed his emotional withdrawal from the other Order members as well as general wizarding society when James and Lily were murdered and Sirius incarcerated.

When one worries about seven children, worrying about an eighth person seems no great burden, and somewhere along timeline, Remus Lupin because number eight in Molly's worry list; eleven years later, Harry Potter became number nine. Perhaps Arthur was the archetypal father, and thus, with paternal love, he felt responsible for guiding Remus through the angular corridors of love.

"Remus, what's going on between you and Tonks is certainly none of my business, but it hasn't eluded Molly and me that to two of you…Well, you've seemed quite fond of one another for a long time."

"Yes," answered Remus quietly. "I've been..." He started and then abruptly stopped, raising his blue eyes to Arthur, pain ready. "I'm sorry, I've disgraced the Order."

"No, no," Arthur answered quickly, grasping Lupin's forearm, "You haven't done anything of the sort!" Then chucking, asking lightly, "You and Tonks; you're in love?"

Remus closed his eyes, shaking his head with disbelief, "I think so." Then returning to his old pessimism, "Gods Arthur. I had loved her for so long, but I never meant for her to know."

Arthur glanced at the photograph in the paper, "That seems a mute point at this stage."

"I told her I was too old," Remus continued, rubbing his forehead, "too dangerous."

"I'm guessing that didn't detour Tonks?"

"No. But I could have shown restraint. I could have held her off longer."

Arthur leaned closer, voice calm, but sincere, "Remus; Nymphadora Tonks is a beautiful, kind, talented witch and she's in love with you. There's no sin in returning her love. In fact, most would say that love is its own reward."

"She deserves better, she deserves a young man… a whole man." The last words; his fears, were only a whisper.

"Young men don't stay that way." Arthur gave a silent prayer that the younger man at his side might actually internalize his heart felt words, "And if you're referring to yourself as being less than human, you're absolutely wrong. The blood of the wolf may live in your body, but it is a man that possesses the heart and the soul."

Remus looked down, still despondent as Arthur continued.

"I heard Sirius Black tell you once during a transformation, as the wolf invaded your body, though your flesh became the beast, that you resided here," and Arthur touched the younger man's chest, just above his heart. His blue eyes pierced the younger man with a passionate wisdom, "This is what she loves."

Instinctively, Remus grasped his hand, knuckles white. "Dear Merlin, I didn't know it possible to love a woman this much."

"I know," a slight smile came over his face. "I thought the same thing the first time Molly kissed me."

Remus looked at him with question.

"I was from a poor family of twelve children. There wasn't a boy in our bunch who didn't wear another man's britches first... When Molly told me she wanted to date me, I thought she was lowering herself. You see, she was the only child of two prominent ministry officials; my father was a wand repairman, my mother a cleaning lady."

Arthur couldn't help notice the change in Remus's expression, and he knew he was getting through. "Are you surprised?"

"I didn't know."

"Pure blood certainly doesn't guarantee a heavy purse." Arthur laughed again, "Remus, what I'm trying to say is, don't sell yourself short. Nymphadora has given her heart to you and a woman's heart is fragile thing. And she's not naïve; she'll not be blaming this rubbish on you." He said pointing to the papers.

Remus nodded, somehow believing he was correct in his perception of Tonks. "Will you see her today."

Arthur stood, "I'm going there next, actually."

"Tell her I'm sorry for this." Then fidgeting with his tea cup, "Tell her, if she needs me…If she really needs me, I'll be here."

Placing a strong hand on Lupin's shoulder, Arthur smiled reassuringly, "I will and if I learn anything new, I'll see you immediately."

"I'd wonder how she's taking all this," Remus said, staring into his empty tea cup.

"Knowing Tonks, probably rather dramatically."

Remus laughed as he thought about what expression might be crossing her face at this very moment; his heart lighter, "Yes, she's never one to hold back her feelings."

"Hopefully the Tonks homestead is still standing."

Remus stood and offered his hand in sincere gratitude, "Thank you."

Arthur took it, and with a knowing look replied, "Anytime, Remus."

And with that, Arthur Weasley departed Grimmald Place for the Tonks town home; his gift to Remus, a wonderful four letter word…hope.

tbc

Please be kind, my beta reader is on holiday.