She screwed up her face and pushed.
Nothing happened. Well, nothing besides the blinding pain that speared through her temples.
"Ow. Bloody, buggering ow."
She had been trying to morph for an hour now, and the only thing she had to show for it was a massive headache.
There was, of course, no reason for her to morph right now, but it kept her occupied and kept her from waiting for Remus to show up.
She'd been waiting all day, and there was no sign of him.
He'd forgotten, she told herself. On the other hand, maybe he'd come to his senses and realized there was no reason to visit her.
She gingerly laid her head back down and dropped the mirror she'd been holding into her lap.
It wasn't as if she cared.
Tears gathered in her eyes. She didn't care, not one whit.
Why hadn't he come?
She screwed her face up again, pushing.
"Arrgh."
The door opened slowly.
"Tonks?"
She didn't open her eyes. Obviously, she'd given herself brain damage, and she was hallucinating.
"Nymphadora? Are you alright?"
She cracked one eye open. No, she wasn't hearing things. Remus stood in the doorway.
Opening both eyes, she tried to sit up. The wash of pain left her gasping. "Oh, bloody hell."
Remus rushed to her side. "Tonks, what's wrong? Do you need help?"
She let him guide her back to a prone position. "Was trying to morph." She forced out. "got a bleeding headache."
"Why were you trying to morph? You shouldn't be pushing yourself." He said gently as he rearranged the bedclothes over her.
How could she answer that? She couldn't tell him that she didn't want him seeing her like this, with mousy hair and blotchy skin. She shrugged.
"You were trying to make your hair pink, weren't you?" He asked shrewdly.
She shrugged again. "Maybe."
"Why?" He asked as he sat in the wooden chair beside her bed again.
"I hate my hair." She mumbled.
He laughed. "It's just hair, Tonks."
"It's bloody awful. I look like something the cat threw up."
"Oh that's a lovely image." He replied.
Her head throbbed. "Thought you weren't coming." She said her voice accusatory.
"I'm sorry. I was delayed. Had to sneak in, you know."
Her heart bumped in her chest. "You snuck in? To see me?"
"I promised, didn't I?"
She closed her eyes. He hadn't promised, not exactly.
"Thank you." She whispered.
"No, thank you, Tonks. You gave me something to look forward to all day."
"Really?"
His fingers brushed her hand. "yes. Really."
In honesty, he'd argued with himself all day over the benefits and minuses of visiting her again. In the end, he had gone walking and ended up at St Mungo's.
When he was standing outside the door to her room, and heard her cry out, his heart had literally stopped in his chest.
He didn't want to think on it, not right now. He gazed at her face, even paler today than she'd been yesterday.
"Can't they give you a potion or something for your head?" He asked.
"Sadists. Say I've had all the potions I can have today."
"Anything I can do?" He took her hand in his, his thumb stroking the back of it.
She didn't answer right away, then she sighed. "Keep doing that?"
"What?"
"My hand. Keep rubbing my hand?"
He looked down. He hadn't even realized what he was doing. He continued caressing her hand.
"Do you like that?" He questioned his voice strangely hoarse.
Her lips curved a little. "Mmm."
He stayed with her until her breathing evened out, and he was certain she was asleep. Then he released her hand, standing up and bending over her.
Pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, he smoothed back her hair. "Sleep, love. I'll see you tomorrow."