Author: J.A.K.

Rating: R

Author's Note: I've been away for a while b/c I had to blow off some steam. This steam was due to the flames that I received for chapter six. That said, I also wanted to let you guys know now that I've had this chapter written for a while. It was attached with a very long author's note. After I let myself cool down a bit more, I decided that I was being too rash. See…the good thing about me is that I am a very nice person (I like to go out of my way to make people feel more comfortable around me). The bad thing about me is that I get angry very quickly. Maybe I need anger management classes, whatever… just know that all is well with this story. From this point forward I will be updating regularly (perhaps once every two weeks). If you want, you can read the extremely long author's note that I had intended to upload with this chapter. Oh, and I took some expletives out to make it a little less vulgar. I apologize now if I offend anyone.

OLD AN: After getting the feedback for this chapter and after twisting and turning the idea in my head for a few days now, I think that I've reached a decision. For those of you who have left a signed review up until the sixth chapter, I will give you a password to my website if you would like to continue reading my story. Some of you may be wondering why I would do something like this and to that, all I can say is: the flames are to blame. I have gotten bad reviews before, so I can handle them. What left me irate were two major things. One: some people chose to either directly or indirectly curse me out. Actually, only one person did that. What the FUCK for, I don't know, but he chose to do it. Two: after reading some of these reviews, it became evident that some of these same people had been reading my story either from the beginning or from several chapters before, but have never left a review up until this point. So it would appear that the only instance in which they have taken the time out to leave me a review is when they were dissatisfied with the direction I have taken my story—notably the pairing of Ginny and Draco. Maybe some people write such things and behave in such a manner on a regular basis, but to me that's just rude.

I didn't expect all of you to like the fact that I had paired Ginny and Draco together—for whatever reason—as I myself hate anything Ginny-esque, but everything in my fic is extremely relevant for things to come. I think the maturity and skill that an author has, is displayed by the fact that he or she may dislike or like a character but write them in a favorable or unfavorable light in their story. Some might think that what I'm doing is childish. Some might think ..."is it really that serious?" Well, like I said before, I have thought about this repeatedly and my answer to both of those questions is "I don't care if my actions are childish and YES—to me—it's that serious."

I love the reviews I've received thus far—both good and constructive—and even the ones that ticked me off, because they really do help the number of reviews I currently have, to go up. I think that I've been extremely nice, and have left the option open for you to tell me what you thought I needed to improve. In that regard, I respect Amscray for pointing out the relation between Ginny and Draco, as I was unaware that there was one in the first place. I checked it out on the Harry Potter Lexicon (which is JKR approved) and I now know that they are sufficiently removed from each other (as in not first or second cousins like you said) that I believe that I should not ruin my plot for that unforeseen obstacle.

To the ppl who have left me anonymous reviews before chapter 6 and would like to continue reading my story, please email me and I will find a way to give you the goods. I know this isn't the best written story on the internet, as so many people have written several fics that totally kick Affair's ass. But this is one of my fics that I still actually enjoy writing; one where I don't need reviews to motivate me to update. If the fun of it is ruined for me, then what's the point in continuing? Any way, this is the path I've decided to take for now. If once I've cooled down and I decide to do the whole thing differently, then I will simply start posting here again. Until that time, read, review, and most importantly, enjoy! I'm sorry for any hard feelings that some of you might have towards me but, hey…whatever…we all cool down eventually, right?

AN 2: Wasn't that really long and unnecessary? Well, you know now that I did calm down, and so here we are. By the way, if you're looking for a great Harry/Tonks story, please read CRACK, by SOLARIS DAY! You can find it on and . Solaris emailed me her third chapter and I seriously can't wait until she posts it and starts writing chapter four.

As always please read, review, and most importantly…enjoy!

Chapter Seven

Harry leaned further into the cool stone wall that silently supported his back. The moonlight hid only half of his face, leaving the other side exposed and vulnerable to any that might have happened across his path. That, however, was not a concern of his. It had been two weeks since he began frequenting this spot, and in all that time no one had come close to approaching his new found haven.

He expelled a deep gust of air and watched his breath condense into a thin slip of white mist. Harry looked down at his hand where his wand brushed reassuringly against his fingers. It would have been very easy to perform a heating spell, but he preferred the cold. The cold helped him stay focused. It kept him aware.

Fourteen days had passed since he ran out of Tonks' room. During that time neither of them had said a word to each other. After-hours training had come to an abrupt halt. There were no more late night trysts. There was barely any eye contact. Though she tried to feign indifference, he felt heavily concealed emotion simmering just beneath the surface. He didn't need three guesses to figure out what that emotion was.

Harry wouldn't blame Tonks if she never said another word to him. She had confided in him something of enormous weight and importance—something that would affect both of their lives. And at the first chance he got, he fled, leaving her to stare at him in shock and dismay. He was always angry at one person or another for treating him like a child, and there, in that one moment he had proved all of them right. An adult situation was very suddenly thrust upon him, leaving him to assume very adult responsibilities, and with his actions he showed her he couldn't handle the situation or those responsibilities.

With those affirmed revelations, Harry surprised himself when he found that his feelings on the matter hadn't radically changed since he first found out she was pregnant. He was still scared shitless. Knowing that there was soon going to be someone that depended on him for everything was still terrifying.

Skepticism was another recurring emotion that ran through his body. He was, as it were, extremely unsure about his capabilities as a father. But responding to things the way he did…

Harry needed to apologize to her and that was the end of it. Even though she was angry with him, he needed to let her know that he wouldn't abandon her. No matter what she decided he would stand by her decision. And though this thought brought on a hoard of guilt, Harry desperately wished that she wouldn't go through with it. He knew it was awful of him, but his fear aside, now was not the time to bring anyone into this world.

The wind rattling against the window abruptly pulled him out of his reflections. He was not disturbed by the sudden break in thought, however, as he had come to this conclusion many days ago. All he needed now was the courage to go through with his plan and actually talk to Tonks.

Someone somewhere must have been listening to his internal monologue because the one person that he was most afraid to see at that moment materialized right before his eyes.

Courage.

To be courageous.

It was a simple expression, yet it entailed so much. For the past two weeks she had been the antithesis of the very word. Every time she had seen him, every time she had been given a chance to talk to him, she had quickly put on an air of nonchalance and went on her way. Underneath her show of indifference, however, was a swell of pain and embarrassment.

She had been foolish to think that Harry was anything more than a seventeen year old boy looking to have a good time. Actually, she had to correct herself. Harry was more than a seventeen year old boy…in so many more ways than one. A blush slowly crept across her cheeks at that thought. She had been foolish to think that he was anything more than an average male who liked having good sex, but could very quickly detach himself from the experience.

She didn't blame him really. She was the one who let things go to the next level. She was the one who ignored that voice in the back of her head that had warned her that she could be facing circumstances similar to the one that she was in right now if she wasn't careful.

Tonks tripped over a piece of broken stone, and fell. A curse floated lightly across the night air.

Springing up quickly—after all, this sort of thing did happen to her often—she brushed herself off and continued walking as though the fall had never occurred.

Courage wasn't the only thing she needed. Foot coordination wouldn't be half bad either. But she had never had that, so wishing for it to happen would be a waste of energy.

Tonks continued walking. He was around here somewhere and she knew if she searched long enough, she would find him. Paying closer attention to her steps, Tonks once again fell subject to her musings.

Harry cared for her, that much she knew. She wasn't sure how much of that extended beyond caring and towards actual love. Privately, she knew that she shouldn't have been lamenting over his feelings.Tonks knew how she felt for him and that was why she was doing this.

She stopped dead in her tracks. Not twenty paces from she stood, a silhouette of a young man stretched the length of the stone floor. Tonks looked hard, but she couldn't tell if the boy was wearing glasses.

Courage, she thought, and walked up to him. He turned exactly as she approached his position, and she could see from his expression that he was somewhat startled by her presence. Nervous and unsure she put on a mask of detachment to help herself speak to him.

"Where are you specs?" She said evenly.

It took him a moment to answer, as if he were trying to determine whether or not she was actually standing there.

Harry adjusted himself from his relaxed position and squinted his eyes. Clear vision quickly fell upon him as he mumbled a few words underneath his breath. Silently, he told himself to pull it together. Now was not the time to just sit and gape at her.

If only he could remember her question.

"I, uh…" Harry searched his mind. "Ron stepped on them earlier."

She didn't ask him why he hadn't simply fixed them and moved on. Instead, she told him that they needed to talk—at the very moment he said the same thing. They both laughed nervously as they eyed one anther.

"You first," Harry said softly.

How could she tell him what she had to say?

Just do it, Tonks told herself. Wasn't that what she was always telling Harry?

"I uh," she paused searching for the right words. "You don't have to worry about my situation anymore."

Harry, hands in pocket, couldn't help himself. He had to correct her.

"I was never worried about—"

"No listen to me." Tonks warily shook her head and planted her feet. This would be hard to tell him.

"You don't have to worry about the baby anymore." She kept her eyes firmly locked on her slippers. Sadly, she didn't have enough courage to watch him as he invariably figured out her unspoken words.

Harry, however, didn't think there was anything extra to consider.

'That's what I was going to tell you," he started, extending his hands. His eyes were bright with excitement and his face was soft with cheer. "I don't want to think about—"

"No listen," Tonks said. Watching her feet fixedly, she took a deep breath before she continued. "You don't have to worry about the baby because…I'm not pregnant anymore."

Silence.

It stretched on for what seemed like forever. After an eternity, Tonks finally summed up enough nerve to meet his eyes. What she saw there both gladdened and saddened her at the same time. Was that relief that she saw on his face? If it was, then good. What she had to tell him next would be that much easier.

Harry didn't know why he wasn't feeling more relieved. Hadn't he secretly wished that she would tell him those exact words time and again for the past fourteen days?

Shock kept him from talking; kept him from blinking; it almost kept him from breathing.

"The whole situation made everything so complicated." Tonks sighed. "And you're too young to handle that kind of responsibility."

Harry found his voice at that comment; however his words weren't given a chance to be spoken.

"I'm too young for that kind of responsibility." Tonks stared at him, preparing herself to express the rest of her well thought out speech.

"You as a person require so much," she could feel herself breaking. But she couldn't shatter just yet. "But what you need isn't from me." Taking a deep breath to stop the tears that had began to fill her throat, she started again.

"Our relationship was beautiful," Tonks saw him open his mouth and moved closer to him so that she could place a finger over his lips. "But it should never have been." She couldn't stop herself from quickly caressing the side of his face. "Me getting pregnant just brought me out of the fantasy land that we've both been living in for this past year."

Tonks started to reach for his hands but quickly pulled back, telling herself that such an action wouldn't be wise at this point.

"And so Harry, I…I just…" she gave the ground a fleeting looking before returning his intense gaze. "I just wanted to tell you…goodbye."

He watched as she stared at him, waiting for him to say something. But this time, her words had truly rendered him speechless. He watched as she waited, and waited, and then started to turn away from him, eyes resolute. He watched as her carefully woven façade slipped for one moment, true pain radiating from her face.

He felt something within him break.

Harry closed the distance between them and grabbed her by the elbow, turning her around so that she faced him. He pushed her against the wall, his fingers digging painfully into her sides, and he kissed her. He kissed her with a desperation he hadn't felt since Sirius' death.

Tonks knew that it was wrong. She had finally conjured up enough guts to end things, and here it was she was being sucked right back into it. Literally. His lips were pulling on hers as if he was drowning, and kissing her mouth was the only thing that would save him. Harry's tongue worked unrelentingly against her own, and when she heard the deep guttural moan that escaped his throat, she knew that her staged goodbye was for naught.

Harry felt her arms wind around his neck. The feel of her fingers pulling on the dark tufts of his hair was reassuringly familiar. So much so, that he couldn't help the sigh that escaped his lips as he pulled away from her. They were both breathing heavily as he rested his forehead against hers.

The longer his mouth stayed away from hers the more she regained her senses.

"Harry we shouldn't—" was all she was able to get out before he once again pressed his lips against hers.

He didn't want to hear whatever it was she was going to tell him. He just wanted to feel. He wanted to make her feel as well. Harry squeezed her hips a bit harder as he lifted her. He was thankful when she wrapped her legs around his waist without any prodding from him.

Tonks could barely believe that she was responding to him this way, but the fact of the matter was he always made her feel good. A shiver coursed through her body as his fingers slipped beneath her top and cupped her breasts, his thumbs rubbing teasingly against her nipples. He pulled away from her mouth and ran his lips along the side of her neck, and all Tonks could do was squeeze her eyes tighter and suppress her moans as she lean her head against the wall.

Harry always thought his name sounded best when it came out of Tonks' mouth while she was in this state.

"Harry…please." She could hear the desperation in her voice, but she didn't know whether she was desperate for him to stop or desperate for him to continue.

Harry didn't need any further invitation. His fingers, which couldn't stop trembling, came up from out of her top and began the task of unbuttoning his pants. He stopped where he was on her neck and began kissing her on the mouth again.

She was lost in all that he was giving her until the sound of his zipper brought her out of her temporary insanity. This couldn't happen she realized. Not if she wanted to help him. Not if she wanted her plan to work.

Tonks pulled away from his kiss.

"Harry," her breathing was uneven. "Someone could see us here."

His hands were frenzied as he pulled at the tie on her pajama pants.

"I don't give a shit." He said, whispering and yelling at the same time.

Tonks tried to pull away from him, but her attempts were half-hearted at best. Harry was indeed her weakness. Perhaps she was his. That thought alone affirmed something within her; something that let her know for certain that the plan was still in route.

At that moment, he got the tie undone and pushed her pants down. Tonks sighed. She would enjoy herself this time. She would let herself have some last semblance of happiness before the final curtains came down on this act.

Ron dreamt. The dreams were disconnected, but clear.

There was one that revealed Tonks and Dumbledore talking.

The background was painted gold.

He raised his eyebrows at that but said nothing as their hushed voices traveled through one ear and out the next.

Another showed Ginny smiling.

The background was painted gray.

Ron smiled back at her because he realized that she was happy.

His final dream bared Dean Thomas. Though there were no emotions visible on his face, he could feel his satisfaction. He felt his contentment. For those sunny thoughts, Ron gave him a hug. Anybody who could move beyond their parent's death deserved one in his book.

The background was painted green.

Ron sprang up from his bed. He looked around his room and calmed his breathing when he realized where he was. The heads of Neville, Seamus, and Dean poked out from underneath their covers. Where was Harry, he wondered. A smile slowly formed on his lips as he realized what his best friend must have been doing at this very moment and with whom he was doing it. A little bit calmer, Ron started to ease himself back into a lying position as he pulled his sheets back over his chest.

He paused.

There was a layer of moisture on the very edge of his sheets. He saw, upon closer inspection, that his sweaty palms had been the culprit. The sheet was crinkled there as well, as if he had been gripping the cotton material exceptionally hard. His brow creased in confusion. Ron could remember his dreams very clearly. Although the content was undeniably strange, he had been comfortable with them because they were pleasant.

He looked at his fingers again.

They were quivering ever so slightly.

Question after question sprang into his mind, but the one that kept repeating itself time and again asked: if his dreams had been so lovely, why then was he reacting as if he'd just had a nightmare?

AN 3: Was it a little too dramatic? I was going for heartfelt emotion. Let me know what you like and dislike. Maybe I should add this now. No flames please. Thank you!!!!

Remember: Embrace the ship of Tonks and Harry forever!!!

Was it a little too dramatic? I was going for heartfelt emotion. Let me know what you like and dislike. Maybe I should add this now. No flames please. Thank you!!!!