What's Real

Dimly, the sensation of being carried registered in her mind -

Thoughts of Severus surfaced… but she could not think about him. Not now.

Now she had to think about herself… even as her head ached incessantly, she chose to open her throbbing eyes… even if only for a few moments -

Dark, rustling leaves stirred in the icy winds… the rhythmic pounding of his footsteps on the wet concrete accompanied by the glare of passing streetlights. She inhaled the sweet night air and tightened her slackening grip around his neck, squeezing her fingers painfully to lock her hold.

Then the sound of a familiar, if forgotten, smooth voice sounded close by. 'We should be almost there… Keep hold of her Remus, don't let her fall…'

So it was… Remus… who carried her. Somewhere beneath the shock and numbness she felt awed by this realization. Lupin complied with Tonks' statement, shifting her weight on one hip and steadying his pace.

For a few blissful moments, a wave of nausea surged up… she fainted…

…dull…

…numb

…yet safe…

'Let me see her. I have to…'

'Harry hold on. She's… in a state… she needs time to rest-'

'I need to see her!'

With that, the messy haired seventeen year old broke through the barricade of bodies and strode over to where the bundle of entangled sheets hid the sleeping girl -

Remus tensed as he watched the young man lower himself precariously beside her limp form, raise a shaking hand to caress the sheet and gently reveal a slackened hand. He grasped it -

'Have the Weasleys been told?' Minerva, eyes red-rimmed behind her glasses and hair trailing out of its neat bun, turned to him with a sombre expression.

'Minerva, I don't want them here… not while we're interrogating him… and her…'

'Is it true..?' He could tell by the horror in her expression that he need not enquire what she was referring to.

'I believe so… she has the mark.'

'It was him! He did it…'

'No Harry… she as good as attacked me. I believe her to be turned…'

'YOUR WRONG!'

Remus shook his head, eyes sliding from the intense glimmering gaze of the young man to the girl that stirred in his arms -

'Severus…' her lips formed the word with painstaking angst, voice catching in her throat -

'He's… around. Hermione, what have you done?' He traced her jaw line with his fingertips and her eyes flickered at the sensation.

'I… I wanted - to h-help y-you…' Her eyes pleaded what her voice could not -

'Ok… it's ok… here' he pressed a glass of clear water to her dry lips 'You need food… real food. And perhaps a bath…'

'I need Severus…' she retorted -

He grimaced and fixed her with a meaningful expression 'What… happened. Between you and him'

She smiled, almost glaringly, and whispered 'We… made…' she found that she could not finish that sentence…

'She's delusional'

'She's just upset-'

'No, she thinks she loves him' Remus could not help his voice breaking slightly -

'Maybe she does'

'He's old… too old for her'

At this, Tonks' smile wavered slightly. She shrugged and turned back toward the window 'He took care of her-'

Remus snorted 'Maybe what you and I consider as taking care of after two different matters'

'Yeah, well, maybe I know a little of where she's coming from…'

The rusted bronze taps took a while to persuade, but eventually the sound of running water broke the uncomfortable silence that had been ringing in her ears for a while.

She tipped her head back and immersed as much of herself under the waters' surface as she could manage - the water was only be luke-warm but her skin tingled with the shock of the forgotten sensation. She had been satisfied to find an old bottle of conditioner at the back of the cupboard under the sink and although its label was faded and peeling, its plastic grimy with dust, she was more than happy to use its contents on her matted tresses -

It's funny how luxuries mean so much more than necessities sometimes -

'Have you drowned yet?' She ignored the voice that rattled from the other side of the door, casting a wary eye toward the rusted lock. Tonks' was indeed waiting for her when she eventually emerged shivering and dripping wet -

The effect was starling, gone was the building residue and grease in those tangled locks, gone was flaked blood leaving patches of dry grazes - not perfect, far from it, but a visible improvement. Tonks steered her toward the master bedroom, a simple four-poster double and a rather ornate mirror gave the room a sense of grandness, finding her bag and tipping its contents, scattering clothes in an unruly mess , it took less than a few seconds to allocate her hairbrush amidst the pile and sit Hermione on a stool in front of her.

She gently tended to the matted knots and kept up a healthy chit chat as only Tonks could. Eyes sore and red, mouth quivering slightly, Hermione barely spoke.

But it was enough…

'So anyways… I ended up looking like a right idiot and to make matters worse, the official papers were scattered halfway across the street, all trudged up and soaked in the rain - it was a nightmare'

Hermione smiled slightly, a shy smile -

'What's going to happen to him - Severus I mean'

Tonks paused slightly, having found a particularly hard knot, her eyebrows joining in a contemplative frown 'I'm not sure… you… your close… aren't you'

Hermione smiled wider, twisting her fingers and staring at her lap 'He's not… I mean. It's… different… it's real I guess…'

'What's real?' Tonks persisted, finally looping the hair and ripping the knots in the teeth of the brush . But as Hermione was about to answer, a shadow fell across the room in the form of Remus, who leant over and pecked Tonks hastily on the cheek before 'Molly Weasley is here… she's cooked dinner for us… I think you should eat something Hermione'.

She took a deep steadying breath and nodded. She had nothing to be afraid of…

… did she?

Ok, I know your probably bored now… but I'm balancing my work with my college course… so there… pretty soon the plot might even make an appearance…

Again Perido sends her love to all those reviewers…

XxPeridoxX