CHAPTER 3
TIME
He was running. Breathing so hard he thought his lungs would explode, he ran corridor past corridor to find her. Would he be too late? Running through the bluish gloom of the room with many doors, He ran into the door that led to a room filled in a downward spiral by benches, eventually leading to an ancient archway in the center, a veil flowing in it's entrance. 'No' he though running down panting and tripping bench after bench. 'Not Tonks... Not her too..' getting nearer to the bottom. A sick feeling swelled in his heart, and a sudden nausea hit him as he saw what looked like a hand coming out from under the veil. He ran faster...he was getting close. Sliding on his knees to what he thought was a hand suddenly morphed into a snake that hissed menacingly before striking. He was instantly paralyzed by a blinding pain, his eyes blazing as he slowly began to take his werewolf form. With a deafening howl, the snake's poison still flowing through his veins, he leapt up to see the form of a young woman who had just run through the door. 'Kill her' a voice was telling him. His hunger was so strong, and her blood smelled so sweet. 'Dont... NO' an even fainter voice tried to scream, but before he could stop himself, he leapt upon the young woman slashing deeply into her chest, face, and stomach. Her blood splatterd everywhere, and he simply paid no attention to the young woman's scream. He merely licked her sweet blood of his lips enjoying every moment of his nails cutting into her young and tender flesh... "NO!" Lupin screamed as he awoke with a start. His breath was raspy, his body drenched in his own cold sweat. It was still the dead of night, the wind howling in through his open window. The November frost was creeping through his room at an alarming rate. He looked down to his hands, sickly white and dripping with sweat. He spat on the ground, revolted with himself for finding such joy in drinking her blood and tasting her flesh. Slowly, he began whimpering hysterically, slamming his head into the wall as his sobs became louder and louder. The frost creeped in faster still, until suddenly, the door to his bedroom was flung wide open. Before he could realize what was going on, he heard her shout "EXPECTO PATRONUM", and an enourmous, bright, four footed creature raced throught the small beaten room, chasing away the two dementors inside of it. How they got there, he could not understand, nor could he understand what had brought them. Moments later, Tonks had slammed his window shut, shoving out the screaming dementors as her patronus chased them well off of the murky grounds that held up Grimmauld place. Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley and Mad-Eye burst through the door moments later with their wands raised and the light from the stairway lit. "Remus? What in God's name happened in here? " demanded Arthur, hit nightcap bobbling on his head "And why is it so cold?". "Dementors. Two of them. I'm pretty sure my patronus chased them off, but if two of them got up here, then they probably weren't alone" panted Tonks. "Dementors! Here? Alastor come with me. Molly, Tonks, stay with Remus, and see to it that he gets a calming draught" ordered Arthur running down the hallway stairs with Moody at his heels. Mrs.Weasley fumbled her wand back into her robe, and huried over toward the sweaty, pale Remus. "I'll go get some chocolate, and fix an anti-shock draught. Tonks, can you stay with him?" she added, and with Nymphadora's nod, she too ran down the steps. Before Lupin could speak or object, Molly was gone. He did not want to be alone in a room with Nymphadora Tonks- not after what he had just seen himself doing to her. Tonks remained looking through the window at the grounds. She hadn't spoken a word to him. He was shaking, too weak to say anything to her. After a long five minute silence, Lupin was no longer crying or whimpering, and his breath had been getting closer and closer to being normal. Moments later Molly bustled through the door, a tray of Chocolate, cookies, tea, and anti-shock potion in hand. "Help me dear" she said to Tonks placing the tray at the foot of Remus' bed. Remus still could not speak, and kept staring at Tonks as though silently pleading with her for her to look at him. Their eyes never met once, hers being downcast the whole time while breaking up small pieces of chocolate for him. She put a piece of it in his shaky hand as Molly ran back down the stairs to fetch more tea. He grabbed her by the wrist as tightly as he could, causing her finally to look at him. His eyes were wide, and full of tears and horror. That beautiful face... He placed his other hand on the side of her face, pulling her in closer, caressing her head on his chest. He could only mumble fragments of words and sentances like "thank god... alive... blood...STOP...I...thank God...". Her round face felt warm against his cold sweaty skin. Molly, Arthur and Alastor all walked back into the room, Molly pulling Tonks away from him. He was too weak to fight to hold her back. Tonks looked down at the floor again while the other three were crowding him, asking him questions, wiping the sweat from his face, and force feeding him chocolate frogs. "Thank God you sent you Patronus out there Tonks" added Arthur looking at the pitiful shape of Remus on the bed. "There were four more of them outside. I haven't the faintest idea as to why or how they found this place, but by God...". "Well, Arthur if I'm no longer needed..." said Tonks quietly. In another second she was gone, and Molly shamefully began to give large helping of anti-shock potion to Remus. The potion was thick and hot as it went down his throat, causing him to remember the sick satisfaction he felt when licking her blood off his lips... The thought slowly melted out of his head as he became able to fluently speak. "Remus what happened" demanded Arthur calmly. Moody was staring out the window, looking deep in though, and Molly continued to look down as she brewed more of his relaxing potion. Remus thought a moment. "N..Nothing. It was nothing. I just hadn't expected...wasn't prepared... for two dementors... T-Thats all" he finished, sipping more of the hot potion. They stayed for a few minutes more with him, and as Arthur and Alastor filed out of his door, Mrs. Weasley turned to him, her eyes not meeting his. "Perhaps tomorrow you should thank Tonks. No child could've conjured a patronus strong enough to save one who had almost been kissed". And with that, She closed the door, leaving Remus Lupin panting by himself in the moonlight.
Hours later, for the fear of falling asleep and re-living his dream with the dementors, Remus layed awake, still, in his bead, his head and heart still throbbing with pain. He slowly got up, and made his way to his door in the darkness. Walking down onto the next landing, He knocked lightly on Tonk's door, and opened it before he heard a reply. She was sitting on her bed brushing out her hair. She immediately put the brush into her vanity dresser drawer when she realized who had come in. "I see you're feeling a bit better..." she said akwardly looking at the ground again. Remus wasted no time. He walked over and sat next to her taking her hands in his. He brushed her face with his hand, feeling it whole, as he felt her hair and the back of her neck as he pulled her into an embrace. "I am so sorry 'Dora" he whispered solemnly in her ear. She moved away from him so she was half lying down in nothing but her four-sizes too big "Weird Sisters" T-Shirt. She motioned for him to join her. He laid there, holding her in his arms, her face positioned so she could hear his heartbeat and feel every breath he took. She leaned over and turned the table lamp off so the room was in complete darkness. And just as she pulled away to place her head back on Remus' chest, he had moved, and their lips brushed against each other's lips for the slightest, and most beautiful of moments. "Sorry" he mumbled feeling akward. They felt each other's heart beat faster, each of them wonderfully surprised that their lips had, by a fotunate accident, found a way to meet each other's. "W-would you care if I steal another" she whispered apprehensively. "I don't mind" he replied. And for an even briefer moment it seemed, their lips met again, but he pulled away just in time as the light to her room ad been turned on. "Oh..." said Mrs, Weasley flushing. "Sorry then", and with that, she walked out of the room, blushing furiousely. "I'm too old, and too poor. You deserve a younger, man- someone who's whole... But Nymphadora - Tonks- I can't help but love you more than life itself. You are so young, and have so much to offer, but I am asking you to let this poor, old, fool hold you in his arms so he knows what to dream of every night when he goes to bed knowing that he cannot have you." "Oh Remus..."but before she could say another word, Lupin swooped down on her, taking her into his hands, and finally kissing her as deeply and as sweetly as he had wanted to for the last five years. Her lips were soft and warm, and his were sweet and wet. Nothing else mattered. For that one glorious moment, she was his, and he was her's and no Dark Lord, or Order in the world could come between them.