'Don't Lose Hope'

Chapter three: Reminders

Disclaimer: Okay, so we know the drill by now, all the characters, themes Etc… Etc…Etc…all belong to the GREAT J.K Rowling.

The coffee is too hot, the milk has passed it's expiry date by several days, the kitchen bench is piled high with unwashed dishes, accumulating grime and dust, take out boxes are rotting in a corner of the kitchen floor, now having overfilled the rubbish bin which is exploding with horrible smells. Tonks could not bear it, her world had fallen apart. She was never a very tidy person, but her mess's never got quite this bad. She just didn't have the determination or will to tidy up, to get dressed in the morning, or go to the shops to replenish her food supplies.

She let out a huge sigh and then with great surprisement to herself, she hurled her coffee cup across the room, where the brown liquid remains flew out, staining her vintage couch in the lounge and struck the wall with a loud thud.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" she cried out is frustration as she went to look at the mug lying unharmed on the floor. Not even a chip, 'perfect' she thought to herself, just when she lets out some of the anger building up inside of her, she doesn't even get a satisfactory outcome.

She bent over and picked up the cup to examine it more closely, but when she turned the cup around the words 'Remus's Mug' appeared on one side. Tears swelled up in the witches' eyes, as she carefully placed the cup in the bin. He was gone now; she needed to move on she thought to herself.

Remus awoke to hard slap around the head. He distinctly heard a female voice murmur a charm to release him of his magical binds; his body slumped to the floor in a heap of limbs and robes. He slowly stood up, his breathing heavy as he found he was very weak and sore, he slumped against the stone wall behind him. Some one handed him a potion, "Drink this" He looked up as he was handed the potion, and downed it in one. Steam bellowed from his ears, he leaned forward and whispered, "pepper up potion?"

"Yes, it should reenergize you for your task today."

He strained his eyes against the darkness surrounding him and saw a young face no older than 23, "who are you?" he rasped.

"Ezmarelda, I was here yesterday." She moved forward slightly and pulled him roughly to his feet. "You are to accompany me this morning, into the ministry."

Remus gulped, the ministry, Tonks was there, maybe he could contact her somehow, let her know he lives yet…then a thought drained him of hope, 'What do they want to go to the ministry for?' Just as he thought it, she voiced his answer.

"We are to go to the filing rooms, and collecting any information on convicted werewolves up to the present day" she told him.

"Then why do you need me? I don't understand, what use am I?" he was confused and wanted answers.

"Don't ask questions, just do as I say..." she saw him look quizzically at her and continued in a quiet hush, "just do as I say, if…if, you want to get out of here alive…"

Remus nodded his head; he didn't need to be told twice. This was his chance to return to tonks! But he could still not think as to why she would help him. Maybe he was right about her after all.

"Firstly lets disillusion you, don't want any hassle there now do we." She stated plainly, whilst pulling her wand from the sleeve of her robe and tapping him gently on the forehead. He felt a chill run through his body like a bucket of icy water had been tipped over his head, he look at his hands when the chill ceased and was impressed at how well her charm had worked. She was obviously very skilled at charms.

"Okay, do you think you are up to apparating to the ministry, we need to go now, if we are to be undetected by the others", She asked him. Yet again he nodded and they apparated into the foyer of the ministry.

They entered the lift to the go to the filing floor. The lift was seemingly empty as an undetectable Remus Lupin and an unknown witch entered it.

"Remus, I have cast an illushment charm on where you were chained before, everything should appear normal for another 3 hours at tops." She let out a sigh, and continued explaining to him.

Remus now understood what she was doing. She was saving his life at the risk of betraying her family. He listened to her explaining the plan to him eagerly, hoping against hope that she would not become harmed for doing this for him.

"When we get of the lift I am going to the filing room. You will be free to leave." She felt as though she needed to explain herself more to him. About why she was doing this.

"I had always hated my father, he wasn't bit until after he was married with children. He used to be a compassionate man with an easy manner. After receiving the bite, he became viscous, mum threatened to leave him, and he slaughtered her, in front of myself and my elder brother, Fithidus." She heard a slight gasp next to her and fiddled with the chain bracelets around her nimble wrists. They had belonged to her mother. "After that day my father went on rampages though villages, leaving his mark on anyone who crossed his path during a full moon. He lost his human qualities more everyday, turning into the wolf full time not just on full moons. He ended up biting my brother and myself not long after that. I've hated him ever since. I guess I felt I owed you for what he has done..." She trailed off.

"You never owed me anything, you doing this only proves you are not the monster your father was." Replied Remus earnestly.

"My brother took you prisoner as a message of stealth to the rest of my fathers followers. They planned to kill you on the full moon, I could not let that happen to someone like yourself."

The lift gave off a high-pitched ding and the doors opened with a clang.

"Well I guess this is goodbye then, Good luck." And with that she stepped into the foyer of the filing floor and started to walk off. Remus felt odd and ran after her.

"Wait, there's still something I don't understand…" he felt somewhat confused still. He remembered that she had kissed him and it did not make sense. "Why did you kiss me?" he blurted out. She turned on her heel at this and started at the spot Remus would be standing.

"Well, I was being watched wasn't I." This was a complete lie, she told herself, but she could not admit that she felt something for him deep down. "There were others around that you did not see, its traditional taunting to fraternize with the captives."

Remus knew this was only a cover up, but let it go and watched her walking off into the crowd of bustling ministry workers.

Tonks lay back on her couch; she tapped her slender fingers against her thighs repeatedly. She was annoyed with herself, angry even. She had left the small space of her flat briefly to only return five minutes later. Leaving the flat hadn't helped her clear her head of Remus. She was at a loss of what to think, what to feel and what to do with out him. How could she live with out him in her life? She had fallen into a routine with Remus; they had been inseparable whilst dating. No Tonks, you can no longer dwell on the past anymore, you must move on, go out, enjoy life while you are young, he wouldn't want to see you like this! With that last thought she jumped of the couch, grabbed her cloak and apparated into a muggle London bar, where she drowned her sorrows in a few Jack Daniels that night, forgetting for the time being her sorrows and grief.

A/N ok, so I hope you like that chapter, it was confusing to write I admit, I'm not sure if it entirely made sense with Ezmarelda helping Remus escape, I guess she is just a compassionate women. I will go into more detail about her situation further into the story I think. Ok so send me a review. Expect to see Remus and Tonks reunited in the next chapter, but don't expect rainbows and butterfly's either.

Thanks, Chow Chow.