Disclaimer: I don't own anything of everything.

A/N: Sorry I've taken so long to update. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter Fourteen: The Funeral

Tonks stood in front of a large, jewel-encrusted mirror, studying her reflection carefully.
Her hair was jet-black, and tied back tightly into an elegant French braid. She was wearing a knee-length black silk sleeveless dress, which - as she had lost quite a lot of weight in the past year - fit her perfectly. She wore a long pink pearl necklace, which matched perfectly with her earrings. The only thing in her image that reflected her true self was her bright violet lips, which she was rubbing together slowly.

Tonks raised an eyebrow at her sober reflection, scrunched up her face, and in the next second her once light brown eyes had turned a sorrowful black.

"Perfect," she murmured, and walked into her kitchen.

She grabbed an apple, and shoved it into her leather handbag. She went over to the kitchen window and pointed her wand at the latch.

"Mericano," she whispered.

The latch immediately bolted itself with a quiet 'click'.

Tonks walked out of her flat, and, too tired to bother to check if any Muggles were watching, Apparted immediately.

She stumbled into Hogsmede, tripping over her feet and nearly falling flat on her face. She sighed, composed herself, and started off towards the castle, which was currently residing in a gloomy mist.

As she neared the front gates, Molly and Arthur joined her.

"Hello, dear," said Molly warmly, as Arthur led the way to where the funeral was being held. "How are you?"

Tonks gave a small smile, "I'm doing fantastic, Molly. How are you?"

Molly frowned at the lack of information Tonks was giving her, but answered as sweetly as ever all the same. "Oh, same as always. Just, today…" Molly broke off, and looked drearily over into the distance. "It's hard to believe he's actually gone."

Tonks nodded sadly. "I know…he's always…always been there."

Molly gave her a small smile.

"How is the Order going to survive without him?" inquired Tonks.

"We'll manage," this time it was Arthur who answered. "We always do. But it definitely won't be the same without Dumbledore."

Molly nodded in sad agreement, and Tonks looked dreamily up at the sky wondering what she had gotten herself into.

"Here we are," said Arthur quietly, as they reached a spot close to the lake.

There were hundreds of chairs there, a few already taken by extraordinary looking people Tonks had never seen before.

Dumbledore sure had a lot of wacky friends, she thought, as she observed a purple-haired man carrying a parrot.

"Why so glum looking, Nymphadora?" came a calm voice from behind her.

Tonks turned excitedly, fighting to contain a squeal.

Remus stood before her, smiling in that gentle way of his.

Tonks smiled at him, fighting to contain her joy. She had not seen him since the night when Dumbledore died, and it had been driving her crazy.

"It is a funeral," she said quietly.

Remus walked up to her and traced the edge of her face gently with his finger.

"Dumbledore would have been glad to see you back to your normal eccentric hair colours," he said sincerely, with a loving look.

Tonks felt tears threatening to fall, but she quickly pushed them away. She scrunched up her face in concentration, and a second later her hair had turned a vivid bubblegum pink.

"That's better," said Remus seriously. "Pink suits you."

Tonks smiled, and gave him a light kiss on the cheek, not caring that they were surrounded by tons of strange people.

She was so filled with emotions right now. Love, sadness, happiness…disbelief. "I love you Remus," she said, and embraced him tightly.

He accepted the hug, but broke away much too soon.

"Shall we go find a seat?" he asked quietly, vividly aware of the fact that Molly and Arthur were watching them smugly.

"OK," she said, and grasped hold of his hand.

Remus blushed slightly. "Er – are you sure – "

Tonks looked at him sharply, "I have never, ever, ever, been so sure of anything in my life."

She sighed and settled into the seat that Remus had led her to.

Remus was looking around nervously at the motley crew of people giving him suspicious looks. He was positively fidgeting, which was strangely unlike him.

"Are you sure?" she asked quietly, snuggling her face comfortably into his warm sweater.

"What?" he said, drawing his eyes away from the disapproving people and putting his unrequited attention on Tonks.

"Are you sure about this?"

Remus blinked. "Well – what – yes, of course I am. I love you Nymphadora."

"Then stop caring so much about what other people think. It's only about me and you," replied Tonks, without even looking up.

Remus smiled, and kissed the top of her head.

"Here come the children," called a squeaky voice.

Both Remus and Tonks turned.

There, just as the sun began to immerge from behind the mist, were about three quarters of Hogwarts' students (as the rest had already been taken home), accompanied by the whole staff, coming down from the castle.

Tonks eyes searched the crowd until they fell on Harry. He walking slowly along, seemingly absorbed in his thoughts. He looked a bit troubled, but anyways seemed to be dealing with Dumbledore's death well. She quickly glanced over at the redhead behind him, as Harry looked her and Remus' way.

After a second she noticed that the redhead behind Harry was Ginny, and she was most definitely looking troubled. She was studying Harry silently, an expression of dread and sadness on her pale face.

Tonks immediately felt a jolt of empathy for the girl. She looked over at Remus, and gave his hand a squeeze. He looked at her, a slightly puzzled expression on his face, before smiling slightly and returning the squeeze.

I am too damn lucky to have him.

Tonks glanced back at the Hogwarts students, who were now settling into their seats. This time her eyes fell on Hermione Granger, who, like Ginny, most certainly looked troubled over something unrelated to Dumbledore's death. Tonks looked suspiciously over at the lanky red haired boy sitting next to her, but then shook her head firmly.

Hermione wasn't the girl to get worked up over a bloke, no matter what circumstance.

She watched Hermione for a few moments, before noticing a distant pattern. Hermione, every few moments, gave a piteous glance over to one of the Slytherins, though it was so crowded, and no one seemed to be responding to it, that Tonks couldn't tell whom.

Tonks furrowed her brow in confusion. Why would Hermione pity a Slytherin?

"Nymphadora…"

Tonks snapped back into reality. Remus was talking to her, with a very miserable expression on his worn face.

"What?" she whispered, and looked around furtively until her eyes landed on Hagrid, whom was walking slowly and sorrowfully down the isle, a large bundle in his hands.

Tonks eyes widened at the purple mass Hagrid was carrying.

"Is – Remus – is that…? Remus…?" Tonks broke off, and looked uncertainly at Remus, who was staring unblinkingly at the bundle, his face white.

"It's Dumbledore," he murmured, not even drawing his eyes away for a second.

Tonks shut her eyes exhaustedly, and buried her face in her hands.

She only looked up when she felt a strong pair of arms embrace her, if not only for her sake, but for his as well.

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A/N: Thanks for the reviews, people! Also, I might be taking a longer time to update now because am I going to write a whole lot of chapters, and then when I have enough, I'm going to post one every day, like I did when I started out. But, don't worry, I'll try to update at LEAST once every week anyways.

Windedspirit: Lol! Well, thanks, hehe. OK, thanks, and I hope you're stories going well. Well, I am going to be doing a LOT more chapters. I have a few ideas and I just don't think I could stop writing this story. Thanks for the review!

smash: Thank-you! Hehe, I know, I'm a sucker for sappy stuff like like :). I don't really know how many chapters I'm going to write. I really like this story, and I have some interesting ideas, so probably a lot. Hehe.

numbgirl: Thanks, glad you liked it :).

BexyLou:Hehe, thanks. I'm glad you like the re-edited chapter 12! Thank-you for the review!

deadgirlythings: Lol, yeah.It was much too depressing without the bright hightlighter colours. Thanks!

Priscila: Hehe, yeah, I know, I've taken FOREVER! Thanks for the review!

PiaMcKinnon: Thank-you! Hehe, glad you think that! Hope you liked this chapter, and thanks for the review!

muffet: Thanks! Yeah, I know it is SO cheesy. But please bear with me lol, cause I am a total sucker for that kind of stuff, but, I'm try to avoid it...mostly, lol. Lol, she just hadto hit him...hehe, Thanks for the review!

LaC: Thanks, hehe, I couldn't stand her with the mousy brown anymore...and...er...well, it fits with canon. Thanks for the review!

tigerflesh: Thank you, that means a lot! Thanks for the review!