Afterward
Remus opened his eyes. His right shoulder ached. He reached over with his other arm, touched the wound, and felt a sharp, piercing pain.
Tonks snatched his hand away. "Don't touch it."
Remus turned his head slowly to look at her. "Have I been . . ." He paused and his eyebrows came together in a look of confusion. "Shot?" he asked in complete disbelief.
She nodded apologetically.
"Really?" he asked, still not believing.
She nodded again. "Would I lie to you?"
Remus shook his head. Unbelievable. "It's kind of funny. I mean, I must have set a record. You know? How many wizards have been shot?"
"None that I know of," said Morgan as he approached. "You're the first that I've seen come through here."
Remus looked up at him. "I sincerely hope this doesn't become routine." Considering that he'd been in here after the last full moon as well.
Morgan smiled and nodded his agreement as he placed a hand tentatively on Remus's injured arm to hold him down. He was afraid that Remus might jump. However, he'd never done this before, so he wasn't sure what kind of a reaction someone might have.
Morgan raised his wand. "This may sting a bit."
Remus was no stranger to pain, but he liked to avoid it if he could. This, however, might not be one of those times. He grasped Tonks's hand just in case.
Morgan gave his wand a flick. "Accio!"
Remus closed his eyes, but other than that he didn't move. Tonks felt his hand tighten around hers for a moment as the wasted silver bullet flew into Morgan's open palm. Morgan then came up beside Remus and began waving his wand over Remus's shoulder and muttering what sounded like incantations under his breath.
"This might seem like a really ignorant question," Tonks said to Remus, his hand still in hers. "But . . . what does it feel like?"
He turned to her. "To be shot?"
She nodded. "If you don't mind me asking."
He was silent for a moment. "It hurt like hell at first, to be completely honest," he told her thoughtfully. "I don't really feel anything right now, though. Didn't feel much earlier either-" He winced as Morgan prodded the wound with his wand. "That hurts," he said through gritted teeth.
"Sorry." Morgan apologized. "It's necessary, I'm afraid."
Tonks gave Remus's hand a squeeze.
"It's not so bad," he told her, focusing on her face and trying to ignore what Morgan was doing. "I'd take this compared to transformations any day."
That either meant that getting shot didn't hurt that much or that transformations really, really, really hurt and getting shot was only a lesser version of that. She didn't ask him which he meant, however.
As Morgan began dressing the wound, he asked Remus a few questions. "Have you lost any feeling in your arm? Are you numb anywhere? Can you move everything?" After he had Remus demonstrate that he still had use of his motor skills, Morgan promised he'd be back in a moment and walked out of the room.
Remus was silent for while, and then he turned to Tonks as though he had just realized something. "You came back."
It took her a moment to realize what he was talking about. "Yes, I did."
"I told you stay at the house," he said sternly, propping himself up on the elbow of his uninjured arm.
"I was worried."
"I could've bitten you." He'd told her before about how unstable he was during the full moon, and he sounded upset that she would ignore his warnings and come after him. He clearly thought she had no respect for his feelings when it came this. "I could've attacked you, or I could've-"
"But you didn't," she interjected.
"That's beside the point. Nymphadora, how many times do I have to tell you-?"
"You were heading for the village when I found you. If I hadn't shown up, you might have hurt someone or Ethan might have-"
"And telling Morgan not to restrain me-"
"You weren't going to hurt anyone."
"You don't know that. You had no right to make that call. I could've hurt you. I could've hurt him. I even could've-"
"Drink this." Morgan had returned. He pushed a steaming goblet into Remus's hand.
Remus swallowed the potion without a second thought. "I could have . . ."
But what else Remus could have done, they wouldn't know. The potion took immediate affect. Remus's eyes closed as he fell instantly asleep, the goblet falling from his hand. Morgan caught it, and Tonks caught Remus, gently easing his head back onto the pillow.
"Thank you," said Tonks.
Morgan shrugged. "I didn't do anything. It's just that he's been up all night and he needs some sleep."
Tonks nodded. "Well . . . thanks for everything else."
Morgan looked uneasy. "Er . . . here." He reached into his pocket and gave something to her.
It was the silver bullet.
"Some people like to keep them," he explained.
Tonks knew she didn't want it. And she doubted Remus would. But she pocketed it anyway. "Is something wrong?"
Morgan studied her and then sighed. "I'll be sacked for this."
"What?" she asked, alarmed.
"I got off last time because I swore that I didn't know what he was." He gestured toward Remus's sleeping form. "And because the others backed me up. But this time . . ." He shook his head. "I let a full-fledged werewolf into the hospital - without restraint - thereby risking the safety of everyone in the building."
Tonks was silent. She hadn't thought about any of that. She'd been too worried about Remus to think of the consequences. "I'm sorry." It was all she could say.
To her surprise, Morgan smiled. "Don't be. This is probably one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me."
Tonks could only stare in amazement. He was happy he was getting sacked?
"I've always wanted to start my own practice." Morgan explained. "I've just been too afraid of letting go of the security this place offered me." He shrugged and grinned broadly. "But now I don't really have a choice, do I? I was thinking I could offer treatment to people like Remus and any others the hospital decides to turn away. It will be a dream come true, really." He paused. "So I suppose . . . I should be the one thanking you."
She didn't know what to say. "Um . . . you're welcome . . . I guess. And . . . if there's anything I can do to help-"
Morgan waved her off with his hand. "I'll be fine. But," He nodded his head at Remus. "I wouldn't mind knowing what happened."
"It's a long story," she told him.
He checked his watch. "I have a little time."
"Well . . ." Tonks raised a hand to run through her hair and winced.
"What happened to your head?" asked Morgan, concerned.
"It's nothing," she assured him. "It's just-"
But Morgan had already stepped behind her and was gently combing her hair with his fingers to examine her scalp. He cursed softly.
"Is it that bad?" asked Tonks, gritting her teeth. The slightest movement hurt.
"What happened to you?" he asked in wonder.
"That's another, even longer story," she told him.
"I'll be right back." Morgan left her alone for several minutes. "Here," he said when he returned. "Wash your hair with this. It will help." He pushed a bottle into her hands.
"Thanks," she said.
Morgan checked his watch again. "You'll have to tell me that story later. I have to check on my other patients." He tossed something onto the bed at Remus's feet: Hospital clothes. "Would you mind?"
Tonks shook her head and gathered them into her arms. "Um . . . Morgan?" He turned at the door. "Hm?"
"We - Remus and I - we're not-"
"Brother and sister." He nodded. "I know." He left without an explanation.
Tonks found her way into the hospital's Visitor's Tearoom. There wasn't much there, just tea and a tray of donuts and muffins and a small sitting area, but Tonks was starving. She hadn't realized until that moment just how hungry she was. All she'd eaten in the last twenty-four hours was lunch, and that had been a rather small lunch. However, before she could grab something to eat, she spotted someone she knew sitting at a table.
"Kingsley?" she said, walking over to him.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, standing up.
"I was just about to ask you the same question."
"I was bringing Marcus in," he said, as though she should have known that already.
Tonks was confused. "You were . . . bringing Marcus in?"
"You wanted me to check on him, remember?" He was eyeing her as though looking for signs that she herself needed to be admitted into the hospital.
"Well . . . yes, but . . . He's okay?" she breathed, hardly daring to believe it.
"Well, 'okay' isn't the word I'd pick-"
"He's alive?"
He stared into her disbelieving face. " . . .Yes."
Tonks felt something wash over her. At first she thought it was an up-rush of joy or relief, but it wasn't either of those. It was exhaustion, emotional and physical exhaustion. Marcus was alive. She was alive. Remus was alive. They had all nearly died at least once in the past twenty-four hours and she had nothing left to put into it. She was drained. It was too much, really. All of this was just too much. Her knees gave out.
Kingsley hadn't been expecting it. "Whoa." He caught her by her waist and she clung to his robes to stop herself from falling down. "Easy." He helped her into a chair.
Tonks felt dizzy. Her head was spinning. She truly felt like she was going to faint.
"Tonks, look at me." He had his hands on her shoulders, preventing her from falling forward. "Are you alright? Say something."
"Is she okay?" asked a Healer who had been sitting a few tables away.
"I-I'm fine." Tonks managed as the spinning in her head began to slow down. "I haven't eaten . . ." She hadn't slept either, now that she thought about it. She may have fallen asleep while watching for Remus at Godric's Hollow, but it hadn't been for very long. Perhaps an hour or two. She could remember sitting at Abba and Ethan's table and watching the clock tick into the wee hours of the morning.
"She'll be fine." Kingsley assured the Healer. "I'll get her something."
The Healer went back to her table. Kingsley gently pushed Tonks back against the chair.
"Here. You just close your eyes for a minute."
She did as he asked. When she opened her eyes again, Kingsley had sat a small plate before her, containing a little of everything that had been available.
"It's not much," he told her. "But you should eat something."
The Healer from before came back and offered Tonks an energy bar. It was the best she could do. Tonks thanked her and took it. The Healer walked away again.
Kingsley sat down across from Tonks. She straightened in her seat and took a bite of a muffin.
"Sorry about that," she said.
"Don't worry about it," he told her. "I'm surprised you didn't do something like that earlier, to tell you the truth. I mean, with all the stuff that's been going on this past month."
Tonks nodded and took a sip of her tea. Already, she was beginning to feel better. "Snape said Marcus was dead."
"Oh," said Kingsley quietly. That explained a lot. "Personally, I thought he was dead too when I saw him." He sighed. "But he hung in there . . . barely."
"Where is he?" she asked. "I want to see him."
Kingsley shook his head. "They're still working on him, as far as I know. He was still - how did they put it - extremely unstable, the last I heard." He put his hand on hers and looked into her face, as though trying to see if she might come close to fainting again. "I don't mean to scare you, but he could still . . . you know, pass on. I thought you'd kill me if I went back to tell you and left Marcus here when he could . . . you know."
Tonks nodded silently. They weren't out of the woods yet. She unwrapped the energy bar.
"Which reminds me," said Kingsley. "Why are you here?"
Tonks gave him a quick version about what had happened with Remus.
"You're insane, you know that?" he told her with a hint of awe in his voice.
"What?"
"You could've been bitten or-"
She put a hand up. "Spare me. Please. Remus has already told me, and I'm going to hear more of it later anyway."
"I'm not saying it was the right or wrong thing to do," he said. "I'm just saying it was incredibly stupid."
"Well . . . I love him," she said.
He shrugged. "It was still stupid . . . but, you're right, you'll hear enough of it from Remus, so I won't lecture you about it." He paused, his gaze directed over her shoulder.
Tonks turned. A Healer was headed toward them.
"You came in with the muggle, right?" she asked Kingsley.
"Marcus," he corrected.
"Right," she said. "We've got him stabilized, but we've still got him under intensive care."
"Can I see him?" asked Tonks, quickly.
"Sorry," said the witch. "Not even family members at this time. St. Mungo's policy." She walked away before Tonks could express how much she hated some of their polices . . . that werewolf one, for example.
"I hope Snape rots in Azkaban," she muttered darkly.
"Listen," said Kingsley, leaning toward her. "Snape's facing charges for Dumbledore's death along with the death's of your parents. Then there are the attempted murders of you, Remus, and Marcus. The very least he'll get is life in Azkaban."
"Good."
"What I'm saying," he continued. "Is that you don't need to worry about it any more. It's done. It's over with. You can move on."
She nodded but said nothing. She'd celebrate her freedom later, after everything went back into order and she knew that everyone was going to be okay.
She and Kingsley sat in silence while they finished their food.
"You don't need a guard anymore," said Kingsley as he stood up to leave. "So from now on you'll only see me - or the rest - at work . . . when you decide to come back that is."
She nodded. "I know I drove you insane some of the time." She hugged him before he could get away from her. "So, thanks for putting up with me."
Kingsley said nothing, only held her warmly.
"You take care of him," he said casually when they parted.
"Oh, I will," she assured him. "Definitely."
Remus was dreaming. There came a point in the dream where he realized that it wasn't real, but he wasn't aware of it enough to wake himself up.
Remus felt Tonks roll over beside him. She reached up and turned off the alarm that had awoken them from their slumber before she settled back down next to him. He turned to her and wrapped an arm around her.
"Why are we doing this, again?" he asked groggily.
"Because it's better than the alternative," she said simply.
"Remind me what that is." It was just too early. His brain refused to work.
She chuckled, her fingers playing in his hair. "Being woken up by a bunch of crazy, screaming hoodlums."
"Ah." Now he remembered.
From outside their bedroom, there was a whoop, and then a door slammed, and then another door slammed, and next there was a bunch of incoherent shouting, and finally there was the sound of many feet stampeding toward their bedroom.
"Here they come," warned Tonks. "Pretend you're sleeping."
"No problem," muttered Remus, who had begun to doze off.
WHAM! Their door flew open.
"It's CHRISTMAS!" shouted Liam, who proceeded to run into the room and dive-bomb onto his parents' bed.
Remus only managed to pull his legs away - and therefore prevent himself from serious injury - just in time.
"Wake up!" Liam shouted as he jumped up and down. "Mum! Dad! Wake up!"
"We're up." Tonks assured him, sitting up against the headboard to give Liam more room to jump around. Or rather, to prevent herself from being crushed underneath him. One of those. Whatever the case, Remus followed after her.
Stanley, their youngest, clambered onto the bed, began jumping up and down and shouting incoherently. It was sound that was coming out of his mouth, not words.
But one was missing. Remus turned, searching for Ann, their oldest. She was standing in the doorway, watching but not taking part.
"Annie, what is it?" Remus asked her gently.
She smiled and shrugged. Oh, nothing.
Uh oh. His little girl was growing up.
"Annie, come on," he told her. "You're never too old to jump on the bed."
Ann just shook her head and continued smiling.
"Don't believe me? Watch." Remus got up on his knees and bounced up and down. "See?"
"Daddy," said Liam, pulling on the sleeve of his nightshirt. "You're doing it wrong. It's like this." He demonstrated.
"Okay." Remus got to feet.
Tonks laughed, as though she thought there was no way that was going to work.
Remus had to hunch over so that his head didn't hit the ceiling, but he managed a few jumps. "See, Annie? Even I'm not too old!"
Ann laughed and clambered onto the bed, joining in with her brothers and her father.
"Come on, mum." Liam insisted.
Stanley let out a squeal of approval.
Tonks just shook her head. "No way."
"Oh, come on, mum," pressed Ann. "Dad's doing it."
"Yeah," agreed Remus. "Come on, mum." He grabbed her hand and pulled her up with him.
Soon all five of them were laughing and jumping on the bed (Tonks and Remus albeit awkwardly). Suddenly, there was a CRACK and everyone stopped jumping and sat down, looking confused and worried.
"What was that?" asked Tonks to no one in particular.
"That," said Remus, thinking quickly as he looked at his children. "Was the sound of someone apparating downstairs and stealing all your presents!"
Liam let out a cry of mock terror and flew out of the room, Stanley on his heels.
Ann just laughed. "Good one, dad." She followed her brothers.
Dad. Every time he heard that word it sounded alien to him. Even after all these years, he still couldn't believe it applied to him.
"I think we broke it," said Tonks, glancing around and sounding as though she thought that if she moved, the bed would surely collapse underneath her.
"Then we'll fix it," said Remus, sounding as though he didn't have a care in the world. "Come on."
They both donned bathrobes (Tonks had a purple one and Remus's was gray) and headed downstairs after their children.
It was a good Christmas, everyone laughing and throwing wrapping paper in every direction. Ann's favorite gift was her Hogwart's school supplies. The school had closed after Dumbledore's death and had only reopened this year. Ann would be going next year, but she'd heard her parents' stories of their school days and she couldn't wait.
Remus and Tonks didn't know what books she'd need, but they'd gotten her other things. Like her cauldron and scales, and The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1. They had thought about getting her an owl but had decided to wait for her birthday when she would turn eleven. They'd get her books and her robes and her wand after they got her school list. It was a good plan, they had thought, getting what they knew she would need now so that they wouldn't be spending a whole lot of money at once. They had learned how to do that over the years; make money last longer.
"Oh, wow!" exclaimed Liam as he unwrapped his copy of Advance Potion Making. It was an old, second hand book and terribly out of date, but Remus and Tonks hadn't been looking for a new one. The book was extremely advance for Liam, but he was obsessed with potions and even though he wouldn't be able to make anything in the book, he'd still enjoy looking at the pictures and reading over the ingredients and such.
He was nearly eight years old, but he had big dreams and an even bigger heart. He swore that, when he was "old enough," he'd learn how to the make the Wolfsbane Potion for his father . . . maybe even find a cure. His parents didn't have it in them to crush his dreams, so they encouraged him instead.
Remus and Tonks had decided a long time ago not to hide from their children where their father went every full moon. Safety was always an issue, but Remus left the house as late as he was willing to risk it on those days. And those anxiety shakes that he used to get never happened any more. Tonks said it was because he had so many loved ones around him to take his mind off things . . . and perhaps she was right.
Liam's favorite gift turned out to be a small Beginner Wizard Potions Set, complete with ingredients and instructions on how to make a few harmless potions.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," rambled Liam, as he ran over to hug both his parents.
Stanley got a little toy train that resembled the Hogwarts Express and ran simply on magic. He sat and watched as it ran circles around him, without needing a track, and emitted little puffs of smoke.
"Did we get everything?" asked Liam later, putting down his book and walking around the Christmas tree to make sure.
"Not quite," said Remus.
Tonks looked at him. As far as she knew, there wasn't anything else.
Remus smiled shyly and pulled a small, cube-shaped gift from the pocket of his robes. "For you," he said, handing it to her.
Tonks studied him quizzically. She had no idea what this could be, but his eyes didn't reveal any hint.
"Go on, mum, open it," said Ann impatiently.
"Yeah, mum, go on," piped up Liam.
Stanley made a small noise in agreement.
Tonks quickly unwrapped the gift to appease her small audience and opened the box. She gasped softly. "Remus . . ." She was at a loss for words.
"I told you I'd get you one."
"Yes, but . . ." Tonks felt her eyes fill with tears. It hadn't been that important to her, but to him it obviously had.
He took the box from her and took out the engagement ring inside it. He had proposed to her with a flower since he hadn't been able to afford a ring. Tonks still had that flower. It was magically preserved, sitting on the end table in their room. But Remus had promised her that he'd get her a ring. It had taken him longer than expected. He could've taken a loan from Gringotts, but he'd wanted the money he spent on the ring to be his own, right down to the last knut. He'd been saving for years, and he probably would've gotten the ring sooner if he hadn't had to break into that savings a couple of times.
He took her hand. "What do you say, Nymphadora? Will you marry me?"
She smiled and let out a teary laugh. "Honestly, I wasn't about to say 'no' then, do you really think I'll do it now?"
He smiled at her, waiting.
"Yes, Remus, I will marry you," she said, feeling her throat tighten with emotion as she remembered when she had first said those words over ten years ago.
He waited still, teasing her.
"And I'll take your name and have your children and all that other crazy nonsense," she continued.
Satisfied, he slipped the ring on her finger, pushing it back until it met with her wedding ring. Then he took her into his arms and kissed her deeply.
"Yuck!" said Liam in disgust. He covered his eyes with his hands.
Stanley mimicked his older brother. Ann just smiled and looked politely in the other direction.
"All right," said Remus, laughing moments later. "You can look now."
Time passed. Games were played, crackers were pulled, and food was eaten. The children asked for piggyback rides that Remus could not find it in himself to refuse. Eventually, a whole night of staying up in anticipation, coupled with getting up so early, took its toll. Liam passed out in the wrapping paper that no one had found the time to throw away. Ann was curled up on the sofa, and Stanley was beginning to doze off.
"Come on, Annie," said Remus. "Time for bed."
Ann held out her arms. Remus picked her up and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Stanley clung to Tonks's robe as she took Liam into her arms and carried him upstairs. Once she had the boys settled in their room, she went to Ann's and stood in the doorway.
"Daddy, tell me about Hogwarts." Ann pleaded.
"Again?" Remus asked amusedly.
"I like hearing about it," she explained.
Smiling, Remus leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. "Later," he told her. "After you've slept."
"Promise?"
"Promise." He took her stuffed animal from atop her dresser.
Ann took the animal and held it to her chest. Daddy Wolf, she called it. Remus knew that in a few years, maybe less, she'd probably grow out of it.
Ann kissed her father on the nose. "I love you."
"I love you too."
He brought his head down to her stomach, as though to blow a raspberry on it. Instead, he growled and pretended to bite her. Ann squealed with delight.
Tonks laughed silently from the doorway. It was funny how Remus had never been uncomfortable doing that. But he'd changed over the years, they both had.
Remus closed the door as he emerged from his daughter's bedroom and walked down the hall with Tonks. He noticed that she was eyeing her ring. "You like it, don't you?"
"Of course, I do," she told him. He'd told her that he would get her a ring, and she had told him countless times that it didn't matter. He had proposed to her with that flower and she cherished it. Really, she hadn't needed anything else. But now she saw how important getting a ring had been to him, and it was meaningful to her that he thought it had been so important. "I just realized why you wanted that separate savings account."
He nodded but said nothing.
"You're lucky I'm not picky when it comes to stuff like that."
"That's why I married you," he said carelessly, knowing what her reaction would be.
She laughed. "You married me because there wasn't anyone else around," she said, playing along.
"Oh, really?" He stopped walking as they came to their bedroom door and pulled her to him. "I'll have you know," he said, kissing the nape of her neck. "That women find me rather attractive."
"Mmmm . . ." she said, leaning against the wall and letting him have his way with her. "No argument there. Must be your animal magnetism."
"I had plenty of women before you," he assured her, nibbling on her ear.
"None that loved you."
"Exactly," he told her, as though that was the point he'd been trying to make all along. He kissed her and she sighed.
"How do you do that?" she asked him a few breathless moments later.
"Do what?"
"Go from normal one moment to seductive the next."
Undoing her robe, he slid his hands inside and under her night things, searching for the right spot. She gasped and he smiled. "I just know you too well."
"Remus . . ." She bit down on her lip, clinging to him. "The children-"
"They're asleep."
Oh, no. Doing this in the hallway, right outside their children's bedroom doors was a very bad idea.
"Remus," she whispered heavily into his ear. "I'd love for this ring to be the only thing I'm wearing right now."
That got him, just like she knew it would. He growled in the back of his throat, swept her off her feet, and carried her into their room where he lay her on the bed. Tonks grabbed him and pulled him down with her. Then she rolled on top of him, straddling his hips.
"My turn," she said, leaning over and kissing him gently.
"Exactly what do you plan on doing to me?" he inquired with a grin.
She smiled mischievously. "Merry Christmas, love."
After a while, they were quite enjoying themselves, but (as it sometimes happens in the midst of lovemaking when there are children in the house) there was a knock on their bedroom door.
Remus groaned and buried his face in the crook of Tonks's neck. Why? He thought. Why now? "If we're lucky, maybe he'll just go away." It had to be Stanley because the others would have said something by now.
Tonks shook her head. "Your son wants you."
"He's your son too," he muttered.
"Well," she said matter-of-factly. "I'd get up, but there happens to be a werewolf on top of me."
He lifted his head and raised his eyebrows at her. "Really?"
She smiled. "Yes, really."
"Hmm . . . I wonder why." He kissed her gently.
From outside the room, Stanley made an impatient noise in the back of his throat, the one he reserved for when he wasn't getting the attention he felt he needed.
Remus groaned again. "Wait for me?"
"Always." Tonks replied.
He got up and put on his robe. Tonks covered herself with the blankets.
"What is it, Stanley?" Remus asked once he had stepped outside and shut the door behind him.
Stanley held up his hand. Remus took it and let his son lead him down the hall. When Stanley reached his room, he let go of his father's hand and grabbed his favorite Christmas story from the bookshelf. He held up the little book.
"You want me to read it you?"
Stanley nodded silently.
Remus sighed. He just didn't understand why Stanley wouldn't talk. Ann had mastered the use of simple sentences by the age of three. Liam was the same way, and for a while it had looked like Stanley would follow. But some time after his second birthday, he had just stopped talking.
Ann had been a quiet baby but she once she'd learned to talk, she hadn't stopped. Stanley had been anything but quiet as a baby, and for a while Remus and Tonks had just thought that he was going through the opposite of what Ann had done. But Stanley was nearly four and a half years old. Remus hadn't heard him utter a word in at least two years.
They'd had him looked at, of course, but no one could find anything wrong with him. They'd been told that some children just have delayed speech. But it wasn't as though Stanley had never spoken before. He had spoken. He had just . . . stopped.
Remus liked to fantasize that Stanley talked to Liam and no one else, as though it was some sort of game. Like Stanley was trying to see how long he could go communicating with his parents without actually speaking. After all, Stanley had always seemed to understand everything that was said to him. If he was talking to Liam, however, Liam hadn't said anything.
"Say, 'book,' Stanley," he suggested. "Or 'read.' Read is a good word."
Stanley said nothing.
"How about 'please?'" he asked. "It's always polite to say 'please.'" Just one word, that's all he wanted, just one.
Still, Stanley said nothing. He just stared at his father, silently waiting.
Remus sighed. "If you won't talk, then . . . then I can't read it to you." He turned and walked out the door.
What they bloody hell is wrong with you? he thought. All he wanted was a story. Is that so hard?
What if he was wrong? What if something had happened and Stanley really couldn't talk? Just because he liked to think that he talked to Liam, it didn't mean that he did. Just because no one could find anything wrong with him, it didn't mean that there wasn't. All he'd wanted was a story. What kind of father denies his child a story?
But he kept walking down the hall, each step harder than the last.
He'd nearly made it to the end when he heard Stanley's footsteps come running down the hall after him, and Remus knew he couldn't bare to tell him 'no' a second time.
Stanley caught up to his father and tugged on his robe.
"Read," he said, holding the book up. "Book . . . er . . . please?"
Remus could only stare, dumbfounded. "What?"
" . . . Will you read the book to me, daddy?"
Remus laughed in disbelief. Emotion welling up inside him, he felt the tears spill from his eyes as he took Stanley into his arms. "Why don't you read it to me instead?"
When Remus awoke, he was dressed in hospital clothing, Tonks was asleep (her head resting in her arms on the bed beside his legs), his injured arm was in a sling . . . and tears were running in a steady stream down his face. He tried wiping them away with his free hand, but they continued. He tried drying his face on the bed sheet, but the flow was relentless. He pressed his hand to his eyes, but even that didn't help.
"God," he choked. What was wrong with him? It was only a dream.
But it hadn't just been a dream. It had been an example and a promise.
A normal life. That's what he'd said he had always wanted. And he could have that. He'd seen it. He'd dreamt it. Maybe he couldn't have that life - the one he'd dreamt about - but he could have one similar to it. He could have a home, a family, and people who loved him unconditionally. It had always been there, waiting for him. He had just been too blind to see it.
And Tonks . . . she could give that to him. She'd said she wanted to. All she wanted in return was to be with him for the rest of his life. . . . And he rather liked that idea.
When you look at it, she had said to him. It's only twelve days out of a year. Twelve days out of three hundred and sixty five. Are you really going to let that stand in your way?
Not any more.
He placed a hand on Tonks's arm and shook her gently. She stirred, rubbing her eyes. She looked at him, and her expression became worried.
"Are you all right?" She automatically brought her hand to his face and began wiping away the tears. Funny how she could get them to stop when he hadn't been able to.
"It was just a dream," he explained.
"What kind of dream?" she asked.
He smiled gently. "It was about you."
She lowered her hand and searched his face silently. "Was it a good dream, then?"
His smile widened but he didn't answer. "You know, you really shouldn't have come after me."
She went on the defensive before he could explain. "You know what? I really don't care. Yes, I could've been bitten or attacked or even killed. I know that. I realize that. But I was worried about you. I didn't want anything to happen to you. And I really think I ended up saving your arse back there, so don't tell me I shouldn't have gone. I-Wipe that smile off your face this instant!"
He couldn't help it. She'd completely gone down the wrong the track. That wasn't what he'd meant.
"There's nothing to smile about!" she continued. "I love you, all right? Though I can't imagine why - you're so difficult! I don't know what I have to do to get through to you! But, so help me, I'm going to continue to love you! And I'm going to continue to stick up for you and do all these crazy things you don't want me to do! And if you don't like it, then I really don't know what to say to you because you're pretty much stuck with me and - Why are you laughing?"
Molly Weasley continued down the corridor. An hour ago she had just been filled in on everything that had happened, and she wasn't too pleased. Why hadn't someone told her sooner? And she'd had to hear everything from Kingsley and not from Tonks!
"I don't think she had the time to tell you Molly." Kingsley had told her. "And . . . well, you do tend to be a bit . . . fussy."
So, what if she was a bit fussy. She was a mother. That was her job.
Nearly three in the afternoon and Kingsley had only just managed to tell her what had happened in Godric's Hollow. She'd known about what had happened in the cemetery, of course. Arthur had filled her in. But Remus being shot, and Tonks going after him . . .
Yes, that was part of the reason she was here but . . . Well, she could tell Kingsley had been hiding something from her, and (having raised Fred and George) she had found a way to get it out of him. Honestly, she hadn't known Remus and Tonks had . . . slept together.
"Don't tell Remus I told you." Kingsley had pleaded. "He'll kill me . . . or Tonks will . . . personally, I'd rather face Remus than her. At least he'd be merciful . . . I've got to go to work." And he'd rushed off to the ministry where he knew there would at least be a few other aurors standing around if Remus or Tonks came looking for his head.
But really, Molly wanted to know these things! And details, she wanted details! Honestly, she hadn't worked so hard to get the two of them together for nothing! And she and Tonks had always shared . . . well, not everything, but a lot of things. She should've told Molly about this! All that trouble to get hold of that love potion and she hadn't even needed to use it. Tonks surely owed her something . . . just a few details, come on.
So, yes, that was probably the main reason she was here . . . but, of course, she wanted to make sure Remus was okay. Yes, that was important too.
And so, with her husband and Fred and George in tow, they had managed to find Healer Morgan who had, ever so discreetly, pointed them in the correct direction.
However, when they made their way into the private ward, the scene wasn't what they had been expecting. Remus was sitting up in the bed and laughing heartily while Tonks yelled at him and made wild hand gestures.
"Really, I don't see what's so funny!" she yelled, oblivious to the group that had just entered. "You expect me to take you seriously when you tell me not to come after you, and then when I try to - It's not funny! You are so pigheaded! I'll never understand you, not in a million yea-"
He kissed her, passionately, because it was really the only thing he could think of to get her to shut up. Tonks slowly brought her arms down, and then she wrapped them around his neck, all point of the argument forgotten. He kissed her deeply, and she moaned softly in the back of her throat.
"I think he's fine," said Arthur to his wife. "In fact, I think they're both more than fine."
"Yes, I agree," she said quickly. Details could wait. She'd get them later. "Come along - Fred, George."
"Hold on, mum," said Fred, pulling a note pad out of his pocket. He appeared to be taking notes.
"Yeah, mum," agreed George. "This is educational."
"Fred! George!" Molly hissed, descending on them like a vulture and dragging them out of the ward.
When Tonks and Remus finally parted, neither of them had the slightest clue that they'd had visitors. Tonks was silent. She couldn't find how to start the argument back up after that.
"I love you," said Remus. Tonks looked up at him in surprise, and he watched the smiled spread across her face. "It was never a question about loving you. You realize that, don't you?"
She nodded. "I think so." It had only ever been a question about whether he thought he was good enough. Still, it was nice to hear the words out loud.
He tucked a stray strand of hair lovingly behind her ear. "I want this to work," he told her. "I know it won't be perfect, and I know we'll hit some rough patches along the way but . . . I want to face them with you because . . . because I have no objection to spending the rest of my life with you." God, it felt good to say that. "I love you."
All she could do was smile at him. "I love you too." She kissed him softly, gently. And then all at once, she pulled away. "But there are some small, little details we need to work out."
She was smiling at him in a way that told him she wasn't serious . . . at least, not too serious. "Like what?" he asked, playing along.
"Well for one thing." She crossed her arms defiantly over her chest. "I really think I'm too young for you."
"Hmm . . ." he said, pretending to give this careful consideration. "I happen to like younger women."
She raised her eyebrows. "Really? I didn't know that."
He shrugged. "What can I say?" he joked. "I'm lecherous old man."
She laughed. "I also happen to have a well-paying job at the ministry."
"That's a good thing," he told her. "Because I doubt I have two knuts to rub together at the moment."
"Lecherous and avaricious," she noted. "Most desirable traits."
It was his turn to laugh.
"I also happen to be a metamorphmagus," she told him.
Remus was silent for a few moments, but he couldn't think of anything to say. "What's wrong with that?" he finally asked.
She smiled softly. "How do you know I'm real?"
That had always been the question, hadn't it? How did he know? How did he know she could love him and not turn away (if she did turn away, it would've surely been because he hadn't deserved her)? How did he know this could work? How did he know it wouldn't all end up in heartbreak? And he realized that he really didn't know much more now than he had known then.
But, good or bad, he wanted to find out. Because what was the point of going through life and always wondering but never knowing?
"I'll take my chances," he said.
Remus and Tonks entered St. Mungo's a week later . . . and Remus nearly froze in the doorway. There were posters everywhere. All had "Do Not Allow Treatment to These Individuals" in big, bold letters. Beneath that was something about The Werewolf Protection Act and something about St Mungo's policy. There was also a warning, stating that anyone who did provide treatment would be sacked (in which Morgan received mention). But beneath all the lettering was a mass of pictures (over two dozen in all) along with names under each one. It didn't take Remus long to find his own.
He swallowed.
Tonks had taken two steps before she realized Remus had frozen behind her. She went back to him and grasped his hand. "It's all right," she said. "Just keep walking. Look straight ahead. Don't look down. It's going to be okay."
The walk from the entrance to the information desk was the longest walk of his life. He felt like he had a sign on his back with flashing lights and arrows, "Look at me! I'm a werewolf!" The funny thing was that no one seemed to notice.
He kept waiting for an explosion, for someone to cry out and drawl everyone's attention to him. He waited for someone to gasp and point, for some little kid to say excitedly, "Look, mummy! That man's on the poster!" No one paid him the slightest attention, but he kept waiting for it. He dreaded the moment when someone would notice and then someone else would notice and then someone after them until they all would notice. They'd stare at him, maybe point or hide their children, and then they'd ask him to leave or force him out like he was some crazed animal infected with rabies.
He didn't like that feeling. He didn't like it at all. He almost wished someone would notice so that he could feel something other than overwhelming anxiety. His palms were sweating and he seriously thought he was either going to throw up or have an attack.
"Just breathe, Remus." Tonks advised.
When they reached the front of the line, Tonks gave the witch Marcus's name. He had been moved since they had last visited and neither Remus nor Tonks were sure where to find him. The witch looked Marcus up while Remus pretended to be keenly interested in the notices on the wall behind her (there was one about the importance of clean cauldrons or something), careful not to stare at yet another one of those blasted posters.
"Forth floor," said the witch at last. "Third door on the left. Private ward."
Thinking that Marcus must have gotten a private ward since he was a muggle, Tonks thanked the witch and pulled Remus along. They had nearly made it to the double doors when the witch suddenly called after them.
"Er, sir!" she shouted after Remus. "Sir! I'm afraid you can't-"
Tonks felt something boil up inside her. "Just because you can refuse to treat him," she shouted back at the witch so furiously that Tonks felt her own ears pop. "Does not mean you can deny him visiting rights!"
This time people did notice. Remus felt the anxiety wash away to something akin to fear as there was much gasping and some pointing and even a little boy tugged on his mother's robe and said, "Look, mummy. That man-"
"Move, Remus."
He had frozen again and Tonks gave him a push forward.
They made it through the double doors, but there were posters in the corridor as well. Tonks took Remus by the hand again and pulled him as quickly as she could toward the stairs. But, even there, they found more posters.
Tonks cursed. "It's infuriating!"
Remus felt anything but infuriated. He probably should have felt that way, but he didn't. He supposed that's why he had Tonks; so she could feel infuriated for him. The fear was gone, but the anxiety had come back. Tonks was pulling him up the stairs faster than he cared to go and he was afraid that if he opened his mouth, he'd be sick.
At last, they made to Marcus's ward and . . . still more posters.
Tonks bit down on her lip and held in a scream. She dashed around the room, snatching the unsightly things from the wall while Remus collapsed into a chair beside Marcus's bed. Once she'd gathered up all the posters in the room, she set fire to them with her wand and crushed the ashes under her foot. After a minute or two, Remus felt he could breathe easier.
"Are you okay?" she asked him.
He nodded. "Thank you."
She smiled weakly. "That's what I'm here for."
She conjured a chair and sat down next to him, resting her head on his good shoulder. He put an arm around her, wondering what he'd do without her.
Marcus still hadn't woken up. He hadn't really changed since Kingsley had brought him in, except that his breathing and pulse rate had definitely grown stronger.
"I can't help but feel like this is my fault," said Tonks after they had sat in silence for several minutes.
Remus looked at her incredulously. "Why would you think that?"
She sighed. "It's just that . . . Snape interrogated him four times. The first three times, he wiped his memory and nothing happened. I was the one who thought we should tell Marcus about the magical world, so then when Snape went to him the fourth time . . ." Her voice trailed off.
Remus shook his head. "That was a powerful bit of dark magic Marcus had to break through. I doubt telling him about the magical world made that much of a difference. I mean, I couldn't break through the Memory Charm. We had to use the pensieve, remember? And I know more about magic than Marcus does." He shook his head again. "I don't know how Marcus did it . . . but it had nothing to do with what you told him."
Tonks sighed and nodded, feeling only slightly better. She put her hand on Marcus's.
"He'll wake up." Remus told her. "Just give him some more time. You'll see."
She managed a small smile. "Since when did you become the optimist?"
Remus thought about that one and shrugged. "It's a recent development."
Tonks leaned back against him. "It's a shame we can't just-" She snapped her fingers. "And make it all better."
"Unfortunately," he said. "Magic rarely works that way."
There was groan and they turned toward the sound.
Marcus shifted, wrapping his arm over his eyes. "Why is it so bright in here?"
Tonks practically leapt from her chair. "Marcus?"
He jumped. "Don't shout."
"I'll go get someone." Tonks dashed off through the doors.
"How do you feel?" asked Remus, standing beside the bed.
Marcus still had his arm over his eyes. "My head is killing me. And stop shouting."
"I'm not shouting," he told him, lowering his voice.
"It sounds like you are." Marcus's head was pounding. It felt like someone was hitting him repeatedly with a sledgehammer. "And these lights are blinding me."
Remus looked around. The lights were just like ordinary, everyday lights. Nevertheless, he pulled out his wand and gave it a wave. The lights dimmed considerably. Marcus brought his hand to his eyes, gazing through his fingers.
"They still bother you?"
Marcus nodded, wincing slightly at the sound of Remus's voice.
Remus brought his voice down to barely a whisper. "Is that better?"
Again, Marcus nodded. "Remus?"
"Yes?"
"Who's Sirius?"
Remus was taken aback. "Sirius?"
"And Lily," he added. "And James."
"They were friends of mine," he explained after a moment.
"Were?"
"They died."
"Oh." Marcus paused. "Do I want to ask how?"
Remus managed a smile. Considering how Marcus handled magic, he didn't think he wanted to hear that a powerful dark wizard had murdered Lily and James, or that Sirius had been killed by one of the dark wizard's henchmen. "No, I don't think you do."
"That's why you never said anything, right?"
"Right."
"Okay," he said, satisfied. "That's all I wanted to know."
Tonks came into the room, a Healer on her heels.
"Why is it so dim in here?"
Remus stepped over to the Healer explained that Marcus seemed to be sensitive to light and sound. The Healer left the room with the promise that he'd be back.
"Snape!" said Marcus suddenly. He sat up, his hand still over his eyes. His head began to pound even more, but he ignored it. "Snape-he came to me, and I-"
"It's all right, Marcus," said Tonks, rushing over to his side. "Lie down."
Marcus could feel Remus and Tonks on either side of him, forcing him down, but he wasn't going to stand for it. "No! You don't understand-"
"Marcus, we know." Remus told him. "Calm down so we can tell you."
"You know?" he asked, letting them push him down on the bed.
"You've been out of it for a week, Marcus," explained Remus. "Snape's in Azkaban, awaiting sentencing."
"Azkaban?" he asked.
"Wizard Prison," surmised Tonks.
"Oh . . . okay . . . Guys, I'm sorry."
"I wasn't your fault-"
"I said things," he explained. "I told him things I shouldn't have-"
"He had you under his control, Marcus. It's all right-"
"I can't remember what all I said." He concentrated. "I think I-ah!" He felt that lightening again on the edge of his mind.
"Don't think about it, Marcus." Tonks told him. "It's over. Forget about it."
The Healer returned with some kind of potion. Marcus drank it, and then the Healer proceeded to ask him all kinds of questions that Marcus really didn't pay much attention to. When the Healer had gone, Marcus's head had stopped pounding.
Remus restored the lights, and Marcus found that they only made his eyes ache slightly. Tonks was able to conjure a pair of sunglasses, which he donned. He was fine with Remus and Tonks talking at a normal volume as long as they didn't raise their voices.
"Where am I?" asked Marcus suddenly in the middle of their conversation.
"You're in a hospital," said Tonks obviously.
"Well, yeah, but . . ."
He looked around and Tonks realized he was looking for machines.
"You're in our hospital," she corrected.
"Oh," he said in sudden understanding. "Right." He turned to them. "Um . . . what were we talking about?" He was ready to start up the conversation again.
"We were-" started Remus, but Tonks tapped him on the shoulder. "What?" he asked, turning to her.
She didn't say anything, just stared at Marcus. Remus turned to him and Marcus watched the expression on his face change from confused to scrutinizing.
"What?" Marcus demanded.
"Marcus . . ." said Remus slowly, reaching forward. "Er . . . Take those glasses off for a moment."
Remus took them before Marcus could question him. Shocked looks came over Remus's and Tonks's faces. They turned to each other as though for conformation.
"What?" asked Marcus again.
"Um . . ." Tonks didn't seem to know what to say.
Remus found a small hand mirror lying around and handed it wordlessly to Marcus. He took it from Remus's hands and turned it to gaze at his own reflection.
The left side of his face appeared to droop slightly when compared to the right. Marcus brought his free hand up to his face as though touching it would break the illusion, but nothing changed.
"I had . . . a stroke?" he asked in amazement. For crying out loud, he wasn't even thirty yet!
"You broke through some powerful dark magic, Marcus." Remus explained gently. "And you did it very suddenly. Your mind couldn't handle it. In fact, you're lucky to be alive."
After a few long seconds of silence, Marcus put the mirror down. He wasn't going to panic. Really, what would be the point? This was something he was just going to have to live with. He raised both arms above his head, experimenting. The movement of his left arm seemed slower, sloppier.
"Well," he said, bringing his arms down to stare at his hands wonderingly. "That's something new."
"Marcus," began Remus. He didn't really know what he had planned on saying, but at that moment the door to the ward burst open and a very distraught looking Molly Weasley bustled in.
"Tonks, I must-" She paused as she caught sight of Marcus sitting up in the bed. "Oh, Marcus, you're awake. That's wonderful. Welcome back, dear." She said it with an air that implied that she wanted to be happy for him but just couldn't muster up the strength.
"Molly, what is it?" asked Remus, standing from his chair and taking a step toward her.
She said nothing for a long moment, and then she burst into tears and threw her arms dramatically around his neck. "It's P-P-P-Percy!" she sobbed uncontrollably.
Tonks saw the pained expression on Remus's face. His arm wasn't in a sling anymore, but that shoulder of his was still sore. She could tell he was torn between comforting Molly and asking her to let go of him.
Tonks stepped in. "I've got her," she said, easing Molly off him. "Don't worry about it." Molly leaned on her and Tonks led her outside.
Remus sat back down in the chair, rubbing his shoulder.
"What happened to you?" asked Marcus curiously.
Remus let out a laugh and shook his head. "You'll never believe . . ." It seemed to be too ridiculous for him to explain. He reached into his pocket and dropped something into Marcus's hand.
Marcus stared at the small sliver object. It looked kind of like a . . . "You're were shot?" he asked, amazed for the second time in the last three minutes.
"I was transformed." Remus told him. "Some nutter thought he'd like to display me on his sitting room wall."
"Wow," said Marcus softly. "And it's a silver bullet as well. Lord, that's just insane." He shook his head in apparent disbelief. When he couldn't think of anything else to say, he held out the bullet.
Remus waved him off. "I don't want it. You can have it, if you want."
"Really?" Marcus smiled and clutched the little object in his hand. "Cool."
"He won't t-t-talk to me." Molly sobbed. "They won't let me s-s-see him. But I'm his m-m-mother."
"Molly calm down. You're not making sense."
The whole Weasley family was standing out in the corridor and looking very grim. Tonks didn't understand what was going on.
"Fred. George," said Arthur. "Take your mother, will you?"
The twins took Molly away silently and Mr. Weasley made his way over to Tonks.
"Arthur, what-?"
Mr. Weasley sighed greatly. "Percy was named."
Tonks was confused. "What?"
"Snape named him as the spy he got ministry information from, and he claimed Percy did it willingly."
Tonks gaped. "Wh-no! Percy would never-"
"They went to take him into custody a little while ago," he continued, as though he wanted to hurry and get it over with. "But something must have happened because they brought Percy here. Only, they won't tell us anything expect that he says he doesn't want to see us." He sighed again. "They say he'll only talk to you."
"Me?" asked Tonks, taken aback. "Why me? I don't even know him that well."
Arthur shrugged sadly but he didn't say anything more.
"I-I, um . . ." Tonks stuttered and looked around at the begrudged Weasley family. "I . . . I guess I'll go talk to him, then."
Arthur pointed down the hall to another private ward. An official of the Ministry of Magic was standing outside the door.
Tonks approached the wizard uneasily. "Um, I was told Percy wanted to speak to me?"
"Nymphadora Tonks?" he inquired gruffly.
She cringed at the name. Remus was the only one with a license to call her that now. "Yes."
The wizard scrutinized her intensely, and Tonks wondered if he knew Legilimency.
At last, he let her through. Percy was sitting in the bed, and he turned his attention toward her as she came through the doors. He was pale and had a bloodied cloth pressed to his nose in an attempt to stem a serious nosebleed. Nevertheless, he had the air of a businessman about him.
"Excuse me for a moment," he said as she neared. His voice was extremely muffled through the nosebleed and behind the cloth.
He lowered the cloth, blood slowly flowing from his nose, and unwrapped it. There was an object inside, but Tonks didn't have the chance to see what it was before Percy put it into his mouth. After a moment, the bleeding stopped. He wiped the blood from his face and hospital clothes as though this sort of thing happened to him all the time.
"Have a seat." He indicated the chair beside his bed.
Tonks sat. "Percy, what's going on?"
"I wanted to apologize," he said matter-of-factly. "What happened to your parents . . . why Snape was after you . . . I know I played some part in it."
She opened her mouth to object but he cut her off.
"I think it was easy for him to use me; quiet, obedient Percy who's always running errands for the minister and never talks to anyone unless it's about something he needs done. Who would notice if Percy Weasley were placed under the Imperious Curse? Absolutely no one.
"He removed the spell from me once he no longer had any use for me, and then I realized what I'd done. It was too late at that point to do anything about it; your parents were dead and Snape had his orders to find you." He paused. "I wondered why he didn't kill me, why he just left as soon as he had lifted the spell. . . . And now I know why." He paused again, and this time he lost all sense of propriety. "I'm a bloody coward."
"Percy-" she started, but he seemed determined to not let her speak. It was as though all he wanted was for her to listen and then leave once he didn't have anything further to say.
"I never said anything to anyone about my bewitchment. I guess I was hoping I could forget about it. I realize that will look bad for me at the hearing. If I was under the Imperious Curse, why didn't I say anything once it was lifted? I'm a coward," he repeated. "And Snape knew it.
"It was dad who gave me the heads up," he said. "I wasn't at the ministry; it was my day off. But word had gotten around to dad about who Snape had named. I received the owl shortly before they came for me. I was afraid I wouldn't get the chance to talk to you, so I faked a serious nosebleed and they brought me here since no one could find a way to stop it."
She thought she saw him smile slightly, but it was gone before she was entirely sure it had been there.
"I just wanted to apologize," he told her. "Nymphadora-"
"Tonks," she corrected.
"I'm sorry," he said as though he hadn't heard her. "For everything that's happened. I'm sorry."
He turned away from her after that, signaling that the conversation (or rather monologue) was over. He didn't want her to say anything. He had just wanted her to listen, and now he wanted her to go.
She stood from the chair. She knew he didn't want to hear it, but she said it anyway. "Apology accepted."
He said nothing to her. She hadn't expected him to.
She headed for the door and then paused, realizing there was more she wanted to say to him.
"Your nosebleed," she started. "That was a nosebleed nougat, wasn't it? One of Fred and George's?" Again, he said nothing, but she knew it was true.
"I doubt you actually visited the shop yourself, but you were curious. You wanted to see how your bothers were doing. You probably got someone to go in for you and purchase a few items." Percy had been right; he was a coward.
"You miss your family, don't you? They miss you too, Percy. They love you and worry about you or you dad would never have sent you that letter. They'd be more than willing to welcome you back.
"I was like you once," she continued. "As a teenager, I was young and foolish. I scorned my parents and walked out as soon as I turned seventeen. But you know what? I was wrong. It was the hardest thing to admit, but I went back to them and apologized. They're dead now, but I would hate to think that they had died without ever knowing how sorry I was.
"There's a war going on, Percy, and you or someone in your family might not make it through this. I would hate to see you make the mistake I almost did. I think that, after all this time, you had to apologize to someone. But you couldn't muster up the courage to talk to them, so you sent for me. They'd forgive you, Percy, just as I have, if you'd only give them the chance."
He said nothing. She left him alone.
As soon as she walked out, the Weasley's surrounded her. She didn't know what to tell them. Even Fred and George, who were usually unafraid to demonstrate just how much they thought Percy was a git, were solemn and somber.
"I tried," she said at last. "I don't know how much good it did. But I tried."
"What was that about?" Remus asked her when she returned.
"Later," she said. She really didn't want to get into it at the moment.
"So," Marcus said to Remus. "Now that Snape's out of the way, are you coming back?"
Remus hesitated. He'd been staying at Tonks's this past week (all his stuff was there). In fact, he hadn't been over to the apartment once. He hadn't really thought about his living arrangement until that moment, and he really wasn't sure what he was going to do. "Well . . . I . . ."
Marcus wasn't paying attention. He had noticed how their hands had sort of unconsciously come together when he'd asked the question; Tonks's laying on top of Remus's.
The couple looked at where Marcus was staring, and they both blushed slightly.
"Oh," said Remus, as though he hadn't even noticed his hand was in hers. "Well," He turned his palm over and laced his fingers with hers. "We worked some things out."
"Have you snogged yet?" asked Marcus, only half joking.
They laughed nervously. Then, to Marcus's surprise, Remus took Tonks's face in his hands and kissed her thoroughly.
"Remus!" Tonks objected. Honestly, Marcus was sitting right there. Couldn't he show a little decency? She struggled against him for a moment, but gave in the end.
Marcus stared at the obviously love struck couple. "Okay," he said. Something had apparently happened that he didn't know about. "What did I miss?"
- - 3 months later - -
Snape was in Azkaban. Percy had gotten off, though he still hadn't spoken with his family as far as Tonks knew. The war was still going on, though tonight one would not be able to tell.
After some rehabilitation, Marcus was back to his old self. The only difference was that when he smiled, his smiled appeared to be a little lopsided. And when he walked, he walked with a slight gimp. But those were things you only noticed if you knew they were there.
Remus had moved in with Tonks, and Marcus found that he could indeed pay the rent on his own . . . he just had to cut back on the number of concerts he went to. He didn't really have a problem with that. Somewhere along the way, he had lost the enthusiasm. That didn't mean that he didn't go every now and then, he just went very seldom.
Tonight, the trio was stretched out along the couch in the apartment as they watched movies. There was no particular reason for this, it was just something they had decided to do.
Tonks's head was resting on Remus's chest and he had arm wrapped around her.
"Is your dad's car still in the garage?" he asked her suddenly.
"Yes. Why?"
"I was thinking about that fantasy of yours."
She turned to look at him. "You mean, when we played I Never?"
"Maybe when we get home we could . . ." He took her hands, tracing promises into her skin with his fingertips.
She smiled at him. "You are so bad."
"Me?" he asked in mock surprise. "I don't know what you're talking about."
She grinned devilishly and ran a finger across his bottom lip. "I think I know a side of you that no one else does."
"Hmm . . ." he said. "I think-"
But he never got to say what he thought because she kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer, and she settled into his lap. Forget I Never, Tonsil Hockey was her new favorite game.
A pillow came flying and hit both of them in the side of the head. They parted.
"No shagging on the sofa," said Marcus. "Especially when I'm sitting on it."
"We weren't shagging." Tonks told him as she slid off Remus's lap.
"Sorry. No thinking about shagging while I'm sitting on the sofa next to you."
She couldn't deny that she had been thinking about it, so she said nothing and curled up next to Remus. They still had a movie to watch. Besides, that car wasn't going anywhere.
She and Remus had all the time in the world.
Finite
Author's Note
After performing an Unbreakable Vow, and swearing not to harm Remus anymore than I already have, I was able to get my Remus privileges back from Faith. lol. Thanks for the laugh, Faith.
This story was originally intended to be a one shot. Yes, you read that right. I just wanted to do something short and sweet. So, I wrote it out and it came to about twelve pages. But I didn't like it. I rewrote it at least five times and I still didn't like it.
So, then I started playing around with what Remus had really meant when he'd said he was too poor, too old, and too dangerous. I came up with some ideas that I hadn't seen anywhere, so I wanted to write a story that would explain those ideas. I was thinking I could do it in three or four chapters.
When I started writing that little story, Tonks's parents keep popping in and their intrusion was usually a negative one. I wanted to write the story without them in it, but they kept showing up so . . . I killed them. I know, I know. It was brutal, but they were bugging me and they wouldn't go away.
I could've written the story without ever mentioning them and I don't think anyone would have noticed. But I would have noticed because I expected them to be there. So, I had to mention in the story that they were dead. And then I felt that I had to come up with a reason as to why they were dead. And from there, the whole thing with Snape and Tonks knowing about the Horcruxes came up.
I rather liked the idea of Tonks's parents being dead because that forced Remus to go check on her (or Tonks to visit him since she was feeling so cruddy, as it later turned out). I think I wrote about thirteen to fifteen (I'm not kidding) different versions of the prologue. And then I came up with the idea of doing a chapter for each phase of the moon. I laid out what I thought would happen in each chapter and then worked on the prologue again.
As you may have guessed, I was getting quite frustrated with this story. I wanted to write it and I ended up hating it each time I did. But I put the prologue up and some people actually liked it. And really have to give a huge thank you to all my reviewers because if you hadn't liked it, I probably would have never continued. I had no idea when I first started that this story would turn out to be this way or this long. It just happened, and you all kept me going.
Several things in this story came to me at the last minute. I had always intended for there to be a spy in the ministry, but the spy never had a name or a face. Percy came into my head when I was writing the "full moon" chapter. I think he fits nicely.
Grace was an unexpected character. I had always planned on there being a thing with Remus and Lily since I had been playing around with that ship in my head at the time, but Grace had never been in there. She came up in the I Never game, which I wrote in study hall because I was bored. I hadn't intended to put it in the story. I had just written it to entertain myself, and I thought "Hmmm, maybe I should put it in." And then Grace's story filled itself in as I went on.
I have no idea where the Werewolf Protection Act came from. I just thought, "Wouldn't it be interesting if . . ." I think I just wanted to take what Remus had said about being too dangerous and bring that out with people being afraid of him and banning people like him from places. I'm not sure if that's correct but it sounds good.
Hopefully, I was able to deliver the happy ending you all deserve. Thank you so much for hanging in there with me. And, as always, thanks for reviewing!