Simple in the Moonlight

Part 2

His eyes were filled with tears as he watched her across the room. Arthur had told him she'd been bitten in the side, but the blankets covered her fragile body. He was afraid to make a move; this way she looked beautiful, still pure and innocent. He was afraid of what he'd see in her eyes when she awoke. So he hid in the shadows of her room watching her sleep, the waning moonlight sparkling down on her form.

For all his protecting, all his sheltering; now it no longer mattered, here she was…just like him, broken like him. A part of him said that he should be glad, finally knowing that he could claim her as his own. However, the thought was wiped away by the reality of it all, the pain and suffering she would soon discover. The prejudice and hate that came along with her curse.

The thought of it brought such anguish; he had to chock back a sob. The slight noise caused her to stir awake.

As she moaned her new senses kicked in and she knew he was there. "Remus…" she muttered turning her head to right where he was standing.

He didn't move, but held back the need to run to her and wrap her in safety, keep her from all the things she would discover, but he didn't know if he could handle it.

"Remus…" she croaked out again, "Remus" she cried when he still wasn't there, the fear in her heart broke him and before he could stop himself he was by her side grasping her hand.

"I'm here, I'm here…" he whispered to her, kneeling, kissing her pale shaky hand.

She was crying, grabbing his hair with her free hand wanting to roll over and touch him but it hurt to move even the little she had, so she sat there weeping, grabbing at him the best she could.

He gently stroked her brown locks, staring into her changed eyes, holding his own tears, trying to be strong for her.

As he began to stand up to readjust his position her eyes clouded with fear and she tugged hard on his hair, jolting him with pain, but he ignored it looked at her confused.

"Don't leave me!" As those words came tumbling anxiously from her chapped lips, his own eyes filled with surprise and tears.

She thought he'd leave? The idea shook him to the core and he leaned down to her prostate form covering her face with kisses and he grabbed her shoulders gently trying to get across his love for her, even now.

As he did her own scared sobs began to calm and her clenched fist began to release, running down his arm. "Oh God, Remus, Oh God…" She kept muttering as he showered her face with kisses. Softly, careful to not hit her side, he wrapped his arms around her, gently shushing her as he rocked back and forth.

"I was so scared, so scared…I—I…"

He buried his face in her shoulder trying to hold his own tears from spilling out in front of her. He didn't want to hear about the mad animal that must have attacked her, the mad animal he, himself, had been that same night, the same that she would turn into in one month's time.

"I kept thinking of you, how you'd be so angry…when everything went black all I could think was you'd never stay now. Even after all we'd gone through, why would you want me?"

He pushed her back at those words and stared at her. His intense eyes made her shudder and look away. "How could you ever think that Dora!" He was, on one hand angry at that idea, but the other, he understood. He knew what it was like to lose those who loved you just because of what you were, what you couldn't control.

She let out another sob and clung to his shirt, though still didn't look back at him. "I've been bit Remus, I'm tainted, I was your purity, your innocence, now…now I'm not…why would you want me?"

The words stung, he had been thinking exactly about that just before she'd awoke, after all; but she was his everything, and it took her saying those words that made him realize it. "Dora, you still are, you're my i life /i , I love you, and a bite isn't going to change that, it isn't going to change you…" His voice trailed off. His own words, they had been hers years ago. The irony was flying around his head and he couldn't help laugh aloud. The thought was not lost on her and she smiled slightly at him.

He trailed a thumb across her cheek staring into her now ice blue eyes and smiled. She smiled back up at him and began to lean into kiss him when she jerked away. Hands clutched at her side and a whimper shot from her lips.

He immediately brushed her hair back and looked worryingly at her. "Dora…"

"It…it hurts!" She moaned and curled into the fetal position. His eyes traveled to where she was clutching herself and his eyes burned. It was the bite, it was healing itself. Some other had hurt her like this, hurt her in all the ways he had been protecting her from.

Nurses ran in along with Arthur and Kingsley. The nurses were at Tonks side helping her, guiding her through her first regenerative healing process, while Arthur and Kingsley stood next to him, looking at her worriedly.

"Is she alright?" Arthur asked, wringing his hands.

"She will be…" Remus replied lowly. The three stood there for a long moment as Tonks slowly fell back asleep, the healing over, and her eyes smiled at Remus before she was out. He turned to Kingsley. "Did you find him?"

For a moment the large auror stared at him then slowly nodded. "We've got them in custody down the hall. He was pretty banged up as well…" Remus nodded, his eyes cold. The two other men looked at him concerned.

"Remus…are you alright?" Arthur asked reaching to touch his shoulder. Remus brushed it off and nodded.

"I'm fine…I'm going to go get some air." And he walked out of the room leaving the two to stare after him.