"Why isn't he back yet?" Tonks asked anxiously.
"You're barely more tolerable than Moony in this state," grumbled Sirius. "Though you haven't inhaled a cauldron full of Calming Draught yet, so you've got him beat there."
Tonks flashed Sirius an offensive hand gesture, scowling at him. "Shouldn't he be back by now? It's been over twenty four hours since the full moon."
Sirius rubbed his chin and looked at the clock. "It is unusual for Moony to be out so late past a full moon. Send a Patronus, why don't you?"
Tonks followed the suggestion and conjured her jack rabbit Patronus. "Remus, if you're alright, please send your Patronus back. We're worried," she told the jack rabbit, and sent it off to wherever Remus might be.
"How long should I wait for a reply?" Tonks asked Sirius. "An hour? Half hour?"
"Give it a half hour," Sirius sighed. "No need to panic. Remus is a grown werewolf and can take care of himself after transformations."
"I'm going to gather supplies just in case he's not well," Tonks declared. "I'll be right back." She trudged up the stairs in a hurry, knocking over the hideous troll leg umbrella stand, triggering Walburga Black's portrait to screech obscenely at the disturbance. Tonks didn't care; Remus hadn't come back from his full moon transformation on time, and she was worried. She rummaged through Remus' potions and healing salves in the bathroom, grabbing what she could and stuffing them into her rucksack. Please be okay, Remus, please be okay, she repeated to herself.
"He hasn't sent a Patronus back yet, has he?" Tonks asked, thundering down the stairs to the kitchen several minutes later.
Sirius shook his head. "Go to his cottage and see if he's alright, then," he suggested. "Bring him back here if he isn't, as I've more experience healing him than you have."
"What about his wards? D'you know how to break them?" Tonks asked.
"Only he does," Sirius admitted. "You'll have to work at them."
Tonks nodded furiously and ran out the door to Apparate from the top step of Grimmauld Place.
Moments later, she appeared on the outskirts of Remus' cottage. The wards were indeed difficult to penetrate, especially as he'd failed to remove the strongest ones to repel others from his werewolf transformation. Tonks broke security ward after security ward, enchantment after enchantment, until she was sweating and swearing profusely. Thank Merlin Auror training involved curse breaking, she thought. As soon as she broke through the wards, she cast a few of her own, in case she was being followed.
Tonks burst through the cottage door, calling Remus' name. Not a sound, sight, or trace of her boyfriend in his shabby cottage.
"Could he be in the cellar?" she mumbled. He'd shown her the cellar before, but had it relatively unwarded at the time. As she approached the cellar, she felt the wards and enchantments grow stronger. She groaned, thinking she'd have to work that much harder to find him, if he were down there.
Nearly a half hour passed before Tonks was finally able to break all the enchantments on the cellar door; it took another half hour to break down the security wards at the top of the steps. "Merlin's left arse cheek, Remus, you didn't make this easy," she growled, finally breaking through the last of the wards to get her down the steps, and re-warding the cellar to prevent intruders.
When Tonks finally made it to the bottom of the cellar steps, a sharp, metallic tang infiltrated her nostrils and taste buds. Blood was thick in the air and a broken, bloodied heap lay near the steps.
"REMUS!" Tonks shouted. "Please be okay, Remus, please be okay, please…" she repeated in a panic, looking over Remus' naked, bloodied, and unconscious body. He was frighteningly pale, but Tonks was able to find a faint pulse in his wrist. "Oh, thank Merlin, you're alive," she rushed. "Stay with me, Remus, stay with me."
Tonks pulled out potions and salves from her rucksack with now-bloodied hands. She tipped several vials of Blood Replenishing Potion down Remus' throat, until she ran out of them, leaving the empty glass vials to crash against the stone floor. Next, she cast healing spells wherever she could, finding the task arduous. Broken toes, fingers, a poorly-healed wrist, broken ribs, and even a broken jaw all had to be healed. She cast a quick "Rennervate!" on him as she finished healing his bones, hoping he'd become conscious soon.
Remus' eyes were flittering open and he groaned softly; a deep gash near his throat seemed to prevent his ability to speak. "Stay awake, Remus, please," Tonks pled, feeling grateful her spells were working. "I'm going to take care of you. You're going to be just fine," Tonks insisted. "Just fine." While the bones had begun to heal, it was evident that Tonks would need Skele-Gro for the bones to heal properly.
"Accio Dittany!" called Tonks, summoning the healing salve to her fingertips. She opened the jar filled with Dittany and began smearing it liberally all over Remus' body; it was nearly impossible to tell what wasn't hurt with the amount of blood that had dried and clotted all over his limbs. Remus was faintly moaning with the application of Dittany, bringing a sliver of hope to Tonks. He can feel this, Tonks thought, he's alive, he's going to be okay.
Remus was too weak to Apparate back to Grimmauld Place with Tonks, and she was barely strong enough to lift his broken body up the steps of the cellar and up to his bed.
"Sirius!" she gasped. She conjured her jack rabbit Patronus and sent it to Sirius, saying, "Remus is badly hurt; I need your help. Urgent. Send a Patronus back before you arrive to let you through."
Tonks continued to apply Dittany to Remus' wounds, until she saw Sirius' shaggy dog Patronus confirm his arrival. Tonks quickly undid her wards and allowed Sirius to come through. He gaped at the sight of Remus' bloodied body and Tonks' now bloodied hands.
"Could you help me get him back up to his bed?" Tonks breathlessly asked. "He's in and out of consciousness." Sirius nodded and hoisted Remus over his shoulder gently, as Tonks cleaned what she could of the dirtied cellar.
Sirius laid Remus on the threadbare bed in Remus' cottage, muttering his own healing spells over Remus' body.
"Get me a rag, if you can," Sirius called. Tonks went to the kitchen and grabbed the cloths she could find, wetting them in warm water. Over the next hour, Tonks and Sirius worked in simultaneous silence to heal Remus. Sirius' cleaning spells were far superior to Tonks' – unsurprisingly – and soon Remus was clean, fully bandaged, and healing well.
"It's one of the worst I've seen," Sirius said quietly. "I don't think he's been this bad in years."
"What would've happened if we hadn't come?" Tonks asked.
"I dunno if you want to know the answer to that, cousin," Sirius replied. "Did you re-ward the place?"
"Shit!" Tonks quickly recast as many wards and protective enchantments as she could on Remus' cottage. "How long do you think he'll be out?" she asked Sirius.
"Did you give him any Sleeping Draught?"
"No, just Blood Replenishing Potion and Pain Relief Potion for now. I didn't think to bring Sleeping Draught," Tonks moaned. "How could I forget?"
"I've got it," Sirius provided. He pulled out several vials of Sleeping Draught and Calming Draught. "He might need both." Tonks took the vials in her hand and sat down on the edge of Remus' bed, softly brushing the hair out of his face and tipping a bit of Sleeping Draught down his throat.
"Beautiful," Remus' soft, weak voice called. "So beautiful."
"What's that, love?" Tonks asked, delighted to hear Remus' voice. She beamed at Remus and then at Sirius.
"Colors," Remus mumbled. "Lovely colors." His eyes were looking far away, but his face was relaxed.
"Maybe another potion?" Sirius suggested. "Thank Merlin you got to him on time."
"Dark?" Remus questioned, an anxious look in his eyes.
"It's nighttime, sweetheart," Tonks said.
"Do…ra," Remus croaked. "You're here too." Tonks looked at Remus quizzically, and then back at Sirius.
"So's Sirius, love," Tonks mentioned.
"He died?" Remus mumbled. "James here too?"
"He's delirious," Sirius stated. "Give him more of the Sleeping Draught."
"I'm never letting him do this alone again," Tonks declared. Remus' eyes gently closed and his breathing relaxed into regular intervals.
"He won't let you," Sirius concluded. "It took years for anyone other than Madam Pomfrey to help him."
"He could have died, Sirius," Tonks protested. "He can't possibly think this is fine. Is he that proud?"
"I think it's some of that, and fear," Sirius admitted. "Besides school and his own parents, he never really had anyone to rely on."
"So if he learned to take care of himself, he would never need anyone else," Tonks reasoned. "But he has other people now! He's got me! And you!"
"I went to prison for twelve years," Sirius said grimly. "You've known him barely half a year. He's not going to break easily. Hard to teach an old dog new tricks, as the saying goes."
Tonks frowned. There wasn't any reason for Remus to believe she would leave him; despite knowing each other for such a short time, she felt they'd become close. She didn't want anyone else, did he feel the same?
"I should get back to Headquarters," Sirius sighed. "You'll stay here?"
"I can't leave him," Tonks confessed. "I – can't."
"I'll put up a few more wards," Sirius added. "Send me a Patronus when he's well enough to get back." Tonks nodded at him and Sirius left the shabby cottage to return to Grimmauld Place.
Tonks watched Remus' chest rise and fall in steady sleep. The idea of something happening to him – it was unbearable. She decided to slip into Remus' bed, despite it being both threadbare and small. She'd expand it in the morning when he was awake. Till then, all she wanted to do was to curl up against his recovering frame, inhaling his own scent to soothe her anxieties.
…
Tonks' wand-alarm went off at 7 AM, reminding her that despite Remus' injuries, she was still an Auror with a need to report to work within a half hour. Tonks groaned, groggy from staying up late with an ailing Remus. He didn't stir from his sleep, despite Tonks' obnoxious alarm. Knowing she couldn't stay, she sent a Patronus to Sirius to let him know that Remus was well and sleeping, and that she'd be returning to him as soon as she was off work. It would be a long day of waiting.
She left a hurriedly scribbled note on Remus' bedside, hoping he'd be awake to read it before she was able to see him again. With one final flourish on the parchment, she turned around to leave the cottage and Apparate to the Ministry.
"TONKS!" Alfie's voice boomed through the Atrium. "Early job this morning!" Tonks' head throbbed from the bright lights and lack of sleep, but followed the sound of Alfie's voice.
"What the fuck happened to you?" Alfie demanded. Tonks looked down at herself and noticed that while her Auror robes had blessedly been kept clean, her street clothes underneath were filled with bloodstains. Tonks sighed heavily, realizing she'd forgotten to clean herself.
"Long story," Tonks muttered. "Gimme a minute." She rushed to the women's loo and spent a few precious minutes tidying herself up and morphing herself to look fresher and cleaner. She decided on a jet-black quiff to keep the hair out of her face, and morphed away all the bags under her eyes.
She emerged from the loo and met Alfie back at the bustling Atrium. "Where to, mate?" she asked Alfie, forcing a smile.
"That morphing of you comes in handy, doesn't it?" Alfie said condescendingly. "What were you up to last night?" he eyed her suspiciously.
"A friend got badly injured last night so I helped," Tonks snapped. "Not that it's any of your business."
"It's my business if you show up to a job looking like you've been attacked by a hippogriff," Alfie grumbled. "We've got to go."
"Where to?" Tonks repeated.
"Knockturn Alley," Alfie replied. "Watching for suspicious activity outside Borgin & Burkes."
"This early?" Tonks' brow furrowed.
"Shacklebolt's orders," Alfie said coldly. "Let's go." Tonks let Alfie lead her out of the Ministry and out to Knockturn Alley. If Kingsley was sending them off to Borgin & Burkes, she felt far more confident in the early mission.
Alfie and Tonks crouched in a narrow alley near Borgin & Burkes, both disillusioned. Knockturn Alley was eerily quiet so early in the morning; Tonks felt herself nodding off in the silent, darkened alley.
"Tonks!" Alfie loudly whispered. "Do you see that?" Tonks shifted out of her reverie to see a hooded figure paused outside the shop in question.
"That's a werewolf," Tonks muttered in Alfie's ear, trying to still her nervous breathing. "Fenrir Greyback."
"How did you know that?" Alfie demanded.
"He's not hard to miss," Tonks explained. "Trust me."
"What's he doing down here so early, I wonder?" Tonks observed as Fenrir Greyback entered Borgin & Burkes. "Want me to morph?" Tonks offered. Alfie nodded and Tonks morphed herself into a sallow-faced, greying witch. She transfigured her robe to be slightly rattier, and transfigured her shoes to something less…combative.
She snuck around the side of the alley and into Borgin & Burkes. Greyback was chatting with one of the shop's owners, either Borgin or Burkes. Tonks tried to get near the shop's desk to overhear the conversation; she pretended to fuss with a pendant in the meantime.
"Needing assistance, ma'am?" the shop owner called; he looked uncomfortable waiting on the werewolf. Greyback looked at Tonks suspiciously, but Tonks simply offered, "Merely browsing, sir, for my elderly mother. Might I see this pendant more closely when you've concluded your business with the gentleman?" Tonks shot a look at Greyback, whose face was set into a terrifying expression.
"Very well, madam," the shopkeeper replied, turning back to the conversation with the werewolf. Tonks pretended to be interested in the pendant, which was turning out to be harder said than done; the jewelry oozed Dark Magic, and she was hesitant to stay near it. In between her observations of the pendant, Tonks was able to catch snippets of Greyback's conversation with the shopkeeper.
"No need to ask where it came from, Borgin," Greyback growled. "I came by it honorably, if that's what you're asking." Greyback growled again, baring his teeth.
"Give me a moment to examine it," Borgin spat. The shopkeeper was prickly to the werewolf; socially, the shopkeeper had the upper hand, but in the very moment, Greyback was a far more intimidating figure.
Tonks kept a safe distance from the pair as she stood patiently by the enchanted (possibly cursed?) pendant. She heard Greyback's heavy breathing and…sniffing?
"You," Greyback said in a hoarse voice. "You reek of wolf." Greyback drew closer to Tonks, sniffing her in the process.
"I-I-," Tonks stammered. What would she say? Yes, I spent the night curled up next to my favorite werewolf? I tended his wounds? I love him more every day?
"Smells familiar," Greyback rasped. "Not my pack anymore." He narrowed his amber-yellow eyes at Tonks. "Who is it?"
"A friend," Tonks answered breathlessly. "Just a friend."
"Liar," Greyback snarled. "A wolf has claimed you…not mates yet." Greyback continued sniffing the air around Tonks. How could he possibly know that? Is werewolf smelling really that good?
"You've been scent marked, precious," Greyback's scratchy voice explained, bringing his own calloused palm to Tonks' cheek. "His scent is all over you, but why haven't you mated? A pretty thing like you deserves a real mate, doesn't she?" Greyback's hot, putrid breath invaded Tonks' nostrils, raising the hair on the back of her neck uncomfortably. Thank Merlin they were in a public place.
"EUPHEMIA!" a voice shouted from the shop door, startling Tonks and Greyback. It was a disguised Alfie, relaxing Tonks significantly. Alfie, to his credit, came up with the strangest aliases for Tonks when they were undercover together. "Euphemia" as nearly as bad as "Nymphadora."
"Tiberius, darling!" Tonks called. "You've come to meet me at last." She kissed Alfie's cheek in polite greeting as Greyback stepped away.
"Sir," Borgin's voice now cut into the scene. "I've appraised your artifact, if you'll join me here."
"Are you alright?" whispered Alfie. "He touched you?"
"I'm fine," Tonks mumbled. "Just uncomfortable." Tonks stood next to Alfie, holding tightly to the sleeve of his robe. Men's advances on her usually didn't bother her, but Greyback felt different. Personal. He could smell Remus.
The pair of Aurors watched as Borgin finished his transaction with Greyback, who took another deep whiff of Tonks' scent on his way out of the shop, sending a shudder down her spine. Tonks took the opportunity to ask Borgin about the pendant, while Alfie used the distraction to see what Greyback had sold to the shopkeeper.
"What an unusual pendant you have here," Tonks observed. "I sense quite a bit of powerful magic on it." Tonks chatted animatedly, allowing Alfie to use his stealth skills.
"It's meant to hold a blood magic spell, madam," explained Borgin. "A drop of blood and a few enchantments, and this pendant can track the location of the one whose blood it contains. Very powerful indeed."
"It tracks location?" Tonks asked incredulously. "Isn't that dangerous?"
"Only for the tracked, madam," Borgin said with a sneer. "I find it an especially desirable gift for suspicious spouses." Borgin smirked at Tonks. This is repulsive; it was created to track cheating spouses? Or perhaps to control the other spouse's location? Disgusting use of magic, Tonks thought.
"Perhaps not for my mother," Tonks said. She looked over at Alfie, who signalled to her that he'd finished his investigation. "Tiberius, be a dear and escort me to the next shop," Tonks smiled sweetly at Alfie. "Mother will be most disappointed if I forget her birthday again." Alfie nodded and offered his arm to Tonks, and they both walked out of the dark shop and snuck back into the narrow alley in which they were before.
Unfortunately, the alley was now occupied by none other than Fenrir Greyback.
"This isn't your mate, precious," Greyback rasped. "Who is it?" Greyback asked, inching closer to Tonks and Alfie, snarling at Alfie in particular before gathering his attention on Tonks.
"Leave – me – alone," Tonks gritted. "I don't know what you're talking about! Get away from me!" she shouted at the werewolf.
Greyback merely smirked at Tonks. "Smells don't lie, sweetheart," he growled. "Your wolf had better mate with you before someone else does. It's a treat to find a partner so young and willing to be with a wolf." Greyback's eyes shone with lust and desire; Alfie instinctively backed away, leading Tonks to panic slightly. Greyback stepped closer to Tonks as she backed away into the wall, falling over. Alfie froze to the spot, while Greyback drew even closer to her, helping her to her feet and breathing on her neck heavily in the process.
"You'll be perfect, my girl," Greyback crooned into Tonks' ear. "Come with me," he murmured.
"NO!" Tonks shouted, feeling rage flowing through her body. "Get – the – fuck – away – from – me!" Tonks slapped the werewolf and turned on her heel, grabbing Alfie's wrist in the process. Before Greyback could follow them, she and Alfie Apparated right to the Ministry workers' entrance.
"What the fuck was that about, Tonks?" Alfie finally blurted. "What was he going on about with mates?"
"It's a misunderstanding, Alfie," Tonks quickly lied. "The friend I helped last night – he's friends with a werewolf so the scent from one to the next must've gotten on me," Tonks continued lying. "I was as shocked as you were."
Alfie eyed Tonks suspiciously, but said nothing.
"Did you at least get an idea of what Greyback sold to Borgin?" Tonks asked. Her exhaustion was catching up to her. "And do you mind telling me over coffee?"
"Fine," Alfie assented, leading Tonks to a nearby coffee shop meant for Ministry workers; to Muggles, it looked like a burnt-out petrol station, while to wizards and witches, it was a whimsical coffee and bake shop for Ministry employees on their way to work. They stepped through the barrier to the petrol station and found themselves in the mid-morning lull of a coffee shop.
"I'll get this," Tonks offered. "Scone?" Alfie nodded, Tonks ordered, and returned with their coffees and scones. Alfie was scribbling furiously on parchment, likely to get the report started, Tonks thought.
"What'd you see?" Tonks asked over a bite of scone. "Anything worth our time?"
"A family heirloom, I think," Alfie replied. "Not his own. It looked like a photo album, but that might've been an enchantment. Only part I saw was the family crest, but it wasn't a wizarding family, I don't think."
"What makes you say that?" Tonks asked. "Did you see the family name?"
"Riddle," Alfie frowned. "Know any Riddles?"
"Name's almost familiar," Tonks said thoughtfully. Voldemort's name, isn't it? Not about to tell Alfie this till I run it past Kingsley and Moody though. "I'll ask Shacklebolt when we get back. You're already doing the report?"
"You've been through hell," Alfie said flatly. "Ask Scrimgeour for the day when we get back."
"A bit condescending, don't you think?" Tonks said angrily.
"You came into work covered in blood, nearly fell asleep in Knockturn Alley of all places, and you were almost assaulted by a werewolf," Alfie listed off, frowning. "I stood by and did nothing with Greyback. Least I can do is do the report and get you the day so you can sleep."
Tonks was surprised at Alfie's sudden kindness; he was trying to help her. "Oh," Tonks managed to say.
"C'mon, we should head back," Alfie said. "Shacklebolt'll be wanting this before lunch." Tonks nodded and followed Alfie back to the Ministry workers' entrance, feeling grateful for Alfie for what she thought might've been the first time.
Tonks, with both Alfie and Kingsley's assistance, managed to convince Scrimgeour to give her the rest of the day off to 'recover' from her ordeal with Greyback. Kingsley's expression raised a bit more alarm than Tonks had liked; maybe it was time to tell some of the Order members that she and Remus were together? Would that explain things?
Shaking her now-throbbing head, she stepped out of the Ministry Atrium, briefly debating whether she should stop by her flat or Remus' cottage. Ophelia, Tonks thought, no one's fed the cat!
Tonks Apparated to her flat and let herself in through her wards. Ophelia was meowing angrily at Tonks. "You little monster," Tonks said. "I'm here now. I had to help Remus," she told the cat absentmindedly. "You know Remus, you like him very much. He takes care of you when I can't." Tonks managed to find the cat food and set some out for Ophelia. "Bloody tyrant," she grumbled, as the cat feasted upon its mistress' offering.
Tonks checked the time; it wasn't quite noon, and the note she'd left for Remus told him she'd be at work till the end of the day. As much as she wanted to see him, the little bed they'd shared while he was healing was awfully uncomfortable. Exhausted, she gave into the desire for sleep and fell down face first into her unmade bed, falling asleep instantly.
…..
"Dora?" a voice called. "Are you here?" Tonks woke and snatched her wand, pointing it at the source of the noise.
"Who's there?" she called, whipping around the screen of her bed to find the intruder. She relaxed when she saw it was Remus.
"Remus! You're alright!" Tonks sped across her small flat and knocked into Remus headfirst. "I'm so glad you're okay!" Remus pressed a kiss on Tonks' head, and Tonks heard him sniffing lightly. He froze in place.
"What's wrong?" Tonks asked, looking back up at Remus' face, which had hardened into a frightening expression, causing Tonks to step away from him instinctively.
"Who touched you?" Remus' voice was dripping with hatred. Tonks had never heard his voice filled with such venom.
"No – no one?" Tonks felt confused, until she remembered the morning's interaction with Greyback. Remus glowered at her; he wasn't joking about the aggression, she thought.
"Wait, that's not right," Tonks hurried. "It's been a long day, I should tell you over tea."
"Tell me now," Remus insisted, much to Tonks' surprise. "Please." His voice softened at what must have been Tonks' own change of expression.
"Sit?" Tonks ventured. "I'm sure you're still exhausted."
"I'm fine where I am," Remus said flatly, the anger still not fading from his eyes. Tonks was still exhausted, so she sat down on the sofa next to Ophelia.
"Right, so, you're smelling Greyback," Tonks began unceremoniously. She realized her mistake quickly; Remus looked as if he were ready to murder on the spot.
"What – did - he - do - to - you?" Remus demanded.
"Remus, let me explain, please," Tonks sighed. "It's not at all what you think, I would never run off with anyone else. You know that." Remus' expression softened in understanding? Relief? Tonks wasn't sure what caused the change.
"I'm sorry," Remus said softly. "I didn't think you had done anything. I trust you with my life," he continued. "My anger was directed at him, not you. I apologize I lost my temper with you. Please, go on." He walked towards Tonks and sat down on the sofa with her, taking her hand in his own.
"After I left your cottage this morning, I went right to work. Shacklebolt had an early job for me and Alfie," Tonks began. "Something at Borgin & Burkes, and I recognized Greyback going into the shop. I morphed, of course, and while Borgin was appraising whatever Greyback brought in, he smelled me." Tonks hoped Remus would understand the significance of what she was saying.
"He smelled me on you," Remus concluded. "Werewolves have stronger scents than humans."
"Yeah," Tonks assented. "He could smell I was someone's mate, but that we hadn't, erm, mated. Couldn't quite recognize your scent, or wouldn't tell me if he did. Said it was familiar, but not his pack anymore." Tonks noticed Remus' fists clenching until his knuckles were white with rage.
"He knows what I smell like. He knows it was me," Remus gritted through his teeth.
"You were part of Greyback's pack once?" Tonks was astonished. She could never picture her mild-mannered werewolf boyfriend as part of what she assumed were Greyback's vicious cronies.
"First Wizarding War," Remus provided. "Undercover work for Dumbledore. I hated it and only managed to get a few werewolves out from under Greyback. Didn't leave without burning bridges." Remus grimaced.
"He said you'd scent marked me," Tonks continued. "Is that true? Not that I care, mind you," she added hastily, upon seeing Remus' frown. "Scent marking is a real thing? Isn't that done with, umm…pee?" Tonks looked confusingly at her boyfriend, and Remus choked out a laugh in return.
"It can be, Dora," Remus chuckled, looking at Tonks' expression. "Not what I'm into, believe me," he continued, "even if I weren't a werewolf." He went on, "Wolves have scent glands on their paws, which means hands for a werewolf. Touching you with my hands leaves a scent. If you were healing me last night – which we need to talk about – your hands were all over my body, so my scent must've been heavy on you."
"He said I 'reeked' of you," Tonks specified.
"I'm not surprised," Remus admitted. "Wolves also have scent glands on their tails, and considering the pain in my backside, your hands must've been there too." Tonks blushed.
"I really wasn't looking to put my hands there," Tonks said, embarrassed. "You had blood all over you so I put the Dittany almost everywhere." Remus smiled at her.
"I know, I don't blame you," Remus offered. "It explains why my smell was so strong on you. Is that all that happened? He must've touched you, though." Remus frowned, sniffing the air around Tonks and frowning again when he found the distasteful smell.
"He did, unfortunately," Tonks said. "Just put his hand on my face a couple times," she explained, seeing Remus' rage fly over his face again. "First time, it was in the shop after he told me he knew we hadn't mated, but were mates."
"Your scent would change if we'd mated," Remus quickly explained. "What was the second time about?"
"It was after we left the shop," Tonks supplied. "He was waiting for us." Remus glowered and clenched his hands again, leaving the knuckles white.
"He could tell we hadn't mated and offered to do it himself," Tonks said quietly. "Not nicely, mind you, but we got out of there without any further issue." Tonks looked at Remus to gauge his reaction. He was taking shallow, unsteady breaths and his hands were shaking.
"He – threatened - you?" Remus choked. "To assault you?" Remus was struggling to keep his voice even and his temper in check. His fists were clenching and unclenching, and color was rising to his face.
"Yes," Tonks said softly. "We got out of there, Remus, and that's what matters." She took his hands in her own. "I'm alright, I really am. It's not the first time I've had encounters like that," she added lamely. "Part of being a witch, unfortunately."
Remus closed his eyes, scrunching them up and steadying his breath for several moments. "I am so sorry, Dora," he finally said.
"What are you sorry for?" Tonks asked, surprised. "It's not like you did anything. Greyback might've been a little more unusual with his approach, but it's not much different than what I've seen or heard from wizards and Muggle men."
"It's another one of the hazards of being with me," Remus sighed. "You'll smell like a werewolf. It doesn't matter to non-werewolves, but other werewolves will be able to smell me on you. If they're like Greyback, it'll be…appealing to know that you're open to being with one of us. The unsavory sort will see it as some sort of sign about your…willingness, and that's attractive." Remus' words were laced with hate.
"Oh," Tonks said, in understanding. "You're the only werewolf I'm willing to be with, Remus," Tonks assured him.
"I know that, Dora," Remus sighed. "Mystifies me, but I do know that."
"I think we should tell some of the Order members we're together," Tonks said abruptly. Remus' jaw dropped and he looked at her, aghast with horror.
"Why would you want to tell anyone else?" he demanded.
"My parents, Molly, and Sirius all know, and I bet Molly's already told Arthur," Tonks explained. "We don't have to tell everyone, mind you, but I want to tell Kingsley so he doesn't have me going on any more werewolf outings without more backup. Alfie was useless today."
"Alfie was with you and he didn't stop Greyback?!" Remus roared. "What use is a partner if he doesn't help you?"
"Exactly my point, Remus," Tonks agreed. "If Kingsley knows we're together, he can nudge Scrimgeour away from sending me on more werewolf escapades. Not that I care if other werewolves smell you on me, but I really don't like the idea of another Greyback anywhere near me. I don't care what people think of me, or us, really, but I don't need another reason to be ogled."
Remus seemed to be weighing his options. Finally, he sighed and relented, saying, "Tell Kingsley and Moody for now. Leave the others out of it. You don't need any more targets on your back." He exhaled heavily.
"Moody's gonna love this," Tonks smiled. "He's like my second dad!" Remus groaned at hearing this, but Tonks didn't care. She'd finally be able to share the news of her relationship with a few more people she cared for, and that was good enough for her, for now.
"So, about healing me last night," Remus switched topics. "We should talk about it." Remus looked at Tonks curiously. "I've got a proposition for you." Tonks perked up to hear this. "But first, dinner?" Remus offered. Tonks nodded furiously, noticing her hunger. Remus kissed Tonks' forehead gently and went up to the kitchen to prepare them something to eat.