The month of November began cold, wet, and dreary. Today would have been Sirius' 37th birthday. It was a chilly evening, and to celebrate the memory of her favorite cousin, Tonks had chosen to drink a glass of Ogden's Finest Firewhisky, what had been his drink of choice. She felt the rich, woody flavor coat her mouth with each sip, and shuddered slightly with each swallow. Despite her many attempts to acclimate to the complex flavor of Firewhisky, she had never truly grown accustomed to the almost-burning sensation the drink left at the back of her throat. She was drinking alone; not that it mattered, anyway, she thought. She preferred the solitude to her coworkers' company any day of the week.
The last month had been cruel to Tonks. Nearly three weeks prior, a seventh-year Gryffindor, Katie Bell, had been cursed by a necklace that had somehow made its way into her hands from The Three Broomsticks. Scrimgeour had been livid at both Alfie and Tonks for the mishap, as they were, in his estimation, most to blame for the incident. Tonks had been stationed at the Hogwarts gates, inspecting the students on their way in and out of Hogsmeade for the weekend. As had been policy, Tonks had been joined by several fellow Aurors to assist in searching the students. As Tonks was the only female Auror, she had been assigned to search all the female students in and out of the castle; Scrimgeour had placed the blame on Tonks' shoulders for not inspecting Katie thoroughly enough on her way to Hogsmeade, despite her having received the cursed necklace after she left the castle. Scrimgeour's fury had also been directed at Alfie, as he was stationed directly inside The Three Broomsticks and had missed the necklace and incident altogether.
Punishment had come in the way of babysitting. First, two senior Aurors were sent to oversee Tonks and Alfie at Hogsmeade. Dawlish and Proudfoot were now stationed at Hogsmeade in addition to Tonks and Alfie, much to Tonks' chagrin. Proudfoot had made it his personal responsibility to supervise Tonks, while Dawlish made it his responsibility to supervise Alfie. Tonks felt some satisfaction from this arrangement; both Dawlish and Proudfoot were bothersome in their own ways, but Dawlish was insufferable. Regardless, both senior Aurors were now micromanaging Tonks and Alfie in their patrols at Hogsmeade, making the assignment more suffocating than ever.
Second, Tonks and Alfie were now added to patrol the corridors at Hogwarts in the evenings, in alternating shifts. Tonks had never been a prefect, having lacked the distinct "ability to behave herself," according to Professor Sprout, her Hufflepuff Head of House. However, patrolling the corridors alongside current Hogwarts prefects made Tonks glad she had never had the role. She felt suffocated by the walls at Hogwarts. Being so young, she felt like a student again, and the professors – in particular, a certain potions master – did not make her feel any older or more mature. Alfie had taken to the role with gusto, having been both a prefect and Head Boy in his time at Hogwarts. If she wasn't being babysat at Hogsmeade, she was certainly being babysat at Hogwarts. Neither form of management made her feel any better in her current situation.
Then, at the end of October, it had taken nearly three days for Tonks to hear from Dumbledore that Remus was still alive. Somehow, in September, Remus must have communicated with Dumbledore. The evening following September's full moon, Tonks had received Dumbledore's phoenix Patronus to inform her that Remus was alive and well. Tonks had been hoping for a similar message following October's full moon, but it took nearly three days to receive such information.
Tonks looked up to see the door to the Hog's Head opening and immediately scowled. Alfie had come in from the cold and was making his way to where Tonks was sitting alone. Sighing heavily, she resigned herself to another interaction with the other young Auror.
"Wotcher, Alfie," Tonks said half-heartedly.
"You're finally down here!" Alfie said excitedly.
"Finally?" Tonks asked confusedly.
"I look for you here most nights," Alfie said. "Ab says you're not usually around." Tonks smiled despite herself; Aberforth knew that Tonks was usually in her room alone most evenings. He must have been covering for Tonks so that she could avoid Alfie.
"That's nice?" Tonks questioned weakly. "Why were you looking for me today in particular?"
"Well, like I said, I look for you most nights," Alfie said enthusiastically as he sat in the seat opposite Tonks. "I was really hoping you'd be here tonight though, as I heard that it's your birthday this Thursday."
"Who told you?" Tonks demanded. Typically, she wouldn't mind if her coworkers knew her birthday, but having spent so much time with Alfie lately had turned her off to the idea of spending any time with him outside of what was strictly necessary.
"Dawlish," Alfie replied. "Scrimgeour had asked him if you'd wanted to take the day off, on account of you working all the time lately."
"I don't want the day off," Tonks said evenly. "I'd really rather be working."
"What are you doing at night then?" Alfie asked, a hopeful look in his eye.
"Someone is coming to see me," Tonks lied. Alfie deflated slightly, but had another idea.
"We could celebrate tonight, if you'd like?" Alfie suggested.
"Tonight's not really a night of celebrating," Tonks said, gesturing to the amber liquid in her hand. "Today would've been my cousin's birthday, so I was thinking of him."
"Oh," Alfie said lamely. He hesitated for a moment, and continued. "Have you made any new friends since we've been here, Tonks?"
Tonks furrowed her brow, unsure of what Alfie was asking. "No," she finally replied. "I'm friendly with Ab over there, and Rosmerta, of course, but she's friendly with everyone."
"So when Ab says you're not around…where do you go?" Alfie pressed.
"On my own, mostly," Tonks said. "My room, for walks, anywhere to think, really."
"If you don't mind me asking," Alfie said boldly, "What's on your mind? I know you had a rough summer, but you haven't been yourself. I'm worried for you."
"I'm as fine as I can be, I suppose," Tonks said half-heartedly. "Dawlish and Proudfoot haven't made it any easier on us, I think."
"They're here to help us, Tonks," Alfie countered. "We should be happy to have extra support." Tonks gaped at Alfie; he was brownnosing and no one, least of all Tonks, cared to hear it.
"Sure," Tonks said tonelessly. "Call it what you will, then."
"I call it helpful," Alfie said proudly. "Anyway, you said you had someone coming on your birthday?"
"Yeah," Tonks lied. "Someone."
"It's not a, erm, boyfriend, is it?" Alfie asked awkwardly.
Tonks sighed and took another large gulp of the Firewhisky, glad that she had the assistance of alcohol to maintain the conversation.
"No, I've been single since the summer," Tonks said, immediately regretting her admission. No one else was supposed to know about her and Remus together!
"The summer?" Alfie's brow furrowed. "I thought you'd been single for a lot longer."
"I was seeing someone in the last year, but we split over the summer," Tonks said hastily. May as well admit it.
"Was it, err, a serious relationship?" Alfie asked, with a note of trepidation in his voice.
"Depends on which one of us you'd asked," Tonks said cryptically.
"Uh-huh," Alfie replied, looking deep in thought. "How would you define serious, then?" he asked.
"I thought it was a committed relationship," Tonks answered. "Living together, sharing things, that sort of idea."
"What did your, uhh, ex think a serious relationship was?" Alfie looked hopeful as he asked this, much to Tonks' irritation.
"Not a long-term one," Tonks said curtly.
"He was just stringing you along?" Alfie asked. "I would never do that to you," he added brashly.
"It was complicated," Tonks answered, choosing to ignore Alfie's comment on his own expected behavior. "We had some long-term compatibility issues, I suppose." She took another sip of the Firewhisky and felt grateful as the warm liquid coated her throat again and filled her with warmth.
"What sort of compatibility issues? Did he not want to get married?" Alfie asked rapidly. "I thought you weren't looking for a long-term thing anyway," he added hastily.
"I wasn't looking, no," Tonks answered. "Maybe it just wasn't the right timing, is all," she said, more to herself than to Alfie.
"You think he was the right man for you? Even if he was stringing you along?" Alfie demanded. "Doesn't sound like the right man for you at all," he added brazenly. Tonks rubbed her fingers on her temples, and willed herself to refrain from punching Alfie in the face repeatedly. This was one of the many reasons she detested spending time with Alfie outside of necessary work hours.
"Alfie, he wasn't stringing me along," Tonks began, while continuing to rub her temples in an attempt to keep calm. "His own insecurities got in the way, is all. Can't be helped," she continued. "If he ever gets over those insecurities, maybe we'll pick up where we left off, but I've no evidence that will be the case."
"You still care for him, then?" Alfie asked, crestfallen.
"I love him," Tonks said truthfully, as Alfie frowned. "I wish it had been enough," she said softly.
"But he's not here for you, Tonks," Alfie emphasized. "If he truly cared for you, he would be here for you."
"If only it were that easy," Tonks said ruefully. Remus had explained that it was his love for her that he had to leave. Perhaps, if he'd loved her any less, he'd have stayed, or so his letter had told her…Tonks took another large sip of the Firewhisky. Thank Merlin for whoever brought alcohol to the world, Wizarding or Muggle, she thought. Makes awkward, painful conversations almost bearable.
"It should be that easy!" Alfie claimed. "If I were with you, I'd never let you be alone." Tonks rolled her eyes; she didn't need Alfie dating her to hound her. Tonks suspected that Alfie was likely a clingy wizard, making her even less interested in him than she previously thought possible.
"Sometimes a witch wants to be alone," Tonks said coldly. "Right now, for instance." She took one final gulp of the remaining Firewhisky and stood up from her seat.
"Did I say something wrong?" Alfie asked, looking up at Tonks with a bewildered expression.
"I'm tired, Alfie," Tonks lied. "I'll see you in the morning." Alfie looked dejected again, but Tonks didn't care. She turned around from the seat where she'd been sitting and made her way up to her room, vowing to never drink alone again.
…..
It was another rainy evening. Tonks stared out the window of her room at the Hog's Head, watching the steady drip of the cold rain hit the window panes. Today was her twenty-fourth birthday, and she was acknowledging it alone. Her parents had sent cards and gifts, as had some of her friends from school, and even Hermione and Ginny had sent her cards. The cards and gifts added a bit of color to the dreary room, but did nothing to fill the hole in her heart. Tonks had been hoping for communication from Remus – a scrap of parchment would have been more than enough, especially as it was her birthday – but nothing had arrived from him.
A knock-knock-knock at the door interrupted Tonks' lonely thoughts. She stood up from the bed and crossed the room, to open the door. It was Aberforth.
"Someone here to see you," Ab said in his gruff voice. Tonks felt her heart racing. Could Remus have come to see her?
"I'll be right down," Tonks said breathlessly. Al grunted and closed the door for her, as she got herself hastily dressed to go downstairs.
When Tonks made it down the stairs, it was not Remus waiting for her, but Molly Weasley. Molly must have seen Tonks' crestfallen expression, as the older witch took Tonks into her arms and hugged her tightly.
"I know I'm not who you were hoping for, dear," Molly said kindly. "Ginny mentioned you'd be here alone for your birthday."
"My parents came up last weekend to see me," Tonks explained. "I'm here on my own tonight."
"You didn't want your coworkers celebrating with you?" Molly asked, a concerned look in her eyes.
"Not the ones I have here," Tonks said tonelessly. "I get enough of them day-to-day. I don't want to see them at night if I can help it."
"Come," Molly beckoned. "I've brought a cake for you."
"Oh, Molly, that was really unnecessary," Tonks said apologetically. "You don't need to fuss over me."
"Nonsense," Molly said briskly. "Even if your parents were here, you still deserve a cake on your birthday."
"Do you mind if we go up to my room for it?" Tonks asked, looking around at the patrons of the Hog's Head. "This isn't exactly a place to broadcast special occasions."
"Of course, Tonks," Molly replied warmly. "Lead the way, dear."
Tonks led Molly up the rickety, dusty stairs and into her room. Molly tsked disapprovingly when she saw Tonks' living space.
"You need to take care of yourself, Tonks," Molly lectured. "You're looking far too peaky. Ab is feeding you?"
"He is," Tonks replied. "Surprisingly good cook, but I've lost my appetite as of late."
Molly's brow furrowed, and Tonks felt Molly's matronly eyes wash over her. "Still not able to morph, I see," Molly noted.
Tonks shook her head. "I can't morph, I've lost my appetite, and I have a babysitter called Proudfoot," Tonks said sullenly. "Happy birthday to me."
"Perhaps a bit of cake can tempt you," Molly smiled. She pulled out a white box from her handbag and enlarged it on Tonks' desk. The cake was somehow Tonks' favorite, a moist almond cake with rich chocolate ganache filling, topped with color-changing sprinkles. It was absurdly big for just the two of them, but Tonks smiled weakly at the sight anyway. Molly loved to coddle others.
"Thank you, Molly," Tonks said. "This looks delicious, actually." Molly beamed at the praise, evidently triumphant that her baking had coaxed Tonks into having an appetite. The older witch conjured a few plates and cut two generous slices of cake for them.
"How have you been, dear?" Molly asked gently, as Tonks finished an especially big bite of cake.
"I've been better," Tonks replied dully. "Nothing's changed."
"You haven't heard from Remus?" Molly asked.
"No. Remus has been in touch with Dumbledore, and Dumbledore let me know that Remus is still alive after the last two moons," Tonks explained. "I haven't heard from him at all."
"Would you have wanted to hear from him?" Molly asked, a curious expression in her eyes.
"Of course!" Tonks nearly shouted. "A scrap of parchment, a Patronus, anything would have been better than the silence!" Molly hesitated for a moment, but then spoke.
"Remus told me this was your favorite cake," Molly said quietly. "He asked if I could make it for you."
"You've seen him?!" Tonks asked, dumbfounded. "When? How is he? Where is he? Please, tell me everything you know!" Tonks looked at the cake, then back at Molly, and shook her head. Of course Remus had told Molly this was her favorite cake. Why hadn't Remus made it? Why wasn't Remus here?
"I haven't seen him," Molly consoled Tonks. "He wrote to me, though I'm afraid I don't know where he was or how he was."
"Do you have the letter?" Tonks demanded. "Just to see anything from him, please." Molly hesitated again but reached into her handbag and produced a folded bit of parchment. She handed it to Tonks, who unfolded it hurriedly and began to read Remus' neat, precise handwriting:
Molly,
I hope you and Arthur are well. I'm writing to make a request of you. Dora's birthday is on 5th November, as you may already know. I won't be able to send or give her anything due to my current situation. I was hoping, if you were able, to make Dora her favorite cake for me. She enjoys an almond cake with chocolate filling. I'm afraid I haven't a recipe to give you, but I hope this is enough. I'll be in your debt if you can make this possible. Give her my best.
RJL
"Why didn't he write me?" Tonks lamented, looking up at Molly. Tonks felt the tears welling up in her eyes. Remus had remembered her enough to have Molly make the cake, which now tasted like sawdust in her mouth. Why hadn't he bothered to write a letter to her, himself?
"I had a similar question, my dear," Molly replied. "I wrote to him to ask him."
"And?" Tonks looked at Molly expectantly.
"He replied via Patronus," Molly explained. "He did not want you to be associated with him directly, for your safety."
"That's all he said?" Tonks asked in disbelief. "For my safety?! But yours doesn't matter?!" Tonks felt furious; Remus could contact Molly and endanger the mother of seven, but not Tonks.
"Tonks," Molly began gently. "I told him that he's taking a ridiculous stance on this, but he did not reply to me. I think he's having a hard time of it as well. You have to understand, dear, that Remus' connection with me is minimal compared to yours."
"It's not fair!" Tonks cried. "Why can't we just be friends, then?"
"That's something you'll have to take up with him, I think," Molly said. "You don't know if you'll be seeing him anytime soon?"
"How would I, considering he doesn't talk to me anymore?" Tonks snapped.
"He'll be at the Burrow for Christmas," Molly suggested. "You're welcome to come as well."
"I can't," Tonks said despondently. "I've volunteered myself to stay behind at Hogsmeade for Christmas."
"Why? You don't want to spend Christmas with your family?" Molly asked, looking at Tonks with concerned pity. "Is everything alright with your parents?"
"They're fine, honestly. It's the only way I could get New Year's Eve off," Tonks replied. "I didn't want to be here with my coworkers, one in particular. I had to volunteer myself for Christmas to get that off."
"Why the New Year?" Molly asked, cocking her head to one side.
"One of my colleagues here fancies me and I'd like to be anywhere but where he is for that particular occasion," Tonks complained. "I wouldn't have done it if I had someone to share the New Year with, but I'm not giving Alfie any ideas. He's already looking forward to Valentine's Day." Tonks rolled her eyes.
"You'll be here alone for Christmas, then?" Molly asked sadly.
"I'll have Ab," Tonks said. "He's pleasant company once he warms up to you. A lot like Mad-Eye, actually," Tonks said, thinking warmly of the grizzled old Auror. Molly looked at Tonks with worry, but said nothing to acknowledge her concerns.
"If you change your mind, Tonks, know you're welcome at the Burrow," Molly said. "I'm sure your parents will be delighted to see you as well."
"I'll see them for the New Year," Tonks said quietly. "It will have to be enough."
By that point, the two witches had finished their cake and Tonks sat resentfully in her chair, wishing she hadn't volunteered herself to patrol Hogsmeade for Christmas, as she could have taken the opportunity to see Remus instead.
As if she could read Tonks' mind, Molly finally said, "You may still be able to change your plans, Tonks."
"I'll keep them as is," Tonks replied morosely. "No sense in causing a stir with everyone." Tonks looked down at the grimy floor, overwhelmed by her emotions. Grief, hope, sadness, and fear swirled through her heart.
"If I hear from him again, Tonks, I'll let you know," Molly promised. "You look like you need rest."
"I don't sleep well anymore," Tonks said flatly. "I can't morph away the dark circles either."
"Would you care for Sleeping Draught or Dreamless Sleep?" Molly asked. "I can brew those for you, if you'd like."
"I'm fine, Molly, really," Tonks said. "Perhaps you're right though. I should get some rest." Molly nodded, and although Tonks hadn't asked for it, the older witch cast several cleaning charms on the room and made it spotless.
"Thanks, Molly," Tonks said feebly. "I'm rubbish at those spells."
"If you need me, Tonks, you know where to find me," Molly said, hugging Tonks tightly again.
"I know," Tonks replied weakly. "I'll let you know if I do." Molly smiled warmly at Tonks, and gathered her things, before leaving the young Auror alone again in the dreary room.
…..
As the month was waning, the full moon was approaching. Tired of relying on her lunascope, Tonks had charmed a necklace to reveal the pattern of the full moon. A round moonstone now hung around her neck on a long chain. It was charmed so that only at the full moon would the entire stone be visible to her. It was Sunday afternoon, and Tonks looked down at the moonstone; it was very nearly full, indicating that the full moon was approaching that very night. Tonks felt restless as she waited for the evening and moonrise, not knowing where or how Remus was, or if he'd survive the night. Feeling anxious, Tonks left her room and went walking.
Tonks decided to walk towards the Shrieking Shack. It was one of her favorite haunts, ever since she'd first arrived to Hogsmeade. Without any communication or knowledge from Remus, the Shrieking Shack felt as close to Remus as she could get. The Shack looked as lonely as ever, as Tonks approached it. In the fading light of day, it looked especially forlorn.
She crossed the threshold of the now-familiar Shack and cast, "Lumos!" to make her way around the dilapidated home. She looked up at the dusty, cobwebbed ceiling, undisturbed save for Tonks' occasional jaunts. The floorboards were as grimy and creaky as ever. Every bit of furniture bore claw and bite marks, except for the once-handsome settee that had been in the parlor.
Tonks had wondered what it might be like to fix the settee and had once attempted a few repairing charms on the broken piece, only to have the settee explode spectacularly before her very eyes. It had been so unexpected she had laughed for a solid minute, and when she turned to her side to tell Remus (for she had assumed Remus would be there with her) she began weeping, remembering that Remus was no longer in her life. Since then, Tonks had not attempted to repair any more furniture, assuming it would end as poorly as it did the first time.
She made her way up the wobbly staircase to the second floor of the Shack. She had spent less time up on the second floor than on the first, as the stairs were in terrible shape. But, being a mere few hours from the full moon, Tonks decided to take the journey up the dilapidated staircase.
She came up to the main bedroom of the Shack, which held the caved-in four poster bed. It rested upon a rug thick with layers of dust. The only interruptions to the dust were those Tonks had made herself the first time she entered the Shack. Tonks retraced her steps and found the spot where she had sat, crying, in her earliest days at Hogsmeade.
Months had passed, and still Remus had not communicated with her. Months had passed, and her assignment at Hogsmeade had only worsened, as she was now split between several micromanagers at both the village and Hogwarts. Her feelings for Remus had remained unchanged. Tonks sat back in the place she had occupied merely a few months prior and felt the wave of exhaustion wash over her. She had been working nearly nonstop for weeks in an effort to avoid thinking about her own despair. In the quiet moments, such as the one she was experiencing in the Shack, the despair settled deep into her bones. The depression she felt weighed her down and kept her rooted to the spot. It wasn't long before, exhausted and heartbroken, Tonks fell into a deep slumber on the dusty floor.
…..
Tonks was woken suddenly by a hair-raising, inhuman yowl. She stirred rapidly and realized she had fallen asleep at the Shrieking Shack. Before she was able to move again, the howl rang out louder and more pitifully than it had before. The howl was bloodcurdling and mournful all at once. Tonks' heart hammered in her chest. In her many visits to the Shrieking Shack, she had yet to stay at the Shack at the full moon. The howling continued, desperate and desolate. Was it possible another werewolf was studying at Hogwarts? Tonks wondered.
There simply couldn't be another explanation. The howls coming from down the stairs were earsplitting and haunting. There was no thrashing from the creature downstairs, merely restless pacing and loud, sorrowful howls to the moon. These were not the sounds coming from a typical wolf; they had to be the sounds of a werewolf.
Tonks panicked briefly, stricken by the gravity of the situation. If she assumed correctly, a fully transformed, fully dangerous werewolf was pacing the parlor below. There was no way of telling, in her view, whether or not the wolf had access to Wolfsbane. There was no way of telling who the wolf was at all, in case she could ask Dumbledore about it. She was at the Shrieking Shack alone, accompanied only by the cries of the werewolf.
Tonks attempted to Apparate from the Shack, but realized it had Anti-Apparition wards still upon it. She had few options available. She could attempt to descend the stairs and fight her way past the werewolf, or she could barricade herself on the top floor in an attempt to dissuade the werewolf from approaching. Staying rooted to the spot appeared to be the best option, for now.
The wolf continued howling pitifully. Its cries were unlike anything Tonks had ever heard; they were at once haunting and beautiful. The wolf was not battering itself against the furniture. Nor was it snarling, snapping its jaw, or clawing its way through the dilapidated Shack. Tonks merely heard its heavy, clawed steps wander through the first floor of the Shack as it howled wretchedly at the full moon in the sky above. Is this what a wolf on Wolfsbane looks like? But the human brain – would it still howl? Tonks cursed herself for never asking Remus what a full moon was like on Wolfsbane.
The wolf's howls were insistent and each one pierced the night with its desolation. The howling was incessant and loud; Tonks could not remain in the Shack all night with the wolf yowling at the moon. The sounds were painful to her ears; whatever the wolf was doing, it sounded as if it were in pain. As the wolf was moving, Tonks would be unable to cast a Silencing Charm on it from where she stood. She did not dare cast a Silencing Charm on the upstairs of the Shack itself, in case the wolf attempted to go up the rickety stairs to see her.
Deciding she could no longer stay upstairs with the loud howling of the wolf, Tonks padded across the room towards the staircase. As soon as she moved, the creaking of the floorboards rang loudly beneath her feet. Fuck, Tonks thought, this is why I nearly failed the stealth portion of the Auror exams!
The wolf paused in its howling, evidently intrigued by the sound of the creaking floorboards from where Tonks had moved. She cast a Silencing Charm on her own feet, and attempted to pad across the floor again. To Tonks' dismay, the Silencing Charm had been effective on her feet, but did not affect the sound of the creaking in the floorboards beneathher feet. The wolf was not howling anymore. Tonks could hear its claws hitting the floorboards on the floor below, as well as its heavy breathing. The Shack seemed suffocatingly quiet without the wolf's howls.
Tonks was now at the top of the stairs, separated from the wolf only by the wobbly staircase. She looked down the stairs and saw a pair of amber eyes looking up at her. Oh shit, Tonks thought.
The wolf became agitated at seeing Tonks, and it lunged up the stairs to find her. Unable to stop herself, Tonks cast "Stupefy!" on the wolf, knocking it back into the floorboards below. It was only out for a second before it lunged up the stairs again. "Stupefy!" Tonks cried at the wolf again, sending it flying back to the floor.
"Reducto!" Tonks cast at the staircase, blasting it apart. The wolf was awake again but ever more agitated that it did not have the staircase with which to jump at Tonks. The wolf looked up at Tonks with its amber eyes, chasing itself and slamming itself against the walls of the Shack now, clearly distressed at being unable to ascend to the second floor.
"I'm sorry," Tonks murmured to the wolf. She began to feel guilty at sending it back into the wall, where the human within would be hurting the next morning.
The wolf was still not snarling, growling, or baring its teeth, much to Tonks' surprise. She expected far more savage behavior from the transformed werewolf, having heard the horror stories from Remus. This wolf was in distress. It did not attack itself, as Tonks would have assumed, being a lone werewolf. It was circling the area around the staircase in nervous pacing, whining loudly. The howling had now been replaced with whines and cries of the wolf; each cry and whine were even more pitiful than the howls the wolf had made.
Tonks was sitting at the top of the stairs, now missing the means with which to escape from the sounds of the distressed wolf. Its cries were woeful and frantic as it paced the length of the space where the staircase had been. It looked up at Tonks with its amber eyes, crying painfully each time its eyes met hers. Tonks put her head in her hands, unsure of what to do. The wolf was crying and whining loudly, which was a slight improvement to the incessant howling, but it was still loud enough that it hurt Tonks' ears. The tone of the cries didn't help either; they were filled with excruciating pain. Tonks sat at the top step, watching the wolf pace up and down, whining and staring up at her. There was little else to do but wait, or so she thought. She shifted slightly, and the stair on which she sat began to wobble until it snapped and gave way.
Tonks caught herself just as the last remaining steps fell down upon the wolf. She was hanging onto the landing of the second floor with a single, sweaty hand. The wolf's distress had grown at Tonks' predicament. It paced frantically underneath the wriggling young Auror. Tonks was panting heavily, attempting to lift herself up from where she was hanging and onto the landing, but the dust of the landing and her sweaty palm barely held her where she was. She looked on at the tense wolf; it was still whining and crying. As Tonks struggled to hold onto the landing where she hung onto dear life, the wolf howled loudly up at her. The sudden, ear-splitting howl disconcerted Tonks and she lost her grip. Cursing, Tonks fell to the floor in a heap on top of the broken floorboards, terrified for her life.
The wolf was upon Tonks almost instantly, but she kept it back by casting another "Stupefy!" in its direction, knocking the wolf back into the wall. The wolf was knocked out only momentarily, and was back on its paws as soon as Tonks stood up in the mess of the splintered stairs.
"Impedimenta!" cried Tonks, stopping the wolf in its tracks for a moment. Tonks took the moment to turn around and head towards the door, but the wolf was faster. It was back on its paws and chasing Tonks through the Shack. Tonks was desperate to leave the Shack, but every time she got anywhere near a window or door, the wolf lunged within inches of her. She cast curses and hexes at the wolf, but each one only barely landed on the wolf.
Tonks was sweating and cursing profusely as she attempted to stop the wolf in its tracks, but each attempt failed. She was growing weak with effort. The wolf was surprisingly immune to her magic, which perplexed and concerned her deeply. No wonder werewolves were so dangerous and hard to capture, thought Tonks.
She cast "Impedimenta!" once more, stopping the wolf for a moment, while she caught her breath and thought of the next move. The wolf had only paused its attacks on her, and Tonks was panting heavily under the strain. She looked into the wolf's amber eyes in a new approach; perhaps she could convince the wolf she meant no harm?
"Okay, okay," Tonks said, holding her hands up to the distressed wolf. The wolf lunged again, but Tonks shouted, "No! Please! No!" as she hunched down. The wolf did not heed Tonks' requests and instead pounced upon Tonks. She fell under the weight of the wolf, her head slammed against the dusty floorboards of the parlor. She was splayed out on the floor, her robes twisted around her, and her hair in her face, making it difficult to see what was happening. The wolf had not yet bitten her; Tonks only listened as the wolf breathed loudly and heavily in her ear. She heard only the sounds of it sniffing her and pressing its cold, wet nose against her skin, hair, and clothes.
Minutes passed, and the wolf had not yet bitten. Tonks was gobsmacked that the wolf had not yet bitten; weren't all wolves meant to be biting their prey, no matter who they were? Tonks concluded that this wolf must have been given Wolfsbane, despite its erratic and distressed behavior.
The wolf continued sniffing at Tonks, leaving hot, heavy breaths in her ears and face. Tonks could only hear the sound of her own heartbeat and the wolf's steady, deep breathing in her ears. After what seemed like an interminable amount of time, the wolf stopped sniffing Tonks.
The wolf very gently nipped at Tonks' robes and her heartbeat accelerated. Somewhat jerkily, the wolf tugged at Tonks' robes, turning her over from where she lay. She looked up at the wolf's amber eyes, startled at its intense gaze. The wolf lunged at her again, and she covered her face with her arms, hoping to deter the wolf from attacking her.
Tonks had yet to feel a bite, and she opened her eyes through her fingers and saw the wolf standing over her, looking for her eyes with its own steady amber ones. Its front legs were straddled on either side of Tonks' shoulders. It breathed heavily into Tonks' face, sniffing deeply at her face in between Tonks' fingers. Terrified, but intrigued, Tonks slowly began to spread her fingers apart and lower her arms. The wolf remained steadily in its place, unblinking. Finally, Tonks was laying on her back, with her arms at her sides, completely defenseless.
The wolf stared down at Tonks' face and into her eyes with its own intense gaze. Tonks was terrified, and she blinked frantically at the wolf, her own breathing erratic and ragged. The wolf's breaths were steady and deep. Tonks could feel the wolf's warm, gentle breath in her face. The wolf brought its snout down to Tonks' face, and she scrunched her eyes in fear, waiting for the worst.
The worst never came. The wolf brought its snout to Tonks' face and inhaled deeply as the cold, wet snout grazed her cheeks, nose, and lips. Seemingly satisfied, the wolf stopped sniffing at Tonks' face. It decided to lay on top of Tonks directly, and she exhaled heavily, straining under the weight of the wolf. The wolf seemed to notice, and it shifted its position to lay next to Tonks on the dusty, splintered floor. The wolf began opening and closing its eyes, surprising Tonks.
When the wolf's eyes appeared to be completely closed and its breathing had evened, Tonks attempted to shift herself slightly from her position. The wolf did not appear to notice the shift, and so Tonks steadily and slowly extricated herself from the floor. The wolf remained sleeping, and Tonks cast a Silencing Charm on herself, the floor, and every other surface she could think of as she gently made her way out of the Shack. She looked back at the wolf, still sleeping in the mess of splintered wood where the stairs had once been.
Extraordinarily, Tonks made it to the door of the Shack and warded it shut. She cast a charm to tell the time; it was nearly 3 am. She was both exhausted and awake, her body still pumping with adrenalin. Tonks finally crossed the threshold of the Shack property line to the cobbled street. She turned back to look at the Shack. She stared at it in disbelief, and as she turned around, the wolf howled once more.