Disclaimer: I own nothing except the werewolf hunters, and I'm not sure I want to own them, maybe I can ask Rowling if I can trade them for Remus…
Summary: Werewolf hunters are after Remus, will Tonks be able to warn him in time? Sequel to Mornings After and Blood of a Werewolf. It might be a good idea to read BoW first to understand this one… RL/NT
A/N: this story contains minor HBP spoilers.
Hunted
Chapter 1 : The Diary
June 28, 2002
Dear Diary,
One of my deepest wishes seems to finally come true. I know where to find Remus! (at least, sort of) He is in Romania, of all places, can you believe it? Why have I never thought of looking for him there?
I suppose I should feel guilty about being so happy, because Harry is dying and he needs werewolf-blood to survive and it has to be Remus', but I can't help it.
I'm going to find Remus! (or so I hope)
Is it stupid and naïve of me to hope I can convince him to come back with me, marry me and live happily ever after together?
Damn, I can't believe I'm sounding like a teenager, but I don't care.
I'M GOING TO FIND REMUS!
I want to say 'love', but I'm going to safe all of that for Remus.
Tonks.
Michael Vastatore closed the diary of Nymphadora Tonks with a satisfied smirk. The woman may have escaped him a few months earlier, but that didn't really matter anymore. Having her diary had grandly made up for that and he would have his revenge, he was sure of that.
After he and his hunters had been squished by that giant, he had spent their recovery-time reading the woman's diary and had found it very interesting.
She was actually in love with a werewolf and she was searching for him in my territory. How ironic.
Following this little piece of information, Vastatore had sent two of his companions, Al Summers and Jack Didit, to Britain, to find some more information about the Tonks-girl, and to lure her back to Romania. Michael Vastatore and the rest of his companions would be waiting for her there, ready to grace her with their company and accompany her again on her travels through their territory, uninvited of course. Vastatore laughed at the thought. We will greatly enjoy her presence, although she probably won't like it. .At least we are better company than that werewolf she claims to be in love with, he scowled for a moment, we'll make sure she'll realise that in the end.
And then, after we have joined her…
A maniacal grin appeared on Michael Vastatore's face.
Then, they would use her as bait during the next full moon, like they had planned to do when they had first captured her, but now the hunt would be so much better, knowing the werewolf they wanted to capture was the one she loved, and who knows, maybe he did love her back. That is, if the half-breed is capable of such human feelings, which I'm sure it's actually not.
All in all, it was a good plan, they wouldn't be able to escape and once they had captured them both, the fun would really begin. I have to remind Graham and David of preparing all the tools we will need.
Michael Vastatore's grin grew even wider and more maniacal as he imagined all the games he could play with the werewolf and the girl who loved him. Only a few more weeks of patience and the fun can begin…
Nymphadora Tonks was sitting in her office, going over some documents which contained possible information about the whereabouts of a person named Thomas Benson, who had disappeared during the war. His family had been searching for him without success and they finally decided on hiring a Private Detective. Tonks had been trying to find information about the missing person for a few months now, but every trail seemed to lead to nothing.
One document caught her attention. It was an Auror-report, made during the last year of the war and part of a file about the comings and goings of certain known Death Eaters.
Tonks frowned. Why haven't I noticed this before?
According to this piece of paper, Thomas Benson was last seen in the company of Eely Al, a known Death Eater, whose real name was unknown but who was as slippery as an eel when it came to escaping the Ministry Aurors, hence the nickname.
If this information is true, Thomas Benson is a Death Eater himself or he was killed by Death Eaters. Either way, there isn't much I can do to help.
A knock on the door of her office pulled Tonks out her thoughts and a moment later, Kingsley Shacklebolt entered. The scene reminded Tonks a bit of a day like this, over seven months ago, when the Minister for Magic had entered her office, much like he had now, and had provided her with information that had led her to finding Remus Lupin after two years of searching for him.
There has to be a good reason for Kingsley to be here, but I hope it's less dramatic than last time. Last time, it was because Harry Potter, the hero of the wizarding world, was dying and Tonks had been the one who had to save him.
"Whotcher Kingsley, what can I do for you? Whose life do I have to save this time?"
The Minister smiled slightly. "No one's, for now. Nice to see you too, Tonks. You almost make it sound like that's the only reason I ever come to see you."
"May I remind you it is the only reason you've come to see me lately?"
Kingsley smiled apologetically. "You're right, but being Minister for Magic is a busy job."
Tonks snorted. "I'm sure, but it's not a good enough excuse for neglecting your friends."
"All right, I promise to make it up to you as soon as I have time."
Tonks grinned. "I'll hold you to that, Kingsley, but anyway, what brings you here?"
The grin that had also appeared on Kingsley's face faded and his face became serious again. "We've received word Eely Al has turned up in Hogsmeade, but I don't want to send Aurors after him just yet, for various reasons. Firstly because he always manages to escape them and secondly because I don't want to spread panic in the village and the school and sending an Auror unit to Hogsmeade looking for a known Death Eater might do that. It would definitely be bad publicity for Hogwarts and I'm pretty sure Minerva wouldn't appreciate that, now the school has finally reopened last year. So I want you to take a look in Hogsmead, see if you can find out anything. If you have the time of course."
Tonks considered what Kingsley had said for a moment. I still have to finish the Thomas Benson case, but on the other hand, Eely Al has escaped too many times and it would definitely be a good thing to see him off to Azkaban. Besides, who knows I might be able to find out some information about Benson.
"I'll do it. I'm going to Hogsmead first thing in the morning."
Kingsley looked relieved. "Thanks a lot, Tonks."
000
As she had promised Kingsley, Tonks went to Hogsmead the next day. After morphing herself into shady looks, which made her almost look like Mundungus Fletcher's younger sister, she took up a place in the Hog's Head, from where she could oversee and overhear everything that went on in the pub.
She didn't have to wait long until a young man, around Harry's age, maybe a bit older, entered and took a seat at a table in the darkest corner of the pub. Only a few moments later, he was joined by two men whose faces were hidden in hoods of their black cloaks, a chill ran over Tonks's spine and she was sure one of them was Eely Al. And the others probably used to be Death Eaters too
The conversation that followed was quiet and rushed and Tonks could only catch little parts of what was said. After only a few moments, however, Tonks realised who exactly she was dealing with.
"We have come with a message from Vastatore…" said one of the cloaked men. His companion motioned for him to lower his voice, but Tonks had already recognised the voice, it belonged to Jack Didit, one of the werewolf hunters who had captured her seven months ago. But that means Eely Al is probably one of them too…Of course, Al Summers, why didn't I think of it before.
The next part of the conversation she could catch seemed to be about the man who had first entered and his job at the Ministry, although Tonks couldn't catch what that was, nor what his name was. But it seems he used to be a spy for Voldemort at the Ministry. They were now discussing something the man was expected to do for Vastatore and he seemed to be reluctant. In the heat of the discussion, they raised their voices a bit, and Tonks could hear them more clearly now.
"If the Minister finds out, he will surely send Aurors after us all, it's too big of a risk."
"Just make sure only the parties we want involved find out!"
"But what if they go to the Minister?"
"They won't because…" The voices quieted down again, but raised once more a moment later, and what she heard then made Tonks's heart almost stop beating.
"How do you even know for sure Lupin is there?"
"Because the girl left us a souvenir…"
After that, Tonks didn't really hear anything anymore, but she didn't need to, she knew what she needed to know.
They're going after Remus.
And it's my fault.
My diary.
000
Please review...
Thanks to everyone who reviewed Mornings After.